Heavy metals (e.g., mercury, lead, etc.) do not serve any purpose in the human body. If anything, these metals are toxic to the body and almost always trigger disruptions in normal cell functions and other biological processes. Instead of activating proteins (as other useful minerals, such as magnesium and zinc, do), heavy metals do the exact opposite by binding to proteins, causing oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, and cellular interference.
This article will inform you what you need to know about heavy metals exposure and how to detox for improved overall health. Some of the topics we will cover in this article include the definition of heavy metals, the difference between acute and chronic exposure to heavy metals, the most common heavy metals, symptoms of heavy metal exposure, and the ways to test for heavy metal exposure. We will also discuss how to detox heavy metals.
1
What Heavy Metals Are
Heavy metals can be defined as any metal with a relatively high atomic weight or density, usually more than five grams per cubic centimeter. These metals are toxic to both the environment and living organisms. They are usually fatal in large amounts.
Heavy metals disrupt normal cell and biological processes, triggering chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, and cellular interference. Most of these metals do so by binding (partly) to certain proteins. This makes it almost impossible for these to be activated by required or essential minerals, such as zinc and magnesium.
2
Acute Versus Chronic Exposure
Acute exposure to heavy metals occurs when one is knowingly or unknowingly exposed to small amounts of the said metals, and continued exposure to these heavy metals (through the use of certain products, etc.) can progress to chronic exposure, thus causing lots of damage in the process. There are, however, cases where someone is suddenly exposed to large doses of toxic metals, and in such a case, prompt action can help reduce or fight off immediate toxicity. It's worth noting that prolonged exposure to heavy metals is harmful to your health, even in very small amounts; however, you can avoid this by first identifying the most common sources of these toxic metals, then finding ways to detox heavy metals. The human body needs to eliminate even the smallest amounts of toxic metals every day to stay healthy.
Although many people do not know this, exposure and accumulation of heavy metals will not only affect you, the victim, but its effects can be passed down to your children. Recent studies have shown that heavy metals can change our genes' expression, causing health problems a few generations down; numerous studies have shown that certain toxic metals can be passed from mother to fetus in utero. Even if you were raised in a protected and safe environment, there's still a risk of exposure (especially if your parents were exposed to such). Unless the condition is handled well and on time, exposure and accumulation of toxic metals could be passed down to your offspring and their offspring as well. The best way to raise healthy children that are free from toxic metal exposure is to get tested and remove any traces of these metals from your system before thinking of getting kids.
