DETOXIFICATION

METAL AND CHEMICAL TOXICITY

Toxicity an important concern. Toxins can be physical or emotional. Toxicity is not something that is easily seen, and can go on for years producing only vague, hard-to-identify symptoms.

Types of Toxins

I have classified toxicity into five types: physical toxins include metals, organic chemicals and metabolic waste products. The first two come from outside the body, while the third is generated within. The fourth type is vibrational toxins - sounds, sights and other subtle energies. The fifth is emotional toxins.

Metal toxins includes lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, aluminum, fluoride, chlorine, bromine, barium, copper, iron, manganese, selenium and other elements. Some of these such as copper, iron, manganese and others are needed in small amounts. Others, such as lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic, have no known function in the body.

Toxicity with these elements can be acute, in the case of ingesting or drinking a significant quantity at one time. However, most often toxicity is chronic. We are slowly exposed to these elements in the environment, and are not able to get rid of them as fast as they accumulate. They are in medicines, vitamin supplements, dental materials, copper intra-uterine devices, hair dyes, cosmetics and occasionally in food, air or drinking water supplies. Metal workers, mechanics, welders, printers and other workers may be exposed to high amounts of particular toxic metals. Many children are born high in toxic metals acquired from their mothers in utero.

Blood tests are mainly useful to detect acute poisoning. Chronic toxicity is far more common. Hair mineral testing or urine challenge tests are required for detection of chronic metal toxicity.

Organic chemicals include pesticides, insecticides, solvents, household cleaners, dental materials other than metals, toxic substances on fabric, in building materials, furniture, plastics, residues in drinking water, air, packing materials and so on. These substances often impair liver detoxification ability, but may impact the kidneys, brain, energy production, immune system and many other organs and body systems.

Detection is difficult because there are thousands of them. Tests are quite expensive when the tests even exist. Invasive biopsies may be required because the chemicals are often sequestered in the liver and fatty tissues. Fortunately, detoxification methods to be described will help with organic chemicals, and identifying which chemical is at fault is usually not necessary.

Metabolic Waste Products. If digestion is poor, the liver is flooded with partially digested food, often mixed with toxic fermentation products like alcohol and acetaldehyde. Toxic intestinal putrefaction products include mercaptan, hydrogen sulfide, putrescine, indole, skatole and others.

Improper bowel flora such as E. coli may produce endotoxins and exotoxins that may also build up in the liver. Chronic infections elsewhere in the body may also produce powerful toxins. Common sites are hidden dental infections in root canals and cavitations, and chronic sinus, bladder and lymphatic infections. Impaired oxygenation, hydration and circulation may also cause lactic acid and other metabolic end-products to accumulate in the body.

Energetic and Vibrational Toxins. These include exposure to toxic sounds such as loud motors, loud music, horns, sirens, auto traffic, blaring television sets, noisy restaurants and offices. Visual toxins may include television ads and programs, traffic congestion and depressing scenes of neglect and despair that one encounters in certain areas. Subtle energetic toxins and harmful frequencies may emanate from microwave towers, cell phones, computers, electrical appliances, geopathic anomalies, high-tension wires and other sources.

Ionizing Radiation. An article in The Ecologist, April 2001 issue begins by stating "the (radiation) equivalent of a nuclear war has already happened". This may not be an exaggeration. The article carefully details that 1900 nuclear tests, accidents and nuclear waste dumping have exposed everyone on the planet to the equivalent of 4000 Hiroshima bombs.

The article reveals details of previously classified accidents including one in Greenland in 1968. A B-52 crashed at a secret nuclear base and its cargo of four nuclear bombs detonated, sending up a cloud of plutonium 25,000 feet into the air. According to US documents, 1250 nuclear weapons have been involved in accidents, a number of which "resulted in or created the potential for plutonium dispersal". The Soviet Union was notorious for its cavalier attitude about nuclear accidents. A 1991 film documents the poisoning of hundreds of thousands as a result of accidents at their first plutonium factory at Chelyabinsk in the Ural mountains.

Using the official "radiation risk" estimates published in 1991 by the International Commission on Radiological Protection, planetwide contamination will cause 175 million cancer deaths and another 350 million non-fatal cancers. It will also cause another 235 million illnesses and 588 million children to be born with birth defects such as brain damage, mental disability, spina bifida and childhood cancers.

A large problem is depleted uranium, a waste product which every nation that has atomic weapons has in abundance. To get rid of it, it is often made into ammunition that was used in the Gulf War, Bosnia and Kosovo. Leukemia rates have increased in these areas since its use.

Another hidden source of radiation are the fluoride compounds added to many municipal water supplies. Hydrofluosilicic acid, the source of most fluoride for water supplies, is a smokestack waste produce that contains radioactive particles and heavy metals along with fluoride.

Radiation is carried on mineral particles. The minerals lodge in the cells where they disrupt DNA synthesis. This causes defective protein synthesis resulting in innumerable subtle metabolic dysfunctions. As the defective proteins replicate, the metabolic errors also multiply.

Far infrared and electric light sauna therapy promote rapid turnover of body cells. The deeply penetrating high heat kills damaged cells which are more heat-sensitive than normal cells. Eliminating the radiation-containing cells helps the body eliminate radioactive particles faster and prevents replication of these cells. Over a period of time, infrared sauna therapy can dramatically reduce the amount of mutated DNA and radioactive material in the body. One needs to use sauna therapy periodically because exposure to radiation continues throughout one's life.

Emotional toxins. These are extremely important for many people. They include exposure to negative, violent, fearful, angry or confused thoughts and emotions in people with whom one associates. They are a feature of dysfunctional families, co-dependent relationships, many educational and work environments, and among those who tune into the mass media.

How Toxicity Occurs

A toxic condition of the body occurs either due to excessive absorption of toxic substances, or impaired ability to eliminate toxins, or both. Excessive absorption can begin before birth. Toxic metals and other poisons pass through the placenta from the mother to the fetus. This is why prenatal care should include a nutritional balancing program that includes detoxification procedures.

Impaired elimination of toxins may be due to congenital poor elimination, constipation, illnesses affecting the liver, lungs, colon, kidneys or skin, excessive clothing, lack of sweating, shallow breathing, liver congestion, nutritional deficiencies, a slow metabolic rate, poor circulation, poor hydration, lack of exercise, or other conditions that impair normal elimination. Most people have very poor skin elimination due to wearing too much, too tight and synthetic (non-porous) clothing from birth.

Removing Toxins

Removing toxic substances is best accomplished when six methods are used simultaneously. The first is to reduce exposure. This may seem obvious, but at times takes some effort to identify sources. The second is to support the eliminative organs. This involves assisting the activity of the liver, kidneys, lungs, colon and skin with methods to be described later.

For heavy metals, the third method is the use of chelating agents. I use natural agents such as sulfur amino acids, vitamin C, substances such as cilantro and herbs such as yellow dock and bugleweed. Some physicians use DMPS, DMAE, penicillamine, deferoxamine, EDTA and other synthetic chelators. I do not recommend any of these. They are unnecessary and even the �safe� chelators have adverse effects in some patients. They release toxic metals from storage sites where the metal may not be causing symptoms. However, if the patient cannot eliminate them adequately, they may redeposit in more critical body tissues, causing a worsening of symptoms. I find that using sauna therapy is safer, less costly and more effective.

The fourth method is to use antagonists. These are nutrients that inhibit the absorption of toxic metals, or inhibit their metabolism. For instance, calcium competes with lead for absorption. Zinc competes with cadmium.

A fifth and very important method is to enhance energy production. Energy is required to remove toxic substances from enzyme binding sites. The main way to enhance energy production is by balancing the metabolic or oxidation rate and supporting proper glandular activity and carbohydrate and fat metabolism.

A sixth method is to support the body in precise ways that allow it to more easily remove toxic substances. An analogy is a building that has broken beam or supporting member. Before it can be removed, the surrounding area of the building must be supported in other ways. This takes the load off the broken support, so that it can be slipped out and a new one put in its place.

Toxic metals often function as substitutes for physiological minerals. For example, cadmium is located just under zinc in the periodic table of the elements. When zinc is deficient, the body will absorb more cadmium as a substitute. Cadmium will perform some of the functions of zinc in the body, though not as well as zinc. When enough cadmium replaces zinc - like too many replacement parts in a car - serious dysfunctions occur.

Removing the cadmium cannot be accomplished very well just by giving a chelating agent and supplying a lot of zinc. It is helpful to support the body's adaptations during the process. In this case, cadmium raises the tissue sodium level. Cadmium removal will proceed much more rapidly and painlessly if one gives extra nutrients that raise the sodium level. In this way, the body does not need cadmium to raise the sodium. For this reason, shotgun chelation and nutrient therapy are much less effective.

The same principle applies to some chemical toxins. For example, caffeine, nicotine and cocaine have a stimulating effect on the adrenal glands. Use of these substances is an adaptation to stress. Supporting the adaptation with nutrients such as vitamin C and adrenal glandular can make stopping the drugs much easier.


NUTRIENT DEFICIENCIES

Today most bodies are very deficient in minerals. There are several causes for this.

Agricultural Causes. Our food consists entirely of hybrid crops bred for production or insect resistance, but not for greater nutrition. Ten times as much food is grown per acre today than 100 years ago. However, these plants only contain 10 to 20% of the mineral content of the old non-hybrid plants. Newer genetically-engineered strains continue this trend.

Weston Price, DDS, traveled the world studying the diets of healthy tribes. He found that healthy tribes on average ingested 4 to 10 times the vitamins and minerals of the average American. Natural fertilizers formerly used on crops restored most minerals to the soil. Today's superphosphate fertilizers are often missing vital trace elements. Pesticides used on many crops kill soil microorganisms that help break down the soil and permit plants to absorb nutrients. Thus, plants also absorb less nutrition from the soil.

Poor eating habits. Many people eat "instant" poor-quality food, eat on the run or in their car, eat standing in front of the refrigerator, eat at their desk while answering the phone, skip meals, and do not chew food thoroughly. Parents are too busy working to prepare meals for children. All these food-related habits impair digestion, absorption and utilization of nutrients.

Food refining and processing. White rice has less than half the amount of some 20 nutrients as whole rice. Salt used to be an excellent source of minerals. However, table salt has most of the trace minerals removed, leaving an unbalanced and unhealthy product. Frozen foods are often sprayed with EDTA, which removes surface minerals and keeps the color of the product bright. White sugar, white flour, canned vegetables, processed meats and cheese, powdered milk, dried potatoes and hundreds of other processed foods are far less nutritious than the original whole food.

Instead of drinking milk or even real lemonade, children drink the empty calories of Coca Cola and Kool-aid. Processed foods such as powdered potatoes, powdered eggs, Cool Whip, Mocha Mix, and hundreds of other products may be fat-free and come in "instant" packages, but contain little if any nutrition compared to fresh, natural foods. Enriching them with a few vitamins, or taking nutritional supplements, just begins to make up for the losses in nutrients from poor food and deplorable eating habits.

Mineral Nutrients

Of all the classes of nutrients, the most deficient today are the minerals. This is the result of high-yield crops grown on worn-out, mineral-deficient soils. Also, many methods of food processing remove valuable minerals. Man-made foods are often totally devoid of minerals. Minerals are also more difficult to supplement. They must be kept in proper balance, must be bound to be absorbed, and they compete with each other for absorption.

Everyone should use kelp powder or granules as a condiment to help supplement deficient minerals. This product is also a powerful detoxifier of heavy metals, radiation and chemical toxins. Using U-Fn serves both purposes as it is concentrated brown kelp.