Hyderabad: The concentration of heavy metals in foodstuff affects the liver, pancreas, brain and also the blood circulatory system.
Dr Madhusudhan, a liver specialist with Osmania General Hospital, says the pancreas and the liver bear the brunt of the heavy metals we ingest in our food. “Lead, nickel and arsenic material will affect both these organs and in the long run it is found to cause pancreatic cancer,” he said.
Heavy concentration of mercury affects the gastro-intestinal system, copper causes damage to the brain and nervous system, and lead can cause poisoning. The exposure to heavy metals and their assimilation into the food chain forces kidneys to work overtime to remove the toxins.
Nephrologist Dr Pradeep Deshpande explains that the kidneys carry out the work of filtration. “Whatever one eats has to go through the intestines and kidneys. There are studies which have proved the role of lead and arsenic metals on the kidneys. It is a slow damage and over the years the functioning gets affected.”
