Chelation therapy is a type of detoxification treatment that helps eliminate heavy metals from the body. The word, chelation, derives from the Greek word, chele, meaning "claw,” and is a symbolic description of the mechanism involved in the therapy.
Chelation is based on the chelating (i.e., grabbing or capturing) action of a certain amino acid complex called ethylene-diamine-tetra-acetic acid (EDTA). When EDTA comes in contact with certain positively charged metals (such as lead, iron, copper, calcium, magnesium, zinc, plutonium and manganese) and other substances in a solution, the EDTA grabs and traps them — hence the symbolism of the claw. Therefore, practitioners of chelation use the process to remove toxic, heavy metals from the blood stream.
Also, many chelation practitioners use the process to help reduce calcium build-up in the arteries. The thought is that by eliminating this buildup, the patient’s risk of heart attack, stroke, and other blood-related diseases is greatly reduced.
Because of the lack of controlled double-blind clinical studies to prove that chelation is a safe and effective therapy for cancer and cardiovascular diseases, a great deal of controversy exists. There are many skeptics, as well as many alternative medicine practitioners, who believe in chelation therapy. As with all conventional and alternative methods of treatment, we encourage you to investigate chelation therapy carefully, and then decide whether it is appropriate for you to consider it. |
