How To Safely Detox Heavy Metals
And why most metal chelation protocols are incredibly dangerous
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Disclaimer: Content for entertainment purposes only. Not medical or health advice.
Heavy metal poisoning is a ubiquitous issue, one that most of us are likely dealing with (to a smaller or greater degree). In my view, mainstream health authorities largely underestimate the degree to which heavy metal accumulation plays a role in a multitude of chronic physical and “mental” disorders (I put “mental” in parentheses because the metals’ involvement creates a very real biochemical contribution to them).
Heavy metals wreak havoc by:12
Outcompeting minerals for absorption and incorporation into various enzymes and steps of cellular respiration.
Causing heaps of oxidative stress and structural cell deformities, and depleting endogenous and exogenous antioxidants (such as glutathione and vitamin E), by facilitating the oxidation of the polyunsaturated fats incorporated into cellular membranes and components.
Inhibiting cells’ ability to generate cellular energy.
Something that I’ve talked about in nearly every single article on here is how the maintenance, structure and function of every cell in the body depends on adequate cellular energy. When cellular energy is in short supply, disease states manifest. This is why heavy metal exposure can result in the manifestation of so many varied disease states.
Some diseases linked to the accumulation of heavy metals in various parts of the body, including the brain, kidneys, or endocrine glands, include Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, kidney failure, liver cirrhosis, lupus, endometriosis, cardiovascular disease, chronic fatigue, diabetes, hypothyroidism, anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, learning disabilities, cancers, and much, much more.
Our routes of exposure to heavy metals are multifaceted, with metals entering our bodies through the foods we eat, the medication we take, the air we breathe, the items that come in contact with our skin, and various medical procedures. Some routes of heavy metal exposure can be extremely inconspicuous, such as eating off of vintage dinnerware, diets full of certain whole grains, or using conventional deodorant.
While the mainstream medical view tends to underestimate the involvement of metals in various disease states, alternative health publications know all about the deleterious effects of metals and their ubiquitousness. Proponents of alternative health practices have an unhealthy obsession with detoxes, with some businesses and coaching practices being built entirely on the premise of removing toxins to make us “clean and pure.” However, the alternative health sector suffers from a very different impediment, which is the misunderstanding of how the body works and the resulting recommendations of dangerous, often ineffective, and sometimes borderline ridiculous chelation protocols and “metal detoxes.”
Many people who take an interest in natural health and alternative ways for improving their well-being soon become bombarded with messaging that screams: “Everyone is metal toxic!! Everyone must detox heavy metals!!”
While undoubtedly all of us have some degree of various toxic metals accumulated in our bodies, the detox protocols recommended in the alternative/natural health sphere are reckless and dangerous, and are far more likely to leave an asymptomatic person with a litany of new health complaints than they are to help. I am writing this to prevent you from hurting yourself by falling prey to any of these detoxes.
My goal with this article is to provide you with a safe, systemic and long-term plan for lowering the burden of metals in your body, in ways that are supported by existing literature and are biochemically sound, together with a guide that can help and connect certain symptoms to the presence and accumulation of certain metals.
Since the topic of metals is massive, this article took months to research and write and is by far the longest article I’ve published to date (which really says a lot since my articles tend to take on average an hour to read). In other words, if you plan to read this all in one go, it’s probably best you grab a coffee and a snack beforehand. ☕️🥐
In this article:
What are heavy metals?
How to know if you’re metal toxic
Most testing for toxic metals is very unreliable
Certain diseases correspond to the presence of specific metals
Detoxes don’t work how you think they do
The dangers of most heavy metal chelation protocols
Why spirulina, chlorella and “the Medical Medium Detox Smoothie” can worsen neurological issues
The side effects of pharmaceutical chelators (DMSA, DMPS, EDTA, ALA, etc.)
Why some people can’t tolerate NAC or glutathione
The side effects of zeolites
How to safely get rid of metals
How to lower our exposure to metals
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What are heavy metals?
This section will be a bit heavy on the semantics.
If we want to be technical about it, any mineral with a high density and a high atomic weight is technically a heavy metal. This technically makes minerals such as iron, zinc, and copper heavy metals.3 However, these minerals are vital to the survival of most organisms on this planet (including humans), as the function of numerous enzymes and biochemical pathways in the body are dependent on them. This separates them from how the term “heavy metals” is usually used.
More commonly, the term “heavy metals” is used to refer to high-density, high atomic weight metals that don’t have any known beneficial purpose in the body, while also competing against vital minerals for the incorporation into enzymes and cell components, causing oxidative stress, and general damage to the living organism.
The heavy metals that don’t have known functions in the body but pose a toxic burden are antimony, arsenic, beryllium, bismuth, cadmium, cerium, gallium, gold, lead, platinum, mercury, nickel, silver, tellurium, thallium, tin and uranium.
Most of these unnecessary heavy metals are incredibly toxic, even in tiny amounts. They contribute to mental and behavioural disturbances, learning difficulties, autoimmune disorders, lung/kidney/liver problems, digestive issues, skin problems, and cancer development and progression. Due to the metabolic derangements that they cause, higher exposure to toxic metals has also been implicated in excessive fat gain and obesity.45
Some of the heavy metals that are necessary to human life, due to their function in metabolizing fuel, hormone synthesis, and overall maintenance of life, include chromium, cobalt, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, vanadium and zinc. Life cannot continue in the absence of these metals. Chromium, for example, is the key component of a compound that was first extracted from brewer’s yeast, known by the name “glucose tolerance factor” (GTF), for its role in allowing human cells to metabolize carbohydrates.6
However, in excess, these heavy metals too can become toxic, with some of them (for example: iron, manganese, copper) having a greater potential for causing damage when an excess of them accumulates in the body, in comparison to the others. They do this mostly by inflicting oxidative stress.
Chromium can be very toxic when in the hexavalent form. Hexavalent chromium is an inorganic element (it’s not naturally found in food/nature), and is instead industrially produced and used in chemical processes, such as tanning leather or coating metals. Hexavalent chromium is highly carcinogenic. You likely know it from the movie Erin Brockovich.
The potential toxicity stemming from an excess of the useful heavy metals (minerals), such as iron, copper, or manganese, will not be discussed as part of this article. Instead, the focus will be entirely on the toxic metals with no helpful roles in the human body, such as lead, cadmium or mercury.
Aluminum, although not a “heavy” metal based on its weight, carries the same risks as the toxic heavy metals, while also serving no helpful purpose in the body.
Considering the semantics around the fact that some heavy metals aren’t toxic, and some toxic metals aren’t heavy, from this point on in the article, I will use the term “toxic metals” when talking about the toxic heavy metals & aluminum.
How to know if you’re metal toxic
Most testing for toxic metals is unreliable
It can be quite tricky to determine whether one is or isn’t metal toxic.
Often, an individual’s heavy metal load is assessed using blood tests. However, what’s important to remember about blood is that it is like a highway, with the molecules in it constantly moving and changing. Measuring blood levels of metals can tell us how much of a certain metal is currently in transit. However, blood levels cannot tell us how many metals may have already been transported to and deposited in various tissues of the body. While blood testing for metals can provide somewhat accurate results when done shortly after ingesting metals, or in cases of acute poisoning, it cannot provide a read for the already present accumulation of metals in the body.
“Since arsenic is metabolized from blood within a period of several hours, the measurement of blood arsenic levels is not a good indicator of long‐term exposure of individuals to arsenic.”7
Other alternatives for testing for metals include provocation testing and HTMA (hair tissue mineral analysis).
Provocation testing is often used and promoted by some healthcare providers, however, provocation testing can be quite dangerous, especially the more metal toxic that a person is. The provocation test, also called “urine mobilization test,” “challenge test,” and “provoked urine test” involves administering a chemical chelator, such as DMSA, DMPS or EDTA, either orally, rectally, or intramuscularly, and then collecting the person’s urine to measure the concentration of metals excreted in it. The “provocation” piece refers to the chelating substance provoking the body to excrete a heavy metal, such as lead or mercury.
The test comes with the risk of chelating minerals and redistributing metals, as the doses in which these chelators are administered tend to vary from test to test and are generally substantial and not dosed by their chemical half-life. If the body’s ability to process the large metal burden that gets “provoked” into circulation is overwhelmed (the kidneys, liver, etc cannot keep up), the metals can get re-absorbed, potentially causing more damage than before by moving from low-risk areas in the body (such as bones) into high-risk areas, like the brain.8 Current scientific evidence also questions the test’s accuracy in representing the body’s metal burden,9 as it may simply only reveal which people’s detoxification organs perform better vs. worse at removing metals when provoked, as opposed to showing how metal-toxic the individual really is.
The test also compares the results against a “control” baseline. What this means is that the urine of a person who was given a chelator is compared to what should be considered as “acceptable” metal levels in the urine of a person who wasn’t given a chelator. The result is that nearly everyone taking the test comes back diagnosed with severe metal toxicity when in reality the test just shows that…a person given a substance that provokes the release of toxic metals releases more toxic metals than a person who wasn’t given a provoking substance.
Overall, provocation tests are dangerous, invasive, and very likely also inaccurate.
HTMA (hair tissue mineral analysis) testing, tests for the deposition of metals in the serum by measuring the levels of metals in a hair sample. This test, although probably the most accurate and least invasive out of the three, also has drawbacks.
Hair products used or even the metal concentration of the water that we shower with can alter the mineral reading of the test (and good practitioners make sure to ask about the hair products a person uses to account for confounding variables). Additionally, HTMA tests have to be read in a very specific way that assesses the entire mineral pattern. A low heavy metal reading on an HTMA test doesn’t necessarily mean that a person has low levels of these metals in their body. It can mean instead that the person struggles to eliminate metals.
Many people mistakenly read an HTMA test the same way as they would read blood test results, and often a competent practitioner is needed to spot “hidden” imbalances. For example, certain minerals being high on an HTMA can indicate a rapid loss of that mineral and a need to replenish it or to address a metabolic dysfunction causing that loss, as opposed to indicating an abundance of that mineral.
In my opinion, the biggest drawback of the HTMA test is the need to rely on a competent practitioner and the risk of practitioner error. A layperson cannot interpret an HTMA report accurately the way that they may be able to interpret a blood test by doing some research into the optimal ranges for certain markers, as the HTMA report has to be interpreted in its entirety as a snapshot of a pattern, and not as separate markers. In short, you have to rely on a certain practitioner’s ability to interpret a cryptic report, like some sort of ancient hieroglyph. The availability, competence and cost of such a practitioner become the limiting factors.
What is interesting about HTMA patterns is that they tend to be tied to specific personality traits/mood alterations and specific conditions. Specific metal toxicities too are related to particular mood alterations and specific symptoms/disease states, meaning that a careful assessment of symptoms can provide some clues as to which toxic metals a person’s body might be harbouring. The section below will go over these symptoms, as related to particular metals.
Certain diseases correspond to the presence of specific metals
Since metals tend to increase oxidative stress and interfere with energy production, they can contribute to a multitude of manifestations of ill health, as at the root of most dysfunction are cells that struggle to produce enough cellular energy. For this very reason, some of the conditions brought on by one toxic metal also overlap with conditions brought on by another toxic metal (for example, multiple metals are associated with Hashimoto’s disease), as well as factors outside of metal exposure.
However, over the years, both scientific literature and some more alternative texts concerned with metals and mineral balancing, have noted patterns of certain idiosyncrasies and disease states to be particularly associated with specific metals. This section will go through a list of toxic metals and the disease states that have been observed to be linked to their presence in the body/specific tissues.
As a quick note, metals are not the only causative factor behind the disease states that will be discussed in the next section, as most chronic ailments tend to be brought on by numerous, compounding factors. However, for the sake of this article, the focus will be on the metals/minerals aspect.
The section below will review the negative effects of the most common toxic metals: aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, lead, nickel, mercury and silver.
Aluminum
Causes issues predominantly with: memory, learning, coordination/motor movements, proper muscle contraction, kidneys, lungs, liver, gastrointestinal tract, sweat glands, parathyroid gland
“Chemicals and toxic metals, particularly mercury and aluminum, are associated with Alzheimer’s disease.”10
“Aluminum toxicity affects different body organs, including brain, parathyroid gland, kidney, lungs, liver, bones, and bone marrow, leading to various clinical manifestations. Aluminum effect on bone marrow leads to the formation of abnormal red blood cells besides its effect on parathyroid gland and on musculoskeletal system is represented by abnormalities like osteoporosis and osteomalacia. Liver stenosis and nephrotic syndrome are other important manifestations of aluminum toxicity. Brain and respiratory system can also be severely damaged, followed by aluminum poisoning. Memory loss, tremor, jerk, and death are important manifestations of brain injury. Lung injury can be represented by different clinical manifestations such as asthma and chronic bronchitis”11
There is a strong link between Alzheimer’s disease and aluminum accumulation. One meta-analysis (a study summarizing multiple studies) found that those who are chronically exposed to aluminum have a 71% higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.12
Aluminum is toxic to neurons, especially cholinergic neurons, inhibiting the synthesis of acetylcholine. Because of this, aluminum can cause problems with memory, concentration and learning.13
Aluminum is used in antacids, so low stomach acid and digestive issues when eating animal protein can be linked to aluminum, as aluminum inactivates the pepsin enzyme needed to break down and assimilate protein.14 Aluminum has also been found to injure the gut lining, killing intestinal cells and causing leaky gut, as well as killing off beneficial gut bacteria and promoting the proliferation of bad bacteria.15
Low blood calcium levels can be another sign of aluminum toxicity. Normally, blood calcium levels rarely (if ever) fall into the deficient range, even when little dietary calcium is consumed. This is because when blood calcium falls too low, the parathyroid gland will release parathyroid hormone to stimulate the leaching of calcium from bones, to create a steady blood supply of calcium for the proper function of the nervous system. Aluminum can accumulate in the parathyroid gland and prevent the release and synthesis of parathyroid hormone (PTH).16 These low blood calcium levels can come with nerve-related and neurological symptoms, such as seizures, arrhythmia, muscle cramps, confusion, dizziness, delirium, depression, and hallucinations.17
The excretion of aluminum is done almost entirely by the kidneys. However, depending on how frequently aluminum exposure happens, in what amounts, and how well the kidneys function, some of it can accumulate in the kidneys over time causing kidney problems and kidney damage.18
By accumulating in bones, aluminum can cause bones to become excessively soft. It can also inhibit the ability of the bone marrow to synthesize hemoglobin, resulting in anemia, even if the body’s iron stores are adequate. Lung problems, such as lung fibrosis, bronchitis or asthma can also be linked to the accumulation of aluminum in the lungs.19
In the liver, aluminum increases fat synthesis while lowering liver cells’ ability to burn fats, which can lead to fatty liver. Aluminum also interferes with the function of multiple enzymes in the liver, which can lead to liver damage and secondary metabolic disorders, such as type 2 diabetes.20
Aluminum can block sweat glands and prevent sweating.21 This is why it’s commonly used in conventional antiperspirants. Women with breast cancer were found to have higher aluminum levels.22
Arsenic
Causes issues predominantly with: skin (hyperpigmentation, keratosis), cardiovascular system, gastrointestinal tract, liver, nervous system, hearing, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, hair loss
The effects of arsenic poisoning are most prominent on the skin, resulting in hyperpigmentation and keratosis. The pigmentation is often very dark in appearance - dark brown or black, in the form of spots and patches. Arsenic poisoning can also cause white lines of discoloration on the nails, called Aldrich-Mees lines. Arsenic is a contributing factor to many cancers, but especially skin cancers.23 It is also linked to hair loss/alopecia.24
“In chronic arsenic ingestion, arsenic accumulates in the liver, kidneys, heart, and lungs and smaller amounts in the muscles, nervous system, gastrointestinal tract, and spleen. Though most arsenic is cleared from these sites, residual amounts remain in the keratin-rich tissues, nails, hair, and skin. After about two weeks of ingestion, arsenic is deposited in the hair and nails.”25
Arsenic can cause peripheral neuropathy, most often characterized by tingling, pain or numbness in the hands and feet. It can also directly damage the heart and the cardiovascular system, resulting in arrhythmias, hypertension, cardiomyopathy and myocardial infarction.26
Similar to aluminum, arsenic too can cause anemia by suppressing the bone marrow, inhibiting enzymes involved in the synthesis of hemoglobin, and binding to hemoglobin, impairing its ability to transport oxygen.27
Arsenic can cause gastrointestinal issues, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and intestinal cramps. These are, however, more likely with acute as opposed to chronic poisoning. In chronic toxicity, diarrhea and vomiting occur in recurrent bouts.28 Chronic exposure can also lead to liver cirrhosis.29
Higher arsenic levels have also been associated with hearing loss and hearing problems.3031 Those with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis32 tend to have higher arsenic levels.
Cadmium
Causes issues predominantly with: kidneys, reproductive system, depression, anxiety, immune dysfunction, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, atherosclerosis, bone loss
“Five studies found an association between blood cadmium levels and depression, among them three trials which reported that individuals in the highest quartile of blood cadmium had higher odds of showing depressive symptoms.”33
Out of all the toxic metals, cadmium competes most strongly against zinc, which can implicate cadmium toxicity in many diseases of zinc deficiency. For this reason, high cadmium levels have been linked to endometriosis,34 poor sperm quality, diminished ovarian function, low libido, low testosterone, infertility, and immune dysfunction.3536 Cadmium can damage and interfere with the function of certain immune cells (such as macrophages, T-cells and B-cells), causing the immune system to react too weakly to offenders, together with a propensity towards autoimmune conditions, such as psoriasis,37 rheumatoid/inflammatory arthritis38 and eczema.39
While all metals contribute in some way to mood disorders, cadmium has specifically been linked to depression40 and anxiety.4142
Cadmium is very toxic to the kidneys, and can cause severe kidney damage over time.43
“Cadmium predominantly accumulates in kidney and liver.”44
It also causes bone loss (often characterized by excess calcium being lost in urine) and contributes to a bone disease called Itai-itai. The initial manifestations of the disease are severe pains in the femurs, joints and spine (especially lower back). Over time, it can progress to bone loss and severe postural deformities.45
Cadmium also drives atherosclerosis and high blood pressure,46 by displacing zinc in artery walls, making them more brittle and prone to damage, which then results in cholesterol being deposited in artery walls to restore structure.
Lead
Causes issues predominantly with: aggression/criminal behaviour, IQ/academic performance, kidneys (low vitamin D, gout), bone growth, vitiligo, lupus, multiple sclerosis, anorexia, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, pregnancy complications, schizophrenia
“It has been shown that repeated exposure to heavy metals, particularly manganese and lead, plays a role in developing violent behaviors. […] Adolescents with a high aggression tendency had significantly higher blood and urine levels of lead than those with a low aggression tendency. […] Lead exposure has also been associated with behavioral problems in adolescence and a decrease in intellectual capacity.”47
As mentioned earlier, all metals have detrimental effects on mood. Lead is specifically linked to aggressiveness, violence and criminal behaviour.4849 It has also been shown to lower IQ and negatively affect academic performance and attention span, contributing to ADHD.50
“Consequences of childhood lead intoxication on the capacity of children to excel in their life and society are immense. Scientific research in past has reliably established that lead decreases learning capacity with significant effects on cognitive and intellectual development in children.”51
Lead too causes anemia, interfering with heme synthesis and causing red blood cells to become more fragile.52 Lead can also cause a lack of appetite and anorexia.5354 Higher lead levels are also associated with schizophrenia.5556
Lead can lead to high blood levels of uric acid and gout,57 as it interferes with the kidneys’ ability to dispose of it. Lead also affects the cardiovascular system, contributing to atherosclerosis and high blood pressure.
The skeleton acts as the primary reservoir of lead in the body. Adults can deposit 80–85% of available lead in the skeleton while children can deposit 70%.58 When deposited in bones, lead can cause bone deformities, impair bone growth, and result in a shorter stature.59 Lead also interferes with the kidneys’ ability to synthesize vitamin D, leading to low vitamin D levels and rickets.6061
Multiple autoimmune diseases are associated with higher lead levels, including vitiligo,62 lupus,63 Hashimoto’s thyroiditis,64 and multiple sclerosis.65
In women, lead can also cause reproductive problems, such as miscarriages, premature labour, low birth weight, and pre-eclampsia.66
Mercury
Causes issues predominantly with: pathological shyness/low confidence, hypersensitivity to criticism/easy to embarrass, unpredictable temper, gingivitis/gum disease, autism, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ADHD, OCD, brain fog, hypothyroidism, loss of smell
“The classic symptom of chronic Hg [mercury] poisoning, known as erethism, is a personality change comprising excessive timidity, diffidence, shyness, loss of self-confidence, anxiety, a desire to remain unobserved and unobtrusive, a pathological fear of ridicule, and an explosive loss of temper when criticized.”67
Out of all the toxic metals, mercury is arguably the most toxic. While the kidneys, liver or bones tend to be the primary targets for most metals, in the case of mercury, it’s the brain and nervous system that are the primary targets for mercury deposition and its harmful effects.68
At low doses, mercury can cause symptoms similar to other metals, such as tremors, loss of appetite, anorexia/weight loss, fatigue, weakness, and digestive issues.69 At higher doses, mercury causes severe behavioural and personality changes, called erethism or “the mad hatter disease.”70
In 1800s England, hat makers used mercury to stabilize and melt together the wools that they used in hat making, exposing themselves to substantial inhalation of mercury vapour. Their erratic behaviour brought on by mercury toxicity gave way to the saying “mad as a hatter.” It is suspected that “The Mad Hatter” character in Alice in Wonderland is inspired by real mercury-poisoned “mad hatters” of 19th century England.
Apart from restlessness, irritability, insomnia, and difficulty concentrating,71 peculiar behavioural and mental traits of erethism include:
Extreme sensitivity to criticism and exorbitant over-reactions to innocent remarks that are perceived as criticism
Various fears (fear of ridicule, job loss, etc.) and a constant feeling of impending doom
Periodic unexpected loss of self-control/explosive temper
Decline in intelligence, memory and logical thinking
Apathy, inability to experience happiness and joy
Obsessive-compulsive thoughts and behaviours
Depression, fatigue, lack of motivation
Easily upset and embarrassed
Excessive timidity/shyness
Social withdrawal
Poor judgement
Mercury is excitotoxic, by causing the accumulation of glutamate and stimulating NMDA receptors in the brain.72 As such, mercury has been linked to disorders related to high glutaminergic activity, including ADHD,73 Alzheimer’s,74 Parkinson’s,75 and autism.76 OCD and ODC-related disorders, such as body dysmorphia, nail-biting, or skin picking, are also associated with high glutaminergic activity,7778 and are also discussed to be symptoms of mercury poisoning in Dr. Andy Cutler’s work on mercury toxicity and dental amalgam illness.79
Since mercury has a high affinity for selenium and works like a “selenium magnet,”80 binding to it and making it unavailable, mercury toxicity can contribute to hypothyroidism. This is because selenium is needed for the synthesis of the active thyroid hormone, T3. As such, some very typical symptoms of hypothyroidism, such as constipation, cold hands and feet, coarse, brittle hair/hair loss, “moon face,” poor thermoregulation, excessive or absent sweating, and dry, flaky skin can also be brought on by mercury exposure.81
Gingivitis, easily bleeding, receding gums, excessive salivation, teeth that feel “loose” in their sockets, and bad breath are other symptoms of chronic mercury poisoning.8283
Mercury also interferes with the sense of smell, making it less acute or causing loss of smell.84 Long-term chronic mercury exposure can eventually also lead to symptoms of ALS.85
Nickel
Causes issues predominantly with: dermatitis/eczema, type 2 diabetes, PCOS, IBS, lungs, kidneys, cardiovascular system
Exposure to nickel can increase the incidence of rashes, eczema and other types of dermatitis.86 Commonly, the trigger is local exposure, such as reactions to nickel-containing jewelry (for example, developing a rash on the wrist after wearing a nickel-containing bracelet). However, reactions to systemic nickel exposure are common too.
Nickel has been found to interfere with cells’ ability to take up sugar, while also stimulating the liver to produce more glucose, resulting in the manifestation of type 2 diabetes, both in humans and animals.87 Women with PCOS were also found to have higher nickel levels.88 Consumption of nickel-contaminated foods can present with symptoms indistinguishable from IBS.89
Other symptoms of chronic nickel exposure are more non-specific and overlap with the symptoms caused by all the other above-mentioned toxic metals, such as kidney problems, bronchitis/respiratory problems, hypertension, headaches, fatigue, and cancer risk.90
Silver
Causes issues predominantly with: skin (turns it irreversibly blue)
Although silver is nowhere near as toxic as the above-mentioned toxic metals, its use in alternative medicine and the peculiar dermatological symptoms that it can cause warrants it an honourable mention.
Silver is often recommended as an alternative solution in the treatment of bacterial infections, in the form of colloidal silver. However, it kills bacteria through increased oxidative stress, with this infliction of oxidative stress also being something that it can do to human cells/organs,91 with some data indicating that, like other toxic metals, it can be damaging to the kidneys.92
Chronic use of silver-containing products can turn the skin blue, likely irreversibly, a condition called argyria.93
With the myriad of symptoms that metals are known to contribute to, it can be tempting to turn to chelation or “metal detox” protocols to get them out of the system as soon as possible. However, quick fixes often backfire. There is no magic magnet that can empty us of toxic metals in a “one and done” type of way. The upcoming section will discuss exactly that.
Detoxes don’t work how you think they do
Here’s a general idea of how a detox “should” work, as described by many in the alternative health world:
You ingest some magical substance, which, like a sniper, travels through your body, absorbing every single toxin and impurity, cleansing and purifying you.
You experience a “detox reaction,” as all that is evil and impure is purged. You start sweating profusely, vomiting, and retiring every toilet in the nearest vicinity with an “out of order” sign. Your skin might break out in boils and rashes. Your hair might fall out in handfuls. Your teeth may disintegrate. But don’t worry! That’s just detox. Your teeth were impure anyway. You don’t need those. You’ll regrow a whole brand-new set, this time clean and pure. Your skin is falling off? That’s just the toxins leaving. Your brain stopped working and you can barely string a sentence together now? No worries, that’s just the toxins making their exit, as the magic substance plucks them from your neurons.
After your body has nearly decomposed entirely, the toxins are finally gone. You are now pure and cleansed, ready to emerge from the ashes like a phoenix, as your body rebuilds itself with all sin and evil banished from it once and for all.
I realize that the snarky over-exaggeration above might rub some the wrong way, but in all honesty, this is how most detox protocols are marketed to the average, unsuspecting consumer. The majority of people who have reached out to me over the years with questions regarding detoxes (heavy metal or others) hold onto the idea that a detox has to be dramatic and expulsive, and that one must suffer dearly through it, until emerging “cleansed” on the other side.
While such an idea might align with certain cultural or religious cliches, it does not align with how the body works. Such an extreme reaction is usually an acute reaction to the ingested substance, which may be mildly poisonous or otherwise harmful in some way. It can also be a reaction to the chelating substance chelating not metals, but vital minerals, which sends the body into an even deeper layer of dysfunction. To add insult to injury, many heavy metal “detox” products are heavily contaminated with toxic metals, resulting not in a “detox,” but rather in a “tox” (poisoning); pouring an additional and sometimes very significant burden of toxic metals into the body.
What the body needs to get rid of toxins, whether these are metals, xenoestrogens, or others, is resources.
Detoxification happens when the body is given the nutritional and energetic resources to generate enough energy to keep its detoxification organs and detoxification pathways running. For example, the liver, our largest detoxification organ, is dependent on an abundance of nutritional resources to bind, transform and neutralize toxins, including the minerals magnesium and selenium, the proteins methionine, cysteine and glycine, vitamins B6, B9, B12, adequate protein and carbohydrates, and numerous other cofactors.94 Without these cofactors, the liver can’t function properly.
Do you know when the body becomes susceptible to accumulating toxic metals and getting harmed by them? When it’s depleted of energy and vital nutrients. And what’s the premise on which most detox protocols are built? Further depletion!
“Nutritional status affects uptake, as toxic cations are transported by proteins for essential nutrients such as magnesium, zinc, and iron, putting those who are malnourished at greater risks for toxicity.”95
Most detox protocols rely on subtraction, in which some substance is introduced into the body with the goal of stripping it of metals (or other toxins). However, a safe, long-term detox that does not produce unwanted negative effects is all about addition, where the body is given the resources needed to handle and excrete toxins using biochemical pathways that the body’s hardware is equipped with “out of the box,” at its own speed, without forceful extraction. Why “addition” is the way to go as far as safely detoxing goes will be discussed in more detail in the “How to safely get rid of metals” section of this article.
For now, let’s dive into the very real dangers of some common detox protocols so that you don’t just take my word for it.
The dangers of most heavy metal chelation protocols
There are two key concerns with most heavy metal detox protocols, which are:
Metal redistribution
Further mineral depletion
Certain compounds used to chelate metals do not form chemical bonds strong enough to carry the metals out of the body, and can instead cause re-distribution.
Redistribution is the phenomenon of metals being moved from one area of the body to another when the chemical bond between the metal and the chelating agent breaks before the metal can be excreted. Redistribution can cause metals to be moved from certain benign places (such as the skin or fatty tissue) into vital organs, such as the brain or kidneys, where they can cause far more issues.
“The most frequent disadvantages of metal chelators comprise the redistribution of some HMs [heavy metals] from different tissues to the brain, thus causing neurotoxicity.”96
Many metal-chelating agents also chelate minerals. The mineral depletion caused by chelators causes multifaceted issues. For one, toxic metals interfere with the absorption of minerals, creating direct depletion. When minerals are depleted, metals have an easier time substituting for them in vital enzymes and various metabolic pathways. For example, in calcium deficiency, the absorption and incorporation of the heavy metal lead (a calcium mimicker) into bone and enzymes is increased.97 Think of it as having a job opening to fill, but instead of a competent worker being hired, the position is taken by someone who just sits on their phone and scrolls social media their entire shift. Lead will not do the jobs that calcium is meant to do. This means that, by chelating minerals as collateral damage, some heavy metal detoxes make a person more prone to metal toxicity.
“An ideal chelating agent should bind selectively to the metal of interest, resulting in the chelation and sufficient elimination of the metal in its toxic form without adverse health effects or affecting the concentrations of other essential elements (Aaseth et al. 2016). No chelating agent meets this criterion.”98
Although these are the main concerns with many heavy metal detox protocols, they’re not the only ones. The additional concerns with specific detox regimens are discussed in more detail below.
Why spirulina, chlorella, and “the Medical Medium Detox Smoothie” can worsen neurological issues
The “Medical Medium Heavy Metal Detox Smoothie” (often abbreviated as HMDS) first appeared on my radar when I saw a video of a young vegan girl who developed atrocious neurological issues after following Anthony William (also known as “Medical Medium”) and drinking the metal detox smoothie recommended by him.
You can see the video I’m referring to here, at the 10:46 mark. It is a re-upload of a video series created by a YouTuber called “Sv3rige,” called: “Vegans: The Epitome of Malnourishment.” Although I am not a fan of Sv3rige, nor his ideologies, I am glad that this clip got me to look into the Medical Medium metal detox protocol. The girl in the video mentions developing daily, non-stop headaches after drinking the detox smoothie that feel as if “her head is being squeezed all the time,” together with body rashes, which can be a sign of metal poisoning (such as by mercury, lead or cadmium) and metal redistribution to the brain.99100101102
“Heavy metals […] are known to cause dermatitis after systemic or local exposure.”103
“Headache was also found to be associated with toxic metals. When the health effects of mercury were investigated, the most frequently observed symptom was cephalalgia. Continuous exposure to lead was concomitant with the appearance of symptoms such as headache.”104
“Victims [of mercury poisoning] often experience discomfort that feels like a ‘tight band around their head.’”105
Since then, I have come across countless anecdotes, both sent to me via DMs over the years and on sites like Reddit, of people developing various adverse reactions and neurological problems in response to Medical Medium’s protocols, and especially his metal detox smoothie.
Apart from headaches and rashes, mental disturbances (irritability, violent thoughts, thoughts of self-harm, anxiety, depression), are one of the many mental disturbances that toxic metals are known to contribute to.
“The levels of Hg [mercury] in the suicide cases were on average about three times higher than in the non-suicide cases.”106
Such mood disturbances are other common anecdotes seen in the Reddit threads reporting “detox reactions” from the heavy metal detox smoothie.
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While the “suffer your way to health” cliche in the West has many people defending horrid symptoms nail and tooth as detox symptoms, healing should never leave a person feeling like a shell of themselves and a danger to themselves and others. These are not detox symptoms. They’re symptoms of being poisoned.
The personality changes happening in these people (such as becoming aggressive, reclusive, irritable, paranoid, etc.) are typical signs of metal poisoning. They are not detox!
Who is the Medical Medium and what is the HMDS?
Anthony William, also known as the Medical Medium, is a self-proclaimed medium (ghost whisperer), who has garnered a cult-like following by “communicating with the Spirit of Compassion” who provides him with “extraordinarily advanced healing medical information” (quoted directly from William’s website). He claims to have supernatural abilities, being able to diagnose any medical condition based on what the spirit whispers in his right ear.
Anthony William recommends a strict vegan diet of only fruit, vegetables and herbs. He is the inventor of the celery juice “cleanse,” recommending his followers to drink 16 ounces of celery juice daily, which he claims to have magical healing powers while admitting that “the science behind the healing powers of celery juice is just yet to be discovered.”
Removing toxic metals from the body is one of the pillars that William focuses on, recommending his followers to drink the “heavy metal detox smoothie,” containing ingredients such as one cup of cilantro, a tablespoon of Atlantic seaweed, a tablespoon of spirulina, barley grass powder, blueberries, bananas and fresh orange juice. In his “advanced heavy metal detox smoothie,” he recommends doubling the amount of spirulina, cilantro and barley grass powder in the drink.
These ingredients look very inconspicuous at first glance. After all, it’s just a smoothie full of fruit and green powders, seemingly superfoods. To the skeptic who does not believe in the ability of plant products to have much of an effect on the body’s toxic metal stores, this concoction might seem completely ineffective at worst or perhaps somewhat nutritious at best.
However, the reality is that many of the ingredients of this smoothie (dulse, spirulina and cilantro specifically) are known to be contaminated with toxic metals themselves, or have the potential to cause redistribution.
Algae accumulate metals
The train of thought that has many practitioners recommend spirulina, dulse, or another algae, such as chlorella, as part of a “heavy metal detox” regimen, rests on the fact that these algae have the propensity for accumulating metals. They have, for example, been used in industrial settings to remove toxic metals from bodies of water. Their thinking goes something like this: this algae will flow through the body, bind to toxic metals (due to its high affinity for them), and exit the body, excreting the metals.
What is rarely considered is that, due to their affinity for metals, algae tend to accumulate large amounts of metals from their environment, like a sponge, so the algae you eat can be full of metals already.
In one 2004 study,107 red dulse (the very algae William recommends) was assessed for its ability to act as an “organic water filter” of sorts, purifying water of toxic metals by preferentially absorbing them. It was shown that the algae readily absorbs all sorts of toxic metals, especially lead and cadmium.
Algae use a process called biosorption, by which they use parts of their cellular structures as traps to immobilize the toxic metals present around them, to prevent these metals from getting incorporated into more specialized cell structures where they could cause damage.
“Seaweeds can rapidly accumulate elevated concentrations of metals. […] Once toxic metals enter aquatic systems where seaweeds grow, they may deposit in human body by intake of these seaweeds finally. […] Heavy metals accumulate in the fatty tissues and internal organs of the human body, which may affect the central nervous system.”108
Research indicates that algae have the ability to accumulate trace metals by biosorption and bioaccumulation. […] Literature indicates that certain species of algae uptake heavy metals such as copper, cadmium, chromium, lead, and nickel. The uptake of metals by algae in aqueous solutions occurs when algae release a protein called metallothioneins.”109
Of course, what this means is that the algae itself becomes heavily contaminated with metals, and consuming it introduces a rich source of metals into the body. Multiple studies110111112 have in fact found many algae to be heavily contaminated with metals for this very reason, whether wild or farmed, with dried seaweed being more concentrated in metals than fresh varieties.113 Although the level of contamination will depend on the quality of the water in which the algae is grown, algae’s preference for absorbing metals makes it a concern either way.
“In 1 study, the authors called for continuous monitoring of heavy metals in seaweed-based food products, owing to differences between species in the bioabsorption of metals. An example of these between-species differences is evident in Laminaria spp. At an intake of 3.3 to 12.5 g/d, Laminaria digitata contains 24 to 90 µg of cadmium, which corresponds to 40% to 150% of the tolerable daily intake, while Laminaria japonica contains 0.45 to 0.80 mg/kg, which exceeds the maximum limits for seaweed products according to legislation in France (0.5 mg/kg of dry weight) and Australia/New Zealand (0.2 mg/kg of dry weight), but not in China (1.0 mg/kg).”
Algae tend to be divided into two sub-groups: annual and perennial. Annual algae usually live for just one year, meanwhile perennial algae live for many years. Perennial algae, due to their longer lifespans, tend to accumulate more metals.
“Exposure to contaminants is increased in perennial seaweeds, the regular consumption of which may lead to risk of heavy metal toxicity in humans.”114
Nori (the algae used in sushi) or wakame (the seaweed used in “seaweed salad,” which is served in many Asian restaurants) are annual algae. Kelp, Irish moss or red dulse (the algae recommended by Medical Medium) are perennial, and if consumed daily, pose a greater risk of exposing oneself to metals.
While certain seafood products, such as oysters, are often called out for their propensity to accumulate cadmium, when the cadmium level of various oysters was assessed, it showed up consistently lower than that of seaweeds. Unlike seaweeds, which tend to accumulate more metals than minerals, oysters are incredibly high in certain minerals, containing, on average, 10x more zinc and 3x more selenium than most seaweeds. Both selenium and zinc protect against cadmium and other toxic metals. When the metal and mineral concentrations of certain seaweeds from Hawaii were compared, the only two varieties that had a similar zinc content to oysters had 5-13x as much cadmium as oysters do.115116
Whether sourcing algae or oysters, the water quality they come from always makes a difference, however, the point here is: long-lived algae tend to accumulate many metals, more than the amount of minerals they accumulate, and, depending on the source, can contribute to metal toxicity if consumed daily.
Micro-algae have the same problem & more
Chlorella and spirulina, some of the other common ingredients of common metal detoxes, too act as “water filters”117 and have the same propensity for accumulating metals.118 Chlorella has been shown to preferentially accumulate cobalt119 and arsenic,120 and certain spirulina products were found to exceed the allowable concentrations of lead.121
However, spirulina specifically, comes with some other issues, ones that have little to do with metals, but which can contribute to neurological issues.
Although spirulina is often referred to as a micro-algae, even in certain scientific publications, it is actually a type of cyanobacterium. Yes, it’s actually a type of bacteria, and like nearly all bacteria, it is known for its ability to produce certain toxic byproducts. One of these toxic metabolites is called β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA, for short).122
BMAA is a neurotoxin, which can lead to brain degeneration and liver damage. Fish and shellfish that feed on cyanobacteria (such as spirulina) can also become contaminated with BMAA, but considering that bacteria like spirulina are the source of this contamination, does it really make sense to eat it as a supplement?
“Spirulina […] may have some adverse effects due to the toxins (microcystins, β-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA)) produced by Spirulina which might contribute to acute poisoning, cancer, liver damage as well as gastrointestinal disturbances. Its long-term consumption may also lead to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson's disease.”123
Additionally, spirulina (and other cyanobacteria) tend to produce B12 analogues, called pseudo-B12. While some vegans believe that this makes spirulina a good source of B12, quite the opposite is true. The pseudo-B12 created by spirulina are structurally similar to the active form of B12 but do not have the same biological activity in humans.124 These inactive analogues can compete with real B12 for binding sites and transport proteins, actively creating or worsening B12 deficiency. Adequate B12 is crucial for proper cognitive function.
The dose makes (redistributes) the poison?
My last note on the topic of the ingredients of this smoothie (such as spirulina or cilantro) is that, yes, there are studies supporting that these substances can promote the excretion of metals.125126 However, the mechanisms through which they do so are not well understood. Certain flavonoids, such as quercetin in cilantro, are suspected to contribute to its ability to chelate metals.127 This means that it should possess the ability to bind to metals and excrete some of them. However, what is not known is, how strongly can these substances bind to these metals? Are they able to remove them all or can they cause a good portion of them to be redistributed into more delicate organs? And lastly, what is the correct dosage for these products as metal chelators?
The saying “the dose makes the poison” is never more appropriate than when speaking about metal chelators.
Andy Cutler, PhD, a chemical engineer who developed the Andy Cutler Chelation Protocol for removing mercury, stressed the utter importance of knowing the exact, precise dose for any chelator being used, dosing it by its half-life, to make sure that the body’s detoxification pathways aren’t overwhelmed, and that the metals aren’t reabsorbed and redistributed. As part of his protocol, pharmaceutical chelators were used in extremely precise doses, on a very strict schedule. For example, some variations of his protocol require taking a precise amount of a chelator every 2 hours on the dot, even throughout the night, to strictly control the amount of the substance in the blood at all times, so that when the first dose exceeds its capacity to “hold onto the metal,” the next dose can fill its place.
The substances used in his protocol could turn very quickly from a cure to a life-ruining poison if the dose is incorrectly administered. This will be discussed in more detail in the next section where I cover the problems with pharmaceutical metal chelators.
Just because cilantro, spirulina, or another food-based chelator is used, I am not convinced that this risk disappears. After all, these foods are also suspected to bind and move metals, and unlike our knowledge of the chelating compounds used as part of Cutler’s protocol (where we know, for example, how many thiol groups that can bind to metals they possess and how they work), we know very little about what exactly these foods do to the metals in the body, and how much is too much.
The massive amount of cilantro in the HMDS (1-2 cups) is entirely arbitrary and could very, very easily be far too much, causing reabsorption and redistribution.
I realize that defending the use of “high-dose” cilantro, spirulina or chlorella for detoxing metals is a hill that many are willing to die on, and that is fine. However, my goal with this article is to focus on investigating how removing metals can be done safely, and I am not convinced that we know enough about how strongly these substances bind them, nor how much is too much, to endorse using them freely. Additionally, if the body’s detox pathways are blocked (not pooping, not sweating, etc) then any amount of a chelator can be too much and can cause reabsorption. This will be discussed in more detail later.