In this polluted world, you are constantly being exposed to toxins—and even small amounts of heavy metals such as lead and mercury can cause problems with your brain, nervous system, immune system, heart muscle and probably more.

Did you know that even a small increase in your lead level can increase your chances of death by 46 percent? That’s according to an article in Archives of Internal Medicine. Fifteen percent of individuals analyzed in a 16-year scientific study were found to have a slightly elevated blood lead level. And these people experienced 46 percent higher mortality.

But what about another well-known heavy metal—mercury?

A study published in the online journal PLoS Biology concluded that even low levels of heavy metals such as lead and mercury can cause essential brain stem cells in the central nervous system to shut down too soon.

New research has also shown that mercury is present in high levels in marine mammals. The findings show the main type of mercury found is methylmercury (MeHg). This toxic heavy metal caused damage to seals’ immune system and crippled their ability to fight infections.

And guess what? Similar results have been found in the immune systems of humans! Especially in those folks who live in communities that consume large amounts of fish.

In a Journal of the American College of Cardiology study, it was reported that congestive heart failure patients have 22,000 times more mercury in their heart muscles compared to normal control subjects. This metal is often obtained from the foods we eat and is extremely toxic to the heart.

How exactly does toxic mercury end up in our foods? Both natural events such as the eruption of a volcano and the environmental pollution caused by humans expose our food sources to mercury…

When an earthquake erupts or manufacturing plants burn coal—640 plants in America currently do this—mercury is discharged into the air. This mercury falls down with the rain and attaches to algae in fresh water where the fish eat it. This includes fish raised on farms. Then we eat the fish and the mercury with it.

If you want to avoid mercury, you should eat cold-water ocean fish only. You should also consider a detoxifying dietary cleanse, I.V. or oral chelating agents, or 20 visits to an infrared sauna. These can help remove the existing mercury from your system.

Yes, toxins can be deadly—and it only takes small amounts of heavy metals like lead and mercury to cause you harm. But there are safe and natural ways to keep them from destroying your health.