Toxic Metals & Gut Dysbiosis
What is the common link with our younger population plagued with eczema, asthma, allergies, dyspraxia, dyslexia, behavioral problems, ADHD, OCD, and autism—all with varying degrees of intensity, ranging from mild to debilitating symptoms?
These symptoms will manifest in later years as depression, schizophrenia, bipolar, and the vast array of psychological problems along with every addiction imaginable depending on the inherited constitutional weakness of the being.
Also, bringing our immune system into a nose dive of a purgatory of dismal health, eventually manifesting as the more pernicious autoimmune diseases, cancer, and neurogenerative diseases, as well as obesity.
Well, to answer this question there is one factor that unites them all, and that is a poor gut function.
Did not the father of modern medicine, Hippocrates, once say, “If you want to find the root to all diseases, look to the gut.”
The beneficial flora should make up 85% of the intestinal bacteria.
They are primarily lactic acid producing bacteria.
This acid environment is a strong deterrent to the growth of pathogenic bacteria and yeast which prefer a more alkaline environment.
The beneficial flora takes an active part in the digestion and absorption by helping in breaking down proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and fiber.
Bacteria by-products are important in absorbing and producing minerals and vitamins such as B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, and Vit K.
Pathogenic flora competes for nutrients and promotes toxicity complicated by the heavy metals that turn a regular storm into a category 5.
For example, without beneficial bacteria, free iron available from the food being eaten and iron supplementation will be a food source for the pathogenic bacteria making them stronger and more virulent.
Meanwhile the iron binding protein, transferrin, will be taken up by the heavy metal aluminum by binding to the transferrin, which results in aluminum having a carrier which can be uptaken to the brain.
Not to mention that aluminum toxicity results in inhibition of magnesium dependent enzymes as it can readily replace magnesium in a biological system because of its affinity for the substrate involved.
Aluminum molecules are very similar in size to iron and magnesium.
Even the smallest amount of aluminum can compete with much larger quantities of magnesium resulting in a reduction in enzyme functions.
Nearly all enzymes require an energy source in the form of Mg-ATP complex, and as a result of aluminum, the body will have less energy/ATP to fight infections.
On an HTMA, aluminum shows up high for most children and adults.
Also, the absorptive mechanisms that increase iron uptake are involved in the uptake of lead, cadmium, and aluminum.
HCL in our stomach acid is our first line of defense for these invading organisms, however most of us are low which leads to poor absorption of many nutrients, such as calcium, magnesium, iron, many of the B vitamins, and amino acids.
Low stomach acid/HCL will lead to a reduction in digestive enzyme production creating an overly alkaline environment which favors pathogenic bacteria and yeast.
Let's not forget that the toxic metals such as mercury, cadmium, and toxic copper interfere with the production of HCL by blocking zinc, thus decreasing HCL.
Not only does HCL require zinc for its activation, but its production is also dependent on adequate sodium and potassium chloride which enables the stomach to produce hydrochloric acid.
Copper toxicity, which is unbound copper, becomes the main causative factor indicated by low sodium and potassium on an HTMA.
It raises tissue calcium, slows the oxidation rate, and decreases the acidity in the stomach ultimately favoring the pathogenic bacteria and yeast.
In 80% of the adult population, HTMAs indicate high Ca, Mg, low Na and K, coupled with a low phosphorous—which is always indicative of a yeast infection and other pathogenic organisms.
Low phosphorus is a catabolic state, meaning a compromised ability for protein synthesis, and without adequate protein synthesis, healing is impaired, coupled with low Na and K, meaning the body cannot mount an adequate immune response, and the yeast and opportunistic organisms proliferate.
Meanwhile, the biounavailable copper becomes a double problem as not only toxic oxidized copper deposits in the glands, organs, and tissues, but it also becomes deficient.
Copper deficiency predisposes any human organism to bacterial and yeast forming organisms.
When copper is bound to its protein carrier, it becomes one of the main nutrients to fight bacterial and yeast infections.
Why do they put copper sulfate in swimming pools and hot tubs?
Because it is the perfect agent to prevent the spread of athlete’s feet and other obnoxious fungal infections!
Also, we know that some of the antibiotics work by mobilizing the copper to fight bacterial infections.
Copper toxicity also impairs the function of the thyroid which makes the body more vulnerable to yeast.
What do we see on an HTMA with common frequency—high Ca and low K which we know is the thyroid ratio.
The take home message is copper is essential for the control of all types of fungi and some of the pathogenic bacteria.
When the body is overloaded with sugar and alcohol, it rapidly causes a loss of zinc, promoting a rise in toxic copper.
Of course, we know that yeast and pathogenic bacteria thrive on all sugar and when the gut is disturbed, any carbohydrate foods will promote the growth of pathogenic bacteria and yeast.
What happens to this excessive yeast and pathogenic bacteria especially the clostridium species is that its breakdown by products produces excessive dopamine by inhibiting the dopamine beta hydroxylase enzyme.
Excess dopamine is a very reactive molecule producing oxidative species in the cystol which is the fluid in the intracellular compartment.
This forms HVA and DOPAC which can be measured in the urine on an organic acid test—it is not surprising that neuropsychiatric disorders and autism always have much higher levels of these by-products of dopamine metabolism.
Meaning that high levels of dopamine can be toxic to the brain, as well as inhibiting the conversion of dopamine to epinephrine affecting major neurotransmitters of the sympathetic system which regulates the eyes, sweat glands, blood vessels, heart, lungs, intestines, and stomach.
This results in an inadequate supply of epinephrine or a substitution of dopamine for epinephrine resulting in a profound alteration on physiology and psychology.
Let's not forget that this beta dopamine hydroxylase enzyme is a copper and Vit. C dependent enzyme, so now we have a double whammy of this enzyme being blocked by pathogenic organisms and by these two vital nutrients that make this enzyme work.
This enzyme is also complicated by the fact that toxic copper oxidizes vitamin C.
One must get the preferred minerals all while addressing the gut infections and detoxing the heavy metals.
This will truly help you raise the bar and achieve better health.