Foods for Heavy Metal Detoxification

Foods for Heavy Metal Detoxification Many metals and metal compounds can affect our health in the worst way. High levels of mercury, tin, lead, cadmium, aluminum, arsenic and even iron, have been linked to autism, Alzheimers, cancers, kidney disease and more. While trace amounts of some metals are necessary for good health, excess levels can have serious health consequences.

Sources for these metals and compounds include fish, your water supply, vaccines, deodarants, aluminum cookware, iron skillets, cigarette smoke, over the counter drugs such as antacids, industrial waste, and the fillings in your teeth. Unfortunately, with such widespread exposure it’s all too easy to have a build-up of these compounds, leading to a need to detoxify. The following foods and nutrients have proven beneficial in ridding the body of these metals:

Cilantro: taken as a pesto, or a tea, blended in a smoothie or chopped up your food, cilantro is the number 1 detoxifier. Cilantro mobilizes mercury, aluminum, lead, and tin removing them via urine and the bowels.

Spirulina and Chlorella: these are two separate micro-algae organisms which have existed on earth since the dawn of time. Both were revered as powerful superfoods in many traditional societies, and today are more relevant than ever for achieving overall health and well-being. Spirulina has been shown as an effective chelating agent for removing toxins such as mercury, and radioactive substances from the body. It has also been used to remove cadmium and lead from waste water. While some detoxifying supplements simply release toxins from cells and tissues, chlorella is particularly adept at binding to toxic metals and ushering them out of the entire system. The chlorophyll in chlorella also aids heavy metal detoxification.

Asparagus: asparagus does not directly bind to heavy metals. Instead, it contains high levels of glutathione which aids in liver detoxification, which is critical when doing the heavy metal detox.

Apples and Pectin: Apples and other fruits high in pectin help to flush out heavy metals. Pectin helps to release heavy metals, chemicals and other substances into the blood stream, where it binds to them and flushes them from the body. Simply eating fruit high in pectin will help to cleanse your system, or you can add a pectin product to a glass of water, organic grape juice or fresh veggie juice to speed the detox process. Wheatgrass: Juicing fresh wheatgrass is an excellent way to remove toxins from the system. Wheatgrass is high in nutritional content and provides vitamins, minerals and all nine essential amino acids.