Heavy metals and other toxins enter your bloodstream every day through diet, pollution, and the environment. These substances are essential to various biological processes, but they can be harmful in excess.
Thankfully, the body does a good job of eliminating most noxious substances. Having said that, some individuals struggle to passively rid themselves of toxins due to dietary imbalances, the presence of cancerous tissues, and other medical conditions.
Detoxing is a vital component of immunity and overall health. It helps the body heal properly while avoiding dangerous toxicity, yet when a condition prevents detoxification from occurring naturally, chelation therapy might be a beneficial solution.
Here at Immunity Therapy Center, we’re dedicated to empowering our patients and their families with the information they need to make the best choices. We offer a variety of alternative therapies, and our personalized treatment plans often include chelation therapy.
Here’s what you should know about chelation, including a background on the therapy approach, how it works, and why many patients choose it.
What Is Chelation Therapy?
Chelation therapy is a procedure involving the careful administration of chemical compounds called chelating agents. The goal is to remove heavy metals and toxic levels of minerals from the bloodstream and vital organs when the body is unable to detox without intervention.
The word chelation comes from the Greek word chelos, which translates to “claw.” It references how toxic metals bind like pincers to chelating agents. Treatment can entail IV (intravenous) infusion or oral supplements containing high doses of certain vitamins and minerals. For many patients, chelation therapy effectively eliminates heavy metal toxicity from the liver, kidneys, and lymphatic system.
Chelating Agents
EDTA (ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid) is among the most common chelating agents used in this type of alternative therapy. The colorless, water-soluble substance has been shown to remove iron, copper, lead, and calcium from the bloodstream.
Then there’s dimercaprol, which is used to eliminate gold, arsenic, copper, and mercury. Succimer is primarily used to treat lead poisoning, though it can help remove mercury, cadmium, and arsenic from the bloodstream.
Deferoxamine can be useful in treating iron overload, as well as zinc and copper toxicity. Penicillamine and deferasirox are used to remove copper, the latter of which is also useful in minimizing the toxic effects of lead exposure.
Chelation Therapy Benefits: What to Know
Why do patients choose chelation therapy? The main advantage is removing toxic heavy metals from the body, but the benefits don’t end there. Administration of chelating agents can also help lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of heart attack, combat inflammation, and reduce fatigue.
Chelation therapy may also be useful in treating and preventing serious health conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and some forms of cancer. Read on to learn more about these benefits.
Removes Heavy Metals from the Body
As discussed, chelation therapy can be an effective solution for removing various heavy metals from the body. This includes lead, iron, arsenic, mercury, copper, and nickel.
These substances can enter the bloodstream when someone drinks contaminated water, breathes polluted air, or ingests small amounts of lead paint. As a result, they may suffer from heavy metal poisoning.
Lowers Blood Pressure
In addition to heavy metals, chelating agents have also been shown to dislodge plaque from the arteries. As a result, the medical treatment might help lower blood pressure.
Hypertension (high blood pressure) is a serious concern for many adults, putting them at a higher risk for various health conditions, such as peripheral arterial disease, cardiovascular disease, heart disease, coronary artery disease, kidney disease, and vascular dementia.
Reduces Risk of Heart Attack
With a lowered risk of heart disease, chelation may, in turn, reduce an individual’s risk of a heart attack. EDTA chelation therapy is believed to bind to the calcium in artery plaque, ultimately clearing it from blood vessels.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) conducted a large study on chelation called TACT (Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy). It concluded that the treatment was somewhat effective in reducing heart-related episodes among those with diabetes, including heart attacks and strokes.
Combats Inflammation
There is also evidence to suggest that EDTA and other chelating agents reduce inflammation (pain and swelling) in the body. The chemical compounds act as antioxidants, which may address potentially damaging free radicals and oxidative stress from inflammatory oxygen ions.
Reduces Fatigue
Some believe that when the body harbors heavy metals and other toxins, individuals are likely to feel physically and mentally fatigued. When these harmful substances are removed, you might experience increased energy or sharper mental ability.
Alzheimer’s Treatment
While there is currently no known treatment for stopping or reversing Alzheimer’s disease, some researchers have hope for chelation therapy. The condition is associated with abnormal levels of a protein called beta-amyloid. Chelating drugs have been shown to reduce the protein, potentially slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s.
Cancer Prevention and Treatment
Chelating agents are sometimes used to prevent and treat certain types of cancer. For example, the benefits of chelation therapy for prostate cancer and the benefits of chelation therapy for breast cancer are very positive. This is because tumors need iron, copper, zinc, and other metal ions to grow. Chelators work to block the metabolic pathways of cancerous cells by controlling proteins affected by these metals.
Chelation can also inhibit DNA-synthesizing proteins and prevent free radical damage caused by iron and copper. Further, the therapeutic approach may help immunocompromised cancer patients by hindering microbial growth.
Other Benefits of Chelation Therapy
EDTA infusion and chelating drugs may also help alleviate diabetic ulcers and intermittent claudication, in addition to potentially preventing conditions such as peripheral vascular disease and peripheral neuropathy. Some believe chelation can support a healthy wound-healing process as well.
How Chelation Therapy Works
Chelation therapy typically involves injecting EDTA into the bloodstream, which binds to iron, lead, cadmium, mercury, and other heavy metals. After attaching to these toxic substances, chelating agents are passed through urination, ultimately removed from the body.
Currently, all chelating agents approved by the FDA (Food & Drug Administration) require a prescription. Chelation treatment plans vary and are determined by the individual’s unique symptoms and needs.
You might be given an IV infusion to introduce the chelating agents to the bloodstream. Chelation can also be administered orally, in which case you’d be instructed to take vitamin and mineral supplements by mouth.
Learn More About Alternative Treatment Options
If you’d like to learn more about IV chelation, oral chelation therapy, or any of the other alternative treatments offered at Immunity Therapy Center, we’d love to hear from you. Aside from chelation therapy, we also provide information for other diseases and treatments. For example, if you suspect you or a loved one has adrenal cancer, we can educate you on what it is, its symptoms, and even the specifics of adrenal gland cancer survival rate. Fill out our confidential online form, and a patient advocate will get in touch shortly to discuss a treatment plan. We also offer phone consultations Monday through Saturday.
Contact us today!
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At Immunity Therapy Center, our goal is to provide objective, updated, and research-based information on all health-related topics. This article is based on scientific research and/or other scientific articles. All information has been fact-checked and reviewed by Dr. Carlos Bautista, a Board Certified Medical Doctor at Immunity Therapy Center. All information published on the site must undergo an extensive review process to ensure accuracy. This article contains trusted sources with all references hyperlinked for the reader's visibility.