Toxic minerals or heavy metals are minerals that: "have no known function in the body, and in fact are harmful. Today mankind is exposed to the highest levels of these minerals in recorded history"(Wilson, 2008).

Introduction to Minerals

Minerals are essential for life as they are foundational nutrients. On a gross level, they are required for body structure, fluid balance, hydration, pH balance, protein structures and hormone production. On a macro level, they act as co-factors, catalysts and inhibitors of all enzyme systems within the body. Minerals are required daily for the health of all systems and functions of the body. For example Calcium) and Magnesium are two of the most alkaline minerals and therefore are essential for maintaining a healthy pH balance.
There are three general groups of minerals:

• Macro minerals (large amounts needed daily); Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg), Sodium (Na), Potassium (K), Phosphorus (P), Sulphur (S), Iron (Fe), Copper (Cu) and Zinc (Zn).
• Trace minerals (small amounts required); Manganese (Mn), Chromium (Cr), Selenium (Se), Boron (B), Bromine (Br), Silicon (Si), Iodine (I), Vanadium (V), Lithium (Li), Molybdenum (Mo), Cobalt (Co), Germanium (Ge), Fluorine (Fl), Arsenic (As), Rubidium (Rb), Tin (Sn), Niobium (Nb), Strontium (Sn), Gold (Au), Silver (Ag) and Nickel (Ni).
• Toxic minerals Aluminium (Al), Antimony (Sb), Arsenic (As), Barium (Ba), Beryllium (Be), Bismuth (Bi), Cadmium (Cd), Lead (Pb), Mercury (Hg) and Uranium (U). These categories overlap slightly because, some of the toxic minerals maybe needed in minuscule amounts. Also, note that minerals needed in lesser quantities are usually toxic in greater amounts. Examples are; Copper, iron, Manganese, selenium and vanadium.

Health Consequences of Toxic Minerals

Toxic minerals replace essential minerals within the body (enzyme binding sites). When this occurs, the minerals inhibit, over stimulate or alter thousands of metabolic functions (enzyme processes) within the body. This may contribute too many health conditions. Toxic minerals can replace other substances within tissue structures such as the arteries, joints, bones and muscles, resulting in weakened tissues. Toxic minerals also deposit into many sites, causing local irritation and other toxic effects. They may also support development of fungal, bacterial and viral infections that are difficult or impossible to eradicate until the toxic minerals are removed.

The body has an order of preference for minerals. For example, the body prefers Zinc for over 50 critical enzymes. However, if Zinc becomes deficient (which is very common) or exposure to Cadmium, Lead or Mercury is sufficiently high, the body will use these toxic minerals in place of Zinc. Cadmium, in particular, is located just below Zinc in the periodic table of the elements, so its atomic structure is very similar to that of Zinc. It almost fits perfectly in the Zinc binding sites of critical enzymes.

Food Deficient in Minerals Contributes to Toxic Mineral Absorption

An abundance of essential minerals such as; Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc and Selenium protect against toxic mineral absorption. Essential and toxic minerals compete for absorption and utilisation in enzymes binding sights and receptor binding sights. However, today's food is low in essential minerals, and therefore the body absorbs and makes use of more toxic minerals. Reasons for today's food being low in essential minerals;

• Crops are bred for production or disease resistance, rather than nutrition.
• Superphosphate fertilizers produce higher yields by stimulating growth, but do not provide the trace elements required.
• Monoculture, the growing of just one crop over and over on the same piece of land, depletes the soil.
• Toxic sprays damage soil microorganisms needed to help plants absorb minerals from the soil.
• Food refining and processing almost always reduce the mineral content of food. E.g. Whole wheat flour, when milled to make white flour, loses 40% of its Chromium, 86% of its Manganese, 89% of its cobalt, 78% of its Zinc and 48% of its molybdenum.

Sources of Toxic Minerals

Food Sources:

• Food grown near highways or downwind of industrial plants may contain toxic minerals.
• Home gardens maybe contaminated if, for example, old house paint containing Lead leaches Lead into the soil.
• Sprays and insecticides still often contain Lead, Arsenic, Mercury and other toxic minerals.
• Pesticides used on fruits, vegetables and many other foods may contain Arsenic, Lead, Copper, Mercury and other toxic minerals.
• Refining of food often contaminates the food with Aluminium. Food refining removes the protective Zinc, Chromium and Manganese from food and can leave the toxic minerals in, such as Cadmium.
• Fish, especially those caught near the coast or in contaminated streams or lakes, are universally contaminated. Mercury is found in all fish today, even the small fish, which used to be safe, are not any more. However large fish concentrate Mercury a million times or more than small fish. Everyone should avoid all tuna, shark, king mackerel and other large fish.
• Shellfish and bottom feeders in particular contain excessive Cadmium, Mercury and other toxic minerals. Toxic minerals are often why many people are "allergic" to shellfish.
• Table salt has Aluminium added as an anti-caking agent. Beverages in Aluminium cans or food cooked in Aluminium may contain elevated levels of Aluminium. Ceramic plates and cookware often contain Leaded glazes that come off onto the food.
• Drinking Water is the most important source of toxic minerals for most people. Aluminium, Copper, toxic Chlorides and Fluorides are added to public water supplies. Aluminium allows dirt to settle out of the water, while Copper kills algae that grows in reservoirs. Chlorine is used to disinfect water, although ozone works very well and is a far more healthful treatment. Wells and even private water may also contain some Lead, Arsenic and other undesirable minerals. Galvanized and black plastic pipes can be a source of Cadmium. Lead-soldered pipes and Copper pipes may increase these minerals in the drinking water if the water is soft.Note: carbon and carbon block filters do not remove most toxic minerals from water. Only distillation and reverse osmosis remove most toxic minerals. Good quality spring water is probably best way to avoid the most common source of toxic minerals and at the same time obtain vital minerals.

Other Sources of Toxic Minerals:

• Cigarette smoke is high in Cadmium, and Arsenic.
• Medications often contain toxic minerals. Cipro (fluoquinolones) and Prozac (fluoxetine) are Fluoride-containing chemicals. Thimerisol, a Mercury-containing preservative, is used in some vaccines, including all flu shots. Independent evaluation of a large study that is part of the Centres For Disease Control Vaccine Safety Datalink concluded that: "children are 27 times as likely to develop autism after exposure to three thimerisol-containing vaccines than those who receive thimerisol-free versions". Thiazide diuretics contain Mercury. Antacids are very high in Aluminium.

Direct Skin Contact:

• Almost all antiperspirants, many cosmetics contain Aluminium and most make up contains toxic minerals such as Lead, and Cadmium. Some hair dyes contain Lead.
• Dental amalgams contain Mercury, Nickel, Silver and other toxic minerals. Dental bridges and other appliances often contain Nickel.
• Prostheses and pins used to hold bones together may contain Nickel and other toxic minerals.
• Copper intra-uterine devices, if left in place for years, release a tremendous amount of Copper into the body.
• Household lawn and garden chemicals may contain Lead, Arsenic and other toxic minerals.
• Mercury treated seeds and Arsenic-treated wood are other common sources of toxic minerals.

Congenital Toxic Minerals:
Today, all children are born with some toxic minerals acquired in utero. All the toxic minerals pass through the placenta from mother to child. This is seen clearly when reviewing mineral analyses of infants that haven't been exposed to food.

Occupational Exposure:
Among the most common are plumbers, electricians, auto mechanics, printers, ironworkers, office workers, other building trades and many other occupations. Workers need to wear gloves, masks and take other precautions when handling inks, minerals and other toxic materials.

Symptoms Associated with Toxic Minerals
Toxic minerals can contribute to any imaginable illness. For example:

• Lead that replaces calcium in the bones can contribute to weakened bones and osteoporosis.
• Cadmium that replaces Zinc in the arteries causes inflammation and hardening of the arteries.
• Iron that replaces Zinc and other minerals in the pancreas, adrenals and elsewhere can contribute to impaired blood sugar tolerance and diabetes.
• Copper that replaces Zinc in the brain is associated with migraine headaches, premenstrual syndrome, depression, anxiety, panic attacks and much more.
• Mercury and Copper that replace selenium in various tissues impairs the conversion of T4 to T3, contributing to thyroid imbalances.

Toxic Minerals and Aging: The replacement of vital minerals with toxic minerals is an important and neglected cause of aging due to deactivation of enzyme systems and the loss of organ and tissue integrity. As one's energy production decreases with age, the body is less able to eliminate toxic minerals, causing more mineral accumulation.

Detecting Toxic Minerals in the Body
Toxic minerals are not easy to detect. They lodge deep within tissues and organs. The most common methods of detection include hair, urine and faeces tests.

• Blood tests, are only helpful for an acute exposure, such as eating a food contaminated with Lead and doing a test soon after. The problem is that toxic minerals are removed quickly from the blood and stored in the tissues where they do less damage. So blood tests must be done soon after an exposure, usually within days or weeks at the most, or it will not give accurate results.
• Urine and faeces challenge tests, are done by first administering a drug that removes or chelates toxic minerals such as EDTA, DMPS or another drug. Then one collects a 24-hour urine or a faeces sample to see what comes out of the body. This test is good, but certainly does not detect all toxic minerals. No chelator will remove anywhere near all the minerals. Most chelating agents only circulate in the blood, so they miss many toxic minerals that are hidden in the tissues and organs.
• Hair testing, can reveal toxic minerals, trace minerals and macro minerals that are deposited in the skin and hair at the time the hair grows. Some of the minerals tend to accumulate in the hair, while others do not as much, such as Copper therefore experienced interpretation is required.

Solutions to Toxic Mineral Overload
Synthetic chelating agents:

• Penicillamine and BAL (british anti-lewisite) for Copper
• Deferoxamine for iron and Aluminium.
• EDTA (ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid) is a synthetic amino acid that binds to many toxic minerals, but mainly Lead and calcium and some Cadmium.
• DMPS (sodium salt of 2,3-dimercapto-1-propane sulfonic acid) and DMSA (meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid) are synthetic agents used for Mercury toxicity.

We do not recommend any of the above synthetic agents, here are the reasons why:

• These drugs tend to remove good minerals with the toxic ones in erratic ways that cannot be predicted. For this reason, they easily upset the mineral balance and the vital minerals cannot necessarily be replaced with simple supplements.
• They are so powerful they dislodge minerals from storage sites where the toxic mineral is not doing much damage. However, if the eliminative organs are not working well, they often redeposit to some degree in the body, often in sites that are more critical such as the brain or liver.
• Drugs cannot be regulated as the natural methods can be. This also upsets the mineral balance, in spite of the doctor's efforts to replace the vital minerals.
• They tend to be slightly toxic for the kidneys.
• Most important, we get better results with our methods and can definitely remove more minerals using our methods than we have observed using either IV, oral use or suppositories of the synthetic chelators. Our methods may be slower in some cases, but are most effective, less costly and safer as well. We are happy to teach any physician how to use our methods.

Conclusion

Toxic minerals are one of the most important causes of ill health today. Toxic mineral exposure is higher today than ever before in modern history, thanks to an industrialized world. This will not change anytime soon, so the problem with toxic minerals will be with us for many years.

Reducing our exposure is the simplest and most cost-effective way to prevent toxic mineral problems.

Young men and especially young women can do much to help the next generation and themselves to avoid toxic minerals by improving their health before having children.

One can greatly enhance the elimination toxic minerals by resting a lot more, reducing exposure, increasing vital minerals in the diet and avoiding mineral-deficient food. Assisting the eliminative organs, improving digestion and increasing vitality or adaptive energy are also excellent methods to enhance the body's ability to remove toxic minerals.

In addition, we use targeted supplements to balance the body chemistry and to enhance elimination. Supplements can act as natural chelating agents that remove the mineral and antagonists. These compete with toxic minerals for absorption and utilization in the body.
The use of inexpensive, near or far infrared saunas and daily coffee enemas are other excellent ways to enhance toxic mineral elimination.

Common Sources of Toxic minerals

• Aluminium - cookware, beverages in Aluminium cans, tap water, table salt, baking powders, antacids, processed cheese, anti-perspirants, bleached flour, antacids, vaccines and other medications and occupational exposure.
• Arsenic - pesticides, beer, table salt, tap water, paints, pigments, cosmetics, glass and mirror manufacture, fungicides, insecticides, treated wood and contaminated food.
• Beryllium - air pollution (burning fossil fuels), manufacture of plastics, electronics, steel alloys and volcanic ash.
• Cadmium - cigarettes, (tobacco and marijuana), processed and refined foods, large fish, shellfish, tap water, auto exhaust, plated containers, galvanized pipes, air pollution from incineration and occupational exposure.
• Copper - Copper water pipes, Copper added to tap water, pesticides, swimming in pools, intra-uterine devices, vegetarian diets, dental amalgams, nutritional supplements - especially prenatal vitamins, birth control pills, weak adrenal glands and occupational exposure.
• Lead - tap water, cigarette smoke, hair dyes, paints, inks, glazes, pesticide residues and occupational exposure in battery manufacture and other industries.
• Mercury - dental amalgams, large fish, shellfish, medications, air pollution, manufacture of paper, chlorine, adhesives, fabric softeners and waxes.
• Nickel - hydrogenated oils (margarine, commercial peanut butter and shortening), shellfish, air pollution, cigarette smoke, plating and occupational exposure.

Common Symptoms of Toxic Minerals

• Aluminium Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, anemia and other blood disorders, colic, fatigue, dental caries, dementia dialactica, hypoparathyroidism, kidney and liver dysfunctions, neuromuscular disorders, osteomalacia and Parkinson's disease.
• Arsenic - abdominal pain, abnormal ECG, anorexia, dermatitis, diarrhoea, oedema, enzyme inhibitor, fever, fluid loss, goiter, hair loss, headache, herpes, impaired healing, interferes with the uptake of folic acid, inhibition of sulfhydryl enzyme systems, jaundice, keratosis, kidney and liver damage, muscle spasms, pallor, peripheral neuritis, sore throat, stomatitis, stupor, vasodilatation, vertigo, vitiligo and weakness.
• Beryllium - adrenal insufficiency, arthritis, bone spurs, bursitis, depression, fatigue, osteoporosis and symptoms of slow metabolism.
• Cadmium - hypertension, arthritis, diabetes, anemia, arteriosclerosis, impaired bone healing, cancer, cardiovascular disease, cirrhosis, reduced fertility, hyperlipidemia, hypoglycemia, headaches, osteoporosis, kidney disease, schizophrenia and strokes.
• Copper - acne, adrenal hyperactivity and insufficiency, agoraphobia, allergies, hair loss, anemia, anxiety, arthritis, autism, cancer, chronic Candida albicans infection, depression, elevated cholesterol, cystic fibrosis, depression, diabetes, dyslexia, elevated oestrogen, failure to thrive, fatigue, fears, fractures of the bones, headaches, heart attacks, hyperactivity, hypertension, hypothyroidism, infections, inflammation, insomnia, iron storage diseases, kidney and liver dysfunctions, decreased libido, multiple sclerosis, nervousness, osteoporosis, panic attacks, premenstrual syndrome, schizophrenia, strokes, tooth decay and vitamin C and other vitamin deficiencies.
• Lead - abdominal pain, adrenal insufficiency, anaemia, arthritis, arteriosclerosis, attention deficit, back problems, blindness, cancer, constipation, convulsions, deafness, depression, diabetes, dyslexia, epilepsy, fatigue, gout, impaired glycogen storage, hallucinations, hyperactivity, impotency, infertility, inflammation, kidney dysfunction, learning disabilities, diminished libido, migraine headaches, multiple sclerosis, psychosis, thyroid imbalances and tooth decay.
• Mercury - adrenal gland dysfunction, alopecia, anorexia, ataxia, bipolar disorder, birth defects, blushing, depression, dermatitis, discouragement, dizziness, fatigue, headaches, hearing loss, hyperactivity, immune system dysfunction, insomnia, kidney damage, loss of self-control, memory loss, mood swings, nervousness, numbness and tingling, pain in limbs, rashes, excessive salivation, schizophrenia, thyroid dysfunction, timidity, tremors, peripheral vision loss and muscle weakness.
• Nickel - cancer (oral and intestinal), depression, heart attacks, haemorrhages, kidney dysfunction, low blood pressure, malaise, muscle tremors and paralysis, nausea, skin problems, and vomiting.

The information in this article was sourced from Lawrence Wilson, MD, July 2008

For further information about natural heavy metal removal, please read more about the HMD - Heavy Metal Detox product, available on this website.