Industrialized practices today are ideal for commerce but can be detrimental to our health – especially when it comes to exposure to various heavy metals and toxic chemicals that are a large contributing factor to neuropathy, inflammation, fibromyalgia, cardiovascular disease, autoimmune diseases, and even fatigue! Even those individuals who are the most health conscious are inundated with these toxic metals every day.
Ah yes, toxin, the dreaded term that continues to haunt us in every aspect of life – a term that robs us of our health and liveliness in more ways than we can keep up with, but with reliable and valid resources, we can avoid exposure to these harmful poisons. One group of potential toxins we are exposed to in the kitchen is heavy metals.
Some heavy metals in your kitchen and their impact:
Aluminum:
- Found in cooking pans, cookware and added to processed foods
- Older aluminum pots leach more of the metal into foods when cooking
- Considered a neurotoxin, or a poison to the brain and nervous system
Lead:
- Found in dog treats, calcium pills and herbal supplements, flatware, tap water, cooking spices, tea bags, rice protein
- A highly toxic metal that can affect almost every organ and body system
- Children under 6 and pregnant women are the most susceptible to harmful effects
Cadmium:
- Found in cocoa and coffee
- A toxic heavy metal linked to various types of cancers, including lung cancer
- Not well absorbed by the body but (as with all heavy metals) can accumulate over time
- Absorption may be decreased when consumed with calcium, iron and zinc
Arsenic:
- Found in rice grain, rice breakfast cereals, brown and white rice
- Some recent studies have found levels in apple and grape juices
- Potent human carcinogen
- Children who ingest are at risk for health concerns later in life
Mercury:
- Found in fish, shellfish and fluorescent lights
- Degree of toxicity can cause harmful effects on the nervous, digestive and immune systems
- The type, dose, age of individual exposed and duration/route of exposure are factors that determine health effect severity
Signs and symptoms of heavy metal toxicity:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Abdominal pain
- Central nervous system dysfunction
- Heart problems
- Anemia
Some tips for reducing exposure:
- Avoid using aluminum or non-stick cookware
- Filter your water sources
- Eat organic foods when possible
- Avoid GE foods, processed foods and pesticide sprayed foods
- Be aware of how much and how often you are ingesting foods high in heavy metals, along with any supplement usage
