The deadly poisons inside you

When it comes to toxins and poisons, I think it’s safe to say most people try to avoid them.

But there are certain poisons that we are in contact with every single day (many are INSIDE of us) that we have no idea are toxic at all!

And they're nothing to take lightly.  These poisonous substances can affect your brain, nervous system, bones, teeth, internal organs, joints and immune system, among other things.

I'm talking about heavy metals.

Here's what you probably don't know, but must know, about heavy metals, what they can do to you, and what you can do to minimize their harmful effects.

The heavy metals

The main "offenders" than we are exposed to that can cause health problems are aluminum, mercury, lead, cadmium and arsenic.

They are much more prevalent in our atmosphere today than they were even a few decades ago because we unearth them with mining operations that we conduct to supply the metals that we use for building construction, etc.

Let's take a look at where you are exposed to each of them, and what they can potentially do to you:

1- Aluminum

Found in:  Cookware, food, beer and soda cans, aluminum foil, antacids, baking powder, anti-perspirants, margarine, buffered aspirin and bleached white flour.

Dangers:

• Aluminum is harmful to your nervous system with symptoms that can include disturbed sleep, nervousness, emotional instability, memory loss, headaches, and impaired thinking and memory.
• It can impair your body's ability to use calcium and phosphorus. This prevents bone growth and reduces bone density. Aluminum can also cause conditions which actually force calcium out of your bones. 
• Toxicity can also result in aching muscles, speech problems, anemia, digestive problems, lowered liver function, colic and impaired kidney function.
• Aluminum binds with brain cells and is associated with the plaques found in Alzheimer's patients.

2- Mercury

Found in:  Dental amalgam fillings are by far the number one source.  Even though these are called "silver amalgams" they contain very little silver and a LOT of mercury. 

Mercury is also found in fungicides and pesticides, cosmetics, tattoo dyes, laxatives, paper products, home thermometers and fish (especially shark, swordfish, tuna, mackerel and sea bass).  Coal burning power plants also emit mercury, which is the highest source of mercury in the air. 

Plus mercury is still found in some vaccinations as a preservative.

Dangers:

• Mercury causes damage to your cells and their functions. This damage can be drastic and eventually lead to failure of organ systems such as the lungs, kidneys and especially your brain and nervous system.
• Excess mercury exposure can cause mental dysfunction, fatigue, poor memory, decreased senses of touch, hearing and vision, depression, neurological and muscular disorders, kidney and gastrointestinal problems, infertility and heart disease. Effects can include coma and death in some cases.
• Mercury acts as an immunosuppressant in the body, weakening your immune system and encouraging the development of autoimmune conditions.

3- Lead

Found in:  Lead is found in pipes, paints and gasoline.  Although we have been reducing the lead in our gasoline and paint, they nonetheless remain sources of possible exposure, especially with older cars and homes.

Lead is also found in glassware, roadways, cosmetics, hair dyes, newspaper print and in the glazes used in ceramics.

Dangers:

• Lead competes with and inactivates many important minerals, particularly zinc and iron, and displaces calcium from your bones, making you susceptible to mineral deficiency conditions. 
• In children, too much lead in the body can cause lasting problems with growth and development. These can affect behavior, hearing and learning and can slow the child's growth. 
• In adults, lead poisoning can damage the brain and nervous system, the stomach, kidneys, thyroid and liver. It can also cause high blood pressure and other health problems.

4- Cadmium

Found in:  The biggest source of cadmium is cigarette smoke.  Whether you actually smoke or not is irrelevant--we all breathe air contaminated with cigarette smoke, but obviously smokers are getting far more cadmium than non-smokers.

Cadmium is also released when coal is burned and is found in many plastics, batteries, certain fertilizers and paints.

And here's a big one:  Cadmium has also been found in soda and processed foods!

Dangers:

• Cadmium and cadmium compounds were upgraded in the year 2000 by the US government to the status of "known human carcinogens," with an increased risk of lung cancers in workers exposed to cadmium. 
• Cadmium accumulates in your kidneys and compromises your liver's ability to produce detoxifying enzymes.
• Cadmium also encourages the development of free radicals which can lead to inflammation and diseases of all kinds, as well as premature aging.

5- Arsenic

Found in:  Pressure treated wood that is commonly used in children's swing sets and play yards as well as the porches and decks on our homes.

Arsenic is also found in pesticides, herbicides and fungicides.  It has been found in some shellfish as well as in calcium supplements made from sea shells too.

Dangers:

• Arsenic has been associated with skin cancer, as well as lung, bladder, liver, colon, and kidney cancers.
• Very high exposure to arsenic can cause significant effects to skin and nails, including skin changes that resemble warts, called "hyperkeratosis." 
• Arsenic is harmful to the nervous system and can cause tremors, headaches and numbness. 
• Other health effects may include blood vessel damage, high blood pressure, anemia, stomach upsets and liver damage.

What you can do

Clearly, heavy metals are all around us and it's next to impossible to avoid them 100 percent.

But there are some very important measures you can take to help reduce your exposure to them as well as help counteract their harmful effects in YOU:

1) Do the avoid-dance

Try to limit your exposure to known sources of heavy metals. 

First and foremost, if you smoke, please quit.

Avoid using aluminum cookware and bakeware—stick to stainless steel or cast iron instead. 

Request that your dentist use composite materials in any fillings instead of silver amalgam.  And if you have a lot of amalgam fillings in your mouth now, consider having them removed and replaced with composites. 

2) Have your levels tested

Ask your doctor to do a urine heavy metals test.  It simply involves collecting your urine for a period of time (usually 6 hours), then submitting a sample and having it analyzed.

3) Consider chelation therapy

Chelation therapy helps clear heavy metals from your body.  It can be done by an IV or with oral chelators (especially the amino acid DMPS).  DMPS pulls the metals out of your cells, tissues and organs and puts them into general circulation so your body can eliminate them.

4) Have a healthy diet of real foods and efficient digestion

The vitamins and minerals found in real foods are essential for your body to be able to rid itself of heavy metals. 

When your nutrient levels are low, heavy metals have much greater access to your cells and can even "lock out" your nutrients as they start on their path of damage and disease. 

Plus adequate fiber is crucial.  Fiber binds to heavy metals and helps sweep them out of your body when you have a bowel movement.

The Great Taste No Pain system can help you enjoy delicious meals featuring real foods that are fiber-rich and much easier for your body to break down.

Or, if you have a gluten challenge, Great Taste No Gluten is for you.

Both Great Taste No Pain and Great Taste No Gluten show you what foods to pair together to help support comfortable, easy digestion and to encourage better nutrient absorption. 

Plus the recipe sections in both systems give you delicious ideas for enjoying good-for-you foods that help eradicate heavy metals.  You'll be shocked at how tasty eating for great health can be!

5) Consider probiotic supplementation

Probiotics help the digestive process, strengthen your gut wall and encourage regular bowel movements--which are all vital to eliminating heavy metals.

Plus probiotics can help counteract any effects that heavy metals may have already had on your immune system.

And Super Shield multi-strain probiotic formula is a probiotic that's up to the challenge.

Super Shield's 13 strains of top-quality bacteria are ready to support your gut wall, helping to make it less porous...so heavy metals stand a better chance of getting swept away with your bowel movements instead of being reabsorbed into your system!

Plus your immune system will appreciate the beneficial bacteria boost to help it rebound from heavy metal exposure!

Heavy metals are all around us.

But that doesn't mean you're defenseless against them and their harmful effects.

Now you know how to avoid them and give your body the help it needs to counteract and eliminate these deadly poisons.

To your health,

Sherry Brescia

PS: Always be sure to let your doctor or healthcare provider know what supplements you are taking.