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BODY BURDEN

Reducing your body burden

Can diet contribute to an increased body burden?

A World Wildlife Fund (WWF) campaign in 2005 produced evidence of contamination by man-made chemicals in the human food chain, including meat, dairy, olive oil, and honey amongst many other foods. More recent studies have also detected endocrine disrupting chemicals in food, so what can we do to reduce our exposure from food sources and bring our burden down?

Modern food production methods have evolved to drive increased yields, but they pose a double risk to our health, from the chemicals used in pesticides with potential endocrine disrupting properties, and lower levels of nutrients in the food itself.

Deficiencies in key vitamins and minerals can impact on the body’s ability to maintain a healthy immune system and detoxify harmful substances. There are two key supplements that are particularly useful in helping the body to detoxify.

Glutathione is one of the most common molecules used by the body to eliminate toxic chemicals, so if you have been exposed to toxicants, your stores of glutathione could be depleted.

Vitamin B3, or niacin is another key supplement that plays an important role in helping the body to manage stress related hormone levels and other functions in the hormone and digestive system.

Consult with a dietary or health advisor before making any decisions about which supplements to take.

Can exercise help to eliminate toxins?

Exercise is proven to help eliminate toxins from the body. Not only does exercise flush out bacteria and infections from the lungs and airways, it also gives the immune system a regular boost. Exercise increases circulation in the blood vessels which can trigger the body to release some of the chemicals stored in body fat such as complex sugars and alcohol. Body fat is also where potentially harmful synthetic chemicals are stored, this is part of a body burden.

Increasing circulation to detoxify the body

Taking a sauna as a therapy can help to rid many chemicals from the body through the heat induced sweat it creates. Saunas increase the circulation rate of the blood and this can help the body to flush toxins from the body more quickly. Infrared saunas are thought to be superior to conventional saunas because the effects reach deeper into the body, promote a deeper level of sweating.

Read more about how to avoid exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals.

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