Toxic heavy metals are all around us. They’ve been linked to cancer and other serious health problems, so it’s vital you’re aware of where they may lurk and how to rid your body of these noxious elements. Here’s a guide to the worst ones to watch out for and what you can do about them.
Common problematic heavy metals
There are multiple ways to be exposed to heavy metals—from the air you breathe, the foods you eat and the water you drink to the fillings in your teeth and the cosmetics and personal care products you routinely slather on your skin. Some of the most toxic and damaging heavy metals are mercury, lead, aluminum, cadmium, chromium and arsenic.
A recent study looking at the toxic mechanisms of some of these metals found that “bioaccumulation of these heavy metals leads to a diversity of toxic effects on a variety of body tissues and organs. Heavy metals disrupt cellular events including growth, proliferation, differentiation, damage-repairing processes, and apoptosis.”1
In other words, the buildup