The Hidden Risk in Healthy Food. What would you think if I told you that healthy things you eat and drink almost every day have toxins that can cause illness? Before you get depressed and throw your hands up into the air and say you can’t eat anything healthy so you might as well eat some foods you love and crave that are not very healthy, understand, choosing the lesser of the two evils and finding ways to decrease the risk can save you from some serious illness.

There is a lot you can do to decrease the toxins in your life. Awareness of the source is key, as well as making choices that have fewer toxins will make a big difference. Some exposure may be inevitable; however, you can increase your ability to eliminate and neutralize or detoxify toxins.

Arsenic and Diabetes

Dr. Pizzorno, author of The Toxin Solution stated: “I would assert that about 90% of the diabetes epidemic is due entirely to environmental toxins.”

• Did you know that the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) reported in 2012 that there’s too much arsenic in two things many of us eat frequently – rice and chicken.
• A study in the “American Journal of Physiology — Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology,” found that chronic exposure to arsenic interferes with insulin secretion in the pancreas, which may increase the risk of diabetes.
• Arsenic was introduced to chicken feed in the 1940s as a way to improve muscle growth, fight disease and make the meat pinker.
• Even organic rice has arsenic in it. Organic tests for use of herbicides and pesticides but not metals.
• Rinsing your rice and choosing grass fed, free range chicken as well as taking Vitamin C and fiber can reduce the amount of arsenic you take in and help you get rid of it.

PCB’s, Arthritis and Autoimmune

“The research is very clear—huge, huge, strong correlations between toxin load and most of your autoimmune diseases.” –Dr. Pizzorno

• The journal of “Life Science” analyzed people exposed to PCBs and found a high incidence of arthritis.
• As per Dr. Pizzorno, about 20% of Rheumatoid Arthritis are due to PCBs. They may also be implicated in osteoarthritis.
• PCB’s binds to normal body tissues and those normal body tissues now become abnormal, so the immune system starts going after them.
• A primary source of PCB exposure is farmed fish.
• PCB’s are known to cause liver dysfunction, thyroid toxicity, developmental neurotoxicity and possibly cancer as stated in the “Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology”
• Eat wild caught fish to reduce PCB exposure.
• Monterey Bay Seafood Watch is an organization that helps you choose the safest sustainable fish.

Nitrosamines/Nitrites and Cancer

It has been estimated that about 75-80% of all human cancers are environmentally induced, 30-40% of them by diet. Only a small minority, possibly no more than 2% of all cases, result purely from inherent genetic changes. The mechanism may be due to free radicals produced by oxidation.

• Nitrosomaines or nitrates are implicated in lung, esophageal and liver cancer.
• Nitrates and nitrites are found in processed meats such as ham, bacon, sausages, and hot dogs, to retard microbial spoilage.
• Tobacco Specific NitrosAmines (TSNA) are formed in tobacco during the post-harvest period, while a number are produced when a cigarette is burned.
• TSNA are also found in e cigarettes although at a lower level.
• Buying nitrate free meat and avoiding cured meat as well as cigarette and e cigarette smoke is key. Taking glutathione and Vitamin C as well as eating plenty of antioxidant rich fruits and vegetables can help you neutralize the free radicals that cause aging and illness.

How to decrease Toxicity

Just to recap, there is plenty you can do to reduce your exposure and increase elimination.

Identify the toxin source and stop exposure.

• Rinse your rice
• Eat wild caught fish
• Eat free range chicken
• Eat more fiber to bind and eliminate toxins
• Get nitrite free meat
• Avoid cured or processed meat
• Avoid cigarette smoke
• Avoid e cigarette smoke

Support the body’s own natural methods for getting rid of toxins.

• Modified Citrus Pectin has been known to bind and reduce toxins.
• Increase your intake of Vitamin C that may increase excretion of toxins and minimize free radical production.
• Take glutathione the master antioxidant and detoxifier.

You can significantly reduce your risk of illness and decrease your toxic load and the health effects of toxins. Consult with a functional medicine physician to help you with understanding your risks and helping you not only reduce your toxic load but boost your detoxification mechanisms.