Heavy metal exposure is on the rise. Common sources include cigarettes, seafood, rice, well water, vaccinations and dental fillings. 

These toxic elements can significantly increase our risk of developing conditions like dementia, infertility, diabetes and cancer. They are also known to cause damage to the liver, kidneys and brain, as well as the cardiovascular, nervous and endocrine systems.

Essential elements are abundant, too, and only healthy when they are within optimal ranges. Nutrients like copper, iodine, magnesium, selenium and zinc are critical for enzymes that synthesize neurotransmitters and activate hormones. Bromine and lithium, while not currently classified as “essential” elements, have been shown to play a positive role in health but are also potentially toxic at excessive levels.

Getting too much, and sometimes too little, of various elements has consequences for our overall health.

Who should consider heavy metals and essential elements testing? Anyone who:

• Smokes
• Has exposure to private well water or aging pipes
• Is concerned about heavy metals in foods like vegetables, rice and seafood
• Has mercury dental work
• Lives in an older home or near an industrial area
• Has thyroid-related health issues

Each test included in ZRT’s Heavy Metals & Essential Elements kit has been selected for its value in providing clinical insight. 

Heavy metals and essential elements affect different body systems, so it makes sense that they can’t all be measured in the same body fluid. 

For example, urinary cadmium is the best measure of accumulated exposure, while blood spot assesses only recent exposure.

Dried Blood Spot: 
It allows testers to collect samples in the privacy of their own homes and is simple and nearly painless, avoiding a trip to the phlebotomist. 

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