What Does a Heavy Metal Cleanse Do?

Heavy metals are toxic chemicals and compounds that are found in our environment. These heavy metals can cause harm to the body, especially when they accumulate to toxic levels over time. There are many products available, both online and in health food stores that claim to detoxify the body of these metals. Heavy metal cleanse products should help to remove the heavy metals from the body through metabolic pathways.

Harmful Heavy Metals

Lead can be found in the air from factory emissions, in old paint, in water contaminated through old plumbing pipes, in pesticides and in cigarette smoke. Lead poisoning, called plumbism, is still one of the most common health problems in children in the United States.
Mercury is found in the air and water due to pollutants from chemical plants. This has caused the fish population to become infected with mercury, so when humans ingest the fish, they are also ingesting the mercury. Mercury is also found in amalgam fillings in the teeth, cosmetics and pesticides.
Aluminum is a metal found in antacids, deodorants and aluminum cookware. Other metals of concern include arsenic, copper, cadmium, nickel, iron and uranium.

Symptoms of Heavy Metal Toxicity

The body cannot dispose of heavy metals so they are stored in the circulatory system, lymphatic system, fatty tissue and vital organs including the brain and liver. As the levels increase, the body can experience symptoms including headaches, fatigue, muscle and joint pain, digestive problems, high blood pressure and depression.

What is a Heavy Metal Cleanse?

There are a variety of heavy metal cleanse products available on the market. They range from pills, to drops to foot pads. They are generally a mixture of herbs, amino acids and antioxidants. The heavy metal cleanse products help to denature the toxins to aid in their elimination while also protecting and promoting normal cellular functions.

How to Cleanse

The cleansing process usually takes anywhere from 1 to 3 months depending on the product used and the level of metals in the body. The cleansing products detoxify better and more efficiently when the patient also drinks plenty of water and adheres to a healthy and preferably organic diet. Those wishing to perform a heavy metal cleanse should also replace any amalgam fillings with new composite fillings.

Detection

Doctor, natural healthcare providers and chiropractors can all perform tests on urine, hair or saliva samples that can determine the level of buildup of heavy metals in the body. There are also home test kits available, but the tests run by a professional will result in more reliable results.