AWe’re all well aware of just how toxic the environment has become,
and in turn, how toxic the human body has become.
All you health conscious readers know about the chemical additives
in foods, the BPA and other leachable toxins from plastics, the
parabens and PEGs in personal care products, and the VOCs from
paints, solvents and household cleaning supplies to avoid. But how
cognizant are you about your exposure to toxic heavy metals? They’re
just as ubiquitous.
While we do need some metals, like zinc, iron and copper, in trace
amounts to carry out normal functions in the body, others are quite
harmful, even deadly if exposed to too much.
Metals such as mercury, lead, and aluminum are neurotoxins that
affect the brain and nervous system, while arsenic, cadmium, and
chromium (the hexavalent form, not the kind you get in supplements)
are carcinogenic. Some are endocrine disruptors and most are
dangerous to developing fetuses and young children in low
concentrations.
The human body is equipped with an intricate system to remove toxins
and waste products. But not all toxins follow the same circulation
pattern to make automatic neutralization and elimination easy.
Heavy metals like to take up residence in fatty tissues rather than
circulate in the blood. This means the brain, nervous system, breast
issue, bone marrow, liver, and kidneys are susceptible to damage
caused by heavy metal toxicity.
Removing Heavy Metals
If left to accumulate over time, heavy metals can contribute to a
number of serious health problems. Heavy metals can alter the
elaborate communication system between organs. This short circuiting
can lead to various symptoms that are often hard to diagnose
correctly, which delays proper treatment.
Heavy metal toxicity has been implicated in:
Alzheimer’s disease
Autism
Behavioral problems
Brain fog
Cardiovascular disease
Cancer
DEATH
Epilepsy
Joint pain
Kidney disease
Lyme disease
Memory loss
Mental health disorders
Multiple sclerosis
Paralysis
Parkinson’s disease
Poor focus/concentration
Where Does Heavy Metal Exposure Come From?
1) Air
As a result of industrial activities, especially the burning of
fossil fuels and metal production, cadmium, lead, and mercury have
become common air pollutants. Inhalation of the toxic vapors opens
the door to the neurotoxic and carcinogenic effects that can develop
with long-term exposure, making individuals working in or living
close to fuel or metal production plants more susceptible to
increased exposure. The metals dispersed in air can also contaminate
waterways and soil as the vapors fall to the ground.
2) Water
It’s no surprise that with all the industrial activity, our drinking
water has become contaminated with the waste and by products of
civilization, and that includes heavy metals like cadmium, arsenic,
chromium 6, lead, copper, and mercury . And don’t count on your
local water district to remove these contaminants before it comes
out of your tap. The contamination can be introduced after the water
leaves the treatment plant. Cadmium can come from corrosion of
galvanized pipes, as can lead from old plumbing systems. Drinking
and bathing in the contaminated slurry can contribute to kidney and
liver damage, intestinal problems, delayed physical and mental
development in children, and cancer .
3) Vaccines
The topic of vaccines remains a hot issue among those strongly for
them and those strongly against them. If you’re OK with vaccinating
yourself or your children, be aware of what’s in the concoction.
Sometimes they contain heavy metals. Mercury is used as a
preservative called thimerosal, which is nearly 50% mercury! You
might also find aluminum used to boost immune response to the
vaccine. Did you know there can also be some other weird ingredients
in vaccines like chick embryo cells, monkey kidney tissue, and mouse
serum protein?
4) Amalgam Dental Fillings
If you have silver dental fillings, which is the standard, you’re
being exposed to mercury every day they’re in your mouth! That’s
like sucking on a mercury popsicle that never melts, increasing your
risk of Candida overgrowth, ALS, Alzheimer’s, and cancer . The
American Dental Association claims amalgam is completely safe even
though mercury makes up half of their composition. Amalgam fillings
tend to be the greatest source of mercury exposure in adults who
have them.
5) Fluorescent Lightbulbs
If you’re using compact fluorescent light bulbs at home, be wary of
about 5 milligrams of mercury inside each bulb. Mercury gives them
the cool burning property that makes them more efficient, but that’s
also why you can’t just put a broken or spent one in the garbage.
Mercury is an environmental toxin and a neurotoxin in humans. Apply
caution when changing and disposing of CFLs, particularly if the
bulb is broken because you can be exposed via direct skin contact
and mercury vapor.
6) Antiperspirants
It’s simple biology at work. The natural release of sweat from your
armpits combined with the bacteria on the skin equals body odor. To
prevent that, antiperspirants use agents that clog the pores of the
skin to prevent sweating. And one commonly used ingredient to stop
the sweating is aluminum. But the skin is like a sponge and absorbs
whatever’s on it, including metals from your skincare products.
Aluminum has been linked to liver disorders and degenerative brain
diseases such as Alzheimer’s, ALS, and Parkinson’s.
7) Cigarette Smoke
For us non-smokers, the horrid smell alone is enough to keep us
away. We certainly don’t deserve being ambushed by the heavy metal
cocktail that can include vaporized aluminum, arsenic, cadmium,
mercury, and lead . If you’re a smoker, you’re breathing in
significantly more of the metals than non-smokers in your presence.
When inhaled through smoking, heavy metals have a long biological
half-life, giving the toxins ample time to accumulate in bones and
organs where they can have harmful effects.
8) Fish
This in no secret. It’s been known for years that fish swimming in
contaminated water accumulate toxins in their bodies. Mercury from
the burning of fossil fuels finds its way to the ocean where
bacteria in the water convert it to a more toxic form, methylmercury.
Plankton eat the bacteria, small fish eat the plankton, big fish eat
the small fish, and humans eat the big fish. And it’s not just
mercury you need to worry about. Cadmium and lead are problematic
too depending on where the fish was caught. Warnings about excessive
fish consumption shouldn’t pertain only to pregnant women and young
children. You can’t simply cook out the heavy metals!
Chelation And Heavy Metal Detoxification
9) Agricultural Chemicals
Another reason to eat organic! Man-made pesticides can contain
arsenic, lead, and mercury among other human and environmental
poisons. Some inorganic fertilizers are no better, as liming
materials can contain elevated levels of arsenic, cadmium, and lead.
And what goes in the soil can be absorbed by the food grown in it.
Remember, heavy metals can’t be cooked out during the food prep
stage.
10) Medications
The use of metals in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals is
commonplace. While some metals are harmless, there’s still a
presence of mercury being used in the preparation of some medicines.
Manufacturers won’t be bold and put mercury in the list of
ingredients, so look out for any of the following: thimerosal (TM) ,
phenylmercuric acetate (PMA), phenylmercuric nitrate (PMN), mercuric
acetate (MA), mercuric nitrate (MN), merbromin (MB), or mercuric
oxide yellow (MOY). Mercury can be hiding in ointments, contact lens
solutions, and nasal sprays.
How to Limit Your Exposure to Toxic Heavy Metals
If you’re looking for ways to counteract the barrage of heavy metal
exposure, you need to be proactive about getting rid of the
accumulated metals in your body and limiting exposure from your
environment.
Do a Heavy Metal Cleanse
Consider periodic cleansing with metal chelating agents. Other detox
methods include oil pulling and trips to the sauna to sweat out the
toxins.
Limit Exposure Whenever Possible
Filter your water with an appropriate system for your household.
Stop using aluminum cookware. Stop eating fish likely to contain
high levels of mercury (fish higher on the food chain like shark,
tuna, and swordfish). Filter your household drinking/bathing/washing
water for metals, chlorine, and fluoride. Carefully scrutinize your
personal care products (lotions, cosmetics, first aid, etc.) and
avoid any with metallic ingredients, including deodorants with
aluminum. Avoid places with heavy air pollution.
Be an Informed Consumer
Know where your food comes from and which are more likely to have
higher concentrations of metals. Read labels on personal care
products. Find out from your water district what metals are in your
water, or have your private well water tested.
Remove Amalgam Dental Fillings
Seek a dentist who practices biodentistry for non-metal dental work
and safe removal of amalgam fillings.
Remember, heavy metal toxicity has no clear warning signs of the
damage it causes. And because the removal process isn't as easy as
other wastes in the body, heavy metals build up over time. Taking
proactive steps early can thwart the damage before it's too late.