Toxic metal in multivitamins? We tend to think that some is good but more is better. But thinking like could be harmful to your health when it comes to picking out a multivitamin or even just having a glass of water. An article recently written by George Brewer from the University of Michigan Medical School explains how copper is a nutrient at optimal levels, but at high levels copper becomes a toxic heavy metal. In addition to copper, iron transitions from being a beneficial mineral at optimal to becoming a toxin at high levels.
Toxic metal in multivitamins and water supply
It is important to understand that both copper and iron are essential for health, but only at the right levels. However, most modern homes have copper water pipes which can leach unhealthy levels of copper into your water supply. This imbalance of copper may reduce zinc absorption and cause mood disorders, aggression, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, heart disease, Parkinson’s disease, autism, Tourette’s syndrome and breast and other cancers. The amount of copper leached into your water supply increases as the acidity level of your water increases.
Inorganic copper found in your drinking water and your supplements is considerably more toxic than copper consumed from food. Food based (organic) copper heads to the liver and is bound to a protein which protects the copper from damaging your body. Conversely, inorganic copper from water and supplements bypasses the trip to the liver and becomes free copper that circulates in the bloodstream becoming a potential toxin to the body.
Isn’t the government in charge of providing healthy drinking water?
In a review of the general population, the people who consume the most copper (the top 20%) lose cognition over three times the normal rate! It was found that adding copper at a level of 0.12ppm to distilled water triggered Alzheimer’s plaques. The scary reality is that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) allows over ten times (1.3ppm) that much copper in your drinking water!
The problem according to George Brewer is these concerns are “virtually unknown to the general medical community and there is complete unawareness of the public.”
Iron is essential for the production of red blood cells and energy production. However, at high levels it is a very strong oxidant causing damage to the liver as well as the blood vessels, promoting heart disease. You should not consume inorganic iron supplements unless you have a documented iron deficiency. Woman who are still menstruating are less likely to have toxic levels of iron due to loss of blood during menstruation, and thus less risk of arthrosclerosis. Frequent blood donors also share the reduced risk of the damaging effects of arthrosclerosis due to the loss of iron from donating blood. Men who consume multivitamins that contain iron are at higher risks.
It is likely that copper and iron toxicity, although rarely discussed, are present in a large portion of our society and both are a likely contributing factor to Alzheimer’s disease. Keep in mind this disease did not exist 100 years ago and is virtually non-existent in India and Africa.
Eliminate toxic metal in multivitamins and protect against excess copper and iron
In order to prevent excess iron and copper, first throw away your multivitamins that contain iron and copper unless you have been told you have deficiency. Take a multivitamin that has zinc which helps to balance higher copper levels. In regards to iron levels, donating blood can help to regulate levels since most iron is present in the bloodstream. You may also install a reverse osmosis water system to eliminate copper in your water supply. (Risks of Copper and Iron Toxicity during Aging in Humans. Chemical Research in Toxicology; February 15, 2010; Vol. 23; No. 2; pp. 319–326.
Switch to a trusted multivitamin recommended by AlignLife Chiropractors
AlignLife recommends Daily Balance from Aceva as the go-to multivitamin. It is free of both iron and copper due to the reasons noted above, but also because both iron and copper are oxidants and combining those in a formulation with important antioxidants can be rendered the antioxidants less functional. Daily Balance also provides the comfort of containing a full spectrum B-complex allowing you to take fewer capsules while still receiving a potent and healthy daily nutritional solution.
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For more information:
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/tx900338d
