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Which foods can reduce lead in my body?

reduce lead in my body @ LeadSafeWorld

Which foods can reduce lead in my body?

“Which foods can reduce lead in my body?” is a question which we do get asked when clients discover they have elevated blood lead levels (BLLs) and/or they’ve already addressed sources of lead exposure in their environment.

Foods vs Supplements… and some words of caution

Before we get started, it is important that your doctor or healthcare practitioner is involved in your care. The information provided here is a guide only, and does not override advice given by any medical or health practitioner. Please seek advice from your practitioner.

Nutrients are beneficial in both reducing lead absorption in the first place, and increasing lead excretion after lead has been absorbed. Nutrient supplements may be beneficial, particularly when dietary intake is inadequate. That said, there are also risks with having too much of anything!

This is part of the reason that we’re looking at foods. 

As well, food is a gentle form of “medicine” and eating the right foods for you can make all the difference.

Nutrients that Increase Lead Excretion

Firstly, we’ll take a look at the nutrients which are helpful, and then explore foods that include these.

In our previously published fact sheet: Nutrients that Reduce Lead Poisoning, we identified that the following are helpful:

  • Vitamins B1 (thiamine or thiamin), B9 (folate or folic acid), and B6 
  • Vitamins C and E, and
  • Iron

For more specific roles with symptoms caused by lead poisoning, we identified:

  • Hypertension – vitamin E, vitamin C, taurine, magnesium, calcium and low fat milk 
  • Anaemia / Anemia – iron, vitamin B1, vitamin C, vitamin E, and zinc
  • Kidney and Liver Function – zinc, selenium, taurine, methionine, glycine and vitamins C, E, B1 and B6, and iron
  • Brain function – vitamin C, taurine, zinc, selenium, calcium, amino acids (specifically methionine, glycine, cysteine, glutamic acid and glycine), folate, iron, glutathione (an antioxidant), vitamin B1, taurine, vitamin B12 
  • The nervous system and hearing loss – calcium, and to a lesser extent
  • Bones – calcium, zinc and vitamin D; as well as phosphorus, magnesium, vitamin B6 and vitamin K

If you’d like to read more about the role of each of these nutrients, we compiled a list of foods for lead detox and explain the roles of each of these nutrients.

Can I grow my own foods to reduce lead in my body?

100%!

In fact, a lot of the team at The LEAD Group really enjoy growing vegetables, herbs and more.

Eating organic foods is always recommended, because it means you aren’t consuming pesticides and agricultural chemicals that non-organic growers use.

Growing your own food is always a great option – it ensures you:

  • Eat seasonal food
  • Your food has low “miles” (how far it has travelled before it gets to you)
  • It is at peak freshness
  • You can grow your food organically, ensuring you use “certified organic” soil or potting mix
  • Can eat well on a low budget – growing food from seeds can be very inexpensive

You can grow a lot of food in a small garden and even in pots. 

reduce lead in my body growing food @ LeadSafeWorld

Foods that Increase Lead Excretion

Foods rich in vitamin C

These foods are good sources of vitamin C:

Fruits: citrus (oranges, grapefruit and lemon), kiwi fruit, blackcurrants, strawberries and guava. 

Vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, cooked kale, Brussels sprouts and Chinese cabbage.

Note: vitamin C can easily be destroyed by cooking, so enjoy your fruits raw.

Foods rich in B-group vitamins

Sources of B-group vitamins include:

Animal-based products: chicken, fish, meats and dairy products. 

Smaller amounts can be found in: wholewheat bread, green leafy vegetables, nuts and yeast.

Some foods are fortified with B-vitamins (meaning that it is added). These include: wheat flour used in bread, and B12 is added to plant-based vegetarian meat alternatives.

Foods rich in iron

Iron-rich foods include:

Animal-based: meat (beef, lamb, pork, and kangaroo); poultry (chicken, turkey, and eggs); seafood (salmon, sardines and tuna) and organ meats (liver, kidney and pate).

Plant-based (contain much smaller amounts): iron-fortified bread and breakfast cereal, nuts and seeds, dried fruit, wholemeal pasta and bread, legumes (such as mixed beans, baked beans, lentils and chickpeas), dark leafy green vegetables (such as spinach, silver beet and broccoli), and tofu.

Nuts and Seeds

Nuts and seeds contain a range of nutrients and trace elements – and a lot of fat. So you don’t want to eat too much, but a pinch here and there of a good mix is always a great way to add more nutrients to your diet.

Registered Dietician, Owennie Lee compiled this table which compares some of the nutritional value of six common seeds… and she goes on to explain more about each of them in this post.

Grandma Lead’s Dry-Fried Mixed Seeds

Grandma Lead (aka Elizabeth O’Brien) wanted to share her Dry-Fried Mixed Seeds recipe to help you incorporate more seeds into your diet.

Here it is! Include Liz’s photos at each step

Ingredients:

  • Pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
  • Sunflower seeds
  • White sesame seeds
  • Black sesame seeds

Put your stainless steel or cast iron dry frypan on the lowest heat setting on your stove.

Add a layer of pepitas, then a layer of sunflower seeds, a layer of white sesame seeds and a layer of black sesame seeds.

reduce lead in my body COOKING THIS SEED MIX @ LeadSafeWorld

When you hear them start popping, stir them with a wooden spoon. This ensures even browning, too.

Don’t leave them! 

reduce lead in my body LAST STEPS FOR THIS SEED MIX @ LeadSafeWorld

When it smells and looks great, switch off heat, and allow it to cool.

Once the dry-fried seeds are completely cool, store them in an airtight container. They stay fresh for months unless you eat them all sooner!

Enjoy them on fruit salad, smoothie bowls, salads, meats, and any dish! Include Liz’s photos 

reduce lead in my body ENJOY THIS SEED MIX @ LeadSafeWorld

Based on the ingredients, we created this nutrition panel. We had to add black sesame seeds, and this information was located here

Need more help?

That’s what we’re here for! You can book a call with Grandma Lead here.