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When you imagine an astronaut, you probably envision the iconic white spacesuit, the helmet, and the floating in zero gravity. What you probably don't think about is the less glamorous aspect of <keyword id="22321516" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="spacewalks" source="keywords">spacewalks</keyword>: the need for <keyword id="20038917" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="astronauts" source="keywords">astronauts</keyword> to relieve themselves. Since the 1970s, this has been managed with the Maximum Absorbency Garment (MAG), essentially a high-tech diaper. However, this solution is far from perfect, often leading to discomfort, leaks, and even health issues like urinary tract infections. <h2>Inspiration from sci-fi</h2>The newest urine-handling tech has drawn inspiration from the <keyword id="19900947" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="dune" source="keywords">Dune</keyword> franchise’s stillsuits. These fictional suits could purify and recycle bodily fluids into drinkable water. Now, what was once science fiction is inching closer to reality with a novel urine collection and filtration system designed for <keyword id="22220286" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="spacesuits" source="keywords">spacesuits</keyword>. The new design incorporates a vacuum-based external catheter leading to a sophisticated forward-reverse osmosis unit. This setup promises a continuous supply of potable water, ensuring astronaut well-being during long spacewalks. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111663086" title="NASA says it has no plans to use SpaceX to rescue 2 stranded astronauts" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>With upcoming moon and Mars missions on the horizon — <keyword id="244551" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="artemis" source="Orion">Artemis</keyword> II and III in 2025 and 2026, and potential crewed missions to Mars by the early 2030s — this innovation couldn't come at a better time. Current <keyword id="22385274" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="NASA-spacesuits" source="keywords">NASA spacesuits</keyword> only provide astronauts with one litre of water, which is inadequate for the extended duration of lunar spacewalks that can last up to ten hours, or even 24 hours in emergencies. <h2>How does the new spacesuit work?</h2>The new urine collection device is an undergarment made of multiple layers of flexible fabric, connected to a silicone collection cup designed to fit around the genitalia. The cup’s inner face draws urine away from the body and uses a vacuum pump to suck it into the system. An RFID tag linked to an absorbent hydrogel activates the pump upon detecting moisture. “Though the garment must be tested on a wider variety of body types and individuals, comfort has improved significantly already based on internal fit testing feedback,” the authors note. The collected urine is then diverted to a two-step, integrated forward and reverse osmosis filtration system, where it’s purified with 87% efficiency. The resulting water, enriched with electrolytes, is pumped into the in-suit drink bag, ready for consumption. The entire process of collecting and purifying 500ml of urine takes just five minutes. This innovative system is housed in a compact, lightweight backpack, measuring 38 by 23 by 23 cm and weighing around eight kilograms. Powered by a 20.5V battery with a capacity of 40 amp-hours, it includes control pumps, sensors, and a liquid-crystal display screen, ensuring ease of use and monitoring. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111673724" title="NASA is investing in a rocket that could get humans to Mars and back in 2 months — and travel at 100,000 mph" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>With the prototype now available, the next step involves rigorous testing under simulated microgravity conditions to ensure functionality and safety before deployment in actual <keyword id="20018231" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="space-missions" source="keywords">space missions</keyword>. As we prepare for more ambitious space missions, such cutting-edge technologies will play a crucial role in ensuring the comfort, health, and efficiency of astronauts venturing into the final frontier. The findings of this research have been published in Frontiers in Space Technologies and can be accessed <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.3389/frspt.2024.1391200">here</a>.

The next generation of customised space suits may be moulded around astronauts’ genitalia to filter water from urine!

<ul class="summary-list"><li>With chronic kidney disease, your kidneys are so damaged they can't filter waste from your blood.</li><li>This common but serious health condition can lead to kidney failure, stroke, and heart disease.</li></ul>According to the <a href="https://www.kidneyfund.org/all-about-kidneys/chronic-kidney-disease-ckd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">American Kidney Fund</a>, more than one in seven people in the United States — about 37 million folks total — live with chronic kidney disease. This serious health condition goes by many names, including chronic renal disease, chronic renal insufficiency, or chronic renal failure. Chronic kidney disease develops <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/kidneydisease/basics.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">when your kidneys become so damaged</a> they can no longer effectively perform <a href="https://www.kidney.org/kidneydisease/howkidneyswrk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">their main function</a>: filtering out waste from your blood. This level of damage is <a href="https://www.kidneyfund.org/all-about-kidneys/chronic-kidney-disease-ckd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">most commonly</a> caused by <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/treatments/hypertension">high blood pressure</a> and <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/conditions-symptoms/what-is-diabeteshttps://www.insider.com/guides/health/conditions-symptoms/what-is-diabeteshttps://www.insider.com/guides/health/conditions-symptoms/what-is-diabetes">diabetes</a>. Left untreated, this condition can rapidly lead to end-stage kidney disease, a condition that requires ongoing dialysis or a transplant, says <a href="https://www.dfwrenal.com/physicians/dapo-afolabi-md/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dr. Dapo Afolabi</a>, co-founder and CEO of <a href="https://www.dfwrenal.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fort Worth Renal Group</a>. What's more, chronic kidney disease also <a href="https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/kidney-disease/chronic-kidney-disease-ckd/what-is-chronic-kidney-disease" target="_blank" rel="noopener">raises your risk</a> of stroke, heart attack, and heart disease.Read on to learn the main signs of this condition, what causes it, and how to get a diagnosis and treatment. <h2>Symptoms</h2><a href="https://www.insider.com/signs-of-kidney-problem-2019-4">Early damage to your kidneys</a> might not cause any symptoms, Afolabi says. But over time, as the damage progresses, chronic kidney disease <a href="https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/kidney-disease/chronic-kidney-disease-ckd/what-is-chronic-kidney-disease" target="_blank" rel="noopener">may cause</a> swelling in your extremities — aka arms and legs — and sometimes your face.<a href="https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/kidney-disease/chronic-kidney-disease-ckd/what-is-chronic-kidney-disease" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Other possible symptoms</a> of advanced chronic kidney disease include: <ul><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/conditions-symptoms/what-causes-fatigue">Fatigue</a></li><li>Itchy or <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/beauty/what-causes-dry-skin">dry skin</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/conditions-symptoms/why-do-i-have-to-pee-so-much">More or less of a need to urinate</a></li><li>Appetite loss</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/fitness/what-causes-muscle-cramps">Muscle cramping</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/mental-health/how-to-know-if-chest-pains-are-serious">Chest pain</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/causes-of-frequent-headaches-2019-4">Headaches</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/conditions-symptoms/nausea-after-eating">Nausea</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/conditions-symptoms/what-causes-insomnia">Problems sleeping</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/weight-loss-red-flags-2019-2">Weight loss</a></li><li>Issues with concentration</li></ul>Additionally, <a href="https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/kidney-disease/chronic-kidney-disease-ckd/what-is-chronic-kidney-disease" target="_blank" rel="noopener">high blood pressure</a> — aka hypertension — can show up as a symptom of chronic kidney disease — but it's also a leading cause. Here's why: <ul><li>You may have high blood pressure as a symptom because your kidneys play a major role in the hormonal processes that regulate blood pressure, and kidney damage keeps them from functioning properly. Waste that builds up in your bloodstream due to poor kidney function may also <a href="https://www.kidney.org/sites/default/files/docs/hbpandckd.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">raise your blood pressure</a>.</li><li>High blood pressure can be a cause because hypertension <a href="https://www.kidney.org/sites/default/files/docs/hbpandckd.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">damages blood vessels</a>, including the ones in your kidneys. Over time, this can lead to chronic kidney disease. </li></ul><h2>Causes</h2><a href="https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/managing/diabetes-kidney-disease.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Almost a third of US adults</a> with diabetes and <a href="https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-statistics/kidney-disease" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one in five with high blood pressure</a> have chronic kidney disease. But other conditions <a href="https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/about-chronic-kidney-disease#what-are-main-causes-chronic-kidney-disease" target="_blank" rel="noopener">can also lead to kidney damage</a>, including:<ul><li>Autoimmune conditions like lupus nephritis</li><li>Inherited physical abnormalities of the kidney and urinary tract </li><li>Genetic disorders like polycystic kidney disease</li><li>Acute or chronic glomerulonephritis. These diseases damage the glomeruli, the part of the kidney that filters blood</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/conditions-symptoms/kidney-pain-vs-back-pain">Tumors</a> or other obstructions affecting the kidneys</li><li>Chronic <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/conditions-symptoms/yeast-infection-vs-uti">urinary tract infections</a> (UTIs)</li></ul>Since most people don't have symptoms early on, it's essential to be aware of your individual risk factors, Afolabi says. These <a href="https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/about-chronic-kidney-disease" target="_blank" rel="noopener">include</a>:<ul><li>Your age — after you turn 40, your kidney function <a href="https://nccd.cdc.gov/ckd/FactorsOfInterest.aspx?type=Age" target="_blank" rel="noopener">decreases by 1% each year</a>. </li><li>Having high blood pressure</li><li>Having a family history of kidney disease or kidney failure</li><li>Having any type of diabetes</li></ul>Additionally, Afolabi says people of color are disproportionately affected by chronic kidney disease. Hispanic people are almost <a href="https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/minorities-KD" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1.3 times more likely</a> to be diagnosed with chronic kidney disease than non-Hispanic people, and American Indians experience <a href="https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/kidney-disease/race-ethnicity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1.2 times the risk</a> of white people, says <a href="https://thekidneyexperts.com/shree-mulay-md/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dr. Shree Mulay</a>, nephrologist and CEO of <a href="https://thekidneyexperts.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Kidney Experts</a>. And according to the CDC, non-Hispanic Black people represent <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/kidneydisease/publications-resources/ckd-national-facts.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">16.3%</a> of people with chronic kidney disease in the US — though they only make up only <a href="https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/IPE120221" target="_blank" rel="noopener">13%</a> of the population. <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2784527" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Social determinants of health (SDoH)</a> are partly to blame for these statistics, Mulay says. SDoHs are non-medical factors, like lack of insurance or access to medical care, that can have an impact on health."Oftentimes, the kidney specialist provides a detailed care plan for their patients, but we know that once they walk out of that office, many of our patients lack the resources they need to adhere to this plan on a daily basis," Afolabi says.For example:<ul><li>Lack of transportation access might make it difficult to get to important medical appointments. </li><li>Food insecurity can make it challenging to eat a balanced diet and control risk factors like high blood pressure.</li></ul><h2>Diagnosis</h2>If you have risk factors for chronic kidney disease, it's important to have regular checkups with your doctor. Early diagnosis is crucial in preventing further damage to your kidneys, Afolabi says.Your care team will typically order a combination of blood and urine tests to find out how your kidneys function. These tests <a href="https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/about-chronic-kidney-disease#what-are-main-causes-chronic-kidney-disease" target="_blank" rel="noopener">check your</a>:<ul><li>Creatinine levels: High creatinine levels in your blood may mean your kidneys aren't filtering waste properly.</li><li><a href="https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/gfr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)</a>: Doctors calculate eGFR using several variables, including creatinine levels, age, and sex, to get a rough estimate of kidney function. A result between 15 and 29 means you likely have advanced kidney disease, Mulay says. A result of 60 may point to <a href="https://www.kidneyfund.org/all-about-kidneys/stages-kidney-disease/stage-3-chronic-kidney-disease-ckd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stage 3 chronic kidney disease</a>, or mild to moderate damage. </li><li>Urine albumin creatinine ratio (uACR): Albumin, a protein in your blood, shouldn't show up in your urine. If it does, this often signals a problem with your kidneys. "Levels over 30 milligrams per gram indicate an increased risk for severe kidney disease," Mulay says. </li></ul>Note: Imaging tests like CT scans can also help your care team identify potential health issues that <a href="https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/about-chronic-kidney-disease#what-are-other-conditions-affect-kidney" target="_blank" rel="noopener">may contribute to chronic kidney disease</a>, including congenital abnormalities or tumors.<h2>Treatment</h2>Your treatment options generally depend on the underlying cause of kidney disease and the severity of the damage to your kidneys. For instance: <ul><li>If you have kidney damage due to high blood pressure, your <a href="https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/chronic-kidney-disease" target="_blank" rel="noopener">treatment</a> may involve taking blood pressure-lowering medications.</li><li>Treatment for kidney disease caused by diabetes will involve controlling your blood sugar with medications like insulin. </li></ul>In the later stages of chronic kidney disease, when your kidneys stop working and can no longer filter your blood, treatment <a href="https://www.kidneyfund.org/all-about-kidneys/chronic-kidney-disease-ckd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">involves tri-weekly dialysis or a kidney transplant</a>, Afolabi says. You may also need nightly dialysis while you sleep. Ultimately, it's not always possible to reverse kidney damage, but you can <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/kidneydisease/basics.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">slow disease progression</a> and limit the strain on your kidneys by trying the following:<ul><li>Get regular physical activity, which <a href="https://www.insider.com/breath-exercise-could-reduce-blood-pressure-study-2022-9">can help lower blood pressure</a></li><li>Eat a <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/diet-nutrition/diabetic-diet">diabetes-friendly diet</a> to lower your blood pressure and control blood sugar</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/diet-nutrition/low-sodium-diet">Limit your salt intake</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/treatments/how-to-check-blood-pressure">Monitor your blood pressure</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/treatments/how-to-stop-smoking">Quit smoking</a></li></ul>Afolabi says education is a key factor in curbing the progression of a condition like chronic kidney disease. That's because most people don't know they have this condition until the damage has become so severe that their kidneys are shutting down. Education doesn't just mean increasing awareness of the disease itself — but also informing people with the condition of the resources available to them. For example, many people qualify for a free blood pressure cuff through their health insurance benefits but don't know it, Afolabi says. Being able to take your own blood pressure at home can make a big difference, when it comes to tracking your overall health status and treatment progress.<h2>Insider's takeaway</h2>Chronic kidney disease is an umbrella term for kidney damage. You may not realize you have kidney damage in the early stages, since it often doesn't cause symptoms until the damage becomes severe. That's why it's so important to get your kidney function tested regularly if you have risk factors for chronic kidney disease, including diabetes, high blood pressure, or a family history of the condition. Catching and treating kidney disease early won't necessarily reverse existing damage, but it can prevent the condition from getting worse and becoming kidney failure.

If you have high blood pressure or diabetes, it's essential to get regular testing for chronic kidney disease

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Seven experts estimated the risk of catching monkeypox in certain settings, from the gym to concerts.</li><li>Generally, the risk of catching monkeypox for the average person when going out is very low.</li></ul>As monkeypox continues to spread at an unprecedented rate in the US, researchers have been racing to work out exactly how the virus is transmitted, and if it's different from what we previously thought.Most (94%) of cases in the outbreak that <a href="https://www.insider.com/monkeypox-symptoms-cases-europe-uk-spain-portugal-2022-5">started in May</a> have occurred in men who have had close sexual or intimate contact, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.People can catch <a href="https://www.insider.com/monkeypox-symptoms-butt-pain-fevers-lethargy-lesions-2022-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">monkeypox</a><a href="https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/transmission.html"> in multiple ways</a>. The risk of someone contracting the virus outside of a sexual context is "extremely low," especially in areas without large outbreaks. But<a href="https://www.insider.com/monkeypox-virus-transmission-spread-crowded-event-rare-case-cdc-2022-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> case reports</a> describing other possible routes of <a href="https://www.insider.com/13-men-tested-positive-for-monkeypox-without-symptoms-study-says-2022-8">transmission</a> have raised questions about the level of risk. So, Insider asked experts to estimate the risk of catching monkeypox in different settings — from the gym to a restaurant or a concert.Dr. Jay Varma, a physician and epidemiologist who specializes in infectious diseases at Weill Cornell Medicine, told Insider via email that the best way to think about risk is: "WHO you are spending time with PLUS WHAT you are doing with that person, rather than WHERE you are." There are other variables, said Dr. Jake Dunning, a senior researcher at the Pandemic Sciences Institute at the University of Oxford, UK. Dirtier public spaces may be riskier than clean ones, for example. People with underlying conditions like HIV may have a higher risk of infection. Here's what Varma, Dunning, and five other experts had to say about your risk of catching monkeypox in different settings, based on current evidence. <h2>Going out for dinner</h2>RISK: Very lowWhile monkeypox can spread via respiratory droplets, catching monkeypox in a restaurant would be highly unusual, the experts said. "The CDC says droplet spread is possible if you are within six feet of someone, but the timeframe is more than three hours and most meals won't last that long," Dr. Scott Roberts, an assistant professor of infectious diseases at the Yale School of Medicine, said.The risk is low unless you share a drink or utensils with somebody with monkeypox, and you don't need to worry about catching it from a waiter or people not wearing masks, said Bernard Camins, medical director for infection prevention at the Mount Sinai Health System.<h2>Using public transport</h2>RISK: LowYou're unlikely to catch monkeypox on public transport, including from touching surfaces, the experts said.Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a professor of medicine and an infectious disease specialist at University of California, San Francisco, said catching the virus from the air was "very unlikely with a short transit ride." The risk would still be low if you briefly sat next to someone with a monkeypox rash who was in skimpy clothing. Air filtration makes airplanes "even safer" than the metro or buses, Keith Neal, emeritus professor in the epidemiology of infectious diseases at the University of Nottingham, UK, said.<h2>Going to the gym</h2>RISK: LowGyms are generally low risk, the experts said.Sarah Bauerle Bass, director of the Temple University Risk Communication Laboratory, said washing hands, disinfecting shared equipment, wearing long sleeves, and using clean towels reduces the risk of catching monkeypox at the gym.Neal said single-sex saunas used by men who have sex with men might be "an area of concern," if you were to have skin-to-skin contact.<h2>Going to a concert or rave</h2>RISK: Low to mediumThere is a chance you'll catch monkeypox at a rave or concert, particularly if you have prolonged skin-to-skin contact with an infected person, Saskia Popescu, an assistant professor in the biodefense program at George Mason University, said. Wearing long-sleeves, not using illegal drugs and alcohol that inhibit judgement, and avoiding casual sexual encounters can help to protect you.Rubbing up against a partially clothed person with monkeypox in a mosh pit over several hours could increase the risk of catching the virus, Chin-Hong said, but it's unlikely the average concert attendee would have monkeypox at this time.<h2>Having sex</h2>RISK: High for MSMSexual and intimate contact is high risk, particularly among men who have sex with men, Dr. Aniruddha Hazra, a professor of medicine at the University of Chicago specializing in LGBTQ health and infectious diseases, said. The head of the<a href="https://www.insider.com/who-monkeypox-men-sex-with-reduce-gay-bi-sexual-partners-2022-7"> World Health Organization</a> recently recommended men who have sex with men limit sexual partners amid the monkeypox outbreak.The monkeypox virus has been isolated in semen, feces, urine, blood, and saliva, but we don't how infectious those particles are. Condoms might help stop potential transmission in semen, but it won't stop the virus spreading if there are contaminated bed sheets or are skin lesions on other body parts, the experts said. "It is not that infectious, this disease, and essentially with vaccination, and small amount of behavior change, like temporarily reducing the number of partners, this disease can rapidly die out," Neal said.

What is your risk of catching monkeypox in public? We asked 7 experts to rate different activities, from gym workouts to dance parties

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="6360409" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Nasa">NASA</keyword> plans to use its <keyword id="177115" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Orion">Orion</keyword> spacecraft to fly astronauts to the moon.</li><li>But first, engineers have to figure out how to make the capsule's <keyword id="6361668" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="TOILET">toilet</keyword> less stinky.</li><li>A model of the toilet is launching to the <keyword id="6382020" type="LOCATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="international-space-station">International Space Station</keyword> on Thursday night, where astronauts will test it out.</li></ul>On Thursday evening, NASA is sending a new, $23 million toilet to the International <keyword id="41531" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="space">Space</keyword> Station. It's meant as a test: Astronauts on the ISS will test the toilet out before NASA installs an upgraded version on its Orion spaceship, which is slated to fly a crew to the moon as early as 2023. Called the Universal Waste Management System (UWMS), the toilet is designed to be <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/boldly-go-nasa-s-new-space-toilet-offers-more-comfort-improved-efficiency-for-deep-space/">easier for women to use</a> than prior space toilets. It's also made of strong metals that can withstand a highly acidic solution that NASA uses to treat astronauts' urine. But Jason Hutt, the Orion spaceship's engineering lead, said there's still one kink with the UWMS: It's too stinky."If you want to recreate that used spacecraft smell, take a couple dirty diapers, some microwave food wrappers, a used airsickness bag, and a few sweaty towels, put them in an old-school metal trash can, and let it bake in the summer sun for 10 days," Hutt <a href="https://twitter.com/jhutt75/status/1295712066842644483">wrote on Twitter in August</a>. "Then open the kid and breathe deep."<h2>Astronauts' pee could float in space forever</h2><div type="image" title="orion test" height="693" width="1041" msid="78285426" hostid="261"></div>On the space station, the UWMS is slated to be installed next to one of the current ISS toilets. Though it's a demo model, the toilet is expected to stay on the station and be used there indefinitely. Because there's no gravity in space to help flush waste downward, the UWMS uses motorized fans to suction away astronauts' urine and feces. On Orion, their poop would remain stored away until the ship returns to Earth. But there won't be room to store pee, and the spaceship can't recycle it into water the way the space station can —there's not enough space for a filtration system.So the plan is for Orion astronauts to vent their pee into space, where it could float frozen forever (the temperature is -455 degrees Fahrenheit).NASA has vented astronauts' pee into space before — the Space Shuttle toilet did the same thing. But during those flights, the urine froze onto the vent. This time, engineers are adding heaters into the system to prevent immediate freezing. Because weight requirements for anything launching off of Earth are extremely strict, all space toilets have to be lightweight. But relying on small motors for powerful suction forces them to work hard. That means they're noisy. Because Orion is mostly made of aluminum alloy – it's "a big aluminum can," Hutt Business Insider – the noise of the toilet's whirring fans, clicking valves, and clanking machinery machine will reverberate throughout the ship. But there's an upside: The loud sound gives toilet some privacy, since Orion's bathroom has only a thin door.<h2>Astronauts can't use Febreze </h2><div type="image" title="orion toilet mockup" height="838" width="628" msid="78285428" hostid="261"></div>Because Orion is only the length of a small powerboat and must house four waste-expelling adults for nearly a month, its toilet has to be compact and relatively odorless. The prospect of storing human waste for weeks at a time also requires engineers to figure out ways to tamp down the stench. Engineers have nailed the first two elements, but are struggling with the third, Hutt said. "Odor is really caused by the chemical compounds released from human waste breaking through the filter that's supposed to remove those compounds," he said. Of course, any filters NASA uses must also be light and compact.If odors do escape, astronauts have very few options to combat them."You can't just open a window whenever something smells bad," Hutt said.NASA also can't allow chemical deodorizers, like Febreze, on spacecraft — they would pollute the air too quickly, potentially harming the astronauts inside. Plus, pressurized canisters aren't allowed given the risk they could explode. "Spaceflight has its share of bumps, and we don't want anything in the cabin that could become a hazard," Hutt said.So his team has been testing many potential deodorizer options. The tests require human noses, so NASA has "certified sniffers" at its <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/centers/wstf/index_new.html">White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico</a>. True to their title, these employees are paid to smell the toilets after they've been used to evaluate whether odor-control measures are working.These sniffers are the "unsung heroes of the space program," Hutt said. So far, the safest deodorizer the team has experimented with is activated charcoal, a powdered charcoal that absorbs odors without requiring electricity or chemicals. The substance can be put into a filter in the ship's ventilation system.This story has been updated with new information. It was originally published September 23, 2020.

NASA is launching an experimental, $23 million toilet to the space station on Thursday. But its designers worry it's too stinky.

<div>You might think that drinking your own urine in a survival situation will keep you hydrated. However it turns out, you are better off avoiding any urine intake to increase your chances of survival. Following is a transcript of the video.</div><div></div><div>Hopefully, this never happens to you, but let's say you've found yourself in an extreme situation. You're out of food and water. And the only liquid nearby is...well your own.</div><div></div><div>You've heard about astronauts drinking urine in space. But they have high-tech filtration systems. And you don't.</div><div></div><div>Your best option is to drink it straight like Aron Ralston did when he was trapped in a canyon for 127 hours before escape and rescue. So, if Ralston did it and survived, you should too, right?</div><div></div><div>Depending on the environment, an adult can survive up to a week without water and three weeks without food. But that window quickly narrows when you're dehydrated, sick, or both.</div><div></div><div>For that reason, the Army has a Field Manual which has a "do not drink" list for just such an occasion, which includes: Fish juices, blood, alcohol, sea water, and yes, urine.</div><div></div><div>In fact, when you break it down, urine isn't that different from seawater. It's usually around 95% water with a mix of byproducts including sodium, chloride, and urea. Seawater, by comparison, is 96.5% water and 3.5% sodium and chloride. So drinking urine is basically like drinking sea water. It's going to dehydrate you, which is the opposite of what you want.</div><div></div><div>To make matters worse, if you keep drinking it, the severe dehydration can trigger abnormally low blood pressure. Low blood pressure means less blood flow to vital organs like your heart, lungs, and kidneys, which can be damaged or fail, as a result. Not good!</div><div></div><div>Adding to your trouble is that urea. In a word, urea is waste. It's not supposed to be in your body. That's why your kidneys filter it out of your blood and into your urine, which, ordinarily, then leaves your system.</div><div></div><div>But if you drink the urine instead, your kidneys have to work harder to filter out that extra urea, which could also lead to kidney failure. Again, not good! Suffice it to say, drinking urine may be your kidneys' worst nightmare.</div><div></div><div>And to top it off, there's the bacteria. Contrary to popular belief, urine is not sterile. According to one study, it contains at least 85 different bacterial species. Some of the most common are ones like staphylococcus, which is known to cause food poisoning, and actinomyces, which is commonly found in gum infections.</div><div></div><div>So unless you want sore gums, nausea, and failing organs while you search for rescue, best to avoid that urine cocktail altogether.</div>

Should you actually drink your own pee in a survival situation?

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Detoxes don't work because your kidneys, liver, and GI tract already cleanse the body of toxins and harmful substances. </li><li>Going on a <keyword id="58344" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Detox">detox</keyword> increases your risk of an electrolyte imbalance, spikes your blood sugar, and can cause long-term damage to your colon. </li><li>A healthier alternative to detoxes is eating a <keyword id="6358230" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="diet">diet</keyword> full of whole, nutritious foods. </li></ul>Detoxes are purported to be a quick-fix after you've overindulged or a way to jumpstart your weight loss journey. However, going on a detox cleanse may not always be the best decision for your <keyword id="6354750" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="health">health</keyword> - and could actually harm it. Here's what you need to know about why detoxes don't work and the risks they pose to your health. <h2>What is a detox? </h2><a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-dubious-practice-of-detox" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Detox</a>, in the original sense of the word, is the medical practice of eliminating toxic chemicals like drugs and alcohol from the body. Currently, the only medically recommended and supervised detox is <a href="https://www.uofmhealth.org/health-library/ty3205spec" target="_blank" rel="noopener">chelation</a>. <a href="https://www.uofmhealth.org/health-library/ty3205spec" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chelation</a> binds to a toxin, like lead, which allows the body to excrete it through urination."You need this kind of detox when the body has a build-up of something like lead, and the blood is filtering poison throughout your body," says <a href="https://www.thoughtfullnutrition.com/about/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Denise DelPrincipe</a>, MS, RDN, LD, a registered dietitian based in Midland, Texas.A more recent and trendy use of the word "detox" or "cleanse" refers to eliminating toxins from the body that can build up from unhealthy lifestyle habits, like drinking alcohol or eating sweets. These trendy detoxes <a href="https://health.clevelandclinic.org/are-you-planning-a-cleanse-or-detox-read-this-first/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claim to</a> help:<ul><li>Weight loss</li><li>Energy levels</li><li>Constipation</li><li>Headaches</li><li>Muscle soreness or fatigue </li></ul>The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) <a href="https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/beware-products-promising-miracle-weight-loss" target="_blank" rel="noopener">does not regulate</a> detoxes, meaning the ingredients have not been tested to make sure they are safe to consume.<h2>Common types of detoxes</h2>There are many different types of detoxes, each of which promotes specific health claims: <ul><li><a href="http://insider.com/benefits-of-fasting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fasting</a>: This includes abstaining from eating for long periods of time. The <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/harvard-health-ad-watch-whats-being-cleansed-in-a-detox-cleanse-2020032519294" target="_blank" rel="noopener">idea</a> behind this type of detox is that you "take a break" from consuming foods that may cause toxins to build up in your body. </li></ul><ul><li>All liquid diets: These detoxes usually consist of feeding yourself with only liquids or specific juices for a period of time. The motive behind this type of cleanse is usually driven by weight loss.</li></ul><ul><li>Over-exercising or frequenting the sauna: Have you ever heard the phrase "sweat it out"? Over-exercising or using a sauna to <a href="https://uamshealth.com/medical-myths/can-you-sweat-toxins-out-of-your-body/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">induce excessive sweating</a> is one way that people try to rid their bodies of unwanted toxins. </li></ul><ul><li>Using laxatives: People may use laxatives to try to "empty themselves" and cleanse their colons. </li></ul><h2>Mainstream detoxes don't work </h2>Currently, no research has <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthy-eating/juicing-fad-or-fab" target="_blank" rel="noopener">proven</a> trendy detoxes or cleanses to be effective. "Beyond meeting your basic daily needs of fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain, there isn't really any extra benefit to what a detox diet could do," says <a href="https://www.feedyourzest.com/about-me" target="_blank" rel="noopener">McKenzie Caldwell</a>, MPH, RDN, a dietitian based in Charlotte, North Carolina. In fact, your body has its own detoxification system, which involves several organs to help flush out toxins. These <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jhn.12286?casa_token=R6Q3ZgZqNmQAAAAA%3ANmuEkqSxRlBH94E8aelQfFangZDKNKEq9xph9pxViFNQMN5PvkMq1M34u6W-0Z8zcekUb1vmUD4C5Q" target="_blank" rel="noopener">include</a>: <ul><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7173558/#:~:text=the%20exocrine%20pancreas.-,The%20principal%20functions%20of%20the%20gastrointestinal%20tract%20are%20to%20digest,or%20incapable%20of%20being%20digested.">Gastrointestinal tract</a>, which excretes waste products. </li><li><a href="https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/detoxing-your-liver-fact-versus-fiction" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Liver</a>, which is your primary filtration system that helps process and excretes waste from the body. </li><li><a href="https://www.kidney.org/kidneydisease/howkidneyswrk#:~:text=Why%20Are%20the%20Kidneys%20So,of%20excretion%20and%20re%2Dabsorption." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kidneys</a>, which excrete extra fluids that are removed through the urine.</li></ul>Although some people may lose weight initially on a detox, this weight loss usually isn't sustained because it's not targeting the root of the problem, which is often unhealthy diets. <a href="https://health.tamu.edu/experts/jason-mcknight.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jason McKnight</a>, MD, a clinical assistant professor in the College of Medicine at Texas A&amp;M University says that oftentimes, people with generally unhealthy diets may incorporate more vegetables into their diet and drink more water during their detox which may cause initial weight loss."A week or so later when you go back to your old eating habits, you're just going to re-accumulate that fluid and gain that weight back pretty quickly," he says.McKnight says a good rule of thumb when it comes to weight loss is weight that is rapidly lost, is rapidly gained back and weight that is more slowly and sustainably lost is weight usually kept off. <h2>Risks of detoxes </h2>"Anytime you throw your body into these random bursts of shocks to the system, there can be long-term effects," says McKnight. Here are some of the health risks associated with detoxes: <h3>Severe calorie restriction can cause a cascade of negative health effects</h3>On <a href="https://health.gov/our-work/food-nutrition/2015-2020-dietary-guidelines/guidelines/appendix-2/#:~:text=Estimates%20range%20from%201%2C600%20to,range%20is%20for%20active%20individuals." target="_blank" rel="noopener">average</a>, adult men should consume between 2,000 and 3,000 calories whereas women should eat between 1,600 and 2,400. Many all-liquid or fasting detoxes drastically reduce caloric intake. When you are at a calorie deficit for a long period of time you can <a href="https://www.eatright.org/health/weight-loss/your-health-and-your-weight/4-ways-low-calorie-diets-can-sabotage-your-health" target="_blank" rel="noopener">compromise</a> bone health. It can also disrupt <a href="https://www.insider.com/why-are-electrolytes-important" target="_blank" rel="noopener">electrolyte balance</a>, which ultimately helps muscles, like your heart, to contract."The heart beats because of an electrolyte balance, namely between potassium and sodium. When that's disrupted, problems can happen," like heart problems such as <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-arrhythmia/symptoms-causes/syc-20350668#:~:text=Electrolyte%20imbalance.,and%20contribute%20to%20arrhythmia%20development." target="_blank" rel="noopener">tachycardia</a>, Delprincipe says. While this may not be a problem when doing short-term detoxes, it can be if you find yourself repeatedly going on a cleanse multiple times a year. <h3>Overusing laxatives can harm your colon </h3>Overusing laxatives can trigger inflammation that disrupts the natural function of the <a href="https://fascrs.org/patients/diseases-and-conditions/a-z/the-colon-what-it-is,-what-it-does" target="_blank" rel="noopener">colon</a>, which absorbs water and breaks down food."From a microscopic and cellular level, we can actually see changes inside the colon of people that take laxatives on a daily basis to clean themselves out," says Mcknight. <a href="https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/learn/general-information/laxative-abuse" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Overusing laxatives</a> can also cause colon infections, <a href="http://insider.com/do-i-have-ibs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)</a>, and may increase your risk of colon cancer. Additionally, people that abuse <a href="https://health.cornell.edu/sites/health/files/pdf-library/LaxativeUse.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stimulant laxatives</a> - which induce bowel movements by stimulating intestinal contractions - can become dependent on them. "If they quit taking it, their gut function slows down and then they may not be able to have bowel movements regularly," says McKnight. Overusing laxatives can also be a sign of an eating disorder like <a href="http://insider.com/do-i-have-bulimia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bulimia</a>. If you or someone you love may be dealing with an <a href="http://insider.com/eating-disorder-treatment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">eating disorder</a>, reach out to a doctor or contact a <a href="https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/help-support/contact-helpline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">helpline</a>. <h3>Juice cleanses spike blood sugar </h3>If you are on a <keyword id="2126434" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="juice-cleanse">juice cleanse</keyword>, you are not consuming solid, nutrient-dense foods, which means your body has no long-term forms of energy. Rather, juices <a href="https://wexnermedical.osu.edu/blog/what-you-should-know-about-juice-cleanses" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cause blood sugar</a> levels to spike for a brief period of time before dropping. These swings in blood sugar can be <a href="https://wexnermedical.osu.edu/blog/what-you-should-know-about-juice-cleanses" target="_blank" rel="noopener">particularly dangerous</a> if you have diabetes or a heart or liver problem. <h2>Insider's takeaway </h2>Detoxes claim to provide users with many health benefits like weight loss and clearing the body of toxins. However, at most, they may offer short term, unsustainable weight loss and can end up causing serious health issues like colon infections. Fad diets are hardly ever a way to maintain weight loss or boost your overall health. "An overall better recommendation would be just to adopt a healthier lifestyle by eating more fruits, vegetables, and fiber and not putting substances into your body that can be viewed as toxic," says McKnight. <h2>Related articles from <a href="https://www.insider.com/health-reference" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Health Reference</a>:</h2><ul><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/saffron-benefits" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Science-backed benefits of saffron - the world's most expensive spice</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/bee-pollen-benefits" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Many health claims about bee pollen are unproven - here are 3 benefits backed by science</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/benefits-of-drinking-water" target="_blank" rel="noopener">7 science-backed benefits of drinking water - and how much water you should drink each day</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/celery-juice-benefits" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Many health claims about celery juice are false - here are 4 proven benefits backed by science</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/benefits-of-beets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">6 proven health benefits of beets: How the root vegetable may improve athletic performance and help you lose weight</a></li></ul>

Why detoxes are terrible for you, according to dietitians

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The 6,600 passengers onboard the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/royal-caribbean-debuts-worlds-largest-cruise-ship-photos-2018-4">world's largest cruise ship</a> produce a lot of trash.</li><li>In an industry that's been long scrutinized for <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/carnival-pay-20-million-after-admitting-violating-settlement-2019-6">poor waste practices</a>, cruise lines are now building ships that can handle waste from within.</li><li>Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas is supposedly a zero-landfill ship, meaning everything is recycled, processed through water-purification systems, incinerated, or sent to a waste-to-energy facility. </li><li>Business Insider went below deck to the secret, crew-only area of the ship to see how millions of pounds of water, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/30000-meals-day-worlds-largest-cruise-ship-royal-caribbean-2020-1">food</a>, and dry waste are dealt with each year.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>Following is a transcription of the video: Narrator: This cruise ship is basically a floating city. And just like in a normal city, all its residents produce a lot of trash. But there aren't any garbage trucks here to scoop it up and take it away. We're at sea, obviously. And since waste can't and shouldn't just be dumped in the ocean, well, what do cruise ships do with all of it? This is something the industry's been dealing with for years.Reporter: Carnival Cruise Line is coming clean about polluting oceans.Narrator: Princess Cruises was fined $40 million in 2016 for illegal dumping, and Carnival got hit with a $20 million fine in 2019 for disposing of plastic waste in the ocean.Stewart Chiron: Carnival Corporation's issues really brought the need for better technology so that these ships can operate more efficiently.Narrator: Cruise lines have been working on systems to purify water and deal with waste inside ships.Chiron: Up until now, these types of options weren't available.Narrator: All this new tech was built into Royal Caribbean's largest and newest ship, Symphony of the Seas. The company says it's a zero-landfill ship, which means it uses everything from recycling to water filtration to deal with its own waste.And this guy's in charge of making sure no single water bottle is unaccounted for.Alex Mago: Welcome to waste and recycling center.Narrator: We're down on deck two, a secret, crew-only area of the ship. Crew members check all the ship's trash cans for recyclables and bring them down here for Alex's team to handle.Despite being the only waste facility on this massive ship, it's surprisingly quiet. Alex said the busiest time is in the morning, when things are unpackaged for the day.Mago: This is the waste streams that we have. Every waste stream has its own way of handling it.Narrator: There are separate teams to deal with each incoming recyclable: glass, cardboard, plastic, and metal.Mago: This is our incinerator room. So, we have two incinerators, one and two. This area is manned 24 hours a day. We have 10 crew members who are working here, five in the morning and five in the evening.Narrator: Crew members separate glass into colors: green, brown, and white. [glass clinking]Mago: This is the byproduct of it after we crush it.Narrator: They can process upwards of 13,000 pounds of glass for a weeklong cruise. All the small glass pieces are stored in bins until the ship docks.Plastic goes through this massive compactor. Even though the ship's gotten rid of plastic straws, it still relies on bottled water because, for health and safety reasons, no cruise ship is allowed to have water fountains. So, every week, they crush about 528 gallons of water bottles.Mago: We are compacting the cardboard over there.Narrator: Throughout the day, cardboard is stacked up in this machine, called a baler. Once it's full, it's all compressed into bundles. And used aluminum cans, well, they're sent through this baler. The machine squeezes them down into big cubes, which are then stored in a fridge just off the waste room.Mago: This area is actually for the items that can produce smell, the garbage.Narrator: And the smell could get pretty bad. The waste is stored for up to seven days at a time, until the ship docks back in Miami, where all the plastic, aluminum, paper, and glass go to recycling partner facilities. In 2018, Royal Caribbean recycled 43.7 million pounds of waste. And any rebates earned from these recycling programs go back to the employee retirement fund. The cruise line is hoping that it's a nice incentive for employees to bring recycling down from their own crew cabins.So, what about things that can't get recycled? For example, food. Every week, the ship loads up 600,000 pounds of provisions. But for the food that's not eaten, well, the company had to figure out how to get rid of all of that, too.Each one of the ship's restaurants and 36 kitchens has its own suction drain. Chefs and waiters keep food scraps in separate buckets. Then, once they've gotten enough, they place it all in this special drain. All the food waste ends up in one big pipe that runs through the entire ship. And that pipe leads to what's known as the hydro-processor.Mago: Those pipes over there, so, this is where the food waste is passing through. This is being processed through here.Narrator: This machine has a bunch of tiny layers of mesh to break down the food.Mago: It's being stored in our tank. We have two tanks of comminuted food waste.Narrator: And the final step? Incineration. Now, let's talk about your toilet waste. Yep, we're gonna go there. It's all a part of the water-treatment system on board, controlled from the engineering room.Stig Eriksen: So, all the wastewater that we are generating on board a ship is being collected. Nothing goes overboard unless we have run it through a treatment plant. Narrator: Water is divided into two categories: gray water, from sinks, laundries, and drains, and black water. That includes everything from the galleys and your toilets, including your urine.Eriksen: This is then being mixed together and run through the advanced wastewater-purification plant.Narrator: The purification system purifies the water to a point above the US federal standard, which is almost safe to drink.Eriksen: And then it runs several filtration processes before it's being kept on board or it's being discharged overboard when we are at sea with a certain distance from land in order to meet the different local and international regulations. Narrator: Anything that can't be recycled or reused on board goes to what's known as a waste-to-energy facility. Now, we didn't get to see it for ourselves, but Royal Caribbean said, "heat or gas from the waste is collected and converted to energy."Chiron: It's definitely within their best interests to be the most environmentally friendly, because it significantly can reduce the waste on board, the weight that they have to carry, the fuel usage, and it reduces their operational expenses as well.Narrator: And after one week at sea, the recycling gets cleared out, incoming provisions are brought on board, and the crew prepares the ship to start the process all over again.

How waste is deal with on the world's largest cruise ship

Ensa Cosby, Bill Cosby's daughter, has died at age 44 from renal disease, Reuters reported on Monday.Ensa, who appeared in a 1989 episode of "The Cosby Show," in the role of a girl at a party, came back into the spotlight recently when she publicly supported her father after he was repeatedly accused of sexually assaulting numerous women.Ensa was the second-youngest of Cosby's five children and the third of his four daughters.Renal disease, also known as chronic kidney disease or chronic kidney failure, occurs when the kidneys begin to lose their function. Normally, the kidneys play a vital role in the body's natural filtration system: they siphon off waste and excess fluid from the blood, which are then excreted in urine. The disease can accelerate when dangerous levels of fluid and waste build up over time.Many people have few symptoms of renal disease in its early stages, but the signs that your kideys are not functioning properly may include nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, fatigue, changes in how much you urinate, swelling of feet and ankles, persistent itching, and high blood pressure, <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/chronic-kidney-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20354521">according to the Mayo Clinic</a>.Without dialysis, a treatment that involves artificially filtering the blood, the disease can progress to kidney failure and be deadly. People who develop renal failure typically have another health condition that results in impaired kidney function, like diabetes, high blood pressure, or polycystic kidney disease.It is unclear what caused Ensa's kidney failure to progress, but USA Today reported that she <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2018/02/26/bill-cosbys-daughter-ensa-dies-44/374075002/">suffered from a history of medical problems</a>."The Cosby Family thanks many people for their prayers for their beloved and beautiful Ensa, who recently died from renal disease," the Cosby spokesperson who confirmed Ensa's death said in a statement.Ensa Cosby made headlines in May 2017 when she released a statement with her older sister, Erinn, on the popular radio show, "The Breakfast Club," proclaiming their father's innocence against the multiple rape allegations lodged against him.The daughters said they were faithful listeners of the show and wanted to use it as a platform to criticize the media's portrayal of their father, who was best known for his television role as the wise, witty dad on the long-running situation comedy "The Cosby Show.""The accusations against my father have been one-sided since the beginning, and when he tried to defend himself he was sued in civil court," Ensa said in an audio statement that was aired during the morning show. "I strongly believe my father is innocent of the crimes alleged against him and I believe that racism has played a big role in all aspects of this scandal.""My father has been publicly lynched in the media," she added.Cosby, 80, is scheduled to appear in a Pennsylvania court next week for a hearing on pretrial motions ahead of his scheduled retrial on April 2.

Bill Cosby's daughter Ensa has died at age 44 from renal disease - here's what it is

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">REUTERS/David Gray Australia's Mitchell Johnson drinks water during a team training session at the Sydney Cricket Ground January 2, 2014. Australia are hoping to achieve a 5-0 sweep over England in the Ashes series when the fifth test match starts on Friday. </div></div></div>Feeling bloated and unfit after the Christmas season? Nutritionist Dale Pinnock says swift and efficient detoxing is easier than you may think
It's the New Year, which means it's time for the flood gates to open with information on the latest detox gadgets, gizmos, lotions, and potions.
When I first got into healthy living, I did quite a few - and for a while, I genuinely thought they worked. I tried water fasting (five days on just water), food combining (not consuming proteins and carbohydrates together at the same meals), eating only raw food, and taking all manner of herbal formulae meant to cleanse my soul (and colon, supposedly). I even went as far as doing colonics a couple of times.
I have to admit, these detoxes gave me a buzz at the time. However, as the years have passed, I've come to realise - both personally and professionally - that I was overplaying the effects of the various techniques. I'm just not convinced any of them were necessary for staying clean. Today, I think of 'detox' as a bit of a dirty work.
Here's why: the fact is, the only time that you are not detoxing is when you are dead. Our bodies are constantly sifting through the stuff we put into them and forcing out waste and toxins. Every minute of every day. We don't need any weird rituals or routines for this to happen.
Rather than turning to mad detox regimes, I recommend that you simply trust your body's complex, impressive, and entirely natural detoxifying system. Learn how it works, and how you can help it go about its business, and an easy-to-follow detox path stretches out in front of you.
Your natural detoxifying system
Every cell in the body has the ability to detoxify itself and break down environmental and metabolic waste. Enzymes in the cells either break down waste or render them less harmful for long enough to be kicked out of the body. Once such substances have been neutered, cells excrete the remains out into fluid that gets carried away by....
The lymphatic system. This is almost like a secondary circulatory system, which forms a vast network of organs and tissues throughout the body. It carries roughly three litres of fluid (recycled blood plasma, cellular waste, white blood cells, etc) around the body, moving it all in the direction of the neck, where it joins the blood stream. Once in the blood, the waste gets assimilated for removal from your body by...
The kidneys. Your kidneys have an incredibly sensitive filtration and waste removal system. In just five minutes, your entire blood supply passes through the filtration network in the kidneys, where soluble waste material is extracted and sent straight to the bladder for final ejection.
A healthy liver is the key to detoxed life
The liver, like the kidneys, filters the blood. Unlike the kidneys, it mainly deals with substances that come in via the digestive tract (which explains why it is so often affected by drugs and alcohol). A two-step process allows it to nullify harmful substances and make them stable for removal.
The first stage mainly involves the oxidation of substances, which makes them soluble and therefore ready to be ejected from the body via the urine. The second stage is called conjugation, whereby compounds that aren't easily removed via the urine find another way out. Many of them travel away from the liver in bile, which eventually gets removed via the bowel.
Detox without the stress
All this is happening. Right now. And there's not a coffee enema in sight! (They exist. I'm not joking.)
Don't get me wrong: there are diet and lifestyle factors that can make these normal routes of elimination start to resemble the M25 on a Monday morning. You know the ones: too much booze, smoking, being a sofa spud, eating a diet devoid of anything that resembles a nutrient. But treat your body well in the first place and there should be no need to follow a diet that resembles munching the contents of a lawn mower bag, or that requires you to rinse your rear out with a litre of nescafe twice a day.
'But it's the New Year', I hear you say, 'I've been mistreating my body for the past four weeks!' That be as it may, there's still no need to rely on anything other than your body's natural detoxification process to put you on the right track.
What you can do, however, is aid the natural detox process using a couple of handy dietry tricks. Increase your water intake to support the kidneys by upping urinary output, for example - but don't be tempted into taking up a water-only diet, as you won't get the nutrients necessary to run the rest of your detox system. Do some daily exercise to increase lymphatic circulation. Try to eat a good amount of fibre to keep your digestive system operating at a healthy rate.
The message here is isn't very glamorous: it really is just a case of following a healthy lifestyle that provides the body with everything it needs to get on with sorting itself out.
Your body is capable of marvelous magic. Let it do its work... naturally.

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