Let’s Talk Toxins! What are they and Why Does it Matter?

As I start this new blog of mine, and before I start sharing reviews, I thought it would be helpful to start out talking about toxins because that’s one of the major things that we’ll be taking a close look at, and it’s what our health (or lack-there-of) boils down to. We get sickness and disease largely because of toxins - and then we are also lacking the vitamins/minerals to fight them off.

What ARE toxins? Toxins are defined in one dictionary as “an antigenic poison or venom of plant or animal origin, especially one produced by or derived from microorganisms and causing disease when present at low concentration in the body”. In other words, toxins are harmful microorganisms that lead to disease and can cause death. While toxins are chemicals the vast majority of chemicals are perfectly good (example: water and air!). Although, depending on how the chemical is used it could be toxic (example: if you drink too much water it can actually kill you!). But there are also many chemicals that are toxic in that they are at the very least unhealthy and at worst poisonous/deadly to humans (not to mention animals and the environment).  

How do toxins get into our body? Toxins get into our body through the air (pollution), through our skin (harmful chemicals in things we use on our skin or around the house), or through our mouths (harmful chemicals on or in food). Because of this, we should be paying attention to things that we use, put on, and eat.

How do toxins affect our health? One tricky thing about toxins is that different toxins can affect different people different ways. This is because of various factors like what all they were exposed to, genetics (which can make some more prone to have allergies or sensitivities), the level of exposure, etc. This doesn’t mean that some people are unaffected by toxins, they are! It just means that it’s not as visible. Some toxins will only cause minor problems (asthma, skin issues, digestive problems, allergies), others will not affect someone’s health for years! But affect health, they certainly will! We must also consider the fact that our earth and our bodies do not always produce the vitamins and minerals needed to keep us healthy.

Doesn’t the government regulate toxins through organizations like the FDA? While the government does have many regulations in place regarding things that are sold in the US, these standards are not as comprehensive as you might think. There are at least 85,000 chemicals out there and only about 5% have been tested for safety. The US currently bans 11 chemicals (considers them toxic). But compare to Europe where they have banned 1,328 chemicals as being toxic! (If you don’t believe me – google it, these statistics are well-known.) Just because something is “FDA approved” does NOT mean it is free of toxins or harmful chemicals. I’ll give you an example: Back in the early 1900’s when there were polio epidemics, the government approved the use of DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) to kill mosquitoes that were believed to be the cause of the disease.  As the DDT campaign went on and cities and people were sprayed, the incidence of polio began to sharply rise in the U.S. As spraying decreased, so did polio! It was later discovered that this VERY toxic chemical actually helped to spread the disease and also caused many people to get sick (studies have shown it often causes seizures, cancer and ultimately death). DDT was finally banned in 1972. See here for more on this. Another example is that the government allows companies to legally hide ingredients in things like “fragrance”. I don’t know about you, but I for one, am not quick to trust what the government says is “safe”.

Then how can we know if something is toxic or not? This is a complicated question as well. For one, there does need to be more studies done on more chemicals to really find out more about them. BUT there have also been many studies on different chemicals that scientists have found to be harmful – but the government has not been convinced of this (or, sad to say, they often have an agenda or there’s money involved). A great website that I use to check the toxicity or purity of something is the Environmental Working Group - ewg.org (or ewg.org/skindeep). It is a non-profit organization that works to do research and lobby concerning harmful chemicals. On their sites you can search for brands, products and/or ingredients/chemicals and if they have research on it you can read all about it! The main site rates things from A-F, and skindeep rates from 1-10. (Note: It can be complicated to search for things on the main site – usually I google the brand/product and “ewg” and see if it comes up.) Definitely check it out!

Unfortunately, the vast majority of products that are used in American homes and on our bodies contain harmful chemicals. I’m excited to share with you what I’ve learned and what I use on myself, my family and in my home! Stay tuned!