8 Ways to Reduce Your Chemical Load

We live in a world filled with noxious pollutants and toxins, and while our bodies have systems to remove toxins naturally, we can remove some of the burden by reducing our exposure to them. Mark Sisson gives eight simple, inexpensive ways to reduce our own biological "chemical load.".

... The idea here is reducing our own biological “chemical load,” the number and amount of toxins we carry in our bodies. This includes everything from heavy metals like mercury, arsenic and lead to virtually omnipresent flame retardant compounds called PBDEs to chemicals like phthalates, formaldehyde, PCBs, and bisphenol A (just to name a few). These toxins are invaders, and the body knows it. Some, like the heavy metals, impact neurological functioning. Others, like phthalates, disrupt the endocrine balance. PBDEs, at lower levels, can seriously impact thyroid functioning (an issue for a number of our readers) and at higher levels, can impair reproductive and neurological functioning. In short, this issue is nothing to shake a stick at.

Scientists in both the human health and environmental sciences are learning from the growing use of biomonitoring surveys, in which blood and urine samples from humans (and animals) are tested for the presence of certain toxins. A person’s chemical load is, in part, determined by where they live and how old they are, but it’s also strongly influenced by what kind of lifestyle they lead and the measures they take to minimize their exposure to environmental and consumer toxins in their home and work places.

We’re all about taking charge of our health and well-being, we thought. “So,” we asked, “What are some easy and inexpensive ways for all of us to reduce our chemical load?” Check it out. Read more