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EXPOSURE TO HEAVY METALS( AND I DO NOT MEAN EXPOSURE TO ROCK BANDS)

The sad truth today is that  mankind is exposed to the highest levels of toxic metals in recorded history. For example, lead, mercury, arsenic, aluminum, copper, nickel, tin, antimony, bromine, bismuth and vanadium are present in levels up to several thousand times higher than in primitive man.  Most everyone has excessive amounts of some or all of the toxic metals.As an introduction to this subject area, this article focuses on the extent of toxic metal problems – sources of toxic metals, symptoms and how to remove them safely, quickly and deeply.

Why are there so many toxic metals today?

This is due to their industrial use, the unrestricted burning of coal, natural gas and petroleum, and incineration of waste materials worldwide. Toxic metals are now everywhere and affect everyone on planet earth. They have become a major cause of illness, aging and even genetic defects.“Most organic substances are degradable by natural processes.  However, no metal is degradable…they are here to stay for a long time”.

How do we remove these metals from our bodies

Various methods are used to remove these metals from the body. Options include  chelators, antagonists, sulfur amino acids and other methods. One must very delicately bring the body into dynamic equilibrium by using hair analysis,

MINERALS

Minerals are the building blocks of our bodies and they are involved in most bodily functions.  They are the “sparkplugs” of the body, necessary for body structure, fluid balance, protein structures and to produce hormones. They act as co-factors, catalysts or inhibitors of all enzymes in the body.

How do heavy metals affect our heath?

Because toxic metals replace nutrient minerals in enzyme binding sites, the metals inhibit, overstimulate or otherwise alter thousands of enzymes. For example, the enzymes affected by these metals, may only operate at 5% of its normal activity. Toxic metals may deposit in different bodily sites, causing irritation, and supporting development of fungus, and viruses. In addition, these metals may affect the tissues, joints, bones and muscles, debilitating the body and, consequently,contribute to health conditions

Now remember, minerals are essential to your health and bodily functions. Nutritonal deficiences or toxic substances impair the energy pathway where minerals play a vital role in energy production.These heavy metals will replace the minerals in our body so that the body can keep functioning. What most people do not realize is that their fatigue and other symptoms are due to the presence of incorrect “replacement parts” in their biological engine compartments.  Depending on where toxic metals accumulate, the resulting effects may be given names such as hypothyroidism, diabetes or cancer.

THE DEGENERATION OF THE MODERN DIET

Americans have lost their dietary sense today. Consuming large amounts of chemically laden foods, fast foods, boxed foods and high content sugary foods, the traditional diet today lacks many important  minerals and essential vitamins. Due to the low mineral content of foods,the danger of toxic metals is greatly increased. These critical minerals compete with toxic metals for absorption in the body.

THIS IS KEY.When food is low in essential minerals, the body absorbs and makes use of more toxic metals. It is essential to choose foods high in vitamins and minerals to ensure a healthy body.

What are the causes for the low mineral content of almost all agricultural products:

• Hybrid crops are bred for production or disease resistance, rather than superior nutrition.
• Superphosphate fertilizers produce higher yields by stimulating growth, but do not provide all the trace elements.
• Monoculture, the growing of just one crop over and over on the same piece of land,  eventually depletes the  soil.
• Toxic sprays damage soil microorganisms needed to help plants absorb minerals from the soil.
• Food refining and processing almost always reduce the mineral content of our  food.  Whole wheat flour, when milled to make white flour, loses 40% of its chromium, 86% of its manganese, 89% of its cobalt, 78% of its zinc and 48% of its molybdenum.  Refining cane into sugar causes even greater losses.
• EDTA may be added to frozen foods to retain their color.  However, this chelating agent removes minerals that otherwise would cause the surface minerals to ‘tarnish’, discoloring the vegetables.

SOURCES  OF TOXIC METALS

There are various sources of toxic metals. They are:

• Food Sources. Food grown near highways or downwind of industrial plants may contain lead and other toxic amounts of metals.   Sprays and insecticides still often contain lead, arsenic, mercury and other toxic metals.  Refining of food often contaminates the food with aluminum, as it is found in water supplies everywhere.Also, food refining removes the protective zinc, chromium and manganese from food and leaves the toxic metals in some cases, such as cadmium.  This makes white flour even more toxic, as with white sugar, and is another reason to totally avoid these foods.
• Lead is considered the most widely distributed toxic metal due to its many uses in industry.  Pesticides used on fruits, vegetables and many other foods may contain arsenic, lead, copper, mercury and other toxic metals.
• Mercury and others from the sea. Fish, especially those caught near the coast or in contaminated streams or lakes, are universally contaminated.  Mercury is found today in ALL FISH, bar none.  Even small fish, which used to be safe, are not any more.  This is sad as fish is otherwise an excellent food.Large fish concentrate mercury a million times or more.  The federal government recently issued a warning that pregnant and lactating women should avoid tuna, shark, king mackerel and other large fish.
• Aluminum and Drinking Water. This is the most important source of toxic metals for most people.  Aluminum, copper, toxic chlorides and fluorides are added to many municipal water supplies.
• Airborne Sources of Toxic Metals. Most toxic metals are effectively absorbed by inhalation.  Auto and particularly aircraft exhaust, industrial smoke and products from incinerators are among the airborne sources of toxic metals and other chemicals.
• Mercury and coal-fired power plants. Burned high in the atmosphere, aircraft fuel deposits everywhere and affects everyone on earth.  Burning coal can release mercury, lead and cadmium among other metals
• Cadmium and mercury in papers. Cigarette and marijuana smoke are high in cadmium, found in cigarette paper.  Pesticides used on these crops may contain lead, arsenic and other toxic metals.
• Medications. Many  patented prescription and over-the-counter drugs contain toxic metals. Cipro (fluoquinolones) and Prozac (fluoxetine) are fluoride-containing chemicals, for example.

DETECTING TOXIC METALS IN THE BODY

Toxic metals are not easy to detect.  They lodge deep within tissues and organs.  The most common methods of detection include hair, urine and feces tests.There are various methods to detect toxic metals: blood tests, challenges and hair tests.

Hair testing is also used and can reveal some toxic metals that are deposited in the skin and hair at the time the hair grows.  The United States Environmental Protection Agency reviewed over 400 studies of the use of hair for toxic metal detection and concluded that:

“Hair is a meaningful and representative tissue for (biological monitoring for) antimony, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, mercury, nickel, vanadium and perhaps selenium and tin.“

Removal of Toxic Metals

The following methods will help remove metals from the body.

• Increase the amount of rest and sleep greatly
• Excellent quality diet high in mineralized and vitamin rich foods
• Simplify life and develop excellent eating habits
• Appropriate supplements
• Improve energy
• Balance oxidation rate
• Improve the function of eliminative organs
• Sauna Therapy
• Relax-meditate

Overlooked by many health professionals today, toxic metals are one of the most important causes of ill health.  My hope is that removing these toxic agents from the body, and restoring equilibrium to the biochemistry, Nutritional Balancing Science(which includes Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis)  will become recognized as a great secret for healing many health conditions. Please share your thoughts.

If you would like to read more infomation about Toxic Metals and your health please visit http://drlwilson.com/

Tags: environmental health, hair analysis, Heavy metals, toxic metals