Joachim Mutter

Amalgam studies: disregarding basic principles of mercury toxicity.

Dental amalgam, which has been used for over 150 years in dental practice, consists of about 50% metallic mercury. Studies on animal and humans show that mercury is continuously released from dental amalgam and absorbed by several body tissues. It is widely accepted that the main source of mercury vapor is dental amalgam and it contributes substantially to mercury load in human body tissues. There is still a controversy about the consequences of this additional mercury exposure from amalgam to human health. Many studies were performed to evaluate possible adverse effects. In this comment, these studies were analyzed with regard to their methodical quality by considering the newest findings on mercury toxicity and metabolism. In sum, a number of studies are methodically flawed drawing inaccurate conclusions as to the safety of dental amalgam.

Comments on the article: The toxicology of mercury and its chemical compounds by clarkson and magos (2006)

provide their perspectives on the toxicology of mercury vapor and dental amalgam. As scientists who are involved in preparing a German federal guidline regarding dental amalgam, we welcome additional scientific data on this issue. However, Clarkson and Magos do not present all the relevant studies in their review. The additional data provided here show that: (a) Dental amalgam is the main source of human total mercury body burden, because individuals with amalgam have 2–12 times more mercury in their body tissues compared to individuals without amalgam; (b) there is not necessarily a correlation between mercury levels in blood, urine, or hair and in body tissues, and none of the parameters correlate with severity of symptoms; (c) the half-life of mercury deposits in brain and bone tissues could last from several years to decades, and thus mercury accumulates over time of exposure; (d) mercury, in particular mercury vapor, is known to be the most toxic nonradioactive element, and is toxic even in very low doses, and (e) some studies which conclude that amalgam fillings are safe for human beings have important methodogical flaws. Therefore, they have no value for assessing the safety of amalgam.

Xenobiotikaausleitung bei einer Patientin mit Fibromyalgie, chronischer Erschöpfung und stammbetonter Adipositas

Der Fall einer 28-jährigen Patientin wird geschildert, die seit mehr als 5 Jahren an ausgeprägter Erschöpfung, Weichteilschmerzen, Obstipation, Stammfettsucht, abdominellen Striae, Ödemen, Tinnitus sowie Follikulitis und Schwellung des Gesichtes litt. Es konnte eine isolierte sekundäre Nebenniereninsuffizienz festgestellt werden. Es fanden sich Hinweise für eine umweltmedizinische Genese der Beschwerden. Es wurde eine umfassende Therapie, die Ernährungsberatung, Ausleitung, Nahrungsergänzungen und Akupunktur beinhaltete, durchgeführt. Unter dieser kam es zu einer vollständigen Heilung der Erkrankung. Ein derartiger Fall wurde bisher in der Literatur noch nicht beschrieben. Der Fall, der schulmedizinische Befund sowie die möglichen pathogenetischen Mechanismen werden aus komplementärmedizinischer Sicht ausführlich und praxisnah dargestellt.

Healing of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Case Report

Background: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating disease leading to death within 3-5 years in most cases. New approaches to treating this disease are needed. Here, we report a successful therapy. Case Report: In a 49-year-old male patient suffering from muscle weakness and fasciculations, progressive muscular atrophy, a variant of ALS, was diagnosed after extensive examinations ruling out other diseases. Due to supposed mercury exposure from residual amalgam, the patients teeth were restored. Then, the patient received sodium 2,3-dimercaptopropanesulfate (DMPS; overall 86 × 250 mg in 3 years) in combination with α-lipoic acid and followed by selenium. In addition, he took vitamins and micronutrients and kept a vegetarian diet. The excretion of metals was monitored in the urine. The success of the therapy was followed by scoring muscle weakness and fasciculations and finally by electromyography (EMG) of the affected muscles. First improvements occurred after the dental restorations. Two months after starting therapy with DMPS, the mercury level in the urine was increased (248.4 µg/g creatinine). After 1.5 years, EMG confirmed the absence of typical signs of ALS. In the course of 3 years, the patient recovered completely. Conclusions: The therapy described here is a promising approach to treating some kinds of motor neuron disease and merits further evaluation in rigorous trials.

Inorganic Mercury and Alzheimer’s Disease—Results of a Review and a Molecular Mechanism

Mercury has been introduced into the human environment in large quantities through industrial and medical processes, starting in the early nineteenth century. It is one of the most toxic substances known. Circumstantial evidence suggests that the pathology of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) might be in part caused or exacerbated by inorganic mercury (IM). We therefore present here the results of a systematic review, covering 106 studies, most of them case control and cohort studies. Thirty-two studies, out of 40 testing memory in individuals exposed to IM, found significant memory deficits. Some autopsy studies found increased mercury levels in brain tissues of AD patients. Measurements of mercury levels in blood, urine, hair, nails, and cerebrospinal fluid were inconsistent. In vitro and animal models showed that IM reproduces all pathological changes seen in AD. Its high affinity for selenium and selenoproteins suggests that IM may promote neurodegenerative disorders via disruption of redox regulation. IM may therefore play a role as a co-factor in the multi-factorial development of AD. It may also increase the pathological influence of other metals already known to play a potential role in AD, such as aluminum, copper, or iron. The mechanistic model provided here explains the considerable delay until clinical symptoms can be seen. Mercury should be eliminated from biological cycles as quickly as possible.