How Herbs Can Help You Rise Above A Toxic Environment

Living in the natural world in the year 2001 just isn't very natural. No matter where you live, chemical exposure is pretty likely -- and it's a major health risk.

Since 1976, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has run an annual program known as the National Human Adipose Tissue Survey. Each year human fatty tissue from autopsies and elective surgery patients all over the United States is analyzed for its toxic compound content. The results? In 1982, five of the 54 tested toxins -- a dioxin and four solvents-- were found in 100 percent of the samples, while nine other chemicals were found in 91 to 98 percent of the samples. Studies conducted since that time by both the EPA and other institutions have found the same thing: humans and the entire ecosystem are heavily burdened, and in many cases overwhelmed, by toxic exposure.

A little history

Although one of the more noxious substances, DDT, was banned in the US in 1972, lots of other chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides and a particularly nasty group of solvents known as "volatile organic compounds" (VOCs) still abound in our environment.

In fact, compounds that create health problems can be found in all sorts of common products: plastics, foam rubber, paint, glue, fertilizers, clothing which has been dry cleaned or stored in moth balls, coats and jackets worn while pumping your gas, and even things like room deodorizers, acrylic nails, toys, and new carpets.

It was during the 1980s that people really began paying attention to the toxic nature of indoor air. The year 1976 brought us Legionnaires' disease, a condition resulting from indoor exposure to a biological contaminant. More than 200 American Legionnaires became sick while attending a conference in a Philadelphia hotel. When the illness first broke out, physicians looked for conventional causes such as food, flu and poor sanitation. Scientists later realized that the conference-goers got sick because the convention center's air circulation system had spread an illness-causing organism throughout the meeting rooms. The bug was later named Legionella pneumophila, in recognition of the attendees who first introduced us to the concept of indoor air pollution.

In a distant follow-up to this phenomenon, the EPA, in 1985, did a study called the Total Exposure Assessment Methodology (TEAM). They looked for the presence of 20 VOCs in the "personal air" of 780 people. Personal air was measured via sampling cartridges attached to clothing. The TEAM study found that chemical exposure is actually higher inside the home than outside the home.

During the time that TEAM and related studies were going on, major changes were happening in the way we built and furnished our homes and offices. Energy efficient, airtight buildings with recirculated air were increasingly the standard; synthetic building materials became commonplace.

With these changes, construction workers and residents of new buildings began to complain of headaches, dizziness, fatigue, eye pain, nose and throat irritation, and difficulty concentrating. In many cases, the people were told that they were "hypochondriacs." However, in 1988, the EPA moved into a brand-new building in Washington, D.C. In short order, their own staff members noticed health problems, and eventually staged a walk-out and picketed the building as unhealthy. The EPA, and most of the U.S., took notice, and the "sick building syndrome" became real.

Symptoms of toxicity

Signs and symptoms of toxicity vary based on type and volume of exposure, and the underlying health of the individual. Nervous system complaints such as memory and cognition problems, poor coordination, and problems with balance are common. Toxic substances also damage the kidneys, increase allergies, asthma and bronchitis symptoms, cause headaches, and inflame the upper respiratory tract causing runny nose, sinusitis and sore throat. VOC's have also been implicated in things like infertility, spontaneous abortion, lowered immunity and increased cancer rates.

What to do?

Two things are essential: limit your exposure to toxins and try to keep your liver healthy.

Dr. Walter Crinnion, a naturopathic physician who specializes in environmental medicine, advises his patients to avoid dry-cleaning clothes, to buy low or no VOC paint, allow new carpet to air out for several weeks before working or living in the building (not easily done), or buy remnants which have already aired out. He also warns against using pesticides or herbicides, smoking, using household cleaners and glue that contains solvents and using acrylic fingernails.

Crinnion also sites a NASA study indicating that certain houseplants can help remove toxins from indoor air. Among the most effective are: chrysanthemum, English ivy, peace lily, Chinese evergreen, gerbera daisy, and bamboo palm.

For the second step, maximizing liver health, consider plant medicines. One of the best known liver herbs is milk thistle, also known as Silybum marianum. It contains several phytochemicals which help the liver. Milk thistle is famous for its ability to heal this organ, particularly after poisoning by Amanita (or Deathcap) mushrooms. Recent animal studies also show that the silymarin in milk thistle protects liver cells from other toxic substances, including insecticides, aspirin and alcohol. This herb is also used in cases of chronic liver disease, conditions like cirrhosis, hepatitis, and biliary disease.