Heavy metal toxicity is a serious health concern that can harm central nervous function and even cause damage to our vital organs. It is caused by accumulation of toxic amount of heavy metals in our soft tissues. Symptoms may vary, depending on the level of exposure and the metal to which a person has been exposed. High levels of exposure to lead, mercury, arsenic, aluminum are considered heavy metal exposure. These heavy metals can cause chronic or acute toxicity. We are exposed to heavy to these heavy metals and chemicals almost on a daily basis due to indiscriminate human activities.
They are in our water, in our food and in the air we breathe. Accumulating slowly in our body they might start producing symptoms that we usually don’t associate with toxicity. But long term exposure to these environmental toxins may produce physical, neurological and muscular degenerative processes in the form Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease or Multiple Sclerosis.
Symptoms
If you are feeling endlessly irritable, tired, feeling depressed, suffering from autoimmune disease, brain fog, you might be a victim of environmental toxins that have been in the air, water and soil. Even the day today items we use in our households like shampoos, cleaners etc. contains innumerable number of chemicals that can be deadly toxic when used in higher dose.
Ways To Remove Heavy Metals And Toxic Chemicals From The Body
It is practically not possible to protect yourself completely from all the toxins present in the environment. But, there are ways which can help us to counteract some of the toxins and pollutant by following a natural detoxification process on regular basis. Following methods will help you to reduce toxic exposure, strengthen body’s detox organs and relieve your body from toxic burden.
Here Are Some Tried And True Methods To Detox Heavy Metals And Environmental Toxins From Your Body.
1. Detox Diet:
To support body’s detoxification process, the first thing you need to do is to decrease the toxic load you are putting every day on your body. Reduce your consumption of fast foods and processed foods. Avoid farmed fish that often contain highly toxic heavy metals like mercury, dioxin and PCB’s Avoid alcohol. It is toxic to the body. It further increases the toxic load and makes it difficult for the liver to remove other toxins.
Try to incorporate fresh, organic fruits and vegetables in your diet. There are many foods like garlic, cilantro and chlorella that aids in detoxification of heavy metals, industrial toxics like insecticides, formaldehyde, fluoride, parabens, food preservatives and colors. Use them in your diet to benefit from their excellent detox properties.
Garlic
The sulfur content contained in garlic oxidize heavy metals like leas, mercury, cadmium by making these metals water soluble making it easier to excrete them from body. Garlic also helps to boost the production of white blood cells and boost its ability fight the effect of toxins and aids detoxification process. Include garlic in your daily meals to stimulate the healing process. It is recommended two eat 2-3 fresh cloves of garlic every day. If you can’ bear the smell, garlic supplement is also available [1].
Cilantro
Cilantro is another excellent detoxifier for our body [2]. It binds to heavy metals like mercury, lead and aluminum and helps them excrete out of body easily through kidneys. Use fresh cilantro, make tea or take in the form of tincture
Chlorella
Chlorella is a whole food supplement and a potent detox agent that is known to bind heavy metals like uranium, mercury, lead and cadmium and help them excrete out of the body [3] . It is recommended to take chlorella daily in the morning. Start with a smaller dose like 500mg and you can gradually increase the dose up to 4 grams per day to get full benefit of this detox supplement.
Chlorophyll
We all know about the powerful healing properties of chlorophyll [4]. It helps to detoxify the body from heavy metals, industrial pollutants and pesticides by neutralizing the toxins. Eating raw foods can help to retain chlorophyll. Darker green the vegetables more chlorophyll it contains. Drinking green smoothies is an excellent way to rid the body of heavy metals and environmental toxins.
Foods Rich In Vitamin C
Choose to eat fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C [5]. due to their antioxidant properties they will help to reduce the damage caused by heavy metal toxicity.
Flax And Chia Seeds
Flaxseed and chia seed are high in fiber and omega-3 fatty acids which are helpful in detoxification of colon [6].
2. Purify Your Body With Water
Drinking enough water is most valuable remedy for detoxifying your body. Drinking adequate water is essential not only helping to transporting nutrients but also for flushing out toxic wastes through colon and perspiration. Drink 10-12 glasses of water or more and fluids like vegetables juices, smoothies to flush out toxins from your body.
3. Exercise:
Exercise is another way to flush out toxins from the body. Exercising helps your body to sweat out poisons and toxins from the body. You can acceleration sweating using sauna, massage therapy to remove maximum amount of toxic chemicals.
4. Fasting:
Fasting is another good way to get rid of toxic overload from the body. Fasting allows your digestive tract and other organs to get rest and allow the body to reset, recover and rejuvenate. You can perform it once or twice a month. Stay away from solid foods on that day completely. Focus on consuming clear liquid like water, green tea, herbal teas, coconut water, vegetable juices and fruit juices. This will help your body to release toxins and recharge the body.
5. Take Probiotic Supplements:
Probiotics are friendly bacteria available in foods like, yogurt, miso, kefir etc. and are also available in supplement form [5]. They do not just help to balance good and bad bacteria in your gut but also work hard to expel harmful toxins and detoxify the body that can have lasting effect on your health. Some strain of good bacteria like lactobacillus has the ability to bind heavy metals like lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic.
6. Detox Bath:
Taking detox bath is another great way to flush impurities from the body [6]. You can use essential oil for detox bath for getting antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial benefits. Epsom salt and honey can also help to flush out impurities from the body.
Heavy metal detoxification is difficult to accomplish but it can be done applying these remedies constantly.
