Provie Chelation

There is an enormous amount of data written on this subject. However, I frequently speak with individuals who have never heard of it.

Most of those who have heard of Chelation Therapy were looking for alternative methods of handling fairly severe problems (heart/vascular problems – cancer – degenerative diseases). Apparently they were sufficiently concerned to do some homework and research and willing to look at possibilities other than surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and or drugs.

For those who have not heard of Chelation Therapy (from the Greek “chelae” meaning claw. Taken from the action of the chelating agent literally wrapping up the metal), let’s start with the basics. What is it? Chelation is a method of removing toxic or heavy metals (toxic and heavy are interchangeable) from one’s body. These metals include lead, mercury, cadmium, tin and others more data can be found at http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/metalsheavy/index.htm They are called toxic because they have no beneficial impact on the body and in sufficient quantities are poisonous. They cannot be destroyed like bacteria with antibiotics nor can they be simply flushed out. They can accumulate in the body and over a period of years, contribute to a wide range of health problems. These heavy metals are in the air we breathe, the water we drink and in the food we eat. The chelating agents wrap around these toxic metals like a claw and they are then excreted. Two of the most prominent chelating agents are EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacecticacid) and DMSA (dimercapto succinic acid).

The longer one lives in a toxic environment the more exposure one has and the greater potential to accumulate these heavy metals in the body.

One can do a simple hair or urine analyses to determine what concentration of heavy metals are in the body. One mechanism that is fairly well understood and is a major contributing factor to ill-health is the increased proliferation of free radicals in the presence of toxic metals. Free radicals are small particles, which in large numbers, can attack cell walls (and cellular components) and disrupt normal biological functions. The term anti-oxidant is quite popular and is used to describe the effect that certain vitamins and other agents have on these free radicals. Anti-oxidants help to lower the number of free radicals in the body which in turn helps lessen the negative impact to the body’s cells and their internal structures. There is a lot of information on this subject which can be readily obtained through various inter-net sites. But for our purposes at this time, it is sufficient to understand that these free radicals contribute to various degenerative diseases. There is an excellent article called the “Free Radical Theory of Aging” that is recommended for further understanding of this important subject. Simply get on Google and type in - free radical theory of aging - or go to this link: http://www.physics.ohio-state.edu/~wilkins/writing/Samples/shortmed/nelson/radicals.html.

While anti-oxidants are important to maintain good health, it is likewise important to address the toxic metal accumulation which can contribute to the increase of these free radicals.

Steven Archibald