When it is time to write an article, I focus on being open to inspiration. Without that, my pen is completely stymied. My only real directive is that the subject must be relevant to Azure which leaves the door pretty wide open.
The possibilities on health-related topics are infinite - sometimes it can be hard to pick! This month, I did not have to wait or look far; the subject came beating on the door for better and worse. The topic is Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), and I have a real life anecdote to start.
About two months ago, just after my brother Danny took voluntary layoff for the winter, he experienced his body go over the tipping point of toxic overload by way of an acute reaction. The story doesn’t really start there, of course, but that was the point of no return – for him and for the people who care about him. Hindsight offers amazing visual acuity, and in actuality, it was he who spurred us down the path of trying to better understand the products we buy and the things we ingest in the first place.
MULTIPLE CHEMICAL SENSITIVITY
Back in the early 90’s, just before MSG (monosodium glutamate) was getting limelight, Danny had an anaphylactic shock reaction while eating at a Chinese food restaurant due to the MSG content (classic, I know). For years and years after that, we read EVERY label, and learned to dissect labels and hidden ingredients. No doubt that was a sign even back then, that his body was more sensitive- less tolerant-of chemicals and unhealthy additives. You would never have known that to look at him though. He grew up working on the farm where our parents raised beef cattle and hay. He loved cars, trucks, and motorcycles so much that he went to school and became a mechanic.
For the last 30 years, that’s what he has been doing - working on cars, slathered in toxic chemicals, and breathing exhaust fumes. His decreased tolerance for those things has shown itself increasingly over the years, and he made adjustment after adjustment in his lifestyle to try to keep on keepin’ on. He’d work split days off so he wouldn’t have to do 5 days straight of exposure; that was guaranteed to wipe him out. He chose vehicles to drive for himself that ran cleaner, and stopped using wood heat in the house altogether.
As a family, we stopped using any kind of fragrances (including essential oils) when we knew we’d be around him; we haven’t even lit candles the last couple of holidays because he simply couldn’t handle the smoke. Mind you, the smoke was really undetectable to us. So, in January, he had a severe and acute reaction that landed him in the emergency room. The symptoms were related to breathing and irregular heart patterns - very scary thing. They did several tests at that time and in subsequent weeks, particularly focused on the heart, etc., and they “found” nothing. They could recognize that he was experiencing symptoms, but beyond that, they didn’t know.
After he was released, we focused on what we know how to do which is start with the gut and begin with a process of elimination- in the diet and the environment. My brother has always been a very conventional eater. It’s only been the last couple of years that we have gotten him to b.e.g.i.n to convert to foodi-ism… starting with a few organics here, less white bread there. Well, when his attack hit, his defenses went down, and all ears were opened.
Bless my mom’s heart, she has taken the wisdom of the years and countless hours of research and started helping him get on the path to mending – it is and will be a very long road, and you are about to see why. Multiple Chemical Sensitivity is a broad spectrum condition that manifests itself in many ways, some of which are life-threatening, all of which are life altering, often dramatically.
People affected by MCS are exceptionally sensitive to pollutants, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), solvents, conventional cleaners, smoke, fragrances, exhaust fumes, gasoline vapors, molds, pollens, etc. Symptoms vary widely from person to person, but include things like headaches, breathing restrictions, burning eyes, sore throat, lethargy and fatigue, mental fog, concentration difficulty, compromised immune system, heart palpitations and beat irregularities, digestive problems, skin rashes, and the list goes on (and on). The condition can develop (as in the case of my brother) after years of “low-level” exposure to a particular toxin or toxins. Or, it can be brought on by a single over-exposure to a specific chemical.
Partly because the triggers and the symptoms are so varied, and probably partly because those who manufacture harmful chemicals don’t want to shed light on the culprits, research on the condition has been blatantly remiss over the years. I think the first documentation I saw written on the subject dates back to the 1960s, but we still know so very little!
One of the tragedies of this condition, like with any life-changing event, is that a person can be seemingly fine one day, and completely housebound the next. For some, in fact, even being in their own homes can be sickening to them, and they find they have to live outdoors, in tents, or their cars maybe. To top it off, they cannot be around anyone or anything that exposes them to chemicals. It is very dramatic and traumatic, and something that does not affect merely one demographic- it’s not discriminating that way.
We’ll look at some of the contributing factors in MCS, but right now, I want to bring it home a little bit more, so you can get a glimpse into what someone might feel or experience when living with the condition.
INTOLERANCE TO CHEMICALS
After my brother’s “event” and my realization that I wanted to write about MCS, I reached out to one of our Azure Drop Coordinators who has lived with the condition for nearly 40 years. I have corresponded with her on a number of occasions for other things, and I knew she would offer valuable insight (indeed she did, plus a TON of research material).
Jenny Piel now lives in northern California, and this is an excerpt from an email she sent me:
“Imagine not being able to … be near things like any fragrances, including perfumes, after-shave, scented body lotions, deodorants, hand soap, or shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, cosmetics, or dry-cleaned clothes or clothes dried with dryer-sheets, or carpets or drapes, or furniture, or mattresses, couches, foam cushions; or paper products like paper towels, or plastics, or air fresheners, or permanent press, no-iron, color-fast clothes. Or, not [being] able to go into a movie theater, restaurant, or shopping malls, or having to avoid auto exhaust fumes, insecticides and weed killers and volatile organic compounds found in paints and solvents and new building materials and furnishings, or molds, aromatic plants and some woods. This is what people with MCS have to deal with on a daily basis. We are basically "allergic to the 21st Century."
It is a very isolating condition. So, there are some knowns about the condition, and a whole lot that is still unknown (research funding is needed!). One thing that is understood is that there is a sensitization to a given trigger – like when I said my brother “went over the tipping point” for his body; that’s when the body becomes absolutely sensitized or intolerant to the offending chemical(s).
The thing that is not understood, however, is that once the body is sensitized to a particular chemical or set of chemicals, how it then “generalizes” to other, maybe unrelated, chemicals. But, that generalized sensitization is widely reported across the populous of those living with MCS. They may have had a single over-exposure to a pesticide say, but their bodies then cannot tolerate any type of toxic chemical. Why? That is the billion dollar question.
Some of the most interesting research I have found revolves around the blood brain barrier (BBB) which is the shield that surrounds and protects the brain. We hear and know more and more about “leaky gut," and in this case it is a “leaky brain." A healthy BBB only allows nano-sized particles to pass. But, when it is damaged, unwanted and unhealthy agents can get through. Once inside, they have direct access to the Central Nervous System which may be the reason why sufferers of MCS experience broad-sweeping and multi-organ symptoms.
ENVIRONMENTAL TOXINS
There are many agents that affect the integrity of the BBB - environmental toxins, stress, diet, and genetics, to name a few. Honestly, I feel like most of those actually relate to the same basic issue of today – the continually increasing levels of toxic chemicals in the air we breathe, the conventional food we eat, the homes we inhabit, the clothes we wear, the vehicles we drive, the man-made electro-magnetic fields we’re exposed to, and maybe even the genetics we’re born with to some extent.
Dr. Michael Skinner at Washington State University is researching the epigenetic trans-generational inheritance of disease phenotypes, or “ancestral ghosts." That is to say, he’s studying the effects of toxins generation to generation, and how exposure to toxicants- particularly during fetal gestation, can alter genes.
In discussing this concept with my mom, she says she can remember (maybe even while she was pregnant with my brothers), going along behind the tractor as my dad was spraying DDT because back in the day, it was deemed safe (Ha!).
LEAKY GUT & ENZYME DEFICIENCY
Going back to leaky gut, it is not actually a distant comparison to leaky brain. As we all know, the gut plays a vital role in the health of our brain, as well as our whole physical and emotional selves. When we don’t receive proper nutrition, or if our bacterial biome is out of balance, we don’t function properly.
What about enzyme deficiency leading to the body overloading on toxins? That is a serious consideration as well. We rely on enzymes to effectively metabolize and rid our bodies of toxins, but if we don’t have them, or not enough of them to manage the ever-increasing toxic levels in our environment – what happens? I can’t miss the opportunity to draw the connection between our “tummy buddies” – the beneficial bacteria in our gut, and THEIR role in enzyme production and/or activation in our bodies.
People now use the terms “gut-brain axis” or “gut-brain-liver” axis to denote the inter-connectedness of our systems. What seems to be found across the board- although without all the dots connecting just yet – is that the environmental toxicants we are exposed to more and more are seriously and clearly interfering with the connections within our bodies, at overwhelming levels and from different angles.
This makes me think of a quote I read from noted acupuncturist and practitioner of integrative medicine, Chris Kesser. “I think the sooner we get rid of this idea of linear causality in the body the better,” he said.
Nothing about the functioning of our bodies is linear. It’s all interactive, from the putrid smell that makes you gag, to the sound of a lovely tune that makes you feel buoyant and happy. Our systems are bound together and rely on each other. Scientifically, we divided them up- studying them piece by piece in our endeavor to understand the whole by the parts.
But, along the allopathic line of study, we fail to put the pieces back together. I want to share one other notable and interesting course of research that links thiamin (B1) deficiency and damage to the BBB. Thiamin is not necessarily readily assimilated in the body, and absorption is inhibited by other things we often consume (eat, breathe, drink), like tannins, phenols, etc.
Nothing about the functioning of our bodies is linear. It’s all interactive, from the putrid smell that makes you gag, to the sound of a lovely tune that makes you feel buoyant and happy. Our systems are bound together and rely on each other.
Also, thiamin is one of those nutrients that is easily damaged or destroyed by cooking, refining, and storing. But, it is essential for BBB health and integrity. Without it, or with a deficiency of it, the blood brain barrier rapidly weakens. Our ready-made modern diet is ready-made thiamin deficient. Go raw/organic for this one, and guess what? One of the foods rated highest in B1 by World’sHealthiestFood.org (a nonprofit, independent foundation dedicated to discovering and sharing scientifically proven information about healthy foods) is asparagus which will be ripe and ready with the printing of this article!
HEALTHY & ABUNDANT LIVING
I think a Mediterranean salad loaded with fresh, organic asparagus, drizzled with olive oil might well be hitting some dinner plates soon! But, before we get to dinner, there are a few more connections to be made. I will cite Kesser again because I think he says it concisely in the bio on his website.
He himself does not suffer from MCS, but the statement is universal, and speaks partly to the reason why we move so slowly forward in the conventional world when it comes to fostering health:
“I began to see that even the most prestigious medical journals have become nothing more than sales brochures for the pharmaceutical industry. I saw massive conflicts of interest between drug companies, doctors and researchers everywhere I looked.”
I would take it one step further - especially related to Multiple Chemical Sensitivity - and add in chemical companies to that list above, along with their irrefutable ties not only to the food industry but the entire consumer-based world AND the many governing bodies.
As we say, follow the money… Are you ready for some good news? Azure has provided a much-needed haven for many people who suffer from MCS, in more ways than just the hundreds - if not thousands - of products we carry that are SAFE for those with chemical sensitivities.
“Azure is truly a blessing for many reasons," said Piel. "Azure helps those of us with MCS find many do-able solutions. Many of us are unable to go into stores due to all the toxic cleaning chemicals that are used, the scented products most people wear and use, [and the fact that] those chemicals permeate[many of] the products sold. Because Azure delivers to our drops, in semi-truck trailers not contaminated with toxic cleaners, those of us with MCS have a much easier time finding food, personal products, cleaning products and clothing that we can tolerate. At least the two drivers that do our Dunsmuir Drops (K1 and K3) never wear scented products, so the items we order are not contaminated with these noxious chemicals!”
Beyond being beneficial for those already suffering with MCS, we at Azure also want to help keep people from ever experiencing it in the first place! Azure’s number one Core Value is to Inspire Healthy & Abundant Living, and we are committed to providing the best and healthiest products we can – to reduce the toxic load on our bodies, minds, and the environment.
Be well, Azure Community!
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NOTE:The products shown above have been recommended and successfully used by some who suffer severe MCS. But, depending on an individual's sensitivities, they may not be suitable for all.