Risks of Heavy-Metal-Toxicity and how to Detox

You may think, “I don’t work in a heavy industrial setting. How would I be exposed to heavy metals? They don’t affect me.” Think again. Heavy metals are found in the environment, soil, oceans, pesticides, herbicides, fish and seafood, cleaning and beauty products, pharmaceutical drugs, mercury dental fillings, IUDs, processed foods, vaccines, and tap water. Heavy metals are absorbed through the breath, the gut/food, or the skin. Mercury, lead, arsenic, cadmium, copper, aluminum, and thallium are toxic and can be behind many health problemsmimicking hormonal imbalances affecting the thyroid and/or menstrual cycle, behavioral changes, difficulties with cognitive function, memory, and sleep, and gut issues. Specific symptoms depend on the type of metal and how much of it is in someone’ssystem. If you have been suffering from chronic health problems yet nobody was able to explain the root cause to you, consider getting tested for mold and food sensitivities, underlying epigenetic triggers, and heavy metal toxicity. For example, if thyroid test results show high T4 but T3 is low, mercury, cadmium, or arsenic levels should be checked to rule out heavy metal toxicity as a root cause of the imbalance.

Request a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis here!

Mercury: is absorbed mainly from the gut. Elemental mercury is found in dental amalgams, fish, soil, fossil fuel plants, and latex paints before 1992. It depletes important antioxidants in the body such as glutathione and vitamin C, and inhibits the absorption of vitamins B1 and B6. Mercury lowers T-cell counts and cuts the oxygen-carrying capacity of blood in half, which is one reason for the negative impact on the brain. It can cause muscle twitching, insomnia, and a metallic taste in the mouth. After entering the body, it can be detected in the blood for 45 days. If not properly eliminated by then, it can be deposited in the brain, where it stays for years, and even decades, and potentially continues to accumulate. Urinary excretion increases with higher toxic loads. To be removed from the body, it is bound in bile and excreted via stool. For any detox regimen to work, constipation must be addressedsimultaneously.

Lead: can cause neurological issues, reduced brain volume, blue tinge around the gums, hearing loss, anemia, constipation, nausea, pain in the abdomen and joints, headache, memory loss, irritability, fatigue, kidney damage, central nervous system problems, high blood pressure, carpal tunnel, and autoimmune and thyroid symptoms. Lead heavily impairs kidney and liver function. Lead stays in the blood for several months, is stored in the bones for up to 30 years, yet is released with the onset ofosteoporosis. It is often found in tap water, e.g. California’s tap water has higher lead content than Flint, Michigan.  

Children and unborn children are particularly susceptible to lead poisoning. Other conditions that cause early release of stored lead are pregnancy, stress, hormonal, and thyroid issues. Even though certain substances such as paint for buildings has been regulated and lead has been banned from gasoline used in cars, burning fossil fuel, mining, batteries, pipes, solder, jewelry, and toys that might have been colored with lead-based paint (although this is illegal in the US, toys from other countries may still use lead-based paints), as well as beauty products (certain types of eyeliner have been found to contain high levels of lead), stained glass (making stained glass involves using lead solder), pottery (some ceramic glazes contain lead), and tobacco smoking (active, second and third-hand smoking are linked to higher lead levels in the blood) are still potential sources of lead exposure.

Aluminum: People who ingest aluminum show greater cognitive decline with time and are at a significantly increased risk of developing dementia. Regular intake of silica in the form of mineral clay, volcanic waters such as Fiji water, or Orgono Living Silica helps reduce the risk of dementia. When researching heavy metal detox, you may have heard about chelation therapy. One of the unwanted effects of chelating therapy is that it does not just remove toxic heavy metals but also metals that we need for our health such as zinc and iron. Silica binds aluminum to be excreted via urine while not affecting iron and zinc levels. Common sources of aluminum toxicity include deodorant, vaccines, baking powder, baked goods from the store such as muffins, cupcakes, and cookies, Teflon-coated cookware, and aluminum foil used in cooking. Replace cookware with glass, safe ceramic, and iron.

Arsenic: deactivates up to 200 enzymes, thus inhibiting cellular energy pathways and DNA synthesis and repair. Furthersymptoms include irregular heartbeat, skin issues, muscle cramps, tingling fingers and toes, and persistent sore throat. About 90% of all arsenic produced today is used as a preservative for wood (in construction) but can also be found in alloys, car batteries, fish and seafood, tobacco products, pesticides, and herbicides. One of the biggest health impacts of arsenic exposure is anemia. Only recently, it has been bannedfrom conventional chicken feed.

Cadmium: affects the cardiovascular, renal, gastrointestinal, neurological, reproductive (including the placenta), and respiratory systems because it can accumulate in bone tissue, the pancreas, kidneys, adrenal glands, and the liver. It is found in tap water, tobacco products, non-organic leafy greens, potatoes, grains, fruits, and vegetables. Produce can get contaminated through fertilizers made of sewage sludge and zinc tailings. Non-organic organ meats and shellfish are often high in cadmium.

Avoid seafood, especially tuna, king mackerel, marlin, swordfish, and shrimp. Avoid deodorants with aluminum, lipstick (lead). Remove dental amalgam fillings. Avoid anything ‘fluoridated’ (toothpaste, tap water, etc.). 

Replace all Teflon cookware with glass, iron, or safe ceramic. Lightly roast veggies and fish in a glass container instead of putting them on the grill wrapped in aluminum foil. Store leftovers in glass containers as well.

Heavy Metal Detox – Efficient, Natural, Non-Toxic Helpers

Fresh herbs and raw juices

Cilantro (can bind and immobilize mercury)

Add a handful of the fresh herbs to your smoothies andprepare dishes with fresh cilantro and lime juice (salsa, guacamole, cole slaw, salad dressing, …).

For a powerful detox effect on the cellular level, take cilantro tincture, 2x per day.

Celery Juice (chelates heavy metals, heals the gut lining, improves stomach acid/digestion)

Make fresh at home or use Suja, Smoothie King, or a local delivery service

Snack on celery sticks

• Garlic (contains many active sulfur compounds derived from cysteine with metal chelating properties)

Freshwater algae are among the most potent helpers:

Chlorella (binds cadmium, zinc, copper, and lead)

Take 3-5 grams/day as tablets, or 

Add 1 teaspoon as powder to a 12 oz smoothie

Spirulina (binds toxins for excretion plus replenishes the body with healthy nutrients)

​Take 3-5 grams/day as tablets, or 

Add 1 teaspoon as powder to a 12 oz smoothie

Barley grass juice powder

​Take 3-5 grams/day as tablets, or 

Add 1 teaspoon as powder to an 8 to 12 oz smoothie

First, I use chlorella for cleansing = out with the bad stuff (Days 1-7);  followed by spirulina and barley grass juice powder for replenishing nutrients = in with the good stuff (days 7-14).

Find a tested and proven general Detox Protocol here.

Healing clay and minerals

• Argiletz Green clay or Bentonite Clay

​These are finely powdered clays with high absorption capacity. They do not only remove heavy metals but also other metabolic waste products from the intestines and colon. I use them in powder form, mixed into water. If you don’t like the chalky taste, you can take 2-4 capsules per day with 4-8 oz water.

You can read more about green clay use here:

Wonderful, Simple, Effective – Applications of Healing Earth

Zeolite

Some companies offer zeolite as a spray or liquid. I use fine clay powder and drink it dissolved in water at room temperature.Use lab tested and certified products only!

Do not use red clay (rhassoul) internally. That kind is for external use only.

Shilajit

​This oily, sticky compound is rich in fulvic acid, a perfect helper for heavy metal detox. Shijalit contains 84 minerals and has many health benefits. It has been used in Ayurveda for centuries. Shilajit can help with weight loss by helping the body respond better to exercise and convert fatty tissue into muscle tissue.

Heavy metal detox is a fine art. Learn more about The Do’s and Don’ts of Heavy Metal Detox here.

Foods and herbs that aid in the binding and excretion of heavy metals and other toxins:Vitamins and minerals that assist in the removal of heavy metals:Foods and products to eliminate during a cleanse:
• Cilantro
• Garlic
• Wild blueberries
• Lemon or lime water
• Spirulina
• Chlorella
• Barley grass juice powder
• Turmeric and Ginger
• Probiotic/
fermented foods (certain strains of probiotic bacteria minimize effects of toxins by trapping & metabolizing heavy metals)
• Dandelion root (cleanses the blood)
• Green and herbal teas
• Healthy fibers (beets, avocado, raw carrots, leafy greens, microgreens, pinto and black beans, chickpeas)
• Sulfuric veggies
• Pectin-rich fruits (oranges, lemons, grapefruits, apples – aid in proper excretion)
• Celery Juice on an empty stomach
• Raw fruit and veggie juices
• Clean water (natural spring water)
• Vitamin C (3,000 mg/day; Free-radical scavenger protects against oxidative damage from heavy metals)
• Selenium (inhibits absorption of mercury and lead)
• Melatonin (promotes the synthesis of glutathione)
• Glutathione or NAC (antioxidants, work on the cellular level, combination with MSM/
arugula/ radishes remove heavy metals)
• Vitamin B-complex (or better yet, Spirulina, to tone the nervous system and support liver function)
• Vitamin D (supports liver and gut function)
• Zeolite
• Shilajit (250-500 mg/day, typically in powder form)
• Bentonite clay
• Fulvic acid
• Modified Citrus Pectin (MCP binds and helps remove arsenic, mercury, cadmium, and lead viaurinary excretion)
• Activated Charcoal
• Non-GMO Vitamin E (neutralizes tissue-damaging free radicals)
• Liquid zinc (inhibits cadmium and lead absorption)
• Dairy (can be high in lead)
• Sugar
• Processed foods
• Non-organic animal products
• Wheat
• Corn
• Calcium-fortified foods (high in lead)
• Seafood (shrimp, clams, mussels, shark, swordfish, king mackerel, tuna, and tilefish)
• Alcohol
• Tobacco
• Eggs
• Oils such as canola, veggie, soy and corn, sunflower, and cottonseed (high in cadmium)
• Coffee (often high in pesticides, mold, and cadmium)
• High fructose corn syrup (high in mercury)
• Non-organic foods
• Cleaning products such as Ajax and Comet.
• Fluoridated water and toothpaste!
• Deodorants and beauty products containing aluminum, lead, titanium dioxide, and other toxic ingredients (lipstick highest in lead). 

The information is given for educational purpose only and does not present medical advice. Please consult your doctor in case of specific health concerns.