Mercury Detox: A Patient Case Study by Dr. Alicia Armitstead

Mercury Detox at Healing Arts NYC

Sam was detoxing from aluminum, mercury, and lead at the same time. Those three heavy metals, especially detoxing mercury, can sometimes be intense. On the third week of detoxing, his chest became bright red and hot. Three days later, his skin started to peel. It was like a sunburn coming from the inside because too much heavy metal was coming up and out at once, and the liver couldn't process it enough, so it was coming out through the skin. 

The skin itself is a detox organ. We sweat out so many toxins daily, even when not working out. Drinking tons of water and helping him through the detox did the trick. His chest healed as if nothing had ever happened, and he was able to finish the detox without issues. 

Common Causes of Mercury Poisoning

When patients need to do a mercury detox at Healing Arts, most of them know that mercury is contained in some of the fish we eat and in metallic dental fillings. Mercury is also contained in some of the products we use at home and in schools. And when exposed, mercury at high levels can harm the brain, heart, kidneys, lungs, and immune system. When affecting the brain, symptoms may include:

• Impairment of vision.
• Disturbances in sensations ("pins and needles" feelings).
• Lack of coordination.
• Impairment of speech, hearing, walking.
• Muscle weakness.

When breathed in as a vapor where it is absorbed through the lungs, symptoms include tremors, emotional changes, insomnia, weakness, muscle atrophy, twitching, headaches, disturbances in sensations, changes in nerve responses, and performance deficits on cognitive function tests. 

All studies looking for mercury toxicity in humans find measurable mercury in most participants, and blood and urine mercury levels increase with age. Scientists have decided that if a mercury blood level is less than 85 micrograms per liter (µg/L), then it is safe, but I feel that the body should have zero mercury in it to be genuinely healthy.

When coal is burned, mercury is released into the environment. Coal-burning power plants are the largest human-caused source of mercury emissions to the air in the United States, accounting for over 40 percent of all domestic human-caused mercury emissions. Burning hazardous wastes, producing chlorine, breaking mercury products, and spilling mercury, as well as the improper treatment and disposal of products or wastes containing mercury, can also release it into the environment. 

Recycling mercury-containing products is one of the best ways to help prevent mercury releases to the environment by keeping these products out of landfills and incinerators. We can also contribute by not buying mercury-containing products. Visit the EPA for a complete list of mercury-containing products.

Mercury in the air eventually settles into water or onto land, where it can be washed into water. Once deposited, certain microorganisms can change it into methylmercury, a highly toxic form that builds up in fish, shellfish, and animals that eat fish. Fish and shellfish are the primary sources of methylmercury exposure to humans. Methylmercury builds up more in some types of fish and shellfish than others. The levels of methylmercury in fish and shellfish depend on what they eat, how long they live, and how high they are in the food chain.

Mercury in Fish

Fish can be highly toxic depending on the oceans they come from and how they are farmed. While it is a good idea to stay educated on which fish are okay to eat, as they tend to change somewhat frequently, this is a list of fish you should always avoid.

• Imported Catfish: It almost always comes from Vietnam, where they use many antibiotics banned in the US. Instead, seek out domestic, farm-raised catfish.

• Caviar: The high demand is causing a threat to the species that caviar comes from.

• Atlantic Cod is nearly endangered due to chronic mismanagement by the National Marine Fisheries Service. Choose Pacific cod instead.

• American Eel: It is highly contaminated with mercury and PCBs. Be careful of it in sushi dishes! Atlantic or Pacific-caught squid have a similar taste and are a much better option.

• Imported Shrimp – 90% of the Shrimp sold in the US is imported and full of contaminants, including E. coli, antibiotics, mouse hair, rat hair, and pieces of insects. EW! If you can find domestic Shrimp or pink Shrimp in Oregon, they are much safer choices.

• Atlantic Flatfish includes flounder, sole, and halibut from the Atlantic coast. They are heavily contaminated and highly overfished, meaning they are not sustainable. Instead, try domestically farmed tilapia or catfish.

• Atlantic Salmon, Wild, AND Farmed: Currently, all fish called "Atlantic salmon" come from fish farms, which are highly polluted. The US Food and Drug Administration has also approved GMO salmon to be sold without labeling it. Instead, choose wild Alaskan salmon. To learn more about farm-raised vs. wild-caught salmon, https://healingartsnyc.blogspot.com/2021/01/farmed-vs-wild-caught-salmon-what-is.html.

• Imported King Crab: It comes from Russia, where they do not vigorously enforce limits on fish harvesting. It is often mislabeled as Alaskan King Crab, a separate animal. If you can verify that what you are buying came from Alaska, eating is okay.

• Shark: Shark meat is dangerous to humans because of its high mercury content and very dangerous to ocean ecosystems. Without sharks, the species they are supposed to eat survive and go on to deplete other fish like scallops, placing an economic strain on communities that depend on them.

• Orange Roughey: It has high levels of mercury and is highly overfished. Yellow snapper will provide a similar texture for recipes.

To help detox all heavy metals from the body, we highly suggest a series of ionic detox foot baths that help pull heavy metals out of your body. Please contact us if you think you may have been exposed top mercury poisoning so we can test you and give you your treatment options.

Additional References

• Heavy Metal Detox - Healing Arts Podcast
• Natural Remedies for Heavy Metal Poisoning - Healing Arts NYC