Longevity Optimization with Kayla Barnes-Lentz Aly Cohen, MD - The Autoimmune Epidemic: Why Everyone You Know Is Sick Now
Dec 4, 2025
Dr. Aly Cohen, a board-certified rheumatologist and environmental health expert, dives into the unseen impacts of everyday products on our immune systems. She highlights how under-regulated chemicals are exacerbating the autoimmune epidemic, particularly among women. Aly shares practical solutions, including dietary swaps and the importance of clean water and air. She also discusses resources that help evaluate products for safety and suggests simple changes to cultivate a healthier lifestyle. Aly empowers listeners with actionable steps to reclaim their health.
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Dog's Illness Sparked Her Focus
- Aly Cohen discovered the role of environmental exposures after her young golden retriever developed autoimmune hepatitis.
- That case launched her focus on how water, food, and household chemicals trigger immune disease.
GRAS Leaves Big Gaps
- U.S. food chemical regulation is weak compared with Europe and relies heavily on a problematic GRAS list.
- Thousands of additives are effectively grandfathered in without rigorous testing for vulnerable groups.
Autoimmunity Tracks The Exposome
- Autoimmune diseases are rising globally and often affect younger people with no family history.
- This trend parallels expanding chemical exposures, poor sleep, stress, and degraded drinking water.