Americans are fat — however, not just on the scale. Metals, maybe not fat, are making us heavy. In fact, almost 40 percent people have toxic levels of lead in our bodies. And we don’t even know it. Lead toxicity comes with symptoms, like headaches, insomnia, irritability, low sex drive, tremors, mood problems, nausea, depression, memory difficulties, trouble concentrating, poor coordination, and constipation. But it’s hard for many us to realize that they may be caused by lead poisoning. At a recent medical conference on heavy metals and health, I was surprised to hear about new research that the media has been ignored. For instance, a 2006 study in the journal Circulation should have been major news. For the reason that study, researchers measured the blood lead levels of 13, 946 adults and followed them for up to 12 years to track what diseases they developed and why they died. (1) It’s true that the average person’s blood lead levels have dropped dramatically since lead was taken off gasoline and house paint several decades ago. But our levels of lead remain high, because we have been still confronted with lead in our soil and water, in addition to from our personal bones, where we store it. The amount considered “safe” by the government is less than 10 micrograms/deciliter. But in this study, blood levels of lead over 2 micrograms/deciliter significantly increased the danger of heart attacks, strokes, and death. After researchers controlled for all other risk factors, they found that individuals with lead levels over 2 micrograms/deciliter had a 25 % higher risk of dying from any cause, a 55 percent higher risk of dying from heart disease, a 151 percent higher risk of having a heart attack, and an 89 percent higher risk of having a stroke. But that’s not all. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed a powerful link between high blood pressure in postmenopausal women and blood lead levels. That’s because bone loss during menopause releases lead and injures bloodstream, which raises blood pressure. Another study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that reducing lead levels in patients with kidney failure through the use of chelation therapy could prevent further loss in kidney function, save billions in healthcare costs, and get rid of the need for dialysis in huge numbers of people. (3) Lead has additionally been linked to ADHD, developmental and learning problems, and autism. Yet most doctors don’t offer chelation therapy. They haven’t learned how to deal with environmental toxins like lead. That’s a huge concern, because research shows that children with decreased IQ scores are those who have lead levels between just 1 and 10 micrograms/deciliter. (4) And more than ten percent of poor and inner city children have lead exposure levels greater than 10 micrograms/deciliter! Not long ago i treated a new boy with extremely high lead levels who had Asperger’s syndrome, severe ADHD, and violent behavior. The lead was probably passed to him from his mother in the womb. But as we used chelation and nutritional support to eliminate his lead poisoning, his attention, behavior, and social skills got far better. Lead isn’t going away. It’s still in our soil and water. We track lead into our homes from contaminated soil. Today regular house dust often contains 17 times the amount of lead it once did. And in Washington, DC, the us government recently had to offer free water filters for everyone because up to 20 percent of the city’s plain tap water might be contaminated with lead. But there’s very good news. There are some ways you can treat yourself for lead toxicity. Do the following: 1. Test your lead levels. The easiest test is really a simple blood lead test, but make sure the lab can measure extremely low levels of lead. Levels greater than 2 micrograms/deciliter should be treated. Because the blood test only checks for current or ongoing exposures, you will also require a rock challenge test with DMSA, EDTA, or DMPS, which you can get from a doctor trained in rock detoxification. (See www. functionalmedicine. org or www. acam. org to discover a qualified doctor.) Consider undergoing chelation therapy if your lead levels are high. 2. Lessen your exposures by removing your shoes before you enter your property. Ask guests to complete the same. 3. Test your water for heavy metals. 4. Buy a carbon or reverse osmosis water filtration drinking water filter. 5. Simply take 1, 000 milligrams of buffered ascorbic acid (vitamin C) per day, this can help remove lead from the human body. 6. Simply take 2, 000 to 4, 000 IU of vitamin D3 daily to prevent your bones from releasing lead into your bloodstream. By following these steps, it is possible to lower your lead exposure and obtain — and feel — healthier. REFERENCES: (1) Menke A, Muntner P, Batuman V, Silbergeld EK, Guallar E. Blood lead below 0. 48 micromol/L (10 microg/dL) and mortality among us adults. Circulation. 2006 Sep 26; 114(13): 1388-94. (2) Nash D, Magder L, Lustberg M, Sherwin RW, Rubin RJ, Kaufmann RB, Silbergeld, Blood lead, blood pressure, and hypertension in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. JAMA. 2003 Mar 26; 289(12): 1523-32. (3) Lin JL, Lin-Tan DT, Hsu KH, Yu CC Environmental lead exposure and progression of chronic renal diseases in patients without diabetes. N Engl J Med. 2003 Jan 23; 348(4): 277-86 (4) Canfield RL, Henderson CR Jr, Cory-Slechta DA, Cox C, Jusko TA, Lanphear BP. Intellectual impairment in children with blood lead concentrations below 10 microg per deciliter. N Engl J Med. 2003 Apr 17; 348(16): 1517-26.

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