Heavy metal Poisoning
Shellfish like shrimp, prawns, crabs, clams, lobsters, oysters, mussels etc. live on the shallow sea bed and act as scavengers for the waste products which pour into the sea from rivers and industries. They selectively take up heavy metal residues, mostly mercury, but also nickel, arsenic, zinc, cadmium and lead. Shellfish specially oysters are rich in zinc and cholesterol. Zinc helps boost the immune system, increase libido & performance. However the high cholesterol content, predisposes to arteriosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Eating shellfish caught in waters near industrialized areas often causes food poisoning and allergic reactions.
Eating shellfish and fish contaminated with mercury can cause mental disorders (like the well described mad hatter in Lewis Carrol's classic book "Alice in Wonderland"). Hatters in the late 19th century used mercuric chloride to stiffen hat bands and in the process absorbed mercury. This lead to mercury poisoning which often manifested as mental disease. Mercury poisoning, either from food or from improperly made amalgam (solution of silver in mercury) used to fill cavities in teeth can also cause neurological illnesses like multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression and loss of vision. Dentists, workers in gold mining, in manufacturing & disposal facilities for fluorescent tubes and CFL bulbs, in paper and pesticide industries are some occupations specially prone to mercury poisoning and as a result to mental illness and neurological illnesses like multiple sclerosis and loss of vision.
The famous outbreak of Minimata disease in Japan, where hundreds of people went blind & suffered other neurological problems, was the result of the fisher folk eating fish contaminated with mercury. Similarly mercury poisoning can cause Vitiligo, headaches, depression, eczema, chronic fatigue, and hair loss as the sulfur in the hair binds the mercury. Hair loss is often an early sign of heavy metal poisoning. ‘Minimata’ is the Japanese name for a neurological disorder that arises from severe mercury poisoning, symptoms of which can include numbness in the extremities, loss of balance, damage to speech, sound and sight, paralysis and death. The condition itself is named after the Kyushu Island city which suffered a severe outbreak in 1956 from untreated chemical factory wastewater.
Large fish, high up in the food chain like tuna, swordfish, marlin, shark, king fish (surmai), lady fish, barracuda, etc. eat smaller fish and concentrate heavy metals in their bodies. These fish, specially those caught in coastal waters near industrialized countries can contain significant amounts of mercury, lead, cadmium and other heavy metals. Such fish are best avoided. Small fish like sardines, mackerel, herring, anchovies etc. which live in shoals in open seas are safer to eat. They are also rich in Omega 3 oils which help prevent, and reverse heart and vascular disease.
Fish eating birds like ducks also concentrate mercury in their bodies and should be avoided. Due to large scale use of mercury based pesticides in Africa & the USA (now banned), fish caught in the Atlantic ocean & along the Pacific coast of America contains dangerous levels of heavy metals as well as Poly-chlorinated Biphenyles (PCB s). These PCB are very well known to cause cancer & are now banned for use in the US but not for export to other countries. The infamous Kennedy Hatch bill allows US based companies to export to other countries those substances which are not permitted in the US. As we live in one ecosystem on this earth these poisons are now returning to haunt North America & Europe with a sky rocketing incidence of cancer. My recommendation is to not to eat fish caught in these waters.
Mercuric salts are also widely used to fumigate grain, to kill pests, and mercuric tablets are often scattered in grain like wheat & rice to prevent infestations with pests. If these tablets are not carefully removed prior to grinding the grain they can cause mercury poisoning.
Mercury can be released into the environment from power plants which burn coal, paper & pulp making plants, gold extraction & refining plants, vaccine and other pharmaceutical industries, municipal waste facilities and medical incinerators. A common, often overlooked source of mercury poisoning, is excessive use of toilet paper and face tissues which contain residues of mercury from the processing of the paper. The disposal of this waste paper is a problem as the mercury leaches into the soil. It is advisable to use water instead of toilet paper after defecation, and handkerchiefs instead of face tissues.
Staying near a power plant which burns coal is a serious health hazard because of the mercury released into the environment by the burning of coal. People who live near coal burning plants & steel industry should use ionizers in all rooms in their houses, and consume adequate amounts of coriander, garlic & vitamins.
The disposal of fluorescent tubes & CFL bulbs poses a serious health hazard as this releases mercury. Try and ensure that these are sent for recycling to a proper facility and are not just dumped into a landfill.
Arsenic Poisoning is increasingly common in the eastern states of India due to the increasing concentration of fertilizers like nitrates and sulfates in the ground water. When this acidic water passes through arsenic containing soil, it releases the arsenic into the water. If you are living in areas where heavy metals are present, it is worthwhile to process the drinking and cooking water through a reverse osmosis filter.
Mercury poisoning is associated with mental disease, multiple sclerosis, autism, accelerated heart disease and reduced immunity.
Vaccinations with vaccines which contain thiomersol as a preservative and to inactivate the vaccine have been implicated in autism in children and should be used with caution. Avoid excessive vaccinations for your children. Read the ingredients on the vaccine vials and if they contain Thiomersol, ask for a vaccine which does not contain thiomersol. Before giving a vaccine, consider if the risk of the illness you are vaccinating your child against is high enough to justify taking the risk of giving the vaccine. Let the treatment to prevent an illness not be worse than the illness itself!
Heavy metal poisoning is also associated with heart disease, with poor circulation as a result of endothelial damage to the blood vessels causing accelerated early arteriosclerosis leading to ischemic heart disease and vascular disease. Most cigarettes contain significant amounts of cadmium (about 1 micro-gram each) and hence predispose to arteriosclerosis. Lead is released into the environment from automobile pollution both from leaded petrol and from the wear and tear on automobile tires.
Eating garlic, coriander leaves (Cilantro), apples & foods rich in vitamin C can help remove mercury from the body. Chelation treatment with Calcium EDTA, Malic acid, Quercetin, DMSA are used in severe cases to remove the mercury from the body.
More information on mercury poisoning can be found at http://www.gordonresearch.com/USAToday_mercury_study.html.
Shellfish like shrimp, prawns, crabs, clams, lobsters, oysters, mussels etc. live on the shallow sea bed and act as scavengers for the waste products which pour into the sea from rivers and industries. They selectively take up heavy metal residues, mostly mercury, but also nickel, arsenic, zinc, cadmium and lead. Shellfish specially oysters are rich in zinc and cholesterol. Zinc helps boost the immune system, increase libido & performance. However the high cholesterol content, predisposes to arteriosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Eating shellfish caught in waters near industrialized areas often causes food poisoning and allergic reactions.
Eating shellfish and fish contaminated with mercury can cause mental disorders (like the well described mad hatter in Lewis Carrol's classic book "Alice in Wonderland"). Hatters in the late 19th century used mercuric chloride to stiffen hat bands and in the process absorbed mercury. This lead to mercury poisoning which often manifested as mental disease. Mercury poisoning, either from food or from improperly made amalgam (solution of silver in mercury) used to fill cavities in teeth can also cause neurological illnesses like multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression and loss of vision. Dentists, workers in gold mining, in manufacturing & disposal facilities for fluorescent tubes and CFL bulbs, in paper and pesticide industries are some occupations specially prone to mercury poisoning and as a result to mental illness and neurological illnesses like multiple sclerosis and loss of vision.
The famous outbreak of Minimata disease in Japan, where hundreds of people went blind & suffered other neurological problems, was the result of the fisher folk eating fish contaminated with mercury. Similarly mercury poisoning can cause Vitiligo, headaches, depression, eczema, chronic fatigue, and hair loss as the sulfur in the hair binds the mercury. Hair loss is often an early sign of heavy metal poisoning. ‘Minimata’ is the Japanese name for a neurological disorder that arises from severe mercury poisoning, symptoms of which can include numbness in the extremities, loss of balance, damage to speech, sound and sight, paralysis and death. The condition itself is named after the Kyushu Island city which suffered a severe outbreak in 1956 from untreated chemical factory wastewater.
Large fish, high up in the food chain like tuna, swordfish, marlin, shark, king fish (surmai), lady fish, barracuda, etc. eat smaller fish and concentrate heavy metals in their bodies. These fish, specially those caught in coastal waters near industrialized countries can contain significant amounts of mercury, lead, cadmium and other heavy metals. Such fish are best avoided. Small fish like sardines, mackerel, herring, anchovies etc. which live in shoals in open seas are safer to eat. They are also rich in Omega 3 oils which help prevent, and reverse heart and vascular disease.
Fish eating birds like ducks also concentrate mercury in their bodies and should be avoided. Due to large scale use of mercury based pesticides in Africa & the USA (now banned), fish caught in the Atlantic ocean & along the Pacific coast of America contains dangerous levels of heavy metals as well as Poly-chlorinated Biphenyles (PCB s). These PCB are very well known to cause cancer & are now banned for use in the US but not for export to other countries. The infamous Kennedy Hatch bill allows US based companies to export to other countries those substances which are not permitted in the US. As we live in one ecosystem on this earth these poisons are now returning to haunt North America & Europe with a sky rocketing incidence of cancer. My recommendation is to not to eat fish caught in these waters.
Mercuric salts are also widely used to fumigate grain, to kill pests, and mercuric tablets are often scattered in grain like wheat & rice to prevent infestations with pests. If these tablets are not carefully removed prior to grinding the grain they can cause mercury poisoning.
Mercury can be released into the environment from power plants which burn coal, paper & pulp making plants, gold extraction & refining plants, vaccine and other pharmaceutical industries, municipal waste facilities and medical incinerators. A common, often overlooked source of mercury poisoning, is excessive use of toilet paper and face tissues which contain residues of mercury from the processing of the paper. The disposal of this waste paper is a problem as the mercury leaches into the soil. It is advisable to use water instead of toilet paper after defecation, and handkerchiefs instead of face tissues.
Staying near a power plant which burns coal is a serious health hazard because of the mercury released into the environment by the burning of coal. People who live near coal burning plants & steel industry should use ionizers in all rooms in their houses, and consume adequate amounts of coriander, garlic & vitamins.
The disposal of fluorescent tubes & CFL bulbs poses a serious health hazard as this releases mercury. Try and ensure that these are sent for recycling to a proper facility and are not just dumped into a landfill.
Arsenic Poisoning is increasingly common in the eastern states of India due to the increasing concentration of fertilizers like nitrates and sulfates in the ground water. When this acidic water passes through arsenic containing soil, it releases the arsenic into the water. If you are living in areas where heavy metals are present, it is worthwhile to process the drinking and cooking water through a reverse osmosis filter.
Mercury poisoning is associated with mental disease, multiple sclerosis, autism, accelerated heart disease and reduced immunity.
Vaccinations with vaccines which contain thiomersol as a preservative and to inactivate the vaccine have been implicated in autism in children and should be used with caution. Avoid excessive vaccinations for your children. Read the ingredients on the vaccine vials and if they contain Thiomersol, ask for a vaccine which does not contain thiomersol. Before giving a vaccine, consider if the risk of the illness you are vaccinating your child against is high enough to justify taking the risk of giving the vaccine. Let the treatment to prevent an illness not be worse than the illness itself!
Heavy metal poisoning is also associated with heart disease, with poor circulation as a result of endothelial damage to the blood vessels causing accelerated early arteriosclerosis leading to ischemic heart disease and vascular disease. Most cigarettes contain significant amounts of cadmium (about 1 micro-gram each) and hence predispose to arteriosclerosis. Lead is released into the environment from automobile pollution both from leaded petrol and from the wear and tear on automobile tires.
Eating garlic, coriander leaves (Cilantro), apples & foods rich in vitamin C can help remove mercury from the body. Chelation treatment with Calcium EDTA, Malic acid, Quercetin, DMSA are used in severe cases to remove the mercury from the body.
More information on mercury poisoning can be found at http://www.gordonresearch.com/USAToday_mercury_study.html.