What toxins do to us

When they are assaulted by daily air pollutants, the cilia and the mucous membranes in the respiratory system become less effective. The alveoli get furred up with tarry substances, meaning that less of the surface area across which oxygen is absorbed to the blood is available. Less oxygen in the system makes us get tired more easily, so our muscles ache more readily on exertion. Overall, we feel more sluggish.

The incidence of asthma has been rising steadily since 1970. It is now four times higher in adults and six times higher in children than it was back then. According to Asthma UK, environmental pollution may play a part in causing it and certainly makes symptoms worse. The weight of medical evidence suggests that active or passive exposure to cigarette smoke in the early years of life increases the risk of developing asthma.

About 15 per cent of the population in industrialized countries now suffer from hay fever. It has a much higher prevalence in urban areas than rural settings, and increases are particularly striking in areas of high pollution. Like asthma, it is an allergic disease, but it seems that our atmosphere is making us much more prone to these conditions, and, once you have a respiratory disease like this, it becomes harder for your lungs to fight off other toxins.

Only a few substances are absorbed directly through the stomach, and these include alcohol, aspirin, cigarette smoke and certain other noxious chemicals. If the stomach lining has been assaulted too often in this way, it can become 'leaky.' Further down in the intestine, the same thing can happen due to our intake of antibiotics, caffeine, chemicals in processed foods, prescription corticosteroids, or even just a diet that is full of highly refined carbohydrates, such as sweets, cakes, biscuits, white bread and pizza.

Once you have a 'leaky gut', the spaces between the cell walls are larger and they can allow larger molecules of bacteria, waste matter and undigested food through into the bloodstream. Your immune system views these substances as 'alien' and acts to eliminate them. Antibodies are made against these proteins derived from previously harmless foods, and these antibodies can trigger an inflammatory reaction next time the corresponding food is eaten.

If you have an actual food allergy, you will get an immediate and usually severe reaction, but intolerances may have less clear-cut symptoms, manifesting in different parts of the body over the longer term. They are generally not life-threatening but can make you feel unwell. The only way to diagnose an intolerance is to avoid food you suspect for a period of months and see if symptoms clear up.

A common symptom of toxin overload and a diet that is dependent on processed foods is a clogged-up colon. Normally the colon produces just enough mucus to move faeces along, but when toxins, drugs or stress irritate your colon, it produces excess mucus which can bind with starchy waste materials to make hardened faeces. these become impacted in nooks and crannies in the colon, meaning that the villi cannot absorb nutrients so efficiently and the gap through which waste material has to pass becomes narrower. The build-up becomes a breeding ground for bacteria and parasites (such as tapeworm and flukes), and you become constipated. In some people, a hard mass can actually be felt in the lower abdomen. They will probably suffer from flatulence, as the trapped food ferments, giving off gases and sulphur-containing compounds which give that characteristic smell.

Another problem with a clogged-up colon is that the longer waste material sits around without being eliminated, the more chance there is that the toxins in it will be reabsorbed by the body. Some people have faecal material in their colons that has been there for several years.

If the liver is not getting the substances it needs to make bile, you will have trouble digesting food, particularly fatty foods. Bile can become congested with filtered elements and will get backed up in the bile ducts. In this case, you will not be able to metabolize fats and will gain weight, and toxins and their by-products will remain in your circulation.

Alcohol is broken down by the liver to acetaldehyde, a toxic compound that leaches vitamin B and C and causes the kidneys to excrete more fluid, along with zinc, magnesium, and potassium. The classic hangover symptoms, are caused by dehydration, but this can be fixed by drinking lots of water to re-hydrate. On a more sinister note, the free radicals formed by acetaldehyde will be attacking cells and causing them to degenerate.

A liver that has to deal with excess toxins, particularly alcohol, will begin to form fatty deposits inside its cells. Fatty liver is now recognized as the most common cause of abnormal liver function tests in the West. Long term exposure to acetaldehyde causes scarring of the liver tissue leading to cirrhosis. Over the past 20 years there has been a sharp rise in the number of deaths caused by cirrhosis of the liver.

However, if you stop the damage before it reaches the cirrhosis stage, the liver can break up its fatty tissue and regenerate itself remarkably well. Even if you give up drinking for a week or even a month, you allow your liver to catch up on the backlog- this is something that every drinker, no matter how moderate, should do occasionally.

Stones form in the kidneys when urine stays too long in the system, so drinking plenty of liquid is essential to keep them eliminating waste efficiently. Urine should be a pale straw colour and you should produce at least 2 litres (3 ½ pints) per day, on around five to six trips to the toilet. Any darker than this, and any less volume, and you are not drinking enough water, so toxins are sitting around longer that need be inside you.

If your liver and digestive system are not functioning effectively, you will find it difficult to keep your weight down. A toxic liver that cannot metabolize fat and cholesterol just dumps them back in the bloodstream. Many toxins are then stored in body fat, and the more fat you have, the more waste you will collect. Conversely, the more toxins in your system, the fatter you are likely to be.

In the year 2000, the United States had the dubious distinction of having the world's highest proportion of overweight adults. Recent statistics indicate that the unfortunate mantle of the world's fattest nation may have passed to Australia. First or second is irrelevant- the simple fact is that this is a podium finish, we would rather not have.

The increase in overweight and obesity incidence rates in Australia in the past 10 years is distressing. Results of the National Heart Foundations National Risk Factor Prevalence Study showed that in Australia 52% of adult males and 36% of adult females were either overweight or obese in 1998. By 2000, the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle study showed that these rates had increased to 68% for males, and 53% for females. That represents a combined increase of over 30%.

The world is getting fatter and fatter, making us more at risk of life-threatening diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease and cancers. Fat stores, particularly abdominal fat, become metabolically active like an organ in their own right, pumping out hormones that just exacerbate the situation. A waist measurement of more than 90cm (36in) in men - 80cm (32in) in women - is associated with an increased risk of experiencing metabolic complications.

Waist-To-Hip Ratio

This is a recognized clinical method of evaluating abdominal fat. The waist is measured at the narrowest point, whereas the hips are measured at the widest point, and then the waist measurement divided by the hip measurement gives the waist-to-hip ration. If it is higher than 1.0 for men and 0.85 for women, you have too much abdominal fat and are putting your health at risk.

Cellulite

This is the orange-peel dimply flesh that women tend to get on their hips and thighs. Men get it too, but it is usually not so obvious because they have more muscle tissue to disguise it. Cellulite is caused by sluggish circulation, which means that lymph fluid and toxins accumulate between connective tissues. Hormone supplements, such as the Pill or HRT, can contribute, as can stress, a sedentary lifestyle, lack of exercise and binge eating.

The skin is a mirror that shows not only how well your elimination organs are working, but also the level of toxins in your body and whether you are lacking vitamins and minerals in your diet. If your skin is very reactive, prone to spots, blotches, rashes, eczema or psoriasis, you probably need to clean out. Toxicity will also make you look more tired and wrinkly, and your skin tone will be yellowy or grayish rather than clear and glowing.

Canadian researcher Hans Selye found back in the 1940's that when a person is exposed to a new toxin they have not encountered before, they respond with physiological shock. Blood flow to the area is decreased while the body works out how to deal with the toxin and adapts to it. When the system is overloaded with new toxins, the adaptation process is less successful and a range of symptoms can set in. Selye noted an increase in allergies, psoriasis, arthritis and asthma, plus hormone fluctuations and mental problems ranging from depression to learning difficulties.

While your body is struggling with a range of day-to-day, the immune system can become compromised, making you more prone to picking up opportunistic infections, such as colds, flu and herpes cold sores. If you feel you get more than your fair share of bugs, it might be worth thinking about taking steps to reduce your toxic load.

- Have you taken more than two or three doses of antibiotics in your life?

- Do you often feel sleepy after eating a meal?

- Do you ever get cravings for specific foods?

- Are you gassy? Do you burp, fart or get bloated after eating fatty foods?

- Do you often get a bitter taste in your mouth?

- Do you have bad breath or smelly body odour?

- Do you suffer from joint stiffness or muscle weakness?

- Do you often feel fatigued for no reason?

- Do you frequently wake between 1am and 3am and are not sure why?

- Do you have trouble sleeping?

- Do you find it hard to concentrate?

- Are you worried about your memory?

- Do you think you get drunk more easily that your friends?

- Are you depressed for no obvious reason?

- Do you get more colds than your contemporaries?

- Do you often get a stuffy, blocked-up nose?

FOR WOMEN

- Have you been trying unsuccessfully to get pregnant?

- Do you suffer from PMS or pronounced menopausal symptoms, such as hot flushes?

FOR MEN

- Do you have problems getting and maintaining an erection?

- Has your partner had trouble conceiving a baby?

If you have answered 'yes' to even one of these questions, then the chances are that you have a toxic burden which is affecting your health. Basically, even people who live on remote islands cannot avoid pollutants altogether, although some are more reactive than others. There is controversy in the medical profession about the notion of 'detoxification', as some of the extreme methods can do more harm than good. In the next couple of pages we will look at how a gentle detox programme could help you start to shift some of your toxins and make you feel much better.