Toxic Metals Vs. Trace Elements

Some metals such as copper, manganese, zinc, selenium, iodine, and cobalt are needed in specific quantities for our bodies to function properly. We call these trace elements. However, too much of a good thing can also be bad. This is a bit of a goldilocks situation, but some metals like cadmium, lead, nickel, chromium, mercury, and arsenic are not needed at all. 

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HEAVY METALS AND HUMAN HEALTH: POSSIBLE EXPOSURE PATHWAYS AND THE COMPETITION FOR PROTEIN BINDING SITES

Heavy metals enter the human body through the gastrointestinal tract, skin, or via inhalation. Toxic metals have proven to be a major threat to human health, mostly because of their ability to cause membrane and DNA damage, and to perturb protein function and enzyme activity.

Witkowska, Danuta et al. “Heavy Metals and Human Health: Possible Exposure Pathways and the Competition for Protein Binding Sites.” Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) vol. 26,19 6060. 7 Oct. 2021, doi:10.3390/molecules26196060