Mercury Toxicity From Amalgam Fillings- a part of the Candida overgrowth puzzle
Mercury has a long history of use as a poison. Twenty-five hundred years ago, the Greeks used it as a murder weapon by pouring it into the victim’s ear, thereby paralyzing the brain and causing almost instant death. Yet only recently has information about the catastrophic health problems caused by mercury in amalgam dental fillings entered the public consciousness. What most people do not realize is that the mercury in amalgams is mixed with other metals- copper, silver, tin and zinc – which actually increase the toxicity of mercury through galvanization- an electrical current produced from two or more dissimilar metals, Galvanization increases the rate of mercury corrosion ten to twenty folds!
Mercury is extremely toxic, even in very small amounts, and has been linked to many neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s and multiple sclerosis. Heavy metals like mercury migrate to the fatty tissues of the brain and the myelin sheath that protects nerve cells. Mercury alters the cell membrane structure of developing brain neurons, leading to rapid degeneration. You can see this happening in the link to the following study: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCzT1yuau_4
Mercury is a “cytotoxin”. It is poisonous to all living cells because it binds with sulfhydryl molecules. These molecules are found in most proteins, the building blocks for all tissues. As a result, mercury can interfere with virtually any process or organ in the body.
Dental office staff receive instructions about the vigilant handling of amalgam materials; it is classified by OSHA as “hazardous.” In 1992, the World Health Organization declared that mercury is so poisonous, no amount of mercury absorption is safe! Yet, dentists have no qualms about putting mercury in people’s mouths, where it produces constant mercury vapor for up to fifty years.
Alfred Zamm, MD, FACP provides an excellent description of mercury’s poisonous mechanism: “Mercury positioning is impaired oxidation. It’s like having an invisible cord around your neck that’s strangling you, but you can’t feel the cord is there. [The strangulation] is biochemical, but the principle is the same: mercury reduces the amount of oxygen you get. The body keeps adjusting, but with every adjustment it gets sicker and sicker.”
Impaired oxidation leads to a host of health problems; autoimmunity, inability to to deal with infections, bizarre illnesses that don’t make sense otherwise. These environmental illnesses are due to a lack of energy packages required for the detoxification process. Therefore mercury toxicity deprives the body of oxygen, and any process in the body requiring oxygen will be less efficient in the presence of mercury.
Mercury toxicity deprives the body of oxygen, the body in turn initiates candida overgrowth as a protective mechanism. therefore even with a superb nutrient-dense, anti-candida dietary protocol, if a person has a mouth full of mercury amalgams, they may not recover from acid reflux!
According to Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt, “Mercury suffocates the intracellular respiratory mechanism and can cause cell death. So, the immune system makes a deal: it cultivates fungi [candida]and bacteria that can bind large amounts of toxic metals. The gain: the cells can breathe. The cost: the system has to provide nutrition for the microorganisms and has to deal with their metabolic products.
According to The Mercury in Your Mouth- The Truth about “Silver” Dental Fillings, published by the Quick Sliver Association, indigestion and weak stomach acid are associated with mercury toxicity. The gastrointestinal tract will absorb the highest levels of mercury because the fillings are constantly in contact with saliva. When the immune system is compromised by mercury, fungus multiplies rapidly.
Safe removal of dental amalgams is a very complicated process requiring an extremely specific protocol. It should be carried out by a biological dentist who should thoroughly assess the health of the patient before removal. It is also critical that detoxification remedies follow the removal. For even more information on proper removal of amalgams, come in for a consultation.
To find a biological dentist who can safely remove amalgam fillings, consult with the following organizations:
The International Acadamy of Biological Dentistry and Medicine (www.iabdm.org)
The International Acadamy of Oral Medicine and
The Holistic Dental Association (www.holisticdental.org)
Dental Amalgam Mercury Solutions (www.amalgam.org)
This article was published in the Wise Traditions Publication of Weston A. Price Foundation
Education -Research -Activism
Volume 11 Number 2