HEAVY METALS: THEIR ORIGIN AND EFFECT ON THE BODY
|
Metal |
Sources |
Description |
|
Aluminum |
Antacids,
antiperspirants, baking powders, beverage/food cans, buffered aspirin, canned
foods, city water supplies, cookware and utensils, cosmetics, foil, lipstick,
ore smelting plants, processed cheeses, etc. |
Abundant
in today's environment and toxic in excessive quantities, aluminum is mostly
absorbed through the skin, lungs, and intestinal tract. Aluminum toxicity
seems to affect the bones (causing brittleness or osteoporosis), kidneys,
stomach, and brain. Research suggests that it may also contribute to
Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, dementia, and other neurological
disorders. |
|
Arsenic |
Chemical
processing plants, cigarette smoke, drinking water, fungicides, meats and
seafood, metal foundries, ore smelting plants, pesticides, polluted air,
specialty glass products, weed killers, wood preservatives, etc. |
Extremely
poisonous as well as colorless and odorless, arsenic can enter the body
through the mouth, lungs and skin. Arsenic toxicity seems to predominantly
affect the skin, lungs and gastrointestinal system, and may cause nervous
disorders, deteriorated motor coordination, respiratory diseases, and kidney
damage as well as cancers of the skin, liver, bladder and lungs. |
|
Cadmium |
Air
pollution, batteries, ceramic glazes/enamels, cigarette smoke (both first and
second hand), tap and well water, food (if grown in cadmium-contaminated
soil), fungicides, mines, paints, power and smelting plants, seafood, etc. |
Exposure
to cadmium can occur through inhalation or ingestion in places or situations
where cadmium products are used, manufactured, or ingested. Cigarette smoke
is the biggest source of cadmium toxicity, which seems to primarily affect
the lungs, kidneys, bones, and immune system. It may lead to lung cancer,
prostate cancer and heart disease, and also causes yellow teeth and anemia.
Cadmium also seems to contribute to autoimmune thyroid disease. |
|
Lead |
Air
pollution, ammunition, auto exhaust, batteries, containers for corrosives,
contaminated soil, cosmetics, fertilizers, foods (if grown in
lead-contaminated soil), hair dyes, insecticides, lead-based paints,
lead-glazed pottery, pesticides, solder, tobacco smoke, water (if transported
via lead pipes), etc. |
Lead
is a naturally-occurring neurotoxin. Although many lead-containing products
(such as gasoline and house paints) were banned in the 1970s, contamination
still occurs today mostly by drinking lead-contaminated water, breathing
lead-polluted air, and living in or near older painted buildings and certain
toxic industrial areas. Lead toxicity primarily targets the nervous system,
kidneys, bones, heart and blood, and poses greatest risk to infants, young
children and pregnant women. It can affect fetal development, delay growth,
and may also cause attention deficit disorder, learning disabilities,
behavioral defects, and other developmental problems. |
|
Mercury |
Air
pollution, barometers, batteries, cosmetics, dental amalgam fillings,
freshwater fish (such as bass and trout), fungicides, insecticides,
laxatives, paints, pesticides, saltwater fish (such as tuna and swordfish),
shellfish, tap and well water, thermometers, thermostats, vaccines, etc. |
Both
poisonous and dangerous, mercury is found throughout our environments in many
forms and also in many household items. Mercury often permeates the ground we
walk on, and is also found in some childhood vaccines today because of its
use as a preservative. Mercury as used in dental fillings is the primary
source of toxic exposure, and in vapor form accounts for the majority of all
exposures (via inhalation). Mercury toxicity can affect the central nervous
system, kidneys and liver. Research suggests that this heavy metal may also
contribute to autism and multiple sclerosis. |
|
Thallium |
Infrared
and electric eye optical devices, foods (if grown in thallium-contaminated
soil), light-sensitive crystals, photocells, rodent and ant poisons (now
discontinued), contaminated cocaine (or what is thought to be cocaine),
semiconductors, etc. |
Thallium
is a toxic heavy metal with no known biological function. Human contamination
can occur from oral ingestion as well as through the skins and lungs,
especially if exposed to thallium-contaminated dust from lead and zinc
smelting plants, pyrite burners, and similar processing sites. Thallium
toxicity mainly affects the nervous system, and can lead to maladies such as
hair loss, nerve degeneration, extremity numbness, and cataracts. |
OTHER COMMON CONTAMINANTS:
|
Contaminants |
Sources |
Description |
|
Arterial
Plaque |
Diet
(such as intake of fat, cholesterol, and sugar), lack of exercise, smoking,
stress, weight, etc. |
This
is a buildup of fatty material, calcium, cell debris, connective tissue,
and/or other deposits that accumulate on the inner walls of arteries due to
various factors. The body builds up these plaque deposits to protect the
artery’s walls, and it can eventually lead to vessel narrowing, restricted
blood flow, stroke, and heart attack. Cardiovascular plaque and
cerebrovascular plaque refer to buildup in the blood vessels of the heart and
brain, respectively. |
|
Mycoplasmas |
Infected
people (via coughing, sneezing, etc.), self-replication, etc. |
These
are microorganisms found living in the blood and cells of people with certain
chronic diseases. Both disease-causing and parasitic, mycoplasmas are similar
to typical bacteria but have no solid cell walls – resulting in a
shape-shifting ability that makes them hard to identify and eradicate.
Mycoplasmas are known to cause various unrelated diseases on their own as
well as act as co-pathogens in other diseases. They adapt well to changing
conditions and can move anywhere within the human body, invading and
attaching to either the inside or outside of their chosen host cells without
killing them. Different species of mycoplasmas have now been linked to
diseases like pneumonia, fibromyalgia, lupus, Alzheimer’s disease, chronic
fatigue syndrome, and many others. |
|
PCB's |
Contaminated
air, food, soil, water, etc. |
These
comprise the large group of chlorinated liquid and solid chemicals no longer
produced but which still remain at large in the environment due to their
binding abilities and lengthy breakdown periods. PCBs still taint air, water
and soil in their places of manufacture, use, disposal, spillage, and leakage.
In these areas, exposure to PCBs can occur through skin contact, inhalation,
and ingestion of contaminated water, fish, and marine mammals. |
|
Vaccination
Residues |
Immunizations
for diphtheria, hepatitis B, Haemophilis influenzae type B (HIB), measles/mumps/rubella
(MMR), etc. |
Harmful
toxins can remain in the body after certain vaccines for childhood and adult
disease prevention are given. These leftover toxins (such as thimerosol, a
known source of mercury and a suspected cause of childhood autism) can
contribute to heavy metal burden and lead to other dangers. |
|
Pesticide
Residues |
Domestic
and imported fruits and vegetables (fresh, frozen and canned) |
Non-organic
fruits and vegetables can contain various neurotoxins and carcinogens left
over from pesticide use. Ingesting such produce can result in dangerous
levels of such chemical residues in the body. Apples, pears, fresh peaches,
winter squash and spinach are among the produce commonly having highest
pesticide residue levels. |
|
Chemtrail
Residues |
Aircraft |
Non-contrail
substances sprayed from airplanes in streaks and web-like patterns at both
low and high altitudes are believed by many to contain chemicals for
population control, weather manipulation, large-scale vaccinations, and other
unknown and/or unproven government programs. (Contrails, by contrast, are the
normal white streams of cloud-like condensed water vapor that often trail
aircraft flying at high altitudes.) Analyses of spray residues have revealed
aluminum, barium, biological organisms, pathogens, and other contaminants.
Exposure can occur through the air via descending particles, and reported
exposure symptoms include skin rashes, sore throat, itchy eyes, asthma
attacks, and respiratory ailments. |
At birth, when first exposed to the outside world, the body – guided by a
genetic disposition inherited from the parents– begins developing antibodies to
defend against external poisons affecting the system. During life the body
keeps building antibodies in reaction to most everything it encounters: cooked/processed
foods (and their preservatives), chemicals/toxins in the air and ground, other
environmental contaminants, drugs, inoculations, dental fillings, sexual
partners, and other exposures.
As the body keeps building its protective wall of antibodies, the immune
system – like a cup gradually filling with liquid – continues to accumulate
over the years while the body continually must fight against external invaders,
forced to rebuild and keep up the wall of antibodies. Eventually, when the body
has been fighting too hard and long, and the immune system’s “cup” reaches its
saturation point and finally overfills, the onset of disease (cancer, multiple
sclerosis, chronic fatigue syndrome, lupus, or some other chronic illness)
often begins. No matter what the disease, its creation began with the person’s
first breath on this planet and can often be attributed to the body’s constant
bombardment from external toxins during life. We can gradually rid the body of
its lifelong accumulation of toxins, allowing the immune system to function
more effectively and further promoting wellness in the body.
Toxicity Warning Signs
In general, you may not be aware of heavy metals and/or other harmful
toxins saturating your body even though it is trying to give you warning signs
of their growing (and often overflowing) presence. The body’s immune system can
only withstand so much saturation by external toxins over time, often
culminating in symptoms that may include the following:
These are only general warning signs and this is by no means a complete list. Also, in children, the appearance of the symptoms of autism (slow developmental progress, difficulty verbalizing, etc.) can also be an indication of heavy metal toxicity. Exposure to certain heavy metals is now thought to contribute to childhood autism.