CADMIUM
THE
PSEUDO-MASCULINE MINERAL
By Lawrence Wilson, MD
© 2008, The Center For Development.
Cadmium
is a common metal found in cigarette smoke, in particular. It is also found commonly in the water
we drink, in foods, especially in seafood today. Cadmium causes more physical illness than any other metal
today because it is so toxic. It
is worse than mercury in the sense that it causes cancer. Mercury impairs the immune system, but
mainly causes mental illness, not physical ones. Cadmium is among the most toxic of the heavy metals, with
acceptable levels one tenth that of most of the others.
Cadmium
also contributes to many mental illnesses, particularly violence and other
related disorders of behavior and mental attitude. Cadmium is so toxic to the brain that it causes what might
be called ‘a small rebellion’ in the tissues of the brain, which results in
violent thoughts. One notices this
as one removes cadmium, that violent thoughts and even impulses diminish. Dr.
Paul Eck was the first person to teach me this, as he noticed it in himself
while taking certain nutritional supplements.
CADMIUM SYMPTOMS
Cancer. Cadmium is associated with all of the
major diseases today. It is the
main impetus for cancer development in the humnan body today, although there
are other reasons for cancer as well.
However, cadmium is the one metal that is causing more problems than any
other source, we say. The others,
mercury, arsenic, aluminum, lead and others are less critical than cadmium for
the healing of cancer.
Other
Degenerative Diseases. The
other major degenerative diseases include, but are not limited to diabetes and
heart disease, among many others.
Cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, arthritis and many others. One reason may be that cadmium replaces
zinc in the body. Zinc is required
for over 100 or more critical enzymes.
These include enzymes needed for proper immune system activity,
digestion, cardiovascular health and much more.
Mental
Illnesses. Cadmium is
also closely associated with many developmental, behavioral and mental
disorders. These include but are
not limited to violence, anti-social behavior and ADHD in children and in
adults.
Birth
Defects and Developmental Disorders.
Birth defects often are related to cadmium, when it replaces zinc and
other metals in vital genetic functions in the body. This causes defective genetic expression, which is not the
same as defective DNA, which can also occur with cadmium replacing other
minerals in other areas of the cells.
CADMIUM SOURCES
Papers. This, of course, includes cigarette
papers used to roll joints of many drugs, and many other applications of paper
to which humans are exposed through ingestion or even contact. This problem is made worse by the
presence of mercury in most all paper today. Mercury is used as a fungicide in paper manufacture. Cadmium is used to make the paper
stiff.
In
Utero Transfer. Cadmium
passes easily through the placenta in utero and enters developing fetuses. This is why many children are born with
behavioral or developmental disorders today. Cadmium is thus transmitted from generation to generation
unless it is destroyed by several fascinating methods. These include cancer and a related
method, the normal decomposition of a human body. When the bodies are cremated, for example, it does not occur
at all by the latter method.
Science will learn, eventually, that cremation is not the best method
for this reason. Letting bodies
decay is actually better, if done in a sanitary method. However, cremation is far better from a
sanitary standpoint today.
Shellfish
And Most Fish. Cadmium is
found in most foods today, especially shellfish from coastal waters. These foods should be avoided by
everyone on planet earth. It is
unfortunate that many people are forced to live on these foods if they are in
poor nations and live by the sea.
They are highly contaminated with industrial pollutants, one of which is
cadmium. Others include mercury,
of course, and many others.
Junk
or Refined or Prepared Foods.
Cadmium is also found in many other foods. These include, but are not limited to junk or refined foods
of all kinds. It is not that these
contain more cadmium. In fact, the
amount greater than unprocessed foods is small. The reasons, however, for the problem are several.
1. Refining of flour and
sugar removes most of the zinc, selenium and chromium. This is done for many reasons,
including commercial exploitation of these valuable trace minerals, now in high
demand in China and elsewhere.
Zinc, however, balances and reduces absorption of cadmium in our
bodies. Therefore, when zinc is
removed, much more cadmium is absorbed.
2. Cadmium and zinc antagonize on other levels. This makes the cadmium problem much worse.
3. Refining also adds a small amount of cadmium in some cases, even from the
paper wrappers so many items have.
This is another source of cadmium in plastic and paper wrappings.
Coffee
and Tea, Especially If Strong.
These beverages are the major sources for many people around the world
who do not live by the sea or eat a lot of fish and seafood. The coffee and other beans or leaves of
tea contain some, and the water they are made with contains more. This is why theses are not as healthful
products as they once were, before the planet became so full of cadmium
contamination, an apt description of cadmium pollution worldwide, particularly
in the middle east due to oil refining and other activities.
For
this reason, cultures that use strong beverages such as these are not doing
well in many cases. This includes
parts of Europe where cappuccinos are popular, and the middle east, where
strong coffee and even strong tea is the norm. These foster violence among the people, as we see today.
Other
Foods. Cadmium has contaminated
most water supplies in the United States and other industrialized nations. Its presence is very subtle and may not
even be detected unless the instruments are quite sensitive. So, as a result, cadmium is widely
distributed in America, which has contributed to a violence not seen before in
this peaceful nation. Other
nations are worse, especially Japan, which restricts guns for this reason. China has a developing problem, which
will make this nation quite warlike in the future. This has been a problem in China, where paper-making
originated, and will get worse, we predict.
Zinc
Deficiency. This is
the most common source of cadmium problems. Zinc is extremely protective against cadmium absorption in
the intestines. This is why we
give zinc to everyone on their nutrition program. Many doctors fail to realize the great need for zinc today,
for many, many reasons. All
nutrition programs and regimens of diet should contain extra zinc for this
reason alone, not to mention a half dozen others.
Zinc
deficiency may be due to over a hundred factors. Here are the most important ones at this time. Diets of refined foods, congenital low
zinc (born low in zinc), vegetarian diets, and most of all stress from any
source. Others are eating
deficient food, which includes most of it. Organic food is best.
Other
reasons for zinc deficiency are foods that deplete zinc. This includes all sugars, including
fruits and juices even more so.
This is the reason we do not recommend much juice in this day and age of
zinc deficient foods. Other
sources are zinc depleting habits.
These are alcohol, primarily, although drug use, caffeine use and
anything that stresses the body will do this to some extent.
Zinc
is a critical nutrient that all need to supplement with, at least by eating
some meat which is the best source of zinc. Vegetarians have a real problem with zinc unless they
supplement their diets with pumpkin seeds each and every day. Even then, the amount of these seeds is
excessive for the body and today’s pumpkins are deficient due to soils depleted
of zinc.
RELATION TO OTHER MINERALS
Other
Toxic Metals. Cadmium is
found with many other toxic metals in the body. This includes ones such as mercury, copper (in toxic forms),
aluminum, arsenic and others. This
is an important fact about cadmium.
That is, when one detects cadmium, one can take an educated guess that
the others are present to some degree.
Vitamin C.
There is a close interaction between cadmium and vitamin C in the
body. It is one of the major
benefits of vitamin C, particularly in high dosages. Vitamin C will drive cadmium out of the body through
chelation. This is a major reason
for taking vitamin C, although there are many others. Vitamin C, however, is extreme in its yin energy,
particularly the synthetic vitamin C preparations widely used. The aspartates are better in this
regard. They are found I products
such as Emergen-C by Alacer Company of California. It is found widely in health food stores and similar
outlets.
Zinc. Cadmium sits just beneath zinc in the
periodic table of the elements.
This means their structures are similar. Cadmium can replace zinc in the tissues and in enzyme
binding sites. An important cause
of cadmium toxicity other than exposure is a zinc deficiency. If zinc is deficient due to the diet,
stress, or for some other reason, the body will absorb cadmium from food, water
or the air and use it in place of zinc.
Interestingly,
a gentleman who manufactures surgical gloves told me if they want the gloves to
be more flexible, they add zinc to the rubber mixture. If they want stiffer, more rigid
gloves, they add more cadmium.
Copper. Cadmium drives copper into the
tissues. This can reduce the
symptoms of copper toxicity in high-copper individuals. It may be one reason some people enjoy
or are addicted to smoking. They
have a high level of copper and the cadmium in the cigarettes helps reduce the
effects of copper toxicity.
Sodium. Cadmium raises the tissue sodium level
intensely. In the medical
literature this is called an aldosterone-like effect. (Aldosterone is the
adrenal hormone that normally raises sodium levels in the body).
The
sodium level in a person’s tissues is a very critical indicator of health. When it is excessive or diminished, it
impairs healing a way that is hard to overcome without balancing the level.
Anything
that raises sodium will provide an energy boost, and often a temporary feeling
of well-being. This is another
reason why smoking, which provides a lot of cadmium, as well as many other
drugs and foods, have an addictive tendency.
Calcium. Cadmium and calcium are antagonists to
some degree. Calcium helps remove
cadmium by a mechanism similar to chelation. However, calcium does not automatically do this. Cadmium must be bioavailable in a way
for calcium to bind it. This does
occur with nutritional balancing program that balance the oxidation rate
utilizing hair mineral analysis.
It does not occur just be taking masses of calcium.
It
is true that calcium and cadmium, to some degree, compete for binding sites for
absorption and in the bones and other tissues. For this reason, calcium supplements alone, if enough is
ingested, can help remove cadmium to some degree. However, calcium in a nutritional balancing program can help
tremendously, for which reason we normally recommend some calcium in our
nutrition programs.
Iron,
manganese and chromium.
Cadmium is also antagonistic to iron, manganese and chromium.
PSYCHOLOGY OF CADMIUM
Cadmium
is associated with toughness and hardness. These are considered masculine qualities. However, it is a brittle hardness, a
toxic hardness that is not true strength.
This is why it is sometimes called pseudo-masculine. I sometimes think of it as living on
stilts - an artificial lift that is very shaky.
Zinc
and iron provide a far better kind of strength and toughness. Because cadmium drives copper back into
the tissues, many sensitive, emotional people smoke to calm their emotions. The emotional quality of high copper is
replaced by an apparent toughness and strength.
However,
it is a second-rate compensation that does not build real strength. In fact, it weaken the body
significantly and leads to far worse problems later. However, this is an important consideration, because it can
help one to understand the attraction of cigarettes. Those who have smoked for a while may be so used to the
feeling cadmium provides that they feel weak, vulnerable, and emotional without
it.
Eliminating
cadmium often causes these feelings temporarily, along with great fatigue. However, if one stays on a corrective
program, the feelings will pass. I
liken it to having lived on stilts.
When the stilts are removed one can feel ‘low’ but also more grounded
and more steady.
CADMIUM AND HAIR ANALYSIS
Cadmium
does not accumulate in the hair, but rather in tissues such as the bones,
kidneys and brain. When the energy
level is low, the body cannot eliminate cadmium from these organs. Thus, cadmium often does not show up on
the first hair mineral test.
It
is necessary to support the adrenals and the sodium level to help remove
cadmium. Balancing the oxidation
rate is very important. Zinc,
calcium, selenium, kidney glandular and liver support may also be helpful for
cadmium detoxification. Sweating
and the use of the sauna may also be very helpful as cadmium can be removed
through the skin.
It
can take several months to several years on a corrective nutrition program
before the body is able to eliminate cadmium. When that occurs, one may notice odd smells or tastes, and
it will often be revealed on the hair mineral test as it is eliminated through
the hair as well as through other eliminative organs.
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