Heavy Metal Detox Time
It’s that time again; time to take your body to the cleaners!
Today more than ever, our bodies are being bombarded by heavy metals.
Industrial pollution, mining, and increased pesticide use expose us daily to aluminum, arsenic, copper, lead and mercury.
Our oceans are becoming more and more polluted and the sea life that we rely on for nourishment is contaminated with mercury (and radioactive residues).
According to the American Heart Association, men who have higher mercury levels due to eating contaminated fish are almost 3 times more likely to suffer a heart attack than men with low mercury levels!
I’m sure you have questions:
How am I being exposed to heavy metals? How can I reduce my exposure and eliminate the metals I’ve already absorbed?
Read on! I can help you lighten your load!
Aluminum
Minerals impaired by aluminum: Heart-healthy magnesium & metabolism boosting phosphorus
Symptoms of toxicity: Dry skin, heartburn, flatulence, low immunity, colic, memory loss, Parkinson’s disease, muscle weakness, and mental confusion.
Where it’s found: Cookware, personal care products, soy-based infant formula, processed cheese, medications, dental work, and pesticides
Reducing your exposure: Use Pyrex, glassware, high quality stainless steel or enamel covered iron cookware. Check your antiperspirant, toothpaste and nasal spray for added aluminum, or switch to homemade versions. Consider breast feeding your infant children if possible. Avoid processed foods and thoroughly wash fruits and vegetables before eating. Limit your use of over-the-counter painkillers and anti-diarrhea medicine. Treat heartburn with HCl or baking soda instead of using aluminum-laden antacids (which also decrease your natural production of pepsin!).
Arsenic
Minerals impaired by arsenic: Immunity enhancing zinc & antioxidant selenium
Symptoms of toxicity: Horizontal white bands or longitudinal brown bands on fingernails and toenails, skin discolorations, diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, peripheral nerve damage, respiratory problems, deafness, memory loss, confusion, uncoordinated movement, and visual problems.
Where it’s found: Rice based foods and sweeteners, chicken, contaminated well water, treated wood, tobacco smoke, coal dust, insecticides, and herbicides
Reducing your exposure: Rice plants absorb naturally-occurring arsenic from the soil and water, so reducing your intake of rice based foods is important. A study by scientists at Dartmouth College found high levels of arsenic in foods sweetened with brown rice syrup. Limit your intake of rice crackers, cereals, milk alternatives, proteins, and anything sweetened with brown rice syrup. Eat chicken sparingly, and make it organic. Have your well water tested. Don’t burn treated wood in your fireplace. Avoid smoking tobacco and being exposed to second hand smoke.
Insider Tip: When preparing brown rice, boil it in a lot of water (as you do with pasta). Research shows that you can decrease the amount of arsenic in the rice by 30-to-40 percent by taking this simple step!
The only rice product I truly trust is the Fat Flush Body Protein, which contains rice protein concentrate that is third party tested for quality and purity- including heavy metal contamination. UNI KEY goes to great lengths to ensure that arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury are virtually undetectable in each batch.
Copper
Minerals impaired by copper: Enzyme regulating zinc & menopause easing boron
Symptoms of toxicity: Estrogen dominance, insomnia, anorexia, obsessive-compulsive behavior, skin abnormalities, hyperactivity, hair loss, allergies, hypothyroidism and depression
Where it’s found: Birth control pills, dental fillings since 1976, copper intrauterine devices, fungicides, and certain foods
Reducing your exposure: Consider alternative methods of birth control. Thoroughly wash fruits and vegetables before eating. Some foods are particularly rich in copper and should be enjoyed moderately, or avoided all together in the case of copper overload. These foods include nuts, seeds, avocados, grains, shellfish, chocolate, tea, wheat germ bran, and brewer’s yeast.
Lead
Minerals impaired by lead: Nerve stimulating calcium & hemoglobin-forming iron
Symptoms of toxicity: Behavioral problems, blue-tinted gums, hearing loss, visual disturbances, stomach pain, menstrual irregularities, miscarriages, kidney disease, and convulsions. In extreme cases, lead poisoning is fatal.
The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that nearly half a million children have too much lead in their bodies, which is quite troubling because lead is especially damaging to the brain and nervous system. It slows mental development, reduces intelligence, and can lead to attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity.
Where it’s found: Inside any structure built before 1978, chips of decaying paint, outdated lead water pipes, some toys, food packaging, and electrical cords
Reducing your exposure: If you live in a structure that was built before 1978, hire a professional to evaluate lead levels inside your home. Be alert to news reports of recalls for children’s toys that are contaminated with lead. Ensure good hand washing habits for yourself and your children.
Mercury
Minerals impaired by lead: Detoxifying sulfur & muscle-toning iron
Symptoms of toxicity: Hair loss, kidney malfunction, dementia, heart disease, compromised immunity, mood swings, memory loss, fatigue, and headaches
Where it’s found: Dental fillings, batteries, non-electric thermometers, and fish
Reducing your exposure: Have your silver fillings replaced by a dentist experienced in the safe removal of dental amalgams. Don’t eat large predatory fish like tuna, shark or swordfish more than once every few weeks, and avoid freshwater fish except for special occasions.
My Heavy Metal Removal Rx:
Taurine, the detox machine!
Taurine is a sulfur-rich amino acid that plays a key role in detoxification and liver support. The liver uses taurine to produce bile, which is essential for the conjugation and removal of heavy metals, chlorine, aldehydes, petroleum solvents, alcohol, and ammonia.
Chemically sensitive individuals, vegans and vegetarians tend to have taurine deficiency, and those who abuse alcohol, use oral contraceptives, require cortisone therapy or have high stress levels typically have higher taurine requirements.
No detoxification protocol is complete without a supplemental source of taurine. I rely on the Liver Lovin’ Formula, which provides 250 mg of taurine per capsule. I recommend taking 2 capsules twice daily with meals.
Insider Tip: For all of my chemically sensitive patients I use taurine for 6 weeks or so prior to hair mineral analysis to improve heavy metal detection.
Dandelion Root
Dandelion root is a very gentle herb that is active as a tonic to the liver to increase bile secretion. It can be enjoyed as a tea (1-2 cups daily), or in capsule form (3 capsules, 3 times daily with meals). Fresh spring dandelion greens are even a wonderful addition to a detoxifying salad!
Chlorella
Chlorella is a single-celled freshwater algae that has the amazing ability to bind to heavy metals and other toxic residues and remove them from the body. The chlorella cell wall must be “cracked” in order to effectively absorb toxins from the gut and the blood circulating through the bowel wall.
Recent clinical studies proved that heavy metal chelation using a concentrated form of cilantro and chlorella removed 87% of lead, 91% of mercury, and 74% of aluminum from the body within 42 days. This is incredible!
To mobilize heavy metals out of the tissues, I suggest taking 3-9 grams of chlorella per day about 45 minutes before your meals. It is essential to be sure that the chlorella you use is grown in pure, unpolluted water.
Irish Moss
Irish moss grows on rocks close to the shores of the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. Like other sea vegetables it is rich in many trace minerals- including iodine. Irish moss contains Algin, a phytonutrient that effectively pulls heavy metals out of the body’s tissues.
When soaked and simmered it can be used in recipes as a thickener. This gelatinous quality allows Irish moss to surround heavy metals and escort them out of the body.
Irish moss is one of the star ingredients in the highly effective detox formula, Super-GI Cleanse. To encourage daily elimination of toxins, take 3 capsules one to two times daily with 10-12 ounces of water.
Zeolite and Modified Citrus Pectin: The New Kids On The Block
Zeolite Hunts Heavy Metals
Zeolite is a mineral used for mechanical chelation of heavy metals as opposed to the chemical chelation action of many other remedies. Heavy metals are magnetically attracted to the negatively charged cage-like structure of zeolite and they are pulled from the blood and trapped in the zeolite, read to be carried out of the body. Zeolite maintains pH balance in the body by targeting only heavy metals- not nutrient minerals.
To achieve a full body heavy metal detox in approximately 4-9 weeks (depending on heavy metal exposure and diet), between two and four 1800 mg capsules of Zeolite should be taken twice to three times daily with water.
Modified Citrus Pectin (MCP)- The Fiber Solution
Pectin is a soluble dietary fiber found in the peel and pulp of apples, plums and citrus fruits. It can only be absorbed by the digestive tract when it is enzymatically modified to create smaller polysaccharide fragments. These fragments are easily digested and can enter the blood stream, where it begins to work its magic.
This modified citrus pectin is rich in galactose residues which actively bind to heavy metals. Because of the low molecular weight of the modified citrus pectin, a strong bond is formed with the metals and they are eliminated through the urine.
A study using MCP showed a dramatic increase in the excretion of toxic metals through the urine. Taking 15 grams of MCP each day for five days and 20 grams on the sixth day, study participants showed significantly increased excretion of arsenic and mercury, a 150% increase in cadmium and a 560% increase in lead excreted in the urine. To add wonder to these stellar results, the MCP treatment did not deplete calcium, zinc or magnesium levels.
Budget-Friendly Detox Tools
Cilantro
Cilantro mobilizes heavy metals in preparation to be carried out of the body. You can experience powerful detox results by putting a handful of fresh cilantro in salads, soups or my Hot Metabolism Cocktail. Here’s a great recipe for Cilantro Pesto:
Blend 1 1/2 cups packed fresh cilantro and 9 tablespoons olive oil until cilantro is chopped. Add 2 cloves garlic, 4 tablespoons lemon juice and ¾ cup walnuts. Blend to a lumpy consistency, adding a little water if needed.
Brazil nuts
Brazil nuts are rich in selenium, which is a precursor to powerfully detoxifying glutathione. Selenium is also an antagonist to mercury and arsenic. Enjoy a handful throughout the day!
Asparagus
Nourish your liver by eating at least half a cup of asparagus daily. My favorite way to savor the flavor is in a frittata each morning.
Turmeric
Incorporate this potent antioxidant into your seasonings to purify your blood, support the liver and reduce inflammation.
Broccoli Sprouts
Adding broccoli sprouts to your salad provides sulphorophanes, indole-3-carbinol and D-glucarate. These compounds accelerate detox and even help ward off pathogenic bacteria!
Jumping 20 times per day
The simple act of jumping up and down moves your lymphatic tissue, increasing your rate of detoxification (and reducing the appearance of cellulite!).
Purified Water
It is vital to drink about half of your body weight in ounces of water each day. Staying hydrated allows for the effective metabolism and removal of toxins, improves the appearance of your skin and increases energy.
Have you been successful in removing heavy metals from your body naturally?
I want to hear from YOU! Please leave your comment below!
