17 replies to this topic

[chrono]

The issue of low-level metal contamination in supplements has come up several times here, regarding piracetam and Ayurvedic herbs like Bacopa. This is probably of interest to people who eat fish regularly.

Are there supplements which can be taken to promote the excretion of small amounts of heavy metals in the items we consume regularly? Would more intensive "courses" be appropriate for sub-acute toxicity?

And, what are the potentially undesirable effects of these supplements? Might they cause the excretion of helpful nutrients, or actually increase the negative effects of metal toxicity?

There are reams of anecdotal reports and unsubstantiated claims all over the internet; detox seems to be a popular area of quasi-science. I'd like to focus here on studies and supplement pharmacology.

[chrono]

Chlorella detoxification/chelation


Chelation of simultaneously-administered lead in mice. Very promising from a preventative standpoint:

Int Immunopharmacol. 2003 Jun;3(6):889-900.
Protective effects of Chlorella vulgaris in lead-exposed mice infected with Listeria monocytogenes.

Chlorella vulgaris extract (CVE) was examined for its chelating effects on the myelosuppression induced by lead in Listeria monocytogenes-infected mice...
Treatment with CVE, given simultaneously or following lead exposure, restored to control values the myelosuppression observed in infected/lead-exposed mice and produced a significant increase in serum colony-stimulating activity...
Evidence that these protective effects of CVE are partly due to its chelating effect was given by the changes observed in blood lead levels. We have observed in the group receiving the CVE/lead simultaneous exposure a dramatic reduction of 66.03% in blood lead levels, when compared to lead-exposed nontreated control. On the other hand, CVE treatment following lead exposure produced a much less effective chelating effect. CVE treatments for 3 or 10 days, starting 24 h following lead exposure, produced a reduction in blood lead levels of 13.5% and 17%, respectively, compared to lead-exposed nontreated controls. The significantly better response observed with the simultaneous CVE/lead administration indicates that the immunomodulation effect of CVE plays an important role in the ability of this algae to reduce blood lead levels. In this regard, additional experiments with gene knockout C57BL/6 mice lacking a functional IFN-gamma gene demonstrated that this cytokine is of paramount importance in the protection afforded by CVE. The antibacterial evaluation measured by the rate of survival demonstrated that, in face of a 100% survival in the control group composed of normal C57BL/6 mice, which are resistant to L. monocytogenes, we observed no protection whatsoever in the IFN-gamma knockout C57BL/6 mice treated with CVE and inoculated with L. monocytogenes.

Ability to reduce blood and tissue levels of lead in mice:

Food Chem Toxicol. 2008 Sep;46(9):3147-54. Epub 2008 Jul 19.
Chlorella vulgaris up-modulation of myelossupression induced by lead: the role of stromal cells.

In this study, Chlorella vulgaris (CV) was examined for its chelating effects on the ability of bone marrow stromal cell layer to display myeloid progenitor cells in vitro in lead-exposed mice, using the long-term bone marrow culture (LTBMC)...
Mice were gavage treated daily with a single 50mg/kg dose of CV for 10 days, concomitant to continuous offering of 1300ppm lead acetate in drinking water...
Monitoring of lead poisoning demonstrated that CV treatment significantly reduced lead levels in blood and tissues, completely restored the normal hepatic ALA levels, decreased the abnormally high plasma ALA and partly recovered the liver capacity to produce porphyrins. These findings provide evidence for a beneficial use of CV for combination or alternative chelating therapy to protect the host from the damage induced by lead poisoning.

Chlorella encourages fecal excretion of lead in mice:

Note: This study used Parachlorella beyerinckii, an algae in the same order as Chlorella vulgaris. This plant was re-identified based on new genetic information and a paper from 2004; it is unclear if other studies and supplements before and since have made this distinction, or if the actions would be different to any degree.

Toxicol Ind Health. 2009 Sep;25(8):551-6.
Parachlorella beyerinckii accelerates lead excretion in mice.

The effect of Parachlorella beyerinckii CK-5, previously identified as Chlorella vulgaris, on gastrointestinal absorption of lead was investigated in mice. Female ICR mice aged 7 weeks were orally administered lead acetate solution at doses of 20 mg and 40 mg of lead per mouse, with or without 100 mg of P. beyerinckii powder (BP). The mice were bred for 24 hours. The amount of lead excreted in feces within 24 hours, and the lead levels of the blood, liver and kidney were analyzed by atomic absorption spectrometry. The percentage of total fecal excretion in mice administered BP increased by 27.7% in 20 mg lead administered mice and 17.2% in 40 mg lead administered mice in comparison to control mice, respectively. On the other hand, the lead levels of the blood, liver and kidney of BP-administered mice at 24 hours after lead administration were 48-63% lower as compared with those of control mice. The lead adsorption ability of BP and the pepsin non-digestive residue of BP (dBP) were investigated in vitro. One hundred mg of BP and dBP could adsorb 10.6 mg and 6.0 mg of lead in a 20 mg per 10 mL of lead solution, respectively. The lead absorption abilities of BP and dBP were considered to contribute to the prevention of gastrointestinal absorption of lead and the promotion of the excretion of lead. These results suggested that BP treatment might be useful in animals and humans exposed to lead.

Chlorella reduced cadmium accumulation in the liver:

J Med Food. 2008 Sep;11(3):479-85.
Protective effects of Chlorella vulgaris on liver toxicity in cadmium-administered rats.

Forty rats were randomly divided into one control and three groups treated with 10 ppm Cd...
Therefore, this study suggests that C. vulgaris has a protective effect against Cd-induced liver damage by reducing Cd accumulation and stimulating the expression of MT II in liver. However, the details of the mechanism of C. vulgaris on liver toxicity remains to be clarified by further studies.

Chlorella accelerates excretion of cadmium only through inhibition of absorption; it must be co-administered with the Cd to have a significant effect:

Nutr Res Pract. 2009 Summer;3(2):89-94. Epub 2009 Jun 30. (full text PDF)
Effect of Chlorella vulgaris intake on cadmium detoxification in rats fed cadmium.

Absorbed Cd is eliminated through MT [metallothonein] from the organism mainly via urine. The amount of Cd excreted daily in urine is, however, very small: It represents only about 0.005-0.01% of the total body burden which corresponds to a biological half-life for Cd of about 20-40 years. MT has attracted attention as a protein possibly related to metabolism and detoxification of heavy metals because it has lower affinity to the essential metal zinc but high affinity to toxic heavy metals such as Cd and Hg...This showed that chlorella intake have the possibility for enhancing synthesis of metal binding MT-like proteins by capturing absorbed heavy metals in the body. Accordingly, if chlorella intake facilitates urinary Cd excretion by the above mentioned mechanism, it would be helpful in the detoxification of Cd.
...
Urinary cadmium concentration was not affected by dietary chlorella intake. Several studies presented that simultaneous intake of Cd and chlorella facilitated urinary Cd excretion and this finding resulted from inhibition of absorption but not from facilitation of excretion. And a few studies presented that, when renal Cd-MT form was increased, urinary Cd excretion was facilitated. Because MT concentration in kidney was somewhat increased by chlorella intake, but not observably (Table 7), its concentration did not lead to increase urinary Cd excretion. Based on above explanation, if simultaneous intake of chlorella and Cd did not happen, Cd was already accumulated in the body and chlorella supplementation could not promote Cd excretion via urine.

Much has been made of this study because the chlorella approximately doubled the amount of Hg excreted in urine and feces. However, there was no appreciable decrease in the amount absorbed into body tissue, because the excreted Hg was still only 4.2% of the injected dose. In the in vitro study, only 6.6% of the MeHg was absorbed by dBP (type found in the intestine) over 16h, meaning that chlorella has almost no ability to prevent GI absorption. The authors propose the possibility that long-term use might have a more significant effect than the 24 hour single-dose study, but it's clear that chlorella isn't as effective at excreting mercury as cadmium and lead.

J Toxicol Sci. 2010;35(1):101-5. (full text PDF)
The influence of Parachlorella beyerinckii CK-5 on the absorption and excretion of methylmercury (MeHg) in mice.

Chlorella (Parachlorella beyerinckii CK-5), previously identified as Chlorella vulgaris CK-5, is a unicellular green algae that has for many years been used as a nutritional supplement. In order to investigate the effects of methylmercury (MeHg) detoxification by Chlorella, we examined the absorption and excretion of MeHg in mice. Female C57BL/6N mice were randomly divided into three groups of five, and were housed in metabolism cages. Mice were orally administered MeHg chloride at doses of 5 mg (4 mg Hg)/kg body weight with or without 100 mg/mouse of P. beyerinckii powder (BP), and were assigned to either a MeHg group or MeHg + BP group, accordingly. Twenty-four hr after oral administration, feces and urine were collected, and blood, liver, and kidney samples were obtained. Total mercury contents in the samples obtained were determined using an atomic absorption method. The amounts of Hg excreted in feces and urine of the MeHg + BP group were increased nearly 1.9 and 2.2-fold compared with those of the MeHg group. On the other hand, blood and organ Hg levels were not significantly different between two groups. These results suggest that the intake of BP may induce the excretion of Hg both in feces and urine, although it does not affect MeHg absorption from the gastrointestinal tract. The effect of BP on the tissue mercury accumulation may become evident in a long-term experiment.

This abstract was truncated, but it indicates that mice were able to effectively absorb dietary iron when fed varying doses of chlorella, suggesting that it does not chelate this metal. Indeed, references in the few free full-text articles mentioned only Cd, Zn, Cu, Pb, and Hg:

Kitasato Arch Exp Med. 1991 Dec;64(4):193-204.
Effect of chlorella on rats with iron deficient anemia.

In order to determine effects of iron deficiency on the living body, rats were given the iron deficient diet (Group 1, iron content, 0.32mg/100g), the complete diet added with iron (Group 5, iron content, 32.5mg/100g), the diet added with 1% chlorella (Group 2, iron content, 2.2mg/100g), the diet added with 5% chlorella (Group 3, iron content, 7.4mg/100g), or the diet added with 10% chlorella (Group 4, iron content, 13.9mg/100g). For the first 30 days, rats of all groups were given the iron deficiency diet to make them iron deficient, and were subsequently given the respective diet during the next 30 days to observe various changes in the conditions of rats...
Rats of Groups 3, 4 and 5 fed with the diets containing certain amounts of iron rapidly recovered, while the recovery of those of Group 2 fed with less iron content diet was delayed.

Finally, LEF's heavy metal toxicity page lists two references for human studies of heavy metal excretion:

[indent=1]

In a report to the General Meeting of the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan on an early study in animals, Ichimura (1973) reported that chlorella (8 grams daily) increased elimination of cadmium: threefold in feces and sevenfold in urine. Other researchers from Japan showed that chlorella helped detoxify uranium and lead (Horikoshi et al. 1979).

Ichimura, S. Report. General meeting of the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan, Hokuriku Branch, Toyoma City, Japan, October 27, 1973.

Horikoshi, T., Nakajima, A., and Sakaguchi, T. Uptake of uranium by various cell fractions of Chlorella regularis. Radioisotopes 1979 Aug; 28(8): 485-8.

There are a couple referenced studies left to get that aren't indexed by pubmed, but I believe they present only similar findings.

It seems that chlorella is effective at chelating lead and cadmium when co-administered. The lack of iron chelation is disappointing, as it might compensate for chlorella's high iron content. Also disappointing is the dearth of current human data, but I'll hazard the effects should be largely applicable to humans; the chelation is an action of metallothionein (MT)-like proteins in the algae cell which are active even in water.

[recitative]

Pub Med

Lead induced oxidative stress: beneficial effects of Kombucha tea.

Dipti P, Yogesh B, Kain AK, Pauline T, Anju B, Sairam M, Singh B, Mongia SS, Kumar GI, Selvamurthy W.

Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences, Lucknow Road, Timarpur, Delhi-110054, India. rnprasad32@hotmail.com

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of oral administration of Kombucha tea (K-tea) on lead induced oxidative stress. METHODS: Sprague Dawley rats were administered 1 mL of 3.8% lead acetate solution daily alone or in combination with K-tea orally for 45 d, and the antioxidant status and lipid peroxidation were evaluated. RESULTS: Oral administration of lead acetate to rats enhanced lipid peroxidation and release of creatine phosphokinase and decreased levels of reduced glutathione (GSH) and antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, SOD and glutathione peroxidase, GPx). Lead treatment did not alter humoral immunity, but inhibited DTH response when compared to the control. Lead administration also increased DNA fragmentation in liver. Oral administration of Kombucha tea to rats exposed to lead decreased lipid peroxidation and DNA damage with a concomitant increase in the reduced glutathione level and GPx activity. Kombucha tea supplementation relieved the lead induced immunosuppression to appreciable levels. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that K-tea has potent antioxidant and immunomodulating properties.

[chrono]

It seems that Kombucha tea is able to combat some symptoms of metal toxicity through its antioxidant properties, but nothing suggests it helps to eliminate metal from the body:

J Ethnopharmacol. 2000 Jul;71(1-2):235-40.
Effect of Kombucha tea on chromate(VI)-induced oxidative stress in albino rats.

...KT feeding completely reversed the chromate-induced changes. These results show that Kombucha tea has potent anti-oxidant and immunopotentiating activities.

J Microbiol Biotechnol. 2009 Apr;19(4):397-402.
Hepatoprotective and curative properties of Kombucha tea against carbon tetrachloride-induced toxicity.

...Antioxidant molecules produced during the fermentation period could be the reason for the efficient hepatoprotective and curative properties of KT against CCI4-induced hepatotoxicity.

There were a couple animal studies in the past decade showing no toxic effects:

Biomed Environ Sci. 2000 Dec;13(4):293-9.
Subacute (90 days) oral toxicity studies of Kombucha tea.

...The organ to body weight ratio and histological evaluation did not show any toxic signs. The haematological and biochemical variables were within the clinical limits. The study indicates that rats fed KT for 90 days showed no toxic effects.

Biomed Environ Sci. 2001 Sep;14(3):207-13.
Studies on toxicity, anti-stress and hepato-protective properties of Kombucha tea.

...The effect of oral administration of different doses of K-tea to albino rats was examined and the results indicate that K-tea has no significant toxicity as revealed by various biochemical and histopathological parameters.

However, there are numerous case reports of sometimes-serious illness and death probably related to kombucha ingestion:

• [The Kombucha mushroom: two different opinions]: dangers to overstimulated immune systems
• Kombucha--toxicity alert.: Dangers to weakened immune systems; stomach problems and yeast infections
• A case of Kombucha tea toxicity.: "Several case reports exist of serious, and sometimes fatal, hepatic dysfunction and lactic acidosis within close proximity to ingestion."
• Unexplained severe illness possibly associated with consumption of Kombucha tea: "cases of unexplained severe illness (including one death) occurred in two persons in a rural town in northwestern Iowa who had been drinking Kombucha tea daily for approximately 2 months."
• Probable gastrointestinal toxicity of Kombucha tea: "Two presented with symptoms of allergic reaction, the third with jaundice, and the fourth with nausea, vomiting, and head and neck pain."
• A case of anti-Jo1 myositis with pleural effusions and pericardial tamponade developing after exposure to a fermented Kombucha beverage.
• Kombucha "mushroom" hepatotoxicity. (no abstract)

Enough people drink this that such cases can be classified as atypical, but I think I'll stick to more proven antioxidants until some more studies are done.

Edited by chrono, 15 February 2010 - 12:37 AM.

[brundall]

Doesn't Carnosine remove heavy metals from the body?

[4eva]

I would think the first thing is to try to avoid exposure to heavy metals.

If that isn't possible then I think it helps to know what heavy metals you are being exposed to. I think a hair analysis may be the best way to know what you are dealing with. I think I read in Andy Cutler's book that different heavy metals are chelated with different substances. That's why it helps to know what you are being exposed to.

I've read good things about sodium alginate and how it is supposed to bind up stuff in your GI track. This is something that is recommended as an adunct to chelating agent to help ensure that your GI tract doesn't have any problems with eliminating the metals. It doesn't chelate metals, it just entraps them in your GI tract. You can buy sodium alginate as a supplement or you can buy a product that contains sodium alginate like Metal Magnet.

There are chelating products and then their are ways to eliminate toxins in your GI tract. I think chelation is for metals stored in tissues. I'm not sure how heavy metals getting into your GI tract will be removed with chelation agents since they haven't gotten stored in your tissues yet.

Being deficient in minerals can make you more vulnerable to taking up heavy metals in place of those essential minerals. I think the body will take up cadmium if you're deficient in zinc, for example. I think there is some relationship to the weight of the mineral and the metal's weight that determines what the body uses as a substitute when it doesn't get the essential mineral. You use the periodic table to figure this out, I think. But they are called heavy because the metals that replace essential minerals have a greater atomic weight (never a lower atomic weight).

But, there are resources that can tell you what heavy metals replace specific essential minerals.

And being deficient in zinc can make you vulnerable because of MT (metallotheionine). William Walsh of the Pfeiffer Treatment center has written about promoting MT by the amount of zinc you take. I think it has to be more than a certain dose (maybe about 60 mg or so). (I don't have a reference to that handy I'm just going on what I recall.) But I have read that zinc is important for MT and MT is important not just for getting rid of heavy metals but other toxins, like chemicals and viruses, etc.

But chelating agents can remove essential minerals too. And chelation should only be done when you have corrected any existing mineral deficiencies to prevent any complications or worsening any deficiencies.

I have read some things about cilantro that indicate it may not be an ideal chelating agent. I got the impression that it's not tested and may just move things around. I think cilantro might be useful with some other chelating agent, but I wonder if it can help on its own. (I may have read about this in Andy Cutler's book.)

And Andy Cutler has said that if mercury is a problem then mineral transport is likely to be disturbed. That means if there is a mercury problem any hair analysis has to be interpreted using Cutler's counting rules.

And if mercury is an issue then any amalgams or other dental work will have to be removed before chelation can begin. Otherwise you will remove the mercury and other heavy metals in your dental fillings and gold crowns through your bloodstream and kidney's or GI tract which is not as efficient as having them removed safely by a qualified dentist.

[VespeneGas]

Modified citrus pectin.

Not that I think the average person should be worried about heavy metal exposure unless they're eating cans of tuna per day or swallowing some pretty sketchy supplements (especially since AOR discontinued their "lead paint complex").

[chrono]

Modified Citrus Pectin (MCP)

A review of the three human trials. Raises some alarming and valid points about the bias and methodology of said studies. I've included excerpts of their comments along with those abstracts, but I recommend downloading the free article for a more in-depth discussion of methodological questions.

Altern Med Rev. 2008 Dec;13(4):283-6. (full text PDF)
Is modified citrus pectin an effective mobilizer of heavy metals in humans?

Given the far-reaching adverse effects of lead in humans, there is a great patient demand for safe, all-natural agents for effectively mobilizing lead. It is therefore incumbent on practitioners to closely scrutinize the recent study and the preceding two studies it references to assess the validity of the conclusion reached in all three studies; i.e., that modifeed citrus pectin is an effective mobilizer of heavy metals in humans.

The first MCP study on heavy metal excretion. Especially pertinent to our question, as the study group was healthy subjects without acute or chronic toxicity.

Phytother Res. 2006 Oct;20(10):859-64.
The effect of modified citrus pectin on urinary excretion of toxic elements.

Subjects ingested 15 g of MCP (PectaSol, EcoNugenics Inc.) each day for 5 days and 20 g on day 6...In the first 24 h of MCP administration the urinary excretion of arsenic increased significantly (130%, p < 0.05). On day 6, urinary excretion was increased significantly for cadmium (150%, p < 0.05). In addition, lead showed a dramatic increase in excretion (560%, p < 0.08). This pilot trial provides the first evidence that oral administration of MCP increases significantly the urinary excretion of toxic metals in subjects with a 'normal' body load of metals.

Altern Med Rev. 2008 Dec;13(4):283-6.
...This method of reporting the diference from baseline instead of the actual average level makes for some confusion, which is compounded by the numbers in the body of the text not matching the data in the study abstract...The abstract also states, “Lead showed a dramatic increase in excretion (560%, p<0.08).” However, the reported numbers show the average level of urinary lead on day 0 was 0.38, which increased by 0.82 by day 6 for a total of 1.20 mcg/24 hrs, an increase of 215 percent, not 560 percent as reported.

No dietary protocol was in place in this study to ensure that dietary sources of heavy metals were excluded during the test. Such exposures could readily account for increased levels of certain heavy metals in a 24-hour sample...And fnally, there was no placebo group, or crossover administration of placebo to the study group for an equal amount of time, to determine if these findings were actually due to MCP or to something else.

The second study

Forsch Komplementmed. 2007 Dec;14(6):358-64. Epub 2007 Dec 12.
Integrative medicine and the role of modified citrus pectin/alginates in heavy metal chelation and detoxification--five case reports.

The five case studies presented here show that reduction in toxic heavy metals (74% average decrease) was achieved without side effects, with the use of PectaSol modified citrus pectin (MCP) alone or with an MCP/alginates combination.

Altern Med Rev. 2008 Dec;13(4):283-6.
The 2007 study has similar problems. This study reports the cases of five individuals with heavy metal burden on whom a variety of pectin products and standard chelating agents were tested. Such an expansive array of treatment protocols arguably minimizes the validity of the results...
Without a non-flushed baseline, one cannot know whether the person is dumping mercury because they have recently been eating swordfish or because their body burden is so great...

The other DMPS case started with a very high urinary mercury level of 180 mcg/g creatinine, which dropped to 49 mcg/g after five months of pectin. The presence of such an unusually high level of mercury indicates this person was probably exposed to mercury by consuming a high-fish diet. If the subject had been eating fsh regularly and then stopped after the first test, part of the reduction could easily be from normal mercury excretion rates; the serum half-life of methyl mercury is 70 days...

Without such standard protocols as pre- and post-testing and placebos in these studies, it is not possible to validate the results...

The most recent study, on lead excretion, performed on 8 children in hospital:

Altern Med Rev. 2008 Dec;13(4):283-6.
Is modified citrus pectin an effective mobilizer of heavy metals in humans?

This clinical study was performed to determine if the oral administration of modified citrus pectin (MCP) is effective at lowering lead toxicity in the blood of children between the ages of 5 and 12 years.
RESULT: This study showed a dramatic decrease in blood serum levels of lead (P = .0016; 161% average change) and a dramatic increase in 24-hour urine collection (P = .0007; 132% average change).
The dramatic results and no observed adverse effects in this pilot study along with previous reports of the safe and effective use of MCP in adults indicate that MCP could be such an agent.

...First, without a control group, there is no way to know if, in this population, the noted reductions of lead are attributable to the treatment protocol or to the average normal lead half-life in that population (the blood half-life of lead is an average of 30 days because diferent populations have diferent rates). Second, since the time-to-discharge ranged from 14-28 days, and the starting lead levels were similar, the question can be asked why did the product not work more consistently?

Perhaps more troubling, however, is the undisclosed relationship of three of the study’s seven authors to the company that makes the MCP product used in the study. Of the study’s seven authors, only one is disclosed as being associated with the company that makes Pectasol...
A fourth author is also the primary author of the two previous human studies on the use of MCP for heavy metal burden that are used as the support documentation for the current study. In none of these three studies, however, is it disclosed that this individual is also the president and founder of the company, EcoNugenics, that makes the MCP product tested in all three studies.

In this writer’s opinion, what we are left with are three published studies that are replete with signifcant omissions and questionable math, and with no reliable evidence that modified citrus pectin is able to block the absorption of heavy metals or reduce heavy metal burden in humans.

The mechanism proposed in the 2006 paper is through the presence of rhamnogalacturonan II. Rat studies found it to be an effective chelator when co-administered, but not useful for lead already absorbed in tissue:

J Nutr. 2000 Feb;130(2):249-53.
The rhamnogalacturonan-II dimer decreases intestinal absorption and tissue accumulation of lead in rats.

The rhamnogalacturonan-II dimer (dRG-II) forms strong complexes in vitro with lead (Pb) and other selected cations...
The addition of unleaded dRG-II decreased the intestinal absorption and the tissue retention of Pb significantly. We further found that the apparent absorption and status of magnesium, zinc and iron were unaffected by Pb treatment or dRG-II addition. We conclude that dRG-II may be useful in decreasing toxicity related to chronic Pb exposure.

Br J Nutr. 2002 Jan;87(1):47-54.
Chronic oral administration of rhamnogalacturonan-II dimer, a pectic polysaccharide, failed to accelerate body lead detoxification after chronic lead exposure in rats.

...In line with this, we showed that dRGII administration was not effective in decreasing tibia or kidney Pb levels in rats. In conclusion, Pb complexed by dRGII in fruits and vegetables and fruit juice is thus mostly unavailable for intestinal absorption. However, the addition of dRGII after chronic Pb exposure does not help Pb detoxification.

Much more legitimate research has been carried out on MCP's ability to prevent metastasis in several types of cancer: see Modified citrus pectin-monograph (and full text PDF). Of note:

Because it is a soluble fiber, administration of modified citrus pectin is unlikely to result in gastric intolerance, even at high doses. No pattern of adverse reaction has been recorded in the scientific literature. As with any dietary fiber, MCP at high doses may result in mild cases of loose stool, but
this is usually self-limiting and does not warrant discontinuing treatment.

...a typical adult dosage ranging between 6-30 grams daily in divided doses.

So it looks like MCP is a plausible chelator of lead when co-administered, though human studies of efficacy were horribly flawed. There were no reports of adverse effects found in pubmed, so MCP might be a good bet!

[chrono]

There are chelating products and then their are ways to eliminate toxins in your GI tract. I think chelation is for metals stored in tissues. I'm not sure how heavy metals getting into your GI tract will be removed with chelation agents since they haven't gotten stored in your tissues yet.

4eva, thanks for the response. Chelation is a process of binding a metal ion to another molecule, rendering it less reactive. It can occur in nature, in the GI tract, the blood, or in body tissues.

Andy Cutler's methods are questionable. He's a chemical engineer, not a medical doctor. He connected the dots in some old Russian papers with his chemistry knowledge and hit on a method that seems to work. But he belittles and dismisses anyone who asks for reliable data, seeming to think that a chemical mechanism and testimonials from people on his mailing list should convince absolutely.

His disdain for demonstrating the basis of his ideas make it difficult to accept them at face value. It's more difficult than it should be to ascertain whether a given method or assertion is based on studies, conjecture, or unverified anecdotes. The proliferation of his information, referenced by saying "Andy Cutler says..." is what makes it hard to find hard data on this subject. Anyway, he does cite a lot of useful papers on his mailing list if you wade through the smugness, so thanks for the heads up. His protocol is fairly intensive and designed for more severe chronic poisoning than what we're discussing here, but it seems like some of the substances used might be applicable.

[LIB]

I'll say in my experience that Chlorella made me MUCH worse. I have legitimate mercury poisoning. Andrew Cutlers method has pulled me back in the right direction and I'm getting healthier.

But this is 2 different things, prevention vs. treatment of mercury toxicity in the human body.

[chrono]

I'll say in my experience that Chlorella made me MUCH worse. I have legitimate mercury poisoning. Andrew Cutlers method has pulled me back in the right direction and I'm getting healthier.

But this is 2 different things, prevention vs. treatment of mercury toxicity in the human body.

That's definitely worth mentioning, LIB. I've read similar reports concerning several agents. If you suspect you have pre-existing heavy metal toxicity, the kind of preventative supplementation we're thinking about here could make matters worse for you.

Edited by chrono, 19 February 2010 - 02:05 PM.

[chrono]

Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM)
aka DMSO2, MSM, methylsulfonylmethane, methyl sulfone, and dimethyl sulfone


Putative detoxification and chelation properties of MSM are, as far as I can find, based entirely upon this paper:

Drug Deliv. 2009 Jul;16(5):243-8.
Assessment of methylsulfonylmethane as a permeability enhancer for regional EDTA chelation therapy.
Zhang M, Wong IG, Gin JB, Ansari NH.

Pharmacologic chelators do not effectively penetrate cell membranes and blood-brain barrier. This study assesses methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) as a permeability enhancer and an excipient to facilitate EDTA transport across biologic membranes, and to make possible localized, regional chelation. Topical application of MSM with C(14)EDTA onto the rat cornea led to uptake of the C(14)EDTA in all tested ocular tissues. Without MSM, EDTA did not penetrate the eye. The ability of MSM to deliver EDTA into an eye provides an opportunity for regional chelation therapy. Additionally, these studies suggest that MSM could also be an adjuvant for delivering ciprofloxacin and other chemical compounds to specific, local tissue sites.

MSM helps topically-applied EDTA pass into the eye. It can function as a transdermal delivery system much like the closely-related DMSO. However, there is nothing to suggest that it has any chelation or detoxification properties of its own.

Might MSM, when taken orally, increase cell permeability and hence effectiveness of other chelators? Or might it enhance tissue absorption of heavy metals?

Edited by chrono, 19 February 2010 - 04:09 PM.

[bacopa666]

IP6

[bacopa]

I'm now doing the Andy protocal chelation for my amalgam grinding, heavy over years. the bastard dentists don't realize how they are killing us, seriously...chrono good to be skeptical on the Culter worship kind of thing.

I'm not sure if you can chelate from the brain, as there is no way to test a mercury toxic brain, other than subjective feelings.

I know I feel better doing Cutlers recommendations NOT to eat high thiol (sulfur) foods, and when I consume chollera, cilantro, NAC, ALA, kale, I feel horrific. So Andy is on to something. Yes I'm getting my amalgams removed.

[GhostBuster]

Iodine:

..." iodine chelates heavy metals such as mercury, lead, cadmium and aluminum and halogens such as fluoride and bromide, thus decreasing their iodine inhibiting effects especially of the halogens."

http://www.alkalizef...et/Liodine2.htm

Not sure if the site is a solid source of information but at least the references are well cited.

Same kind of information: Handbook of inorganic Chemicals, p. 399-401
ftp://vpa.users.odes...)(T)(1125s).pdf

Edit: (for chelation) I would take a lot more than RDA.

Edited by GhostBuster, 19 November 2011 - 02:56 PM.

[bacopa]

for people who know what it's like to be poisoned by their amalgams, what are your thoughts on eating high thiol foods. I have kelp powder, but if it chelates I am told not to do this until the amalgams are out, I've experienced first hand what eating cilantro, heavy greens, kale does to my mind, apparently they are weak chelators, or not even, just able to move the merucury around, and into brain tissue, which causes horrific symptoms in people. The trick to chelating is once mercuries are out, for those who are suffering from that problem, than chelating begins, but it has to be on a regular dose schedule, and not overwhelming amounts, just steady, so ALA, plus DMSA for the Andy protocal. The reason why people trust him, is because so many people have gotten so sick listening to other chelating mercury free dentists.

Anyway, most people I've talked to, when heavily mercury toxic, feel horrific eating high thiol foods, especially the weak chelator cilantro, chollera, so I am thus hesitant to try idodine just yet. If anyone has experience with amalgam or mercury poisoning, please chime in. thanks.

[Logic]

I think this is a very important topic as unbound iron and heavy metals catalyse the formation of Advanced Glycation Endproducts.

NB: It's possible that antioxidants change the balance from oxidative to carbonyl stress!!!?

http://www.longecity...-age-formation/

 

Catalyst: Causes or accelerates a chemical reaction without itself being affected.
ie: Its possible that the buildup of heavy metals in the body my reach a point where AGEs are formed faster than the body's natural ability to recycle affected tissue..?
 

 

Efficient Binding of Heavy Metals by Black Sesame Pigment: Toward Innovative Dietary Strategies To Prevent Bioaccumulation

Black sesame pigment (BSP) was shown to bind lead, cadmium, and mercury at pH 7.0 and to a lower extent at pH 2.0. BSP at 0.05 mg/mL removed the metals at 15 μM to a significant extent (>65% for cadmium and >90% for mercury and lead), with no changes following simulated digestion. The maximum binding capacities at pH 7.0 were 626.0 mg/g (lead), 42.2 mg/g (cadmium), and 69.3 mg/g (mercury). In the presence of essential metals, such as iron, calcium, and zinc, BSP retained high selectivity toward heavy metals. Model pigments from caffeic acid, ferulic acid, and coniferyl alcohol showed lower or comparable binding ability, suggesting that the marked properties of BSP may result from cooperativity of different sites likely carboxy groups and o-diphenol and guaiacyl functionalities. Direct evidence for the presence of such units was obtained by structural analysis of BSP by solid-state Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy...

In conclusion, in the present study, we have shown the high binding capacity of the pigment from black sesame seeds toward heavy metals, such as lead, cadmium, and mercury, that are commonly found in food.  The highest activity is associated with neutral pH values simulating the intestinal environment compared to the acidic pH values peculiar of the gastric compartments. Even at low concentrations (0.05 mg/mL), the pigment proved able to remove the metals to a significant extent (>65% for cadmium and >90% for mercury and lead). At such doses, the pigment is able to remove the metals completely at the highest levels that have been reported in contaminated food. A good chelating ability against lead and to a lower extent cadmium is retained by BSP, even with the metal at concentrations up to 200μM. The binding activity is not lost following digestion as simulated using a model of the gastrointestinal transit, and on the basis of competition experiments, it should not interfere with the absorption of essential metals, a drawback exhibited by several dietary supplements, such as cereal fibers.In combination with our previous observations indicating the marked antioxidant properties of BSP, these results highlight the potential of this low-cost, easily accessible material from plant sources as an ingredient of functional food or as a food supplement.

http://sci-hub.io/10...cs.jafc.5b05191
(this site gives paywalled papers FOC)

[normalizing]

very good interesting thread, keep up the updates please