Toxic metals in the body and how to remove them
Ying and yang of metals in health
(1) In trace amounts, certain metals have benefical physiological functions in the body.
Physiological metals:
- Zinc – constituent of >300 enzymes involved in gene expression, cell growth and repair
- Selenium – component of glutathione peroxidase enzyme needed for production of glutathion -the “king”of the body’s antioxidants
- Iron – constituent of haemoglobin, myoglobin and several enzymes.
- Copper – constituent of hair and elastic tissue in skin, bone and organs
- Manganese
- Chromium (III) – maintains normal glucose metabolism / cofactor for INSULIN
- Molybdenum
- Vandium
- Lithium
- Others
Some metals are not physiological but can be used therapeutically in trace amounts:
- Silver (antibiotic)
(2) Some metals have no business being in the body at all and generally have a toxic effect on health
(even physiological metals can be toxic when their presence exceeds their physiological norm):
| Health-toxic Metals | ||
|---|---|---|
| Mercury | Arsenic | Chromium (VI) |
| Lead | Cadmium | Uranium |
| Barium | Beryllium | Antimony |
| Bismuth | Others | |
Heavy metals enter the body from various sources (consumed, breathed, transdermally acquired or via other contact):
- Dental amalgam (silver colored ones contain mercury)
- Toxic metals pass through the placenta from mother to child
- Vaccinations
- Food – Eating any amount of tuna fish, salmon or other larger fish, also shellfish, seafood, or seaweed (except kelp) causes mercury toxicity (shellfish also contain cadmium). Aluminum found in antacids, canned foods, aluminum foil, some baking sodas. Arsenic is in CAFO-produced meat
- Water – E.g. arsenic , aluminum, copper, and more
- Cookware – E.g iron or aluminum pans contaminate food
- Air pollution – E.g. arsenic, cadmium; coal burning adds mercury to the air, etc.
- Cigarette and marijuana smoke – Cadmium (high levels in smokers); using a water pipe reduces contamination
- Household chemicals – E.g. arsenic in wood preservatives, cadmium in some paints
- Lead water pipes – introduce lead into water
- Gasoline – lead
- Batteries – lead
Miners, electricians, plumbers, auto mechanics and other mechanics in such as diesel engine repair, tool repair etc are at high risk for metal toxicity
Diagnosing toxic metals in the body
Several methods are used to detect heavy metals (not necessarily accurate methods):
- Hair analysis
- Red blood cell tests. Not very accurate, since it is affected by nutrients and toxins in blood plasma
- Liver, other organ or tissue biopsies. Painful, invasive and costly
- Fattty tissue tests. These tissues store toxic chemicals more than metals
- Urine challenge test for metals. Content of toxic metals in urine is tested 24 hours after injecting a chelating agent. Method is inaccurate, since metals are deeply buried in tissues unreachable by the chelating agent
- Sweat tests
- Stool tests
Hair samples give meaningful data on heavy metal toxicity – the United States Environmental Protection Agency reviewed over 400 studies of the use of hair for toxic metal detection, concluding that:
“Hair is a meaningful and representative tissue for (biological monitoring for) antimony, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, mercury, nickel, vanadium and perhaps selenium and tin.”
Probably the best course of action is to just assume you have heavy metals in your body (on this polluted planet it is highly likely) and do a detox program
Heavy metals cause problems in the body
Disrupt body functions
- They are a MAJOR cause of immune system suppression
- They increase free radical activity – that can oxidize and cause damage to body molecules, cells and tissues of vital organs.
- They compete with and replace essential minerals (E.g. iodine, zinc, copper, magnesium, and calcium) in enzyme binding sites, to inhibit, overstimulate or otherwise alter the effect of numerous enzymes – sometimes if the diet has not provided the ideal mineral needed for an enzyme to fucntion, these toxic metals play a less-than-perfect “stand in”role for the missing mineral.
- They may replace other substances in tissue structures – E.g. in the arteries, joints, bones and muscles, weakening these areas
- They may deposit themselves at sites causing local irritation, pain and inflammation
- They disrupt cellular functions – the heavy metal ions form complexes with proteins involving carboxylic acid (-COOH), amine (-NH 2 ), and thiol (-SH) groups. These complexes (modified biological molecules) lose their ability to function properly and result in the malfunction or death of the cells. When metal ions bind to these groups, they inactivate important enzyme systems, or affect protein structure ( linked to the catalytic properties of enzymes).
Health effects of toxic metals
Even at a low level, toxic heavy metal ions can cause serious health effects – including reduced growth and development, cancer, organ damage, nervous system damage, and in extreme cases, death.
To give an idea of the problems caused by or associated with toxic metals:
- Babies in utero who receive toxic metals from their mother across the placental membrane are more prone to autism, ADD, ADHD, infections, developmental delays and more.
- Aluminum has been associated with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, senility, and presenile dementia.
- Arsenic exposure can cause cancer, abdominal pain, and skin lesions.
- Cadmium exposure produces kidney damage and hypertension
- Lead and mercury may cause the development of autoimmunity – whereby the immune system attacks its own cells. This can lead to joint diseases and ailments of the kidneys, circulatory system, and neurons. At higher doses, lead and mercury can cause irreversible brain damage.
Toxic metal detox "Tools"
These are some methods for removing toxic metals from body tissues:
- Sauna – protects kidneys during detoxification by elimination through skin; increases circulation to bring metals to lymph and out through skin
- Coffee enema
- Vitamin C
- Higher than normal physiological dose Iodine – promotes excretion over base-line of cadmium, lead, aluminum and mercury (also halogens bromide and fluoride)
Some studies involving iodine for removal of toxic metals: http://iodine4health.com/special/metals/abraham_metals.htm
- Minerals – any chelation protocol requires supplemental minerals and physiologicaltrace metals to replace those taken out along with the toxic metals
- Magnesium – protects cells from aluminum, mercury, lead, cadmium, beryllium and nickel .
Transdermal Magnesium Chloride or Nebulizing Magnesium
Magnesium – Detoxifies toxic metals and other toxins
- Calcium and zinc – cadmium antagonists
- Sulfur – mercury and copper antagonists; found in meat, egg yolks, vegetables in the cabbage, radish, garlic and onion families
- Selenium and zinc – mercury antagonists
- Vegetable Fiber (slows intestinal transit time to allow more time to absorb metals) -a handful of studies support the role of fiber in enhancing the elimination of methylmercury from the body.
- DMSA Shows promise as an effective mercury chelator, but not in the brain; Rooney JP, 2007
- ALA – is a potentially effective chelating agent, and does have the ability to access the central and peripheral nervous system E.g. the brain
- EDTA chelation by I.V. or Bio-chelat®??? – also removes vital minerals, only reaches metals in blood and in tissues near large blood vessels unless using repeated treatments, which further deplete body’s essential minerals; there are several metals that chelation does not remove.
- Zeolites???
- Humifulvate???
- Chlorella / Chlorophyll???
Silver dental amalgams containing mercury should be removed by a holistic / biological dentist – with the concurrent use of a toxic metal detoxification protocol.
Avoid taking in any more toxic metals
References
Chemistry Explained – Heavy Metal Toxins
Rooney JP. The role of thiols, dithiols, nutritional factors and interacting ligands in the toxicology of mercury. Toxicology. 2007 Mar 1. PubMed
