Toxic environmental chemical levels
Two studies found that fat-soluble toxic occupational and agricultural chemicals that are stored in the body-and known to cause disease-can be significantly reduced by an Ayurvedic detoxification procedure. These chemicals are associated with hormone disruption, immune system suppression, reproductive disorders, several types of cancer, and other diseases. The studies included a longitudinal pre- and post-treatment and a cross-sectional comparison. In the longitudinal study blood samples were taken from 15 healthy individuals 2 months after a course of the Vedic Physiological Purification Program and revealed a 50% reduction in the levels of PCBs and Beta-HCH. In the cross-sectional study, forty eight subjects, aged 45 years and older, who had previously undergone the detoxification procedure an average of 18 times, were compared with 40 who had not. Blood samples from both groups were assayed for 17 fat-soluble toxicants, including 9 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners and 8 pesticides and metabolites, such as DDE, a by-product of DDT. The specific PCBs and pesticides that were studied either had been previously linked to major health problems or have been of high concern for their potential toxicity. The results showed blood levels of PCBs and several pesticides were significantly lower in the detoxification group than in the controls. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine 2002; 8 (5): 93-103.