Many alternative healthcare practitioners suspect mercury toxicity as being the cause of all ills. And certainly, mercury is known to play a role in a variety of physical disorders however I don’t believe it is the underlying cause of every illness or disease. Our bodies are fully able to eliminate mercury as long as a few key factors are in place.
The first and most important is the production and release of bile from the gall bladder. Bile is an absolute requirement for escorting mercury out of the body. However, when digestion is compromised (low stomach acid) resulting in reflux, indigestion, heartburn, etc., there is no strong signal for bile to be secreted into the digestive tract, resulting in possible accumulation of mercury and other heavy metals. This is even more problematic for those who have had their gall bladders removed. It is imperative that those individuals take some form of bile salts with every meal for more reasons that just mercury elimination!
When used along with adequate fatty acids, garlic has a strong affinity for removing heavy metals or other toxins. Adding two additional botanicals including milk thistle, a liver protector, and hawthorn flowering tops, the three of these can do an amazing job helping the body gently and safely remove heavy metals or other unwanted toxins. The goal is to assist the body with its own natural process, not force it to do something with harsh detoxes or cleanses.
The most important place each of us can start is by ensuring adequate dietary fat intake and healthy bile production and storage from the liver. Adding beets to the diet can help support normal bile consistency and flow. One of my favorite products for helping this process along is A-F Betafood from Standard Process. Start with a higher dose for the first 30 days and then reduce the dose for the next 30 days to ensure adequate bile flow.