Environmentally acquired illnesses are any form of exposure to environmental toxins that can lead to ill health. As the world has become more and more industrialized and chemicalized, toxins from the environment have produced devastating health consequences. One main source is in processed and refined foods that contain carcinogens and endocrine disruptors. Other sources are not evident, such as in the air we breathe, the water we drink, the personal care products we use on our bodies, and chemical cleaners we use in our home.

Often these consequences are not immediately evident. They compound over time to create chronic inflammation, which in turn creates secondary illnesses. There are 4 major sources of environmental toxicity that we should be aware of. Lets explore them below.

Heavy Metals | Mold | EMFs | Pesticides

The most commonly recognized heavy metals that are toxic to the body include arsenic, cadmium, mercury, lead, and aluminum, all of which can cross the blood-brain barrier. All of these heavy metals are considered neurotoxins. They can cause anxiety, depression and mental fog. They can also significantly impact our IQ, and especially cause damage to a developing brain.

We are exposed to heavy metals from many different sources. Lead may be in the water we drink and in the fumes from petrochemicals, mercury may leech from dental amalgams, be absorbed from fish or from breathing fumes in the atmosphere from coal plants. Cadmium is absorbed from smoking.

Sources of heavy metals include:

• Pollution (air, water, soil contamination)
• Food (e.g., fish, certain vegetables, and foods grown in contaminated soils)
• Everyday products (e.g., cosmetics, household cleaning products, and even some medications)
• Industrial exposure (e.g., working in certain industries)

The accumulation doesn't happen overnight, but over time, continuous exposure can lead to a buildup, especially if our body's natural detoxification processes (like sweating, liver function, etc.) are overwhelmed. That’s why it’s common for many people to have higher levels of heavy metals without even realizing it.

Mineral deficiencies can increase the harmful effects of heavy metals. If your body is deficient in a mineral, it is forced to use other substances such as heavy metals to perform the same job within the body as it cannot use the preferred one. For example:

• Zinc is used to repair arterial walls and give them the flexibility they need, but if we are zinc deficient, the body will instead use cadmium to repair the arterial walls. Cadmium is very toxic and when used for arterial repair, creating hard and brittle arterial walls. The arteries can no longer expand and contract as normal, triggering high blood pressure. Cadmium is primarily absorbed from smoking and this a reason smoking can cause heart disease.
• Mercury and lead reduce hydrochloric acid and enzyme pepsin in the stomach, damaging good bacteria and affecting our ability to assimilate nutrients. This sets the stage for pathogenic bacteria overgrowth.

There are simple tests we can take to show us the level of heavy metal toxicity in the body. We can then use chelating agents (things that bind to the heavy metals) and flush them from the body. Depending on which heavy metals and other environmental contaminants are present, we can use chelating agents such as chlorella, clay, charcoal, cholestyramine, glutathione, and saccharomyces boulardii to pull the toxins from the body. A good detox program such as from the American Botanical Pharmacy will contain chelating agents that assist in chelating the body of toxins, including heavy metals. Undergoing this type of whole-body detox once or twice a year is a fantastic thing for the body to help remove accumulated contaminants.

Metal fillings can be removed and replaced with composite fillings, however composite fillings typically contain BPA. To some degree, you are trading one toxin for another, but mercury is a much more toxic load to the body.

Mold is the most overlooked cause of environmental toxicity and its prevalence is much more common than previously thought. It can not only cause allergies, asthma, and respiratory conditions, but with prolonged exposure its effects can be far more devastating to our health. It can cause brain fog, muscle pain, headaches, food sensitivities, even causing cognitive decline. Mold creates toxic compounds called VOCs (found in some paints) which can lead to neurological problems and brain fog.

Prolonged exposure can cause a chronic inflammatory state within the body. Because of this, mold exposure can cause severe depression and suicide. In a study conducted by Brown University, 40% of people with mold in their home were considered clinically depressed. The chronic inflammation triggered by mold exposure can also set the stage for autoimmunity.

Water-damaged buildings are a source of mold many people are unaware of. When the mold begins to grow, it is often unseen such as behind drywall. It releases toxins into the environment that we absorb and breathe in.

Mold toxicity can be challenging to diagnose as some symptoms mimic other conditions. Clinically, the collective symptoms of mold toxicity are very similar to Lyme disease. Doctors are often unable to distinguish between the two and begin treating for one to see if the symptoms resolve, and if not, begin treating for the other.

Beyond simple association with allergies and asthma, mold is not a detailed topic explored in the medical curriculum and is therefore generally unrecognized by conventional medicine. There is no framework or understanding of the effects that mold can cause within the body and therefore it is generally not a consideration when diagnosing illness. As functional medicine recognizes a direct link between mold toxicity and human health, conventionally trained doctors are now opening up to this health issue.

If you have an onset of symptoms similar to the ones described above, look at the relationship between your symptoms and any significant change in your surroundings such as a new home or workspace. It may help you identify a mold toxicity issue that is causing your symptoms.

If mold is the culprit, you can mobilize mold out of your system with agents such as glutathione and using an infrared sauna.

Everywhere there is a current, there is an electromagnetic field. Every living system emits this field and it is what intimately connects us with our surroundings. There is a constant energy exchange taking place between all living things via this electromagnetic field.

All electrical devices also contain EMFs. From cell phones to wifi devices, computers, home appliances, electric cars, and the electricity in our homes – they all provide energy waves and transmit information on these waves. When we interact with computers, cellular phones and other similar electrical devices, the electromagnetic fields produced by these devices can have a very detrimental effect on the health of biological systems. Our biological energy fields become disrupted and our immune system depressed. These EMFs cause free radical damage and biological interference such as heart palpitations interfering with our brainwaves and brain function. This is why sleep can be significantly impacted by EMFs.

There have been over 5,000 studies worldwide demonstrating that the human body is detrimentally affected by these EMF fields in our environment. Highly respected doctors have been sounding the alarm for years by publishing these studies and books to help educate the public.

In Hemburg, Switzerland, a large cell tower array in the town resulted in many health issues for the residents, with some resorting to sleeping in cellars to try and avoid the EMFs. Songbirds and mammals left the area, farm animals began miscarrying and had tumors on organs when slaughtered for food.

When we have high amounts of heavy metals within our body, they act like an antenna, attracting more EMFs to them. Heavy metal testing and subsequent chelation to remove them can help with this.

Billions of pounds of pesticides are used every year, with 18.9 billion pounds of glyphosate alone purchased yearly in the US. Pesticide exposure in spring is particularly high. Pesticides are so damaging to the human body that they deserve a section all of their own, which is why they are considered one of my Dirty Dozen.

Read more on the serious health impact of pesticides and herbicides, and how ingesting and exposing yourself to them can significantly increase the risk of cancer, neurological disorders, and autoimmunity.

We can significantly reduce the potential damage pesticides can cause by choosing organic food in our diet. If possible, aim for all of your produce to be organic.

Environmental toxins are just one of the 12 Dirty Dozen to avoid