Heavy metal toxicity is increasingly becoming a concern as a contributor to illnesses. Mercury, nickel, lead, aluminum, thallium, arsenic, cadmium, bismuth, and antimony are all considered heavy (toxic) metals. Heavy metals are substances that are frequently ingested, inhaled or absorbed through the skin. They can enter our bodies from many sources including exhaust, cosmetics, paint, evaporated milk, infant formulas, baby powder, bleached white flour, pharmaceutical drugs, antacids, tooth paste, and aspirin. Heavy metals can block the natural detoxification processes. These substances disrupt immune function, neurological function and endocrine function.
Common effects of heavy metal toxicity are:
- Fatigue
- Brain fogginess, attention deficit and problems with concentration
- Anxiety, depression, bi-polar disorders or obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Thyroid or Adrenal fatigue
- Infertility
- Developmental delay in children
- Autistic symptoms in children
- Hyperactivity or insomnia
- Arthritis or fibromyalgia or chronic pain symptoms not related to injury
- Yeast overgrowth or frequent yeast infections
- Frequent colds/flus or viral infections
- Neurological disorders such as tics, memory loss, dementia, tremors etc.
- Diminished eye sight
- Diminished hearing, sense of taste or smell
- Numbness/tingling
Many doctors in conventional medicine are confused about heavy metal exposure and its impact on health. Heavy metals are rarely found in blood due to their toxic nature; they are quickly moved out of the blood and stored in body tissues (liver, kidney, nervous system, and other organs). This is why most people who take a blood test for mercury or lead are mistakenly told that they are not at risk for the health risks of these heavy metals. A more accurate test for identifying heavy metals is a chelated urine test. Chelation is a method where a substance is ingested to bind the heavy metals in the tissues and then the metals are pulled out of body through the stool/feces and/or urine. There are a few chelation substances and in our offices we utilize DMSA. DMSA has long been studied and utilized as an excellent chelator (or binder) of mercury, lead, thallium, arsenic, antimony, cadmium, bismuth etc.
Naturopaths are trained in environmental medicine and are well versed on the impact of chemicals, pesticides, herbicides and heavy metals on the health. Chelation therapy safely and effectively removes heavy metals from the body’s cells and tissues. The word “chelation” comes from the Greek word chele, which means claw. Chelation therapy can be administered orally or by injection. The chelation protocols that our office utilizes are extremely safe and very effective in children as well as adults.
The therapy can be helpful in improving blood circulation and can be part of the Personalized Treatment Plan for patients with various conditions. Many patients have found that in addition to neurological and psychiatric symptoms resolving, chronic pain syndromes too quickly resolve in cases of long standing fibromyalgia, arthritis, autoimmune disorders etc.