Side Effect Of Mercury In Human Body – Mercury poisoning is the result of exposure to mercury, a heavy metal that is toxic to our health. Many studies have shown that high exposure to mercury changes and poisons the central nervous system, which can cause irritability, fatigue, behavioral changes, tremors, headaches, hearing loss, hallucinations, and even death. Mercury exposure can also adversely affect the cardiovascular system, causing high blood pressure in humans and animals. (1)

Ideally, we would all have zero mercury present inside our bodies. However, due to our diets, environmental exposures, filler choices and more, almost every single person in the world has at least a small amount of mercury in their body.

Side Effect Of Mercury In Human Body

Mercury poisoning is usually not an overnight health problem. It takes time for mercury levels to build up in the blood. Naturally, mercury slowly leaves the body through urine, feces and breast milk. However, if you eat a lot of mercury-rich fish, it can actually take up to a year for your mercury levels to drop after you stop eating mercury-rich fish. (2) This may sound like a ridiculous amount of time, but you should consider that when you eat seafood with methylmercury, more than 95 percent of the mercury can be absorbed into your bloodstream. It can then travel throughout your body and enter the cells of various tissues and organs where it can be stored for years, causing symptoms that you may or may not notice as a result of mercury poisoning. (3)

Is Mercury In Food Bad? Toxicity And Diet Guideline

While there is no way to completely avoid mercury as long as you live on planet Earth, there are many ways to naturally reduce your exposure with food. Mercury has zero effect on our bodies, which means we want to minimize our mercury exposure as much as possible. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the most common way we are exposed to mercury in the U.S. is to eat fish that contain this heavy metal that is harmful to health. (4)  I will tell you about natural ways to reduce your exposure and how to reduce the mercury that has already accumulated in your body, and how to know if you may have mercury poisoning.

What is mercury? Mercury (Hg) is a heavy metal found in the Earth’s crust. It is emitted from an area with natural phenomena such as volcanic eruptions. Mercury usually occurs in three forms: elemental, inorganic and organic. In nature, mercury is found mostly in compounds and as inorganic salts. It is not found as a liquid metal in nature.

Human activities, such as coal burning and gold mining, are currently the main sources of mercury released into our environment. Metallic or elemental mercury (an odorless, shiny, silvery-white liquid) is commonly used in thermometers, barometers and fluorescent lamps. Because of practical concerns about mercury poisoning, mercury thermometers have been removed from many hospitals and other clinical facilities. Mercury poisoning can occur as a result of exposure to water-soluble forms of mercury (such as methylmercury), inhaling mercury vapor, or ingesting any form of mercury.

When it comes to mercury levels in our bodies, a normal blood mercury level is considered to be between zero and nine nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL). People with regular, low exposure to mercury from their jobs, such as dentists, may often have blood mercury levels of up to 15 ng/mL. (5)

Mercury Poisoning: Symptoms And Early Signs

People who get amalgam fillings may be at risk, too. In September 2016, researchers published the first study of its kind showing amalgam fillings have a significant impact on long-term levels of mercury in the body. Researchers at the University of Georgia have also identified the magic number of mercury saturations needed to increase blood levels. The results show that people who were overweight more than 8 had 150 percent more mercury in their blood than those who didn’t. The average American has three teeth filled; 25 percent of the population is 11 or older. (6)

“As toxicologists, we know that mercury is poisonous, but it all depends on the dose. So, if you have one dental filling, it’s probably fine. But if you have more than 8 dental records, the potential risk of negative impact is high. People with multiple dentures who are exposed to mercury from other sources, such as seafood or workplaces, are at greater risk.” – Xiaozhong “John” Yu, assistant professor of environmental health sciences and co-author of the study

Elemental mercury is found in dental fillings and glass thermometers, fluorescent lamps and electrical switches. Chronic symptoms of elemental mercury exposure may include: (7)

Permanent lung damage and death may occur depending on how much mercury is inhaled. Long-term brain damage is also possible.

Mercury Poisoning Symptoms, Causes & Remedies

Organic mercury, or methylmercury, is found in fish and smoke from burning coal. Long-term, cumulative exposure to this type of mercury can cause symptoms in the nervous system, including:

When it comes to high levels of mercury, pregnant women should be very careful. According to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, pregnant women who regularly eat fish with high levels of mercury are at risk of permanent damage to their developing fetuses. And we’re not talking about minor damage either. Children born to these mothers are known to show cognitive deficits, motor difficulties and neurological problems. (8) Mercury’s warning for the mother-to-be is real and worth heeding for the sake of your unborn child.

In 2007, the top human sources of mercury exposure are methylmercury (MeHg) from seafood, inorganic mercury (Hg) from food and mercury vapor (Hg0) from dental amalgam restorations. This same study concluded that getting mercury from our diet (especially fish) has a “significant effect” on mercury concentrations in the brain while exposure to amalgam fillings increases mercury concentrations in the brain. (9)

Do you have amalgam fillings? You may know it as “mercury fillings” or “silver fillings.” Chances are if you’ve had a cavity filled, it was filled with amalgam, one of the most commonly used methods of filling tooth decay. (10) Once you know about mercury it seems hard to believe, but mercury is still widely used in dentistry today. Amalgam is composed of liquid mercury (about 50 percent by weight) and powdered metals of silver, tin and copper. This filling appears silver in color, giving it the nickname “silver filling.”

Brewer’s Yeast: Benefits, Side Effects, And Dosage

According to the Mayo Clinic Medical Laboratories, mercury is removed from amalgam fillings every day through the simple and necessary act of chewing. The daily amount is said to be two to 20 micrograms per day. Chewing gum causes the release of mercury from amalgam fillings “more than usual.” To make the situation even more concerning, the plants in our mouth convert some of this mercury into oxidized mercury and methylmercury, which has been shown to be incorporated into body tissues. (11)

Experts like to say that the amount of mercury released from amalgam fillings is not significant enough, but it is about daily exposure and accumulation of mercury. Fillings that have been in your mouth for decades have plenty of time and many opportunities each day to release mercury from your tissues.

In the U.S., fish consumption is said to be our primary source of mercury. High levels of methylmercury are often found in large fish that eat other fish. Fish that are high in mercury include tilefish, swordfish, shark, king mackerel and bigeye tuna. (12) Those are the top five fish when it comes to high mercury levels with tilefish being the highest in mercury. Unfortunately, cooking a piece of fish does not make you lower in mercury. The mercury in fish is not changed much by cooking so both raw and cooked fish have similar levels of mercury.

According to the article, mercury levels in the northern Pacific Ocean have increased by nearly 30 percent over the past 20 years and are expected to increase by 50 percent by 2050 as industrial mercury emissions increase. This is according to a 2009 study by the U.S. Geological Survey and Harvard University. Large, carnivorous fish are high in mercury because they have more mercury-accumulating tissue, and tend to live longer than smaller, lower-mercury fish such as sardines, sole and trout. (13)

Your Mercury Retrograde 2023 Guide

Herbal medicines made outside the U.S. it was known to contain toxic levels of mercury. Since these products are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, they do not have to live up to any specific hygiene standards. This is another reason to choose your herbal supplements carefully. (14)

If you know you have high levels of mercury, you need to stop your exposure immediately. If you know that the main source of mercury in your daily life is your fish food, stop eating fish with high mercury and choose other mercury-free protein options. When it comes to mercury found in fish, the FDA and EPA advise pregnant women, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and young children not to eat mercury-containing fish and to eat limited amounts of fish and shellfish that are low in mercury. (15)

Tuna salad is a quick and easy lunch option that is loved by many. Unfortunately, tuna is also said to be the most common source of mercury exposure in this country. If you like tuna, reduce your mercury intake

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