Natural Health Partners
Working Together Toward Health
 
American Association of Naturopathic Physicians

California Naturopathic Doctors Association

Oncology Association of Naturopathic Physicians

American Academy of Environmental Medicine
 
International & American Associations of Clinical Nutritionists 


Environmental Issues
Why are people having more and more environmental issues?  Dr. Walter J. Crinnion makes the following points in the book "Textbook of Natural Medicine" (see the recommended readings): 


"Our environment is currently flooded with chemicals that contaminate our air, our water, our food, and ourselves. Since 1976, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been engaged in the National Human Adipose Tissue Survey (NHATS). In this study, adipose samples are taken from cadavers and elective surgeries from all regions of the country and the levels of toxins are measured. In 1982, they expanded beyond their original list to look for the presence of 54 different environmental chemical toxins. Their results are a cause for great concern. Five of the chemicals - OCDD (a dioxin), styrene, 1,4-dichlorobenzene, xylene, and ethylphenol - were found in 100% of all samples. Another nine chemicals - benzene, toluene, chlorobenzene, ethylbenzene, DDE, three dioxins, and one furan - were found in 91-98% of all samples. In addition, PCBs were found in 83% of all samples and beta-BHC in 87%. A total of 20 toxic compounds were found in 76% or more of all samples! These ongoing assessments have shown quite clearly that it is not a question of if we are carrying a burden of toxic xenobiotic compounds, but rather it is a question of how much is present and how do they affect our health."

It is also important to understand that the problem is larger than the harmful environmental chemicals we have all learned to fear (lead, mercury, other heavy metals, etc.). It also includes the much more common problems of food additives, food dyes, envronmental hormones, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, prescription drugs, and petrochemicals of all sorts.  In other words, the pollutants in the air, water, and food that we ingest every day.



 

 

 

 

        Autism

 

 

       Food Allergies &

            Sensitivities


     An American Academy
     of Environmental
     Medicine presentation 
     on some common
     sources of many
     environmental
     problems.

The danger of these toxins is not just the destruction they cause in the environment, but the effects they have on our bodies. The removal of toxins from our system (detoxification) is one of the largest energy costs to our bodies. It is also a drain of nutrient resources that are needed to excrete and to make these compounds less toxic.  Also the effect of low-level, long-term toxic loads can drastically reduce our quality of life through decreased energy, concentration, and libido, plus the degradation of all other physiological functions.


Chronic exposure also can lower the body's ability to deal with exposures to other toxins and stress that we would usually be able to mitigate.  Multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) is a good example.  In MCS high levels of exposure to offending chemicals as well as long-term low-level contact has the ability to make a person more sensitive to many additional types of exposures.  Under these conditions a person develops multiple types of sensitivities -- seemingly a global state of sensitivities to all chemicals.  Many things can be viewed as straws that break the camel's back.
Of course, the first step is removing the cause or source of toxic exposure. Then a program of strong support should be implemented for the body's detoxification systems.  The body detoxifies through the kidneys, GI system, skin, lungs, and most importantly, the liver.  Once the detoxification systems are strengthened through support, various detoxification programs can be implemented, ranging from a simple cleansing program to stronger detoxification methods like depuration (sweating) and chelation.

Please visit our "Patient Page" to get information on how to make an appointment or you can go back to the "What We Do" page.