Top Strategies And Heavy Metal Chelating Foods To Treat Heavy Metal Toxicity

Last updated on 24 APR 2019

Heavy metals can drastically harm your body even in minuscule doses, and you can be unwarily taking them on a daily basis. What’s even worse is that they are often left undiagnosed even by experienced physicians.

What you don’t know about heavy metal toxicity might be slowly killing you this very second, but you can reduce the damage. And we will tell you how.

What Are Heavy Metals And Where Are They Used?

Heavy metals are materials with relatively high densities, thus the name. Iron, copper, silver, gold, lead, tin, cadmium, manganese, mercury, zinc—the list is huge, and this is barely scratching the surface. Basically, heavy metals are present in almost every aspect of modern life: your cell phone has them, your car is made of a great deal of them, and every battery you’ve ever used consisted of a good portion of heavy metals.

Moreover, many heavy metals such as iron, copper and magnesium are trace elements that play a vital role in hundreds of physiological processes in your body. You need them for a good, strong health, and this is a fact.

The trouble starts either when they enter your body in unusual amounts or aren’t eliminated effectively.

How Can Heavy Metals Enter Your Body?

There are many ways that heavy metals can enter your body:

• By inhalation. Mercury from amalgam filling is one of the most common heavy metals inhaled. Every time you eat food—even food at room temperature—some mercury vapor is released from the filling. Most people who have mercury poisoning most likely have amalgam filling in their mouth.
• By drinking. More than a hundred million people from all around the world regularly drink water polluted with arsenic. This is a major public problem in many developing and third world countries but, surprisingly, the USA are on the danger list too, especially the Western States.
• By vaccinations and medications. Heavy metals including mercury, aluminum, copper, nickel and lead contaminate virtually all aluminum adjuvants—a widely used ingredient in vaccines. Traces of heavy metals such as arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury have found their way into certain medications and some topical creams, even deodorants.
• By eating seafood. Many chemical factories release toxic wastes into the planetary waters, from which they are absorbed by shellfish and fish. Sometimes this leads to catastrophic outcomes. For example, Chisso Corporation, Japan, has been dumping methylmercury into their wastewaters from 1932 to 1968 (that’s over 30 years!). The pollutant was accumulated in seafood, and this resulted in mercury poisoning in over 2 thousand people (lethal for 1,784) and countless animals. The incident became known as the Minamata Disease.
• By eating crops grown on contaminated soil. And this isn’t a matter exclusively related to industrial contamination. For example, a 2012 study analyzed whether it was safe to grow and eat crops in urban areas, namely the inner city of Berlin. The results were terrifying: all vegetables had dangerously high amounts of lead absorbed from the street traffic! In other words: growing your own food in urban areas is often dangerous for your health, even if you don’t use shady fertilizers or any other chemicals at all. Over the years, this may result in lead toxicity.
• Exposure to lead paint. Yes, this is still a problem. In 2002 a study described three New York children with plumbism (lead poisoning) from eating paint chips, even although this element was banned from household paints ever since 1978 in the US. Know the danger and protect your children from it.
• Personal care products and in cosmetics.
• Household cleaning products
• Foods cooked in aluminum cookware and aluminum foil
• GMO foods
• Tattoo dyes
• High-fructose corn syrup and processed foods
• Hair dyes
• Cigarettes

Signs And Symptoms Of Heavy Metal Toxicity By Element

The signs of heavy metal poisoning depend not only on the specific element causing it, but also on its dose and duration of exposure. Certain cases of this condition may even be asymptomatic for decades. Nevertheless, here’s a list of the most common manifestations of heavy metal poisoning you should take into account:

Mercury poisoning symptoms: Profuse sweating, fast heart rate, high blood pressure, loss of skin derivatives (hair, nails), redness of the face (especially nose, cheeks and lips), paresthesia (an itching or burning feeling on the skin), mood swings, weakness, muscle twitching, anemia.

Lead poisoning symptoms: Unusual taste sensations in the mouth, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea or constipation, insomnia, muscle weakness and seizures, headache, joint and muscle pain, paleness of the skin, local and generalized seizures, impaired memory and concentration.

Arsenic poisoning symptoms: Abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, watery diarrhea with traces of blood, headache, confusion, drowsiness, fatigue, white spots on the nails, night blindness, muscle cramps, blood in the urine.

Cadmium poisoning symptoms: Cough, a feeling of pain and dryness in the nose and throat, headache, fatigue, fever, elevated blood pressure, pain in the muscles and joints, dizziness, abdominal pain, dental caries, impaired cognitive functions.

Manganese poisoning symptoms: Mood swings, irritability, impaired cognitive functions, insomnia, decreased libido, muscular weakness, difficulty in walking, inability to perform fine motor movements.

Iron poisoning symptoms: Abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting (sometimes with blood), diarrhea, low blood pressure (up to the point of shock), jaundice (look out for liver failure), confusion.

Long-Term Effects Of Heavy Metal Toxicity

One of the worst things about heavy metal toxicity (besides that it’s deadly, of course) is that its effects can last for decades after the exposure. The metals are deposited in the person’s bones, kidneys and brain, and may remain there for the rest of their lives, gradually destroying their health.

Other long-term effects of heavy metal poisoning include:

• Delay in development in children
• Damage to the nervous system, kidneys, and liver
• Autoimmune diseases
• Cancer (especially from cadmium, chromium, and arsenic)
• Gross skin pigmentation
• Chronic diseases of the respiratory system
• Impairment of cognitive functions: memory, concentration, as well as other brain functions

As you see, the possible impact is nothing short of terrible. The good news is that you aren’t powerless in the matter, as there are quite a few natural ways you can try to prevent and treat heavy metal toxicity!

Strategies To Prevent And Treat Heavy Metal Toxicity

There are important strategies to combat heavy metal poisoning by getting to the root of the problem:

• Reduce/eliminate the exposure to heavy metals. If you have an amalgam filling, have it removed and replaced with safer fillings such as composite resin or glass ionomer.
• If you drink from tap water, stop! Invest in a good water filter or drink distilled water.
• If you eat a lot of seafood, know which fish are safe for eating.

Reduce the oxidative stress they cause in your body by means of getting enough antioxidants.

Performing a gastrointestinal cleanse is a good way to start your body on rapid healing by removing old fecal sludge lodge in your 21-foot long intestines. After doing this cleanse, your body will begin to eliminate more efficiently, and the small intestines will be able to absorb the nutrients you take more effectively.

A series of liver detox with beetroot juices during the whole process of cleansing is essential to enable your liver to better able to cope and support the cleanse. Eating liver support foods are also a great help to ensure complete healing.

And finally, start eating foods that have chelating (metal-binding) properties ..

Top Natural Heavy Metal Chelating Foods Proven To Work

Each of the remedies described in the list below is fabulous at targeting heavy metal detox from your body. We have even gathered some solid scientific evidence to back these words!

1. Chlorophyll For Heavy Metal Chelating

Green vegetable juicing: Chlorophyll in green vegetables binds to heavy metals, pulls them from blood and body tissues and escorts them out of the body. The greener the vegetable, the higher the chlorophyll content as they are also the color of the pigmentation of the plant. Drinking green vegetable juices daily is one of the best ways to ensure that your body is constantly detoxifying these harmful heavy metals that are lodged in your body.

Although all green vegetables are beneficial for continuous detoxifying effects, among the foods that are highest in chlorophyll that work best for removing heavy metals are …

Cilantro: Also known as coriander leaves or Chinese parsley, this herb is fabulous at fighting back lead and mercury toxicity. It was confirmed in several scientific studies that coriander can eliminate heavy metal deposits from your body, preventing poisoning or alleviating its symptoms. Add this herb as a garnish to your dishes or consider making some juice from it to maximize its benefits. Get the cilantro and parsley juice recipe here for heavy metal detox.

Wheatgrass: Wheatgrass is very high in chlorophyll content and is a perfect food to be added to your heavy metal detox. It is a powerful detoxifier that neutralizes toxins, binds with heavy metals for cleansing the body of toxic substances stored in tissues and organs.  Try to grow wheatgrass at home by yourself.

Chlorella and Spirulina: These two pond algae are complete superfoods. They both contain complete vitamins, minerals, amino acids and fatty acids. They have long been used for heavy metal chelating by binding to the toxins for elimination. These foods are perfect if you’re not eating/drinking enough greens. Ensure that you buy only the highest quality supplements.

Green tea: Green tea is rich in catechins and polyphenols—substances with excellent antioxidant properties. They can bind metal ions, thus preventing and treating heavy metal toxicity. Green tea is especially effective for lead and cadmium poisoning.

Curry leaves: Lead, cadmium, mercury, and arsenic toxicity—you name it. Curry leaves treat them all. It also has strong heart-protective feats, antibacterial properties, and kills breast cancer cells. Wow!

Other Important Heavy Metal Chelating Foods

Fermented foods: Fermented foods are some of the best foods that are able to break down heavy metals and toxins in the body for elimination. Add any of these homemade foods in your diet to detoxify your body of heavy metals toxicity: sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir.

Garlic:  Besides being a powerful natural antibiotic, garlic is great at preventing cadmium and mercury toxicity. A study on rats confirmed that garlic can decrease the accumulation of these heavy metals in the bones, liver, and kidneys, thus drastically lowering the potential damage they impose. The best way to ingest garlic for heavy metals, is to swallow a couple of minced raw cloves and drink a couple of glasses of water after that. As an alternative, you can add garlic to your dishes for some extra cleansing, or make this 52-clove garlic soup.

Curcumin (turmeric): If you suspect that your body might be suffering from heavy metal toxicity, stock up on turmeric. This spice is not only delicious but also highly beneficial for your health in matters of fighting heavy metal toxicity. Turmeric reduces oxidative stress, treats lead and cadmium poisoning, and protects your liver from metal-induced damage. Find out here, how much turmeric to take and how to grow turmeric at home too!

Foods rich in alpha-lipoic acid: Alpha-lipoic acid is a powerful antioxidant that enhances the production of other antioxidants (like vitamins E and C) in your body AND has significant metal-binding properties. By “grabbing” the heavy metals deposited in your body, alpha-lipoic acid helps your organism to excrete them for good. Foods rich in this substance include spinach, broccoli, peas, tomatoes, and Brussel sprouts.

Tomatoes: Of all organs, the liver and kidneys are the ones that suffer the most due to heavy metal exposure. You can support and treat them by eating tomatoes! This wonderful fruit prevents renal damage caused by lead, decreases accumulation and enhances elimination of cadmium, lead and mercury from the liver. Oh, and it also protects your skin from the said metals.

Diatomaceous earth and Bentonite clay: Heavy metals and other pathogens in the body are positively charged. In its natural state, the clays are negatively charged, thus allow them to attract and bind to each other to be excreted from the body. Clays don’t stay in the bloodstream, hence it does not cause any toxicity.

3 Reasons Why Conventional Treatments Don’t Work

1. Conventional chelation therapy can lead to kidney and liver failure, increased risk of developing cancer, allergic reactions, impairment of brain functions, and even death. The natural treatments have no side effects nor complications and are totally safe.
2. Conventional chelation therapy binds not only the “heavy metals,” but also your own metallic elements, the ones YOU NEED for your health. They will be excreted too, often resulting in severe mineral deficiencies. Natural treatment, on the other hand, leaves your own elements intact.
3. 10 shots of Dimercaprol (one of the most commonly used chelating agents in conventional therapy) cost somewhere around $992. How much do garlic or tomatoes costs? The point is clear.

Summary

Heavy metals are nothing short of being silent killers that gradually damage your body, years after the initial exposure. Their routes of arrival differ, their symptoms and signs differ, their long-term effects also may vary from a lot of factors.

One thing, however, remains identical for all of the metals we’ve discussed today: they are deadly for your health.

Fortunately for all of us, there are many natural ways to prevent and treat heavy metal toxicity, even at your own home. Garlic, coriander, curcumin, green tea, tomatoes, curry tree leaves, and foods rich in alpha-lipoic acid—these are all effective means to give those pesky heavy metals a really hard time.

Stay strong, Nature is on your side!

About Sara Ding

Sara Ding is the founder of Juicing-for-Health.com. She is a certified Wellness Health Coach, Nutritional Consultant and a Detox Specialist. She helps busy men and women identify their health issues at the root cause, in order to eliminate the problems for optimum physical/mental health and wellbeing.

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