Mercury has long
been known to be a toxic element in the environment and, in 1991, the
World Health Organization (WHO) determined that the primary source
of mercury toxicity in the human body is from silver amalgam
fillings in our teeth. Recent studies have also identified that one
of the greatest local source of mercury in our environment is from
crematoriums from the remaining amalgam fillings in the teeth.
The University of
Calgary in conjunction with the International Association of Oral
Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT) jointly produced two short videos
titled, “Smoking Teeth” and “How Mercury Toxicity Causes
Brain Neuron Degeneration.” Please contact the Health Medicine Center
and ask for a copy of this DVD from our lending library, or email
Dr. Corwin through our
HMF Web Form.
Diagnosis
How do we know if
we
have mercury toxicity? There is no way to accurately measure the
body's mercury burden because mercury is hydrophobic (does not like
water/blood) and hides in our central nervous system, body tissues,
(fat, organs, bones and nerves). The standard blood and urine lab
test are 100% inappropriate for identifying this toxicity because
mercury will not stay in the blood long enough to be measured
because of its hydrophobic properties and nerve tissue biopsy of the
brain is just not practical. Special “provocative testing” is
required to chemically chelate (tease out) these toxins from the
body tissues (primarily kidneys) allowing the methyl mercury to
circulate in the blood long enough for the kidneys to filter
Hg-toxins measurable in a 6-hour urine sample. Even with this test,
it is only an estimate and then one must extrapolate what the
central nervous system (CNS) load might be.
To facilitate a
diagnosis of heavy metal (HMT) or mercury (Hg) toxicity, applied
kinesiology methods can identify the common organ toxicities
associated with this condition as well as measure decreased nerve
function (Hg causes nerve tissue degeneration) via a high frequency opponens muscle challenge test. This muscle challenge tests the
strength of the hand (thumb and pinky) following repetitive
movements and rest cycles and can be performed as a
quick screening test.
Symptoms of Mercury
Toxicity
The symptomology
associated with HMT can vary from person to person depending on
several factors, (diet, exercise, emotional well being and
genetics). The most common factors are an inability to heal from
common injuries swiftly (especially shoulder problems), musculo-skeletal
injury pain that appears to be more intense and longer lasting than
past episodes. In the central nervous system, the symptoms are brain
fog, fatigue and a disruption of hormonal balance primarily the
thyroid and secondarily, adrenal and reproductive hormones.
The strategy for a
detox therapy depends on whether or not you have any remaining
silver amalgam fillings. If one does have one or more silver amalgam
fillings then a detox program must be coordinated with your dental
care and may still require a pre-detox to minimize any potential
adverse reaction.
Detoxification
The detox therapy
may take the form of one or more different approaches depending on
toxicity level, diet, age, ability for the liver to detox and, for
women, whether or not one is or planning to get pregnant or
lactating. The method I prefer to use is a kinesiological approach
of re-educating the immune system and then tagging the organs,
tissues, nerves and CNS where the methyl mercury and other toxins
are hiding and then to facilitate its conversion via glutathione
transferase (enzyme reaction) to an inert chemical compound that the
liver can pull out of the blood and discard it in the bile. This
methodology, although slower than direct pharmaceutical and
nutritional chelation, is safer (while amalgam filling are still
present) and without side effects. If one would like to optimize
this process, consulting with our Nutritionist Geoffrey Marks, i.e.
coordinating nutritional adjuncts and diet recommendations can and
will facilitate this process.
For additional
information please email Dr. Mitchell Corwin, D.C. through the
HMF Web Form.
You can also contact Dr. Corwin through the Health Medical Center (HMC),
or at his
Berkeley Office at (510) 845.3246
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