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Detoxification / Toxins

Mitochondria and Relationships to Health

INTRODUCTION Mitochondria are organelles (subcellular structures conducting specific tasks) found within the cells of our bodies. Such organelles are involved in several critical processes to include reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, cell survival, cell signalling, apoptosis (cell death), several metabolic pathways, and energy production via adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis; its most widely known contribution.1,2 As…

Indoor Air Pollution: Air Filtration and Health

Indoor environmental air pollution can have unfavorable physiological effects upon home owners, largely because individuals tend to spend 90% of their time at home.1 Although natural ventilation can help evacuate harmful particulate matter, outdoor air can often contain more xenobiotics than inside the home.1(1) Such instances demand interventions that can filter indoor air in an…

Heavy Metals and Hypertension: How Saunas Can Help

Heavy metal exposure from the environment, food, and water is considered a nearly unavoidable occurrence; a process that slowly develops and worsens over a lifetime.1 Metals such as mercury, lead, arsenic, and cadmium have been identified within individuals, of which there is no known biological benefit. Of particular note; said elements are likely progenitors of…

Heavy Metal Exposure, Sauna Use, and Health Outcomes

A toxin is a poisonous substance capable of causing death or serious debilitation, and is often found in air, water, and soil.1,2 In this author’s last post, hepatic phase 1 and phase 2 detoxification pathways were covered as a means of appreciating the primary method of capturing and excreting toxins (via urination and defecation). In…

Saunas, Detoxification, and Managing Cardiovascular Disease

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a condition accounting for 30% of all cause mortality and 10% disability worldwide (Zhang & Chang, 2019). Underlying causes of CVD can include congenital abnormalities, infectious agents, nutritional, and environmental factors (Reisner & Reisner, 2017; Sears, Kerr, & Bray, 2012). As such, interventions to manage said factors are paramount in maintaining…

Environmental Pollutants, Sweating, and Detoxification

Sears, Kerr, and Bray (2012) indicated that several elements exist in the environment that provide no known benefit, physiologically. Such elements include arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and mercury (Hg) (Sears et al., 2012). However, said elements have the capacity to bioaccumulate in the body producing aberrations in multiple regions to include the cardiovascular,…

Environmental Toxins and Thyroid Function

In my last post, I provided information regarding the structure and function of the thyroid, in addition to the differences and utility of each thyroid hormone. In the following sections, I would like to briefly explore the impact of environmental exposures (EEs), toxins, and their affects upon thyroid health. Patrick (2009) indicated that EE of…

Detoxification, Organic Acid Testing, and Glucarate

In recent posts, I have explored methods to improve individuals’ health through movement and nutrition protocols. Although such approaches are highly valuable, they do not account for another dimension known to affect homeostasis; environmental exposures (EE). Once toxins enter the body, it is essential that they are eliminated as they can create aberrations in health…

Lead Levels and Toddlers

  National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey has determined that approximately 0.9% of children between 1-5 years of age from 2005-2008 have lead blood levels surpassing 10mcg/dL (Brown, 2014). Due the toxic side affects of lead upon human physiology, it is paramount to control said lead levels. Common sources of lead exposure include airborne sources,…