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A few questions on heavy metals, hair tests, etc, hoping for at least some scientific articles

Deltrus

Senior Member
Messages
271
I've been gaining interest in heavy metals lately. After doing the complete b12 protocol for a while, I've been getting urine and stools that smell a bit swampy / funny, and I've heard that may be a sign of heavy metals.

I've been sooo tempted to just flat out buy an infrared sauna and try it out, but I want to get more educated before spending $350 Canadian on amazon.

One of the main reasons that I'm worried about heavy metals, mainly lead and arsenic, is that my house is around 10 km from a lead and zinc smelter.

Around 35 years ago, much of the vegetation in the area died.
Teck Metals to plead guilty over pollution in Trail, B.C.
B.C. smelter spewed heavy metals into Upper Columbia River valley

The main pollutants from the smoke seem to be lead and arsenic.

The soil in our property was tested a long while ago, but there's still a chance that our water well is contaminated. We live in a rural area.

Questions

  1. What is the best place to get hair analysis done? Are there any in Canada? (preferably low cost)
  2. Are there any low cost places to get tap water tested?
  3. Are there any studies/reviews on heavy metals, chelation etc? All I can find is anecdotal evidence. I can accept stuff without proof because research can be lacking, but ideally my foundation is in solid science.
  4. I've experience extreme fatigue, itching, dry skin, terrible feeling after heavy exercise or hot water. One time I went to a hot springs with my family, and I felt utterly exhausted and terrible for 1.5 days. I've always just thought this was a form of cholinergic urticaria, but could this be a form of detox? I started getting this symptom 2 years before I got CFS.
Thanks for any help guys!
 

Little Bluestem

All Good Things Must Come to an End
Messages
4,930
According to some old research, for which I do not have the reference, in the US Trace Elements, Inc and Analytical Research Labs are the most reliable for regular mineral testing. There may now be others.

Someone here posted that they had heard that Doctor's Data is the most accurate for toxic metals.
 
Messages
47
People who follow Andy Cutler's chelation protocol generally use Doctor's Data (DDI) for hair tests. I'm not sure why exactly, other than the standardised processing making it easier to spot patterns.

If lead exposure ended long ago it could be sequestered in the bones and not show up. If you had Mercury that may interfere with mineral transport into the hair, making the results more difficult to interpret.

I think Canadians can order the DDI test from Holistic Heal or Direct Labs (Listed as Hair Toxic & Essential Elements, there is also another listed with International Shipping if that is necessary). For this purpose you want the Toxic & Essential test, not the Toxic Element Exposure one. Apparently Holistic Heal write over the results and sometimes don't give a clean copy.

The main advantage is being able to post your results to the Facebook or Yahoo group where other members can help interpret and offer some guidance.

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The only studies I'm aware of are listed in the Yahoo group's files, but they relate more to the mechanism of alpha lipoic acid for chelation. I'm not well versed in the science of it all, so not really the best source on this.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

You may be able to buy a home test kit for lead online. I bought one called Abotex Lead Inspector, though my water company here in the UK also tests for free.
 

Deltrus

Senior Member
Messages
271
First thing I'm going to try is to get my doctor to get a hair test, not sure if they will cover it. I am also going to try phoning the smelter, because they have done water and soil testing rounds before in different areas. Perhaps they will test the water free of charge. They made 3 billion net income in 2011 so they should have some extra to spend...

I asked my mom and it turned out we actually used to play in an area that was tested fairly high in lead, and my brother actually had higher than acceptable levels of lead in his blood when he was young.

I think I'm 90% going to get the portable sauna, I will buy it as a reward for getting things done. I still have to do my taxes, plan appointments, etc.
 
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Johnmac

Senior Member
Messages
756
Location
Cambodia
I reckon @Unim covered the subject pretty well.

There isn't a lot of heavy metals expertise here; but there is on the Frequent Dose Chelation Yahoo group Unim mentions. That's the place you'd get some serious answers.