If ingested, breathed, or absorbed through the skin, mercury is extremely toxic and dangerous. Given that it typically affects fatty tissues, mercury settles in major organs like liver, kidneys, and the brain.
The simplest way to remove mercury from your body is by incorporating selenium into your diet. Apart from detoxifying your body from mercury, selenium provides many health benefits at the same time.
How Mercury Exposure Happens
Methylmercury, the organic form of mercury, is the one people are most exposed to, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. There are many ways through one can be exposed to this heavy metal, including:
- Some vaccines
- Pharmaceutical medications
- Some cosmetics
- Eating certain types of fish and shellfish, including swordfish, shark, ahi tuna, and king mackerel
- Lab equipment like barometers
- Light switches and thermostats
- Mercury dental fillings also called silver amalgam fillings
- Mercury fever thermometers
Even though inhaling mercury is generally most dangerous, each form of mercury exposure has certain health consequences. As estimated by EPA, most people have traces of mercury in the system, even though most of them have low levels which are generally trivial. However, sometimes even small amounts can be problematic.
Symptoms of Mercury Exposure
Besides the nervous system, mercury affects the immune system, the lungs, and the kidneys. According to the World Health Organization, mercury exposure may cause neurological and behavior problems.
Symptoms:
- Vision problems, especially in peripheral vision
- Speech problems
- Trouble walking or coordinating movements
- Headaches
- Trouble sleeping
- Muscle tremors or weakness
Why Selenium Is the Best Mercury-Neutralizing Mineral
Selenium binds to methylmercury, creating a new compound which cannot be held by the body. Antioxidants are of utmost importance for detoxifying the body from mercury and other heavy metals and selenium acts as a potent antioxidant.
As mentioned above, selenium neutralizes mercury by binding to it. Once the new compound is created, mercury loses its ability to bond to anything else and is flushed out of the body instead. There are two ways to get selenium in your diet, either from the food you consume or by taking a quality supplement.
Selenium-Rich Foods
- Mushrooms
- Lima beans
- Chia seeds
- Sesame seeds
- Broccoli
- Brazil nuts
- Beef liver
- Grass-fed beef
- Eggs
- Spinach
What Else Can You Do?
Apart from eating selenium-rich foods or taking supplements, there are other things you can do detox your body from mercury. Among them are:
1. Take Cilantro
Cilantro possesses potent detoxifying properties, ably removing mercury from the system. Tincture is one of the best forms to take.
2. Drink Plenty of Water
Water is one of the best ways to flush out impurities from the body.
3. Red Clover
Besides being used as a soak to detox from mercury, red clover is used for its numerous health benefits, such as treating seasonal allergies.
4. Take Probiotics
Given that many probiotics are made of proteins from cow`s milk, make sure you choose a kind which doesn’t contain dairy.
source: http://besthealthyguide.com
