{"id":13126,"date":"2011-07-26T13:00:49","date_gmt":"2011-07-26T19:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.sustainablog.org\/?p=13126"},"modified":"2011-07-26T13:00:49","modified_gmt":"2011-07-26T19:00:49","slug":"long-term-effects-toxins-body","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sustainablog.org\/articles\/long-term-effects-toxins-body\/","title":{"rendered":"Toxics: The Long Term, Low Dose Question"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Each year, the USDA generates an extensive set of data which demonstrates that modern American consumers face no real threat from toxic pesticide residues on their f<\/a>ood. \u00a0This is particularly true in terms of “acute toxicity,” or short-term poisoning. \u00a0Someone would have to eat thousands to millions times their own body weight to kill themselves with produce.<\/p>\n

To many people, that still leaves a troubling question:\u00a0\u00a0“what about long term exposure to low doses of toxic chemicals and combinations of those chemicals?” <\/em><\/strong>This\u00a0question is more difficult to answer.<\/p>\n

What We Can’t Know about Toxins and Our Health<\/h3>\n

When my son was small, he would often answer questions by saying, “I can’t know.” \u00a0In a way, that is where we sit on the “long-term, low-dose question.” \u00a0Based on the testing that we can practically afford, wee “can’t know” \u00a0all the long term outcomes where the rates of cancer or other chronic diseases might be in the range of 1 per million people or less. \u00a0We can do a good job of predicting which chemicals are reasonably potent carcinogens and the like, because such toxicity can be detected in a relatively short term feeding study at fairly high rates of the chemical. \u00a0Those tests give us a good deal of protection from truly dangerous substances, but it is not really possible to answer the “low-dose, long-exposure” question with this sort of test. \u00a0Does that mean that we have to live in fear of the trace levels of man-made chemicals that are in our water and in our food? No. \u00a0Here is why.<\/p>\n

What We Can Know<\/h3>\n

Just because we can’t answer this question using rats in a laboratory does not mean we are without encouraging “data.” \u00a0This comes in the form of common life experience, and from what we know about protective chemicals in nature.<\/p>\n

Want to Avoid All Toxics? Good Luck With That<\/h3>\n

I have often seen people write that they are trying to “avoid all toxics” in their life. \u00a0That is actually impossible. Almost all the foods we eat contain naturally toxic chemicals<\/a> that are made as defense mechanisms by the plants or animals in question. \u00a0These toxins are present at levels which are too low to cause us any problem in the short term. \u00a0 But what about the fact that we are consuming low, mixed doses of dozens of natural toxins every day? \u00a0 \u00a0Few of these chemicals have ever been evaluated for any<\/span> kind of chronic toxicity. \u00a0What if we ask the “long-term, low-dose” question about these chemicals?<\/p>\n

The calm response is to realize that our bodies are well equipped for living in a moderately toxic world. The cells of our skin and in the lining of our digestive track only live a few days before they are replaced. \u00a0That minimizes the potential to become cancerous because of exposure to toxins. \u00a0We also have powerful liver enzymes that chew up toxins of all kinds. \u00a0On the whole our bodies do a great job of dealing with the wide variety of toxins that we eat at low rates. \u00a0The same is true for both natural and man-made toxins.<\/p>\n

Don’t Forget About The Good Chemicals<\/h3>\n

The other encouraging bit of information is that we are far from helpless when it comes to maintaining our health while eating small doses of toxic substances. \u00a0It turns out that fruits and vegetable are excellent sources of other special chemicals which help us to fight cancer and a host of other ills<\/a>. \u00a0Many people turn to the poorly regulated “supplements market” to get these chemicals, but that is not necessary. \u00a0The much more natural option is simply to enjoy the diverse and relatively low cost produce which is available to us today. \u00a0The bonus is that these products taste great and also provide basic minerals, vitamins, and fiber in our diet.\u00a0\u00a0I will list just five examples of the foods which help to protect us against a wide variety of chronic diseases:<\/p>\n