Health news blog

Although beneficial in minute amounts in natural form, cadmium, as an environmental pollutant, is extremely toxic. It is found in smoggy air, coming mostly from automobiles. Many brands of gasoline and lubricating oils contain cadmium. It is also present in commonly used phosphate fertilizers whereby it pollutes the soil, wherefrom it is taken up by vegetables and particularly by cereal grains. Most of our water supplies, especially so-called soft water, are heavily polluted by cadmium.

One of the common causes of slow, chronic cadmium poisoning is the ingestion of water which comes out of the faucet first thing in the morning, as it had picked up dangerous amounts of cadmium by standing in the pipes overnight. Both the galvanized and the newer black plastic pipes contain cadmium, which is dissolved and leached out by acids in the water. Hot water leaches even more than cold water and, therefore, should be never used for cooking or drinking.

Shellfish and animal livers concentrate cadmium and are dangerous to eat for this reason.

Cadmium poisoning can also be caused by the use of enameled utensils and pots. Toxic cadmium is used to achieve the beautiful colors in enamel (the same way as lead is used in ceramics). It is dissolved by acids in food and ends up in our bodies.

Cadmium is even more dangerous to your health than lead. It can cause high blood pressure and heart disease, iron-deficiency anemia, atherosclerosis, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, lung fibrosis, kidney damage and cancer.

Protection

1.    Vitamin С. It is a specific protector against the toxic and disease-producing effect of cadmium.

Dose: massive doses up to 3,000 mg. a day. In acute poisoning, even more.

2.    Include zinc-rich foods, such as pumpkin seeds, sunflower seed and other raw seeds, nuts and whole grains, in your daily diet. Zinc prevents the assimilation of cadmium. Cadmium and zinc are chemical “antagonists.” If zinc is present in the diet in abundance, it winds up being stored in our body in place of cadmium.

3.    Avoid white flour and everything made with it. Seventy-eight percent of the zinc present in whole wheat is removed with bran and wheat germ during the milling process, leaving an abundance of cadmium in white flour.

4.    Avoid using enameled utensils. Use glass, earthenware or stainless steel utensils.

5.    Do not drink regular tap water. Use bottled spring water if you live in the city.

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GENERAL HEALTH