Upon completion of this module, the participants will:

• Learn how to assess a patient for toxic metal exposure
• Look at the incidence of exposure to toxic metals
• Discover treatment modalities for retention of toxic metals including EDTA, DMPS, DMSA
• Learn nonpharmaceutical agents that chelate out heavy metals
• Understand the importance of adequate mineral status before testing a patient for heavy metal toxicity
• Learn the symptoms of heavy metal exposure
• Study the common toxins that affect health including organohalogens, organophosphates, organic solvents, and heavy metals
• Know the mechanisms of toxic injury including disturbances in cell signaling, alterations in structural entities such as the mitochondria, and impaired synthesis of specific molecules such as fatty acids, proteins, nucleotides, glutathione, and phospholipids
• Discover hormonal disruption that can occur with toxin exposure
• Understand the biotransformation that can occur with drugs, metals, and xenobiotics before they are excreted from the body
• Find out how biotransformation by cytochrome P-450 enzymes affects the toxic nature of compounds
• Study the mechanism of oxidative stress caused by toxins
• Learn about detoxifying enzymes and genetic polymorphism
• Know about metallothioneins and genetic polymorphism
• Discover nutritional and environmental factors that modify susceptibility to environmental toxins
• Learn how to assess the toxicologically affected patient
• Gather information on how to teach a patient how to have a detoxified lifestyle
• Discover the five organs of detoxification in the body and how to aid a patient in detoxifying these organs