Heavy metals have been found naturally deep in the earth’s crust since the dawn of time. As humans cultivated the earth and developed these metals, toxic traces can be found in our environment and affect the air we breathe, water supply, food supply, and medicines.
The CDC has found that the average person has over 287 environmental chemicals in their blood and urine, ranging from pesticides, preservatives, heavy metals, and individual toxins.
Active heavy metal poisoning is relatively rare and can be life-threatening. Toxic metals build up in the body over time and are a more common threat to our health.
Suffering from chronic heavy metal exposure may include symptoms such as:
- Fatigue
- Digestive issues
- Aching joints
- Depression
- Impaired blood sugar retention
- Female reproductive issues
- Impaired memory
In this article, we are going to look at the most common heavy metals, how to reduce our exposure and naturally detoxify.
Article read time: 7 minutes
- Common Toxic Heavy Metals -
Part of living in the 21st century means we all have continuous exposure to heavy metals in our environment. Some of the most common metals are:
Mercury
Found in dental fillings, vaccines, seafood. There is no known safe level of exposure to mercury. Mercury can harm the immune system and organs.
Aluminum
Found in deodorant, vaccines, cookware, water supply, cans, and foil. It poisons enzymes that transfer nutrients to our mitochondria, rendering it inefficient in producing energy and leaves one fatigued.
Cadmium
It’s found in cigarettes, batteries, hydrogenated oils. It leads to more cancer than the other metals because it interferes with DNA copying.
Arsenic
It’s found in conventional poultry and eggs, brown rice and in the soil from fertilizers. Exposure can lead to cancer, skin lesions and has been associated with cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Lead
Found in paint used in homes built before 1978, water pipes, toys, jewelry, stained glass, car batteries and recycling activities where objects containing lead are melted. Lead is stored in the teeth and bones where it accumulates over time.
Thallium
It’s used as an additive in gasoline to help car engines last longer. We breathe this in from smog and car exhaust fumes. They used to add lead to gasoline, but due to public outcry, it was replaced with thallium.
Bismuth
Found in makeup, medicines, fire extinguishers and is often combined with other heavy metals.
Detoxing against heavy metals is a lifestyle choice since these metals are continually present in our environment.
1. Consume Minerals and Antioxidants
Minerals help push heavy metals out of our bodies. Many toxic metals use the same binders as essential minerals. If you consume a high enough amount of minerals, it can decrease the toxicity of the metals because the minerals keep the metals out of the binding site.
It is important to make sure we are getting enough Zinc, Magnesium, Calcium, and Iron.
Flavonoids provide health benefits through their antioxidant effects. The antioxidants in these foods help our body detox:
- Berries
- Parsley
- Onion
- Tea
- Citrus
- Fruits
- Dark
- Chocolate
- Cilantro
Carotenoids offer increased protection against cancer and heart disease. Foods rich in carotenoids offering protective health benefits are:
- Carrots
- Pumpkin
- Squash
- Plantain
- Spinach
- Sweet Potato
2. Near-Infrared Sauna
This is not the wood sauna at your gym, but specialized lighting that can penetrate 4 inches into the body’s tissues.
Near-infrared light therapy stimulates your mitochondria to release nitric oxide and boost ATP production which promotes healing effects such as DNA repair and cellular regeneration and is one of the most effective ways to detox heavy metals.
3. Eat Raw, Unprocessed Organic Foods
Eating organic foods significantly reduces the chemicals used in soil and crop production. Locally grown, seasonal foods do not have preservatives. Unpasteurized dairy and fermented foods are good. Ideally, one-third of our diet should be made up of raw foods.
If your body is deficient in essential metals, it will pull toxic metals in its place, for example:
- Calcium is replaced by lead, leading to poor bone health
- Zinc is replaced by cadmium, associated with peripheral neuropathy
- Magnesium is replaced by aluminum, contributing factor in Alzheimer’s
- Manganese is replaced by nickel and is carcinogenic
- Testing -
Your doctor can use a combination of blood, urine and hair tests to measure metal toxicity.
HM Chelate Complex by Pure Encapsulations
This natural blend of ingredients promotes the body's natural, healthy detoxification reaction to common environmental heavy metal exposure.
Renaven by Premier Research Labs
This broad-spectrum formula supports detoxification and optimal kidney health.
Bind by Systemic Formulas
This formula provides toxin and heavy metal binding matrices such as activated carbon and purified humates to support natural toxin elimination.
Clnz by Systemic Formulas
This traditional and gentle chelation and cleansing formula assists the body to draw out and eliminate unwanted environmental materials through a complex botanical chelation process. Supports both the liver and lymph drainage processes.
Min by Systemic Formulas
This unique herbal chelation mineral formula reintroduces minerals into a plant matrix to assure maximum assimilation and mineralization. This formula contains both macro and micro minerals which support optimal health
Metalpul Heavy Metal Support
Humic based product which supports the body's natural detoxification process without stressing the kidneys or liver.
PREMIER CHEM DETOX
A modified citrus pectin and plant enzyme botanical blend which offers whole-body detoxification support.
- Reducing Exposure to Heavy Metals -
- Cookware - Avoid non-stick and aluminum cookware for their toxic properties. Stainless steel can expose you to carcinogenic nickel.
- Drinkware - Avoid stainless steel thermoses that can leach metal when heated. Opt for a glass-lined thermos.
- Cosmetics - Avoid cosmetic products made from aluminum bases, aluminum-laden antiperspirants and mineral powders with bismuth. Try to use as many natural cosmetics as possible.
- Vaccinations - Avoid vaccines with mercury or aluminum. The flu vaccine contains the preservative thimerosal, which contains ethylmercury.
- Dental Amalgam - Amalgam fillings are made up of 50% mercury by weight and can release vapors into the lungs. Avoid amalgam fillings and you may consider discussing its removal with your dentist.
- Smoking - Avoid smoking and secondhand smoke because it releases cadmium, one of the highest cancer-causing metals.
- Cleaning products - Research the ingredients in your cleaning products and purchase from a reputable source with quality testing. Some products can contain mercury, lead, and arsenic.
Consider one-day fasts where you consume nothing but water and juice. Try incorporating celery, cucumbers, and apples and add in some cilantro and spinach. This will help flush some heavy metals out of your body.
Longer duration water fast - Fasting is a great way to give your body a break from digesting nutrients and have a chance to rid itself of its weakest cells. Check out our detailed article on fasting here.
For the best results, you will want to add in one of the heavy metal formulas mentioned above since they contain specific ingredients that will actually bind to the heavy metals and pull them out of your body. Successfully detoxifying heavy metals is a process that can take up to 6 months depending on what metals and how severe the toxic load.
It takes a long time for toxins to build up in your body. The best way to start eliminating these toxins is to look at the ingredients, use common sense and do one thing at a time. If you have any questions, feel free to email or call the office at any time.
