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BPA is a very ably high levels of phthalates. manufacturers reformulated their products, not
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The question is how to avoid exposure. To by eliminating the obvious source of benzene,
big business begin with, it is important to make sure that the sodium benzoate, but by removing vitamin C,
and there personal care products you use do not contain which had caused a chemical reaction converting
is strong them. A resource to find out which toxins are in some of the benzoate into benzene. Mind you,
resistance your products is available through the non-profit vitamin C is also a preservative, but blame for
Environmental Working Group at www.ewg.org. the chemical conversion was laid to the vitamin.
to its being The site offers a database called “Skin Deep” Benzene itself is the most toxic of this group
banned; which rates various products, lists their toxins, having been linked to an increased risk of leuke-
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however, and suggests safer alternatives. Another quick tip mia. A byproduct of diesel fuel combustion, it
to detect phthalates is whether the product emits has also been implicated in neural tube defects,
pressure is an aroma; if it does, it likely contains this toxin. decreases in birth weight and head circumference
mounting A few years ago, I received a call from a during pregnancy and at birth, and impaired
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because of physician at a midwestern university who was mental development in fetuses. Fortunately,
concerned that she was finding more and more it seems that some of these toxic effects can be
the growing males between the ages of eighteen and twenty- mitigated with a diet high in antioxidants.
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number of five with testosterone levels you would normally
studies find in fifty- to sixty-year-olds. When we began XYLENE
Xylene is a very common petrochemical
testing we found that almost all of the young
demonstrating men with high phthalates had low testosterone. available at any home improvement store as a
its toxicity. To me this was not a surprising finding given the paint thinner and remover. It is also found in
popularity of body sprays. certain nail polishes, rust preventives, shellacs,
The third major source I would caution you air fresheners, degreasing cleaners, as well as
on is soft plastics like those used in water bottles. cigarette smoke and carpet adhesives.
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Phthalates are very heat sensitive, and if you Pesticide manufacturers add xylene to their
ever suspect that a bottle has gotten hot, such as products and claim that xylene is an “inert”
being left in your car during the day, discard it. chemical. You can go to your local hardware or
When Whole Foods opened in Reno a number home improvement store and see for yourself.
of years ago, they had a display of bottled water Now to be fair, xylene is far less toxic than the
outside the store when the temperature was over actual pesticide. The main reason for xylene's use
90 degrees F. I called the assistant manager and as a carrier is its ability to penetrate wood, brick,
informed him that this was a good way of in- and the soil to carry the poison to the pests. Of
creasing the toxic load of his customers and that course, this ability to penetrate hard materials
it might be a good idea to change the display. also makes it much more likely to be absorbed
through your skin.
BENZENE Xylene is a known carcinogen and neuro-
The “-enes” are a family of petrochemical toxin that increases the risk of miscarriages and
refining byproducts (benzene, xylene, toluene, birth defects. The recreational use of alcohol
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and styrene). They are also found throughout the should be avoided at all costs for anyone with
environment. Benzene is the most carcinogenic xylene toxicity as it impairs the body’s ability
and one of the reasons why smoking is so danger- to detoxify.
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ous. An estimated fifty percent of the public’s
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exposure to benzene is due to cigarettes. The TOLUENE
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other exposures come from automobile exhaust, Toluene is the “anti-knock” agent that
predominantly from diesel-powered vehicles. replaced lead in gasoline back in the 1970s.
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In a report written a number of years ago, While significantly less toxic than lead, it is
researchers found trace amounts of benzene in still a suspected carcinogen, endocrine disrup-
sodas that were formulated with vitamin C and tor, and interfering factor in fetal and childhood
sodium benzoate, a common preservative. 54 development. The U.S. produces about three
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When confronted with the problem, many of the million tons of toluene annually, which amounts
30 Wise Traditions SPRING 2015 Wise Traditions

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