HEAVY METAL MEANS MORE THAN JUST AN EARACHE
Lets talk heavy metals. No, we aren't referring to Metallica. Have you heard about Mercury? Well if you haven't, you should have, because you're eating him daily in your tuna salad. Along with Mercury, there are 23 other heavy metals found in our environment that can be very harmful to our health (1).
What ARE THEY?
Heavy metals are dense metallic and semi-metallic compounds found in our environment. Some are naturally occurring, whilst others can be man made. Due to modern industrial industries the amount of heavy metals present in our environment has grown exponentially and are often unavoidable (2). Here are some of the most common and toxic heavy metals, and their sources, to be aware of:
- Mercury (dental fillings, seafood, vaccinations)
- Arsenic (brown rice, poultry and eggs)
- Aluminium (deodorant, cookwear, food packaging)
- Cadmium (cigarettes, batteries, coffee and hydrogenated oils)
- Lead (auto exhaust, building materials, root canals and water)
- Thallium (gasoline)
(3)
Whatever. How does this affect us?
Mercury and other heavy metals can "bio-accumulate" in our environment. Once it is in our environment and food chain it naturally builds up over time.
Heavy metals are spread into the environment through pollution and eventually end up in our soil, air and water systems (4). Due to this, our marine life are particularly susceptible to heavy metal exposure and larger marine life often accumulate large amounts of metals over the lifetime. Then, the cycle continues. We like sushi and eat tuna and if you're anything like us, it is probably often. This leaves us also bio-accumulating this harmful compound over years of exposure.
The cycle doesn't end there. It has been shown that the mercury levels we build up in our bodies over our lifetime can also be passed on to our children through the mothers placenta, meaning the next generation will have an even high toxic load to deal with (5).
Higher levels of heavy metals are not something to mess with as they can lead to a range of serious health conditions, including:
- Acne
- Auto-immune conditions
- Poor digestion
- Excess sweating
- Weight gain around the waist
- Insomnia
- Chronic health conditions
- Infertility and hormonal issues
- Anemia
+ many more ! (6)
ERR, OK. What can we do?
DETOX.
No, you don't have to eat only raw broccoli and snort chia seeds for 10 days to detoxify. Including simple detox regimes in to your everyday diet can help to take the burden off your tired liver and remove these toxic guys from your body. Here are easy some detox tips to include in to your daily routines to decrease the toxic load on your body and make for a healthy and long life:
- Anti-inflammatory diet. Foods high in vitamin C, spirulina, dulse flakes and coriander have all been shown to help remove heavy metals from the body (7).
- Sweat! Strenuous workouts, saunas and a hot bath with a Detox Bomb are great ways to work up a sweat (8).
- Supplement. Probiotics, milk thistle, dandelion, vitamin C are great additiona but fulvic acid is a detoxifying powerhouse (9). If you're looking for easy access to fulvic acid, our Detox Bomb is great to add to you bathtub routine and our Detox Spray is great for on the go.
We know many of the sources of heavy metals are often unavoidable and we believe a life without sushi is a life not worth living. Incorporating these easy detox practices into your lifestyle will help to offset any exposure you will have.