Mercury Detox using the Selenium Method

Mercury Detox Using the Selenium Method 

Written by Dennis N Crouse.PhD author of  4 books 'Prevent Alzheimer's Autism and Stroke with 7 Supplements, 7 Lifestyle Changes and a Dissolved Mineral' and 'Silica Water the Secret to Healthy Blue Zone Longevity' 

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Mercury can be inhaled as mercury vapor, absorbed in the gut from ingested food and water, or injected in the body by vaccinations with Thimerosal. Mercury’s toxicity primarily stems from its ability to tightly bind with the essential element selenium and thereby lower available selenium levels in the body creating a selenium deficiency¹.  

Selenium is used in some enzymes to protect us from oxidative effects of toxic metals commonly found in the body such as aluminum, manganese, nickel, lead, and mercury. Selenoenzymes are involved in reducing the oxidative effects of these metals by reducing the amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced by these metals in the body.  ROS causes damage to our bodies by weakening and killing mitochondria and the cells powered by these mitochondria. 

Mercury is particularly toxic because it induces ROS that kills mitochondria and prevents selenoenzymes from providing protection from ROS by both creating selenium deficiency and inhibiting selenoenzymes. Selenium supplementation provides four levels of protection from mercury: 
1.Prevents mercury induced selenium deficiency in the brain^2,3 
2. Prevents mercury induced mitochondrial death and neurotoxicity in the brain due to ROS^2,3,4 
3.Facilitates detoxification of mercury by elimination of mercury in the urine⁵) 
4. Facilitates detoxification of mercury by formation of insoluble mercury selenide (HgSe)¹

It has been demonstrated that humans taking 100mcg of selenomethionine daily for twelve weeks had significantly enhanced urinary excretion of mercury⁵. In those with mercury induced selenium deficiency it may take on average 2 - 4 weeks to first restore the body’s selenium reserves before enhanced mercury excretion is observed (See Figure 1)⁵.

Figure 1. Mercury concentrations in urine samples on different days, where the supplementation group took 100mcg/day Se-enriched yeast (SelenoPrecise, Pharma Nord, Denmark) and the placebo group did not take a selenium supplement.  The supplementation group was 53 volunteers (27 men and 26 women) and the placebo group was 50 volunteers (25 men and 25 women). The results were statistical significance, as indicated with ++ p < 0.01 and +++ p < 0.001, compared with the placebo group⁵. 
 

The selenium method of mercury detox requires taking orally a selenomethonine supplement, daily for at least 12 weeks:

·         Children 0 to 3 years of age: 25mcg/day

·         Children 4 to 8 years of age: 50mcg/day

·         Children 9 to 13 years of age: 100mcg/day

·         Adolescents 14 to 18 years of age and adults: 200mcg/day

Most selenomethionine is made from selenium enhanced yeast (e.g. Saccharomyces cerevisiae), such as Bio-SelenoPrecise tablets manufactured in Denmark by Pharma Nord under patent no. 1 478 732 B1. This type of selenium is approximately 90% absorbed⁶, however only about 34% may actually be converted to free selenomethionine after absorption⁷.  

Other sources of selenomethionine from selenium enhanced yeast include Puritan Pride (200mcg absorbable tabs made from “baker’s yeast”) and Doctor’s Best (200mcg selenium and 200mg CoQ10 in capsules with selenomethionine made from Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast). California Gold Nutrition, Neurobiologix, Thorne Research, Now Foods, and Bluebonnet Nutrition make a yeast-free 200mcg selenomethionine capsule.  Source Naturals, makes a yeast-free 200mcg selenomethionine tablet.

The Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) of the U.S. Institute of Medicine has set the tolerable upper intake levels (UL) for selenium based upon age, including both selenium obtained from food and selenium obtained from supplements, as indicated in Table 1⁶.

Table 1. Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) for Selenium6
Age  Group	UL (mcg/day)
Infants 0 - 6 months	45
Infants 6 - 12 months	60
Children 1 – 3 years	90
Children 4 – 8 years	150
Children 9 – 13 years	280
Adolescents 14-18 years	400
Adults 19 years and older	400

Symptoms of Chronic Mercury Toxicity and Selenium Deficiency

The risk of hypothyroidism is increased with exposure to mercury and/or selenium deficiency because a selenoenzyme (e.g. iodothyronine deiodinase) is required to make the thyroid bioactive hormone T3 from prohormone T4⁸.  Mercury both inhibits this enzyme and slows its production by creating a selenium deficiency⁹.  Symptoms of hypothyroidism, mercury toxicity and selenium deficiency all include:

·         Memory Loss

·         Fatigue

·         Brain Fog

·         Muscle Weakness

Mercury and/or selenium deficiency also causes a number of additional symptoms not seen in hypothyroidism:

·         Physical Tremors¹⁰

·         Seizures¹¹

·         Impaired Language Skills^12-15

·         Impaired Psychomotor Functions^12-15

·         IQ Loss in Children^16,17

·         Mild Cognitive Impairment in Adults^17,18

Outcomes associated with prenatal mercury exposure include the loss of IQ points, and decreased performance on tests, including memory, attention, language skills, visuospatial cognition and psychomotor fuctions^12,13. Outcomes associated with prenatal selenium deficiency also include both impaired language skills and psychomotor function^14,15.

Acute Mercury Toxicity

When exposed to a large dose of mercury during a relatively short time period you should seek immediate medical assistance.  There are some chelating agents for mercury that work faster than selenomethionine.  For instance, severe elemental mercury poisoning has been managed by a combination of selenium and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) ¹⁹. 

  

FACEBOOK GROUP: If you would like to learn more my wife Laurie Adamson has set up a facebook group 'Mercury Detox using the Selenium Method'   https://www.facebook.com/groups/341263176792506/

References

1)      Spiller, H.A.; Rethinking mercury: the role of selenium in the pathophysiology of mercury toxicity; Clin. Toxicology; DOI: 10.1080/15563650.2017 . 1400555 (2017) http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15563650.2017.1400555

2)      Ralston, N.C.V., et al.; Dietary and tissue selenium in relation to methylmercury toxicity; Neurotoxicology; 29:802-11 (2008)

3)      Ralston, N.C.V., et al.; Importance of molar ratios in selenium dependent protection against methylmercury toxicity; Biol. Trace Elem. Res.; 119:225-268 (2007)

4)      Glaser, V., et al.; Diphenyl diselenide administration enhances cortical mitochondrial number and activity by increasing hemeoxygenase type 1 content in a methylmercury-induced neurotoxicity mouse model; Mol. Cell Biochem.; 390:1-9 (2014) 

5)      Li, Y-F, et al.; Organic selenium supplementation increases mercury excretion and decreases oxidative damage in long-term mercury exposed residents from Wanshan, China; Environ. Sci. Technol.; 46:11313-18 (2012)

6)      Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine, Selenium. Dietary reference intakes for vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, and carotenoids. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press; 284-324 (2000)

7)      Reyes, L.H., et al.; Selenium bioaccessibility assessment in selenized yeast after “in vitro” gastrointestinal digestion using two-dimensional chromatography and mass spectrometry; J. Chromatogr. A.; 1110(1-2):108-116 (2006)   

8)      Peeters, R.P. and Visser, T.J.; Metabolism of thyroid hormone; NCBI Bookshelf (2017) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK285545/

9)      Pantaleao, T.U., et al.; Effect of thimerosal on thyroid hormones metabolism in rats; Endocr. Connect; Nov.; 6(8):741-7 (2017)

10)  Lucchini, R.G. and Hashim, D.; Tremor secondary to neurotoxic exposure: mercury, lead, solvents, pesticides; Handb. Clin. Neurol.; 131:241-9 (2015)

11)  Wirth, E.K., et al.; Neuronal selenoprotein expression is required for interneuron development and prevents seizures and neurodegeneration; The FASEB J.; Nov.; 844-52 (2009)

12)  Bose-O’Reilly, et al.; Mercury exposure and children’s health; Curr. Probl. Rediatr. Adolesc. Health Care; Sept.; 40(8):186-215 (2010)

13)  Grandjean, P., et al.; Cognitive defict in 7-year-old children with prenatal exposure to methylmercury; Neurotoxicology and Teratology; 19(6):417-28 (1997)

14)  Polanska, K., et al.; Selenium status during pregnancy and child psychomotor development – Polish mother and child cohort study; Pediatric Res.; 79(6):863-69 (2016)

15)  Skroder, H.M., et al.; Selenium status in pregnancy influences children’s cognitive function at 1.5 years of age; Clin. Nutr.; Oct.; 34(5):923-30 (2015) 

16)  Ralston, N.V. and Raymond, L.J.; Dietary selenium’s protective effects against methylmercury toxicity; Toxicology;  Nov.; 278(1):112-23 (2010)

17)  Cardoso, B.R., et al.; Effects of Brazil nut consumption on selenium status and cognitive performance in older adults with mild cognitive impairment: a randomized controlled trial; European J. Nutr,; Feb.; 55(1):107-16 (2016)

18)   Weil, M., et al.; Blood mercury levels and neurobehavioral function; JAMA; Apr.; 293(15):1875-82 (2005)

19)   Spiller, H.A., et al.; Severe elemental mercury poisoning managed with selenium and N-acetylcysteine administration; Tox. Comm.; 1(1):24-28 (2017)