Metal Toxicity in Foods & Your Environment

If you're a lover of wine, you may have been shocked to hear that a recent analysis of certain wines from California showed they contained arsenic.

The studies tested the soil where the grapes were grown, which was literally the "root" of the problem. Now, this wouldn't be toxic in a single dose, but if you would have a bottle or two in a short amount of time, your health could be affected. As as result, the offending wineries recalled their product.

Arsenic is just one toxin that you can be exposed to, and which can have a negative effect on your health and longevity.

Metals are another.

Metals bind to other substances in the body and can pull out essential minerals, like calcium, which could then result in osteoporosis.

Mercury and lead are the two most common, but aluminum is also an offender.

What are some of the symptoms of metal toxicity? Fatigue, general flu-like illness, that feeling of "pins and needles" in your legs, weakness, and even death in the case of acute exposure. Chronic exposure is more common, however, and can be addressed through prevention and detoxification.

What are some ways you can detox from metals?

Cilantro and parsley are two very powerful herbs when it comes to detoxification. A great way to get them is to include them in a green juice. Gultathione and vitamin C are two other excellent antioxidants. Just be careful... you don't want to take a LOT of antioxidants, because you could end up moving the metals around to different parts of your body and cause even more damage. The best route, of course, is to ask you healthcare provider first and not just rely on a simple Google search.

Another option for detoxification is chelation, which pulls out the bad metals in your body, like aluminum, lead, mercury. The caveat with this treatment, however, is that it also pulls out minerals like calcium and magnesium, so you have to replace these "good" minerals. 

In the accompanying audio segment, Dr. Patrick Fratellone joins Andrea and Lisa to share more about metal toxicity, as well as some simple ways you can detox from dangerous toxins.