Mercury Detoxification in 4 Stages

Author: Kurt LaCapruccia, D.S.S.

Originally Published: October 24, 2018


Mercury detoxification is a brand new idea in the health world.

Before it was known that mercury detoxification is a good idea, did you know the Greeks and Romans used Mercury to make beauty products and medical ointments?

It was not until 1961 that Japanese scientists discovered the heavy metal toxicity of Mercury. That is only 57 years ago!

I have turned every stone on this topic in my research. Mercury toxicity is a fascinating subject, and relevant to today’s health and wellness conversation.

My research identified 4 Pillars of Mercury Detoxification which I have used to create a Step-by-Step guide. The result is a well-researched 4 Stage Process that you can use to promote Mercury Detoxification as well as other heavy metals.

Let’s start with a simple understanding of what defines a heavy metal before we jump to the truth about Mercury.

What is a Heavy Metal?

Let’s get to the facts.

Heavy metals are simply metals with a high density on the periodic table of elements. (1)

Heavy metals are caused by environmental pollutants from industrial liquid waste. Liquid runoff can pollute soil, lakes, oceans and rivers via acid rain. (2) This is why Detox experts tell us to avoid tap water and shellfish, the reason is because our rivers and oceans have experienced pollution!

Some heavy metals are essential nutrients, some are relatively harmless, and others are very poisonous and toxic to our bodies. Mercury falls in the latter category of being very toxic to our bodies.

Now that we have the facts, let’s discover the truth about Mercury.

Summary- A heavy metal is a metal with high density on the periodic table.

The Truth About Mercury: 5 Key Facts You Need to Know

As I was organizing my research, I observed 5 Key Facts that gave me a firm grasp on the topic. You could be surprised by one of these 5 Key Facts about Mercury:

  1. Mercury is an element that naturally occurs in our environment. It is found naturally in the air, soil and water. (3)
  2. Mercury generates toxicity in the following bodily systems and functions- digestion, kidneys, immune system, eye, skin, the nervous system, and the lungs.
  3. The World Health Organization classifies Mercury as one of the “Top Ten Dangerous Chemicals for Public Health.” (4)
  4. Exposure to even small amounts of Mercury can cause severe health problems to develop in all age groups – children especially.
  5. You can be highly exposed to Mercury through fish and shellfish. (5)

Summary- Mercury may be natural, but it generates toxicity. I was surprised to learn that Mercury ranks as one of the top ten dangerous chemicals. Which of these 5 facts surprised you?

Mercury is an element high on the period table of elements.

5 Common Sources of Mercury

Although we may regularly come into contact with mercury in small amounts, the building up of mercury in the body is extremely harmful to one’s health and can cause quite the laundry list of symptoms.

The 5 most common sources of mercury – as well as some of the most common ways mercury comes into contact with the human body – are:

  1. Dental fillings & amalgam fillings (6)
  2. Breathing in old paint
  3. Working in mercury-infested environments for long periods of time
  4. Eating fish caught in waters with high levels of mercury (shellfish, shark, swordfish and tuna) (7)
  5. Using herbal medicines and natural extracts that contain high amounts of mercury

Of the most common sources of mercury poisoning, the regular consumption of seafood with high levels of mercury toxicity is usually most to blame, assuming you’re not living or working in environments that have toxic levels of mercury in the environment.

Being aware of how much shark, swordfish, and tuna you intake on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis can be extremely helpful in avoiding mercury toxicity.

Summary- Mercury is much more common I knew at first. I was shocked to learn herbal medicines could contain high amounts of mercury. Did any of these 5 common sources surprise you?

Health Effects: 10 Common Symptoms

Mercury toxicity poses a real threat to our health and wellness. Inhalation of Mercury vapor or exposure through the 5 Common sources can lead to deterioration of the digestive, nervous and immune systems. Muscle weakness is one of 10 common symptoms the body uses to alert you to detoxify the body.

Toxic bodies cannot clean themselves of dangerous chemicals like Mercury. This is why detoxification of mercury is an important conversation to begin.

The most alarming fact is that Mercury is more than common in our society than I imagined. From the soil we grow our food to the fish in our oceans, Mercury poisoning is almost unavoidable.

Even small amounts of Mercury can create a need for detoxification. It is important we do a deep-dive into the Sources of Mercury so the education can help us make informed food choices.

Here are 10 Common Symptoms which could alert you to consider mercury detoxification. If you feel like these symptoms are present in your day-to-day experience, the facts contained in this article can guide you to make the best decisions for your health and wellness.

10 Common Symptoms of Mercury Toxicity:

The 10 Common symptoms of Mercury Toxicity include the following:

  1. Mood swings, nervousness, irritability
  2. Insomnia
  3. Headaches
  4. Abnormal sensations
  5. Muscle twitches
  6. Tremors
  7. Muscle Weakness
  8. Memory Loss
  9. Speech, hearing and walking impairments
  10. Lack of coordination

Summary- Our bodies will tell us when something is wrong.

Toxic bodies cannot clean themselves.

2 Important Reasons Why You Need to Consider Detoxification

Reason 1- Although Chelation therapy is an available treatment for eliminating mercury and other heavy metals from your body, it is usually recommended for people who are in extremely desperate situations.

Reason 2- If you are currently experiencing severe symptoms, then we recommend that you stop reading this article and seek medical help immediately. But if you’re just someone who cares about your health, or one who understands the risk of mercury toxicity and wants to take preventative measures, then a detoxification process will help flush those heavy metals out of your body and give you peace of mind.

Summary- Detoxification encourages your body to release toxins.

The 4 Stages of Mercury Detoxification: A Step by Guide Guide

These 4 Stages of Detoxification are designed to be a step by step guide to Mercury Detoxification. The 4 Stages are formatted as a how to guide. The 4 Stages include:

Step 1- Diet “The Groundwork for the Best Detox”

In this section, you will learn why diet is the fuel of all successful detoxes and how you can choose the right foods to cleanse the body before you begin introducing specific detoxification products.

Step 2- IMD “The Importance of Detoxifying Correctly”

This section explains why beginning with IMD is the logical first step in mercury detoxification and how to properly use IMD.

Step 3- Glutathione “The Usefulness of Liposomals”

Many make the mistake of beginning with Glutathione before cleaning the GI tract with IMD. Learn the correct sequence to ensure you are pulling the most Mercury from your system.

Step 4- EDTA and Binders “Concluding Correctly”

The final step of Mercury Detoxification concludes by combining two specific binders: EDTA in combination with a high quality Binder. Discover how to ensure your detoxification concludes with the highest amount of Mercury being removed from the body.

Summary- These 4 Stages are a Step by Step process.

Stage 1 – Diet “The Groundwork for the Best Detox”

The purpose of Stage 1 is to lay the foundation for an effective Mercury Detox. Clean Water, Nutritional Foods, and Probiotics are suggested to heal leaky gut. When the gut does not allow toxins to “leak” into the blood stream, the body can fully use the latter supplements to pull toxins from vital organs to be eliminated through the bladder.

Whether you are detoxing from Mercury toxicity or any other toxic heavy metal, diet is the foundation on which all successful detoxes are built. Even as you are detoxifying, you want to make sure you are providing your body with organic fruits and vegetables to restrict all unnecessary toxic intake.

If you’re not living or working in an environment that has high levels of mercury, maintaining a healthy diet (and therefore your gut health as well) is the single most important factor in maintaining healthy and safe levels of heavy metals.

Adhering to a strict diet for a prolonged period of time of at least 2 to 3 weeks – and supplementing accordingly – is one of the best methods for keeping your heavy metal levels in check and detoxifying yourself from any access levels you may be carrying around.

Once you stick to a healthy diet consistently, and avoid all the foods that can potentially take away from your progress, your gut flora will become more balanced and your heavy metal levels will go down.

These 4 Foods are important to consider before and during your Mercury detox.

Summary- Diet is the foundation for the best detox.

Clean Water – Vital for Mercury Detoxification

Your source of water is the most important aspect of your diet. Tap and public drinking fountains could be exposed to Mercury.

Making sure that you’re drinking clean, filtrated water is very important when doing a heavy metals detox. You want to drink enough water that you’re flushing out your system, but you don’t want to overdo it. Using common sense and drinking slightly more filtrated water than usual should help your body purge itself of heavy metals.

Summary- Filtrated water is best whether you are detoxifying or not.

Filtrated water can be beneficial for your health and tastes great!

Whole Foods

Whole, organic foods are going to be your best friend when doing a mercury detox. My research shows that eliminating all sugar and milk is a great place to place. It seems just as beneficial to limit most processed foods and grains, and eliminating gluten (also known as wheat) completely.

Summary- Stick to organic fruits and vegetables as these foods have higher nutrient density.

Sugar Replacement– Replacing sugar is not simple, but did you know Stevia is a natural alternative that has been used as a sweetener for hundreds of years? (8) Stevia is a zero-calorie, plant-based sweetener. Compared to refined sugars, Stevia production requires lower acreages of land to be produced; making it a sustainable option with the same amount of sweetness as a refined white or brown sugar. One study found an 82% carbon footprint reduction in farms that grew Stevia compared to refined sugars. (9) The study also noted Stevia’s water footprint was 92% lower than Cane Sugar. (10) You can find Stevia in Sodas, Coffee Sweeteners, and Protein Powder.

Summary- Stevia is a zero-calorie, natural and sustainable solution to Cane Sugar.

Milk Replacement– Replacing milk is not as difficult with new trends in Almond, Soy, Coconut, and now Oat Milk! Plant-based milk alternatives are becoming more well-known as people are becoming more and more suspicious of the hormones in cow milk. On top of hormones, allergies as well as high calorie content and lactose issues are causing people to consider Plant-Based options. (11) This studysuggests Soy Milk is the healthiest of plant based alternatives. (12)

Summary- Almond, Oat, Soy, and Coconut do not have the same hormones as cow milk. Soy milk is considered the best according to the research.

Wheat Replacement– For people who either have Celiac disease or feel like their system does not support Wheat, Gluten-Free bread is a healthy alternative.

Summary- For those who cannot digest wheat, gluten-free alternatives are a safe alternative.

Stevia is natural, zero calorie, and sustainable. It is a great natural alternative to Cane Sugar.

Cilantro

Consuming cilantro will help the mercury in your body mobilize out of the tissue. Cilantro can be consumed either in oral or liquid form, although some people may have trouble consuming large amounts of cilantro orally. As an added benefit, cilantro Is also effective in alleviating joint pain.

Summary- Cilantro promotes mercury detoxification in either capsule or liquid form.

Probiotics

Along with being extremely helpful in repairing ailments such as leaky gut syndrome, research has shown that certain strains of probiotics (such as lactobacillus) have the ability to bind and detoxify heavy metals that accumulate in the body. It may be beneficial to get a probiotic that has multiple strains of lactobacillus such as this one.

Once your diet is on point and your gut health is in check, it’s time to move on to stage 2 of the detoxification process. The IMD cleanse.

Summary- Probiotics promote a healthy gut and aid in healing leaky gut. Sealing your gut is the first step toward successful detoxification.

Probiotics are strands of good bacteria that balance gut homeostasis by eliminating bad gut bacteria.

Stage 2 – IMD

Now that your gut has been cleaned, sealed and repaired, it’s time to flush out and cleanse the mercury in your body. With all of these treatments, the goal is to bind the heavy metals and prepare them for exiting the body.

The first step in cleansing the mercury in your body (assuming your diet is already on point) is by supplementing with IMD and Activated Charcoal.

IMD stands for “Intestinal Metal Detox.”

IMD will actively cleanse your gut while activated charcoal will bind to the heavy metals so that they can be safely eliminated through the bowels. Supplementing with both IMD and activated charcoal for mercury detoxification will not only help bind to the heavy metals and aid in their elimination, but will also help prevent the production of free radicals that are normally catalyzed by the metals. IMD will bind toxins to the Activated Charcoal to be eliminated through the intestines.

This means that you are getting immediate reduction in mercury levels as well as prevention of further free radical damage.

To increase the speed at which the heavy metals are eliminated, it may be beneficial to simultaneously supplement with dandelion root extract as well. Dandelion root extract is a strong diuretic and will aid your body in the process of eliminating the heavy metals through your sweat and urine. It is also a powerful antioxidant that will help the other supplements battle free radicals within the body.

Once you have been actively cleansing your gut for a period of 1-2 months, it is time to move to the next stage of the mercury detoxification process, Glutathione.

Summary- Once the gut is sealed, IMD and Activiated Charcoal clean the G.I. tract for Glutathione to directly bind Mercury.

IMD cleans the intestinal tract so Glutathione can directly focus on binding Mercury.

Stage 3 – Glutathione

Once your GI tract is clean and you are using Charcoal to bind the toxins and IMD to flush them out, Liposomal Glutathione is the next step to bind the mercury from the cells to the Glutathione.

Why?

Because toxicity isn’t just the infestation of toxins in your body.

Toxicity also refers to how your body responds to the toxins that are within it. And this is why Glutathione supplementation is such an important element in mercury detoxification. Because instead of binding to the cells that are working hard to keep your body healthy, hindering your immune system and overall energy functions, the heavy metals will instead decide to bond to the Glutathione.

The Glutathione detoxification process is one that occurs naturally in your body. Using Glutathione for mercury detoxification only enhances the toxin-eliminating systems that are already in place, thus boosting your immune system.

Liposomal Glutathione is one of the most easily absorbed and quickest acting versions of Glutathione available. Along with the Liposomal Glutathione, one option is to also apply regular dosages of N-Acetyl cream topically.

Summary- Glutathione is highly effective when the G.I. tract is clean as it will bind the Mercury for elimination through the bladder.

Glutathione is known as the “Master Antioxidant” termed by Dr. Mark Hyman

Stage 4- Conclude with EDTA and Binders

Now that mercury is being bound to Glutathione instead of your cells, EDTA used in conjunction with a Binder is the best channel to export the mercury out of the body.

When the mercury is bound, it stops having a negative effect on the body and begins its journey towards elimination from the body. EDTA will help bind any excess heavy mercury particles in the blood and kick start their process for leaving the body, and a binder will enhance and speed up the process.

Summary- EDTA paired with a quality Binder is the last step to promote Mercury elimination from the body.

EDTA cleans the system so the heavy metals bind to the Ultra Binder and are eliminated through the bladder.

Procedures after Detoxification

Infrared Sauna

Sweating is one of the best ways to remove heavy metal toxins from the body. And one of the best ways to get a sweat going that doesn’t involve working out is an infrared sauna.

An infrared sauna is similar to a regular sauna in the sense that you go inside and it gets really hot, causing you to sweat. But the difference is that Infrared saunas don’t heat both you and the room. They only heat you. Meaning, the infrared rays will only heat up things that have mass (aka you) causing you to sweat out the toxic metals that have been bound and are ready to come out.

Infrared saunas are often touted as one of the best detoxifying agents that are available with modern medicine, and many different detoxifying processes include regular infrared sauna sessions as a means to cleanse toxins from the body.

Summary- Saunas are great for post-detoxification as sweating promotes toxin removal. When detoxification pathways are clear, this can be an effective way to promote further toxin removal.

Chelation Therapy

Although following the four stages of mercury detoxification is a great way to detox your body from heavy metals, depending on your level of toxicity, you may need to undergo Chelation Therapy. Essentially, chelation therapy is when you get EDTA ran through your body via an IV drip system.

Once the medicine you’re receiving via IV line enters your bloodstream, it actively seeks out and binds to the toxic heavy metals in your body and prepares them to be exited out of your body via your urine.

Although the medicine that is administered is similar to the supplements you can buy on the market, chelation therapy is a much more aggressive way of attacking the metals in your body, and is often used a last resort when regular detoxification methods have failed.

Summary- Chelation Therapy using EDTA can promote effective detoxification from heavy metal toxicity.

Conclusion

Mercury poisoning, and heavy metal poisoning in general, is extremely damaging to the body.

It puts the body in a constant state of inflammation, and when left to it’s own devices, will wreak havoc on your immune system. Adherence to a process similar to the one we’ve laid out about can be a great way to eliminate the heavy metals from your body, or at the very least, put your awareness on any behaviors you may be participating in that are contributing to heavy metal toxicity.

With the right diet, the right supplements, and actively participating in activities that help the body flush out toxins (such as working out or going in an infrared sauna) you will be able to lower the level of heavy metals in your body and begin leading a happier and healthier lifestyle.

Here is a recap of the 4 Stages of Mercury Detoxification:

1. Diet– You want to lay the correct foundation for your Mercury Detox. Enriching your life through filtrated water, nutrient dense foods and Probiotics sets you on the right track to repair leaky gut. Until the gut is sealed, the latter supplements will have reduced effectiveness.

Suggested Supplement- Immune Power Probiotic

2. IMD– Once the gut is sealed, IMD will clean the intestinal tract so Glutathione can purely bind Mercury. Using IMD in conjunction with Activated Charcoal cleans the GI Tract to prepare a clear pathways for toxins to bind directly to the Glutathione

Suggested Supplements- The Quicksilver IMD is a high quality Intestinal Cleanser. Activated Charcoal from Nature’s Way actively complements the Quicksilver IMD.

3. Glutathione– Many make the mistake of introducing Glutathione before they clean their intestinal pathways. Once the pathways are cleared using IMD and Activated Charcoal, Glutathione will be even more effective at binding the Mercury.

Suggested Supplements- Quicksilver Scientific Glutathione if you prefer liquid delivery or VitalTox Glutathione if you prefer suppository delivery.

4. EDTA with a quality Binder- EDTA will bind any excess toxins to a Binder which will be processed for elimination through the bladder. EDTA is a powerful supplement and should only be taken at recommended amount. Do not exceed 1800 miligrams of EDTA per day. (13)

Suggested Supplements- VitalTox EDTA and Quicksilver Scientific Ultra Binder.

You should aim to do a Mercury Detox at least once a year. I recommend selecting one month out of the year to devote entirely to Stage 1. Consistently supplementing with Probiotics and nutrient dense food for one month will give your body the necessary time to seal your gut. Stages 2 and 3 can cover a 2 week period. Stage 4 must be treated with extreme caution as EDTA is a powerful supplement. It is important to take EDTA 2 hours before any meal or supplementation as EDTA will immediately bind and escort those nutrients out of the body. My research says to supplement with EDTA at 1800 mg daily for take everyday for 6 weeks. If you feel like you need more time to detoxify, pause for 2 weeks, then resume Stage 4.


Thank you for taking the time to read The Four Stages of Mercury Detoxification: Can a Liposomal Promote the Best Detox?

Your success is our passion. If you have any questions or contributions, please contact us via email or phone-call. We are constantly looking for new information to promote wellness – and hearing from you would make our day! Feel free to reach out to our free Health and Wellness Consultation headed by our Certified Health Consultant, Kurt LaCapruccia, D.S.S. (Diploma in Dietary Supplement Science).

Live Vibrantly! – DR Vitamin Solutions

One thought on “Mercury Detoxification in 4 Stages

  1. I’m looking for information concerning mercury fillings. Particularly, removal and at what stage should this be done. Thank you for your research and wisdom!

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