When the topic of toxins is brought up, it seems most would assume that it would be used in the context of a poison; possibly a snake venom or the villain in a movie who spikes the drink of the damsel in distress. Today, when discussing toxins, the context is the fact that they are playing a large role in our foods, our health and even the way the body functions. The old-school villain from the movies is not nearly as terrifying when compared to what we are facing on a daily basis from our food, water and air. Here is a quick breakdown of the problems that toxicity is causing all of us and why:
Each of us carries a, “body burden” of hundreds, if not thousands, of synthetic chemicals that have been stored in our body fat over time. The body absorbs these chemicals from our food, water, air, consumer products and cosmetics as well as industrial processes that accumulate over a lifetime. Some of these toxins are also capable of migrating; molecules will attach to dust particles blowing in the wind and travel to the far corners of the planet. No one is safe from exposure to toxins anywhere on Earth.
These potentially-toxic chemicals can interact synergistically inside of us, producing a range of possible negative health effects. Many of the health effects haven’t been adequately identified or studied yet. Some of these chemicals are so new and constantly changing that it will be decades before we discover some of the long-term effects they are having on the human body. Even low-dose chemical exposures, which were once thought to be safe levels, can still wreak havoc on the hormonal systems of the human body. Some low-dose chemicals, while nontoxic on their own, become toxic and even cancer-causing when mixed with other seemingly safe chemicals. The synergistic elements of some of these toxic cocktails are almost impossible to test as well due to the random nature of the circumstances surrounding the synergy.
Even before birth, we absorb and inherit chemicals directly from our mothers, based on their chemical exposure. These contaminants and their toxic effects can persist throughout a lifetime.
Because our food supply has become nutritionally bankrupt, we lack sufficient nutrition for the body to have the fuel it so desperately needs to energize the immune system and our toxin-cleansing organs in order to combat this onslaught of toxicity. Some types of hormone-disrupting toxins in our bodies, called obesogens, can trigger weight gain. This interaction between toxins and fat cells is one of the scientifically documented, but rarely recognized reasons behind the overweight and obesity epidemic in the United States and the world.
Toxins are playing a major role in the breakdown of the body’s functions, particularly in undermining the liver’s effectiveness as a toxin remover. Until we reduce their numbers, in terms of exposure to them and their presence inside of us, the negative health symptoms resulting from toxins will continue. Although we are living longer, we are living sicker. If you truly want to maximize your quality-of-life potential, it is important that you assist your body in detoxifying itself. This is a new frontier that opens possibilities to maximize our health and wellness.
