Living the toxin-free life

[Guest guest]

Living the toxin-free life

_http://www.thesunchronicle.com/articles/2008/04/08/features/2989676.txt_

(http://www.thesunchronicle.com/articles/2008/04/08/features/2989676.txt)

BY SUSAN LaHOUD / SUN CHRONICLE STAFF

There are plastic baby bottles that leach chemicals, lotions and fragrances

with toxins that can enter the bloodstream and disrupt enzymes, and household

cleaning products that sanitize but can cause health problems.

 

And as if that isn't enough, there are hundreds of new chemicals introduced

to our environment every year, most of which are not government-approved or

tested for effects on human health.

With all that in mind, which products should you use? What's a mother (or

father) to do? What's most everybody to do?

 

It's all overwhelmingly frustrating, seemed to be the consensus among

parents - mostly moms - who attended a recent presentation by Lynn Tondat

Ruggeri

and Laura Costa at the Children's Museum in Easton.

 

The two women, who are physiological psychologists, have studied the

relationship between the brain and behavior since the early 1990s and

co-authored

the book " Safer For Your Baby: A Guide to Living Better with Fewer Chemicals. "

 

They spoke about ways for people to reduce the use of, and exposure to,

chemical-laden products that threaten human health and that of pets, too.

 

Babies especially vulnerable

 

Costa said that, while her and her colleague's recommendations relate to

everyone, it is expectant moms who are most likely to make changes to minimize

exposure to everyday toxins.

 

Babies are especially vulnerable, she said, because of their developing

systems. Their skin is thinner and can absorb more into the bloodstream, and

their liver doesn't develop the enzymes to help filter some contaminants until

age 2.

 

Bisphenol A, or BPA, is a manmade chemical used in polycarbonate plastic,

the material used to make most baby bottles and other shatterproof plastic food

containers.

 

Opinions on its safety are mixed. The Food and Drug Administration says

current uses with food are safe, but the Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention state that animal testing has shown BPA has hormone-like effects on

the

reproductive system. The CDC says more study is needed to see if it could be

harming people.

 

Some pediatricians advise families to use alternatives to polycarbonate

bottles to be on the safe side, and Ruggeri and Costa concur. Why wait for

studies that will take years to complete when certain chemicals have already

been

linked to reproductive, upper respiratory and any number of other health

ailments?

 

Danger to teens

 

Teens are more susceptible to toxins as they go through hormonal changes and

brain alterations. They are also bombarded with advertising for many

perfumes and personal care products that contain chemicals that can interfere

with

their health, Ruggeri and Costa said.

 

The elderly are susceptible because their livers are producing fewer enzymes

that help process and filter.

 

Consider, said Ruggeri, that the average person uses nine personal care

products - from toothpaste and shampoo to lotions and perfumes - that can

result

in exposure to 135 chemicals a day.

 

Primary to reducing chemical exposure and intake, say the women, is learning

to read the ingredients in any product.

 

While it may seem tedious at first, it soon becomes second nature, they said.

 

The old adages hold true in most cases when it comes to choosing products,

said Costa. Don't use products with those long ingredient names or ones that

you can't pronounce, and don't use anything on your skin that you wouldn't

eat.

 

On the positive side, Costa and Ruggeri noted that many companies are

responding to the growing demand for less toxic products by offering

alternatives.

 

The women also recommended making changes one room, or one aspect, at a

time. Even small steps can help, they said. Taking your shoes off in the house,

for example, can reduce the lead in your home by about 70 percent, along with

cutting pesticides and other contaminants tracked in on footwear, Ruggeri

said.

 

Another good idea is to open the windows in your home. A government

environmental agency estimates that inside air is 7 to 100 times more polluted

than

outside air, Costa said.

 

Here are some other recommendations from Costa and Ruggeri on how to tone

down toxins in the home.

 

Bleach, ammonia and aerosols are among the top offenders. Vinegar to kill

bacteria and Bon Ami cleanser are a couple of safer alternatives, along with

baking soda.

 

Avoid all-too-common petrochemical-based products like sodium laurel

sulfate, which is found in many toothpastes and shampoos among other products.

Propylene glycol is another one to avoid and that's found in foods as well as a

lot of baby wipes.

 

When it comes to " air fresheners " or " odor neutralizers, " you're not

improving air quality when you're adding a petroleum product to the air, " Costa

said. That goes for candles, too. Synthetic and artificially scented products

can

be made up of hundreds of " trade-secret " petrochemicals that have not been

tested for their neurotoxic effects. They can cause immediate breathing

problems, asthma, nausea, headache, flu-like symptoms, and in extreme cases,

seizures, Ruggeri said.

 

Look for USDA-certified organic food and products; non-toxic and natural,

vegetable-based, biodegradable ingredients in cleaning products. But don't just

go with a product if it has " natural " or " organic " in the title. Read the

ingredients.

 

Move away from microwave plastic. Avoid using plastic for food/beverage

storage, baby bottles, " sippy cups, " teethers or toys that are labeled #3, #6,

#7

plastic. They can leach toxins that can be ingested. Tempered glass is

recommended. Numbers 1, 2, 4 and 5 are safer plastics, but ceramic or glass are

considered safer alternatives.

 

SUSAN LaHOUD can be reached at 508-236-0398 or at

_slahoud_ (slahoud) .