HoldsUp

Aly Cohen

Aly Cohen is a physician and researcher whose work addresses environmental health, toxicology, and clinical medicine. Her published research includes analyses of regulatory safety limits for chemical exposures such as Bisphenol A (BPA), as well as case studies on systemic lupus erythematosus and localized hypersensitivity reactions.

27 claims checked on air: 7 context 3 contradicted 2 overstated 12 supported 3 unverified

What they said on air - context

0:17:10needs contextlowUnseen Toxins: What’s Harming Us in Air, Water, and Everyday

Every plastic water bottle contains on average about 240,000 microplastics, up to 500,000.

"every plastic bottle has on average about 240,000 microplastics, even up to 500,000." (said at 0:17:10)

A landmark 2024 study published in PNAS analyzed three popular brands of bottled water in the United States and found an average of approximately 240,000 (2.4 ± 1.3 × 10^5) plastic particles per liter of bottled water, ranging up to several hundred thousand particles. However, the speaker's statement requires two key qualifications: first, roughly 90% of the detected particles were nanoplastics (under 1 µm in length) rather than microplastics (1 µm to 5 mm). Second, this count was measured per liter of bottled water across specific tested brands rather than an established baseline for every individual plastic bottle of any size.

0:24:25needs contextlowUnseen Toxins: What’s Harming Us in Air, Water, and Everyday

Specific nutrients such as vitamin B9 (folic acid), omega-3 fatty acids, quercetin, and vitamin C offset epigenomic alterations caused by environmental chemicals.

"specific nutrients that we now know offset epigenomic changes, which are the changes that environmental chemicals can have effects on in terms of how our DNA is expressed or not. That's the proteins that sit on top or epigenome that get manipulated in a good or bad way. And I'm saying in a good way: let's throw nutrition that we now know specifics, like vitamin B9, which is folic acid, or omega-3 fatty acids, good quality quercetin, vitamin C" (said at 0:24:25)

Preclinical animal and cell models demonstrate that specific dietary nutrients, particularly methyl donors such as folic acid (vitamin B9) and polyphenolic compounds, can prevent or counteract DNA methylation and other epigenetic alterations caused by environmental chemicals like bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates. However, the evidence supporting these specific protective nutrient interactions is predominantly derived from animal models (such as the viable yellow agouti mouse and rodent developmental exposure models) and in vitro systems, rather than established clinical trial outcomes in humans.

0:32:44needs contextlowUnseen Toxins: What’s Harming Us in Air, Water, and Everyday

Ultra-processed foods, chemicals, and nutritional deficiencies such as magnesium deficiency contribute to the development of migraines.

"We know that a lot of chemicals and processed and ultra-processed foods can contribute to migraines. We know that deficiencies in nutrition like magnesium, which is an anthropologic deficiency, we haven't really gotten those in our you know routinely in our lives. The combination can lead to things like migraines" (said at 0:32:44)

Magnesium deficiency and dietary patterns are recognized modulators in migraine pathophysiology, but the strength of evidence varies considerably across the specific factors mentioned. Magnesium deficit is biologically linked to cortical spreading depression, neurogenic inflammation, and NMDA receptor activation, and oral magnesium supplementation has demonstrated efficacy in migraine prophylaxis across randomized trials. However, while overall poor dietary quality and certain food components (such as caffeine fluctuations or specific additives) are frequently reported as triggers or exacerbating factors, robust evidence directly establishing ultra-processed foods or specific chemicals as primary causal drivers of migraine development remains limited and inconsistent.

0:39:23needs contextmoderateUnseen Toxins: What’s Harming Us in Air, Water, and Everyday

People spend approximately 93 percent of their time indoors in their homes and about 6 percent outdoors.

"mostly into our homes, where we spend 93 or so percent of our time, maybe 6% outside of our home." (said at 0:39:23)

According to the National Human Activity Pattern Survey (NHAPS; n=9,386), respondents reported spending an average of 87% of their time in enclosed buildings and 6% in enclosed vehicles, totaling roughly 93% in enclosed environments and leaving about 7% outdoors. However, the speaker conflates total indoor/enclosed time with time spent specifically inside the home; time in residential locations accounts for roughly 67% to 69% of total time, rather than 93%.

0:51:37needs contextmoderateUnseen Toxins: What’s Harming Us in Air, Water, and Everyday

Unlike USDA organic foods, personal care and cleaning products can be labeled organic while containing only a single organic ingredient and 99.9% non-organic ingredients.

"And if a personal care product says it's organic, that's really held for food. That is really only the criteria for USDA organic foods. The difference is that personal care cleaning products can put one organic ingredient in and have 99.9% other ingredients that are not organic and are toxic." (said at 0:51:37)

The speaker touches on an established regulatory loophole regarding personal care products and greenwashing, but oversimplifies the regulatory scope. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates cosmetics and personal care products under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act but does not define or regulate the term 'organic' for cosmetics. Because of this lack of a dedicated statutory definition, personal care and household cleaning products not seeking USDA certification can make front-of-package marketing claims (such as promoting a single organic ingredient) while the majority of the formulation consists of non-organic or synthetic substances. However, USDA organic certification is not strictly limited to food: cosmetics and personal care products made with agricultural ingredients can voluntarily obtain USDA National Organic Program (NOP) certification if they meet the standard threshold criteria (e.g., at least 95% organic content to use the USDA Organic seal, or at least 70% for 'Made with Organic' claims).

0:55:35needs contexthighUnseen Toxins: What’s Harming Us in Air, Water, and Everyday

Intravaginally administered medications such as estradiol are rapidly absorbed through vaginal tissue and can be measured in the bloodstream within minutes.

"We put estradiol, we push put lots of intravaginal medications into the vaginal canal with the intention to actually do something, right? And we can measure that within minutes in the bloodstream." (said at 0:55:35)

Intravaginal administration of steroid hormones such as micronized estradiol can undergo rapid and efficient absorption into systemic circulation due to the rich vascular network of the vaginal mucosa, bypassing first-pass hepatic metabolism (PMID: 6422370). However, systemic blood levels depend heavily on the specific dose and formulation: low-dose intravaginal estradiol preparations (such as 4 µg or 10 µg softgel capsules or tablets) designed for local treatment of vulvovaginal atrophy show minimal to negligible systemic absorption, maintaining serum estradiol levels within normal postmenopausal ranges (PMID: 28002201, PMID: 28364869). Thus, while the vagina is a highly permeable route capable of rapid systemic drug absorption, not all intravaginal estradiol formulations lead to significant systemic circulating levels.

0:57:30needs contextmoderateUnseen Toxins: What’s Harming Us in Air, Water, and Everyday

PEGylated chemicals are added to cosmetics and lotions to penetrate and break through the protective epidermal skin barrier.

"The chemicals that are typically used for that are called PEGylated. They're PEGylated chemicals. And in fact, if you look at certain creams and lotions, they will say PEG-something, PEG-something. That prefix basically essentially means that it's making its way through an outer shell of our body" (said at 0:57:30)

The claim provides accurate general context regarding the functional properties of PEG derivatives, but requires clarification on terminology. In cosmetic and dermatological formulations, polyethylene glycol (PEG) derivatives (often labeled as 'PEG-something', where the number represents the average number of ethylene oxide units or molecular weight) are frequently employed as emulsifiers, surfactants, and penetration enhancers. Mechanistic and ex vivo skin studies confirm that certain PEGylated emulsifiers (such as PEG alkyl ethers) can interact with stratum corneum lipids, increase lipid fluidity, and enhance the percutaneous penetration of formulated ingredients. However, the prefix 'PEG' is a chemical nomenclature indicating polyethylene glycol polymer chains, not a descriptor designating a barrier-breaching function, and PEGs are primarily added to stabilize emulsions, alter product viscosity, and act as solvents or humectants.

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