heavy metal detox Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Stop Disease-Causing Inflammation in One Hour!

The AHA! Team — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 06:21:18 +0000

Al Sears, MD, CNS – There is an invisible cause of disease-causing inflammation most people never think about… And it affects almost every patient I see at the Sears Institute for Anti-Aging. Let me tell you about one of them. By the time he came to see me, my patient was feeling extreme fatigue. He couldn’t focus at work. He had no appetite and was suffering from stomach upset. He described an overall sense of weakness and exhaustion. He’d already seen a doctor who sent him for standard blood work. But the results didn’t reveal anything out of the ordinary. His second doctor told him he had high blood pressure and prescribed one of Big Pharma’s beta blockers. But he didn’t feel any better… I told him that we were going to stop the medication and test for a suspicion I had. So I measured his heavy metals and found that his cadmium was 6 times the upper limit of normal. None of his previous physicians thought of testing for this. But I don’t blame them. It’s not something you typically learn in medical school.1 Another thing most traditionally trained doctors don’t know is that even so-called “acceptable” amounts of heavy metals trigger an inflammatory response. According to a 2022 study published in the European Journal of Inflammation, heavy metal toxins – including cadmium, lead, and mercury – have directly and indirectly been linked to an increased risk of: 2,3 Neurodegenerative diseases Heart disease Type 2 diabetes Autoimmune disorders Multiple sclerosis Kidney issues Osteoporosis Cancer And despite what the EPA tells us, there are no safe levels of heavy metal exposure. You see, exposure to heavy metals activates immune cells and stimulates the release of pro-inflammatory molecules, such as cytokines and chemokines. In turn, this leads to the development of oxidative stress. As blood levels of lead and other metals increase, this oxidative stress results in apoptosis – or cell death.4,5 My Patient Is Not an Isolated Case Unfortunately, heavy metal poisoning sneaks up on you over time, so symptoms are often overlooked or chalked up to other causes. I don’t know how my patient got so much cadmium (he isn’t a smoker), but it’s not hard to guess. Common sources are things you encounter every day… burning waste, cigarette smoke, car exhaust, coffee, some processed and refined foods like hydrogenated oils – even shellfish and tap water. My patient is not an isolated case. I’ve treated hundreds of patients for heavy metal toxicity. Chances are you have some level of exposure to heavy metals. You can have some level of toxicity from: Eating foods that contain metals – especially predatory fish, wheat cereals, certain root vegetables Inhaling it through the air Drinking water from tainted supply systems Taking medications or supplements containing high amounts of metallic elements Dental work that used “silver” amalgams Smoking But the biggest contamination comes from manufacturing. These poisons are used in producing things like pesticides, glass, wood preservatives, fertilizers, paint, batteries, plumbing, hobby paints, and ink. Personal care products are also a known source.6 Protect Yourself from Heavy Metal-Associated Inflammation with IV Chelation I recommended that my patient have chelation. At his next appointment, he told me, “I feel young again instead of tired and weak.” His blood pressure was also back to normal. At Sears Institute for Anti-Aging Medicine, I routinely test patients for lead exposure and other heavy metal toxicity. My patients are always shocked by the results. At my clinic, I’ve been helping patients use chelation for years to rid their bodies of heavy metals and other toxins. It’s a safe, easy, and fast solution, with a very low risk of side effects. IV chelation delivers calcium disodium EDTA directly into your bloodstream.7 In just about an hour, this “claw” binds to the heavy metals and toxins in your bloodstream and those that have accumulated in the fat in your tissues, like your liver, and pulls them out. EDTA is an effective procedure to remove toxic metals from human organs, tissue, and blood. Help to Detox Heavy Metals at Home While chelation therapy is the most effective way to purge heavy metals from your body, I understand not everyone can do it. There are ways to detox easily at home. Here’s what I’ve found works well: First, detox with dandelion. Greens from the plant stimulate the liver and act as a diuretic for excess water. Use 5 to 10 grams of dried leaves. Then flush toxins with chlorella. This edible alga binds to toxins and pulls them out of your body. Take 1 gram with breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You can increase the dose to up to 3 grams three times a day. Finally, add in milk thistle. This is still my go-to detoxifier. I have been able to document its capacity to heal damaged livers by measuring serum liver enzymes. Milk thistle is the plant Silybum marianum. I recommend 200 mg in capsule form twice a day. Look for dried extract with 80% silymarin. To Your Good Health, Al Sears, MD, CNS References: ACAM Integrative Medicine Blog. “IV Chelation therapy: finding a doctor who will test for and treat heavy metal toxicity.” 2017. https://www.acam.org/blogpost/1092863/268860/IV-Chelation-Therapy-Finding-a-Doctor-Who-Will-Test-for-and-Treat-Heavy-Metal-Toxicity. Accessed on September 15, 2024. Ferrero M. “Neuron protection by EDTA may explain the successful outcomes of toxic metal chelation therapy in neurodegenerative diseases.” Biomedicines. 2022 Oct; 10(10): 2476. Anka A, et al. “Potential mechanisms of some selected heavy metals in the induction of inflammation and autoimmunity.” Eur J Inflam. 2022:20. Hossein-Khannazer N, et al. “The effects of cadmium exposure in the induction of inflammation.” Immunopharmicol Immunotoxical. 2020; 42:1:1-8. Haidar Z, et al. “Disease-associated metabolic pathways affected by heavy metals and metalloid.” Toxicol Rep. 2023; 10: 554–570. US Food and Drug Administration. “FDA’s testing of cosmetics for arsenic, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, lead, mercury, and nickel content.” www.fda.gov. Accessed on September 29, 2024. Ferrero M. “Rationale for the successful management of EDTA chelation therapy in human burden by toxic metals.” Biomed Res Int. 2016; 2016:8274504 To read the original article click here.

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How a Sauna a Day Keeps the Stress Away

AHA Publisher — Fri, 04 Nov 2022 07:00:18 +0000

Dr. Caroline Leaf – If you have been following me for a while, you will know how much I love my infrared sauna from Sunlighten! It is an integral part of my mental and physical health regimen, my favorite place to do brain research and detox my mind, and something I cannot live without! In this podcast (episode #423) and blog, I talk to the co-founder of Sunlighten Saunas Connie Zack. We discuss why infrared heat is so good for us, the difference between infrared and conventional saunas, the best way to use an infrared sauna, common mistakes we make when using infrared saunas, the science behind Sunlighten’s amazing saunas, and so much more! So what exactly is an infrared sauna? The light spectrum in an infrared sauna comes from the sun. It heats the body directly, whereas a conventional sauna only heats the air around the body. Although any kind of heat in a sauna can be good for us, infrared heat directly impacts our health, working naturally with our body to supercharge our cells without tiring us out or draining us. This allows for maximum detoxification and purification. There are many benefits to an infrared sauna, including: 1. Detoxification: An infrared sauna can help detox the brain and body, right down to the level of our cells. This helps us get rid of impurities like heavy metals, which can impact our mental and physical health. In an infrared sauna, your body is sweating in a relaxed state, and can excrete more toxins and heal and repair itself. This is because infrared heat can reach the toxins that are surrounded by a protective layer of fat deep in the body, pulling out those substances you don’t normally get rid of by sweating in a conventional sauna or by going to the bathroom. Even if you avoid smoking, eat well, exercise regularly, practice mindfulness, use natural products and sleep well every night, you will be exposed to toxins that your body will store in a protective layer of fat. We all have bad stuff in our bodies, which is why it is essential that we take the time to detox our brains and bodies if we want to live a truly healthy lifestyle, and infrared saunas can help with this. 2. Heart health and circulation: As the heat in an infrared sauna heats your core up, your body has to work harder to cool you down, which improves your circulation and boosts your heart health. Better circulation, in turn, can clear your mind and help you process information faster, lower blood pressure, give your skin a gorgeous glow, help with pain relief, reduce inflammation, give you more energy, boost your metabolism, aid recovery and more. Instead of getting out of the sauna and feeling worn out, you will feel more energized, healthier and ready to take on any challenge! 3. Immunity: We should all be doing what we can to boost our immune systems, especially as the colder months approach, and an infrared sauna can help us do this. The energy from infrared saunas is absorbed on a cellular level, which positively affects the heat-shock proteins that strengthen the immune system. This not only boosts the immune system, but also helps free up the body to deal with any other health issues we may have. 4. Pain relief, recovery and aging: Better blood circulation from infrared light means more toxins flow from the cellular level to the skin’s surface to improve cell health, aiding in muscle recovery and joint pain, which can be a big help after an intense workout, a physical accident or with conditions like arthritis or fibromyalgia. Near infrared waves in particular have a shorter frequency range and penetrate the epidermis layer of the skin, impacting the body at the cellular level, encouraging tissue growth and collagen production, helping with the negative effects of aging and speeding up muscle recovery. 5. Mental health: Not only do saunas help us relax, which is certainly important for our mental health, but research on infrared saunas has also shown that it can have positive effects on our mood, helping with depression, anxiety and other types of mental distress. Just one infrared sauna treatment can potentially reduce depressive symptoms by up to 50%, with the benefits continuing for up to 6 weeks, while regular sessions in an infrared sauna can reduce cortisol levels, helping with toxic stress and burnout, and increase our clarity of mind and focus. I personally love using my Neurocycle app to detox my thoughts while I am detoxing my brain and body in my Sunlighten sauna—this is a perfect mental self-care cleanse, like a spa day for the mind! I also love to use my Sunlighten sauna to have “thinker moments”, where I just switch off and let my mind wander and daydream. These moments give the brain a rest and allow it to reboot and heal, which increases clarity of thought and organizes the networks of the brain, rather than just letting toxic mindsets build up in the brain and cause all sorts of mental health issues. (For more information on thinker moments and how to make them a part of your daily routine, see my books Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess and Think, Learn, Succeed). When it comes to using an infrared sauna, consistency and frequency are key. Even though it has all these great health benefits, it is important to remember that an infrared sauna is not a magic bullet or cure-all. It strengthens the brain and body over time, harnessing your natural power and helping you feel stronger and healthier than you did before. When using an infrared sauna, you also need to listen to your body and focus on your unique needs. Many experts recommend up to forty minutes a day if you are an adult, depending on your health history and what program and type of sauna you are using. When you choose to use a sauna is up to you and what you are looking for. I personally avoid using my infrared sauna too late at night because it keeps me awake, unless I need to stay awake to work on a new book or research deadline! It is, however, important to note that not all infrared saunas are created equal. There are three different parts of the infrared light spectrum, and each of which have different effects on the body and our health. Many infrared saunas don’t use all three types of infrared light, or don’t use them in an effective way or in the right frequency with the right materials and deliverability. This is why I love Sunlighten Saunas. They focus on the science behind their unique technology, always searching out the safest and most effective way to help provide optimum infrared light frequency and results, as well as creating non-toxic and sustainable products using high-quality materials that are safe and long-lasting. After using my infrared sauna regularly for several years, I can truly say I am impressed with the results. I am in my fifties and feel younger, healthier and happier than ever. It really is my “secret” weapon when it comes to my mental and physical health! To read the original article click here.

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