Progress in the last century has resulted in many new advances. However, one major setback, as a result of these advances, is the release of enormous amounts of heavy metals into our environment.

With the interconnected nature of the earth and global manufacturing, toxins have become an inseparable part of the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat. Toxic exposure can affect us on a daily basis--from sources we may never even suspect:

Lead, the most abundant toxin in our body and our environment, can be found in tap water, urban soil (contaminated by car exhaust), paint from older homes, soldering, newsprint, food (grown in lead-heavy soil) and some glazed dishware.

Mercury, also a widespread contaminant of the environment, is present in amalgam tooth fillings, cosmetics, shellfish, large fish, fungicides, paints, electrical relays, thermometers and thermostats; another type (Thimerisol) is found in vaccines.

Aluminum is contained in antacids, baking powder, processed cheeses and flours, cookware, antiperspirants, water sources, and some medicines, particularly in vaccines.

Other common sources of heavy metal toxins include cigarette smoke & air pollution (cadmium), hydrogenated oils (nickel), pesticides (arsenic), and some toothpastes and canned food (tin).

HOW DO TOXINS AFFECT MY WELL BEING?
The human body is not capable of metabolizing and processing large quantities of toxins, and as a result, allows toxins to accumulate. This can have both subtle and powerful effects on your well being. As toxins build up, they can damage cells and displace key nutrients your body needs to function properly. Scientists are finding more and more that the amount of toxins necessary to affect behavior and the central nervous system is much lower than previously believed. With repeated exposure, toxins may eventually accumulate inside organ tissue, such as those of the liver and kidney. Toxins can also increase production of free radicals.

WHY SCREEN HAIR?
Because hair actually retains the toxic elements trapped in your body, hair screening can provide an accurate and powerful means of evaluating the effects of cumulative, long-term exposure to toxins. A growing hair follicle first begins forming far below the skin, exposing it to a rich supply of blood vessels. As the follicle grows, toxic elements in the blood are absorbed into the growing hair protein. When hair reaches the skin surface, it undergoes a hardening process called keratinization where toxins accumulated during hair formation become sealed into the protein structure of the hair. By this process, toxic concentrations of hair will reflect toxic concentrations in other body tissues.

That's why just a small amount of your hair can give you a safe, accurate, convenient, and economical way of determining long-term accumulation of toxins in your body.

PRODUCTS THAT REMOVE HEAVY METALS: Source Naturals Chlorella Yaeyama, Vital Proteozymes, Wobenzym, Hanna Kroeger's Metaline (also with Chem-X and Rosemary Plus in combination!).