What do vinegar, white
rice, white sugar, salt,
00:00:01.36\00:00:03.26
real vanilla extract,
and honey have in common?
00:00:03.30\00:00:05.73
They don't expire.
00:00:05.77\00:00:07.30
You never have
to throw them away.
00:00:07.34\00:00:09.04
That is definitely not true
of the rest of the thousands
00:00:09.40\00:00:12.64
of foods we eat.
00:00:12.67\00:00:14.01
In fact, did you know in
the United States we throw away
00:00:14.04\00:00:16.58
between 30% to 40%
of food the supply?
00:00:16.61\00:00:19.45
Food waste is the single largest
category dumped in landfills,
00:00:28.49\00:00:32.16
making up 22% of
municipal solid waste.
00:00:32.19\00:00:34.96
When we throw food away in the
trash, that's where it ends up.
00:00:35.00\00:00:38.30
And instead of
decomposing, it rots and it puts
00:00:38.50\00:00:41.20
methane into the environment.
00:00:41.24\00:00:42.90
Composting food gives
back nutrients to the soil.
00:00:43.27\00:00:46.71
The point is that what we
do with our garbage matters.
00:00:47.01\00:00:50.08
And this is especially
true when we're talking about
00:00:50.11\00:00:52.48
what's going on inside our body.
00:00:52.51\00:00:54.48
Exposed. That's the
title of today's program.
00:01:17.01\00:01:20.31
It sounds a little
dramatic, doesn't it?
00:01:20.61\00:01:22.41
It could be the title of a
thriller or a mystery maybe.
00:01:22.98\00:01:25.68
But you know, our topic today
does have the qualities of both.
00:01:26.01\00:01:30.39
What are we exposed to?
00:01:30.69\00:01:32.22
Too much, it turns out.
00:01:32.62\00:01:34.09
Today we're going to be talking
about environmental toxins
00:01:34.42\00:01:37.49
which are
chemicals seen and unseen
00:01:37.53\00:01:40.43
that permeate modern society.
00:01:40.46\00:01:42.70
Yeah, so I see environmental
toxins as some of those
00:01:43.83\00:01:47.37
components that can
create insole or can create
00:01:47.40\00:01:49.57
inflammation in the body,
00:01:49.60\00:01:50.97
because they're foreign and they
are not something that our body
00:01:51.17\00:01:54.28
is used to handling
or wanting to manage.
00:01:54.44\00:01:56.85
Our body wants to be
like homeostasis, in balance.
00:01:56.88\00:01:59.58
And so, so many toxins
in our world now, including
00:01:59.61\00:02:04.39
things that are in our water,
things that are in our air,
00:02:04.42\00:02:08.22
things that we put on our body,
things we have in our house.
00:02:08.86\00:02:12.59
So we have
introduced toxins everywhere.
00:02:12.63\00:02:15.66
They actually found
Prozac, measurable quantities of
00:02:15.70\00:02:20.24
medications that we
use as humans, in fish.
00:02:20.27\00:02:23.51
In fish.
00:02:23.54\00:02:24.87
So we've introduced chemicals
into the world around us;
00:02:24.91\00:02:28.08
from arsenic in some
rice, to chicken, to foods that,
00:02:28.28\00:02:33.01
you know, fish
that have these toxins.
00:02:33.05\00:02:35.65
And much that we
don't even know about.
00:02:35.68\00:02:38.15
Because we don't measure.
00:02:38.42\00:02:39.75
We don't go around
regularly measuring toxins,
00:02:39.79\00:02:42.62
and a broad range of toxins.
00:02:42.82\00:02:44.86
Now I'm not
trying to scare people.
00:02:44.89\00:02:46.29
It's okay.
00:02:46.33\00:02:47.66
We can do a lot of
healthy things to counter that.
00:02:47.70\00:02:49.66
But it's important for
us to have conversation
00:02:49.96\00:02:52.23
about these things, and
start having systems in place
00:02:52.27\00:02:55.37
where we can actually
measure things we know
00:02:55.77\00:02:58.01
and look for the
things that we don't know.
00:02:58.34\00:03:00.44
Because otherwise, it's
like running around blind,
00:03:00.74\00:03:03.95
with the obvious factor that
we have toxins in our system.
00:03:04.15\00:03:07.78
In our food system, in
our environmental system,
00:03:08.08\00:03:10.49
in our agricultural system.
00:03:10.52\00:03:11.99
And just ignore it?
00:03:12.19\00:03:14.56
That's not wise.
00:03:14.59\00:03:16.19
There are so many different
toxins in our environment
00:03:16.22\00:03:19.36
that haven't
even been researched.
00:03:19.39\00:03:21.03
And then the interactions
between toxins have hardly
00:03:21.23\00:03:24.23
ever been looked at.
00:03:24.27\00:03:25.63
And so, we're dealing
with a world right now
00:03:25.73\00:03:29.17
that is so much more toxic than
it was even a few decades ago.
00:03:29.20\00:03:34.48
We just talked about
the fact that we don't
00:03:35.41\00:03:37.38
know how much
toxins exist in our system,
00:03:37.41\00:03:40.58
in our environment.
00:03:41.02\00:03:42.35
We know it exists,
but we don't measure it.
00:03:42.38\00:03:44.62
We know it exists.
00:03:44.82\00:03:46.15
In fact, we know that
it exists quite a bit.
00:03:46.19\00:03:48.29
But we almost,
like, close our eyes
00:03:48.32\00:03:51.39
and hope that it disappears.
00:03:51.43\00:03:53.03
It's a natural human
behavior that when something is
00:03:53.06\00:03:57.03
overwhelming or so significant,
yet you think that you can't
00:03:57.07\00:04:02.10
do anything about
it, you close your eyes.
00:04:02.14\00:04:03.94
You just ignore it.
00:04:03.97\00:04:05.31
We're doing that.
00:04:05.34\00:04:06.68
To get to the point to know
that it's not just one chemical,
00:04:06.71\00:04:09.14
but multiple chemicals,
and together their effect,
00:04:09.18\00:04:12.01
would be overwhelming.
00:04:12.05\00:04:13.38
I definitely don't
want to overwhelm you,
00:04:13.82\00:04:16.02
but there are
reasons why I think you
00:04:16.32\00:04:18.35
really need to
consider this seriously.
00:04:18.39\00:04:20.69
Check out this recent peer
reviewed paper out of Italy.
00:04:21.02\00:04:24.69
And it documents this strong
association between patients
00:04:24.89\00:04:28.56
with carotid artery
plaque in which microplastics
00:04:28.60\00:04:33.44
and Nano plastics were detected
had a higher risk of a composite
00:04:33.47\00:04:38.87
of myocardial infarction,
stroke, or death from any cause
00:04:38.91\00:04:44.25
than those in whom
micro or Nano plastics
00:04:44.28\00:04:47.52
were not detected.
00:04:47.55\00:04:49.45
Microplastics in
carotid artery plaque?
00:04:50.12\00:04:53.89
And those who have
this internal contamination
00:04:54.16\00:04:56.69
have increased risk
of heart attack, stroke,
00:04:56.73\00:04:59.49
and all causes of death?
00:04:59.53\00:05:01.13
That is crazy.
00:05:01.16\00:05:02.60
Plastic doesn't
degrade like compost.
00:05:02.86\00:05:06.30
It just gets smaller.
00:05:06.33\00:05:08.04
And we may not be able to
see them, but they are there
00:05:08.24\00:05:10.97
disrupting the peace.
00:05:11.07\00:05:12.77
I think one of
the biggest examples
00:05:13.98\00:05:15.68
is endocrine disruptors.
00:05:15.71\00:05:17.38
And so these endocrine
disruptors that are in plastics:
00:05:17.41\00:05:20.35
plastic bottles,
BPA is a big one.
00:05:20.38\00:05:22.45
It's also in canned goods.
00:05:22.48\00:05:24.79
Even in, you know, the
water that we drink from plastic
00:05:24.82\00:05:28.52
water bottles, we can be exposed
to toxins that way as well.
00:05:28.56\00:05:33.33
Yeah, we really don't
consider that very much, do we?
00:05:33.36\00:05:36.83
You know, here we think
we're drinking purified water,
00:05:36.87\00:05:38.93
and yet it's been sitting
in this plastic water bottle
00:05:39.20\00:05:41.67
where it's
absorbing, or it's contaminated,
00:05:41.70\00:05:45.34
polluted with some of the
particles from what it's been
00:05:45.37\00:05:48.04
sitting in for
who knows how long.
00:05:48.08\00:05:50.05
And especially if the
plastic is left in the hot sun
00:05:50.08\00:05:53.82
and you have
something in the container,
00:05:53.85\00:05:56.32
like water in a
plastic container that has been
00:05:56.82\00:06:00.16
sat in the sun for a
while, the BPA and some of these
00:06:00.19\00:06:03.66
other toxins are going
to leach into the water,
00:06:03.69\00:06:05.33
then you're going to drink it.
00:06:05.36\00:06:06.70
We would buy the bottled water.
00:06:07.53\00:06:09.23
Well now we're
getting more water,
00:06:10.37\00:06:12.43
we're drinking more water.
00:06:12.47\00:06:13.80
That's good for you.
00:06:13.84\00:06:15.17
And it's not just the
plastic that's bad for you,
00:06:15.20\00:06:17.77
but the little
microplastics that's actually
00:06:17.81\00:06:20.41
floating in the water.
00:06:20.44\00:06:21.78
And they have shown that to
be existent in bottled water,
00:06:21.94\00:06:25.51
even though it's
supposed to be filtered.
00:06:25.71\00:06:27.95
And we have so many
issues with fertility nowadays
00:06:28.25\00:06:32.65
that in my mind as I
look at the data, there
00:06:32.69\00:06:36.26
seems to be a pretty strong
correlation with the toxins,
00:06:36.29\00:06:39.69
especially endocrine disruptors
and the plastics that are
00:06:39.73\00:06:42.16
influencing the
fertility of our young women.
00:06:42.20\00:06:45.20
When toxicants enter
our body, they don't just
00:06:45.93\00:06:48.94
mind their own business.
00:06:49.24\00:06:50.64
Dr. Rea mentioned the
term, endocrine disruptors.
00:06:50.84\00:06:54.24
I asked her to
clarify that term.
00:06:54.61\00:06:56.54
So when we think
about our endocrine system,
00:06:58.11\00:07:00.02
our endocrine system is really
like our reproductive hormones,
00:07:00.05\00:07:03.82
and then we also think
about our stress hormones
00:07:04.15\00:07:07.36
are also a big part of that.
00:07:07.39\00:07:09.09
And so, our ability to handle
stress, our ability to handle
00:07:09.12\00:07:11.86
our estrogen, our
progesterone, our testosterone,
00:07:11.89\00:07:14.96
all of those types of hormones
that really make us uniquely
00:07:15.00\00:07:17.57
male and female,
those pathways are disrupted
00:07:17.60\00:07:22.10
by some of these toxins.
00:07:22.14\00:07:23.47
And the big toxin is the
toxin that is in plastics,
00:07:23.51\00:07:26.74
in a lot of these water
bottles, plastic water bottles.
00:07:26.78\00:07:30.05
Hormone disrupting
chemicals have become pervasive
00:07:30.65\00:07:34.32
in our environment to the
point where we are being exposed
00:07:34.35\00:07:37.85
daily through
what we eat or drink,
00:07:37.89\00:07:40.89
in the air we breathe, and
through direct skin contact.
00:07:41.09\00:07:44.63
Exposure has
been associated with
00:07:44.99\00:07:46.86
obesity occurrence in humans.
00:07:46.90\00:07:49.23
You know, why
aren't I losing weight?
00:07:49.96\00:07:52.23
Are you toxic?
00:07:52.27\00:07:53.74
And I lot of people are.
00:07:53.77\00:07:55.47
I won't say it's 100%, but a
lot more than you'd recognize,
00:07:55.50\00:07:58.61
because we're
not looking for it.
00:07:58.64\00:07:59.97
But when you actually look at
these things, you can see that
00:08:00.28\00:08:03.18
a lot of people are polluted.
00:08:03.88\00:08:05.38
The interesting thing
is, if you look at this
00:08:06.25\00:08:08.62
the body knows
that it has pollution.
00:08:09.48\00:08:12.42
It can't always get rid of
it, but it tries to wall it off.
00:08:12.72\00:08:16.42
And where it tries to
wall it off is in fat cells.
00:08:16.96\00:08:20.80
Why aren't you losing weight?
00:08:21.60\00:08:23.73
Well there could be
multiple contributors.
00:08:23.77\00:08:26.27
But a lot of
people are just polluted.
00:08:26.50\00:08:29.24
I think this is one of the
reasons why we Americans are
00:08:29.27\00:08:31.74
becoming more
and more overweight.
00:08:31.77\00:08:34.01
The prevailing view is that
obesity results from calories,
00:08:34.21\00:08:37.81
from an imbalance between
energy intake and expenditure
00:08:37.85\00:08:41.95
caused by overeating
and insufficient exercise.
00:08:41.98\00:08:45.32
But what about obesogens?
00:08:45.72\00:08:47.89
They too can alter the
balance between energy intake
00:08:48.19\00:08:51.29
and energy expenditure.
00:08:51.33\00:08:53.19
The obesogen hypothesis
proposes that exposure to these
00:08:53.50\00:08:57.43
chemicals can alter the
development and function of
00:08:57.47\00:09:00.80
fat tissue, liver, the pancreas,
your gastrointestinal tract
00:09:00.84\00:09:05.67
function, and brain.
00:09:05.71\00:09:07.21
Thus changing the set
point of our metabolism.
00:09:07.24\00:09:10.81
I'm sure you've
heard a lot about
00:09:12.01\00:09:13.42
the changing rate of obesity.
00:09:13.45\00:09:15.18
But it's just worth noting
that in 1985, not that long ago,
00:09:15.22\00:09:19.05
no state had an average obesity
rate that was greater than 15%.
00:09:19.25\00:09:23.56
But today over 35% of adults
in 16 states have obesity,
00:09:23.86\00:09:28.76
according to the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention.
00:09:28.86\00:09:31.83
These toxic chemicals
are altering our hormones,
00:09:32.30\00:09:35.97
metabolism, and can increase
the production of fat cells,
00:09:36.00\00:09:39.77
change their shape or size,
how they interact with processes
00:09:40.01\00:09:43.91
that regulate our appetite and
sense of fullness after a meal.
00:09:43.95\00:09:47.75
It's a term that environmental
scientists use for certain
00:09:48.15\00:09:52.15
toxicants, meaning
that they promote obesity,
00:09:52.19\00:09:55.12
even though they have
zero carbs and zero calories.
00:09:55.16\00:10:00.40
Obesogens are a subset
of environmental chemicals.
00:10:00.80\00:10:04.47
That's kind of how
you can think about them.
00:10:04.50\00:10:06.47
They act as
endocrine disruptors.
00:10:06.67\00:10:09.00
Obesity is not the only
concern from them either.
00:10:09.37\00:10:12.21
Is our increasing
exposure to chemicals
00:10:12.47\00:10:15.44
affecting our risk of disease?
00:10:15.64\00:10:17.85
Are environmental toxicants
something we need to consider
00:10:17.88\00:10:20.98
in relation to
neurological health?
00:10:21.02\00:10:23.55
Definitely. I mean, there's
evidence from Parkinson's
00:10:24.69\00:10:28.32
and other diseases
that there appears to be
00:10:28.36\00:10:30.99
environmental
factors that have at least
00:10:31.39\00:10:33.53
contributed to onset of disease.
00:10:33.56\00:10:35.60
Be it toxins that we've added to
the environment as a result of,
00:10:35.96\00:10:40.04
you know, farming and all these
chemicals that we use in farms,
00:10:40.07\00:10:43.07
or chemicals that we've
added into the water system,
00:10:43.57\00:10:46.61
chemicals that we've added
to the foods that we're eating,
00:10:46.64\00:10:50.15
consuming, these huge farms
and antibiotics or hormones;
00:10:50.18\00:10:55.45
all these things have an effect
because downstream we get them.
00:10:56.52\00:10:59.92
But I have another colleague
of mine here in Mount Shasta
00:11:00.32\00:11:02.96
who is more into
preventative medicine,
00:11:02.99\00:11:04.63
internal medicine.
00:11:04.89\00:11:06.23
And we have seen Parkinson's
patients, and every single one
00:11:06.39\00:11:11.70
of those Parkinson's
patients has glyphosate
00:11:11.73\00:11:15.17
off the chart.
00:11:15.57\00:11:16.91
So that's another one
of the things, you know.
00:11:18.64\00:11:21.21
Here in the county
they still, spray the roads
00:11:21.61\00:11:24.38
to kill the weeds, okay.
00:11:24.41\00:11:26.41
And yet, that we know is causing
Parkinson's in certain people.
00:11:26.45\00:11:29.32
Now, it's probably not
everybody, because again,
00:11:29.35\00:11:33.05
genetics play a role.
00:11:33.09\00:11:35.02
Certain people
do not detoxify well
00:11:35.32\00:11:37.93
because of genetic mutations.
00:11:38.39\00:11:40.36
And toxins damage
mitochondria function.
00:11:41.36\00:11:44.63
They cause oxidation, irritating
and causing dysfunction
00:11:44.67\00:11:50.67
in the mitochondria and
your ability to produce energy
00:11:50.94\00:11:53.84
so that the rest of
the cells can do their job.
00:11:53.88\00:11:56.21
A lot of times we
don't look deep enough
00:11:56.75\00:11:58.58
and we don't realize the earth
is waxing old like a garment.
00:11:58.61\00:12:02.98
It's toxic.
00:12:04.42\00:12:05.75
Okay, we're inhaling chemicals,
we're eating it in our food,
00:12:06.19\00:12:11.13
If you're not
eating organic food,
00:12:12.19\00:12:13.76
you're eating food that's
contaminated, by definition.
00:12:13.80\00:12:16.26
You've got chemicals on that.
00:12:16.30\00:12:17.80
And that affects your energy.
00:12:18.33\00:12:19.97
It affects the ATP, it
affects the mitochondria.
00:12:20.47\00:12:23.24
Glyphosate is the
main ingredient in Roundup,
00:12:24.34\00:12:27.24
the weed killer.
00:12:27.28\00:12:28.61
It's commonly used in lawn care.
00:12:28.64\00:12:30.25
Animal studies have found it
is toxic to the nervous system,
00:12:30.91\00:12:34.52
and the mitochondria,
00:12:34.55\00:12:35.88
and inhibits
testosterone production.
00:12:35.92\00:12:39.05
Probably our
major source of exposure
00:12:39.32\00:12:41.59
is through the food we're eating
00:12:41.62\00:12:43.26
because it's
used as an herbicide.
00:12:43.29\00:12:44.99
And it's used en masse
on American food crops.
00:12:45.03\00:12:47.50
It's sad.
00:12:47.53\00:12:48.86
It's also found in conventional
raised meat and dairy
00:12:48.90\00:12:51.90
as the animals are fed
food contaminated with RoundUp.
00:12:52.20\00:12:55.77
Based on population studies,
glyphosate was found in over
00:12:56.00\00:12:59.21
80% of urine
samples of Americans.
00:12:59.24\00:13:02.58
It's been found in
rivers and even rain.
00:13:02.88\00:13:05.85
And researchers are finding
that it can adversely affect
00:13:05.88\00:13:09.08
the male reproductive health
by inhibiting testosterone.
00:13:09.12\00:13:12.72
And I just mentioned,
promoting neuro-inflammation,
00:13:12.99\00:13:15.92
ROS, and hurting
our mitochondria.
00:13:15.96\00:13:18.83
These are just a few
of the reasons why I think
00:13:18.86\00:13:21.50
this stuff should be banned.
00:13:21.53\00:13:23.16
In my field of pain management,
environmental toxins are
00:13:24.27\00:13:28.40
very important to consider.
00:13:28.44\00:13:30.01
And we are exposed in so
many different ways to toxins.
00:13:30.67\00:13:36.41
You know, when it
comes to the food we eat,
00:13:36.78\00:13:39.81
you know,
pesticides have been used.
00:13:39.85\00:13:44.19
And we know that pesticides
can cause chronic inflammation
00:13:44.65\00:13:48.59
in our patients.
00:13:48.62\00:13:49.96
So when they have
chronic inflammation,
00:13:49.99\00:13:53.19
it makes their pain worse.
00:13:53.23\00:13:54.90
We're exposed in so many
different ways to toxins.
00:13:54.93\00:13:59.57
Definitely foods.
00:14:00.54\00:14:01.87
Foods are a problem.
00:14:02.34\00:14:04.44
Many of my patients come
in, they're on 10 or 15 drugs.
00:14:05.71\00:14:08.98
That is pollution.
00:14:09.68\00:14:11.01
Those drugs aren't pure.
00:14:11.61\00:14:12.95
You've got carriers with
them, and you know emulsifiers,
00:14:12.98\00:14:15.62
and all kinds of stuff.
00:14:15.65\00:14:16.99
And the body has to
take care of all that stuff.
00:14:17.09\00:14:19.09
So that can be a problem too.
00:14:19.39\00:14:21.22
We use a lot of
cleaning solutions,
00:14:22.32\00:14:24.63
and all this kind of stuff.
00:14:24.66\00:14:26.13
Especially with
this past pandemic.
00:14:26.70\00:14:28.53
That stuff can be toxic.
00:14:28.56\00:14:30.27
So it's a build-up that occurs,
00:14:30.70\00:14:33.87
and we're not good at
getting rid of these things.
00:14:34.17\00:14:37.14
We know that every
medication that we take
00:14:37.87\00:14:40.74
has the
possibility of side effects.
00:14:41.44\00:14:43.58
It's a foreign substance that
we're taking into our bodies.
00:14:43.61\00:14:45.95
It's not something
that God made, you know.
00:14:45.98\00:14:48.52
And if we overutilize,
you know, these medications,
00:14:48.92\00:14:56.79
we can run into problems.
00:14:56.83\00:14:58.49
Boy, I hadn't
thought of medication
00:14:58.89\00:15:01.33
quite like that before.
00:15:01.36\00:15:03.06
They also mentioned food.
00:15:03.33\00:15:04.93
One of the sources of
food worth discussing is meat.
00:15:04.97\00:15:08.04
Sadly, animals are just
as exposed, if not more so,
00:15:08.07\00:15:12.47
than we are.
00:15:12.51\00:15:13.84
Animals are toxic.
00:15:14.08\00:15:15.74
Okay, just like
people are getting toxic,
00:15:15.78\00:15:17.85
but animals are really toxic.
00:15:17.88\00:15:19.78
And that's one of
the reasons you want to
00:15:20.18\00:15:21.52
stay away from animal products;
because of that toxicity.
00:15:21.55\00:15:24.35
We've messed with the genetics
on some of these animals.
00:15:24.65\00:15:27.32
And it's not good.
00:15:27.36\00:15:28.99
The Bible speaks of the creation
groaning under the corruption,
00:15:29.36\00:15:34.40
waiting for God
to renew this planet.
00:15:34.43\00:15:36.80
Even fish suffer.
00:15:37.10\00:15:38.57
Studies have documented
high levels of microplastics
00:15:38.97\00:15:42.44
and heavy meals in
many species of fish.
00:15:42.47\00:15:45.17
Marine life like oysters and
clams filter the water for food,
00:15:45.21\00:15:49.81
and they reportedly have
some of the highest levels.
00:15:49.84\00:15:53.21
There seems to be some data that
fish seem to be safer right now,
00:15:53.52\00:15:57.09
but at the same time, there is
no fish, be it farmed or ocean,
00:15:57.12\00:16:01.86
that is now not filled
with some kind of chemicals.
00:16:01.89\00:16:05.73
Because living beings, all
of them concentrate, but animals
00:16:06.16\00:16:11.23
concentrate more, and then
the further up the food chain
00:16:11.27\00:16:14.60
you are, the more
you concentrate things
00:16:14.64\00:16:17.31
like chemicals and toxins.
00:16:17.34\00:16:19.04
So mercury and lead is
something we talk about.
00:16:19.57\00:16:22.11
The bigger fish seem
to have more of them.
00:16:22.14\00:16:24.78
The reason why bigger
fish are more of a problem
00:16:24.81\00:16:27.28
is because of the fact that
the little fish that are exposed
00:16:27.48\00:16:30.65
get eaten by larger fish.
00:16:30.69\00:16:32.89
And those fish get
eaten by even larger fish.
00:16:32.92\00:16:36.02
And each time we go up the
food chain, the concentration
00:16:36.06\00:16:39.49
of contaminates
exponentially increases.
00:16:39.53\00:16:42.83
We call this, biomagnification.
00:16:42.93\00:16:45.67
So by the time you
get to the large fish,
00:16:46.03\00:16:48.24
they have a heavy toxic load.
00:16:48.27\00:16:50.34
You know who also is polluted
that we don't think of enough?
00:16:50.74\00:16:53.31
Our pets.
00:16:53.51\00:16:54.84
Our pets are polluted with
high levels of many of the same
00:16:55.14\00:16:58.81
synthetic industrial
chemicals that researches have
00:16:58.85\00:17:02.28
recently found in
people, including newborns.
00:17:02.32\00:17:05.42
Studies are showing that our
pets are serving as involuntary
00:17:05.52\00:17:09.42
sentinels of the widespread
chemical contamination
00:17:09.46\00:17:13.43
that scientists increasingly
link to a growing array of
00:17:13.63\00:17:16.67
health problems in
animals and humans.
00:17:16.70\00:17:19.13
Just as children ingest
pollutants in tap water, or
00:17:19.43\00:17:23.04
play on lawns with pesticide
residues, or breathe in
00:17:23.07\00:17:26.07
an array of indoor contaminants,
or chew on plastic toys,
00:17:26.11\00:17:30.71
so do their pets.
00:17:30.98\00:17:32.48
But with their compressed
lifespans, developing and aging
00:17:32.68\00:17:35.98
seven or more times
faster than children,
00:17:36.02\00:17:38.35
pets also develop
health problems from exposures
00:17:38.69\00:17:42.32
much more rapidly.
00:17:42.36\00:17:43.83
When I used to be in medical
school, or college more likely,
00:17:44.76\00:17:47.26
I used to eat tuna.
00:17:47.30\00:17:48.63
And I thought tuna was a small
fish because it came in cans.
00:17:48.66\00:17:50.93
But then I saw these
shows that tuna are huge.
00:17:50.97\00:17:53.27
They're up in the food chain.
00:17:53.30\00:17:55.40
So they concentrate chemicals.
00:17:55.44\00:17:57.21
Oftentimes foods that we
might think are quite healthy
00:17:57.71\00:18:01.21
and promoting of health
can have some unrecognized
00:18:01.24\00:18:05.61
side effects, or
negative effects I want to say,
00:18:05.65\00:18:08.48
damaging effects on our system.
00:18:09.22\00:18:10.65
Even fish in the
promotion of type 2 diabetes.
00:18:10.69\00:18:14.06
Types of toxins that fish,
actually, their bodies love to
00:18:14.49\00:18:19.29
absorb from whatever water
they're swimming around in.
00:18:19.33\00:18:22.13
So there are certain types of
toxins in the environment that
00:18:22.50\00:18:24.93
fish bodies are very efficient
at absorbing and storing.
00:18:24.97\00:18:28.77
And so, those toxins wind up
in really high concentrations
00:18:28.97\00:18:32.24
in fish that we eat.
00:18:32.27\00:18:34.28
Depending on the fish, I
suppose, and where it's from.
00:18:34.31\00:18:37.45
But these are things like
heavy metals, and chemicals with
00:18:37.81\00:18:41.18
names like organophosphate.
00:18:41.22\00:18:43.08
It turns out that there's strong
evidence that some of those
00:18:43.12\00:18:46.59
toxins in the environment
that we ingest through the
00:18:47.22\00:18:50.06
eating of fish
promotes diabetes.
00:18:50.09\00:18:53.56
Wait, what? Say that again.
00:18:54.20\00:18:56.06
Toxins in the environment that
we ingest through the eating of
00:18:56.10\00:18:59.07
fish promote diabetes.
00:18:59.10\00:19:02.17
Did you catch that?
00:19:02.37\00:19:03.74
Oftentimes foods that we
might think are quite healthy
00:19:04.24\00:19:07.64
and promoting of health
can have some unrecognized
00:19:07.68\00:19:11.88
side effects, or
negative effects, I want to say,
00:19:11.91\00:19:14.55
damaging effects on our system.
00:19:15.45\00:19:17.02
Even fish in the
promotion of type 2 diabetes.
00:19:17.05\00:19:20.59
This is so
important to highlight.
00:19:21.22\00:19:23.19
Dr. Racine was not saying
that fish causes diabetes.
00:19:23.22\00:19:26.49
No. The point is that exposure
to environmental toxicants
00:19:26.53\00:19:30.13
can be a major contributor to
the development of this disease.
00:19:30.17\00:19:33.87
So mercury is a great example.
00:19:34.87\00:19:37.71
But there's various ways mercury
can get into the body as well.
00:19:37.94\00:19:41.41
For instance, I had a patient
years ago while practicing
00:19:41.71\00:19:46.01
with the Guam
Seventh-day Adventist clinic
00:19:46.05\00:19:47.88
in Micronesia in the
middle of the western Pacific.
00:19:48.85\00:19:52.29
And this was an elderly Korean
couple that came in to see me.
00:19:52.59\00:19:57.43
And a 65-year-old
lady was very fatigued.
00:19:57.46\00:20:03.80
She tried to eat really healthy,
and was very health-conscious,
00:20:03.83\00:20:10.07
and had gone to the doctor after
doctor trying to figure out
00:20:10.11\00:20:12.84
What was wrong with her.
00:20:12.87\00:20:14.31
And so they were finally
referred to the wellness center.
00:20:14.51\00:20:17.78
Kind of last-ditch effort.
00:20:18.08\00:20:20.65
And so I had at the time
been doing studies on almost
00:20:20.92\00:20:26.55
every patient and measured
their blood mercury levels,
00:20:26.59\00:20:30.06
and discovered that if somebody
ate fish on average of twice
00:20:30.29\00:20:34.70
or more often a week, that
their levels of mercury would
00:20:34.73\00:20:38.03
be above 10
micrograms per liter.
00:20:38.07\00:20:40.90
And the goal should
be at least under five.
00:20:40.94\00:20:42.84
Really should be zero.
00:20:42.87\00:20:44.21
There shouldn't be any
mercury in our body, right?
00:20:44.24\00:20:46.34
But it should be
at least under five.
00:20:46.37\00:20:48.81
And so on average, it
was double the upper limit
00:20:48.84\00:20:52.38
on the average patient eating
fish twice a week or more.
00:20:52.58\00:20:55.75
So I suggested to her to stop
eating fish for about a month,
00:20:57.05\00:21:03.29
and come back
and we would retest.
00:21:03.32\00:21:05.19
Well, I tested her mercury
levels initially, and it was
00:21:05.23\00:21:09.36
45 micrograms per liter.
00:21:09.40\00:21:11.93
It was incredibly high.
00:21:11.97\00:21:14.57
That's basically nine times
higher than the upper limit
00:21:14.60\00:21:18.57
at the time.
00:21:18.61\00:21:19.94
And so I figured
it was fish, right?
00:21:20.21\00:21:23.78
And so I told her
to stop eating fish.
00:21:23.81\00:21:25.38
She did.
00:21:25.41\00:21:26.75
She came back six
weeks later and it was
00:21:26.78\00:21:30.19
still super high, above 40.
00:21:30.22\00:21:32.49
So I said, there's
something else going on.
00:21:33.15\00:21:34.72
So I started asking
more questions, you know.
00:21:34.76\00:21:37.29
It's been said that if
you listen to your patient
00:21:37.49\00:21:41.66
long enough, they'll
tell you exactly what you need
00:21:41.70\00:21:43.70
to do for them, right.
00:21:43.73\00:21:45.07
And so that's why I always spend
an hour with every patient,
00:21:45.10\00:21:47.77
because oftentimes I don't
really understand the condition
00:21:47.80\00:21:50.67
until I've just
listened to them long enough.
00:21:50.71\00:21:53.07
So she was talking and I
said, "Well, what do you do?
00:21:53.11\00:21:55.98
Tell me about your life."
00:21:56.01\00:21:57.51
And she said, "Well, my husband
and I, we own a little business.
00:21:57.78\00:22:02.12
We run a jewelry
kiosk at the mall."
00:22:02.15\00:22:05.29
I go, "Really?"
00:22:05.82\00:22:07.29
And so I said, "What
kind of jewelry do you sell?"
00:22:07.92\00:22:10.83
And I had just by chance been
reading some studies about how
00:22:11.06\00:22:15.26
some jewelry has
mercury contamination on it.
00:22:15.30\00:22:19.10
It's not contamination.
00:22:19.13\00:22:20.47
They actually use mercury for
some reason with that jewelry.
00:22:20.50\00:22:25.64
And so I realized that
what she was likely doing is
00:22:25.67\00:22:31.58
that all day long she
was picking up that jewelry
00:22:31.61\00:22:36.58
that had some
mercury on it, okay,
00:22:36.62\00:22:39.32
and touching it
with her fingers.
00:22:39.35\00:22:42.59
And that all day long
she was exposing her fingers
00:22:43.43\00:22:47.10
to mercury that
absorbs into the blood.
00:22:47.13\00:22:49.16
Anything that you
touch, any oil that you put on,
00:22:49.20\00:22:53.37
any lotion that you put on,
anything you put onto your skin
00:22:53.57\00:22:57.47
gets into your body.
00:22:57.67\00:22:59.51
Make sure you understand that.
00:22:59.54\00:23:01.31
And so that was most likely
the reason her mercury levels
00:23:02.24\00:23:06.51
were so high.
00:23:06.55\00:23:07.95
I had another patient who
had a business of scrap metal.
00:23:07.98\00:23:12.32
He was buying scrap
metal from the military in Guam
00:23:12.35\00:23:15.26
and selling it to China.
00:23:15.29\00:23:16.69
And he was making a
lot of money doing that.
00:23:17.26\00:23:20.53
But he would oftentimes get
out there with his employees
00:23:20.56\00:23:24.00
and move all these lead
pipes and different things
00:23:24.03\00:23:28.34
as he was putting
it into containers
00:23:28.64\00:23:30.71
to send over to China.
00:23:30.74\00:23:32.21
And so I checked
his heavy metal levels,
00:23:32.51\00:23:35.78
and his lead-level
was through the roof.
00:23:35.98\00:23:38.78
And I go, "Where are you
getting exposed to lead?"
00:23:39.11\00:23:41.58
And little by little we realized
by listening to his history
00:23:42.08\00:23:49.52
that he was not using gloves
when, you know, most of us
00:23:49.72\00:23:54.13
wouldn't use gloves if we're
just moving these pipes around.
00:23:54.16\00:23:57.53
And so by just constant
touching these lead pipes,
00:23:57.90\00:24:02.34
he was actually
getting lead into his blood.
00:24:02.37\00:24:04.91
And therefore, in his brain
and in his bones, and so forth.
00:24:04.94\00:24:08.54
And that's one of the reasons
many people don't really feel
00:24:08.58\00:24:11.75
toxic, or start
getting chronically ill
00:24:11.78\00:24:14.22
until they're older, because
as we age we lose bone mass.
00:24:14.25\00:24:20.39
Our bones demineralize.
00:24:20.42\00:24:22.56
And guess what
comes out with the calcium
00:24:22.59\00:24:25.33
when the bones demineralize.
00:24:25.36\00:24:27.13
All the lead, and other,
especially lead that tends to
00:24:27.33\00:24:30.83
concentrate in the bones.
00:24:30.87\00:24:32.63
In other words, we get
re-exposed to that same lead
00:24:32.67\00:24:36.04
we had been
exposed to our entire life,
00:24:36.07\00:24:38.57
especially in those older
individuals that were exposed to
00:24:40.01\00:24:42.64
leaded gasoline fumes.
00:24:42.68\00:24:44.75
And now they're being
exposed to that same lead
00:24:45.05\00:24:48.78
50 and 60 years later because
their bones are disintegrating.
00:24:49.38\00:24:53.36
This is why I'm a
little concerned about all the
00:24:54.09\00:24:56.29
bone broth that people
are drinking, you know,
00:24:56.32\00:24:58.93
since animals can store
heavy metals in their bones too.
00:24:58.96\00:25:02.16
Now the other toxin that
is commonly not addressed
00:25:02.36\00:25:07.07
is mold toxins.
00:25:07.10\00:25:08.94
Very few doctors are
actually looking to see if
00:25:09.34\00:25:12.47
somebody has a
sensitivity to mold toxins,
00:25:12.51\00:25:16.04
and that could be
possibly the reason that
00:25:16.08\00:25:19.31
they have so many symptoms
that don't really neatly
00:25:19.35\00:25:23.25
fit into a clear diagnosis,
or they might diagnosis it
00:25:23.28\00:25:27.22
as something
completely different
00:25:27.26\00:25:29.02
and treat it with a
medicine that is not in any way
00:25:29.06\00:25:31.76
addressing the
original cause of the problem.
00:25:31.79\00:25:33.86
And so that's why I like to
encourage patients like that
00:25:34.16\00:25:39.53
to get testing with the Great
Plains Laboratory out of Kansas
00:25:39.57\00:25:43.04
where they do
urine toxicity testing;
00:25:43.07\00:25:45.87
mycotoxins for
mold-related toxins,
00:25:45.91\00:25:48.84
industrial toxins,
and glyphosate toxicity.
00:25:50.35\00:25:53.68
And I'm shocked sometimes
when I see the high levels
00:25:53.72\00:25:57.15
of toxins that come back.
00:25:57.19\00:25:59.29
And that's when we talk about
the comprehensive fundamental
00:25:59.69\00:26:02.99
strategies as well as specific
things that can be done.
00:26:03.02\00:26:06.70
And some people are more
susceptible to it than others.
00:26:06.73\00:26:10.67
And mold toxins, mycotoxins,
are very much related
00:26:11.00\00:26:17.91
or increase the
risk of other toxins.
00:26:18.34\00:26:20.74
So if you have some
other toxins in your body,
00:26:20.78\00:26:23.14
mold toxins
dramatically increase the risk,
00:26:23.35\00:26:27.75
synergistically, exponentially.
00:26:27.78\00:26:29.82
So these are all
clues to help us figure out
00:26:30.12\00:26:34.32
what are the factors that
are promoting metabolic disease
00:26:34.52\00:26:38.09
like diabetes, or cardiovascular
disease, or neurologic disease
00:26:38.13\00:26:43.03
like impaired cognitive
function, including Alzheimer's.
00:26:43.06\00:26:47.04
We weren't
designed to be toxic dumps.
00:26:47.67\00:26:50.44
We have amazing ability to detox
ourselves from these substances.
00:26:50.64\00:26:54.34
And that will be our
topic in the next episode
00:26:54.54\00:26:57.38
of Made For Health.
00:26:57.41\00:26:58.75
Hope you join us.
00:26:58.78\00:27:00.12