Paraphrased from the book "Surviving the Toxic
Crisis" by William R. Kellas
Reproductive Effects
Infertility, miscarriage and premature birth.
Mercury lowers progesterone levels, which is needed to allow the uterus
to support pregnancy. Progesterone insufficiency can be associated with
low libido (sex drive) and premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Low progesterone
levels can lead to infertility. In fact, PMS and infertility are common
among many young female dental workers due at least in part to their mercury
exposure.
Male dental workers also have a relatively high incidence of infertility.
Mercury also leads to lower testosterone (male hormone) levels. Both progesterone
and testosterone production are zinc dependent. Mercury interferes with
zinc metabolism and thereby indirectly affects hormone production.
Mineral Displacement
Mercury (usually with a +2 charge) can grab the biological spaces that
should be filled by another essential mineral. As a result, there may
be plenty of the mineral found in the blood, urine, hair, etc. but due
to the displacement at the active site, mercury interferes with the activity
of the essential mineral. Symptoms that can be caused by a deficiency
of minerals displaced by mercury include:
Copper: anemia, thyroid dysfunction, impaired digestion, liver enzymes
are all copper-dependent, easy bruising, etc.
Zinc: anorexia nervosa, loss of taste and smell, loss of appetite,
low libido, PMS, impaired growth, acne and other skin disorders, etc.
Iodine: thyroid dysfunction, thickened bile, etc.
Digestive Effects
Mercury acts as an antibacterial and has been used in some medicines
(vaccines, eye drops, etc. as a preservative). Mercury could be an important
cause of bowel yeast or parasite overgrowth due to killing off beneficial
bacteria which normally repel parasites and aid in digestion. Yeast
overgrowth with its attendant symptoms of fatigue, sweets cravings
and vaginal infections is often traced to the antibiotic effect of dental
mercury. Suspect this as a root cause when yeast is a continuing problem
in spite of repeated treatment. The symptom (yeast overgrowth) will not
likely go away until the root cause (mercury) is dealt with. The effect
of dental mercury on normal gut flora is well documented.
Thyroid Problems
Such as low body temperature often improve when mercury-containing amalgams
are removed. Normal body temperature is about 98.6 F orally. Those with
a temperature range of 96.2 to 97.6 degrees are often considered to have
hypothyroid (low thyroid function). It has been observed that their temperature
can rise to 98.2 in as little as one day after amalgam removal and to
98.6 soon afterward. It is plausible that a low body temperature, which
can be a sign of low thyroid function, is another symptom caused by mercury.
Of course it would be far better to correct the cause of the apparent
thyroid malfunction by removing the fillings or other cause responsible
for the low body temperature, rather than prescribing thyroid hormone.
Brain and Learning
Birth defects involving the brain and learning ability, can be caused
by mercury, as the metal can passes through both the placental barrier
into the fetus and the blood-brain barrier. There is a sheep study documenting
that the fetus actually accumulates and concentrates mercury from the
mother!
Accumulation in the brain leads to mental and nervous system effects
such as brain fog, depression, vision difficulties, and others as listed
above. Mental effects are among the most common due to mercury's strong
affinity for the brain. Mercury inhibits the effects of certain neurotransmitters:
Dopamine: controls pain, well-being
Serotonin: relaxation, sleep, well-being
Adrenaline: energy and stamina
Noradrenaline, melatonin: sleep cycles
Inhibition of these neurotransmitters by mercury can account in part
for the feelings of depression and loss of motivation.
Other mental/neurological symptoms include:
General neurological symptoms
Mental illness
Demyelinization, which can lead to such diseases as multiple sclerosis
(MS)
Developmental problems
Cerebral palsy
ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease)
Alzheimer's disease
Psychological problems, including loss of function and memory, anger
and emotionality, and timidity
Mercury binds to nitrogen and sulfur in proteins, oxygen from the lungs,
sulfur from the liver's detoxification systems, and selenium from
the colon. Lower levels of body tissue oxygen due to mercury's binding
it may lead to:
Fatigue caused by low blood sugar secondary to low blood oxygen
Parasite infestation by setting up an anaerobic (less oxygen) environment,
and by lowering the level of the good bacteria which fight off parasites
An anaerobic environment also favors the development of yeast infections
and cancer, since yeast is a fermenting spore and cancer is a fermenting
cell rather than a normal respiratory (oxygen using) cell.
Mercury binds with hemoglobin, which is located inside the red blood
cell and carries oxygen for transport to tissues. Mercury bound to hemoglobin
results in less oxygen carrying capacity of the red blood cell and therefore
less oxygen will reach the tissues. The body senses the need for more
oxygen and may attempt to compensate for this by increasing the production
of hemoglobin. A normal or increased hemoglobin level combined with symptoms
of lack of oxygen (fatigue, weakness, appearing pale, rapid heart rate,
shortness of breath, etc) could indicate mercury toxicity. This can confuse
the doctor since the patient seems like they are anemic but in fact the
blood counts seem fine.
Copper is also required to prevent anemia, and mercury can compete for
copper's binding sites. In this case, a lowered hematocrit (red blood
cell count) can be indicative of lowered blood copper levels.
The terms hematocrit and hemoglobin, found routinely on blood test printouts,
can be confusing. If blood is compared to a train carrying oxygen to where
it is needed, hematocrit is a measure of the number of boxcars on the
train (red blood cells), while hemoglobin is a measure of the carrying
capacity of each boxcar, or red blood cell. When there is a low hematocrit
(less boxcars), it is called anemia.
The activity of other minerals on metabolism and energy production can
be reduced by mercury's tendency to fight for site. A deficiency of
the function of minerals can lead to fatigue and other symptoms:
Cobalt, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium are all required
for energy.
Zinc is needed for the manufacture of adrenaline.
Cobalt, a component of vitamin B12 prevents pernicious anemia, which
can cause fatigue.
Mercury blocks magnesium and manganese transport required for memory,
resulting in lowered ability to concentrate.
These mineral deficiencies may be primarily due to dietary deficiencies.
However, deficiencies may also be secondary. The mineral may be in the
body but cannot get to where it is needed because mercury has blocked
the way. This is like putting a too-large battery in a toy - it won't
fit in the slot made for a smaller battery, both denying power to the
toy and blocking the slot from receiving the correct size battery. For
this reason, knowing the mercury load is critical to understanding the
mineral balance in the body. Lab tests can only tell the levels available
- they do not tell if the minerals are performing there function in the
body. Symptoms and physical signs can often be helpful in clarifying the
illusion that the "labs are all normal".
Increased Toxicity
The mercuric ion (Hg+2) binds to sulfhydryl groups (-SH)
in proteins and disulfide groups (-SS) in amino acids. These sulfur containing
groups have an important detoxification function in the body by binding
to a variety of chemicals, toxins, minerals, etc. Mercury binding to these
sulfur groups may prevent them from detoxifying the chemicals.
Mercury binding the bile lowers the ability of the body to absorb fat,
leading to increased absorption of toxic oil-soluble chemicals such as
solvents and pesticides like a dry sponge.
Selenium is an antioxidant which binds in place of oxygen and which
protects against free radical damage from chemicals which can lead to
cancer. Mercury can bind to selenium, making it useless for this protective
purpose.
What else can mercury do?
Mercurous ion (Hg+1) pushes out Na+1 (sodium), K+1 (potassium), and
Li+1 (lithium). Sodium and potassium are part of the cellular sodium/potassium
pump which causes muscle movement. Interference with sodium and potassium
can lead to muscle weakness for this reason. Leg and muscle cramps may
be due to potassium deficiency.
Lithium is sometimes given as lithium carbonate to patients suffering
from bipolar depression (manic depressive illness) since lack of lithium
is one of the causes of the disease. Lack of lithium may itself be caused
by mercury preventing lithium from working as it should in the brain.
Mercury is like the 200 pound bully attacking a 7 pound baby; the small
baby doesn't have much of a chance. 200 and 7 are the molecular weights
of mercury (the bully) and lithium (the baby) respectively. If you have
been diagnosed with bipolar depression, maybe what you need is less mercury,
not more lithium pills.
Mercury fights for binding sites in the kidney, another organ for which
it has a special affinity. A mineral and electrolyte balance is needed
in order for the kidney to perform its functions, and a poorly functioning
kidney can lead to edema (fluid buildup in the body). These minerals are
prevented from entering into their reactions when mercury is there to
interfere. Suppression of potassium by mercury also affects the kidneys
which takes you from making adrenaline to maintaining electrolyte balance,
and the lowered adrenaline level can lead to lower energy.
Detoxification systems such as metallothionein, cytochrome P-450, and
bile are adversely affected by mercury. Metallothionein binds toxic metals
in the body to prepare them for excretion. Mercury ties up this material
so it cannot clear out other metals such as lead, cadmium, and aluminum.
Mercury from amalgam binds to -SH (sulfhydryl) groups, which are used
in almost every enzymatic process in the body. Mercury therefore has the
potential to disturb all metabolic processes.
Some people appear to be allergic to whatever food they eat. No matter
what they eat, at least one thing in common is ingested - mercury (or
nickel). Mercury released from amalgam during chewing may be the cause
of most of the symptoms which seem to be caused by the food. If a mercury
vapor test, described later in this chapter, is done, it may show a low
to moderate level of mercury initially, but a sharply increased level
after chewing gum. This is also what happens when food is chewed. Such
a test result combined with apparent allergy to most food points to mercury
as a probable culprit. Nickel, which may also be contributing to the problem,
is in stainless steel dental posts and braces.
Information on this web site is intended for your education. Statements we publish or products we offer have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The information we present is intended for informational, research, nutritional supplementation and detoxification purposes only, and it is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Persons with any health related problem should consult a qualified, licensed professional heath care provider for guidance. Our detoxification and rebuilding therapies are intended to enhance, not replace any treatment program prescribed or recommended by a physician or healthcare professional.
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