Please read Part I - Mercury and Part II - Introduction to Detox before this article.  If you've recognized that mercury is affecting your life, you may be contemplating whether to seek help (from a functional or naturopathic doctor, or even a knowledgeable health coach), use self-help methods outlined below, or perhaps use a combination of both approaches.

There are many self-help protocols and pseudo-protocols on the internet.  If you start searching, you will find dozens, and it can quickly get overwhelming and confusing.   Worse, many are based on guesswork and can be potentially quite harmful to health!   To help you navigate the mess, below I've outlined a list of what seem to be the most popular mercury detox protocols available, but remember, "popular" doesn't necessarily mean safe or effective.  Let's dive in:

• Advanced TRS

  The Toxin and contaminant Removal System (TRS) utilizes nano-sized zeolite (clay) particles to capture and remove toxins such as mercury. Unfortunately, the science is lacking on whether this approach has merit. Also, TRS is sold using Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) which may raise some red flags.

  Some people report great benefits from its use.  I think this is mostly people who sell the product.  Others report no benefits, and yet others report harm.  Given all this, I would not recommend its use. If you would like to learn more about it or even try it, there are Facebook groups devoted to the system.

  Perhaps natural zeolites have some detox potential in the gut. But synthetic zeolites like TRS are too experimental and potentially harmful in my opinion.

  My recommendation: Avoid it.

• Andy Cutler Chelation

  Chelation is a type of chemical bond between some compound and a metal. Therefore, a chelator is a drug or medication that binds toxic metals and ushers them out of the body. Mercury, lead, cadmium, gadolinium, and uranium are common examples of toxic, heavy metals that would warrant chelation.

  Andrew Cutler (1956-2017) was an American chemical engineer who himself became mercury poisoned and devoted a large portion of his life to developing a safe protocol got mercury detox. His book, Amalgam Illness, outlines his protocol for detoxing mercury. The method uses chelators such as DMSA, DMPS, and ALA, to remove mercury (and some other metals) from the body. It's a very well-defined protocol with strict guidelines designed to be safe and gentle. It has been in use for over 20 years and has a large following. The adult Facebook group has over 80,000 members and is a great resource with very active administrators and members. The protocol has been used on adults and children alike, especially for autism, and there is a separate Facebook group for parents wanting to detox their children.

  This protocol is a great place to start your journey. It is complex and deep, but well-organized. If you currently have or ever had amalgams or vaccines, or even if your mother or grandmother did, I recommend joining the ACC Facebook group to start learning about your detox journey.

  Note that the Andy Cutler protocol is specifically designed to be slow and gentle. This means it can be a multi-year-long process. If you are short on time because, for example, you are in the middle of dental work, or you are planning to start a family, there may be other options that are more efficient. Keep reading.

  My recommendation: Learn it.

• Selenium

  Selenium is a critical nutrient not only for the thyroid but also for many enzyme functions in the body. Selenium happens to bind to mercury very well. A method using selenium to detox mercury has been studied and you can learn more about it in the Facebook group, Mercury Detox using the Selenium Method.

  Although selenium is very helpful when dealing with mercury, I personally do not believe it can be used to detox mercury from all parts of the body in the way certain chelators can. Still, this protocol is so simple that it can (and should) be done simultaneously with anything else.  I recommend discussing selenium with your functional doctor and using this protocol, but not relying on it for comprehensive detox. Note that selenium is also important to protect the thyroid from oxidative damage especially when using iodine as a supplement.

  The protocol recommends 200mcg (micrograms) of selenium in the form of selenomethionine per day. Thorne has this readily available. However, there is newer information to support selenocysteine as a superior form. You can find a good version of this supplement from Swanson.

  My recommendation: Use it.

• OSR / NBMI by Boyd Haley

  Boyd Haley developed a compound over 20 years ago which may be superior to all other chelators, including DMSA, DMPS, ALA, or EDTA. Originally called OSR, NBMI was first released as a food supplement since its ingredients were simple, described as cranberry extract and protein.  As such, it was readily available over the counter with no FDA restrictions.  It was sold and marketed as an antioxidant, similar to vitamin C.  OSR stands for oxidative stress relief.

  But some doctors realized its potential as a chelator and used it to treat neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's and autism.  When reports were heard of its successful use to treat disease, trouble began.  Around 2010, the FDA changed some laws and classified NBMI as an orphan drug. It was taken off the market and currently is still not approved for use in the USA. To learn more about NBMI, you can search or read about Boyd Haley, watch his documentary movie, Evidence of Harm, (the entire 1.5 hour movie can be seen here), or join communities on social media. Some great resources can be found in these groups:

  Facebook Groups

  • Mercury Heavy Metal Chelation. (Archived 3/22 - 8/23, backup on MeWe)
  • Irminix / NBMI / Emeramide / OSR (an older group with good discussions to reference / search)
  • Heavy Metal Chelation
  • Emeramide / Mercury / Heavy Metal Chelation

  When detoxing, a good support system (a doctor, or a community) often is a critical part of your journey. Membership and being active in the first two or three FB groups above are mandatory in my opinion to have a smooth experience through the detox process. Many questions will come up during chelation, and the experienced members or even healthcare practitioners in the groups will be able to quickly offer good advice.

  
  

  Boyd Haley is considered a hero by some in the Biological Dentistry field and has contributed greatly to the fight against heavy metal toxicity. Dealing with the FDA is not an easy or inexpensive task. But Boyd Haley has not given up. He is closer than ever to getting OSR approved once more for use.

  OSR / NBMI is very promising and very exciting.  It's bond to Mercury is actually irreversible in the body, so it renders mercury permanently non-toxic.  Other chelators cannot compete with this bond strength.

  OSR / NBMI is made and sold by a few sources that you can discover with further research. However, remember it is not approved for human consumption.

  My recommendation: Strongly consider it.

• Glutathione by Chris Shade (Quicksilver)

  Glutathione is naturally made by the body for detox and antioxidant purposes. Sometimes individual genetic variations can decrease its production which may result in metal accumulation and toxicity. In a sadly ironic way, mercury toxicity decreases glutathione production which decreases your body's ability to eliminate it, making exposure a vicious cycle.

  Supplementing glutathione is a strategy often used for mercury detox. Chris Shade developed Quicksilver Scientific which supplies numerous detox products, including liposomal glutathione. He also has many YouTube videos of lectures he's given which are a great resource.

  Glutathione consumed in supplement form is likely digested into its amino acids precursors, and thus is somewhat pointless. However, the liposomal form can bypass digestion and deliver glutathione directly into cells where it's needed.  Many mercury-toxic individuals have been helped by this method, yet some others report harm.  Glutathione has even been used intravenously as a detox method, but there are numerous reports of harm caused by this method. So be very cautious with IV approaches (especially if you still have any amalgam in the mouth).

  My recommendation: Avoid it for now.

• "Detox Smoothie" by Anthony Williams

  The book, Medical Medium, by Anthony Williams, is informative and entertaining.  It's not science-based, in fact it's far from it.  His source is a divine spirit.  So if you just raised an eyebrow, you're not alone.  One of the protocols he recommends is a smoothie that contains sulfur-based foods.  Since mercury and sulfur attract each other, the claim is made that these foods will remove mercury from the body.  However, the truth is that many people are quite sensitive to and have been harmed by using these thiol-based foods.  In fact, the ingredients in the smoothie are in Andy Cutler's "Do Not Do" list due to their track record of exacerbating mercury toxicity symptoms by causing redistribution.

  My advice is to approach this protocol with caution.  It can work under some conditions, or when combined with other protocols, but alone, the risk to health is high.

  How can natural foods be harmful?  Well first, realize that mercury toxicity isn't natural. Some foods are weak binders of mercury and will result in redistribution. Scaling down to the atomic level, if mercury is a basketball, and a single sulfur molecule is one hand, then imagine the weak ability to hold a basketball (mercury) with one hand. As soon as a competing force is met (such as nerve tissue in the brain), the basketball is snatched away. This means weak binders of mercury allow it to move to new parts of the body and cause new damage.   The only chemistry that can effectively hold mercury and prevent redistribution is a compound that will "use two hands" on the basketball.  See the video above in the OSR section for a visual.

  My recommendation: Avoid it for now.

What to Do
It's common to feel overwhelmed at first.  Don't worry, it will become clear with a little more time.  As you keep learning and asking questions, try to decide whether you will choose the self-help route or whether you need help.  Join the Facebook groups mentioned above and go from there. Like I said, it's a journey, and a very important one. The only way to move forward is to start. It is SO worth it.

If you prefer books instead of online resources, Mercury Poisoning: The Undiagnosed Epidemic is a great place to start. It's an introductory book that will walk you through the the entire subject of mercury poisoning and the Andy Cutler method in an easy-to-understand way.

Also consider listening to the many lectures Boyd Haley has given to start learning more about the power of OSR / NBMI.  You might want to start with this one from November 2022:  The Delingpod.

If you have been affected by mercury, we will discuss these protocols in much more detail during your biological consultation. You may want to begin studying the topic now, but perhaps wait for your consultation before making any purchases or detox decisions.

Please do not take the problem of mercury toxicity lightly.  Do not read one or two articles and decide to try something.  Most things can make you worse if used incorrectly.