Toxin Testing
Total Tox Burden
Did you know that women use an average of 12 products with 168 chemicals before they even walk out the door each morning? Men are exposed to 85 chemicals on average before leaving for the day. Once we head out, the number jumps into the thousands!
Unfortunately, our chemical toxin exposure also starts very early. Multiple studies dating back to 2005 show that American infants already have known toxins circulating in their bloodstream at birth, including heavy metals, phthalates, pesticides, chemicals from plastics, and more.
Toxins can build up in your body over time, potentially leading to a variety of health issues. Research by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences showed a direct link between exposure to common pesticides and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Toxins including BPA (bisphenol A) and phthalates have been proven to disrupt the endocrine system, causing fertility issues, developmental abnormalities in fetuses, and early puberty. And a 2024 article by Harvard reported that individuals with microplastics in their arteries are 4.5x more likely to experience a stroke, heart attack, or death.
While all of this is scary stuff, there is hope. With some deeper knowledge and targeted approaches, toxic build-up testing can help you learn exactly what support your body may need to help move dangerous toxins out.
How to Test for Toxins in Your Body
Testing for toxins can be a critical step in assessing your overall health and well-being, and our go-to is the comprehensive Total Tox Burden panel. This advanced test measures levels of 21 heavy metals, 31 mycotoxins (compounds produced by toxic mold), and 39 environmental chemicals. Each of these toxic substances has been conclusively linked to a range of symptoms and disorders, from neurological damage and infertility to an increased risk of liver and kidney disease and several types of cancer.
As with most toxin testing, the Total Tox Burden test uses a urine sample. Urine testing is widely accepted as the most effective way to measure toxic burden because toxins are primarily released through the kidneys. A urine sample gives a clear snapshot of your current toxic burden and the effects it might be having on your health.
How does chemical toxicity happen?
When you think of toxic chemicals, you might picture a scary industrial accident or glowing barrels with biohazard stickers. But the painful truth is that thousands of toxins are still in everyday items, including makeup and personal hygiene products, cleaning products, plastics, food, and even in the air and water. Over time, they can have a compounded negative impact on your health.
Thankfully, your body is a miraculous thing. It has several built-in detoxification organs and pathways that are designed to handle numerous toxins daily. But for most people, the modern world is just more toxic than our bodies are equipped to process.
Picture yourself driving through a heavy rainstorm. No problem – just turn on the wipers. They’re made to clear the water away, along with a little stray dirt or pollen. But what happens if your windshield gets repeatedly splattered with heavy mud or sticky tar? Your wipers may struggle through, but they’ll never get things fully clean.
Despite your body’s robust detox systems working 24/7, sometimes they can’t keep up. The result is a toxin bottleneck, with a backlog of toxins waiting to be filtered. When this happens, those toxins get reabsorbed back into circulation and cause problems. On top of that, if your detox organs get overburdened day after day, they start to get sluggish and can’t work at 100% anymore. Now, the bottleneck is worse than before.
Your body will find ways to deal with toxic burdens up to a point, but those efforts only work for so long. Then you start to develop symptoms.
The Goals of Toxic Burden Testing
The clarity offered by toxic burden testing can help you take proactive steps to assess and minimize your exposure to harmful substances. If you suspect toxin exposure is affecting your health, get started by scheduling a free Comprehensive Consultation & Evaluation, either online or at our practice in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Your Ann Arbor Holistic Health practitioner will commit 45 minutes to learning about your health history and your symptoms to see whether toxin testing makes sense for you. If so, we’ll help you order your test kit and explain how to collect and mail your urine sample from the comfort of your own home.
Based on your results, your practitioner will help you create a comprehensive wellness plan that takes into account your toxic load and detoxification needs, as well as your diet, lifestyle, and personal health goals. No one can avoid toxins entirely, and the goals are to correct the impact chemical toxins have had so far and eliminate toxins where you can comfortably:
Choose mostly whole foods that are as clean as possible (organic and unprocessed)
Use products that are as natural and chemical-free as possible
Nourish your body so it’s detox systems are in tip-top shape (and thus able to tackle the max amount of toxins daily)
Do some strategic detoxification work with your trusted holistic health practitioner
Symptoms of Toxic Chemical Exposure
Recognizing the symptoms of toxic chemical exposure is crucial for early intervention. Common symptoms of chemical toxicity may include:
Headaches or migraines
Frequent infections
Menstrual irregularity, painful or heavy periods
Low libido or infertility
Fatigue
Strong body odor
Sensitivity to smells
Slow to sweat
Brain fog or trouble focusing
Skin problems (acne, eczema, psoriasis, rosacea)
Nausea or digestive troubles
Struggling to lose weight
A large volume of scientific research shows the significant harm that chemical toxins can do to the human body. And because it’s impossible to avoid toxins, targeted functional testing is a powerful tool for safeguarding your health.
Contact Ann Arbor Holistic Health today to learn more about toxic build-up testing and whether the Total Tox Burden panel is right for you.