Showing posts with label Congenital disorder. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Congenital disorder. Show all posts

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Neurotoxic Chemicals Again Linked to Reduced IQ

Clariant International Ltd: Clariant launches ...
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Flame Retardants and Fluoride—Two Neurotoxic Chemicals Again Linked to Reduced IQ

By Dr. Mercola

Did you know that items you come into contact with every day, such as your couch cushions, your carpeting, and your mattress, might be exposing you to highly toxic compounds?
In most cases, they will contain flame-retardant chemicals that have been linked to serious health risks like infertility, birth defects, neurodevelopmental delays, reduced IQ scores and behavioral problems in children, hormone disruptions, and various forms of cancer.
In fact, flame retardant chemicals were recently identified as one of 17 "high priority" chemical groups that should be avoided to1, 2

Exposure to Flame Retardants in Utero Can Lead to IQ Reduction

Recent research3 also shows that children whose mothers were exposed to flame retardant chemicals during pregnancy have lower IQ, and are more prone to hyperactivity disorders.
The researchers initially measured the levels of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in women at 16 weeks of pregnancy. The health of the children was then monitored until the age of five. As reported by The Vancouver Sun:4
"[W]omen with a high level of PBDEs in early pregnancy, when the fetal brain is developing, was associated with a 4.5 IQ decrement, which is comparable with the impact of environmental lead exposure. The researchers say their results confirm earlier studies that found PBDEs may be developmental neurotoxicants...
The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) added two of three existing commercial PBDE formulas to the list of banned Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) due to concerns over toxicity in wildlife and mammals in 2009.
While PBDEs were voluntarily withdrawn from the US market in 2004, products manufactured before then may still contain PBDEs, which can continue to be released into the environment and accumulate via indoor dust."
Adding a level of frustration to the equation, there's virtually no evidence to suggest that these chemicals actually work when it comes to saving your life if there's a fire. 
In fact, tests show not only do they not work, but they actually release toxins when they burn and may be more far more likely to kill you than the fire itself! For a demonstration of just how useless flame retardant furniture is, see the featured video.

Flame Retardants Are All Around You

The Environmental Working Group's (EWG) guide5 to PBDEs recommends being particularly mindful of polyurethane foam products manufactured prior to 2005, such as upholstered furniture, mattresses, and pillows. If you have any of these in your home, inspect them carefully and replace ripped covers and/or any foam that appears to be breaking down.
Also avoid reupholstering furniture by yourself as the reupholstering process increases your risk of exposure. Older carpet padding is another major source of flame-retardant PBDEs, so take precautions when removing old carpet.
As you replace PBDE-containing items around your home, select those that contain naturally less flammable materials, such as leather, wool, and cotton. Also look for organic and "green" building materials, carpeting, baby items, and upholstery, which will be free from these toxic chemicals and help reduce your overall exposure.
Be particularly cautious when purchasing baby products. In one test, about 80 percent of the baby items tested was found to contain flame retardant chemicals. Sixty percent of car seats produced in 2011 were also found to have them. Other baby items that may harbor toxic flame retardants include:
Nursing pillowsBaby carriersCar seats
Changing table padsHigh chairsStrollers
BassinetsPortable cribsWalkers
Baby tub inserts and bath slingsGlider rockersSleeping wedges

While the featured study focused on PBDEs, there are many other hazardous chemicals used as flame retardants, and it's highly unlikely that any of them would have a nonexistent health impact.
One such chemical, chlorinated tris (TDCPP), was removed from children's pajamas in the 1970s due to its cancer-causing potential. Despite that, it's now commonly used in couch cushions! So while your child may not be sleeping in it, everyone in your family may still be exposed to this cancer hazard via your furniture. Moreover, while manufacturers have indeed stopped using some of these flame retardant chemicals, they're replacing them with newer chemicals—chemicals that AGAIN have not been adequately tested for safety.

Do Flame Retardants Really Work?

The chemical industry insists that flame retardant chemicals save lives, but where's the real evidence for that? Last year, I wrote about the deceptive campaigns that led to the proliferation of fire retardant chemicalsAs reported in an investigative series "Playing With Fire" by the Chicago Tribune:6
"The average American baby is born with 10 fingers, 10 toes and the highest recorded levels of flame retardants among infants in the world. The toxic chemicals are present in nearly every home, packed into couches, chairs and many other products. Two powerful industries — Big Tobacco and chemical manufacturers — waged deceptive campaigns that led to the proliferation of these chemicals, which don't even work as promised."
According to the chemical industry, fire-retardant furniture increases your escape time 15-fold in the case of a fire. This claim came from a study using powerful, NASA-style flame retardants, which provided an extra 15 seconds of escape time. But this is not the same type of chemical used in most furniture. As noted in the featured video, tests have shown that the most widely used flame-retardant chemicals actually provide no meaningful benefit in case of a fire, while increasing the amounts of toxic chemicals in the smoke.
The video also discusses the primary industry front group responsible for perpetuating the myth that flame retardant chemicals save lives. The group, called "Citizens for Fire Safety," is in actuality a trade association for the three largest manufacturers of flame retardant chemicals in the world—NOT a coalition of concerned citizens, which is how they portray themselves. This group is hard at work doing two things: 1) protecting the chemical industry from legislation that might cut into their business, and 2) expanding the commercial use of flame retardant chemicals into an ever-greater number of products—all in the name of "fire safety"—a benefit that just doesn't seem to hold up to closer scrutiny.

Shocking Facts About Flame Retardants

The video above is a trailer for the HBO documentary, Toxic Hot Seat,7 the full version of which I will post in full in the near future. It is well worth watching if you want to learn more about the toxic truth of flame retardants.
  • Numerous studies have proven their harm. It's estimated that 90 percent of Americans have some level of flame-retardant chemicals in their bodies, and the chemicals are also known to accumulate in breast milk. This alone is disturbing, since studies have repeatedly linked them to human health risks, including hormone disruptions, lower IQ scores, behavioral problems in children, and various cancers.
  • Case in point: female firefighters aged 40 to 50 are six times more likely to develop breast cancer than the national average, likely due to California's early use of flame-retardant chemicals. Firefighters of both genders also have higher rates of cancer, in part because of the high levels of dioxins and furans they're exposed to when flame-retardant chemicals burn.
  • Flame retardants produce more toxic smoke. If an object doused in flame retardants catches fire (yes, they can still catch fire), it gives off higher levels of carbon monoxide, soot, and smoke than untreated objects. Ironically, these three things are more likely to kill a person in a fire than burns, which means flame-retardant chemicals may actually make fires more deadly.
  • Big Tobacco was instrumental in the spread of flame-retardant chemicals. Flame-retardant chemicals were developed in the 1970s, when 40 percent of Americans smoked and cigarettes were a major cause of fires. The tobacco industry, under increasing pressure to make fire-safe cigarettes, resisted the push for self-extinguishing cigarettes and instead created a fake front group called the National Association of State Fire Marshals. The group pushed for federal standards for fire-retardant furniture.
  • California's misguided fire safety law led to countrywide use of inadequately tested chemicals. In 1975, California Technical Bulletin 117 (TB117) was passed. It requires furniture sold in California to withstand a 12-second exposure to a small flame without igniting. Because of California's economic importance, the requirement became more or less a national standard.
  • While there may be benefits when a state law impacts the rest of the country (I'm thinking of GMO labeling for example), there are also risks if the law is poorly written, or otherwise botched in favor of protecting industry profits. As reported by Rodale News:8 "Sadly, though the original author of TB117 had specifically included language requiring that any chemical used to make furniture fire resistant be safe for human health, politicians removed that language before the law went into effect."
  • The chemical industry has spent millions to keep TB117 in place. Numerous bills in California have been introduced that would update TB117 to state that toxic chemicals were no longer required for furniture, but the deep-pocketed chemical industry has defeated them each time. The industry even went so far as to hire Dr. David Heimback, a burn expert and star witness for the manufacturers of flame retardants, to tell the tragic story of a seven-week-old baby who was burned in a fire and died after suffering immensely.
The fire was said to have been started by a candle that ignited a pillow that lacked flame retardant chemicals, where the baby lay. The story was heard by California lawmakers, who were deciding on a bill that could have reduced the use of flame retardant chemicals in furniture. The problem, as we detailed in a previous article, was that the entire story was a complete fabrication, from beginning to end!

Six Other Chemicals Linked to Brain Disorders in Children

Related research has identified a number of other toxic chemicals that need to be restricted in order to protect children's health. The study, published in Lancet Neurology9, 10 in March, notes that industrial chemicals are "among the known causes" for neurodevelopmental disabilities such as autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, dyslexia, and other cognitive impairments. In 2006, the team identified five industrial chemicals as developmental neurotoxicants: lead, methylmercury, polychlorinated biphenyls, arsenic, and toluene. Now, they've added six more to the list of chemicals known to cause brain deficits in children:
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs)FluorideManganese
ChlorpyrifosDichlorodiphenyltrichloroethaneTetrachloroethylene

According to the authors, it's likely there are many more neurotoxic chemicals that have yet to be identified. "To control the pandemic of developmental neurotoxicity, we propose a global prevention strategy," the researchers write.11 "Untested chemicals should not be presumed to be safe to brain development, and chemicals in existing use and all new chemicals must therefore be tested for developmental neurotoxicity. To coordinate these efforts and to accelerate translation of science into prevention, we propose the urgent formation of a new international clearinghouse."

Fluoride Again Identified as a Neurotoxin

I find it interesting that fluoride was identified as a major culprit here, yet this has not received any major media attention. The debate over the dangers of fluoride has been ongoing for more than six decades, despite the fact that study after study has confirmed that fluoride is a dangerous, toxic poison that bioaccumulates in your body while being ineffective at preventing dental decay. Now it's been pin-pointed yet again as a neurotoxin that children should be protected from—not exposed to in every sip of water. Besides this one, there are 25 other studies showing that fluoride reduces IQ in children. Approximately 100 animal studies have also linked fluoride to brain damage. This includes such effects as:12
Reduction in nicotinic acetylcholine receptorsDamage to the hippocampusFormation of beta-amyloid plaques (the classic brain abnormality in Alzheimer's disease)
Reduction in lipid contentDamage to the Purkinje cellsExacerbation of lesions induced by iodine deficiency
Impaired antioxidant defense systemsIncreased uptake of aluminumAccumulation of fluoride in the pineal gland

One particularly striking animal study13 published in 1995 showed that fluoride ingestion had a profound influence on the animals' brains and altered behavior. Pregnant rats given fluoride produced hyperactive offspring. And animals given fluoride after birth became apathetic, lethargic "couch potatoes." 

Are You Sleeping on a Toxic Mattress?

Of all the items that might serve as your greatest sources of exposure to flame retardant chemicals, your mattress may be of greatest concern since you spend a large amount of your life sleeping on it. As of July 1, 2007, all US mattresses are required to be flame resistant, to the extent that they won't catch on fire if exposed to a blow torch.
Besides PBDEs, other flame-retardant chemicals currently approved for use in mattresses include boric acid, a toxic respiratory irritant used to kill roaches; antimony, a metal that may be more toxic than mercury; and formaldehyde, which causes cancer. Mattress manufacturers are not required to label or disclose which chemicals their mattresses contain. They may even claim that their mattresses are chemical-free, when in reality they are not. To avoid this toxic exposure, I recommend looking for a mattress made of either:
  • 100% organic wool, which is naturally flame-resistant. Even if you hold a match to wool, it will self-extinguish in moments. This is why I use one of our wool mattresses, as it's free of these dangerous fire retardants like PBDE
  • 100% organic cotton or flannel also tends to be flame-resistant
  • Kevlar fibers, the material they make bullet-proof vests out of, which is sufficient to pass the fire safety standards. Stearns and Foster is one brand that sells this type of mattress

Join the Fight to Get Fluoride Out of Drinking Water

There's no doubt about it: fluoride should not be ingested. Even scientists from the EPA's National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory have classified fluoride as a "chemical having substantial evidence of developmental neurotoxicity.” Furthermore, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 41 percent of American adolescents now have dental fluorosis—unattractive discoloration and mottling of the teeth that indicate overexposure to fluoride. Clearly, children are being overexposed, and their health and development put in jeopardy. Why?
At least when it comes to topical application, you have a choice. You can easily buy fluoride-free toothpaste and mouthwash. But you're stuck with whatever your community puts in the water, and it's very difficult to filter out of your water once it's added. Many do not have the resources or the knowledge to do so.
The only real solution is to stop the archaic practice of water fluoridation in the first place. Fortunately, the Fluoride Action Network has a game plan to END water fluoridation, both in the United States and Canada. Clean pure water is a prerequisite to optimal health. Industrial chemicals, drugs and other toxic additives really have no place in our water supplies. So, please, support the anti-fluoride movement by making a donation to the Fluoride Action Network today.

 http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/06/12/flame-retardant-fluoride-health-risks.aspx  To see the original post on Mercola.com  

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Environmental Toxins Linked to Rise in Autism

Six well-known major white matter tracts recon...
Six well-known major white matter tracts reconstructed in three randomly selected subjects. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
By Dr. Mercola
Three decades ago, when I was still in medical school, autism affected one in 10,000 children.1, 2 What changed between then and now to cause one in 50 children3 to become autistic?
Mounting research—not to mention plain logic—indicates that brain disorders are the result of excessive exposure to toxins from multiple sources—including the mother, while in utero. One 2005 study4 by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) found that blood samples from newborns contained an average of 287 toxins.
Of these, 180 are known to cause cancer in humans or animals; 217 are toxic to your brain and nervous system; and 208 have been found to cause birth defects or abnormal development in animal tests. Clearly, nothing good can come from exposure to so many toxic compounds.

Genital Malformations and Autism—The Result of Overexposure to Toxins

A more recent study, published in the journal PLOS Computational Biology,5, 6, 7, 8last month, found that every one percent increase in genital malformations in newborn males within a particular county was associated with a 283 percent increased rate in autism.
According to the researchers, genital malformations such as micropenis, undescended testicles, and hypospadias (when the urethra forms on the underside of the penis) are signs of exposure to harmful toxins. And the correlation between genital malformation and autism in turn offer strong support for the notion that autism is the result of parental overexposure to environmental toxins.
In all, 100 million American medical records were analyzed, and rates of genital malformations and autism were assessed by county. Deviations from the nationwide baseline were interpreted as being the result of local environmental factors. According to one of the authors, Andrey Rzhetsky, Ph.D., professor of genetic medicine and human genetics at the University of Chicago:
"Autism appears to be strongly correlated with rate of congenital malformations of the genitals in males across the country. This gives an indicator of environmental load and the effect is surprisingly strong... We interpret the results of this study as a strong environmental signal."
Interestingly, every additional $1,000 in income above the county average was also associated with a three percent increased rate in autism. Could this mean that those with higher incomes buy more household, personal care, and beauty products that turn out to be toxic?

State Mandated Diagnosis of Autism

A primary factor in diagnosis was dependent on whether the child's school provided services for children with autism, thus requiring additional expense. State-mandated diagnosis of autism by clinicians for special education services was linked with a near 99 percent decrease in the rate of incidence for autism. If the school was required to pay for special needs, the likelihood of diagnosis dropped significantly.
"We interpret the results of this study as a strong environmental signal," Rzhetsky said. "For future genetic studies we may have to take into account where data were collected, because it's possible that you can get two identical kids in two different counties and one would have autism and the other would not."9

11 Brain-Harming Culprits Identified

Last month, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai published a report identifying one dozen common chemicals (listed below) known to disrupt brain development and cause brain damage, neurological abnormalities, reduced IQ, and aggressiveness in children.10, 11 The authors call for the implementation of urgent preventive strategies to quell the trend of brain damage, stating:
"We postulate that even more neurotoxicants remain undiscovered. To control the pandemic of developmental neurotoxicity, we propose a global prevention strategy.
Untested chemicals should not be presumed to be safe to brain development, and chemicals in existing use and all new chemicals must therefore be tested for developmental neurotoxicity.
To coordinate these efforts and to accelerate translation of science into prevention, we propose the urgent formation of a new international clearinghouse."
What many don't realize is that there are literally tens of thousands of chemicals in use that have never been tested for safety. When the US National Toxicology Program was enacted in 1978, some 62,000 chemicals that were already in use were simply grandfathered in, even though they'd never been tested for toxicity.
The ramifications of this action is now becoming increasingly evident, and with regular intervals we realize that yet another prevalent chemical is causing harm that no one ever suspected. Bisphenol-A (BPA), used in plastic products, is just one of the most recent examples.
Lead (processed chocolate, gasoline, paint, toys, batteries, pipes, pottery, roofing materials, and cosmetics)Methylmercury(organic mercury found primarily in fish)Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) (fish, especially farmed fish)
Arsenic (a common contaminant in fluoride added to water supplies. Also found in wood preservatives and pesticides)Toluene (paint thinner, fingernail polish, and leather tanning)Manganese (drinking water and soy infant formula)
Fluoride (fluoridated tap water, dental products, some antibiotics and medicines, tea, processed foods, and drinks)Chlorpyrifos (an organophosphate insecticide used in pest bait containers)Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) (a pesticide banned in 1972 that still persists in the environment, including in the food chain)
Tetrachloroethylene (PERC)12 (dry-cleaning fabrics and metal degreasing operations)Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs(flame-retardant chemicals found in upholstery, mattresses, clothing, television, and computer housings)Ethanol

Organic Diet Is Part and Parcel of a Less Toxic Life

A recent article in The Atlantic,13 which is well worth reading in its entirety, discusses this Harvard report and offers a number of excellent quotes from the researchers with regards to how we can protect ourselves while regulatory wheels keep turning at a snail's pace. James Hamblin writes:
"'So you recommend that pregnant women eat organic produce?' I asked Grandjean, a Danish-born researcher who travels around the world studying delayed effects of chemical exposure on children. 'That's what I advise people who ask me, yes. 

It's the best way of preventing exposure to pesticides.' Grandjean estimates that there are about 45 organophosphate pesticides on the market, and 'most have the potential to damage a developing nervous system.'
Landrigan had issued that same warning, unprompted, when I spoke to him the week before. 'I advise pregnant women to try to eat organic because it reduces their exposure by 80 or 90 percent,' he told me. 'These are the chemicals I really worry about in terms of American kids, the organophosphate pesticides like chlorpyrifos.'"

Fluoride and Glyphosate—Two Toxins That Need to Be Urgently Addressed

When you consider how pervasive those 12 toxins are (not to mention the thousands of others, which we still know little about), it's no wonder so many children are born with severe health problems and disabilities. Fluoride alone, which is still being added to many public water supplies around the US, can contribute to a seven-point drop in a child's IQ score, on average!14, 15
Why in the world are we still adding fluoride to water supplies? Even if ingesting fluoride had a benefit on teeth (which it clearlydoesn't), is it really worth sacrificing intelligence for fewer cavities? Fluoride isn't the sole culprit, of course. According to a 2012 paper16 published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Americans have collectively "forfeited" a whopping 41 million IQ points as a result of lead, mercury, and pesticide exposure.
All of these brain-harming toxins also take a massive toll on aging Americans. According to recent research,17 the annual death toll from Alzheimer's disease (a severe form of dementia) is now estimated to be 503,000, making it the third most lethal disease in the US. Approximately 200,000 of these deaths occur in those under the age of 65, who develop early onset of Alzheimer's.
Recent research18 has also linked exposure to the pesticide dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) with an increased risk of Alzheimer's. The use of DDT began during the second half of World War II, when it was liberally sprayed to control diseases such as malaria and typhus. Once the war was over, it began being used as an agricultural pesticide. (Monsanto was one of more than a dozen companies that manufactured the chemical.) It was eventually banned in 1972, when the health risks revealed in the bookSilent Spring led to public outcry.
The suggestion that DDT exposure may contribute to Alzheimer's, decades after exposure, hint at what the ramifications ofglyphosate are likely to be in the years to come. According to Dr. Don Huber, an expert in an area of science that relates to the toxicity of genetically engineered (GE) foods, the harmful effects of glyphosate actually surpass those of DDT! It's quite clear that the toxicity of this weed killer has been grossly underestimated.
Glyphosate (the active ingredient in Roundup) was approved in 1974 in the US,19 and has been aggressively used since then. An estimated ONE BILLION pounds of it is used on crop fields each and every year. As with DDT, we're now seeing research linking glyphosate exposure to dramatic jumps in disease rates, including autism. The primary difference is that the effects are showingfar sooner, and appear more evidently linked than in the case of DDT.

Soy Formula Associated with Seizures in Autistic Children

In related news, a researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has found a possible link between infant soy formula and increased rates of seizures in autistic children. According to Medical News Today:20
"The study found excess seizures among girls and in the total sample of 1,949 children. The soy-seizure link reached borderline significance among boys, who comprised 87 percent of the children described in the database under study. Seizures – caused by uncontrolled electrical currents in the brain – occur in many neurological disorders including epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease, Down syndrome, and autism...
[C]hildren with autism who were fed soy formula had 2.6 times as many febrile seizures as the children fed non-soy formula in the database... [T]hat increase is worrying, [Cara] Westmark says. 'The prevalence of autism is increasing and currently affects one American child in 88. Soy is a widespread ingredient in many food products and 25 percent of infant formulas are soy based, so this is something that needs to be studied. If the child is lactose intolerant, there are alternatives that a pediatrician can recommend.'"

Parents Beware: Infant Soy Formula Can Cause Severe Harm

This certainly isn't the first time infant soy formula has been linked to health risks. It's often touted as an ideal alternative for colicky babies or those who are unable to tolerate milk based formulas, but evidence actually suggests that soy formula may be one of the absolute most dangerous foods you can give your child, whether he or she is autistic or not. For starters, it's been estimated that infants who are fed soy formula take in three to five birth control pills' worth of estrogen every day, depending upon the particular batch of formula and whether your baby is a big eater. As a result of such astronomical amounts of this female sex hormone, infants who are fed soy formula have an increased risk of:
Food allergiesThyroid disorders
Behavioral problemsEarly puberty and fertility problems
AsthmaCancer

Infants who are fed soy formula are also at increased risk for developing behavioral problems due to the phytates found in soy, which block the absorption of essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc, all which are crucial to the proper brain and emotional development. Phytates also cause poor bone development. Besides that, soy infant formula also contains another dangerous element: manganese. While manganese is an essential nutrient found in soil and ground water, it becomes highly toxic when consumed in excess, and can adversely affect your child's intelligence if consumed during the stage of early brain development. Last but certainly not least, the vast majority of soy grown in the US is genetically engineered soy, which has its own health risks over and above those associated with Roundup.

Other Environmental Factors That Likely Contribute to Autism

Besides overexposure to the environmental toxins already mentioned, I believe there's a variety of other important factors that also contribute to the rise in autism spectrum disorder, including but not limited to the following. The countless possible combinations of these and other factors could help explain why there's such a wide spectrum of autistic behavior:
  • Gut dysbiosis, especially in combination with vaccines and their additives like mercury (thimerosal), aluminum, and others, which are known to damage your mitochondria—the powerhouses in your body's cells that produce energy. Your gastrointestinal system is often referred to as your "second brain," containing some 100 million neurons—more than in either your spinal cord or your peripheral nervous system. Research by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride shows that children born with severely damaged gut flora are at a significantly increased risk of vaccine damage, which may help explain why some children develop symptoms of autism after receiving one or more childhood vaccinations while others do not.
  • Vitamin D deficiency. The link between vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women and the proportionate jump in autism has been highlighted by Dr. John Cannell. Vitamin D receptors appear in a wide variety of brain tissue early in the fetal development, and activated vitamin D receptors increase nerve growth in your brain. I believe vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy is a MAJOR contributing factor to autism, especially when you consider that vitamin D also helps in thedetoxification of mercury. Without sufficient amounts of vitamin D, any subsequent toxic assaults—regardless of the source—will be further magnified
  • Electromagnetic radiation (EMR) from cell phones, cell towers, Wi-Fi devices, which can trap heavy metals inside of nerve cells, accelerate heavy metal toxicity, and hinder natural detoxification processes
  • Microbial toxins, such as mold. Children with autism not only have overwhelmed detoxification pathways and often heavy metal toxicity, but, according to Dr. Klinghardt, their bodies are also frequently beset by toxic microbes

How to Limit Your Chemical Exposure

There's no doubt that most people are being exposed to too many toxic chemicals. The results are plain for all to see, as brain disorders in both the very young and the elderly are skyrocketing; not to mention that people of all ages are increasingly ravaged by chronic diseases of all kinds as well. If you want to protect your own health, and the health of your family, I believe you simplymust become more vigilant about the chemicals you come into contact with on a daily basis, and this certainly includes the foods you eat.
Organically-grown, biodynamic whole foods are really the key to success here, and, as an added bonus, when you eat right, you're also optimizing your body's natural detoxification system, which can help eliminate toxins your body encounters from other sources. Here are a dozen recommendations that will help limit your family's toxic exposure. Please remember that all of these become even more important if you're pregnant or planning a pregnancy, since your toxic load will be transferred on to your child.
  1. As much as possible, buy and eat organic produce and free-range, organic foods to reduce your exposure to agricultural chemicals. Eat mostly raw, fresh foods, steering clear of processed, prepackaged foods of all kinds. This way, you automatically avoid artificial food additives, including dangerous artificial sweeteners, food coloring, and MSG.
  2. Rather than eating conventional or farm-raised fish, which are often heavily contaminated with PCBs and mercury, supplement with a high-quality purified krill oil, or eat fish that is wild-caught and lab tested for purity.
  3. Store your food and beverages in glass rather than plastic, and avoid using plastic wrap and canned foods (which are often lined with BPA-containing liners).
  4. Have your tap water tested and, if contaminants are found, install an appropriate water filter on all your faucets (even those in your shower or bath).
  5. Only use natural cleaning products in your home.
  6. Switch over to natural brands of toiletries such as shampoo, toothpaste, antiperspirants, and cosmetics. The Environmental Working Group has a great database21 to help you find personal care products that are free of phthalates and other potentially dangerous chemicals. I also offer one of the highest quality organic skin care lines, shampoo and conditioner, and body butter that are completely natural and safe.
  7. Avoid using artificial air fresheners, dryer sheets, fabric softeners, or other synthetic fragrances.
  8. Replace your non-stick pots and pans with ceramic or glass cookware.
  9. When redoing your home, look for "green," toxin-free alternatives in lieu of regular paint and vinyl floor coverings.
  10. Replace your vinyl shower curtain with one made of fabric, or install a glass shower door. Most all flexible plastics, like shower curtains, contain dangerous plasticizers like phthalates.
  11. Limit your use of drugs (prescription and over-the-counter) as much as possible. Drugs are chemicals too, and they will leave residues and accumulate in your body over time.
  12. Avoid spraying pesticides around your home or insect repellants that contain DEET on your body. There are safe, effective, and natural alternatives out there.
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