While buying organic kale is one way to avoid pesticide consumption, some people have floated the idea that it may still contain toxic heavy metals. Recent research hasn’t backed up the claims, but without a proper understanding, the statements may sound scary. To help make sense of it, let’s talk heavy metals: where they come from, what to do about them, and what it all means for our kale consumption. Arsenic is predominantly found in its organic form in rice, other grains, and vegetables. When organic, arsenic has to be at very high levels to cause physical problems—most people will just pee it out before it becomes an issue. When metals accumulate past certain levels, they can cause symptoms as varied as nerve damage and pain, nausea, vomiting, headaches, fatigue, thyroid dysfunction, and even kidney failure and cancer. Here: a list of metals and their associated symptoms if they accumulate to dangerous levels. Luckily, our bodies have great mechanisms for eliminating heavy metals. It’s also rare for metals to accumulate to dangerous levels, unless someone has been exposed to contaminated water supplies or occupational exposure, such as mercury fumes in industrial settings. This could include promoting the body’s natural elimination processes by targeting mechanisms, like nutrition, digestion, urination, and sweat. These processes can also help support a healthy gut, manage inflammation, and support the basic biochemical process called methylation. These practices should be done with the help and guidance of a health professional, not based on popular or trendy “detoxification” methods. If you promote healthy elimination, by staying hydrated and eating a high-fiber diet, limit sugar and other inflammatory foods, move and sweat regularly, and manage your stress in healthy ways, you should not be overly concerned about metal levels in kale or other cruciferous vegetables. If you are concerned about your metal intake from these foods or another source, or are experiencing unwanted healthy symptoms, it’s worth visiting a healthcare practitioner. A Summa Cum Laude graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Berzin went to medical school at Columbia University and later trained in internal medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital. She is also a certified yoga instructor and a meditation teacher, and has formally studied Ayurveda. Dr. Berzin writes for a number of leading wellness sites, and speaks regularly for organizations including the Clinton Foundation, Health 2.0, Summit and the Functional Forum, on how we can reinvent health care. She’s also a mindbodygreen courses instructor, teaching her Stress Solution program designed to help you tune down the stress in your life and tune up your energy and happiness. A cutting-edge nutrition deep dive taught by 20+ top health & wellness experts
