Why do a heavy metal detox?
We currently live in the most toxic times in human history. Metals in our environment are thousands of times higher than even 30 years ago, and there’s a lot of research to suggest they are playing a key role in our epidemic of chronic disease and general malaise. Various conditions are connected with heavy metals, such as Mercury with Alzheimer’s & Autism, Aluminum with Memory Issues & Mitochondrial dysfunction, Cadmium with Cancer, and Lead with ADHD & lowered IQ.
Due to their society-wide exposure, it is likely that they are contributing to sub-clinical manifestations such as fatigue, lack of motivation/purpose, and lack of mental clarity. I have seen in my practice that detoxification can lead to health improvements far beyond the realm of "biohacking," that is so popular today. It's almost like a cheat code for thriving in today's toxic world.
Where do heavy metals come from?
They often come from
Amalgam fillings
Seafood
Air pollution
Water pollution
Car exhaust
Toxic farming practices
Household products
Aluminum cookware
Geoengineering (geoengineeringwatch(dot)org)
In additional, various factors like sustained stress, mineral deficiencies, impaired liver function, and excess EMF exposure, can cause people to not eliminate metals properly,
Benefits of a Heavy Metal Detox
Living a detox-friendly lifestyle to gradually eliminate heavy metals can truly be one of the best things you do for your health. The benefits includes
My clients and I have noticed a sense of euphoria that often comes after a “wave” of metal release. It can feel like a dark cloud has been lifted, and one can feel far more connected to others, themselves, and their passions. Senses can feel sharper, the mind becomes empty and calm, and one just feels a baseline level of joy for no apparent reason.
Even spirituality can be enhanced, as toxins such as glyphosate, aluminum, and fluoride impact our pineal gland. This gland is hypothesized to be a sort of "antenna" for subtle forms of light & electromagnetic fields, which are then transduced into biochemistry for the body.
Detoxification can be a truly wonderful process, if done correctly...
If done incorrectly however, detoxification reactions can happen and sometimes be nightmarish. So below you will find some important principles to not only do a heavy metal detox, but also avoid any nasty reactions, ensuring a smooth yet power detox experience.
How To Do a Heavy Metal Detox
What follows is a summary of some key principles to keep in mind when building a metal detoxification program. Missing just one of these principles can mean the difference between a life-changing detox and frustration/healing reactions.
Foundations:
Plenty of spring water
Great, low-inflammation nutrition. Reduce sugar, wheat, Convential dairy or other food intolerances. Key foods to include are eggs, extremely high quality red meats in small portions, healthy fats like butter, ghee, and olive oil, and plenty of cooked vegetables cooked till soft.
Calm down. We don't detox well when stressed out. Breathwork, meditation, & time in nature are great for this. If you're really struggling, liposomal GABA can help you slow down.
Reduce EMFs, like from wifi & cell phones, and get outside/practice grounding to reset cellular voltage. Excessive emfs disable our detoxification enzymes.
Balance Biochemistry
Balancing oxidation rate, NA/k, eliminating 'detox blocking' patterns like sympathetic dominance, help the body eliminate all toxins and metals on it's own. The mechanisms are various but include improved methylation, adrenal function, thyroid function, liver function, enzymatic function, metabolic function, and others.
This is accomplished using a hair mineral analysis & targeted supplementation.
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Binders
Most of the toxic metals our body seeks to eliminate are released through the liver into the gut. Binders clean out the gut of heavy metals and other toxins, signaling the body to release more metals. It also prevents mobilized metals from causing damage by recirculating throughout the body, heals leaky gut, and restores the microbiome. Some fantastic metal specific binders include:
Zeolite - Special volcanic clay. Binds to biotoxins such as mold toxins, heavy metals, glyphosate, radioactive substances, and even fluoride (this is one of the few binders known to do so.) Medium term (6-8 weeks) as it binds to a little bit of nutrients.
Modified Citrus Pectin - A fiber made from the peel of citrus fruits that has great affinity for lead, as well as many other positively charged metals like mercury, arsenic, & cadmium. It has immune-boosting affects as well, helping cancer, inflammation, and autoimmunity. Can be taken longer term as it doesn't bind vitamins and minerals.
Enterosgel - A silica-based gel that has a high affinity for aluminum and other heavy metals. It is great for food poisoning as well. It has a low affinity for vitamins and minerals.
*Chlorella - Great affinity for metals. Since it is a living organism it is also highly "intelligent", not binding to any vital nutrients. It even is a superfood, supplying power nutrients such as CGF, zinc, selenium, B12, and others.
*Not suitable if severely ill or anxious
Mineral Supplementation
It is vital to have a healthy base of minerals in order to detoxify. Studies show deficiencies put us at risk of accumulating heavy metals. One of the biggest mistakes people make is to try to detox without restoring their mineral reserves.
This can lead to reactions, plateaus, & reaccumulating the same metals quickly.
Certain mineral also antagonize certain heavy metals, meaning if you supplement them, they will push toxins out. Examples include calcium pushing lead & fluoride out, zinc pushing cadmium out, and selenium pushing mercury out.
Zinc, selenium, magnesium, and iodine are particularly important for our detoxification pathways.
Drainage
Making sure the lymphatic system, liver, and kidneys are properly filtering everything out is extremely important. Addressing this is one of the best ways to make your detox programs extremely smooth & free of healing reactions.
Here are a couple of my favorite tools:
Sauna therapy: shown to eliminate massive amounts heavy metals through the skin, and also support the lymphatic system.
Coffee enemas: shown to increase GST in the liver by 700%. Glutathione S-transferase is the enzyme that helps metabolize and bind toxins to Glutathione, the master antioxidant in the body. It also is great for stimulating bile flow and bowel movements, which help immensely in detoxification.
Rebounding - shown to help circulate lymph, which improves immune function and detoxification. Is great for when one feels "heavy" or "toxic" during heavier detoxification phases.
Drainage herbs/supplements like milk thistle, dandelion, renamide, & gentian also fall into this category. They each support the liver & kidneys, helping keep things moving.
Immune Balance
This part is important if you're very sick, or very sensitive. AMPk is a cell signaling pathway that regulates metabolic health, intestinal permeability, mitochondrial function, and detoxification. AMPk activators include
Quercetin
Luteolin
DIM
Milk Thistle.
They help seal leaky gut and balance inflammation that can happen during detoxification, accelerating progress and reducing unpleasant reactions.
Best heavy metal detoxification supplements (mobilization)
These are compounds that upregulate detox pathways, such as through modulating Nrf2. Most people don't need this, but once everything else is set, one can choose to dial things up, carefully, and ideally under the guidance of a practitioner. I'm only including the gentle mobilizers, as more intense ones should ONLY be done under the guidance of practitioner. They include:
Chlorella - mobilizes and binds: helps reduce all heavy metals.
Broccoli sprouts - Sulfophrane (found in high amounts in broccoli sprouts) supports detoxification of all metals through upregulation of NRF2.
Melatonin - has been shown to chelate every single heavy metal from the body. Incredible antioxidant & anti-aging tool as well.
Final notes - Rhythm, breaks, and inner work.
Detoxification is a marathon, not a sprint. Don't expect to get a lifetime worth of accumulated toxicity out in a week. Take it slow, otherwise you overwhelm your detoxification pathways and create instability. This is also why short "detox" fasts, programs, and singular supplements often fail in producing lasting results; trying to get rid of decades worth of heavy metals in a weekend juice fast or with a trendy "detox" formula simply won't work.
The solution is to create a detox-friendly lifestyle. Consistent, long-term habits, making gentle, steady progress, is far superior to trying a super hard core diet or detox.
Another thing: heavy metals have correlations with psychological and emotional states. After seeing hundreds of Hair Mineral Analysis Tests, I noticed that releasing repressed emotions and detoxing heavy metals go hand in hand. I've also seen how refusing to change one's mind, habits, and attitudes can block detoxification completely.
So find your practice, be it meditation, breathwork, therapy, etc., that helps you explore your inner worlds. Find the practice that helps you see different aspects of yourself, so you can eventually find a deeper Self. Be completely truthful and frank with yourself so you can better see these parts. It helps detoxification greatly.
Symptoms of heavy metal detox
On their way out, metals can create detox symptoms if they come out too quickly. They can include
Fatigue
Weakness
Anxiety
Irritability
GI distress
Rashes
Fortunately, a well balanced program with all of the pillars mentioned rarely has detox reactions, if they do come, they tend to be mild.
Simple solutions for healing reactions include
drinking plenty of spring water, distilled water for short periods of time
eating plenty of low inflammation, fiber rich foods
using more binders
stopping all other supplements.
Should you do a Heavy Metal Detox?
In my practice, I've seen everyone benefit from some form of detoxification. This is simply due to how common they are in our food, air, and water, so it is wise to at least implement some form of regular cleansing, even if it's something simple like supplementing minerals or sauna therapy.
A great way to assess if heavy metal detox is important to you specifically, is to get a Hair Mineral Analysis, which shows the levels of a over dozen toxic metals your body may have.
I hope this information helps.
May you achieve ever greater states of health,
Kyle Peche, MNBP, B.S, Hair Analysis Practitioner
To dive deeper into detoxification, download the Free Guide "Becoming Resilient in a Toxic World".
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DISCLAIMER
All information presented is for educational purposes and are only the opinions of the author. This is not medical advice. Consult with your healthcare provider about any information presented here.