By SHEILA YONEMOTO, P.T.
Dr. Chris Shade outlined the basics of mercury toxicity and what can be done to remedy the problem. I have condensed his knowledge into what I hope is a concise, understandable and usable format without getting too technical.
Mercury toxicity presents a problem in the body because it is more binding than other metals. It never exists as a free ion and attaches itself to enzymes in the body making them inactive. It is a billion times more attaching than zinc and will bind to cell membranes including the vasculature, causing holes in arteries and triggering cholesterol production.
Messing with enzymes messes up body chemistry and can cause depression, anxiety, hyperactivity, chronic fatigue and other neurological conditions.
Mercury toxicity can come from coal burning, dental amalgams, vaccines, fish consumption and flu shots.
There are several forms of mercury toxicity with ethyl mercury being the most toxic followed by methyl mercury, as these penetrate quickly into the body. Inorganic mercury from dental amalgams, aka silver fillings, are very slow to break out.
There are several ways to test for mercury toxicity. Testing from various labs can differ considerably. Some tests are 50 times more sensitive than others.
People with numerous dental amalgams who do not eat fish will show low mercury in the blood. People who are sickest from mercury will show lower mercury in urine because problems with the kidneys will not let mercury pass into the urine. How well you excrete mercury makes a difference in the tests.
Inorganic sources, i.e. dental, are more toxic but do not accumulate well in tissues, while the organic/fish sources accumulate more.
Detoxification from mercury should be done slowly, often over a period of several years, requiring several rounds of detoxification along with lifestyle changes.
Some ways to consider eliminating the hazards of mercury toxicity include chelation and removal of dental amalgams, which should be done under the care of experts. Other lifestyle changes include adding the following items to your diet: vitamin C, chlorella, N-acetyl cysteine, garlic, lipoic acid, CoQ10, astaxanthin and other powerful antioxidants, plus cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli or cabbage and also whey protein, but be sure they contain no hormones or BHT.
Eating a diet high in antioxidants and low in carbohydrates emphasizing good quality proteins and good fats is highly recommended.
I have found a detox diet kit that is great for helping rid the body of heavy metals, although any fasting diet will help. Good luck on detoxifying!
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Sheila Yonemoto, P.T., has been a physical therapist for more than 30 years, specializing in integrative manual therapy, utilizing a holistic approach. She can be reached at Yonemoto Physical Therapy, 55 S. Raymond Ave., Suite 100, Alhambra, CA 91801. Sheila also offers a qigong “Chinese energy” exercise class. Your first class is free. Call (626) 576-0591 for more information or visit www.yonemoto.com.