What are heavy metals, and why are they important?
The most important heavy metals are mercury, lead, arsenic, aluminum, and cadmium. These are known to cause the greatest toxicity in humans. Mercury causes brain damage, heart disease, kidney disease, and immune system dysfunction. It may contribute to autism, and is thought to be involved through the administration of mercury-containing vaccines to children. Lead causes brain damage, anemia, cataracts, hypertension, kidney disease, and heart disease. Arsenic causes neuropathy, lung cancer, cataracts, kidney failure, and malignant melanoma. Aluminum causes dementia and osteoporosis. Cadmium causes kidney disease and lung cancer. Heavy metals are ubiquitous and will be found to some extent in everyone. Identifying exposure is often difficult. The best way to evaluate for heavy metals is to collect a 24-hour urine after administration of a chelating agent, a chemical that drives heavy metals out in the urine. Hair and blood testing may be useful. Because chelation therapy is effective in
