Chelation therapy is a treatment used in alternative medicine. It's based on the process of chelation, in which chemicals are used to remove heavy metals and other substances from the body. Although chelation was originally used to treat conditions like lead poisoning, chelation therapy is now claimed to protect against heart disease and other major health problems.
How Chelation Therapy Works
Many people who have used chelation therapy regularly feel that it helps them remain more energetic and immune to common illnesses, environmental toxins and stress. Studies show that chelation is scientifically proven to rid the body of excess or toxic metals, especially certain kinds like lead or mercury that can lead to poisoning. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of chelation therapy with EDTA for treating lead poisoning and continues to investigate its potential and safety as a new drug for reducing coronary heart disease symptoms.
What is EDTA? EDTA is a type of man-made synthetic amino acid. EDTA chelation therapy works by binding salts to molecules in the blood once EDTA is administered into someone’s veins. After EDTA attaches to heavy metals, together they both move to the kidneys where their elimination from the body occurs through urine.
It’s possible that “chelating agents” like EDTA can help detoxify the body of toxic elements that contribute to many types of chronic diseases. Chelating agents have specific bonds that form between organic molecules and metals. This gives them the ability to “bind” to metals that build up in the blood, major organs and blood vessels.
Some chelating agents, including peptides like glutathione and metallothionein, have been well-researched and proven to transport and excrete toxins from the body, all without the need for expensive surgeries and risky medications.
One of the biggest chelation therapy benefits is its ability to help control levels of various environmental metals in the body. Metals, including lead, mercury, aluminum and arsenic, can cause short- and long-term health consequences since they impact functions of the central nervous, cardiovascular, immune and skeletal systems. When the body is out of homeostasis due to experiencing imbalances in minerals, malfunction and damage to vital organs can develop.
Some of the most symptoms of heavy metal toxicity include:
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Trouble learning and remembering new information
- “Brain fog” and trouble concentrating
- Autoimmune diseases
- Neurological disorders and cognitive decline
- Joint or muscle pain
- Mood changes, including depression and anxiety
Uses for Chelation Therapy
Chelation therapy is said to aid in the treatment of atherosclerosis (i.e., hardening of the arteries). Since calcium deposits are found in artery-clogging plaques, it's thought that using chelation therapy to remove calcium deposits can restore healthy blood flow in the arteries.
Some proponents suggest that EDTA can act as an antioxidant and protect against the damaging effects of chronic inflammation. To that end, chelation therapy is also used to treat osteoarthritis and other inflammation-related conditions.
The purported benefits of chelation therapy vary but typically include the following:
Improves such circulatory disorders as coronary artery disease (CAD), cerebrovascular disease, or peripheral vascular disease;
Detoxifies the body of such heavy metals as lead, cadmium, and mercury; and
Combats degenerative diseases and slows the aging process.
In addition, chelation therapy is sometimes used to treat the following health issues:
- Alzheimer's disease
- angina
- high blood pressure
- high cholesterol
- multiple sclerosis
- peripheral artery disease
- rheumatoid arthritis
- Band Keratopathy
Chelation therapy is also claimed to improve memory, treat diabetes-related complications, and promote recovery from stroke.
However, there's some evidence that chelation therapy may be beneficial to people who have suffered a heart attack. In a National Institutes of Health-funded study published in Current Opinion in Cardiology in 2014, for instance, researchers evaluated the effectiveness and safety of EDTA-based chelation therapy in 1,708 people who had experienced a heart attack.
Results of this study revealed that chelation therapy was associated with a significant reduction in risk of issues such as stroke and hospitalization for angina. Chelation therapy appeared to have an even greater benefit in people with diabetes, the study's authors point out. They also note that chelation therapy may improve health in heart attack patients by reducing oxidative stress.
How Chelation Therapy Is Performed
Chelation therapy sessions take several hours to complete and usually take place in a doctor’s office under special monitoring. Most patients need between five to 30 treatments for best results. Each treatment session involves insertion of an intravenous (IV) to administer liquid EDTA, usually into a vein located in the hand or arm.
The procedure isn’t painful for most people, but like with all injections, it’s possible to feel some burning, redness or swelling at the injection site. There isn’t much recovery time needed after the procedure and most patients are free to drive themselves home and go about their normal day. Some people report needing to urinate more than usual following chelation therapy, which can be beneficial considering this is how heavy metals leave the body.
Side Effects of Chelation Therapy
You should only receive Chelation therapy with EDTA from a properly licensed professional due to the potential for side effects to develop in some cases. What are the side effects of chelation therapy? The most common side effect is a burning sensation at the site where EDTA is enters the vein, but this usually goes away quickly and is mild. Rare chelation therapy side effects can include headache, fever, nausea, and vomiting.
It’s very important for EDTA to be infused properly and slowly, since high levels can cause electrolyte imbalances. It’s also possible that while it removes harmful heavy metals, EDTA can potentially also bind to needed vitamins and minerals and remove them from the body, which poses the risk for deficiencies. To make up for this, many practitioners give patients large doses of vitamins/minerals following chelation therapy so they avoid becoming very deficient.
