Pregnancy, Toxic Exposures and Equilib

The following article has been provided as part of EvinceNaturals ongoing dedication to effectively supporting physical, mental and emotional health for those of all ages.

Modern women are bathed in a sea of toxins, mutagens and carcinogens in cosmetics, cleaning products, food, air and water – not to mention toxic effects from prescribed medications. Many women are now looking more closely at the effects of their lifestyle choices before and during pregnancy. Many of the above mentioned products contain a wide range of chemicals known as endocrine disruptors.

Endocrine disrupters including plasticizers mimic the effects of natural hormones in the body including those intimately involved in the development and health of a baby’s reproductive system and the maintenance of an optimal hormonal environment in the uterus; with potentially devastating effects on the fetus.

Numerous studies on exposure to these types of chemicals have shown increased risks of low birth weight, premature birth, birth defects, physical, mental and emotional development delays, improper development of sex organs in boys and early periods in girls. One hundred years ago girls didn’t experience their first period before age 16-18. Now it’s common by the age of twelve.

What can be done? There are a number of very cost effective methods to reduce the toxic load on mothers, unborn babies and children. The Environmental Working Group has a free list of fruits and vegetables showing which have the highest and lowest pesticide burden. This enables women to pick safer produce at no extra cost. Those who choose to spend some of their budget on organic produce will know which items will give them the most benefit for the extra cost.

Water in America is contaminated with an enormous array of agricultural and industrial chemicals including the highly toxic perchlorate from rocket fuel which is found across the U.S. Water can effectively be filtered with reverse osmosis units or an inexpensive counter top unit called Zero Water. This will remove a very broad range of toxins including fluoride which carbon filters such as Brita, currently do not. They come with their own TDS water quality meter so it’s simple to test for when the filter cartridge needs to be changed.

Avoid bottled water and drink containers as well as canned foods which are lined with BPA or BPS containing coatings. Remove meat from plastic wrap to stop the ongoing leaching and store in glass or glazed pottery. Where practical, purchase oils, or acidic foods such as tomato sauces in glass containers as these both promote leaching of plasticizers into the food.

Eliminate scented products; household, personal and laundry. Unless made 100% from essential oils, scented products contain serious toxins and endocrine disruptors. A recent lab study found that every scented dryer sheet they tested contained at least two known carcinogens. Do not use household deodorant sprays. These work by numbing or coating the chemo sensors in the nose or creating a masking odor rather than actually eliminating the odors and add to the chemical burden in the home.

Clean up the chemical-free way. Most household cleaning and mopping can now be done with nothing but water and Norwex specialty microfiber cloths and mops. This technology developed in Norway uses microscopically tiny threads one seventh the diameter of normal micro fibers. These are similar to the fibers on gecko’s toes which allow them to walk up walls and windows without falling. The unique physical properties of these fibers allow them to clean pretty well anything; including grease off glass. An added benefit is that using only water, you can clean makeup, oils and dirt off skin without stripping away the natural oils within the skin cells. This works equally well for faces and babies bottoms. I was initially highly skeptical, but after testing them personally, they’ve become the principal cleaning method in my home.

Mercury is a potent neurotoxin with the majority of exposure coming from seafood. Seafood shown to have lower levels of mercury include; wild caught salmon, tilapia, herring, sardines, tuna, shrimp, Alaskan Pollock, scallops, mackerel and catfish. If using tuna, use canned flaked light rather than white Albacore. Light flaked tuna is a moderate source of mercury but the white chunk albacore is much more contaminated.

Very high mercury seafood include: orange roughy, shark, marlin, white or yellow fin tuna, Ahi tuna, tile fish, sea bass and grouper. A more complete list ranked by severity of mercury contamination is available in the references at the end of this article.

Indo-China seafood should be strictly avoided in my opinion and that of many food scientists. Seafood from China, India, Vietnam, Thailand etc. is grown in severely polluted environments and has been shown to contain numerous toxins which are banned in much of the rest of the world. Even where regulations are in place, they’re widely ignored and oversight is minimal if any. If you cannot clearly identify where the product was actually caught or raised, don’t buy it.

Medications; Research is showing that many medications including sleep medications, antidepressants and the prescription opiate pain killers (which one quarter of child bearing age women are currently taking), carry increased risks of harm to babies ranging from birth defects, and developmental abnormalities to withdrawal symptoms after birth. Discuss with both your pharmacist and physician the potential risks of any prescription and/or seek the assistance of a trained healthcare professional skilled in alternatives such as a naturopathic physician.

What about the use of Equilib? Over the past fifteen years, many women taking Equilib have become pregnant and gave birth to healthy babies while choosing to remain on this nutrient program due to pre-existing or gestational mental, emotional or physical health issues. Fat soluble nutrients which could potentially build up if taken to excess are well below conservative safety guidelines even at the maximum dose. Fat soluble vitamins are A, E and D.

Equilib was developed by a team which included a PhD in nutrition and the formula has continued to contain highly bioavailable chelated mineral and vitamin amounts well below conservative maximum dosing guidelines for pregnant women. The minerals, amino acids, choline, citrus bioflavonoids, vitamins etc. in Equilib are found in food with the exception of ginko biloba. This tree leaf extract has been used by many cultures for thousands of years and not been shown to have any mutagenic or carcinogenic properties.

The total amount of ginko biloba in a typical maintenance dose of four Equilib three times/day is only 40mg/day. To put this in perspective, supplement suppliers offer dosing ranging from 60 mg to 450 mg. Some small animal studies show weak evidence that there might be some slight blood thinning effects from ginko biloba, but If in doubt, a simple blood test should allay or indicate any possible platelet function concerns your healthcare team might have.

As with any other condition, discuss the use of the Equilib nutrient program with your naturopath, MD and/or pharmacist regarding your individual situation if pregnant.

There’s no benefit to living in fear of our world, but we can take simple cost-effective steps to make our world a better, safer and happier place to live.

Yours in good health.

David Gilbert

Article Sources:
http://www.EWG.org
http://fishcooking.about.com/od/howtochoosefreshfish/bb/mercury_fish.htm https://www.norwex.com/

Image Source – Image courtesy of adamr at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The above statements have not been approved by the FDA and are not intended as medical advice. As always, consult your trusted healthcare professionals before starting any programs.