Toxic Overload: How to Clean Our Water, Food and Indoor Air
Mar 31, 2023 09:30AM ● By Madiha M. Saeed, M.D.Toxins are in the water we drink, the food we eat and the air we breathe. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Chemical Substances Control Inventory shows the magnitude of our
potential exposure, listing more than 86,000 industrial chemicals that
are manufactured or processed in this country. Despite regulations and
safety protocols, a number of these dangerous compounds run off into
waterways or are released into the atmosphere. Food manufacturers use
some of them to preserve or beautify their products.
“We
live in an increasingly toxic world, and the best defense against
becoming overwhelmed by toxins is limiting what we take in as much as
possible,” emphasizes Paul Anderson, an integrative and naturopathic
clinician and co-author of Outside the Box Cancer Therapies.
While our bodies are not designed to handle the accumulation of
industrial chemicals, pesticides, pharmaceutics and radiation that seep
into our personal space, we can take measures to reduce the assault and
protect our health.
Filter Drinking Water
“For
the health-conscious individual, toxins in the water is the top threat
often overlooked or inadequately addressed,” says Rajka Milanovic
Galbraith, an Illinois-based functional medicine practitioner, noting
that drinking water is packed with chemicals like per- and
polyfluorinated alkyl substances (also known as forever chemicals),
solvents, pesticides, metals, bleach and radiological contaminants such
as uranium and cesium. These substances can cause cancer, reproductive
health concerns, and kidney and liver problems.
“I have
treated hundreds of patients who have restored their health and are
already eating and living clean by properly filtering their water, but
sometimes, even when using a very expensive water filtration system,
people will still find high levels of contaminants like MTBE [methyl
tertiary-butyl ether], an additive in unleaded gasoline that is banned
in several states,” Galbraith says. “Reverse osmosis typically filters
most hazardous chemicals from your water, but they can be pricier. An
inexpensive alternative are the filters from Clearly Filtered, which reportedly remove 99 percent of MTBE, among many other chemicals.”
“Everyone
should try to filter their water with any means available, from a
carbon block pitcher to the most aggressive method using a reverse
osmosis water filter under their sink. Given the state of municipal—and
well—water and the amount we need to clean our bodies and brains every
day over a lifetime, we need to get this right,” advises Aly Cohen, M.D., an integrative rheumatologist, founder of The Smart Human and co-author of Non-Toxic: Guide to Living Healthy in a Chemical World.
Read Food Labels
“For
the individual newer on their health journey, I would say food
additives are the ‘hidden’ environmental exposure that is a serious
cause for concern, contributing to autoimmune diseases and from a
metabolic standpoint, think weight gain, obesity, pre-diabetes and
diabetes,” Galbraith says. “These additives are used to increase
palatability, shelf life and texture and can include some you may have
heard of, like sucralose, citrate and carrageenan, and others you may
not have, like carboxymethylcellulose and polysorbate-80. Carrageenan is
common in many nondairy milk alternatives that have made their way into
coffee shops.”
According to Galbraith, the most
effective way to steer clear of food additives is to avoid or greatly
minimize the consumption of highly processed foods. She recommends
eating whole foods, especially for those dealing with chronic health
issues or experiencing signs or symptoms of an ailment. She also
encourages people to read food labels and avoid products with artificial
colors, carrageenan, butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), monosodium
glutamate (MSG), nitrates and nitrites, polysorbate 80, propyl gallate,
propylparaben, methylparaben, sodium benzoate, potassium
benzoate, tert-Butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) and titanium dioxide.
“You
are what you eat!” Cohen exclaims. “Eating clean food, without
synthetic chemicals that break down the protective microbiome of the
gut, is critical to the health of our immune system and our mental
health, so we should try to eat whole, unprocessed foods that are USDA
[U.S. Department of Agriculture] Certified Organic whenever possible.”
Improve Indoor Air
According
to the EPA, “Americans, on average, spend approximately 90 percent of
their time indoors, where the concentrations of some pollutants are
often two to five times higher than typical outdoor concentrations.” The
Environmental Working Group offers a comprehensive blueprint at ewg.org/healthyhomeguide that
identifies dangerous chemicals found indoors (from lead, asbestos and
flame retardants to volatile organic compounds, antimicrobial agents and
radon) and recommends actions to clean up our sanctuaries.
“We
can lower our toxic burden by decreasing the chemicals in the air that
we breathe, and that begins by reducing the junk we bring into our
homes,” Cohen remarks. “Start by removing air fresheners, perfumes, bug
sprays, scented cleaning and laundry products, and by opening the
windows daily, adding lots of plants and possibly adding an air filter
for those who live in cities and areas with poor air quality.”
Madiha
Saeed is a holistic, functional and integrative doctor in Naperville,
Illinois, and director of education for Documenting Hope and KnoWEwell.