All About Chelation

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All About Chelation

Tuesday, October 27, 2009 by: Dr. n Whitaker

http://www.naturalnews.com/027338_chelation_health_blood.html

(NaturalNews) Abundant, durable, malleable, resistant to corrosion: No

wonder lead has been such a popular metal throughout human history. Ancient

Romans found a multitude of uses for it, from lining water pipes and

drinking vessels to sweetening wine. What they didn't realize were the

detrimental health effects of this metal. It is now believed that lead

poisoning was responsible for the bizarre behavior, mental incompetence,

gout, stillbirths, and sterility that afflicted the Roman aristocracy- and

quite possibly contributed to the decline of the Roman Empire.

Fast forward to 1921, when General Motors engineer Midgley, Jr., came

up with another use for lead. As a gasoline additive, it reduced engine

knock and improved performance. Of course, it was known to be toxic.

Midgley himself was plagued with a " mysterious illness " while experimenting

with it and, in 1924, 15 refinery workers died and 300 more became severely

psychotic as a result of working with leaded gasoline.

But that didn't matter. Thanks to corporate greed and government complicity,

lead's well-documented adverse effects were ignored, and for more than 60

years this potent toxin spewed into our environment. Leaded gas was finally

phased out in 1986, and air levels of lead dropped dramatically. But even

today, 20 years later, 7 million tons of lead remains in our soil, water,

air- and bodies.

Bones Bear the Burden of Lead

More than 90 percent of your body's total burden of lead exists in your

skeleton. And for those of us who grew up in the days when lead was also in

paint, pipes, water tanks, cans, and a plethora of other consumer products,

that's a lot of lead. In fact, we harbor a whopping 650 times more of this

heavy metal in our bones than people did 100 years ago.

Lead is a neurotoxin that causes mental retardation and developmental delays

in children and a multitude of cognitive problems in people of all ages. It

also damages the endothelial cells lining the arteries and curbs production

of nitric oxide, impairing circulation, raising blood pressure, and

increasing risk of cardiovascular disease, kidney dysfunction, cancer, and

premature death.

If lead would stay put in the bones, it might not be such a problem- but it

doesn't. Along with other minerals, lead is released into the bloodstream

and transported to tissues throughout the body. Generally, this release is

slow, gradual, and unnoticed. But there are times when it picks up speed.

During pregnancy, when extra calcium is needed for fetal bone development,

blood lead levels rise, increasing risk of hypertension for women with high

levels, and often causing low birth weight and physical and mental

developmental delays for their children.

Lead is also mobilized during mid-life and old age. Women are especially

vulnerable after menopause, when bone loss increases. It is estimated that

blood lead levels go up 30 percent during the five years after menopause!

Men also lose bone mass as they age, and the resultant increase in blood

lead levels negatively affects them as well.

Chelate the Lead Out

As you can see, we all need to take steps to get the lead out, and the

fastest way to do this is to undergo a course of intravenous (IV) EDTA

chelation. EDTA is a synthetic amino acid that forms a tight chemical bond

with lead and other minerals and carries them out of the body in the urine.

EDTA chelation has been the number one FDA-approved therapy for lead

poisoning since 1948. After World War II, sailors suffering with lead

toxicity acquired while painting battleships and docks with lead-based paint

were treated with EDTA chelation, and their results were remarkable. Not

only did these men have the expected restoration of memory, energy, vision,

and hearing, but those who also had heart disease experienced unexpected

improvements in angina and circulation.

That's how the broad benefits of chelation were serendipitously discovered.

Astute physicians took heed and began using chelation for patients with

cardiovascular disease and circulatory problems and, for a decade or so, its

popularity mushroomed. Then the politics and economics of modern medicine

intervened.

To make a long story short, this relatively inexpensive, office-based

therapy had no chance against the Goliaths of cardiology (surgery and

drugs). Chelation became embroiled in controversy, where it remains to this

day. But a few thousand physicians refused to give up on it. I've been using

EDTA chelation in my clinic for about 20 years, and I've seen it eliminate

angina, improve exercise tolerance, lower blood pressure, increase

circulation, and save limbs on the verge of amputation. The following story,

from subscriber Tessier from Cotuit, MA, is a perfect example.

" Chelation Saved My Life "

" Fourteen years ago, my doctor told me I needed angioplasty, and if I didn't

have it, I wouldn't live more than two years. Something told me that I

should not do it, so I lived with angina and blocked arteries, along with

asthma, for the next 12 years. I was overweight, could not walk any distance

without getting out of breath, and regularly experienced uncomfortable chest

pain. I was taking 11 different drugs for all of my health problems. "

" Through those years I had to care for a very sick wife who passed away over

five years ago. I met a friend three years ago whom I had not seen for quite

some time. She told me about vitamins, nutrition, and chelation therapy,

which she learned about from your newsletter. "

" After undergoing chelation treatment, exercising, and eating a low-fat

diet, I am a new person. People cannot get over the change in me; some don't

recognize me at all. I lost 80 pounds, my asthma is now a thing of the past,

and my arteries are fine. I can walk greater distances and spend nearly an

hour a day on a treadmill and other exercise machines. I am also rid of all

those killer drugs. "

" By the way, before I started chelation, I brought the information to my

doctor, who had put me on all those drugs. He said, " You will be wasting

your money. " He is now retired from his practice because of heart-related

problems. Chelation saved my life. I am 78 years old and the friend that I

met up with is now my lovely wife. I thank God that she receives Dr. n

Whitaker's Health & Healing newsletter. "

What About Oral Chelation?

I am often asked if oral chelation is the same as IV chelation. Yes and no.

All chelating agents bind to minerals and move them out of the body.

However, no one can convince me that oral chelators have the same effect as

IV chelation.

This doesn't mean I don't recommend oral chelation. Although giant strides

have been made in eliminating lead, it lingers in our environment. Even if

you scrupulously avoid all known sources of exposure, you still have to

contend with the lead that's stored in, and being released from, your bones.

And lead is only one of many environmental toxins out there. Therefore, I

support any and all efforts to chip away at the body's toxic burden.

What is the best oral chelator? Vitamin C is surprisingly good. Researchers

from the University of California, San Francisco looked at blood levels of

lead and ascorbic acid and found that children and adults with the highest

levels of ascorbic acid were 89 and 65 percent, respectively, less likely to

have elevated blood lead levels.

Other chelators are as close as your kitchen. Phytic acid (also called

inositol hexaphosphate or IP6), which is found in the hulls of fiber-rich

nuts, seeds, and grains, removes toxins from the intestinal tract. Garlic

and cilantro are also natural chelators. In addition to eating more of these

healthful foods, look for them in concentrated supplement form.

I've also been researching PectaSol Chelation Complex. It contains modified

citrus pectin, a type of fiber derived from citrus pulp, along with natural

chelators in seaweed called alginates, and has been shown to effectively

remove a wide range of heavy metals. Other helpful supplements include

N-acetyl-cysteine, zeolite, and, of course, EDTA.

Recommendations:

*Although I most often recommend IV chelation for patients with heart

disease or circulation problems, I believe it provides benefits for most

everyone over age 50.

*EDTA chelation is administered in a doctor's office via a 90-minute to

three-hour IV infusion once or twice a week for a total of 25 to 30

treatments. To find a doctor in your area who administers this treatment,

visit acam.org. For more information on receiving chelation therapy at

Whitaker Wellness, call (800) 488-1500.

*Look for oral chelation products in your health food store and take as

directed. PectaSol Chelation Complex can be ordered by calling (800)

308-5518.

Reference

Simon JA and Hudes ES. Relationship of ascorbic acid to blood lead levels.

JAMA. 1999 Jun 23-30;281(24):2289-2293.

Reprinted from Dr. n Whitaker's Health & Healing with permission from

Healthy Directions, LLC. For information on subscribing to this newsletter,

visit www.drwhitaker.com or call (800) 539-8219.

About the author

Reprinted from Dr. n Whitaker's Health & Healing with permission from

Healthy Directions, LLC. For information on subscribing to this newsletter,

visit www.drwhitaker.com or call (800) 539-8219.

About the Author

n Whitaker, MD, is the author of Health & Healing, a monthly newsletter

that has reached millions of readers since 1991. He has also written 13

books and hosts The Dr. Whitaker Show, a popular radio program. In 1979, Dr.

Whitaker founded the Whitaker Wellness Institute. Today, it is the largest

alternative medicine clinic in the United States. To learn more, visit

www.whitakerwellness.com or call (800) 488-1500.