Heavy metal toxicity occurs when the soft tissues of the body absorb too much of a particular metal. Although heavy metals are elements that are found in our bodies and in the earth naturally, they’re used in a lot of applications today, and we’re seeing levels in human beings in excess of what they should be. Industries that use heavy metals are agriculture, industry, and medicine.
When it comes to heavy metals that the body is able to absorb in toxic amounts, there are some usual suspects, which are mercury, cadmium, lead, and arsenic. The high levels of exposure can come from industrial exposure, water and air pollution, and most concerning, from our food and medicine. It can also come from things like lead-based paint and containers that aren’t properly coated. Personally, I don’t use plastic containers at all anymore. You can get a decent set of glass containers online for about $60.00. It’s well worth the investment.
All of these things are deeply concerning, and although there are a lot more people who are becoming aware of this very serious issue, we still have a long way to go before we reach critical mass enough to effect any kind of meaningful change within any of the mentioned industries. So, we’re going to have to take a look at this, and see what we can do to help ourselves. Luckily, there are people out there who do work on this, and practitioners who are able to guide you in the right path to detox, and keep your levels low (hi there).
So, what happens to your body when you experience heavy metal toxicity? Firstly, some symptoms you can expect to experience are: Stomach pain, numbness in your hands and feet, weakness, diarrhea, dehydration, chills/low body temperature, nausea and/or vomiting, central nervous system dysfunction, immune dysfunction, heart problems, anemia. More serious cases can result in: paralysis, visual disturbances, brain fog, insomnia, chronic infections.
Here’s what you can experience from different types of heavy metal toxicity:
Arsenic: Skin lesions, hearing loss, blood and heart diseases, bladder damage
Lead: Neurological diseases, kidney damage, hypertension, infertility
Mercury: Lung damage, visual impairment, eczema, oral lichen (chronic inflammatory condition which affects mucus membranes inside your mouth)
Cadmium: Kidney diseases, lung damage, bone and joint damage, bronchiolitis (causes swelling and irritation and a buildup of mucus in the small airways of the lung)
Our bodies DO have natural ways of eliminating these toxic elements. Adverse health effects occur, however, when net retention of metals exceeds physiological tolerance. Because the symptoms can be similar to other health conditions, they might not always be recognized as heavy metal toxicity right away, and without testing, you may never find out. So, how do you test for heavy metal toxicity?
A Toxic Whole Blood Trace Metal Panel is available from Dynacare in Ontario. It isn’t covered by OHIP, but you can still get tested. The cost is $60.00, and it tests for: Arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, nickel, thallium. Once levels have been assessed, we can determine whether you might benefit from detoxing or a slight tweak in dietary patterns to maintain low levels. If detox is the way to go for you, we'll work on a detox plan for you through food and juicing, and reassess after one to two months to see where your levels are at. In your intake follow-up summary, you'll receive a one week meal plan with foods that help to keep your body free of excess heavy metals.
Book your intake here, and let’s get started!
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