5 Signs Your Body is Overloaded with Toxins (and what to do about it!)

It seems everything contains some toxin or another these days. From pollution to perfumes, coffee
lids to cutting boards – there is a lot of daily products that we suddenly have to beware of! In fact,
80,000 different toxins have been dumped into our environment in the past few hundred years.
But how do we know if the levels in our body are reaching dangerous levels? The best way is to
check. If you are preparing to have a baby then it is paramount that you check these before getting
pregnant.

Here are 5 signs that can indicate your body is being overloaded with toxic compounds:
1. Poor Gut Health
When we try to discern what is causing our gut problems the first thing we do is scrutinize our
recent food intake. However, heavy metals have been shown to harm our healthy gut bacteria and
cause constipation, diarrhea, ulcers and poor absorption. If your tongue is covered in a white or
yellow substance this is a key indicator that toxins are disrupting the delicate mucous membranes of
our digestive system.

2. Hormonal Imbalances
Many environmental toxins can lead to widespread endocrine disruption, which is a term for
hormonal imbalances. Furthermore, certain toxins like BPA found in plastics are xenoestrogens.
These xenoestrogens mimic estrogen in the body and can lead to PMS, weight gain in the hips,
sleeping problems, and even breast tissue development in men.

3. Allergies
Although heavy metals can persist in our tissues for many years, our body does know they are there.
The immune system will immediately recognize them as foreign substances and attack them.
Unfortunately, this prolonged activation of the immune response can lead to skin, nose and food
allergies. Fortunately, elimination of these toxins can greatly improve your allergy severity!

4. Troubled Skin
When the liver can’t deal with all of the toxins in your system on its own, the skin will step in to help.
As another elimination organ, the skin will proceed to try and excrete toxins for our pores which can
lead to rashes, increased acne and dull skin.

5. Fatigue
Struggling with low energy is one of the most common symptoms of heavy metal toxicity and the
cause is multi-faceted. Some of this will be due to the excessive work by our immune system and
liver to try and cleanse the body. However, these toxic elements can also displace and deplete
important nutrients like iron and zinc, which will make us increasingly fatigued. Many people suffer
with chronic fatigue for years even though a thorough heavy metal detox could solve their problems.

If some of these sound like you or you have reason to suspect heavy metals and other nasties are
making a home of your body, it is always best to check first. Once we understand which toxins are
high and how long these have been in your system, our team will develop a
personalized detox program. This will involve dietary changes, lifestyle modifications and hand-
picked supplements to support your elimination organs during the process.
Our bodies are truly remarkable and can handle almost anything we throw at them but the levels of
heavy metals in our environment nowadays are hitting unprecedented levels, seriously overtaxing
our liver and other organs. That’s why our body sometimes needs a bit of help getting those toxins
out.

References:
1. Valdes Ana M, Walter Jens, Segal Eran, Spector Tim D. Role of the gut
microbiota in nutrition and health BMJ 2018; 361 :k2179
2. Wilson M. A review of transanal irrigation in adults. Br J Nurs.
2017;26(15):846-856. doi:10.12968/bjon.2017.26.15.846
3. Koch SM, Melenhorst J, van Gemert WG, Baeten CG. Prospective study of
colonic irrigation for the treatment of defaecation disorders. Br J Surg.
2008;95(10):1273-1279. doi:10.1002/bjs.6232
4. Uchiyama-Tanaka Y. Colon irrigation causes lymphocyte movement from gut-
associated lymphatic tissues to peripheral blood. Biomed Res.
2009;30(5):311-314. doi:10.2220/biomedres.30.311

Rachel

Rachel Erwin, Nutritionist & Content Writer

Rachel is a Nutritionist with a BSc in Biology and Global Health from the University of Toronto, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Human Nutrition from the University of Ulster. She has counselled and educated clients in Hong Kong, whose health goals ranged from weight loss to detox and hormone balancing. Her love of writing led her to complete ‘Writing in the Sciences’, offered by Stanford University, and since then she has contributed several evidence-based health articles to various publications.

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