Heavy metal detoxification may be a new idea to you. We learned about it from a trainer who had surprising symptoms of mercury poisoning from her fish-eating habits, but eating too much raw or canned fish is not the only way heavy metals get into your body. What are heavy metals, anyway. You may well ask.
Heavy metals can be lead, iron, and mercury, and they accumulate in the human body over the years. Here are the dangers they pose to your health that you may not have known about. Dementia, heart diseases, infertility, birth defects, and neurological conditions all can be caused by exposure to heavy metals. You can be exposed to heavy metals in both industrial and non industrial environments. They can be in your water. The food you eat also contains some, like the mercury in tuna and other farmed fish and the chemicals used in fertilizers and pesticides.
Some heavy metals such as iron, zinc, and copper can be beneficial to your body when absorbed in small amounts. However, ingesting any toxic substance in large quantities can lead to heavy metal poisoning. The good news is you can remove the toxins by performing heavy metal detoxification.
What Is Heavy Metal Detoxification
Heavy metal detoxification is a process of removing excess metals from the body. If you have any reason to believe you’ve been exposed to heavy metals, you should visit your doctor for a heavy metal poisoning test. This is done by examining the blood or by analyzing your hair.
The main aim of heavy metal detox is to eliminate accumulated metals from your body, brain, and nervous system. This will also help in cleansing your kidneys. The most common method of removing these excess heavy metals is by performing chelation therapy.
The process can be done at the hospital or home. It involves using chelating agents to get rid of heavy metals from the body. These agents bind to the metal molecules and dissolve them, so they can be excreted in the urine. Try this chelating method before considering other methods of detoxification.
Heavy Metal Detoxification And Diet
The type of food you eat in your daily life, and while detoxing, plays a vital role in determining how successful the regimen will be. This section discusses the kind of food you should eat and the ones you should avoid. But this is not just for detox. It’s the way you should be eating to be your healthiest self.
Foods To Eat
Good nutrition is the most important thing you can do to improve your overall health. Here are some foods you can incorporate into your diet:
- Herbs And Spices
Herbs and species such as oregano, ginger, turmeric, rosemary, and basil can help your body eliminate excess heavy metals. Most of the green herbs and plants are believed to detoxify the body, and one commonly used herb is cilantro. Cilantro is a bitter herb, so if you used a dried version, consider taking it with juice or honey. Turmeric is a spice that’s highly touted for good health, ginger and cinnamon are two others. These spices and herbs help reduce excess heavy metals such as lead and mercury in the body.
- Diet Rich In Vitamin C
Vitamin C acts as an antioxidation and it can help reduce the toxicity caused by heavy metals. Most fruits and vegetables are rich in Vitamin C. Some of them include oranges, grapefruits, kale, broccoli, guava, and all types of berries.
- Green Veggies
Eating leafy green veggies more often can help detox or remove excess heavy metals. Ensure you include some veggies such as mustard greens, kale, spinach, Swiss chard, or beet greens in your diet.
- Bone Broth
You know how beneficial it can be to remain hydrated throughout the day. Apart from drinking a lot of water, it’d help if you also considered taking bone broth. It helps keep you hydrated and it provides your body with essential minerals and amino acids, making your body organs strong.
Foods To Avoid
Here are some foods you should avoid.
- Non-Organic products
While you may think non-organic food is cheaper and easier to get, it can expose your body to chemicals. Examples of non-organic food items containing harmful substances include ready-to-cook meals and processed beverages.
- Farmed Fish
In most cases, fish farming isn’t monitored in most countries, and heavy metals can be in their environment. Also, types of fish that live for a long time may absorb metals at a higher rate. Some of the types of fish that contain a high concentration of heavy metals are shark, tilefish, bigeye tuna, and swordfish. While it might not be possible to avoid eating fish products completely. Fish is an important part of any diet, but you can choose fish with a lower mercury.
- Alcoholic Beverages
Alcohol is a toxin. It is a poison that damages many organs over time. Drinking too much alcohol prevents your your liver from processing other toxins from the body.
Takeaway
There are many natural body cleansing methods you can use to remove undigested and harmful products from your system. The best and easiest way is to drink a lot of pure water, since water is a natural cleanser. Second, is to maintain a healthy diet. And third, get tested if your environment exposes you to heavy metals. A heavy metal detox may be called for.