While modernity has revolutionized healthcare technologies and treatments, it has also made us more vulnerable to chronic health problems than ever before. You might be taking the healthiest organic diet or daily supplements, using the best skincare products, hitting the gym at regular intervals, or practicing mindfulness and meditation with all your bandwidth. Yet you find yourself fighting anxiety, stress, fatigue, migraine headaches, mood dysregulation, inflammation, brain fog, joint pain, depression, insomnia, and many other symptoms of chronic diseases that define the reality of modern life.
The problem might not be visible to the naked eye. From the ground you walk on to the air you breathe to the food you consume, millions of toxins and pollutants always surround you. Such toxins and pollutants hide not only in water reservoirs, air, and other components of the natural environment but also in your home, workplace, or the products you use daily, such as scented candles, air fresheners, and fabric softeners. While your body can effectively fight the daily onslaught of most pollutants, a particular class of toxins seems to persist and cause significant health problems. These are known as heavy metals.
While tolerating small amounts of heavy metals such as iron and zinc is essential to the healthy functioning of the human body, having them in large quantities can affect blood composition and energy levels, causing a myriad of chronic symptoms and, in worst cases, acute poisoning, organ failure, degenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's and even cancer. According to a 2019 research study, heavy metals including arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, nickel, zinc, mercury, aluminum, and iron can enter our bodies through food and environmental factors as well as due to the prevalence of agricultural, industrial, and sewage waste. This has made heavy metal poisoning a serious albeit common health issue in today's modern era.
We at Integrative Therapeutics facilitate the detoxification of heavy metals from your body using a unique blend of modern medicine and ancient, time-tested techniques. We work at giving you a healthier, longer, and symptom-free life.
What is Heavy Metal Detoxification?
Heavy Metal Detoxification is the process of removal and elimination of the excess of heavy metals and other metallic toxic substances from the body. Conventionally, to treat cases of heavy metal poisoning, doctors employ artificial techniques such as dialysis and chelation therapy. A chelator is a substance that acts as a metal-binding protein and plays a crucial role in the cellular response, transport, excretion, and detoxification of heavy metals from the human body.
While most medical professionals use specific chelator medications and certain drugs such as penicillamine and dimercaprol to treat cases of acute poisoning, clinical research also validates and suggests certain foods and natural remedies to reduce the absorption of toxins in our body and facilitate heavy metal detoxification. Infrared sauna sessions and massage therapy also help remove unwanted metals from the body.
Supplements that facilitate detoxification of heavy metals
As an effective alternative to Chelation therapy, certain supplements are approved by medical research to remove toxins from the body. These are:
- Selenium
- Glutathione
- Alpha-lipoic acid
- Sulfur-containing amino acids like methionine and taurine
- Modified citrus pectin
Food and Lifestyle Changes for Detoxification of Heavy Metals
Foods that are proven to be the most effective dietary additions for heavy metal detoxification are:
- Spirulina
- Barley grass juice extract powder
- Cilantro
- Atlantic Dulse
- Wild blueberries
- Lemon water
- Dietary Fat
- Dietary fiber
- Aloe vera leaf juice
- Food containing sulfur (such as broccoli and garlic)
- Chlorella
Are Heavy Metal Detoxes Effective?
With the unprecedented rise in industrialization and the subsequent increased production of chemical waste, we are more susceptible to infections and chronic diseases induced by pollutants and heavy metals than ever before in today's modern era. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved prescription chelation therapy as an effective way to treat heavy-metal poisoning. During chelation therapy, EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid), a synthetic solution, is injected into the veins to remove excess amounts of heavy metals such as lead, mercury, copper, iron, arsenic, calcium, and aluminum from the body. Some medical research also suggests chelation therapy as an effective option to prevent cardiovascular, kidney, and neurological conditions. Health professionals have used it to treat atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, autism, Alzheimer's, and cardiovascular diseases.
While chelation therapy is the solution to acute cases of metal poisoning, incorporating specific dietary and lifestyle changes is essential to eliminate stress, anxiety, and other common-place chronic symptoms before they develop into life-threatening health hazards. For more minor cases, detox diets, therapy, and exercises can significantly help in reducing the impact of toxins on your body. Some effective techniques and tips that help in the detoxification of heavy metals include:
- Large fishes, such as swordfish and tuna that live for a long time tend to absorb higher levels of mercury from the water. Limiting your fish intake can help you prevent mercury poisoning and other health-related adversities.
- Be mindful of old structures and buildings with chipped walls coated in lead-based paint
- Cut out artificial sweeteners, sugars, and processed foods from your diet and try including as much organic and pesticide-free food as possible
- Include fruits and vegetables in your daily diet to get the right amount of essential vitamins and minerals. Including certain herbs and spices with high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties can also lead to effective natural heavy metal detoxification. These include milk thistle, cloves, garlic, and turmeric.
- Pairing your detoxifying diet with yoga and other physical exercises helps in eliminating toxins from your body in the best way possible
Are Heavy Metal Detoxes Safe?
Health professionals recommend chelation therapy only for extreme cases of heavy metal poisoning. As retaining a certain quantity of metals is essential for the healthy functioning of the human body, chelation therapy should not be used to treat people with an average amount of heavy metals in the body. EDTA can also potentially remove vital minerals from the body during the chelation process while removing toxic metals. Research shows that chelation therapy can cause low calcium levels in the blood, affecting the blood supply and cardiac rhythm. It has also led to cardiac arrest and tissue death in some cases. It can thus be especially harmful to children, pregnant women, and people vulnerable to heart or kidney failure.
Side Effects
Some common side effects of chelation therapy are:
- Reduction in calcium levels
- A drop in blood pressure
- Headaches
- Permanent kidney damage
- Fever
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Irregular heartbeat
- Liver damage
- Hypersensitivity
- Anemia
- Allergic reactions
- Seizures
- Respiratory failure
Common Heavy Metals
Some common toxic heavy metals that can cause severe health complications if present in excessive quantities are:
Mercury (Hg)
Mercury poisoning can cause the most severe harm out of toxic heavy metals. Research shows that mercury toxicity can lead to various health disorders and chronic symptoms such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, OCD, autism, epilepsy, bipolar and neurologic disorders, among many others. Mercury compounds are used in various industrial processes such as gold extraction and mining. Moreover, mercury is also present in some skin-lightening creams and beauty soaps.
Lead (Pb) Lead is a highly toxic pollutant that can adversely affect the human body's cognitive, neurological, and biological functions. It is mainly absorbed from the respiratory and digestive systems and the skin. Exposure to lead can induce inflammation, thus disturbing the balance of the oxidant-antioxidant system in the body. Severe cases of lead poisoning can lead to anemia, atherosclerosis, and cardiovascular mortality. Automobile workers are particularly vulnerable to lead toxicity.
Chromium (Cr) Chromium is a toxic heavy metal product by various industries (metallurgical, refractory, and chemical) in large quantities daily. From neurological to GI to renal diseases to the development of several cancers, including thyroid, bone, lungs, larynx, bladder, kidneys, and testicles, Chromium toxicity can cause severe health problems through bioaccumulation in the body.
Cadmium (Cd) Cadmium has varied applications in alloy, battery, and glass production. Exposure to this heavy metal can cause renal dysfunction and a deficit in lung function. It also plays a central role in cardiovascular diseases such as artery disease and coronary heart disease caused by smoking.
Arsenic (As) Arsenic is one of the most toxic heavy metals contaminating food and water. It is used as a metalloid substance and medicinal product, among many other applications. It can cause acute and severe dysfunctions of vital enzymes. In the worst cases, it can lead to vasodilation and circulatory collapse.
Heavy Metal Detoxification Symptoms In today's industrial era, as we are more exposed to heavy metals than ever before, the chances are that these pollutants might be the prominent cause behind all your mystery illnesses. If you find yourself dealing with the following symptoms, you need to check your body's heavy metal levels. The most common heavy metal detoxification symptoms are:
- Diarrhea
- Abdominal Pain
- Vomiting
- Shortness of breath
- Nausea
- Anxiety
- Tremors
- Weakness
- Sluggishness
- Tingling in your hands and feet
- Infertility
- Kidney and bone damage
- Mental health issues
Heavy Metal Detoxification Test
Suppose you have been suffering from any of the symptoms above for a prolonged period. In that case, you must consult your doctor to check for heavy metal poisoning and other related health hazards. Your doctor might conduct different tests to check for different types of heavy metals. While a simple blood test can be used to detect signs of heavy metals in the body, in some cases, a urine test or an X-ray might also be employed. Your doctor will also ask you about your diet, physical activity level, job, hobbies, history of illness, previous medical records, and anything else that could have made you exposed to dangerous substances. Some common heavy metal detoxification tests include:
- Simple blood test (known as heavy metals panel)
- CBC (complete blood count)
- Urine analysis for proteins
- Liver function tests
- Kidney function tests
- Imaging tests such as abdominal radiographs
- Electrocardiogram
How Can We Help You?
Dr. Prudhvi Karumanchi, at Integrative Therapeutics, is your go-to highly qualified doctor specializing in cases that other physicians and modalities have been unable to resolve. Integrative Therapeutics offers a holistic approach to your healthcare and wellbeing. Using a unique blend of modern medicine and ancient, time-tested techniques, Dr. K. will help you remove the toxins from your body more naturally and safely, allowing you to avoid the many side effects of artificial and chemical detox therapies. Schedule your complimentary consultation now to get rid of chronic symptoms and ailments and live a longer and healthier life. While you can't change the rising level of industrialization and the subsequent danger of increased production of pollutants and health hazards, you can certainly make your body more equipped and immune to fight all potential mystery illnesses in today's modern era by opting for our holistic approach to healthcare. Integrative Therapeutics is revolutionizing healthcare by providing easy, accessible, and effective heavy metal detoxification with guaranteed results and no side effects.
