Dr. Joseph Pizzorno’s lecture “Mercury Burden in Canada" was a hit with naturopathic physicians at the conference in June. Dr. Quinn Hand summarizes.
The 2011 CAND Health Fusion Conference on Environmental Medicine highlighted the issues impacting our lives, patient wellbeing, and naturopathic medicine in general. Dr. Joseph Pizzorno’s lecture, “Mercury Burden in Canada: Assessment and Intervention for 1,500 Oil Field Workers” was no exception. The lecture title alone would suggest a focus on occupational exposure, but in reality the message was far more encompassing. Much of the mercury burden found was from common contaminants, such as mercury amalgams and fish (e.g. swordfish, tuna), everyday factors that affect the average patient.
Dr. Pizzorno highlighted research demonstrating that mercury body burden may be more significant in the average Canadian than previously thought. Autopsy studies reveal high levels of mercury in the brain, thyroid and kidneys. Body distribution studies show high concentrations in the pituitary, bone and kidney. Tragically, fetal studies have demonstrated that methylmercury in brain and placental cord blood is 40% and 100% higher respectively than maternal blood values. Dr. Pizzorno commented on his elevated mercury burden, likely the result of jet streams from China to the Pacific Northwest, suggesting geographic locations could be a factor in mercury exposure.
The question becomes how do we detect and manage our exposure? While no gold standard for detection currently exists, the best tool available is provoked urinary release via DMPS challenge. Proper management of environmental exposure includes avoidance tactics like choosing low mercury fish and removing mercury amalgams. We must also decrease overall organ and tissue damage by providing competing minerals (selenium), facilitating endogenous excretion processes (bile, kidneys), and directly removing mercury via oral chelation. In this regard the most salient take-home point was that IV DMPS caused more adverse effects for participants in his study. Dr. Pizzorno suggests using an oral DMSA product every third night, along with other supportive natural supplements (fiber, NAC, and multivitamins supporting glutathione production). This technique allows for a steady reduction in total body burden with few side effects, while improving patient quality of life.