Health Tip - Pesticides

5.06.08

Chemical toxins surround us daily.  They enter our bodies by inhalation, ingestion or absorption through our skin.  One group of chemicals that we are commonly exposed to is pesticides.  They have a strong link to a variety of hormonal, neurological and immune diseases.

Many pesticides have estrogen-like properties.  They bind to estrogen receptors in our bodies and literally cause the same effects that too much estrogen does.  In women, this can lead to weight gain around the hips and thighs or menstrual irregularities.  In men, it can cause enlargement of the prostate and possibly contribute to the development of prostate cancer.  Chemicals in this class have also been linked to Parkinson’s disease, miscarriages and other cancers in adults and children.

If you can’t avoid exposure, remember that you must have a plan to periodically detoxify.  Ridding your body of harmful chemicals can often be accomplished through a combination of supplements to enhance the clearance of these substances by your liver and kidneys.  But before you use pesticides, see if there are safer alternatives.  In most cases there are.  One excellent resource is to visit the website www.beyondpesticides.org and click on the tab that says, “Have a Pest Problem?”  I think you’ll find it very helpful.

Wishing you the best of health,

Dr. Bernui