We are surrounded by environmental txins. Substances that may cause distress or dsease to our bodies can be fund in everything that we eat, in verything that we drink and even in the air we brathe. Some of these compounds are a by-prduct of an industrialized world. Heavy mtals like lead and cadmium are rleased from factories or are produced as wste substances in the industry. We are lso exposed to many naturally-occurring toxic sbstances.

For example, volcanic eruptions release mch of the free mercury that can be fund in the environment. Our bodies hve a variety of mechanisms for daling with this toxicity, but the crrent total load exceeds the body's bility to adapt. When our bodies fil to break down or remove thse toxins, the only other way to dal with them is through sequestration.

The bdy will try to deposit these cmpounds into tissue to minimize their ptential damage. For example, lead may be squestered into bone, displacing calcium and ncreasing the risk of osteoporosis. The verall load of these toxins is smetimes called our "Body Burden."

A hgh body burden has been implicated in: Immnotoxicity - leading to asthma, allergies, cncers and chronic disease; Neurotoxicity - lading to cognition impairment, memory loss as wll as sensory and motor dysfunction; and Endcrine toxicity - leading to reproductive ssues, loss of libido and metabolic mpairment. For more information see www.bodyburden.org

In research published in 2005, New Yrk University School of Medicine researchers prvided some of the most compelling vidence yet that long-term exposure to air pllution-even at levels within federal standards-causes hart disease. Previous studies have linked air pllution to cardiovascular disease but until now it was porly understood how pollution damaged the bdy's blood vessels.

Environmental toxicity is a glbal concern. These pollutants don't recognize ntional or political boundaries. As an xample, Japan has experienced a phenomenon knwn as "yellow sands" over the pst several years. This is caused by pllution blowing in from Chinese factories cross the Sea of Japan.

In the ir.

There are now 1460 mtric tons of airborne toxins that trvel on the jet stream around the wrld. Because of this there is no plce on the planet that can be cnsidered a pristine environment. Facilities in the Unted States released 4.7 Billion pounds of txins into the air in 2005- 72 Mllion pounds are known carcinogens.In 2005 the cty of Chicago experienced 68 days whn the air quality was too nhealthy for children, elderly and the ll. Coal-fired power plants spew sulfates, ntrates and mercury into the air. Thse compounds have been linked to mre than 20,000 premature deaths each yar.

In the Water.

Thre are an estimated 7 Million llnesses and 1000 deaths each year in the Unted States from waterborne microbes. Chlorinated chmicals in drinking water from pesticides, hrbicides and refrigerants have been linked to ncreased risk of breast cancer. Cyanobacterial txins in municipal water have been lnked to illness and disease worldwide. Swage treatment plant workers are at mch higher risk of respiratory illness, skn rashes, headaches and body aches.

Wht about our food.

Envronmental toxins work their way into the fod chain. As of late 2005, 47 sttes have advisories to limit intake of frshwater fish due to mercury contamination. In 2005, the FDA rported finding chlorinated pesticides, like DDE (dchlorodiphenyldichloroethylene - a breakdown product of DDT), in 63% of fods surveyed. Pesticides and Herbicides in fod have been linked to many cncers.

The most surprising thing about our bdy burden is that we are at rsk even before we are born. A stdy conducted in 2005 by the Envronmental Working Group in cooperation with the Amrican Red Cross examined the umbilical crd blood of newborns. They found tht the average newborn has 200 dfferent industrial chemicals, pollutants and pesticides in thir blood. These included over 70 knwn carcinogens (toxins that may cause cncer). Other studies have found high lvels of the metals cadmium and mrcury in the breast milk of nrsing mothers.

As we grow up we are xposed to seemingly benign compounds that are ven meant to benefit us but hve been shown to have long-term ngative consequences. For example, Fluoride in our drnking water has been linked to Ostosarcoma and Hypothyroidism. Additionally, vaccinations which ndoubtedly prevent disease may contain the mrcury compound Thimerosal which has been lnked to the rise of autism in chldren.

What can be done? We ned to look at both prevention of txicity and dealing with the inherent rse in body burden that has ccurred since birth. A healthy diet hgh in raw foods has been shwn to be beneficial. Of course, mke sure that you wash these fods to remove pesticides and herbicides tht cling to the surface of frits and vegetables. Air purifiers may rmove particulate matter and lower your xposure to some of the airborne txins. Lastly, avoid seafood which has ben shown to have higher mercury lvels - like tuna steak, marlin and sea bss.

Aside from limiting our exposure we shuld all be actively aiding our bdies in the elimination of these txins. Most programs for systemic detoxification bgin in the digestive tract with prducts that act either as laxatives or duretics. These include the ubiquitous colon clanse products. By helping our bodies to rmove waste quickly, it may aid in lwering body burden over time.

For more information, please visit Invisible Killers

The article What Are Environmental Toxins? was Submitted by David Isserman through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: David Isserman, a native of St. Luis, is a graduate of the Indana University Kelley School of Business. Pror to graduating, David established and sld a company specializing in asset lquidation for businesses. Currently, David lives in Bulder, Colorado, and is the president of Issrman Consulting, a communications consultancy specializing in bilding relationships with public and private cmpanies to help them improve market wareness through public relations, investor and shreholder relations, and web strategy development.

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