By: Susan Merenstein, R.Ph./Owner

Hello! Fall is on the way and I love the colors of the leaves and the chill in the air reminds me of our beloved Steelers and football.  It also reminds me that we need to clean our “houses”-that is our bodies.  We are bombarded with toxins daily.  Here are a few of the most toxic heavy metals and symptoms caused by them.

At Murray Avenue Apothecary we have an excellent detox program that can be used daily to impact our health in a positive way.  Ask about our program the next time you call or stop by the Apothecary. 

“Heavy” or toxic metals accumulate in the body as a result of occupational/industrial exposure or, more slowly, from dental mercury amalgams and the consumption of contaminated food, water and air.  Today our environment, food and water contain higher levels of toxic metals than in the past and none of us are spared from at least low level exposure.  Toxic metals disrupt the normal function of many major organs and metabolic processes thus, the symptoms associated with toxic metal burden are often numerous and rather non-descript.  Further, the toxic effects of heavy metals are often not fully expressed until later in life, at which point some of the damage may be irreversible.  The sooner a toxic metal burden is detected, the better the likelihood of successful detoxification.

Too often heavy metal burden is not considered as a possible cause of ill health and many people suffer needlessly.  If one does not “look” for the presence of toxic metals, one will not find them. Metal burden, associated with a specific toxic metal or combination of metals, may be the underlying cause of the symptoms which are described below.

Mercury
Mercury from “silver” fillings, fish and seafood, fungicides / pesticides, latex paint, vaccines, liquid mercury, thermometers and gauges and emissions from the combustion of coal and hospital/municipal wastes can accumulate in the body and be associated with the following common symptoms:
Chronic fatigue, depression, poor memory and cognitive function, emotional instability, peripheral numbness or tingling, decreased senses of touch, hearing or vision, hypersensitivity and allergies , persistent infections including chronic yeast overgrowth, compromised immune function ,autoimmune disease, cardiovascular disease

Lead
Lead from drinking water, old paint (dust/chips), welding/soldering fumes, some fertilizers, newsprint and general industrial pollution can accumulate in the body and be associated with:
Fatigue, loss of appetite, headaches, poor memory, inability to concentrate , ADD/ADHD , aberrant behavior, decreased coordination, irritability, pain in abdomen, bones and muscles, gout, anemia, metallic taste

Cadmium
Cadmium is a general environmental pollutant and is found in food, tobacco products, cement, welding materials, plastics, synthetic rubber (tires, road dirt), rodenticides, paints and ceramics, batteries and chemicals used in photographic processing.  
Symptoms associated with cadmium burden include:
Hypertension, fatigue, muscle and joint pain/osteomalacia, anemia, lumbar pain, atherosclerosis, kidney damage with associated urinary loss of essential minerals, amino acids and protein

Arsenic
The toxicity of arsenic depends on the specific form of the metal.  Common sources of arsenic include insecticides/fungicides (orchards, vineyards), pressure treated wood and wood preservatives (also very high in copper), smog, electroplating and electronic components, drinking water and shellfish.
Symptoms of excess exposure to arsenic include:
Malaise, muscle weakness, eczema, dermatitis, increased salivation and a strong “garlic breath”, enlarged “half moons” on base of fingernails, peripheral neuropathy

Aluminum
Aluminum is a very common food additive and it is added to drinking water as a clarifying agent.  Other sources of aluminum include antacid medications, aluminum cookware, antiperspirants most colloidal mineral supplements, vaccines and some herbal products. 
Common symptoms associated with accumulation of aluminum include:
Fibromyalgia, fatigue, premature dimentia, ADD/ADHD

Antimony
Food and tobacco are usual sources of antimony.  Antimony is also found in gunpowder, fireproof textiles, metal alloys (usually found with arsenic and lead), plastics, sheepskin bedding from New Zealand, and some ceramics and pigments. 
Symptoms associated with excess antimony in the body include:
Fatigue, muscle weakness, myopathy, joint pain, nausea, decreased libido, headache, metallic taste, headache and chest pain (abnormal EKG on stress test)

Nickel
Occupational exposure to nickel is common in mining, electroplating and steel manufacture industries (including arc welding ). However tobacco smoke and diesel exhaust are relatively high in nickel and absorption through the lungs is very efficient. Margerine and hydrogenated oils (chips,fries) contain significant amounts of Ni.
Symptoms of excess accumulation of nickel in the body include:
Contact dermatitis, pulmonary inflammation, hyperallergenic responses to many different substances, poor immune function

Tin
The main sources of tin are food and water.  Other possible sources include rodenticides/pesticides, dental amalgams, preservatives, anticorrosive plating, wood fungicides, some tooth pastes (stanous flouride) and some cosmetics. 
Excess tin in the body can be associated with:
Hyperglycemia, headaches, fatigue and muscle aches, decreased sense of smell, ataxia and vertigo and neurodegenerative disease (myelin basic protein).