In the polluted twenty-first century, we live surrounded by artificial chemicals that our bodies are not evolved to cope with. Some 80,000–100,000 have been synthesized since the Industrial Revolution. They are in common use, and find their way into our air, water, soil and food, and ultimately into us.
Car fumes, industrial waste, pesticides, heavy metals—we are exposed to all these and many more with very little choice. Then there are the toxic chemicals to which we expose ourselves voluntarily, but in blissful ignorance—our perfume or aftershave, deodorant and hair spray, the kitchen cleaning fluids under the sink, the stain remover, the car oil, the air freshener we spray in the toilet. All of these substances are alien to the human body, and they accumulate over the years, potentially doing us serious harm.
Here’s a guide to some of the main pollutants to watch out for, and how to detox effectively.
Heavy metals
Mercury
Sources: Mercury is found in some fish, notably tuna, as well as “silver” amalgam dental fillings, broken thermometers, industrial effluent and in old vaccination stocks in the form of “thimerosal”
Effects: Neurological and psychiatric symptoms,1 bleeding gums, metallic taste in the mouth, gut disorders, tinnitus, autoimmune disease and more
Lead
Sources: Old house paint, old pipes, cosmetics (especially skin whiteners), imported toys, factory emissions, coal burning and more
Effects: Gut ache, bowel problems, nausea and vomiting, developmental delay, impulsivity/aggression,2 memory and learning problems, muscular weakness/fatigue, insomnia, anemia, Alzheimer’s-like pathology and more
Nickel
Stainless-steel pots and pans (stainless steel is 14 percent nickel),
