Is It Possible To Eliminate Heavy Metals From The Body?

We have often heard of the damaging effects of heavy metals, but do we know what they are? How to know if we have them? How do they enter our body? Why are they so harmful? How can we avoid them?

In this article we explain everything about heavy metals so you can learn how to avoid them. And it is that these can favor the development of multiple diseases. You want to know more? Keep reading.

What are heavy metals?

Heavy metals are a group of chemical elements that have a relatively high density and some toxicity for humans. The most common are arsenic, mercury, cadmium, chromium, lead, aluminum, and iron.

However, it is important to clarify that many of the metals with a high density are not especially toxic and some are essential elements in humans.

However, there are a number of elements that in some of their forms can represent a serious environmental problem. It is common to refer to them by the generic term “heavy metals.”

These are especially dangerous because they are not chemically or biologically degradable. Thus, once emitted, mainly due to industrial and mining activity, they can remain in the environment for hundreds of years, contaminating the soil and accumulating in plants and organic tissues. And this is how they end up entering our body.

Legislation

Fortunately, the health problem that these elements present has not gone unnoticed by the authorities. Since 2006, the European Union has a law that regulates the maximum amount of heavy mentals that food can present.

The objective is that no food marketed in the European Economic Area contains levels that may present a health risk. Thus, any food that is sold in the EU must pass through controls of this type and, if it is not passed, its sale will be prohibited.

Likewise, the World Health Organization (WHO) has had a regulation since 1995 to limit the level of pollutants and toxins present in food and feed, to reduce the level of heavy metals in them. All member countries of the organization must adhere to these regulations.

What do heavy metals cause in our body?

You may wonder: why so much legislation and control? Good because, over the years, various investigations have been carried out in which the effects that these heavy metals have on our health have been verified.

An article published in the journal Interdisciplinary Toxicology contains a summary of the main ones. In the short term, it is estimated that, among other problems, excessive consumption of these substances may favor the development of :

• Kidney disease
• Blood problems
• Liver diseases
• Reduced energy levels
• Diseases in the lungs

In addition, in the long term, it is related to the development of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s, as well as to muscular dystrophy.

How do they enter our body?

The way in which heavy metals reach our body can be through diet or the environment. And it is that these are present around us in multiple ways. 

First of all, as we have said, we can ingest them through diet. This is because some pesticides and animal feed products can contain them. This means that if we consume a vegetable fumigated with that pesticide or an animal fed with a certain feed, in the end we are also ingesting heavy metals.

However, this is luckily less and less common. And it is that as we have seen, governments increasingly demand stricter controls to guarantee that the level of these elements in the products we consume is as low as possible.

As for the heavy metals in our environment, these mainly come from industries and mines that expel harmful substances into the environment that end up polluting the water or air we consume. Unfortunately, this type of contamination is more difficult to control.

How do I know if I have heavy metal poisoning?

Apart from the diseases mentioned above, those who suffer from severe heavy metal poisoning will show the following symptoms:

• Nausea and vomiting
• Abdominal pain
• Diarrhea
• Tingling in the hands and feet
• Difficulty breathing
• Shaking chills
• Weakness

If you experience any of these symptoms and you live in a risk area (near a factory or mine, for example), we advise you to see a doctor immediately. This will do the corresponding tests and offer you the treatment to follow.

Is it possible to remove them?

In general, unless you live in an area especially exposed to heavy metals and in which there is no type of control, the levels of metals in our body should not be very high.

Still, the best thing to do to avoid poisoning is prevention. And it is that once they enter our body, it is quite difficult to reduce their levels. According to the aforementioned Interdisciplinary Toxicology study , very few metals can be removed naturally.

Therefore, it is best to take care of what we eat, wash food well before consuming it and, if we live in a contaminated environment, take all possible precautions.

In addition, here are some foods that can be beneficial to reduce the effects of some of these metals in case you feel that you are consuming a small amount of these products and you want to try to mitigate their effect. However, remember that natural remedies are not treatments. In no case will they be a solution for serious problems.

• Chlorella algae : according to various studies, this would partially absorb metals, which would reduce its impact on our body and mitigate its possible effects on our health.

• Coriander ( Coriandrum sativum ): It is not clear if its direct consumption helps to reduce the levels of heavy metals in the body. However, various studies done with animals and plants show that they reduce the levels of metals in them, making them suitable for human consumption.
• Magnesium : Like coriander, magnesium, according to some research, can reduce the toxicity of some heavy metals in plants.
• Garlic : some experiments carried out on animals show that this could have a certain protective effect on the liver against certain heavy metals, such as cadmium or mercury.

Conclution

As you have seen today we are quite protected against the consumption of heavy metals. And it is that the authorities have long realized how harmful they can be.

However, if the possible risk of consuming small amounts of them still bothers you, you can try including the foods that we advise you here in your diet. Of course, take good care of where you buy them and make sure they are of quality.

In any case, the best you can do is prevention : control where the food you eat comes from, wash it well …

In addition, if you live in a risk area or feel that you could have been poisoned due to the consumption of heavy metals, we recommend that you always go to your doctor. There is no natural remedy that allows you to completely cleanse the body. You will need a stronger treatment.