Four food-derived binding agents: three work inside the gut, one is partly absorbed, which remains disputed. Small studies without comparison groups report more metal leaving the body; no study has tested all four together, and none shows that lowering a metal level changes how anyone feels. Risks are mostly digestive upset and algae contamination. Nearly all favourable work is seller-funded. (Full Review)
| Marker | Target | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Blood lead | < 1.0 µg/dL | Main circulating lead pool and the metric all treatment evidence uses |
| Whole-blood mercury | < 3.0 µg/L | Recent methylmercury intake, mostly from fish |
| Urine cadmium | < 0.5 µg/g creatinine | Cumulative body burden; cadmium has a decades-long half-life |
| Urine arsenic, speciated | Inorganic plus methylated species < 10 µg/L | Distinguishes toxic inorganic arsenic from harmless seafood arsenic |
| Serum ferritin | 50–150 ng/mL | Low iron stores increase lead and cadmium absorption and signal binder-driven depletion |
| Serum zinc | 90–120 µg/dL | Most likely essential mineral to fall under sustained non-selective binding |
| Serum copper | 90–120 µg/dL | Second mineral at risk, and zinc supplementation lowers it further |
| Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) | > 90 mL/min/1.73 m² | Sets whether mobilised metal can actually be cleared in urine |
| Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) | < 25 U/L (men), < 20 U/L (women) | Detects the liver injury reported with spirulina and with microcystin-contaminated product |
| Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) | 0.5–2.0 mIU/L | Catches iodine carry-over from seaweed-derived alginate and binder-reduced absorption of thyroid hormone |
Cadence: Baseline, then the metal panel at 4 and 12 weeks; mineral, kidney, liver and thyroid panels at 12 weeks, then every 6 to 12 months while exposure continues. Clotting rechecked within 2 weeks of any change in chlorella intake.