Chelation Therapy: An Amazing Medical Mistake
The Side Effect That Saved Lives
In the 1940s, chelation therapy was a relatively new procedure. It was performed by introducing amino acid salts into the bloodstream to bind to toxic metals that had invaded the body and caused lead poisoning, for people working in certain industrial settings or who had been exposed to lead-based paints. EDTA was the name given to these amino acid salts ( the chemical name is actually calcium disodium ethylenediaminetetraacidic acid), and they bound to any toxic metals in the bloodstream so they were flushed out of the system to cleanse the blood. The procedure was revolutionary and experimental, and side effects of this new procedure were carefully documented.
The new procedure produced some surprising side effects. As the toxic metals (notably lead) were removed from patients' bodies, many of them began experiencing noticeable changes in other areas. They began reporting improvements in vision, hearing and other areas of difficulty. Mobility was improved, circulation also improved and some reported a decrease in claudication (crippling of hands and feet). These results and others have led to deeper study and use of EDTA chelation therapy, and many other studies have been undertaken to discover other areas of health that chelation therapy could have a positive effect on. In 2007, over 111,000 people underwent chelation therapy for treatment of various health issues.
Today the NIH is still conducting clinical research of this intravenous cleansing method, and new studies are indicating more uses for chelation therapy. Coronary artery disease is a major cause of death by heart attack or interrupted blood flow to the heart. It is caused by a buildup of cholesterol fats and calcium deposits (called plaque) in the main arteries that lead to the heart. Chelation therapy appears to leach the calcium deposits from the fatty plaque lining the arteries, causing the buildup to break apart and be carried out of the body.
Please note: I have done some additional fact-checking on exactly how that process works. What I've found is that it isn't quite that simple; in fact, it's quite a bit more complex. The EDTA chelation actually binds to the heavy metals in your bloodstream, triggering your body's normal elimination system in removal of the resulting metal/EDTA particles. As toxic metals are removed, normal cellular cleansing activities are restored and rejuvenated cells rid themselves of the calcium buildup. Your cells are capable of cleansing and repairing themselves when they are not full of toxins.
The end result is healthy veins and arteries, which translates to reversal of "hardening of the arteries" and...well, healthy veins and arteries. Heart health is restored, and the threat of heart attack is removed as the plaque dissolves.
This therapy has caused much controversy over the years. The pharmaceutical companies do not like competition and they will do everything in their power to stop physicians from using chelation therapy. Heart disease and related circulatory health issues represent billions of dollars in profitable "heart drug" sales, and chelation therapy is cheap, safe, and extremely effective. EDTA chelation therapy removes not only lead, but also other toxic metals (like mercury or iron), and calcium buildup in veins, arteries and cells.
Chelation therapy is also an effective treatment for other health issues such as certain drug toxicity, plaque removals and improvement of a growing number of circulatory disorders. There are doctors who practice chelation therapy as an alternative course of treatment for people who don't like the thought of drugs or surgery. It is a growing protocol and one with an excellent and growing reputation for the many health benefits it provides.
In addition to EDTA chelation, there are several foods that perform very effectively as heavy metal chelators in the body: lemons, limes, chlorella, cilantro, parsley broccoli, kale, and garlic all bind to metals in the body so they can be eliminated. We live in a toxic world, full of pesticides and chemicals. Every one of us has traces of these chemical residues in our bodies. They are simply unavoidable in our society, and in order to cleanse our bodies of harmful metals and chemical traces, we need to know what foods will help.
