Everyday Toxins That Impact Detoxification with @vitaminology
Reduce your exposure to the ‘everyday’ dangerous toxins in your life that can have harmful effects on health.
Unfortunately, toxins surround us in our daily life, and no matter how hard we try to maintain healthy lifestyles, these toxins sometimes go under our radars. Some lifestyle choices can increase toxic burden stressing the detoxification capacity of the liver.
Common ‘everyday’ toxins
Pesticides & Herbicides
These toxins are used on food while growing to avoid destruction from insects and weeds. Many fruits and vegetables sold in grocery stores and markets are found to still contain these toxic chemicals. Where possible try and buy organic produce to avoid additional toxins in your diet. Pan-UK lists fruits and vegetables with the most and the least pesticide exposure, referred to as the ‘clean fifteen’ and the ‘dirty dozen’. You still need to wash your fruit and vegetables even if they are organic. Adding a little apple cider vinegar to the washing water can help remove any pesticide residue still on the surface.
Parabens
Parabens are widely used as a preservative in cosmetic and skincare products. Although useful in extending the shelf-life of our much beloved beauty products unfortunately these parabens can also enter our body through the skin adding to our toxic load. They have also been noted as disrupting to our hormones. Examine product labels for butylparaben, methylparaben and propylparaben, as these are the most commonly used parabens. Opt for paraben-free products where possible to help reduce that toxic burden in the body
Phthalates
Another group of chemicals found in cosmetics, perfumes, plastics, and other products is phthalates. Other than adding to the toxic load, phthalates have been linked to asthma and respiratory problems. Any product containing the word ‘parfum’ or ‘fragrance’ almost certainly has phthalates in them. They can also be found in some plastics.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)
These toxic compounds are found in a lot of personal care and cleaning products. It’s used in products to help create a foamy consistency. SLS has been linked to skin and eye conditions, reproductive toxicity, and endocrine disruption. Again, look for the SLS-free products as a substitution.
Bisphenol-A (BPA)
You may have already heard of BPA found at toxic levels in plastic products, such as plastic containers, bottles and coffee cup lids. BPA is also found in the lining of canned and tinned goods as well as til receipts. A few savvy ways to avoid those hidden BPA toxins in products is to avoid canned foods and look for alternatives in glass. Try a stainless-steel water bottle instead of a plastic bottle and avoid storing or heating food in plastic containers.
The takeaway from this is that it is a lot easier to avoid putting the toxins into our bodies in the first instance than to try and remove them. Become more aware of what you are putting into your body by becoming familiar with reading the product labels, and as much as possible substitute the products with alternative toxin-free options.
References:
https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/cosmetic-ingredients/phthalates
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