Forbes named the country's most toxic cities this week. I live in a suburb of Atlanta—the city that tops the list! Living in a city with this distinction got me thinking about what each of us can do to tackle these everyday toxicities, especially when moving to a cleaner city isn’t really an option. Our bodies have to detoxify “natural,” or endogenous, compounds like vitamins or hormones every day. There are also toxins which come from our diet, such as plant chemicals or those that come from meat cooked at high heat. In addition, we are exposed to hundreds, if not thousands, of new-to-nature toxic compounds. This puts a tremendous burden on the liver and toxicity has been implicated in a host of illnesses including asthma, Parkinson disease, and cancers, among others.
What to do?
Once you and your doctor know more about your individual toxic exposure, your doctor can tailor your avoidance and nutritional treatments to your test results. For example, one person with high mercury levels might avoid mercury-containing fish, ensure he/she has adequate minerals to suppress the effects of mercury, and provide the nutrients needed to detoxify the body of mercury. In contrast, a person with high pesticides might avoid pesticide exposure as well as non-organic dairy, meat, and fish. A person with high aluminum levels may need to test his/her water supply to determine if the aluminum exposure is coming from the tap water.
For more information on this subject watch Dr. Walter Crinnion's presentation on Environmental Toxicity and the Effect on Health.