Polly: Lead is well known to be a contributing factor to ADHD and autism. [48] To protect yourself and children, get a lead paint test kit at your hardware store. Besides testing paint, test your dishes. There was a couple in France who found out that their severe lead poisoning was coming from some fancy coffee cups. When the glaze on your dishes is heated, more of the lead leaks into the food. So be sure to test your coffee cups or any earthenware oven dishes where hot food will be. So far, the only lead I’ve found in my dishes was in a beautiful children’s tea set from China. Luckily, I caught the problem before giving the set to my daughter.
Vitamin C, DMSA and EDTA chelation are often used for lead poisoning. However, be aware that EDTA chelation is usually not recommended when mercury poisoning is present. There is a new company that carries suppositories of low dose EDTA for the chelation of lead in children. Since the EDTA is delivered slowly, it may also be a good means of detoxifying adults too. This is the company: World Health Products, Inc, phone (877) 6564553 or (801) 983-1035 http://www.detoxamin.com.
If your child has ADHD or autism, you may also want to check the levels of other toxins like aluminum, arsenic, tin, cadmium, etc. (If arsenic shows up, increased folic acid can be protective.) To find a doctor who will help you remove lead or heavy metals, try http://www.ACAM.org or phone 1-(800) LEAD OUT.
Willis: These are the symptoms of lead poisoning-do they look familiar? Chronic infection in children, loss of appetite, weight loss, constipation, chronic fatigue, cramps, insomnia, nausea, headache, weakness, metallic taste, anemia, pre-eclampsia, miscarriage, sterility, kidney damage leading to elevated blood pressure, peripheral neuritis, arthritis, hyperactivity, aggressiveness, delinquent and disruptive behavior, depression, mental retardation, convulsions, delirium, coma, and death. General cognitive, verbal, and perceptual abilities decrease as lead in the system increases. If any of these readings are “high normal” or more, they must be detoxified—preferably by nutritional means.