on September 11th, 2001, more than 50,000 rescue workers were exposed to dangerous chemicals that have been linked to health problems like asthma and cancer.
Environmental toxins are a growing concern for everyone as the evidence mounts against them. Even everyday, low-level exposure to chemicals in food, air, furnishings, personal products and household items can cause chronic illness.
These dangerous chemicals aren’t just in our environment, they’re already inside our bodies. According to the Cancer Prevention Coalition, residues of more than 400 environmental toxins have been identified in human blood and fat tissue. And when the CDC measured chemicals in blood and urine as part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, scientists found toxic compounds in every single sample.
Babies are even born “pre-polluted” according to a study by the Environmental Working Group. They found 287 environmental toxins in umbilical cord blood from babies born in US hospitals in 2004.
We may not be able to avoid exposure to dangerous chemicals in the environment, but we can eat foods that help the liver eliminate them from our bodies:
- Beets and beet greens
- Cabbage
- Radishes
- Dark green leafy vegetables like arugula, bok choy, kale, collard greens, mustard greens, spinach, swiss chard and watercress
Eat at least one of these vegetables every day.
Because broccoli, spinach, kale and collard greens are among the most contaminated produce items, eat only the organic varieties. Cabbage, on the other hand, is one of the least contaminated vegetables, making it a good choice when you can't eat organic.
And ask your naturopathic doctor if a detoxification program would be appropriate for you.
References:
Cancer Prevention Coalition. Carcinogens at Home, Household Products & Chemicals Q&A.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2011. Fourth National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals, Updated Tables, February 2011.
Crinnion WJ. The CDC fourth national report on human exposure to environmental chemicals: what it tells us about our toxic burden and how it assist environmental medicine physicians. Alternative Medicine Review. 2010 Jul;15(2):101-9.
Environmental Working Group. Budy Burden: The Pollution in Newborns. 14 July 2005.
Wisnivesky JP et al. Persistence of multiple illnesses in World Trade Center rescue and recovery workers: a cohort study. Lancet. 2011 Sep 3;378(9794):888-97.
Zeig-Owens R et al. Early assessment of cancer outcomes in New York City firefighters after the 9/11 attacks: an observational cohort study. Lancet. 2011 Sep 3;378(9794):898-905.
Because broccoli, spinach, kale and collard greens are among the most contaminated produce items, eat only the organic varieties. Cabbage, on the other hand, is one of the least contaminated vegetables, making it a good choice when you can't eat organic.
And ask your naturopathic doctor if a detoxification program would be appropriate for you.
References:
Cancer Prevention Coalition. Carcinogens at Home, Household Products & Chemicals Q&A.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2011. Fourth National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals, Updated Tables, February 2011.
Crinnion WJ. The CDC fourth national report on human exposure to environmental chemicals: what it tells us about our toxic burden and how it assist environmental medicine physicians. Alternative Medicine Review. 2010 Jul;15(2):101-9.
Environmental Working Group. Budy Burden: The Pollution in Newborns. 14 July 2005.
Wisnivesky JP et al. Persistence of multiple illnesses in World Trade Center rescue and recovery workers: a cohort study. Lancet. 2011 Sep 3;378(9794):888-97.
Zeig-Owens R et al. Early assessment of cancer outcomes in New York City firefighters after the 9/11 attacks: an observational cohort study. Lancet. 2011 Sep 3;378(9794):898-905.
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