Safest Way to Get Rid of Heavy Metals

Question: What is the safest way to get rid of heavy metals?  S. A. — San Anselmo, CA  Answer:  Heavy metals (lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, thallium, chromium) are one of our biggest health problems.  Heavy metals bioaccumulate in our bodies so even small exposures over time add up, triggering problems like heart disease, thyroid disease, dementia, neurological diseases and birth defects.  Tiny amounts of mercury have been shown to damage the brain of a developing fetus or child, and almost every American has too much mercury. Heavy metals cause problems by displacing other minerals that are required for essential body functions. For example, cadmium can replace zinc in key enzymes, causing those enzymes to malfunction and critical biological functions to not be performed. Many physicians today use a treatment called chelation to remove heavy metals. While I am not against chelation, it does have to be done carefully. Not many practitioners use adequate care. Chelation can cause problems because it puts a burden on the eliminative organs and depends on their adequate functioning. However, in many cases, the eliminative organs are themselves malfunctioning because of deficiency and toxicity. In such cases, the kidneys can be overloaded and damaged, and the possibility arises for the heavy metals to redeposit in critical organs, causing even more problems. Another problem with chelation is the removal of essential minerals. Chelating chemicals are not specific to the undesirable metals. They remove a variety of metals including those required for normal cell function. Many of the hazards of chelation therapy are associated with depletion of these essential minerals. Supplementation with highly bioavailable minerals such as those contained in Beyond Health’s Multi-Vitamin is absolutely essential if you are doing chelation. A safer and more natural choice for heavy metal detoxification would be to use nutritional supplementation along with frequent saunas. Supplements such as vitamin C, magnesium, zinc, selenium, glutathione, curcumin and garlic all help to remove heavy metals. This approach takes longer, but it avoids the potential problems with chelation. Saunas eliminate heavy metals along with oil-soluble and other toxins at the same time. Sauna therapy is effective, much safer, and less expensive. Saunas have actually become a household necessity. They are the only way we know to reliably get rid of oil-soluble toxins.  Living in the petroleum age, immersed in such toxins, a regular sauna has become essential to good health. In addition, saunas do a great job of getting rid of heavy metals. Using the sauna avoids kidney damage as the metals are eliminated through the skin and not the kidneys. Saunas increase circulation and improve energy by delivering more nutrients to cells while eliminating toxins. Saunas have a long history of safety going back thousands of years. They also improve the skin. A sauna helps to relax the sympathetic nervous system, reducing stress and causing relaxation. Saunas help to fight infections by increasing the temperature, even eliminating old chronic infections.  I think that saunas are the best single approach to getting rid of heavy metals. They combine a number of beneficial effects that together produce wonderful results. If at the same time you get on a good supplement program, including the Beyond Health Ultimate Wellness Kit that supplies minerals to help replace the heavy metals, you will be very successful. Anyone can join a gym or health club that has a sauna. If you can afford it and have the space, it is best to have your own sauna—you will use it more often. Unfortunately, most home saunas are themselves toxic due to the materials used in construction.  It took me two years of research to select a sauna that met my standards for safety and effectiveness. I sauna twice a week for an hour and twenty minutes, and the sauna I use is on sale through Beyond Health.