We often hear of heavy metal toxicity, but do we know what happens to our bodies and brains with such poisoning. Even after the emergence of symptoms, disease, and immune disorders, the underlying cause may get misdiagnosed or doctors may overlook the toxicity factor.
I had my own personal encounter with mercury toxicity, which is why I feel the need to expose its dangers and to forewarn the public of the damage of mercury contamination. Since it is everywhere in our environment as well as in the water and our food chain, I will explain how mercury contaminates and where it is found, and how to protect yourself and those around you.
Skin contact, ingestion, and vapor inhalation of mercury and other heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, aluminum, and cadmium can cause cumulative toxicity in the body, brain, organs, and systems of humans. Mercury finds its way into our bodies in different ways, wrecking havoc before it is detected.
It has become part of our water systems, food, and air (as vapors), grains (through pesticides and bleaches), dental fillings, vaccines and drugs (as preservative), industrial waste, and others.
Mercury is one of the very toxic metals to the brain, cells, immunity, and body. The dangerous part is that it is difficult to detect and avoid, as it is present in the soil, water, and food chain. Mercury is found in sewers, fungicides, pesticides, cosmetics, dental fillings, fabric softeners, batteries, industrial equipment and waste, printing and tattoo inks, latex, plastics, solvents, polishes, wood preservatives, and paints. The drug industry includes it in certain medications and vaccines (even for infants) as the mercury based preservative, which is called thimerosal. The heavy metal accumulates in the body or does not get easily flushed out, resulting in allergies, autoimmune disorders, and poisoning if it is not diagnosed in time.
What is outrageous is that methyl mercury chlorine bleaches are used to treat edibles (grains, rice) with the blessings of governments, food and drug administrations, and health ministries and organizations. The bleach, medical waste, and all the above seep into the soil, water table, water bodies, drinking water, and into our food chain, which thereby allows mercury to enter into our bodies and brains. Lakes, seas, water supplies, and oceans are polluted with mercury waste, contaminating fish and drinking water. Why is this heavy metal dangerous to health? We will see that together now.
Once in the body, mercury has cumulative poisonous effects, causing toxicity, dysbiosis (health imbalance), allergies, and immunity disruption as well as behavioral, learning, autoimmune, and health disorders. By penetrating the blood/brain barrier, mercury lands in the neurons, the brain cells. It gets deposited in the pain center of the brain and in the central nervous system.
Once settled, mercury interferes with the access of nutrients in the cells as well as the elimination of waste out of the cells. This should explain behavioral and learning problems in children such as autism according to activist protests.
Moreover, the metal binds to the immune cells, deforming them and disrupting their functions. Such interferences lead to autoimmune disorders such rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, fibromyalgia, and more. Its noxious effects do not stop here; they trigger arthritis, joint pain, fatigue, depression, skin problems and allergies, headaches, hair loss, insomnia, gum disease, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle weakness, slurred speech, memory decline, and excessive salivation. Cumulative mercury in the body can also lead to leaky gut (food particles crossing the intestines to the bloodstream), causing food allergies.
Large amounts of mercury deposits in the body can also disrupt the normal activity of enzymes, causing vision loss and paralysis. Like the toxic side effects of aspartame (the artificial sugar substitute in drugs, chewing-gum, soda drinks, and candy), mercury-poisoning symptoms can mimic diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS), attacking the nervous system and the myelin sheath (the fatty substance coating the nerves).
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, exposure to mercury vapors has been associated with menstrual disruption and miscarriages.
Mercury in pregnant women can cause neurological damage to the unborn fetus like “lowered intelligence and delayed development…” Moreover, mercury poisoning results in a higher mortality rate in such infants after birth.
Children, who are poisoned by mercury, develop sever hand, feet, and nose peeling; increased heart rate; agitation; and painful limbs. Other symptoms of toxicity can be “behavioral changes, depression, confusion, irritability, and hyperactivity.” The condition exasperates autism and behavioral disorders, resulting in lower IQ (intelligence quotient) in children. Asthma and allergies are also signs as well as complaint of metallic taste in the mouth. Teeth may also become loose, resulting in tooth loss.
Another area of contention between dentists and activists is dental amalgam fillings because mercury is among the compounds (mercury, silver, tin, copper and a trace of zinc) in amalgam tooth fillings. Activists claim that the mercury in the mouth can seep through the teeth and into the body, causing toxicity.
Dentists insist that concern and fear of mercury leakage through dental fillings is unfounded. The debate seems to be endless and ongoing between the two parties. Whatever it is; mercury is a slow and silent poison.
According to Professor Boyd Haley of the University of Kentucky, “The estimated five to ten micrograms of mercury vapor that is a medium-size 1-gram amalgam filling releases per day is large enough to be a toxic exposure.”
Typical symptoms of mercury toxicity can produce tremors, anxiety, memory decline, sleeplessness, anorexia, fatigue, and cognitive and motor dysfunctions, leading to degenerative disorders like MS and Parkinson’s disease.
From observations, Professor Haley found that mercury poisoning alters the brain structure in a similar manner to Alzheimer’s brain damage. Damage is also seen in the kidneys and other organs. Amounts above 30 micrograms of mercury per gram of creatinine (released protein in urine) a day can be considered toxic.
Amalgam removal is a very delicate job, because of the fear of the spilling of mercury during the process, which is why a specialized dentist should perform the procedure. Safer fillings, hopefully, are resin or compost fillings and gold crowns. The procedure of removing amalgam fillings during pregnancy should be put off to after delivery and weaning from breastfeeding, as mercury crosses the blood to the placenta and can even reach the infant through the mother’s breast milk, which is extremely poisonous to the fetus and infant.
There is much more to mercury than what I mentioned earlier. This is only an eye-opener to us all. Next week, Inshallah, I shall discuss ways on how to detoxify from mercury poisoning and how to avoid getting poisoned by eating contaminated fish and other susceptible foods or through environmental pollution. It is a serious issue that should be addressed immediately by governments and health officials to avert massive health disasters and costs.
References:
• Prescription for Nutritional Healing by Phyllis Bach
• Natural Health magazine, July/August 2005
N.B.:
Individuals with medical conditions or on medication should consult their physicians when they decide to introduce anything new in their diet even if it is natural.
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