The Ultimate Guide to Heavy Metal Chelation
At the age of 4, I was diagnosed with mild neurological impairment. I had a steady tremor in my hand which lasted for the next 22 years. I was later also diagnosed with a learning disability, ADHD, depression, etc.. I had no clue what caused all these problems, until one day, I met a doctor who ran a heavy metal test. The test came back EXTREMELY high in lead, mercury, cadmium, nickel, and aluminum. Due to the results, he theorized metal toxicity was the origin of my cognitive symptoms. Though it made sense, I still found it hard to believe.
After 3 years of aggressive chelation, I have a completely different perspective now. “Coincidentally”, after completing this process, I overcame most of the cognitive issues I had experienced earlier in life. After this amazing transformation, it became hard not to believe in the power of chelation.
Below, I have provided a list of the natural products I used to chelate heavy metals from my body. Please note, products are listed from weakest to strongest.
Natural Heavy Metal Chelators
Glutathione
Glutathione is the antioxidant responsible for neutralizing the effects of heavy metals in the body. When levels of glutathione are low, metals cause increased oxidation, which leads to genetic stress. If you increase levels of glutathione, you can reduce the toxicity of the metals in your body (1). In addition, in sufficient doses, glutathione can remove toxic metals from the blood. For this reason, it is VERY important to have high glutathione levels before proceeding to the next step. This can be accomplished with NAC, chanca piedra and others.
Broken Cell Wall Chlorella
In my experience, chlorella is very effective in removing the first major layer of metals. I had an 80% reduction in metals (verified by test) after 90 days of HIGH DOSE chlorella. I was taking roughly 10-15g per day in pill form. Since I had such great results, I believe this is the best chelator to start with. Please note, I experienced less detox at higher doses possibly due to it’s binding capabilities(2). For this reason, you may want to start off higher than you would think.
Organic Cilantro Extract
Cilantro is thought to displace metals from the cells, and supposedly even chelates them from the brain. The most important point to note is, you must be eating a high fiber diet and taking plenty of chlorella. If you don’t, the detox effects will not be pleasant. I broke out in skin rashes, felt depressed, exhausted, confused, etc.. When you no longer are experiencing detox effects from cilantro or chlorella, move on to the next product.
Humic Acid
Humic acid is the strongest natural chelator I know of. It is used in agriculture as a “soil amendment”. This means, it binds to metals (3, 4), unlocks nutrients, ignites beneficial bacteria count and plenty more. Even though it has not been used extensively in humans, there appears to be significant potential. Currently, there are studies which show humic acid may be effective against breast cancer (5) and very beneficial for the gut microbiome (6). Be careful with this stuff because it is POTENT! Work your way up slowly!
Fulvic Minerals
Fulvic minerals are critical to completing the chelation process. Why? If you restore trace minerals, you are less likely to accumulate metals in the future. Since minerals and metals compete for absorption, trace mineral supplementation is your best preventive strategy. I use fulvic minerals daily to increase energy, chelate metals (7), reduce inflammation (8), and more.
Must Read Before Starting Chelation
Restore Detoxification Pathways
You can not chelate metals from the body until your liver and intestinal system are working properly. If you attempt to do so before your body is ready, it could worsen symptoms. A good rule of thumb is, you must be having 2+ bowel movement per day, and have no signs of serious liver impairment.
Heavy Metal Detox Occurs in Layers
Chelating heavy metals is like peeling an onion. After exposing each layer, you will feel more rejuvenated and clearer. The only catch is, you may experience emotional swings while cleaning out these metals. This could be feelings of brain fog, vertigo, forgetfulness, hyperactivity (9), irritability, aggressiveness, detachment, etc.. The good news is, once you expel these things, these feelings go away for good.
Do Not take Heavy Metal Chelation Lightly
Heavy metal chelation is a very big deal. Don’t just chelate heavy metals because it sounds like a good idea. Have a goal with it. This is a process which can be VERY difficult to go through for some people. If you don’t take this very serious, you WILL give up along the way.
Gut Health is Essential to Long Term Success
Gut health directly effects metal detoxification in the body. Even if you do chelate most of your metals, if you don’t balance gut bacteria, they will eventually re-accumulate. The reason being, good bacteria produce vitamins that are essential to phase 2 detoxification in the liver. When this process is impaired, you start to store these metals in the body. In addition, some species of lactic acid bacteria including Lactobacillus rhamnosus, L. plantarum, and Bifidobacterium longum are capable of binding heavy metals.(10)
Start Off Slow and Increase Gradually
If you suspect significant heavy metal toxicity, do not start off with the strongest chelator first. it is always best to work your way up with natural metal chelators. Even though they are natural, they are also very potent. You could end up very sick if you do this incorrectly, so always remember, easy does it!
Change Diet to Increase Effectiveness
In my experience, the chelation process is FAR more pleasant when you have a diet HIGH in plant fiber/fruit pectins. This increase in fiber helps reduce circulation of metals in the blood, while also increasing their elimination via the bowels (11). Plant fiber should be your BEST FRIEND during any chelation protocol. Ideal consumption is somewhere between 40-45g per day. Please note, it is best to consume both soluble and insoluble fibers since they have different absorption properties.
Common Questions about Heavy Metal Chelation
Is chelating toxic metals actually worth it?
If you are struggling with a chronic illness, metal chelation may be worth considering. In my experience, the chelation of heavy metals has lead to significant reduction in both cognitive and physical symptoms. The reality is, some people are hypersensitivity to these metals (12). If you are, their presence sets off a chain of events in the body that damage your health. In contrast, if you are not sensitive to these metals, chelation may provide less noticeable benefit.
Will I experience discomfort when chelating heavy metals?
If you are sensitive to these metals, you may experience detoxification reactions as the metals start to work their way out of your body. Even though these symptoms are not fun, they are generally a good sign that metals are being displaced and removed. Remember, metals are strongly correlated with psychiatric symptoms. (13, 14) For this reason, you may feel fatigue, vertigo, brain fog, learning impairment, irritability, hyperactivity, anger, obsessive thought processes, etc. If this happens, don’t worry, a meal high in plant fiber typically reduces these symptoms within hours.
Is heavy metal chelation a good idea for everyone?
No, if you have mercury fillings, it is not advised unless they are removed. Though you can get them taken out, it MUST be done by an expert. If you are debating this decision, review this study (15). It shows that people with mercury fillings have MUCH higher levels of mercury in nearly all parts of their body. If you are generally healthy, you should only perform heavy metal chelation if you feel it’s necessary. If the body is functioning fine, there is no reason to disturb it.
What are the main benefits I experienced after chelating metals?
Here are the all the benefits I personally experienced from chelating metals: more stable mood, less anxiety (16), better sleep (17), less impulsive actions, more connected with inner being, slower heart beat, clearer skin, body can handle stress better, slower pace of thoughts, less inflammation all over body, no environmental allergies, etc..
What are the risks to heavy metal chelation?
If you start the chelation process and do not finish, you could move metals to different places in the body where they cause even more harm. In addition, when chelating, you must have adequate plant fiber or chlorella to bind to the metals in the gut. If you don’t, they will recirculate, put a lot of stress on the liver, and then eventually redeposit in the body somewhere else. In short, if you chelate metals, make sure you stick with it until your detox symptoms are gone. In addition, make sure fiber intake is at least 40 grams per day, or it will not be a fun process.
Where are all of these toxic metals coming from?
Heavy metals are literally everywhere. They’re in the air, food, water, vaccines, medications, cleaning products, dental fillings, and even in many supplements. Unfortunately, it is impossible to avoid heavy metals in this day and age. For this reason, it is important to create a maintenance plan once you have completed chelation therapy.
Are toxic metals a cause for concern in children?
In one study, it was demonstrated that blood lead and cadmium concentrations were significantly associated with developmental delays in children (18). In another study, it was shown that metal toxicity can lead to learning impairment in children (19). The reality is, toxic metals effect everyone’s health differently. One child may have high levels and exhibit no symptoms, while others can be severely impaired.
Summary of Heavy Metal Chelation
As you can see, metal chelation is NOT simple. Though there is disagreement in the scientific community as to it’s necessity, I experienced immense benefit from chelation. In addition, they are countless studies which show correlations between psychiatric issues and heavy metal toxicity (20, 21). For this reason, I believe heavy metal chelation can be critical in recovering from many chronic health conditions.
If you are interested in learning more about heavy metal detoxification, feel free to contact me. As always, I would be happy to answer your questions.
Happy healing everyone!
Matt Nedin
EndSickness.org
Phone: (734) 846-8619
Email: endsickness@gmail.com