Heavy Metal Toxicity
Heavy metal toxicity is a topic that is not talked about enough amongst the medical community and the public, given its prevalence and impact on ecological and public health.
Some of the more common and most toxic heavy metals we are exposed to include arsenic, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, lead, mercury, and nickel.
Human exposure to these toxins have risen exponentially due to use of these toxins in industrial, agricultural, pharmaceutical, domestic, and technological applications.
Air pollution, food (eg toxin accumulation in soils that are then absorbed into our produce, large fish), amalgam fillings in your teeth, beauty and hygiene products, are just a few sources of heavy metal toxicity. We are often exposed to small amounts of at least one or two of these things every day and they accumulate.
They are all systemic toxicants that cause DNA damage, which increases risk of cancer, and can induce multiple organ damage, even at lower levels of exposure. Symptoms can vary, but can include low energy and irritability, tremors, insomnia, ADHD, loss of senses or muscle coordination, kidney and liver damage, and cardiovascular dysfunction. If you’re curious, there are a number of ways to test through hair, urine, and stool samples.
Ways to avoid heavy metals and reduce their impact is to try and
eat organic and know your farmers
eat smaller fish (trout, perch, pickerel, sardines, anchovies)
increase antioxidant and fibre intake (fruits and vegetables 8-10 servings a day, whole grains)
remove amalgams with a biological dentist
detox your products: antiperspirants, makeup, whitening toothpaste to name a few. Look for lead acetate, chromium, thimerosal, hydrogenated cotton seed oil, sodium hexametaphosphate. Note that heavy metals won’t be listed on the ingredients.
The up side is that if you have heavy metal toxicity confirmed with testing, they can be safely detoxed from your system using chelation, herbal medicine, and nutraceuticals.
Dr. Cristina Allen ND