This week in particular I’ve seen 2 really interesting articles regarding problems with what’s in our food we are consuming. One with freshwater fish, another with lead content in baby food. To me, it’s overwhelming and discouraging that – even despite our best efforts – we can’t seem to escape exposure to these chemicals because our nature is so heavily infiltrated with toxins. Even if the news articles are meant to stoke fear and drama, the issue seems inescapable and pervasive nonetheless. From my lens as a wellness enthusiast, there is an important impact to our wellness that is worth mentioning.

The purpose of this post is simply to bring awareness if you aren’t already aware of why this issue is an issue. I’ve been cautioned that sharing these “save the planet” ideas can ignite animosity, antipathy, and detestation. In fact, those feelings have come up for me with the way some people harp on their “save the planet” practices. I’m like many of you in that if you’re being told to do something, you want to do it less. So my mission is not to convert, but rather to educate in a way that allows you to make informed, conscientious decisions.

The Problem & Why It Matters for Your Wellness

The basis of these articles is that there is a surplus of these problematic chemicals to the point where our soil and water are “ubiquitously” contaminated. As a result, the food we consume now has a higher toxic chemical content. The toxic chemicals in these articles are PFAs and heavy metals.

PFAs

PFAs are commonly known as “forever chemicals” because they are so slow to break down. These synthetic chemicals were created in the 1940’s to resist water and heat the level that these chemicals have accumulated to is creating adverse health effects. PFAs are in a variety of materials, such as non-stick pans and food packaging.

While there still needs to be more research on PFAs levels and their effects on the body, studies are continually showing that certain levels of exposure may lead to adverse health effects like: reproductive effects, developmental effects in children, increased cancer risk, detriment to the body’s immune system, increased cholesterol levels and/or risk of obesity (3).

Heavy Toxic Metals

Heavy metals are naturally occurring elements within our world and are found in a variety of manufactured materials. In fact, these natural elements are minerals that are even required in basic biological processes within our body.

The problem is a dose-response relationship in which “an excess amount of such metals produces cellular and tissue damage leading to a variety of adverse effects and human diseases” (4) notably including developmental and carcinogenic effects.

So, What Do We Do?

From another article I read this week: “If you don’t act clearly and decisively and early, we can compound the problem and make it much worse.”—Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai (Bloomberg). Though his quote was about cutting 12,000 jobs, it felt applicable here. How it applies: make decisions and take action beginning now that won’t compound the problem.

The lake fish and baby food articles both offered some helpful ideas and next steps. Both essentially said to do what you can to reduce or completely avoid these problem chemicals.

For the freshwater fish, the recommendation is to simply avoid consuming the freshwater fish.

As far as the baby food, even going organic doesn’t guarantee toxic heavy metal free food. Unfortunately, the problem is not within the farming method because the soil and water itself now contain high levels of arsenic and other heavy metals. The article goes on to say that this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to go organic. Going organic helps you reduce your exposure to pesticides which also contain other toxic heavy metals and can be just as, if not more, damaging.

Otherwise, the traditional nutritional adage remains: variety is key. Variety is how we can ensure we get the micronutrients we do need as well as help limit our exposure.

How I’m Calling Myself to Action

Overall, we’re in a “how did we get here?” and a” how do we move forward to improve our outcomes?” scenario. The recommendation isn’t necessarily to throw out all your current supplies. Moreso, the solution is simply to take the information, understand the impacts, and decide for yourself to make a choice that is right for you.

That choice may be to limit exposure in both what you consume and contribute. For me, lately this looks like being more cognizant of the next purchase I make. In other words, when putting my dollar towards a purchase, I now try to take a moment to consider how I can make a beneficial, impactful choice for myself and maybe even for the environment because that will, in turn, impact me. I want to limit my chemical consumption and limit my chemical contribution.

In the end, like everything in life, small actions can compound and make a big difference. It won’t kill you to have one doughnut or to drink plastic bottled water, sparingly. However, to me, these articles served as a potent reminder that is foundational to pursuing wellness: what we do consistently contributes to the results we get.

✯ ✯ ✯

Sources

AFP. “Eating One Fish from U.S. Lakes or Rivers Likened to Drinking Month's Worth of Contaminated Water.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 18 Jan. 2023, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pfas-forever-chemicals-one-fish-us-lakes-rivers-month-contaminated-water/?utm_campaign=mb&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_source=morning_brew.
LaMotte, Sandee. “Homemade Baby Food Contains as Many Toxic Metals as Store-Bought Options, Report Says.” CNN, Cable News Network, 11 Aug. 2022, https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/11/health/homemade-baby-food-toxic-metals-wellness/index.html.
“PFAS Explained.” EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, 28 Apr. 2022, https://www.epa.gov/pfas/pfas-explained.
Tchounwou, Paul B, et al. “Heavy Metal Toxicity and the Environment.” Experientia Supplementum (2012), U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2012, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4144270/.