Understanding the risks of gas stoves

Q: What’s all this noise about how dangerous gas stove fumes are — especially for children’s health? Do I really have to switch to an electric stove? — Mary T., Chicago

A: Several studies recently highlighted the health hazards associated with the off-gassing that happens not only when the stoves are being used but even when they are turned off. It appears the stoves emit nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, benzene, formaldehyde, methane and fine particulate matter — all potentially harmful to your health. And in multifamily homes and apartments that use gas stoves, nitrogen dioxide levels are significantly higher than in single-family homes.

What are the risks? Well, according to a meta-study published in The International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health that looked at available data, around 13 percent of childhood asthma cases can be linked to the use of gas stoves — but it’s 21 percent in your home state of Illinois. Adults’ lung health can be affected, too.

The level of various pollutants from the gas stove depends on the stove, the size of your kitchen, available ventilation and your neighbors. So what can you do to mitigate the risks to your kids and you? First, you can make sure there is good ventilation in the kitchen — from an open window and/ or stove-top fan or exhaust fan/vent (although that alone doesn’t do the trick).

Q: I’m 68 and three of my friends are losing it — ever more forgetful and wacky. I walk a lot, eat healthy foods, but what else can I do to protect myself from dementia? — Donna T., Fort Collins, Colorado

A: A study in Nature Aging shows that if you can get a hold of your emotions — especially anxiety and depression — and find ways to address them through exercise, meditation, therapy and building self-confidence, you can help prevent the loss of neural connections and function in brain areas involved in memory and thought processing. Those researchers are now looking at the brain-protective effects for folks over 65 of learning a foreign language or doing either mindful or compassionate meditation.

Another study (in the lab) found that a high-fat diet can cause inflammation in the brain, leading to insulin resistance and damage to the brain’s immune cells, causing cognition problems.

Keeping your blood pressure pretty steady — at around 110/70 — over the years is yet another way to protect yourself from dementia.