You’ve Discovered There’s evidence of Heavy Metals In your Child’s System, What Can you Do About It?
As a homeopath, I am constantly looking for the cause of symptoms. What’s underneath? Why are your symptoms happening? And in the process of Autism recovery, it is no different. In my previous article ‘Your child has been given an Autism diagnosis…Now what?’ I discuss various causative issues, but in this blog post I would like to expand on the topic of heavy metal toxicity and the role it may play in your child’s autism symptoms.
Heavy metals have been gradually introduced into our lives over centuries, from the discovery of extraction, use as tools, and examples such as:
Historical medical use of Mercury vapours and ointments to “cure” syphilis
Production of aluminium cans and cooking with aluminium pans
Lead in paints
Lead in petrol and therefore in the air we breathed and soil we grew vegetables
Copper in water pipes
Elemental mercury in dental amalgam leading to methylmercury in your body
Ethylmercury and aluminium hydroxide in vaccines
Arsenic in particular paint colours (and painters used to lick their brushes!!)
Arsenic, cobalt, lead and nickel in pesticides
Aluminium in deodorants
Copper in hormonal coils
The list goes on and is particularly alarming when you look at it! For instance the World Health Organisation has declared there are no safe levels of lead in the body.
It is known that heavy metals pass through the placenta into a babies developing system so they can be exposed even before entering the world!
Why are heavy metals a problem?
Quite simply, they are not meant to be there! They displace vital nutrients, they bio-accumulate in our organs ( heart, brain, kidneys, bone, liver, etc) and they cause oxidative stress which damages DNA and causes neurological symptoms such as those seen in children with Autism.
If we are all so exposed, why aren’t we all sick?
Well this is of course subjective. How healthy are we as a species these days? It is fair to say we all have a level of toxicity exposure that our ancestors did not have. However it is also fair to say we have more knowledge and insight into how heavy metals affect us, what the signs are and how we can reduce exposure and ultimately assist our bodies in the elimination of it!
(A simple understanding of toxicity is that exposure, ingestion and absorption are greater than our ability to eliminate)
So how do our bodies naturally eliminate these heavy metals (mainly mercury, aluminium, arsenic, cadmium, lead and nickel)?
The answer lies in your digestive system. Your main detoxifying organs are your liver and your kidneys. (Your skin is also an organ of elimination through sweating). Various chemical processes occur naturally in your body, using a combination of minerals and vitamins you consume, beneficial bacteria present and enzymes. These processes that occur transport metals (and other unwanted substances) out through your bowels. It’s a perfect balancing system.
Or at least it should be.
What goes wrong?
In general it’s a multi faceted problem:
Generational gut flora depletion through historical overuse of antibiotics meaning we may not be born with beneficial bacteria transferred from our mothers
Generational increase of exposure to metals via the above examples and passing it on through pregnancy, causing exposure to a developing neurological system
Reduced nutritional content of our foods, meaning less consumption of vital minerals and vitamins, providing antioxidants such as glutathione (essential in the transportation of heavy metals out of the system)
Over consumption of processed foods, again meaning depleted nutrition for the body to work efficiently
An increase in exposure to heavy metals via a sharp increase in vaccinations given to children before they are 4 years old. Below is a genuine recent example of a client’s exposure to 18 injections before they were 19 months old. This is normal procedure.
Hep b vaccine at birth
BCG (Tuberculosis) 2 days old
1st dose Diptheria/tetanus/pertussis ipv hib + hep b ( Also known as 6 in 1 DTap-ipv-hib-hep b)
1st dose Pneumoccal
1st dose Rotavirus
2nd dose DTap-ipv-hib-hep b
2nd dose Rotarix Rotavirus
2nd dose Pneumococcal
2nd dose Dtap-ipv-hib-hep-b
3rd dose Pneumococcal
4th dose Pneumococcal
1st dose Hib/Men c
1st dose MMR
1st dose Chicken pox
1st dose Hep A+B
3rd dose DTap-ipv-hib (5 in 1)
2nd dose MMR
2nd dose Chicken pox
The combination of the above points means a system that should be able to cope with exposure and elimination of toxins is overwhelmed, compromised and defective. As a result, heavy metals build and store in the child’s brain and tissues and can begin to induce neurological symptoms and inflammatory signs associated with Autism. (The link with heavy metal toxicity is medically known and already implicated in neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s, MS and Alzheimers).
Please note there may also be a methylation issue. This means a gene defect that impairs a body’s natural ability to detoxify. This is a whole topic and will be addressed soon. It requires some more careful treatment.
Incidentally, the emergence of fungal and bacterial overgrowth, such as candida, is often found in children with Autism. There is new research to suggest this may be a consequence of underlying heavy metal toxicity. The body tries to protect itself from the transfer of metals to the brain from the gut by allowing overgrowth of sticky yeast to proliferate along the gut lining, making transfer harder (however also making transfer of nutrients harder too!). These yeasts also prefer an acidic environment which can be a result of residing metals.
So, what can you do?
Undoubtably this is a long term process that requires steps.
Reduce your child’s exposure to heavy metals as soon as possible. There are many ways but consider your cookware, eat organic where you can to avoid pesticides, use plants in your home especially if you live in a polluted city environment.
Make dietary changes. Small changes over time build up to make big differences. Try to use organic or vegetables from farms that you know don’t use chemical pesticides. Include vegetables that have high sulphur content like garlic and onion to help the body use glutathione that is present in (or the pre cursors are present in) a wide variety of vegetables. Include foods high in selenium (2 organic brazil nuts a day will provide enough for a small child. You can grind it up and use the powder stirred into food. If there is a nut allergy other foods such as poultry and eggs contain selenium). Plentiful selenium is key in the body’s natural detoxifying process.
Diet is a huge topic and will be covered soon, but do research foods to support liver and kidneys, although essentially a varied diet full of rainbow fruit and vegetables will cover most things. I do know however that food is often an issue with children and Autism. Some parents have noticed they have a lot more luck using smoothies (and even freezing these smoothies to make ice lollies!). It’s amazing what you can sneak in there and still have it taste delicious! Stop using processed foods and high sugary treats.
Use prebiotics such as inulin or inulin rich foods to provide grounds for good bacteria to grow (Start slowly. If there is suspicion of SIBO then get advice from a practitioner first).
Add in foods that give plenty of omega 3. High polyphenol extra virgin olive oil, oily fish and flax oil are good examples. This helps to reduce systemic inflammation.
If your child will tolerate it, include cilantro (coriander) as this herb assists metal elimination beautifully.
Here is where homeopathic remedies come in. Specific Liver, kidney and gut support remedies can be given to assist this process. Tissue salts also provide benefit to the overall absorption of minerals and ultimately, elimination.
Using Homeopathic remedies specific to the heavy metal present. This requires a specialist protocol to follow so do contact for advice. Notably I am reminded of a child patient and how the process of clearing aluminium from him (originally diagnosed with Autism) allowed his words and speech to return magnificently. Incidentally, he is no longer considered Autistic according to the Child Psychologist, after several ‘rounds’ of homeopathic remedies.
Some parents report the benefits of chelators, such as TRS methods. I am not as familiar with these protocols as I am with using homeopathy. Please let me know your experience with these if you have any advice for other parents!
In the meantime, if you would like to explore whether your child has issues with heavy metals, you can learn more about Hair Mineral Analysis Testing here .
As always, I offer a free chat to parents considering Homeopathy for their child. I am happy to explain further what this means and how it can help your child in recovery. Please look for availability here.
It may seem overwhelming when first discovering your child (or even yourself!) has a high level of heavy metal toxicity, but there is always something you can do to work towards improving health. Gradually, by assisting the removal of layers of potential causative toxins, Autism symptoms can lessen dramatically.