Articles on Toxicity
Anti-Oxidants
In my last column we started a series on aging. No discussion on aging would be complete without a thorough look at anti-oxidants.
Anti-oxidants are potent free radical scavengers. Free radicals do damage that contributes to aging and to the diseases equated with aging.
Free radicals come from the environment in the form of sunlight, radiation, x-rays, pesticides or solvents. Free radicals are also produced in our bodies during natural chemical reactions.
Free radicals can have an effect on many systems in the body. They can destroy the inner linings of the heart's blood vessels and increase the inflammatory response in arthritis. Free radicals are implicated in asthma, cancer and eye damage.
Oxygen is the most critical element needed to sustain life. Paradoxically, oxygen can be toxic when the molecule fragments become free radicals. On the one hand oxygen sustains life, on the other oxygen is responsible for much of the destruction and aging of our cells.
The compounds that prevent this damage are called anti-oxidants. One of the reasons human beings live longer than most animals is because we have a greater quantity of anti-oxidants in our cells.
The most notable anti-oxidants are beta-carotene, vitamins C and E, flavonoids and co-enzyme Q10.
Beta-carotene has a potent anti-oxidant effect. It is associated with a reduced cancer rate involving certain cells of the lungs, skin, cervix and gastro-intestinal tract. It's a good idea to eat foods rich in beta-carotene like green leafy vegetables, yams and carrots. Beta-carotene also increases the body's immune function by protecting the thymus gland - the master gland of the immune system.
Vitamin C is right in the front lines of anti-oxidant protection. It guards all the tissues of the body composed of water. In a study of over 11,000 adults, 500 mgs of vitamin C daily elongated the life span of men by five years and women by one to three years. Vitamin C lowers the risk of heart disease by protecting the heart against free radical damage. Vitamin C reduces cholesterol levels and blood pressure levels.
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble anti-oxidant found in fatty molecules. It has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease by 50 per cent. It is also an important component in the treatment of eye diseases and diabetes.
Flavonoids are a protector against environmental stress. Flavonoids are largely responsible for the colour in fruits and flowers. They appear to modify the body's reaction to allergies, viruses and carcinogens. A diet high in fruits and vegetables especially citrus, berries, onions, parsley and green tea will raise your flavinoid levels.
Co-enzyme Q10 is a powerful anti-oxidant that is especially beneficial for the heart. Heart disease, stroke and cancer are the three leading causes of death, so we should do everything possible to reduce the risk of these diseases. Co-enzyme Q10 plays a role in energy production within the heart and can help repair a damaged heart.
Much scientific research shows that anti-oxidants can help reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer and other diseases linked with aging such as cataracts, macular degeneration and arthritis. They are crucial additions to any anti-aging or life extension regimen.
Aspartame
The side effects of aspartame have not been well documented. I encountered my first case of aspartame poisoning 15 year ago when an RCMP officer came into my office. She was very healthy but very bloated. She told me that she drank four glasses of diet soda every day while on duty. She felt terrible - and all I needed to do to make her feel better was to get rid of the aspartame and put her on a detox diet.
Most studies that have been done on aspartame continue to be funded by the industry so they are biased. Of the 92 independently funded articles on aspartame, 84 have identified adverse health effects.
So, why, when we know something is so bad for us, does it continue to be promoted? Well, one reason is that in Washington, the manufactures of aspartame pay a very large sum to very many lobbyists to keep promoting it. They also say there is no viable alternative in artificial sweeteners - and we want our artificial sweet on demand. In Japan, Stevia is used rather than aspartame and Stevia raises the blood sugar only slightly so it can be used as a "diet drink" more safely.
There's been a rekindling of the aspartame debate following the results of a seven-year study by Dr. Mornado Soffritti, a cancer researcher in Italy. Soffritti’s research has shown that consumption of aspartame is associated with unusually high rates of lymphomas, leukemias and other cancers. The research was conducted on over 1,900 rats who were given dosages starting at what would be the equivalent of four to five 20-ounce bottles of diet sodas a day for a 150 pound person.
Aspartame, commonly sold under the trade name NutraSweet and Equal, is consumed by hundreds of millions of people every day. Needless to say the study prompted a flurry of criticism from the Calorie Control Council, a trade organization that supports the artificial sweetener industry. The US FDA and its equivalent in Europe are examining the results but state that there is no need for people to avoid aspartame.
Aspartame has been consumed for decades based on a safety record culled largely from cancer studies conducted in the 1970s by G.D. Searle, a company with a vested interest in its safety. But inadequacies in and critical examination of those studies led Soffritti to re-open the case.
Politics also played a role. Amidst allegations that Searle had concealed facts and made false statements based on the safety of aspartame, the US Justice Department, called for a Grand Jury investigation in the mid 70s. But that never occurred. And despite initial skepticism to approve aspartame, a second study (conducted by and paid for by Searle) prompted Reagan-appointee Arthur Hull Hayes to approve aspartame. Hayes left the FDA a year later to work as a consultant for Searle's PR firm.
If you still insist on drinking diet sodas or using aspartame, all I can say is, "buyer beware!"
Detox Part 1
It seems that everywhere you go these days, people are talk about detoxing - and with good reason.
Sophie, a 45-year-old teacher, came to my office recently saying she felt toxic. For her, this meant that she felt tired all the time and had frequent headaches, malodorous bowel movements, bloating and poor skin condition. She'd lived on Vancouver Island most of her life and wondered why she was feeling like this. However, she admitted that her diet had always been poor and consisted of fast food meals several times a week. She also ate a lot of pasta at home and drank two cups of coffee and couple of soft drinks every day. She didn't drink alcohol nor did she smoke.
Does this sound familiar? This is a common profile and I see it in my office often. The word "detoxification" conjures up images of alcohol withdrawal but in this day and age of chemicals, pesticides, chlorine and exposure to heavy metals, detoxification is a way of assisting the body's organs to get rid of these toxic agents.
Where do all this toxins come from? If you're not eating organically raised vegetables, fruits, and meats, then you're probably ingesting pesticides, growth hormones and antibiotics every day. Here in the mid-island, air from various mills can make the air quite toxic. Also, most office buildings and homes contain chemicals in the building materials.
The average person's toxic load today is many hundreds of times what it was a century ago. The body can generally deal with these toxins but the liver, which is the main organ of detoxification, is already overloaded with the 400 biochemical pathways that it needs to clear every day to maintain the body’s health. To this we have added all these toxins and sometimes the liver is so overworked that the toxins don't get excreted but are stored in the fat cells, the brain cells and the heart muscle cells.
Here's a scary statistic I read recently: 10 per cent of women of childbearing age have levels of mercury in their bodies that exceed the guidelines of the Environmental Protection Agency.
And in the news recently: pregnant women in Montreal were advised not to drink the water because of the high level of lead contamination caused by leakage from old lead pipes in the city.
So these newborns are at increased risk of developing neurological problems such as Autism and ADHD.
Here's another example of how chemicals affect babes: in New Zealand Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is four times higher than in the rest of the world. This is because sheepskins are used for bedding for babies but the skins are treated with arsenic and phosphorous, which emit toxic gases when they come into contact with urine. It is speculated that the children who survive SIDS might still develop autism or ADHD.
The bottom line is that chemicals are neuro-toxic. They can destroy nerve cells resulting in neurological diseases such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and ALS. Although Vancouver Island is a fairly pollution free environment compared to large cities, we are still exposed to these toxic agents. In my next column I will discuss what Sophie did to detoxify. The good news is that there is something you can do to assist your body to eliminate these toxins.
Detox part 2
In my last column I wrote about Sophie who was complaining about feeling toxic. I explained why our bodies become toxic and this week I want to tell you what we can do about it.
The easiest way to evaluate toxicity from heavy metals is through a hair analysis. A hair sample is evaluated for heavy metals such as aluminum, lead, mercury, arsenic, silver, tin and uranium. This is also a good tool for evaluating the mineral status in the body. If a person has a high level of heavy metals, it will inhibit the absorption of certain trace minerals.
The hair analysis is also a good test for evaluating response to treatment and it's also very important to use a testing company known for its accuracy.
Another method to determine a person's heavy meal status is through an intravenous challenge with a chelating agent. Afterwards, a six-hour urine test determines how many of the heavy metals are excreted. This test is performed by naturopaths who are doing chelation by intravenous.
The way the liver detoxifies chemicals determines how healthy we will be. Not all people who are exposed to chemicals become ill - it's all how well the liver is working.
Sophie started with our standard one-month detox program. During this time she eliminated coffee, alcohol, sugar, meat, dairy products and wheat to take the load of the digestive system and the liver.
Sophie is a blood type O and these blood types miss their protein after a couple of weeks so eggs and fish were allowed. Almost everyone else derives adequate protein from vegetarian sources. For the first few days, as she withdrew from the addictive foods, Sophie complained that she was tired. Then she began to feel better and better. She was also taking some herbs and fibre to assist her liver, kidneys and bowels to eliminate. The common herbs used in detoxification are milk thistle, cheladonium and black radish root. She also took lipotropic factors such as choline and inositol.
After a month a hair analysis showed elevated lead and mercury levels so we added some oral chelation agents such as alpha lipoic acid, glutathione, garlic and cilantro. She also took high doses of vitamin C. This oral process can take a while so over the next year we did a hair analysis every six months. The lead and then the mercury levels came down. Sophie now does a monthly detox program once a year. She has lost weight, her energy has returned and she’s playing her favourite sport again.
It's important to note that if a hair analysis shows a high level of mercury it's also important to visit your dentist to see if old mercury fillings need to be replaced.
It's impossible to avoid all the environmental health hazards so give yourself some health insurance. Consider detoxification programs regularly for a healthier and happier life. You'll be glad you did.
Drugs
I have a book on my shelf that I like to refer to when I'm seeing patients who are taking prescription medication. Its title is 'The Drug Induced Nutrient Depletion Handbook' by Lexi-Comp, a medical information resource company. This book lists most known drugs and the nutrients they may deplete in your body.
Naturopathic medicine doesnít claim to offer cures for all diseases. What we do say is that we optimize the health of the body of anybody suffering from most diseases. We recognize the importance of drugs and surgery but not to the exclusion of natural therapies. Our medicine is complementary to conventional medicine, which means that if a patient is on prescription drugs, they donít have to stop them to use our medicines, and vice versa. If a person is having surgery, there's a natural medicine that prepares the body for the operation so that they can heal much faster afterwards.
For instance, I offer remedies to take along with prescription medicine prescribed for lowering blood pressure. I also offer remedies to help people get off anti-depressants, to lower blood fat and to get off Statin drugs (to lower cholesterol). For example, if a patient is taking a blood pressure medication called Altace, they need to take extra zinc. If a patient is on the commonly prescribed diuretic Hydrochlorothiazide, they need to supplement with Co-Q10, magnesium and zinc.
The very deficiencies that these drugs create may aggravate the function of the organ involved. For instance, Statin drugs deplete Co-Q10, the antioxidant that the heart muscle needs for optimal functioning. We may think that Statins are nothing but good for the cardiovascular system. But be aware that they are also depleting the nutrients needed for the health of this system. Some people truly need the Statin drugs, we just need to make sure they are not becoming nutrient deficient.
Tina, a 45-year-old woman with depression, elevated blood pressure and blood fats as well as diabetes and gastro-intestinal reflux was taking many medications at once and not feeling well. I pointed out to her that the Prevacid she was taking for reflux was causing a B12 deficiency, which was increasing her homocystine level to 11. Elevated homocystine levels put you at further risk for heart disease and they may also contribute to insomnia, fatigue and more depression. The Statin drugs she was on were also lowering her B12.
With her elevated homocystine level at 11, she was at twice the risk of contracting Alzheimer's. Before I even recommended any Naturopathic treatments for her conditions, I emphasised the importance of treating the deficiencies created by her prescription medicines.
The most common drug-nutrient interaction people are generally aware of is that of antibiotics with healthy bacteria in the intestinal tract. To counter this, we know that acidophilus recolonizes the gut with the healthy bacteria the antibiotics destroy. The best time to start taking pro-biotics is while you are taking the antibiotics. Make sure that you take the antibiotic and the pro-biotic at least 1.5 hours apart. Research shows that recolonization time is much shorter when you start taking pro-biotics immediately. Many people think that yogurt will recolonize the gut but the bacteria used to grow yogurt does not grow human flora. It will improve symptoms but not recolonize the gut.
Another drug interaction is the depletion of folic acid and B complex created by taking oral contraceptives. Many women who have been taking oral contraceptives for a long time have abnormal pap smears and an increased risk of birth defects if they are not taking a folic acid supplement.
Sometimes prescription drugs are necessary. Just make sure those drugs are not causing a nutrient depletion at the same time.
Dip your toes into the ion wave detox bath
Sometimes it is the simple things we do for our health that can make the biggest difference. The ion wave detoxification bath is a simple ionic solution that sets up a weak gradient to pull toxins through the bottom of the feet. The foot bath takes 30 minutes and is recommended once per week for up to 10 weeks and can be a stand alone treatment for those who just want to do one small thing for their health. The colour changes in the water that occur vary from person to person and indicates the biggest health challenge they have at the moment. Colour changes can indicate stresses such as liver/gallbladder stresses, heavy metal toxicity, overgrowth of candida in the body and stresses in the musculoskelatal system. With consecutive treatments these stresses improve not only in the colour changes but also in the symptoms of the patient. The following are examples of improvements with patents:
Grace, 45, has polymyalgic rheumatic and has been on predizone for two years. After the third foot bath she felt clearer and notices a renewed sense of energy. She is now in the process of reducing her drugs and feels confident that she can reduce the overall inflammation in her body.
Kelly, a 65 year old woman, decided to try the foot baths even though she was very skeptical that they would do anything for her. She found that her sleep improved but what she was mostly enthralled about was the heavy metals that she sees coming through during the bath. This has made her take more seriously the idea that her body needs more aggressive therapies for heavy metal detoxification.
Bob, age 62, found that after taking 4 foot baths, the skin condition that he had for the last 7 years was finally fading and by the 10th treatment had disappeared entirely. This skin condition had developed from an allergy to medication and no previous treatment had helped. He was very happy about this!
Matthew had been overindulgent and he wanted an easy way to detox. He was amazed at how much better he felt after a few baths and opted to continue for a 10 week regime. What he also noticed is that his eye pain reduced - he had been MVA a few years before and had an intermittent ache in that area. He is convinced his monthly sessions keep his body clean and healthy.
Linda, age 57, was also skeptical that the foot baths could do anything for her but she decided to try a few. She was amazed to find that her arthritic pains improved, her muscle spasms disappeared, that her gallbladder pains were better and she was sleeping better. She decided to take the full 10 foot baths recommended to her.
I recommend at least 3 ion wave detox foot baths to see any improvement in health concerns and they are best combined with other cleansing programs. Some people just want to try them on their own to see what they can do. This is a good time of year to consider some detoxification program. Doesn't your body deserve a tune up?
Toxic Load List
A patient, Allie, asked me the other day for a short list of all the don'ts one should be aware of to reduce their toxic load. So here's that list:
The following are changes suggested for a more healthful personal environment. Not everyone will have the incentive to take all these steps - however, each small change made will make a difference.
- Eat organic food (food grown without pesticides or fertilizers) as often as possible. Wash all vegetable and fruits unless you are going to peel them, even organic produce. Avoid processed foods, foods with colours and dyes, preservatives and aspartame.
- As much as possible, avoid plastics (store food and microwave in glass jars), plastic wrap, particle board with formaldehyde, plywood, glues, inks, paints (look for brands that say no or low VOC), foam rubber, vinyl, carpet, synthetic rugs, varnishes, solvents, etc. Use water based glues and adhesives. Do not drink hot drinks in Styrofoam or plastic lined hot cups.
- Avoid all pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, and fertilizers. Pesticides are neuro-toxins (affect the central nervous system), and they don't know the difference between the bugs and you! For fleas, roaches, ants, etc., use diatomacious earth, boric acid, and nematodes. You can get these from health food stores and pet supply stores. Support the _____ started in Nanaimo to make it herbicidal free.
- Avoid all scented products ("fragrance" as an ingredient) - including all perfumes, colognes, after-shaves, personal-care products, air fresheners, pot-pourri, etc. Scents are made from chemicals. Organic essential oils are ok. Be careful about certain "unscented" products that use "masking fragrance" to cover up the original fragrance - these are doubly toxic.
- Avoid all fabric softeners, dryer sheets, bleach, scented detergents, etc. These products are very toxic and very harmful to the environment as well.
- Most home cleaning products can be replaced with vinegar, Bon Ami (a powder cleanser) and Simple Green. Taking a shower in chlorinated water causes the chlorine to go right into your blood stream. You can purchase shower filters that easily attach to your shower nozzle. Filter your drinking water.
- Only natural-fiber clothing and bedding (100% cotton, bamboo, soy, linen, hemp, wool, or silk). Make sure the clothes are not "permanent press" or "wrinkle resistant" - these fabrics have been treated with formaldehyde that does not wash out!
- Open your windows as often as possible. Even in the most polluted cities, the outdoor air has been found to be less toxic than the indoor air. If you use gas or oil heat, close off your bedroom vents and use an oil filled radiator heater.
Try some small steps to lower your toxic load. In the next few articles I'll tell you how to detoxify for a more healthy life.
We are Toxic
We are all toxic. That's a bold statement but recent studies show this to be true. Chemical companies in the United States manufacture 6.5 trillion pounds of 9,000 different chemicals and release over 7.1 billion pounds of 650 different chemical pollutants into the atmosphere and water each year.
One study found an average of 200 industrial compounds, pollutants and other chemicals in the umbilical cord blood of 10 newborn babies. In addition, your body is also constantly detoxifying from the end products of its own chemical reactions created every day to maintain the body's health.
This cumulative toxic load from both external and internal sources creates significant challenges to the organs of detoxification and elimination. We need to address this situation if we want to obtain optimal health. The ability to detoxify and eliminate toxins largely determines our state of health.
How does this toxic load affect our everyday health? When the detoxification system becomes overloaded toxic metabolites accumulate and we become progressively more sensitive to other chemicals, some of which are not normally toxic. Naturopathic doctors are seeing an increase in patients with chronic health problems, which may in part be brought on by multiple layers of toxicity blocking the healing process. If toxic residues are high, they are capable of preventing even the most effective alternate remedies from working.
A list of toxicity symptoms includes lack of energy, brain fog, headaches, poor skin, irregular bowels, chronic inflammation, arthritis, gastritis, mood swings, GI problems and the inability to heal chronic complaints.
How do we diagnose toxicity? First, a detailed medical history taken down and examined by a doctor experienced in these matters is essential in determining exposure to toxic chemicals. Clinically we can diagnose by symptoms and self-assessment lists. For heavy metals, the most reliable measure of chronic exposure is the hair mineral analysis.
Since everyone's toxic load is high, it makes sense to add a yearly detoxification program to your healing regime. I strongly believe that lowering the toxic load will add healthy years to your life.