What is Chelation Therapy?
Chelation (Key-lay-shun) therapy is the process of using a chelate agent to bind to molecules, including heavy metals or minerals, in order to remove toxic metals from the blood stream. The chelation process is used in reverse, to introduce Vitamin supplements into the blood stream, and allow them to be absorbed by the body. Without these chelating actions much of the Vitamin and Minerals would fail to absorb effectively.
The body does have its own natural chelation processes – digestion, assimilation, transport of food nutrients, and the formation of enzymes and hormones – as well as its own detoxification channels. However, when the amount of metal in the body becomes too high for the body to deal with by itself, chelation may be necessary.
It is becoming increasingly clear, that heavy metal toxicity leads to an immense range of Autoimmune Disorders.
Toxic heavy metals, which find their way into the various organs of the body, deposit in the tissue of their choice - effecting health and suppressing immune function. Alzheimer sufferers have an accumulation of Aluminium in their brains. Many sufferers of Autism are found to have an accumulation of Mercury and lead. Some helpful information can be found here.
You are encouraged to research Autoimmune Disorders further in order to better educate yourself with the true impact of toxins in your body.
Read an interesting article relating to the FDA and their view on Chelation Therapy Treatments here.
IV Chelation Therapy
The most well-known chelator is EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid), an amino acid that is generally administered via an intravenous solution. This process is invasive and rather costly, and yields positive results, though also increases the risks of side effects from the chelating agents - which also bind to Vitamins and Minerals which are needed for nutritional health.
Read here for more information as to the side effects of chemical ch
Oral chelation – an alternative
Oral chelation using nutritional food supplements containing chelating agents (such as EDTA, but also numerous natural chelators such as vitamins, minerals, amino acids, antioxidants, phytonutrients and herbs) can also be effective, but will be a slower process.
This is because only 4-18 % of an oral EDTA dose is absorbed (compared with 100% of an intravenous dose).
Nevertheless, some oral chelation formulas have the ability to chemically bond with and bring about the elimination of mercury and other metals from the body. The addition of vitamins, minerals, enzymes and antioxidants may make oral chelation a less harmful process and more supportive of the body. While taking chelators, you should do all that you can to support the body and avoid unnecessary sources of toxins.
Side Effects
Read more: Oral Chelation Therapy Side Effects | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_5627068_oral-chelation-therapy-side-effects.html#ixzz2IwYbCa23
Helping the process
If you are worried about toxic metal accumulation in your body there are other things you can do.
Begin by understanding what your risk, if any, of heavy metal overload is. There are a number of tests you can undergo to check levels of metals and other poisons in your body. Hair analysis, which usually involves taking a small sample of recent hair growth from the nape of the neck, is a common way of testing for the presence of heavy metals.
A lab analysis can give you fairly accurate information on the presence of calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, iron, copper, manganese, zinc, chromium and selenium, but also potentially more damaging metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic.
There are also several things you can do to aid your body’s natural detoxification pathways. Food, as always, plays a major part.
A high-fibre diet in general is useful for trapping toxins and assisting in the elimination of heavy metals. Fibre helps reduce intestinal permeability, sometimes known as leaky gut – a condition that can lead to allergies and toxic build-up in the bloodstream. Consider adding water-soluble, mucilaginous fibres such as psyllium seeds and flaxseeds to your diet. These can be ground up, and added to cereals, soups and baked foods
All leafy dark-green vegetables, especially cruciferous vegetables (belonging to the cabbage family), can inhibit the carcinogenic effects of chemicals. Try to include plenty of kale, spinach, broccoli and brussels sprouts in your diet. Other green foods that contain chlorophyll are also natural chelators that can draw heavy metals out of the system. Herbs like cilantro (coriander) are a good choice. A good way to take your greens is to buy a juicer and use it to make vegetable juices – they are not as sweet as fruit juices, but they pack more punch in the detox stakes.
The pectin found in apple and pear seeds can block the absorption of toxins while aiding detoxification. Try making apples or pears stewed with their seeds a regular feature of your diet.
Try seaweeds. Seaweeds and alginates can also bind to heavy metals. These can be taken as supplements or added to your diet.
Use a water filter. No home-filter process is infallible and there are benefits and limitations in every type of water you choose to drink. As a general recommendation, for the best-quality water, consider installing a reverse-osmosis filter on your own tap (but be careful since some of these use plastic filters, which can leach chemicals into your drinking water). Reverse-osmosis however is very wasteful of water (a waste that is becoming increasingly hard to justify as this natural resource becomes increasingly scarce). Distilled water is pure, but may be lacking in certain minerals. Jug-type water filters have to do what they claim on the label; this means they filter out a substantial amount of contaminants such as chlorine and heavy metals. Make sure you change the filter regularly to avoid bacterial build-up.
Have a regular sauna. Dry or steam saunas heat the body tissues several inches below the skin, enhancing all your metabolic processes. When all of your skin’s sweat glands are working well, they can perform as much detoxification as one (or both) kidneys. Increased sweating increases the elimination of salt and water through the skin as well as of metals (such as nickel, copper, zinc and lead), toxic volatile hydrocarbons (including benzene, styrene, toluene, trichloroethylene and PCBs), pesticides (such as DDT and DDE) and other toxins.
Reference: http://www.nyrnaturalnews.com/article/qa-what-is-chelation/
The body does have its own natural chelation processes – digestion, assimilation, transport of food nutrients, and the formation of enzymes and hormones – as well as its own detoxification channels. However, when the amount of metal in the body becomes too high for the body to deal with by itself, chelation may be necessary.
It is becoming increasingly clear, that heavy metal toxicity leads to an immense range of Autoimmune Disorders.
Toxic heavy metals, which find their way into the various organs of the body, deposit in the tissue of their choice - effecting health and suppressing immune function. Alzheimer sufferers have an accumulation of Aluminium in their brains. Many sufferers of Autism are found to have an accumulation of Mercury and lead. Some helpful information can be found here.
You are encouraged to research Autoimmune Disorders further in order to better educate yourself with the true impact of toxins in your body.
Read an interesting article relating to the FDA and their view on Chelation Therapy Treatments here.
IV Chelation Therapy
The most well-known chelator is EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid), an amino acid that is generally administered via an intravenous solution. This process is invasive and rather costly, and yields positive results, though also increases the risks of side effects from the chelating agents - which also bind to Vitamins and Minerals which are needed for nutritional health.
Read here for more information as to the side effects of chemical ch
Oral chelation – an alternative
Oral chelation using nutritional food supplements containing chelating agents (such as EDTA, but also numerous natural chelators such as vitamins, minerals, amino acids, antioxidants, phytonutrients and herbs) can also be effective, but will be a slower process.
This is because only 4-18 % of an oral EDTA dose is absorbed (compared with 100% of an intravenous dose).
Nevertheless, some oral chelation formulas have the ability to chemically bond with and bring about the elimination of mercury and other metals from the body. The addition of vitamins, minerals, enzymes and antioxidants may make oral chelation a less harmful process and more supportive of the body. While taking chelators, you should do all that you can to support the body and avoid unnecessary sources of toxins.
Side Effects
- "During chelation, toxins exit the body in urine, feces and sweat, and fluids and nutrients are excreted with the toxins. Therefore, most of the side effects of oral chelation are related to the loss of fluids and nutrients. Some patients may experience fatigue due to a loss of nutrients during the process of chelation. Low blood sugar and dehydration can cause headaches. Cramping may occur and is likely caused by a loss of magnesium or dehydration due to excess sweating. Depleted zinc or vitamin B-6 levels can result in skin irritation. Convulsions or joint pain may occur if the dosage of the chelating agent is too high.
- Chelating agents can interfere with some medications and decrease vitamins and minerals in the body. Severe depletion of certain nutrients, such as calcium, can result in dire consequences. Chelation can be fatal if the body experiences a large drop in calcium, a condition known as hypocalcemia
Read more: Oral Chelation Therapy Side Effects | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_5627068_oral-chelation-therapy-side-effects.html#ixzz2IwYbCa23
Helping the process
If you are worried about toxic metal accumulation in your body there are other things you can do.
Begin by understanding what your risk, if any, of heavy metal overload is. There are a number of tests you can undergo to check levels of metals and other poisons in your body. Hair analysis, which usually involves taking a small sample of recent hair growth from the nape of the neck, is a common way of testing for the presence of heavy metals.
A lab analysis can give you fairly accurate information on the presence of calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, iron, copper, manganese, zinc, chromium and selenium, but also potentially more damaging metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic.
There are also several things you can do to aid your body’s natural detoxification pathways. Food, as always, plays a major part.
A high-fibre diet in general is useful for trapping toxins and assisting in the elimination of heavy metals. Fibre helps reduce intestinal permeability, sometimes known as leaky gut – a condition that can lead to allergies and toxic build-up in the bloodstream. Consider adding water-soluble, mucilaginous fibres such as psyllium seeds and flaxseeds to your diet. These can be ground up, and added to cereals, soups and baked foods
All leafy dark-green vegetables, especially cruciferous vegetables (belonging to the cabbage family), can inhibit the carcinogenic effects of chemicals. Try to include plenty of kale, spinach, broccoli and brussels sprouts in your diet. Other green foods that contain chlorophyll are also natural chelators that can draw heavy metals out of the system. Herbs like cilantro (coriander) are a good choice. A good way to take your greens is to buy a juicer and use it to make vegetable juices – they are not as sweet as fruit juices, but they pack more punch in the detox stakes.
The pectin found in apple and pear seeds can block the absorption of toxins while aiding detoxification. Try making apples or pears stewed with their seeds a regular feature of your diet.
Try seaweeds. Seaweeds and alginates can also bind to heavy metals. These can be taken as supplements or added to your diet.
Use a water filter. No home-filter process is infallible and there are benefits and limitations in every type of water you choose to drink. As a general recommendation, for the best-quality water, consider installing a reverse-osmosis filter on your own tap (but be careful since some of these use plastic filters, which can leach chemicals into your drinking water). Reverse-osmosis however is very wasteful of water (a waste that is becoming increasingly hard to justify as this natural resource becomes increasingly scarce). Distilled water is pure, but may be lacking in certain minerals. Jug-type water filters have to do what they claim on the label; this means they filter out a substantial amount of contaminants such as chlorine and heavy metals. Make sure you change the filter regularly to avoid bacterial build-up.
Have a regular sauna. Dry or steam saunas heat the body tissues several inches below the skin, enhancing all your metabolic processes. When all of your skin’s sweat glands are working well, they can perform as much detoxification as one (or both) kidneys. Increased sweating increases the elimination of salt and water through the skin as well as of metals (such as nickel, copper, zinc and lead), toxic volatile hydrocarbons (including benzene, styrene, toluene, trichloroethylene and PCBs), pesticides (such as DDT and DDE) and other toxins.
Reference: http://www.nyrnaturalnews.com/article/qa-what-is-chelation/
"Chelation of Heavy Metals
Many children with Autism show high levels of heavy metals (e.g. mercury and lead) in their blood. Some doctors are advocating the use of chelation (the process of removing heavy metals from the body) for Autism treatment. The process of chelation was originally developed by the US military in the 1940s for exposed soldiers and has only recently begun to be used with children."
Reference: http://www.autismtreatmentcenter.org/information/bio-medical_autism_treatment.php
"The GI Tract or gut, must be healed first, because detoxification is too difficult on the child if the gut is inflamed."
Dr. Kenneth Stoller MD