Effective Ways to Screen Supplements/Nootropics for Heavy Metals?

[Insightful27]

I'm trying to build a robust nootropics/supplement stack but I'm worried about heavy metal contents after watching Leo's video. Is there any way to check or minimize the heavy metals I'm consuming? Right now I'm just taking fish oil and a multivitamin. 

[aurum]

@Insightful27

Best best is to hunt for the highest quality sources you can find and then test your own levels.

If some ambitious entrepreneur on this forum wants to invent an at home testing kit for heavy metals in your supplements, that be rad. 

[Yimpa]

Be careful about being too overly cautious on matters like this. Next thing you’ll know, you’ll find an article that mentions how heavy metals are found in your food. What are you going to do then, test everything you eat?

https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/heavy-metals-in-food

A quote from the article that should be considered:

Quote

One important note is that detecting a contaminant or heavy metal does not mean it’s harmful. We must always consider the contaminant, the amount, and the duration of exposure before we can determine if something will cause an adverse health impact.

 

[Insightful27]

20 hours ago, aurum said:

@Insightful27

Best best is to hunt for the highest quality sources you can find and then test your own levels.

If some ambitious entrepreneur on this forum wants to invent an at home testing kit for heavy metals in your supplements, that be rad. 

Thanks for the reply. Do you know if something like a multivitamin is more likely to have heavy metals than other supplements? 

[aurum]

@Insightful27 Don’t really know. I feel that multivitamins are mostly a waste of money anyway, they overload the body with too many vitamins it can’t absorb. Better strategy would be to get blood work and supplement individually for what you need, or just eat a better diet.

 

[Insightful27]

1 minute ago, aurum said:

I feel that multivitamins are mostly a waste of money anyway

Yeah I have been thinking about not taking mine anymore. What is the process for getting bloodwork done? How much does it cost?

[aurum]

6 hours ago, Insightful27 said:

Yeah I have been thinking about not taking mine anymore. What is the process for getting bloodwork done? How much does it cost?

Up to you really. You could go to a functional / integrative medicine practitioner or a naturopath and they would most likely do it. A standard General Practitioner might as well. You could probably get that covered under health insurance.

You could also go a more non-traditional route like using InsideTracker or a LifeForce physician. Not going to be covered by insurance though.

Do your research, figure out the pros and cons and then make a choice.

[Yimpa]

You may want to try NAC. Looks like a promising supplement:

https://examine.com/supplements/n-acetylcysteine/faq/b2wX3rQ-does-n-acetylcysteine-nac-help-with-lead-toxicity/

Quote

NAC seems to have a direct mineral chelating effect, meaning it can bind tightly to certain minerals and aid in their removal from the body.

 

[Schizophonia]

mental illness 

[Yimpa]

17 minutes ago, Schizophonia said:

mental illness 

Interestingly, NAC seems to also help with that:

https://examine.com/supplements/n-acetylcysteine/

[Schizophonia]

5 minutes ago, Yimpa said:

Interestingly, NAC seems to also help with that:

https://examine.com/supplements/n-acetylcysteine/

So for a person who doesn't suffer from any kind of illnesses, NAC is going to be a problem.

 

Edited September 9, 2023 by Schizophonia