Toxins now pervade all areas of our daily lives while industry, government, and conventional medicine continue to rebuff even an acknowledgement of the predicament. We can look back at the deaths of Beethoven and Van Gogh to see how heavy metals may insidiously destroy lives of greatness. Modernity would argue that the 21st century is so much wiser and would never self-destruct with lead poisoning like these ignorant ones of the past. I guess that is why we as a society have completely wiped out smoking tobacco (sarcasm). Instead we repackage the toxins of our world into things like e-cigarettes which are producing their own harms.
In the past 75 years, man has created by many estimates over 90,000 synthetic compounds, most of which have been set free into our daily world. One might hope that each of these 90,000 chemicals were tested for safety, yet only the naïve would fall for such a false security. This leaves us with a not-so-safe world which we touch, drink, eat, and breathe.
Our bodies were designed to deal with toxins within and without. All organisms throughout creation possess both simple and complex mechanisms to take toxins from all sources and either modify them into benignity or simply push them out of the organism. Nature has provided sufficient challenges from the beginning of time in the forms of toxins produced by one organism intended to attack or defend other organisms. These new synthetics often pass through these same mechanisms, being detoxified without much harm. No concern would arise from this at this point, but a problem arises when the amount of toxins overwhelms these mechanisms, causing buildup of toxins or a new toxin prevents the mechanisms normal function.
A blindspot in conventional medicine exists as it ponders only one toxin at a time in studies of toxicity. In the labs, they measure the lethal dose for a single toxin. This provides insight into how much of a chemical is required to kill an organism. In the real world, humans are exposed to tens, even hundreds of chemicals simultaneously. No lab based test can predict what will happen when the multi-pronged attack occurs in real life.
What is seeking optimal health to do? What can you do to protect yourself or at least limit the harm? Should you purchase a space suit or live in a bubble? Two words sum up a wise approach to environmental toxicity… Awareness and Choice.
Awareness concerns refusing to live in a blindspot and instead taking notice of the exposures of life. Do not buy the line that government and industry are protecting us from allowing toxins to fill our world. Surely enough recent headlines can dispel a trust in those obviously influenced by money and power.
Choice concerns making decisions based on awareness of what chemicals are in your cosmetics, your cleaners, your water, your foods, and everywhere else. Choosing to not use pesticides on your lawn is a choice in your power. Choosing to use a water filter is your choice. Choosing to not eat foods covered in pesticides is your choice.
Ultimately, fear will not create change, but informed awareness followed by deliberate exercise of choice will make a difference for you, your children, and generations to come.
Sanctuary Functional Medicine, under the direction of Dr Eric Potter, IFMCP MD, provides functional medicine services to Nashville, Middle Tennessee and beyond. We frequently treat patients from Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Ohio, Indiana, and more... offering the hope of healthier more abundant lives to those with chronic illness.