With so many public beaches and parks still closed due to COVID-19, most people are relying more heavily on pools to beat the summer heat. While we don’t want to spoil your backyard paradise, we do want you to be aware of the health concerns that come along with the chlorine exposure of a swimming pool and help you minimize that threat as much as possible.
We’ve all experienced the eye burning and skin drying effects of chlorine, but there are two other ways chlorine can pose a health risk.
The first is by displacing iodine. Iodine is an essential element used to make thyroid hormones and is very important for other hormonal tissues like breasts and ovaries, especially to support fibroid and cyst prevention. Iodine and chlorine are extremely similar in their chemical structure…they’re both halides and in the same column on the periodic table. So, overexposure to one can displace the other. This means that too much chlorine exposure, especially if you have even a slight deficiency in iodine, can cause your body to absorb the chlorine and attempt to use it instead of iodine. And you can be sure that chlorine doesn’t make healthy thyroid hormones!
The second is that chlorine can evaporate as chloramine, which is a respiratory irritant. This is why there are many studies connecting chlorine to increased incidence of asthma in children.
When Possible, Avoid Chlorinated Pools
One non-chlorinated option would be to choose a beach, lake or river! These natural options will help you maintain good health and be much better for your immune function. Here’s why.
Another alternative is “salt water” pools. However, they are still chlorinated. They just use a slow release of chlorine from the sodium chloride salt. This is still better since the levels of chlorine are lower and more consistent during the week, compared to standard chlorine pools that require a high concentration of chlorine once a week. But you are not swimming in a chlorine free environment. For truly chlorine free swimming pool options, check out this article.
3 Ways to Reduce Your Exposure
- Swim only in an outdoor chlorinated pool. It’s much safer because the toxic gases are mostly eliminated in the open air.
- Shower immediately before and after using a natural Castile soap.
- Drink plenty of home filtered water (better than bottled!) beforehand so that you’re well-hydrated.
3 Tips to Support Your Body
- Eat lots of antioxidant rich foods, such as fresh organic fruits and veggies.
- Support your body’s ability to detox. Castor Oil Packs and Beet Kvass are great places to start because they directly support your liver.
- Eat iodine rich foods. This increased amount of iodine helps to prevent your body from absorbing the excess chlorine absorbed while swimming. Wild caught seafood and sea veggies such as kelp and seaweed are great sources of iodine.
Our Pre-Pool Protocol
(Contact our office to purchase products.)
For Adults:
- Pure Radiance C – Take ½ tsp or 3 capsules
- Iodomere – Take 2 tablets
For Children 5 – 12 Years Old:
- Pure Radiance C – Take ¼ tsp
- Nascent Iodine – Make a dilution of 1 drop in 20mL water and take 5mL (1 tsp) of that mixture
This information is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of medical advice and treatment from your personal physician. Readers are advised to consult their own doctors or other qualified health professional regarding the treatment of their medical problems. Those taking prescription medications should consult with their physicians and not take themselves off of medicines to start supplementation without the proper supervision of a physician familiar with nutritional supplementation.
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