Toxins Are
Everywhere By Deanna Cherrone, MD
fication is viewed as essential to achieving and maintaining the best possible health. The reason for this is our world is flooded with tox- ins. It is estimated that there are over 80,000 different chemicals, most of which are untested, being used in various industries today. From pesticides and cleaning products to plastics and personal care products we are inundated with these “poisons.” Our body is only able to handle so much before it starts to rebel and develop symp- toms.
M Excess saturated fat in the diet can build up in arteries and con-
tribute to heart disease just as toxins can build up and deposit in various tissues and organs affecting their ability to function opti- mally. Our ability to process these toxins varies greatly based on our genetic make-up. We are all born with genes, which we get from each of our parents. Having certain genes predispose us to develop- ing particular dis-ease states. However, we now know that we are not slaves to our genetic make-up. Although we cannot change our genes we can influence how our genes are, ultimately, expressed by the way we live our lives. Genes can be switched on or off by the environment in which
they live. The air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, the way we move, sleep, think, manage stress and our exposure to environmental toxins all affect the way our genes function. Provid- ing proper nourishment for our genes to prevent dis-ease and illness is critical. If we want to delay or completely avoid the onset of dis- ease we must be mindful of each of these areas of our lives. Paying close attention to our lifestyle can make the difference between liv- ing a long, healthy life and premature death. At the end of the day, we are ultimately, responsible for how healthy or unhealthy we are. It is our choice.
18 Natural Nutmeg March 2013
any people think that detoxification is only necessary for people who must rid their body of an addictive substance such as alcohol or drugs. In Functional Medicine, detoxi-
All toxins are processed by the liver and we each have a par-
ticular genetic tendency for how well we are able to remove tox- ins from the body. The liver’s detoxification system has two distinct phases. The first phase uses oxygen and as a result is responsible for producing free radicals. The second phase involves different conju- gation reactions, which ultimately take that free radical and make it water-soluble so that it can be excreted from the body in urine, stool or bile. If there is too much phase one or there is a problem with a person’s ability to conjugate (phase two) then these free radicals can build-up in the body and cause dis-ease such as cancer, auto- immune dis-ease and/or neurodegenerative dis-ease. Making sure that our detoxification pathways are functioning optimally given our potential genetic weaknesses is, therefore, extremely important. Toxins can deposit anywhere in the body and no matter where
they accumulate they wreak havoc. When they deposit in the liver they adversely affect the liver’s ability to detoxify anything and ev- erything we put in or on our body from caffeine, alcohol and pre- scription or non-prescription drugs to processed food and personal care products such as lotions, make-up, shampoos and deodorants. The liver is also responsible for detoxifying the hormones, which our body makes naturally, and removing them from the body. When toxins accumulate in the brain they contribute to a variety of dif- ferent neurologic disorders such as autism, dementia, depression, neuropathies and Parkinson’s dis-ease. Toxins can also adversely in- fluence the health of our intestines by upsetting pH balance, causing mucosal irritation, impacting bile flow, which can negatively affect our ability to digest and absorb fats and they can also cause hyper- secretion of mucous in the body. Toxins are stored in fat in the body so their rapid release can occur when one loses weight. Yeast overgrowth is another consequence of toxicity because
yeast can absorb four times its weight in toxins. Yeast overgrowth can therefore act as a protective mechanism against the accumula-
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