Mercury Toxicity

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Mercury Toxicity Symptoms

Mercury is a substance which has toxic effects on cells and on protoplasm. It is stored in the liver, kidneys, spleen, and brain. It is eliminated from the body at an extremely slow rate: the normal mercury level in urine is 0.5 ... 5 ug per day. It is particularly the very long half-life of mercury in the brain (approx. 18 years) which justifies the assertion that, once mercury has reached the brain, essential amounts of it will not leave this organ during the remaining life of the patient.

Acute mercury poisoning manifests itself in excessive salivation, stomatitis, gastroenteritis, ulcerous haemorrhagic colitis with vomiting, colic and diarrhea, and nephritis and anuria and uraemia. Chronic mercury poisoning gives rise to symptoms such as fatigue and exhaustion, headaches, excessive salivation, aches in the limbs, stomatitis, and albuminuria. It also causes symptoms associated with the central nervous system such as the following: unstable emotional conditions; anxiety; excessive excitement,; muscular twitching; impairment of vision, hearing, speech, and gait; weakness in recent memory; impaired cerebral functions; as well as sensible, distally pronounced, and symmetrical polyneuropathies.

We would also like to call attention at this point to the risk of immune suppression, elicited by the mobilization of mercury from amalgam fillings. Dental amalgam undergoes continuous corrosion as a result of the mechanical attrition from chewing, and from the action of acids from foods. This results in the continuous release of mercury into the organism, where its detrimental effects are particularly harmful with respect to cellular immunity.

Sources of Mercury Toxicity

Mercury is one of the most toxic substances known to mankind in its effect on the body. The major source of mercury poisoning is the dental fillings of silver amalgam. The average silver amalgam is approximately 49% silver and over 50% mercury.

There is a continual leeching of this mercury into the system. If the individual is healthy enough, the body will detoxify and keep in moving it out. If the individual does not have physiological capability to remove this material as it drains from the teeth, the enzyme systems are adversely affected. The result is a very toxic state.

How Mercury Affects Health

• Energy - mercury compounds inhibit the enzyme ATPase, which impairs energy production in all body cells.
• Nervous system - degeneration of nerve fibres occurs particularly the peripheral sensory nerve fibres. In addition to sensory nerve damage, motor conduction speed was reduced in persons with high hair mercury levels. The most common sensory effects are paraesthesia, pain in limbs, and visual and auditory disturbances.
• Motor disturbances, results in changes in gait, weakness, falling, slurred speech, and tremor. Other symptoms are headaches, rashes and emotional disturbances.
• Endocrine system - mercury has been shown to concentrate in the thyroid and pituitary glands, interfering with their function. Impairment of adrenal gland activity also occurs.
• Kidneys - mercury can accumulate in the kidneys, where it may cause kidney damage.

Nutrition Support

The major product to bind mercury is Recovery and the major mineral to bind mercury is selenium. Sometimes it must be used in high dosages that normally would produce toxicity. It does not have this effect when used on a short term basis. As with lead, B-15 and b-17 are also helpful.

Note: It is highly recommended that mercury amalgams be removed from the mouth. There are other alternative filling materials that are biologically compatible. When removing mercury fillings it is important to follow a nutritional protocol.