3 replies to this topic

[BioFreak]

I've been wondering why chronic intoxication with heavy metals / halogens is not discussed more as a cause for many different symptoms of brain malfunction, from depression to bad memory to brain fog etc.
In the US, last time I checked for example, bromide is allowed to be added to food. It has a long half life, replaces iodine. Same goes for fluoride, if I remember right it is being added to drinking water in several countries.

The problem is, while acute intoxication can easily be detected, having strong symptoms, and high blood/urine levels, chronic (even low dose)exposure does not lead to strong symptoms, and can not be detected in blood/urine but STILL affect us very strongly.

That is because those elements get absorbed by the cells where they do interfere with normal functioning of the cell. Bromide and fluoride for example can replace iodine, but can not fulfill the same role.

The principle is the same as with trans fatty acids - they become part of the cell, the cell in turn does not work like it is supposed to.

Basically medicine primarily deals with acute poisoning of these elements, where they can be found in the blood and urine, while not much is being done for chronic, low dose exposure that accumulates in the cells. It's no wonder too, because of the problems of diagnosing the problem in the first place.

I know from personal experience, that nootropics do not work as good as they should if the body has accumulated these elements, as well as there are severe emotional and brain functional problems.

So what are your experiences?

[Tom_]

Find me any actual evidence that this is a realistic and reasonably common problem and I will be tested to the hilt for it.

[BioFreak]

Define sufficient evidence. I got case studies, I got a lot of anecdotal evidence from people using the iodine / salt loading protocol(and some doing urine testing), I got small sample size studies. I do not have double blind studies with high sample size.(that is, only me as case study for the sensitivity to nootropics thing, but more for brainfog through chronic low level/acute intoxication)

And... the question is, do you suffer from brain functioning problems, do you have any kind of chronic or acute intoxication symptoms? Are you a nonresponder to nootropics?

Edited by BioFreak, 27 April 2013 - 09:37 AM.

[Tom_]

Sufficient evidence is high quality large sample sized double blinds.

I'd completely disregard the anecdotal evidence, if its non-correlation evidence I'd be more than happy to read the case studies and other studies, if you wouldn't mind linking them to me.

I certainly do and I would regard myself as a non-responder to a majority of psychotropics in general including a lot of nootropics.I remain highly suspect to the idea that intoxication with a heavy metal has anything to do with the matter but if there is evidence about I have got to have it! After all it would be hypocritical in the extreme if I didn't read it.