Mercury

You probably know someone who has MS, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, chronic depression, hormonal imbalance, unexplained neurological abnormalities, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, sleep disturbance, autism or another commonly unresolved condition. Typically, people suffering from these maladies are given prescriptions to slow progression or to ease symptoms, and are told there is nothing else they can do.

But that is simply not true. In fact, many of these conditions can be entirely alleviated through treatments that reduce the toxic body burden of mercury. Historically, the effects of toxic body burden have been overlooked and underestimated throughout the medical community.

Where does this mercury originate?

Mercury, though toxic, is commonly used in industry and has made its way into the environment, where it is often converted to methyl mercury—a neurotoxin that is easily bioaccumulated in organisms. It can be found in our foods and is especially concentrated in fish close to the top of the food chain such as tuna, or swordfish.

Occupations and hobbies that involve using fungicides, latex paint solvents, wood preservatives and adhesives can also result in high levels of mercury exposure. People vary in the degree to which they accumulate mercury.

Perhaps the worst culprits in mercury exposure are amalgam or “silver” dental fillings. Though they have been banned in Germany, Austria, Denmark and Sweden, and the EPA requires that they be disposed of as toxic waste, dentists in the United States continue to use amalgam fillings, which contribute a great deal to total toxic body burden. Methyl mercury is off-gassed from these fillings, which typically contain about 0.5 grams of mercury – enough to make a ten acre lake too toxic to fish! If an average adult has 8-10 of these fillings, imagine the total mercury he or she is exposed to during 20-30 years of chewing on amalgam fillings!

A mercury-containing substance, thimerosal, which is used in vaccines and contact lens solution, is a biologically active mercury source. Routine thimerosal vaccinations given to children at 6 months of age contain 187 micrograms of mercury, exceeding EPA/OSHA guidelines. Manufacturers of these vaccines have largely discontinued using thimerosal, however, much of the old vaccine still exists around the country, making it difficult to ensure that your child will get a mercury-free vaccine if you don’t specifically request it.

Where does mercury accumulate in the body?

First, methyl mercury finds its way into the brain, nerve tissue and spinal ganglia. Mercury destroys myelin, the substance that insulates neurons, thereby short-circuiting nerve conduction and binding enzyme active sites needed for normal cell function. Second, it may settle in hormonal centers such as the anterior pituitary, adrenal glands, thyroid, pancreas, testes and ovaries. Third, the liver, kidneys, spleen, lungs, and intestinal lymph glands may experience a bio-burden of mercury. Mercury disrupts energy production at a cellular level, which compromises all cell and organ function.

How can mercury be detected in the body?

A blood test will not show a body burden for heavy metals. Hair analysis can be useful, but is not conclusive and is not quantitative. The best and most accurate method of evaluation is a “provocative challenge,” which involves using an intravenous chelating agent, followed by a six hour urine collection which is then sent to a lab for evaluation.

What can I do about toxic body burden of mercury?

A doctor trained in chelation can intravenously introduce a chelating compound into the bloodstream which has an affinity for heavy metals (such as mercury, arsenic, lead and tin). This chelating agent remains in the body for a short time and then is eliminated, removing heavy metals along with it. With appropriate patient evaluation, chelation is safe and effective in removing mercury and other heavy metals from your body.

If you choose to have your amalgam fillings removed and replaced with mercury-free fillings, be sure to see a dentist who specializes in this procedure. A doctor should administer intravenous chelation (like DMPS) in conjunction as well.

If you have further questions about chelation or mercury, please call our clinic.

For more information or to schedule an
appointment, please call St Johns Health Center:
503.286.4400