Issue link: http://cp.revolio.com/i/800850
Page 28| Abby's Magazine - www.AbbysMag.com around the globe – even polar bears. These chemicals can imitate thyroid hormones in our bodies and disrupt their ac vity. That can lead to lower IQ, among other significant health effects. While several kinds of PBDEs have now been phased out, this doesn't mean that toxic fire retardants have gone away. PBDEs are incredibly persistent, so they're going to be contamina ng people and wildlife for decades to come. How to avoid it? It's virtually impossible, but passing be er toxic chemical laws that require chemicals to be tested before they go on the market would help reduce our exposure. A few things that can you can do in the mean me include: use a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter, which can cut down on toxic-laden house dust; avoid reupholstering foam furniture; take care when replacing old carpet (the padding underneath may contain PBDEs). Lead Lead is one heavy metal you want to avoid. It's well known that lead is toxic, especially to children. Lead harms almost every organ system in the body and has been linked to a staggering array of health effects, including permanent brain damage, lowered IQ, hearing loss, miscarriage, premature birth, increased blood pressure, kidney damage and nervous system problems. But few people realize that one other way that lead may affect your body is by disrup ng your hormones. In animals, lead has been found to lower sex hormone levels. Research has also shown that lead can disrupt the hormone signaling that regulates the body's major stress system (called the HPA axis). You probably have more stress in your life than you want, so the last thing you need is something making it harder for your body to deal with it – especially when this stress system is implicated in high blood pressure, diabetes, anxiety and depression. How to avoid it? Keep your home clean and well maintained. Crumbling old paint is a major source of lead exposure, so get rid of it carefully. A good water filter can also reduce your exposure to lead in drinking water. And if you need another reason to eat be er, studies have also shown that children with healthy diets absorb less lead. Arsenic Arsenic isn't just for murder mysteries anymore. In fact, this toxin is lurking in your food and drinking water. If you eat enough of it, arsenic will kill you outright. In smaller amounts, arsenic can cause skin, bladder and lung cancer. Basically, bad news. Less well known: Arsenic messes with your hormones! Specifically, it can interfere with normal hormone func oning in the glucocor coid system that regulates how our bodies process sugars and carbohydrates. What does that mean for you? Well, disrup ng the glucocor coid system has been linked to weight gain/loss, protein was ng, immunosuppression, insulin resistance (which can lead to diabetes), osteoporosis, growth retarda on and high blood pressure. How to avoid it? Reduce your exposure by using a water filter that lowers arsenic levels. Mercury Cau on: That sushi you are ea ng could be hazardous to your health. Mercury, a naturally occurring but toxic metal, gets into the air and the oceans primarily though burning coal. Eventually, it can end up on your plate in the form of mercury-contaminated seafood. Pregnant women are the most at risk from the toxic effects of mercury, since the metal is known to concentrate in the fetal brain and can interfere with brain development. Mercury is also known to bind directly to one par cular hormone that regulates women's menstrual cycle and ovula on, interfering with normal signaling pathways. In other words, hormones don't work so well when they've got mercury stuck to them! The metal may also play a role in diabetes, since mercury has been shown to damage cells in the pancreas that produce insulin, which is cri cal for the body's ability to metabolize sugar. How to avoid it? For people who s ll want to eat (sustainable) seafood with lots of healthy fats but without a side of toxic mercury, wild salmon and farmed trout are good choices. Metal Flush is an herbal formula which removes mercury from the body. Perfluorinated Chemicals (PFCs) The perfluorinated chemicals used to make non-s ck cookware can s ck to you. Perfluorochemicals are so widespread and extraordinarily persistent that 99 percent of Americans have these chemicals in their bodies. One par cularly notorious compound called PFOA has been shown to be "completely resistant to biodegrada on." In other words, PFOA doesn't break down in the environment