We are, as one scientist put it, surrounded by an invisible
“microbial cloud.”
What may be surprising is that scientists have been researching the
relationship between microbes and metals for decades and have found
that friendly gut bacteria naturally and gently help to cleanse the
body of heavy metals.
Heavy Metal Toxicity Is More Common Than You Think
Heavy metals like lead, cadmium, arsenic, and mercury can accumulate
in the body. When this happens, the heavy metals build up in the
blood and eventually in the tissue for storage. In the meantime, the
liver works diligently to move heavy metals out of the blood and
into the large intestine, where they can be excreted.
When it comes to heavy metals, mercury gets a lot of attention.
Mercury is a dangerous toxin that can poison the central nervous
system (in addition to overworking the liver).
Dental amalgams or “silver fillings” are roughly 50% mercury. The
mercury in dental amalgams may release gas, which can result in
toxic levels of mercury in the body.
Chelation And Heavy Metal Detoxification
Signs of mercury toxicity affecting the nervous system include:
Memory loss
Irritability
Depression
Tremors
Numbness or burning sensation in the skin
Heavy metal toxicity is also associated with lower IQ, developmental
delays, and behavioral disorders in children.
The most common heavy metals that we are exposed to are lead from
lead paint, mercury from fish and dental amalgams, arsenic from
treated lumber and contaminated water, and cadmium from pigments and
bakeware.
Step 1: Fermented Foods To The Rescue
Recently, a 2012 study from the Lawson Health Research Institute
explored the value of probiotics in those who have an accumulation
of heavy metals. According to researchers, the friendly gut bacteria
Lactobacillus which are found in our mouth, gut, and in the birth
canal of women have the ability to detoxify heavy metals.
Other studies report that probiotics may be valuable tools for
cleansing the body of the heavy metals lead and cadmium.
Living lactobacillus bacteria are found in fermented foods, such as
cultured veggies, yogurt, and kefir beverages. When we eat these
foods on a daily basis, we help to replenish the beneficial bacteria
in the gut that naturally cleanse heavy metals from the body.
Step 2: Culturing Cruciferous Veggies
Traditional vegetable ferments generally include at least one
cruciferous vegetable most often cabbage. As it turns out, modern
science backs up tradition: We now know that cruciferous vegetables,
such as cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and arugula, all contain
sulforaphane.
Sulforaphane protects our cells against inflammation and promotes
the healing of the delicate tissue that lines the intestines and the
blood-brain barrier. Sulforaphane also targets cancer stem cells and
destroys them. But what about heavy metals?
Less common examples of crucifers are pungent roots such as daikon,
horseradish, and wasabi.
Removing Heavy Metals
Isothiocyanate, another plant compound that contains sulfur, has
been isolated from the wasabi root in studies. It turns out that it
not only supports the immune system and prevents cancer, but
isothiocyanate also assists with cellular detoxification pathways
within the liver.
In other words, the plant chemicals in cruciferous vegetables like
isothiocyanates can assist with the detoxification of heavy metals.
This is because they support the production of glutathione, the
master antioxidant in the body. You can find glutathione in every
single cell, although one of its most important functions is to help
the liver detoxify heavy metals, pesticides, and other poisonous
chemicals.
One of the best ways to build and replenish levels of glutathione in
the body and gently cleanse the body of heavy metals is to consume
fermented vegetables with liver cleansing herbs.
Body Ecology’s LivAmend contains 50 mg of wasabi powder and 12,000
ppm of isothiocyanates. It also contains extracts of artichoke,
sarsaparilla, and milk thistle. Sarsaparilla is a potent blood
purifier, while both artichoke and milk thistle protect and assist
the liver in the detoxification process.
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