HEAVY  METAL  TOXICITY

There are many individual metals causing varying degrees of illness based on acute and chronic exposures. If a specific diagnosis cannot be made, a general approach to metal toxicity may be beneficial. The list of heavy metals includes mercury, lead, aluminum, antimony, arsenic, bismuth, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, silver, zinc and tin. 

Some of the heavy metals include:

Aluminum - Among most common metal found in our bodes. Today, aluminum is everywhere - under your arms (deodorants), in your teeth (toothpaste), and on your baby's skin (powder). In addition, dental amalgams, many cosmetics, and cigarette filters contain aluminum. We ingest it in some drinking waters, commercial teas, cheeses, white flour, baking powder, aspirin, and table salt. We cook with it too; most pots and pans are at least in part, made of aluminum. Unfortunately, many over-the-counter and prescription antacids for digestive difficulties, contain aluminum. Aluminum may also leach out of aluminum foil or cans into food and beverages. Sodas (with phosphoric acid), tomato sauce, pineapple, and coffee in aluminum cans are major culprits, as well as food wrapped in aluminum foil. Commercial tomato sauces are often prepared in huge aluminum pots and the acidity of the tomatoes can cause the leaching of aluminum from the cookware into the finished product. Coffee prepared in aluminum pots and pans may also be toxic. Heavy coffee drinkers may also be at risk another way. It is speculated that because coffee drinking causes an acidic reaction in the digestive tract, aluminum contained in any food or drug may become toxic or more toxic, because the acid will cause it to collect in the bloodstream. There it can be carried to the brain along with the very blood that’s supposed nourish the brain cells.

Elevated aluminum has been implicated for years in several brain diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease and also found in some seniors with extreme memory loss, absent-mindedness, or dementia. It is sometimes found in the hair of children diagnosed with ADHD, ADD, and those with seizures. Hyperactivity, memory disturbances, and learning disabilities may result from even mildly elevated levels of aluminum. Inhibition of neurotransmission and impaired motor coordination may also result. According to a report in the Lancet in 1989, many infant formulas contain aluminum. In this report it was revealed that human breast milk contained 5-20 micrograms per liter of aluminum, cow’s milk-based formulas contained 20 times as much aluminum, and soy-based formulas contained 100 times as much. So human breast milk had the lowest concentrations, proving to be the safest.

Physical symptoms of aluminum toxicity may include brittle bones or osteoporosis, as aluminum is stored in the bones. Kidney malfunction may also result, as the kidneys filter aluminum.

If you were to look in the Physician’s Desk Reference (PDR) for ingredients of the many varied pharmaceutical drugs, you would find some form aluminum listed for an appalling amount of them. These drugs are prescribed for our children, our grandchildren, and us every day.

Arsenic - Causes of arsenic toxicity include ingestion of arsenic (found in insect poisons), skin contact (e.g. some linseed oils) and even drinking water. Symptoms include nausea or vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, headache, vertigo, fatigue, paresthesia, paralysis and mental impairment. Signs include mottled brown skin, hyperkeratosis of palms and soles, cutis edema, transverse striate leukonychia, perforation of nasal septum, eyelid edema, coryza, limb paralysis and reduced deep tendon reflexes.          

Cadmium - The highest contributor to cadmium toxicity is cigarette smoke; it is found in cured tobacco. This is toxic for both the smoker and the non-smoker. First hand and second hand smoke are high sources of cadmium. Other sources are well water, some soft water, evaporated milk, and some organ meats such as kidney and liver. Cadmium pipes can be a source, as well as fungicides sprayed on apples, tobacco, and potatoes. Cadmium can weaken the immune system and allow bacteria, viruses, yeast, and parasites to proliferate. Cadmium may also promote skeletal demineralization and increase bone fragility and fracture risk. Symptoms of cadmium toxicity include sore joints, decreased appetite, slow growth, zinc deficiency and kidney stones.

Mercury – This is perhaps the most controversial of the heavy metals and is discussed in more detail elsewhere in this site.

Lead - Nowadays, lead is usually absorbed into the body by drinking contaminated water or breathing polluted air. Water from lead pipes may be contaminated with lead. Fumes from lead-based paints, automobile exhaust, polluted air from industrial plants, or  cigarette smoke may all contain lead. Some cosmetics even contain small amounts. Many lead-containing products, however, are now outlawed.

Signs and symptoms include hypertension, fatigue, hemolytic anemia, abdominal pain, nausea, constipation, weight loss, peripheral neuropathy, cognitive dysfunction, arthralgias (joint pains), headache, weakness, irritability, impotence, loss of libido, depression, decreased thyroid and adrenal function, chronic renal failure, gout. High lead levels have been found to be associated with ADHD, impulsivity, and an inability to inhibit inappropriate responses. 

General symptoms of heavy metal toxicity can include mental confusion, pain/ swelling/ stiffness in muscles and joints, numb/tingling/burning extremities, headaches, short-term memory loss, gastrointestinal upsets, food intolerances/allergies, vision problems, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, lupus, drowsiness and others. The symptoms are so vague that it is often difficult to diagnose based on symptoms alone. Studies have also found that metals such as mercury, tin, cadmium and lead have been able to affect the transmission of synaptic messages both in the brain and in the peripheral nervous system.  It has also been found that calcium metabolism has been disrupted which can affect cellular function. 

Some individuals have been found to be more genetically sensitive to the effects of heavy metals. According to various studies over 20% of the children in the U.S. have had their health or learning ability significantly affected by toxic metals such as mercury (as well as lead, tin, and cadmium).  There are also various behavioral effects involved as wall.  In the work done at the Edelson Center in Atlanta, Georgia over the last several years it was found that the three most common neurotoxic metals have been tin, mercury, and lead as the root cause or one of the root causes of both ADD syndromes and the Autistic Spectrum Disorders. Many epidemiologists  believe that the evidence demonstrates that about 50% of the children in our country have had their learning ability or mental state completely affected by prenatal or postnatal exposure to toxic substances which include both the heavy metals and the toxic chemicals.  It has been proven that the neurotoxic metals have been the cause of the following characteristics in children:  birth defects, developmental delays, learning disabilities, depression, and other varied behavior abnormalities.  In addition there is a synergistic effect of these neurotoxic metals and possibly even the chemicals that lead to these neurological areas of damage. When comparing a group of mentally retarded children to controls it was found that the group of retarded individuals had much higher levels of toxic metals in their bodies. Similar findings have been found in other groups like autistic, dyslexics, and ADD children.

Symptoms will often begin to improve within weeks or even days of commencing treatment. Although complete cure is possible, many people suffer the effects of toxicity for extended periods. Some of the damage, for instance to the liver or brain, may not be fully reversible. Others find that their food intolerances will not be completely remedied. Only time will answer that question. Therapy may last from 6 months to 2 years.

Some conditions that suggest Heavy Metal Toxicity:

Depression hyperactivity, mood swings, manic-depressive behavior, poor  concentration and impulsive, unpredictable behavior, neuritis.

Risk factors for Heavy Metal Toxicity:

Environment / Toxicity Cigarette Smoke (the most important single source of  cadmium exposure in the general population. On average, smokers have 4-5 times higher blood cadmium concentrations and 2-3 times higher kidney cadmium concentrations than non-smokers.

Laboratory testing – The first step in treating any heavy metal toxicity is to identify the toxic elements. The easiest screening process is a hair analysis and although this is a somewhat controversial test, we use only ASCP and federally certified laboratories to insure accurate test results. (http://www.gsdl.com/gsdl/) Additional testing involves the use of chelating drugs (DMPS, DMSA) along with a 24-hour urine collection to determine levels of heavy metals. Other useful lab tests include urinalysis, complete blood count and peripheral smear and heavy metal screening of the hair blood and urine.

From here, treatment is based on the individual and will usually involve the use of metal chelating drugs or intravenous EDTA chelation. For many patients, intravenous Vitamin C and replacement mineral infusions are also recommended to support the body through the metal removal process.

 Treatments for Heavy Metal Toxicity:

Once laboratory tests indicate that the heavy metals are undetectable, treatment is considered complete. Often many, if not all symptoms previously experienced will have resolved, though some may linger, indicating residual damage to organ systems. Therapies can then be targeted to these systems and any specific problems remaining.

For the health of your children and your family, read your labels and scrutinize what goes into your mouths. Investigate your household products, get your water tested, and avoid the known sources of these toxic metals.

For more information, you may consult the following reliable sources: