Americans are too heavy -- but not just on the scale.
Metals, not fat, are making us heavy. In fact, almost 40
percent of us have toxic levels of lead in our bodies. And
we don't even know it.
Lead toxicity does have symptoms, like headaches, insomnia,
irritability, low sex drive, tremors, mood problems,
nausea, depression, memory difficulties, trouble
concentrating, poor coordination, and constipation.
But it's hard for most us to realize that they may be
caused by lead poisoning.
At a recent medical conference on heavy metals and health,
I was surprised to hear about new research that the media
has been ignored.
For example, a 2006 study in the journal Circulation should
have been major news. In that study, researchers measured
the blood lead levels of 13,946 adults and followed them
for up to 12 years to track what diseases they developed
and why they died. (1)
It's true that the average person's blood lead levels have
dropped dramatically since lead was removed from gasoline
and house paint several decades ago.
But our levels of lead are still high, because we are still
exposed to lead in our soil and water, as well as from our
own bones, where we store it.
The level considered "safe" by the government is less than
10 micrograms/deciliter. But in this study, blood levels of
lead over 2 micrograms/deciliter significantly increased
the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and death.
After researchers controlled for all other risk factors,
they found that people with lead levels over 2
micrograms/deciliter had a 25 percent higher risk of dying
from any cause, a 55 percent higher risk of dying from
heart disease, a 151 percent higher risk of having a heart
attack, and an 89 percent higher risk of having a stroke.
But that's not all.
A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association
showed a strong link between high blood pressure in
postmenopausal women and blood lead levels. That's because
bone loss during menopause releases lead and injures blood
vessels, which raises blood pressure.
Another study in The New England Journal of Medicine found
that reducing lead levels in patients with kidney failure
by using chelation therapy could prevent further loss of
kidney function, save billions in healthcare costs, and
eliminate the need for dialysis in millions of people. (3)
Lead has also been linked to ADHD, developmental and
learning problems, and autism.
Yet most doctors don't offer chelation therapy. They
haven't learned how to deal with environmental toxins like
lead.
That's a huge concern, because research shows that children
with decreased IQ scores are those who have lead levels
between just 1 and 10 micrograms/deciliter. (4)
And more than 10 percent of poor and inner city children
have lead exposure levels higher than 10
micrograms/deciliter!
I recently treated a young boy with extremely high lead
levels who had Asperger's syndrome, severe ADHD, and
violent behavior. The lead was probably passed to him from
his mother in the womb.
But once we used chelation and nutritional support to
eliminate his lead poisoning, his attention, behavior, and
social skills got much better.
Lead isn't going away. It's still in our soil and water. We
track lead into our homes from contaminated soil. Today
regular house dust often contains 17 times the level of
lead it once did.
And in Washington, DC, the government recently had to
provide free water filters for everyone because up to 20
percent of the city's tap water may be contaminated with
lead.
But there's good news. There are some ways you can treat
yourself for lead toxicity. Do the following:
1. Test your lead levels. The easiest test is a simple
blood lead test, but make sure the lab can measure
extremely low levels of lead. Levels higher than 2
micrograms/deciliter should be treated.
Because the blood test only checks for current or ongoing
exposures, you'll also need a heavy metal challenge test
with DMSA, EDTA, or DMPS, which you can get from a doctor
trained in heavy metal detoxification. (See
www.functionalmedicine.org or www.acam.org to find a
qualified doctor.) Consider undergoing chelation therapy if
your lead levels are high.
2. Reduce your exposures by removing your shoes before you
enter your home. Ask guests to do the same.
3. Test your water for heavy metals.
4. Buy a carbon or reverse osmosis drinking water filter.
5. Take 1,000 milligrams of buffered ascorbic acid (vitamin
C) a day, this helps remove lead from the body.
6. Take 2,000 to 4,000 IU of vitamin D3 daily to prevent
your bones from releasing lead into your bloodstream.
By following these steps, you can reduce your lead exposure
and get -- and feel -- healthier.
REFERENCES: (1) Menke A, Muntner P, Batuman V, Silbergeld
EK, Guallar E. Blood lead below 0.48 micromol/L (10
microg/dL) and mortality among US adults. Circulation. 2006
Sep 26;114(13):1388-94.
(2) Nash D, Magder L, Lustberg M, Sherwin RW, Rubin RJ,
Kaufmann RB, Silbergeld, Blood lead, blood pressure, and
hypertension in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women.
JAMA. 2003 Mar 26;289(12):1523-32.
(3) Lin JL, Lin-Tan DT, Hsu KH, Yu CC Environmental lead
exposure and progression of chronic renal diseases in
patients without diabetes. N Engl J Med. 2003 Jan
23;348(4):277-86
(4) Canfield RL, Henderson CR Jr, Cory-Slechta DA, Cox C,
Jusko TA, Lanphear BP.Intellectual impairment in children
with blood lead concentrations below 10 microg per
deciliter. N Engl J Med. 2003 Apr 17;348(16):1517-26.
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Mark Hyman, M.D. is a pioneer in functional medicine,
practicing physician and best-selling author. For a sneak
preview of his book "The UltraSimple Diet" go to:
http://www.ultrasimplediet.com
For more on lead toxicity and its effects on the body and
mind, see: http://www.ultrawellness.com/blog/lead-toxicity
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