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Dioxins
Toxic chemicals do not just go "up in smoke."
There is something in the air... and in the water... and in the
ground... and in the feed... and in the fish... and in the food...
Dioxins!
Dioxins refer to a group of highly toxic chemical compounds found
in the environment as a result of burning trash. There are hundreds
of different kinds of dioxins with fancy scientific names, but they
are most commonly known as CDDs, CDFs, and some PCBs. Industrial
and municipal incineration and chlorine bleaching in the paper making
process are the primary causes of dioxins in the world. Second to
that is household rubbish burning, followed by naturally occurring
fires such as forest fires and the like.
So what? People have been burning things since the discovery
of fire.
This is true, but people have only been burning plastics containing
chlorine since around the industrial revolution or so.
Our industrial habits have contributed to some things that we did
not plan for - toxic chemicals in the food supply being one of them.
Now we must do something about it.
Why? We must because we are all exposed to dioxins
without even knowing it. We are only now feeling or at least noticing
the effects of dioxins in many forms including:
- Cancer
- Endometriosis, a female reproductive disorder
- Hormone and reproductive disruption
- Developmental and learning disabilities
- IQ defects, depressed behavior and hyperactivity in children
Are we ALL exposed to dioxins?
Unfortunately, yes. We all have to eat. The primary means of exposure
to dioxins is by ingesting them through animal fats. 95% in fact!
But if they come from burning plastics, how is it that
we end up eating them?
Because industries and people burn trash. The smoke goes into
the air and travels around. The smoke contains nasty particles that
include dioxins. What goes up must come down, and so the dioxins
settle on dirt, and in water, and on plants that our beef cattle
and dairy cows eat. They eat it and then it is stored in the animals'
fat. We eat the animals and it goes into our bodies. Toxic chemicals
such as like dioxins have a way of sticking around – both
in the environment, in animals and in our own fat cells. It is called
bioaccumulation and it is why even the chemicals produced years
ago are still impacting our health.
Children are at a much greater risk of exposure than adults!
This is because pound for pound, children ingest higher concentrations
of just about everything. Their metabolisms are faster and they
eat more frequently during the day. The ratio of what they consume
to their body weight is larger than in adults. This is compounded
by the fact that their organs and systems are not fully developed
- especially in the nursing infant and most markedly in the fetus.
This is not to say it is unsafe to breast feed. It is very important
to breast feed. It is also important to reduce you risk of dioxin
intake while breast feeding, pregnancy, and ideally BEFORE becoming
pregnant.
Is there any HOPE? Absolutely!
There are things you can do to reduce your dioxin exposure. In
addition to limiting your exposure, these actions will help you
to maintain a more healthful diet:
- Reduce your intake of saturated fat
- Eat lean meat and fish
- Remove the skin from poultry
- Use less butter in your cooking
- Wash your fruits and vegetables and peel them if you can
- If you have children, rotate their diet to provide a variety
of lean proteins over days.
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