Even if we try to escape from the toxins that steal our health on our planet, which becomes more polluted day by day, it is not easy to get rid of them. Heavy metals are an important group of environmental toxins that pose a serious health threat to us. There are heavy metals and their numerous compounds, but we would like to draw particular attention to the four that pose the greatest danger to us: mercury, lead, arsenic and cadmium. Heavy metals, which are abundant in our environment, are a major environmental pollution problem because they are related to many health problems, including brain damage and heart diseases in children and adults. Environmental disasters such as mass fish deaths occur. Unfortunately, city water networks can be a significant source of toxic heavy metals. The most effective way to protect yourself from this is to filter the water coming to our homes and workplaces with a quality water filtration system. Purifying tap water from heavy metals is a good start, but there are other things we need to pay attention to in order to avoid heavy metals, the first of which is food, now let's look at the danger and precautions regarding mercury, one of these heavy metals:
Mercury is a substance that causes intense pollution in our environment. Heavy metal. Mercury compounds, which are used extensively in industry, accumulate in nature and enter the human body through ways such as consumption of seafood, amalgam dental fillings, vaccines, air pollution (intensive use of coal). Mercury is a heavy metal that particularly affects the nervous system. As the amount of mercury in the body increases, discomfort such as fatigue, irritability, palpitations, inability to focus, and inability to think clearly begin. In most cases, it is not thought that these are caused by mercury.
Seafood is a food rich in mercury. Therefore, it is possible to reduce your mercury intake by paying attention to a few points when choosing them. When consuming fish, small sea fish should be preferred. Since the larger the fish, the longer it lives and feeds on small sea creatures, more mercury accumulates in larger fish. Since small fish have a short lifespan, mercury accumulation is not high in these fish. sardine, anchovy, i Fish such as stavrite and mackerel are the ones containing the lowest mercury. You can consume them with peace of mind when they are in season. Although salmon and sole are larger, their mercury content is low. Seafood such as octopus, squid and shrimp also contain low amounts of mercury. Large fish such as swordfish, tuna and shark contain high amounts of mercury. Mercury accumulation is high in shellfish such as mussels. Avoid consuming them or limit them to 2-3 times a month at most. In general, prefer wild sea fish to farmed fish. Even though farm-raised fish such as salmon, sea bream, and sea bass are not risky in terms of mercury, they are not a healthy choice in terms of the drugs and GMO feeds used in cultivation. It would be beneficial to choose natural alternatives caught from the sea. Many people have latent mercury poisoning. Mercury is one of the most toxic elements known. Pregnant women, in particular, should stay away from seafood that is high in mercury due to the risk of the unborn baby being affected by mercury. One study found that nearly 30 percent of pregnant women had mercury levels above the safe limit. The amount of mercury in the body of people who consume fish frequently is 11 times higher than that of those who rarely consume fish.
Due to the high mercury exposure of mothers, the amount of mercury in the bodies of children born today may be excessive. Exposure to mercury during pregnancy is a factor that increases birth defects, causes autism and other developmental delays, attention deficit disorder, hyperactivity and other learning disorders. Mercury easily crosses the placenta and passes from mother to child. If the mercury burden in the woman's body can be reduced before pregnancy, the congenital mercury burden in the child will also be reduced.
Mercury can be found in many prescription and non-prescription drugs and body care products. Mercury is an excellent antiseptic and is present in vaccines. Vaccines may contain a preservative thimerosal, which contains mercury. Thiazide diuretics used in hypertension patients to lower blood pressure contain mercury. There are many products we use in daily life such as antiseptics, anti-fungal drugs used in the treatment of fungi, disinfectant soaps, and contact lens solutions. a product may contain mercury.
Dental Fillings
With every chewing movement, a small amount of mercury evaporates from the mercury fillings in our teeth and enters the body. Although this amount is very small, considering that we perform the chewing movement thousands of times, a significant amount of mercury may enter our body this way. If the mercury fillings in our mouth are older than 15 years, they decompose faster and mercury emissions increase. Mercury vapor entering the body through this route goes directly from the tissues and brain to the brain, an organ that is easily damaged.
Environmental Pollution
Mercury is used in industry in various areas such as pesticides, fungicides, production of electrical conductors, etc. Mercury is used in electronics, gold mining, paper, chlorine, adhesives, fabric softeners and waxy oils. The amount of mercury entering the body through breathing from air pollution is significant.
Main symptoms related to mercury may include the following:
• Skin lesions such as acne and dermatitis
• Allergic and inflammatory reactions in the digestive tract
• Depression , dementia, tremor and neurodegenerative diseases
• Autism in Children
• Chronic Fatigue
• Sleep disorders
• Visual impairment
Coronary Artery Disease — Kuopio Ischemic Heart Disease Risk Factor [ Kuopio Ischemic Heart Disease Risk Factor] (KIHD) study: 2,005 male patients with heart disease were divided into duct groups according to the amount of mercury in their hair and were followed for an average of 12 years. It was found that the risk of death from cardiovascular disease was 60% higher in those whose hair mercury concentration was in the top 25 percentile. The increase in the risk of coronary heart disease in the same men was 70%.
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