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What is Chelation Therapy?
The term chelate is derived from the Greek word "chele"
which means to grasp with a pincer and was first applied to chemicals in 1920 by
the analytical chemist G.T. Morgan. Chelating agents are large anionic
molecules that reversibly bind with high affinity to di- and tri- valent metal
cations to form a metal complex. Some common chelators are
ethylenediamminetetraacetate (EDTA), dimercaprol (BAL), D-penicillamine,
dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA), deferoxamine and natural chelators including
hemoglobin and chlorophyll. Both natural and synthetic chelating agents
have many important uses in the areas of medicine, physiology and inorganic and
organic chemistry.
The proposed goal of chelation therapy is to remove
harmful substances from the body by having a chelating agent form a complex with
the toxic substance and
allowing the body to remove that complex using its natural mechanisms of waste
product removal. Proponents of chelation therapy claim that it may be used
to treat coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular disease, arthritis,
multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, psoriasis, Alzheimer's disease and many
others. Chelation therapy is routinely used and has been shown to be safe
and effective for the treatment of heavy metal poisoning with lead, mercury,
iron and for arsenic poisoning. The most popular alternative use for
chelation therapy is in the treatment of atherosclerotic diseases (CAD and
peripheral vascular disease).
Current descriptions by chelation proponents of chelation
therapy treatments for cardiovascular disease include the intravenous
administration of EDTA and the addition of several other components including B-complex vitamins, vitiamin C, minerals,
heparin and magnesium sulfate. More information on ingredients used in
chelation therapy protocols can be found here:
chelation protocols. Patients are usually treated three times
per week for an average of 40 total treatments at a cost of $100-$125 per
treatment. Oral chelation is a second proposed mechanism of
using chelating agents to treat a wide variety of disease. Proponents of
this form of chelation therapy make the same therapeutic claims as those who
support IV chelation in addition to claiming a general cleansing effect with
oral chelation. Oral chelation may involve the use of oral preparations of
EDTA or combinations of "natural" vitamins, minerals and other supplements that
have inherent chelating properties. The proponents of each type of
chelation therapy seem, for the most part, to discount the therapeutic efficacy
of the alternate therapy by claiming that the route of administration is
integral to the therapeutic effect. |
