If you are having a difficult time getting rid of candida issues, it is possible that the underlying problem is heavy metal poisoning. Heavy metals are on the periodic element chart; they are a metallic element that has a specific gravity higher than 5.0. The specific gravity of a material is defined as the ratio of its density to the ratio of some standard material, such as water, at a specific temperature. Heavy metals that are somewhat common to find in the human body would include arsenic, cadmium, lead, aluminum, uranium, tin and mercury. These heavy metals occur naturally and can be found in the rocks and soils in the Northwest US and Canada. Natural weathering of rocks and soil can cause the metals to be released into lakes and rivers, where sometimes these metals can even reach the aquifer.Â
Heavy metals are easier to pick up then most people would think; they come from many sources. Mining industries, fossil fuels (coal and diesel), tobacco (smoking - another reason to quit), water sources (like wells), mercury fillings, vaccines, fish and even forest fires can release heavy metals into the environment and into our bodies. Some heavy metal presence is not detrimental to your health, but if the metals become concentrated enough, the affect on your health can be devastating as heavy metals will accumulate in vital body organs like the brain, kidneys, liver and lungs. Chronic illness that cannot be remedied accompanied with a very acidic body ph level (less than 6.5) may be an indication of heavy metals in the body.
One of the most effective ways to determine if you have a heavy metal issue is to have a hair mineral analysis done. A hair analysis will tell you what types of metals are a problem for you, and how much metal is in your system.  Here is a description from www.meltdown.com which describes how a hair mineral analysis is done:
Once the lab receives the sample, it is logged in with its own control number. Then the sample is weighed and placed in different test tubes. Acids — like the ones in your stomach — are added to the sample to digest the hair. This process releases the elements locked in the hair matrix.Â
Once the digestion is complete, only the mineral salts remain in the tube. This is why it doesn’t matter if your hair is permed, colored or bleached or whether you used hair spray that day. That stuff is long gone before the actual testing begins.Â
Most of the elements are analyzed by an induction coupled plasma emission spectrophotometer. (Try to say that one fast!
) Mercury analysis, however, is done by an atomic absorption spectrophotometer.Â
Once the analysis is complete, the results are combined and transferred to a computer.
This test can be very helpful in determining if you have an issue. Tests can be ordered directly through the internet or from a health care provider. Chiropractors, Holistic and Naturopathic doctors are great sources to order a hair mineral analysis test for you.Â
If you do have a heavy metal concern, you need to find a way to get the metals out of your system. One common method is chelation therapy. According to wikipedia.org, Chelation therapy is a process involving the use of chelating agents (DMSA, DMPS, alph-lipoic acid) to remove heavy metals from the body. The chelating agents do seem to be specific to what type of heavy metal they will remove, so it is good to know what you are dealing with before you go have chelation done. There are natural ways to remove heavy metals, too. Cilantro is a natual herb that will detox heavy metals. Sea Kelp may also draw metals out of the body - I have used a product called Modifilan to pull uranium out of my system. The natural methods can take 6 months to a year to make good progress on the metals. There are new products which also seem promising. We are currently investigating a product called Metal-Free which is a sublingual, mouth spray. This is a promising product in that it is very easy to take for everyone, it has minimal cleansing reactions, it works quickly and works on all heavy metals. We are very impressed so far.Â
But, you may ask, where does candida come into this? Well, heavy metals create a very acidic environment in the body and this is an environment in which candida will thrive. Candida organisms will even eat certain metals, especially mercuy. Please come back to read more…
Keywords: heavy metals and candida,
heavy metals