Can We Accumulate Heavy Metals In The Body?

The concern about the accumulation of metals is shared by several people. Therefore, below we will clear some aspects on this topic.

Some people are concerned about their health, as they believe that heavy metals can accumulate in the body in a number of ways. However, is this really possible? And if so, how does it happen and how does it harm?

Next we will investigate a little more in this topic and we will tell you what the role of certain lifestyle habits is, such as hydration and nutrition for example.

Concern about heavy metal build-up

Deborah Garcia Bello, chemist and science communicator, explains that there is no consensus regarding the definition of ‘heavy metals ‘, and indicates that the term is commonly used to refer to “metals with a high atomic number that bioaccumulate (are introduced into living organisms almost permanently) and can produce toxic effects ”.

Some believe that, as a consequence of environmental pollution, the use of pesticides on crops, the regular consumption of tap water or even eating fish, it would be possible to accumulate various heavy metals (mercury, chromium, lead, cadmium, cobalt, copper ) in the body.

Following this idea, supposedly, heavy metals accumulate in the body progressively, affecting performance and capabilities, causing various diseases and generally affecting quality of life.

For all this, it would be necessary to resort to certain measures to ‘eliminate’ heavy metals as soon as possible and thus prevent health from being harmed. These measures usually consist of making changes in the diet, such as stopping eating fish, for example.

The disadvantage of these types of changes is that they involve drastic changes in lifestyle, without taking into account the needs of the body or the guidelines of the doctor.

It must be borne in mind that, before making a change in lifestyle, the ideal would be to consult with the doctor, to avoid putting ourselves at risk. In this sense, we must remember that the professional can always tell us:

• What our body needs and why
• If it is convenient or not to go ahead with the initial idea we had (and if it is viable, you could give us some suggestions that allow us to improve it to obtain results)
• What aspects can we improve – additionally – in our day to day to feel better
• What should we maintain over time so as not to put health at risk

Let’s see the question in greater detail through an example: if we start drinking two or more liters of water every day, with the aim of eliminating toxic substances from the body, we will be decompensating.

Each organism is different and, therefore, has a series of specific needs. Therefore, not everyone needs to drink the same amount of water or always eat the same foods to be healthy. Yes, there are some general guidelines that serve as a guide, but they apply in the same way in each and every case.

“Drinking too much water without replacing mineral salts can be harmful, sometimes even in healthy people,” says Dr. James L. Lewis regarding overhydration.

Going back to the previous example: before we start increasing our fluid intake, we must take into account factors such as gender, age, the physical activity we do on a daily basis, as well as our lifestyle in general.

Once we have reviewed this, we can realize how safe it would be to increase our fluid intake or make any other changes in our life.

Would heavy metals be removed by eating?

It is said that by regularly eating foods containing zinc, manganese and other minerals, it would be possible to ‘remove’ heavy metals from the body naturally. Some of those foods would be: garlic, carrot, beet, apple and lemon. 

It is also said that with these same foods you could prepare shakes and special recipes to eliminate toxic substances from the body.

In principle, it is not wrong to consume these foods regularly to obtain benefits. The mistake would be in its consumption outside of a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.

When we maintain good lifestyle habits and act consistently, we take care of our well-being day by day. For this reason, health experts recommend betting on adopting and maintaining habits that are always beneficial, and not only at specific times, such as when we want to lose weight or ‘eliminate’ toxic substances.

Eating a clove of garlic every day or drinking a detox shake on an empty stomach will not provide the benefits that we so much seek, if we do not adopt a consistent and healthy lifestyle.