Environmental Toxins
From the air we breathe to the food and drinks we consume or the containers holding them, the world around us continues to become increasingly toxic. A central part of my approach to medicine is raising awareness of environmental toxins and the unique vulnerabilities children have. This is why myself and other concerned members in the community started HPF over a decade ago. Below is some basic information everyone should be aware of.
Children
While environmental toxins negatively affect everyone, our children are at even greater risk. A paper that discusses this topic, and one that I highly recommend reading, is from Mount Sinai's Children's Environmental Health Center. Their report found that five key factors that uniquely impact children's health as relating to toxins:
Size - Children eat, drink, and breathe more per pound than adults. As a result of this increased consumption relative to their size, children consume a higher proportion of toxins.
Behaviors - Young children often do actions that increase their exposure to toxins. This ranges from crawling on the ground to putting items in their mouths.
Metabolism - Children generally have lower abilities to break down and excrete toxins.
Growth and Development - Because children go through rapid development, their bodies are more susceptible to toxins.
Future - Since children are younger and have more future lives, they are more likely to develop chronic conditions that result from environmental toxins.
Outside of the five factors listed in this study, it's also important to note that toxins impact children after birth and in the womb. One study of newborn children found that their umbilical cord blood contained 287 chemicals, highlighting how vulnerable babies are and the necessity for moms to eat clean diets and be mindful of their clothes, the toiletries they use, and their environment.
Food
While some environmental toxins are difficult to address, one of the most effective ways to decrease your body's exposure to toxins is by being selective in the foods you consume. In doing so, the EWG has a list of the 12 ingredients that should avoided:
Potassium Bromate - A carcinogen added to flour
Propylparaben - A preservative in pastries and tortillas
BHA(Butylated hydroxyanisole) - A preservative in cured meats
BHT(Butylated hydroxytoluene) - A preservative in cereals
Titanium dioxide - A color additive often used in candy
Artificial dyes - Food colorings found in a wide variety of foods
Aspartame - A sweetener found in sodas
ADA - Used to strengthen dough
Propyl gallate - A preservative found in vegetable oil, meat, and chewing gum
Sodium benzoate - A preservative found in carbonated drinks and dressings
Methylene chloride - A solvent used in coffee and tea
Sodium nitrite - A preservative found in meats
While avoiding highly processed and refined foods is a generally smart way to avoid consuming these toxins, it is also important to be mindful of pesticides in fruits and vegetables. Like their "Dirty Dozen" list of ingredients to avoid, the EWG also has "Dirty Dozen" and "Clean 15" lists that list the fruits and vegetables that have the most and least amount of pesticides. While you can still eat foods on the dirty dozen list, you should buy organic versions to ensure minimal toxin consumption.
