We can’t afford to only treat disease, we must learn how to stay well

The body is confronted with toxins on a daily basis from the environment and from within. The sources of toxins are varied and vast. They include urban pollution such as car exhaust fumes (lead, carbon monoxide), industrial smoke, smog, and tobacco smoke. Medications and drugs are toxic. The foods we eat contain toxins ranging from chemical additives, preservatives, colourings, radiation, pesticides and herbicides, hormones and genetically modified foods. Some foods, such as alcohol, are toxic to our liver. The way we prepare foods can be toxic - heated and burnt oils from frying and charcoal broiled meats. Our water is contaminated with various chemicals, bacteria, xenoestrogens, chemicals (such as fluoride) and heavy metals (such as aluminium). There are many toxins in our household environment – especially those from cleaning materials, gas emissions from cookers and boilers, paints, plastics, insulation materials, carpets and even geopathic stress.

Microbes such as bacteria, parasites and viruses are toxins and place a burden on our endocrine and immune systems. Even healthful organic fruit and vegetables contain toxins naturally present in the plant. In addition our body produces various toxins from its own biochemical processes that generate disease-causing free radicals. One of the most consistent sources of toxic exposure is from endotoxins produced by bacteria in our gut. Luckily, our body has its own powerful detoxification system.

The body’s mechanisms to protect us from toxicity
The body eliminates toxins either by directly neutralizing them or by excreting them in the urine or faeces (and to a lesser degree from the lungs and skin). The intestines, liver and kidneys are the primary organs of detoxification. The liver carries the weight of responsibility when it comes to detoxification. It is responsible for filtering the blood to remove large toxins, synthesizing and secreting bile containing cholesterol and other fat-soluble toxins, and enzymatically disassembling unwanted chemicals.

How toxins affect our health
Toxins are a serious threat to health. They drain energy and increase susceptibility to disease or directly cause disease. Accumulation of toxins can wreak havoc with normal metabolic processes and increase our sensitivity to chemicals, some of which are not normally toxic. Up to 90% of all cancers are thought to be due to the effects of environmental carcinogens combined with deficiencies of the nutrients the body needs for proper functioning of the detoxification and immune systems.

Symptoms of toxicity - chronic headaches, foul smelling stool or breath, chronic fatigue, feeling of toxicity (dull headaches, chronic hangover as if from too much alcohol), sensitivity to chemicals, caffeine-containing drinks and foods keep you awake, chronic allergies, unexplained itching

Diseases of toxicity - acne, anaemia, autoimmune disease, cancer, eczema, gallstones, Gilbert’s syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, psoriasis, toxaemia of pregnancy, hives or urticaria, liver disease, especially acute or chronic hepatitis

Children and food toxins

There are about 3500 food additives currently in use. In the United Kingdom, 4.5kg’s (dry weight) of food additives are eaten per person, per year. This is 10 times the amount used 30 years ago. Children have an increased exposure to, and intake of food additives, as they are the ones most targeted by food manufacturers of artificial, brightly coloured, sweet tasting foods. Preservatives, colours and flavours are the best known additives but antioxidants, emulsifiers, stabilizers, gelling agents, thickeners and sweeteners are also commonly used in our foods. These chemicals can pose many dangers to human health if consumed regularly and in large quantities. It is important to read food labels to avoid hidden chemicals often identified by E-numbers. E-numbers are codes allocated to certain food additives. There are numerous websites explaining which numbers refer to which chemicals. Here are some examples of E-numbers:

E Number	Name	Where it is found	What it may cause
Colourings
E102	Tartrazine	Soft drinks, sweets, ice-creams, chewing gums, puddings, jams, bottled sauces, smoked haddock	Hyperactivity, migraines, asthma attacks, skin rashes, itchy skin, runny noses, restless sleep
E110	Sunset Yellow	Hot chocolate mix, sweets, packet soups, orange fizzy drinks, jams, Swiss roll, ice-creams, trifles, yoghurt	Skin rash/ swellings, hyperactivity, stomach upsets, vomiting
E160(b)	Annato	Margarines, cheeses, crisps, ice creams, custard, icings, sponge cakes, soft drinks, fish fingers, meat balls	Hyperactivity, allergic reactions
E173	Aluminium	Cake and pastry sugar decorations	Potentially toxic to brain cells, associated with Alzheimer’s and bone abnormalities

E Number	Name	Where it is found	What it may cause
Preservatives
E210	Benzoic Acid	Jams, syrups, salad creams, salad dressings, fruit juices, margarines, soft drinks	Asthma attacks, skin rashes, gastric irritation
E220	Sulphur dioxide	Fruit juices, fruit salads, dried fruits, jams, desiccated coconut, sausage meats, soft drinks	Asthma attacks, hyperactivity, gastric irritation
E250, E251	Sodium Nitrite, sodium nitrate	Cured meats, tinned meats, sausages, hams, frozen pizzas	Dizziness, headaches, breathing difficulties, hyperactivity
E282	Calcium Propionate	Breads, processed cheeses, frozen pizzas	Headaches, skin irritation, restlessness, irritability
Others
E420, E421	Sorbitol, mannitol	Chocolates, sweets, pastries, ice creams, raisins, packaged cakes, chewing gum	Flatulence, bloating, diarrhoea, nausea
E621	Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) – flavour enhancer	Packet snacks, sausages, packet soups, tinned beans, processed cheeses, flavoured noodles, cooked cured meats, cooking stocks, many top brands of chips and salad dressings	In sensitive individuals may cause palpitations, dizziness, fainting, thirst, nausea, headaches, cold sweat around face/ armpits

Basic ways to avoid toxicity

Support Detoxification Systems
• Avoid toxins which overstimulate detoxification pathways in the liver
• Use chemical-free products on your skin, including healthy alternatives to aluminium-containing underarm deodorant.
• Going Green is in and there are many products available to support a healthier environment. These include non-toxic home-products and organic sprays for use in the garden.
• Eat adequate anti-oxidant nutrients to prevent free-radical damage caused by detoxification, including vitamin C and beta carotene-rich fruit and vegetables, selenium (tuna, oysters, mushroom, herring), zinc (oysters, ginger root, lamb, pecan nuts, dry split peas) and vitamin E (seeds, nuts, beans, peas), phytonutrients found in fresh fruit and vegetables.
• Eat a fibre-rich diet (e.g. flaxseed, soluble fibre such as oats, pectin from apples) which speeds up the transit time in the stool, reducing the load on the liver, and is needed to eliminate bile and for good colon health.
• Herbs such as silymarin (milk thistle) prevents damage to the liver by acting as an antioxidant and by increasing the rate of liver tissue regeneration. Dandelion root helps cleanse liver cells of toxins and stimulates bile flow
• Methionine, a protein, helps remove heavy metals through its sulphur content (also found in garlic and onions)
• Lipotropic agents, choline, betaine, methionine, vitamin B6, folic acid and vitamin B12 promote the flow of fat and bile to and from the liver, and choline assists with peristalsis

Good food, good digestion
• Include essential fatty acids in the diet which help good gut flora to adhere to the walls of the intestine.
• Ensure gut flora is balanced and that the bowel is free of yeasts, parasites or any other pathogens, and if necessary supplement with a good probiotic.
• Eat a balanced diet in which sugars, refined foods and oils and food allergens are eliminated.
• Drink plenty of fresh, filtered, bottled or distilled water daily.
• Eat organic foods which lessen your exposure to chemicals and hormones.

Detoxification methods
Enhance liver detoxification through a supervised liver detox (including coffee enema) or gall bladder flush.
Skin brushing is important in removing dead skin cells that clog up pores and make it difficult for proper elimination via the skin. It also gently stimulates circulation.
Saunas and lymphatic drainage to improve toxin elimination via the skin, and to increase lymph flow.

Caution: who should not detoxify and why
Pregnant or breast feeding women should not detoxify, as toxins are mobilised that may jeopardise the pregnancy. In addition, it is a time when cutting down on nutrient intake needs to be optimal and fasts are not advised. Detoxification can be dangerous for people who are underweight, or who have diabetes, hypothyroidism, or hypoglycaemia, as their nutrient requirements are altered. People with a compromised immune system, including those who are recovering from surgery, should also avoid detoxification. Drug addicts or alcoholics should be cautious when undergoing detoxification processes, as they may have severe withdrawal symptoms that need to be supervised. Physically weak people who have undergone surgery, have cancer, or the elderly may not have the stamina to undergo
a detoxification programme.

Our job in learning how to stay well is to support our natural detoxification capacity by limiting our exposure to toxins and by consuming nutrients which assist in detoxifying them. This will help us to feel well now, and in the future by lowering our risk of developing deadly degenerative illnesses (such as cancer, arthritis, diabetes, heart attack and stroke) that are so prevalent in a 21st century urban environment.

This post was contributed by Jacqueline Wildish

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