Environmental health. Toxin overload and detoxing.

It is well known now that toxins in the environment lead to chronic disease. The intention for this resource is to inform you what to avoid to reduce accumulation of toxins in your body, and how to detox from what is already on board. 

Although we can hardly avoid ingesting toxins altogether, we can incorporate small daily habits, to continuously rid our body from it and reduce its harmful effects. 

Even in “safe dosages”, toxins have a cumulative effect. 1 toxin alone might be safe, but if you have 3+ on board (not difficult to imagine!) they have a combined effect that may (have proven to be in rat experiments) have a detrimental effect on the endocrine system (hormone producing glands). Gland producing hormones do not function in isolation: disruption in 1 has a knock on effect on many others. 

Toxins cause disruption of the endocrine system, (hormone secreting glands) leading to various health problems, eg: 

• Thyroid disorders

• Diabetes

• Obesity

• Infertility and low sperm count

• Prostate cancer

• ADHD

• Asthma

• Early puberty

• Breast cancer

• Developmental disorders (in-utero) and low birthweight

Potential culprits:

EDC’s (endocrine disruptors)

• personal care products

• medications

• Metals (cadmium, lead, mercury)

• Industrial chemicals (PCB’s)

• Insecticides, fungicides, herbicides (think DDT, glyphosate, atrazine)) 

• Essential oils/botanicals (eg clover)

• Hormones - synthetic and natural (eg isoflavones in soya)

Xeno-oestrogens

Chemicals that mimic oestrogen's' effect on the body

Many are included above, but worth a mention as they have a particular impact., they  may increase TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone)

• soy

• BPA

• Phthalates

• Parabens (food, plastics, personal care products)

Fluoride

• Has been used to suppress overactive thyroid (2-5mg/d)

• Can be found naturally in bore-water (you need to specifically ask for it to be included if you test your water).

• Look out in toothpaste, bottled beverages (due to fluoride in water) mouthwash, teas, black/red rock salt, supplements .

Atrazine

• A systemic herbicide controlling grass and broadleaved weeds and crops like sorghum, maize, lupins, potato sugarcane and triazine-tolerant canola, pine and eucalyptus plantations.

Phthalates

• Not conveniently bound as plasticisers

• Migrate into air, dust, water, soil, sediment

• Thus widespread human ingestion, inhalation and dermal contact

EDCs phthalates and BPA

Culprits:

• Glues, adhesives, dental fillings

• Inside coating of tins, glad wrap

• Shoes, patterns on clothing, flip flops

• Hair dryers, microwaves

• Plastic flooring, shower curtains

• Nail polish, after shave, razors, hair gel and sprays

• Tennis racquets, ski equipment

• Coffee pods

• balloons

• Mattresses and pillows

Lead, mercury , cadmium, aluminium

Culprits: 

• seafood

• old homes and repainted baths (even the soil around the home)

• shellfish, offal, certain seeds, 80% agricultural crops (bread and other cereal) potatoes, root crops

• deodorants, aluminum foil, cookware

Let us be positive and focus on what we CAN do!

Remember: take small steps, little by little goes a long way. 

Avoiding EDC’s:

• Use glass/steel/ceramic water bottles, with filtered water

• Reduce canned food

• Look for “BPA free” plastics if you have to use it. Look for recycling number 7 on plastics. If it doesn't also say “PLA” or has a leaf symbol on it, it may contain BPA.  

• Avoid handling carbonless copy cash register receipts, and avoid recycling them, as it spreads back into circulation being recycled into toilet paper or napkins. 

Reduce exposure to chemicals and plastics

• Don’t cook food in plastic containers/roasting/steaming bags (this is how most supermarkets cook meat!)

• Mindful of tea bags

• Use glass, porcelain, enamel, stainless steel pots and pans and food containers, especially if the food or drink are hot

• Ok plastics (generally): recycling symbol 2, 4, 5

• Also 7, if it also says PLA/have a leaf symbol

• Also 1 is ok, but for single use only (no refilling store bought water bottles!)

• Keep plastic containers out of heat and sun

• Avoid cans lined with plastic

• Look up the dirty dozen and clean 15 

• Eat organically: pesticides accumulate in fat (butter, diary, meat then veggies)

• Reverse osmosis water filter for chemicals (phalates)

• Cars are full of plastic - open the doors and windows to ventilate before you get in

Detox detox detox

• Increase intake of polyphenols (anti-oxidants). choose PURPLE and DARK veggies and fruit (berries, purple cabbage, grapes, beets, potatoes)

• Sweat: exercise, sauna (infrared or traditional, electrolytes needs replacement)

• Improve your gut health and healthy evacuation

• Urinary excretion/hydration (drink 30-35ml/kg if sweating)

• Epsom salt/magnesium sulphate baths

Supporting detox supplements:

• Zeolites (½ to 1 teaspoon per day) is good for absorbing toxins - must use a good product to avoid contamination, as it is mined. Look at clinoptilite as an option

• Silica helps to remove aluminium (monomethylsilometriol)

• Adequate intake of zinc, selenium (oxidative protection), iron, calcium, magnesium, iodine

• Glycine is a precursor to glutathione, which helps the liver detox

• NAC is a precursor to glycine and L-cysteine (amino acids). It is a great chelator of heavy metals. Dose 600mg once or twice daily

• calcium D glutarate

Supporting foods:

• Indole 3 carbinol, sulforafane, sulfur : may increase glutathione and -related enzymes, and endogenous anti-oxidant enzymes.

• Present in: brassicas, cruciferous veg 2+ servings/day (cabbage, brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens, kale etc)

• Garlic and onions (rich in sulfur - a precursor to glutathione) 

This is by no means an exhaustive list of environmental hazards and toxins, but it is to give you an idea and a starting point to clean up your environment, reduce exposure and detoxify your body. I hope it helps.

Please get in touch to make an appointment if you would like personalised care and assistance.