10 Everyday Toxins That Threaten Your Health

You’re at your wit’s end . . . You’ve gone to doctor after doctor . . . You’ve tried prescription drugs . . . But you still feel sick – perhaps even worse than before! The truth is, conventional medicine largely ignores one of the biggest health threats we face . . . The root cause of many of our illnesses . . . and something that can be fixed! While your doctor may not tell you this, the toxins lurking in our bodies cause or exacerbate many of the health problems we face today. The Real Cause Of Most Illness See, as a nutritional biochemist, I’ve studied the body and its functions for years. While I could give you a very detailed, very complex explanation of how toxins make us sick, let me put it in laymen’s terms . . . It pretty much happens in two steps: 1. Toxins and chemicals invade your cells, breaking them down, doing damage and even destroying them. rnThink of these toxins as garbage that can build up in your cells. rnWhile your body has ways of eliminating garbage, too much of the “junk” can overwhelm your body and break down your health. rnWorse, once toxins are in your body, they’re hard to get out. That’s because once they’ve gone through your organs, they are often re-absorbed into your bloodstream and distributed to more cells in your body. This vicious cycle can lead to a host of problems. Because . . . 2. As your cells go, so goes your whole body. rnA cell is like an entire little universe. Cells are the living units that form the structure of all of your tissues. More importantly, each of your cells is a tiny, self-contained factory that manufactures important elements you need for the optimal function of your entire body. rnMost people fail to realize how extensively the body is interlinked. What happens in one area of your body can have a direct effect on another. When one cell is crippled by toxins it can set off a chain reaction as the damage holds your body back from functioning at its best. And this is how microscopic, nearly invisible toxins can wreak havoc in your body . . . Here are 4 toxic loads that could be undermining your health, cell by cell: Toxins In The Food You Eat You have to look hard today to find natural whole foods, created the way Mother Nature intended. That’s because much of the food grown today relies heavily on chemical fertilizers and pesticides. These can kill natural soil microorganisms and leave toxins on harvested crops, depleting foods of their nutrients. While usually less contaminated, even organic fruits and vegetables contain pesticide residues. Pesticides can persist in the soil for decades or be carried to organic fields by water. rnIn one study, researchers found winter squash contained residues of the pesticide dieldrin that was banned over 35 years ago![1] In addition to environmental contaminants like pesticides, the additives in processed foods can do damage to your health. There are over 2,800 “intentional” food additives.[2] Additives include drugs given to cattle and poultry which stay in the meat all the way to your table, colors, bleaches, flavors, softeners, waxes, preservatives, and artificial sweeteners. rnCan all of this “junk” end up in our bodies? You bet. rnNewborn umbilical cords were found to contain as many as 180 carcinogens. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, pesticides are now found in the blood of 95% of Americans.[3] And these food toxins are doing damage . . . rnSome research has linked artificial food colors to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children.[4] And artificial sweeteners found in many diet foods can cause weight gain.[5] Is Your Drinking Water Safe? rnWater is even more important for our health than food. And our water supply is no better off than our food supply when it comes to toxins . . . In a recent study of public water supplies, a third of them contained as many as 18 unregulated chemicals.[6] Pesticides and fertilizers percolate through the ground. Nitrates trickle in from decomposing plants and radon seeps in from natural radioactivity. Metals like arsenic and lead leach out of water pipes and bedrock. Even medications, personal care products and other household chemicals make their way into our drinking water supply and aren't filtered out effectively by municipal treatment plants. And here's an important thing most people don't take into account . . . most water filtration systems are designed to only take out specific chemicals. To effectively remove a chemical from your water supply you need to choose the right filter for the chemical. And to choose the right filter, you need to know exactly what's in the water. rnBut most standard water tests don't test for all the chemicals potentially in there. Consequently, you can't identify the right filtration system! For this reason, even if you're using a water filter in your home, you risk drinking contaminants with your water. The only reliable method for getting pure H2O when you want water to drink is distillation. Beauty Products Can Kill Beauty can be deadly. rnOverall, there are hundreds of dangerous, untested ingredients found in personal care products. They are absorbed through your skin. rnFor example, • Toluene - commonly found in perfumes and nail polish - has been linked to headaches, fatigue, asthma, seizures, birth defects, even cancer. • And parabens - found commonly in lotions, shampoos, sunblock and more - have been found in the breast cancer tumors of 19 out of 20 women studied. These molecules seem to mimic estrogen, wreaking havoc on your hormonal health. Parabens are linked to allergies and are toxic to your immune system. [7] Even worse many fragrances added to personal care products don't even have their chemical contents listed on the label. So you can't tell what you're absorbing through your skin. Fortunately, you can look up most personal care products and their ingredients on the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep database.[8] If you don’t like you see about your standard brands, replace it with something natural and green. rnBut if these “toxic loads” aren’t bad enough, you must contend with an additional danger that takes advantage of your toxin-triggered weakened state . . . Body Invaders Once toxins take hold in your body, conditions are ripe for the colonization of your body by “secondary” toxins. rnThese are like squatters who move into a rundown, abandoned building, or looters who take over after the overwhelmed police (your body’s defense system) retreat. rnSecondary invaders include parasites, yeast, fungi, bacteria, and viruses. Once in your body, they gobble up nutrients intended for your body. And worse, they spoil and ferment your food, putting out toxic byproducts that can make—and keep—you sick. Don’t Let Toxins Suck The Life Out Of You As you now understand, toxins are everywhere - even in the food you eat to nourish your body and the water you drink to wash your insides clean! However, you’ve got options. Increasingly, thanks to consumer demand, more food manufacturers are going organic and removing additives. When it comes to clean water, it’s easy to use a countertop distiller to get absolutely pure water. And green beauty products are filling the shelves!rnYes, toxins can still sneak into your body. But by reducing the attack on your body, you give your body room to maneuver and rid itself of this toxic load. Sources: [1] Otani T et al. Differential uptake of dieldrin and endrin from soil by several plant families and Cucurbita genera. Soil Science and Plant Nutrition 53(1); 2007. [2] Ditschun T et al. Chapter 8: Food Additives. Food Toxicology. Edited by William G . Helferich and Carl K . Winter. CRC Press 2000. [3] Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control, National rnReport on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals, March 2003. [4] 9 Food Additives Possibly Linked To ADHD. Huffington Post. December 2010. [5] Yang Q. Gain weight by “going diet?” Artificial sweeteners and the neurobiology of sugar cravings. Yale J Biol Med. Jun 2010; 83(2): 101–108. [6] Bienkowski B. New Report: Unregulated contaminants common in drinking water. Environmental Health News. Dec 5, 2013. [7] Cunningham V. 10 Toxic Beauty Ingredients To Avoid. The Huffington Post. Nov 12, 2013. [8] Environmental Working Group Skin Deep Database. Viewed 10/28/14 at http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/