“Firefighters willingly face many dangers and challenges while heroically saving others’ lives. One they hadn’t seen coming is heavy metal poisoning possibly linked to chemically-treated uniforms.”  Suzanne Morrone

What fibers are you wearing right now?  Are they natural or synthetic?  How aware are you of the down side of synthetic fibers?

She finds wool and flax and busily spins it.  (Proverbs 31:13; NLT)

What do polyester, nylon, and acrylic have in common?  Perhaps you might recognize these names when you look at the label inside your clothing. These are synthetic fibers used to make much of the clothing we now wear every day.  I know fabrics are not necessarily the first thing you think of when considering living a healthy lifestyle.  But they are important.

Years ago when my health first began to deteriorate, I noticed that wearing synthetic fabric such as polyester or acrylic would not only cause my body to itch, but I began having headaches as well.  Granted my immune system was becoming ultra sensitive, but it did leave me wondering if synthetic fabrics are really good for anyone.  I also recall that when I was in high school I often had severe underarm body odor when I would wear synthetic fabrics.

Not only are synthetic fabrics made from chemicals, they are also highly treated with other chemicals to give them the feel of natural fabrics.  One of today’s links tells us more: “A formaldehyde product is often applied to prevent shrinkage. This product is applied with heat so it is trapped in the fiber permanently.”  The article goes on to say that:

• Chemicals are added to make clothing softer, wrinkle-free, fire-retardant, moth-repellent, and stain-resistant.
• Commonly used chemicals include volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) and dioxin-producing bleach.
• Nylon and polyester are made from petrochemicals, whose production creates nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas that’s 310 times more potent than carbon dioxide.
• Rayon is made from wood pulp that has been treated with chemicals, including caustic soda and sulphuric acid.
• Dye fixatives used in fabrics often come from heavy metals and pollute water systems.
• Acrylic fabrics are polycrylonitriles, which may be carcinogenic.
• Clothing and fabric that is treated with flame-retardant chemicals, such as children’s pajamas, emit formaldehyde gas.

There is strong evidence that the chemicals used in synthetic clothing have been linked to health problems including hormone disruption, cancer, immune system damage, and behavioral problems.  The fabrics to avoid are acrylic, polyester, nylon, rayon, and acetate.  I began buying and wearing natural fibers many years ago.  For a number of years natural fiber such as cotton, wool, linen, and silk were very common and easy to find.  I’ve gradually noticed a shift now to more synthetic fibers once again.  As I peruse catalogs I always check the fiber content of the clothing, and I’m noticing that the majority of tops, blouses, and slacks are synthetics fibers as opposed to natural ones.

We can certainly find natural fiber clothing…it just takes a bit more effort.  I just “googled” organic cotton clothing and found numerous sites.  Organically grown fibers are even healthier for our bodies than regular natural fibers.  However, for starters, choose cotton over polyester.  Your body will thank you.

Prayer Power
Thank You Father that You created numerous natural fibers for us to use for our clothing.  Grant us wisdom to know and understand what is best for us and for the Earth that you created.

Links of the Day
The 6+ Synthetic Fabrics You Most Want to Avoid, and Why

Fire-Resistant Clothing Suspected in Heavy Metal Poisoning

Blessings on you as you choose cotton over polyester.

Photo by faungg