Nutrients Detoxify And Rebuild An Overwhelmed Immune System

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Nutrients Detoxify And Rebuild An Overwhelmed Immune System

by Gloria Bucco

 

http://curezone.com/foods/pollutants.asp

 

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Most people can't avoid everyday pollutants, but they can take steps

to protect their health

Simply put, we're poisoning ourselves. Annual production of synthetic

chemicals increased from approximately

1 billion pounds in 1940 to more than 387 billion pounds in 1990.1 In

addition:

 

* Up to 25 percent of the U.S. population suffers to some extent from

heavy-metal poisoning.2

 

* Although overall cancer death rates are declining steadily, the

death rates for victims of particularly deadly cancers are rising.3

 

* The 600 percent increase in the amount of chlorine in the

atmosphere during the last 40 years is not just affecting the

countries producing chlorofluorocarbons--it's present in every

country and in Antarctica, the North Pole and the Pacific Ocean.4

 

* In the United States alone, industrial sources and gasoline exhaust

release more than 600,000 tons of lead into the atmosphere that are

eventually inhaled or ingested after being deposited on food crops,

fresh water and soil.5

 

Toxic chemicals and hazardous waste contaminate our air and water.

Our homes and workplaces are saturated with synthetic materials that

release chemical vapors into the air we breathe. Toxic metals such as

lead, aluminum, cadmium and mercury pervade our environment.

Pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, fumigants and

fertilizers seep into the soil and are absorbed into our food.

Additives, preservatives, and artificial colorings and flavorings are

found in almost all supermarket food products.6

 

The result is a 20th century phenomenon--either a heightened

sensitivity to synthetic substances or an environmental illness.

Symptoms often mimic those of other illnesses--fatigue, low vitality,

depression, poor concentration or headaches. Environmental illness

can manifest as chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia (muscle and

joint pain), Parkinson's disease and childhood asthma.7

 

We're waging chemical warfare on ourselves, and we're paying the

price--in illness and sometimes death.

 

We may not be able to escape every pollutant in our world, but we can

protect ourselves and rid our bodies of these poisons naturally and

safely.

 

Toxicity vs. Allergy

 

Environmental toxicity and environmental allergies are two different

things. Allergies result from the immune system's overreaction to a

substance in the environment. Environmental toxicity occurs when

tissues and cells are poisoned to a point where they can no longer

function properly. Allergic reactions usually diminish when contact

with the offending allergen stops. Toxicity-based problems, however,

can persist long after exposure, depending on the type and extent of

damage the toxins have caused.8

 

Because its causes are many and varied, and its symptoms often

mystifying, environmental illness is frequently dismissed by some

physicians. Jeff Anderson, M.D., a medical consultant in Marin

County, Calif., isn't one of them.

 

" Multiple chemical sensitivity is a very valid phenomenon, " he

says. " There are tremendous amounts of science that outline its

mechanisms. A minimum of between 4 percent and 12 percent of the U.S.

population has either a chemical intolerance or a chemical

sensitivity. "

 

Enough people are suffering from such conditions and other

environment-related maladies to keep Anderson busy full time; his

practice consists solely of people with environmental

illnesses. " It's a huge problem, " he explains. " The cost of illness

from indoor air quality alone is estimated at $20 billion a year in

lost income and disability payments at all levels of industry. "

 

Anderson approaches each patient's condition as a mystery that needs

to be solved. He begins by taking an extensive health and

environmental history then follows with a thorough physical exam and

lab tests to screen for chemical toxins. The test results are matched

with tests of a patient's home and work environments to determine the

toxin's source. If necessary, further diagnostic work is completed on

the patient's immune and neurological systems.

 

" We get a pretty good picture after all this, " Anderson says.

 

A Nutritional Approach

 

Once environmental illness is diagnosed, the logical first step is

removing the offending toxins from a patient's environment. Only then

can getting well begin. Detoxification is the key to this process.

 

" Toxicity has become a great concern in the 20th century, and I

predict that the process of detoxification will be an important tool

for 21st century medicine, " says Elson Haas, M.D., author of The

Detox Diet (Celestial Arts, 1996).

 

The human body handles toxins either by neutralizing, transforming or

eliminating them, according to Haas. Enhancing detoxification

involves dietary and lifestyle changes that reduce the intake of

toxins while improving elimination. Detoxification therapy,

especially fasting, is the oldest known medical treatment. Haas

defines fasting as avoiding solid foods and ingesting only liquids.

 

Steams and saunas are Anderson's preferred methods of

detoxification. " Sweating is the most effective way to detoxify, " he

says. " Most toxic chemicals are stored in fat cells. A sauna set at

120 to 140 degrees for extended periods raises the body temperature.

the heat drives toxic materials out of fat molecules so they can be

excreted through the sweat glands. "

 

Bob Rountree, M.D., a holistic practitioner in Boulder, Colo., works

with many patients experiencing environmental illness symptoms and

also focuses on detoxification.

 

" A complex array of chemical reactions that occurs in the intestines

also affects the rest of the body, " he says. " It's a two-way street

between the intestines and the bloodstream. If the intestinal walls

aren't healthy, toxicity goes way up. "

 

Rountree begins treatment with a liquid cleanse that lasts one to

three days. He then recommends a special diet that excludes common

allergens such as dairy products, gluten, fried foods, sugar,

caffeine and alcohol. " I keep the diet really simple, with some

grains, plenty of vegetables and baked fish, " he says. Patients stay

on this diet for two to three weeks.

 

Rountree also suggests patients eat flaxseed meal. " Lignans are

really terrific for detoxification, " he explains. " And there are more

lignans in flaxseed meal than in flaxseed oil. " Lignans are potent

plant compounds that have been shown to have powerful therapeutic

capabilities in addition to decreasing allergic response.9

 

Time To Rebuild

 

Once the detoxification process is complete, it's time to begin

rebuilding the immune system and minimizing chemical irritation.

Following are recommendations from Haas:

 

* A quality multiple vitamin with extra antioxidant nutrients to

decrease the potential of free-radical toxicity.

 

* Extra vitamin A for immune support and tissue protection.

 

* Beta-carotene to re-duce the carcinogenicity of chemicals.

 

* Vitamin C to protect cells and tissues against the effects of water-

soluble chemicals such as carbon monoxide, metals such as cadmium,

and metabolic by-products such as carcinogenic nitrosamines made from

nitrites.

 

* Vitamin E and selenium (200 to 300 mcg) work together to protect

cells from pollutants including ozone, nitrogen dioxide, nitrites and

metals such as lead, mercury, silver and cadmium.

 

* Minerals, especially zinc, to help protect cells from toxins. Many

detoxifying enzymes require zinc to work. When combined with copper

and manganese, zinc also functions in the superoxide dismutase

system, detoxifying the oxygen-free radicals thought to be generated

from ozone and smog. Calcium and magnesium also help neutralize some

colon toxins and decrease heavy-metal absorption from the

gastrointestinal tract.

 

* A B vitamin complex formula with sufficient thiamine, pantothenic

acid and niacinamide along with lipoic acid to help protect the liver

and mitigate the effects of radiation.

 

* The sulfur-containing amino acid L-cysteine to help neutralize

heavy-metal toxins and toxic by-products of smoking, smog, alcohol

and fats. L-cysteine helps produce glutathione, a tripeptide

essential to several important enzymes, particularly glutathione

peroxidase.

 

* Methionine, another sulfur-containing amino acid that, according to

Haas, has mild detoxification and protective functions.

 

* Insoluble fiber such as wheat bran and soluble fiber such as

psyllium to reduce metal absorption.

 

* Sodium alginate from seaweed to decrease heavy and radioactive

metal absorption.

 

* Chlorophyll-containing algae such as chlorella and spirulina, for a

mild chelating effect.

 

* Apple pectin to bind and clear intestinal metals and chemical

toxins.

 

* Alfalfa, rich in chlorophylls, along with vitamin K, to reduce

tissue damage from radiation exposure.

 

Rountree also advocates a wide variety of immune-strengthening

supplements. First on his list is an antioxidant formula consisting

of a carotene complex; vitamin C (2 to 10 g/day); vitamin E; zinc;

selenium; NAC (N-acetylcysteine) if glutathione levels are low; and

bioflavonoids such as rutin, herperidin, quercitrin and naringin.

 

If warranted, Rountree also uses other nutrients including lipoic

acid; Co-Q10, a documented immune enhancer; adaptogens such as

reishi, shiitake and maitake mushrooms; green foods such as blue-

green algae; and a variety of herbs including Siberian ginseng, to

protect the liver; astragalus, a powerful immunotonic; ginkgo, for

asthma and other respiratory complaints; and suma, a South American

herbal adaptogen.

 

To defend against free-radical damage to cell walls, Anderson starts

his patients on a regime that includes the antioxidant vitamins C, E

and beta-carotene, followed by the minerals manganese and copper. He

also recommends natural substances with chelating effects such as

aduki beans, lentils and cilantro.

 

Be Practical

 

Chemicals are part of modern life, so how do we deal them and still

stay healthy?

 

" Learning to live with chemicals and using them appropriately so they

don't destroy us involves maintaining a healthy immune system, a

positive attitude and a high purpose, " Haas says. " Protecting

ourselves by reducing chemical use and exposure will greatly reduce

our chances of disease, cancer and early death.

 

" This is important for everyone, but especially for infants and small

children, the elderly, and invalids--all of whom are more susceptible

to chemical toxicity. Making changes and a commitment to living as

chemically free as possible is a strong investment in our personal

and collective life-insurance plan. " NSN

 

by Gloria Bucco

 

Gloria Bucco is an independent journalist and communications

consultant in Longmont, Colo. Her last article in Nutrition Science

News focused on borrowed science.