Here’s how environmental toxins of all three categories and inflammation are connected.

PESTICIDES AND INFLAMMATION – ENVIRONMENTAL TOXINS IN FOOD

A pesticide is a chemical compound used to kill, repel, or control certain forms of plant or animal life that are considered to be pests. Most serve as plant protection products, which protect plants from insects, fungi, or weeds.

There are many different types of pesticides:

• Insecticides – to kill insects
• Herbicides – to kill plants
• Rodenticides – to kill rodents (rats & mice)
• Bactericides – to kill bacteria
• Fungicides – to kill fungi
• Larvicides – to kill larvae

The studies on pesticide exposure and disease is limited, but still connections have been found:

• Pesticide exposure, even in small doses, can cause topical inflammation.  Look at our farmers who for years used Round-up thought to be safe as they were told, only to now be affected by different forms of lymphoma (again inflammation created disease function) 
• Pesticides have been associated with airway inflammation of chronic bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. 
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• Our bodies have natural killer cells and these cells play a central part in the defense against tumor development and viral infections.  But when exposed to certain pesticides it deprograms and kills our bodies natural killer cells.   
• Pesticides increase inflammatory cytokines 
• Pesticides may affect our immune systems and hormonal balance. 
• And remember, most produce in stores are sprayed heavily with different pesticides meant to kill weeds or insects – so if developed to kill – what is it doing to a human body ????       Read store sticker codes that are stuck to produce.   Only buy produce that code number begins with a #9 this means organic, no pesticides and not GMO.   Code starting with a #3 is produce that has been sprayed heavily with pesticides and codes starting with a #4 are always genetically modified having a virus injected into the seeds so that the product will not produce any seeds – sterile produce.   So eating this product will induce a virus into the person’s body and it is not a live food product either.    We need to eat live foods.  Fresh farm  vegetables and fruits, non pesticide or non GMO, as these are considered live foods 

Constant exposure to pesticides through the food we eat could cause the body to see these chemicals as invaders, worsening the immune reaction over time. A hyper-immune response may be caused that then becomes sensitive to other cells, attacking them and causing inflammation and damage.

AIR POLLUTION AND INFLAMMATION – ENVIRONMENTAL TOXINS IN THE AIR

According to a vast number of studies, air pollution and Inflammation seem to be closely intertwined.

Much of our population tolerates toxic outdoor air, and that accounts for an estimate of about 8 million deaths each year. Air pollution refers to the release of pollutants into the air that are detrimental to human health and the planet as a whole. Major outdoor pollution sources include vehicles, power generations, building heating systems, agriculture/waste, and industry.

Air pollution can also happen indoors. Popular sources are household cleaning supplies, paints, laundry detergents, tobacco smoke and perfumes. I

Additionally, allergens from trees and mold, as well as weeds and grass can be considered air pollutants.

Research shows head-to-toe harm through air pollution, from heart and lung disease to diabetes and dementia. Systematic damage is the result of pollutants that trigger immune system cells that then cause inflammation. Inflammation, usually in the lungs, leads to oxidative stress which activates pro-inflammatory signaling. This sets off a cascade of events that may affect even distant organs. (1) Ultrafine particles being carried around the body and going directly into different organs can also be responsible for inflammation in that organ.

Conditions linked to air pollution:

• Breathing problems from asthma to emphysema to lung cancer – by inhaling the pollutant, leading to local inflammation
• Strokes, dementia and reduced intelligence – through systemic inflammation: Immune cells think a pollution particle is a bacteria, go after it and try to kill it by releasing enzymes and acids. Inflammatory proteins spread into the body, affecting the brain and other organs
• Heart Disease – pollution is believed to have inflammatory effects on the heart, causing chronic cardiovascular problems by inducing systemic inflammation and oxidative stress in peripheral circulation
• Numerous cancers, including in the bladder and the gut, increase in irritable bowel syndrome – by removing toxins from the body
• Preterm birth, low birth weight, reduced lung growth and cognitive problems – affecting unborns by having pollutants in the placenta that nourishes the foetuses

CHEMICALS IN OUR WATER AND INFLAMMATION – ENVIRONMENTAL TOXINS IN THE WATER

Water covers 70% of our Earth’s surface. Safe drinking water is a basic human need. When it comes to our drinking water, you might wonder whether filtered tap water or bottled water is the better choice. You might think you are safer with bottled water, however, plastic sources from the plastic bottles leach into the water and several studies done on 10 different brands of bottled water in 2008 with alarming results: They found 38 different pollutants from disinfection byproducts, to industrial chemicals and bacteria.

We are better off with well water that gets tested regularly or taking our own glass or steel containers to an artesian well source and getting this clean clear fresh water.   We may have family or friends who have great well water and get our water from that source rather than from our tap or in restaurants. 

According to the World Health Organization, 80% of diseases are waterborne. Some of the negative effects of drinking polluted water are:

• Salmonella – can cause persistent intestinal infection, gut microbe imbalance and chronic inflammation.  
• E. Coli – the bacteria can trigger inflammatory bowel syndrome. 
• Hepatitis A – is a viral infection that causes liver inflammation and damage
• Typhoid Fever – S. typhi, the bacteria, causes intestinal inflammation. Among others, less common complications of typhoid fever are inflammation of the heart muscle and inflammation of the pancreas

Major sources of water pollution are:

• Industrialization
• Discharge of domestic waste
• Radioactive waste
• Population growth
• Excessive use of pesticides
• Fertilizers
• Leakage from water tanks

Health risks associated with polluted water include:

• Respiratory disease
• Cancer
• Diarrheal disease
• Neurological disorder
• Cardiovascular disease

One troublesome chemical in water supplies is iron. It gives water a disagreeable metallic taste and produces an inky, black appearance and a harsh unacceptable taste when combined with tea, coffee and other beverages.   Iron content in drinking water increases the risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease including ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.   

Another chemical element in our water system is chlorine to clean out the bacteria and other contaminants in the water system. You will most likely know chlorine as a way to keep swimming pools clean. Thus, chlorine definitely serves a purpose, but there are also risks. Studies show that chronic low dose chlorine exposure significantly increases airway and lung inflammation   It is also linked with an increased risk of asthma.

And Fluoride chemical in our drinking water, this is a poison which weakens bones, including our skeletal structure, weakens ligaments, muscle weakness and nervous system problems, arthritis, thyroid issues, calcifies our ultra important Pineal Gland, and discoloration of teeth.   

ENVIRONMENTAL HORMONES AND INFLAMMATION: ENVIRONMENTAL TOXINS IN AIR, FOOD & WATER

Unfortunately, environmental hormones, or endocrine disruptors, are all around us. They enter our system through our skin, the food we eat, the water we drink and the air we breathe. Environmental hormones are natural or man-made chemicals that resemble endocrine hormones and therefore interfere with the way the body’s hormones work. Once our hormones are out of balance, inflammation increases which contributes to chronic disease.

Endocrine disruptors can be found in:

• Children’s products
• Plastics and food storage materials
• Electronics and building materials
• Personal care products
• Medical tubing
• Sunscreen
• Textiles
• Clothing
• Teflon cookware

So called EDCs have the potential to act as hormone mimics, making our body believe that they are hormones

• block natural hormones from doing their job
• bind to hormone receptors and modify gene expression
• can increase or decrease the levels of hormones in our blood and therefore create an imbalance
• can change how sensitive our bodies are to different hormones

Endocrine disruption is likely to produce mis-regulated inflammation in tissues as the hormone microenvironment exerts a significant effect on resident innate immune cell function.  

Environmental hormones are often found in the food we eat as they are injected into young livestock to make them gain weight faster and to increase the production of milk. Synthetic estrogens and testosterone are the most common hormones used.  If it makes livestock heavy, it obviously is making humans heavy also

Conditions linked to environmental hormones:

Environmental hormones, or endocrine disruptors, can have serious negative health effects especially when exposed to them over a long period of time. Some endocrine-disrupting chemicals are slow to break down in the environment which makes them particularly hazardous over time. In addition, we are typically exposed to multiple endocrine disruptors at the same time which makes it even harder to escape their negative impact.

Endocrine disruptors can lead to  neurological and behavioral changes – and we wonder why teenagers can have behavioral changes, check the toxins and foods they are eating.   These endocrine disruptors have been linked to obesity and Type 2 Diabetes and can interfere with thyroid function and could even promote breast cancer and prostate cancer growth