The human body is embroiled in a constant battle
to remove dangerous toxins. It is important to understand where
the toxicity comes from, how it affects the body and why the body
must remove the toxins.
Humans today are finding their bodies barraged with many more substances
than ever before. There is an increase in use of “pesticides,
additives and chemicals, as well as the amount of steroids, hormones
and antibiotics fed to animals readied for human consumption.”
The number of ‘smog alert’ days
during the summer continue to increase and there is concern about
how safe chlorinated water really is. All of this provides proof
that humans are eating, drinking and breathing more toxins than
ever before.
In recent years exposure to lead in the environment has declined
while the levels of other toxins have increased, especially among
children. The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention performed
two studies which measured “human exposure to environmental
toxins, pollutants and chemicals. The first report identified 27
chemicals in the human body, while the second tracked 116 chemicals
in the blood and urine of 2,500 adults and children. ”
Nine volunteers in a study conducted by New York’s
Mount Sinai School of Medicine were to found to have 167 chemicals
in their bodies, 76 of which were linked to cancer. Pesticides in
the body have been linked to breast cancer and endometriosis.
Toxins are introduced into the body in a number of ways. People
“eat food laced with pesticides, use personal-care products
such as cosmetics, or inhale and pick up toxins and pollutants from
the environment.” Toxins are introduced to the body through caffeine,
alcohol, nicotine and red meat. The ten most deadly home toxins are:
· Formaldehyde off gasses.
· Radon
· Lead
· Carbon monoxide
· Arsenic
· Vinyl chloride
· Hydrofluoric acid
· Solvents
· Disinfectants
· Pesticides
Children are more at risk to pick up toxins from
the environment. The CDC study discovered that “children had
body levels of an insecticide called chlorpyrifos that were twice
as high as adults, a finding that raised a red flag for environmental
health experts.” This insecticide is known to cause nervous system
damage. Experts believe the level of insecticides is higher in children
because the floor where children play is where these chemicals settle
when used in homes. Children that are exposed to lead may have lower
IQs and developmental problems. The study also found high level
of phthalates, a chemical found in plastic items such as toys, which
can interfere with development. Children exposed to secondhand smoke
had twice the level of adults of cotinine, a product of nicotine,
which has been shown to cause cancer.
“Currently there are 125,000 chemicals in commercial use throughout
the world, and 25,000 of them are known to be hazardous. Recent
studies show that 95-100% of people had residues of these chemicals
in their body fat.
EPA: National Adipose Tissue Survey
| Compound |
Sources |
% Observation |
| Styrene |
disposable cups, carpet backing |
100% |
| 1,4-dichlorobenzene |
mothballs, house deodorizers |
100% |
| OCDD (dioxin) |
herbicides, auto exhaust |
100% |
| HxCDD (dioxin) |
wood treatment, herbicides |
98% |
| Xylene |
gasoline, paints |
100% |
| Benzene |
gasoline |
96% |
Today, “ninety per cent of the human race claiming to be ‘sick’
are not sick at all. They are actually toxic and need to change
their lifestyle in order to detoxify themselves.”
Detoxification is a process that the human body
“should undergo periodically because of the stress of modern
life and the pollutants in the air that is breathed.”
The body must undergo detoxification in order
to maintain good health and “keep at bay stiff joints, headaches,
pimples, lethargy and so forth.” Other symptoms of toxicity include feeling
dizzy, weakness, stomach pains, depression, headaches and nausea.
Those who do not have symptoms should still go through periodic
detoxification because “it is the safest, most natural way
to boost your immune system.” This process not only makes a person look and
feel better, but is also essential for anyone wanting to lose weight.”
There are a number of ways to assist the body
in its purification process. More people than ever are beginning
to understand the importance of detoxification and are striving
to help the body with this process. Many people, however, “dismiss
the general feeling of malaise and put it down to exhaustion or
outside influences.” Some of the methods to rid the body of toxins
include going to a spa or beauty center for treatment, or an ayurvedic
system, but the most tried and true method is drinking water. “Water
seems to be the panacea for most ills. Drinking eight glasses a
day to help flush out toxins and waste from the body as well as
transport nutrients to where they are needed.”
It is important to realize that tea or cola
are not beneficial in the cleaning process, and for the body to
be detoxified properly, one must drink water. Disease is caused
by two factors, toxicity and lack of nutrition. When toxicity is
eliminated, there is a decreased chance of acquiring a chronic illness.
Sweating allows the body rid itself of toxins through the skin.
Because of the amount of fluid which is lost during this process,
it is important for the body to be continuously rehydrated. The
most important and beneficial fluid that a person can consume during
any activity which results in sweating is water.
Other organs which eliminate toxins in the body
are the liver, colon, lungs and kidneys. If one of these organs
becomes overstressed or blocked, the others must work harder in
order to keep the body functioning properly.
The primary organ for “nutrient assimilation
as well as the production of essential chemicals ” is the liver.
The liver is an important part
of the detoxification process and is the only organ which can regenerate
itself. Toxins are carried by the blood to the liver, “which
uses enzymes to detoxify the harmful substances, rendering them
harmless or converting them into a water-soluble form. This is then
passed out of the body in the form of urine or feces.”
It is a myth that a detox diet will cleanse the system. The theory
is that the body stores toxins in the fat and tissues when too much
is taken in and “during detox, the pressure to deal with new
toxins is removed. This is supposed to allow the body to flush out
the system and improve health.” However, it has not been proven that during detox,
the body removes toxins at an accelerated rate. Many nutritionists
feel that the opposite is actually true. They point out that “most
detox diets are low in calories and during fasting, the metabolic
rate slows down by at least 10 percent, more as the fast continues.”
In only two days every function in the body will be affected, including
two of the main organs involved in waste removal work, resulting
in constipation and a drop in body temperature.
When the body is starved, more toxins are
actually released into the bloodstream since the stores of carbohydrates
normally needed for energy are depleted, and fat stores begin to break
down. A study in Quebec found that the pesticide levels in the blood
increased in women who began to lose weight while on diets. It was
found that when toxins are stored in fat cells, they are harmless,
but during starvation as the fat breaks down, the toxins are released.
While scientists are still exploring why “instead of disappearing,
the amount of chemicals in the blood rose as more weight was lost”,
they feel the body doesn’t know what to do with the toxins since
it can no longer excrete the waste at speed previously realized.
Doctors and patients once believed that analyzing hair samples could
provide information concerning nutrient deficiencies and toxins. However
a study in 2001 showed that when researchers at the California Department
of Health Services sent “an identical hair sample to the six
labs that do 90 percent of the 225,000 hair tests in the United States
each year, there were significant differences in minerals such as
aluminum, iron, mercury, and calcium.”
The researchers determined that “hair is not
a major pathway for ridding the body of things it doesn’t want,
and there is no good relation between most minerals and toxins in
the body and what shows up on the top of the head.”
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