We can't avoid every toxin in our environment, but we can lower our exposure in a few practical ways.
Lowering your exposure
In the kitchen
- Cookware. Non-stick can contain PFAS, so choose stainless steel, cast iron or glass.
- Cooking oils. For high-heat cooking, choose stable oils like avocado oil or ghee. Polyunsaturated oils such as corn, soybean and sunflower can form harmful compounds when overheated, and they're common in restaurant kitchens. Avoid reusing oil, and store it away from light and heat to keep it from going rancid.
- Cooking methods. Gentle, moist cooking like steaming, poaching and stewing is safest. High, dry heat, including grilling and air frying, creates more harmful compounds, so enjoy them in moderation.
- Storage. Store food in glass or stainless steel when possible, and avoid heating food in plastic.
- Coffee to go. Disposable cups are lined with plastic that can shed into hot drinks. If you buy coffee often, ask for a ceramic mug or bring your own.
Around the home
Check your products
Your skin is your largest organ, and what it absorbs reaches your bloodstream without first passing through the liver. EWG's Skin Deep database, and several newer apps, make it easier to check what's in your products.
Go fragrance-free
The word “fragrance” on a label can legally hide many undisclosed chemicals, including hormone disruptors. Switching to fragrance-free products goes a long way.
Filter and ventilate
Indoor air can be worse than outdoor air. A HEPA filter in the bedroom helps, and so does opening windows when air quality is good.
Filter your water
A carbon block filter is a good start. Reverse osmosis removes much more, but you'll want to replace the minerals and electrolytes it strips out.
Buy organic when you can
Especially for the produce on EWG's “Dirty Dozen” list, which tends to carry the most pesticide residue.
Keep it low
The World Health Organization classifies alcohol as a Group 1 carcinogen, so less is better.
Supporting your body's detox systems
Your liver, kidneys, gut, skin and lungs are built to clear toxins. They just need the right fuel and a clear way out.
- Daily bowel movements. This is one of the most important. Your liver packages hormone byproducts and toxins for removal, but if they linger in the colon, they can be reabsorbed. Over time, this can contribute to hormone imbalance at any age, and especially in perimenopause.
- Fiber. Fiber binds the hormone byproducts, cholesterol byproducts and toxins your liver has processed, and carries them out of the body. It also supports regular bowel movements.
- Sweat. Sweating offers another route out for some toxins, including certain heavy metals and BPA. Exercise, sauna and warm baths all count.
- Hydration. Most of us could improve this. A simple guide is about half your body weight in ounces each day, and more when you exercise. A pinch of sea salt or electrolytes can help, especially when you sweat.
- Methylation support. Your liver clears toxins in two phases. The second relies on several pathways, including methylation, which depends on folate, B12, B6 and choline. A common genetic variant, MTHFR, can make methylation less efficient, and your clinician can help decide whether testing or methylated (pre-activated) B vitamins make sense for you. Eggs and dark leafy greens are excellent food sources.
- Cruciferous vegetables. Broccoli, cauliflower and their relatives provide the building blocks for sulforaphane, one of the most potent activators of your body's antioxidant and detox pathways. They also support healthy estrogen metabolism. Broccoli sprouts are an especially rich source, and a small handful in a morning smoothie goes a long way.
Where to start
Choose one swap for the next two weeks, like bringing your own mug for coffee, switching to glass food storage, or adding a handful of broccoli sprouts to your smoothie. If you're not sure which pillar to focus on, try the Longevity 101 check-in.
References
- Sunderland EM, et al. A review of the pathways of human exposure to poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and present understanding of health effects. Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology. 2019.
- Uribarri J, et al. Advanced glycation end products in foods and a practical guide to their reduction in the diet. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2010.
- Ranjan VP, Joseph A, Goel S. Microplastics and other harmful substances released from disposable paper cups into hot water. Journal of Hazardous Materials. 2021.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Introduction to indoor air quality.
- Environmental Working Group. Skin Deep cosmetics database.
- Environmental Working Group. Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce (Dirty Dozen).
- IARC Working Group. Personal habits and indoor combustions (alcohol consumption). IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans, Vol. 100E. 2012.
- Baker JM, Al-Nakkash L, Herbst-Kralovetz MM. Estrogen–gut microbiome axis: physiological and clinical implications. Maturitas. 2017.
- Genuis SJ, et al. Human excretion of bisphenol A: blood, urine, and sweat (BUS) study. Journal of Environmental and Public Health. 2012.
- Sears ME, Kerr KJ, Bray RI. Arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury in sweat: a systematic review. Journal of Environmental and Public Health. 2012.
- Grant DM. Detoxification pathways in the liver. Journal of Inherited Metabolic Disease. 1991.
- Hickey SE, et al. ACMG Practice Guideline: lack of evidence for MTHFR polymorphism testing. Genetics in Medicine. 2013.
- Fahey JW, Zhang Y, Talalay P. Broccoli sprouts: an exceptionally rich source of inducers of enzymes that protect against chemical carcinogens. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 1997.
This article is for general education and isn't a substitute for personal medical advice. Please talk with your own clinician before changing your medications, supplements, diet or exercise routine.