Toxic Metals by Alison Adams

An extract from Chronic Fatigue, ME And Fibromyalgia

A quarter of the earth’s mass is comprised of metals, although there is a smaller percentage at the crust. Man has mined and refined these surface metals and uses them in seemingly innocuous everyday items such as aluminium foil packaging; mercury in vaccinations; copper water piping and nickel in hydrogenated fats. Some people are also occupationally exposed to the metals used in manufacturing, scientific or laboratory settings and some through hobbies such as making stained glass windows (lead) or developing photographs (silver).

Whilst some minerals are essential to the function of the body, metals in their refined form are of no use and are often toxic. All metals have the potential to be toxic, depending upon the dose and even in biologically-available forms the difference between a therapeutic amount of a mineral and a toxic dose can be very small. The human body has developed sophisticated mechanisms for transporting and storing essential minerals and also for eliminating toxic or non-essential metals such as the synthesis of metallothioneins primarily in the liver and kidneys.

The term ‘toxic metal’ is used to refer to metals that have no known biological function and disrupt essential physiological processes and includes such metals as mercury, lead, aluminium, cadmium, barium and uranium. Other metals can become toxic in specific forms, for example, chromium as the Cr3+ ion is essential for maintaining blood sugar levels, but in the Cr6+ form is a carcinogen.

Toxic metals can disrupt many body processes and their effects can be insidious and hard to detect. Metal toxicity also has symptoms that are easily mistaken for a host of other, commonly occurring conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and autoimmune diseases (and are probably the unseen cause).

Some other factors that may also enhance metal toxicity include:

• A relative deficiency of the essential minerals derived from whole foods, vegetables, nuts and seeds.
• Synergistic interactions between metals which greatly magnify the toxic potential of the metals involved.
• Some metals such as lead are mobilized depending upon the phosphate/calcium balance of the diet.
• Some substances may enhance absorption of toxic metals, for instance, coffee is thought to escort aluminium into the brain.
• Various forms of electromagnetic radiation are also believed to promote metal toxicity.

Signs Of Metal Toxicity

Please note that whilst mercury toxicity may not show in hair analysis, urine, stool or blood samples, this does not rule out the possibility of mercury toxicity in the brain and other body compartments. Note that fractionated urinary porphyrins can be used as an indirect measure of the presence of heavy metals, since porphyrins are involved in the haemoglobin pathway which becomes deranged as a result of their presence. The development of white bands or patches on the finger and toenails known as Mees’ lines can also indicate recent exposure to, or mobilization of, heavy metals. These tests may or may not aid your understanding of your condition for a variety of reasons. However, if you have a history of occupational exposure to any metals or have (or had) dental amalgam fillings or vaccinations and if you suffer from any of the following, the chances are high that you have significant metal toxicity:

• Any fatigue related syndrome and/or any serious, degenerative, chronic or autoimmune disease.
• Any condition that is failing to respond to treatment or that is getting worse instead of better.
• Any ‘mystery’ or ‘invisible’ illness that the doctors cannot identify and where test results come back ‘normal’.
• Chronic or recurrent candidal infections and/or any frequent or chronic infections.
• Any contact sensitivity to metals.

Some sufferers and their practitioners are very committed to identifying a specific causative toxic metal or metals before initiating treatment. However, this is not strictly necessary because the treatment suggested in this book will work for most metal toxicities. Some also prefer to obtain proof positive of allergic reactions to toxic metals such as mercury before proceeding with treatment, but I wonder if they would apply this same logic if it were arsenic toxicity at issue? The proof of the diagnosis will be in the treatment and the permanence of the solution.

This is an extract from  Chronic Fatigue, ME And Fibromyalgia.
Copyright 2010 Alison Adams is a UK dentist with a US Master’s degree who worked for 20 years before a degenerative illness forced her to sell her dental practice. Determined to find answers to her lifelong health problems she retrained in various aspects of naturopathy including two forms of kinesiology and allergy therapy. She ultimately acquired 8 diplomas in natural health subjects and is recognised by all the relevant professional bodies. She has both personal and professional experience of the natural healing techniques she describes. www.thenaturalrecoveryplan.com/
Alison runs an informative website for fatigue sufferers interested in recovering their health using natural means. There is an explanatory movie on the homepage and plenty of articles, videos and research. She also offers a free e-book and monthly newsletter on topics of interest to those suffering with fatigue related syndromes.