Dental Mercury Causes Allergies and Immune Sensitivity

So I was talking to a relative of mine who has all sorts of food allergies. I asked if she had mercury amalgam fillings. She said yes. Ah that made me think of the articles I had seen stating the mercury sensitized the immune system. Yes, they did mention it several times as shown in the articles below. In my own experience I used to have allergies to ragweed in August of every year. Once I got the dental amalgam fillings replaced with ceramics and plastic fillings those allergies went away. I did not need to take Allegra or Claritin in the late summer and develop the related colds/sinus infection. They just went away. That makes me think that mercury does indeed sensitize the immune system and make any potential allergies worse. Also, one detox symptom that is noted is itching of the skin due to histamines. Well that too is an allergic reaction.

Related to that topic my gums used to bleed, have deep pockets and I had kanker sores when I had the amalgam fillings. Those issues also resolved after amalgam removal. Why? Likely the mercury saliva that my gums and mouth were swimming in irritated it. This could also be related to allergic reaction.

I also asked Co Pilot AI to see if I was smoking some controlled substance with my line of thought. Here is what it said which aligns to what I thought.

“Does mercury sensitize the immune system?”

“Yes, mercury can sensitize the immune system—often in complex and sometimes contradictory ways. Here’s a breakdown of how it interacts with immune function:

 Mercury’s Effects on the Immune System

Mercury is considered one of the most immunotoxic metals, capable of triggering a range of immune responses depending on the form, dose, and individual susceptibility.

1. Immune Activation

• Mercury can stimulate the proliferation of innate immune cells like macrophages, dendritic cells, and granulocytes.
• This activation leads to increased production of proinflammatory cytokines, contributing to systemic inflammation.

2. Hypersensitivity Reactions

• Mercury is a known cause of Type IV hypersensitivity, a delayed, cell-mediated allergic response.
• This can manifest as skin rashes, oral lesions, or systemic symptoms, especially in people exposed to mercury in dental amalgams or through diet.
• Mercury can also rarely trigger Type III hypersensitivity (immune complex-mediated), where antigen-antibody complexes deposit in tissues and cause inflammation.

3. Autoimmunity

• In animal models, mercury exposure has been shown to induce autoimmune responses, including the production of autoantibodies (e.g., against laminin and fibrillarin) and immune complex deposition in organs.
• Mercury-sensitive strains of mice and rats are often used to study mercury-induced autoimmunity.
• In humans, the link between mercury and autoimmune disease is less clear but still under investigation.

4. Immunosuppression

• Paradoxically, mercury can also suppress immune function by reducing the proliferative activity of immune cells, depending on the dose and exposure duration.

 Clinical Relevance

• Mercury allergy is increasingly recognized, especially in individuals with mercury-containing dental fillings or high fish consumption.
• Sensitization is not necessarily dose-dependent—some individuals react to very low levels.
• Testing methods like lymphocyte transformation tests (LTT) and patch testing can help identify hypersensitivity.

“Could mercury cause food allergies?”

Mercury exposure may contribute to the development or worsening of food allergies, although the connection is still being explored and isn’t fully established in humans. Here’s what we know so far:

 How Mercury Might Contribute to Food Allergies

1. Immune Dysregulation

• Mercury can disrupt the balance between Th1 and Th2 immune responses, skewing the immune system toward a Th2-dominant profile.
• Th2 dominance is associated with allergic sensitization, including food allergies, asthma, and eczema.

2. Increased Gut Permeability (“Leaky Gut”)

• Mercury may damage the intestinal lining, increasing gut permeability.
• This allows undigested food proteins to enter the bloodstream, where they trigger immune responses and potential food sensitivities.

• 3. Adjuvant Effect
  • Mercury can act as an immune adjuvant, enhancing the immune system’s response to otherwise harmless antigens—like food proteins.
  • This is similar to how aluminum adjuvants work in vaccines to boost immune response.
  4. Animal Studies
  • In rodent models, mercury exposure has been shown to increase IgE levels and promote allergic-type immune responses.
  • These findings suggest a potential mechanism for mercury-induced food allergy, though human data is more limited.

 Clinical Observations

• Some individuals with mercury hypersensitivity report worsening of food intolerances or allergies after mercury exposure (e.g. from dental amalgams or high-mercury fish).
• Mercury detoxification protocols (e.g. chelation, glutathione support) have been anecdotally linked to improvements in food tolerance in sensitive individuals.

 Mercury in Food

• The primary dietary source of mercury is methylmercury in seafood, especially large predatory fish like shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and some types of tuna.
• Reducing intake of high-mercury fish and supporting detox pathways may help reduce immune burden.

Recall there is also mercury in high fructose corn syrup from its production so the food item doesn’t have to be fish.

So if you have lots of allergies and have dental amalgam fillings you may want to have these fillings replaced with more biocompatible materials to see if the allergies are reduced or go away. They did for me and might also for you.

Here are some articles that mention mercury sensitizing the immune system in them.