There are no “safe levels” of heavy metal exposure.
But the EPA tells us otherwise. You see, the Environmental Protection Agency guidelines say that 15 parts per billion (ppb) of lead is acceptable. That’s considerably lower than the 75 ppb they declared safe in the 1970s…
As a recent 20-year study of 14,289 people reported, blood levels of less than 5 ppb are directly linked to heart disease and cardiovascular mortality. In fact, lead exposure is linked to more than 400,000 heart disease deaths every year.1
How does this heavy metal hurt your heart?
Studies reveal that lead toxicity causes the development of oxidative stress. The heart is one of your body’s biggest users of oxygen. As blood levels of lead increase, this oxidative stress damages endothelial cells and results in autophagy – or cell death.2
Additional research shows lead exposure can also dramatically increase your risk of developing Alzheimer’s.3 Exposure also increases your risk for cancer, especially of the liver, kidneys, lungs and brain.4
Unfortunately, heavy metal poisoning sneaks up on you over time, so symptoms are often overlooked by traditional doctors. Some of these extremely vague symptoms include:
- Irritability and anxiety
- High blood pressure
- Joint and muscle pain
- Headaches
- Abdominal pain
- Constipation
- Memory loss
- Fatigue
- Anemia
- Tingling of extremities
- Kidney dysfunction
- Insomnia
A blood test is the only way to diagnose lead poisoning. Here at the Sears Institute for Anti-Aging Medicine, we test patients regularly for heavy metal toxicity. And patients are always shocked by the results.
Eliminating exposure is key when it comes to lead poisoning. In a moment, I’ll show you how you can detox your environment. First, I want to explain how I help my patients detoxify with chelation.
Chelation comes from the Greek word “claw.”
At my clinic, we use a combination of oral and IV chelation. Calcium disodium EDTA is injected into your bloodstream using an IV. The EDTA surrounds and grabs hold of the lead and excretes it through your kidneys.
Then I send patients home with three oral chelation nutrients: N-acetyl cysteine (250 mg up to 1,500 mg a day); SAM-e (200 mg to 800 mg a day);, and alpha-lipoic acid (250 mg to 600 mg a ddaaily).
If you’re interested in IV chelation at my clinic, please call 561-784-7852.
Protect your family and prevent lead exposure
You can’t count on federal, state or local governments to protect you and your family. But there are steps you can take to eliminate and reduce your exposure:
- Maintain painted surfaces to prevent paint deterioration. Paint is the number one source of lead.
- Don’t use imported canned goods. While the U.S. canned goods industry stopped using lead 30 years ago, 10% of imported food is packaged in lead-soldered cans.5
- Test your water through a certified laboratory. If results are positive, use the Environmental Working Group’s Water Filtration Buying Guide to find a filter that meets your budget and your needs. Use filtered water for cooking and drinking. If you don’t have a filter, flush your taps and always use cold water since is contains less lead.
- Dust your home regularly. Household dust from deteriorating lead-based paint or contaminated soil can be major sources of lead exposure.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD, CNS
1. Lanphear B, et al. “Low-level lead exposure and mortality in US adults: a population-based cohort study.” Lancet Public Health. 2018 Apr;3(4):e177-e184. doi: 10.1016/S2468-2667(18)30025-2.
2. Wei Qu, et al. “Effects of oxidative stress on blood pressure and electrocardiogram findings in workers with occupational exposure to lead.” J Int Med Res. 2019 Jun; 47(6): 2461–2470.
3. Fuller-Thomson E, and Deng Z. “Could Lifetime Lead Exposure Play a Role in Limbic-predominant Age-related TDP-43 Encephalopathy (LATE)?” J Alzheimers Dis. 2020;73(2):455-459.
4. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Toxicological profile for lead.” 2020. www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/tp13.pdf. Accessed October 29, 2020.
5. https://www.fda.gov/food/metals-and-your-food/lead-food-foodwares-and-dietary-supplements