What Are Heavy Metals? - Embodied Wellness Radio | Episode 15

Today’s episode is setting the tone for the next 3 episodes, where we will be referencing today’s topic a lot in relation to common supplements that people buy.  And that topic is HEAVY METALS. 

In today’s episode I’m going to cover what heavy metals are, the mechanisms, where they’re found, how to remove them from your diet and body, and at the end I’ll explain why this will plays an important role into the next 3 episodes.

Heavy Metals

 So what are heavy metals?  Well according to a 2012 NCBI published paper by Paul Tchounwou and partners called “Heavy Metals Toxicity and the Environment”, Heavy metals are naturally occurring elements that have a high atomic weight and a density at least 5 times greater than that of water (hence why they’re called heavy). Their multiple industrial, domestic, agricultural, medical and technological applications have led to their wide distribution in the environment; raising concerns over their potential effects on human health and the environment. Their toxicity depends on several factors including the dose, route of exposure, and chemical species, as well as the age, gender, genetics, and nutritional status of exposed individuals. Because of their high degree of toxicity, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, and mercury rank among the priority metals that are of public health significance. These metallic elements are considered systemic toxicants that are known to induce multiple organ damage, even at lower levels of exposure. They are also classified as human carcinogens (known or probable) according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

So in short, heavy metals are natural and exist in nature and food, but when they’re found in large amounts, it's usually due to industry production. 

Heavy metals can be toxic and very dangerous even in low concentrations because they can cross the blood brain barrier, and for women looking to have children it becomes even more vigilant to detoxify your body of heavy metals especially when you’re looking to have a child because it can also cross into the placenta, as well as be passed onto your children, creating a risk for disease or predisposition for disease in newborns.  If a women has been diagnosed with high levels of a heavy metal, such as mercury, it’s recommended that she delay pregnancy by at least a few months so they can work on restoring normal levels first.

Women need to keep an eye on this, as all types of makeup, whether natural or high-end, may contain heavy metals such as lead, aluminum, cadmium, arsenic, or mercury, to name a few, and Heavy metals will not be listed on the ingredients list because they are contaminants.

As per a PubMed paper named Environmental determinants of chronic disease and medical approaches, heavy metal toxicity is a health problem that millions of people suffer from.

But just how toxic really depends on many variables; this can include the dose, how you were exposed, your age, gender, how your body deals with its natural detox pathways and your general organ health.

So what are the main heavy metals we need to be aware of in foods or supplements we eat?

ARSENIC:

Arsenic is a known carcinogen, meaning it’s known to cause cancer, and is commonly found in:

• Rice
• Chicken
• Cotton
• Herbicides
• fruit juices
• water
• and more.

CADMIUM:

Cadmium ranges from being a probably carcinogen to a known carcinogen, and is commonly found in:

• Tobacco
• Water
• Rice
• Grains
• Shellfish & Seafood
• Cacao
• Fruit juices
• Pesticide residue (Which means YES eating organic is critical no matter how many people thing it’s just a way for growers to price gauge for an extra 20% on fruits and veg, I personally would rather fast or go carnivore than eat inorganic foods, and that goes for supplements too!)

LEAD

On a spectrum this goes from possible carcinogen to a reasonably anticipated carcinogen, and is commonly found in:

• Water
• Paint
• Baby food
• Fruit juices
• Toys
• Pottery
• Many female products such as eyeliner and lipstick
• Pesticide residue

MERCURY:

Lead is most certainly a carcinogen, and is commonly found in:

• Fish
• Dental amalgams
• Water
• Pesticide residue

CHROMIUM:

The last one we could bring up is Chromium, and it can have some nasty effects, but due to the fact that you kinda have to inhale chromium, so for today since it doesn’t pertain to the upcoming podcasts, we’re just going to leave this one out for now.

WHAT HAPPENS IF MY METALS ARE TOO HIGH?

Before anyone gets into a fit and begins worrying about it, the common warning signs of someone struggling with heavy metal toxicity are far in wide, and coincide with hundreds of other health symptoms, so no need to go all WebMD on me here and think you’re about to keel over.  However, since we’re learning about this, some of the symptoms include;

Some of the most common warning signs that you might be struggling with heavy metal toxicity include:

• Chronic fatigue
• Autoimmune diseases, including Lyme’s disease
• Poor recovery from exercise and weakness
• Skin irritation
• Neurological disorders
• Brain-fog, trouble concentrating, difficulty learning and poor memory
• Depression and anxiety
• Dementia
• Insomnia
• Digestive issues
• Chronic aches and pains, such as those associated with fibromyalgia
• Tremors
• Impaired motor control, hearing, speech, vision and gait
• Anemia

Heavy metal poisoning can lead to

• damaged or reduced mental and central nervous function
• Vital organ damage such as they kidneys
• Liver
• Heart
• Endocrine glands

And long-term exposure may lead to degeneration of the physical, muscular, and neurological degenerative processes of the body. This is kind of freaky, because often times as the symptoms become worse and worse can be mistaken for Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis. Many of the symptoms of aging such as loss of memory and increased fatigue are mimicked by heavy metal poisoning, perhaps not even knowing that heavy metal exposure from all the canned tuna from china that they’ve been eating for 3 years is actually major contributing factor to their physical and cognitive decline.  Shortly I’ll get to some of the foods to avoid, but first, let’s understand the mechanism.

MECHANISM OF ACTION

So once heavy metals are in the body, what exactly happens? To explain it simply, heavy metals build up in our organs and can have a profound effect on our genes and hormones.  Our genes and hormones operate in a harmony, and when something begins to affect that harmony, it can express changes that we don’t want.  Picture a beautiful symphony in a theater, with lots and lots of instruments being played in perfect tune.  If someone in the audience has an alarm that begins going off in their pocket very softly, you’ll notice it, but it might not bother you over the grand tune of the orchestra.  But as it gets louder and louder, or it builds up more and more, it will begin to disrupt the entire performance.  Soon the performance is broken and has to stop so that the person can turn off the alarm.  This stopage could be referred to as cancer.   This obviously might not be the most medically accurate way of explaining it but it might help you to understand the buildup process.  So yes, heavy metals can alter genes and cause endocrine disruption.

ORGANIC DOESN’T MEAN IT’S CLEAR OF HEAVY METALS

 Organic labels are a great way of creating a standard of what’s in our food, however does not confirm that heavy metals haven’t crept in.  What it does mean is that it shouldn’t contain any pesticides, antibiotics, GMO’s and lots more garbage that should never be introduced into our food system.   BUT heavy metals are not on that list.  However, most of the pesticides used in the world do contain toxic heavy metals, especially those made from the Round-Up chemical glyphosate, which is the majority, so it’s ALWAYS a better choice to choose organic.

TESTING FOR HEAVY METALS

 We don’t want to get anyone worked into a frenzy with this podcast, we are simply helping you to identify areas in your life that you could possibly adjust, and later help you to become a more educated consumer on buying certain products.

However, if you do want to get heavy metals tested by your doctor here are a few points you should know:

• Your doctor will likely want to give you a blood test. The problem with a blood test is that it tests in an acute moment, and unless you just had a sudden ingestion of heavy metals, it won’t pick up the total amount stored in the body.   Our body is smart, and it knows that heavy metals in large amounts just floating around in the body will kill us, and instead of letting them float around, it stores them in our bones, our soft tissues and hair.  So a blood test isn’t an accurate test for heavy metals.
• In order to get a whole picture, you’ll probably want to get hair, a provoked urine test, which as the name kinda gives away, you take something that provokes your body to release heavy metals, as well as possibly anti-body test. 1 or the other may not be a great tool, but all 3 can give you a more accurate snapshot of your body’s levels.
• When it comes down to testing, work with a pro, don’t look up a silly internet heavy metal detox diet, because many people have weak organs that aren’t ready to just hop into an overly draining detox diet that will exhaust your organs. 

REMOVING HEAVY METALS!

How long does it actually take to eliminate the majority of the accumulated excess metals in your body?  Honestly, it’s pretty hard to tell without testing which isn’t even super helpful, as it will either tell you a yes or no whether they are present in quantities or not, rather than giving a total number.  How long it takes to quote “detox”…I hate that word as it’s become quite a marketing buzzword…but the amount of time it takes to restore yourself varies depending on how many excess metals have accumulated, your kidney and liver strength, and how your body reacts with the forms of treatment you choose to pursue.

• The main western medicine method would be chelation therapy, which is an intravenous therapy using a chemical solution called EDTA, also known as ethylenediaminetretraaceticacid (yes, that's actually a word). It works by binding to heavy metals and excreting them through the kidneys where we pee them out.  Now the downsides to this is that it is not a quick treatment, and it takes on average 5-30 sessions and can come with side effects of vomiting, fever, headaches, nausea, and other little side effects.
• You could try a metal flush with a combination of Chinese herbs that have been shown to eliminate cadmium, mercury, arsenic, lead and mercury. Oral Metal Flush treatments have been shown in research to be an excellent alternative to intravenous chelation treatments as per the mechanism study of One Kind of Antidotal Traditional Chinese Medicine on Excluding Poisonous Heavy Metals by members of the Shanghai Chinese Medical University.  There was a second study that shared similar findings in a study called the Study of Effects of Metal Flush on Curing Lead Poisoning in Children and on Children’s Blood trace Elements that showed traditional Chinese medicine herbal treatments was effective in curing children of lead poisoning without causing a trace mineral imbalance.  Again, please consult and work with a professional on this, I am not recommending anyone just hop into some sketchy online reddit thread detox protocol.
• If you’re choosing to go down the herbal route, one thing I always recommend people to take, normally in pill form, especially when consuming plant based protein products is Chlorella. Chlorella is an excellent metals chelator and can absorb mercury and other metals, and has also been shown in the Journal of Toxicologial Sciences that Chlorella Suppresses methylmercury transfer to the fetus in pregnant mice!  So if you’re pregnant, it could potentially be beneficial for you and your future family member!
• There are also activated charcoal and bentonite clay remedies, which I actually was just using because I wasn’t sure if I accidentally got mold poisoning or not, so upped my water intake, and began slamming some activated charcoal pills. Again, this is not medical advice, and please consult a professional first before taking anything mentioned on this podcast.
• Lifestyle changes are also a huge factor, especially in what you eat! If you just want to avoid an excess of heavy metals in the first place, you should really make sure you’re avoiding farmed fish.  I know it’s more work, but how much is your health worth to you?  Try to buy local and according to season and avoid tilefish, swordfish, king mackeral and bigeye tuna….the are normally foreign fish from regions where there is no quality control, and can be laden with heavy metals, dioxins and PCB’s.
• Other foods you want to avoid are non-organic foods, foods with additives, alcohol, and anything you might be allergic too such as highly glutenous foods or dairy products if that’s something your body struggles with. Although these foods themselves won’t be chalked full of dangerous heavy metals, these ingestibles can exacerbate the symptoms and toxicity of heavy metals, as well as make it harder for your liver to process these and other toxins.   More inflammation isn’t usually a good thing, so keep it clean.
• On the other hand, if you’re looking to help remove excess metals from your body, make sure you’re getting in lots of leafy green vegetables, foods rich in vitamin C, garlic and onions, bone broth is excellent, lots of water, and chia seeds are great as well. Another hot tip would be to try cooking with more anti-inflammatory and antioxidant rich herbs and spices such as basil, parsley, oregano, rosemary, thyme, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, and cilantro. I know I had mentioned that I’m a big fan of chlorella before, but you also can’t overlook cilantro.  A 2014 paper called the Current Approaches of the Management of Mercury Poisoning reported that cilantro, among other herbs and plants, is one of the best herbs for reducing the buildup of heavy metals such as mercury and lead in the body.  Other supplements that can help are as mentioned vitamin C and cilantro, but also shilajit, milk thistle and soil-based probiotics.

Now a question that might come up is “What about sweating?! Doesn’t sweating naturally remove toxins from the body?”  Previously, I had just naturally understood this to be true, however after diving into the research a little more, I’m not so sure.  There isn’t enough solid evidence to support me making a flat out claim, but if I had to bet, it should help.  But opinions on this go back and forth, and after educating myself on this more, I’m leaning towards NO, sweating is a massively overhyped way to sell detox products.  To play devils advocate, a 2016 Chinese PubMed study did indicate that people who exercised regularly had lower levels of heavy metals.  On the contrary, in an article by National Geographic, they reference a recent study published in the Environmental International that shows that “even when we do excrete environmental pollutants through our pores, the amounts we can sweat out are minuscule.”  Chemist Joe Schwarcz was quoted saying “You always have to ask how much.  When you look at sweat, you can find many substances, (but) the presence of a chemical cannot be equated to the presence of risk.” - “It’s the old story of wanting to provide a simple solution to a complex problem,” “Hope is so precious, but some people use hope for selling crazy stuff to people who are vulnerable.”

To double down on this, Kelly Conaboy from the Atlantic wrote a fantastic piece on the false claims of infrared saunas, and her search for the research that actually shows that infrared saunas have any sort of science behind toxin detoxification, and she quickly came to realize the claims weren’t based on actual science.

I’m going off on a bit of a side tangent from the from the main subject of excess heavy metal removal, but there isn’t enough evidence to show that sweating removes a substantial enough toxins in your bloodstream the same way your kidneys and liver do. But let’s not be mistaken, sweating is still important for muscle recovery and circulation, healthy skin, cardiovascular health, and of course, temperature regulation.

WHAT’S NEXT – THE CONSUMER REPORTS

So why are we even talking about this?  Well back in 2018 the Clean Label Project released the results from a private research project where they tested supplements in the United States for their levels of heavy metals in powdered supplements, and since then this question has been on the consumer mind, especially after articles started to come out about the popular plant based protein company Vega having supposedly dangerous levels of lead in their products.

My issue with the Clean Label Projects reports is that they didn’t share the actual numbers of the results for each company.  Now, given that in the past I worked in this industry, I’ve heard some pretty hot tea over the years, and first hand heard some pretty shady stuff, and I’ll be honest I’ve got some trust issues and quite frankly got to the point where I didn’t even know if I could trust the recommendations for products that I was giving to my clients.  So, over the past 4 months I decided to take it upon myself to reach out to over 100 companies and see what the results were myself by asking each company 1 by 1 for their CoA, the Certificate of Analysis for their protein batches!

Over the next 3 podcasts, or the next 3 weeks, the goal is to teach you about these products (plant based proteins, whey & animal based proteins, as well as collagen proteins), see which companies are transparent and trustworthy with releasing the non-proprietary heavy metals information, and to get to the bottom of the matter to truly understand if heavy metals are or are not an issue in the powdered supplement industry.

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