D’ya think the food we eat is filled with toxins?<\/p>\n
If so, this Guardian article, “I survived the deadliest meal in the world<\/a>,” should disabuse you of this notion. If they really were, you’d probably be dead. \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n It’s a mildly amusing tale of a charity banquet, but it resonated with me on two levels…<\/p>\n Back in grad school, I took a course that was actually part of the Med School curriculum, on the investigation of food and water-borne illness. The class, which was taught by Dr. Constantin Genigeorgis<\/a>, was essentially a crash-course on the investigation of epidemics caused by toxins – REAL toxins, that is. Suffice it to say, these were not the vague, shadowy “toxins” lurking in ads for “detox” products and programs, but real, identifiable biological agents, with names, structures, symptoms and sources.<\/p>\n Just like the ones mentioned in the linked article above…<\/p>\n The definition of “toxin” that I learned in that class hews pretty closely to the discussion in this Wikipedia summary on the subject<\/a>:<\/p>\n “According to a International Committee of the Red Cross review of the Biological Weapons Convention, ‘Toxins are poisonous products of organisms; unlike biological agents, they are inanimate and not capable of reproducing themselves.’<\/p>\n …According to Title 18 of the United States Code, ‘…the term “toxin” means the toxic material or product of plants, animals, microorganisms (including, but not limited to, bacteria, viruses, fungi, rickettsiae or protozoa), or infectious substances, or a recombinant or synthesized molecule, whatever their origin and method of production…'”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Bingo. Toxins – are toxic substances produced by living organisms. Lead is not<\/strong> a toxin. Carbon tetrachloride is not<\/strong> a toxin. 2,4-D is not<\/strong> a toxin. Dioxins are not<\/strong> toxins. Rather, they’re all toxicants<\/em> – poisons\u00a0 “…made by humans or… put into the environment by human activities<\/a>.”<\/p>\n\n