The Benefits Of Chelation Therapy

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Anyhow, I saw him over the weekend and he told me an amusing story from his childhood:

‘As a little boy, after being told I have this terrible heart condition and spooky cholesterol-stuff in my arteries, I wondered if there was any way the doctors could clean my arteries. Like you would do with a clogged up drain pipe or perhaps using a bottlebrush to scrape away the fatty deposits and fix my insides.’ Clearly Albert’s condition made a huge impact on him as a little boy and if his doctors where really in the know, they would’ve told him that this is possible...

Chelation Therapy

Chelation therapy is a treatment that is used to treat heavy metal poisoning. It most often involves the injection of ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) - also refered to as a 'synthetic amino acid' -  that binds with (chelates) heavy metals, which include iron, lead, mercury, cadmium, and zinc.

The term ‘chelation’ comes from the Greek word ‘chele’ which means claw, referring to the way the chemical grabs onto these metals. EDTA is a man-made amino acid, which has a particular affinity for toxic metals such as mercury, cadmium, aluminium and lead. If EDTA meets with these substances through an intravenous infusion or oral application, they bind and then are secreted through bodily waste.

EDTA was first used in the US in 1948 as treatment for industrial workers suffering from lead poisoning and, in America, has since become the treatment-of-choice for lead poisoning. The US Navy gave EDTA orally to thousands of sailors in the 1940s to treat and combat lead toxicity. Today it is also used as an antioxidant in foods, a chelating agent in pharmaceuticals and as an anticoagulant for blood taken for haematological (medical study of the blood and blood-producing organs) studies, and in the UK, it is the standard treatment for acute heavy metal poisoning.

In simple terms

Before I open a can of worms and upset the medical-mainstream-apple-cart, allow me to explain chelation in a bit more detail:

We are all familiar with free radicals and the damage they do to our bodies. Free radicals are the highly unstable chemicals that attack, infiltrate, and injure vital cell structures in our bodies, which in turn prevent the body to function properly on a cellular level – preventing optimum health.

The most studied free radical chain reaction is lipid peroxidation. Put plainly this is the process whereby free radicals ‘steal’ electrons from the lipids in cell membranes, resulting in cell damage. The majority of lipid peroxidation involves the presence of metal ions such as iron, copper or calcium. EDTA effectively locks onto these ions and the metastatic or misplaced, unbound toxic minerals, preventing them to deconstructing cells. After binding they are secreted in bodily waste.

Once the body is rid of these free radicals and toxins after chelation, normal optimal cell function is restored... you guessed it... you have better cell absorption of all the ‘good’ stuff like antioxidants (with free radical chain-reaction-breaking properties) and vitamins and minerals. You also have better blood flow and circulation and voila! You are back on the road to optimum health.

This is why Chelation Therapy can be used to help with conditions such as:

• coronary and cerebrovascular disease
• autoimmune conditions
• chronic fatigue syndrome
• autistic spectrum disorders
• allergic disorders
• Arterial diseases
• Stroke
• neurological conditions and neuropathies
• preventative medicine and anti-ageing

More than heavy metal

You may ask, how can Chelation Therapy benefit someone like Albert?

EDTA is believed to reduce the blood platelet formation. This makes the blood less ‘sticky’ allowing it to flow through narrow or even partially blocked arteries, minimizing the effect of the blockage.

EDTA also optimizes the ratio of HDL and LDL cholesterol levels. There are two types of cholesterol: the good cholesterol called HDL and the bad cholesterol called LDL. The ideal is to have high HDL and low LDL and low total cholesterol. Researchers have found that EDTA infusion, combined with vitamin and mineral supplements, raised HDL cholesterol and lowered LDL cholesterol. If the HDL was low, it was raised; however, if it was already high, its level remains the same. Similarly, the LDL was lowered if it was high.

Other benefits experienced after chelation therapy are:

• Increased Circulation
• Normalised Blood Pressure
• Normalised Cholesterol Levels
• Enhanced Memory
• Increased Energy Levels

There is always a big BUT when we talk about alternative therapies. We know the drill by now and I believe it is fair to say that conventional medicine and alternative medicine have been at odds for many years for various reasons and too many to mention here.

Like any intensive therapy, Chelation Therapy also has some side effects:

• Headaches: This is generally from low blood sugar. Make sure you eat 3 meals per day. A good recommendation is to eat a semi ripe banana if this occurs.
• Nausea or Upset Stomach: This may happen if you take too large a dosage or you are taking your doses too close together. Reduce the number of drops per dose by 2 and schedule at least one hour between doses. You also may find relief by taking vitamin B6.
• Diarrhoea: Again, this can be caused by taking too much of a good thing. Reduce the number of drops per dose by 2 and schedule at least one hour between doses.
• Feeling Light-Headed: This is generally due to a drop in blood pressure. You may feel this if you suffer from high blood pressure and your blood pressure is returning to a normal level as a result of EDTA chelation. Just rest for a hour or so and keep your feet elevated higher than your head. This will allow the blood to flow to the brain.
• Extreme Fatigue: This is usually caused by a deficiency of the minerals magnesium, zinc and potassium. These are minerals that you may have chelated during therapy. You may require taking a potassium rich supplement. In addition, you should be eating bananas, grapes, peaches and potato skins. This will give you back the minerals that were removed by the EDTA.
• Cramps: If you experience cramps, it is probably due to the lack of the mineral magnesium. Supplemental magnesium will relieve the cramping.

Whilst mainstream medicine is very sceptical about Chelation Therapy, in comparison with the side effects of statins or chemotherapy, for example, the ones mentioned above seems to be a piece of cake...

Of course there are also no patents on naturally found agents such as EDTA, thus drug companies have little interest in promoting this type of health procedure because their profit margins would be too low and consequently conventional doctors give it a cold shoulder too.

As always use any ‘natural supplement’ in moderation and always check with a reputable licensed natural practitioner before implementing any natural supplement regime. Additionally, be sure to consult with your pharmacist concerning interactions with prescription drugs.

Chelation therapy is an effective alternative or preventative therapy to surgery and is an effective choice in preventing cardiovascular disease by boosting your immune system and effectively cleansing the arteries.

Chelation therapy should not be used if you have liver or kidney disease or any condition affecting blood cells or the immune system.

Chelation Therapy is a hot topic in the world of alternative medicine and treatment and it is certainly one we will keep our eye on. Be sure to watch this space for a follow-up article on where to get this treatment in the UK. As always we encourage you to leave your comments at the bottom of this article. Your feedback is important to us and it benefits the entire Healthier Life community. 

Related reading:
Why Chelation Therapy May Benefit Autistic Children

‘Chelation Therapy’ published online by the Henry Spink Foundation, henryspink.org

‘Chelation Therapy’ published online by Breakspear Medical Group, breakspearmedical.com

‘Benefits of Chelation Therapy’, published online by Holistic Online, holisticonline.com

‘The Story of Free Radicals’ published online by Holistic Online, holisticonline.com

‘What is Chelation Therapy?’ by Gary Kenneth Archer, published online, articlesbase.com