Heavy metals are elements that are naturally found in the earth. Your body even naturally contains some like zinc, iron, and copper, for example, which are necessary for regular body function, as long as they aren’t present in toxic amounts.
Heavy metal poisoning occurs when your body’s soft tissues absorb too much of a particular metal.
Common metals – that the human body can absorb in toxic amounts are:
- mercury
- lead
- cadmium
- arsenic
- copper
- zinc
- aluminum
Common symptoms – across several types of heavy metal poisoning includes:
- Abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea (the hallmark symptoms with most cases of acute metal ingestion)
- Dehydration
- Difficulty breathing
- Headaches and fever
- Heart abnormalities such as cardiomyopathy or abnormal heart beat (dysrhythmia)
- Nervous system symptoms (e.g. numbness, tingling of hands and feet, and weakness)
- Insomnia
- fatigue
- Anemia (a classic symptom of chronic metal exposure)
- Kidney damage
- Liver damage
- Lung irritation, or fluid accumulation (edema)
- Brain dysfunction such as memory loss
- Horizontal lines on the nails
- Changes in behaviour
- Malformed bones in children, or weakened bones
- Miscarriage or premature labor in pregnant women
Possible Exposures
You might be exposed to high concentrations of these metals from food, air or water pollution, as well as medicine, food containers with improper coating, industrial exposure, or lead-based paint.
- working near a hazardous waste site
- living in an area that has high levels in rocks, water, and soil
- ingesting insecticides, pesticides, or herbicides
- eating contaminated seafood or algae
- drinking contaminated water
- working in an industrial setting, especially one where ore is processed or smelted
- welding on alloys that contain cadmium or using silver solders
- inhaling cigarette smoke
- living in a home with high levels of lead-based paint
- doing industrial construction work, radiator repair, or smelter operations
- being in firing ranges
- using kohl cosmetics
- applying progressive hair dyes
- mining, producing, or transporting mercury
- mining and refining gold and silver ores
- manufacturing mirrors, X-ray machines, incandescent lights, or vacuum pumps
- Aluminum and Thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative, is used in all vaccines since 1997 (including the yearly influenza flu vaccines).
Heavy metal detox foods to eat include:
- cilantro
- garlic
- wild blueberries
- lemon water
- spirulina
- chlorella
- barley grass juice powder
- Atlantic dulse
- curry
- green tea
- tomatoes
- probiotics
- Vitamin B, B-6, and C (These vitamins deficiencies are associated with poor tolerance of heavy metals and easier toxicity)
Foods to avoid:
- processed foods (hide heavy metals in Natural Flavours) and excess fats
- rice (brown rice, specifically) because it often contains arsenic
- some fish, such as larger and long-living fish, as they tend to contain more mercury
- alcohol
- nonorganic foods
References: healthline.com, immunizebc.ca, cdc.gov, Comic Agency, Gigi Young, Channeling Eric