Although they may be pretty and shiny, like that blob of mercury you or your parents played with in school in decades past, heavy metals can wreak havoc on your health! Heavy metals are dense metallic elements found naturally occurring in the earth. In small amounts, the body is able to effectively process and excrete them. Today, however, heavy metals are used in many industries at levels much higher than our bodies are capable of detoxifying.
Heavy metals occur naturally in the earth, and man has learned how to harness their power in different industries and products such as manufacturing, mining, welding, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and beauty products, automobiles, dyes, waste management and landfills, pesticides, battery making, plumbing, and more.
Symptoms of Heavy Metals:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Rashes
- Neurological problems including changes in senses like vision or smell
- Headaches
- Disorientation
- Numbness or tingling in the extremities (neuropathy)
- Abdominal pain
- Gastrointestinal distress
- Chills
Heavy metal poisoning can be both acute and chronic. Long-term symptoms of heavy metal poisoning include chronic fatigue, overall weakness, aching joints, brain fog, liver, kidney, heart, brain, and nervous system damage, as well as mood swings and personality changes.
Wreaking Havoc On Your Body
Heavy metals can wreak havoc on the body in several different ways. First, they can create a tremendous amount of oxidative stress. Toxic levels of heavy metals can also disrupt the body's enzyme system, which regulates literally every process of the body. Heavy metals also disrupt mitochondrial function, leading to a loss of capacity to generate energy.
Due to their capacity to cause stress to the body, heavy metal toxicity is often related to health conditions and chronic illnesses such as chronic Lyme disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, EBV, seizures, multiple types of cancer, Hashimoto's, MS, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and parasitic infections. When doing a parasite cleanse, a person is also generally undergoing a heavy metal cleanse, as parasites are attracted to bodies full of metals.
Mercury
Mercury is one of the most common heavy metal toxicities found in people today. It can come from a variety of sources including dental amalgams, seafood, contaminated water and soil, cosmetics, and occupational exposure.
Common symptoms of mercury toxicity: Irritability, Tremors, Seizures, Kidney and liver disease, Changes in vision or hearing, Learning disabilities in children.
Lead
Lead affects nearly every system of the body. Lead has an affinity for tissues like the kidneys, liver, G.I. tract, and reproductive organs. The central nervous system is particularly susceptible to the dangers of lead.
Symptoms of lead toxicity: Mental and physical growth delays, Learning disabilities, Irritability, Loss of appetite, Fatigue.
Aluminum
Aluminum is the most abundant metallic element on earth and is used in many everyday products, from cookware to vaccines. Aluminum has been associated with neurological disorders, Alzheimer's disease, and breast cancer.
Arsenic
Arsenic is found in many water supplies, pesticides, and food sources including rice. It is a potent carcinogen and has been associated with many types of cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
How to Address Heavy Metal Toxicity
Addressing heavy metal toxicity requires a comprehensive approach:
- Reduce exposure by avoiding known sources
- Support drainage pathways (liver, kidneys, lymphatics, colon, skin)
- Use chelating binders such as HM-ET Binder and Carboxy by Cellcore
- Support mitochondrial function
- Use an infrared sauna to promote sweating and excretion of metals
- Work with a practitioner experienced in heavy metal detoxification
If you believe you are dealing with chronic illness, please contact a functional provider. Dr. Jaban Moore, a functional medicine provider, can help you if you are experiencing chronic symptoms.