Pick your poison

Every day, in almost everything we eat, use and do, we are exposed to toxic substances and influences in one form or another, and hardly anything we ingest or are exposed to can be considered completely “safe.”

The processed food we eat could have chemical contaminants or additives that may be harmless in small quantities, but their cumulative effects on our bodies over time are at best unclear. Opting for unprocessed fresh food would not necessarily spare us from toxins either. They could have poisonous chemicals absorbed through contaminated soil and groundwater, sprayed on them to get rid of pests, or injected into them (in the case of livestock and poultry) to resist disease or induce faster growth.

The air we breathe could contain unhealthy levels of tiny particles that build up in our lungs, or harmful chemicals such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide emitted by motor vehicles or industrial plants. Wi-Fi and cellular phone signals proliferating in our work or home environments could be harming our bodies slowly and quietly, due to the ill effects of radiation.

What are the most common poisons we are probably taking in regularly? Among the most ubiquitous ones is lead, a toxic metal that continues to be used in pigments, paints, solder, stained glass, lead crystal glassware, ammunition, ceramic glazes, jewellery, toys and in some cosmetics and traditional medicines. It affects the development of the brain and nervous system in young children. In adults, its effects include increased risk of high blood pressure and kidney damage, and pregnant women face higher risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth and low birth weight.

Commonly present in our diet are nitrates and nitrites, used as preservative in cured processed meat like bacon, ham, sausages, and in popular Filipino meat preparations like tocino and longganisa. Inside our bodies, nitrites change into highly cancer-causing nitrosamines, which may be inhibited by adding an antioxidant like vitamin C or E. But other antioxidants, especially BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene), used widely to keep fats from turning rancid in various food preparations, have been linked to cancer as well.

Then there are sulfites, used to prolong freshness in fruits and vegetables, and also used as preservatives in dried fruits, dehydrated potatoes and wines. These can induce severe reactions especially among asthmatics, and began to be classified as unsafe in 1986 after several sulfite-related deaths. Aspartame is now the most widely-used artificial sweetener in diet drinks, but has been known to exacerbate headaches in people suffering from migraine, and increased seizures in epileptics. Many color additives are known carcinogens and some have been banned from use in foods. Still, most continue to be used in cosmetics and drugs.

Microplastics, tiny invisible particles of plastic resulting from the disintegration (but not degradation) of plastics in the environment, especially in the oceans, are now being detected in fish consumed by humans, finding their way into our bloodstreams and causing various health problems. These are the more insidious effects of widespread plastic pollution in our waterways and oceans, well beyond the visible physical harm they do in the environment, including on aquatic life.

Short of living in the wilderness, it seems there is no way we can escape all these poisons that are now all around us. “Even the most health-conscious people have carcinogens and other harmful chemicals in their bodies—from plastics, cosmetics, cleansers, pesticide-soaked food, polluted air and water and the many other exposures that are a part of modern life,” wrote Emily Holden in a recent article for The Guardian.

Most of these toxins can be avoided by direct consumer choice, but others can only be effectively dealt with through collective remedial action (like microplastics). In this day and age, hardly anyone can live in a poison-free world. The best we can do is to be aware, scrutinize product labels and decide which poisons we would completely avoid, and those we would have to endure—literally, pick your poison.

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