Finding essential oils for detoxing heavy metals is a step in the right direction. In this modern era, we are bombarded by toxins of every kind imaginable. In our daily lives, we are exposed to toxic heavy metals through the air, water supply, and food pollution (1). Unless you live in an antiseptic bubble, you literally cannot avoid them. Fortunately, essential oils can also be incorporated into a natural heavy metal diet plan to help support your brain, nervous system, liver, and other vital organs (2).
Using essential oils for detoxing heavy metals is an effective health strategy. Our bodies are subjected to an onslaught of dangerous chemicals on a daily basis. Toxins naturally build up in our systems through the air, food, water, and even our own metabolism (3). The same goes for heavy metals.
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Some of these metals — such as zinc, copper, and iron — are good for you in small amounts. Heavy metal toxicity—such as mercury, aluminum, copper, and lead—can cause health issues and even be fatal depending on the amount you are exposed to.
Many people get a buildup of heavy metals in their system because of the foods they eat. Heavy metals can enter your bloodstream from exposure to plastics, contaminated water, farmed fish, cooking utensils, dental fillings, and household products (4).
Heavy metal toxicity can cause issues like*:
- headaches
- sleep disorders
- tinnitus
- kidney failure
- cognitive dysfunction
- constipation
- hypertension
- light sensitivity
- muscle weakness
- anxiety
- depression
- impaired fertility
- anemia
Our immune systems can become overwhelmed when toxins settle into our bodies. Research shows that the human body can easily process and eliminate a normal level of toxic exposure.
Boosting your body’s own natural detoxification processes is important for maintaining your health. Thankfully, there are things we can do to enhance our natural detoxification system, like using essential oils for detoxing heavy metals to keep our immune system working efficiently.
Essential oils for detoxing heavy metals can not be used to chelate metals from the body. They should be used to help stimulate and support the body’s natural detoxification processes which may encourage the elimination of heavy metals (5).
Essential Oils for Detoxing Heavy Metals
1. Rosemary
Rosemary essential oil is thought to influence the circulation of the digestive tract and other body systems. This can help to improve the waste output from the body. It can also aid in stimulating and detoxifying the lymphatic system, which assists greatly in detoxing heavy metals.
2. Grapefruit
Grapefruit essential oil has potent antibacterial and antimicrobial effects. As a natural detoxification agent, grapefruit oil can help the liver cleanse the body of toxins and waste, plus it can activate your lymphatic system and control fluid retention.
3. Juniper Berry
Juniper Berry oil can be used internally as a powerful cleansing and detoxifying agent and to support the urinary tract and healthy kidney function. As a natural diuretic, it promotes urination. As another route of elimination, urination is extremely important in removing heavy metals and toxins from the body.
4. Cypress
Cypress essential oil stimulates and regulates liver secretions and supports cleansing and detoxification. It is considered effective lymph decongestant, helping to improve lymph and blood flow. This is crucial when detoxing heavy metals, as both the blood and lymph help to transport the metals to the body’s organs of elimination.
5. Fennel
Fennel essential oil works as an efficient detoxifier and purifies the bloodstream and cleanses the kidneys along with vital organs. It offers several diuretic and stimulating properties that promotes sweating and urination. This helps the body get rid of heavy metals, uric acid, toxins, bile, water and other kinds of toxic substances that can cause problems for you in the future.
6. Lemon
Lemon oil has a purifying, cleansing and protective effect on the body. It helps to defend the body against harmful pathogens and promotes detoxification through the blood and liver. Lemon oil also stimulates lymphatic drainage, which helps the body to cleanse itself of wastes and toxins.
7. Lemon Myrtle
This citrus oil stimulates white blood cells to defend the body against infection. Its detoxifying and regenerating properties are beneficial for the liver and detoxing heavy metals.
8. Lemongrass
Lemongrass is a wonderful purifier with anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. Taking lemongrass oil internally can help to flush toxins out of the body and it supports the liver, kidneys, digestive tract and bladder.
9. Oregano
This is a powerful anti-bacterial oil. It is used for its anti-fungal, anti-parasitic and detoxification properties.
10. May Chang
May chang is antimicrobial & antifungal making it a good essential oil to add to purifying and cleansing blends.
11. Cedarwood Atlas
Known for its detoxifying properties, Cedarwood oil can have a gentle stimulating effect which helps to break down and eliminate toxins in the body. It acts as a natural antiseptic and anti-inflammatory oil.
12. Cilantro
Cilantro essential oil supports the detoxification of heavy metals and provides the body antioxidants, which help eliminate free radicals. It is a great oil to use for a bodily cleanse due to its powerful cleansing and detoxifying abilities.
13. Myrrh
Myrrh oil has been used to kill harmful bacteria long before scientists discovered that microbes cause contagious illnesses. Myrrh has an antioxidant effect strong enough that it can protect the liver – the “detox” organ from heavy metals and oxidative damage.
14. Peppermint
Peppermint oil is excellent for cleansing the lymphatic system and boosting sluggish digestion to help the body eliminate toxins and heavy metals more frequently.
15. Clove
Clove essential oil is a key ingredient for anyone who wants to detox and rid their body of heavy metals and harmful toxins. This essential oil, an iron chelator, is key for detoxing the body.
16. Orange
Orange essential oil enhances the liver’s detoxification functions. It improves digestion and detoxification from the inside-out.
17. Ginger
Ginger oils detoxifying and digestive properties facilitate the elimination of toxins and boost digestion. That boost in digestion helps speed the process of which your body eliminates heavy metals.
18. Geranium
This essential oil supports normal kidney function and helps discharge toxins from the liver. It dilates biliary ducts for liver detoxification and helps regulate hormone
19. Bergamot
Bergamont essential oil helps speed up the way your body removes toxins. By promoting the secretion of perspiration, it reduces body temperature while cleansing the body of toxins through pores and glands.
How to Use Essential Oils For Detoxing Heavy Metals
Daily Inhalation:
- Diffusing essential oils into the air increases negative ions which freshen the air and inhibit bacterial growth.
- Purify atmosphere and inhale antioxidant-rich essential oils can help fight free radical toxicity at the cellular level.
- Research shows essential oils penetrate the cell membrane of both gram-positive and negative bacteria which help Increase the body’s ability to transport oxygen into the cells for detoxification.
- Essential oil properties relieve congestion and help open up airways to allow oxygen to flow more freely through the respiratory system promoting detoxification.
DIY Topical Application:
- The skin is involved in detoxification because some toxins are dissolved and excreted out of the body via our sweat.
- Making your own body care products will protect the skin microbiome, promote cellular detoxification and will prevent toxins that would otherwise have been in the conventional products that you were using.
- Packed with antioxidants, essential oils can help draw toxins and impurities out of the skin while restoring your natural luster.
Internal Use:
- The way to ingest any essential oil formulation is to use no more than 3 drops in a veggie capsule filled with olive oil or coconut oil.
- This capsule can be taken 3 or 4 times a day.
- However, we do not recommend the internal use of essential oils without consulting with your medical doctor and an experienced aromatherapist
Other Methods for Detoxing Heavy Metals
- Support the liver with a nourishing, anti-inflammatory diet.
- Reduce metal dental work. Silver-colored fillings are usually made with a mercury amalgam. Talk with your dentist about replacing them with tooth-colored resin fillings.
- The herb cilantro has been found to be a natural chelating agent. “Cilantro chelation” typically calls for a small amount of fresh cilantro consumed each day for a few weeks.
- Take folate and vitamins B12 and B6 and eating sulfur-containing foods such as collards, kale, garlic, and onions to enhance your liver’s detoxification pathways.
- Use fluids, fiber, and saunas to optimize elimination routes for metals including your urine, stool, and sweat.
- Do more exercises like at home cardio or rebounding to induce sweating and improve elimination
- Avoid processed and fatty foods because fats tend to soak up the harmful substances you want to remove.
Heavy metals exposure is unavoidable, so it’s best to find ways to reduce exposure and assist your body with elimination. Using essential oils for detoxing heavy metals is a great start to the path of optimal health.