The effect of toxins on your health can be many and varied. Exposure to toxins can affect us in a number of ways. For example, you may not have considered that toxins can affect our minds and mental state as well as our bodies.
If you are feeling tired, depressed, lethargic, or are in pain then it may be that toxins which have accumulated in your body are affecting your health. Other symptoms of toxic overload can include inability to lose weight, unusual body odor, skin issues, brain fog, insomnia, headaches, mood swings, digestive issues, sensitivity to chemicals and fragrances.
In order to overcome these health issues it necessary to make sure the toxins get eliminated from the body. Medication treats symptoms but does not get to the root cause of poor health.
What are toxins?
A toxin is often thought of as a poisonous substance produced by plants, some animals and disease causing bacteria but it can be defined as any substance that causes harmful effects in the body or the balance of the body.
These harmful substances can be toxic chemicals, heavy metals, bacterial toxins, components of bacterial cell walls, partially broken down metabolites, and more.
Our bodies detoxify naturally every minute of every day which allows some people to remain well. For many though a slow detoxification system and an abundance of toxins flooding their bodies causes overload. So, the effect of toxins and susceptibility to toxins depends on the total chemical burden of the body all competing for detoxification.
People who eat a nutrient deficient diet will not be able to detoxify toxins as well as people whose diet contains nutrients that are needed for the optimum function of the detox system.
People who are exposed to a lot of toxins and who do not take steps to detoxify will become overloaded with effects on their health. New chemical toxins entering the body cannot be detoxified because of the existing overload.
The backlog of toxins get stored in fat cells, the brain and fatty membranes of cells.
The Effect of Toxins On Your Health
Toxins have a wide range of detrimental effects on your health. They cause damage to the detox system, the nervous system and immune system. They can damage enzyme systems which many functions of the body rely on. They damage cell membranes so nutrients are unable to get into cells and wastes may not be able to get out.
Cells may become blocked to signals such as insulin and thyroid hormones. Signaling is a process by which cells communicate and function. Toxins can interfere with hormone balance and function. The chemical BPA, a hormone mimic, is one example of this.
Toxins can damage organs directly leading to impaired function and subsequent poor health. They can damage your DNA switching genes off or on. It’s not your genes but what you do to them that counts. The good news though is that this in many cases can be rectified.
Reducing toxins
It is good to find ways of first reducing the toxins that enter your body and improving the elimination of them from your body. This will give your body a chance to recover and heal.
To eliminate toxins, you need to examine the foods, you are eating, what you are drinking, the air you are breathing, and other factors affecting your health.
You want to take note of where you live and what products you use on a daily basis that are impacting your health.
Toxic Foods
Eating toxic food is one of the greatest contributors to disease in the body. Besides being lacking in nutrients processed foods contain a variety of chemicals and additives. Many foods have dye, color and flavor enhancers added to them to make them look more appealing.
Foods that are not grown organically contain pesticides and fungicides which can have a detrimental effect on health. These toxins can build up in the body and cause inflammation, disease, and allergies.
Glyphosate is of particular concern because it may affect the gut microbiome. It is also being blamed for the high incidence of older adults being diagnosed with celiac disease.
Researchers have shown that this toxic chemical inhibits cytochrome P450, one of the liver’s main detox pathways. It also causes depletion of glutathione affecting detoxification further.
Alcoholic beverages are also considered toxic to the body. Alcohol is mainly metabolized and detoxified by the liver so it is the organ that can be damaged by it. Heavy drinking can lead to high blood pressure, stroke, alcoholic cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure.
Water
Drinking clean water is important for health and is often overlooked. We can consider tap water toxic because of the chlorine and added fluoride it may contain. Fluoride is added to drinking water in some areas but it can occur naturally in water.
There is a lot of controversy over the toxicity of added fluoride and whether it can cause disease. The thyroid gland is particularly sensitive to fluoride and researchers have found that exposure can cause suppression of thyroid hormones.
Chlorine itself presents a health risk. It’s known that people who have used chlorinated water all their lives have a higher incidence of bladder and rectal cancer than those who have not. It’s not clear if this is due to drinking the water or showering or bathing in it.
Showering in chlorinated water causes you to inhale chlorine gas which can damage your lungs and you can absorb small amounts through your skin if you bathe in it. Chlorine has also been linked to heart disease and atherosclerosis.
Added to this is the fact that trace amounts of medications such as antidepressants, antipsychotics, antibiotics, beta blockers, and tranquilizers can be found in tap water. Experts say that levels are far below those thought to have an effect on humans. But, others are concerned that they may have an accumulative effect.
It’s important therefore to use a good water filter for drinking water. It’s also a good idea to use a shower filter too unless you have a whole house filter.
Toxic Products
Using beauty products that are toxic can also be harmful to health. Many beauty products including makeup, sunscreen, lotions, perfumes, deodorants, hair products and more contain toxic chemicals.
Amazingly it is estimated that there are over 500 chemicals in personal care and make-up products that many people use daily. Approximately 125 of these are likely to be carcinogenic.
Chemicals in these products get absorbed from the skin into the body and will reach the blood and then your organs and cells where, unless detoxified, they are stored. It is important to use natural and organic products. The skin is the largest organ of the body so it needs to be treated with care. Anything that is applied to the skin should be free of chemicals.
Household cleaning products also contain chemicals which can also get into our bodies and these leech into the water system. If we use toxic cleaning products we will be breathing in pollutants and can be overexposed to chemicals. Instead choose organic and natural cleaning products such as this Ecos Non-Toxic All Purpose Cleaner and their laundry detergent.
Toxic Environment
Breathing clean air is essential for good health. Living in a place with fresh air is ideal. If you can afford an air purifier these can help to maintain a good air quality in the home. Smoking tobacco and other contaminants in the air can be detrimental to lung health and can cause disease.
Having plants inside the home is another good way to bring natural purification into the home. Ask someone at your local nursery which indoor plants are best for creating clean air.
The Detox Process
The body processes toxins through the liver and kidneys and eliminates them through urine, the bowels and sweat. Now you’ve learned about the effect of toxins on your health you can understand why it is important to do as much as possible to take care of your body so it is not over burdened by toxins.
When we are ill, we can begin with the basics of health by eliminating as many toxins as possible from our environment. And then by following a detox plan like my Recharge and Energize Detox which supplies that nutrients needed for the optimum function of the detox system on a regular basis. Getting plenty of exercise and staying well hydrated are the basics for creating better health and combating exposure to toxins.
