Let's talk about heavy metals and their mineral antagonists. The science of heavy metal interactions in our bodies is complex, but the importance of their effects on our heath should not be underestimated!
What are heavy metals?
Heavy metals are elements that have a greater atomic density than other metals and exhibit certain metallic properties. There are essential and non-essential heavy metals. For example, the bioavailable form of copper is required for living organisms to function, but the toxic form of copper interferes with that function and other minerals.
Heavy metals are toxic even at ppb (parts per billion) levels!
Examples of heavy metals
Antimony Sb
Arsenic As
Barium Ba
Cadmium Cd
Chromium Cr
Lead Pb
Manganese Mn
Mercury Hg
Nickel Ni
Uranium U
Here are few critical points to understand:
We are all exposed to heavy metals in
Our environment
Foods
Water
Air
Personal care products
Certain medications
Various sources of heavy metals include soil erosion, natural weathering of the earth's crust, mining, industrial effluents, urban runoff, sewage discharge, insect or disease control agents applied to crops, and many others (Morais et al., 2012).
There has been a 100 fold heavy metal increase in our environment over the last century!
Effects of Heavy Metals
Several acute and chronic toxic effects of heavy metals affect different body organs.
Gastrointestinal and kidney dysfunction
Nervous system disorders
Skin lesions
Vascular damage
Immune system dysfunction
Birth defects
Cancer
It's important to understand that minerals displace or crowd out heavy metals.
Therefore, having adequate levels of macro and micro minerals in your tissues means that you are less vulnerable to heavy metals taking up residency in your body. And you are much more able to detox heavy metals when you have constant mineral recharge via your diet. Your body will be able to do it automatically without much extra help.
Macro mineral examples
Calcium
Magnesium
Potassium
Sodium
Phosphorus
Sulfur
Micro mineral examples
Manganese
Copper
Iodine
Cobalt
Selenium
Chromium
Molybdenum
Each metal has a specific minerals that antagonizes it, competing for storage on receptor sides.
For example, Mercury, which increases oxidative stress in the body, hampers the bioavailability of selenium and zinc in the body. Both minerals are needed for thyroid function, so we want to make sure we replenish them in abundance to support thyroid health and detox mercury that we often come in contact with.
Cadmium can impede the efficacy of zinc, calcium, copper, and more.
The presence of lead inhibits chromium, calcium, copper, magnesium, etc.
You can obviously see that increasing your mineral intake can offset the negative effects of metals and prevent additional accumulation. If they have been lacking in your life and diet for a long while there may be some accumulation of metals in your body that, depending on the severity, might need some extra support to elicit them from storage sides deep within your organs, brains, bones and tissues.
To do this safely and in the correct order, I highly suggest finding support with a qualified practitioner like myself to evaluate your health from several different standpoints and create the best plan of action for your individual needs. Meaning that an intense detox protocol with strong binders and chelators might completely backfire if you are not ready. You can make yourself WORSE if your detox pathways aren’t open, you don’t have enough energy, and your existing mineral storage is low.
A hair mineral test, which evaluates current mineral status plus heavy metal de-loading status, in combination with a blood chemistry lab which evaluates the body's capacity to mobilize metals, is a great first step before doing anything else.
Actions to take to reduce heavy metal load:
Look carefully at your personal care products that you apply daily.
For example, deodorants commonly include aluminum.
Cosmetics often contain lead and cadmium.
Across the United States, city water often contains lead, cadmium, nickel, mercury and arsenic. Use third-party-tested water filters, be wary of store-bought water, and add quality trace minerals to reverse osmosis water.
If you live in a heavily polluted area, use high quality air filters and/or ionizers in your home.
Buy foods with a lower heavy metal load, see the dirty dozen and clean fifteen directory.
Take proper protections at work or art studios that naturally come with a higher heavy metal or chemical load.
Double check the ingredient list of your medication and find or request better solutions.
Resources:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28643849/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK548854/
https://myhealth.alberta.ca/Health/Pages/conditions.aspx?hwid=ta3912
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