Heavy Metal Detox Formulas - The Importance of Keeping Your Body a Heavy Metal-Free Zone

The Importance of Keeping Your Body a Heavy Metal-Free Zone
by Terry Shirvani, ND

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is an umbrella term used to cover all disorders of the cardiovascular system, i .e., coronary and congestive heart disease, heart attacks, strokes, arrhythmias, and high blood pressure. Since CVD is the leading cause of death in the United States and Europe, keeping the cardiovascular and other organ systems clean has become a top healthcare priority.

Even under the most pristine of environmental conditions, keeping your body clean would be difficult. The cardiovascular system consists of a 60,000-mile network of arteries, veins, and capillaries, designed to carry nutrients and oxygen to every living cell in the body, while at the same time removing toxins and waste. Compound the situation with living in an increasingly toxic world, and this minuscule network must now manage microscopic particles of heavy metal (cadmium, mercury, lead, arsenic, aluminum, etc.), which have generally leached into our food and water via several sources, including industrial waste, vehicle exhaust, and toxic food packaging. These tiny pieces of metal are like time bombs, waiting to cause trouble. These pieces, though only the size of several atoms, become both enormous and toxic to the human body.

When a free radical collides with one of these pieces of toxic metal, it creates a whole new free radical, which, in turn, can become ground zero to the creation of millions of new free radicals … all produced from this single impact. Each new free radical moves off in its own direction, spreading throughout the body. Many of these new free radicals will hit other pieces of toxic heavy metal, causing millions of other chain reactions and creating millions upon millions more free radicals—each of them ready and able to damage your DNA.

As this process would suggest, one of the places that becomes particularly vulnerable to excess free-radical damage is the lining of blood vessels. Damage to lining impairs a blood vessel's ability to properly circulate ions, allowing calcium to build up and become potentially toxic. After a while, the cell becomes what is described as "calcified," which kills the cell and tends to lead to hardening of the arteries.

A particularly effective preventive measure for "calcification" of the arteries is oral chelation therapy using ethylenediamine tetra-acetic acid, or EDTA. When this weak synthetic amino acid (a chelating agent) is ingested, its circulation in the blood results in the calcium ion being incorporated (electromagnetically attracted) to EDTA's open-ended molecular structure, forming a closed ring. Once formed, the metal is said to be chelated.

When calcium or other divalent metals (such as lead, mercury, cadmium, aluminum, etc.) is chelated by EDTA, the original electromagnetic attraction is lost, and the fatty debris is dissolved in the circulating blood and metabolized. The calcium-EDTA molecule, now inactive and non-toxic, is carried in the blood, where it passes through the kidneys and is then removed from the body via the urine. By the unique mechanism of oral chelation, dangerous solids are converted to a liquid and harmlessly transported out of the body. This is a natural phenomenon of body chemistry. With calcium removed, the arteries become flexible again and the passages become larger, thus allowing for more blood flow.

Heavy metal accumulation isn't just a problem for the cardiovascular system. It causes a multitude of problems in other areas of the body. Aluminum is stored in the fatty tissue of the brain and has been implicated in the increased rates of Alzheimer's disease. Mercury degrades nerves, causing Parkinson's, hearing loss, Fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome. Some heavy metals block the absorption of calcium into the bones and contribute to osteoporosis. And as heavy metals pass through the filters of the kidneys, they can cause organ damage on their way out. Avoiding exposure to metals and other toxins is simply not possible in this modern world. The best protection is to optimize your body's detoxification process and practice heavy metal chelation on a regular basis.

Vaxa's TriCardia contains EDTA and is designed to target heavy metals and calcium deposits that may have formed in the heart and arteries. Not only does this form of oral chelation benefit the cardiovascular system, it also provides safe and effective cleansing of the major filtering organs: the liver and kidneys. TriCardia also contains a proprietary blend of amino acids, vitamins, minerals, herbs, and other co-factors in a homeopathic base for optimal detoxification.

A former practitioner at the Chopra Center at La Costa Resort and Spa, Dr. Terry Shirvani received his doctorate in naturopathic medicine from the National College of Naturopathic Medicine, Portland, OR. He also worked as a research scientist and product developer at Natural Alternatives International in San Marcos, CA, where he helped formulate several nutritional supplement lines, including the Chopra Center Essentials. He has authored numerous essays, lectures, and books on natural healing.

While chelating heavy metals, it is important to support the liver. For optimal detoxification and proper elimination, we recommend the "Detox Cocktail" from Dr. Sherry Rogers' best- selling book, Detoxify or Die. Drinking plenty of water will help flush toxins, and consuming adequate fiber will help bind toxins.

The Simple Detox Cocktail Solution

The detox cocktail protects the body in a wide range of ways. It revs up detoxification of environmental chemicals, guards against heart attack or blood clots, cleanses the gut, protects our genes, and boosts cancer-killing cells. Dr. Rogers recommends everyone make the cocktail to have once or twice a day. It can be as simple as:

1 heaping teaspoon of vitamin C powder (Metabolic Maintenance, Integrative Therapeutics, or Klaire Labs)
300-600 mg of lipoic acid (Metabolic Maintenance or Nutri Needs)
400-800 mg of glutathione, Recancostat (Integrative Therapeutics) with 1 to 2 glasses of water

Not only does the cocktail help detoxify and eliminate all sorts of environmental insults, but it also helps dump stored heavy metals like mercury. Scientists have shown clearly that environmental chemicals in the bloodstream oxidize or burn holes in our genetic material called DNA. This genetic damage from environmental chemicals leads to changes that cause cancer and other diseases. But glutathione and ascorbic acid have been shown to protect against this. A dose of 4 to 6 grams of vitamin C a day can elevate the natural killer (immune) cells, tenfold. Natural killer cells are our first line of defense to fight off infection as well as cancer cells. It's a win-win situation; there's no way you can lose by the daily use of the detox cocktail.