Heavy Metal Toxicity 101

Chronic heavy metal toxicity is not something your internist or family doctor is in the habit of diagnosing. These general practitioners will usually diagnose the disease and then — if heavy metal toxins are discovered in the process — begin a regimen to remove those toxins.

But here at Restoration Healthcare, we’re of the opinion that removing the toxic metals before a disease can take shape or become worrisome is the best means of eliminating problems before they arise or get worse.

If you’re unfamiliar with what we’re referring to, heavy metal toxicity refers to the excessive build-up of heavy metals in the body. Our neighborhoods are packed with such metals, including lead, mercury, arsenic, bismuth, vanadium, zinc and uranium, and don’t even get us started on the potential problems associated with some of today’s popular bath & body products and cosmetics. And while some of these metals are necessary for our bodies to function, an excessive dosage is too much of a good thing.

Symptoms of heavy metal toxicity can include chronic Infections such as Candida and yeast, GI complaints, mood swings, chronic pain, feelings of discomfort, chronic fatigue, food allergies, headaches, forgetfulness and confusion and reproductive issues. And issues with the nervous system, such as numbness and tingling can point toward symptoms of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

Most people don’t have any idea how toxic our environment is. Your body takes in chemicals and heavy metals on a daily basis, and the metal villains most responsible for harmful effects on humans include mercury, arsenic, cadmium and thallium.

But even those metals necessary for our bodies — copper, chromium, iron, zinc and manganese — are harmful if they appear in excess amounts. They usually arrive in the body through the air, water, food or absorption through the skin.

In a study by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), an American environmental organization that specializes in research and advocacy in the areas of toxic chemicals, it was shown that blood samples from newborns contained an average of 286 toxins — including fire retardant from furniture and chemicals found in nonstick cookware. And that’s at childbirth. After that, the growing human only collects more of these toxins.

The analogy we like to make about treating toxicity in the body is to relate it to balancing the chemicals in a swimming pool. When autumn approaches and leaves have fallen into the pool, it is difficult to test and add chemicals to balance the pH of the pool until the leaves are physically removed from the water.

Here at Restoration Healthcare, we think that detoxing especially heavy metals from the get-go is a great first step, enabling the body’s systems to return to a healthier state. Conscientious patient must learn how to reduce heavy-metal exposure in their life. That means checking out the substances that go into furniture, cookware, dentistry, and jewelry.

Meanwhile, we have found that chelation is among the most widely used treatments for eliminating toxic metals from the body, and the process can be successfully done orally or intravenously. Medicare and some PPOs cover IV chelation, but at this point will not cover oral chelation.

So what does all this mean, practically speaking, that is? Well, we recently saw a patient with mercury in her system. She was treated with chelation intravenously to remove the mercury and lead from her system. A screening after 90 days showed an amazing 75 percent reduction in lead and a 40 percent decrease in Mercury.

As a result, the allergy symptoms that brought her to our offices in the first place, have reduced significantly with a decreased need for medication to control her allergic symptoms.

The next time you visit, ask about our program for safely and effectively alleviating the effects of chronic heavy metal toxins.