Metals in medicine

Sources of toxic metals include cadmium from tobacco, arsenic from agriculture and mercury from volcanoes and forest fires.

Nature, in the form of trees and plants, is able to trap many toxins and can bring abnormally high levels back into equilibrium.

Most metals are used as cofactors or prosthetics in enzymes, catalyzing specific reactions and serving essential roles.

The essential metals for humans are: Sodium, Potassium, Magnesium, Copper, Vanadium, Chromium, Manganese, Iron, Cobalt, Nickel, Zinc, Molybdenum, and Cadmium.

Not only does this entail that people with implanted metal plates, bone screws (internal fixation), or syndesmotic screws often cannot undergo MRI, it also entails that many everyday objects, including jewelry, belt buckles, wallets, purses, security guards' weapons, and so on, must be kept out of the MRI area.

The Ebers Papyrus from 1500BC is the first written account of the use of metals for treatment and describes the use of Copper to reduce inflammation and the use of iron to treat anemia.

Figure 1. Structure of Bleomycin A2
Figure 2. Structure of Cisplatin , a platinum coordination complex.
Figure 3. Structure of Sodium aurothiomalate , a gold salt complex.
Figure 4. Structure of bismuth subsalicylate .