Heavy Metal Detox: Binders, Testing and Foods That Help

Dr. Josh Axe · Free quiz

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A heavy metal detox lowers the mercury, lead, arsenic and cadmium coming into your body and supports the organs that clear them. Your body already runs this system every day. Your liver processes what you don't need, bile carries it into your gut, and your bowels, kidneys and skin move it out.17

In Heal Your Cells, Dr. Will Cole and I explain how mercury, lead, arsenic, cadmium, aluminum and nickel turn up in tap water, farmed fish, canned goods, cosmetics, dental fillings and even the air we breathe. Building up over time, they quietly disrupt your mitochondria, your detoxification, nutrient absorption and hormone signaling.1 Real cellular detoxification happens deep in your liver, in a two-step process, and that's the detox this guide supports, rather than juice cleanses or trendy teas.1

In the steps below, we start with testing so you know where you stand.

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What is a heavy metal detox?

Arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury have no useful role in your body.9 They do much of their damage by latching onto glutathione, your cells' main antioxidant, and onto the sulfur groups of the enzymes that defend your cells, which leaves those cells less able to handle oxidative stress.10 How much harm they do depends on the metal, the dose and how long the exposure lasts.10 For lead, the EPA and CDC agree that there's no known safe level in a child's blood.11

The plan lowers what comes in and supports your body's own clearance. In practice, that's daily habits plus a few well-chosen supplements. Chelation therapy, a prescription drug treatment for documented poisoning, is a separate thing with its own section below.

How do you test for heavy metals?

Test, don't guess. Testing is the step that personalizes the plan, and a heavy metal panel is one of the tests I suggest, so you know where to focus your work.17 It matters most after a real exposure, such as work around lead or a home with lead pipes or old lead paint; in that case, see your doctor for a blood test before you start anything else.116

Once you have a result, use it to aim the steps below. A high level sends you looking for the source first, whether that's water, fish, rice, work or an older home, and a second test after you've made changes shows you where you stand.1

Step 1: How do you lower the heavy metals coming in?

Filter your drinking water

Start with the water you drink every day. My first recommendation is a high-quality water filter that removes heavy metals, PFAS, fluoride, chlorine and pharmaceutical residues.1 You don't need a whole-house system; your drinking water matters most.7

The EPA adds two practical points: boiling water doesn't remove lead, and if lead is your concern, use a filter certified to remove it. Lead pipes are more likely in older cities and in homes built before 1986.11 Our guide to tap water toxicity covers the rest of what comes out of the tap.

Eat and drink from glass and stainless steel

The biggest step in your kitchen, as I told listeners in a 2024 Q&A on my show, is to eat and drink mostly from stainless steel and glass.16

Choose small, low-mercury fish

The big predators that live for years and eat other fish build up the most mercury, while small fish like sardines and anchovies carry very little. Eat more fish, not less: our fish guide sets the target at 8 to 12 ounces of low-mercury fish a week, choosing wild-caught fish with fins and scales.177

Here's how wide the gap is, from the FDA's mercury table for U.S. commercial fish, built from 2,206 samples of the 10 fish below. Tilefish from the Gulf of Mexico averaged 1.123 parts per million (ppm), swordfish 0.995, king mackerel 0.73, bigeye tuna 0.689 and orange roughy 0.571, while fresh or frozen salmon averaged 0.022, anchovies 0.016 and sardines 0.013. Canned light tuna averaged 0.126 ppm and canned albacore 0.350.5

That's why canned light tuna fits two or three times a week while canned albacore is a once-a-week fish, and why the FDA and EPA list seven high-mercury fish to avoid: king mackerel, marlin, orange roughy, shark, swordfish, tilefish from the Gulf of Mexico and bigeye tuna.1718 During pregnancy and breastfeeding, their advice is 2 to 3 servings a week from their best-choices list, about 4 ounces each; from that list, choose the fish with fins and scales.18 Our guide to the fish you should never eat has the full skip list, and the best fish to eat fills in the rest of your plate.

Cook rice in plenty of water

Rice can carry arsenic, and the way you cook it changes how much reaches your plate. FDA scientists found that rinsing rice barely changes its arsenic, while cooking it in excess water and then draining it cut inorganic arsenic by 40% in long-grain white rice, 50% in brown rice and 60% in parboiled rice on average.4 In a separate study, cooking with 6 parts water to 1 part rice removed 45% of the inorganic arsenic from long-grain and basmati rice, while cooking with 2.5 parts water removed none.19

Cook rice the way you cook pasta: plenty of water, then drain. The extra water also washes out 50% to 70% of the iron, folate, niacin and thiamin added to enriched white and parboiled rice, and much less from brown rice, so get those nutrients from the rest of your plate.4 Our guide to arsenic in rice compares varieties, and arsenic poisoning covers the signs of a high exposure.

Chocolate, old paint and fillings

Lead and cadmium from contaminated soil and dust can reach cocoa products, among other foods.1 In tests of 72 dark chocolate and cocoa products bought in the U.S. from 2014 to 2022, 43% exceeded California's strict daily limit for lead, and 13 of the 37 with cadmium figures (35%) exceeded its cadmium limit, while 70 of the 72 fell below the FDA's reference level for lead.20 FDA testing also found cadmium and lead rising with the share of cocoa solids.21 Enjoy dark chocolate by the square.

Your home matters too, because children take in lead from paint, dust, soil, air and food as well as water.11

My advice on your next filling is simple: never get a silver one; ask for a non-mercury filling instead.16 Silver fillings, also called amalgam, are a mixture of mercury and a powdered alloy of silver, tin and copper, and they release small amounts of mercury vapor over time.22 Mercury leaking into your mouth regularly can't be good, and I find it hard to see why so many dentists are still fine with putting it in people's mouths.23

For fillings you already have, the FDA doesn't recommend removing or replacing ones in good condition unless it's medically necessary, because removal briefly raises mercury vapor exposure and can cost healthy tooth structure. It does recommend non-mercury fillings, such as composite resin, for people at higher risk, including pregnant and nursing women, women planning a pregnancy, children (especially those under 6) and people with impaired kidney function.22

Step 2: How do fiber, water and sweat help clear heavy metals?

Fiber binds toxins in your gut and helps carry them out, and I set the target at 30 to 40 grams a day from vegetables, chia seeds, flaxseed and psyllium.1 Drink more water as you add it; our guide to high-fiber foods makes the target easy to reach. Your lymph moves when you do, so aim for 20 to 30 minutes of walking, rebounding or gentle exercise every day.1

Sweat is another exit, and I'm a strong advocate of the sauna. I recommend a sauna, infrared or traditional, three to five times a week.17 In a 2012 review of 24 studies, people with higher exposure generally had higher concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury in their sweat than in their blood plasma or urine, and the amount leaving through the skin could match or exceed what left in the urine in a day.9 Arsenic in sweat ran several times higher in exposed people than in unexposed ones, and in one case report, mercury levels returned to normal with repeated saunas, though no trial has yet set the best sauna routine.9 Sweat regularly, then rehydrate with filtered water and electrolytes.24 A warm Epsom salt bath is another simple, low-cost habit I add during a detox.7

Step 3: Which binders help your body clear heavy metals?

Binders work in your gut. When your liver clears toxins into bile, a binder holds onto them so they leave in your stool instead of being reabsorbed through the gut wall.257 Step 3 pairs binders with glutathione support, which has its own section below.1

Cilantro and parsley

During the binding phase of my parasite protocol, cilantro and parsley go on the plate for heavy metals, and cilantro and chlorella make a strong pair: cilantro helps detoxify, and chlorella binds to toxins.2524 In mice given lead in their drinking water, cilantro significantly lowered the lead deposited in bone, as the chelating drug DMSA did in the same study, and eased lead damage to the kidneys.34 In a 2-week placebo-controlled trial of 32 children aged 3 to 7 of workers exposed to lead, blood lead fell in both groups by similar amounts, which the researchers credited partly to better nutrition.35 Cilantro has been studied for its ability to bind certain heavy metals, and it's easy to eat every day: stir a handful into salads, salsa and soups, and keep your binder for between meals.1

When to take binders

Binders hold onto whatever they meet in your gut, nutrients and medicines included, so timing matters.

The same protocol lists taking binders with food, supplements or medications among the things to avoid, so keep them two hours away from all four.25 With the gentler binders, I'd take them first thing in the morning, between meals or right before bed.24

Activated charcoal: a short course only

Activated charcoal is a very strong binder, and I keep it to short, serious detox protocols.724

Charcoal needs more room than the gentler binders: take it at least 4 hours, if not 8, apart from your vitamins and supplements, with charcoal at night and supplements in the morning, or the other way around.45

How to choose a binder

Natural binders can pick up metals from the water or ground they come from, so the source matters. Check for these when you buy:

• Third-party tested for heavy metals, with test results you can see

• Cultivated spirulina: in lab tests, phycocyanin, spirulina's blue pigment-protein, carried less arsenic and lead when it came from cultivated spirulina than from cyanobacteria collected in the wild26

• Humic and fulvic products tested for metals: shilajit, a natural source of humic substances, can carry around 65 metals, and a few studies found levels above WHO and FDA limits27

• The form and grams per serving on the label, so you can reach 3 to 5 grams of spirulina or chlorella or 5 grams of modified citrus pectin

How do you support glutathione and your liver?

Glutathione is your body's master antioxidant, and it's one of the molecules heavy metals tie up, so keeping it topped up is central to step 3.110 NAC (N-acetylcysteine) gives your cells the cysteine they need to build their own glutathione, and liposomal glutathione delivers it ready-made; our NAC vs. glutathione comparison covers the choice.361

I advise feeding your detox enzymes with steamed cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale and Brussels sprouts; sulfur-rich onions, garlic and eggs; clean protein; and foods rich in B vitamins and selenium.17 Bitter herbs such as milk thistle, dandelion root, burdock and artichoke support your liver and the bile that carries toxins out.17

Milk thistle, native to Samaria and parts of Israel, has been used for liver health for over two millennia, mainly for its active compound, silymarin. In The Biblio Diet, we note that it targets the harmful effects of heavy metals in our water, pesticides in our food supply and pollution in the air we breathe, and we suggest 50 to 150 milligrams a day for ongoing liver support. My mom used it to help her body detox after her chemotherapy treatments.47 Bone broth, beef or chicken, belongs on the plate too, because it contains glycine, one of the building blocks your body uses to make glutathione.24 In a small study of 8 older adults, 2 weeks of glycine and cysteine nearly doubled the glutathione in their red blood cells.46

Selenium, one of the detox nutrients I recommend, has a trial of its own.1 In a 3-month trial in a mercury-mining area of China, 103 residents took either selenium-enriched yeast (100 micrograms of selenium a day) or plain yeast, and selenium increased the mercury leaving in the urine and lowered urine markers of oxidative damage.39 Our guide to selenium covers its other roles.

Is chelation therapy the same as a heavy metal detox?

For lead, CDC's guidance brings in chelation for children starting at blood lead levels of 45 µg/dL or higher, managed with a medical toxicologist or a pediatrician experienced in it.6 The FDA notes that every approved chelation product requires a prescription because it can be used safely only under a practitioner's supervision, that it has never approved a chelation product for over-the-counter use, and that chelation can cause serious side effects, including dehydration, kidney failure and death.40 From 2003 to 2005, three deaths from dangerously low calcium during chelation were reported to the CDC, and two were children treated with edetate disodium.41 If your doctor prescribes chelation, the food, water, fiber and sweat steps continue alongside it. Our guide to mercury poisoning goes further.

Who should be careful with a heavy metal detox?

Lowering your exposure and eating for detox fit nearly everyone. These are the situations where the plan should change:

• Pregnancy and breastfeeding. My parasite protocol lists pregnancy and breastfeeding among the times to skip its binder phase, so keep to the food and water steps.25 Calcium has been studied for this: in a placebo-controlled trial of 670 pregnant women in Mexico City, 1,200 mg a day lowered blood lead by 11% on average compared with placebo, and by 24% in the women who took at least 75% of their pills; confirm the dose with your OB.44

• Children. Lower their exposure first, with the home and water steps in step 1, and use a blood lead test to know where they stand; any treatment for a high result is decided with their pediatrician.6

• Constipation and dehydration. Binders are dehydrating, and skipping water raises the risk of constipation, so drink more water while you take them.25

• Heart disease and the sauna. Hydrate well, ease in, and get your practitioner's clearance before using a sauna if you have heart disease.43

• A known exposure, or symptoms after one. If you work with lead, live in an older home with lead pipes or peeling paint, or feel unwell after an exposure, get the blood test described in the testing section before you start a detox.116 If someone swallows something poisonous or has sudden, severe symptoms, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 or 911.6

The bottom line

Heavy metal detox: frequently asked questions

References

1. Axe J, Cole W. Heal Your Cells. Avery; 2026. ISBN 9798217181353 (everyday heavy-metal sources and how they disrupt mitochondrial function, detoxification, nutrient absorption and hormone signaling; real cellular detoxification in the liver's two-step process; the detox plan on pp. 64–68, including "Feed your detox enzymes" (cruciferous vegetables; sulfur-rich onions, garlic and eggs; B vitamins and selenium) on p. 65, Step 1 "Reduce toxic input" (a water filter that removes heavy metals, PFAS, fluoride, chlorine and pharmaceutical residues; glass or stainless-steel containers), Step 2 "Support daily elimination" (half your body weight in ounces of water, 30–40 g of fiber from vegetables, chia, flax and psyllium, a sauna three to five times a week, 20–30 minutes of daily movement), Step 3 "Open and reinforce detox pathways" (liposomal glutathione or NAC; bitter herbs such as milk thistle, dandelion root, burdock and artichoke; binders) and Step 4 "Test and personalize" (heavy metal tests); lead and cadmium from contaminated soil and dust reaching cocoa products; cilantro "has been studied for its ability to bind certain heavy metals"; liver chapter, "Do This Today": 600 mg NAC or 250 mg liposomal glutathione; "Precision Healing Protocols," liver supplement list, item 6 "Spirulina/chlorella": binds heavy metals, supports detox, 3–5 g/day powder or capsules, p. 344).
2. Misbahuddin M, Islam AZ, Khandker S, Ifthaker-Al-Mahmud, Islam N, Anjumanara. Efficacy of spirulina extract plus zinc in patients of chronic arsenic poisoning: a randomized placebo-controlled study. Clin Toxicol (Phila). 2006;44(2):135-41. doi:10.1080/15563650500514400
3. Kianoush S, Balali-Mood M, Mousavi SR, Moradi V, Sadeghi M, Dadpour B, et al. Comparison of therapeutic effects of garlic and d-Penicillamine in patients with chronic occupational lead poisoning. Basic Clin Pharmacol Toxicol. 2012;110(5):476-81. doi:10.1111/j.1742-7843.2011.00841.x
4. Gray PJ, Conklin SD, Todorov TI, Kasko SM. Cooking rice in excess water reduces both arsenic and enriched vitamins in the cooked grain. Food Addit Contam Part A Chem Anal Control Expo Risk Assess. 2016;33(1):78-85. doi:10.1080/19440049.2015.1103906
5. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Mercury Levels in Commercial Fish and Shellfish (1990-2012). Updated February 25, 2022.
6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Recommended Actions Based on Blood Lead Level. Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention. Last reviewed August 21, 2025.
7. Axe J. Cellular Toxicity: The Root Cause of Aging, Inflammation & Chronic Disease. The Dr. Josh Axe Show. 2026 (solo episode on YouTube: filtered water and "you don't need a whole house filter" at 29:14–29:40; glass and stainless steel instead of plastic at 29:46; "avoid, of course, farm fish" and "wild caught whenever you can" at 30:00–30:04; sauna and sweating at 32:03; glutathione, NAC and bitter herbs at 32:33–33:34, with bile carrying toxins out at 33:04; binders, the one-or-two-week limit on charcoal and the gentler binders he prefers at 33:34–34:30; Epsom salt baths at 34:34–34:52; cruciferous vegetables at 35:20; "do some testing. You can do a heavy metal panel" at 36:58–37:01, with hs-CRP as a marker of inflammation at 37:16–37:24: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNwVs_gAjBc).
8. Ruha AM. Recommendations for provoked challenge urine testing. J Med Toxicol. 2013;9(4):318-25. doi:10.1007/s13181-013-0350-7
9. Sears ME, Kerr KJ, Bray RI. Arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury in sweat: a systematic review. J Environ Public Health. 2012;2012:184745. doi:10.1155/2012/184745
10. Jomova K, Alomar SY, Nepovimova E, Kuca K, Valko M. Heavy metals: toxicity and human health effects. Arch Toxicol. 2025;99(1):153-209. doi:10.1007/s00204-024-03903-2
11. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Basic Information about Lead in Drinking Water.
12. Weiss ST, Campleman S, Wax P, McGill W, Brent J, Toxicology Investigators Consortium. Failure of chelator-provoked urine testing results to predict heavy metal toxicity in a prospective cohort of patients referred for medical toxicology evaluation. Clin Toxicol (Phila). 2022;60(2):191-196. doi:10.1080/15563650.2021.1941626
13. Seidel S, Kreutzer R, Smith D, McNeel S, Gilliss D. Assessment of commercial laboratories performing hair mineral analysis. JAMA. 2001;285(1):67-72. doi:10.1001/jama.285.1.67
14. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC Updates Blood Lead Reference Value. Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention. 2021 (3.5 µg/dL, the 97.5th percentile for U.S. children aged 1–5; not a health-based standard or a toxicity threshold).
15. American College of Medical Toxicology. American College of Medical Toxicology position statement on post-chelator challenge urinary metal testing. J Med Toxicol. 2010;6(1):74-5. doi:10.1007/s13181-010-0039-0
16. Axe J. Heavy Metals, Sugar Cravings, & Natural Flavors | Q&A. The Dr. Josh Axe Show. 2024 (solo Q&A on YouTube: stainless steel and glass at 15:17; lead-based paint, amalgam fillings and rice as sources at 15:34–15:59; "never get silver fillings" at 16:18; steamed vegetables, spirulina, chlorella, probiotics, chlorophyll and humate at 16:19–16:43, with "Probiotics support the detoxification of heavy metals" at 16:33: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnYj3zCU4ek&t=917s).
17. Axe J. Fish You Should Never Eat. DrAxe.com. 2026 (8–12 oz of low-mercury fish a week; canned light tuna 2–3 servings a week, canned albacore one; the seven FDA/EPA "Choices to Avoid" fish).
18. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Advice about Eating Fish: For Those Who Might Become or Are Pregnant or Breastfeeding and Children Ages 1–11 Years.
19. Raab A, Baskaran C, Feldmann J, Meharg AA. Cooking rice in a high water to rice ratio reduces inorganic arsenic content. J Environ Monit. 2009;11(1):41-4. doi:10.1039/b816906c
20. Hands JM, Anderson ML, Cooperman T, Balsky JE, Frame LA. A multi-year heavy metal analysis of 72 dark chocolate and cocoa products in the USA. Front Nutr. 2024;11:1366231. doi:10.3389/fnut.2024.1366231
21. Abt E, Fong Sam J, Gray P, Robin LP. Cadmium and lead in cocoa powder and chocolate products in the US Market. Food Addit Contam Part B Surveill. 2018;11(2):92-102. doi:10.1080/19393210.2017.1420700
22. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA Issues Recommendations for Certain High-Risk Groups Regarding Mercury-Containing Dental Amalgam. Press announcement, September 24, 2020.
23. Axe J. Your Dentist Lied to You. Holistic Dentist Reveals Hidden Dangers in Your Mouth | Dr. Staci Whitman. The Dr. Josh Axe Show. 2025 (Dr. Axe on dentists still placing mercury fillings in the passage at 26:03–27:13, and "mercury leaking into your mouth regularly can't be good" in the passage at 34:20–36:05).
24. Axe J. Reverse Microplastic Toxicity NATURALLY (Heals Mitochondria, Gut, Brain). The Dr. Josh Axe Show. 2026 (solo episode on YouTube: sweating and rehydrating with filtered water and electrolytes at 27:05–27:31; light binders, charcoal, modified citrus pectin "while not causing constipation" and timing at 27:31–28:37; cilantro and chlorella at 33:33; bone broth and glycine as a building block of glutathione at 33:58–34:10: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIBpaNxBaMg).
25. Axe J. Heal From Parasites Protocol: The 30-Day System. DrAxe.com. 2025 (Phase 4, Bind, p. 19: "Take binders 2 hours away from food, herbs, and supplements — binders trap everything indiscriminately"; toxins that aren't bound are reabsorbed through the gut wall; Eat freely: "Add: cilantro, parsley (heavy metals)", "More water — binders are dehydrating"; Avoid: "Taking binders with food, supps, or meds", "Skipping water (constipation risk)", "Pregnancy & breastfeeding"; modified citrus pectin 5 g daily).
26. Galinytė D, Balčiūnaitė-Murzienė G, Karosienė J, Morudov D, Naginienė R, Baranauskienė D, et al. Determination of Heavy Metal Content: Arsenic, Cadmium, Mercury, and Lead in Cyano-Phycocyanin Isolated from the Cyanobacterial Biomass. Plants (Basel). 2023;12(17):3150. doi:10.3390/plants12173150
27. Hussain A, Saeed A. Hazardous or Advantageous: Uncovering the Roles of Heavy Metals and Humic Substances in Shilajit (Phyto-mineral) with Emphasis on Heavy Metals Toxicity and Their Detoxification Mechanisms. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2024;202(12):5794-5814. doi:10.1007/s12011-024-04109-4
28. Eliaz I, Hotchkiss AT, Fishman ML, Rode D. The effect of modified citrus pectin on urinary excretion of toxic elements. Phytother Res. 2006;20(10):859-64. doi:10.1002/ptr.1953
29. Diaz JP, Pena E, El Alam S, Matte C, Cortés I, Figueroa L, et al. Chlorella vulgaris Supplementation Attenuates Lead Accumulation, Oxidative Stress, and Memory Impairment in Rats. Toxics. 2025;13(4):313. doi:10.3390/toxics13040313
30. Axe J. The Candida Cleanse Protocol: The 30-Day Healing Protocol. DrAxe.com. 2026 (p. 21, Supplements: chlorella plus modified citrus pectin, 2–3 g plus 5 g daily, "Two hours from food and supplements").
31. Zhao ZY, Liang L, Fan X, Yu Z, Hotchkiss AT, Wilk BJ, et al. The role of modified citrus pectin as an effective chelator of lead in children hospitalized with toxic lead levels. Altern Ther Health Med. 2008;14(4):34-8.
32. Bisanz JE, Enos MK, Mwanga JR, Changalucha J, Burton JP, Gloor GB, et al. Randomized open-label pilot study of the influence of probiotics and the gut microbiome on toxic metal levels in Tanzanian pregnant women and school children. mBio. 2014;5(5):e01580-14. doi:10.1128/mBio.01580-14
33. Axe J. She GAVE UP Her Medical License After This... The Dr. Josh Axe Show. 2025 (Dr. Axe in the passage at 27:14–28:30: "I am a huge fan of humic and fulvic acid and ultra high dose probiotics. I think those are the best detoxifiers."; on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhgbtnIMpvo).
34. Aga M, Iwaki K, Ueda Y, Ushio S, Masaki N, Fukuda S, et al. Preventive effect of Coriandrum sativum (Chinese parsley) on localized lead deposition in ICR mice. J Ethnopharmacol. 2001;77(2-3):203-8. doi:10.1016/s0378-8741(01)00299-9
35. Deldar K, Nazemi E, Balali Mood M, Emami SA, MohammadPour AH, Tafaghodi M, et al. Effect of Coriandrum sativum L. extract on lead excretion in 3-7 year old children. J Birjand Univ Med Sci. 2008;15(3):11-19.
36. Axe J. Your Body Makes Its Own Master Antioxidant — Here's Why It Stops. The Dr. Josh Axe Show. 2026 (NAC supplies the cysteine your cells use to build their own glutathione).
37. Kasperczyk S, Dobrakowski M, Kasperczyk A, Ostałowska A, Birkner E. The administration of N-acetylcysteine reduces oxidative stress and regulates glutathione metabolism in the blood cells of workers exposed to lead. Clin Toxicol (Phila). 2013;51(6):480-6. doi:10.3109/15563650.2013.802797
38. Richie JP, Nichenametla S, Neidig W, Calcagnotto A, Haley JS, Schell TD, et al. Randomized controlled trial of oral glutathione supplementation on body stores of glutathione. Eur J Nutr. 2015;54(2):251-63. doi:10.1007/s00394-014-0706-z
39. Li YF, Dong Z, Chen C, Li B, Gao Y, Qu L, et al. Organic selenium supplementation increases mercury excretion and decreases oxidative damage in long-term mercury-exposed residents from Wanshan, China. Environ Sci Technol. 2012;46(20):11313-8. doi:10.1021/es302241v
40. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Questions and Answers on Unapproved Chelation Products. Updated February 2, 2016.
41. Brown MJ, Willis T, Omalu B, Leiker R. Deaths resulting from hypocalcemia after administration of edetate disodium: 2003-2005. Pediatrics. 2006;118(2):e534-6. doi:10.1542/peds.2006-0858
42. Chyka PA, Seger D, Krenzelok EP, Vale JA, American Academy of Clinical Toxicology, European Association of Poisons Centres and Clinical Toxicologists. Position paper: Single-dose activated charcoal. Clin Toxicol (Phila). 2005;43(2):61-87. doi:10.1081/clt-200051867
43. Axe J. The Type 2 Diabetes Protocol. DrAxe.com. 2026 (advanced therapies, infrared sauna or heat therapy: "Hydrate well, ease in, and get clearance if you have heart disease").
44. Ettinger AS, Lamadrid-Figueroa H, Téllez-Rojo MM, Mercado-García A, Peterson KE, Schwartz J, et al. Effect of calcium supplementation on blood lead levels in pregnancy: a randomized placebo-controlled trial. Environ Health Perspect. 2009;117(1):26-31. doi:10.1289/ehp.11868
45. Axe J. Top 12 Most Misunderstood Supplements & Therapies (That Actually Work). The Dr. Josh Axe Show. 2025 (activated charcoal only for emergencies or a detox protocol; it binds minerals, nutrients and medications; "if you're gonna take vitamins and supplements, you wanna take it at least 4 hours, if not 8 hours apart" at 58:27–58:33; charcoal at night and supplements in the morning, or the other way around; constipation as its other big side effect; on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcPI0t2GCc0).
46. Sekhar RV, Patel SG, Guthikonda AP, Reid M, Balasubramanyam A, Taffet GE, et al. Deficient synthesis of glutathione underlies oxidative stress in aging and can be corrected by dietary cysteine and glycine supplementation. Am J Clin Nutr. 2011;94(3):847-53. doi:10.3945/ajcn.110.003483
47. Axe J, Rubin J. The Biblio Diet. Hachette Book Group; 2025. ISBN 9781546008439 (ch. 12, A Biblical Spice Rack, milk thistle entry: native to Samaria and parts of Israel, used "for over two millennia as a remedy for liver health" for its active compound, silymarin; it "effectively targets the harmful effects of alcohol consumption, pesticides in our food supply, heavy metals in our water, and pollution in the air we breathe"; "For ongoing use and as a liver supplement, take 50 to 150 milligrams daily"; Dr. Axe's mom "used this herb to help detoxify her body after chemotherapy treatments").
48. Axe J. The 25 Root-Cause Bloodwork Markers That Matter Most. DrAxe.com protocol. 2026 (marker 1, hs-CRP: functional target under 0.5 mg/L).

Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DNM, CNS

Doctor of Natural Medicine · Founder, DrAxe.com

Dr. Axe is a certified doctor of natural medicine, clinical nutritionist, and multiple New York Times bestselling author. He has spent 20+ years in clinical practice helping people heal at the root cause and founded one of the most-visited natural-health platforms in the world.

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