Exposure to heavy metals can be the cause and trigger of many diseases as well as a hindrance in healing them.

Analysis Methods

There are various analysis methods to determine the severity of heavy metal exposure:

1. 1. Blood or Urine Analyses
   These analyses are only able to demonstrate acute exposure, as only heavy metals in the extracellular space (outside the cells) are measured. Therefore, these measuring methods are not suitable to show chronic exposure. Chronic exposure of heavy metals mainly occurs intracellular, that is within the cells.
2. 2. Hair Analysis
   This analysis can only detect heavy metal exposure over the last few months.
3. 3. Heavy Metal Mobilization Tests
   So-called heavy metal mobilization tests, however, can verify the intracellular exposure, which means the accumulation of heavy metals within in the cell. The intracellular exposure is actually harmful.

Heavy metal mobilization tests differ accordingly to which chelating agents are used. Chelating agents are substances able to bind heavy metals which are then excreted from the body via the urine.

Three main types of chelating agents are used for detoxification and also for heavy metal testing
1. a. DMPS – Dimercaptopropanesulfonic Acid
   DMPS is the strongest chelating agent. Unfortunately, this also means that important minerals such as selenium and zinc are bound. DMPS binds very strongly to copper and mercury, but very weakly to arsenic.
   Application: DMPS is usually administered intravenously as an infusion, but also can be taken as a suppository or orally.
   Side effects: As described above, good minerals may be flushed out. Also the fast rise of high concentrations of toxic heavy metals in the blood is critical for the liver and kidneys.
   Under no circumstances should DMPA be used, if dental amalgam fillings exist. An amalgam removal should always be carried out during an alkaline metabolic status.
   CNS Penetration: In contrast to its predecessor dimercaprol, DMPS is not fat-soluble and thus does not penetrate into the cerebrospinal fluid.
2. b. EDTA (Ethylenediaminetetraacetate)
   EDTA has excellent binding capacity to lead, aluminum and arsenic, but it virtually does not bind to mercury, tin or copper.
   Application: EDTA can be administered intravenously or as suppositories.
3. c. DMSA (Dimercaptosuccinic acid)
   DMSA binds to many heavy metals, and also fortunately, it mainly binds harmful minerals. It seems to create a better excretion of mercury than DMPS. If there is evidence of an increased aluminum exposure, an EDTA infusion can be carried out, and with elevated copper levels administration of DMPS infusion.
   Application: DMSA is usually administered orally as a capsule, but may also be applied as a suppository.
   CNS Penetration: DMSA does not penetrate into the cerebrospinal fluid, which means it cannot cross the blood-brain barrier. This is due to its lack of fat solubility.

Interpretation of Analysis Results

From these facts, it follows that analysis results of specialized laboratories must always refer to the used chelating agent. If DMPS has been used, for example, low arsenic levels may be misleading because as described above DMPS does not bind well to arsenic.
If mobilized with EDTA only, one cannot draw sufficient conclusions about mercury exposure. If copper levels are to be analyzed by using DMPS, more copper may be present in urine than as with DMSA, because DMSA binds to a lesser degree to copper. Because EDTA binding capacity to copper is very low, even low copper levels in urine may indicate a stronger exposure.
The administered concentration of the used chelating agent has an influence on the excreted levels.
Is also of importance that analytical results must be based on the creatinine content in urine. Only so, is it possible to avoid falsification by too diluted or concentrated urine.

Attention – Heavy Metal Exposure Due to Heavy Metal Excretion

Since all the above described heavy metal chelating agents cannot pass the blood brain barrier, no heavy metals from the brain are removed.
This would not be quite so bad. But what would happen when the chelating agent – here the chlorella algae — loses its bond to the heavy metals in the blood? Then an increased incidence of non-bound heavy metals in the blood occurs. These freed heavy metals are then able to pass the blood-brain barrier. This is extremely dangerous and probably also the reason that in detoxification therapies with the chlorella algae headaches often occur.

Therefore, I recommend using chelating agents that penetrate the CNS prior to the implementation of a heavy metal mobilization test or heavy metal excretion therapy. For this purpose, especially OPC from grape seeds and R-alpha lipoic acid are suitable. The R-alpha lipoic acid is recommended in bonded sodium form, thus being better bioavailable. Both, OPC and R-alpha lipoic acid are substances that can penetrate into the cerebrospinal fluid and bind heavy metals.

At least 7-14 days prior to treatment, it is advisable to consume approximately 1,000 mg of OPC (2 capsules containing 200-250 mg twice daily) and 600 mg (3 x 200 mg) of R-alpha lipoic acid daily. This intake should be continued another 4 weeks after the exposure. For longer applied detoxification, these two substances should be taken during the same time of the detoxification period.
If heavy metal testing or heavy metal excretion is considered, it is important to consult an experienced therapist in this field.

Detoxification with Chlorella and Headaches