Toxins and Pollutants – Poison by any name!

No doubt about it - we no longer live in a “Garden of Eden” world.  When we're outside, we're breathing fumes from our cities' industries and our millions of cars and trucks.  When we're inside, we're absorbing toxins from carpeting, upholstery, paint, cleaning chemicals to name a few.  All these are made worse by our insulated, energy-efficient houses and buildings.  We can ingest pesticides in the foods we eat and impurities in the water we drink.  Pollution is a multi-faceted, complex issue. Here, we will focus on the impact of pollutants on the body and how we can nutritionally support the body's ability to cope with and eliminate toxins.

We are surrounded by synthetic substances.  More than two mil­lion are known to exist, more are added each year and over 30,000 are being produced commercially. Only a fraction of these are ever accurately tested for toxicity.  For most of us, it's not practical to avoid all things synthetic or toxic. So what are we to do?   We can limit the amount of toxins we ingest through air, water, and foods by avoiding them as much as possible. Secondly, we can support the body's self-cleansing mechanisms. When the liver, kidneys, bowels, and lymph system are functioning well, they will eliminate most toxins quickly and efficiently.

The effects of toxins on the body may be so slight that one may not notice any change.  But toxins ingested in so-called “safe” doses may eventually add up to harmful amounts if not eliminated by the body’s cleaning systems. Long-term exposure to pollution can result in metabolic and genetic changes that affect growth, learning, health, behavior, and resistance to disease. It has also been linked to birth defects and fetal deaths.

Toxins have an impact on various organs of the body. Emphysema may be triggered by air pollution, dust, and cigarette smoking - all of which damage the lungs. The kidneys may be harmed by environmental pollutants such as mercury. Low-level exposure to artificially produced radiation is associated with cataracts, mutations, birth defects, blood vessel damage, bone marrow depletion.

Scientists from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Nation­al Cancer Institute (NCI) have said that the chemicals in our air, food, and water (carcinogens) can be linked to between 60 to 80 percent of all cancers Apparently, the molecular structure of most chemical carcinogens interacts with DNA, the genetic material in all living cells. Scientists speculate that gradual damage to the DNA leads to malignant cell growth.

Why do pollutants affect some people more than others? Many factors are involved, including the amount and duration of exposure, and the toxicity of the substance. Individuals may be more susceptible if they have a pre-existing disease, an unhealthy lifestyle, and/or exposure to other pollutants, drugs, or food additives.  So what can a body do to protect itself?  Read on!

Oxidation and Free Radicals

We can use nutrients to protect ourselves. For example, vitamins A, E, and PABA (a B vitamin) can help lessen the harmful impact of oxidizing chemicals such as ozone – a double oxygen molecule that contributes to the process called oxidation. This process gets the blame for much of the physical degeneration connected with aging and disease. Although vital to life, oxygen can work inappropriately on the human system as it does on metal: It "rusts" and ages us. Oxygen combines with the fats present in cells and speeds up their deterioration. Oxidation also triggers free-radical activity. Free radicals are unstable molecules produced by normal chemical processes in the body, as well as solar or cosmic radiation, cigarette smoke, and other environmental poisons. Because they are incomplete, free radicals may "grab" parts of other molecules. This can start a chain reaction that causes damage by fundamentally changing important components of cells.

Antioxidant nutrients, however, can come to the rescue. These nutrients, which include betacarotene, vitamins A, C, E, and the trace mineral selenium, shield the membranes of cells from oxidation and free-radical destruction. Antioxidants pair up with free radicals, neutralizing and "disarming" them. Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are good sources of antioxidants.  Supplementation is also a good way to obtain these nutrients.

Other Sources

Toxic lead is present in our air, dust, old paint and drinking water from old lead water pipes. Lead appears to inhibit immune function and learning abilities and erode the effectiveness of antioxidants. Vitamin C has been shown to remove lead from bone and brain.

Carcinogenic substances called polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are formed from burning such substances as wood, coal, oil, and tobacco. Vitamins B1, C, and E, calcium pantothenic, cysteine (an amino acid), selenium, and zinc, appear to protect the body from PAH harm.

Carbon monoxide is concentrated in cigarette smoke and the air in high-traffic areas. This chemical impairs the ability of blood to transport oxygen to the brain. Carbon monoxide poisoning can lead to headaches, dizziness, Irritability, nausea, decreased mental alertness, unconsciousness, and possibly death.

Indoor toxins

The pollutants found indoors are at least as dangerous as those found outdoors. Mental and emotional problems have been linked to fumes from insecticides, refrigerants, plastics, hair sprays, paint, and disinfectants.

Common household substances are common sources of toxins. In the 1970s, urea foam formaldehyde insulation was popular in homes. Many occupants of these homes reacted badly to the formaldehyde fumes coming through the walls.  They reported symptoms such as depression, fatigue, poor memory and thought processes, headache, flushing, dizziness, burning eyes and throat. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, in 1981, recommended formaldehyde be listed as a potential occupational carcinogen. Since then, formaldehyde has definitely attained toxin status and protective clothing and equipment must be used if handling or using it.

Toxic chemicals such as formaldehyde are also present in carpet chemicals, dry cleaning chemicals, rug shampoo, old vinyl floor tile, and commercial cleaning solutions. Common household and toiletry items contain heavy metals. Chrome, copper, nickel, and zinc are present, in amounts deemed “non-toxic” by our environmental scientists, in bath soap, steel wool pads, dish soap, and laundry soap. Lead can be found in toothpaste and bath, dish, and laundry soaps.

Supplements and Diet To The Rescue

These are only a few of the count­less pollutants we're exposed to on a daily basis. For overall protection from both outdoor and indoor toxins, the following supplements can be beneficial: vitamins A, C, and E, calcium, selenium, zinc, protein, Super Oxide Dismutase, and B complex.

Sherry A. Rogers, M.D., author of Tired or Toxic? A Blueprint for Health, urges her environmentally ill patients to detoxify their diet as well as their body and home. The diet she recommends is high in grains, vegetables, and soy foods, and low in protein. Except for occasional fish, Dr. Rogers advises patients to avoid animal products and tobacco.  Eat organic whenever possible.

In the next issue we will talk about your bodies’ cleansing systems – the liver, kidneys, bowels and immune system from the standpoint of ridding the body of all of these harmful substances called toxins.

Health is not everything, but without spiritual and physical health, everything is nothing.

Until next time we meet – may God Bless you with good health, with a little help from you!

The information in these columns is for educational purposes only and not to diagnose or treat any medical condition. Please consult your physician for any serious condition.

Len Rossi, ND has been a proponent of Natural Healing for 30 years. After a 25-year career as a pro wrestler, Len earned his Doctor Of Naturopathy degree in 1982 and is a Licensed Massage Therapist.