Chemical Hazards from Multiple Sources

The news of a statewide ban on phthalates follows several other alarms sounded recently about the presence of chemical dangers to health to which the public and wildlife are commonly exposed, in everyday consumer products and even new forms of advertising.

Wetlands advocates and other environmental groups have issued warnings and public safety requests to Bay Area residents to forgo phthalate- and bisphenol-containing plastics, cosmetics, and cleansers because the chemicals in these products find their way into runoff that kills or harms wildlife in the Bay. As for human health, phthalates – linked to cancer, birth defects, and neurological damage - were found in 75% of urine samples tested in a 2003 study on safety (http://www.environcorp.com/img/media/Phthalates.pdf).

Meanwhile, perfluorinated compounds - used in Scotchgard, Gortex, and nonstick surfaces like Teflon, are showing up in marine life literally throughout the world – the Mediterranean, the Baltic, the Atlantic, the Ganges in India, the Midway Atoll in the Pacific, Korea, Canada and the US, and even as far away as Antarctica . These chemicals have caused hormone disruption, immune compromise, and devastating neurological effects. They have been linked to cancer in whales and dolphins, a disease previously unheard of in cetaceans (http://assets.panda.org/downloads/causesforconcern.pdf).

Fake Cookie Smells

Last year, San Francisco bus shelter ads exuding aromatic smells of chocolate chip cookies were pulled after multiple complaints and controversy. Conceived by the “Got Milk” people – the California Milk Processor Board, the ads prompted complaints by health activists in defense of people with asthma and chemical sensitivity. Resisting behavioral manipulation, diet-conscious people complained of being driven by temptation while waiting for the bus. Others worried that cookie smells would constitute cruel and unusual punishment for the homeless who routinely sought shelter there from the elements but might not have the ready purchasing power to satisfy cravings (SF Chron, 11/30/06 and 12/6/06). Clearly, if the smells were genuine baking aromas, they would not trigger asthma attacks or neurological symptoms; rather it is synthetic chemicals that are health hazards.

Synthetic Pheromonal Pesticide

Hundreds of residents in Fresno were hospitalized earlier this month with stomach pains and shortness of breath when a synthetic pheromone-containing chemical was sprayed on crops to eradicate the brown apple moth. Whether it was the pheromone itself that caused illness, or other chemicals added to the pesticide, is still under investigation. Judge Robert O’Farrell issued a temporary injunction to stop the spraying, but he has since ruled that the spraying can resume, even though the source of the problem has not been identified; thus it would seem that locals will again be at risk (SF Chron 10/19/07).

Even if your local climate affords a gloriously extended Indian summer, it is autumn now, and your body takes note even if you don’t. Afternoon temperatures may be peaking in the 70’s and 80’s, but changes in sunlight – both the amount of available light each day, and the increasingly slanted angle of the sun – have registered on your brain. Changes in light are what cause leaves to change color and drop off, birds to fly south for the winter, flowers and weeds to go to seed.

The pineal gland, in the center of the cranium at the base of the brain, receives sunlight at dawn through your closed lids, secreting melatonin in response to the light and waking you up. Your internal clock is set by this mechanism. So precise is this clock that it will wake you at the same time each morning with or without an alarm. It will wake you even at an odd hour, if you mentally program yourself to get up then.

Current research suggests that the pineal gland, master of life rhythms, is even responsible for programming the lifespan itself. Though this phenomenon is little understood so far, what does make sense is to maximize your time awake during sunlight hours and minimize the time spent staying up late under artificial light. In accordance with circadian (daily) rhythms, your body undergoes detoxification, repair of tissue, and rebuilding of new tissue during sleep. Each organ system has its own nighttime cycle for repair and rejuvenation. The key organ of detoxification, the liver, does its work between 10pm and 2am, and this timing is very exact. The detox phase will not occur unless the body is fully at rest.

Because your body has to shift gears into the darker, quieter phase of the year at this time, the organic effort required and the resulting stress can result in colds or flu. As winter approaches, your body begins to slow down and conserve energy. It might mean gaining a few pounds, pounds easier lost in spring than winter. The physiological slowing down of winter may also mean sleeping more, which for most people would be a good thing, as sleep deprivation is a common health (and safety) issue. You can facilitate the changes your body is going through by changing your diet accordingly: a fall and winter cuisine based on root vegetables, the cabbage family, nuts, seeds, soups, squashes, and stews. The berries and melons that so delighted us in spring and summer now give way to late-harvest grapes and persimmons and cold-weather fruits like apples and pears. The colors of your meals will reflect the world outside of dark greens, deep reds, purples, golds, yellows, and oranges.

The internal fires of digestion are harder to ignite in colder weather, so it is kind to your body as well as comforting to plan on warm foods more often, especially at breakfast. For this reason it is also best to avoid drinking ice-cold water and other drinks; the temperature difference is shocking to internal membranes, and significant effort is required to heat the liquid to body temperature.

The need for fats and oils is also higher in winter, and one of the best ways to accomplish this is by taking cod liver oil - of all the fish oils the one richest in Vitamin A and D. Cod liver oil protects against cancer, mental health problems, arthritis, and immune challenges. It is not possible to meet daily Vitamin D requirements from sunlight at any time in Temperate Zones except during the three months of summer, and dietary sources are limited. Cod liver oil that is free of contaminants is available at health food stores (see also Products web page) and identified by certification. High quality oils are very fresh, contain antioxidants, and are thus free of fishy odors; they come in lemon and mint flavors that taste good and blend well in smoothies or salad dressings.

Making these simple commonsense adjustments to seasonal changes can mean the difference between getting sick and staying well. Seasonal changes in the fall and spring are an especially good time to do your own detox, which will assist the efforts of your organs already underway. More on detoxing in the next update!