n today's environment, exposure to toxins can come from a variety of everyday sources, making it more important than ever to support your body's natural detoxification processes. Over time, certain substances may accumulate and place added stress on overall health and well-being. A heavy metal detox helps the body eliminate unwanted metals and restore balance. In this article, we'll explore natural strategies to support detoxification and help you feel your best.
What Are The Health Implications of Heavy Metal Toxicity?
Often overlooked, Mercury toxicity can play a large role in the development of common disorders. Sub-clinical mercury toxicity occurs when there is enough mercury in the body to aggravate a number of symptoms or other disorders, but not high enough to meet the clinical definition of toxicity by this heavy metal.
Complicating matters further for the treatment of moderate mercury toxicity is that different people will generally tolerate different levels of mercury in their bodies. Common health concerns aggravated by even moderate levels of mercury include: candida, allergies, MS, Lupus, adrenal stress, depression, anxiety, fatigue, leaky gut and others.
What is Mercury?
Mercury is a highly toxic substance that is found throughout our environment. We take in small amounts of the metal from our water and food supply, especially when we eat fish. Everyday products like cosmetics, fabric softeners, batteries, plastics and paints also contain trace amounts. The primary source of mercury exposure is through mercury dental fillings. Mercury from dental amalgams can slowly enter the bloodstream each day. The body then stores it in tissues.
How Does Mercury Impact Your Health?
Mercury goes into the central nervous system and brain, where it tends to deposit in the pain center. It can also cause kidney, cardiac and respiratory problems. Excess mercury may contribute to asthma, arthritis, depression, hyperactivity, dermatitis, dizziness, and fatigue. It may also cause gum disease, hair loss, nausea, diarrhea, insomnia, headaches, memory loss, muscle weakness, slurred speech, and increased salivation.
Heavy Metal Detox Tips
Supporting Detox Organs While Removing Heavy Metals
Mercury detoxification involves dietary, supplemental, and physical interventions. It focuses on ways to safely move the mercury out of storage, through the circulation and out of the body.
It is essential that the main organs of detoxification, the liver, kidneys, and bowels, are working properly so that the mercury does not redeposit in other areas. Once the body is functioning optimally, it is time to remove mercury from the system.
Removing Mercury
A dentist trained in mercury removal should remove dental amalgams. Proper removal helps prevent additional mercury exposure.
Intravenous chelation therapy can help remove mercury and other heavy metals from the body. Contact a healthcare professional who does chelation therapy to discuss if this is an option for you.
Supplements That Support Heavy Metal Detox
A number of different nutritional supplements can provide support if you suspect mercury is having a negative effect on your health.
- NAC: NAC chelated heavy metals, including mercury, by binding them to amino acids for elimination through natural detoxification pathways. It is generally well tolerated and rarely causes detox symptoms. Clinicians often use NAC during amalgam removal to reduce mercury reabsorption. NAC supports liver detoxification and boosts glutathione production, which mercury often depletes. It also increases blood glutathione levels more effectively than glutathione supplementation alone, improving overall heavy metal detoxification support.
- Vitamin E & Selenium: These two nutrients are potent antioxidants that work together to fight the effects of mercury toxicity. They help the body manufacture an enzyme (glutathione peroxidase) that enables the body to deal with toxins like heavy metals effectively. Higher levels of mercury increase the body’s need for this important enzyme, which it quickly depletes.
- Brain Boosting Antioxidants: Mercury causes significant free radical damage, especially in the brain and nervous system. This damage contributes to depression, poor concentration, and fatigue. Antioxidants like vitamin C and beta-carotene support overall function. Grape seed extract and ginkgo biloba provide brain-protective polyphenols. Additional support includes alpha-lipoic acid, methionine, zinc, carotenoids, pycnogenol, chlorella, and green tea, which help reduce oxidative stress and support mercury detoxification.
- Detox Supplements: like milk thistle, dandelion, garlic, burdock, fibre, and oxygen supplements can offer support for mercury detoxification in a secondary way because they all support different organs or systems involved in the general processes of elimination and detoxification in the body. Milk thistle supports the liver, dandelion the kidneys and urinary tract, garlic and burdock the blood, and fibre the intestines. Supporting detoxification organs and systems helps reduce toxin reabsorption during mercury detoxification.
Diet & Lifestyle Tips
Eat the following foods to help the body process mercury: sulphur-containing foods (beans, onions and garlic), fibre (oat bran and apple pectin), cilantro, fresh fruits and vegetables. Alfalfa sprouts contain nutrients that help the body eliminate toxins. Drink 2L of steam-distilled water daily. Eat fish in moderation. The fatty tissue contains most of the toxins, so always broil fish to remove as much fat as possible. Avoid packaged or fast foods, coffee, black tea, chocolate, alcohol, white sugar, salt, condiments, tobacco, dairy products, fried food, preservatives and artificial sweeteners.
To help your body eliminate toxins, there are some changes you can make and activities you can do. Increase circulation by performing regular, moderate exercise. Overall stress levels should be reduced to free up your detox organs to remove toxins. Another way to stimulate circulation as well as the immune system is to brush your skin with a fibre brush toward your heart. Hydrotherapy will strengthen your immune system and help to remove toxins; alternate hot and cold water a few times at the end of your shower for 30-60 seconds. If you will be using a sauna to increase detoxification, be sure to increase fluid intake so as to avoid dehydration.
