While it can be a long process, it's possible to remove mercury from your body. Garlic, cilantro and ginger can help to move mercury out of cells.

The first thing to remember is: Don’t Panic

While it can be a long and slow process, it is very possible to remove mercury from your body.

If you suspect that you’ve been poisoned by mercury, there are two routes you can take.

The first is to see a specialist, who will test you for mercury levels and then put you on chelation therapy if you need it. This will involve the use of chelation agents such as DMSA in a medical facility.
The second option is to try to slowly remove the mercury in your body yourself with natural ingredients. Keep in mind that mercury removal can be strenuous on the body as mercury will be released from your tissues and into your bloodstream before it can be carried out. Because of this “re-introduction of mercury” during the chelating process, it is much safer and better to do this slowly.

How to remove mercury from tissues and organs (mercury chelation)

1) Eat fresh cilantro (also called Chinese parsley)

You can do this in several ways:

  • You can take cilantro by adding it to fresh juices (easy to do if you have a masticating juicer that can take leaves)
  • Eat the cilantro leaves whole and raw (might be a bit pungent for some)
  • You can also add the leaves to some hot water or hot tea to steep and infuse.
  • Enjoy them in cooked dishes. For example, many Asian (especially Vietnamese) dishes like pho bo contain fresh cilantro. Look for your favorite recipes or dishes. If dining out, ask if the cook can add more cilantro.

Unlike other herbs, cilantro is very effective in chelating mercury from the brain and central nervous system.

This is especially helpful if you feel you have symptoms from mercury poisoning such as a lack of coordination, excessive anxiety, nervousness and memory loss (mental fogginess/forgetfulness).

Cilantro not only removes mercury, but other toxic heavy metals such as lead as well.

Note: Unfortunately, a small number of people find the taste of cilantro intolerable. For example, they may complain that cilantro tastes “soapy”. If you’re one of them, know that this might be inherited (genetic) so it’s best to try other methods to chelate mercury instead of forcing yourself to have cilantro.

2) Eat fresh garlic

Garlic is an amazing and powerful herb. It is able to bind to mercury and remove it from the soft tissues as it contains many sulphur components which oxidize mercury, making it water-soluble and easy for the body to remove.

Garlic also contains selenium, which is an important mineral that protects us from mercury toxicity by binding with mercury. The selenium from garlic binds itself to mercury, making it difficult for the mercury to be absorbed by our tissues. You can see why garlic is especially valuable if you think you’ve been poisoned.

Take garlic raw or lightly cooked for the maximum effect. Garlic pills do very little, despite marketing claims otherwise. Similarly, it’s also much less effective to take selenium pills. This is because selenium needs to be bio-available to make a difference, and few selenium supplements are.
  • One clove of garlic a day will help. If you have trouble eating garlic raw, cut it into small pieces so that they can be swallowed with some water. Taking garlic this way minimizes the taste, which can be powerful.
  • You can also take garlic in a “tea”. Chop up a few cloves and add them to a cup of hot water to steep. Drink the water as it cools. Do not take when your stomach is empty.

3) Add ginger to food or drinks

Like garlic, ginger is a potent remover of heavy metals like mercury.

Ginger is a known anti-toxic agent and has the ability to scavenge for free radicals, making it very useful for getting rid of heavy metals like mercury.

Studies have also shown that it protects the liver from heavy metal build-up.

Effect of ginger on accumulation of mercury in liver of rats over 6 weeks
Effect of ginger on accumulation of mercury in liver of rats over 6 weeks

Here’s another study (download pdf) that demonstrates just how effective ginger is at removing mercury.

Ginger is so versatile that there are countless ways to include it in our food and drinks.

  • Add fresh ginger slices to hot water and some sugar for a cup of ginger tea.
  • Include ginger when making soups or broths. It’s especially good with seafood- or fish-based soups.
  • Ginger can be added to stir-fries, baked fish, fried rice, fried noodles, baked chicken, chicken rice etc etc.
  • Include ginger in fresh juices for an extra spicy kick.
  • If you have a sweet tooth, ginger can easily be made into candied ginger. All that’s needed is sugar, water and ginger.

4) Eat fruits and raw vegetables

Fresh fruits and raw vegetables are effective in removing mercury and other toxic heavy metals from our bodies over time.

They contain many nutrients that help mobilize and excrete mercury, such as:

– Vitamin C
– MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane)
– Glutathione
– N-Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC)
– Rutin
– and many other vitamins and minerals…

You can also take these in supplements, but supplements are best alongside a diet of natural whole foods, which will ensure that they can work together synergistically.

If you find it difficult to adopt more raw foods, try to have at least one fruit or raw vegetable each day and go from there. Do what is easy and enjoyable first. Eat your favorite fruits and salads. Have delicious fresh fruit juices.