Let’s minimize our poisons, please?
But when they are all around us, we have to be aware specifically of where they are so as not to intentionally poison ourselves. Some poisons are really hard to get away from, so we need to be informed. Then we can start to choose wisely.
Poisoning our Self-Identity
Poisons that cause leaky gut are especially insidious because the gut lining is our boundary between ourself and the environment. It not only has to do with our digestive function, it has to do with the immune system and its function of distinguishing self from non-self.
What is more is that when the gut lining is leaky, so are the kidney tubules and the blood brain barrier. Poisoning by way of leaky linings creates mental and emotional effects.
As the gut lining becomes leaky, making it indistinguishable to know self from non-self, the concomitant blood brain barrier leakiness results in loss of a sense of identity. The disconnection of the cells in the lining results in disconnection with who we really are. That can lead to anxiety, depression, self-doubt and a lack of motivation.
On the physical level, it can lead to autoimmune diseases and cancer.
This sounds serious! Let’s look at what we need to stay away from.
It’s Everywhere!
Probably the number one poison in our environment is glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup week killer.
Not only is it an organophosphate toxin which persists in the environment, it acts as an antibiotic and desiccant. Yes, it is the most common antibiotic destroying your microbiome you did not know you were taking! Glyphosate is used to kill weeds in landscaping and agriculture, as well, it is used to dry out crops so they can be harvested earlier.
Use has been increasing since the early 1990’s, and our waterways, the ground and the air is totally polluted with glyphosate. It resists breaking down, so the amount keeps accumulating. Glyphosate levels above the limit of detection in humans went from 12% in the 1990s to 70% in the 2010s. And in 2015, Glyphosate was found in 93% of Americans tested at 3 parts per billion (ppb), well over the permitted levels for tap water in the EU (.1ppb). It is hard to get away from!
Fortunately, Mother Earth has provided us with a way to heal this toxic poisoning that is so ubiquitous. The product ION Gut Health contains signaling molecules from ancient soils which restore the connections between cells, restoring the gut lining. The featured picture shows cells damaged by glyphosate on the left and restored by ION on the right. Seeing can be believing!
I dispense it in my Medicinary, and it is available by subscription as well.
Suspect this Poison?
But wait, there are other ways of poisoning ourselves through things we would never suspect. There are three other culprits which we have more control over. We may not think they would be a problem, because they are so common in Americans’ lifestyles.
The first is alcohol.
Drinking a significant amount of alcohol so as to get tipsy is enough to cause leaky gut. The amount of alcohol in fruit or as a carrier for herbs is not enough to damage the gut lining. But drinking alcohol as a beverage, especially to get drunk, has deleterious effects. In several ways!
Let’s examine why we drink to get drunk, even if it just a little tipsy. When we are not comfortable with who we are, our self-identity, we can escape through drinking. Or alcohol loosens our inhibitions, so we can let out who we are, at least, who we think we are without self-policing. Unfortunately, we get farther away from who we really are with this disconnection.
Alcohol also disconnects the cells in the gut lining, kidney tubules and blood brain barrier, leading to the same destruction as glyphosate. Both causing leaky gut and anxiety, depression, self-doubt and a lack of motivation. The result is long-term devastation to your health.
The World Heart Federation even acknowledges this by releasing a new brief recommending against any alcohol for heart health. The data is based on a meta-analysis published in the prestigious journal Lancet. The conclusion of that study is:
The level of alcohol consumption that minimised harm across health outcomes was zero (95% UI 0·0–0·8) standard drinks per week.
Lancet Aug 2022
A choice not to drink alcohol as a beverage goes against a lot of society’s norms. But so do a lot of other practices which support your health.
Seeing the wide- and long-ranging consequences, do you still want to poison yourself by drinking alcohol?
Poisoning from Household Remedies
Would you ever suspect that getting a little pain relief could lead to the same loss of connection between the cells in our gut and brain linings as well as in our psyche?
When pain relief comes from a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) drug or aspirin, it does. Yes, those innocent-looking pills you pop just to get some relief have a dark side. Aspirin, Motrin, ibuprofen over the counter and prescription can have side effects beyond stomach irritation.
They cause leaky linings like glyphosate with the same effect of destroying the tight junction system and undermining self-identity. Don’t minimize the deleterious effect!
With many natural alternatives, avoiding the oh-so-common NSAIDs should become an easy way to avoid this route of self-poisoning.
The third place you might not suspect this is happening is with the class of constipation drugs which are osmotic laxatives. MiraLAX is the most common of this class, advertised for use in occasional constipation.
Well, the way it solves constipation is through making your gut lining leaky so that water is absorbed back into the stool, rehydrating it and stimulating the urge to go.
What is dangerous is that people use it regularly, not just occasionally. And constipation often goes with other conditions of compromise of the gut and brain. By making the gut and brain leaky, a host of problems are created compounding the condition that it was intended to treat.
Please stay away from this poison MiraLAX too.
Choose to Avoid these Poisons
I hope I conveyed the dire consequences of exposure to the ubiquitous chemical glyphosate. If not, check out some of the material from Zach Bush, MD and ION. Statistics, pictures and all.
By becoming aware of the poisoning effects of alcohol, NSAIDs, and osmotic laxatives like MiraLAX, we can choose to avoid them as well.
Fortunately, natural medicine has much to offer, most of which delves deep to the cause to truly restore function and health.
