Every time you walk outside you are probably exposing yourself to environmental pollutants. Running through a field sprayed with pesticides or near industrial chemicals can pose serious health risks to you and your family. Even the necessary acts of breathing, drinking, and eating can fill your body with toxins.

More than 100 different toxic chemicals have been found stored in the human body. This accumulation of toxins is known as a toxic load. A toxic load can affect the immune, neurological, and endocrine systems. Common symptoms of overexposure to toxins include headaches, fatigue, nervousness, joint pain, and mood changes. More serious symptoms can include life-threatening diseases such as cancer. It’s important for you to be aware of the different types of pollutants and how you can protect yourself and your family from them.

As society progresses, the wastes produced by civilization come back to haunt us, making the environment more and more polluted. It is ironic that the progress that was meant to better our living conditions can create poisonous surroundings that compromise our health and quality of life. Obvious examples are air and water pollution. Other examples, although less apparent, are:

• Carcinogens in plastics and building materials
• Radiation in the air and food chain
• Industrial contamination of water tables
• Dangerous metals in our water, food and air
• Hazardous chemicals in household cleaning supplies
• We constantly expose ourselves to seen and unseen toxins that can depress our immune system and may eventually cost us our health.

Harmful chemicals have become a permanent part of our everyday life. Relatively new medical terms such as “sick building syndrome” and “multiple chemical sensitivity” (MCS) are associated with overexposure to environmental contaminants. Many of these toxins are from chemicals found in the home and in building materials. Building materials release chemicals from adhesives, wood treatments, floor varnishes, paints, synthetic carpeting, pressboard, furniture, and cleaning supplies. Other common sources of chemicals are garden fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, dry cleaning solutions, gasoline, car exhaust, cigarette smoke, flea collars, fly strips and more. These can result in dermatological, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, respiratory, musculoskeletal, and cardiological problems.

Another source of chemical toxins is plastic. Some plastics give off chemical estrogenic compounds and are often found in well water, lakes, oceans, and food. Environmental estrogens are chemical compounds that mimic or block natural estrogen action and affect the endocrine system that regulates sexual and reproductive development in both men and women. There is also a connection between environmental estrogens and cancer.

Throughout history, man has been poisoning himself with metals. It is thought that the fall of the Roman Empire was expedited with lead poisoning from crude plumbing and goblets that contained a lead alloy. Metals that can be toxic to the body include mercury, lead, cadmium, copper, manganese, nickel and aluminum. Today we are in contact with and ingest an abundance of metals that may compromise our well-being. Metal accumulation has been found in significant medical conditions such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases, autism, multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue, liver and kidney toxicity and more.

Mercury is one of the most toxic substances known to humanity, and is also one of the metals in amalgam dental fillings. There is controversy over whether the vapors emitted from mercury fillings contribute to detrimental health conditions, such as a depressed immune system, multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue, headaches, allergies, kidney dysfunction, liver toxicity, learning problems, and Parkinson’s and Alzheimer's diseases. There are numerous instances of people recovering from the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease after their amalgam fillings have been removed.

The average adult has about 10 amalgam fillings with a total weight of ten grams, of which five grams are mercury. Over the ten-year life of the fillings, it is estimated that the body will absorb one half of a gram of mercury, which is an extremely poisonous amount. Half a gram of mercury in a ten-acre lake will make the fish unconsumable. Chronic exposure to mercury can result in a psychotic state of hyper-excitability. Hat makers of the 19th century were often exposed to mercury while they made felt hats, hence the term “mad as a hatter.” Mercury has also been used as a preservative in vaccinations and may be in the environment from the breakdown of rubber tires.

Aluminum is a very common element in our environment. It is found in foods such as baking powder, cake mixes, frozen dough, pancake mixes, self-rising flour, grains, and processed cheese, as well as in containers such as aluminum cans. In cosmetic and body care products, aluminum may be found in such products as deodorants, vaginal douches, baby wipes, skin creams, suntan lotions, toothpaste, and some hemorrhoid and diarrhea products. Aluminum may also be found in medical applications such as vaccinations, buffered aspirin, allergy testing, intravenous solutions, ulcer treatment, bone or joint replacement and burn treatment.

The average adult intake is seven to nine milligrams of aluminum per day, with the main source being food with aluminum additives. Aluminum accumulation in the body may be a contributing factor to Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, bladder cancer, kidney failure, and the destruction of liver cells. Autopsies of people who had suffered from Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases have found high concentrations of metals, including aluminum, in the brain.

Since the 1960's, lead has been known to be harmful to our health and has been slowly removed from paint, gasoline and other substances we come in contact with. Unfortunately, lead is still in our environment and poses a threat to our health.

Ingesting large amounts of lead can severely damage the gastro-intestinal (GI) tract and could be fatal. There is also a high risk of neurological damage. Symptoms that appear with a build-up of lead in the system include clumsiness, vertigo, irritability and insomnia. Children who have lead toxicity may have difficulty learning, may become hyper-excitable, confused and delirious, and sometimes become progressively lethargic, which can lead to a comatose state.

Prolonged exposures to heavy metals, especially lead and mercury, are believed to be associated with autism. Hair analysis has shown accumulation of heavy metals in children with behavior and learning difficulties.

Air pollution is not new and concerns over the quality of air have been an important issue since the late 1800’s. The most common pollutants in the air are suspended particulate matter, ground-level ozone, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and lead. Fossil fuels and industrial plants are the prime culprits of air pollution. Exposure may be associated with asthma, chronic bronchitis, and allergies.

Ozone pollution has also been associated with respiratory issues. Ozone pollution will become more prevalent on ground level after a shift in weather. This increases toxin levels in the air we breath. In the case of ozone gas, which is a very strong oxidant, people may experience upper respiratory irritation, cough, shortness of breath, wheezing, nausea, malaise, and headache. Often people feel as though they are getting a cold or the flu, yet it doesn’t materialize.

Carbon monoxide (CO) decreases the oxygen capacity of blood. There is a possibility of this pollutant accelerating atherosclerosis, although it is still controversial. Headache, fatigue, and flu-like symptoms are often the first signs of carbon monoxide exposure. Carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide are thought to increase the risk of heart disease and cancer.

Using traditional herbs to counteract the toxic world we live in is a way of getting back to a pure life and aids us in clearing the buildup of contaminants from our bodies. Here are some herbal combinations designed by Master Herbalist Hanna Kroeger to address the environmental challenges of modern day living.

Chem X is a combination of black tea, chaparral, condurango bark, red clover, paprika and spikenard. Folklore use and modern research employ herbs that cleanse and protect against the build up of chemicals in the body. Research on paprika, of the capsicum family, has found that it may protect against outside contaminants. Black tea has also shown excellent antioxidant properties, which help combat free radicals or unstable molecules.

Environmental X is a mixture of bladderwrack, borage, flax seed, watermelon seed, cleavers and taurine. It works on environmental toxins that settle in the body, especially those that amass around the gall bladder, kidneys and reproductive organs. This is a general cleansing combination of herbs used in folk medicine to support healthy elimination through the kidneys, bowels, liver and gall bladder. Cleavers has been used to purify the blood, lymph, skin and prostate, while borage and flax are associated with zinc and copper metabolism. Bladderwrack is traditionally used to regulate glandular relationships by promoting thyroid balance, detoxify the system and provide mineral support. Taurine promotes healthy brain and nervous function, which may counteract the damage to these areas caused by toxins.

Metal X is an ensemble of pumpkin seeds, okra, rhubarb root, capsicum, peppermint and dulse. It is designed to clear metals from the system and decrease our toxic load by increasing the body’s eliminating abilities. Capsicum, rhubarb and okra support healthy intestinal function while dulse and pumpkin seeds assist the drawing qualities of the urinary system. Peppermint may improve bile flow, which is one of the liver’s detoxification mechanisms.

Pollution X is a blend of willow leaves, thyme, milk sugar and cinnamon that may aid the body’s ability to clear the toxins from air pollution. Pollution-laden mucus accumulations settle in the joints and leave us feeling tired and rundown. Willow has been used by Native Americans for drying mucus accumulations and may be beneficial for clearing toxins. Thyme has been used in folk medicine for centuries to aid digestion, promote fluid balance, and soothe irritated lungs, throat and nerves. Herbalists have used cinnamon for harmonizing digestion, which can help with the elimination of toxins.

Echinacea has a history of keeping the immune system in tip-top shape. Although echinacea has gained much of its popularity for colds and flu, its support for the immune system may be beneficial for protection against secondary issues arising from excessive toxins. Echinacea has also been used for supporting the respiratory tract, which is the site of first exposure to air pollution, and thus often the most affected by it.

The body’s preference is to eliminate toxins as soon as possible, provided that the right components are available for the liver to do its job. Milk thistle has been the subject of a large amount of scientific research over the last 30 years, showing that it improves toxin clearance by promoting healthy bile function. In addition, its antioxidant activity protects against cell damage from those toxins.

It would be great if we could live in a pure environment with clean food, water and air. Even if we eschew our lifestyle and retreat to a remote part of the world, there is still no guarantee that the pollution from the industrial world would not find its way to us. We can do a few simple things to lessen our exposure:

• Buy organic.
• Get a water filter or drink purified water.
• Reduce the amount you drive. Ride a bike, take the bus, or carpool to work.
• Look for products without additives, chemicals, metals or impurities in them; especially food and body care items.
• Replace any aluminum cookware with stainless steel, ceramic or glass.
• Talk to your dentist about removing any amalgam fillings you may have. More and more dentists are aware of the issue and have become proponents for amalgam-free fillings.
• Take supplements that will aid your body in removing toxins and counteract their effect on your body.

Humans are very adaptable creatures. By giving our bodies the resources to maintain optimal health we may be able to lessen the effects of an impure environment.