What Are The Most Common Heavy Metal Toxicities?

Why Are We So Frequently Exposed to Heavy Metals Today?

We deal with heavy metals every day, and it is not good. The world around us has a lot of things that can be toxic. So, it is good to know about this and learn what can affect you. Today, we want to talk about what heavy metals people face the most and how you can help yourself.

What Exactly Are Heavy Metals?

Heavy metals are a group of metallic elements that occur in the earth. These metals have high weight and are dense. Many of them can be toxic for living things, even when their amount is low.

Chemically, the word often means things that are mostly metal. It can also mean some other elements that have both metal and nonmetal traits. These types of things can build up in the environment. They also can build up in the body and cause bad health problems. A few common examples are lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, and nickel.

Some heavy metals, such as zinc, copper, iron, and manganese, are important for people in small amounts. The body needs them to help with enzymes and things like moving oxygen, fighting sickness, and protecting the cells. But if too much of these metals get collected in the body, they are not good and can cause harm.

Toxic heavy metals are a big worry because they stay in the environment. They do not break down over time. These metals can build up in the bodies of people and animals. Their levels often get higher as you go up the food chain, so animals at the top, like people who eat fish with metals in them, get the most in their bodies.

Long-term contact with toxic heavy metals can hurt the brain and nerves. It may also cause problems with the kidney and liver. People who be around these metals for a long time can have heart issues and cancer. The risk is even higher for kids. They may not grow or learn well.

Which Heavy Metals Are the Most Common and Dangerous?

When we talk about the most common heavy metals that many people all over the world have too much of, the main three are lead, mercury, and arsenic. All the three can be really bad for your health. A lot of people can get sick because of them.

• Lead is still the top source of heavy metal poisoning, especially in places where development is lower. People there often get exposed from dirty soil, old paint with lead, pipes, and pollution from working factories. The World Health Organization says that about one in three children around the world have more lead in their blood than what is safe. This has become one of the biggest health risks in the environment. Lead goes after the body’s nervous system, kidneys, and the heart and blood vessels. It is even worse for kids’ brain development, because it causes changes to how they think and act that will not heal.

• Mercury stands out as another key reason for people getting poisoned by heavy metals. A big way people get mercury is from eating big fish that hunt others, like tuna, shark, and swordfish. People can also come into contact with mercury from burning coal, mining gold by hand, and some jobs in factories. Another big worry is methylmercury, a stronger form of this substance, as it hurts the brain, memory, how people feel, and their movement in adults. Babies not yet born whose moms get mercury can have trouble as they start to grow and develop. A well-known case, Minamata disease in Japan, showed what poisoning by mercury can do to the brain for many people.

• Arsenic is the third toxic heavy metal that causes much trouble. It is mainly a problem because it is often in water underground, especially

How Can You Protect Yourself From Heavy Metals?

So what do we do then to try and prevent exposure?

1. Stay away from common sources of heavy metals when you can. Some of these include dirty fish, old paint, fumes from factories, and dirty water from the ground.

2. Look at your own heavy metal levels with a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA), which you can get from us here. HTMA is one of the top ways over time to find out how much heavy metal your body may hold deep in its tissues.

3. Help your body clean out toxins by using special supplements. A nano mineral supplement can bring core minerals into balance. This makes it tough for bad metals to mess with main body functions.

Are you curious? We can help you out! Finding heavy metals early with HTMA and taking action with the right food support can really help to protect your health for a long time.