Every day we’re continually exposed to toxins in the food we eat, the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the items we touch. Learning more about these potentially harmful chemicals can be critical for making decisions to protect long-term health. As with any subject, toxins are best understood through a little history.
Toxins—or xenobiotics—have always been part of the natural environment. Many of them are made by plants, bacteria, and animals as defenses to keep predators at bay. The greater the abundance of toxins in a species, the more likely they will survive. This natural arms race has produced millions of different kinds of toxins including venoms and poisons.
The act of living itself also comes to us at a cost. Toxins are produced within the human body from simply being alive day to day. Toxins may, at times, be used to battle foreign bacteria or viruses. These can cause harm as they work to protect the body, but after their job is done, they are detoxified through biochemical processes.