Introduction:
Metals such as lead, mercury, iron, and arsenic can be toxic if they accumulate in the body. Chelation therapy is a treatment that employs medicine to remove these metals so that they do not cause illness. Some alternative health care practitioners also use it to treat heart disease and Alzheimer's disease. However, there is very little evidence that it works for those conditions. It can have serious side effects, including death if misused.
What Is Chelation Therapy?
Chelation therapy is a medical treatment for individuals poisoned by heavy metals. Heavy metal poisoning occurs when the body's soft tissues absorb toxic amounts of metal. Chelation therapy utilizes chelators (a chemical compound that binds tightly to metal ions); heavy metals are bound by these substances and transported out of the body, known as the chelation process. Chelation therapy is promoted as a heart disease treatment because the medication is thought to bind with calcium found in fatty deposits in the arteries (a blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to tissues and organs in the body).
How Does Chelation Therapy Works?
Chelation therapy utilizes specific drugs like Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, Dimercaptosuccinic acid, and Dimercaprol that bind to metals in the blood. The chelating medicine is administered through an intravenous (IV) tube in the arm. It is also available as a pill. When the drug binds to the metal, the body excretes both in the potty. Chelation therapy can remove metals such as lead, mercury, and arsenic. Before starting this treatment, the doctor will perform a blood test to ensure that one has metal poisoning.
What Are the Types of Chelation Therapy?
Chelation therapy is classified into two types: chemical (synthetic) chelation therapy and natural chelation therapy. They are described below:
1. Chemical Chelation Therapy: Chelated fertilizer frequently contains the molecules EDTA, DTPA (diethylenetriamine pentaacetate), and EDDHA (ethylenediamine di-o-hydroxyphenyl acetic acid). The accumulation of metal-complexing groups in EDTA, DTPA, and EDDHA allows the formation of many metal-enclosing chelate rings, which promotes stability. All the chelate rings formed include the metal in a five-membered cell, which provides maximum strength. Chelating agents, in general, are molecules that contain metal-complexing groups arranged to form several maximum stability chelate rings.
2. Natural Chelation Therapy: Natural chelates are tiny molecules that pass through the plant's barriers, such as the outer layer of skin, cell walls, and cell membranes, which maximizes absorption and adaptation. Natural chelating agents include
-
Fulvic Acid: It is nature's most effective chelating agent. Fulvic acids are more chemically reactive because their molecular size ranges from 1000 to 10,000. Because of their small size, they can enter the plant quickly. Fulvic acid is a highly effective carbon-containing chelation agent, making it an excellent foliar additive (a technique of feeding plants by applying liquid fertilizer directly to their leaves).
-
Amino Acids: It is capable of chelation, but the single most effective is glycine (a sweet crystalline amino acid obtained especially by hydrolysis of proteins). Glycine is a minor amino acid, and due to its small size, it can quickly deliver minerals into the plant.
-
Kelp: Mannitol, a powerful chelating agent found in kelp (brown algae), naturally chelates the full range of metal ions found in seaweed (large algae growing in the sea). Mannitol (10 % dry weight) also provides chelation capacity for any other cations that may be used in combination with kelp. Kelp has numerous health benefits, including being nutritional, highly antioxidant, and valuable for detoxification (removing toxic substances).
What Are the Benefits of Chelation Therapy?
Chelation therapy has proven to be helpful in cases of metal toxicity. However, some researchers and healthcare professionals use this treatment for conditions for which science has yet to prove its efficacy. The benefits of chelation therapy are described below:
-
Metal Toxicity: Chelation therapy is only required in cases of metal poisoning, according to the national capital poison center. Chelators are the preferred treatment for metal toxicity, according to this study. Chelation therapy is a treatment that utilizes medicine to remove metal toxicity.
-
Autism Spectrum Disorder: Research suggests that autistic children have higher levels of toxic metals in their bodies than non-autistic children. As a result, some people believe that chelation therapy could be beneficial in this case to reduce the level of these metals.
-
Cardiovascular Disease: Chelation therapy may help people who have previously had a heart attack reduce their risk of having another heart attack.
-
Alzheimer's Disease: Chelation therapy may benefit in treating Alzheimer's disease (a progressive neurologic disorder that causes brain shrinkage and cell death) by dissolving beta-amyloid (a waxy translucent substance consisting primarily of protein that is deposited in some animal organs and tissues under abnormal conditions).
-
Parkinson's Disease: Individuals suffering from Parkinson's disease (a progressive disorder that affects the nervous system and parts of the body, which are controlled by the nerves) may have higher iron levels in the brain. As a result, chelation therapy may help such patients in treating some of the condition's symptoms.
What Are the Side Effects of Chelation Therapy?
Chelation therapy is associated with risks and side effects and can even be life-threatening. As a result, a person should only receive treatment under medical supervision if they have metal poisoning, as it is beneficial in treating this condition. The following are the side effects of chelation therapy:
-
It may cause fever, chills, and headaches.
-
It may cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and seizures.
-
It may lead to an irregular heartbeat.
-
It may cause extreme hypersensitivity.
-
It may lead to kidney damage.
-
It may damage the liver.
Conclusion
Chelation therapy is a medical treatment that removes heavy metals and other hazardous compounds from the body by using chelating agents such as EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid). The chelating agent is usually given intravenously, and it binds to the harmful material in the bloodstream, generating a complex that the kidneys can eliminate. Chelation therapy was originally created to treat lead poisoning, but it has also been used to treat heart disease, peripheral artery disease, and autism. Chelation treatment proponents claim that it can also help prevent or treat cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and other chronic illnesses. While chelation therapy may be effective in removing heavy metals and other toxic substances from the body, it is not without risks.
Chelation therapy has not been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for any condition other than lead poisoning. Some practitioners, however, recommend chelation therapy as a complementary or alternative treatment for other conditions. Before contemplating chelation therapy, it is critical to examine the risks and benefits with a knowledgeable healthcare provider.
