So let’s talk a bit about heavy metals.
No, not that kind of heavy metal. We’re talking elements, particularly those metals that can harm both the environment and living organisms. Think mercury, cadmium, nickel, lead, arsenic…
The toxic effects of these metals, even though they do not have any biological role, remain present in some or the other form harmful for the human body and its proper functioning. They sometimes act as a pseudo element of the body while at certain times they may even interfere with metabolic processes. Few metals, such as aluminium, can be removed through elimination activities, while some metals get accumulated in the body and food chain, exhibiting a chronic nature. Various public health measures have been undertaken to control, prevent and treat metal toxicity occurring at various levels, such as occupational exposure, accidents and environmental factors. Metal toxicity depends upon the absorbed dose, the route of exposure and duration of exposure, i.e. acute or chronic. This can lead to various disorders and can also result in excessive damage due to oxidative stress induced by free radical formation.
One of the less familiar heavy metals recently made the news, after the actor Chuck Norris filed suit against 11 drug companies. He and his wife claim that she was injured by contrasting agents used when she underwent three MRIs in one week to assess her rheumatoid arthritis.
She claims the dye used to improve the clarity of her scans – gadolinium – left her close to death, costing $2million in out-of-pocket medical fees, and says she has suffered permanent weakness, exhaustion, bouts of pain, cognitive issues and a burning feeling ever since.
Naturally, the drug companies beg to differ, and health professionals are now reassuring the public that reactions to gadolinium are rare. After all, MRI can be an important, even lifesaving diagnostic tool. Most people experience no ill effects.
But one of the things about modern toxicity is that there’s seldom just one element or a single exposure involved. It is the accumulation of many pollutants over time, which come to interfere with the body’s normal functioning, including the ability to excrete toxins efficiently. What we may identify is the proverbial straw that breaks the camel’s back – an experience that becomes the tipping point from good or fair health into illness.
For a long time, it was thought that only people with impaired kidney function were at risk for gadolinium toxicity. However, a 2016 paper in Biometals noted that more recent research has shown that gadolinium accumulation may take place in other organs of people with perfectly healthy kidneys. Other research has found that gadolinium is capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier and accumulating in that most vital of organs.
Other research has focused on the symptoms of gadolinium exposure, such as one 2016 study in Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
Fifty (100%) of the subjects ascribed their complaints to gadolinium exposure. Thirty-three (66%) described the onset immediately following GBCA administration and 16 (32%) within 6 weeks. The most common symptoms included bone/joint pain and head/neck symptoms including headache, vision change, and hearing change (77.6% each). Other symptoms occurred with lesser incidence.
Another study published around the same time in Investigative Radiology documented symptoms across four case histories, two of whom were assessed within the first year after they were exposed to the contrast agent, and two of whom were assessed several years later.
Central torso and peripheral arm and leg distribution pain were common features. Distal arm and leg skin thickening and rubbery subcutaneous tissue were seen in late stages. Clouded mentation is also common.
Is there a natural way to detox from gadolinium?
One therapy that can be helpful in detoxing gadolinium and other heavy metals is chelation. Chelators like EDTA are power antioxidants that attract heavy metals and excess minerals and bind them so they can be removed from the body right along with the chelator.
But because chelation removes minerals as well as metals, it’s important to replace essential minerals through appropriate supplementation. We likewise want to address the chronic inflammation and other damage done by the heavy metals. Such supportive therapies aim to help restore your body’s resilience and proper function
After all, you have all the mechanisms you need to clear toxins. Our goal is to give your body the proper support so it can do what it was designed to do.