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to one-third to one-quarter of the world’s total BISPHENOL A (BPA)
production. Another toxin that we come in contact with on a daily basis is bisphe-
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The best way to find out what products nol A (BPA). It is used to stiffen plastics so you find it in harder plastic
contain toluene is to go to the National Library bottles. You will also find it in the lining of canned food as well as on store
of Medicines’ Household Products database at receipts. Absorption through the skin and ingestion are the two main ways
householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/. Avoidance is it enters the body, but inhalation is also a possibility because of the sheer
important in lowering your exposure. volume produced, about 1.6 billion pounds annually.
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This estrogen mimicker was first discovered in 1891 as a major build-
STYRENE ing block in what is now known as polycarbonate plastic, but it was first
Styrene is one of the most prevalent of all found to be estrogenic in 1936.
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of the “-enes.” It is found in Styrofoam, which is One of the main problems with bisphenol A is that it is a reproductive
ubiquitous in our everyday lives. While the least toxin. Not only does it affect the female ability to reproduce because of its
toxic of all, when added to the overall chemical estrogenicity, but it has been shown to affect men as well. The industry
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onslaught we are exposed to, it compounds the argues that the amounts of bisphenol A humans are exposed to and as-
demands made on our detoxification systems. similate are minute and therefore not a significant threat to health. They
Styrene was detected in the blood of Americans cite a single study. Other researchers are bewildered by this assertion as
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as a chance discovery in the 1970s. The first test the number of studies showing quite the opposite effect is numerous. 71-73
to look specifically for styrene in the blood was BPA is a very big business, and there is strong resistance to its being
done in 1982 and has continued to show the same banned; however, pressure is mounting because of the growing number
ubiquitous results to this day. of studies demonstrating its toxicity. In what I would call a classic “bait
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With this class of toxins, the best way to and switch” tactic, many manufacturers are removing BPA but replacing
help detoxify the is using the simplest amino it with bisphenol S and F, which have had extremely limited testing and
acid, glycine. During Phase I detoxification, which, in the end, may not be deemed less toxic.
the chemicals are transformed into a benzoate The best way to deal with this ubiquitous toxin is avoidance. First,
compound. In the case of xylene and toluene avoid using canned goods. Can linings contain BPA and it has been shown
they become 2- or 3-methylbenzoate, a chemical to leach into the food. The second source and more difficult to avoid is
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more toxic than the original one. Luckily for us, from store receipts. When asked if you want the receipt in the bag, say
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glycine has a strong affinity for benzoates and yes. When asked if he wants his receipt at the grocery store, one of my
conjugates (binds) with them to create a hip- friends, who is a world renowned trainer, typically says, “No, I’m trying
purate molecule like 2- or 3- methylhippurate, to give them up.”
which is easily excreted in the urine. When it comes to reusable water bottles, because of the switch from
The conjugation of glycine to benzoate to BPA to BPS or BPF, many sellers of these products proudly put “BPA Free”
create hippurate is the oldest known biosynthesis, on the label, but does that make them non-toxic? Maybe or maybe not.
first reported in 1842. Students in the early days My recommendation is to use glass bottles whenever possible, or stainless
of toxicology would ingest sodium benzoate steel as long as they are not lined.
and glycine and then measure the levels of hip-
purate. HEAVY METALS
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If you think you’ve heard about glycine I could devote an entire article to the subject of heavy metals. Our
from the Weston A. Price Foundation, you're knowledge of the dangers of heavy metals like mercury, lead, arsenic and
right. The main and best source of glycine is in cadmium is extremely thorough. Because of the constraints on the length
the collagen-rich unctuous food known as bone of this article I will only briefly cover two of them, lead and mercury.
broth. Collagen is about fifty percent glycine,
so every time you drink a cup of broth you’re LEAD
helping your body detoxify itself. If you need to Lead toxicity has brought down a mighty civilization (the Romans)
supplement glycine, it should be taken at a dose and has damaged the brains of countless millions of people. According to
of about three to five grams per day for an adult the CDC, there is no level of lead that is acceptable in children. Yet we
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and one to three grams daily for a child under have tens of thousands of tons of lead in our soil and atmosphere as well
age twelve. as in ground waters because of our indiscriminate use over the past few
thousand years.
The major sources of lead contamination before 1970 in the United
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