Exposures to heavy metals and other toxins are now so
widespread, regular detoxing is more or less an essential part
of life, especially if you’re planning a pregnancy
Chlorella is a potent detox agent for mercury and other heavy
metals. In one animal study, mice given chlorella along with
methylmercury excreted about twice the amount of mercury
compared to those not given chlorella
Continuous administration of chlorella has also been found to
significantly lower the amount of methylmercury transferred from
pregnant mice to their offspring
Methylmercury is a neurotoxic compound. The two primary sources
of mercury exposure is from dental fillings and seafood, which
is why pregnant women are advised to abstain from fish and avoid
so-called ‘silver fillings’
By Dr. Mercola
Chlorella, single-celled fresh water algae, is often referred
to as a near-perfect food, with a wide range of
health benefits.
A recent study investigated the effects of chlorella on
methylmercury transfer to fetuses during pregnancy. Pregnant
mice were fed diets containing either 0% or 10% chlorella
powder, along with methylmercury in their drinking water.
Two neonates were randomly selected from each mother mouse
within 24 hours of birth, and examined for mercury in the blood,
brain, liver, and kidneys. The mothers were also examined for
mercury. According to the study1:
"The blood and brain [mercury] levels of both
neonates and mothers in the [chlorella powder] diet group
were significantly lower...
The results obtained here revealed that continuous
[chlorella powder] intake suppressed [methylmercury]
transfer to the fetus, in addition to effective suppressing
[methylmercury] accumulation in brains of the mothers."
Methylmercury is a neurotoxic compound widely used in
industrial applications. It accumulates in fish, which has led
to widespread advisories against
fish consumption by pregnant women. In fetuses and
developing infants it can have negative effects on attention
span, language, visual-spatial skills, memory and coordination.
An estimated 60,000 children each year are born at risk for
neurological problems due to methylmercury exposure in the womb.
Do You Need to Detox?
Heavy metal toxicity, just like chemical toxicity, has become
one of the most pressing health hazards of our day. Whether you
recognize it or not, your body is assailed by chemicals and
heavy metals on a daily basis. The two primary sources of
mercury exposure are:
Dental fillings (mercury amalgams, better known as
'silver fillings')
The average individual has eight amalgam fillings, from which
they could absorb up to 120 micrograms of mercury per day. For
comparison, estimates of the daily absorption of
mercury from fish and seafood is 2.3 micrograms, and from
all other foods, air, and water is 0.3 micrograms per day.
Adults with four or more amalgams run a significant risk of
mercury-related health problems from them, while in children as
few as two amalgams will contribute to health problems.
It's important to realize that mercury and other heavy metals
accumulate in your body, and your levels therefore increase with
age. Such bioaccumulation also pose a direct threat to the
developing fetus in pregnant women, as mentioned above.
While detoxing was once considered a 'fad,' in today's world,
regular detoxing has become more or less a necessity, especially
if you're planning a pregnancy. It's wise for most people to
proactively remove metals from their body before
becoming plagued by symptoms. If you already have symptoms (see
below), then ridding your body of metals may help resolve them.
Cilantro can be used as a synergetic aid along with
chlorella. It's particularly useful to take when consuming
seafood.
Chlorella's effectiveness was demonstrated in a study last
year2,
where mice given chlorella along with methylmercury excreted
approximately twice the amount of methylmercury in
their urine and feces, compared to mice not treated with
chlorella.
Signs and Symptoms of Mercury Toxicity
As mercury and other heavy metals build up in your body over
time, they can produce chronic symptoms that you might never
associate with your love for sushi, or your dental fillings.
Mercury is especially damaging to your central nervous system
(CNS), and studies show that mercury in the CNS causes
psychological, neurological, and immunological problems. Some of
the symptoms of mercury build-up and toxicity include:
Fatigue
Aching joints
Depression, irritability, anxiety
Digestive distress and reduced ability to properly
assimilate and utilize fats
Impaired blood sugar regulation
Female reproductive problems such as menstrual difficulties,
infertility, miscarriage, pre-eclampsia, pregnancy-induced
hypertension and premature birth
Neuron degeneration
Central nervous system damage
Kidney damage
Mercury Testing: What You Need to Know
Traditional mercury testing involves testing either your
hair, blood, urine, or stool. Challenge tests that implement a
chelating chemical, such as DMPS or DMSA, are also commonly
used. However, all of these tests have drawbacks. They primarily
measure total mercury load — and inaccurately at that. But most
importantly they don’t give you any information about the forms
of mercury in your system or how efficiently you are getting rid
of them.
Traditional mercury tests don’t answer questions like, how
much of your mercury load is from the seafood you eat? How much
from amalgams? How well are your kidneys and liver
eliminating it?
The two principal forms of mercury accumulate differently in
your body, and are eliminated by different pathways. For
example, mercury levels in your hair only reflect the mercury
from the fish you eat. But mercury levels in your urine reflect
the mercury coming from your dental fillings (plus some of the
fish-based methylmercury that has broken down into inorganic
mercury). The only way to determine if there is a problem is to
compare your hair and urine levels with levels in your blood.
So, if mercury testing is to be meaningful, it must measure both
of the following:
Exposure level: Overall mercury level
for each of the two main forms of mercury (methylmercury,
related to your fish/seafood consumption, and inorganic
mercury, related to dental amalgam exposure)
Excretion ability: How well your body
is getting rid of each kind of mercury, regardless of your
overall mercury level
A newer testing method called “mercury speciation ”does just
this — it measures both of these factors. This test uses blood,
urine and hair to give you a more comprehensive picture of how
your body is eliminating mercury and where the process may be
blocked. This information can be immensely helpful in preparing
a successful detoxification plan. For more information about
mercury speciation testing, refer to my recent
interview with Dr. Shade below.
Preferably, you'll want to take it in the morning. Many
chlorella products are sold in small tablets, typically 500 mg
each, which means you should take several tablets a day.
According to
Ginny Banks, an expert in functional foods and
nutraceuticals:
"It's not something that you just take occasionally
like some herbs or some supplements. Chlorella is something
you want to be taking every day… You need to be getting at
least 4 grams each day of chlorella to get the benefits that
it provides."
I recommend starting with a lower dose and slowly work your
way up to 4 grams. Taking it with food can help alleviate
nausea. Mild diarrhea may also occur. For more information and
guidance on detoxing mercury, please see my full
protocol.
To Get the Health Benefits, Make Sure You're Getting a Good
Product
One of the most important factors to consider when purchasing
a chlorella product is its digestibility. The key to its
detoxing abilities lies within the membrane of this
single cell, but the cell wall of chlorella is actually
indigestible to humans.
"Broken cell wall" is the term most often used to describe
that it has been rendered digestible. If a product does not
specify that the cell wall has been broken, you're likely
flushing your money down the toilet as the chlorella will simply
pass right through you without doing you any good. And detox is
certainly not the only benefit that you'll miss out on.
Chlorella has a number of other health benefits. The web site
GreenMedInfo has assembled a list of studies
3 that found evidence of over 40 different health
conditions that chlorella can help to prevent or ease.
Here's a sampling of some of the health benefits associated with
this green algae:
Repairing nerve tissues
Increasing your energy levels
Enhancing your immune system
Normalizing your blood sugar
Improving digestion
Normalizing your blood pressure
Promoting healthy pH levels in your gut, which in turn helps
good bacteria to thrive
Removing potentially toxic metals from your body
Overall CAUTION
It is important to realize that any mercury detoxification is
a marathon and NOT a sprint. You do NOT want to do this quickly.
Even if you believe you are healthy you want to start this
process SLOWLY as you could easily cause severe flare ups. I am
one of the healthiest people I know and when I did my program I
did it over six months. Some people may need to do it far more
slowly and may need a few years to effectively eliminate the
mercury safely.
Your Most Important Goal: Removing the Source of Exposure
The very first goal is to plug the hole in your leaking ship.
You must remove your source of mercury exposure, whether it’s
primarily from the seafood you eat or from amalgams (or both).
Mercury speciation testing, as described above, can help you
identify which source is problematic. There is little point in
embarking on a major detox mission if you continue exposing
yourself to the offender... that’s like trying to bail water out
of a sinking boat. Avoid the consumption of contaminated fish
and seafood. Most
fish and seafood are now contaminated, unfortunately, but
some types are worse than others. Avoiding fish is relatively
easy, but having your amalgams removed is more involved and
costly and must be done with great care. You should do this ONLY
with the help of a qualified biological dentist as you can
become quite ill if your amalgams are extracted incorrectly.
However, if you have a mouthful of amalgams it is no mystery
that you have exposure that ideally needs to be addressed. Just
be very careful about jumping from the frying pan into the fire
and have your mercury amalgam fillings removed by a
non-biological dentist like I did. That mistake caused very
serious damage to my kidneys that still troubles me 20 years
later. You can find a trained and qualified dentist from the
following list: