There are many stories about heavy metals which remain untold. Healthshifter is particularly interested in mercury and lead as we recently tested positive for both metals via blood and urine tests. Our environment is loaded with chemicals that our bodies were not designed to process. We have begun to understand the impact of chronic toxicity on our health and resulting symptoms such as fatigue, sleep, skin, autoimmune issues, diabetes, hypertension, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and autism. Dr. Mark Hyman and Dr. Elizabeth Boham discuss the fact that conventional medicine rarely examines our toxic load in relation to these conditions. They do, however, discuss the Functional Medicine approach to a patient’s toxic load and supporting the body to detoxify and reduce high levels of heavy metals. Here are some pearls from their discussion:
- Our toxic load can damage our health by wearing down our detox system, depressing our immune system, triggering autoimmune disease and causing hypertension.
- Functional Medicine doctors will look at heavy metals in patients who don’t seem to be getting better and in those with chronic digestive issues or neuroinflammatory conditions such as Parkinson’s.
- They compare blood, hair and urine to see how a body mobilizes the metals–Blood will show a recent exposure to heavy metals and a provoked heavy metal urine test shows stores of the heavy metals. For example, our bodies can hold onto lead in our bones.
- Functional doctors believe mercury and lead levels should be 0-Our bodies should not have any heavy metals.
- Blood levels greater than 2(approximately 39% of population has) have a correlation with strokes and heart attacks- more than cholesterol does.
- Functional medicine doctors will look at oxidative stress markers (SNPS) to see how a patient detoxifies heavy metals and other environmental toxins.
- A pregnant mother can transfer lead to her fetus.
- We should optimize our detox system through foods. For example, high fiber foods (think veggies) help eliminate lead.
- We need the right amino acids, minerals, and phytochemicals to help our bodies detoxify. For instance, increasing animal protein(sulfur) helps us to get rid of metals.
- Low iron levels allow lead to be absorbed.
- Many patients need to undergo a chelation protocol using medicine to detoxify heavy metals. For those who do, it is important to support the detox system nutritionally before, during and after chelation-i.e., Vitamin C, Glutathione, binders etc.
- A September 2020 FDA study of mercury amalgams suggests the following high-risk groups avoid these types of dental fillings: pregnant and nursing women, children under 6, patients with Multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s issues.
Healthshifter wants to know…Do you know what is in your body?
To learn more about heavy metals and the functional medicine approach to them, click the link below.
Leave a Reply