Every Day Toxins

I’ve been doing some reading. My friends say that scares them, since I usually come up with something else they shouldn’t be doing. I’ve known for some time that household cleaners aren’t good for us. In fact, back when I was nursing full time, (at least 20 years ago) I read that the most toxic profession was housekeeping. I chuckled and said that wouldn’t likely affect me since I was allergic to housework and usually had someone else clean my house. But think about that- household products are so toxic that if you do a lot of cleaning, you’ll get sick. They were talking about lung cancer, liver cancer, chronic bronchitis, and a bunch of other scary diseases. Another profession that carries a high risk for cancer due to products commonly used is being a hairdresser or working in a beauty salon.
Click here for effective, inexpensive, SAFE cleaning products.

One of the most toxic ingredients, according to Dr. Samuel Epstein, M.D., an expert in the field of environmental and occupational medicine, is Sodium Laureth (or Laurel) Sulfate. I’ve checked, and it’s in everything from soaps, to laundry detergent, to dish detergent, to baby products. And here’s another “fun” tidbit. Many cleaning products don’t have to list their “secret” ingredients if they’re not on the government’s list of toxic substances. But the government doesn’t test them, so how will they know if they’re toxic or not? Currently, we know of at least 80 chemicals that cause cancer that are in our daily routine products. Heard about Bisphenol A (BPA) in the news lately? It’s in plastics and has been leaching out into our food, baby formula, and household products; especially when heated. Oh, joy, my aching liver.

If you think the EPA or FDA is keeping an eye on things, guess again. They have no funding for such things and rely on the manufacturer to provide information regarding toxicity from their own research. Oh, yeah, I’ll bet that happens a lot. According to the EPA, only 7% of the nearly 300,000 chemicals available in the US have toxicology reports.

And it’s not just your cleaning products. Body lotions, shampoo, bath soap, shower gel, nail polish remover, toothpaste, face creams, and the list goes on are all absorbed through the skin. In medicine, they call it the “transdermal” route. More and more medications are being delivered that way because it bypasses the stomach acid and heads straight for the blood stream. And if you want it to get there really fast, you give it under the tongue, called the “sublingual” route. So where do you think the Sodium Lauryl Sulfate in your toothpaste is going?

One of the most unappreciated toxins is fluoride- found in our drinking water and oral hygeine products. In the news very recently, Professor A. K. Susheela, a world renowned scientist who has published more than 80 papers on the subject, warned Australia on February 4th of 2010 that fluoride has been linked to the following effects: stillbirths, miscarriages, destruction of bones and teeth, depletion of muscle energy and muscle damage, and damage to the lining of the esophagus and stomach.  “The evidences we have provided on the harmful effects of fluoride on human health, unequivocally prove the point that fluoride is disease-causing and not disease preventing. Our scientific publications would not only stand the test of time but also before any judiciary in any part of the world, as it is based on biomedical research of highest standards,’’ says Dr Susheela.

The label on your toothpaste says to call the poison control center if more than is needed to brush your teeth is swallowed. There is enough poison in a 4 oz tube of toothpaste to kill a 4 year old child, and enough in a large tube to kill an adult. Europe and Australia are becoming increasingly anti-fluoride. Click here for dental care products that do not have fluoride or alcohol yet are safe and very effective.

Click here for safe personal care products that are effective and economical.

We have to get smart as consumers, and start reading labels. More health conscious stores carry some brands that are safer, but what do we really know about those companies? They can volunteer to test their ingredients and pass that information on to the EPA? I’ve been doing my homework, and I think I’ve found a few solutions. If you want to know more, visit http://hhh.ineways.com. You can read about the company's ethics and mission, and shop products at wholesale prices. How does it get better than that?  If you want a copy of Dr. Epstein on a great DVD, email me via this website.

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