Heavy Metals

Clear the Hidden Toxins

Heavy metals like lead, mercury, and cadmium lurk in water, food, and even air, quietly sapping energy, fogging your brain, and stressing your organs. These toxins build up over time, especially in kids’ developing bodies, but smart, clean choices can minimize exposure and safely flush them out. Ditch the “detox” fads hiding junk—focus on transparent, practical steps to keep your body clear and thriving.

Why Heavy Metals Are a Problem

These metals sneak in from tap water, non-organic produce, or even cosmetics, accumulating in places like your bile, liver, and tissues. They can disrupt hormones, weaken immunity, and slow you down. Improper detox is risky—without the right approach, metals can redistribute in your body, causing more harm. A careful, targeted protocol is key to safely clear them out and protect your health.  

To provide context for understanding the amount of heavy metals relevant to health, it’s best to understand concentration levels and how they are measured. First, there is no safe level of lead. According to the EPA, “There is no safe level of lead exposure, particularly for children. In children, lead can severely harm mental and physical development, slow learning, and irreversibly damage the brain. In adults, lead can cause increased blood pressure, heart disease, decreased kidney function, and may cause cancer. If someone is impacted by lead exposure, there is no known antidote, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”

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Understanding How Heavy Metals Are Measured

Heavy metals are measured in two units: PPM (parts per million) and PPB (parts per billion). Companies usually report test results in PPM as this is the standard unit of measurement established by the EPA. At zerotoxins, we believe the standard should be measured in PPB since there is NO safe level to have of heavy metals in the body. PPB would provide a more precise measure of toxicity products. To put this in perspective, imagine a standard bathtub filled with 40 gallons of water. Adding one drop of food coloring represents roughly one part per million (PPM)—one drop in a million drops of water. For parts per billion (PPB), picture that same drop of food coloring diluted across a thousand bathtubs, or 40,000 gallons of water. This illustrates how minute PPB concentrations are compared to PPM. The main point, ,however, is that even at these low levels, trace amounts of heavy metals like lead or mercury in water, soil, or food can be significant and they accumulate over time. The table below, showing test results for 365 Whole Foods Market organic cocoa powder, highlights how elevated heavy metal levels can impact health, particularly in developing children. When you consider daily exposure to heavy metals through food, air, and environmental contact over decades, it becomes clear that these substances, especially lead, can bioaccumulate in the body, posing long-term risks, especially if your body is not good at clearing it's pathways.

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Note:  These results show amount of metals over the 2021 PROPOSED limit.  If you would like to read more about what that means you can read more here.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​