Children and Our Toxic World
As I was reading the newspaper earlier this week I came across an article in The Berkshire Eagle on Tuesday, September 19th that grabbed my attention. It was on the front page and therefore must have been thought of as being important. It was titled, Toxins Linked to Kids’ Illness. This is a study to be published online in the journal, Environmental Health Perspectives.
The article shows how one-third of attention deficit cases among U.S. children may be linked with tobacco smoke before birth or to lead exposure afterward. It builds on previous research linking attention problems, including Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder, with childhood lead exposure and smoking during pregnancy, and offers one of the first estimates for how much those environmental factors might contribute. The article further points out that the study’s estimate is in line with a National Academy of Sciences report in 2000 that said about 3 percent of all developmental and neurological disorders in the U.S. children are caused by toxic chemicals and other environmental factors and 25 percent are due to a combination of environmental factors and genetics.
Soon after reading this article I received my recent copy of Autism Research Review International and the lead article was about a study implicating heavy metal toxicity as a culprit in autism and treatment with chelation therapy. By measuring porphyrins in the urine this can give an impression of possible heavy metal toxicity and especially in regards to mercury. Excess porphyrin is being implicated with damage caused on a cellular level from mercury. It has been found that 53% of autistic children excrete porphyrin in their urine. More tests and research are needed to confirm these findings and clarify these relationships.
One thing is clear; more and more research reveals that living in a technological and modern environment has its price. Does that mean we must chuck it all and live off the grid? Should we move into the wilderness and live a hunter-gatherer lifestyle and escape modern civilization? Some people do and others wish they could. Yet many of us like our lifestyles and the benefits of modern technology. The truth is humans have lived with toxicity and heavy metal loads and other health challenges from the earliest of our existence. We have evolved over the millennium to detoxify and heal most of our ailments and we have learned how to help with whatever means we have had in each historical period of our existence. Whether it was herbs, food or modern medicine, we have adapted and prospered. Some have been genetically more successful than others. So what is different today than in the past? , The cumulative nature of our present day toxicity is one major difference.
We live in a more challenging environment with mass produced food and fast food that adds to the problem. What can we do? The daily choices we make can benefit us or hinder us. These choices can multiply our physical and chemical stress or minimize it.
We can start with whole food, organic food, unprocessed food without chemicals and additives. Preparing food at home from scratch with healthy ingredients and minimizing eating out at fast food restaurants are essential. Drinking lots of water and avoiding excessive coffee, soft drinks and alcohol. Exercising on a regular basis and making sure our children learn early the fun and benefits of physical activity. Reducing stress as much as possible. Maintaining a proper weight.
Examining all recommendations a doctor makes in regards to our children by reading as much as we can so we can discuss the risks vs. benefits. Asking if a vaccine contains mercury and requesting one that doesn’t. Discussing a schedule of vaccinations if a child or sibling has had a previous reaction.
We can no longer take our health for granted. It is imperative that we are conscious of all we do in regards to diet, exercise and lifestyle choices. Our children learn from what we do on a daily basis more than what we tell them by word. Our actions speak louder than our words. Our children’s future health is in our hands today. The world may not become safer and healthier in the near future, but we can safeguard our own lives with healthy and conscious choices.
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