How Toxins Get Into Our Food Supply

Canaries were used in the mines to detect contaminated air in the 19th and early 20th Centuries. They are very sensitive and are affected by poisonous gasses much quicker than man, thus giving the miners an early warning to any poisonous gasses in the mines. Well it’s happening again according to Audubon magazine, “each year, more than 67 million birds are killed by pesticides applied legally to U.S. farmland.” it is definitely time for us to consider taking action.

Because of this we might be seeing the affects in our children as they are more sensitive to environmental toxins than adults are. According to the National Cancer Institute, cancer incidence among children under the age of 15 increased 32% between 1950 and 1985. It has also been estimated by researchers that there is a large percentage of cancer occurrences caused by exposure to environmental toxins as well as the well documented fact that the man made carcinogens in our food supply which is a major source of toxin exposure to people in the US.

Today’s modern farmers have an estimated choice of about 50,000 pesticide formulas and about 700 different chemicals. But, the agricultural industry is not solely to blame, many United States homeowners contribute to this by applying around 70 million pounds of pesticides to their lawns each year. Also, many of the chemicals we use have exactly the same affect on insects as nerve gas had on soldiers. Many of the compounds used in home pesticides were the forerunners of the compounds used in chemical weapons that were developed during Word War II.

Any insects and birds eating from treated fields suffer from symptoms like quivering muscles, excessive tearing and salivation, failure of the respiratory muscles and, ultimately, asphyxiation – which are the same symptoms as nerve gas poisoning. Because both insects and weeds develop a resistance to the pesticides it is becoming a vicious cycle. The more their resistance builds up the more chemicals need to be used. It has been estimated by some sources that farmers have been spraying 2 to 5 times more than they were 30 years ago.

When it comes to environmental toxins prevention is better than cure, the best way to help with eliminating toxins from your body is to make sure you have a diet that is high in organically grown foods and low in industrially processed foods. There has been an increase recently in organic farms, and although organically raised beef, health food stores and organic food sections in many supermarkets are more expensive, they offer a valuable alternative to the industrial processed foods. If you find that these natural organic foods are hard to find in your area, try searching for them and perhaps ask your local grocer to try to carry them if and when possible.

An important thing to remember is that although the human body has the incredible ability to detoxify itself, when it is not at optimum health this can be seriously compromised. So although organic foods like organically raised beef, health food stores and organic food sections in many supermarkets are much more expensive than normal foods they are well worth the extra expense. It is essential that your body receives the correct nutrients to achieve and maintain optimal health.