Dental Mercury Fillings and Alzheimer's Disease:
The Terrible Truth
Mercury and Alzheimer's Disease have been linked together in the results of several scientific studies, and this raises serious concerns about the reliability and safety of amalgam use as dental filling material. After many years of research on the effects of mercury exposure to nerves and brain tissue, the gathered evidence has further cemented what was once merely a theory: that mercury is a direct contributor to Alzheimer's.
The formation of amyloid plaque, one of the two markers of Alzheimer's Disease, has been shown in past research to be induced by exposure to mercury. In a study performed by the University of Calgary Faculty of
Medicine, it was subsequently discovered that the introduction of mercury also leads to the formation in brain tissue of the other diagnostic hallmark of Alzheimer's Disease, the "neurofibrillar tangles". This result further solidified the observed relation between mercury toxicity and Alzheimer's disease.
ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE: WHAT IT IS
Alzheimer's Disease is a progressive, irreversible disorder of the brain with no known etiology (cause), and there is no known cure. Terminal stages of the disease will eventually lead to death. Among the typical symptoms of Alzheimer's are:
- Confusion and memory loss
- Disorientation
- Personality changes
- Mood swings
- Language difficulty
- Attention problems
- Struggles with spatial orientation
The Alzheimer's Disease Research (ADR) program of the American Health Assistance Foundation (AHAF) has estimated that approximately 65,800 victims die from the disease and about 350,000 new cases are diagnosed annually. In addition, more than 4.5 million Americans are believed to be suffering from Alzheimer's, and the figure is expected to balloon to 13.2 million. The number of people afflicted with Alzheimer's disease worldwide currently stands at roughly 18 million, and this statistic is expected to double by the year 2025.
MERCURY FILLINGS AND ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE
The use of amalgams in dentistry had never been openly questioned until clinical research began presenting evidence that connected mercury toxicity to Alzheimer's Disease and dementia. Can something as simple as dental filling material really be considered hazardous to one's health? It can be - if the material is made of mercury amalgam.
Consider this: mercury is an unstable element that is prone to corrosion, and as an amalgam filling, it can leak into the mouth as mercury vapor while we eat or chew. Once in the mouth, it can enter the blood circulation through inhalation by the lungs, or it can lodge in the membranes lining the nasal cavity. From there, it can travel directly to the brain.
Mercurial fumes are especially dangerous and have been shown to cause extensive damage to the central nervous system. Scientific studies have demonstrated that the fumes produce the same kind of nerve damage typically found in Alzheimer's Disease. Compelling research has also revealed that Alzheimer's patients often have high mercury levels in the blood. These revelations are the basis of the association between mercury and Alzheimer's Disease in the minds of many experts.
In light of these developments, preventing Alzheimer's might seem like a daunting task, but it is not impossible. One of the most frequently suggested methods involves dental amalgam removal followed by mercury detoxification. Detoxification, while quite effective in eliminating mercury from the body, is not something to be done without adequate supervision. It should be carefully performed under the guidance of competent professionals who are highly trained in holistic practices.
A link between Mercury Fillings and Alzheimer's Disease has been established. If you are planning a trip to the dentist and you need to receive dental fillings, find out if your dentist still uses mercury as a dental filling material for the treatment of cavities. If so, be sure to seek out a certified "mercury-free" dentist in your local area. Never compromise your health.
Toxic Mercury in Dental Amalgam and Illness:
The Link
There is compelling evidence linking Dental Amalgam and Illness of many kinds, and it confirms what the American Dental Association (ADA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have seemingly chosen to ignore: that mercury is a toxic substance and therefore does not belong in anyone's mouth. Health-conscious individuals would be wise to take heed of the damaging effects that mercury can have on the human body.
Mercury is one of the most harmful environmental toxins, and it is known to exacerbate chronic illnesses and disorders. There is no doubt about how deadly it can be. If it takes only a small amount of mercury, just a teaspoonful, to kill off all forms of life in a pond, imagine how little it would take to produce mercury poisoning in one human being!
Three main sources of mercury exposure are:
- Dental amalgams
- Vaccines
- Fish
DENTAL AMALGAM FILLING
In 1992, the United Nations pointed to dental fillings as the largest source of mercury poisoning in humans. This claim is not without basis because nearly 87% of the body-burden of mercury actually comes directly from amalgams.
A typical amalgam filling is made of 750,000 micrograms of mercury. Each day, approximately 10 micrograms leak out in the form of mercury vapor and enter the bloodstream by way of lung inhalation. The mercury can also get transported to the central nervous system, causing brain damage.
Studies abstracted in the National Library of Medicine revealed that the very high exposure level from amalgam dental filling is due to mercury's negative vapor pressure. This means that the mercury steadily vaporizes, and in that way it is driven into the body and causes toxicity.
DENTAL AMALGAM AND ILLNESS
Over the years, scientific research has consistently shown amalgam filling as the greatest source of mercury intoxication, and this is responsible for many chronic illnesses and disorders in people worldwide. Among the illnesses associated with mercury toxicity are:
- Chronic kidney disease
- Obesity
- Lyme disease: a vector-borne disease caused by a spirochete bacteria (Borellia burgdorferi) and typically marked by flu-like symptoms, skin rash, and joint pain.
- Neurologic disorders
- Alzheimer's disease: a degenerative disorder of the brain considered to be the most common type of dementia affecting older people. It is often characterized by loss of memory, impaired speech, and functional disability.
- Parkinson's disease: a progressive brain disorder marked by tremors (in the hands), rigidity, loss of balance, and impaired speech or language.
- Autoimmune disorders
- Lupus erythematosus: a chronic debilitating disorder affecting the skin, joints, lungs, heart, and other vital organs of the body. The disease comes as a result of the immune system attacking the cells and tissues of the body.
- Multiple Sclerosis: a neurological disease affecting the central nervous system. It is characterized by visual disturbances, muscle weakness, tremors, and lack of muscle coordination.
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, it is a neurodegenerative disorder affecting the brain and spinal cord that leads to loss of muscle control/movement and eventual death.
- Arthritis
- Hypothyroidism
- Scleroderma: a disease that has no known cause and cure, it is typically characterized by abnormal formation of scar tissue that results in the hardening of the skin and connective tissues.
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: a chronic condition of unknown etiology. It is often characterized by prolonged general exhaustion or fatigue, flu-like symptoms, muscle and joint pain, and swollen lymph nodes.
- Autism
VACCINES
Mercury, in the form of Thimerosal, is used in vaccines to prevent bacterial contamination. Vaccine makers overlook the fact that when ethyl mercury (Thimerosal) is injected into the body, it is easily transported to the brain and heart, causing damage to those vital organs.
Autism was discovered in 1943, 12 years after Thimerosal was added by vaccine manufacturers to the Pertussis vaccine, and clinical studies have linked the mercury found in vaccines with Autism ever since. Scientific proof connecting vaccines to Autism and Alzheimer's disease has continued to mount as increasing doses of mercury-laden vaccines are injected in children and adults. In the 1950s, only one out of 10,000 children developed Autism. Today, when vaccines are considered a panacea, more than 1 million children are Autistic.
It seems clear that the only way to address mercury-related Autism is through the removal of ethyl mercury from vaccines. Unfortunately, although this could lessen the incidence of Autism, it will not necessarily cure it.
FISH
Fish are considered the third largest source of mercury exposure. Pregnant women are advised to abstain from eating certain kinds of fish, especially during the first trimester of pregnancy. Mercury has been known to cross the placenta and accumulate in the brain of the fetus, resulting in learning and behavioral problems after birth. In addition, mercury can also be transferred from mother to infant through breast milk.
The established relationship between Dental Amalgam and Illness has resulted in the phasing out (and total ban) of the use of mercury amalgam in many countries. Today there are dentists who are already starting to use safer methods to treat cavities. It is no longer a secret that mercury fillings are toxic and should therefore ideally be removed. However, the removal and replacement of amalgam fillings is a complex procedure that poses slight risks to you and to the health of your dentist and dental assistant. If you are considering having a silver amalgam filling removed, be sure to seek the services of a mercury-free dentist who is specially trained in mercury removal or detoxification.
The Link Between Mercury and Chronic Fatigue:
Dental Blunder
The evidence connecting mercury and CFS is strong enough to finally incriminate dental mercury filling. In fact, research showing how mercury poisoning contributes to CFS has led to a ban on the use of mercury filling in Sweden, Russia, and Germany. In the USA and Canada, mercury amalgam dental fillings are not allowed for pregnant women and children below six years of age.
MERCURY IN DENTAL CARE
Mercury was first used as a dental amalgam filling in 1826, and its use became common practice in dentistry during the many years since then. Overlooked for nearly a century was the fact that mercury is a highly toxic substance, and chronic mercury poisoning can give rise to autoimmune diseases, nerve damage, chronic fatigue, and many other chronic illnesses.
A silver amalgam filling is made of 50% mercury, with silver, zinc, copper, and tin all constituting the remaining 50%. Since a toxin like mercury is associated with a wide range of health hazards, it seems questionable that informed dental patients would truly want such a substance installed in their mouths.
MERCURY AND CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME
One of the major contributors to CFS is the mercury from dental amalgam. Silver amalgam fillings leak mercury vapor, which gets ingested with saliva and disrupts the healthy balance of intestinal bacteria. This causes inflammation in the gut wall, and as a result, the immune system is weakened, promoting CFS/CFIDS (Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome).
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is often marked by debilitating fatigue, muscle and joint pain, low-grade fever, and depression. Generalized exhaustion and a weakened immune system are also noted, which render the body vulnerable to viral, parasitic, and fungal infections.
According to the American Association for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome of Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, WA, among the causes of CFS are infections produced by the following viruses:
- Herpes virus, especially Human Herpes virus (HHV-6)
- Epstein-Barr virus (the viral agent of infectious Mononucleosis)
- Cytomegalovirus
- Coxsackie viruses B1 and B4
According to Dr. Stephen Bourne, MB, BS, it is worth noting that the chronic infection in CFS is the result - not the cause - of a weakened immune system. In his article about Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Dr. Bourne cites mercury dental amalgam filling and dysbiosis to be among the factors contributing to Chronic Fatigue.
Dysbiosis, as Dr. Bourne explains, is a scenario wherein "unhealthy gut micro flora, including yeasts and intestinal parasites, cause putrefaction of residual food as well as inflammation of the mucosal lining of the gut". As a result, the immune system is rendered weak, making the host (the body) susceptible to chronic illnesses including Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Since the link between Mercury and Chronic Fatigue is a strong one, there is good reason to consider the removal and replacement of mercury dental fillings. It is not enough to simply rid your system of mercury, however. In addition to following a balanced, nutritional diet, mercury detoxification is often recommended as an important step in alleviating CFS symptoms. As always, for your own safety, follow the professional advice of a trusted natural health practitioner or a mercury-free dentist.
Mercury Poisoning and Lyme Disease:
The Hidden Epidemic
Mercury Poisoning and Lyme Disease often accompany each other, and it can be difficult to determine whether mercury toxicity or Lyme Disease was the first malady to develop. The two conditions are commonly interconnected due to the fact that Lyme Disease renders sufferers susceptible to the toxic effects of mercury, and conversely, mercury-toxic people can become vulnerable to contracting chronic Lyme Disease.
In his book "Amalgam Illness: Diagnosis and Treatment", Andrew Cutler, Ph. D. described the following scenarios that most likely account for the link between mercury toxicity and chronic Lyme Disease:
- A person who does not have Lyme Disease can be susceptible to becoming mercury-toxic due to the body's failure to detoxify mercury (especially when there is impaired liver function). Because this weakens the immune system, exposure to the Lyme Disease bacteria can lead to full-blown chronic Lyme Disease.
- A healthy person with no genetic susceptibility to mercury accumulation in the body may first contract Lyme Disease. This weakens the body and its mercury detoxification ability, resulting in the person becoming mercury-toxic.
- The bacterial agent of Lyme Disease stores mercury as part of its survival mechanism. This compromises the body's immune defenses and leads to mercury intoxication.
- Someone who is accidentally exposed to mercury (from a broken thermometer or from banned mercury products) can develop mercury overload. This creates an environment that leaves the sufferer highly vulnerable to Lyme disease.
CHRONIC LYME DISEASE
Pandemic in the USA, Lyme Disease is a chronic disorder caused by a spirochete (spiral-shaped) bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi. It is responsible for a host of other health troubles such as Fibromyalgia,
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, chronic low back pain, and neurological problems.
Lyme Disease, also called Borrelia, is often ransmitted through tick bites. When an infected deer tick stings a person, the spirochete enters the bloodstream though the saliva of the tick or gets deposited in the skin from tick feces. Other carriers of the disease-causing spirochete have been found in recent years, namely:
- Mosquitoes
- Spiders
- Stinging flies
Lyme Disease lowers the white blood cell count, which impairs the immune system. The host then becomes susceptible to secondary infections by viruses, fungi, and other bacteria. Exposure to poisonous metals and other toxins in the environment is another contributing factor to the body's vulnerability to secondary infections.
Below are a few of the many symptoms of Borrelia:
- Arthritis
- Chronic low back pain
- Migraine headaches
- Emotional changes
- Numbness
- Paralysis
- Parasitic infections
MERCURY POISONING
Exposure to mercury is an obvious risk factor for developing mercury intoxication, but the condition is more dependent upon the body's ability to excrete mercury. With mercury being present throughout our
environment, one cannot avoid being exposed to even tiny amounts of the toxin in the air or water around us.
Symptoms of mercury illness mirror those of Lyme disease and include:
- Loss of memory
- Mood disorders
- Sensitivity to light and sound
- Tremors
- Insomnia
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Gastro-intestinal distress
- Fever
- Palpitations
- Sweating
- Shortness of breath
- Immune dysfunction
- Cognitive dysfunction
Mercury is a very harmful substance that can trigger a host of infections. By doing so, it severely impairs the immune system, and as a result, the body loses its ability to detoxify toxins. This leads to an accumulation of mercury in the body, and once the body becomes mercury-toxic, it is easier for Lyme Disease to be acquired. In reverse, Borrelia sufferers are prone to mercury toxicity.
The link between Mercury Poisoning and Lyme Disease is best explained by Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt, who theorized that mercury is sequestered in the body by the Borrelia spirochete as a means of surviving in the host environment. This results in increased mercury concentrations in areas that are near or surrounding the Lyme bacterial colonies.
Mercury intoxication symptoms are similar to those of Lyme Disease because mercury and the bacterial colonies of Lyme disease inhabit the same places in the body. This makes it hard to determine whether the cause of the symptoms is mercury or Lyme disease, and it makes treatment difficult and very complicated.
Effective treatment of both Mercury Poisoning and Lyme Disease often involves mercury removal. While mercury is quite difficult to remove, its removal brings positive results. In fact, a significant number of people suffering from mercury intoxication and chronic Lyme Disease have shown marked improvement after mercury has been removed from their bodies. Anyone considering mercury detoxification should always do so with the guidance of a trusted and experienced biologic or "mercury-free" dentist.
The Mercury and Obesity Connection:
Is Dental Filling Fattening?
When mercury and weight gain were connected in the results of some recent scientific research on the effects of mercury exposure, many overweight people became more conscious of the importance of avoiding silver amalgam fillings. The value of effective weight loss programs is obvious, but it was a surprise for many to learn that mercury exposure through dental fillings could be one of the silent culprits in the obesity epidemic in the USA.
Obesity has become a major health problem for many Americans, and it is on the rise. It is often the result of poor dietary choices and sedentary lifestyles, and genetics also play a role. However, there is reason to believe that environmental factors, particularly toxins in the environment, can also promote obesity.
The role of toxins in obesity is best explained by Dr. Gittleman in his highlights of the research done by Dr. Paula Baillie-Hamilton, which appeared in the Journal of Alternative Complementary Medicine in 2002. According to Dr. Gittleman, Dr. Baillie-Hamilton's research correlated the rise in the number of overweight and obese adults in the USA with the increase in the use of synthetic chemicals from 1930-2000. She concluded that growth hormones and pesticides in the food supply proved to be fattening for humans and animals alike.
Dr. Gittleman further noted from the 2004 US Symposium "Obesity: Developmental Origins and Environmental Influences" that environmental toxins, in particular the estrogen-like chemicals from plastic food and drink packaging, also play a role in obesity. Mercury is another environmental toxin that has been released into the natural environment in increasing amounts in modern times, leading many to suspect a link between Mercury and Obesity.
Mercury toxicity comes from dental fillings, the environment, fish, and vaccines. Amalgam dental fillings have been found to contain mercury levels significant enough to cause toxicity, and people with silver amalgam fillings are exposed to mercury daily for as long as the fillings remain in their teeth. As a result of this exposure, humans excrete mercury into sewers that contaminate bodies of water, fish, and wildlife.
HOW MERCURY CONTRIBUTES TO WEIGHT GAIN
Our food supply, which includes fish, fowl, vegetables, grains, and fruits, is at risk of being contaminated with the mercury found in the water, air, and soil. The ingestion of such foods, especially those high in carbohydrates, often results in a rise in the body's glucose and insulin levels. When elevated insulin levels are caused by damage to insulin enzymes and insulin receptors, the long-term result is obesity - due to the action of insulin turning excess glucose into fats during the process of metabolism in the body.
Mercury in the body inhibits cellular processes, and its detrimental effects on the essential minerals and nutrients in cells can lead to damage of the immune system cells, contributing to weight gain and cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, environmental toxins like mercury also disrupt neurotransmitters that affect the signals sent to the brain - signals that control appetite.
If you are overweight and you have several mercury fillings, and if your obesity hasn't been controlled by any of the weight loss programs (such as the Atkins and Mediterranean diets) or weight control products (like Slim Fast and diet pills), the removal of your dental fillings might help. There are several available replacement fillings made of composite dental filling material, and they are far safer to use than fillings made with mercury. Be aware that the removal of mercury from tooth fillings is a complicated procedure that must be performed by a highly trained and experienced biologic dentist.
The treatment of mercury toxicity does not end with the removal of mercury fillings, and further detoxification is highly recommended in order to completely rid the body of mercury. A possible relationship between Mercury and Obesity may be be a frustrating revelation, but at least there is an effective means of combating the health hazards of mercury: avoiding the use of amalgam silver fillings and purging the body of harmful toxins.
Each article has a corresponding theme keyword density, keyword prominence, theme keywords used, word count, and paragraph count.
