Toxicity

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Definitions

Detoxification

The part of our waste management system that is able to identify materials that our body cannot use. It is essentially a balancing system between what is coming in and what is going out.

Toxins

Substances created from natural sources, like those from plants, animals, or microbes such as bacteria that are harmful to humans.

Toxicants

A more general term that applies to any toxic substance. Toxicants can be poisonous and maybe man made such as pesticides, herbicides, and solvents. To make this confusing they are not synonymous.

All toxins (poisons produced naturally) are toxicants, but not all toxicants (naturally occurring and man made poisons) are toxins. Toxic materials can make our bodies sick. They include both toxins and toxicants.

Macro-elimination pathways include the major filtering organ system such as the gastrointestinal system, the liver, lymphatics, spleen, skin, and kidneys.

Micro-elimination pathways are related to how the cells process and remove waste such as methylation, gluconorization, sulfonification, among others.

Total (Toxic) Body Burden examines the load of toxins and toxicants stored in our body.This is usually a slow build up that gradually results in Chronic inflammatory Illness ? Syndrome, with symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, flat affect, muscle stiffness and joint pain and headaches to name just a few. This is different from what the field of Toxicology is interested in, toxicity that might cause an acute poisoning or death. Here we are focused on the exposures over time that the body can not clear and gradually accumulates in the tissues.

Common toxicants found in air, water, soil, and food:

  • Toxic metals: lead, mercury, cadmium

  • Organophosphates such as insecticides, nerve agents used as weapons, and even some medications

  • Herbicides commonly known as weed killers such as glyphosate (aka Roundup)

  • Toxic chemicals that could be in your home: Bisphenol A (BPA), formaldehyde, perchlorate, perchloroethylene, 2-butoxyethanol...  See all

Common toxins

Alcohol, carbon dioxide, stinging and biting insects, spiders like the brown recluse or black widow, poisonous mushrooms, botulism, toxic mold, bacterial and viral toxins.

Click here for an introductory list of toxic materials and how we could be exposed to them.