At a time when premature aging and escalating health problems are plaguing Americans, there is a new baddie on the block: Food Pollution Disorder. I define Food Pollution Disorder (FPD) as any condition driven by polluted food that causes addiction, obesity, cancer, autoimmune disease, chronic illness, psychiatric conditions, neurological and degenerative disorders, the escalation of specific eating disorders, birth defects, learning disabilities, and dementia. In other words, everything. Examples of “polluted” foods are conventionally raised livestock, farm-raised fish, fruits and vegetables sprayed with insecticides like glyphosate, and processed foods with MSG, food dyes, GMOs, high fructose corn syrup, and miscellaneous carcinogenic ingredients.

I have developed a model to demonstrate the manner in which food pollution is robbing us of our health. A good model is robust meaning it can be applied without exception. In this case, that means that it can be used to describe any illness caused by foods that are polluted with obesogens, autogens, carcinogens, allergens, neurotoxins, inflammatories, and in some cases psychogens.

Specifically, the model looks at disorders caused by Food Pollution. Though it is not yet a recognized condition, I can see FPD gaining traction over the next few years as people become more aware of the role that polluted food plays in the diseases that have taken over their lives. In my model, polluted foods trigger the following progression:

In the U.S. today, every organ as well as every system is at risk. The beauty of this model is that by understanding the stages involved in the disease process in this way, early detection, as well as more effective intervention is more likely.  

Most medicine today focuses on treating the symptom, rather than looking for the cause. The upshot is that the problem never gets better. In many cases, the ”treatment” makes the problem worse.  It does this by causing other problems or exacerbating the original problem. For example, high blood sugar levels have been shown to lead to type 2 diabetes. Since Americans ingest large quantities of sugar without even being aware of it, they suffer from many inflammatory conditions, one of which is type 2 diabetes.  Using my model below, we can see the progression. 

The vast majority of the people that I see in my practice with type 2 diabetes are on medication. A popular new medication for type 2 diabetes is Mounjaro.  Here is what they say in their ad about this medication:  

“Mounjaro may cause serious side effects, including,\” (are you ready for this?) “Inflammation of the pancreas.” Wait, we know that type 2 diabetes is either caused by inflammation of the pancreas so we treat it with a medication that attacks the pancreas? Huh? But it gets worse.

“Mounjaro may cause tumors in the thyroid, including thyroid cancer.”  It goes on to list the symptoms, which are terrifying. In fact, this is only one of a number of other serious illnesses that may be caused by the medication. 

There is a better way. The research when it comes to type 2 diabetes is very clear.  It is the result of too much adipose tissue, which is the result of raising blood sugar levels too high too often and not getting enough exercise. AKA lifestyle issues. Every patient I have treated for weight management, who also had type 2 diabetes, was off of their medication within 4 months of cutting out added sugar, eating clean food, and spending 20 minutes working out  4 or 5 times a week. In other words, they were off of their medication for good, down in their weight, with pain levels that improved dramatically. Why? Because we addressed the actual problem: eating a diet that raises blood sugar levels too much. When we changed the diet, we alleviated the problem.

Another good example of treating the symptoms instead of the cause of illness is acid reflux. The “treatment”, and I use that term loosely, is to reduce stomach acid with antacid medications (Mylanta, Rolaids, Tums), with acid production blockers (Tagamet or Pepcid), or with proton pump inhibitors (Prevacid, Protonix, Dexilant). The side effects of antacids are kidney problems, H2 receptor blockers can cause vitamin B12 deficiencies and bone fractures, and PPIs cause diarrhea, headache, nausea, B12 deficiency, and hip fracture. Awesome, such a deal! Or you could just treat the cause and change your diet. That’s right; acid reflux is caused by chronic or too much alcohol and polluted foods high in hydrogenated fats. 

The good news is that we can reverse the vast majority of the problems that plague us if we know how to look at them.  The Food Pollution Disorder Model is a framework for doing just that. Stay tuned for more information about exactly how polluted foods may be harming you or your loved ones, and what you can do about it. I am the Eating Disorder Pro and I can help.