During pregnancy, mothers-to-be generally try to eat better and take better care of themselves in the hopes of improving the health of their infants. Pregnant moms may also try avoiding certain chemical exposures like cigarette smoke and even harsh cleaning products. This can be a tricky task, however. One recent study has found that flame retardant exposure—a difficult exposure to avoid—is linked to lower birth weight in babies.

The study, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, found that for every tenfold increase in PBDE (polybrominated diphenyl ether) levels in the mother’s blood, there was a 4.1 ounce drop in the baby’s birth weight. Lead researcher Kim Harley, from the University of California, Berkley’s School of Public Health, stated, “What we saw was a shift toward lighter babies among women with higher PBDE exposure rather than a dramatic increase in the number of low birth weight babies.” For babies already at risk for low birth weight for other reasons, 4.1 ounces would make a big difference.

The PBDEs tested for in the study were actually phased out of use in 2004, but because they are found in many household items, their persistence is still widespread. These chemicals leach from furniture, upholstery, carpet, electronics and more (even baby products and children’s pajamas!), and are stored in fat cells. Flame retardants have been linked to reduced fertility and thyroid dysfunction in women.

How do we get out of this toxic soup? Well, we can’t. But the researchers do recommend wet mopping when dusting since flame retardants are concentrated in dust, and frequent hand washing to avoid ingesting these chemicals.

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I have blogged before on superbugs in our bodies—like C. diff, MRSA and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Superbugs is the term for bacteria that have developed antibiotic resistance, making the infections they cause very difficult to treat. The main reason for the development of these superbugs is the overuse of antibiotics—in medicine, food production (livestock) and even in hand soaps.

Now, there’s a new superbug in town, a superbug of a different kind. And who is behind it, but Monsanto, the biotechnology giant. It seems that one of Monsanto’s biggest money-makers—Bt corn, is creating superbugs. The majority of non-organic corn planted in the U.S. is genetically modified to produce a toxic compound against western corn rootworms—a major corn pest. This corn is well-known as Bt corn, because it contains a gene from the soil microorganisms Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), which produces an insecticide against the corn rootworm.

Genetically modified Bt corn worked so well against the corn rootworm that some farmers began planting it every year, instead of the usual rotation of growing corn one year and soybeans the next—a method that helps reduce pest populations. If there is one thing that farmers should know, it’s that planting the same thing every year is a recipe for disaster (even if it doesn’t seem that way at first).

It turns out the corn rootworms, much like the superbug bacteria infecting humans, are developing a resistance to the Bt toxin that usually destroys the pest. A few farms in Iowa are reporting that the Bt corn no longer kills the corn rootworm, meaning the bugs—now superbugs—have developed resistance to the Bt toxin. First superbugs in our guts, now superbugs on corn, soon superbugs everywhere. (Anyone notice a problem, here?)

Competitors of Monsanto estimate that about one-third of all the corn grown in the U.S. is Monsanto’s Bt corn. These competitors have their own Bt corn, with slightly different genes, that they are offering as a solution for the Bt resistant rootworm. Are you kidding? This seems ridiculous to me. It’s like placing a Band-Aid on a war wound. If they think that the corn rootworm won’t also develop resistance to their Bt toxin, they’re crazy. Unfortunately, it’s all about money. Preserving human health, or even feeding the planet, has nothing to do with it.

Corn and its by-products are in so many foods. Try to buy products using organic corn, or at least non-GM corn, to avoid being part of the human experiment that is the consumption of GM foods in this country. We just don’t know if they’re safe yet, and many studies suggest they’re not.

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Genetically modified foods are responsible, in part, for the widespread use of chemical herbicides. RoundUp-ready GM crops are being planted across the country, allowing for the liberal use of the toxic chemical herbicide RoundUp. 

Sugar beets were genetically modified in this way, but were originally taken out of production by a court order issued by district court judge Jeffrey S. White, who said a full environmental impact statement (EIS) needed to be done first. Well, a recent study that suggests a shortage of sugar beet seeds this spring has catalyzed a reaction by food companies to pressure the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to lift the ban. 

The result? Genetically modified sugar beets are being partially deregulated, and will be planted this spring.  The USDA is permitting farmers to plant the GM sugar beets in line with rules designed to prevent the plant’s wind-blown pollen from reaching organic fields, where it could contaminate the organic crops with its own GM traits. Whether these rules will actually be followed (if they are even effective!) is another story.

This is a perfect example of the HUGE influence that the food industry has on government regulation. Alfalfa crops have already been deregulated in this way. The Organic Consumers Association said this about the deregulation of alfalfa: “[It is] guaranteed to spread its mutant genes and seeds across the nation; guaranteed to contaminate the alfalfa fed to organic animals; guaranteed to lead to massive poisoning of farm workers and destruction of the essential soil food web by the toxic herbicide, RoundUp; and guaranteed to produce RoundUp-resistant superweeds….”

Too bad the Organic Consumers Association doesn’t have the same pull as the food industry!

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I recommend eating natural foods all the time because I know foods that don’t contain toxic ingredients are better for our bodies. If you eat meat, choose natural meats from animals that haven’t been treated with growth hormones and antibiotics.

Now there are even more good reasons to go all-natural. A recent study found certain strains of E. coli bacteria that were causing urinary tract infections (UTIs) in women were the same strains found on antibiotic-treated chicken at the local grocery store.

Yeah. Gross.

Are you wondering, “how the heck?” Well, antibiotic-treated chicken may actually harbor bacteria that are more resistant because some bacteria can survive antibiotic treatment. These resistant bacteria live on the raw chicken and can be consumed if cross-contamination prevention is not practiced while preparing and cooking food. The bacteria can pass through the digestive tract without causing an infection in the gut, but these same bacteria can migrate to the urethra where they are not as easily tolerated, triggering a UTI.   

What to do? Here are some tips:

• Buy chicken raised without antibiotics.  If you can get organic, that’s even better.
• Prevent cross contamination by cooking chicken thoroughly, washing your hands before and after handling chicken.  Thoroughly clean all utensils, cutting board and countertops with hot soapy water after preparing food (of any kind for safe measure).
• Do not use the same cutting board or utensils for raw vegetables that you used for the raw chicken
• To avoid UTIs, wipe from front to back, urinate after intercourse, and keep your gut balanced with a healthy amount of beneficial bacteria

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Dogs are not called “man’s best friend” for no reason. Dogs are wonderful companions, I know. I have four dogs, myself. That’s why I developed a line of supplements for dogs with Dr. Joel Murphy. I know that dogs deal with many of the same issues we do as humans. One of these issues is toxin exposure. In fact, our pets (and children, for that matter) are particularly susceptible to toxin exposure due to their close proximity to the ground, where many toxins collect.

A recent study by researchers at Indiana University analyzed levels of flame retardants in blood from 17 dogs who live primarily indoors. Flame retardants are chemicals used on carpet, upholstery, furniture, electronics, and even children’s pajamas. They collect in house dust, and can be found in just about everyone. It turns out that the dogs in the study had levels of these toxic flame retardants that were five to 10 times higher than those found in humans.

Though these levels were not as high as those found in cats, there still may be some negative health effects we don’t even know yet. If you are concerned about your dog’s exposure to toxins, consider a detox supplement that helps to support the liver. Keep household dust to a minimum with a vacuum or sweeping. This may help reduce some exposure.

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I often blog about the widespread negative effects of chemicals and pesticides. We live in a toxic soup, and the more people realize that, the more likely they will be to make changes. Ultimately, the more natural products and services you buy, the more those products and businesses will appear until one day (in my perfect world) we will be able to live without all these toxins!

Take a couple of recent studies (out of many) on pesticide exposure—as it turns out, prenatal exposure to pesticides is linked to lower IQ in children at age 7. And people exposed to pesticides near the workplace are at increased risk for developing Parkinson’s disease. Everywhere I look is another study to add to the mounds of evidence that the toxins we are regularly exposed to in everyday life are destroying us. Literally.

In the prenatal pesticide exposure study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, for every ten-fold increase in organophosphate pesticides detected during pregnancy, the child experienced a 5.5 point decrease in IQ score by age 7. The study found a correlation with prenatal exposure specifically, suggesting that there is a critical time period to which the baby in womb is susceptible.

In the Parkinson’s study, researchers found that exposure to the three commonly sprayed crop pesticides—ziram, maneb and paraquat—while at work was associated with a three-fold increase in risk of later developing Parksinson’s disease. Working near a field (not necessarily in direct contact with the pesticides, as they tend to drift up to several hundred meters from the fields) was enough to increase risk.

These are two small—yet significant—reasons to try to eat organic when possible, and to support your seven channels of elimination—colon, liver, lungs, lymph, kidneys, skin and blood—with regular cleansing and detoxification.

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Plastic products are made with an array of toxic chemicals—different chemicals depending on the final function of the plastic. Sure, plastics are convenient, there is no doubt. But I have to say, we’ve gone overboard with our dependence on plastic products.

A recent study has found that one-third of plastic products tested released toxic substances. The test they did was simple—they soaked 83 randomly selected plastic items in pure water for 1 to 3 days. Then, they were able to test for acute toxicity by adding water fleas to the water. As it turned out, one-third of those plastic products released chemicals that were acutely toxic to the fleas.

This was an eye-opener, because think about how little it took to leach chemicals off these plastics. All it took was pure water! Think about that bottle of water you drink every day. Think about that baby bath, filled with plastic toys. Think about that swimming pool. In fact, five out of 13 children’s products, including bath toys and inflatable armbands, were found to release toxins.

Plastics are everywhere, and they’re almost impossible to avoid. But if you can take measures to reduce your exposure and lessen the amount of plastics you use, you’ll be exposed to fewer chemicals. Obviously from this study, it doesn’t take much for toxins from plastic to be released.

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 Constipation is a common childhood condition, unfortunately. Even worse is the mainstream definition of constipation—less than three bowel movements per week. Say what! If you or little Johnny are only pooping three times a week, we’ve got a problem. Regular elimination helps remove toxins from the system. And the longer feces sit in the colon the more toxic it gets!

A recent study evaluated the effect of the probiotic Bifidobacterium breve in children with constipation. Twenty children between the ages of 3 and 16 took the probiotic daily for a 4-week period. Bowel movement frequency and stool consistency improved significantly in these children. That means their constipation improved. The results of this pilot trial are promising, and will lead to a larger randomized controlled trial.  

Bifidobacteria are the most prevalent probiotic bacteria in the large intestine, or colon, of children. Normal bifidobacteria colonization occurs when babies are born vaginally, and is improved during breastfeeding. Antibiotic treatment can interfere with colonization, especially during the first months and years of life. Maintaining a healthy balance of bifidobacteria is associated with intestinal health, which is the foundation of total body health.

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Brenda and I have been talking for years about the toxic soup that we all live in. It’s in our food, in the water, in the air and in our own bodies. It’s impossible to completely avoid toxins, and that’s a problem, especially in light of the scientific evidence that shows environmental toxins are destroying our health.

Many recent studies have looked at air pollution and its many harmful effects. It has been known for some time that exposure to air pollution is associated with health conditions like asthma, cardiovascular disease and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In fact, polluted air can even create serious ventricular arrhythmias.¹ Also, the incidence of heart attacks in rush hour traffic in the United Kingdom are thought to be due to the polluted air. In support of this is a quote from the August 2005 Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) referring to particle laden dirty air, “Ultrafine particles < 0.1 µm (UFPs) dominate particle number concentrations and surface area, and are therefore capable of carrying large concentrations of adsorbed or condensed toxic air pollutants. It is likely that redox-active components in UFPs from fossil fuel combustion reach cardiovascular target sites. High UFP exposures may lead to systemic inflammation through oxidative stress responses to reactive oxygen species and thereby promote the progression of atherosclerosis, and precipitate acute cardiovascular responses ranging from increased blood pressure to myocardial infarction.”²

The studies on this topic keep rolling in. The latest issue of EHP published a study on the link between prenatal exposure to air pollutants and subsequent behavioral problems in children.³ Children with the highest levels of pollution exposure had more attention problems, anxiety and depression at age 5 to 7 than those children with the least exposure. It is also known that exposure to organophosphate pesticides found on foods is linked to ADHD symptoms, by the way. And we wonder why ADHD is on the rise.

Other new studies continue to support just how air pollution affects health. One study in animals found that chronic inhalation of polluted air triggered inflammation that spread throughout the body.⁴ To quote one of the researchers, “Our main hypothesis is that particulate matter stimulates inflammation in the lung, and products of that inflammation spill over into the body’s circulation, traveling to fat tissue to promote inflammation and causing vascular dysfunction.”

This comes as no surprise to me. Inflammation is involved in most every disease, and certainly plays a role in all chronic diseases. Inflammation can be triggered by a number of factors—toxins, stress, illness, digestive imbalance—and it can travel throughout the body causing disease.

Another recent study, again published in EHP, found that short term exposure to air pollution damaged areas of the brain associated with memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease in mice.⁴ Guess what the study found? The brains affected by air pollution showed signs of inflammation associated with premature aging and Alzheimer’s disease.

Finally, the New England Journal of Medicine showed that reductions in air pollution accounted for as much as 15% of the overall increase in life expectancy in the areas that were studied!⁶

It’s difficult to know just how to avoid all this pollution, but there are things we can do to reduce toxicity. First, use high efficiency particulate air filters (HEPA filters) throughout your house (or at least your bedroom), and in your car cabin. According to Carla Kalogeridis at the Filter Manufacturers Council, only 40 percent of North American vehicles have cabin air filters despite the ongoing concern of consumers regarding cabin air quality.⁷ Others say as many as 80% or more now have cabin filters. I couldn’t find a clear answer from the www.epa.gov site, but did find where they recommended a portable cabin filter.⁸ In any case if you have a cabin filter they generally need to be replaced annually or every 15,000 miles. The filters can be easily bought from the dealers or online⁹ with instructions on how to change them at home.

If you can avoid daily bumper-to-bumper traffic jams, that’s a good start, and if you can’t it would be very wise to change your cabin air filter. If your vehicle doesn’t have one there are portables available.⁸ Eating a healthy diet high in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats and lean proteins will help your body get many nutrients and fiber it needs. Reduce inflammation with omega-3 oils, and quell gut inflammation with probiotics. And support the body’s seven channels of elimination: colon, liver, lungs, lymph, kidneys, skin and blood with nutrients that promote the healthy function of these channels, plus periodic colon hydrotherapy, and infrared sauna. Lastly, find stress-reducing activities including exercise and meditation to round out a healthy lifestyle. All of the above strategies will help to keep your detoxification pathways open.

1. M.S. Link and D.W. Dockery, “Air pollution and the triggering of cardiac arrhythmias.” Curr Opin Cardiol. 2010 Jan;25(1):16-22.
2. R.J. Delfino, et al., “Potential role of ultrafine particles in associations between airborne particle mass and cardiovascular health.” Environ Health Perspect. 2005 Aug;113(8):934-46.
3. F.P. Perera, et al., “PAH/Aromatic DNA Adducts in Cord Blood and Behavior Scores in New York City Children.” Environ Health Perspect. 2011 Apr 4.
4. T. Kampfrath, et al., “Chronic Fine Particulate Matter Exposure Induces Systemic Vascular Dysfunction via NADPH Oxidase and TLR4 Pathways.” Circ Res. 2011 Mar 18;108(6):716-26.
5. T.E. Morgan, et al., “Glutamatergic neurons in rodent models respond to nanoscale particulate urban air pollutants in vivo and in vitro.” Environ Health Perspect. 2011 Apr 4.
6. C.A. Cope, et al., “Fine-particulate air pollution and life expectancy in the United States.” N Engl J Med. 2009 Jan 22;360(4):376-86.
7. http://www.ehow.com/about_6404803_hepa-cabin-filter_.html#ixzz1JnfTQzQA
8. http://www.epa.gov/nhsrc/pubs/TISPortableMotorVehicleCabinAirPurifier.pdf
9. www.filters-now.com

Dr. Leonard Smith is a prominent Board-Certified, general, gastrointestinal and vascular surgeon who had a successful private practice for 25 years. In addition to his active surgery practice, he also incorporated lifestyle, diet, supplementation, exercise, detoxification, and stress management into many of the therapies he would prescribe. Many of his patients with cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other serious illnesses did so well under his treatment regimes that he began to devote most of his career to foundational health care and preventive medicine.

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I talk about BPA a lot because not a week goes by that I don’t hear about it in the news. It seems that not enough can be said about the potential negative effects of this chemical. It’s in most plastics, most food cans, baby bottles, and now…it’s at your child’s next dental appointment.

A dental resin used for dental fillings and tooth sealant has been found to contain BPA that remains in saliva for up to three hours after dental work. BPA, or bisphenol A, is a hormone disruptor that may be especially harmful to children.

More products are becoming available that are BPA free, like plastic water bottles and even BPA free canned food. So how can you avoid BPA at the dentist? Well, authors of a study in the journal Pediatrics suggest rinsing with water for 30 seconds after the dental work is completed to reduce the amount of BPA. I guess that’s a start. But it’s still a scary thought that our children our ingesting this toxin while trying to preserve their dental health.

It just goes to show that chemicals are everywhere. As a matter of fact, another BPA study found that hormone disruptors, like BPA, phthalates and PCBs, are found indoors, outdoors, in homes of the poor and homes of the affluent. Yet another recent study funded by the National Institutes of Health found evidence that current levels of BPA exposure is dangerous to our health. With more than 8 billion pounds of BPA made per year, I’d say it’s a big problem.

I call it a toxic soup that we are swimming in. That’s why it’s so important to do what we can to avoid toxins and live clean.

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