Red mercury’: Why does this strange myth persist?

“Red mercury: Is it real or a scam?” these are questions I get asked a lot by people who think they know the real story of how mercury was discovered. The real story is much more interesting and has far greater implications for society today than any gossip huck mag does. Here’s what really happened.

Red mercury is a compound naturally found in a variety of things, including sea water, coal, and plant materials. It was first isolated by the Swedish chemist Ole Ingvarsson in 1834. He claimed that it came from a mountain spring and that it caused burning sensations in the skin, which was attributed to the burning of natural fats. Other doctors thought there might be an ulcer, but none could find evidence to support that claim.

Today we have learned that mercury, while real, is not nearly as dangerous as many people think. People who were exposed to extremely high levels during the mining and industrial age generally developed nerve and heart disease over time. However, a sort of mercury poisoning is still going on in our environment. Mercury particles are still being emitted into the atmosphere. It would take us millions of years to deplete the mercury content of the air.

There is a popular herbicide that is used today that has trace amounts of mercury. That herbicide is Chlorothalonil. Trace amounts of mercury can be found in a variety of other natural resources, such as seashells and plankton. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t avoid products that contain those types of materials if you can help it. I use natural products myself, and I don’t touch them with my bare hands.

There are a lot of rumors out there circulating that red mercury is linked to diseases like arthritis and autism. The only proof that I have seen that backs up these claims is that one man had a daughter with autism. Scientists are still trying to figure out exactly why that is. While red mercury is certainly toxic, none of the known diseases mentioned here are caused by it.

If you have any concerns about the things around you, get a special filtered tap water purifier and start giving your body a bit of extra help to fight off any toxins. If nothing else works, you can always look to safer organic products. Look for ones containing green quartz, calcium, bentonite clay, or vitamin B12.