In today’s toxic world, it’s good to know some easy tricks to keep your health from going off the rails. Even though there are obscene amounts of poisons we need to deal with on a daily basis, most of them will be introduced through our food. Choosing organic is a step in the preferred direction and certainly a vast improvement on eating most conventional foods, but there are still other threats where we cannot control the medium in which they are grown. One such environment is our mercury polluted waters, which dangerously contaminate many popular seafood choices.
So what is a seafood lover to do? Farmed fish is arguably worse than wild-caught, and the number of relatively uncontaminated water sources is growing thinner by the day. Cutting back on consumption may be a wise idea, but there is really NO safe level of mercury in the body so each time you dine on your favourite seafood, you’re likely accumulating what is possibly the most toxic element to be introduced into the body.
Fortunately, there is a way to help capture mercury in seafood through your diet, by simply pairing foods with your seafood that “stick” to this noxious chemical. This can save you from many debilitating diseases, like autoimmune, or from simply making them much worse.
Best foods to capture dietary mercury
Turns out there are a number of foods that can help capture dietary mercury, but knowing the best sources that decrease absorption rate by over 90% is a great way to address this concern. This way you can eat them before, during, and after a potentially mercury tainted meal. Of course, it’s best if all sources of these foods are organic.
Chlorella rated the highest of mercury capturing ability, coming in at 99%. Of course, many chlorella products are tainted with heavy metals due to exposure to pollution, so are not recommended for obvious reasons. However, in this lab experiment, the Health Ranger’s Clean Chlorella was used and clearly demonstrated it’s ability to bind to mercury. For the most effective way to capture mercury, you can get some here.
Coming in second was hemp protein which captured 98% of mercury it encountered. This could be achieved through hemp protein powders or using hemp hearts in your seafood meals. Try making a hemp based crust, or simply sprinkle it on top, and rest assured it will largely prevent mercury absorption. Even better, have a green smoothie with the Health Ranger’s Hemp Juvenate in it (which contains chlorella and hemp), and you’ve done nearly the best you can do!
In third place was peanut butter, weighing in at 95% absorption. Perhaps the least practical side to seafood, it can also exacerbate autoimmune issues. However, if it’s good to you, having a tablespoon before chowing down will help with blocking mercury from being absorbed by your body.
In fourth place was strawberries, at a 95% absorption rate. The special plant fibers inside strawberries are amazing at mopping up mercury before it gets absorbed by the digestive system. Try strawberries in a salad with your seafood, and make sure they are organic as they are the most contaminated foods according to the EWG dirty dozen. Turns out freeze-dried strawberries will also work, and you can get an incredible deal on the organic variety here.
Coming in fifth was cilantro leaf, also at 95% absorption rate, and it has been known for it’s assistance in helping remove mercury from the body for quite some time. An easy addition to any seafood meal, work it in to help prevent toxic mercury absorption.
There are also several other foods that have been tested to capture dietary mercury with an over 90% efficiency, including raspberries, cacao powder, and wheatgrass.
Since heavy metal exposure like mercury has been implicated in many serious diseases like autoimmune, it becomes increasingly important to avoid any source of mercury, dietary or otherwise. A study in Egypt found links between mercury intoxication and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and showed that RA sufferers had increased levels of mercury in their blood. It should also be noted that mercury is lipophilic, meaning it concentrates in fatty tissues like the brain and joints, common areas of complaint for those with autoimmune concerns.
To get rid of heavy metals and other stubborn toxins, consider the THRIVE Academy.
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