I’ve been having this smoothie several times a week (about 2-3) over the last 3 months, and, believe it is helping to reduce my heavy metal levels, as some of my pre-mature gray hairs are turning back to their normal color. I’ve also added in more minerals which I believe is playing an integral role, too. See the whole story here: How I am reversing pre-mature gray hair naturally.
Certain foods help to remove excess heavy metals from the body. Namely:
Spirulina: A blue-green algae that has shown promising effects for removing toxic heavy metals including arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury, mainly attributed to its antioxidant activity. (1)
Barley Grass: Antioxidant-rich barley grass powder has been shown to have a protective effect on the liver and possess the ability remove harmful heavy metals in animal studies. (2)
Cilantro: Several studies have shown cilantro’s beneficial effects when it comes to heavy metals. In one study, cilantro helped rats poisoned with lead safely reduce the levels of lead in their body and had a protective effect on the liver, compared to controls. (3) In another animal study, consuming cilantro with lead prevented the lead from depositing in the body’s tissues. (4) In a human case study, a man had all of his mercury “silver” fillings removed from his mouth, which is a process that causes mercury to enter the body. The following day, he had body scans, and mercury was detected via imaging in all of his organs. He consumed a 100 mg tablet of cilantro 4 times a day for 2 weeks, and his mercury returned to normal levels. (5)
My Take on The Medical Medium Heavy Metal Detox Smoothie
This smoothie is based on the Medical Medium Heavy Metal Detox Smoothie – but my version has a few additions and subtractions to make it more satisfying, tasty, and blood-sugar balancing:
- I added protein to keep blood sugar stable with the banana.
- I use water instead of any higher glycemic liquid like coconut water for blood sugar stability.
- I added flax for added fiber and omega-3s.
- The added vanilla yogurt (or vanilla extract + nut butter) adds some healthy fat and perfectly masks the “green” taste of the cilantro, spirulina, and barley grass
- I don’t include dulse, as I prefer to eat my seaweed rather than add it to the smoothie, but you can certainly add it to yours if you prefer.
Heavy Metal Detox Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 cup wild blueberries frozen
- 1 banana frozen or fresh
- 1 tsp spirulina
- 1 tsp barley grass juice powder
- 1 cup cilantro leaves only
- 1 scoop protein powder (unflavored or vanilla)
- 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed
- 1/4 cup non-dairy yogurt, vanilla* OR 1/2 tsp vanilla extract + 1 tbsp nut butter
Instructions
- Add all ingredients into a blender and blend on high until smooth.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @mariamarlowe on instagram and hashtag #healthybymarlowe for a chance to be featured and win awesome prizes each month.
