Welcome to part 4 of ODX's "Electromagnetic and Chemical Hypersensitivity" Series. In the fourth and final post, you'll discover effective strategies for mitigating sensitivity-related illnesses caused by toxins, chemicals, and electromagnetic fields. Learn how to identify triggers, restore biochemical balance, and detoxify the body for improved health.
The ODX EMF Series
Dicken Weatherby, N.D. and Beth Ellen DiLuglio, MS, RDN, LDN
- Electromagnetic and Chemical Hypersensitivity Part 1: Electromagnetic Fields
- Electromagnetic and Chemical Hypersensitivity Part 2: Health Effects of EMFs
- Electromagnetic and Chemical Hypersensitivity Part 3: TILT, MCS, and Immune Dysfunction
- Electromagnetic and Chemical Hypersensitivity Part 4: Mitigating SRIs
The prevalence of various symptoms and sensitivities in individuals is on the rise. It may be associated with exposure to toxins, common chemicals, and electromagnetic fields from WiFi and cellphone infrastructure.
The 50-item Quick Environmental Exposure and Sensitivity Inventory (QEESI©) questionnaire can help identify sensitivities to common chemical triggers and gauge symptom severity (QEESI). The 3-question BREESI evaluation can serve as a screening tool to identify individuals most likely to have chemical sensitivity and who should continue to complete the QEESI questionnaire.
Trigger removal should take priority, followed by remediation and recovery of nutritional and biochemical status, as chronic stress and inflammation can quickly deplete nutrients and disrupt physiology further. Blood chemistry analysis can help identify insufficiencies and guide repletion (Genuis 2012).
Steps to Overcoming Sensitivity-Related Illness (Genuis 2010)
#1 Avoidance of triggers (unless/until desensitized)
- Automobile exhaust
- Pesticides
- Solvents
- Cleaning solutions
- Molds and mycotoxins
- Hydrogen sulfide
- Mercury and other toxic metals
- Off-gassing from new furniture, carpeting
- Synthetic fragrances
- Synthetic clothing materials
- Synthetic skincare ingredients
- Some pharmaceuticals
- Electromagnetic radiation
- Common food triggers
- Gluten (wheat)
- Casein
- Corn and corn products
- Soy
- Monosodium glutamate
- Artificial sweeteners
- Food dyes
- Caffeine
- Nuts
- Nightshades
- Yeast
- Eggs
#2 Biochemical restoration
- Patients with Sensitivity-Related Illness (SRI) often experience nutritional deficiencies due to gastrointestinal issues like maldigestion and malabsorption caused by inflammation from exposure to triggers.
- Chronic inflammation also leads to overutilization of nutrients, necessitating nutritional replenishment for optimal health recovery.
- Avoiding triggers can alleviate gastrointestinal dysfunction, allowing for the correction of underlying biochemical deficiencies and clinical improvement.
- Nutritional status testing is crucial for identifying specific deficiencies and guiding the restoration of optimal nutrient levels, which can diminish sensitivity responses and enhance the body's detoxification processes, leading to significant clinical recovery.
- Vitamin D status should be optimized to help reduce sensitivity
- Optimized nutrition status supports metabolic detoxification and tissue repair
#3 Elimination of bioaccumulated toxicant load
- Eliminating internal toxins is critical for resolving Sensitivity-Related Illness (SRI). This involves identifying and avoiding further exposure to environmental toxins.
- Many accumulated toxicants are stored in body tissues and are not always detectable through standard blood or urine tests. Special techniques may be needed to assess the true level of toxicant accumulation.
- Detoxification methods can reduce the body’s burden of toxins, lessening the intensity of toxicant-induced loss of tolerance (TILT) and improving symptoms of SRI.
- Continued exposure to toxicants or failure to remove existing toxic burdens can prevent recovery, leading to persistent health issues and heightened sensitivity. Successful detoxification and avoidance of new exposures can lead to significant health improvement, allowing individuals to tolerate substances that previously triggered adverse reactions.
- To reduce the intensity of inflammatory reactions, alkalinizing agents can help mitigate tissue acidosis that often accompanies inflammation.
- Anti-inflammatory compounds can alleviate musculoskeletal symptoms, while anti-histamine compounds can help manage symptoms associated with allergic reactions.
- Eating high-glycemic foods like refined sugars and white flour can worsen inflammation by affecting insulin and pro-inflammatory cytokines, so avoiding these foods can help manage sensitivity responses.
- Engaging in vigorous physical exercise and taking high doses of vitamin C may reduce pro-inflammatory cytokines and lessen the severity and duration of sensitivity reactions.
7-Step Clinical Approach to Detoxification (Sears 2012)
- A detailed environmental history and exposure inventory, followed by patient education to effect adequate avoidance
- Specific toxicological testing, if indicated according to the patient's history
- Remediation of abnormal biochemistry, as identified by laboratory investigations
- The combination of optimal diet and supplemental nutrients may be utilized to secure adequate nutrition and sufficient biochemical reserve for detoxification. Some examples include (this is not a comprehensive list) the following:
- glutathione and sulfur-containing foods (e.g., eggs, brassicas, and alliums) and supplements such as N-acetylcysteine, taurine, or methylsulfonylmethane to support glutathione and metallothionein synthesis
- folate and related nutrients (e.g., for arsenic metabolism and excretion
- lipoic acid therapy may assist in the detoxification of some compounds, including mycotoxins, resulting from exposure to certain molds [150],
- adequate minerals such as calcium, iron, and zinc, to reduce the absorption of heavy metals
- Chlorella to decrease absorption and enhance excretion of toxicants is generally well tolerated
- fiber to reduce absorption and facilitate elimination
- Regular sweating (with mineral repletion), with exercise or in a sauna, can facilitate transdermal excretion
- Daily exercise will enhance and eliminate of some toxicants
- Directed therapies for retained toxicants (as determined by laboratory investigations) may be implemented
Detoxification of Heavy Metals
Heavy metals are naturally occurring elements with a high atomic mass and density, found extensively in the Earth's crust. However, their increased presence in everyday products and the environment, mainly through food chain pollution, has turned them into significant health hazards.
Chronic exposure to high levels of these metals can lead to severe health issues. While chelation therapy is a recognized treatment for heavy metal poisoning, it can have severe side effects. Research shows that dietary components, phytoantioxidants, and probiotics can be crucial in mitigating the toxic effects of heavy metals and promoting human health (Ceramella 2024).
Mechanism and organ toxicity following human exposure to heavy metals
Source: Ceramella, Jessica et al. “Phytochemicals Involved in Mitigating Silent Toxicity Induced by Heavy Metals.” Foods (Basel, Switzerland) vol. 13,7 978. 22 Mar. 2024, doi:10.3390/foods13070978 This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Neurotoxicity can be caused by direct exposure to substances like toxic metals, pesticides, and radiation, as well as by indirect factors such as inflammation from cytokines or reactive oxygen species. Such toxicity is linked to the development of neurodegenerative diseases. To mitigate or prevent neurotoxicity, treatments like chelation therapy with agents like EDTA have proven effective, particularly for those with chronic metal intoxication. Adopting a healthy lifestyle, avoiding toxic substances, and maintaining a nutritious diet are crucial preventive measures (Fulgenzi 2019). However, chelation therapy may cause the redistribution of some heavy metals from different tissues to the brain, potentially contributing to neurotoxicity (Ceramella 2024).
More natural approaches to chelating and eliminating heavy metals may be preferable and well tolerated. Also, micronutrient repletion can help reduce uptake of toxic heavy metals (Sears 2013):
- Algal polysaccharide alginate
- Alpha-lipoic acid
- Chlorella
- Cilantro
- Dietary fiber
- Glutathione
- Modified citrus pectin
- N-acetylcysteine
- Selenium
- Sulfur-containing foods, including alliums (e.g., garlic) and brassicas (e.g., broccoli)
- Taurine
The protective role of phytochemicals from heavy metal toxicity
Many edible plants and foods are known for their antioxidant effects and act as preventive measures against heavy metal toxicity. These natural antioxidants include flavonoids, phenolic compounds, isoflavones, lutein, lycopene, carotenoids and tocopherols, which may inhibit oxidation, act as free radicals scavengers, and function as chelators and reductant (Ceramella 2024):
- Phenolic compounds are found in abundance in many spices, herbs, fruits, and vegetables
- Flavonoids are found in fruits, vegetables, tea, cocoa, and wine
- Quercetin flavonoids are found in fruits, vegetables, olive oil, red wine, and tea
- Hesperidin flavonoids are found in citrus fruits
- Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG) is found in green tea
- Ferulic acid is a phenolic compound found in whole grains, spinach, parsley, grapes, rhubarb, and cereal seeds, including wheat, oats, rye, and barley
- Ellagic acid is a phenolic compound found in grapes, nuts, strawberries, black currents, raspberries, green tea, pomegranates, and eucalyptus
- Curcumin is a polyphenolic compound found in turmeric
- Garlic, aloe vera, and C. asiatica (gotu kola) may help mitigate heavy metal effects
- Ginger may support the detoxification of heavy metals
- Probiotics, e.g., Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium genera, may help bind heavy metals and excrete them from the body
- Spirulina is a photosynthetic cyanobacterium (blue-green algae) that may help mitigate heavy metal toxicity
Source: Ceramella, Jessica et al. “Phytochemicals Involved in Mitigating Silent Toxicity Induced by Heavy Metals.” Foods (Basel, Switzerland) vol. 13,7 978. 22 Mar. 2024, doi:10.3390/foods13070978 This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Optimal Takeaways Mitigating SRIs
- Increased sensitivity to environmental factors such as toxins, chemicals, and electromagnetic fields from cellphones and wireless technology is linked to various symptoms.
- Tools like the BREESI and QEESI© questionnaires help identify and measure these sensitivities.
- Removing environmental triggers is crucial for recovery. This includes avoiding exposure to pesticides, solvents, mold, synthetic fragrances, and electromagnetic radiation.
- Nutritional and biochemical recovery is essential, as inflammation from chronic exposure can deplete nutrients.
- Correcting nutrient imbalances can improve overall health and reduce sensitivity.
- Continuous detoxification is key. Reducing the body's load of accumulated toxins through dietary changes and specific detox methods can help lessen sensitivity symptoms and improve health.
References
Ceramella, Jessica et al. “Phytochemicals Involved in Mitigating Silent Toxicity Induced by Heavy Metals.” Foods (Basel, Switzerland) vol. 13,7 978. 22 Mar. 2024, doi:10.3390/foods13070978 This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Fulgenzi, Alessandro, and Maria Elena Ferrero. “EDTA Chelation Therapy for the Treatment of Neurotoxicity.” International journal of molecular sciences vol. 20,5 1019. 26 Feb. 2019, doi:10.3390/ijms20051019
Genuis, Stephen J, and Marko G Tymchak. “Approach to patients with unexplained multimorbidity with sensitivities.” Canadian family physician Medecin de famille canadien vol. 60,6 (2014): 533-8.
Sears, Margaret E, and Stephen J Genuis. “Environmental determinants of chronic disease and medical approaches: recognition, avoidance, supportive therapy, and detoxification.” Journal of environmental and public health vol. 2012 (2012): 356798. doi:10.1155/2012/356798 This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License.
Sears, Margaret E. “Chelation: harnessing and enhancing heavy metal detoxification--a review.” TheScientificWorldJournal vol. 2013 219840. 18 Apr. 2013, doi:10.1155/2013/219840