Detoxify Your Home

Your home is your sanctuary. Your own small piece of the world in which you spend most of your time, recuperating from and preparing for the outside world.

There have been so many developments in recent years, designed to help us run our lives a little more conveniently; and we have invited them into our homes with open arms. The trouble is, many of these items – plastics, disinfectants, mobile telephones, wireless everything – are brand new developments; and so we are unsure of the long-term effects that they may have on our health.

In this article, I present some of the facts that are not generally publicised, so that you can be aware of the potential risks that certain every-day items and technologies may pose to you and your family, and go some way toward striking a good balance between convenience and limiting exposure to toxic elements.

Five Tips: Avoid Most Toxins In Your Home

1. As much as possible, eat organic or wild produce. This will help you reduce your exposure to pesticides, fertilizers, hormones and steroids. Click here to read more about organic food, including a list of priority produce. Eat wild-caught fish as farmed is often contaminated with mercury and PCBs. Eating these foods will also keep you on nutritious, whole foods and clear from processed, prepackaged foods which contain any number of additives. A balanced diet of whole foods should help protect your health in general too. 

2. Switch over to natural brands of toiletries such as shampoo, toothpaste, antiperspirants and cosmetics. These products contain Phthalates, which are known to be powerful and cumulative endocrine (hormone) disrupters. These chemicals are also passed in high levels from parents to children.  

• Fragrance-free, vegetable-oil-based soaps are a healthy choice
• Organic almond oil or shea butter makes an excellent moisturiser
• Select from a truly natural range such as this  
• Search the internet or local bookshop for more interesting recipes to make your own natural cosmetic products. Some of them really are good enough to eat! 

Be aware that many of the products presented as natural and healthy are not so - check the ingredients thoroughly. The Environmental Working Group has a great safety guide (www.ewg.org/skindeep) to help you find personal care products that are free of phthalates and other potentially dangerous chemicals.

3. Replace plastic and Teflon in your kitchen with ceramic or glass. Store your food and beverages in glass rather than plastic, and avoid using plastic wrap and canned foods (which are often lined with BPA-containing liners). Certainly do not heat foods up anywhere near plastic.

4. Replace as many cleaning products as possible with natural alternatives. Bleach, window cleaner, furniture polish, air fresheners, synthetic fragrances (e.g. fabric softeners) and carpet cleaners are all linked to skin problems, asthma, wheezing, lower than normal lung function. Most detergents are formulated from petrochemicals and contain other toxins. Avoid products that come in a spray, as more of the product becomes airborne and is breathed in.  

• A simple solution of 1 part water to 1 part vinegar will clean most things in the home (the smell disappears when the vinegar dries), and you can add your favourite essential oils - we recommend tea tree or lavender.
• Wash your clothes with a natural alternative such as soapnut shells. Half a cup of vinegar can be added to the rinse cycle as a fabric softener (it also helps break down laundry detergent).
• Neat vinegar can be used to clean the toilet bowl. 
• Lemon juice can be used to dissolve soap scum and hard water deposits, as well as to shine brass and copper.
• Mix 1 cup olive oil with a half cup of lemon juice and you have a furniture polish for your hardwood furniture.
• Baking soda can be used to scrub surfaces in much the same way as commercial abrasive cleansers and it's also a great as a deodorizer.  
• Lemon juice can be mixed with vinegar and/or baking soda to make cleaning pastes.
• Air your house well at every opportunity (in a five-year study, the EPA found significantly higher concentrations of 20 toxic compounds inside homes than outdoors).     

There are plenty more wonderful ideas and recipes, have a search online to replace any specific products.

5. Look for "green," toxin-free alternatives in lieu of regular paint, furniture, vinyl floor coverings, synthetic carpeting, and shower curtains.  

• Paints, varnishes and glues can release VOC's (Volatile Organic Compounds) for months or years. Look for low (or zero) VOC paints.  
• Goods made from plywood, pressed wood, particle board and medium density fiberboard, which are used in most furniture today, are generally treated with formaldehyde, a carcinogen that can emit fumes for as long as five years. Look for whole wood, glass, metal or chrome.  
• Cushions and mattresses are often made from polyurethane foam or plastic as well as any fabric with acrylic, polyester or polyvinyl chloride, all of which can be toxic to the respiratory system. Most of these goods, along with clothing and linens, have probably been treated with flame-retardant chemicals, which can be toxic. In general, try to purchase clothing, sheets and mattresses made of natural materials, such as unbleached cotton, wool, horse hair, and hemp as opposed to synthetics which are made with chemicals. Of course, organic natural fibres are best

All of this information comes with the additional note that with any new product or process, nobody can possibly say that there is no threat to health. Anybody who does probably stands to benefit from it. It's amazing that so many chazardous chemicals are allowed to be used in every-day items. We would always advise you to trust your instincts and use time-tested products and materials.

Chemicals in the Home

There are about 75,000 chemicals regularly manufactured and imported by UK industries and of the 3,000 high-volume chemicals used, about half have no basic toxicity information available. So no one knows whether commonly used chemicals all around you – in your food, water, and air – are really safe. Ten of the most common environmental toxins in our homes are…

1. PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls): This industrial chemical has been banned in the UK for decades, yet is a persistent organic pollutant that’s still present in your environment. It has been linked to cancers, and impaired fetal brain development. Farm-raised salmon and other farm-raised fish are a source of PCBs. They are fed meals of ground-up fish that have absorbed PCBs from the environment. For this reason they should be avoided - try to buy fish caught in the wild. PCBs were also used in adhesives, paints and plastics until the Seventies.

2. Pesticides: According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 60 percent of herbicides, 90 percent of fungicides and 30 percent of insecticides are known to be carcinogenic. Pesticide residues have been detected in 50 percent to 95 percent of foods. Exposure to agricultural pesticides increases the risk of lymphoma, a blood cancer associated with the immune system, by as much as 65 per cent. Cancers, Parkinson’s disease, miscarriage, neural and nerve damage, autism, birth defects, and blocked the absorption of food nutrients have been linked with pesticides. Food (fruits, vegetables and commercially raised meats and dairy products) is the major source of pesticides, as well as exposure to bug sprays. Try to buy organic produce, local if possible. You can find more information on organic food - including a list of the most important foods to buy if you are on a restrictive budget - in this article.

3. Mold and other Fungal Toxins: One in three people have had an allergic reaction to mold. Mycotoxins (fungal toxins) can cause a range of health problems with exposure to only a small amount. Exposure has been linked to cancer, heart disease, asthma, multiple sclerosis, and diabetes. Risk of exposure generally comes from contaminated buildings, food like peanuts, wheat, corn and alcoholic beverages.

4. Phthalates: These chemicals are used to lengthen the life of fragrances and soften plastics. Although the plastics industry insists that they are safe, in 2005 European Union regulators banned their use in children’s toys. Professor Richard Sharpe of the Medical Research Council believes chemicals called phthalates are feminising boys and increasing male infertility, birth defects and testicular cancer. Phthalates mimic the female hormone oestrogen. However, phthalates are still widely used. Endocrine system damage (phthalates chemically mimic hormones and are particularly dangerous to children) is another major danger of Phthalate exposure. Pthalates are contained in most cosmetic products and moisturizers; as well as plastic wrap, plastic bottles, plastic food storage containers. All of these can leach phthalates into our food. They are also found in shoes, shower curtains, plastic furniture, vinyl floor coverings and many other household goods.

5. VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds): VOCs are a major contributing factor to ozone, an air pollutant. According to the EPA, VOCs tend to be even higher (two to five times) in indoor air than outdoor air, likely because they are present in so many household products. Dangers of exposure include cancer, eye and respiratory tract irritation, headaches, dizziness, visual disorders, thickening or arteries, and memory impairment. VOCs are generally found in drinking water, carpet, paints, deodorants, cleaning fluids, varnishes, cosmetics, dry cleaned clothing, moth repellents, and air fresheners.

6. Dioxins: Chemical compounds formed as a result of combustion processes such as commercial or municipal waste incineration and from burning fuels (like wood, coal or oil). Dangers of Dioxins include cancer, reproductive and developmental disorders, chloracne (a severe skin disease with acne-like lesions), skin rashes, skin discoloration, excessive body hair, and mild liver damage. Exposure generally comes from animal fats: over 95 percent of exposure comes from eating commercial animal fats, so seek out grass-fed, naturally raised, organic animal foods instead.

7. Asbestos: This insulating material was widely used from the 1950s to 1970s. Problems arise when the material becomes old and crumbly, releasing fibers into the air. Dangers of exposure include cancer, scarring of the lung tissue, and mesothelioma (a rare form of cancer). Exposure comes from insulation on floors, ceilings, water pipes and healing ducts from the 1950s to 1970s.

8. Toxic Metals: Metals like arsenic, mercury, lead, aluminum and cadmium, which are prevalent in many areas of our environment, can accumulate in soft tissues of the body. Dangers of exposure include cancer, neurological disorders, Alzheimer’s disease, foggy head, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, decreased production of red and white blood cells, abnormal heart rhythm, and damage to blood vessels. The major sources are drinking water, fish, vaccines, pesticides, preserved wood, antiperspirant, building materials (lead paint and lead piping), dental amalgams, and chlorine plants.

9. Chloroform: This colorless liquid has a pleasant, nonirritating odor and a slightly sweet taste, and is used to make other chemicals. It’s also formed when chlorine is added to water. Dangers of exposure include cancer, potential reproductive damage, birth defects, dizziness, fatigue, headache, and liver and kidney damage. Air, drinking water and food can contain chloroform.

10. Chlorine: This highly toxic, yellow-green gas is one of the most heavily used chemical agents. Dangers of exposure include sore throat, coughing, eye and skin irritation, rapid breathing, narrowing of the bronchi, wheezing, blue coloring of the skin, accumulation of fluid in the lungs, pain in the lung region, severe eye and skin burns, lung collapse, reactive airways dysfunction syndrome (RADS) (a type of asthma). Major sources include household cleaners, drinking water (in small amounts), air when living near an industry that uses chlorine in industrial processes (such as a paper plant), and tap water in your shower/bath. The chlorine in swimming pools can also trigger asthma and lung damage.

Clearly it would be very difficult to cut out any potential exposure to these 10 toxins. Which is fine because a healthy body is somewhat equipped to deal with toxins. But if you glance through the major sources, you should be able to identify a few simple ways to check and limit your exposure without major inconvenience.

Special care should be taken to avoid early life exposure to these toxins. Children are at particular risk because they have an immature and porous blood-brain barrier, which allows greater chemical exposures to reach their developing brain. Children also have lower levels of some chemical-binding proteins, according to Environmental Working Group, which allows more of a chemical to reach their organs, while systems that detoxify and excrete chemicals in adults are not fully developed. Experts believe rising rates of birth defects, asthma, neuro-developmental disorders and other serious diseases in children are a result of these early chemical exposures. The EWG found that blood samples from newborns contained an average of 287 toxins, including mercury, fire retardants, pesticides, and Teflon chemicals. Of the 287 chemicals that were detected in umbilical cord blood, we know that 180 cause cancer in humans or animals, 217 are toxic to the brain and nervous system, and 208 cause birth defects or abnormal development in animal tests. The dangers of pre- or post-natal exposure to this complex mixture of carcinogens, developmental toxins and neurotoxins have never been studied.

Food Storage

Bisphenol A, commonly abbreviated as BPA, is a building block of several important plastics and plastic additives. It has been suspected of being hazardous to humans since the 1930s. In 2008, after several governments issued reports questioning its safety, some retailers have removed products containing it from their shelves. A 2010 report from the FDA raised further concerns regarding exposure of fetuses, infants, and young children. A study last year found that BPA can lead to heart disease, diabetes and liver problems in adults, and previous research has linked BPA to:

• Structural damage to the brain
• Hyperactivity, increased aggressiveness, and impaired learning
• Increased fat formation and risk of obesity
• Altered immune function
• Early puberty, stimulation of mammary gland development, disrupted reproductive cycles, and ovarian dysfunction
• Changes in gender-specific behavior, and abnormal sexual behavior
• Stimulation of prostate cancer cells
• Increased prostate size, and decreased sperm production
• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• Liver damage

Of 115 published animal studies, 81 percent found significant effects from even low-level exposure to BPA. As it stands, BPA is one of the world’s highest production-volume chemicals and has already been detected in the urine of 95 percent of people tested. Every-day products that contain BPA include:

• Plastic water or milk bottles
• Plastic microwavable plates, ovenware, and utensils
• Tooth sealants
• Canned foods and drink cans (most have plastic lining in the cans)
• Baby toys, bottles, pacifiers, and cups

It would be advisable to avoid these items wherever possible – particularly when children are exposed to them. Additionally, if you microwave the containers or bottles, or place hot liquids or food into them, BPA is released 55 times more rapidly. Acidic liquids such as juices also increase the rate of leeching. So it is definitely worth avoiding using plastic containers for these things – I certainly advise against heating anything up in plastic (of cling-film); particularly in the microwave!

Bear in mind that even if BPA does get removed from food and beverage containers, this does not mean plastic is safe again. There are other chemicals lurking in plastic that you’re better off avoiding. Here is just a short list of them from The Ecology Center in Berkeley, California:

• Salad dressing and cooking oil bottles: This plastic container is made from PVC (polyvinyl chloride), which leaches plasticizers (lead, cadmium, mercury, phthalates and the carcinogen, diethyl hexyphosphate) into your food.
• Drink bottles, water bottles, peanut butter jars and cooking oil bottles: Made from PET (polyethylene terephthalate), they leach acetaldehyde — a probable human carcinogen, according to the EPA — into your food and drinks.
• Meat trays, foam take-out food containers and cups, foam packing materials: Made from polystyrene (PS), these materials leach styrene, which can damage your nervous system, into your food.

Phthalates, or “plasticisers,” are a group of industrial chemicals used to make plastics like polyvinyl chloride (PVC) more flexible and resilient. They’re also one of the most pervasive of the endocrine disrupters. These chemicals have increasingly become associated with changes in development of the male brain as well as with genital defects, metabolic abnormalities and reduced testosterone in babies and adults. Phthalates are found in, among other things:

• Processed food packaging
• Hoses
• Raincoats
• Shower curtains
• Vinyl flooring and wall coverings
• Lubricant and adhesives
• Detergents
• Beauty products like nail polish, hair spray, shampoo, deodorants, and fragrances
• Toys

Conclusion

With an ever increasing number of "low cost" and convenience products making their way into our homes, it is getting more difficult to avoid exposure to toxins, the cumulative effect of which could go some way toward explaining the rising numbers of certain maladies.

Again, the purpose of this article is not to scare, but to inform. With this information in hand, you can take reasonable steps toward reducing exposure to toxins in your home - if you choose. You probably won't be able to eliminate all of these things from your home, and you probably don't need to. Simply being aware of some of the small steps you can take will make life that little bit easier on your body and you will feel better as a result. If you are eating well, exercising, resting enough and dealing with other stresses then your body is perfectly capable of doing the rest.

Further Reading

• Click here to read a report from The Scientific American about BPA (in plastic containers and bottles - including baby bottles)
• Click here for a Time list of common household toxins
• Click here for an article by The Ecologist on improving your indoor air quality
• Click here for a Californian report on toxic baby furniture    
• Click here for an article on the subject from Cancer Active, a cancer charity

info@theblueberryclinic.co.uk

www.theblueberryclinic.co.uk
Copyright Joe Summerfield 2011

Sunshine - Elixir or Health Risk?

We all know that too much sun can be dangerous. But do the lengths we go to in order to protect ourselves from the sun take their own toll on our health? 

"Dermatologists have looked at the rise in melanoma and panicked. But they aren't looking at the whole human being" says Dr Robert Heaney of Creighton University, Nebraska. 

Taking the advice of health officials, the media and the shops would see us covered head-to-toe in high-factor lotion, donning big-brimmed hats and lurking in the shade when the sun comes out. This would be understandable if your only objective is to cut the number of cases of skin cancer. But of course as Dr Heaney points out, avoidance of melanoma is neither the beginning nor the end of the story. 

What Is Vitamin D? 

Vitamin D is made in the skin when 7-dehydrocholesterol reacts with ultraviolet light (UVB) upon direct exposure of the skin to sunlight. This photosynthesis of vitamin D evolved over 750 million years ago in phytoplankton and it played a critical role in the maintenance of a calcified skeleton in vertebrates as they left their calcium-rich ocean environment for land over 350 million years ago. It's a basal requirement of vertebrates that have evolved on land. 

Yet in the winter, 90% of us in the UK are vitamin D deficient. Even in the summer, some 60% are deficient. Figures like these indicate a major epidemic - one that is largely unrecognised. What is the significance of vitamin D? For starters, it's known to positively influence:

High blood pressure, tuberculosis, cancers, periodontal disease, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, seasonal affective disorder, peripheral artery disease, cognitive impairment which includes dementia, memory loss and foggy brain, several autoimmune diseases including type 1 diabetes, macular degeneration, osteoporosis and rickets, joint disease, birth difficulties, autism, asthma, weight control, influenza - and more.

Vitamin D is so influential to our health because it's not just a vitamin; it's the only known substrate for a potent, pleiotropic (producing multiple effects) repair and maintenance hormone that serves multiple gene-regulatory functions in your body. In fact, it has been shown to influence more than 2,000 genes. Just one example of an important gene that vitamin D up-regulates is your ability to fight infections: it produces over 200 anti-microbial peptides, including an important broad-spectrum antibiotic.  

While we instinctively know - and can feel - the health-generative properties of the sunshine, science is helping us understand why. There are countless studies showing almost limitless benefits. Just a few examples: Researchers from the Moore's Cancer Center at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) recently concluded that increasing the intake of vitamin D3 throughout the world could easily prevent diseases - including 16 types of cancer - that would otherwise claim close to 1 million lives each year worldwide. Recently, the American Academy of Pediatrics doubled its recommendation for a daily dose of vitamin D in children, in the hope of protecting against a wide range of diseases, while promoting other health benefits. In fact, Researchers from the European Institute of Oncology in Milan, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon recently reviewed 18 trials of more than 57,000 people and found that sufficient levels of vitamin D may lower your risk of dying from any cause.  

So Where's The Rub? 

There is no doubt that vitamin D is extremely important for good health. The controversy arises as a result of the fact that at least 90 per cent of the vitamin D in the body comes from direct skin exposure to sunlight: it's agreed that by far the best way of boosting the nutrient is to expose your body to sunlight, without sunscreen, at times when ultraviolet radiation is at its strongest: noon and early afternoon in spring and summer.

The skin produces about 10,000 international units (IU) of vitamin D in response to 20-30 minutes of summer sun exposure (time depending upon the pigmentation of the skin, it can be much longer). One portion of oily fish contains 320 IU (8 micrograms). Vitamin D supplements do exist but the recommended daily dose of a vitamin D supplement is 400 IU (10 micrograms); any more of this synthetic (as opposed to skin-manufactured) version is considered a risk by authorities because too much can cause kidney damage. Conversely, there is very little risk of overdose of Vitamin D from the sun because once equilibrium is reached, production is downgraded. Further, most supplements also contain the inferior Vitamin D2 rather than the D3 that comes from the sun.

Nobody disagrees with the fact that getting sunburn is a bad thing. But when it comes to staying healthy, it's hard to overstate the case for exposure of skin to direct sunlight. Sunscreens will effectively shield you from the sun's health benefits. It's also important to note that you can develop sun damage even with sunscreen because it doesn't stop the damage from occurring at a cellular level, it simply stops the burn (and also usually includes toxins that potentially put your health at risk).

How Can I Enjoy The Sun Without Being At Risk?  

If you're going to be enjoying the sun unprotected, you will need to be very careful. While only you can determine your requirements and threshold, there are some basic guidelines you can follow to minimise your risk.

• The more antioxidants you take in, the lower your risk of sunburn - an internal sunscreen. Include whole fresh vegetables and fruits such as Goji berries (not the juice), Raspberries, Blackberries, and Blueberries. Vitamins A and C help your cells regulate both light absorption and protection against overexposure, which you can get from vegetables and fruit.

• Exposure of the face and hands to sunlight is not sufficient for vitamin D nutrition. For optimal benefit, strive to have at least 40 percent of your skin uncovered.

• Optimal Exposure Time - in Caucasian skin, equilibrium occurs within 20 minutes of ultraviolet exposure. It can take 3 to 6 times longer for darkly pigmented skin to reach the equilibrium concentration of skin vitamin D. Remember that continuing UV exposure beyond the minimal dose required to produce skin redness will not increase your vitamin D production any further.

• At the beginning of the season, limit your exposure to perhaps as little as 10 minutes a day. Progressively increase your time in the sun so that in a few weeks, you will be able to have normal sun exposure with little risk.

• Regular sun is extremely important. You can't cram all of your sun exposure into a two or three week vacation period and expect to experience the benefits... and it's safer not to try! Frequent, short bursts are best.

• Time of Day - Early morning is the best time to sunbathe if you have not already built up a base tan, because you're less likely to burn. In addition, it's best to sunbathe when the temperature is not too high, so that you don't over heat.

• Supplement vitamin D. If you are unable to get enough from the sun due to your lifestyle or where you live, a good quality vitamin D3 supplement can help

With any luck, this article will have cleared up some of the confusion around sun exposure, its risks and its benefits. So get out there and start enjoying the sunshine!

info@theblueberryclinic.co.uk

www.theblueberryclinic.co.uk
Copyright Joe Summerfield 2011