Heavy Metals in the Food Chain

Heavy Metals in the Food Chain

Heavy metals part of the natural crust of the earth but various industrial activities of mankind has led to them being released into the environment. There are many other sources of toxic metals such as vehicles, pesticides, fertilizers, industrial waste, amalgams, vaccinations and other medications and a lot more.  These can all find their way into the body causing a variety of symptoms, so eliminating heavy metals naturally is a wise choice for maintaining optimal health.

Heavy metals can do a lot of harm in the human body – toxic metals have been implicated in many diseases such as Alzheimer’s, diabetes, liver and kidney diseases and several forms of cancer.

It is not necessary to take in huge amounts of these heavy metals at any one time – even small, minute doses over time will accumulate in the body and cause many diseases – this low level toxicity is a topic that is now of interest to many modern toxicologists – we are not only interested in acute poisoning, but poisoning of the cells of the body over time.

Heavy metals can get into the body in a number of ways – inhalation and absorption through the skin, as well as the ingestion of contaminated food and drinking water. Both plants and animals can bioaccumulate heavy metals from the environment within their tissues. So when we eat these toxic plants and animals, we also get toxic – this is a common source and we have already looked at the heavy metals in baby food, fruit juices and fish and others.

Fish has been a hot topic for many years due to the accumulation of mercury which is of particular concern to pregnant women, nursing mothers and young children, as foetuses and young children, whose brains and central nervous systems are still developing – mercury is a powerful neurotoxin.

There are many benefits from eating fish such as the omega-3 fatty acids, good quality protein and more than 70 minerals and trace elements coming from the sea. What we have to learn is what fish to eat, and what to avoid. Methylmercury (MeHg), the form of mercury found in fish and seafood, biomagnifies up the food chain. Thus, fish near the bottom of the chain generally contain lower concentrations than those at higher trophic levels, though other factors such as the concentration of mercury that fish are exposed to from the environment can also have a major effect.