Help With Autism

With the prevalence of mercury in our lives it’s almost impossible to completely avoid its presence. Whether it be in the form of a vaccination preservative or part of a mirror or an electronic device, avoiding mercury is a challenge indeed. Fish is probably the largest source for contaminating our bodies with mercury. It’s also produced as a byproduct in the processing of certain kinds of foods like high-fructose corn syrup. Some studies have shown that these foods can contain up to twenty times more than what is considered to be safe.

So how do we avoid it? Simple, watch you’re your diet. Don’t ingest foods that may be high in mercury content for any reason. Whether it occurs naturally or as a result of some man-made product it’s important to be mindful of our potential for mercury poisoning. Don’t eat foods or drink fluids that may be contaminated. Make sure your electronics are free of mercury and take care to dispose of fluorescent light bulbs properly. Remember, avoiding mercury starts at home and it’s never too early to teach it to our children.

In today’s world it’s almost impossible to avoid heavy metals. Whether it’s in our food, our water or in the air we end up absorbing enormous amounts of metal throughout our lifetimes. People with occupations that require the handling of heavy metals, or prolonged exposure to them are particularly susceptible to inadvertently absorbing dangerous or even deadly amounts of heavy metals. Of the 35 metals of the most immediate health concern 23 are considered to be heavy metals. They are antimony, arsenic, bismuth, cadmium, cerium, chromium, cobalt, copper, gallium, gold, iron, lead, manganese, mercury, nickel, platinum, silver, tellurium, thallium, tin, uranium, vanadium, and zinc.

All of these metals can cause degradation of our blood and all of our major organs in addition to causing dementia and symptoms often associated with Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s. With the sheer quantity of these metals all around us it’s more important than ever for us to manage not only how much we take in but also how much we’re getting back out. A heavy metal detox is a critical part of an effective strategy for maximizing health and wellness. Help your body remove the heavy metals and you’ll be glad you did.

Most people can recognize mercury as a unique metal because it remains in liquid form at room temperature. Most people aren’t aware, however, of how toxic mercury can be. Depending on its state of oxidation mercury can have a variety of effects on the human body, none of which are beneficial. From brain damage to damage to the kidneys and lungs, mercury is notorious for its toxicity and disease causing properties. As a critical component in several diseases such as Hunter Russell syndrome and Minamata disease, mercury is not to be trifled with.

Aside from the organ damage done by this dangerous metal, the effects of mercury poisoning can be pervasive and far-reaching. The most immediate symptoms include sensory impairment such as disturbed sensation and a lack of coordination. The severity of the symptoms will vary on the type of mercury absorbed, the method by which it’s absorbed and the duration of exposure. As a preservative in most vaccinations it is injected directly into the bloodstream and can have disastrous effects on the body. This is especially the case in bodies that are still developing, making mercury one of the most sinister toxins in the world.

The varied causes of autism remain a hot debate in the medical community. Whether people attribute it to birth defects mercury poisoning or some other unknown cause, everyone seems to have an opinion on the subject. Mercury poisoning tends to be the most controversial as mercury is a common ingredient in almost all immunizations. Immunizations have been cited as instrumental in eliminating common diseases such as polio.

On the other hand, some people think the mercury used to preserve these immunizations is instrumental in the development and increase in autism. With the number of cases rising sharply the medical community struggles to find the cause. Finding effective treatments and solutions will rely largely on finding the cause of autism. But while the cause remains a mystery there are still many options for parents of autistic children. Do your research and find the strategies that will work best with your family.

Over time, our bodies amass an array of toxins, heavy metals and other contaminants which, when allowed to build up, can wreak havoc on our health. Small doses of mercury and other such metals are not typically a concern for adults, but since we are unable to rid them from our bodies by ourselves, they simply accrue over time. Certain diets and lifestyles, such as those heavy in seafood, put certain people at a higher risk for unhealthy levels of these contaminants.

Up until recently, one of the only options to rid your body of these metals and other toxins was chelation therapy, but many new medications provide the same heavy metal detox effects. PCA-Rx, for example, uses probiotics to enhance the immune system and facilitate the removal of toxins. Probiotics are living bacterial organisms which become part of your body in work in conjunction with it.

Although mercury has now been removed from most products, people around the country still suffer from mercury poisoning each year. High concentrations of mercury can be found in certain fish and sea creatures, as well in some pharmaceutical and dental products. Young children and fetuses are the most susceptible to mercury poisoning, but it can affect anyone. Here are some of the common mercury poisoning symptoms you can use to detect the condition:

~Central Nervous System: depression, restlessness, irritability, loss of coordination

~Cardiovascular System: abnormal heart rhythm and/or blood pressure, elevated cholesterol and triglycerides

~ Immune System: chronic infections and autoimmune disorders, including arthritis, multiple sclerosis and lupus

~General: allergies, anti-social tendencies, headaches, fatigue

The ongoing debate over the potential link between mercury poisoning and autism seems to be coming to an end. With the credibility of Dr. Wakefield tarnished and a flurry of new research dismissing any such correlation, there seems to be little left to debate. But a new book out by Dan Olmsted and Mark Blaxill, “The Age of Autism: Mercury, Medicine, and a Man-made Epidemic,” reopens the topic.

Among their most intriguing claims is that the medical and manufacturing industries have been recklessly using mercury for decades, and the uproar over vaccines shouldn’t be the only one. In fact, the rise of autism cases in the 1930s correlates with the introduction of ethyl mercury to agricultural products and vaccines. According to the authors, there is substantial evidence to suggest that mercury and other environmental toxins are to blame for the rampant increase in autism diagnoses over the last 80 years.

One of the reasons it’s easy to make a connection between mercury poisoning and autism is the fact that the effects of mercury poisoning and the disorder are so similar. But since the renouncement of Dr. Wakefield’s study on the issue, the theory linking vaccines containing mercury with autism has been receiving increased scrutiny. A new study from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that infants exposed to the highest levels of thimerosal, the mercury preservative in vaccines, were no more likely to develop autism.

With mounting evidence against the mercury-autism correlation, researchers will have to start looking elsewhere for causes of autism. Because there is such a spectrum of disorders and individuals recognize varying symptoms at different periods, it’s suspected that the causes of the disease are manifold. This is one reason why it is so difficult to develop treatments for the disease.

Now that we have fancy digital thermometers and our hats aren’t created with excess amounts of mercury, it’s easy to dismiss mercury poisoning as a thing of the past. But just because our risk has diminished doesn’t mean it has disappeared. Many of the foods we eat—particularly large fish and bottom dwelling sea creatures—are loaded with mercury.

This isn’t a problem for most people, but fetuses and young children are very susceptible to mercury poisoning. As such, it’s imperative to limit or eliminate the amount of seafood you eat while you are pregnant and breast-feeding. Some of the birth defects mercury poisoning causes include: neurological problems, muscular disorders, anti-social behavior, and some even think it contributes to autism.

When a woman is pregnant, there is a litany of prohibited tasks—from not smoking or drinking, to not taking sleeping on a waterbed or using an electric blanket. Some of these warnings are common sense while others are more obscure. One of these admonitions that always baffled me is that pregnant women are supposed to refrain from eating fish, especially sushi.

It turns out the reason fish can be dangerous is that many species have extremely high levels of mercury, particularly the large bottom feeders typically found in sushi. Several parents and physicians claim that children suffered birth defects mercury poisoning caused due to fish-laden diets. Unborn and infant children are the most susceptible to mercury poisoning, so it’s important to limit your exposure and intake of the heavy metal as much as possible during pregnancy.