 |
|
|
| |
 |
|
| |
Gift Certificates |
|
| |
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
| |
Free Telephone Consultation |
|
| |
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
| |
I had acid reflux so bad for a year that my esophagus
stayed inflamed, I was given things by the doctors and
told to raise the head of my bed as I would inhale the
acid in my sleep and wake up choking! I got tested
with the Symptom Survey Analysis, started taking the
Standard Process supplements.....
Read more....
One evening after eating pizza, I had terrible
indigestion and a lot of pain in my upper right back. I
had this before and after a previous ultrasound, knew
I had several gallstones, so I was sure it was my
gallbladder acting up again. I figured I had overdone it,
so I was careful with what I ate, but a dull pain stayed
with me for five more days. I thought it was finally
better, but only one day went by without pain....
Read more....
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
| |
Read the latest health news. Updated regularly. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
| |
We'd love to know who you are and what you think. Please complete a survey. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
| |
Sign up for our free email newsletter. Delivered to your inbox. |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Some metals are naturally found in the body and are essential to human
health. Iron, for example, prevents anemia, and zinc is a cofactor in over
100 enzyme reactions. They normally occur at low concentrations and are
known as trace metals. In high doses, they may be toxic to the body or
produce deficiencies in other trace metals; for example, high levels of
zinc can result in a deficiency of copper, another metal required by the
body. A table listing these trace metals can be found
here.
Heavy or toxic metals are trace metals with a density at least five times
that of water. As such, they are stable elements (meaning they cannot be
metabolized by the body) and bio-accumulative (passed up the food chain to
humans). These include: mercury, nickel, lead, arsenic, cadmium, aluminum,
platinum, and copper (the metallic form versus the ionic form required by
the body). Heavy metals have no function in the body and can be highly
toxic.
Once liberated into the environment through the air, drinking water, food,
or countless human-made chemicals and products, heavy metals are taken
into the body via inhalation, ingestion, and skin absorption. If heavy
metals enter and accumulate in body tissues faster than the body's
detoxification pathways can dispose of them, a gradual buildup of these
toxins will occur. High-concentration exposure is not necessary to produce
a state of toxicity in the body, as heavy metals accumulate in body
tissues and, over time, can reach toxic concentration levels
Heavy metal exposure is not an entirely modern phenomenon: historians have
cited the contamination of wine and grape drinks by lead-lined jugs and
cooking pots as a contributing factor in the "decline and fall" of the
Roman Empire; and the Mad Hatter character in Alice in Wonderland was
likely modeled after nineteenth-century hat makers who used mercury to
stiffen hat material and frequently became psychotic from mercury
toxicity.
Human exposure to heavy metals has risen dramatically in the last 50
years, however, as a result of an exponential increase in the use of heavy
metals in industrial processes and products. Today, chronic exposure comes
from mercury-amalgam dental fillings, lead in paint and tap water,
chemical residues in processed foods, and "personal care" products
(cosmetics, shampoo and other hair products, mouthwash, toothpaste, soap).
In today's industrial society, there is no escaping exposure to toxic
chemicals and metals.
In addition to the hazards at home and outdoors, many occupations involve
daily heavy metal exposure. Over 50 professions entail exposure to mercury
alone. These include physicians, pharmaceutical workers, any dental
occupation, laboratory workers, hairdressers, painters, printers, welders,
metalworkers, cosmetic workers, battery makers, engravers, photographers,
visual artists, and potters.
In my clinical nutrition practice, when I discuss with patients my
concerns regarding heavy metal toxicity, I often get the response, "That
isn't a problem for me." Most are astonished to learn that we are all
being exposed to and absorbing these harmful substances to some degree in
our daily lives. The astonishment turns to alarm when they hear what heavy
metals do in the body.
The Effects of Heavy Metal Toxicity Studies confirm that heavy metals can
directly influence behavior by impairing mental and neurological function,
influencing neurotransmitter production and utilization, and altering
numerous metabolic body processes. Systems in which toxic metal elements
can induce impairment and dysfunction include the blood and
cardiovascular, detoxification pathways (colon, liver, kidneys, skin),
endocrine (hormonal), energy production pathways, enzymatic,
gastrointestinal, immune, nervous (central and peripheral), reproductive,
and urinary.
Breathing heavy metal particles, even at levels well below those
considered nontoxic, can have serious health effects. Virtually all
aspects of animal and human immune system function are compromised by the
inhalation of heavy metal particulates. In addition, toxic metals can
increase allergic reactions, cause genetic mutation, compete with "good"
trace metals for biochemical bond sites, and act as antibiotics, killing
both harmful and beneficial bacteria.
Much of the damage produced by toxic metals stems from the proliferation
of oxidative free radicals they cause. A free radical is an energetically
unbalanced molecule, composed of an unpaired electron, that "steals" an
electron from another molecule to restore its balance. Free radicals
result naturally when cell molecules react with oxygen (oxidation) but,
with a heavy toxic load or existing antioxidant deficiencies, uncontrolled
free-radical production occurs. Unchecked, free radicals can cause tissue
damage throughout the body; free-radical damage underlies all degenerative
diseases. Antioxidants such as vitamins A, C, and E curtail free-radical
activity.
Heavy metals can also increase the acidity of the blood. The body draws
calcium from the bones to help restore the proper blood pH. Further, toxic
metals set up conditions that lead to inflammation in arteries and
tissues, causing more calcium to be drawn to the area as a buffer. The
calcium coats the inflamed areas in the blood vessels like a bandage,
patching up one problem but creating another, namely the hardening of the
artery walls and progressive blockage of the arteries. Without
replenishment of calcium, the constant removal of this important mineral
from the bones will result in osteoporosis (loss of bone density leading
to brittle bones).
Current studies indicate that even minute levels of toxic elements have
negative health consequences, however, these vary from person to person.
Nutritional status, metabolic rate, the integrity of detoxification
pathways (ability to detoxify toxic substances), and the mode and degree
of heavy metal exposure all affect how an individual responds. Children
and the elderly, whose immune systems are either underdeveloped or
age-compromised, are more vulnerable to toxicity.
|
Common Heavy Metals: Sources and Specific Effects |
Aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, and nickel are the most
prevalent heavy metals. The specific sources of exposure, body tissues in
which the metal tends to be deposited, and health effects of each metal
are identified below.
Sources: Aluminum cookware, aluminum foil, antacids,
antiperspirants, baking powder (aluminum containing), buffered aspirin,
canned acidic foods, food additives, lipstick, medications and drugs
(anti-diarrheal agents, hemorrhoid medications, vaginal douches),
processed cheese, "softened" water, and tap water.
Target Organs: Bones, brain, kidneys and stomach.
Signs/Symptoms: Colic, dementia, esophagitis, gastroenteritis,
kidney damage, liver dysfunction, loss of appetite, loss of balance,
muscle pain, psychosis, shortness of breath, and weakness, Alzheimer's
disease, Parkinson's disease, senile and presenile dementia, clumsiness of
movements, staggering when walking, and inability to pronounce words
properly, behavioral difficulties among school children.
Discussion: Among the patients I see in my practice, the highest
aluminum exposure is most frequently due to the chronic consumption of
aluminum-containing antacid products and the use of aluminum cookware.
Research shows that aluminum builds up in the body over time; thus, the
health hazard to older people is greater.
D.R. McLaughlin, M.D., F.R.C.P. (C), professor of physiology and medicine
and director of the Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases at
the University of Toronto, states, "Concentrations of aluminum that are
toxic to many biochemical processes are found in at least ten human
neurological conditions." Recent studies suggest that aluminum contributes
to neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's
disease, senile and presenile dementia, clumsiness of movements,
staggering when walking, and inability to pronounce words properly.
Behavioral difficulties among schoolchildren have also been correlated
with elevated levels of aluminum and other neurotoxic heavy metals. 66
A disturbing pattern of aluminum accumulation and interference with normal
neurological function appears to be supported in the literature. Dyslexic
children were shown to have higher levels of aluminum in their hair
compared with controls, and other behavioral difficulties in school also
correlated with elevated levels of this element.17,18 Urine levels of
aluminum are observed to be elevated in people with a history of antacid
intake.19 The estimated half-life of aluminum found in the urine is 7.5
hours; however, the excretion kinetics vary according to the form in which
the element was present in a worker’s environment.20
There are geographical links between Alzheimer's disease and high aluminum
in drinking water. Elevated hair aluminum has been observed in Alzheimer's
patients, and some Alzheimer's patients experience stabilization of their
symptoms following treatment with the aluminum-chelating agent
desferrioxamine. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, another neurodegenerative
disease, may also be linked to aluminum content of water supplies.
Aluminum is ubiquitous, being the most prevalent heavy metal in the
Earth's crust. Sources of exposure may include drinking water (especially
from areas exposed to acid rain), aluminum cookware, and
aluminum-containing medications such as Maalox.21,22 The health and
educational ramifications of these observations are of much current
concern.
Sources: Arsenic toxicity has been recognized for centuries, and
hair shows significant correlation with intake.58 Arsenic toxicity
manifests with various symptoms including macrocytosis and neuropathy.
Data show that cereals are a major source of arsenic during infancy and
that changes in hair arsenic levels during infancy correspond to the
introduction of cereals into the diet.59
Air pollution, antibiotics given to commercial livestock, certain marine
plants, chemical processing, coal-fired power plants, defoliants, drinking
water, drying agents for cotton, fish, herbicides, insecticides, meats
(from commercially raised poultry and cattle), metal ore smelting,
pesticides, seafood (fish, mussels, oysters), specialty glass, and wood
preservatives. The labels of treated wood and insecticides may be checked
for arsenic content.
Target Organs: Most organs of the body, especially the
gastrointestinal system, lungs, and skin.
Signs/Symptoms: Abdominal pain, burning of the mouth and throat,
cancer (especially lung and skin), coma, diarrhea, nausea, neuritis,
peripheral vascular problems, skin
lesions, and vascular collapse; macrocytosis and neuropathy.
Lower levels of exposure to inorganic arsenic may cause nausea, vomiting,
and diarrhea, decreased production of red and white blood cells, abnormal
heart rhythm, blood vessel damage, a "pins and needles" sensation in hands
and feet, painful and profuse diarrhea, shock, coma, convulsions and
death, irritation, inflammation, ulceration of mucous membranes and skin,
kidney damage. Direct skin contact may cause redness and swelling.
Chronic toxic effects are fatigue, loss of energy, G.I. disturbance, nasal
septum perforation, ulceration in folds of skin, increased pigmentation of
skin, appearance of small "corns" or "warts" on the palms, soles, and
torso, exfoliative dermatitis, rashes, muscular paralyses and atrophy,
sensory disturbances, visual disturbances and blindness, degeneration of
liver (cirrhosis) and kidneys, garlic odor to breath, noncirrhotic portal
hypertension.
Discussion: The greatest dangers from chronic arsenic exposure are
lung and skin cancers and gradual poisoning, most frequently from living
near metal smelting plants or arsenic factories. Arsenic toxicity has been
recognized for centuries, and hair shows significant correlation with
intake.58
When arsenic enters the environment:
-
It doesn't evaporate.
-
Most arsenic compounds can dissolve in water.
-
It gets into air when contaminated materials are burned.
-
It settles from the air to the ground.
-
It doesn't break down, but can change from one form to another
-
Fish and shellfish build up organic arsenic in their tissues, but most
of the arsenic in fish isn't toxic.
Risk of Exposure:
-
Breathing sawdust or burning smoke from wood containing arsenic
-
Breathing workplace air
-
Ingesting contaminated water, soil, or air at waste sites
-
Ingesting contaminated water, soil, or air near areas naturally high in
arsenic
-
Inorganic arsenic is a human poison. Organic arsenic is less harmful.
-
High levels of inorganic arsenic in food or water can be fatal. A high
level is 60 parts of arsenic per million parts of food or water (60
ppm). Arsenic damages many tissues including nerves (peripheral
polyneuropathy, axonal degeneration), stomach and intestines, and skin.
Breathing high levels can give you a sore throat and irritated lungs.
All arsenicals except arsine act by inhibiting sulfhydryl enzyme systems
required for cell metabolism and the potency of action depends on the
valency of the arsenic atom. Arsine reacts with haemoglobin to form a
very strong haemolytic poison.
Sources: Air pollution, art supplies, bone meal, cigarette smoke,
food (coffee, fruits, grains, and vegetables grown in cadmium-laden soil,
meats [kidneys, liver, poultry, or refined foods), freshwater fish,
fungicides, highway dusts, incinerators, mining, nickel-cadmium batteries,
oxide dusts, paints, phosphate fertilizers, power plants, seafood (crab,
flounder, mussels, oysters, scallops), sewage sludge, "softened" water,
smelting plants, tobacco and tobacco smoke, and welding fumes.
Target Organs: Appetite and pain centers (in brain), brain, heart
and blood vessels, kidneys, and lungs.
Signs/Symptoms: Anemia, dry and scaly skin, emphysema, fatigue,
hair loss, heart disease, depressed immune system response, hypertension,
joint pain, kidney stones or damage, liver dysfunction or damage, loss of
appetite, loss of sense of smell, lung cancer, pain in the back and legs,
and yellow teeth.
Discussion: Current studies are attempting to determine if
cadmium-induced bone and kidney damage can be prevented (or made less
likely) by adequate calcium, protein (amino acids), vitamin D, and zinc in
the diet.
Cadmium is another toxic metal with a long history of detrimental effects.
Hair analysis is useful for evaluating cadmium in smoker and nonsmoker
populations of industrially non-exposed urban and rural areas.51 Smoking
itself causes significant elevation of toxic element levels in hair,
particularly cadmium, lead, and nickel.52 The urine level of cadmium is
also a good measure of body stores.53 Under most circumstances,
measurement of urine levels is a clinically useful technique. Once the
renal threshold has been exceeded, however, urine levels become less
trustworthy.54
Cadmium exposure has been associated with hypertension, and studies show
that hair levels of hypertensives are higher than controls.55 Hair cadmium
has also been shown to be significantly and inversely related to the
activity of erythrocyte Na+/K+ ATPase among a group of male smokers. This
enzymatic inhibition by cadmium was noted at levels far below toxic levels
and may provide additional insight into the link between hypertension and
cadmium exposure.56 Cadmium appears to inhibit sulfhydryl-containing
enzymes so that relatively low doses depress levels of norepinephrine,
serotonin, and acetylcholine.57
To purchase
the Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis click
 Part
2
|
