THE SIX TOXIC BURDENS CARRIED BY MODERN PEOPLE AND THE EFFECTS ON BODY AND MIND
By Ronald Peters, MD, MPH, 8-1-21TOXIC BURDEN # 1 CHEMICALS
TOXIC BURDEN # 2 HEAVY METALS
TOXIC BURDEN # 3 MICROBES
TOXIC BURDEN # 4 MOLD AND MOLD MYCOTOXINS
TOXIC BURDEN # 5 ELECTROMAGNETIC FREQUENCIES (EMF) AND MICROWAVES
TOXIC BURDEN # 6 STRESS
Every adult and most children have toxins in their bodies, or, are affected by them, so the following questions arise:How much do I carry?
- Can my body detoxify adequately?
- What are the effects on body and mind?
- How can I reduce, or, prevent exposure?
- How can I detoxify my body?
- Drink out of a plastic water bottle.
- Walk on a new carpet.
- Drive your car on the freeway.
- Sprinkle powdered parmesan cheese on your pizza.
- Cook with aluminum cookware.
- Use your cellphone.
- Use your computer.
- Drive your new car.
- Live in a house or work in a building with an unrecognized water leak.
- Listen to the news on TV.
- Worry about anything.
TOXIC BURDEN # 1 – CHEMICALS
We humans have been polluting the land, air, and water of this beautiful planet we live on with increasing intensity since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in the late 19th Century. And now the magnitude of industrial pollution is threatening life on earth, creating loss of insect and animal species, global warning, climate change as well as contributing to the epidemic of chronic disease in humans. The following data is staggering, so hold onto your seat:
- 682 lbs. of toxic chemicals are released every second into our air, land, and water by industrial facilities around the world.
- This amounts to approximately 10 million tons (over 21 billion pounds) of toxic chemicals released into our environment by industries each year.
- Of these, over 2 million tons (over 4.5 billion pounds) per year are recognized carcinogens. This amounts to about 65 Kg, or 143 lbs., each second.
carbon monoxide from smoke or engine exhaust,
- natural gas,
- solvent fumes, and
- chemical vapors
- lower our metabolism,
- raise our cholesterol,
- contribute to fatigue and weight gain.
- create chronic inflammation,
- mutate our DNA
- set the stage for heart disease and cancer.
- weaken our immune systems
- poor concentration,
- headaches,
- depression,
- irritability,
- dizziness,
- anxiety,
- tremors,
- rapid heart rate,
- skin and eye irritation,
- poor memory, to mention a few.
- Alzheimer’s Disease
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
- Anorexia Nervosa
- Anxiety Disorder
- Apraxia
- Arthritis
- Asthma
- Attention deficit (ADD)
- Attention deficit with hyperactivity (ADHD)
- Autism
- Autoimmune disorders
- Bipolar disorder
- Cancer
- Cerebral palsy
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Crohn’s disease
- Depression
- Developmental disorder
- Down Syndrome
- Epilepsy
- Failure to thrive
- Fibromyalgia
- Genetic diseases
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Learning disability
- Mitochondria disorders
- Multiple sclerosis
- Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Occupational exposures
- Parkinson’s disease
- Peripheral neuropathy
- Schizophrenia
- Seizure disorders
- Systemic lupus erythematosus
- Tic disorders
- Tourette syndrome
- Ulcerative colitis
TOXIC BURDEN # 2 – HEAVY METALS (LEAD, MERCURY CADMIUM & ALUMINUM)
The second group of common toxins are heavy metals, which include mercury, lead, cadmium, and aluminum. Unlike common toxic chemicals, such as phthalates and pesticides, heavy metals are naturally occurring elements that exist mostly in the outer crust of the earth. Heavy metals are widely used in many industries, agriculture, medicine, the home, and other technologies and therefore they have polluted the land, air and water of earth, and mankind as well. People living in Western industrial countries today are at least a thousand times more polluted with toxic metals than anyone who lived when Christ walked the earth 2000 years ago.Mercury

SOURCES OF MERCURY – SUMMARY
- Silver amalgam dental fillings,
- thermometers,
- batteries,
- skin-tightening creams,
- some antiseptic ointments and creams.
- fish,
- vapors from spills and incinerators and
- burning of mercury containing fuels.
SYMPTOMS ATTRIBUTED TO INCREASED BODY BURDEN OF MERCURY:
- emotional irritability,
- tremors,
- memory disturbances,
- changes is vision or hearing,
- skin rashes,
- increased blood pressure, and
- a host of neurobehavioral changes such as anxiety and depression
- chronic fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome,
- multiple sclerosis (one study showed MS patients had 7 times more mercury in cerebrospinal fluid than controls
- leukemia,
- kidney dysfunction,
- Alzheimer’s disease,
- allergies
- intestinal overgrowth of Candida albicans.
Lead

- stays in the blood for one to two months, (unless there is constant intake)
- soft tissues and organs 2 to 3 months
- bone – 25-30 years in bone (ATSDR 2007).
Environmental sources of lead include
- air pollution,
- soil,
- lakes,
- rivers,
- ground water and
- drinking water.
- municipal waste incinerators and landfills.
Lead also comes from
- burning fossil fuels
- certain mining and manufacturing processes.
- ammunitions,
- batteries,
- metal products like solder and pipes,
- roofing materials,
- old paint,
- ceramics
- Cigarette smoke, either from smoking are secondhand smoke
- cosmetics,
- pesticides and
- other industrial sources.
- 61 percent of lipsticks contained lead, with levels ranging up to 0.65 parts per million.
- Lead-contaminated brands included L’Oreal, Cover Girl and even a $24 tube of Dior
- Living Nature Organic
- VEG-UP.
- Logona
- Hurraw Tinted Lip Balm
- Soultree Organic.
- Ecco-Bella
- 100% Pure
- Benecos .
- Lavera
- Alima Pure
The effects of lead on children, even with low levels:
- Behavior and learning problems
- ADHD and hyperactivity
- Lower IQ
- Stunted growth
- Anemia
- Cause premature birth and low birthweight,
- Impair infant brain, kidneys, and central nervous system
- Increase the likelihood of learning or behavioral problems,
- Increase the risk of miscarriage.
- Cardiovascular effects,
- High blood pressure
- Decreased kidney function; and
- Reproductive problems (in both men and women).
- Chronic fatigue
Cadmium

- It is sprayed on tobacco plants as a fungicide.
- One cigarette contains on the average 1.4 micrograms of cadmium, which is absorbed by the lungs.
- Passive cigarette smoke also delivers cadmium to those in the immediate environment.
- air pollution from the burning of fossil fuels
- and the incineration of municipal waste.
- art supplies,
- bone meal,
- fungicides,
- highway dust,
- mining operations,
- nickel-cadmium batteries,
- oxide dusts,
- paints,
- phosphate fertilizers,
- power plants,
- sewage sludge,
- “softened” water,
- smelting plants, and
- welding fumes.
- coffee,
- fruits,
- grains
- vegetables that are grown in cadmium-laden soil.
- It has been found in meats,
- refined foods, and
- anemia,
- osteomalacia (softening of the bones),
- high blood pressure, and
- many other metabolic disturbances.
Aluminum
Aluminum is one of the most abundant metals in the earth, comprising between 8.4 to 14 percent of the earth’s crust. Unfortunately, it is also abundantly found in the diet of many people. The average person will ingest 30 to 50 milligrams (milligrams, not micrograms) daily. Aluminum is found in the- air as aluminum dust in some industrial workplaces,
- acid rain,
- plants grown in aluminum rich soil,
- aluminum foil,
- aluminum cookware
- appliances, and
- some building material.
- cheese products,
- baking powder,
- pizza,
- hair sprays,
- antiperspirants, and
- cosmetics including lipstick,
- toothpaste and a host of over-the-counter medications.
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Parkinson’s disease
- amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
- senile dementia
- staggering gait
- inability to pronounce words properly.
TOXIC BURDEN # 3 – MICROBES

TOXIC BURDEN # 4 -MOLD AND MOLD MYCOTOXINS

- Carcinogenic cause cancer
- Hepatoxic toxic to the liver
- Immunotoxic toxic to the immune system
- Dermatoxic toxic to skin
- Teratogenic cause fetal abnormalities
- Neurotoxic toxic to the brain and nervous system
- Estrogenic cause elevated levels of estrogen
- Hemorrhagic cause internal bleeding and bruising
- Nephrotoxic toxic to kidneys
- Mutagenic cause genetic abnormalities
- Can affect any organ in the body thus producing a wide variety of symptoms.
- More than 50% of symptoms are neurological, cognitive, or psychiatric, including anxiety, panic attack, insomnia, “brain fog”, lack of motivation, memory loss and poor decision making.
- Produces neuroinflammation which can progress to neurodegeneration (e.g., Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ALS)
- Major cause of mast cell activation with elevated whole blood histamine.
MYCOTOXINS ARE LINKED TO MANY OTHER ILLNESSES:
- Alzheimer’s disease:
- Asthma:frequently asthma is a result of exposure to molds and mycotoxins, especially in children but also in adults.
- Fungal sinusitis: it has been demonstrated in studies that molds cause sinusitis and are much more common than was believed.
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS): studies have shown that exposure to molds and mycotoxins is a risk factor in MS.
- Obesity: the effects of mycotoxins on the gut bacteria (gut microbiome) can and frequently results in obesity.
- Digestive system – diarrhea, vomiting, intestinal hemorrhage, liver effects, caustic effects on mucous membranes
- Respiratory system – respiratory distress, bleeding from lungs
- Nervous system – tremors, incoordination, depression, headache, tremors, and seizures
- Reproductive system – infertility and changes in reproductive cycles
- Immune system – immune suppression and increased infections
- inflammation
- allergies
- asthma
- oxidative stress
- immune dysfunction in both human and animal studies.
- allergic rhinitis and
- new onset asthma.
- Fatigue and weakness
- Headache, light sensitivity
- Poor memory, difficult word finding
- Difficulty concentration
- Morning stiffness, joint pain
- Unusual skin sensations, tingling and numbness
- Shortness of breath, sinus congestion or chronic cough
- Appetite swings, body temperature regulation,
- Increased urinary frequency or increased thirst
- Red eyes, blurred vision, sweats, mood swings, sharp pains
- Abdominal pain, diarrhea, bloating
- Tearing, disorientation, metallic taste in mouth
- Static shocks
- Vertigo, feeling lightheaded
TOXIC BURDEN # 5 – ELECTROMAGNETIC FREQUENCIES (EMF) AND MICROWAVES
Magnetic fields are created when electric current flows: the greater the current, the stronger the magnetic field. Electricity is a flow of electrons in a wire and as the electricity flows down the wire a magnetic field is produced around the wire, which is called an electromagnetic field or EMF
- electric charges in the atmosphere associated with thunderstorms.
- The earth’s magnetic field causes a compass needle to point North-South and this natural EMF is used by birds in their migratory flights.
- Medical X-rays
- electricity coming from the electrical wiring in your home or office has associated low frequency electromagnetic fields.
- higher frequency radio waves are used to transmit information – whether via TV antennas, radio stations or mobile phone base stations.

- headaches,
- anxiety,
- sleep disturbances,
- fatigue, and
- difficulty in concentrating and
- changes in the cardiovascular and central nervous
- Attack our nervous systems including our brains leading to widespread neurological/neuropsychiatric effects and possibly many other effects. This nervous system attack is of great concern.
- Attack our endocrine (that is hormonal) systems. In this context, the main things that make us functionally different from single celled creatures are our nervous system and our endocrine systems – even a simple planaria worm needs both of these. Thus, the consequences of the disruption of these two regulatory systems is immense, such that it is a travesty to ignore these findings.
- Produce oxidative stress and free radical damage, which have central roles in essentially all chronic diseases.
- Attack the DNA of our cells, producing single strand and double strand breaks in cellular DNA and oxidized bases in our cellular DNA. These in turn produce cancer and also mutations in germ line cells which produce mutations in future generations.
- Produce elevated levels of apoptosis (programmed cell death), events especially important in causing both neurodegenerative diseases and infertility.
- Lower male and female fertility, lower sex hormones, lower libido and increased levels of spontaneous abortion and, as already stated, attack the DNA in sperm cells.
- Produce excessive intracellular calcium [Ca2+] and excessive calcium signaling.
- Attack the cells of our bodies to cause cancer. Such attacks are thought to act via 15 different mechanisms during cancer causation.
- life threatening cardiac effects.
- very early onset dementias, including Alzheimer’s, digital and other types of dementias
- EMF exposures in utero and shortly after birth may cause ADHD and autism
- oxidative stress,
- DNA breaks,
- melatonin depletion,
- infertility and

- sleep disturbances, including insomnia
- headache
- depression and depressive symptoms
- tiredness and fatigue
- dysesthesia (a painful, often itchy sensation)
- lack of concentration
- changes in memory
- dizziness
- behavior change
- irritability
- loss of appetite and weight loss
- restlessness and anxiety
- nausea
- skin burning and tingling
- changes in an electroencephalogram (which measures electrical activity in the brain)
- Pressure sense head/ears*
- Sharp pains head/ears*
- Sensations of electric shock*
- Tinnitus
- Visual / hearing disturbance
- Anomia / thought block
- Tremor / vibration* / seizure
- Synesthesia*
- Cardiac dysrhythmia / palpitations
- BP anomaly / Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome
- Musculoskeletal pains
- Joint dysfunction
- Thirst / dehydration
- Urinary / bowel urgency
- Increased chemical sensitivity*
- Increased food sensitivity
- General sensory up-regulation*
- Circadian rhythm reversal*
- ages 14 to 17 increased by more than 60%,
- ages 12 to 13 (47%)
- ages 18 to 21 (46%), and
- rates roughly doubled among those ages 20 to 21.

TOXIC BURDEN # 6 – STRESS
the biggest toxic burden of all Your Stress System – A Modern Paradox
- Increase blood pressure and heart rate
- Increase breathing
- Constrict blood flow in your arms and legs
- Slow down your digestion
- Tense muscles throughout your body
- Releases sugar from the liver into the blood stream
- Increases blood clotting factors
- Activates the immune system (only 20 to 30 minutes)
- Inhibits sexual function
- And more…

- Increased appetite and food cravings
- Cortisol stimulates fat storage mainly around the abdomen
- Increased body fat – obesity
- Decreased muscle mass
- Insulin resistance and eventually diabetes
- Heart disease
- Increased blood pressure – high blood pressure
- Decreased bone density – osteoporosis
- Reduced synthesis of neurotransmitters
- Increased anxiety
- Increased depression
- Reduced concentration
- Mood swings (anger and irritability)
- Reduced levels of estrogen and testosterone – decreased sex drive
- Impaired immune response – frequent colds, flus, infections and cancer
- Memory and learning impairment
- Physical atrophy of brain cells – Alzheimer’s disease
- Increased symptoms of PMS
- Increased menopausal side effects