The Connection Between Chronic Conditions and Environmental Chemicals with Dr. Aly Cohen

Doctor Aly Cohen is a triple board-certified physician in rheumatology, internal medicine, and integrative medicine, and one of the country's leading medical and legal experts in environmental health. She's on the faculty of the Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine, Southern California University of Health Sciences, and the University of California, Irvine. She is the author of the new book Detoxify: The Everyday Toxins Harming Your Immune System and How to Defend Against Them, a coauthor of Nontoxic: Guide to Living Healthy in a Chemical World, co-editor of the textbook Integrative Environmental Medicine, has collaborated with the environmental working group Cancer, Schmancer, and other disease prevention organizations, and has received countless awards for her work in health education. She hosts the Smart Human podcast and sees patients in her medical practice in Princeton, New Jersey.

 

Aly joins me on Conversations for Health for a discussion about the connection between immune-disrupting chemicals and chronic conditions, including autoimmune disease. She underscores the epidemic of autoimmune disease cases that practitioners are facing today, and offers tactics for supporting patients in making healthier lifestyle choices and managing kidney and liver function and lymphatic systems in a very toxic world. 

 

I’m your host, Evelyne Lambrecht, thank you for designing a well world with us.

 

Episode Resources:

Dr. Aly Cohen - https://alycohenmd.com/

The Smart Human - https://thesmarthuman.com/

Design for Health Resources:

Designs for Health - https://www.designsforhealth.com/

Designs for Health Practitioner Exclusive Drug Nutrient Depletion and Interaction Checker - https://www.designsforhealth.com/drug-nutrient-interaction/

Visit the Designs for Health Research and Education Library, which houses medical journals, protocols, webinars, and our blog.

https://www.designsforhealth.com/research-and-education/education

The Designs for Health Podcast is produced in partnership with Podfly Productions.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro.

01:30 Dr. Aly Cohen feels lit up by her son’s acceptance into college.

02:35 Aly’s journey into rheumatology and environmental chemicals.

07:03 The effects of immune-disrupting chemicals, including BPA and PFAS.

11:00 The impact of forever chemicals on the immune system?

16:45 The body has not evolved to detoxify the current level of chemical exposure.

19:35 Questions to ask patients to determine toxic exposure.

24:25 Stories of exposures to toxic chemicals.

28:55 Conventional lab testing that is generally covered by insurance.

31:51 How to implement the Four A’s framework with patients.

36:57 Practical first steps for patients when making lifestyle changes.

41:26 The importance of reverse osmosis filtered water.

45:45 Findings from studies regarding sweating out toxins.

48:42 Key differences between sauna and exercising for sweat.

51:30 Advancements that made the biggest difference over the course of Aly’s career as a rheumatologist.

54:05 Improvements that are being made as a result of increased awareness.

57:40: Measuring minerals and other vitamin status with rheumatology patients.

1:02:14 Dr. Cohen’s personal favorite supplements, favorite health practices, and her disillusioned and reinvigorated take on medicine.