Dangers of Chlorine

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Swimming the backstroke won’t slash “T” levels, but swimming in a chlorinated pool can.  This calamity doesn’t just affect swimmers or triathletes, but it’s a problem for anyone who bathes or drinks tap water, too.

A study in the International Journal of Andrology reveals that boys with a long history of indoor swimming were almost three times more likely to suffer from testosterone deficiency.

Alfred Bernard, a professor of toxicology at Belgium’s the Université Catholique de Louvain (Catholic University of Louvain) and his colleague Mark Nickmilder, took 199 teenage boys (aged 14-18) who swam religiously in both indoor and outdoor chlorinated pools.

They then took 162 teenage boys (aged 14-18) who swam regularly in outdoor and indoor pools that were disinfected with Copper Ionization.

The researchers discovered that the boys who swam “religiously” in the chlorinated pools for more than 250 hours before the age of 10, and for more than 125 hours before the age of seven, had extremely low testosterone levels when compared to the group of boys who never set foot in a chlorinated swimming pool.  The greatest hormonal changes were found in the teens who swum in an indoor chlorinated pool before the age seven.

What about adult swimmers?

Your body absorbs more chlorine, and more importantly disinfection byproducts (DBPs), by swimming in a chlorinated pool than you would by drinking tap water for one week.  – Dr Mercola

As you can tell by Dr Mercola’s quote, chlorine definitely impacts adult swimmers since it easily enters the body – especially if you’re swimming in an indoor chlorinated pool.  Toxic gases, such as nitrogen trichloride are readily inhaled – causing serious damage to the lungs, reproductive system, and it has even been linked to cancer. 

SHOWER

Shower before and immediately after swimming with a non-chemical soap.  If you can’t pronounce the ingredients, toss it in the bin.  I like Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, but you can use any natural soap.   Why shower beforehand?  Because lethal pool disinfectants called chloramines are released when combined with sweat, urine, or nitrogen-rich elements commonly found in toxic beauty products.

SWIM OUTDOORS

I know this isn’t always possible, especially if you’re a triathlete, but aim to swim in an outdoor chlorinated pool since the majority of the noxious vapours are eliminated in the air.  It’s best to swim in the sea or a lake, but not all of us have that luxury.

DRINK A LOT OF WATER

Everyone must drink at least 2 litres of water a day, not just swimmers.  However, in this case, it’s very important for swimmers to drink more water.  Your body struggles to flush out toxins like chlorine if you’re dehydrated, so drink lots of H20.  Make sure it’s flouride-free water! 

NASCENT IODINE

95% of Americans are iodine deficient. Now that’s scary!  Every cell in our body needs iodine.  Plus, our white blood cells can’t fight off infections without enough iodine.  This mighty form of iodine is quickly absorbed and encourages detoxification from toxic chemicals like mercury, chlorine, and bromine.  On top of nascent iodine, make sure to eat sea vegetables (kelp, arame, kombu, and wakame), organic cranberries, organic strawberries, Himalayan sea salt, organic free range eggs, and raw (unpasteurised) goat’s milk.

VITAMIN C

This major antioxidant neutralises chlorine.  It’s best to attack chlorine’s negative effects on the body by strengthening the immune system.  It’s best to ingest a high quality vitamin C supplement because our food isn’t the way it used to be – thanks to soil depletion and the abundance of toxins everywhere.  Crops grown decades ago were much richer in nutrients than today.

Swimmers should take a minimum of 4,000mg daily with meals since vitamin C doesn’t stay in the body all day.  For example, you can take 2,000mg with breakfast and then 2,000mg with dinner.

ALPHA LIPOIC ACID

ALA is an antioxidant that protects the liver and aids in detoxification.  This powerful antioxidant attracts metal toxins like chlorine and flushes it out of the body.  It also restores vitamin C and vitamin E levels – both of which are attacked when exposed to chlorine. 

BENTONITE CLAY

This special clay expels chlorine, toxins, and other undesirable chemicals from the body.  Simply add a tablespoon of bentonite clay into your bath.  For an added detox bonus, you can also add 2 cups of epsom salt or magensium chloride flakes into your bath.  Both help with inflammation, achy muscles, and enhances skin barrier function. 

VITAMIN E

Chlorine destroys vitamin E, so if you’re an avid swimmer, you better buy an extremely good quality vitamin E supplement to protect your cells from toxicity damage.  

DON’T LINGER BY THE INDOOR POOL

Go outside immediately after swimming, and allow the fresh air to clear your lungs from the pool’s toxic vapours.