Scented Candles May Deliver Diabetes!

If you’re anything like me, you like to light a few candles to set a certain mood every now and then. But you’re not going to believe what recent studies show: Exposure to phthalates — chemicals used in synthetic fragrances, as well as in many plastics — can actually double your risk for contracting diabetes. The jury is still out on exactly how the process works, but scientists figure that phthalates disrupt your hormones in a way that hinders your body’s ability to metabolize and regulate fat. Even at low levels, these substances promote weight gain, thereby making you a prime candidate for trouble.

While phthalates floating in your household air may not directly cause diabetes, they dramatically increase the chance that you and your family will get the disease. So, especially if you have risk factors that can’t be eliminated, or you’ve been diagnosed with prediabetes, strengthen your defenses with these 3 simple measures:

1. Send scented candles packing — and air fresheners, too, including sprays, gels, and plug-ins. Instead, burn beeswax candles that produce air-cleaning negative ions. If you like pleasant aromas drifting through the air, bring in fresh, fragrant flowers, or make herbal potpourris.

2. Choose unscented versions of laundry and household cleaning products. You’ll find them in your local supermarket right next to the odiferous kinds.

3. As much as possible, shun products that are made of flexible plastic and vinyl. Phthalates are used in the manufacture of household staples ranging from shower curtains, wallpaper, and vinyl mini-blinds to food packaging and plastic wrap, as well as pet toys and beds. (Yes, these hormone-disrupting demons are just as dangerous for Fido and Fluffy as they are for you.)

To scent the air in your home without the dangerous chemicals found in commercial products, whip up your own aromatic blend. Simply combine 13 cups of your favorite dried herbs and/or flowers with 1 ounce each of orrisroot and sweet flag powder (all available at herbal-supply and craft shops and online at sites that specialize in herbal products). Then fill bowls or baskets with the mixture, and set them out wherever you like. Pour any extra blend into glass jars with tight-fitting lids, and store the containers in a cool, dark place.