Food
The food you eat can either help your body get rid of toxins or contribute to the buildup of these potentially harmful substances. One of the biggest diet sources of toxins is junk food.
For example, one study found that one-third of fast food packaging contains chemicals known as PFEASs (polyfluoroalkyl and perfluoroalkyl substances) . These substances give the packaging its stain-resistant, nonstick, and water-repellent properties. The study also found that a vast majority of wrappers for sandwiches, burgers, and flat bags for pastries and cookies contain these chemicals.
Since you come in contact with them, it’s easy to introduce these chemicals into the body. PFEAS compounds are linked with cancer , high cholesterol , hormone problems, obesity, immune suppression .Also, a growing body of evidence confirms that consumption of junk food exposes your body to high levels of hormone-disrupting chemicals called phthalates .
Studies also show that milk, peanuts, wheat and gluten, eggs, fish and shellfish act as allergens and even some toxins. Toxic reactions to food usually occur due to contamination of food or bacterial toxins that are present in the items you eat.
Habits
Your lifestyle has a major impact on overall health and wellbeing. Living in London, or in the modern age in general, involves a fast-paced lifestyle with tons of obligations and commitments ahead of us each day. We have too many things to do and not enough time to do them. Not only we don’t spend much time on eating healthy or exercising, but we develop some addictive habits in the process.
Alcohol and cigarettes use is so common today that a person is considered “not cool” for avoiding them. Almost half of all adults in the UK take prescription drugs . It is not uncommon for people to continue using their medications even when they don’t need them anymore. In many cases, physicians also cause medication overtreatment due to a fear of malpractice .
Another common scenario is self-medicate or reach out for medications without trying some natural treatments first. Taking medications increases the chemical load and toxins in your body. Besides medications, some people also take illicit drugs which only jeopardise their health even further.
Constant stress coupled with lifestyle choices can pose as a paradise for toxic buildup. In fact, evidence shows that along with environmental factors, an unhealthy lifestyle can also increase levels of toxins and contribute to oxidative stress in humans .
Here is the basic rundown of common habits that contribute to toxin buildup in your body:
- Medications – drug toxicity is a common and serious problem that usually goes undetected by both a patient and the doctor. Despite the fact that drug toxicity tends to occur when a patient takes higher dosage than recommended, it may also happen because the body’s ability to metabolise a drug changes over time. Some of the drugs associated with increased toxicity are statins, interferon, clevudine, antimalarials, immunosuppressants but, there are more.
- Alcohol – according to survey carried out by NHS, about 57% adults reported drinking alcohol in the previous week, which is about 25.3 million adults in England. There were 339,000 estimated admissions related to alcohol consumption in 2015/16 . Excessive consumption of alcohol induces production of toxic substances in pancreas . Alcohol is a toxin itself because it destroys cells and microorganisms and contrary to the popular belief, there is no safe limit of alcohol consumption. The toxicity of alcohol is even greater if you bear in mind it has to be metabolized to acetaldehyde (even more toxic substance) in order to be cleared from the body
- Drugs – drug abuse is a major threat to our health and impair with our heart and brain functioning, decision-making, induce hallucination etc. For example, although considered healthy by cannabis advocates, smoking marijuana increases toxic element in your body. The reasons are multiplebut simple, marijuana smoke consists of various toxic chemicals including hydrogen cyanide and ammonia which irritate bronchial passages and lungs. Similarly to cigarette smoking, toxic compounds reach an individual’s lungs and travel through blood to all organs and tissues in the body. Then, harsh smoke damages sensitive lungs lining and causes damage, but it also induces inflammation, and alters DNA.Cocaine also induces toxicity which can affect just about any organ in a person’s body . Common drugs of choice for younger population, inhalants, are toxic to nerve cells and may damage or destroy them
- Caffeine – while moderate consumption of coffee keeps us alert, excessive intake of caffeine can only contribute to the level of toxins in the body. Even decaffeinated coffee contains high levels of aflatoxin and ochratoxin which can cause cell mutation and toxicity in humans.Just like drug and cocaine toxicity, caffeine toxicity can also happen due to excessive intake
- Smoking – NHS shows that in 2016, about 15.5% of adults aged 18+ were smokers and there were 474,000 hospital admissions attributable to smoking in 2015/16 in England . Tobacco smoke is a highly toxic mix of more than 7000 chemicals and compounds that reach a person’s lungs quickly as soon as he/she inhales. The blood carries these toxic compounds to every organ in the body. Toxic chemicals in tobacco smoke damage the delicate lining of the lungs and cause permanent damage. Chemicals in smoke can also alter a person’s DNA and lead to cancer or cause inflammation and many other diseases . Each time a person smokes, numerous toxins and harmful compounds are introduced to the body including nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, ammonia, hydrogen cyanide, arsenic, and DDT (Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane)
Environment
From the moment you get up in the morning and head to work till the moment you go to sleep, you are exposed to different factors and pollutants from the environment. The air you breathe is polluted with chemicals that get into the body as you inhale them. Of course, to get things done, see people, go shopping, do pretty much anything you have to go out meaning you are exposed to these toxins. When it comes to toxin buildup caused by exposure to particles in the environment, we can classify them into different categories:
- Industry toxic chemical – evidence shows that we are exposed to a number of heavy metals including cadmium, lead, arsenic, and mercury all of which have a negative impact on our health
- Harsh pollutants and harmful pesticides in environment – most people tend to assume that pesticides are only dangerous if you live on a farm or if you don’t buy organic produce. However, an analysis of government data revealed that two in three loaves of bread sold in the UK (more than 60% of all breads) contain pesticide residues . One of the most commonly used pesticides, glyphosate is also linked with health problems due to its toxicity
- Pollution caused by traffic – London breached its annual air pollution limit every year including 2017 which is not even finished. Air pollution is a major contributor to toxin buildup in the body and it also increases the risk of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases . Particulate matter, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, are the most common chemicals in the air that infect our lungs, contribute to asthma, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases