Consider, for example, that the cadmium in tobacco smoke has been linked to breast cancer. The tungsten used in manufacturing light bulbs has been connected to leukemia. And scientists in France have determined that the “normal” level of pollutants we encounter every day actually causes birth defects in animals. Such data prove that our bodies are being poisoned by heavy metals and reaffirm the belief that regular cleansing and detoxification are essential if we want to stay healthy in an increasingly toxic world.

Last year when scientists studied cadmium exposure in more than 500 women in Wisconsin, they found that those with the highest levels of this heavy metal in their bodies had twice the risk of developing cancer as those with the lowest. (JNCI, 6/21/06)

Found in polluted soil (and food grown therein), contaminated fish and tobacco smoke, cadmium is dangerous because it mimics the cancer-stimulating effects of the hormone estrogen. According to laboratory research, it increases the density of breast and uterine tissue and alters the endometrial lining of the uterus, both of which are early signs of breast cancer. (Nature Med, 7/13/03)

“We never expected to see this strong a relationship, given how different the cadmium and estrogen compounds are,” said Mary Beth Martin, PhD, a researcher and professor of oncology at Georgetown University Medical Center. “Cadmium’s ability to functionally mimic estrogen and its affect on cell growth is quite remarkable. What we saw suggests a direct link between low-dose cadmium exposure and increased risk for breast cancer.” However, our heavy metal problem goes beyond cadmium.

Last year in Fallon, Nevada investigators puzzled by the town’s epidemic of childhood leukemia decided to inspect tree rings for clues to why so many of the town’s children had developed cancer. What they found was that the levels of the heavy metal tungsten—which is mined in Fallon—had quadrupled between 1990 and 2002. In contrast, the tungsten levels in other nearby towns (those that did not have a similar history of cancer among children) had stayed the same. So far, Fallon has had 17 cases of childhood leukemia among a population of only 8,000.

An Alarming Discovery

In 2007 French scientists studying female sheep fetuses found that exposure to low doses of the heavy metals commonly present in the environment can inhibit ovarian development. Such results only reinforce the fear that the dramatic increase in the production of industrial and agricultural chemicals and heavy metals is linked to reproductive problems in wild animals, as well as infertility and a rise in birth defects in humans.

Scientists are also examining how mercury (a heavy metal) contributes to heart disease. Researchers at the Ohio State University Medical Center have demonstrated that mercury changes the behavior of cells in blood vessel linings, damaging arteries and leading to cardiovascular disease. Findings reveal that when the body absorbs mercury from the environment, it triggers a complicated set of physiological reactions that stimulates activity of an enzyme called phospholipase D. This enzyme activates the creation of phosphatidic acid, which can cut off blood flow to the heart.

Eliminating Toxins

While it’s true that constant exposure to heavy metals threatens to overwhelm the body’s defense mechanisms, there are ways in which we can support the body’s natural cleansing processes and help eliminate these toxins. For example, following World Trade Center attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 a group of health practitioners in New York City used natural cleansing techniques to treat service personnel in Lower Manhattan who had been exposed to heavy metals as a result of the incident. The group initially used a combination of chelation therapy (binding metals to organic substances to assist with their removal from the body), acupuncture, and bioenergetic neuromodulation (energy transformation or exchange through electrical stimulation). The practitioners also used a combination of Chinese herbal medicine, the administration of antioxidants, and supplementation with N-Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC), glutathione, alpha lipoic acid and Vitamin C, resulting in significant health improvements among ailing victims.

While those exposed to the toxic mixture released during the attacks required unusually aggressive treatment, many of those same factors can be applied to a regular cleansing program designed for everyday use. For instance, glutathione, a powerful antioxidant, binds with heavy metals to keep them from distorting the body’s structural proteins and destroying important enzymes, and supplements containing N-Acetyl-Cysteine can increase levels of this powerful antioxidant. Similarly, alpha lipoic acid can also enhance the body’s supply of glutathione.

If you use a cleansing program that contains these natural compounds, in addition to other natural ingredients such as spirulina that can accelerate the elimination of pollutants, you are providing powerful support for your body’s natural cleansing channels. In the long run, this approach may help lower your risk of developing serious or chronic illness. After all, even though the world we live in has become saturated with heavy metals, cleansing can help you turn down the volume on this continuing crisis.

Keeping Your Kids’ Health on Track
In today’s fast-paced, stress-filled world, it isn’t just the adults who suffer. Our kids face the same pressures and health challenges that we do, and the effects of dealing with those challenges on a daily basis have begun to show: illness and chronic disease are on the rise among children nationwide.

Is Your Probiotic Supplement Packing a Powerful Enough Punch?
While the majority of information about the benefits of probiotics focuses primarily on Lactobacilli or Bifidobacteria (two of the most prevalent strains in a healthy human digestive tract), your digestive system is actually home to more than 500 different species of bacteria, or literally trillions of individual microorganisms.