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Heavy metals in the diet: How do you get rid of them?

The bodies of all adults and children are overloaded with heavy metals. This is a process that can have serious consequences on their health. Here we take stock of this worrying issue and look at some easy yet effective habits for getting rid of these heavy metals and learning to eat healthily.

It’s a frightening fact! According to a very recent survey carried out by Santé Publique France, 95-100% of adults and 100% of children are contaminated with heavy metals!
Arsenic, mercury, lead… The Esteban study shows that our bodies are loaded with some 27 heavy metals! 

Of course, these metals don’t all play the same role and don’t all pose the same hazard. Certain amounts of copper and zinc, for example, are quite beneficial and support proper bodily function. Conversely, the finger is pointed at others because they can cause a great many illnesses (diabetes, cancer, etc.). Either way, too much is not a good thing.

Where do heavy metals come from?

From several sources:

  • Overexposure to mercury comes from dental amalgams and from the diet (not least certain fish, which can also contain chrome, arsenic or cadmium). 
  • Aluminium also comes from plates, certain medicines and deodorants. Not forgetting the use of some phosphate-based fertilisers on cereal crops that go into infant foods. Tobacco, which is of course very bad for the body, contains copper and cadmium.
  • It’s worth noting that organically-farmed foodstuffs are not free from heavy metals (not least copper). However, organic fruit and vegetables pick up less pollution, as the methods used do not include using sewage sludge to fertilise soil (with the risk of chemical or medical pollutants getting into it). 

What do heavy metals do to the body? 

Heavy metals are not without consequences on the body: chronic fatigue, irritability, headaches, and also more serious illnesses (multiple sclerosis, neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, kidney failure, Crohn’s disease, cancer, etc.). Too high a concentration of heavy metals increases oxidative stress, disrupts the hormone system and exacerbates inflammation day by day. Over time, the immune system’s being overworked in this way weakens it. Are you among those affected? To find out, have some screening done through blood and / or urine tests as well as a hair analysis.

How do you limit exposure to heavy metals? 

First of all, you have to stop smoking and have regular dentist appointments to treat caries. Moreover, if you can check what’s in your toothpaste, so much the better. Because French consumer magazine 60 Millions de Consommateurs recently blew the whistle on the presence of heavy metals in supermarket toothpastes. A little piece of insider advice that’s easy to put into practice: upon waking, do a tongue scrape to get rid of the waste substances offloaded by the body overnight.

  • As for detoxing, favour certain nutrients like chlorella, milk thistle and chicory, which help expunge these harmful metals. They have the ability to “capture” heavy metals so that they get expunged naturally. This phenomenon is called chelation. You can take a course of dietary supplements several times a year (once or twice, at least). 
  • In the diet, broccoli, kale and spinach are excellent for countering heavy metals. You can also start drinking vegetable juices from the morning onwards, and sprinkling your meals with coriander, garlic, parsley and ginger!
  • Opt for fish like mackerel or sardines, and limit your intake of tuna and salmon. 
  • Another easy habit to embrace: if you drink tap water, don’t forget to filter it thoroughly, as aluminium salts are often used to clarify it. 
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