Protect your brain from mercury....

Today's post: Tuesday, 5-6-2008

Mercury is toxic to nerves & can harm your brain enough to cause Alzheimer’s or similar mental dysfunction.

And, there are a lot ways it can get into your body.

If you have the old fashioned fillings in your teeth, you may get some mercury exposure as mercury is in the slivery looking amalgam that dentists used to use. And, if you have those fillings replaced, you likely will get mercury exposure unless your dentist knows how to avoid it.

Until recently, some mercury has been in all flu shots & in many other vaccines. Mercifully the amount is quite small & a mercury free flu shot is now becoming available.

If you break a compact fluorescent light bulb or clean up after someone who does, you will breathe in some mercury. Although you can minimize how much but venting & airing out the area for 15 minutes before you clean up or let anyone go into that room.

The largest source though is probably from eating fish that have a high mercury content.

Swordfish is reported to be high enough, it’s probably wise to not eat it all as is a kind of Mackerel called King Mackerel. And, of the commonly eaten fish, tuna, unfortunately, tends to be moderately high in mercury.

In fact, people who were eating tuna fish for the health value of eating fish & not eating fatty meat, but who were making tuna fish a several times a week staple, began to get sick enough from the mercury poisoning effects to go to their doctor. And, it took a while before the doctors realized why these people were sick.

Needless to say, it’s far better to restrict eating tuna to eating pole caught only as those are a bit lower in mercury & to eat it only up to two or three times a month instead of three or more times a week. You can also eat wild caught salmon or halibut or even regular mackerel or other kinds of wild caught seafood instead of tuna.

But, it’s clear most people already have mercury in their bodies & are at risk to get more.

Wouldn’t it be great if a common food would remove mercury from your body at least to some degree?

Apparently there is one.

Here are two articles from the twice a week health email newsletter I get.

The first one reveals the mercury removing food while the second one has a recipe using it.

"This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise's Total Health Breakthroughs, offering alternative solutions for mind, body and soul. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.totalhealthbreakthroughs.com"

Staying Healthy in a Toxic Environment

By Laura LaValle, RD, LD

We live in an environment that continues to dump toxins into our air, water, and food. A growing body of evidence has shown the negative impact of different classes of toxins on human health. Are we being affected, is no longer a useful question. What to do about it is.

I'm a dietitian at LMI, working in partnership with clinicians that really understand the role of environmental toxins in a number of health conditions. I've seen patients with conditions such as high blood pressure and cholesterol significantly improve their health by taking steps to help rid their bodies of toxins.

My first advice to anyone concerned about the potential impact of toxins on their metabolism would be to find a professional clinician knowledgeable in integrative or functional medicine. S/he can measure the levels of toxic chemicals in your body, design a safe and controlled detox program, and closely monitor your health during this entire process.

Unfortunately, there's almost no way to completely avoid exposure to environmental toxins. Even the residents of pristine rural communities who tested their blood for its "body burden" of industrial chemicals were stunned at the unpleasant results. They found mercury, bisphenol A, phthalates, PFOA, PDBE's, and several more.

So what can you do right now to safeguard your family's health? You can reduce your exposure to some of these chemicals by selecting clothing and furniture without fire retardants, using stainless steel cookware instead of non-stick, and heating and microwaving in glass and ceramic rather than plastic. But how do you avoid pollutants you don't even know are there. Unfortunately, you can't.

But you can choose to eat foods that are known to enhance your body's ability to remove toxins. Today I'm beginning with a familiar herb that's a "detox superstar" -- cilantro, also known as Chinese parsley. Most of us are familiar with cilantro as it's used in Mexican foods -- but it's also an ingredient in some Asian dishes like Vietnamese soups.

Cilantro has been shown to help the body eliminate heavy metals, and it's one of the few substances known to be effective in removing mercury. We've known for years that heavy metals like lead and mercury are neurotoxins, and particularly dangerous to human health. They interfere with our thyroid hormones and other important metabolic enzymes, and cause a lot of free radical damage.

Cilantro appears to actually change the chemical properties of these minerals. It's also exceptionally rich in phytonutrients. Finally, it contains important trace minerals like iron, magnesium, and the manganese used in one of the very best enzymes your body makes for detoxification and free radical neutralization!

Cilantro has a sharp pungent flavor. Some people enjoy its taste all on its own, but I prefer it chopped up in salads, salad dressings, salsas, soups, etc. You can also make an "alternative pesto" -- substitute cilantro for basil and your favorite nuts and seeds for pine nuts -- pistachios, sunflower seeds, and/or cashews are great choices.

[Ed. Note: Laura B. LaValle, RD, LD is presently the director of dietetics nutrition at LaValle Metabolic Institute (formerly part of Living Longer Institute). She offers personal nutritional counseling at LMI for clients who need help with their diet in relation to illness or disease. Laura also provides educational services in the areas of health promotion, wellness, and disease prevention..]

Healthy Recipes:

Chili Lime Grilled Chicken: A Metabolic Code Recipe

By Laura LaValle, RD, LD

A delicious marinade of lime juice and healing herbs makes this Mexican-inspired grilled chicken recipe a perfect choice for a weekend cookout with friends. And best of all, it's a really tasty way to use the "heavy metal removing herb," cilantro.

Excellent source of vitamin B6, niacin, and selenium
Good source of riboflavin, pantothenic acid, zinc, and vitamin C

Serves 6

Ingredients:*
1 3- to 4-lb organic chicken cut up with skin on (or one packaged chicken, already cut up)
3/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
3 cloves garlic, chopped or minced
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. chili powder
2 T. cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil
1/4cup grape seed oil

*Use organic ingredients for optimal nutrition.

Directions:
Wash chicken parts and pat dry with paper towels. Mix together minced garlic, sea salt, cumin, chili powder, and cilantro and rub well over each chicken piece. Combine lime juice, coconut oil and grape seed oil and pour over chicken in pan. Marinate overnight or as long as you can prior to cooking. Remove chicken from pan and allow marinade to drip off. Grill chicken parts over hot coals or on gas grill at lowest setting for approximately 40 minutes or until cooked thoroughly.

This recipe is more flavorful if you do the preparation the night before, allowing the chicken to marinate in the garlic and spices. However, it's still very tasty even if you do the preparation right before cooking.

Recipe Nutrient Analysis:
336 calories, 23 g. total fat, 8 g. saturated fat, 6 g. monounsaturated fat, 6 g. polyunsaturated fat, 88 mg. cholesterol, 4 g. carbohydrate, 1 g. fiber, 1g. sugar, 28 g. protein, 510 IU vitamin A, .2 mg riboflavin, 9 mg niacin, .5 mg vitamin B6, .3 mcg vitamin B12, 1 mg pantothenic acid, 10 mg vitamin C, 9 mcg folate, 30 mg calcium, 189 mg phosphorus, 280 mg sodium, 300 mg potassium, 27 mg magnesium, 24 mcg selenium, 2 mg zinc, 1.7 mg iron.