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What are heavy metals?

Heavy metals are naturally occurring elements that have a high atomic weight and a density at least 5 times greater than that of water.

Due to the multiple industrial, domestic, agricultural, medical and technological applications its led to wide distribution in the environment; This has, in turn, caused multiple chronic disorders in our body.

following heavy metals have a very high degree of toxicity:

 

What are heavy metals?

Heavy metals are naturally occurring elements that have a high atomic weight and a density at least 5 times greater than that of water.

Due to the multiple industrial, domestic, agricultural, medical and technological applications its led to wide distribution in the environment; This has, in turn, caused multiple chronic disorders in our body.

following heavy metals have a very high degree of toxicity:

Aluminum

lead

Arsenic

Mercury

Cadmium

Barium

Bismuth

Antimony

These metallic elements are considered systemic toxicants that are known to induce multiple organ damages, even at lower levels of exposure. These are also classified as human carcinogens according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

Heavy metals (including lead, cadmium, mercury, and the metalloid arsenic) are persistent in the environment and have documented the potential for serious health consequences. Heavy metal toxicity may damage:

• central nervous system
• cardiovascular system
• gastrointestinal system
• lungs
• kidneys
• liver
• endocrine glands
• bones

Some of the most common symptoms of heavy metal toxicity include:

• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Trouble learning and remembering new information
• “Brain Fog” and trouble concentrating
• Autoimmune diseases
• Neurological disorders and cognitive decline
• Joint or muscle pain
• Mood changes, including depression and anxiety

Diagnosis can be made by testing:

Urine for heavy metals

Hair analysis

Nail analysis

Oligoscan

Some common heavy metals and their sources:

Lead:

• Lead-containing water pipes
• Lead-based paints
• Foods grown in lead-rich soil

Mercury :

• Eating fish or shellfish contaminated with methylmercury (includes shark, swordfish, king mackerel, tile fish, bass, walleye, pickerel)
• Breathing contaminated workplace air or skin contact during use in the workplace
• Dental amalgam fillings
• Vaccinations

Cadmium

• Tobacco smoke
• Eating foods containing cadmium (levels are highest in grains, legumes, and leafy vegetables, fish and shellfish)
• Contact with cadmium from household products (electric batteries and solar panels)
• Radial wheel dust

Chelation Therapy :

It involves administration of amino acid EDTA intravenously, directly into blood stream, it binds itself with various heavy metals and is able to bring them out through urine and stool.

How it helps:

1. Improve Heart Health

It helps to treat coronary heart diseases, including atherosclerosis (thickening and hardening of the arteries that can potentially lead to a heart attack or stroke).

EDTA binds with calcium within the arteries, helping reduce plaque build-up and deposits that can obstruct smooth blood flow. Once bound to calcium, EDTA can help carry the molecules out of arteries so circulation improves. In a similar way, EDTA might help control high inflammation and cholesterol levels, which also pose a risk for heart disease. In fact, it can be used as a less risky and  safer alternative to cardiac surgical procedures

2.Fights free radical damage

EDTA might act similarly to antioxidants by reducing inflammation, fighting free radical damage and removing metals that cause the foundation of chronic disease development. EDTA binds to not only calcium within arteries, but also other metals stored within bones, muscles and bodily tissues that can lead to increased inflammation or pain.

3. Reduces Inflammation:

chelation therapy removes root causes of inflammation, which is the bottom line of most diseases, including arthritis and many autoimmune disorders, After the therapy significantly reduced pain from inflamed muscles, joints and bones have been observed.

4. Fights Cognitive function disorders 

Long-term heavy metal exposure can lead to physical, muscular and neurological degenerative changes in the brain that leads not only to Alzheimer’s disease but also dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis.

There is scientific evidence that chelation therapy can successfully treat cognitive disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease. The primary reason is an association of heavy metal toxicity, including high levels of lead or mercury in the blood, and medical disorders that affect the brain, memory and learning.

5. Helps manage/reverse symptoms of ADHD & Autism 

As we all know symptoms like ADHD and autism spectrum disorders have been on the rise in recent years.

I have seen in my practice treating these children with chelation therapy and Nutraceuticals brings about a great change in their symptoms of hyper irritability, lack of focus, attention, communication and so on.

We at Freedom age, do various detoxification procedures including IV Chelation, Glutathione detox, and IV Nutrition supplementation and treat various chronic lifestyle diseases.

Dr. Kalpana Shekhawat -M.D.

Functional medicine specialist

BHRT consultant