The 30 Days to Pain-Free Challenge:

Day 5 – Take Mindful Steps to Avoid Environmental Toxins

Environmental toxins are everywhere and are a cause of many undiagnosed illnesses.  They are in the air, water and food.  Some people voluntarily ingest toxins, such as alcohol, tobacco and vaping and of course drugs. Thankfully, the body has a way of eliminating most of them, but some accumulate in your tissues over time and cause direct damage to your body, or hinder its function.  Do you think this can be a factor for chronic pain?  It certainly seems so.  A body with a large toxin burden cannot repair and heal itself as efficiently as a body more free of toxins.

According to the World Health Organization, these are the ten toxic chemicals that pose significant threat to the public:

• Air pollution
• Arsenic
• Asbestos
• Benzene
• Cadmium
• Dioxins, PCBs
• Excess fluoride
• Lead
• Mercury
• Agricultural pesticides

Although it’s not on their list, I will add nitrates and nitrites, the preservative used on many meat products that lots of us eat regularly.

Now, I’ll let you know what you need to know about each of these toxins and how to best minimize their effect on your health.

Air Pollution

Air pollution consists of fine particulate matter (PM) made up of soot and other combustion byproducts; dust, dirt and vaporized liquids.  They come from cars, trucks, commercial jets above; unpaved roads, and industrial chemicals undergoing chemical reactions in the atmosphere.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the size of particles is directly linked to their potential for causing health problems.  Small particles less than 10 micrometers or microns (1 micron=1/1,000 of a millimeter) in diameter pose the greatest problems because they can get deep into your lungs, and some may even get into your bloodstream. Exposure to such particles can affect both your lungs and your heart.

Small particles of concern include fine particles such as those found in smoke and haze, which are 2.5 micrometers in diameter or less; and coarse particles such as those found in wind-blown dust or ashes from a distant wildfire, which have diameters between 2.5 and 10 micrometers.

If you live down wind of an industrial area or coal-fired power plant, you are ingesting some of these PMs and they are making it deep into your lungs, and possibly to your blood.  These have even been found in breast milk.  Air pollution can cause respiratory problems, headaches, nausea and even cancer.

Solution:  If you live in an area where air pollution is bad, it’s a good idea to wear an N-95 mask when you go out.  If the AQI (Air Quality Index) is high, stay indoors.  If you use an air conditioner, make sure you have a good air filter installed; otherwise your system is pumping all that polluted air into your home.

If you want the best protection in your home, get a high quality air filtration system.  The one I recommend is the AirDog, conceptualized in the high tech hub of Silicon Valley, CA.  Check it out, and you’ll see why I recommend it above all other air filtration systems, especially over HEPA filters.

Arsenic

Arsenic naturally occurrs in the Earth’s crust.  Human exposure to elevated levels of inorganic arsenic occurs mainly through the consumption of contaminated groundwater, food prepared with this contaminated water, and food crops irrigated with high-arsenic water sources.  Effects – which can take years to develop depending on the exposure level – include skin lesions, peripheral neuropathy, gastrointestinal symptoms, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, developmental toxicity, and cancer of the skin and internal organs.

Solution:  check your local government and water district to see if you live in a high arsenic area.  If you live in a high–risk area for arsenic, drink only distilled water (the purest form of water, containing no dissolved minerals) and use reverse osmosis water filters in all your home’s faucets.  There are many good water filtration systems that can filter out arsenic.  You can even buy your own water distiller and make your own.

Asbestos

Asbestos, despite its well-known notoriety of causing the lung disease mesothelioma is still used today.  Insulation, vehicle components, home construction materials such as roofing and flooring tiles can contain asbestos.  When intact it poses no problems, but when disturbed (broken, crushed) it can release small fibers that can be inhaled into your lungs.

Solution:  Make sure you know if and where asbestos is in your home and office; take steps to avoid it.  If you find some, call an expert to remove it; don’t try it yourself as you will spread the fibers and risk inhaling them.

Benzene

Benzene is found in gasoline, motor oil, and tobacco (cigarette smoke). When inhaled often, it can cause all sorts of disease including cancer and blood disease.

Solution:  When you fill up your gas tank, make sure to stand at least ten feet away to avoid the benzene fumes.  Avoid second-hand smoke.

Cadmium

Cadmium is an industrial toxin related to electronic waste disposal.  With the proliferation of electronics manufacturing over the last 30 years, and the tendency for people to frequently dispose of electronics in favor of newer models that keep coming every couple of years, environmental cadmium levels have increased.  It makes its way into the ground water, and eventually drinking water.  Cadmium is implicated in kidney, skeletal, and respiratory illness.  It is also classified as a carcinogen.

Solution:  Make sure you are disposing of your e-waste in the proper manner (see your local waste disposal provider).  If you live in a high-risk area where cadmium is in the ground water, install a high quality water filtration system in your home.

Dioxins, PCBs

Dioxins including PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) are a class of toxins that are formed as byproducts of combustion, paper manufacturing and smelting (extracting metals from rocks).  Even though manufacture of PCBs is now prohibited, release into the environment still occurs from improper disposal of large-scale electrical equipment and waste.  Dioxins are carcinogens and are known to cause harm to the reproductive and immune systems, thyroid and liver.  Dioxins can also cause birth defects.

Human exposure to dioxins and dioxin-like substances occurs mainly via consumption of contaminated food.  Fish, particularly fresh water fish that feed on the bottom like eels, bass and catfish typically have higher levels of PCBs and should be avoided.  Some cases of farm-raised salmon have been found with high levels of PCBs, as well.

Solution:  To avoid dioxins, avoid eating fresh water fish living in contaminated areas, as well as fish caught in polluted bays.  If you live close to a dioxin-producing facility, wear a mask outdoors and get a water filtration system for your home.

Fluoride

Fluoride is commonly known to be an additive to toothpaste and mouthwash to prevent cavities.  Many municipal water districts add fluoride to the water for this purpose; but some fluoride naturally exists in ground water that makes it into the drinking supply.  In proper amounts, it can protect against cavities; however, in excess amounts it can be toxic especially to the thyroid and nervous tissue (nerves, brain, and spinal cord), and cause calcification of tendons and ligaments, and bone deformities.  Also, a recent Harvard study found that excess fluoride consumption can lead to deficits in learning, memory and cognition.  The problem, though, is that researchers have a hard time establishing how much fluoride is too much.

Solution:  avoid ingesting fluoride by avoiding fluoride containing products.  If you don’t have a home water filtration system installed, you swallow a little bit of fluoridated tap water every day after you brush your teeth, so no need to add to it with fluoridated toothpaste and mouthwash.  Instead, eat less sugar and carbs (which turn to sugar as you chew it) to reduce your risk of cavities.

Lead

Lead is a cumulative toxin that affects multiple body systems including the nervous, blood, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and renal (kidney) systems.  It is especially dangerous to children. In the U.S. and other developed countries, laws restricting its use in products has greatly reduced lead poisoning.  However, those who live in older housing that contains lead paint and lead plumbing are at risk.  Many developing countries still use lead in manufacturing, so their risk is higher.

Solution:  if you live near an industrial center, or live in an older home (built before 1970) consider getting a water filtration system for your home.  Hire a plumber to check if your home has lead pipes, and if so, replace them with PVC.

Mercury

Mercury is a dangerous toxin that can cause all kinds of health problems, especially to developing fetuses.  It is released into the environment mainly from coal-fired power stations, residential heating systems, waste incinerators and mining operations. Once in the environment, elemental mercury is naturally transformed into methylmercury, which washes into the ocean and bio accumulates in fish and shellfish.  Sadly, the vast majority of fish and shellfish contain some amount of mercury, with the large predatory fish such as shark, tuna and mackerel containing the highest, unsafe concentrations.  It is unfortunate because fish are a good source of protein and healthy fats.

Solution: avoid eating large fish species but don’t give up on fish totally because it has health benefits.  Instead, only eat smaller fish closer to the bottom of the food chain, like sardines, which have minimal bio accumulation of mercury; and deep, cold-water fish like cod which tend to have less.

Pesticides

Pesticides are widely used in agriculture and are impossible to avoid entirely, due their widespread use.  There are many types of agricultural pesticides that are cleared by the EPA, but of course, if a chemical can kill bugs, there is concern of the effects it may have on humans.  The EPA tests pesticides before they can be sold, and if it makes a determination that there is “reasonable certainty of no harm” they are cleared for use.

The most famous and notorious pesticide is DDT, which was banned in the 70s due to its environmental destruction.  Today, a class of pesticides called organophosphates are the preferred pesticide in agriculture; RoundUp being the best known one.  Although these pesticides are EPA approved, lab studies show that organophosphates bio accumulate in fat tissue (meaning, the stay inside your fat cells and may be released into the blood if you burn the fat cells) and are known to be “hormone disruptors,” meaning, they interfere with critical hormone functions in the body, especially relating to reproduction. More worrisome, organophosphates were shown to damage red blood cells and various structures in all types of cells, including DNA.

According to the popular environmental website Environmental Working Group, which tests foods for harmful substances, the produce you need to be most wary of due to their high levels of pesticides are:

• Strawberries
• Spinach
• Kale, collard & mustard greens
• Nectarines
• Apples
• Grapes
• Bell & hot Peppers
• Cherries
• Peaches
• Pairs
• Celery
• Tomatoes

Solution:  Unfortunately, many peoples’ favorite fruits and vegetables are on this list.  So what should you do?  One option is to buy only organic.  Organic produce, by law, isn’t sprayed with pesticides; nor is it genetically modified (GMO).  However, the drawback is that it is more expensive than non-organic.

The other option is to use a vegetable wash, and soak your produce for 10 minutes in it, then rinse it off.  This will remove much of the surface pesticides, but unfortunately, there’s a good chance some of the pesticide residue penetrated inside the fruit/ vegetable.

The third option is to eat less fruit, or eat it less often so as not to bio accumulate the pesticides in your tissues where they can wreak havoc to your body.  Of course, you can trust the EPA when it says there is “reasonable” certainty that the pesticide will cause no harm to humans, and eat the fruits and vegetables as much as you want.  But, you’ll also have to trust that the agri-business did not use more than the limit set by the EPA of the pesticide.

Nitrite/Nitrate Food Additives

Nitrates and nitrites, derivative compounds of the element nitrogen, naturally occur in the soil and water as part of the nitrogen cycle.  Plants, therefore, normally contain levels of nitrates.  Nitrates are also used in fertilizers to help plants grow.

Nitrates and nitrites as chemical additives to meat also happen to have anti-microbial effects.  You’ll see them listed as sodium nitrate or potassium nitrite on the packaging.   These chemicals keep meat from looking greyish, helping to preserve their natural color and freshness/ shelf-life.  Processed meat such as sausages and deli meat tend to contain a higher concentration of nitrates/nitrites.  Unfortunately for fans of charcuterie and deli meat sandwiches, multiple studies confirm an association between regular consumption of nitrate/nitrite cured meats and a variety of cancers, especially colorectal, breast and prostate.  The latest study confirming the link was a French study concluded just this month.  Given the strong evidence, it is therefore advisable to avoid such meats, or eat them very sparingly.

Solution:  avoid processed, cured meats that contain added nitrates/ nitrites.  Instead, buy un-cured meats where you can find them.  Usually health-themed groceries like Whole Foods with have uncured, nitrate-free meats.

BOTTOM LINE

Toxins are everywhere—in the air, food, and water.  Your risk of toxin ingestion is related to where you live and work, and what you eat and drink.  Toxins basically cause slow poisoning of the body which may not manifest as noticeable illness but nevertheless impairs your health in some way, without you realizing it.  Even if toxin poisoning reaches a level to cause illness such as respiratory or endocrine disorders, or cancer, it is difficult to pin down as the causative factor.

You must be vigilant in reducing your exposure to the many toxins around you if you wish to live a long, healthy life.  Taking the preventive steps mentioned here is a good place to start.

On Day 16, I will go over a common strategy to counteract the unavoidable reality of toxin ingestion—cleanses.

You Can Do It,

 

Reference:

World Health Organization website