Weekly Health Quiz: Elevated Estrogen Risks, Phosphate in Junk Food, and the Polypharmacy Problem

1 Why can psoriasis still flare up when your lab tests look normal?

• Changes in blood sugar can mask hormonal changes that affect the skin over time
• Psoriasis flares are often caused by diet rather than underlying hormonal activity
• Estrogen in skin cells causes inflammation that blood tests do not detect
  

  Estrogen accumulates not only in the blood, but also in the skin tissue, so blood tests can detect the hormonal activity that drives psoriasis flares. Learn more.

• Low vitamin D can confuse the results and make it difficult to see hormonal imbalances

2 Why is belly fat a better warning sign of heart disease than body weight alone?

• Fat stored deep in the abdomen puts extra pressure on the heart
  

  Deep abdominal fat increases pressure on the lungs and heart, forcing the heart to work harder even when weight or BMI appears normal. Learn more.

• The total body weight is always increased before the onset of heart damage
• Body mass index (BMI) directly measures heart function
• Excess weight affects the heart only during vigorous exercise.

3 What is an easy way to reduce estrogen load and reduce psoriasis flares?

• Switch from plastic to glass containers
  

  Switching to a mirror can help reduce exposure to xenoestrogens, which mimic estrogen and increase flare-ups in people with psoriasis. Learn more.

• Eat more foods that contain healthy fats
• Use unscented lotions and room sprays
• Residual heat in BPA-free plastic containers

4 Which age group bears the highest costs of mental illness?

• From 20 to 34
• Age 35 to 49
• Age 50 to 74
  

  Adults aged 50 to 74 bear the highest costs for mental disorders, often due to overlapping chronic and metabolic conditions. Learn more.

• Age 75 and above

5 What is one simple way to reduce exposure to microplastics when preparing food?

• Replace plastic cutting boards with wood, bamboo or glass
  

  Switching from plastic to wood, bamboo or glass cutting boards can help reduce the amount of microplastic particles that end up in your food. Learn more.

• After cutting food on it, wash plastic plates with hot water
• Use ceramic and sharpened knives to reduce surface scratches
• Cool the cutting boards between each cooking session

6 Why doesn’t spending six hours in bed guarantee six full hours of real sleep?

• Deep sleep begins only after seven hours in bed
• Light sleep and short awakenings reduce total rest time
  

  Normal light sleep and short awakenings mean that you get 80% to 85% of real rest, so six hours in bed often gives you five hours of real sleep. Learn more.

• Most people are fully awake every two hours without realizing it.
• After a few hours of rest, your brain stops producing melatonin

7 What can excess phosphate do to your body over time?

• Reduce bone strength and heart rate
• It helps lower blood pressure and metabolism
• They stress your kidneys and strengthen your blood vessels
  

  Too much phosphate damages the kidneys, hardens the blood vessels, increases blood pressure and accelerates aging even with normal blood levels. Learn more.

• Accelerate aging and increase calcium levels

8 Why are energy drinks not the right solution for low cellular energy?

• They hydrate your cells temporarily but not sustain your energy needs.
• They encourage your body to work harder without correcting the actual problem
• You will increase your heart rate for a short time, but you will not rebuild real power
• Instead of restoring cellular energy production, they hide fatigue
  

  Energy drinks mask fatigue but don’t help your cells make real energy, so the problem remains unsolved. Learn more.

9 Which of the following is an unknown risk of assisted reproductive technologies (ART)?

• Having twins or more in one pregnancy
• Facing high financial and emotional costs
• High vitamin absorption from birth control
  

  Assisted reproductive technologies (ART) are associated with risks such as multiple births, high costs, and blood clots, but do not increase vitamin absorption. Learn more.

• Development of bleeding after hormone protocols

10 How many grams (g) of carbohydrates per day can help restore stable energy?

• 75 g
• 120 g
• 180 g
• 250 g
  

  If fasting causes fatigue or mood swings, increasing your carbs to 250 grams per day can help stabilize your metabolism and energy. Learn more.

11 How many children are affected by birth defects today?

• 1 in 10
• 1 in 20
• 1 of 33
  

  1 in 33 babies experience birth defects, making them the leading cause of infant death and why reducing risks during pregnancy is so important. Learn more.

• 1 out of 50

12 Why do some people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have pain even after the inflammation goes away?

• The brain learns to avoid pain through fear-based memories
  

  The mind can process pain through fear-based learning, which can cause severe pain even when there is no inflammatory activity in IBD. Learn more.

• Over time, their diet will trigger new inflammation
• As soon as the person takes a strong pain reliever, all the pain from IBD stops
• IBD medications do not completely stop the brain from feeling any pain

13 At what stage of pregnancy do selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) carry the greatest risk of preterm birth?

• First trimester
• Second half
• The third month
  

  If SSRIs are taken during the third trimester, the risk of preterm delivery doubles. Learn more.

• Last month of pregnancy

14 What can happen to your body if you are stressed for a long time?

• It becomes difficult to control blood sugar and weight
  

  Prolonged stress can make it harder for your body to control blood sugar and weight, which can increase health problems. Learn more.

• You will burn more fat and feel more rested
• Muscles get stronger and energy goes up
• Resilience improves and you never feel tired.

15 Which strategy will help you recover after a hard workout while allowing your body to improve?

• Take a large amount of anti-inflammatory after each session
• Repeat high-intensity exercise with short breaks
• Avoid all carbohydrates before training to burn more fat
• Choose whole foods with natural antioxidants after exercise
  

  Whole foods that are rich in natural antioxidants can help you recover after a hard workout. Learn more.

16 What is now dissuading many Americans from military service?

• Lack of desire to register
• Changes in fitness test standards
• Diagnosis of chronic disease
  

  Widespread chronic disease reduced physical fitness, military fitness and national readiness. Learn more.

• Minimum educational requirements

17 It is now common for many preschoolers with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

• Starting medication is only after many years of behavioral therapy
• Receiving medicine during the days or weeks of the examination
  

  Many preschoolers diagnosed with ADHD are now medicated for days or weeks, leaving little time to address sleep, behavioral or environmental issues. Learn more.

• Eliminating medications that support dietary and exercise changes
• Delay any treatment until school age

18 Which group is at the highest risk of entering the gabapentin prescription cascade?

• Adults under 40 years old
• People in their 20s and 30s
• Adults in their 60s or 70s
  

  Adults aged 60 to 79 years who take five or more different drugs are at risk of a drug crisis. Learn more.

• Healthy individuals without ongoing health conditions

19 What happens when your gut is inflamed and exposed to plastic particles?

• It allows them to enter the cells easily
  

  Inflamed intestines can become more infected, which causes plastic particles to enter the tissue and cause severe inflammation. Learn more.

• It lasts throughout the mucus barrier and lasts for a long time
• It removes them with a quick movement.
• Blocks all nutrients during active inflammation.

20 Which substance affects thyroid function and has tolerance levels that vary based on ancestral geography?

• Metal
• Magnesium
• Selenium
• Iodine
  

  Iodine is important for thyroid health, but tolerance depends on genetics – coastal populations tend to be more tolerant, while inland populations do better with less. Learn more.

21 Which compound helps reduce oxidative damage by up to 80%?

• Molecular hydrogen
  

  Molecular hydrogen selectively targets harmful free radicals such as peroxynitrites and has been shown to reduce oxidative damage caused by radiation by 80%. Learn more.

• Vitamin C
• Glutathione
• L-carnitine