By Sarah A LoBisco, ND
Ok, here it comes again. One of my favorite topics is back at center stage in this week’s blog. It’s all about toxicity and detoxification, also known as biotransformation of environmental exposures. Approximately a year ago, I discussed how we are serving as human reservoirs for the chemicals that are being released into our environment at alarming rates. Last October, I wrote:
The fact is that we can’t get away from our toxic environment! Approximately 100,000+ chemicals are used in commercial industry today with about 25,000 (25%) being reported as hazardous to human health. The CDC ‘s Fourth National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals of 2010 was a 529 page “summary” of how different aspects of environmental chemicals can harm us. The average volunteer of this study had over 200 chemicals, 75 of which had never been seen in prior studies, in their blood and urine samples!
A quick Google search for an updated toxicity report led me to gasp again at the inflow of more chemical reports to be included in the CDC’s March 2013 report.
They state:
The Updated Tables in this release include several chemicals that have results available from one or more of the three survey periods of 2005-2006,2007-2008, and 2009-2010. The chemicals with updated data in this release are two fungicide metabolites, ethylene thiourea and propylene thiourea; four organophosphorus insecticides or metabolites; the anions, thiocyanate and nitrate; phthalate metabolites; phytoestrogens and metabolites; and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metabolites.
If you think there’s not a lot of work for our liver and five organs of elimination to do just living in our toxic world, think again!! Below are the CDC’s CATEGORIES of metabolites found in the study participants’ urinary and blood samples. Keep in mind, some of the chemicals released to the environment can’t even be measured and aren’t reported!
Here are the major categories that were included in the March 2013 Tables:
- Disinfection By-Products
- Tobacco Smoke
- Fungicides and Metabolites
- Herbicides and Metabolites
- Environmental Phenols
- Sulfonyl Urea Herbicides
- Carbamate Metabolites
- Organochlorine Pesticides and Metabolites
- Other Pesticide Metabolites
- Organophosphorous Insecticides Metabolites
- Metals and Metalloids
- Parabens
- Perchlorate and Other Anions
- Perfluorinated Compounds
- Phthalate Metabolites
- Phytoestrogens and Metabolites
- Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Metabolites
- Volatile Organic Compounds
That’s a lot.
These chemicals and metabolites have detrimental effects on our immune, nervous, musculoskeletal, endocrine (hormones), digestive, and integumentary (skin) systems. The various factors of how robust one’s body will remain in dealing with this chemical soup vs. experiencing a lot of symptoms as a result of them include:
- history and nature of their exposures
- total load accumulated over time of these exposures and their various combinations
- nutrient availability to clear the toxins and deficiencies that are present from drugs, processed foods, and other stressors on the body
- current health status, including a healthy liver, immune issues, and digestive capacity
· One’s genetic ability to clear the toxins. This means variances in enzyme detoxification pathways can cause some individuals to be more susceptible to environmental exposures than others. The enzymes that can be impaired by a SNP, single nucleotide polymorphism, include the following and can be tested by various functional panels:
o MTHFR (methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase)
o MS (methionine synthase)
o COMT (catechol-O-methyltransferase)
o Methyl-transferases
o STM1
o GSTP1 (glutathione transferases)
o Apo E 4 (apolipoprotein E 4)
o Impaired Metallothionein
Some of my clients have more than one variance listed above and have a variety of symptoms that wax and wane according to the big trio:
1. how their body is adjusting to recent stressors,
2. hormonal or blood sugar shifts (enzymes clear hormones too)
3. an environmental impact
For those who have suffered from weird symptoms such as numbness and tingling, extreme fatigue, muscle pain, and other “unexplainable sensations” and have conventionally been assessed and found to be “within normal limits”, often find relief in knowing that they are more sensitive to chemicals and have to adjust their supplements, nutrition, and stress according to what their body is signaling. Furthermore, the effects on our little ones are even greater due to their smaller surface area for the same amount of exposure and their developing bodies and nervous system. (Let’s consider the rise of childhood “adult” diseases when pondering this fact.)
So, now I’ve officially given you depressing news for three weeks in a row regarding our vulnerability to environmental insults:
1. GMOs
2. Lyme
3. Environmental Toxins in general (and we didn’t even discuss EMFs and mold!)
The good news is the solutions are still the same as they have always been!
1. Eating an organic, clean, and nutrient dense diet to provide your liver and elimination organs with what they need. One must not do extreme diets for weight loss, in order to ensure they aren’t releasing toxins too fast when they lose weight, ultimately sabotaging their efforts.
2. Individualized supplement protocols to assist your genetic predispositions and support your body with living in a toxic world. The fact is, we just can’t eat enough healthy food to protect us with what we are up against in this chemical society!
3. Balancing stress and blood sugar through the use of diet, nurturing healthy herbals, and nutrients for adrenal gland and hormonal balance.
5. Making sure personal care products are organic. Your skin is the largest organ of absorption.
5. Consuming a healthy balance of antioxidant nutrients and anti-inflammatory foods.
Remember, the goal of BREAKFREE medicine is to empower you with health information, so you are not the victim and can live a vibrant and happy life.
SO, join me and BREAKFREE of poor quality food, environmental exposure effects, and achieve quality health results.
I continue to share on toxicity in our world affecting our brain and natural solutions on my saratoga.com/living-well blog.
References:
Harrison E, Partelow J, Grason H. EnvironmentalToxicants and Maternal and Child Health: An Emerging Public Health Challenge. Baltimore, MD. Women’s and Children’s Health Policy Center. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School Public Health. 2009. http://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/womens-and-childrens-health-policy-center/publications/Environ_Tox_MCH.pdf
Metametrix. Metametrix Toxicity Panels. http://www.metametrix.com/test-menu/profiles/categorized:
PCBs: http://www.metametrix.com/files/test-menu/interpretive-guides/pcbs-ig.pdf
Chlorinated: http://www.metametrix.com/test-menu/profiles/toxicants-and-detoxification/chlorinated-pesticide-exposure-testing
Volatile: https://www.metametrix.com/files/test-menu/interpretive-guides/Volatile-Solvents-IG.pdf
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/csem/benzene/docs/benzene.pdf
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