Detoxifying the body of harmful chemicals and metals is easier than it might seem

    1 of 4 2 of 4

      Vancouver naturopathic doctor Alex Chan didn’t wait until adulthood to begin minimizing her exposure to toxic chemicals and metals. When she was a child growing up on the North Shore, her parents insisted on eating organic foods, which meant she came in contact with fewer pesticides.

      Chan’s father, also a naturopathic doctor, and her mother, a massage therapist, ensured that she never had amalgam fillings in her teeth to avoid any leakage of mercury, a known neurotoxin. The family selected household cleaning products carefully, preferring greener alternatives over products laden with synthetic chemicals.

      “I was granted a lot of knowledge in the ways my parents raised me,” Chan said in an interview at the Georgia Straight office. “I realized that wasn’t the way most people looked at health.”

      In addition, Chan took supplements to promote optimal functioning of her kidneys and liver, organs that process toxins in the body. She was also taught not to use plastic wrap in the microwave.

      Nowadays, this seems like common sense, but it wasn’t the case in the 1980s. During Chan’s lifetime, scientists have made enormous strides in understanding the impact that synthetically produced chemicals have on human health. There have also been great advances in determining how higher levels of mercury, aluminum, and lead can interfere with brain functioning—and how to prevent this.

      “The problem with lead and mercury is they both can cross that blood-brain barrier,” said Chan, who works at Integrative Naturopathic Medical Centre on Vancouver’s West Side.

      SFU researcher examines lead's impact on children

      SFU health-sciences professor Bruce Lanphear has devoted his career to researching the effects of toxins on children’s brain development. In a phone interview, he pointed out that lead, for example, impairs the formation of synapses, which allow neurons to communicate.

      He also said that lead, mercury, PCBs, and bisphenol A (found in plastics) are “dopaminergic toxicants” because they alter the release, uptake, or metabolism of dopamine in the prefrontal cortex.

      Dopamine is a neurotransmitter thought to help regulate emotional responses. The prefrontal cortex, which is involved in decision-making, doesn’t mature until young adulthood. That’s why exposure to neurotoxins in childhood can have long-lasting effects.

      “Many of these toxins appear to contribute to the development of ADHD [attention deficit hyperactivity disorder], which is linked back to the prefrontal cortex,” Lanphear said.

      Last year, he testified as an expert witness in a high-profile U.S. court case. Ten California cities and counties sued five corporations that had sold paint and pigments containing lead. Three were held liable in a $1.15-billion judgment that’s now under appeal, according to Lanphear.

      “First, they had to show children were still being harmed by lead in those jurisdictions,” Lanphear explained. “Second, they had to show that the industry knew their product was toxic when they were legally selling it, and that was pretty clear. Then, there had to be some sense that the different companies were involved in selling a product in that particular area.”

      SFU's Bruce Lanphear studies the impact of toxins on children's brains.

      In a paper published in this month’s Environmental Health Perspectives, Lanphear and eight other researchers zeroed in on polybrominated diphenyl ethers, known as PBDEs. They’re used as flame retardants in carpet padding, furniture, car seats, and other products.

      The researchers concluded that prenatal exposure to these chemicals is associated with lower IQ and higher hyperactivity scores in children.

      Meanwhile, a study published earlier this year in Chemical Research in Toxicology linked another common household chemical, the antimicrobial agent triclosan, to the development of human breast-cancer cells in a laboratory setting.

      Triclosan is in approximately 1,600 products, including antibacterial soaps and toothpastes, according to the Toronto-based organization Environmental Defence.

      Lanphear said that more than 80,000 synthetic chemicals have been developed over the past century. In many cases, he added, it’s still unclear how they disrupt the endocrine system.

      “At best, I can keep up with five or 10 of them—I mean thoroughly keep up with them,” he said. “In the end, it’s up to the federal government to revise the regulatory framework for these chemicals.”

      Phthalates also elevate risks

      Another family of chemicals called phthalates are found in cosmetics, upholstery, perfumes, plastics, paints, adhesives, and other products. Studies in peer-reviewed scientific journals have linked some of them to reproductive disorders, behavioural changes in children, asthma, allergies, pregnancy loss, and metabolic disorders, according to Toxin Toxout: Getting Harmful Chemicals Out of Our Bodies and Our World (Knopf Canada, 2013).

      So is it possible to rid yourself of these toxic substances once they’ve entered your system? The Toronto-based coauthor of Toxin Toxout, Bruce Lourie, has conducted experiments on himself to see if this is possible.

      “The most important thing is to avoid putting chemicals into our bodies in the first place,” Lourie emphasized to the Straight over the phone. “It’s a lot easier to avoid chemicals than it is to get them out of our bodies once they’re in there.”

      Lourie writes about how he underwent various purification treatments and then tested the impact they had on the levels of metals and chemicals in his urine, sweat, and blood.

      In the book, which he wrote with Broadbent Institute executive director Rick Smith, Lourie describes how he drank water containing Zeta Aid crystals, ingested a capsule of Phyto5000 said to contain 42,000 units of antioxidant power, underwent chelation therapy to reduce metal levels, and used sauna treatments to sweat out toxins.

      “The idea that chemicals are not only harming our bodies but are in fact preventing our bodies from detoxifying properly is critical,” Lourie writes. “If toxic chemicals are compromising our immune systems, our bodies are constantly fighting just to stay healthy and our major detox organs, such as our liver and kidneys, can’t focus on their main job of removing toxins.”

      Chelation and saunas expel toxins

      Lourie also interviewed Edmonton physician and researcher Stephen Genuis, one of Canada’s leading authorities on detox medicine. After reviewing detox therapies, Genuis has concluded that “proven” approaches include chelation to address heavy-metal poisoning and sauna therapy to rid the body of toxins through sweating.

      According to Genuis, exercise and fasting have “limited” effectiveness in terms of detoxification. These activities do, however, break down fat cells, freeing toxins stored in this tissue. Genuis has also noted that ingestion of prebiotics, probiotics, and herbal supplements can enhance natural detoxification processes.

      Lourie told the Straight that when he tried infrared-sauna therapy, he ended up passing out because he overdid it. The lab required him to collect 250 millilitres of sweat and he allowed the heat to be set too high.

      “I was literally sweating out plastic, which was quite fascinating,” he said with a laugh.

      His BPA levels shot up in the fourth week of his five-week sauna-therapy regimen, which he attributes to eating canned tomatoes. Even though Lourie had avoided scented soaps for a long time, his urine still contained metabolites of diethyl phthalate and dibutyl phthalate.

      Intriguingly, BPA was more likely to be expelled through sweating, while phthalates were mostly excreted through urine.

      Finlandia Pharmacy & Health Centre owner Harlan Lahti told the Straight by phone that the infrared sauna at his facility works well as a detoxifying agent.

      “It drives up the circulation, warms up the tissues, and, of course, produces sweating,” he said. “Toxins are water-soluble; they come out in sweat. And then you take a nice shower afterward.”

      Lourie spent an hour in a sauna each day as part of his experiment, but Lahti said Finlandia’s sauna can be booked for half-hour sessions.

      “I had one young man who came in and we detoxed him from methadone,” he said. “He used a sauna two to three times a week for two years. He eventually rid himself of the residue.”

      By phone, Lourie described chelation as “probably the most invasive [detox] treatment”.

      He noted that people have died during these treatments, which is why he recommends medical oversight. Chelating agents inserted into the bloodstream bind themselves to metals and minerals, including nutrients such as calcium and sodium, which are then flushed out through urination.

      “The absolute evidence of how it removes mercury from your body is very, very clear,” Lourie said. “So if you are someone that has been diagnosed with high levels of mercury, chelation is, in fact, the best course of action.”

      Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie coauthored Toxin Toxout.

      Chan explained that chelating agents can be injected or taken orally, describing them as “substances that act like large claws” in the way they remove heavy metals.

      In her practice, the process begins with taking a hair sample followed by a urine sample. Practitioners check that the person has intact kidney functioning to ensure that the chelating agent can be excreted.

      “It grabs more selectively for heavy metals, but not just heavy metals,” she said. “So you are losing some essential minerals as well. The way around that is we…recommend a pretty comprehensive oral multimineral supplementation.”

      Feds criticized for not addressing triclosan

      Lourie said the good news is that corporations are removing certain chemicals from their products. But triclosan remains a major concern for environmentalists such as Maggie MacDonald of Environmental Defence.

      Over the phone from her Toronto office, she explained to the Straight that the federal government concluded in 2012 that triclosan was toxic to the environment but not to human health.

      She noted that studies have suggested triclosan may have harmful effects on the human thyroid hormone and may be contributing to the rise of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria.

      She also said that when triclosan is dumped in waterways, it breaks down into dioxins, which pose a deadly threat to humans and marine life.

      “Johnson & Johnson and Procter & Gamble are committed to removing triclosan from their products in 2015,” MacDonald said. “That’s a step forward.”

      In 2012, Environmental Defence conducted triclosan-level testing on eight volunteers across the country, including Vancouver midwife Alison Humphrey. Her blood was found to contain 28.9 nanograms per millilitre, which was the second-highest level.

      “I’m shocked it’s so high,” Humphrey is quoted as saying in the group’s report. “I avoid buying antibacterial soaps with triclosan, but I did accidentally buy antibacterial soap a couple of months ago and wanted to use it up rather than throw it away. I’m amazed that one product put my levels at almost double the average. I will be extra careful next time I buy soap.”

      Toxins are unavoidable in 21st century

      Chan said it’s inevitable that people are going to be exposed to these chemicals while living in an urban environment. She explained that cosmetics, deodorants, hair products, paints, carpets, and household cleaning products can all increase the burden of toxins in the body.

      “The bigger effect might not just be the accumulation and sum total, but the way those toxins interact,” she said. “But we really don’t know the effects.”

      She advised consumers to visit the U.S.–based Environmental Working Group’s website, which provides information about toxins in products that are on the market.

      Lanphear, whose research focuses on children, recommended the same website while acknowledging the impossibility of monitoring everything they come in contact with.

      “In terms of what parents can at least attempt to do, first, as a general rule of thumb, if we didn’t evolve with it, avoid it,” Lanphear advised. “Things like fingernail polish, we don’t need it. Avoid it. Some women, I know, disagree, including my daughters.”

      Comments

      17 Comments

      Naturopathy is not medicine

      Aug 14, 2014 at 2:37pm

      Really? Naturopathy? Where is the hard scientific data?
      "The Toronto-based coauthor of Toxin Toxout, Bruce Lourie, has conducted experiments on himself to see if this is possible."
      (this does not constitute scientific data, yikes)
      Shoddy science reporting. Needs a rewrite, starting with the misleading
      "Detoxifying the body of harmful chemicals and metals is easier than it might seem"

      Avoidable

      Aug 14, 2014 at 3:28pm

      Fluoride IS a neurotoxin...WHY is THAT added to our drinking water when Food Grade Hydrodgen Peroxide is much more healthy?......Tell us that...how about it Premier?

      Just Wondering

      Aug 14, 2014 at 3:30pm

      Everytime I see the word 'detoxifying' I think of the gullible women I have worked with who will invest hundreds of dollars thinking that they are getting rid of all the 'toxins' in their body, when in fact they are merely just ingesting fewer, or more often than not, doing absolutely nothing.

      One part of this story that I was wondering about was when Lourie spoke about BPA being expelled through sweat in the sauna. I'm not 100% sure if they were measuring the BPA levels in his sweat, or was it in his blood? Also he attributes a higher dose of BPA being from eating canned tomatoes, which says to me that he needs to control his intake better over the test period. No where did I see any form of a control trial to test his hypothesis. It may be that BPA levels can be decreased by more careful intake and urinating, rather than paying out more money to the multi-billion dollar natural health industry.

      Interesting stuff, but it still seems one degree removed from the travelling snake-oil salesman

      Bad science

      Aug 14, 2014 at 4:07pm

      Lourie's experiments seem quite shoddy but normal scientific methods with no controls whatsoever. This seems to be par for the course for the multi-billion dollar natural health industry. Some parts of it are worth further, proper investigation but others are no more useful than snake-oil.

      Zinc depleted

      Aug 14, 2014 at 10:20pm

      Why, thank you, Alex. I feel the toxins leaving me right now.

      Bosh & Flimshaw

      Aug 14, 2014 at 10:57pm

      While I applaud the Straight’s efforts to get people to take an interest in their own health, it is regrettable that most of the advice appearing here amounts to new-age hokum.

      The facts are that the leading causes of death in Canada are from chronic illnesses: cancer (30%), heart disease (20%), stroke (6%), diabetes (3%), and Alzheimer’s (3%). It is well-established, on the basis of large randomized clinical trials, that there are simple lifestyle interventions that greatly reduce the collective risk of these diseases. These are:

      1. Don’t smoke.
      2. Drink in moderation (1 drink/day)
      3. Exercise regularly (3 times/week)
      4. Maintain a BMI < 25
      5. Eat a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and fish; and low in saturated fat, trans fat, red meat, salt, and sugar (i.e. most prepared foods and fast food)

      Taken together, these factors lower the risk of developing a life-threatening illness by 30-80%, depending on the disease. If you are serious about your health, I would start here.

      Charlie Smith

      Aug 15, 2014 at 9:13am

      Bosh & Flimshaw,

      Whenever I write about the role that corporations might be playing in undermining health (whether this is through chemicals or hiding the negative results from drug trials), there's often someone who will surface to put the blame squarely on the individual.

      Detox medicine is a growing area of interest for a reason. Dr. Stephen Genuis is a medical doctor and researcher who publishes in peer-reviewed journals. Smith and Lourie tested had their chemical loads evaluated through blood tests, urine tests, and sweat tests.

      When I hear the backlash, it reminds me of those who criticized the surgeon-general for raising concerns about smoking and those who oppose the introduction of mandatory seatbelt laws.

      Charlie Smith

      TheParadigmShift

      Aug 15, 2014 at 1:22pm

      The "traditional" approved medical and dental system said it was safe to put mercury fillings in your mouth. I had to get 8 of them removed and had my blood and urine tested which showed high levels of mercury. I don't eat seafood so the mercury came from the filings. Naturopathic dentists and doctors removed the mercury via chelation and drilling the filings the out. Not fun but I thank the Naturopaths and am appaled at the fact that Health Canada still allows mercury in peoples mouths as "treatment". All these people claiming "hokum" are just the usual cult of "skeptics".

      Lily White

      Aug 15, 2014 at 3:20pm

      Too many toxins in everything! For those who poo poo the naturopathic findings and conclusions, perhaps you should begin to demand that Western Medicine start researching the causes of diseases such as ADHD instead of prescribing toxic drugs to combat it!

      Bill Plummer

      Aug 15, 2014 at 4:49pm

      YES! Thank you sincerely to the commenters above! I emailed Charlie Smith about this article and he was incredulous. I expect better from theStraight... what is this, theAgora? *maniacal chortling*

      Science 'is' popular, and this was a missed opportunity to capitalize on that fact. Cosmos was watched by over 400m viewers. This article was terribly misleading and does not meet the standard of reporting at theStraight.