The Dr. Hyman Show

The Dirty Truth About Environmental Toxins (And How to Protect Yourself)

Mar 17, 2025

Joseph Pizzorno, a leader in integrative medicine and founding president of Bastyr University, dives into the alarming impact of environmental toxins like microplastics and BPA on our health. He reveals how these contaminants disrupt hormonal balance and contribute to chronic diseases. Pizzorno emphasizes the body's detoxification abilities and shares dietary, lifestyle, and supplementation strategies to combat toxin exposure. He also discusses how everyday choices can affect long-term well-being, particularly in relation to children's cognitive health.

01:01:53

Episode guests

Joseph Pizzorno

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Microplastics and environmental toxins can severely disrupt human health, contributing to chronic inflammation and various diseases like cancer and diabetes.

BPA, a common microplastic, functions as an endocrine disruptor, leading to hormonal imbalances and reproductive health issues across genders.

Effective detoxification from these toxins involves dietary changes, increased fiber intake, and lifestyle adjustments such as exercise and proper filtration.

Deep dives

The Impact of Microplastics on Health

Microplastics and environmental toxins are pervasive threats, negatively impacting health across various dimensions. They infiltrate ecosystems and human bodies, accumulating in food chains and potentially leading to serious health issues. Research indicates that nearly every individual tested had detectable levels of bisphenol A (BPA), a common microplastic, in their systems. The presence of these toxins contributes to chronic inflammation, immune dysfunction, and even serious conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

Intro

4min

Toxic Threats: The Impact of BPA and Microplastics

7min

Confronting Microplastics: Health Risks and Detox Strategies

7min

Herbs and Nutrients for Detoxification

3min

Understanding Detoxification and Its Impact on Health

3min

Toxic Burden: The Hidden Health Threats

8min

The Impact of Pesticides on Brain Development and Practical Mitigations

3min

Understanding GGTP and Detoxification

14min

Navigating Environmental Toxins

9min

The pervasive presence of microplastics and environmental toxins in our daily lives poses a growing threat to human health, with impacts ranging from hormonal disruption and metabolic dysfunction to immune system compromise and chronic inflammation. These contaminants, found in food packaging, water supplies, personal care products, and even the air we breathe, accumulate in the body and contribute to the rise in chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, and autoimmune conditions. Understanding their far-reaching effects is essential, but the good news is that the body has powerful detoxification mechanisms that, when properly supported through dietary choices, lifestyle adjustments, and targeted supplementation, can help mitigate their damage.

In this episode, I discuss, along with toxin-expert Dr. Joseph Pizzorno, why we need to take action to reduce toxin exposures, reverse existing damage, and build a foundation for long-term well-being.

Dr. Joseph Pizzorno is a transformational leader in medicine. Through half a century of work, he has helped establish and advance the academic, scientific, and clinical protocols for natural, functional, integrative, and environmental medicine. As founding president of Bastyr University in 1978, he coined the term “science-based natural medicine” and led Bastyr to become the first-ever accredited institution in the field. He has set worldwide standards of practice by authoring or co-authoring six textbooks for doctors, including the Textbook of Natural Medicine (over 100,000 copies in 4 languages across 5 editions) and Clinical Environmental Medicine. He is Editor-in-Chief of PubMed-indexed IMCJ—the most widely read, peer-reviewed journal in the field (25,000 copies each issue). He is a founding member of the Board of Directors of the Institute for Functional Medicine, where he served three terms as Chair. A licensed naturopathic physician, educator, researcher, and expert spokesman, he is also the author or co-author of eight consumer books (most recent, Healthy Bones, Healthy You! with his wife Lara).

This episode is brought to you by BIOptimizers.

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Full-length episodes can be found here:

Microplastics: What They Are, Why They are Dangerous, and How to Protect Yourself

Environmental Toxins: How To Eliminate the Silent Killers with Dr. Joseph Pizzorno

How To Reduce Your Environmental Toxin Exposure