Mercury Toxicity and Vegetarian Diet

I think it is because a vegetarian diet is probably going to be low on sulphur
and zinc

"Bracken" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I think it is because a vegetarian diet is probably going to be low on

sulphur

Quoted message said:

and zinc

Could you be a little more specific? Thanks.

ta said:

"Bracken" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I think it is because a vegetarian diet is probably going to be low on

sulphur

Quoted message said:

and zinc

Could you be a little more specific? Thanks.

sulphur chelates mercury, and the body needs zinc to produce metal-binding
proteins.

Bracken said:

ta said:

"Bracken" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I think it is because a vegetarian diet is probably going to be low
on sulphur and zinc

Could you be a little more specific? Thanks.

sulphur chelates mercury, and the body needs zinc to produce
metal-binding proteins.

Thanks for clarifying. That's true, sulphur chelates mercury, but so does
DMSA and vitamin C. Why wouldn't these chelating agents be sufficient? As to
zinc, why wouldn't vegetarian sources of zinc suffice?

ta said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

>I think it is because a vegetarian diet is probably going to be low
>on sulphur and zinc
>

Could you be a little more specific? Thanks.

sulphur chelates mercury, and the body needs zinc to produce
metal-binding proteins.

Thanks for clarifying. That's true, sulphur chelates mercury, but so does
DMSA and vitamin C. Why wouldn't these chelating agents be sufficient? As to
zinc, why wouldn't vegetarian sources of zinc suffice?

Because vegetarian sources of zinc are high in phytates. Phytates bind and tie
up zinc and nonheme iron, preventing absorption and assimilation of both. Just
adding a little bit of meat to the diet increases absorption of both those minerals.

The following study found that just eating 50 or 75 grams (about an eighth of a
pound) of pork increased nonheme absorption by 44% to 57% (respectively on 50g
and 75g trials).
http://tinyurl.com/x8b2

"usual suspect" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

ta said:

Quoted message said:

>>I think it is because a vegetarian diet is probably going to be low
>>on sulphur and zinc
>>
>
>Could you be a little more specific? Thanks.

sulphur chelates mercury, and the body needs zinc to produce
metal-binding proteins.

Thanks for clarifying. That's true, sulphur chelates mercury, but so

does

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

DMSA and vitamin C. Why wouldn't these chelating agents be sufficient?

As to

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

zinc, why wouldn't vegetarian sources of zinc suffice?

Because vegetarian sources of zinc are high in phytates. Phytates bind and

tie

Quoted message said:

up zinc and nonheme iron, preventing absorption and assimilation of both.

Just

Quoted message said:

adding a little bit of meat to the diet increases absorption of both those

minerals.

Quoted message said:

The following study found that just eating 50 or 75 grams (about an eighth

of a

Quoted message said:

pound) of pork increased nonheme absorption by 44% to 57% (respectively on

50g

Quoted message said:

and 75g trials).
http://tinyurl.com/x8b2

Interesting about zinc, thanks - I was just reading something to that effect
(although my recent blood tests indicate zinc levels are aok). Also,
increasing zinc supplementation should increase the level of absorbtion:

"Vegetarians may need as much as 50% more zinc than non-vegetarians because
of the lower absorption of zinc from plant foods, so it is very important
for vegetarians to include good sources of zinc in their diet (2, 21)."

http://tinyurl.com/2vlwl

In addition to the zinc in my diet, I already supplement with colloidal
minerals (which includes zinc) and vegetarian zinc tablets.

Regarding pork, Dr. Huggins and Dr. Pinto recommend avoiding pork
altogether, due to its negative effects on the red blood cells in mercury
toxic patients:

"Dr. Olympio Pinto had recorded on videotape the changes in live red blood
cells caused by eating pork, smoking cigarettes, drinking caffeine, and
other potentially destructive habits. Of particular interest to me was the
profound reaction of a patient one hour after he ate the pork. I noted that
more than half of his red blood cells were then what are termed "ghosts".
Ghosts are red cells that have lost their hemoglobin."
(p.106, "It's All in Your Head"😉.

ta said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

>>>I think it is because a vegetarian diet is probably going to be low
>>>on sulphur and zinc
>>>
>>
>>Could you be a little more specific? Thanks.
>
>sulphur chelates mercury, and the body needs zinc to produce
>metal-binding proteins.

Thanks for clarifying. That's true, sulphur chelates mercury, but so

does

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

DMSA and vitamin C. Why wouldn't these chelating agents be sufficient?

As to

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

zinc, why wouldn't vegetarian sources of zinc suffice?

Because vegetarian sources of zinc are high in phytates. Phytates bind and

tie

Quoted message said:

up zinc and nonheme iron, preventing absorption and assimilation of both.

Just

Quoted message said:

adding a little bit of meat to the diet increases absorption of both those

minerals.

Quoted message said:

The following study found that just eating 50 or 75 grams (about an eighth

of a

Quoted message said:

pound) of pork increased nonheme absorption by 44% to 57% (respectively on

50g

Quoted message said:

and 75g trials).
http://tinyurl.com/x8b2

Interesting about zinc, thanks - I was just reading something to that effect
(although my recent blood tests indicate zinc levels are aok). Also,
increasing zinc supplementation should increase the level of absorbtion:

"Vegetarians may need as much as 50% more zinc than non-vegetarians because
of the lower absorption of zinc from plant foods, so it is very important
for vegetarians to include good sources of zinc in their diet (2, 21)."

http://tinyurl.com/2vlwl

In addition to the zinc in my diet, I already supplement with colloidal
minerals (which includes zinc) and vegetarian zinc tablets.

Regarding pork, Dr. Huggins and Dr. Pinto recommend avoiding pork
altogether, due to its negative effects on the red blood cells in mercury
toxic patients:

"Dr. Olympio Pinto had recorded on videotape the changes in live red blood
cells caused by eating pork, smoking cigarettes, drinking caffeine, and
other potentially destructive habits. Of particular interest to me was the
profound reaction of a patient one hour after he ate the pork. I noted that
more than half of his red blood cells were then what are termed "ghosts".
Ghosts are red cells that have lost their hemoglobin."
(p.106, "It's All in Your Head"😉.

I wouldn't be too worried about the anecdotes provided by Dr Huggins, who is a
dentist by profession. Pinto has ties to the Weston Price people. I would
dismiss him on that basis alone. As for the anecdote conveyed in your quote, you
might be surprised at the body's reactions to digesting various other foods, not
to mention the affects of exercise and vigorous activity. I'd be more concerned
about your personal trends in blood work, maintaining a healthy weight, and
staying physically active. Too much of anything is bad -- and that includes
stress from nitpicking over minor issues and losing sight of the major ones.

usual suspect said:

ta said:

Quoted message said:

>>>> I think it is because a vegetarian diet is probably going to be
>>>> low on sulphur and zinc
>>>>
>>>
>>> Could you be a little more specific? Thanks.
>>
>> sulphur chelates mercury, and the body needs zinc to produce
>> metal-binding proteins.
>
> Thanks for clarifying. That's true, sulphur chelates mercury, but
> so

does

Quoted message said:

> DMSA and vitamin C. Why wouldn't these chelating agents be
> sufficient?

As to

Quoted message said:

> zinc, why wouldn't vegetarian sources of zinc suffice?

Because vegetarian sources of zinc are high in phytates. Phytates
bind and

tie

Quoted message said:

up zinc and nonheme iron, preventing absorption and assimilation of
both.

Just

Quoted message said:

adding a little bit of meat to the diet increases absorption of
both those

minerals.

Quoted message said:

The following study found that just eating 50 or 75 grams (about an
eighth

of a

Quoted message said:

pound) of pork increased nonheme absorption by 44% to 57%
(respectively on

50g

Quoted message said:

and 75g trials).
http://tinyurl.com/x8b2

Interesting about zinc, thanks - I was just reading something to
that effect (although my recent blood tests indicate zinc levels are
aok). Also, increasing zinc supplementation should increase the
level of absorbtion:

"Vegetarians may need as much as 50% more zinc than non-vegetarians
because of the lower absorption of zinc from plant foods, so it is
very important for vegetarians to include good sources of zinc in
their diet (2, 21)."

http://tinyurl.com/2vlwl

In addition to the zinc in my diet, I already supplement with
colloidal minerals (which includes zinc) and vegetarian zinc tablets.

Regarding pork, Dr. Huggins and Dr. Pinto recommend avoiding pork
altogether, due to its negative effects on the red blood cells in
mercury toxic patients:

"Dr. Olympio Pinto had recorded on videotape the changes in live red
blood cells caused by eating pork, smoking cigarettes, drinking
caffeine, and other potentially destructive habits. Of particular
interest to me was the profound reaction of a patient one hour after
he ate the pork. I noted that more than half of his red blood cells
were then what are termed "ghosts". Ghosts are red cells that have
lost their hemoglobin." (p.106, "It's All in Your Head"😉.

I wouldn't be too worried about the anecdotes provided by Dr Huggins,
who is a dentist by profession.

If I'm going to ignore all anecdotal evidence, then should I also ignore his
comments about vegetarian diets and mercury toxicity?:

"For those who are strict vegetarians, I must let you know that your
progress may be extremely slow, if you progress at all. I strongly
reccommend that you discontinue vegetarianism during your treatment period
in order to allow the protein fractions in the blood serum to reach a good
level. This can be done with eggs and turkey if you prefer to avoid red
meats. In nineteen years of treating mercury-toxic patients, I have never
been able to help anyone on a vegetarian diet. When people are in good
health, they can maintain it on this diet, but for some reason unknown to me
they cannot heal from mercury toxicity." (p.140, "It's All in Your Head"😉.

There are no scientific studies to support this claim, as far as I know;
only anecdotal evidence.

Quoted message said:

Pinto has ties to the Weston Price
people. I would dismiss him on that basis alone. As for the anecdote
conveyed in your quote, you might be surprised at the body's
reactions to digesting various other foods, not to mention the
affects of exercise and vigorous activity. I'd be more concerned
about your personal trends in blood work, maintaining a healthy
weight, and staying physically active.

The last thing an individual with mercury poisoning should do is exert
oneself physically. The blood work is definitely a key issue though, yes.

Quoted message said:

Too much of anything is bad --
and that includes stress from nitpicking over minor issues and losing
sight of the major ones.

I certainly don't consider the decisions about what to put into my body
"nitpicking over minor issues". The major issue to me is how best to
recover, and that includes carefully considering my diet. And it's not
stressful, it's due diligence.

So regarding the zinc issue, there's no reason why extra supplementation of
zinc should not compensate for the lower zinc absorption rate from
non-animal sources of zinc, right?

ta wrote:
<...>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I wouldn't be too worried about the anecdotes provided by Dr Huggins,
who is a dentist by profession.

If I'm going to ignore all anecdotal evidence, then should I also ignore his
comments about vegetarian diets and mercury toxicity?:

It depends. Have you been diagnosed with mercury toxicity by a medical professional?

Quoted message said:

"For those who are strict vegetarians, I must let you know that your
progress may be extremely slow, if you progress at all. I strongly
reccommend that you discontinue vegetarianism during your treatment period
in order to allow the protein fractions in the blood serum to reach a good
level. This can be done with eggs and turkey if you prefer to avoid red
meats. In nineteen years of treating mercury-toxic patients, I have never
been able to help anyone on a vegetarian diet. When people are in good
health, they can maintain it on this diet, but for some reason unknown to me
they cannot heal from mercury toxicity." (p.140, "It's All in Your Head"😉.

There are no scientific studies to support this claim, as far as I know;
only anecdotal evidence.

At this point, shall I remind you of what you wrote at aaev about superstitions?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Pinto has ties to the Weston Price
people. I would dismiss him on that basis alone. As for the anecdote
conveyed in your quote, you might be surprised at the body's
reactions to digesting various other foods, not to mention the
affects of exercise and vigorous activity. I'd be more concerned
about your personal trends in blood work, maintaining a healthy
weight, and staying physically active.

The last thing an individual with mercury poisoning should do is exert
oneself physically. The blood work is definitely a key issue though, yes.

Have you had yours checked by a real doctor in a real lab? Even if you have a
chip on your shoulder about modern medicine, I would think it's a good first
step to get real information before self-diagnosing and self-treating something
that may not be wrong.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Too much of anything is bad --
and that includes stress from nitpicking over minor issues and losing
sight of the major ones.

I certainly don't consider the decisions about what to put into my body
"nitpicking over minor issues".

Oh, neither do I.

Quoted message said:

The major issue to me is how best to
recover, and that includes carefully considering my diet. And it's not
stressful, it's due diligence.

So regarding the zinc issue, there's no reason why extra supplementation of
zinc should not compensate for the lower zinc absorption rate from
non-animal sources of zinc, right?

It depends on your diet (especially phytates) and your absorption rate. If
you're not zinc deficient now, I don't see a need to go overboard. That can be
even worse since excess zinc is toxic and obstructs metabolism of iron and
copper. Everything in moderation...

Quoted message said:

Subject: Re: Mercury Toxicity and Vegetarian Diet
From: usual suspect [email hidden]
Date: 6/4/04 11:09 AM Eastern Daylight Time
Message-id: <[email hidden]>

You may want to factor these known facts into your logic:

Quoted message said:

Because vegetarian sources of zinc are high in phytates

Phytic acid is a human poison. lt is toxic to the human in excessive amounts.
That is one reason why humans are encouraged to soak their grains, extract the
phytic acid, and then throw the phytic acid away.

Quoted message said:

Phytates bind and tie
up zinc and nonheme iron, preventing absorption and assimilation of both.
Just
adding a little bit of meat to the diet increases absorption of both those
minerals.

Iron in meat is primarily in the blood. The human bocy cannot handle that form
of iron and cannot regulate its absorbtion or elimination. Thus, we now have
all the diseases of iron overload being reported.
Plant iron, such as that in an apple, can be handled by the body. One must
consider the source of the iron when discussing its absorbtion and utilization
in the human body.

Quoted message said:

The following study found that just eating 50 or 75 grams (about an eighth of
a
pound) of pork increased nonheme absorption by 44% to 57% (respectively on
50g
and 75g trials).

Why should the eating of blood increase the absorption of non-heme iron?

DrC PhD

"ta" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

1. Does anyone know of any scientific studies to verify that Huggins'
claim is true.
2. Has anyone personally either failed or succeeded in recovering from
mercury toxicity on a veg*n diet?

I don't know myself, but you might check this new research service that can
find out stuff like this at http://www.infomedicine.org

Bob

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