Getting Rid of Mercury, Dr. Weil

[Guest guest]

Getting Rid of Mercury?

 

Getting Rid of Mercury? JoAnn Guest Jun 10, 2005

15:33 PDT

Today's Question

 

 

Is there a way to get rid of mercury?

-- Shelly

 

 

Today's Answer (Published 01/06/2005)

 

I’ve been getting a lot of questions about this issue

since the FDA and

EPA warned women of reproductive age to limit their

consumption of many

varieties of freshwater fish and some types of ocean

fish.

 

The mercury comes from emissions from coal-fueled

power plants that

pollute the air and end up in the water - and in the

fish.

During pregnancy, mercury from fish you’ve eaten can

get into the

bloodstream of the fetus and harm the developing

nervous system, which

can lead to learning disabilities, developmental

delays, and other

serious health problems.

 

Dental amalgams containing mercury used to fill

cavities have also

spurred concerns that escaping vapors may cause health

problems

(although many studies in the U.S. and abroad have

found no evidence

that this amounts to a public health risk).

 

You first might want to be tested to see if your

mercury levels are

high

enough to cause concern.

 

It is normal to find trace amounts of mercury in the

body, and a test

may show that you don’t have anything to worry about.

 

A study published in the Center for Disease Control’s

Nov. 5, 2004,

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report showed that only

about six

percent

of U.S. women of childbearing age have blood mercury

levels above safe

limits.

 

Your physician can test your blood for mercury, and

home tests are

available to analyze your hair for mercury (although I

can’t vouch for

their accuracy).

 

The conventional medical method for removing heavy

metals (including

mercury) from the blood is called chelation therapy.

 

It involves intravenous injections of EDTA (ethylene

diamine

tetra-acetic acid), a synthetic amino acid.

 

EDTA grabs onto chelates (heavy metals and minerals in

the blood),

allowing them to be

excreted in the urine.

 

Another intravenous agent used by some physicians for

mercury

detoxification is called DMPS.

 

An oral chelating agent called Succimer (also known as

DMSA)

is FDA-approved for treatment of lead poisoning

(particularly in children)

and is now being used by some physicians to remove

mercury from the

body.

 

When used for lead poisoning, the drug combines with

the metal in the

blood stream and then both are removed from the body

by the kidneys.

 

The most common side effects include diarrhea, loose

stools, loss of

appetite, nausea and vomiting and skin rash.

 

If you take this drug, be sure to report any symptoms

you develop to

your doctor.

 

Beyond that, despite insubstantial evidence, some

health practitioners

who offer mercury detoxification recommend supplements

such as cilantro

tincture,

chlorella algae powder, garlic,

as well as various amino acids to rid the body of

mercury.

 

A 1999 Korean study did show that garlic juice reduced

mercury toxicity

in rat embryos.

 

I’ve seen two studies indicating that cilantro can

speed excretion of

mercury.

 

Eating foods rich in vitamin E has also been

recommended.

This may protect against mercury toxicity, but I know

of no evidence

showing that it helps the body eliminate mercury.

 

You can lower your mercury levels over time (months,

I’m afraid) by

avoiding shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish,

all which have

unacceptably high levels of mercury.

 

Stick to wild Alaskan salmon, which may be more

expensive than other

types of fish, but is good for you and low in mercury.

 

 

I also recommend sardines, herring and black cod

(sablefish).

 

Andrew Weil, M.D.

www.drweil.com

_________________

JoAnn Guest

mrsjo-

DietaryTi-

www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Genes

 

 

 

 

AIM Barleygreen

" Wisdom of the Past, Food of the Future "

 

http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Diets.html