How to Detox Arsenic from Your Body
Arsenic is a heavy metal, which can be found in household items, such as pesticides and paints. Water supply may also contain this heavy metal. Being exposed to arsenic can cause several health problems. When it is in excess, it can be removed from the body through a heavy metal detox.
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How Does Arsenic Affect the Human Body?
Heavy metal poisoning affects organ function. The liver, the brain, and lungs are the most affected organs. Also, high levels of arsenic or other heavy metals can affect blood composition and reduce energy levels.
Being exposed to arsenic and other heavy metals in the long term can cause serious symptoms like Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. In other cases, long-term heavy metal exposure may cause cancer.
What Is a Heavy Metal Detox?
Heavy metals include arsenic, chromium, cadmium, lead, copper, zinc, nickel, mercury, aluminum, and iron. Heavy metals can gain access to our bodies from the environment and the food we eat. Some of the main sources include industrial waste, pesticides on crops, fossil fuel emissions, wastewater, and tobacco smoking.
The heavy metal detox is aimed at removing excess of substances, such as arsenic from the body. The most effective way to do this is by using chelators, which are substances that bind to arsenic and other heavy metals. Chelation is a process that pushes them out of the human body, and this is why heavy metal detox is also known as chelation therapy.
There are specific chelator medications that can be used to treat arsenic poisoning, but some foods can also move it from the body.
Steps to Detox Arsenic from Your Body
Chelating Medicines
As mentioned earlier, chelation therapy works best to get rid of arsenic in the body. It grabs the toxins and eliminates them as waste. Chelating agents for arsenic poisoning include dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA), dimercaprol (BAL), dimercapto-propane sulfonate (DMPS), and penicillamine. These medications, however, require a prescription and can only be used under medical supervision.
Food
Food can be a good detoxifier if you know what to eat. For a start, sulfur-rich foods like garlic, eggs, poultry, onions, fish, legumes, and beans can help. Sulfur protects the body cells from toxicity and helps build bile. You may need medical advice on how much sulfur to add to your diet. The reason for this is that the amounts required will often vary depending on the level of toxicity.
Also, drinking lemon water all through the day could help reduce the body's alkalinity. This will quicken the detox process by unbinding minerals. Leafy greens like kale, spinach, and collard plants can also help as they supply the body with natural and easily absorbed minerals needed for detoxification.
Fiber
Fiber can also come in handy to detox from arsenic. You can get fiber from foods. Fiber-rich food of around 25–35 mg per day is ideal. This is good for detox because toxins attach to the fiber and are eliminated as waste. Fruits and veggies are excellent sources of fiber. Lentils, apples, pears, and raw nuts have high fiber content as well. This diet will keep the bowels unblocked while binding the toxins in the colon.
Supplements
Supplements can also help detoxify the body as well. Alpha-lipoic acid is one that can help remove heavy metals from the body. Take the supplement to boost your immune system and detoxify the body. There is no recommended daily allowance for alpha-lipoic acid, but 50 mg taken twice a day has shown promise in improving immune functions.
Another great supplement for arsenic detox is the lipotropic formula capsules, which improve liver function. You can buy them in the health food store. Normally, the formula has methionine, choline, and glutathione.
Water is an important part of the detoxification process, so be sure to drink plenty of water. Around 6 to 8 glasses of pure water every day will do the trick.
Before you decide to start an arsenic detox, it is advisable to consult your healthcare practitioner. This is a necessary step to avoid side effects and ensure that your chelation therapy is done safely. You also need a guidance to get the best results in the shortest possible time.