If you have been exposed to mercury or any other toxic heavy metals, you may or may not even remember all of your symptoms! You may have been exposed to toxic levels of heavy metals from unfiltered water, air pollution, dental fillings, chemical spills in the workplace, or even through seafood ingestion.
This can develop into extremely serious conditions, since prolonged exposure to neurotoxins is linked to neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, and other organ failure. Other detrimental symptoms include memory loss, debilitating migraines, chronic fatigue, insomnia, depression, “brain fog”, muscle tremors, among many other complications. Some pharmaceutical chelators promise the removal of these heavy metals, but leave you with as many side effects and symptoms as from the exposure.
Here are the Top 10 from Health Fitness Revolution and author of the book ReSYNC Your Life Samir Becic:
- Cilantro – This powerful plant can detox your brain and body of heavy metals by up to 80%. “Chinese parsley” can be found in many savory dishes, and has a distinct, fresh flavor. The proper dose of this herb is best mixed with 1 – 5 grams of chlorella daily as it aids in moving the toxins out of the body at a much more rapid rate. But be cautious: if cilantro is eaten in excess without chlorella retoxification in muscles may occur. Cilantro may displace more toxins that the body can effectively remove at one time, and if you aren’t careful metals could be redeposited back into the colon.
- Garlic – In this case, the food, rather than the supplement is much more beneficial for removing heavy metals from your system. A study conducted on those who had a work-related exposure to lead were treated with garlic and yielded much better results when compared to those treated with D-penicillamine. There were no harsh reactions to garlic, however severe side effects were reported from its pharmaceutical alternative.
- Fermented Foods – Ingesting fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, and kefir help flush out these harmful and unwanted compounds from your body. Prebiotics are essential to detoxifyng heavy metals from the ecosystem within your body. Eating foods like onion, apple cider vinegar, asparagus, and bananas help prepare your body to facilitate detoxification much more quickly.
- Eat Foods That Contain Pectin – Grapefruit, lemon, and lime all contain pectin throughout their rinds. Once ingested, this compound is transformed into modified citrus pectin (MCP), which has shown promise to detox heavy metals in clinical trials. Other delicious sources of this incredible compound are bananas, okra, apples, cabbage, beets, carrots, citrus fruits (pectin is present within the white centers), and grapes.
- Chlorella – Chlorella is a form of green algae that is a proven chelating agent, removing many different heavy metals. It should be taken, in powder or tablet form, in correspondence with cilantro as it aids in binding and expelling the toxins from your body. Chlorella should not be taken within three hours of Vitamin C, as this combination forms a less effectively binding agent to eliminate mercury. You can find out what the proper dosages of chlorella, cilantro, and Vitamin C for efficient and safe chelation are here.
- Eat Protein Packed Foods – If you want to cleanse your system of heavy metals, make sure to eat plenty of proteins that contain amino acids. Stock up on these essential nutrients by including more eggs, nuts, meats, and certain types of fish into your diet. Foods containing protein are another evident chelating agent because it has been confirmed to have toxic heavy metal binding properties. Meals that skimp on protein have shown to have a detrimental effect on the liver’s natural detoxifying function.
- Drinking Purified Water Daily – Through reverse osmosis and carbon filtration, drinking purified or distilled water that is free of minerals can help expend heavy metals from your brain and body. Fluoride, which is cripplingly present in tap water, speeds up the pathway of aluminum into the blood-brain barrier. Do your brain a favor and steer clear of these toxins by choosing to drink distilled water only!
- Eat Dark Greens – Cruciferous, leafy veggies such as cauliflower, spinach, kale, broccoli, and cabbage are great choices which all contain Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA). This antioxidant is an effective natural chelating agent because it can capture free radicals, and bind to metallic compounds such as mercury, arsenic, cadmium, lead, copper, iron to expel them from the body.
- Limit Fish Consumption – If you have been exposed to heavy metals or you want to limit your intake of these unhealthy pollutants, you should keep a close eye on which seafood you eat. According to the Food & Drug Administration, seafood with the most amount of mercury includes: marlin, tuna, shark, swordfish, king mackerel, tilefish, and bluefish. Be sure to steer clear of those the next time you have an appetite for sushi!
- Infrared Sauna or Hot Yoga – Sweating out those unwanted heavy metals with infrared saunas is another great way to detox your body, as they have been proven to normalize mercury levels. But make sure to stay hydrated, drink plenty of purified water, and remember to replenish electrolytes and other minerals that were lost. Again, when displacing these toxins make sure to eat a sufficient amount of cilantro, garlic, and chlorella to expel them, or you might end up retoxifying your body, and no one wants that! Infrared saunas are a great way to heat up your body from the inside (not just the air around) to produce more sweat, and remove impurities like heavy metals. According to Dietrich Klinghardt – a physician in Seattle – infrared saunas have the ability to rid your body of “cholesterol, fat-soluble toxins, toxic heavy metals, sulfuric acid, sodium, ammonia and uric acid.” It is said to produce the same healing energy that is provided by the sun and is usually administered in 30-minute lengths.
