People perceive science or scientist as some aliens, detached from the regular human society. It isn’t necessarily so. Each one of us has the ability to be a scientist if we can understand what are the basic principles that they swear by. Observing, analyzing, and being inquisitive are the few mantras every scientist follows. Herein, I shall be discussing why it is necessary for us to apply those mantras in our daily lives as well.
Pursuing a PhD has taught me to be analytical, critical and curious. In very simple language, being a scientist means you ought to be a great observer and critical of what you observe. A scientist is one who observes, analyses, draws a conclusion and acts accordingly.
To begin with, let’s categorize our daily activities into the following heads:
- Eating
- Rest/Sleep
- Professional activities/student life
- Personal/Social interactions
- Exercises/meditation
Not all, but most of these are common for each one of us.
Each of these involve the usage of a multitude of products. In this era of availability of a plethora of brands catering to each and every need of yours, it is even more important to be aware of what you are buying. Do that little background check before buying commercial items.
Few examples of being a researcher in your daily life would be as follows:
Be aware of the food you are ingesting. The most notorious of all chemicals present in packaged food – preservatives. Most of the packages and frozen food contain preservatives or high amounts of sodium. Both have ill effects on human health. Learn the difference between simple and complex carbs. Read about why fats are required for our body. You can build your own diet chart if you can polish your researching skills. See the effects for yourself.
Since breakfast is the most important meal of the days, it needs to be packed with nutrition. A well-balanced mixture of carbs, proteins, fibers, and fats should be present. The British Heart Foundation has prepared a list of the top 10 breakfast options, each mentioning the nutritional value accordingly. Read and then select the one best suited for your schedule.
In this age of fast life, most of us prefer buying readymade packed food items. Check the ingredients well before buying. Most of them contain preservatives and excess salt and sugar. Given below is the link to the commonly found chemical compounds along with their harmful effects.
Recently BPA and fluorinated compounds were found in fast food packaging in the US by the FDA. BPA is a chemical compound commonly found in plastic items and regulations have been put in place in certain countries regarding its usage. Plastic manufacturing companies are opting for BPA free plastic goods. (https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/221205).
Interested people can read this research article below which explicitly describes the chemicals present in those packaging materials which do seep into your food.
(Fluorinated Compounds in U.S. Fast Food Packaging, Environ Sci Technol Lett. 2017 ; 4(3): 105–111. doi:10.1021/acs.estlett.6b00435.)
Even infant food is not spared. (Occurrence, sources, and pathways of chemical contaminants in infant formulas, Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf. 2020;1–19.)
Most of these chemicals are hepatotoxic, carcinogenic (cancer-causing agents) or can cause mutations to mention a few of their adverse health effects.
The second most commonly used synthetic product is any household would be cosmetics such as lotions, cleansing products, or makeup goods. The main problem is that often we use more than one such product. So in the end we are putting more chemicals onto our skin which can get absorbed as well.
An elaborate recent study has been conducted by a research group in Italy on store-bought cosmetic products in Italy. They found that 58% of the products contains chemicals which can have adverse health effects. (Skin safety and health prevention: an overview of chemicals in cosmetic products, J Prev Med Hyg. 2019 Mar; 60(1): E50–E57.)
Parabens are known to meddle with activities of endocrine glands and are common preservatives used in both food and cosmetics.
Growing anti-biotic resistance is a cause of worry to the medical fraternity worldwide. Triclosan is one such chemical which can increase the antibiotic resistance in our bodies. It was found in few products. Traces in fish’s fatty tissues and, even worse, in maternal milk has been detected. It was banned in 2013 by the FDA [38].
Our favorite sunscreens contain Benzophenone-1 and benzophenone-3 which hamper endocrinal activities and can cause neurological issues. It is also classified as a potential carcinogen. They get absorbed quickly into the body. PEGs comes from the polymerization of ethylene oxide, a well-known carcinogenic agent. They can contain heavy metal impurities as well. Nail polish contains toluene known for causing reproductive toxicity and having adverse effects on the central nervous system. Detailed data is given in the article below.
(Skin safety and health prevention: an overview of chemicals in cosmetic products, J Prev Med Hyg. 2019 Mar; 60(1): E50–E57.)
The so-called herbal products do not mention the entire list of ingredients. Mention of key ingredients is an extremely insufficient set of data. One should be careful while buying such products.
Formaldehyde which is found in a variety of consumer products: clothing, plastics, dry
cleaning agents, paper, glue, drywall board, resins, wood paneling, etc is a carcinogen.
The list is never-ending. All of these products are directly linked to our daily lives and henceforth to our well-being. Start developing the habit of reading the ingredient list of your daily use products.
Recently, while searching for non-stick cookware, I spent a good one hour in reading on different options available and what are the materials they are made of or whether it suits my cooking preferences. In the process, I did end up learning new things which concern my health. I learned the following things:
- Non-stick cookware if used within the temperature limit isn’t harmful
- However, it is best to avoid PTFE/PFOA containing ones since the better ceramic-coated options are available.
- Though cast iron would have been the best, given my purpose of usage it was unnecessary to go for it.
4 years back, I wouldn’t have spent this much time. That’s how I have grown over these years. Working in a research lab has lead to this new me.
Needless to say, whichever profession one is in whether you are a teacher or a banker, requires one to be analytical at each step. This topic is well covered.
Be critical in choosing your companions. Think as to why do you need a certain person in your life or in that case why not. Think before you talk.
One of the greatest benefit I had was to develop a problem-solving attitude. PhD taught me to shift from a complaining outlook towards a problem solving one. Be more solution-oriented rather than a problem. Consider problem to be the past since the deed is already done. The solution is the future which is in our hands to make it present. I have been living a more peaceful life since I came to realize this subtle thing.
Information and access to it are at an all-time high in the current decade. Careful scrutiny is therefore the need of the hour. Do not blindly believe whatever you come across on the internet, especially on the medical line. Read, think, analyze, and then trust.
The key is to be aware of the surroundings and to live a conscious life. Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you should be on your toes all the time. Make these little changes to your way of living and see the consequences for yourself. Nothing can ever match the joy of knowing or of knowledge per se. Live a conscious life.
Science is all about thinking, being curious, and asking questions. Applying a little bit of the above formula can work wonders in our lives.
