Types of methods that are used for heavy metal detox
ALL THE DETAILS TO KNOW ABOUT HEAVY METAL DETOX
The earth's surface is filled with various types of metals and minerals- these elements differ from each other in terms of colour, texture, densities, malleability, and so on. Heavy metals are certain types of metals that are high in densities, atomic numbers, and atomic weights. Though many of these heavy metals are toxic and harmful, certain heavy metals are highly beneficial for human health. For instance, heavy metals such as mercury and lead are filled with harmful poison and when taken in, can result in significant damage to the human body. Other types of heavy metals are essential for the body, such as cobalt, iron, zinc, etc. It is also important to remember that though some of the heavy metals may be vital for your health, you must have them in appropriate quantities because if you do not do so, there would be higher chances of developing various types of health issues as well as side effects. Sometimes heavy metals can result in toxic reactions and thus can affect the overall health and the physiological functioning of the body negatively. It is mostly due to this reason that many healthcare professionals advise their patients to undergo heavy metal detox.
What more do you need to know about heavy metals and the toxicity caused by them?
You will find certain types of heavy metals that are found on the surface of the water, that is, in the environment. This happens because some of these metals have relatively higher densities, compared to that of water. Other than the names of the metals mentioned above, some of the most commonly found heavy metals include arsenic, chromium, cadmium, manganese, selenium, thallium, zinc, nickel, and so on. These types of heavy metals are available in certain foods, medicines, and some health supplements as well. Certain types of chemical components that are usually used in industry and farming may contain heavy metals that can find their way into the air or can get mixed with land, soil, and water. There are heavy metals like zinc, iron, and so on that are highly crucial for the human body, to carry out various essential physiological activities and to keep you healthy and free from diseases and a deficiency of these metals in the body can affect your overall health and if not replenished in correct time with these elements in proper quantities, then it will worsen further. But it is also important to note that too many of these heavy metals in the body can be quite harmful to your body.
Toxication of metals can occur due to the presence of heavy metals in the body such as arsenic, lead, and so on. These metals are not required in the body at all and these nutrients serve no purpose in your body. Heavy metals like these can affect your body's functioning if they build up to a level of toxicity. In such cases, you will require proper treatment and proper diagnosis. You must therefore make new changes in your diet and choose a healthy lifestyle routine to reduce the intake of toxic heavy metals and to prevent the gradual deterioration of your health conditions (and therefore to prevent the risk of fatalities and infections).
What are the symptoms of heavy metal toxicity?
Conditions of toxicities caused by heavy metals will generate a lot of health issues, the symptoms of which would become significantly visible. Though the symptoms will differ from one person to the other based on the type of intoxication caused, the intensity of toxicity, and the typo (or the nature) of an element that has caused the intoxication, there are certain common symptoms of heavy metal toxication. These are considered the general symptoms of toxicity caused by the heavy metals. The symptoms of heavy metal toxication will be reflected in your work, diet, lifestyle, and your day-to-day living. This is because the symptoms of heavy metal toxication are more commonly reflected in the person’s daily activities as he or she is suffering.
Some of the most common symptoms of heavy metal toxication include problems in digestion, resulting in feelings like nausea, which may or may not be accompanied by vomiting, pain in the abdomen, cramps, diarrhea, and so on. Other symptoms that may arise due to heavy metal toxication include:
• Feelings of weakness, exhaustion, and fatigue
• Mild to severe headaches
• Problems in breathing, especially characterized by shortness of breath
• Changes in behavioural patterns
• Gastrointestinal health problems
• Tingling feelings in the hands and feet
• Chills
• Loss of memory
• Arrhythmia.
The symptoms that have been mentioned above usually arise when the intensity of heavy metal toxicity has become quite intense and severe in the body. Apart from these signs and symptoms, there can be several other types of symptoms that can develop as a result of chronic intoxication, which occurs when the toxication is at a severe level. In such cases, you may experience the following symptoms:
• Brain fog
• Burning and tingling feelings
• Chronic infections
• Insomnia or problems with sleep (lack of proper sleep)
• Paralysis
• Visual problems.
What foods to eat and what to avoid in case of heavy metal detox?
When you are going through a heavy metal detox, you should choose a healthy and balanced diet and must choose healthy lifestyle practices. In that case, it is necessary to include certain healthy food components into your daily diet and to avoid or limit the consumption of certain specific types of foods.
There are foods that, according to recent studies and experimental research works (1 Trusted Source) are known to help you detoxify by reducing the amounts of heavy metals from the body and thus help you to stay healthy. This is done by a process in which the heavy metals are allowed to bind with the food components and are gotten rid of the body through the process of digestion. In a diet meant for heavy metal detox, you must include plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, especially green leafy vegetables. The foods that doctors especially recommend you to consume foods that are rich in essential micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals. Many healthcare experts and dieticians advise you to consume foods that are rich in vitamins like vitamin B complex (especially vitamin B-6) and vitamin C when you are maintaining a heavy metal detox diet. This is recommended because many recent studies and experiments (2 Trusted Source) have revealed that these metals have chelating effects on heavy metals like iron and thus help in the detox of such heavy metals. Not only that, consuming foods that are rich in vitamin B1 or similar types of health supplements are known to significantly decrease iron levels in the body for a healthy detox.
The foods that you must consume for a heavy metal detox include the following:
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Coriander or cilantro
• Lemon water
• Tomatoes
• Spirulina
• Probiotics
• Curries and broths
• Atlantic dulse
• Barley grass juice powder
• Wild blueberries
• Chlorella.
Now that you know the types of foods that you must have in your diet for a heavy metal detox, you must also note the list of foods that you must avoid in your diet to allow a healthy detox. The most common food types that you must exclude from your daily diet for heavy metal detox are junk or processed foods. Try to minimize or avoid the consumption of processed and fast foods in your diet. This is because consuming junk and over-processed foods (including packaged foods) will not only add up the calories in your body, resulting in various types of health issues such as obesity, cardiac issues, and so on but can also result in worsening of heavy metal toxicity in the body. Apart from them, here is a list of foods that you must cut off your daily diet while you are undergoing heavy metal detox:
• Intake of alcohol or related types of drinks
• Non-organic food components
• Rice types like brown rice (they may contain arsenic)
• Certain types of fish, for instance, larger and long-living fish, may contain more mercury.
Other methods of Heavy Metals detox:
Besides having a healthy diet, it is also important for you to go through certain clinical methods for heavy metal detox, particularly when the metal toxication is severe and has already started affecting your health. One such type of clinical method is Chelation Therapy. This therapy involves the intake of oral medication or receiving an injection of a medicine that helps to get rid of the heavy metals from your body. Apart from this, certain types of health supplements are known to prevent heavy metal toxicity. Your healthcare expert can also advise you to use spirulina for a healthy heavy metal detox.
