Welcome to episode 71. We are discussing toxins today and detoxification. I might have mentioned before that I was on a forum once and I suggested to someone that they may want to work on detoxification in their body in order to help their thyroid work better. I was shunned by the moderator with some links to prove that detoxification is a myth and that it doesn’t really work. I had to explain to this moderator that I was talking about our body’s natural detoxification system which works really hard for us every day.
We are exposed to a significant amount of man made chemical pollutants in our drinking water, our food supply and the air we breath. We also have to consider all the products we bring in to our homes as well as any pesticides we might use on our yard. The exposure is everywhere. This is not a doom and gloom episode, though it might feel that way. I think education is important because when you know better you do better and that is the case with anything. These toxins are not going anywhere. Some will be here longer than humans so we have to know what to do about them and how we can keep our body as healthy as possible. In other words we have this body burden that we need to be mindful of.
It is estimated that we each have around 700 contaminants within our body and most of those have not been studied for safety.
What is a toxin then? That could be considered anything inside or outside of the body that keeps us from having good health. There are toxic things- physical, mental, emotional, chemical- that are poisonous to us. There are toxicants- a kind of poison, usually man made that is put into the environment by humans.
Maybe you have heard the term xenobiotic. This is a chemical or organic compound not recognized by the body. Xenohormesis on the other hand is a stress compound made in plants that are beneficial to our health. The prefix xeno means foreign.
We can be exposed to toxins through heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants (POPs- chemicals that stay in the environment for a long time because they are resistant to biodegrading), toxins from foods like GMO’s, hormones, antibiotics, fat loving toxins, aflatoxins, sugar, food allergies, xenoestrogens (a synthetic or natural compound that imitates estrogen).
One of the big problems we have is the constant exposure to this stuff builds up in our body over time and leads to dis-ease. We have the exposure from the environment, genetic susceptibility, dose after dose of chemical for long periods of time- basically our lifetime which makes the toxins potent and that leads to disease.
How do toxins affect us?
It often starts with some kind of problem with the immune system and then extends into neurological issues, endocrine system issues or gastrointestinal problems. One toxin can cause multiple issues in the body.
If you have not responded to specific therapies that are known to be effective for your condition, if you have allergies, infections, autoimmune disease or you have known exposures to toxins from jobs, hobbies, home exposure, whatever- then you probably have an issue with toxicity of some kind.
Toxin exposures and how it relates to health.
People with the highest levels of PCB’s were more than 4x more likely to have high antinuclear antibodies than people with low levels of PCBs. These levels are linked to higher rates of autoimmune disease.
Having high mercury levels in blood or urine were associated with high antinuclear antibody levels. This is coming from the NHANES study done between 1999-2004.
Chlordane- a chemical used as a termiticide, even when applied per manufacturer directions exposes the homeowner to it for decades and is causing incidence of the development of antibodies against self, specifically against smooth muscle tissue.
Chlorpyrifos- info from the EPA website:
Chlorpyrifos has been used as a pesticide since 1965 in both agricultural and non-agricultural areas:
The largest agricultural market for chlorpyrifos in terms of total pounds of active ingredient is corn.
It is also used on soybeans, fruit and nut trees, Brussels sprouts, cranberries, broccoli, and cauliflower, as well as other row crops.
Non-agricultural uses include golf courses, turf, green houses, and on non-structural wood treatments such as utility poles and fence posts. It is also registered for use as a mosquito adulticide, and for use in roach and ant bait stations in child resistant packaging.
This chemical causes high antibody levels anywhere from 1 to 4.5 years after exposure causing antibodies against the parietal cells in your stomach- this means low stomach acid production and anti-thyroid antibodies as well as hepatitis.
Formaldehyde— exposure causing antibodies against brush boarder in small intestine, mitochondria and smooth muscle tissue.
Lupus- has a huge association to certain pharamceutical comounds and with environmental chemicals. Focus here is on the environmental chemicals since that is what I am studying. A neighborhood in Hobbs New Mexico had higher than normal exposure to chemicals like benzene, xylene, toluene, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, mercury and more due to living near an oil field waste dump and a very high rate of Lupus- about 870 people per every 100,000.
Mercury- Those same New Mexico residents were 11x more likely to have inflammation in the joints and they were 19x more likely to be diagnosed with lupus. They had problems with dizziness, balance issues, extreme fatigue, sleep problems, concentration issues and more.
Antithyroid antibodies are linked with high blood mercury levels. Having blood mercury levels above 1.81 ug(microgram)/L means a 2.2x higher chance of developing thyroid autoimmune disease. Eating mercury containing fish just once a week can give you that level of mercury.
Heavy metal exposure in general is a problem. These metals will bind to oxygen and other things in the body messing with all the enzyme activity that goes on every second. Chronic exposure can lead to CVD and related disorders, peripheral neuropathy, sensory disorder, anemia, abdominal pain, cancer, skin issues. Dental amalgams are a big culprit for mercury exposure.
Regular and ongoing exposure to hair dye has been associated with higher rates of lupus as well. People who use nail polish have a 10x higher risk of developing lupus than those who don’t.
Smoking also puts you at a higher risk of Lupus.
Living with PCB contamination in your area will give you increased risk of antinuclear antibodies and anti-thyroperoxidase antibodies. Antinuclear antibodies are a general test for autoimmune diseases.
From EPA: PCBs belong to a broad family of man-made organic chemicals known as chlorinated hydrocarbons. PCBs were domestically manufactured from 1929 until manufacturing was banned in 1979. They have a range of toxicity and vary in consistency from thin, light-colored liquids to yellow or black waxy solids. Due to their non-flammability, chemical stability, high boiling point and electrical insulating properties, PCBs were used in hundreds of industrial and commercial applications including:
Electrical, heat transfer and hydraulic equipment
Plasticizers in paints, plastics and rubber products
Pigments, dyes and carbonless copy paper
Other industrial applications
Chemical sensitivities are on the rise. This is also known as multiple chemical sensitivity, environmental illness, idiopathic environmental intolerance or toxicant induced loss of tolerance. About 20% of the population has this issue.
You can have negative physical, mental, or emotional symptoms with minimal exposure to chemicals. Pesticides and solvents are the main culprits in bringing this on with new construction, gasoline and petroleum products a close second. Those of us with this issue may have a genetic SNP or two that lower our ability to break down organophosphate pesticides or solvents.
Obviously avoiding toxins is going to be very helpful. It is your first line of defense. Clean up all things you can to the best of your ability and finances. Good air filters with a minimum efficiency rating value MERV of 7 on your ventilation system at home. This particular rated filter will help reduce dust particles which are big culprit in at home exposure to toxins. Getting a good quality air purifier will be even better than a filter. There are things called sham units (no filters) and fully functional air purifiers. Using a reverse osmosis water filter will remove most groundwater contamination. Avoid high mercury fish, see a dentist that doesn’t use mercury in their office and if you need to remove high levels of mercury find a doctor that can use chelating agents. I will go in to more details on how to clean things up in a future episode but using a sauna or sweating through exercise can be a great way to get toxins out of your system very gently and taking antioxidants or eating a rainbow of fruits and veggies will go a long way to helping your body clean things up and keep you healthy a million other ways.