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Heavy metals are a topic that quickly causes worry because you can neither see nor taste them. A sober look helps: Where do we encounter mercury and lead, what can be measured, and what can the body do on its own?
Where exposure can come from
- Mercury: large predatory fish such as swordfish, shark or tuna (methylmercury), and mercury vapor from amalgam fillings. More in the article Amalgam and mercury.
- Lead: drinking water from old lead pipes, older paints and varnishes, ceramics with lead glaze, ammunition, some imported spices, toys or cosmetics. Background: Lead poisoning.
- Other sources: occupational contact, smoking (cadmium) and legacy contamination in soil.
The good news: in Germany exposure has dropped considerably over recent decades thanks to limit values and bans. Individual cases remain where a closer look is worthwhile, for example in an old building with old pipes.
Possible signs and why they are non-specific
With increased exposure, tiredness, headaches, difficulty concentrating, abnormal sensations, digestive complaints or anemia are described. All of these signs have many other, more common causes. They alone therefore do not prove heavy metal exposure, and a test only makes sense if there is a concrete reason, such as a known source or a matching history.
What can be measured
- Blood: useful for lead and for recent mercury exposure, for example from fish consumption.
- Urine: used for mercury from amalgam and other metals.
- Hair: shows external contamination more than internal exposure and is therefore of limited value.
Important context: professional societies advise against provocation tests, in which a chelating agent is given first and urine is measured afterwards. The values cannot be reliably linked to actual body burden. We do not use this method. Results are always interpreted against the laboratory's reference ranges; we do not set our own limits.
Detoxification capacity and glutathione metabolism
The body has its own system for dealing with foreign substances. The liver converts them in two steps and makes them excretable; kidneys and gut handle the removal. In the second phase, glutathione plays a main role: a protein building block made from the amino acids glutamate, cysteine and glycine, which also works as an antioxidant. Its metabolism also needs selenium, vitamin C, B vitamins and magnesium.
How resilient this system is differs from person to person: through genes, diet, alcohol, medication, infections and overall burden. We explain this in detail in the articles Detoxification capacity, Glutathione and Introduction to glutathione metabolism. You can also read about heavy metals and environmental toxins in general in our article Heavy metals, environmental toxins and excretion.
What you can do yourself
- In older buildings, have the drinking water tested and let stagnant water run in the morning.
- Eat large predatory fish rarely and prefer smaller fish such as herring or mackerel. Pregnant and breastfeeding women follow the recommendations of the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment.
- Look for origin and test marks on toys, ceramics and cosmetics.
- Enough protein, vegetables (especially cabbage and onion family) and regular digestion support the body's own processes as part of a balanced diet.
- Avoid smoking and limit alcohol.
When medical help is important
After acute contact with mercury vapor, lead dust or swallowed amounts, with severe abdominal cramps, vomiting, confusion or seizures: call the emergency number 112 or the poison control center. If there is a justified suspicion of lasting exposure, in children and during pregnancy, we start with medical evaluation. Procedures that remove metals such as chelation therapy are interventions with risks. They are only considered with proven exposure and after careful weighing.
Support at Natura Heilpraxis
In the medical history we clarify possible sources and the reason for concern. If needed, we arrange suitable laboratory diagnostics and interpret the results together with you. This does not replace medical treatment.
Frequently asked questions
Where do mercury and lead come from in everyday life?
Mercury comes mainly from large predatory fish (as methylmercury) and from amalgam fillings (as vapor). Lead is found in old water pipes, older paints, ceramic glazes, ammunition and some imported products, toys or cosmetics. In Germany, exposure has fallen considerably thanks to bans and limit values.
How can an exposure be measured?
Blood and urine tests evaluated by an accredited laboratory are common. Which sample makes sense depends on the substance: lead is usually measured in blood, mercury in blood or urine depending on the question. Results are interpreted against the reference ranges given by the laboratory or the German Environment Agency.
What do you think of provocation tests with chelating agents?
A chelating agent is given and a urine sample is measured afterwards. Medical societies and environmental physicians advise against this approach because the results do not reliably reflect an actual exposure. We therefore rely on measurements without provocation.
What is detoxification capacity?
It describes the body's ability to convert and excrete foreign substances. Mainly involved are liver, kidneys and gut as well as enzyme systems that transform substances in two steps and attach them to molecules such as glutathione. How well this works in an individual depends on genetics, diet, medication and exposure.
When are lead or mercury an emergency?
With acute symptoms after contact, such as abdominal cramps, vomiting, confusion or seizures, call the emergency number 112 or the poison control center immediately. Extra caution applies to children and during pregnancy.
All questions & answers in the guide →
Professionally responsible: Yesha Karmeli, naturopathic practitioner (Heilpraktiker), Natura Heilpraxis Berlin. This text provides general information and does not replace individual advice.
