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Diagnosing HM’s
TM
Heavy Metals
The Silent Killer
• Heavy metals are natural components
of the earth’s crust that are five times
heavier in density than water. These heavy
metals found in a variety of forms cannot
be degraded or destroyed. Of the 35
metals which we are commonly exposed,
various agencies1 have defined 20-25 of
these heavy metals to be toxic. Some of
these elements are more toxic than others
and can cause severe health threats when
they bioaccumulate in bodily tissues.
Some of these heavy metals include:
Arsenic, Antimony, Thallium, Mercury,
Lead and Cadmium. Other elements in
trace forms (proper amounts and proper
grades), such as Zinc, Copper, Chromium,
Cobalt, Selenium, Iron and Manganese are
essential for our own cellular metabolism
and normal organ function. In the wrong
amounts, even essential elements are
unhealthy and can cause detrimental
effects to the body. Heavy metal toxicity
is responsible for a very wide range of
varying illnesses based on acute and
chronic exposure and can often be very
difficult to diagnose.
“Heavy metal toxicity can result in damaged
or reduced mental and central nervous
function, lower energy levels, and damage
to blood composition, lungs, kidneys, liver,
and other vital organs. Long-term exposure
may result in slowly progressing physical,
muscular, and neurological degenerative
processes that mimic Alzheimer’s disease,
Parkinson’s disease, muscular dystrophy,
and multiple sclerosis. Allergies are not
uncommon and repeated long-term contact
with some metals or their compounds may
even cause cancer”.2
Chromium
1 - International Occupational Safety and Health
Center, Toxic Substances and Disease Registry,
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
2 - International Occupational Safety and
Health Information Center 1999.
Bismuth
Avoiding the unavoidable
• Preventing exposure to heavy metals
are worthwhile and important, but
ultimately futile. The inescapable reality
is not when but how much. For the
last several decades, various agencies
have been attempting to screen these
harmful materials from our food, air and
workplaces. To a lesser degree, small
successes have been made in limiting
or reducing environmental toxins in
some industrial applications, but as can
be attested by regular news reports,
these toxic substances continue to
contaminate our environments.
Since these harmful metals are still
found in various food chains, water
sources, industrialized processing and
environmental pollutions, they can
easily enter the body by way of foods,
absorption through skin and by being
breathed in. Those most susceptible
to heavy metal poisoning are the
workers working in areas where types of
manufacturing plants especially those
involved in pharmaceutical, biochemical
and agricultural products are utilized.
• These toxic heavy metals can build
up and be detected in various testing
procedures such as examining blood,
urine and hair samples but these testing
methods are frequently overlooked and
often display false indications because
of the way that these heavy metals
settle in the tissues. Many symptoms of
toxicity are immediate and make early
detection difficult along with preventive
protections.
Treating HM Toxicity
• In the medical world, heavy metal
poisoning is treated by chelation
therapy. Calcium disodium Versanate
(edetate) and a few other chelation
agents are commonly used to treat the
toxicity. These chemicals react with
the contaminated heavy metals to start
a chelation process by capturing and
binding to the toxins forming a complex
that is large enough for the kidney to
screen from the bloodstream. Then the
screened complex is usually excreted
within the urine. This chelation therapy
is a painful, time-consuming process and
frequently requires hospitalization.
Inno-Vita #4413 Meta-Ex
Beryllium
HM’s reaction in our body
• Once ingested and/or exposure has
occurred, these toxic metals effectively
compete with our essential minerals
and rapidly displace these key beneficial
elements which cause malfunctions
and imbalances to our various organs.
Depending on quantities and length of
exposures; nausea, vomiting, diarrhea,
excessive sweating, severe headache,
chronic stomach pain and fatigue can
result and if detoxification is not followed
appropriately, severe and permanent
damages in the brain, liver, kidney and
nervous system can also follow.
• META-EX is an excellent natural heavy
metal chelator. It contains adequate
amounts of Vitamin C that is a wellknown detoxifying agent. Vitamin C also
known as a strong antioxidant will help
the tissues eliminate and release the toxin
deposits for expediting the detoxification
process. During this detoxification
process, headache and nausea are
common side effects but vitamin C
will help reduce these s ide effects. It
includes dandelion which will help the
liver, the most vital organ for detox and
boost the body’s own filtering system.
Dandelion contains good amounts of
key antioxidants and key detoxification
minerals. Pfaffia is also known as a detox
herb and helps body promote a rapid
healing process for the damaged tissues
caused by heavy metal manifestation.
Phytosaponin contained in Yucca is
an excellent detox agent and Meta-EX
includes a good quantity of yucca in the
Inno-Vita formula.
[© Inno-Vita 2009]
• Aluminum is not
actually classified as
a heavy metal but it
is the most abundant
metallic element
found in the earth
comprising more than 8 percent of the
earth’s crust. This abundant metal is in
our air, water and soil. It is believed that
3-10mg.’s of aluminum are taken into
the body daily. Aluminum is toxic in
any amount when it is able to reach the
brain and accumulate in the cerebral
cortex preventing nerve impulses from
being carried to and from the brain.
Known Impacts:
Alzheimer’s disease, nervous issues,
osteoporosis, colic, decreased gastrointestinal, kidney and liver function.
Commonly Found:
Pain killers, anti-inflammatory products,
processed foods, antiperspirants, toothpaste, dental amalgams, and beer (especially from aluminum cans, aluminum
cookery and municipal water supplies.
• Antimony is a nonessential trace element
that occurs in a few various ores. Little is known
today about the toxic
effects of antimony and
by some is not considered to be toxic though
it shares similar chemical and toxicological properties of arsenic.
Known Impacts:
Decreased hemoglobin and blood glucose. Recent studies have been analyzing its possible role with sudden infant
death syndrome.
Known Impacts:
Compounds of arsenic
are regulated many countries
but are still found in a variety of
industrial applications. Arsenic has
been proven to cause kidney, bladder,
skin, prostate, gastrointestinal, liver,
pancreas, testicular cancers. The best
method of testing for arsenic poisoning
is currently done by examining urine.
Commonly Found:
Poisons especially insecticides, metal
bronzing, hazardous waste sites,
pyrotechnics, and transistors. Arsenic
is also found in drinking water. In
Bangladesh and bordering countries,
arsenic contamination in groundwater
has lead to massive epidemics.
• Beryllium is a hard
gray metal found as
a natural component
of some ores. The
gemstones emerald,
aquamarine and beryl
are forms of Beryllium.
Today it is used
primarily in industrial manufacturing
with metal alloys. Trace amounts enter
water supplies through weathering
(especially from acid rain)of rocks
and soils which contain this metal.
Dangerous levels are the byproduct
of industrial manufacturing and waste
discharges.
Known Impacts:
Most dangerous effects of beryllium are
from inhalation. Once in the body, it
bioaccumulates in the bone, tissues and
organs and can lead to fatal respiratory
diseases. Symptoms include ranges of
nasal inflammation and pneumonia.
Acute durations of the disease manifest
as pulmonary fibrosis.
Commonly Found:
Its industrial applications today are primarily used in alloys for hardening other
metals such as lead used in bullets and
batteries. It is also used in some plastics,
semiconductors and fire retardants.
Commonly Found:
Occupational exposure to industry
related to electronics, mining, spark
plugs, microwave tubes, photographic
equipment, nuclear reactors, aerospace
industry, smelting, ceramics, welding
and many tools.
• Arsenic is the
notoriously toxic
chemical element which
has a long history for its
use as a deadly poison
to animals, rodents and
even people. Various
abstractions of arsenic
have been used by the military in
weaponry and some compounds today
are used for treatments of cancer by the
medical industry.
• Bismuth is a brittle
metal which is the last
naturally element on
the periodic table that
is considered to not be
radioactive (though
it does retain a slight
radioactivity). Bismuth
shares chemical similarities to arsenic
and antimony however it is considered
to be one of the less toxic of the heavy
metals in comparison to others.
Known Impacts:
Chronically, bismuth salts
are known to cause kidney and
liver damage. Acute effects include,
diarrhea, skin reactions including
dermatitis, loss of appetite & weight,
stomatitis, headaches, depression and
gingivitis.
Commonly Found:
Bismuth is primarily used in the manufacturing of low meting solders, shotgun shot, alloys, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and some medical procedures.
• Boron is a chemical
metalloid element
and is considered an
essential micronutrient
in trace amounts
integral to the life
cycle of plants as well
as general wellbeing
of humans in its ability to affect blood
biochemical production of energy and
mineral metabolism. Boron enters
the body by diet or externally through
damaged skin.
Known Impacts:
Chronic effects include vomiting,
headache, diarrhea, hypothermia,
restlessness, skin loss, kidney damage,
poor appetite, nausea, weight loss, and
decreased sexual activity.
Commonly Found:
Boron is found in industrial manufacturing, aerospace industry, semiconductor
and glassware meant to be exposed to
high heat (Duran and Pyrex). It is also
found in soaps, detergents, cleaning
products, tooth bleaching and fire
retardants.
• Cadmium is a
chemical heavy metal
element similar to
zinc and is not found
in large quantities
naturally.
Known Impacts:
Cadmium like other heavy metals
displaces healthy levels of magnesium
and calcium in the body. Poisoning
leads to nausea, diarrhea, vomiting.
Acute exposure can cause coughing,
loss of smell, breathing difficulty,
weight loss, permanent kidney and liver
damage.
Continued on next page
Commonly Found:
Tobacco smoking is the
number one cause of exposure
to cadmium in the general public.
Smokers, on average, have 4-5 times
higher cadmium poisoning in their
blood due to smoking. Cadmium is
commonly used in batteries such as
nickel cadmium rechargeable types
(Ni-Cd). Cadmium is also found in
pigments, televisions, coatings and
plastic products.
• Carbon is a naturally
occurring non metallic
element that can be
found in various forms
such as coal, graphite,
diamonds and gasses.
Carbon monoxide
poisoning is very toxic
and the most toxic substance people
become in contact with on a daily basis.
Even small amounts of carbon monoxide
can cause major health problems over
time and can cause hypoxic injury,
neurological damage and even death.
Known Impacts:
Carbon monoxide poisoning causes
headaches, vertigo, flu-like effects,
neurological and heart damage. Carbon
monoxide can have serious effects on
the fetus of a pregnant woman, hemoglobin, myoglobin and mitochondrial
functions.
Commonly Found:
Carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide is
found in indoor and outdoor pollution,
internal-combustion engines and is the
precursor to many products as well as a
principle component in many industrial
uses.
• Chromium has a
history dating back
to the early Chinese
and Roman histories
with its attributes for
metallurgical uses. In
more modern times,
chromium was used as
a component of paints and tanning salts
but today it is used primarily with metal
alloys. In trace amounts, chromium is an
essential nutrient that helps the body
metabolize sugar, protein and fats and is
also found in a variety of health related
products.
Known Impacts:
Dermatitis, nasal and skin ulcers, chronic
bronchitis, abnormal pulmonary functions and allergic asthma. Some chromium compounds have been associated
with lung cancer and are known carcinogens.
Commonly Found:
Chromium is naturally found
in foods like yeast, mushrooms,
broccoli and prunes. It is also added to
some municipal water. Chromium is
mined Africa, India and Russia for industrial purposes. When found in industrial
settings it can be harmful to the body.
• Organic copper
is an essential trace
element for both
human metal and
physical health. As
a metal it is valuable
for its resistance to
corrosion, uses to
control algae growth in water storages
and thermal & electrical conductivity.
Known Impacts:
In excesses, copper toxicity can lead to
a number of physical and mental conditions including insomnia, depression,
hypo-tension, acne, heart, liver and
kidney disease, PMS, schizophrenias,
hyperactivity and autism in children.
Commonly Found:
Electro-plating and chemical industry
and in domestic water supply pipes and
fittings and is found in various household goods as well as building supplies.
Copper exhibits anti-bacterial and
antimicrobial qualities.
• Gold is a precious
heavy metal which
is dense, soft and
malleable highly
sought after for its
monetary value. In
medieval times it
was used for health
issues with the theory that something
monetarily valuable would also be
healthy for the body. Most recently it
has been used in conjunction with joint
swelling to reduce pain and swelling.
Known Impacts:
Gold can adversely affect many different organs and systems in the body including: dermatitis, stomatitis, diarrhea,
weakness, joint swelling, and fatigue.
Commonly Found:
Jewelry, coins, modern dentistry and
electronics as well as some food decoration. Soluble compounds of gold are
toxic to the liver and kidneys.
• Iron is a lustrous
and silvery heavy
metal and is one of
the most common
materials in our
modern every day
use. Iron is extracted
from iron ore and in
modern uses mixed with other alloys
to create steel. Iron is also an essential
trace element which carries oxygen
to hemoglobin and the muscles
myoglobin. In trace amounts, Iron is a
component of various enzymes and is
also located in the body’s bone marrow,
liver and the spleen.
Known Impacts:
Poisoning occurs when someone ingests iron often in the form of vitamins.
Large amounts corrode intestinal lining
and irritate the stomach. Poisoning
usually causes diarrhea, abdominal
pain, dehydration, lethargy and as
it passes deeper into the body, permanent damage is to internal organs
particularly the brain and liver.
Commonly Found:
As the most widely used metal, it is
responsible for 95% of all worldwide
metal production. Iron is found literally
everywhere including machinery, automobiles, ships and buildings.
• Both organic and
inorganic compounds
of lead are highly toxic
to the body in even low
levels. Lead poisoning
has been decreased
with modern
manufacturing laws,
but it can still be found the following:
Known Impacts:
Foods grown in contaminated soil, acid
rain leaching lead into drinking water,
paint chips or dust from older homes
which predate the changes in the paint
formulas, plumbing made of lead or
lead traces, some cosmetics, batteries,
cigarettes, fuel, pesticides, PVC plastics,
toys & products imported from China
and other countries.
Commonly Found:
Lead is a neurotoxin and can do serious
damage to individuals especially those
whose body is in developing stages. In
children lead can interfere with normal
development, cause irreparable brain
damage or even death. (Lookup: La
Oroya, Peru.)
[© Inno-Vita 2009]
• Lithium is a less
common soft alkali
metal which can be cut
with a knife. It is also
highly flammable and is
considered of no use to
any biological functions
in humans. Lithium
is however known for its neurological
effects on the body.
Known Impacts:
Muscle tremors, twitching, hyperparathyroidism, bone loss, kidney damage,
diabetes and seizures.
Commonly Found:
Lithium is used in the manufacturing of
heat resistant glass and ceramics, lightweight alloys and batteries and high
temperature lubricants.
• Magnesium is an
abundant alkaline metal
and happens to be the
11th most abundant
element in the human
body. Fifty percent of
magnesium in the body
is found in the bones.
Industrially, magnesium is the third
most used metal for manufacturing.
Known Impacts:
Magnesium is not commonly a cause of
poisoning, however it is also found in a
number of foods and medicines including over-the-counter drugs, laxatives,
antacids which over time can cause
magnesium poisoning. Magnesium deficiencies (hypomagnesemia) or excesses (hypermagnesemia) can occur with
the effects of nausea, vomiting, tremors,
malnutrition, diarrhea, delusions and
hallucinations.
Commonly Found:
Production of steel (largely in automobile manufacturing), iron, glass, electronics, computers, cell phones, cement
and as an additive to aluminum such as
the cans used for packaging soda pop
and certain foods & drugs.
• Manganese is found
freely in nature and
serves important uses
in industrial functions
but is also important to
the body in trace forms.
Known Impacts:
Though manganese is less toxic than
other common metals, exposure to fine
particles and manganese fumes result in
poisoning causing cognition and motor
skill disorders. Long term exposure has been connected
to neurodegeneration leading
to Manganism similar to Parkinson’s
disease. Most commonly found in the
welding and mining industry.
Commonly Found:
In pigments, paints, oxidation chemicals, unleaded gasoline, alloys, and
topical medicines.
• Mercury is the
only metal which
is liquid at ordinary
temperatures. It is
rarely found naturally
and not recognized
to have any use in
the body. Mercury
is not taken up by plants but enters
the body by diet of smaller organisms
which have been exposed to mercury.
Common mercury poisoning is caused
by eating smaller organisms such as
contaminated sea life or vegetables
and other crops that are sprayed
with agricultural products. Mercury
replaces the body’s storage of healthier
elements and light metals with heavier
toxic metals. It prevents healthy biochemical reactions and functions of the
body.
tobacco smoke, unrefined grains and cereals and
vegetable shortening.
Commonly Found:
Headaches, insomnia, tremors, low
blood pressure, nausea, vertigo, vomiting, irritability, apathy, fevers, anorexia, disruption of hormone and lipid
metabolism, skin problems, intestinal
cancer and kidney dysfunction.
• Palladium is a rare
precious metal that is
valued for its lustrous
silver color. This
element has a low
melting point and
resistant to chemical
erosion making it
commonly used in numerous industrial
manufacturing roles. Dental amalgams
and fillings have caused palladium and
mercury to be a center topic of concern.
Known Impacts:
Bioaccumulated amounts of palladium
are known to have relationships to
kidney, liver, thyroid and brain dysfunction. Other effects include dermatitis,
stomatitis, gum disease. Germany and
Switzerland have banned the use of
palladium in dental alloys.
Known Impacts:
Mercury poisoning is known to have
many negative effects on the body
including, macular degeneration,
prostate enlargement, Zinc deficiency,
fatigue, PMS, thyroid, nerve, brain and
kidney damage, rheumatoid arthritis,
sterility and immune suppression as
well as death.
Commonly Found:
Dentistry, precious metals such as
jewelry, catalytic converters, computers,
mobile phones, ceramics, electronics,
water treatments as well as the fuel
cells being used in many devices such
as hybrid vehicles today.
Commonly Found:
Mercury is found in amalgam fillings,
paints and some industrial processes.
• Platinum is a heavy
metal popular for its
resistance to corrosion
and is thirty times rarer
than gold. Platinum
is found naturally in
very small quantities
on earth. Larger
percentages are found in meteorites
and on the moon. • Like some other
heavy metals, nickel’s
elemental form is
not as dangerous as
the highly poisonous
industrial processed
forms found in various
industries. Nickel has a
highly reactive chemical valuable for its
use in alloys with other metals.
Known Impacts:
Nickel is found in industrial waste,
coins, dairy products such as butter and
margarine, imitation whipped cream,
fertilizers, food processing, fuel oil combustion, hydrogenated fats and oils,
oysters, stainless steel cookware, tea,
Known Impacts:
Though as a rare metal, platinum
poisoning is not commonly found in
many outside of occupational exposure
where platinum is used in industrial
environments. Chronic exposure has
caused long-term effects of allergies,
dermatitis, respiratory diseases.
Continued on next page
Commonly Found:
Platinum’s resistance to
corrosion causes it to be a popular
element for use in jewelry, coins,
chemotherapy, electrics, dentistry and
automobiles. In automobiles, platinum
plays a key role in the catalytic converts.
Platinum is a monetarily precious metal
that is also found in photography, inks,
plating, mirrors and as a catalyst for
various alloys and hence, road dusts.
• Silver is soft white
precious metal that
is found in a pure
form in nature. In
industrial settings,
silver is also produced
as a byproduct of
gold, copper, lead
and zinc. Recent studies of silver
health supplements such as colloidal
silver suggest that silver may have
dangerous. side effects.
Known Impacts:
Complications of silver poisoning, often
titled Argyria, are considered secondary conditions. At this time, severe
disorders related to silver poisoning are
unclear. Large amounts of silver in the
body cause a gray discoloration of the
body’s tissues and have been connected to fevers, gastroenteritis, hyperpigmentation and blue nails.
Commonly Found:
Mirrors, electrical contacts in conductors, photography, utensils, jewelry,
ornamental metal work, disinfectants,
and coins.
• Thallium is a poor
metal which is so soft it
can be cut with a knife.
Thallium resembles
tin and has been used
like arsenic as a poison
giving it the nickname
“the inheritance
powder”. Part of what makes this heavy
metal a dangerous poison is that it is
odorless and tasteless.
Known Impacts:
Thallium is toxic and dangerous to
come in contact with the skin since
it can be readily absorbed. When
exposed to thallium, poisoning leads
to hair loss, nerve damage, excessive
stomach pain. Thallium is the cause
of some rather famous murders and
assassinations including the deaths
of some Iraqi air force club member’s
children which ate of a cake that was
laced with thallium.
Copper
Commonly Found:
The major uses of thallium today are
in electronics. Other uses include
pharmaceutical, glass, insecticides
and rat poisons. In the last few years,
thallium has been prohibited in many
over the counter insecticides and
rodent poisons. Water tables have been
contaminated especially where thallium
as been used in agriculture.
• Tin is a silvery
poor metal that is
used to coat other
metals in an effort to
prevent oxidation and
corrosion. It is found in
many different kinds of
alloys such as bronze.
Tin was once used to wrap foods in the
early 20th century but was replaced by
aluminum though its replacement is still
commonly referred to as “tin foil”. Tin
has no known natural or biological role
to people today. In its natural form, tin
is not considered toxic; however some
manmade extracts are highly toxic.
Known Impacts:
Gastrointestinal problems, cramps, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, headaches, chills.
Commonly Found:
Pewter alloys, solder, cans, glass making,
pipes, electronics and building supplies.
• Named
after the
planet Uranus,
uranium is a
naturally occurring
heavy metal that is
well known for its
radioactive agents
although its radioactivity in nature is
weak. It also has the highest atomic
weight of the other naturally occurring
elements. Like many other metals,
uranium in its chemical form is known
to be very toxic.
Known Impacts:
Used for its unique nuclear properties
including weaponry and nuclear power
plants. Occasionally it is used as a colorant for glass, pottery glazes, leather,
wood stains and dies as well as glow-inthe-dark paints, clocks and aircraft dials.
Commonly Found:
Besides the obvious dangers of radioactive enriched uranium, poisoning is
known to cause necrosis and kidney
toxicity. Very high uranium intakes
have been known to cause kidney failure and death.
• Zinc is a nonmagnetic metal that
has been used since
early history for its
alloy functions. Zinc is
naturally occurring and
is an essential trace
element necessary
for life. As a trace element, Zinc plays
an important role in reproductive
organ growth. It also plays a vital role
in neurotransmissions and cellular
metabolism.
• Titanium is a low
density metal valued
for having the highest
strength to weight ratio
of any other metal. It
is used today primarily
for its alloying effects in
steel and stainless steel.
Known Impacts:
Zinc is mined throughout the world. Its
production has caused many environmental concerns because of the
dangerous vapors and other residues
created by its byproduct. Zinc poisoning is results in conditions of ataxia,
lethargy, copper deficiency, nausea,
vomiting, loss of appetite, abdominal
cramps, diarrhea and headaches.
Known Impacts:
Certain forms of titanium are carcinogenic as well causing devastating effects
upon reproductive and developmental
growth stages.
Commonly Found:
Oysters, animal proteins, nuts, grains,
fortified foods, dietary supplements,
cold lozenges, cold remedies, metal alloys, welding and galvanized materials.
Commonly Found:
Military and aerospace industry, chemicals, paper, automotive, dental alloys,
sporting goods, jewelry, pyrotechnics
and medical prosthetics.
[© Inno-Vita 2009]