Let’s face it: Exposure to toxic heavy metals is part of today’s life. If you aren’t exposed to heavy metals in obvious ways by living near a factory or other contaminated spot, there may be toxins in the foods you eat – including plants grown in contaminated soil or fish from contaminated waterways. Or you may get some exposure to pollutants and impurities simply from living in an urban area. If you live on this planet, you’re exposed to toxins.
Chelation therapy is one way to clear your system of lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic and more. In fact, it may be one of the best ways. But is it safe? And is it for you?
Understanding Chelation Therapy
Pronounced with a first syllable that sounds like a car key, chelation therapy involves IV injections of a so-called chelating agent into your blood. This agent contains specific molecules that bind to atoms of metal in your blood and body, allowing these atoms to move from their hiding places so they can be excreted harmlessly through urination.
The most commonly used chelating agent is EDTA – ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid, a synthetic amino acid that is highly effective in ridding the body of cadmium and lead and less effective on mercury. DMPS – dimercaptopropane sulfonate – can be used more effectively on mercury or arsenic. There are also orally administered agents called DMSA and Succimer that can be used for lead, mercury and other metals.
Administered in the typical way at a clinic or doctor’s office, IV chelation requires sitting for 3 hours or more while the agent is slowly released into your bloodstream.
Research indicates that this therapy is effective on a range of metal toxins, including aluminum, copper, manganese, zinc and many others. The method is recognized as an effective way to treat acute exposure and metal poisoning. In some cases, excretion can be increased by up to 12 times, leading to a reduction in symptoms.
There is some controversy about whether chelation therapy is necessary or effective on patients with lower levels of toxic metals in their blood, and there is little research on the topic. Still, there is preliminary evidence that this treatment may be able to help with heart disease, autism and more.
Is Chelation A Good Idea For You?
One problem with chelation therapy is that it also removes substances in the body that are necessary for a healthy life, including calcium and magnesium. The treatment often involves supplementation of these minerals.
It is also important to note that chelation therapy flushes out the most readily available materials first, so a single treatment may miss toxins that have been stored in the body in certain tissues for a long time. These metals will redistribute over time, spreading throughout the body and perhaps actually increasing toxin levels in the blood. That’s why the therapy may be administered in small quantities over time and can be a bad idea as a one-time treatment.
You should also take note that chelation therapy has side effects, including diarrhea, vomiting, skin rashes and poor appetite. Other rare side effects include low blood calcium, kidney damage and even heart failure in some cases. These side effects are why you must be carefully monitored by a health professional during treatment.
In most cases, you’ll be better off starting with a less dramatic way to detoxify from heavy metals – like BodyPure foot detox pads, which work safely overnight and have no side effects. They can also be used over the long term with no harmful impact.
It makes sense to start with a simple, proven-effective treatment before considering chelation therapy.
