TOXIC METALS and corresponding diseases

SOURCES OF TOXIC METALS

For a more complete list of sources for each of the major toxic metals organized by the metal, see the Reference Guide at the end of this article.

Food Sources.  Food grown near highways or downwind of industrial plants may contain lead and other toxic amounts of metals.  

Even organic home gardens may be contaminated if, for example, old house paint containing lead leaches lead into the soil.

Sprays and insecticides still often contain lead, arsenic, mercury and other toxic metals.  Refining of food often contaminates the food with aluminum, as it is found in water supplies everywhere.

Also, food refining removes the protective zinc, chromium and manganese from food and leaves the toxic metals in some cases, such as cadmium.  This makes white flour even more toxic, as with white sugar, and is another reason to totally avoid these foods.

Arsenic.  Arsenic I call the slow death mineral.  Its symptoms are vague, and it was used to kill people because it is colorless and tasteless so it was added to food and slowly killed people.

Today arsenic is still a common toxin.  It may be added in up to 70% of chickens in their feed as Roxsarone and perhaps in other additives that are still permitted by the idiotic and corrupt FDA and USDA in America.  Europe has banned arsenic in chicken feed, but I don’t know if some are still using it.  It gets into commercial eggs, all pig products such as pork, ham, bacon and lard, and into most US drinking water supplies as it leaches into the soil from farming and livestock operations.  Organic chicken and eggs should be better.  Avoid all pig products for other reasons and this one, too.

Arsenic is used in pesticides and, as a result, may be found in commercial wines, beers, fruits, vegetables, rice and other foods.  Once again, organically grown should be better. 

Lead is called the horror mineral because it is associated with violence, lowered IQ, ADD, ADHD and many neurological problems.  another widely distributed toxic metal due to its many uses in industry.  However, mercury, arsenic, cadmium and particularly aluminum are just as widespread if not more, but are less well-studied.

Pesticides used on fruits, vegetables and many other foods may contain arsenic, lead, copper, mercury and other toxic metals.  Lead was added to gasoline until the 1970s when lead-free gas replaced it.  The new gasoline has manganese in it instead of lead.  Old house paint, current paint used on ships of all sizes, lubricants, medications, cosmetics such as lipstick and others, inks, and perhaps other products may contain lead.  Entire books have been written about lead toxicity, which causes hundreds of symptoms from anemia to death.  

Cadmium is called the pseudo-macho or the violent element.  Like lead, it is an older male mineral that is associated with macho behavior, violence and horror.  People who have orgasms more than once a week tend to accumulate cadmium, probably because it replaces zinc in the male testicles and even in women’s ovaries.  Male and female sexual fluids are rich in zinc, and when one loses too much of these, cadmium from the environment seems to replace the zinc in the body.

Cadmium is widespread in the air, as it is used in brake linings of cars.  It is also used in metal plating as it is a very hard substance.  Cigarette smoke and marijuana smoking can contribute to cadmium toxicity.  Cadmium toughens the tissues and hardens the arteries.  Some women have cadmium in them that allows them to function in a male-oriented jobs and positions of authority.  Cadmium helps them and others to act more tough and manly.  Military and police often have more cadmium, as it helps them handle their very difficult jobs, at times, and take risks.  Unfortuately, it is also a deadly toxic metal associated with heart disease, cancers of all kind, kidney disease, diabetes and other health problems.  

Mercury and others from the sea.  Mercury may be called the mad hatters mineral.  People who made raccoon skin hats in the mid 1800s in America and Europe developed mercury toxicity after a few years from rubbing mercury on felt to soften it.  They became mentally and emotionally deranged in many cases. 

Fish, especially those caught near the coast or in contaminated streams or lakes, are universally contaminated.  Mercury is found today in ALL FISH, bar none.  Even small fish, which used to be safe, are not any more.  This is sad as fish is otherwise an excellent food.

            As a result, the only fish I recommend are very small fish, and the best is sardines because of their content of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D, along with calcium, selenium, RNA, DNA and many other vital nutrients.  The omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D are almost universally deficient in modern diets and are important for every one.  Articles on this website detail this sad nutritional deficiency.

Sardines in the can are fine.  A can three or four times per week will supply an adult with adequate omega-3 fatty acids, and this is actually better at this time than using supplements of fish oil and vitamin D, although these are fine as well.  All other fish should be avoided, except perhaps occasional small fish like sole, smelt, anchovies or herring.

Large fish concentrate mercury a million times or more.  The federal government recently issued a warning that pregnant and lactating women should avoid tuna, shark, king mackerel and other large fish.  I recommend everyone avoid these fish!

Avoid shellfish.  Shellfish and bottom feeders in particular contain excessive cadmium, mercury and other toxic metals.  Please avoid all shellfish, forever, as the problem is just getting worse in most nations of the world.  Once again, they are not bad foods if they are processed correctly, but the toxic metal levels are incredible at times.  This is why many people are “allergic” to them.  This is a mild term.  They are really poisoned by them.

Aluminum.  Aluminum is called the soft in the head mineral because it is associated with memory loss and dementias.  All types of salt contain some aluminum.  Table salt often has aluminum added as an anti-caking agent and should never be eaten.  Sea salt is better but contains some aluminum as well.

Beverages in aluminum cans or food cooked in aluminum may contain elevated levels of aluminum.  Ceramic plates and cookware from other nations often contain leaded glazes that come off onto the food.  Anti-perspirants all contain aluminum compounds.  Use an old-fashioned deodorant instead, or put some liquid soap like Dr. Bronner’s peppermint soap under your arms instead.

Nickel.  This is called the depression and suicide mineral, as it is associated with these feelings and symptoms.  It is a particularly deadly toxic metal.  It is found in large quantity, sadly, in some older metal or even ceramic dental fixtures such as crowns and some wires used in bridges and braces.  Be very careful about this because nickel can contribute to cancer and other horrible problems.

If you suspect you have nickel-plated crowns or dental wires of some kind, talk to your dentist about the problem and try to find out the materials in your mouth.  One way to save thousands of dollars, though not a perfect solution, would be to coat dental wires and even the sides of crowns with clear nail  polish to keep the nickel from rubbing off into the body.

DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME, however.  Go to a dental office where they have a suction machine and do it there, or have the hygienist do it for you.  Nail polish gives off very toxic fumes and these should never be breathed, ever.

Nickel in much smaller quantity in hydrogenated oils found in commercial peanut butter, margarines including soy margarine and vegetable shortening.  Cadmium used as catalysts.

Toxic drinking water.  This is the most important source of toxic metals for most people.  Aluminum, copper, toxic chlorides and fluorides are added to many municipal water supplies. 

Aluminum allows dirt to settle out of the water, while copper kills algae that grows in reservoirs.  Chlorine is used to disinfect water, although ozone works very well and is a far more healthful treatment.  Wells and even municipal water may also contain some lead, arsenic and other undesirable metals.  Galvanized and black plastic pipes can be an important source of cadmium.  Lead-soldered pipes and copper pipes may increase these metals in the drinking water if the water is soft.  It is an uncommon problem in hard water areas.

Fluoride is sometimes called a cancer mineral.  Adding fluoride to drinking water not only does not stop cavities in the teeth.  It is totally insane, because fluoride compounds added to drinking water are extremely toxic.  The entire world has stopped this practice except for parts of America and Great Britain. 

Fluorides have found their way into ground water supplies, and thus into the food chain.  Fluoride levels in foods processed with water may be very high, especially baby foods and reconstituted fruit juices.

Health authorities who recommend fluoridating the water are extremely ignorant, in my experience.  I have debated dentists and public health officials and their level of knowledge of the medical literature on fluorides is horrendous.  They rarely if ever take into account the toxic effect of fluorides already found in natural foods, foods processed with fluoridated water and fluoridated toothpaste. The combination adds up to overload in all cases.

Hydrofluosilicic acid, the chemical often used to fluoridate drinking water, is a smokestack waste that contains lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, aluminum, benzene and radioactive waste material.

Note that carbon and carbon block filters do not remove most toxic metals from water.  Only distillation and reverse osmosis remove most toxic metals.  Good quality spring water is probably best way to avoid the most common source of toxic metals and at the same time obtain vital minerals.

Airborne Sources of Toxic Metals.  Most toxic metals are effectively absorbed by inhalation.  Auto and particularly aircraft exhaust, industrial smoke and products from incinerators are among the airborne sources of toxic metals and other chemicals.

Mercury and coal-fired power plants.  Burned high in the atmosphere, aircraft fuel deposits everywhere and affects everyone on earth.  Burning coal can release mercury, lead and cadmium among other metals .  Iranian and Venezuelan oil are high in vanadium.

Coal plants should have scrubbers, as they do in the United States.  However, they do not in some nations such as China, that are in a great hurry to industrialize and do not realize the damage their plants are causing in the entire world thanks to their pollution of the air, water and food supplies.

Other oil is excessive in toxic sulfur compounds.  Tetraethyl lead was added to gasoline for many years.  Residues are present on pavement and may settle on buildings, cropland and elsewhere.  Today, manganese is added to gasoline.  Uranium exposure is largely from airborne sources such as nuclear tests and accidental nuclear releases.

Incineration can be clean.  Older methods of incineration of electronic parts, plastics, treated fabrics, batteries and even diapers release all the toxic metals into the air.  The use of scrubbers and newer methods of very high temperature incineration are much better.

Cadmium and mercury in papers.  Cigarette and marijuana smoke are high in cadmium, found in cigarette paper.  Pesticides used on these crops may contain lead, arsenic and other toxic metals.

Medications and toxic metals.  Many  patented prescription and over-the-counter drugs contain toxic metals. Cipro (fluoquinolones) and Prozac (fluoxetine) are fluoride-containing chemicals, for example.

Thimerisol, a mercury-containing preservative, is still used in many vaccines, including all flu shots, even when doctors deny it, I am told.  Independent evaluation of a large study that is part of the Centers For Disease Control Vaccine Safety Datalink concluded that:

“Children are 27 times as likely to develop autism after exposure to three thimerisol-containing vaccines than those who receive thimerisol-free versions” .

Thiazide diuretics contain mercury.  These include Maxzide, Diazide and many others.  Antacids such as Ryopan, Gaviscon, Maalox, Mylanta and many others are very high in aluminum.  Antibiotics may also contain toxic substances including metals.

Direct Skin Contact As A Source Of Toxic Metals. Almost all anti-perspirants and many cosmetics contain aluminum.  Dental amalgams contain mercury, copper and other metals.  Dental bridges and other appliances often contain nickel.

Prostheses and pins used to hold bones together may contain nickel and other toxic metals, although most are titanium, which is much better.  Copper intra-uterine devices, if left in place for years, release a tremendous amount of copper into the body.

Soaps, body lotions and creams often contain toxic compounds.  A few hair dyes and commercial high-end lipsticks contain lead.  Selsun Blue shampoo contains selenium that is quite toxic in high doses.

Household lawn and garden chemicals may contain lead, arsenic and other compounds.  Mercury treated seeds and arsenic-treated wood are other common sources of toxic metals.

Occupational exposure to toxic metals is important for many occupations today.  Among the worst are plumbers, electricians, auto mechanics, printers, ironworkers, office workers, other building trades and many other occupations.

Workers need to wear gloves, masks and take other precautions when handling inks, metals and other toxic materials.  Unfortunately, most occupational exposure occurs without the knowledge of either the worker or the employer today.

Congenital Toxic Metals – An Extremely Important And Preventable Tragedy.  This is a vital topic that deserves a separate article, so important is it.  Here I will just briefly introduce the subject. 

Today, all children are born with some toxic metals acquired in utero.  All the toxic metals pass through the placenta from mother to child.   This is seen clearly when reviewing mineral analyses of infants.  These are babies who have never been exposed to food, yet their bodies are high in many toxic metals.

The only explanation is that these infants receive exposures in utero during gestation.  This is a very sad situation, as these children are born with two strikes against them, so to speak.  They are far more prone to autism, ADD, ADHD, infections, developmental delays and more.  For more information about this critical topic, see the articles on this website about children’s health.

This tragedy can be prevented if all young women would go on a nutritional balancing program before they become pregnant to reduce their load of toxic metals.  It would take a year or so to do this, and I am always pleased when young women want to improve their health before becoming pregnant