This post is from a new book due for release in 2017 called ‘Beyond Medicine’ by Dr Jerry Thompson.
Jerry has been a G.P for over 40 years and has a deep interest in all areas of healing. I was asked to review this book by my friend who is Jerry’s friend and it is an incredible body of work.
And OMG was I shocked when i read this chapter on toxicity. If this is new to you, be warned this is a full on honest and accurate look at the level of toxicity we are exposed to every day.
Jerry has kindly allowed me to post this chapter as a blog post to highlight this very important message.
Take a breath and away we go…
A Day in the Twenty-First Century
Do toxins affect an ‘ordinary day’ in the life of a typical couple living in the twenty-first century.
For Mr Jones his day starts when he wakes up and goes to the bathroom. The high electromagnetic field (EMF) from his electric razor and the small dose of fluoride he absorbs from his toothpaste are the first stresses recorded by his body. The fluoride is a potent enzyme blocker, disrupting some of his enzymes and displacing some of the iodine which he needs if his thyroid gland is gong to work properly. Here, unlike America, fluoride-containing toothpastes don’t come with a health warning. He might be surprised to hear that half a tube of his toothpaste contains enough fluoride to kill a small child.
Driving to work, he is faintly aware of the odour of plastic coming from his new car. This characteristic new car smell is caused by a concoction of chemicals, especially vinyl chloride (banned in some countries) but also solvents which include xylene, styrene, benzene together with an assortment of other chemicals. Symptoms such as headache, eye and throat irritation and neurological symptoms are a recognised hazard for new car users. It is more likely to happen if they use their cars a lot, for obvious reasons. He will be inhaling these highly reactive chemicals for they are outgassing from the car’s plastics whenever he is driving. The levels will remain hazardous for six months15.
If he had researched the subject he would find levels of toxic chemicals inside new cars often exceed safe levels. He might wonder what these toxins could do to him. A little bit of knowledge of toxicology would tell him that the main hazards are likely to be firstly cancer, secondly brain and neurological effects such as loss of concentration, memory disturbance, poor co-ordination, mood disturbance and irritability and lastly eye and lung irritation. This trio of unpleasant results is characteristic of many of the chemicals we meet in our daily lives. Styrene and benzene cause all three problems whereas vinyl chloride is merely a carcinogen and neurotoxin.
Fortunately Mr Jones has none of these symptoms but by the time he smells these chemicals they will have already passed into his blood stream en route for the various organs of his body. Twenty per cent of these chemicals will end up in his brain, fifteen per cent in his liver and another ten per cent in his bones though there is considerable individual variation. They will join similar chemicals which have been accumulating each and every day he has made these journeys and there they will likely remain. But these are not the only chemicals his body is busy dealing with.
As he enters a traffic jam he absorbs a variety of pollutants including carcinogenic polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from the outside air. These pollutants can cause cancer, they too can damage the nervous system and they too can also cause eye and lung irritation. However whereas most chemicals are toxic at parts per million (this quantity is so small it is equivalent to one minute in a two year period), PAHs are toxic at parts per billion (equivalent to one second in 32 years) and perhaps parts per trillion. But for this chemical there is a further hazard. It will stick onto his genes forming DNA adducts. Those with the highest level of PAH adducts have a sevenfold risk of lung cancer16. These are not just a danger to him. He can pass these genetic changes on to his children, increasing his children’s risk of cancer. And they are far from the only chemical with this capability.
The pollutants in the air are attached to tiny particulates. His lungs are cleverly designed to filter out natural sized particles but particulates produced by car engines and industrial processes are so tiny that they easily by-pass this protective mechanism. From there they make their way into his blood stream and next into the cells and organs of his body. There they will be stockpiled. It’s just as well that he doesn’t know that higher levels of particulates in the air are associated with increased levels of heart attack, strokes and lung cancer17,18 for he has no choice but to inhale them. He stops at a petrol station, noting the familiar smell of petrol whilst he refills his tank without realising he is absorbing a small dose of another carcinogen, benzene, which adds to the chemicals already accumulating in his body and brain. The knowledge that there is a higher rate of Alzheimer’s disease in those working in industries exposed to benzene, toluene, solvents and phenols would not reassure him19. Almost certainly he has taken in all of these today and his day has only just begun.
He works in a new modern office, complete with computers, plastic-based appliances, man-made worktops and new carpets. Dioxins and PCBs will be released from the electrical appliances, inks and plastics and various volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and pesticides are being emitted from the new carpets. Other toxic chemicals such as formaldehyde, hexanes, trichloroethylene, toluene, phenols, benzene will be outgassed from various fittings in the office; most of these are carcinogens. The ozone from the printers is not a carcinogen but amplifies the effect of other carcinogens. The copiers emit trichloroethylene which causes a range of neurotoxic symptoms: poor concentration, cramps, poor coordination and fatigue.
Later he goes to the toilet and washes his hands using a soap dispenser and absorbs a small dose of parabens, an endocrine disrupting chemical known to damage male reproductive functions plus the anti-bacterial agent, triclosan, another suspected carcinogen.
During his coffee break he drinks from a polystyrene cup: his body takes another hit from yet another small dose of carcinogen; this time styrene. As the day is cold the windows in the office are closed and the levels of chemicals in the room rise as do the levels in his a body. During summer the windows are open but this is little consolation as outgassing of chemicals can increase up to 400% under hot conditions. He is unaware of his body’s attempts to keep him safe, but his body is already transferring these chemicals to the safest place is can: his fat cells. Unfortunately this includes the fatty tissue in his brain and nervous system.
His body tries to keep him safe by exhaling some of the chemicals. He would be surprised to know that these are in high enough concentrations to be measured in his breath. (A study by Wallace of residents in the USA found 89% had benzene in their breath samples, 93% had perchloroethylene and 29% had trichloroethylene20). His body was never designed to deal with so many chemicals; there are just too many and the hits are too frequent for his body to deal with them comfortably.
The quantity of chemicals he is taking in each hour is small but each day the tally is accumulating. If his body could speak at this time it would say “stop there’s more than I can cope with – get me out of here”. Chemical exposure can be tolerated year after year but then suddenly a disease appears as if out of the blue when the body stops coping.
During his time at work he keeps his smart phone in his pocket and his body is receiving a steady stream of microwave radiation. This is having a damaging effect on his sperm. Other electrical equipment produces more electromagnetic radiation, adding to the load. His body responds to the electromagnetic fields (EMFs) by releasing stress hormones.
Beside cancer, neurological disease and respiratory irritation, chemicals can produce another important and disturbing effect: endocrine disruption. Mimicking his natural hormones, many of the chemicals he has been exposed to attach to his receptor sites, scrambling the normal messages. They also block hormones such as testosterone and thyroid hormones. At the same time levels of synthetic oestrogens are rising creating a double hazard of blocked male hormones and increasing female hormones. His energy level, his libido and his risk of hormone related cancers are slowly but surely changing but in a direction he would not want. He spends the rest of his day at work and then travels home and on the return journey his body insidiously amasses more toxic chemicals.
Chlorinated chemicals deserve a special mention; he has already absorbed several of these including PCBs, dichlorobenzene and trichloroethylene during the day. The American Health Association have stated that virtually all chlorinated chemicals cause one or more of the following major toxic effects: suppression of immune function, reproductive dysfunction and infertility endocrine disruption, carcinogenicity and developmental impairment21. But perhaps the major reason for concern is that they resist breakdown, typically remaining in the body for decades.
On his return home his body gets a little help. He goes to the gym and the exercise makes him sweat. The sweating releases many toxic substances from his fat cells flushing them from his body. The sweating also depletes him of important nutrients, particularly magnesium and zinc which are essential for detoxification. On finishing his workout some of the sweat on his body containing these excreted toxins starts to be reabsorbed but a quick shower washes away most of the pollutants. Soon he starts to feels better.
Someone is using an air-freshener in the changing rooms and soon the air is filled with this odour and he starts inhaling and absorbing more of the toxic chemicals he has already met: formaldehyde, styrene, toluene, benzene and phthalates and some he has yet to meet such as ben-naphthalene and P-dichlorobenzene. These have endocrine disrupting properties. He has a drink of water from a plastic bottle which contains small amounts of phthalates which have leached into the water. Yet another chemical, yet another endocrine mimic, yet another carcinogen destined to accumulate in his body; it is subtly altering the balance of male and female hormones inside his body.
He comes back and this time has a nutritious meal with plenty of fruit and vegetables allowing him to replete some of the key nutrients, such as magnesium. For every toxic chemical his body has dealt with today he has used up one molecule of adenosine triphospate (ATP) and of one of glutathione. He needs the ATP for energy and the glutathione for detoxification and he badly needs some more of both. But even the nutritious food is adulterated. The pesticide residues in the milk, meat, fruit and vegetables get absorbed into his body adding to the total within his fat cells and within the various organs of his body.
After dinner he works on a refurbishing project in one of the bedrooms of his house. Here he is exposed to a complex combination of glues, paints, latex from old carpets, and particle board. These produce a variety of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and he is soon inhaling and absorbing them. These VOCs will mostly be formaldehyde (this is carcinogenic and found in the chipboard, plastics, carpets) and solvents (from the glues and paints) but also benzene, another carcinogen. The higher quantity of chemicals emitted and the smaller size of the bedroom combine to make the toxic load considerably more than in his office. Again they will be disseminated to various organs of his body. They have an affinity for fat and will target his brain and nervous system. It is no surprise to find these chemicals have been associated with that typical trio of side-effects: cancer, neurological disturbance and eye and respiratory irritation. In addition some of the chemicals such as the glycidol from the epoxy resin glues can attach themselves to his genes altering his gene expression; with the potential to damage his children’s future.
He doesn’t know that house painters have high rates of multiple sclerosis, myeloma, bladder and kidney cancers or that over half of those who work with solvents suffer from mood disturbances and depression. There is also a recognised association between solvent exposure and the risk of developing an auto-immune disease. He might be alarmed by the fact that there is a 95% increase in myeloma in painters22. He has no idea that VOCs decrease levels of testosterone, cause infertility and reduce sperm counts. In women, VOCs alter hormones and increase miscarriages and can trigger congenital abnormalities. His wife has been helping him on some of the days but fortunately she’s not pregnant. He might also be concerned to know that parental exposure to paint, solvents, pesticides and petroleum products have all been associated with higher rates of brain tumours and leukaemia in their children.
Eventually he has a rest and goes to bed. It is time for his body to recuperate from the toxic assault of the day and to start the recovery process. However he leaves his mobile phone on charge through the night and his body now has to deal with continuous pulsed microwave radiation, subtly impairing his body’s ability to repair itself.
His wife’s day is different. After she gets up she has a shower. This refreshes her but she inhales a small but significant dose of chlorine. The cosmetics she uses after her shower are absorbed directly through her skin and travel easily to the various organs in her body. They are principally made from solvents and hence are toxic to the nervous system. One hundred and twenty-five chemicals allowed in perfumes can cause cancer, others cause birth defects. Some cause skin irritation; many are endocrine disruptors. Wetting agents in the cosmetics increase the skin’s permeability with an unfortunate result: toxic chemicals to be absorbed more easily through the skin. The dyes in her make-up are probable carcinogens, as is butylhydroxyanisole, the preservative in her make-up. The perfume she is using, like nearly all perfumes, contains toluene, a neurotoxic agent and a carcinogen. It is a major ingredient of solvents and glues. Many perfumes contain phthalates, sometimes up to 10%.
This is another endocrine disruptor and probable carcinogen; it is a cause of premature puberty and birth defects in animals. Her nail varnish and hair spray give her further doses of phthalates and the toiletries she is using, like her cosmetics, expose her to a group of chemicals called parabens, which are endocrine disruptors. She has no idea that 60% of the substances she puts on her skin have been absorbed into her body and she is yet to get out of the house and start her day. Her toxic load has mounting alarmingly.
During her short drive to work in an older car she absorbs somewhat less pollutants than her husband. She works as a teacher in a new-build school. The new furnishing, carpets and various fittings give off similar chemicals to her husband’s office and they, too, will be building up in her body causing a similar array of problems. There is a further consideration for her. Some chemicals, like benzene are known to cause birth defects and many others are endocrine disruptors which can impair her fertility. She is hoping to become pregnant next year.
During pregnancy she will unload a significant quantity of the body burden of accumulated chemicals. This will certainly be good for her but not good for her developing baby; she will simply be shifting the toxins from her body to that of her foetus. She will shift even more if she chooses to breast-feed. The more she accumulates the more she will pass on. Her unluckiest child is her first-born; he or she will receive the highest dose of toxicity. Then the toxicity she carries will decrease and she will pass on less to any further children.
Her school uses wifi. For the next few hours she will be exposed to microwave radiation. Swedish studies have found those exposed to electromagnetic fields, have higher rates of birth defects. She goes home to eat as she has the afternoon off. For lunch, she microwaves some food. During microwaving bisphenol A (BPA), another endocrine mimic, thought to increase the risk of breast cancer, leaches from the hard plastic around the food. From the milk carton she receives a small extra dose of BPA. The cheese has been wrapped in plastic. Phthalates, another endocrine disruptor, from the plastic wrap have seeped into the cheese adding ever so slightly to her chemical load.
After lunch she does some cleaning. The chemicals compounds she uses contain a mix of those familiar poisons: formaldehyde, toluene, butane and xylene. We already know the hazards: cancer, lung and eye irritation, nervous system impairment and hormone disruption. These enter her body through two main routes: through the skin and through inhalation and from there they travel to the cells and organs of her body. Later in the afternoon she has her hair dyed. She has no idea that the chemicals being used can cause leukaemia, lymphoma and bladder cancer. She stops at the shops and uses her credit card. A little BPA on the receipt from the card finds its way into her body through her skin. Slowly but surely, as the day passes, her toxic load is increasing.
She comes back and does some cooking using a Teflon pan. The perfluorinated chemicals released are toxic and bio-accumulative and known to damage the female reproductive system; they are another cause of bladder cancer. Animal studies have linked Teflon exposure with auto-immune disease.
She then takes several long phone calls using the DECT phone in the hallway. This phone gives her have a double dose of microwave radiation, both through the phone and through the base unit. No one has told her that using a DECT phone for 5 minutes or more causes changes in brainwave activity and blood flow to the brain. She has the same meal with her husband with the same combination of positive and negatives effects. Her sleep is less restorative than it should be due to the combination of microwave radiation from her husband’s charging mobile and the DECT phone by her bedside.
This is just one day in the life of the Jones. Each day they receive multiple and repeated hits from carcinogenic, neurotoxic and endocrine-disrupting chemicals and each day these chemicals build up in their bodies. Through food, though drink, through breathing, through the skin, the chemicals relentlessly enter their bodies, outside their awareness and without their consent. In fact, no one has any idea what the long-term risks of these combinations of chemicals might be for chemicals are never tested in combination. Most people remain oblivious to the time bomb building up inside them. And each day the total load inexorably increases. Every chemical adds to the total load is a threat to health. Equally every chemical avoided is a step towards better health.
Compare this experience with a couple living a century ago. They would have been exposed to virtually none of these hazards. We have already noted that in the mid-Victorian era in England, if you survived childhood and childbirth then you had a life expectancy similar to today. But there was an important difference. The diseases we associate with ageing such as cancer, heart disease, dementia and arthritis were rare and the quality of life in old age was therefore higher. In short they were healthier.
It might seem that the hazards we are exposed are overwhelming – there is simply so much toxicity coming from so many sources. It is so much part of our everyday life that it is tempting to give up and ignore it.
One thing is certain, if we really cared about our long-term health we would never have allowed this degree of contamination of our world. We would have never created an environment that slowly and insidiously destroys health.
However, with a little knowledge and determination, it is surprisingly easy to make changes and to greatly reduce our toxic exposure. It isn’t necessary to avoid all the hazards; just to reduce them enough to get to a tipping point, a place where the detoxification system can cope. Then the body can begin to heal. The first step is to understand the hazards. Forewarned is forearmed.
