How Environmental Toxins Can Create an Unhealthy Heart

What defines our environment? An environment is usually associated with the people, culture, objects, and places that we surround ourselves with, whether it would be by choice or subconsciously. What many are unaware of is the environments that we choose to be in has an effect on our health. Studies show that environmental toxins play a role in causing cancer, pneumonia, autoimmune diseases, the common cold and the leading cause of death in the United States: Heart Disease. Even those with the healthiest heart have potential of developing high cholesterol, diabetes or are at a high risk of heart attacks if they surround themselves around toxic environments. How? Well, there are a few reasons.

As of 2021, there are approximately 80,000 new chemicals that affect our heart health today that did not exist a century ago. Back in the early 1900s, foods were prepared with more natural ingredients as compared to the pesticides that farmers use to preserve crops today. Additionally, there weren’t as many cars to add to air pollution, more industrial labor induced jobs to ensure that people were constantly mobilized, and all in all, the culture of the world seemed less riddled with toxins. Heart disease was even considered a rarity. So what are these environmental toxins and how are they affecting our most vital organ?

Mold

Mold is a type of bacteria that can grow in places that contain an abundance of moisture such as the air conditioner, roofs, windows, bathrooms, pipes or even on food. For some, exposure to moldy environments can cause numerous minor health risks such as sneezing, coughing or bronchitis. For people with pre-existing conditions, mold can pose a much bigger threat. According to Mold Advisor, “organ damage, including damage to the heart, occurs when the immune system is unable to fight off a mold-related infection”¹.  When someone is exposed to mold, it has the ability to travel through the bloodstream and causes myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle), damage to the heart muscle, damage to the heart valves, and cause endocarditis (an infection of the lining of the heart).

Lead

Have you ever accidentally stabbed yourself with a pencil as a child, and watched your parents or teacher have a slight panic attack afterwards? Do you know why? Lead (Pb), is a very common environmental toxin that can cause multiple heart disease (and sometimes death) if the bloodstream is contaminated with too much of it. While this is a necessary element needed for certain jobs (such as building) or tasks (such as writing with a pencil), too much contamination of it can cause heart damage. Harvard Medical School mentioned that a study done by Lancet Public Health found a link between lead exposure and deaths caused by cardiovascular disease². People can easily contaminate themselves with lead by drinking water that comes through faucets, lead pipes or plumbing fixtures, and if too much is consumed, it can travel through the bloodstream straight into the heart. Other things that contain the element are cosmetic products, spices, jewelry, and homes built prior to 1978 (due to the lead-based paint).

Mercury

A natural chemical element that is born through rock in the earth’s crust and enters the environment through industrial pollution is mercury. According to ScienceDaily, “scientists have estimated that the amount of mercury in the atmosphere today is about two to three times what it was 150 years ago”³. The burning of oil, coal and wood or the precipitation of raindrops causes the chemical to become airborne thus allowing the polluted air to travel into our airways, through our systems, which further intoxicates our own bodies and poisons our cardiovascular systems. Evidence shown from a recent study has proven that 3,998 miners exposed to inorganic mercury developed an increase in hypertension, a higher risk of a stroke, and an increased risk of cardiovascular mortality⁴. Mercury can also be found in various fish species when the chemical finds its way into our oceans and microorganisms within the sea increasing the toxicity of its inhabitants, therefore those who consume certain types of fish such as tuna and swordfish are likely digesting mercury chemicals as well.

Pesticides

The purpose of pesticide chemicals are to kill any “pests” that linger in our homes such as rodents or insects. So if it’s powerful enough to kill small living organisms, what is its effect on humans? A study performed by the National Library of Medicine showed that an average of 23 deaths occurred due to pesticide exposure or ingestion of the chemical⁵.  If humans are using pesticides to rid their homes from bugs, they must use these chemicals with caution. Steven Reinberg of WebMD mentioned in a 2019 article that “people with high levels of insecticide in their system are far more vulnerable to heart disease”⁶. Pesticides have also been proven to cause other illnesses such as autoimmune diseases and cancer. All it takes is one breath of these highly toxic chemicals for the pesticides to swarm into our systems and infect multiple areas including the heart muscle. Other common ways that people accidentally ingest pesticides is through the consumption of produce as the chemical is used to keep fruits, vegetables and other food sources preserved and safe from insects. At LifeWorks, we encourage patients to eat organic foods to avoid the consumption of pesticides in the body.

Kick Out the Toxins from Your System

Other common environmental toxins that people subconsciously ingest daily include medical drugs, gasoline, arsenic and fluoride. All of these chemicals combined have a significant effect on how the body operates and can explain why illnesses and/or conditions such as cancer, autoimmune disease, the flu, autism and heart disease are more prevalent today.

Luckily, at LifeWorks Wellness Center, we have triumphantly been able to detox the bloodstream from the environmental toxins that could lead to cardiovascular issues with the use of a few therapies such as Chelation, Plaquex, and Enhanced External Counterpulsation (EECP) Therapy. Chelation is an IV treatment that combines EDTA (a special amino acid) with Vitamin C, B and Magnesium to attract heavy metals and toxins to remove them from the bloodstream and gradually deposits them through the urine. Plaquex is an IV that contains polyunsaturated phosphatidylcholine (PC) which restores the integrity of the cell membranes and clears out plaque deposits to improve blood flow, thus preventing a heart attack. Finally, the EECP is a painless treatment that provides nutrients and oxygen rich blood flow throughout the body to improve stamina and successfully treat heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and other health issues.

If you feel that you have high cholesterol, diabetes or are suffering from heart issues due to environmental toxins, please call our office today to schedule an initial consultation at 727-466-6789, and we’d be happy to help you detox your system of all chemicals.

Sources:

1. Heart Damage From Indoor Mold Exposure (mold-advisor.com)
2. Lead exposure and heart disease – Harvard Health Blog – Harvard Health Publishing
3. Mercury In Ocean Fish May Come From Natural Sources, Not Pollution — ScienceDaily
4. *The Role of Mercury in Cardiovascular Disease (hilarispublisher.com)
5. Human exposures to pesticides in the United States – PubMed (nih.gov)
6. Insecticides Tied to Heart Disease Deaths – WebMD