Healthy aging is defined by the WHO as ‘the process of developing and maintaining the functional ability that enables wellbeing in older age’1. Known contributors to healthy aging include diet, physical activity, social and mental stimulation, and various lifestyle factors, such as stopping smoking2. Awareness of the role of the environment in healthy aging is growing, with increased interest in how environmental toxins – from household items to outdoor pollutants – may contribute to aging and disease.
This article will discuss what environmental toxins are, how they may be contributing to aging, and how we can reduce our exposure for better aging outcomes.
What are environmental toxins?
Environmental toxins are hazardous substances that people are exposed to through air, water, food, or products, negatively impacting their health. The most common categories of environmental toxins are:
- Heavy metals – may accumulate in food chains, such as mercury in fish3.
- Endocrine disruptors – can be found in pesticides and herbicides4.
- Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) – found in paints and cleaning products5.
- Persistent organic pollutants – found in some pesticides and industrial chemicals. May accumulate in food chains6.
Environmental toxins examples include: BPA (a chemical found in some plastics)7, phthalates (commonly found in cosmetics)8, and formaldehyde (used in building materials, such as plywood and other press-wood products)9.
How can environmental issues cause ill health?
Environmental issues, such as air pollution, water contamination, and industrial waste, can also be classified as environmental toxins due to their harmful effects on health. The WHO has provided guidelines on air quality. However, 99 percent of the global population breathes air that exceeds these standards10. Particular groups in the population are particularly vulnerable to these environmental issues, including children, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals. The WHO estimates that 442,000 children under 5 years old die from breathing polluted air every year10.
What are the symptoms of exposure to environmental toxins?
Exposure to environmental toxins often fails to cause immediate symptoms, so it is difficult to determine when or where you were exposed. Symptoms are commonly vague and build up over time due to chronic exposure. Exposure to different toxins will produce widely different symptoms. However, common symptoms can include11:
- Fatigue and brain fog
- Muscle aches and headaches
- Digestive issues
- Skin problems, including rashes
- Hormone imbalances
- Respiratory problems
How do environmental toxins affect your health?
Different toxins can disrupt various systems within the body, including the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems. Exposure to environmental toxins can often have long-term health effects through disrupting these systems. Heavy metals (such as arsenic) have been shown to disrupt the immune system, amplifying inflammation12. Chemicals within some pesticides are thought to increase the production of reactive oxygen species within cells, increasing oxidative stress and, therefore, contributing to various chronic diseases13. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals can mimic or block natural hormones within the body and disrupt their function14.
What diseases are caused by environmental toxins?
Environmental toxins can increase the risk of developing several diseases by disrupting a variety of systems within the body.
Neurological disorders
Long-term exposure to environmental toxins can increase the risk of developing neurological disorders. For example, repeated exposure to certain pesticides has been linked to an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease15 and heavy metal exposure increases the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease16.
Cardiovascular disease
Multiple environmental toxins have been implicated in cardiovascular diseases, including particulate pollutants, BPA, and mercury17.
Autoimmune conditions
Environmental toxin exposure, including mercury, pesticides, and smoking, is thought to increase the risk of developing autoimmune disorders, such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)18.
Respiratory issues
Environmental toxins entering the body through inhalation can result in respiratory issues. Air pollution has been particularly implicated as a respiratory environmental toxin, but other exposures, including occupational exposure to silica, asbestos, and heavy metals, can also cause respiratory damage19.
Cancer is a major concern from exposure to environmental toxins, this will be discussed in more detail below.
Do environmental toxins cause inflammation?
Chronic low-level exposure to environmental toxins can disrupt the immune system, affecting the pro- and anti-inflammatory response balance and resulting in inflammation20. Chronic inflammation has been associated with various diseases. Pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α, can damage the lining of blood vessels, contributing to atherosclerosis and heart disease21. Chronic inflammation has also been implicated in the development of autoimmune conditions where the disruption of normal immune function can promote autoantibody production22. For example, individuals exposed to silica (generally in occupational settings) have an increased risk of SLE, potentially due to the increased production of the pro-inflammatory factors TNF-α and IL-1 on exposure to silica23.
What environmental toxins cause cancer?
Environmental toxins examples linked to cancer
Environmental toxins are thought to play a significant role in the development of cancer. Their risk level is assessed by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) which allocates substances into 4 groups – Group 1 (carcinogenic; strong evidence that substance is carcinogenic), Group 2A (probably carcinogenic; limited human evidence but strong animal evidence or mechanistic evidence), Group 2B (possibly carcinogenic; limited evidence but not conclusive), Group 3 (not classifiable; insufficient evidence). Examples of Group 1 carcinogenic environmental toxins include:
- Asbestos
- Formaldehyde
- Benzene
- Arsenic
- PFAS (forever chemicals)
How environmental toxins can cause cancer
Environmental toxins can act on the body in various ways to cause cancer.
Direct damage to DNA, including mutations activating oncogenes (genes that can transform a healthy cell into a cancerous cell) or deactivating tumor suppressor genes, can be caused by environmental toxins, such as benzene and formaldehyde24,25. Other environmental toxins can indirectly cause DNA damage through the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) which give rise to DNA mutations, DNA breaks, and other damage26. Hormonal disruption can be caused by environmental toxins, such as BPA. These can mimic or otherwise interfere with hormones. Over a long period of time, this disruption can create an environment favorable to the development of cancer27.
Although high-dose exposure may cause immediate health problems, the effect of long-term low-dose exposure should not be underestimated28.
How to detox your body from environmental toxins?
The body has natural detoxification systems, namely the liver, kidneys, and lymphatic system. Although many diets and therapies may be sold as “detoxes” or “cleanses”, there is limited clinical evidence to support their claims, and in some instances, they may be actively harmful29. Practical, safe methods to encourage the body’s natural detoxification systems include:
- Drinking more water – improves kidney function30.
- Eating antioxidant-rich foods – improves liver function31.
- Sweat regularly – some evidence suggests that sweating can help to remove small amounts of heavy metals32.
Taking preventive measures is a further way to detox from environmental toxins in the home, these may include:
- Using air purifiers
- Swapping to non-toxic cleaning supplies
- Avoiding synthetic fragrances
- Filtering tap water
- Finding alternatives to plastic food containers
Summary: Environmental Toxins & Healthy Aging
Environmental toxins have a detrimental effect on aging and overall health, including increasing the risk of developing diseases, such as cancer. Although acute exposure to toxins can have an immediate impact on health, long-term low levels of exposure can have a cumulative effect, causing serious health problems in the future.
Increasing awareness of environmental toxins, reducing your exposure, and supporting your body’s natural detoxification systems are all proactive steps that can be taken to support longevity and vitality. Health professionals recommend incorporating these steps into a broader preventive health strategy, where the aim is to prevent diseases before they occur and to catch any diseases early to improve long-term health outcomes.
If you want to be proactive about your health, why not book an Ezra full-body MRI? Our annual scan catches potential cancer earlier, leveraging AI through the screening process to make it more efficient, affordable, and faster.
