Before we dive into solutions at the bottom of the page, let’s first define heavy metals…..

Heavy metals are metallic elements that have a relatively high density compared to water. Heavy metals also include metaloids, such as arsenic, that are able to induce toxicity at low levels of exposure.

A metaloids is an element that has properties that are intermediate between those of metals and nonmetals. Metalloids can also be called semimetals (Boron, Silicon, arsenic are a few examples)

Some heavy metals are either essential nutrients Like our trace minerals that our body NEEDS….. (typically iron, zinc, selenium, and chromium for example), or relatively harmless (such as silver or gold - because they are unreactive), but they can be toxic in larger amounts or certain forms.

Chromium is a trace mineral that our body needs. Have you ever seen the movie Erin Brockovich.  It talks about Hexavalent Chromium. Chromium is needed, but the form hexavalent is very harmful to the human body.

Other heavy metals, such as the big four heavy hitters…..arsenic, cad-mi-um, mercury, and lead, are highly poisonous and can be harmful to our health. Exposure to these metals is very detrimental to human health and can have serious, lifelong consequences.

Where do they come from?

Well…..everywhere!

The biggest was we consume heavy metals is from our water source. We not only drink water, we shower, takes baths & brush our teeth. When we take a hot shower, we breath in the steam so all those heavy metals enter our lungs. When we bath, soak our bodies are soaking them all up through our skin.

Check out EWG.org/tapwater and enter your zip code. It brings up your municipal water and the toxins that have been tested to be in the water. It is quite shocking. Regulations allow for all sorts of pollutants in our tap water. The EWG does their own analysis based on what harmful to the body. Distilled water is the best way to ensure you are not consuming these heavy metals and you can get a shower filter to help minimize your exposure.

They are also found in makeup products. Lipstick is a big concern because it is on the mouth and we can directly consume it by licking our lips. Pots & pans; most are made from aluminum or Teflon. From our foods, especially fish. Even wild caught fish should be test because of the water they live in. Our teeth & bones; If you have had dental work done or any bone replacement, you may have metal parts or amalgam fillings which leach metals into the body.

Where do heavy metals like to hang out in the body?

Again…everywhere!

Each person will have a different location for the heavy metals to settle into. Some of their favorite places are the blood, liver, lung, brain, kidney and heart. Having excess heavy metals in the body can damage these vital organs, cause behavioral changes and have difficulties with thinking and memory.

The brain is slow to excrete toxins. Because of this, it is typically the most affected organ damaged by heavy metal toxicity. For example, cooking with aluminum pans & aluminum foil allows the accumulation of aluminum in the brain. Alzheimer’s has been linked to high aluminum exposure.

Heavy metals affect everyone differently. See the list of symptoms (to the right) that are attributed to heavy metal toxicity…..and it isn’t even all of them.