Your Child and Toxins: What You Need to Know

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), there are over 85,000 chemicals in our everyday environment, and the vast majority of these are barely understood by scientists, let alone regulated federally. Less than 10% are tested for human safety. The Center for Disease Control also conducts yearly tests into the chemical load found in breast milk, urine, and blood, and currently finds up to 300 industrial chemicals and their metabolites in human beings. These chemicals store in our bodies through bioaccumulation.

Most of these toxin and toxicants are known to contribute to a whole host of diseases, including cancer, autoimmune disease, autism, fibromyalgia, cardiovascular diseases, allergies, behavioral issues, neurological issues, Alzheimer’s and more.

Our body's ability to store and excrete toxins and toxicants vary from one person to the next - bioindividuality, baby! Age, gender, genetics, ethnicity, overall health, exercise, stress, trauma, and cumulative exposure are all factors.

When we take on MORE than we can effectively eliminate, the body becomes inflamed. Inflammation is the ROOT of disease. Inflammation can present itself uniquely in every person, short term or long term: autoimmune disease, eczema, psoriasis, joint pain, migraines, behavioral issues, hormone disruption, infertility, allergies, developmental delays, IBS, anxiety, depression, cancer, and more.

Our environment contains more harmful toxicants than EVER before and our bodies simply can't keep up.

The goal is to reduce our family’s cumulative toxic burden so our natural detoxification systems can work effectively and our children are given the best start possible. Their brains and bodies grow more rapidly in the first five years than at any other time in their life. It's our responsibility to aid their development.

CHILDREN ARE EXTRA-SENSITIVE TO TOXINS

It stands to reason that children are more physiologically susceptible to chemical exposure. Their brains and bodies grow rapidly, they breathe more volume than adults, and the gut junctions are intentionally open during the first 18-24 months of life to help nutrients and antibodies from breastmilk benefit the child.

Toxins are primarily processed in the liver and kidneys, but because children are so much smaller and rapidly developing, a chemical can be 10 times as toxic for a child than it is for an adult.

The National Institute of Health examined American infants and discovered that their umbilical cords contained traces of 287 industrial chemicals, 180 of which are known carcinogens, and more than 200 known to be neurotoxins.

Heavy metal exposure has been linked to a range of frightening conditions, including cancer, heart, kidney and lung disease, irritability and even lowered IQ. Lead is considered a neurotoxin and bioaccumulates in the body, meaning small doses of heavy metals build up.

Studies by The Lancet have concluded that industrial toxins like lead, arsenic and methylmercury have an especially pronounced effect on young and developing brains. In fact, chemical exposure may explain the rise in cognitive, developmental and behavioral disorders in children, such as ADHD and autism.

One in 45 children now has autism spectrum disorder, up from just one in 500 in 1999. More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than with AIDS, diabetes, and cancer combined.

Environmental toxins can affect our:

Mitochondria – impacting our ability to learn, think clearly, and feel fatigued
Hormones – this primarily impacts adolescents and adults through weight gain, thyroid issues, infertility, PMS, PCOS, Endometriosis
Brain function - Brain fog and associated with Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, ALS
Our gut health - at the root of so many chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, autoimmune conditions, and allergies.
Our unborn children - babies were found to have 287 chemicals in their umbilical cord blood. Many of these have been associated with a range of health impacts e.g. lowered IQ & fertility, hyperactivity, allergic conditions, obesity, the list goes on.

Some studies report more than HALF of all children in the United States have at least one diagnosed chronic condition.

This is NOT ok.

We can see it when we look around, especially as a teacher in the classroom. Kids are sicker than ever before. It’s time we look at the systemic issues and do what we can to be a catalyst for change!

The changes we make to positively impact our children will impact us, too, which is paramount since we are the most important people in their life. They need us healthy, vibrant, and thinking critically!

Chronic disease affects 1 in 2 Americans and causes 7/10 of deaths in the US. “Chronic disease is sabotaging our health, destroying our quality of life, shortening our lifespan, bankrupting our governments, and threatening the health of future generations.” – Chris Kessler, Unconventional Medicine
50 million Americans (or 1 in 6) have an autoimmune disease.
1 in 3 women and 1 in 2 men will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime.
Only 12% (1 in 8) of adults have optimal metabolic health

NATURE OR NURTURE

Experts believe only 1-4% of our genes contribute to disease. Our lifestyle and environment impact 96-99% of our health. This is incredible news! We have the power to impact our health and our children’s health.

Our genome (DNA) is like the hardware of a computer. It’s fixed. Epigenome is the software that tells the computer what to do. Thankfully, this software – or code – is editable! Epigenetics is the study of things that turn ON and OFF gene expression.

Nature = our inherited genes, fixed DNA, the cards we are dealt

Nurture = malleable, changeable epigenome, how our lifestyle turns genes on or off

Our environment, stress, exercise, diet, emotions, and connection impact our genes!

WHAT YOU CAN DO

One UC Berkley study has shown that when teenage girls stop the use of toxin-heavy skincare products for just one week, their blood and urine samples showed a drastically reduced chemical load. Though children are more a susceptible to toxin damage, they are also incredibly resilient. Given a chance, the body’s inbuilt detoxing mechanisms can go a long way to keeping your child happy and healthy. Here’s what you can do to keep them safe:

Reduce stress. Try meditation, box breathing, yoga, morning walks, or relaxing Baroque music
Eat organic, whole foods. 67% of the gut microbiome we have as adults comes from the gut microbiome we developed the first three years of our life. Our microbiome contributes to over 70% of our immune health. If budget is of concern, check out the “dirty dozen” list.

Switch to safer cleaning supplies. You can make your own using vinegar or try my favorite, Branch Basics. (save 15% with code sunnyseed)
Carefully read the labels on skincare products and use safe, EWG verified, MADE SAFE, and organic brands where possible that share transparently and test their products to ensure safety.
Avoid the term “fragrance” which can hide more than 3,000 harmful chemicals, including endocrine disruptors.
Be careful when using paints with high VOC content, varnishes, solvents and other DIY chemicals. Where possible, use these outside or invest in an Air Doctor, which helps trap VOCs in the air.
Heal emotional trauma.
Get outside every day! Indoor air is actually more polluted than outdoor air. Sunlight and grounding can do wonders for the body and even help kids sleep better.
Enjoy the sunshine soak up Vitamin D! Sunscreen blocks the absorption of Vitamin D so use sparingly when absolutely necessary. Avoid chemical sunscreen and opt for mineral-based non-nano zinc sunscreens.
Consider your child’s sleeping environment, where they spend half of their days.
Drink clean water. In a 3 year study by the Environmental Working Group between 2004- 2009, which analyzed 20 million tap water samples, 316 contaminants were found -- including industrial solvents, weed killers, the rocket fuel component perchlorate. Yuck.
Use clean laundry detergent such as Branch Basics, Thrive, Attitude, or Molly Suds. A study found more than 25 VOCs emitted from the dryer vents, including nine compounds classified as toxic or hazardous, with highest concentrations of acetaldehyde, acetone, methanol, ethanol, and limonene.
For more help, join my switch to safer email series.

Becoming more toxin-aware is simply a matter of being conscious of what you put in, on, or around your child’s body, and trying to seek out smart alternatives. We’re not chasing perfection, just progress! It would be impossible to avoid every toxicant in our environment. Thankfully, there are more safe and healthy options than ever before.

NATURALLY DETOX

There are six organs the body uses to eliminate toxins:

Liver
Sweat
Gut
Lymph
Lungs
Kidneys

When we understand how each of these work, we can make simple tweaks that support our body – and our children- to function more optimally.

Note: all of these systems benefit from reducing toxic exposure.

LIVER

Your liver is working 24/7 to turn harmful toxins into neutral substances. Detoxification is only one of the hundreds of functions our liver performs, so when the liver is overburdened with toxins to process, other functions of the liver become impacted.

Try: antioxidant rich foods, cruciferous veggies, light exercise, avoiding/limiting sugar and processed foods, reduce stress, save antibiotic use and OTC pain relievers for when absolutely necessary

GUT

The gut helps eliminate many toxins your liver breaks down. Poor gut microbiome health and diversity negatively impacts overall health and detoxification, too. 67% of our adult microbiome comes from the microbiome we developed our first three years of life!!

Try: nutrient-dense, whole foods, fiber, and a variety of plants.

LYMPHATIC SYSTEM

The lymphatic system is like the body’s sewage system. It moves toxins and waste away and carries immune cells throughout the body.

Try: daily movement, sweating, light massages

LUNGS

The lungs are self-cleaning organs that will begin to heal themselves once their exposure to pollutants stops,

Try: opening the windows, adding air-purifying plants, investing in an Air Doctor, going on walks or light exercise, avoiding fragrances, and eating anti-inflammatory foods such as turmeric, leafy greens, berries, olives, and soaked beans.

KIDNEYS

The kidneys process about 200 quarts of blood, eliminate excess water and waste, removing toxins and keeping the body functioning smoothly. If the kidneys are not able to remove toxins and waste from the body, they will build up in the body and hinder the normal function of kidneys, liver and other organs, resulting a plethora of problems. Buildup of toxins and waste also may lead to kidney stones. Ouch!

Try: drinking clean water, enjoying foods like watermelon, pomegranates, berries, spirulina, spinach, ginger, and lemon/beet/cranberry juice in water

Sources

National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. 2016; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 2015, 295; Johns Hopkins University Partnership for Solutions 2000. A new report from the Centers for Disease Control; American Autoimmune-Related Diseases Association

https://www.academicpedsjnl.net/article/S1876-2859(10)00250-0/fulltext

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The information provided on sunnyseed is not a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem without consulting a qualified healthcare provider. Sunnyseed is not liable for how the information is used and cannot be held responsible or guarantee any results. You alone are solely and personally responsible for your health.

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