Things in our daily lives that expose us to TOXIC HEAVY METALS

Heavy metal is a serious threat to the health of your body and brain. I’m not referring to Ozzy Osbourne or Metallica here, although too much head-banging has probably damaged more than a few brain cells.  I’m referring to the metals found in food, water, air and many commercially-available products. Products you or your family or pets may interact with every day.

1) 
Where Does Heavy Metal Exposure Come From?

Air  

As a result of industrial activities, especially the burning of fossil fuels and metal production, cadmium, lead, and mercury have become common air pollutants. Inhalation of the toxic vapours opens the door to the neurotoxic and carcinogenic effects that can develop with long-term exposure, making individuals working in or living close to fuel or metal production plants more susceptible to increased exposure. The metals dispersed in the air can also contaminate waterways and soil as the vapours fall to the ground.

2) Water  

It’s no surprise that with all the industrial activity, our drinking water has become contaminated with the waste and by-products of civilization, and that includes heavy metals like cadmium, arsenic, chromium 6, lead, copper, and mercury. And don’t count on your local water district to remove these contaminants before it comes out of your tap. The contamination can be introduced after the water leaves the treatment plant. Cadmium can come from corrosion of galvanized pipes, as can lead from old plumbing systems. Drinking and bathing in the contaminated slurry can contribute to kidney and liver damage, intestinal problems, delayed physical and mental development in children, and cancer.

3) Vaccines 

The topic of vaccines remains a hot issue among those strongly for them and those strongly against them. If you’re OK with vaccinating yourself or your children, be aware of what’s in the concoction. Sometimes they contain heavy metals. Mercury is used as a preservative called thimerosal, which is nearly 50% mercury! You might also find aluminium used to boost the immune response to the vaccine. Did you know there can also be some other weird ingredients in vaccines like chick embryo cells, monkey kidney tissue, and mouse serum protein?

4) Amalgam Dental Fillings 

If you have silver dental fillings, which is the standard, you’re being exposed to mercury every day they’re in your mouth! That’s like sucking on a mercury popsicle that never melts, increasing your risk of Candida overgrowth, ALS, Alzheimer’s, and cancer. The American Dental Association claims amalgam is completely safe even though mercury makes up half of their composition. Amalgam fillings tend to be the greatest source of mercury exposure in adults who have them.

5) Fluorescent Lightbulbs 

If you’re using compact fluorescent light bulbs at home, be wary of about 5 milligrams of mercury inside each bulb. Mercury gives them the cool burning property that makes them more efficient, but that’s also why you can’t just put a broken or spent one in the garbage. Mercury is an environmental toxin and aneurotoxin in humans. Apply caution when changing and disposing of CFLs, particularly if the bulb is broken because you can be exposed via direct skin contact and mercury vapour.

6) Antiperspirants 

It’s simple biology at work. The natural release of sweat from your armpits combined with the bacteria on the skin equals body odour. To prevent that, antiperspirants use agents that clog the pores of the skin to prevent sweating. And one commonly used ingredient to stop the sweating is aluminium. But the skin is like a sponge and absorbs whatever’s on it, including metals from your skincare products. Aluminium has been linked to liver disorders and degenerative brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s, ALS, and Parkinson’s.

7) Cigarette Smoke 

For us non-smokers, the horrid smell alone is enough to keep us away. We certainly don’t deserve being ambushed by the heavy metal cocktail that can include vaporized aluminium, arsenic, cadmium, mercury, and lead. If you’re a smoker, you’re breathing in significantly more of the metals than non-smokers in your presence. When inhaled through smoking, heavy metals have a long biological half-life, giving the toxins ample time to accumulate in bones and organs where they can have harmful effects.

8) Fish 

This in no secret. It’s been known for years that fish swimming in contaminated water accumulates toxins in their bodies. Mercury from the burning of fossil fuels finds its way to the ocean where bacteria in the water convert it to a more toxic form, methylmercury. Plankton eats the bacteria, small fish eat the plankton, big fish eat the small fish, and humans eat the big fish. And it’s not just mercury you need to worry about. Cadmium and lead are problematic too depending on where the fish was caught. Warnings about excessive fish consumption shouldn’t pertain only to pregnant women and young children. You can’t simply cook out the heavy metals!

9) Agricultural Chemicals  

Another reason to eat organic! Man-made pesticides can contain arsenic, lead, and mercury among other human and environmental poisons. Some inorganic fertilizers are no better, as liming materials can contain elevated levels of arsenic, cadmium, and lead. And what goes in the soil can be absorbed by the food grown in it. Remember, heavy metals can’t be cooked out during the food prep stage.

10) Medications 

The use of metals in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals is commonplace. While some metals are harmless, there’s still a presence of mercury being used in the preparation of some medicines. Manufacturers won’t be bold and put mercury in the list of ingredients, so look out for any of the following: thimerosal (TM) , phenylmercuric acetate (PMA), phenylmercuric nitrate (PMN), mercuric acetate (MA), mercuric nitrate (MN), merbromin (MB), or mercuric oxide yellow (MOY). Mercury can be hiding in ointments, contact lens solutions, and nasal sprays.

Don’t panic—power is knowledge. Use this list of toxins, and the surprising places they might be lurking, to inform your buying decisions.

Aluminium

Although not technically a heavy metal, aluminium is a metal that can pose a serious threat to health, particularly with excessive exposure. It has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Aluminium is found in:

-Baby formula

-Baked goods and processed foods

-Deodorants

-Over-the-counter and prescription antacids

-Other pharmaceutical drugs as a binding agent

-Aluminium pots and pans

-Shampoo

-Skin cream

CADMIUM

Cadmium has serious repercussions for the brain and inhibits the body’s ability to use nutrients like iron, zinc and calcium, leaving people more vulnerable to the bone and immune system disorders.  Cadmium is found in:

-Automobile seat covers

-Black rubber

-Burned motor oil

-Ceramics

-Cigarettes

-Evaporated milk

-Fertilizers

-Floor coverings

-Fungicides

-Furniture

-Refined wheat flour (white flour)

-Silver polish

-Soft drinks from vending machines with cadmium in the pipes

LEAD

Linked to dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, learning disabilities, seizure disorders, aggression, hyperactivity and many other health issues.  It is found in:

-Canned food

-Cigarette smoke (firsthand or secondhand)

-Coloured, glossy newsprint

-Some ceramic dishes

-Lead paint in older homes

-Lead water pipes in older buildings

-Refined chocolate

-Vehicle emissions (yes, even though lead gasoline was banned two decades ago in some countries)

MERCURY

Known for its speedy ability to cross the blood-brain barrier to affect the brain, mercury is linked to neurological, psychological and immunological disorders in people, including diseases like Alzheimer’s.  It has also been linked to heart arrhythmias, headaches, blurred vision and weakness. It is found in:

-Dental fillings: Many dentists cite studies that show no mercury particles were released from fillings but numerous studies show that mercury is primarily released as a vapour to gain access to the brain and blood.

-Fish: Not all fish, but many farmed varieties tend to be contaminated with mercury.

-Immunizations: Many vaccines, even those used for children contain the mercury-based preservative thimerosal in excessive amounts, for both children and adults.