When you run a metal test, you will recieve a long list of potentially toxic metals. Most health conversations focus on heavy hitters like mercury or lead. However, there are a number of other metals that can pose hazardous to your health. Here's what to know about the other metals on your test.
Arsenic
In my practice, I see elevated arsenic levels less frequently than I see elevated levels of mercury or lead. However, arsenic has potential for dramatic impacts on human health. I remember the first patient I saw whose elevated arsenic levels were a major problem. I was part of her group care team, while in naturopathic medical school. She had metabolic resistance and kidney disease and she wanted to lose weight. She also happened to develop strange peeling, scaling rashes on her hands. The supervising doctor mentioned that her rash looked like an arsenic rash so our team decided to look more deeply into the matter. During our research, I found an article that demonstrated arsenic exposure, through dietary consumption of rice, as a risk factor for Type 2 Diabetes. Our patient happened to be from Bangladesh and ate rice every day. She was the classic picture of an arsenic toxic patient. On testing, she revealed not only elevated levels of arsenic but also of mercury and lead.
Like mercury, arsenic has 3 forms: organic, inorganic, and gaseous. The latter 2 are the most toxic.
Inorganic: Sources of exposure to inorganic arsenic primarily come from diet through foods such as rice, chicken, fish, and seafood. Exposure can also occur through cigarettes, water, soil, air, or treated wood.
Gas: Exposure to arsenic gas is primarily environmental. Gas containing arsenic is released by industrial plants where it can leach into groundwater. Arsenic is also a component of cotton pesticides and can pose risk to those living near areas where cotton is grown.
Like other heavy metals, arsenic has far reaching impacts on the body. Here are some of the ways it can impact health:
Cardiovascular Health: Arsenic has been associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, heart attack, congestive heart failure, stroke, arrhythmias, elevated blood pressure, and elevated blood lipids.
Respiratory Health: In areas where arsenic levels in groundwater exceed a certain threshold, increased rates of lung cancer are observed.
Metabolic Health: As mentioned previously, arsenic can promote the development of diabetes and may increase risk of gout.
Neurological Health: Arsenic appears to impact executive functioning and cognition, interfering with memory, processing, language, and visuospatial skills. It can also impact nerves creating pins and needles sensations.
Skin Health: Skin lesions are a common manifestation of functional arsenic toxicity. These issues may manifest as skin darkening (known as hyperpigmentation) or lesions associated with thickened skin, such as warts. Additionally, skin redness or scaling may be noted. Arsenic impacts on skin may also manifest as changes in the appearance of the nail bed or as easy bruising.
Gastrointestinal Health: The presence of arsenic may promote nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. Interestingly, the patient that I used as an example of arsenic toxicity experienced increased diarrhea when she began eliminating arsenic.
Overall Health: Like most other heavy metals, arsenic also creates a general unwell feeling which can include headaches and fatigue.
Cancer Risk: Evidence supports increased risk of lung, skin, and bladder cancers with elevated levels of arsenic. Arsenic may also play a role in promoting liver and prostate cancer.
Reducing arsenic exposure: You can reduce your daily arsenic exposure by making some simple dietary changes.
Choose organic chicken over non-organic as organic has been demonstrated to contain lower levels of arsenic. When preparing rice, soak overnight, then wash in a 1:5 rice:water ratio, which can decrease arsenic levels by 80%. You may also choose to opt for white rice over brown rice, as brown rice contains higher levels of arsenic. To prepare metabolically friendly white rice, check out this recipe for resistant starch rice.
Cadmium
Cadmium is another heavy metal that I was first introduced to during my time in medical school. We discussed it most in integrative oncology rounds. This is because Cadmium has been classified as a Group 1 Carcinogen by the Agency for Research on Cancer. This means there is strong evidence that cadmium promotes cancer in humans.
Sources of cadmium exposure include:
Cigarette Smoke
Food: some foods uptake cadmium from the soil in which they are grown and represent sources of cadmium exposure. Some of the highest sources of cadmium are soy and peanuts. Other foods that can present a source of cadmium exposure include sunflower seeds, potatoes, lettuce, spinach, cucumbers, and herbs and spices such as curcumin. Animal products can also contain cadmium exposure including fish and organ meats.
Industrial Exposures: Cadmium is used in production of batteries, jewelry, and plastics. It is also used in the galvanizing and mining processes. Individuals who have worked in these industries or live near a plant where these processes are conducted have higher levels of risk.
In the body, cadmium is absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract, the skin, and through respiration. Between one third and one half of total cadmium burden is stored in the kidneys, which sets it apart from other heavy metals which store in places like fat and nervous tissue. In the body, it competes with a large variety of minerals, depletes glutathione and inhibits the catalase enzyme, which are all used to effectively detoxify cells. Cadmium can remain in the body for decades and is excreted primarily through urine.
Cadmium can impact the body in the following ways:
Mortality: Elevated levels of cadmium are associated with increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease, cancer, and any cause.
Cancer: In addition to promoting cancer in humans, cadmium may play a role in breast cancer due to its estrogen-like effects. Some research suggests it plays a role in pancreatic cancer.
Osteoporosis: Cadmium competes with calcium for absorption and can play a role in osteoporosis by interfering with optimal calcium levels.
Nutrient Deficiencies: Cadmium can encourage nutrient deficiencies in a number of ways. When stored iron (also known as ferritin) is low, a problem commonly seen in menstruating females, cadmium absorption is increased. It also decreases the availability of this stored iron to promote anemia. Cadmium inhibits enzymes containing zinc, potentially impacting many biochemical processes, including digestion. Cadmium can also promote copper deficiency, an essential nutrient for iron handling and detoxification.
Nervous System: Elevations in cadmium have been associated with learning disabilities and low IQ, with children being the most vulnerable to its neurological effects.
Hormones: Cadmium is a xenoestrogen which means it can have estrogen like actions in the body. Any substance that is a xenoestrogen can promote estrogen dominance and hormone imbalance in the body.
Cardiovascular: Chronic cadmium toxicity has been associated with coronary heart disease.
Individuals with cancer, osteoporosis, or hormone imbalances may benefit from testing for cadmium.
Thallium
Thallium is a sneakier heavy metal that I have become acquainted with in recent years. I first saw elevated thallium levels in myself and I had no idea where it came from. I then began seeing elevated levels in some of my more health conscious patients. Soon after, I learned that one source of thallium is Cruciferous veggies: Yep, thallium was present in high levels in vegetables like kale, brussel sprouts, and broccoli.
This was disappointing news to my brussel sprout loving self. Interestingly, my thallium levels were highest after I was on a kale kick. This is because thallium is a metal used in industrial processes. It gets released in the atmosphere as an emission and deposits in soil where sulfur groups in veggies accumulate it. The sulfur compounds that make these veggies so healthy also make them susceptible to accumulating thallium.
Thallium can be absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract, skin, or respiratory tract. In the body, it binds potassium, an essential mineral involved in cellular function, signaling, and energy production.
Due to this action, it can create symptoms of:
Fatigue
Heart Palpitations
Headaches
Depression
Disruptions in cognitive function
Hair Loss
Visual Disturbance
Leg Pain
Digestive Upset
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