Inorganic Toxins
Medical research in recent years has shown that free radicals provide the trigger that sets off most of the chronic degenerative diseases that we have been considering. These free radicals are oxygen molecules with one electron missing from the outer shell.

Although oxygen is necessary for life to exist, it has a dark side in that it is able to react with many other substances to form oxides of those substances, eg, oxygen reacts with iron to form ferrous oxide (rust). It is a similar process which causes an apple to go brown when it comes in contact with oxygen in the air.

The free radicals are produced by the various toxins that enter the body, and by excessive stress and excessive exercise. The first obvious thing to do is to try and limit the amount of toxins entering the body. To do this you need to understand the sources of these toxins, many of which are in the home. Dr Hulda Clark has done an excellent job of explaining what the sources of these toxins are and how to minimise them.

The body has a natural defence mechanism against the toxins which do enter it. It produces antioxidants, which, along with other antioxidants obtained from our foods, provide the missing electrons to the oxygen molecules, thus preventing the oxidation effect. This is what happens when lemon juice is put on a cut apple - it no longer goes brown, as lemon juice is an antioxidant. This process works well as long as our bodies only absorb the amount of toxins that the residents of the five remote communities do and we eat the same antioxidant rich foods that they do.

If that is not the situation, the only way to significantly increase the antioxidant intake is by nutritional supplementation, in conjunction with a healthy diet of course. People who smoke, or are taking prescription drugs, or are under excessive stress, or exercise excessively will create more free radicals in their bodies than the rest of the population and will have a greater need for antioxidants.

Another factor to consider in relation to inorganic toxins is the cumulative effect of the various toxic heavy metals that get into our bodies. Our bodies' defence mechanism is to get them out of our blood and store them in organs or to gather them together into lumps or cysts which are initially benign but can then become cancerous. As these toxic substances build up in our organs they gradually poison us. One of the main sources of these toxins is amalgam fillings in our teeth, which are 50% mercury, and also contain silver, tin, zinc and copper. Aluminium and lead are two other toxic metals commonly found in our bodies. There are numerous studies available now which show the damaging effects of mercury, particularly its involvement in short term memory loss and Alzheimer's disease. It is pleasing to note that many dentists nowadays have chosen to switch over to the much safer composite fillings. It won't be long into the 21st century before all dentists will be obliged to change over. In Europe many countries are moving to ban them, and in California dentists are required to advise their patients that they are putting a toxic substance in their mouths. When these fillings are removed in Queensland, they become a hazardous substance under the Hazardous Goods Act and no one is allowed to touch them!!

It can be very difficult to remove these accumulated metals and poisons from our bodies (known as detoxing), even after the source is removed, but naturopaths and homeopaths are able to give advice on how to do this. There are many different ways of detoxing the body. Exercise is one obvious way of expelling toxins (through our perspiration). Fasting is another. It is important to realise that this must be done slowly, otherwise too fast a detox can cause a retox reaction. It can take many years to detox a middle aged body which has not been looked after.

If you have amalgam fillings, a visit to a dentist who specialises in the removal and replacement of these fillings is recommended. In Australia, members of the Oral Medicine and Toxicology Society can assist.

Read on to see how to remove parasites from our bodies.