The word chelation is derived from the Greek word chele that means claw (like that of a scorpion or crab). The concept of chelation is based on the observation that when a certain amino acid complex called EDTA (ethylene-diamine-tetra-acetic acid) comes in contact with certain positively charged metals and other substances such as lead, iron, copper, calcium, magnesium, zinc, plutonium and manganese, it grabs them (hence the chele or claw), and removes them. Chelation therapy is the process of removing from the body the undesirable ionic material by the infusion, or taking orally, of an organic compound which has suitable chelating properties.
EDTA is a synthetic amino acid first used in the 1940's for treatment of heavy metal poisoning. It is widely recognized as effective for that use as well as certain others, including emergency treatment of hypercalcemia and the control of ventricular arrhythmias associated with digitalis toxicity. Studies by the National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council in the late 1960's indicated that EDTA was considered possibly effective in the treatment of occlusive vascular disorders caused by arteriosclerosis. EDTA grabs metallic cation such as Lead or Calcium from the body and forms a stable compound that is then excreted from the system. The stability of this bond is vital to success in chelation therapy. If the bond is weak, other chemicals can break this bond to form their own compounds.
EDTA is a synthetic amino acid first used in the 1940's for treatment of heavy metal poisoning. It is widely recognized as effective for that use as well as certain others, including emergency treatment of hypercalcemia and the control of ventricular arrhythmias associated with digitalis toxicity. Studies by the National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council in the late 1960's indicated that EDTA was considered possibly effective in the treatment of occlusive vascular disorders caused by arteriosclerosis. EDTA grabs metallic cation such as Lead or Calcium from the body and forms a stable compound that is then excreted from the system. The stability of this bond is vital to success in chelation therapy. If the bond is weak, other chemicals can break this bond to form their own compounds.
One way to think about the chelation process is to compare it to the way we unclog our drains. We add a chemical to our drain. It dissolves the blockage. The resulting compound is removed from the drain using the existing plumbing system. Chelation process works in a similar manner on our body.
Benefits of Chelation Therapy
Chelation therapy is widely used for the treatment of atherosclerosis and other chronic degenerative diseases involving the circulatory system. It also has other benefits. Many scientists suggest that the beneficial effect of chelation treatment is from the removal of metallic catalysts that causes excessive free radical proliferation. This reduces the oxidation of lipids, DNA, enzyme systems and lipoproteins. The chelation halts the bad effects and initiates the body's healing process, often reversing the damage. It removes the calcium and copper anions from the blood stream. The plaque lining the artery walls are made porous and brittle. Eventually they may get dislodged. Even if only a microscopic layer of the plaque is removed, it, along with a smoothening of the artery wall due to the healing of the cells that line the arteries, can improve the blood flow to the artery muscles substantially. This can prevent artery spasm and minimize or prevent angina pain. Many patients who could not walk due to muscle pain or angina pain have reported that they can walk without pain after chelation therapy.
We will examine how chelation therapy works
We will examine how chelation therapy works
We can think of our cells in the body as miniature factories. Inside the cell, the digestive process is going on. That means converting the raw materials into energy and protein compounds. Like in a factory, there are mechanisms to transport material within the cell as well as mechanisms to transport material to and from the cell. In our body, these mechanisms are performed by complex enzyme activity.
The skin that surrounds a cell controls what goes in and what goes out of it. (It is like the shipping and receiving department in a factory.) The active cell membrane is made up of lipids (Cholesterol), proteins and water.
As explained in "The Story of Free Radicals" below, free radicals can cause lipid peroxidation (fat becomes rancid). Like in the factory example, if the shipping and receiving department is not functioning properly, it can cause chaos; the whole factory will go out of synch. It does not get raw materials in time or cannot ship out waste products and finished products out. In the body, this is the beginning of the cell degeneration. (In case of factory, it will go out of business.)
This is what happens when atherosclerosis begins in an artery wall. The majority of lipid peroxidation activity involves the presence of metal ions such as iron, copper or calcium. EDTA effectively locks onto these ions, preventing their destructive action. Proponents of Chelation Therapy claim that EDTA can reduce the production of free radicals by up to a million-fold!
Research over the past 30 years has confirmed the benefits of EDTA. This protective influence of EDTA would be enhanced by an appreciable presence of antioxidant nutrients such as vitamins A, C and E, selenium, and amino acid complexes such as glutathione peroxidase. These not only mop up free radicals but also assist in reinforcing the stability of cell membranes
We have seen that calcium passes through the damaged cell walls into the cells. If calcium gets deposited in arterial walls, it inhibits the enzyme activity which, in turn, affects the production of energy, the movement of raw material, finished products, and waste products from the cell. The cells become energy starved and become acidic as a result. This can lead to premature aging, unbalanced calcium/magnesium ratios, free radical activity, local toxicity, oxygen deficit, nutritional imbalance, etc.
The cells that have become energy starved and acidic start to attract calcium ions, drawing them into the cell. This, further, blocks energy production. The result is degenerative cardiovascular conditions. When this happens, the muscles that surround the arteries go into spasm. Doctors start treating this problem with calcium channel blockers. The problem is that calcium channel blockers block the calcium intake by the muscles; but it does nothing to cure the underlying problems of cell damage.
This process gets really out of hand in the presence of additional Vitamin D and cholesterol. Free radicals helps to convert the cholesterol into substances with Vitamin D activity. This produces plaque, which, in turn, attracts calcium cementing the material.
How does EDTA infusion affect this scenario? First, EDTA removes the toxic metal ions such as lead, calcium, mercury, cadmium, copper, iron, and aluminum from the blood stream. These are necessary for the production of free radicals. By removing the extra calcium from the blood stream, there is no more free calcium available to produce plaque. It means that the cells can start to repair themselves. Their production of energy increases. As more and more cells rebuild, our body becomes healthier. They can ward off intruders. The result is that we have started a salvage and regeneration activity that repairs previously damaged muscles and heart. And the whole body benefits as a result
The cells that have become energy starved and acidic start to attract calcium ions, drawing them into the cell. This, further, blocks energy production. The result is degenerative cardiovascular conditions. When this happens, the muscles that surround the arteries go into spasm. Doctors start treating this problem with calcium channel blockers. The problem is that calcium channel blockers block the calcium intake by the muscles; but it does nothing to cure the underlying problems of cell damage.
This process gets really out of hand in the presence of additional Vitamin D and cholesterol. Free radicals helps to convert the cholesterol into substances with Vitamin D activity. This produces plaque, which, in turn, attracts calcium cementing the material.
How does EDTA infusion affect this scenario? First, EDTA removes the toxic metal ions such as lead, calcium, mercury, cadmium, copper, iron, and aluminum from the blood stream. These are necessary for the production of free radicals. By removing the extra calcium from the blood stream, there is no more free calcium available to produce plaque. It means that the cells can start to repair themselves. Their production of energy increases. As more and more cells rebuild, our body becomes healthier. They can ward off intruders. The result is that we have started a salvage and regeneration activity that repairs previously damaged muscles and heart. And the whole body benefits as a result
Reduces Blood Stickiness or Clotting
EDTA is believed to reduce the blood platelet formation. This makes the blood less "sticky. The blood can now flow through narrow arteries. It can flow through even partially blocked arteries minimizing the effect of the blockage.
Normalizes Abnormal Cholesterol and HDL Levels
There are two types of cholesterol: the good cholesterol called HDL and the bad cholesterol called LDL. What we want is a high amount of HDL in our blood along with a low level of LDL. We also desire a low total cholesterol. Researchers have found that EDTA infusion, combined with vitamin and mineral supplements, raised the good (HDL) cholesterol and lowered the bad (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. EDTA optimizes the ratio of HDL and LDL.
Removes Calcium from the Plaque
EDTA infusion removes the calcium from the blood stream. In a chemical reaction, if you have an area low in concentration of a substance surrounded by an area that is rich in that substance, the substance will diffuse from the enriched area to that which is depleted of it ultimately leveling the concentration. The same thing happens to our body. When the blood is cleaned off the calcium, the calcium from the plaque and the body tissues (That is enriched with it) migrate into the blood. This gets swept away by the new EDTA infusion. This has the effect of removing most of the calcium from the plaque, making it softer and possibly even breaking away chunks of it from the artery walls.
Many people are concerned that this calcium intake may come from the bones rather than from the plaque and body tissues. Chelation therapists strongly suggest that this is not
EDTA is believed to reduce the blood platelet formation. This makes the blood less "sticky. The blood can now flow through narrow arteries. It can flow through even partially blocked arteries minimizing the effect of the blockage.
Normalizes Abnormal Cholesterol and HDL Levels
There are two types of cholesterol: the good cholesterol called HDL and the bad cholesterol called LDL. What we want is a high amount of HDL in our blood along with a low level of LDL. We also desire a low total cholesterol. Researchers have found that EDTA infusion, combined with vitamin and mineral supplements, raised the good (HDL) cholesterol and lowered the bad (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. EDTA optimizes the ratio of HDL and LDL.
Removes Calcium from the Plaque
EDTA infusion removes the calcium from the blood stream. In a chemical reaction, if you have an area low in concentration of a substance surrounded by an area that is rich in that substance, the substance will diffuse from the enriched area to that which is depleted of it ultimately leveling the concentration. The same thing happens to our body. When the blood is cleaned off the calcium, the calcium from the plaque and the body tissues (That is enriched with it) migrate into the blood. This gets swept away by the new EDTA infusion. This has the effect of removing most of the calcium from the plaque, making it softer and possibly even breaking away chunks of it from the artery walls.
Many people are concerned that this calcium intake may come from the bones rather than from the plaque and body tissues. Chelation therapists strongly suggest that this is not
cancer treatment
Free radicals play an important role in the genesis of cancer. By removing the metallic anions from the blood stream, EDTA helps the cells to remain healthy and helps the damaged cells to heal. Research has shown a decrease in the incidence of death by cancer after EDTA treatment. We don't know the mechanism of action. In some forms of cancer, the use of EDTA was found to strip the tumor cells of their protective coat, allowing other mechanisms (such as protein digesting enzymes) to destroy the tumors.
Researchers have noticed that patients who have undergone chelation treatment are less depressed. They were more alert, and had better concentration and memory. Opponents of chelation therapy dismisses this as "placebo effect."
Chelation therapists attribute this improvement in mental health to an improvement in the overall cellular nutrition as a result of better circulation resulted from the chelation treatment. Another possibility is that by removing the harmful toxins from the blood stream, the brain and central nervous system are protected from harmful effects of these toxins. This improves the overall functioning of the brain that translates into better memory and mental conditions
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