Mercury Toxicity
Mercury Toxicity and Mercury poisoning are a widespread epidemic, affecting nearly everyone on this planet. Mercury toxicity is responsible for many autoimmune dysfunctions, neurological disorders, decreased brain function and kidney disease.
Mercury: Air Pollution
The main sources of Mercury poisoning are from the byproducts of Coal fired power plant emissions. This mercury is in the air, the water, soil, and is now being found in our food chain. Large ocean fish such as Tuna and Swordfish contain huge amounts of Mercury. Eating large ocean fish on a regular basis greatly increases your risk of Mercury poisoning and chronic mercury toxicity.
Mercury and Vaccinations
Thimerosal containing vaccinations are another common way that children and adults can get Mercury poisoning. Thimerosal is a preservative agent used in many vaccinations because of its antibacterial properties which supposedly protects those people receiving the vaccination from bacterial infection.
Ethylmercury makes up 49.6 % of Thimerosal while the rest is thiosalicylate. In 1982, the FDA concluded that Thimerosal was toxic to cells and deemed it unsafe for "over-the-counter" products. Thimerosal was banned from all animal vaccines in 1991. However in 1990, both the Hepatitis B vaccine and the Haemophilus influenza B vaccine were added to a newborn child's recommended vaccination schedule, increasing Thimerosal exposure to young children by 150%.
Numerous studies have been done on the relationship between Autism and the increased use of Thimerosal containing vaccines on young children with very strong supporting evidence Thimerosal, and therefore Ethylmercury, has a very strong effect on the neurological development of young children.
Many studies also confirm a strong link between increased levels of mercury in the tissues with a higher risk for Alzheimer's and dementia.
Mercury Detoxification
Mercury detoxification abilities vary from person to person. Some children or adults have a weakness in their body's natural ability to adequately detoxify mercury from the body.
The body's primary Mercury detox molecule is Glutathione, followed by Metallothionein which is also extremely important in Mercury detoxification processes in the body. Some children and adults are unable to properly produce these vital mercury detox chemicals due to Nutritional deficiencies of Zinc, B6 or perhaps a Copper imbalance. A Copper/Zinc imbalance can interfere with Zinc's ability to be utilized by the body, as well as increasing the demand for Metallothionein in binding excess toxic Copper, thus reducing its availability for its many other functions. Metallothionein itself is composed of 50% Zinc making Zinc very important for Mercury detoxification.
Mercury and Glutathione
Glutathione is a molecule made from three amino acids:
- Cysteine
- Glycine
- Glutamate
Most people get plenty of glycine and glutamate in their diet, however some people have a deficiency of Cysteine. Cysteine is of extreme importance because it contains within its structure the Sulfhydryl groups (thiols) which make Glutathione able to bind to:
- Mercury and other Heavy metals
- Estrogens and Xeno-estrogens (synthetic estrogen-like chemicals)
- Chemical pollutants: Dioxins, PCB's, Pthalates, Parabens, Glyphosate, Atrazine
- Free radicals: ROS's (Reactive Oxygen species), Super oxides, metal ions, dioxins
- UV radiation
- Acetominophin, Ibuprofen, Tylenol, Prescriptions drugs and Pain killers
- and many other Carcinogens found in industrial products and Cosmetic products
Glutathione binds to Mercury, preventing Mercury from interacting with cell proteins, enzymes responsible for energy and neurotransmitter production and other tissues. These Glutathione/Mercury complexes are carried to the Liver to be excreted through the bile and intestines or to the Kidneys where the Mercury/Glutathione complexes are excreted via the urine.
Glutathione is the principle detoxifying agent in the body and is the most powerful anti-oxidant to help prevent Cancer and Mercury Toxicity.
The main component that is needed for the production of Glutathione is Cysteine, as states before. Cysteine is also the precursor to Metallothionein. This makes Cysteine a very high demand amino acid in all mercury detoxification processes.
Mercury and Cysteine
Mercury detoxification requires adequate quantities of Cysteine. Cysteine is derived from Homocysteine of the Methyl cycle. Homocysteine has two pathways in which it can be used.
Homocysteine when combined with Methylcobalamin (B12), Folic Acid or Betaine (Trimethylglycine) will be "Methylated" into Methionine. Methionine is the precursor amino acid to SAMe (or S-Adenosyl Methionine).
SAM-e is the principle methyl donor in the body.
A methyl group gets attached to
- Neurotransmitters
- Immune cells
- Antibodies
- Liver enzymes
- DNA histones
- and many other cells in the body in order to regulate its principle function.
Without an adequate supply of SAM-e, a lack of Methyl groups will cause all sorts of neurons, immune cells, and nerve cells to fire off unceasingly, causing all types of neurological and physiological complications. Without enough B12 methylcobalamin or Folic acid, Homocysteine is unable to form Methionine by accepting the methyl group from methylcobalamin.
Pregnant women are strongly urged to take ample doses of B12 and Folic acid to prevent neural tube defects in the growing fetus. Excess Mercury will cause Homocysteine to be diverted into the production of Cysteine, rather than Methionine, because the body sees the elimination of dangerous mercury to be more important than the almost equally important production of SAM-e.
Homocysteine requires B6 pyridoxal-5-phosphate (P5P) and Zinc in order to form cystathione. Cystathione again requires more P5P to form into Cysteine. Cysteine contains the thiol or sulfhydryl groups which make Glutahione so effective at binding to toxins and Mercury and taking them out of the body through the Liver and bile or through the Kidneys and urine.
Cysteine is also the precursor for Taurine which is used in high quantities in the heart and nervous system. Taurine is a very calming amino acid which helps to regulate the nervous system and keep it firing at a slow and steady pace.
If too much Cysteine is diverted into the production of Glutathione or Metallothionein, there will not be enough Cysteine left for the production of Taurine. This can result in Cardiac disease and put stress on the entire nervous system. Taurine is also used in the production of Bile, which is necessary for the breakdown and assimilation of dietary fats, as well as helping to detoxify the body of Mercury and other toxins.
Excess Mercury diverts too much Homocysteine into the production of Cysteine and then Glutathione or Metallothonein. This leave the body lacking in Taurine and Methionine and therefore SAM-e which helps to regulate and keep order in the neurons, nerves, and immune cells. Excess Mercury can result in weakened immunity, brain dysfunction, and the degeneration of peripheral nerves which can cause loss of sensation or parasthesias such as numbness and tingling. Alzheimer's and dementia can also result from too much Mercury toxicity which can come from eating too much large ocean fish or repeated vaccinations.
Mercury and Hair Analysis
Mercury toxicity can be evaluated with a Hair Analysis test. If Mercury levels are elevated, or if Zinc levels are too high or too low, along with low sodium and potassium, this may be a very clear detection of Mercury toxicity in the Soft tissues.
Hair analysis may be a better method at testing for Mercury poisoning than a blood test since the blood is the most protected tissue in the body. Mineral imbalances and heavy metal toxicities are pushed into the cells, internal organs, and other soft tissues in order to protect the blood which requires a very precise level of chemistry in order to function properly.
The hair is solid record of the mineral levels and presence of mercury or other toxic heavy metals for a period of one month. Blood tests are only a snapshot of the precise moment in which the test is taken, making it very hard to determine anything from just one test.
A person must be tested several times per day for a period of a week to a clear depiction of what is happening in the blood, and this leaves out most of the soft tissues which is more illustrative of what is going on at the cellular level.
Nutritional balancing programs are designed based on your Hair mineral analysis in order to provide you the most balanced and effective nutritional therapy for increasing the production of Metallothionein and Glutathione as well as SAM-e for a balanced approach to improving your body's ability to detoxify excess levels of mercury in the Kidneys, brain, and nerves.
Mercury and Zinc
Mercury and Zinc have very similar chemical structures and therefore Mercury tends to displace Zinc in many energy producing enzymatic pathways which are needed for the production of neurotransmitters, immune cells, and every other protein in the body, including Metallothionein. Taking Zinc alone will not be enough to adequately help the body detoxify the Mercury since it will continue to be displaced by the much larger heavy metal Mercury.
You have to convince the tissues in which Mercury is being used as a place holder to release the Mercury and take the Zinc in its place. This usually requires adequate Adrenal support because the presence of Mercury helps to stimulate our tired Adrenal glands into feeling energized, when actually what they really need is rest. The presence of Mercury and all other toxic substances act like a stimulant to the Adrenals by producing a stress reaction inside the body, requiring the production of adrenaline, cortisol and other adrenal hormones which which help support the detoxification processes which are required by such toxins.
If you just take the mercury out of the body, the adrenals may collapse because the stimulating effects of the Mercury will no longer be present. This can make you feel exhausted and you may even get very ill because of this. This is why a Hair Analysis is recommended to help give us a blueprint to not only get rid of the Mercury or other heavy metals, but also to help guide us in the process of rebuilding the Adrenal glands with Vitamin A, E, B vitamins, Folic acid, Zinc, etc. Taking these minerals without a hair analysis blueprint can lead to severe imbalances because the dosage and ratios of these minerals to one another is extremely important for balancing your Metabolic rate and Thyroid function as well as help increase your body's natural Mercury detoxification methods.