Everyday Wellness with Cynthia Thurlow ™

Ep. 466 How Toxins Impact Women’s Health at Every Age with Dr. Aly Cohen

May 17, 2025

In this engaging conversation, Dr. Aly Cohen, a board-certified rheumatologist and expert in environmental health, reveals how environmental toxins disproportionately affect women's health at various life stages. She discusses the inadequacies of current U.S. regulations on chemicals and emphasizes the hidden dangers of contaminated tap water. Dr. Cohen highlights the importance of iodine for detoxification and how noise pollution can impact well-being. Her insights encourage proactive health strategies for women, especially during perimenopause and menopause.

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INSIGHT

Limited U.S. Chemical Regulation

Federal regulations for chemicals in the U.S. are extremely limited with only about 12 regulated chemicals out of over 100,000 in products.
Europe has banned around 1,200 chemicals, highlighting U.S. regulatory challenges heavily influenced by special interests.

ANECDOTE

Personal Catalyst on Toxins

Aly Cohen discovered environmental toxin links to immune diseases after her dog developed autoimmune hepatitis young.
This personal experience shaped her approach to environmental impacts on human autoimmunity.

INSIGHT

Tap Water Toxins Overlooked

Tap water in the U.S. is a significant, overlooked source of chronic toxin exposure despite regulations on only 91 chemicals.
Water treatment plants cannot remove many contaminants including glyphosate, BPA, and pharmaceuticals, impacting health over time.

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I am honored to connect with Dr. Aly Cohen today. She is a board-certified rheumatologist, an integrative medicine physician, and one of the country's leading medical and legal experts in environmental health.

We began our conversation today exploring the role of federal agencies, including the EPA and FDA, in regulating environmental toxins and their impact on public safety. Dr. Cohen discusses her rheumatology training and explains how our environments affect our immune systems, clarifying why tap water is problematic, how water treatment plants fail to filter out most contaminants, and how pregnancy, childhood, teen years, perimenopause, and menopause are critical stages for toxin exposure. She reveals how many of the laws for processed foods are outdated and ineffective, and how the concept of GRAS (generally regarded as safe) has no real value, and also dives into changes in nutritional value and soil quality, how medications impact our gut microbiome and disease susceptibility, why iodine is essential for detoxifying the lymphatic and glymphatic systems, and how noise pollution affects our health.

This conversation with Dr. Aly Cohen is invaluable, and her book, resources, and works are particularly significant for this community.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:

How the gaps in federal protections outweigh the measures currently in place
The cumulative effects of toxin exposure on the immune system, particularly for women in perimenopause and menopause
Why tap water is unsafe for drinking
Why reverse osmosis filtration is the best option
Why young people should learn about toxin exposure before becoming pregnant
How estrogen loss during menopause impacts the immune system
The poor nutritional value of processed foods and the lack of effective regulation surrounding them
How medications affect the gut microbiome and immune function
The benefits of iodine for detoxification and thyroid health
Why noise pollution is problematic for our mental health

Connect with Cynthia Thurlow

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Connect with Dr. Aly Cohen

On her website
TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn
Dr. Cohen’s new book, Detoxify, is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and from most local booksellers.