Choosing Supplements To Remove Heavy Metals That Work

You may not realize it, but every day you are exposed to toxic metals such as mercury, lead, arsenic, and cadmium. These metals pose a threat not only to us as individuals, but to the environment as well. Thanks to the negative effects of several industries, toxic metals, and other wastes have infiltrated the air around us, food supplies, and water supplies. Furthermore, exposure to these toxic heavy metals is impossible to avoid. So, we need a game plan for when exposure becomes detrimental to our health. How do we choose the right supplements to remove heavy metals? This article will explore what supplements that help remove heavy metals actually work so you can get your detox right the first time.

The Starting Point: Heavy Metals 101

Just in case this is your first article exploring heavy metals and the world of detoxes, this section will give you a basic overview of heavy metals.

What Are Heavy Metals?

Heavy metals are naturally occurring elements found in the earth’s crust. They are usually denser than water to be considered a heavy metal. While some heavy metals such as zinc and iron are needed in trace amounts, even too much of these will cause health problems. There are approximately 23 heavy metals, and out of these our biggest concerns are the four most toxic heavy metals to humans. These metals are lead, mercury, arsenic, and cadmium. Each of these metals causes numerous health problems if exposure reaches a high enough level for a long enough duration. Symptoms of exposure can range from acute to chronic.

What Symptoms Should You Look For?

If you are suffering from acute toxicity symptoms, you are experiencing symptoms such as:

 

• • Headaches
  • Stomach Problems – bloating, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, abdominal swelling, diarrhea, and constipation
  • Low libido
  • Fatigue
  • Tremors/shakes
  • Numbness in the arms and legs
  • Brain Fog – difficulty remembering daily tasks and/or difficulty focusing on daily tasks

 

For those with chronic exposure and heavy metal accumulation over a long enough period, you may experience the onset of diseases such as:

 

• • Cancer(s)
  • Crohn’s disease
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Organ failure (liver/kidney)
  • Alzheimer’s disease

 

Whether the problems are acute or chronic, these are health problems we want to avoid. So, when choosing supplements to remove heavy metals from the body, we want to make sure we choose supplements that will work. In this next section, we will investigate compounds and natural supplements to remove heavy metals that will work, making your detox efforts much easier.

Which Supplements To Remove Heavy Metals Work?

While there are plenty of choices for supplements to take to do a heavy metal detox, it is difficult to choose the best ones since there is so much information out there. By writing this, I hope to narrow the search and make it easier for you guys and gals. With that said, let’s get into this list of supplements to remove heavy metals that will work.

 

Chlorella

This supplement is an alga grown in fresh water. What makes it a successful supplement to remove heavy metals is that chlorella acts as a natural chelating agent. This means chlorella will bind to the heavy metals in your body and remove them by mobilizing them and flushing them using your body’s natural detox pathways (urination, bowel movements, etc).

Spirulina

This blue-green alga grows in both fresh and salt water. It is widely used for its antioxidant properties. This means spirulina reduces inflammation caused by free radicals brought about by heavy metal exposure. Any compound or supplement that packs an antioxidant punch will be beneficial as a supplement to remove heavy metals. This is because antioxidants destroy free radicals which can inflame the organs responsible for detoxing your body. These organs are the liver, kidneys, GI tract, and lymph nodes. You’ll find that many of the supplements on this list will have a high dosage of antioxidants for organ support.

Milk Thistle

This plant makes the list of supplements because it works to support the liver. Milk thistle supports bile secretion, helps the liver resist inflammation, and supports GI tract health. Milk thistle even helps promote liver regeneration to a minor degree. There is also research that supports the notion that milk thistle helps heal the liver of jaundice and poison damage. Since milk thistle is so beneficial to the liver, it makes sense to add this to the list of supplements to remove heavy metals.

Burdock Root

The benefit of the burdock root is its antioxidant properties. Furthermore, burdock root is a fantastic blood cleanser. Not only does this plant help remove toxins from your blood, but it also supports your lymphatic system. This system is part of your body’s detox system. These benefits make burdock root a great choice as a supplement to remove heavy metals.

Dandelion

Oftentimes, dandelion and burdock root are used together to make a potent body purifier. This is because the dandelion is great for purifying the liver and strengthening your bones. Furthermore, dandelion promotes blood circulation and helps detoxify the liver, spleen, and brain from heavy metals. It is easy to see why this plant makes a great supplement to remove heavy metals.

Cilantro

Cilantro is an herb commonly found in Hispanic dishes. Furthermore, it is one of the most potent natural chelating agents in nature. Most supplements will contain cilantro or cilantro extract (including Chelanox). Cilantro has antioxidants and chelating agents that bind to heavy metals in the bloodstream and flush them out of the body. Since it is a common cooking herb, it is a little easier to add this one to a meal than most of these other supplements.

Garlic & Onion

This is another natural supplement that is easily added to dishes and has been shown to be fantastic for removing heavy metals. What makes garlic so beneficial are the sulfur compounds within it. Sulfur compounds bind to and remove metals from the body. In the same vein, onions are used the same as garlic. These vegetables also contain sulfur compounds. What makes them such a great duo is that they are often used together as complementary flavors in many dishes.

Honorable Mentions

There are several other supplements that support the detox systems in the body as well as replenish key nutrients to help the body remove heavy metals. Here are a few of those honorable mentions:

 

• • Vitamin C – a much-needed nutrient and antioxidant that supports natural detox.
  • Zinc – a metal that in trace amounts has massive health benefits for the body.
  • Iron – this metal is essential for protein building and blood cell health.
  • Blueberries – one of the best sources of antioxidants in nature.
  • Organic leafy greens – packed with essential vitamins and minerals to support the organs and keep the body healthy (kale, spinach, mustard greens, etc.).

 

Are There Any Side Effects To Removing Heavy Metals?

This question is tricky to answer, but yes and no. Most of the side effects will depend on the method you use to conduct a heavy metal detox. Chelation therapy will have more side effects than adding more veggies to your diet. However, if you intend to make big changes quickly, you can expect potential short-term side effects.

The most common side effects from a heavy metal detox are:

 

• • Fatigue
  • Headaches
  • Diarrhea
  • Being “gassy”
  • Drowsiness
  • Nausea
  • Bloating

 

The duration of these effects will depend on the method you use to detox and how much heavy metal accumulation you have. The higher the concentration of metals, the more side effects you will notice once you start getting those metals moving around.

It is recommended for you to start a detox slowly and gradually over a longer period to minimize the negative effects. This will help you avoid shocking your body with too much change.

Final Thoughts

If you want to make sure you do your detox right the first time, make sure you save this list of supplements to remove heavy metals that work. Each of these has data supporting its effectiveness. A few last-minute tips for you would be to drink plenty of water, get adequate sleep, shop organically when possible, avoid canned foods, and source your fish. Just making these changes will do wonders for minimizing your exposure to heavy metals.