Mercury is a toxic heavy metal that can accumulate in the body over time. People may encounter mercury through seafood, dental fillings, or environmental exposure. Mercury detox focuses on supporting the body's natural elimination pathways. Understanding mercury toxicity and safe detox strategies can help protect neurological, immune, and overall health.
Understanding Mercury 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
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 prime source of mercury exposure is through mercury dental fillings. Mercury particles from amalgam fillings enter the bloodstream each day. Over time, tissues store these particles. Accumulated mercury can impair several bodily functions.
How Mercury Toxicity Affects Your Body
Mercury enters the central nervous system and brain, where it tends to accumulate in the pain center. It can also cause kidney, cardiac and respiratory problems. Significant amounts of mercury in the body have been known to cause:
- Asthma
- Arthritis
- Depression
- Hyperactivity
- Dermatitis
- Dizziness & Fatigue
- Gum disease
- Hair loss
- Nausea & Diarrhea
- Insomnia
- Headaches & Memory loss
- Slurred speech & Muscle weakness
- Increased salivation
Mercury Toxicity Treatment Options
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.
A qualified dentist should remove mercury amalgams. Proper techniques reduce additional mercury exposure. The dentist can recommend how many fillings to remove per session. They can also advise on timing between sessions. They can suggest suitable replacement materials.
Chelation therapy is an intravenous process that can be used to remove mercury and other heavy metals from the system. Contact a health care professional who does chelation therapy to discuss if this is an option for you.
Supplements That Support Mercury Toxicity
A number of different nutritional supplements can provide support if you suspect mercury is having a negative effect on your health.
N-acetyl cysteine (NAC)
This amino acid has a potent chelating effect on all heavy metals, including mercury. Chelation binds metals to acids, including amino acids. This process helps remove mercury from tissues. The body then excretes mercury through natural elimination pathways. Most people tolerate NAC well. NAC rarely causes typical detox symptoms. People can use NAC during amalgam removal. NAC may help prevent mercury reabsorption during the procedure. It also helps to cleanse the liver, which can make it easier for it to detoxify the body and deal with toxins like heavy metals easier. NAC is also used by the body to manufacture another amino acid, glutathione, which plays a very important role in detoxifying chemical pollutants in the body. People with mercury toxicity are often deficient in glutathione because mercury interferes with its activity. People can take glutathione as a separate supplement. However, glutathione has poor absorption. Studies show that NAC raises blood glutathione levels more efffectively.
Vitamin E and 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.
Antioxidants
Mercury causes an incredibly high amount of free radical damage to the body, in particular to the brain and nervous tissues. This is partly why people with mercury toxicity often feel depressed, have trouble concentrating, and feel fatigued. Not all antioxidants can easily permeate the protective membranes that surround the brain; two in particular that can are grape seed extract and ginkgo biloba. Both contain active nutrients called polyphenols, which are much stronger in their free radical quenching effect than either vitamin C or beta-carotene. While these others are necessary for other functions in the body (including the detoxification of mercury), ginkgo and grape seed, because of their affinity for the brain, are more effective in this respect. Several antioxidants can support mercury detoxification. These include alpha-lipoic-acid, methionine, zinc, carotenoids, pycnogenol, chlorella, and green tea. These nutrients may also support amalgam removal.
Detox Supplements
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. Mercury detox places additional stress on organs and body systems. Proper support helps maintain healthy elimination. This support may help reduce mercury and toxin reabsorption.
Dietary & Lifestyle Support For Mercury Toxicity
Eat the following foods to help the body process mercury, sulfur-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.
Moderate physical exercise increases circulation and helps the body to eliminate toxins. Reduce your stress level because stress is an additional burden on the organs of detoxification. Brush your skin daily (towards the heart) with a natural fibre brush. This stimulates the immune system and increases circulation. At the end of your shower, alternate several rounds of hot and cold water (30 seconds to 1-minute intervals), always ending with cold. This hydrotherapy treatment increases the immune system and aids in detoxification. Sauna treatments will also increase the effectiveness of detoxification, but make sure to increase your fluid intake to avoid dehydration.
