Are Toxic Metals Making Me Anxious & Depressed?
There are many common metals like lead, aluminum and arsenic that can contribute to neurological imbalances and disrupt neurotransmitter function.
You can’t really escape heavy metals nowadays. But you CAN identify which ones are problematic for you. Mineral balancing is the best way to safely detox heavy metals while rebuilding our depleted mineral stores at the same time.
5 Heavy Metals Causing Mood Issues
I’m going to mention just 5 of the heavy metals that frequently show up on HTMA testing, which is a home-hair test that I order for every client in my Mood Alchemy program. Many people have a combination of heavy metals working together to negatively impact brain function.
1) Lead Toxicity
Lead is considered to be a neurotoxin.2 Lead exposure can come from paint in old homes, batteries, imported products and ceramic glazing. The body holds onto it because it’s molecularly similar to calcium, so it can even get stored in the bones.
Lead toxicity in the body can cause:
Anxiety
Depression
Irritability
Anger/aggression
Poor concentration
Brain fog/cognitive impairment
ADHD-like symptoms
Executive dysfunction
Emotional dysregulation
2) Arsenic Toxicity
Arsenic levels are often elevated in the municipal or well water supply. In fact, I once ran HTMA tests for two young boys who lived in a home on well water. Their arsenic levels were OFF THE CHARTS. Thankfully, their parents quickly switched the family to a filtered water system.
Arsenic in the body can cause:
Neuroinflammation
Mood disorders
Depression
Anxiety
3) Biounavailable Copper
Copper that’s not usable in the body can contribute to mood problems like anxiety. It’s not that copper is bad in itself (actually it’s vitally important!), but if it’s not bound to ceruloplasmin, (which requires plenty of whole-food vitamin A in the diet from foods like cod liver and beef liver), then your body can’t use it. That’s when it becomes a problem for your moods.
Dysregulated Copper (free copper) may contribute to:
High anxiety
Emotional meltdowns, frequent anger
Nervous system hypersensitivity
ADD/attention problem symptoms
Sleep issues
Burnout/fatigue states
“Copper is hyper-excitable to our nervous systems… High copper impacts hyperactivity, focus, attention and anxiety… People with high copper can not regulate Gamma Amino Butyric Acid (GABA) which is one of the calming neurotransmitters present in the brain.”
4) Aluminum
Where do I start with this one?? Well let’s just say aluminum is found in many things ranging from childhood vaccines to deodorant to food packaging- and it’s just not supposed to be in our bodies. It’s a super common toxicity now though. Actually it’s estimated that 93% of people tested are high in aluminum toxins! 1
Aluminum toxicity can cause:
Memory problems
Poor concentration
Depression/ Anxiety
Irritability
Fatigue / mental exhaustion
Confusion
Mood changes
Slower processing speed
5) Mercury
Mercury is often found in high levels in fish like tuna (opt for ‘Safe Catch’ or Skipjack tuna to avoid high mercury fish) as well as vaccinations and silver (amalgam) fillings. It can cause neurological damage and can even contribute to hallucinations. Mercury poisoning caused ‘mad hatter disease’ back in the days when it was used in the hat-making process.
Mercury toxicity can include:
Aggressiveness/ anger
Anxiety/Depression
OCD
Hallucinations
Mood swings
Autism symptoms
Lack of concentration
Learning disorders
Memory loss, short and long term
How To Start Reducing Exposure
Reducing exposure is the best place to start. Tap water is usually the first place I suggest to start investigating exposures. Unless you’re using a reverse osmosis filter in the kitchen, (I use this one!) there will still be levels of heavy metals and other nasties in the water (that you’re cooking with and washing dishes in etc). A shower filteris a really great idea too, since our skin absorbs the shower water and whatever’s in it.
You can use this online tool from the EWG to see if your local tap water passes their safety level test! Mine doesn’t…. we have sky-high levels of uranium, which showed up on my first HTMA test. We now filter our shower water, and I’ve seen a definite improvement in my uranium levels on my hair test ever since!
How to Measure Your Heavy Metal and Mineral Levels
I recommend the Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis. With this easy home-test, we can see the long-term tissue levels (not blood levels) of minerals and metals, which is necessary when we want accurate results. This simple screening test is easy to do at home-you’ll only need to snip a tiny bit of hair to send off to the lab!
With the results, we’ll be able to learn:
which blend of minerals your body needs for optimal health (instead of guessing!)
what stage of stress your body is in
which heavy metals are an issue, and if your body needs extra detox support
how burnt-out your thyroid and adrenals are (which won’t show up on labs!)
what foods are best for your unique metabolic type
You can’t hide your stress and fatigue from this mineral test. The validation people feel after getting a properly interpreted HTMA test is my favorite part!If you’re anything like me, you’ll feel so relieved to finally get test results that show the root-causes behind your low energy, brain fog, digestive and mood issues.
Ready to get to the real root-cause of the anxiety, mood swings and depression in just a few weeks? Book your intro call with me to get started!
*If you’d like to order you or your family members a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis apart from working with me, you can find them on Wendy Meyer’s website. I believe her team also offer consults to understand the results.
Sources:
(1) https://www.htmaexperts.com/aluminum-toxicity-and-hair-testing/
(2) https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/pharmacology-toxicology-and-pharmaceutical-science/neurotoxin
I’d like to thank Lisa Pitel-Killahfor her practitioner teachings on mood and minerals.
This information is being provided to you for educational and informational purposes only. It is being shared to provide general information and as a self-help tool for your own use. It is not to be substituted for the advice of licensed professionals of any kind. This information is to be used at your own risk based on your own judgment.