Get the Lead Out
‘In THAT direction,’ the Cat said, waving its right paw round, ‘lives a Hatter – and in THAT direction,’ waving the other paw, ‘lives a March Hare. Visit either you like: they’re both mad.’ Thus, Lewis Carroll immortalized the term “Mad Hatter” in his 19th century book “Alice in Wonderland”. This common English saying referred to the toxic effects of mercury seen in felt hat makers of the time. The accumulation of mercury caused dementia and the phrase “mad as a hatter” became a colloquial term to refer to someone acting insane.
Back to the ancient Egyptians and Romans, heavy metal toxicity has been well documented. Metals that are at least 5 times denser than water are referred to as “heavy metals”. Certain heavy metals, in the right amounts, are essential for health, such as iron, copper, manganese and zinc. However, heavy metals become toxic when they accumulate in the body tissues. There are 23 heavy metals that are concerning for their toxicity and common exposure.
Mining produces silver, gold, platinum, nickel, copper and tin. Around here we are familiar with heavy metals such as uranium, vanadium and tellurium. Arsenic was used in wood preservatives and insecticides, which is now banned, but is still used commonly in the poultry industry to stimulate growing birds. Cadmium is found in gasoline fumes and the most common exposure is from cigarette smoke.
Lead and mercury are two of the most common heavy metals of concern. Lead is a very soft metal and was used in pipes, drains and solder for years. It was also in paint up until about 1940. Today lead is found mostly in batteries, plumbing, ammunition, fuel additives, PVC plastics, pencils and pesticides.
Mercury is the most widely distributed heavy metal on earth, released naturally from the earth’s degassing and volcanoes. It is commonly found in batteries, thermometers, thermostats and dental amalgams. Mining and paper industries produce significant amounts of mercury that is emitted into the air, returning in the rain and into the earth’s water supply. In 2004 the EPA warned that nearly all fish contain traces of mercury and another report warned that 1/3 of the lakes and 1/4 of the river ways in the US were contaminated with toxic levels of mercury.
We are exposed to heavy metals throughout our lifetime and avoiding heavy metal exposure is almost impossible, thus a long-term treatment plan is to avoid as much heavy metal as possible while removing the metals from our body. This is done by a treatment called “chelation” which comes from the Greek word meaning “claw”. A chelating agent is one that is taken into the body, where is binds to heavy metals, pulling them out of the tissue whence they can be excreted in the urine and stool.
The best chelating agent for lead and most metals is a chemical called EDTA. It is usually given by IV injection in a series of 5 to 10 treatments, until the heavy metals are removed. We also use natural chelating agents taken orally such alginate, citrus pectin, glutathione, and many others.
Blood or urine levels of heavy metals will detect recent exposure. Hair samples are a good indication of longer exposures but will only reflect recent months. The best test for metal accumulation is a “provoked” IV chelation treatment, after which the urine is collected for 6 to 24 hours. The heavy metals measured in the urine show how much was chelated and eliminated, giving an indirect measure of which metals are present in the body.
If you have high blood pressure, artery disease, a chronic illness of any kind, or wish to take a preventive measure for your health, consider chelation as safe and inexpensive way to “get the lead out”.
Scott Rollins, MD, is Board Certified with the American Board of Family Practice and the American Board of Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine. He is founder and medical director of the Integrative Medicine Center of Telluride, located in the Alison Palmer Physical Therapy & Wellness Center. Call (970) 728-8064 for an appointment or visit imcwc.com more information.