Heavy Metal Toxicity

My last blog discussed the effect pathogens (viruses and bacteria) have on our overall health.  Now we are going to talk about another one of the “Unforgiving Four”, toxic heavy metals. If you are eating and breathing, you are being exposed to toxic heavy metals every day.

In this blog post you will learn where you get exposure to toxic heavy metals, the conditions they cause/contribute to, and how to safely and effectively detox these metals.  Since we are all inevitably being exposed one way or another, everyone can benefit from a heavy metal detox.  Like with most toxins, small exposures may not seem like a big deal, but they become more toxic as the accumulate in our bodies over time.  This occurrence can be seen by the worsening of someone’s symptoms.  

Once I started reading and learning the Medical Medium information, I knew that heavy metals were playing a big role in my chronic illness.  One of my biggest health concerns at the time was eczema, which I have had since childhood.  Anthony William explains that the root cause of eczema is from a combination a virus (usually Epstein Barr) and heavy metals (copper and mercury).

It was difficult for me to implement the heavy metal detox smoothie at first (recipe below).  I had a lot of detox reactions (increase in symptoms, eczema flare ups, breaking out, feeling tired etc). Detox symptoms/viral die off can be uncomfortable, and symptoms tend to get worse before they get better.  Depending on how toxic you are and how long you have had your symptoms, it can take time to heal.  

It hasn't been an easy journey by any means, but I never lost faith.  The way I looked at it was, I could go through the uncomfortable detox reactions and eventually heal, or I could continue on the path I was on and let my symptoms continue getting worse over time and/or require more medication to manage my symptoms. It often felt like I was talking two step froward one step back.

The information in this post is from Medical Medium books, podcasts, blog posts, and Youtube/Instagram videos etc.  

Some of the toxic heavy metals that can make us sick 

• Mercury
• Aluminum
• Copper
• Cadmium
• Lead
• Arsenic
• Barium
• Nickel
• Toxic calcium (dairy is a form of toxic calcium)

Heavy Metal Exposure

• Heavy metals are inherited from our parents (and our forefathers) in utero.
• ALL medical treatments, pharmaceuticals, and recreational drugs are all loaded with heavy metals.
• Fluoride treatments, toothpaste or mouthwash with fluoride. fluorinated tap water (Fluoride is an aluminum byproduct) Fluoride is a neurotoxin)
• All jewelry (24 carat gold is best)
• City/tap water (trace levels of lead, arsenic, copper, aluminum, toxic calcium, and even mercury deemed safe enough for consumption- but these metals accumulate in our system over time)
• Batteries
• Gasoline (you can wear gloves/mask at the pump to avoid touching/breathing it in).
• Old paint
• Counting/handling money (metal coins)
• Jet fuel/car exhaust
• Copper water pipes (I highly recommend getting a water filter and a shower head filter- Berkey is a great option)
• Restaurant food/water 
• Perfumes, colognes
• Air purifier sprays/plug in air fresheners
• Fish oil (methyl mercury)
• All seafood (especially the larger fish)
• Copper IUD
• Drinking from aluminum cans
• Eating from aluminum take out containers
• Aluminum cooking tools
• Using aluminum foil
• Tattoos - all tattoo ink has heavy metals in them.  He does not recommend removing them.  This causes the metals to leach into the skin faster than if they would naturally over time.  
• Copper mugs/jewelry
• Sushi/tuna
• Mercury fillings (getting them or removing them)- He does not recommend removing them unless they are cracked or damaged.
• Braces and all dental work
• Scented candles (loaded with heavy metals)
• Insecticides/pesticides/herbicides (loaded with heavy metals)
• Conventional deodorants (have aluminum)
• fungicides (high in copper)- many items are covered in fungicides to prevent them from getting moldy- two examples are money and new clothes. Always wash your clothes before wearing them.
• Conventional cosmetics/skincare
• conventional personal care products
• Conventional cleaning products 
• Conventional laundry detergents
• All fragrances (except pure essential oils- and even those should be used in moderation)
• Weed is loaded with heavy metals
• Cigarettes are loaded with heavy metals

Heavy metals alone or combined with viruses contribute to the following conditions:

• Anxiety- Can be triggered, accelerated, or heightened by emotional conflict, although toxic heavy metals and/or a virus must be present for the anxiety to become sustained, chronic, and longer term.  
• Depression- Not a sign of a weak mind or character.  It is likely the Epstein Barr virus feeding off of toxic heavy metals in your system, the resulting high levels of neurotoxic waste saturate the brain, altering or hampering neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin- resulting in a depressive state.  Mercury poisoning is at the core of depression for a large percentage of people who suffer from it.
• Eczema- Usually 1/2 copper 1/2 mercury, and Epstein Barr virus in your liver (different combinations of virus/metals cause different varieties)
• Psoriasis- (same as eczema)
• Vitiligo - Caused by aluminum in the liver.
• Chronic Fatigue- Epstein Barr virus and toxic heavy metals (such as mercury and aluminum) produce a viral neurotoxin that inflames the nerves leading to neurological fatigue.  This is different from adrenal fatigue.
• Migraines- Caused by a high viral load of Epstein Barr plus toxic heavy metals - causes EBV to flare up the phrenic and or vagus nerves.
• Bipolar disorder- Caused by deposits of heavy metals in the brain that disrupt the proper functioning of electrical impulses. 
• ADHD - Caused by mercury and aluminum that settle in the canal between the hemispheres of the brain in the cerebral midline canal.
• Autism- Caused by mercury and aluminum that settle in the canal between the hemispheres of the brain in the cerebral midline canal.
• Schizophrenia
• Addiction - High levels of heavy metals in the liver and brain play a role.
• Alzheimer’s - Most commonly mercury and aluminum in the brain.
• Memory loss - Memory issues occur when metals oxidize- high levels of fat in the diet can cause this oxidative raction)
• OCD- Toxic heavy metals and/or trauma.
• Scoliosis
• Birth defects
• Bad decisions/insecurities
• Crohn’s (This can be viral or bacterial.  If viral if could be caused by Epstein Barr and if bacterial it is caused by strep, along with a large amount of toxic heavy metals in the small intestinal tract, especially mercury).
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)- AKA Lou Gehrig's- A viral inflammatory illness where viruses are feeding off toxic heavy metals in the system, and this can affect neurons.  Usually, a high level or aluminum is one of the metals present int the brain and other parts of the body.
• Cancers- Aggressive strains of viruses in the herpetic family feeding on toxins (mercury, aluminum, copper, other toxic heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, solvents, scented candles, colognes, perfumes etc)
• Burnout- heavy metals in different areas of the brain can quicken burnout- because when metals are saturating neurons, electrical impulses burn hotter and more inconsistently, neurotransmitters become weakened and diminished, and electrical activity in the brain can be strained.  This can make it difficult to complete a task in the time frame another person may be able to do it. 
• Brain fog- The two main causes are viruses and heavy metals, and usually a combination of both.  Not only do the toxic heavy metals feed the viruses in the liver, but they also make their way to the brain tissue.  when heavy metals get trapped in the brain tissue, they start to oxidize, rust and corrode inside your brain. This corrosion starts to spread into other tissue in the brain and can worsen brain fog as the years go on.  
• Insomnia- sleep issues can be caused by liver issues (sluggish liver).  Viral issues are one of the main cases of sleep issues.  Finally, MSG and toxic heavy metals speckled throughout the brain can cause sleep issues.
• Sleep Apnea- Can occur if you have a sinus problem or postnasal drip.  It can occur if you are overweight and lying down, which may put pressure on the chest and throat.  The third reason is a neurological sleep apnea, where the brain is sending out incorrect messages to the vagus and phrenic nerves using electrical impulses and neurotransmitters that are being weakened or interrupted by toxic heavy metals or viral neurotoxins.   
• Multiple Sclerosis - It is viral- caused by the Epstein Barr virus.  Toxic heavy metals are a cofactor, as they fuel and support many strains of the Epstein Barr virus and other viruses.
• Parkinson’s- Large mercury deposits in the brain.  As mercury saturates brain tissue, the electrical impulses in the area begin to go crazy and run into one another.
• Scleroderma- A strain of EBV feeding on mercury and copper.
• Rosacea- A virus (most commonly EBV) feeding off of metals, usually mercury-based with mercury present in both the liver and the small intestinal tract.
• Tremors- most neurological symptoms, unless caused by a physical injury are caused by viruses feeding off of mercury and other toxins
• Epilepsy- usually mercury deposits in the brain
• Focus and concentration issues
• Tics
• Twitches and Spasms- EBV feeding off of mercury and as a result releases neurotoxins high in methylmercury by product, those neurotoxins are prone to short circuiting neurotransmitters in the brain- which reduces neuron strength and interferes with electrical impulses in the brain.
• Dyslexia
• Learning disabilities
• Early vision problems- typically from mercury you inherited from generations.  Mercury disorientates the eyes, throwing off the eye muscles, eye responses, and some of the nerves behind the eye.
• Depersonalization
• Eating disorders
• Anger
• Issues with speech/delays- metals in the area of the brain that controls speech
• Bedwetting
• Neuro asthma- Toxic heavy metals feed viruses that then excrete the neurotoxins that inflame the phrenic and vagus nerves that are affected in cases of asthma.
• Rapid heartbeat/pulse
• Heart palpitations
• Endocrine disorder
• Eye conditions
• Eye floaters- if injury has been ruled out, eye floaters result from neurotoxins produced by a variety of EBV and toxic heavy metals such as mercury and aluminum (enter and saturate eye tissue)
• Pandas- Pathogens (viruses and bacteria) feeding on toxic heavy metals (most commonly mercury), and releasing viral neurotoxins. 
• Panic attacks
• Tourette’s- mercury deposits in the brain.
• Erectile dysfunction
• Hot flashes - caused by a toxic liver (not by menopause).  When your liver fills up with toxins such as viral poisons, heavy metals, pesticides, and herbicides, it becomes overburdened and starts to run hot- so the body tries to cool it down. Heat is expelled from the liver and pulsed through the body, giving you that uncomfortable overheated sensation. 
• And more

How do heavy metals affect us?

Our bodies and brains are electrical, our entire nervous system is made of neurons (specialized cells that can receive and transmit electrical signals).  The electricity produced by our bodies (electrical impulses) is what allows synapses, signals and even heartbeats to occur.  When we die, and out heart stops beating, a defibrillator can be used to shock you using an electric shock to try to "jump start" your heart.  

Toxic heavy metals carry a disruptive charge that interferes with the electricity that travels through your brain, which can weaken electrical impulses.  Electrical activity becomes diffused, which can lead to brain fog, memory issues, confusion, anxiety, depression, and more.  Toxic metal deposits in the brain can also lead to Alzheimer's disease, dementia, ALS, Parkinson's, bipolar disorder, mania, and schizophrenia. 

Toxic heavy metals literally poison our bodies and can inflict damage on virtually every system and organ, including our brain, liver, digestive system, and other parts of our nervous system.  They put an immense burden on our immune system, which leaves us vulnerable to a variety of illnesses. 

Heavy metals do not stay in your bloodstream, instead they build up in our organs over time (usually our livers and brains), therefore would not show up on a heavy metal test.  The best way to determine if you have metals in your system would be based on your symptoms. Heavy metals are also a form of neurotoxin (a poison that disrupts nerve function and confuses your immune system).  These neurotoxins can inflame and irritate our central nervous system (especially our brain).  

Toxic heavy metals oxidize (like rusting metal), releasing a discharge of heavy metal byproduct, which can travel to adjacent brain cells and effect more neurons.  Oxidation happens over time and can cause damage to surrounding tissue and promote inflammation.

Heavy metals also interact with each other, which make them more troublesome than what they are on their own.  For example: When mercury and aluminum cross paths and touch each other, a highly toxic reaction occurs, and they can both oxidize more rapidly.  When an alloy of these metals in the brain oxidizes, they short circuit neurotransmitters as they run through the neurons. Heavy metals diminish neurotransmitters and neuron function and breakdown electrical impulses.  The result is a discharge causing neurological symptoms such as tremors, twitching, depressions, anxiety, seizures, weak limbs, and memory loss.

Toxic heavy metals feed pathogens

Heavy metals feed pathogens such as Streptococcus A or B, E. coli, C. difficile, H. pylori, and yeast cells. This can create an overgrowth of multiple bacteria in our gut, resulting in a condition known as SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth), which is characterized by bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation (or both), and can lead to nutrient deficiencies.  When viruses and unproductive bacteria feed off of toxic heavy metals, they release a much more potent form of those metals as a byproduct.  Metals and pathogens both often reside in the liver, where the viruses continually feed on them and then release their poisons.  This release of neurotoxins leads to autoimmune symptoms of fibromyalgia, MS, Lyme disease, RA, Hashimoto’s and ME/CFS, as well as stand alone symptoms such as fatigue, tinnitus, eye floaters nerve pain, neuropathy, heart palpitations, burning skin, and migraines, to name a few.   

When pathogens such as Epstein-Barr, shingles, and many others feed on heavy metals, they transform the metals into an especially aggressive form of neurotoxin. This secondary neurotoxin is the by-product and waste of these pathogens, and has the ability to travel throughout the body and wreak even greater havoc on the central nervous system. This phenomenon can throw medical communities off track, leading to incorrect diagnoses such as Lyme disease, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and many other autoimmune disorders, because blood tests start to lose their accuracy when the bloodstream becomes full of neurotoxic by-product and pathogen waste. These neurotoxins can even cross the blood-brain barrier, where they short circuit our neurotransmitters (the chemicals our brain cells use to communicate with each other). In turn, this can trigger depression and other mood disorders, memory loss, and a variety of other cognitive impairments.

Mercury

While all toxic heavy metals wreak havoc on the body, mercury is an especially insidious beast.  Once touted as a cure-all for every disease imaginable, we now know the exact opposite is true.  Before its toxic effects were known, mercury was believed to be a fountain of youth and a source of eternal wisdom. In ancient Chinese medicine, mercury was so revered that countless emperors died from mercury elixirs that healers vowed would end all their problems. Mercury elixirs (known as “quicksilver”) were also popular in the Western world. In the 1800s, medical students in the U.S. and England were taught to give a glass of mercury water to any patient who was ill, regardless of age, gender, or symptoms. Even after the medical community abandoned the practice of dispensing this misguided remedy, opportunities for mercury exposure were (and are) still plentiful: Industries were dumping mercury into rivers, lakes, and other waterways, and dentists were using mercury amalgam fillings (and some still are). In the 1800s and the first half of the 1900s, hat production relied on a mercury-based solution designed to expedite the felting process, putting hat-makers at extreme risk. In fact, the average hat-maker had about three to five years to live after starting work at a factory before madness and death set in. This is where the term “mad as a hatter” comes from: almost all mental illness of the time was from mercury poisoning and for a long time the “treatment” for mental illness was Mercury! And it wasn’t just hat-makers who suffered; anyone of that era who wore a felt hat got an infusion of mercury every time their brow sweated.

Mercury gathers together in the body. If you have inherited mercury or been exposed to it in your lifetime, it will find any new mercury you come into contact with and collect together in your system. Unfortunately, mercury becomes more toxic as it builds on itself over time. This occurrence can be seen by the worsening of symptoms throughout someone’s life, such as an increase in OCD, anxiety, depression, or memory loss.

One important aspect of heavy metal toxicity is that no two people have the same combination of metals, same concentrations, same locations etc.  Everyone has their own signature blend of heavy metals, toxins and viruses.  This is why two people can have the same diagnoses can have completely different symptoms.   

How to cleanse in a safe and effective way

The good news is that it is relatively easy to get rid of the heavy metals that you may have already accumulated (both generational and recent), and there are steps you can take to minimize your future exposure.

You may have heard of chelation therapy or chlorella as ways to remove heavy metals.  However, these are not safe methods of eliminating metals as they both drop the metals before they are eliminated from your body.  This is dangerous because it moves metals around in your body and can make things worse.

This heavy metal detox by medical medium is the safest most effective way to get metals out of your body. For the full details on this cleanse and other cleanses, get the Medical Medium book "cleanse to heal" .

• Drink 16-32 ounces of lemon water. The lemon water will prime the toxic heavy metals in your system to be more easily removed.  It is imperative that you’re hydrated enough that when the heavy metal detox smoothie starts uprooting metals and trying to remove them, you have adequate hydration to flush them out of your system.  Wait 15-30 minutes, and then:
• Drink 16-32 ounces of celery juice on an empty stomach.  The celery juice loosens up the metals, preparing them to be gathered up by the Heavy Metal Detox Smoothie.  Celery juice also helps restore areas inside organs that have been damaged by toxic heavy metals, while the sodium cluster salts in celery juice help disarm the toxic heavy metals, making them less harmful.  wait at least 15-30 minutes, and then:
• Drink heavy metal detox smoothie (recipe below). Or enjoy ingredients separately.
• If you get hungry again before lunchtime, stick to snacking on apples- the pectin and pulp in apples help get the metals out of the body.  The bile is pouring into your intestinal tract and the liver is spewing out metals.  The bile ends up back into the intestinal tract and those fresh metals get soaked up and pulled out by the apples.
• Optional- remove troublemaker foods- eggs, gluten, dairy, corn, soy, pork, MSG, farmed fish, canola oil, natural flavors, citric acid
• Give this cleanse a three-month trial.  Stick with this protocol for 90 days to give it a real chance to make a difference in your life.
• You can do this for six months or more, especially if you are dealing with disruptive conditions.
• You can keep going past three to six months if you are dealing with a condition that heavy metals could be contributing to, or if you are concerned about prevention, you have the option of doing the cleanse for a year or more to dig out deep-seated toxic heavy metals from the brain. It’s also perfectly fine to adopt the practice of the heavy metal detox smoothie for life.

Your Heavy Metal Detox Team

Adding the following all-star team of foods to your diet and being diligent in your efforts to consume them will go a long way toward ridding your body of heavy metals:

• Spirulina (preferably from Vimergy): This edible blue-green algae draws out heavy metals from your brain, central nervous system, and liver, and soaks up heavy metals extracted by barley grass juice extract powder. Take 2 teaspoons mixed in water, coconut water, or juice.
• Barley grass juice powder (preferably from Vimergy): This nutritive grass has the ability to draw heavy metals out of your spleen, intestinal tract, pancreas, thyroid, and reproductive system. Barley grass juice powder prepares the mercury for complete absorption by the spirulina. Drink 1-2 teaspoons mixed into coconut water or juice.
• Cilantro: Goes deep into hard-to-reach places, extracting metals from yesteryear (so it’s great for that mercury inheritance you’re carrying around!). Blend one cup in a smoothie or juice or add to salad or guacamole.
• Wild blueberries (from Maine)- You can get bags of frozen wild blueberries or wild blueberry juice from Wyman's or in powder form from Vimergy: Draw heavy metals out of your brain tissue, healing and repairing any gaps created by oxidation when the heavy metals are removed. It is important to use wild blueberries, as they possess unique phytonutrients with special detoxifying capabilities. The potent antioxidants in wild blueberries help reverse any oxidative damage left behind by the heavy metal removal. This is especially important for your brain tissue—in fact, wild blueberries are the most powerful food for halting or in some cases reversing Alzheimer’s and dementia. Eat at least one cup daily. Note: while cultivated blueberries are nutritious, they lack the metal-drawing ability of the wild blueberries.
• Atlantic dulse (In liquid form from Vimergy): In addition to mercury, this edible seaweed binds to lead, aluminum, copper, cadmium, and nickel. Unlike other seaweeds, Atlantic dulse is a powerful force for removing mercury on its own. Atlantic dulse goes into deep, hidden places of the digestive tract and gut, seeking out mercury, binding to it, and never releasing it until it leaves the body. Eat two tablespoons of flakes daily, or an equal amount of strips if it’s in whole-leaf form. If in liquid form- use two droppers full.  Note: As it comes from the ocean, if you are concerned about the dulse itself having mercury, be aware that Atlantic sea dulse will not release any mercury it might possess into the body. It holds on to the mercury as it works its way through, and even grabs onto other metals along the way and drives them out as well. Atlantic dulse is a critical part of the team because it can hang out near the finish line (i.e., our colon), waiting for the other foods that have been grabbing on to heavy metals along the way. It serves as emergency backup, helping ensure that all the heavy metals that made it as far as the colon actually leave the body.

Lower fat intake

While you do the heavy metal detox, try eliminating eggs, pork, and any dairy products from your diet. If you love animal products, try to lower your intake of free-range chicken or grass-fed beef to once a day, and if you’re vegetarian or vegan, lower your plant-based fats. These dietary changes will help with the process of drawing heavy metals out of the body. At the same time, fill your body with an abundance of fruits and vegetables so that as you heal you feel nourished and satisfied and gain their healing benefits also!

If you are eating a high fat/protein diet, metals can get trapped in fat in the bloodstream and then reabsorbed into your organs. In general, consuming fats slow down detox because the liver has to use its energy to produce bile to break down fats.  This takes its focus and energy away from processing and eliminating poisons/toxins and pathogens.  

Heavy Metal Detox Smoothie

Ingredients: 

• 2 bananas
• 2 cups wild blueberries 
• 1 cup cilantro 
• 1 cup orange juice 
• 1 tsp barley grass juice powder 
• 1 tsp spirulina 
• 1 small handful of Atlantic dulse 
• Optional: water or coconut water or fresh orange juice to blend 

Directions: 

In a high speed blender, blend all ingredients until smooth. If a thinner consistency is desired, add up to 1 cup of water. 

The holy four (fruits, vegetables, herbs, and wild foods)

These are some of the most healing foods for chronic illness.

• Bananas
• Wild blueberries
• Celery juice
• cucumber juice
• spinach
• papaya
• coconut water
• kale lettuce
• apples
• seaweeds
• thyme
• onions
• potatoes/sweet potatoes
• lettuces
• oranges
• berries
• dates
• pears
• melons
• Asparagus
• Turmeric
• Garlic
• Raw honey
• Ginger

The heavy metal detox smoothie is amazing, not only will it remove heavy metals, but it also removes other toxins and radiation.  If you suspect you may have a lot of toxins in your system or are experiencing a lot of these symptoms. I highly recommend taking this detox slow and listening to your body.  If you have an increase in symptoms when you start this detox, then take a break until your body has a chance to clear the toxins that are being pulled up.  When I first started, I added just a pinch of each of the ingredients (cilantro, barley grass juice powder, spirulina, and dulse) with the exception of wild blueberries ( I was fine with those) and I could only tolerate drinking it once a week (when I am not drinking the heavy metal detox smoothie I swap it for the liver rescue smoothie).   I have slowly worked my way up to the full amount, and occasionally, I still need to take a break from it.  Read my morning routine blog post for the liver rescue smoothie recipe.