If you or a family member are part of the one in three adults in the United States who experience hypertension (high blood pressure), mercury levels should be checked and evaluated. Studies have shown that mercury toxicity in the body surfaces as a symptom in the form of hypertension or other types of vascular disease.
While studies have shown that people with higher exposure to mercury may have a greater chance at heart disease and hypertension, the issue of causation is often left unanswered. Why does mercury often lead to high blood pressure or vascular disease? One particular study aimed to find a biochemical answer to this very question. The study examined the ways in which mercury levels interfere with the body, and why higher levels ultimately manifest in the form of hypertension and coronary heart disease.
The study found the following:
- Mercury disables many of the reactions that rely on sulfer-containing enzymes and sulfer-containing antioxidants.
- Once the reactions are disabled, mercury then substitutes itself for other materials, including zinc and copper.
- As a result, mitochondria, the main power generators of the cell, begin to malfunction.
- Oxidative stress and inflammation then increases as the body’s oxidate defenses decline.
- This all manifests through symptoms in the body including hypertension, coronary heart disease, heart attack, cardiac arrhythmias, renal dysfunction, proteinuria, and atherosclerosis.
Overall, the study found that high levels of mercury were linked to hypertension and a variety of vascular diseases. As a result, if you experience high blood pressure or a type of heart disease, you should be tested for mercury toxicity. The test to evaluate mercury levels can be done using blood, urine, hair, or toenail samples. Mercury toxicity is easy to check in a simple noninvasive test, and mercury is ultimately able to be reduced.