We have known for some time, with the evidence continuing to mount, that many man-made chemicals found in our environment are also found in our bodies. Many of these chemicals are carcinogenic. The unknowns include how much chemical accumulation will cause cancer and what is the effect of small amounts of hundreds of chemicals accumulating in our body. It is also very difficult to "prove" direct cause of effect, i.e.; chemical = a specific cancer in a person. The reference for the study mentioned above appeared in the Journal of Applied Toxicology vol.24, p.5. It referenced the presence of preservatives used in personal care products, cosmetics and some foods in the tumor tissue itself. Did this chemical preservative cause the cancer? That cannot be determined with scientific certainty but there are several points to be made. What other toxic chemicals may have been present providing additional carcinogenic effects? Only one chemical was tested for in the tumor tissue. From my viewpoint we would all be less likely to develop cancer if we had fewer toxins in our bodies.
The human body as well as the bodies of animals, fish and fowl deposit toxins, as a protective mechanism, in adipose tissue, that is to say fat tissue. The breast is primarily adipose tissue. The nursing infant will ingest chemicals from his/her mother during lactation and these chemicals, including pesticides, have been shown in animal studies to damage endocrine, reproductive and nervous systems.
Texas Tech University researchers found the rocket fuel perchlorate in samples of breast milk nationwide. The Environmental Working Group found traces of 287 chemicals in the umbilical cord blood of 10 infants they tested. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) in a study of 2,500 Americans in 2003 found all of the 116 man-made pollutants being investigated in the blood of these volunteers.
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical found in many plastic products including baby bottles and other bottles in wide use and in personal care products. BPA disrupts hormone function. One in five American four year olds is obese. Overweight girls had significantly higher levels of phthalates (BPA type chemicals) in their body compared to the general population of children.
Metabolic syndrome, low testosterone levels in men, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, neuro-developmental problems, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia and many more chronic health problems are tied to the presence of these chemicals in the bodies of victims of these diseases. We sincerely hope more physicians will start to address these problems in their medical practices and offices. There are treatment programs to help reduce the levels in the body and your lifestyle choices can insure you reduce exposure. It is an urgent health issue.