Everything You Need to Know About Heavy Metals — and How to Detox Them

Heavy metals are inorganic elements typically characterized by high density. Some heavy metals are essential for normal biological functions, such as iron, cobalt, and zinc. However, when present in excessive amounts, even these necessary metals can become toxic to the human body. Other heavy metals, such as lead, mercury, and cadmium, have no known biological role and are harmful even at low levels.

Human Exposure to Heavy Metals

Every day, we are exposed to heavy metals through food, air, water, and environmental pollutants.

Heavy metal toxicity impacts various systems in the body, and one of the most commonly affected is the nervous system.

If you struggle with symptoms such as tremors, muscle weakness, sensory neuropathy, memory loss, cognitive impairment, short attention span, and irritability, I highly recommend checking your heavy metal levels.

Metals can affect the heart, sometimes leading to conditions such as myocarditis. They may also disrupt the gastrointestinal system, causing abdominal pain, nausea, and diarrhea, and can harm the kidneys, resulting in chronic kidney disease, polyuria, and proteinuria.

They can disrupt nearly every system in the body: see the infographic below for more details:

 Test Options & Key Information:

If you think you may have heavy metal overload, you might want to consider testing yourself for heavy metal exposure. The type of test depends on whether your exposure was acute or chronic. Blood tests are best for acute exposure, while urine tests are more suitable for chronic exposure.

These are the names of the tests you can ask your practitioner for: Heavy Metal Blood Test, Toxic Metals Panel, or Heavy Metal Toxicity Test.

How do I prepare for a heavy metal test?

You should avoid eating seafood for at least 48 hours be fore the test, as it is now one of the foods highest in heavy metals.

Heavy metals and Vaccines

Heavy metals in vaccines have been shown to cause food allergies, fatigue, asthma and autoimmune conditions in kids. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a prominent activist working to remove heavy metals from vaccines in the USA.

 Interesting facts: did you know that in 1986 there were 5 childhood vaccines, and in 2025, there are 70 vaccines recommended by age of 12 months?

“If a child gets all of the vaccines in the entire schedule, they get almost 13,000 micrograms of aluminium … 600 micrograms of mercury, plus over 200 different chemicals. 

That's why they've never been proven to be safe.” -Dr. Sherri Tenpenny

Studies have consistently shown elevated heavy metal levels in children with autism spectrum disorders. Exposure to heavy metals during pregnancy or early childhood has been linked to the development of autism. A meta-analysis involving studies on hair, whole blood, and urine samples revealed significantly higher lead levels in autistic children compared to controls, suggesting a greater body burden of lead in children with ASD.

Mercury (a heavy metal) is still found in multi-dose flu shots in America and the CDC still advises pregnant women to get the flu shot. Mercury very easily crosses the placenta.

Here is a list of vaccines that still contain mercury: Afluria Quad, Flucelvax Quad, Fluvirin, FluZone Quad, JE-Vax, Menomune, and TDVax.

Heavy Metal Detox: Research-Based Strategies

1) SAUNA

One of the most affordable therapies in the world for detoxifying heavy metals from the body is using a sauna. Sweating is a natural process that helps eliminate toxins, including heavy metals, and sauna use can enhance this process by elevating core body temperature, which mobilizes and eliminates stored toxins. Research suggests that many toxic elements can be excreted through sweat during sauna sessions, especially when they cannot be efficiently filtered by the kidneys and removed through urine.

Types of Heavy Metals Eliminated Through Sweating

Studies have shown that sweating in saunas can help eliminate various heavy metals.

Lead: Studies have found significant excretion of lead in sweat collected during exercise or in an infrared/steam sauna.

Cadmium: This heavy metal, which can cause kidney damage and upset stomach, was detected in the sweat of 80% of study participants after a sauna session.

Mercury: Mercury, linked to tachycardia and psychiatric symptoms, was present in the sweat of all participants in a study who showed no detectable levels in their blood.

Arsenic: Arsenic can also be purged from the body through sweating.

The Ultimate Guide to Maximizing Sauna Benefits

Finding the right sauna frequency involves listening to your body. There is no one plan that fits everyone. I recommend starting slowly. If you are new to sauna use, an infrared sauna may be more comfortable because it operates at lower temperatures.

For beginners, start with 2–3 sessions per week at a suggested temperature of 110–125°F. If you are a frequent sauna user, you may want to increase the frequency to 4–5 sessions per week at 130–150°F for around 20 minutes. 

You can tailor your sauna sessions depending on your health goals.

For detoxification of heavy metals:
15–25 minutes at 131–140°F is recommended (3 rounds)

For stress relief and improved sleep:
Consider an evening sauna session 60–90 minutes before bedtime. Two rounds of 25 minutes at 120–130°F can help lower cortisol levels and promote restorative sleep.

For cardiovascular health and longevity:
Frequent use, about 4–7 sessions per week of 20 minutes each, is recommended. (2 rounds)

Between your sauna sessions, make sure to cool down. Some people use ice baths, while others take cold showers—I’m team showers. Cooling down and remineralizing is important. You can use natural electrolytes with your mineral water, which is the best way to rehydrate after sweating. Wait at least 10 minutes before your next sauna session.

One of the most important things to do before going to a sauna is to take a binder. There are many types of binders, and I want to recommend the best options and explain how they work. Binders for detoxification are natural substances designed to attach to toxins in the gastrointestinal tract, preventing their absorption and helping to eliminate them.

Key binders include activated charcoal, zeolite, shilajit, bentonite clay, silica, and apple pectin.

For optimal detox support, binders should generally be taken 30–60 minutes before your sauna session.

I recommend using a binder that contains shilajit because most binders cannot reach the cells to remove toxins, but shilajit can. For this reason, it’s my top choice (for informational purposes only, not medical advice).

One of the great binders you can take is Heavy Metal Gone from Dr. Clark’s store.

Now that you know how to use a sauna to efficiently detox heavy metals from the body, let’s look at the foods you can eat to support the body in this process.

 Foods with Detoxifying Properties

1) CILANTRO

Both cilantro leaves and seeds have the ability to detoxify heavy metals from the body due to compounds called thiols, which bind to heavy metals like mercury and lead and help remove them from the body. It is a strong, very aromatic herb, so you might want to consider adding it to your broths.

2) GARLIC, ONIONS AND LEEKS

Garlic, along with other alliums like chives, leeks, onions, and shallots, provides sulfur compounds that contribute to their health benefits. These compounds are thought to help catalyze Phase II detoxification in the liver, promoting the elimination of toxins and increasing the antioxidant glutathione. Garlic has been shown to prevent cadmium-induced kidney damage and reduce oxidative damage from lead in rats

3) WILD BLUEBERRIES (yes, the have to be wild)

One of the most underrated foods on the planet. Wild blueberries help detoxify heavy metals from the tissues, and I’ve seen numerous clients improve after drinking the Heavy Metal Detox Smoothie (a recipe from Medical Medium). Wild blueberries aren’t always easy to find, especially in winter, so frozen wild blueberries work just as well as fresh — and you can find them at Walmart. At Dr. Clark Store, we’re currently in the process of launching a new product that will contain wild blueberry powder!

Heavy Metal Detox Smoothie

This smoothie is designed to help remove heavy metals from the body and support overall detoxification.

Ingredients:

• 2 bananas

• 1 cup wild blueberries (fresh or frozen)

• 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves

• 1 teaspoon spirulina powder

• 1 teaspoon barley grass juice powder

• 1 tablespoon Atlantic dulse (or dulse flakes)

• 1 cup orange juice (freshly squeezed if possible)

• Optional: a little water to adjust consistency

Also, if you’re not getting your daily recommended vitamins, you might want to consider supplements. Deficiencies in vitamins B, B6, and C are linked to lower tolerance to heavy metals and a higher risk of toxicity. Vitamin C may have chelating effects on iron, and older studies showed that vitamin B1 supplements helped reduce iron levels.

About the Author

Beata Havlickova is a registered nurse and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in naturopathy. She specializes in fertility, thyroid health, gut health, and autoimmune conditions, using a holistic approach focused on getting to the root cause. You can reach her on Instagram at @wholisticbeata or by phone at +420 735 029 020.

Sources:

Sources

Garlic & Sulphur-Containing Foods / Heavy Metal Detox

• Effect of Garlic on Heavy Metal Detoxification
  PubMed ID: 3047880
  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3047880/

• Pharmacological Study on Metal Interaction Mechanisms
  DOI: 10.1007/s00210-024-03551-4
  https://doi.org/10.1007/s00210-024-03551-4

• Sulphur-Containing Foods and Heavy Metal Effects (PMC Article)
  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3654245/

• Assessment of metallothionein and antibodies to metallothionein in normal and autistic children exposed to vaccine-derived thimerosal – study investigating metal-related biomarkers in ASD context: PMID 16771783 — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16771783/

• 24-hour provoked urine excretion test for heavy metals in children with autism – pilot study directly quantifying chelatable metals in ASD vs controls: PMID 17503250 — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17503250