Your Bones Are a Toxic Dump

Your Bones Are a Toxic Dump

As a kid, you might have joked about a pencil poke being poisonous...

That is, giving yourself "lead poisoning." Then you eventually learned pencils have just graphite and clay – no actual lead involved.

But for decades, lead was common in our households. Paint, children's toys, jewelry, dishware, and more all contained lead. That changed nearly 50 years ago...

Older Americans might recall the scare in the 1970s, resulting in a ban on lead paint in 1978. Thankfully, the U.S. started phasing out leaded gasoline that decade, too, until its complete ban in 1996.

And all for good reason... The developing brains in fetuses and young children are especially vulnerable to this heavy metal's neurotoxic effects, like cognitive delays, behavioral problems, learning disabilities, and lower IQ.

And unfortunately, we know kids have a hands-on way of learning about the world around them. They're constantly experimenting with putting things in their mouth or touching contaminated objects and then touching their mouths. Not to mention, little ones have a biological disadvantage – their bodies absorb up to five times more lead from ingestion compared with those of their older counterparts.

But today, lead poisoning isn't a kids' problem...

According to a 2022 study, more than half of Americans have been exposed to high levels of lead during early childhood. That includes more than 90% of folks born between 1951 and 1980... and among them, a total loss of 824 million IQ points. Yikes.

As to how lead damages our brains, it does so by pretending to be calcium...

Nerve cells, or neurons, in the brain rely on brain-derived neurotrophic factor ("BDNF"), which is a protein that helps neurons grow as well as function and "talk" to each other. And the recipe for making BDNF requires, you guessed it, calcium as an ingredient.

Lead masquerades as calcium to worm its way into our bodies. Without enough calcium, BDNF levels start to tank, and brain cells have trouble communicating. (And since there's a lot of neuronal growth and connections happening in the rapidly developing brains of children, it's why kids' brains "suck up" all that lead.) Over time, the damage becomes irreversible.

In adults, high levels of lead in the blood can lead to trouble remembering things or concentrating, mood and personality disorders, and headaches. This heavy metal isn't just a neuronal homewrecker, either... It messes around in other organ systems, too. It can...

The way lead damages our bodies is through small exposures over a long period of time, or "chronic, low-level" poisoning, as a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine called it.

According to the study, this "low and slow" method of lead poisoning majorly raises your risk of cardiovascular disease.

And going back to how lead disguises itself as calcium, you can probably guess how the body tucks away all that lead...

In us adults, our bones and teeth store more than 90% of lead in our bodies. And unfortunately, that lead can gush into your bloodstream through a lot of different ways, like:

In bone, the half-life of lead – or the amount of time it takes for a 50% reduction in lead levels – can range from 25 to 30 years. Whereas in the tissues and blood, that half-life is roughly 1.5 months and one month, respectively. That's why blood tests for lead don't exactly give us a great picture of the cumulative exposure and how much lead really is in your whole body.

(Speaking of toxic buildup, did you know that a dysfunctional liver, the great detoxifier of your body, could be the culprit behind dementia? For more on this – along with, as my editor and Stansberry Research's in-house car guru Brady Holt calls it, "one of the finest wagons ever made," check out my recent issue of Retirement Millionaire or get the details on a trial subscription here.)

So what can you do?

Prevention by avoidance. Unfortunately, lead doesn't break down over time. It's still hiding in our environment, like in soil, water, and air. So the best way to avoid lead poisoning is to reduce your exposure. If you have a home built before 1978 and plan on doing some renovations, consider hiring a certified lead professional (more details here).

In the meantime, just keep a clean home... namely, vacuum and wipe down areas regularly to get rid of dust that can contain lead while keeping an eye on any painted surfaces for peeling or chipping.

Also, use only cold water from your tap for cooking and drinking. That's because boiling won't do a thing to eliminate lead. Better yet, consider getting a water filter. And clean the little metal mesh screen, or aerator, on your faucet at least twice a year since it can trap tiny lead particles. Don't forget handwashing before eating. Speaking of food...

Don't forget calcium-rich foods. Sure, calcium builds strong bones. But dietary calcium also helps our bodies to absorb less lead. And dairy is the easiest way to add more of this element to your diet.

Greek yogurt with fruit is a go-to snack of mine if I have a hankering for something sweet. Blending up some cottage cheese with eggs, whole oats, a pinch of salt on a hot pan makes for a magical combination... a tasty pancake breakfast packed with calcium, protein, and fiber. A non-dairy option is to have some pan-seared, seasoned, diced firm tofu on hand for sprinkling on salads.

What We're Reading...

Here's to our health, wealth, and a great retirement,

Dr. David Eifrig and the Health & Wealth Bulletin Research Team
November 5, 2024