Modern humans have 1,000 times more lead in their bones than their
ancestors just 400 years ago. Lead from automobile exhausts,
petrochemicals from wear of automobile tires, cadmium, and other
carcinogens are omnipresent. Ongoing exposure to thousands of US
workers and recent research indicates that asymptomatic and
sub-clinical lead exposure can result in chronic toxicity
manifestations, such as hypertension, kidney impairment, and
symptoms of dementia. Other toxic metals include mercury, a potent
neurotoxin even at minute doses, as seen in dentists’ offices.
Arsenic is clearly carcinogenic, and cadmium is now being recognized
as a contributor to osteoporosis.
These substances cause cancer and potentate other carcinogens. EDTA
is a highly effective way to bind excessive lead and lower the lead
level from tissues and organs (but not from bones where the majority
of lead is stored and released slowly with time).
In addition to lead, EDTA also removes unwanted nutritional elements
such as excessive free iron, which promotes cancer by catalyzing
free radical pathology. Most cancer cells have a strong affinity for
iron. Removal of excessive iron is an important factor of many
anti-cancer therapies.
In a study conducted by Walter Blumer, M.D. published in Journal of
Advancement in Medicine ( Volume 2, Numbers 1/2, Spring/Summer
1989), it was found that mortality from cancer was reduced 90%
during an 18-year follow-up of 59 patients treated with an IV push
of calcium EDTA. It is important to note that treated patients had
no evidence of cancer at the time of entry into this study.
Observations relate only to long-term prevention of death from
malignant disease, if chelation therapy is begun before clinical
evidence of cancer occurs. The use of chelation as a cancer
prevention tool should be on the minds of all those at high risk for
cancer.
Chelation And Heavy Metal Detoxification
In this study, control and treated patients were selected from the
same neighborhood in a small town in Europe. Both groups lived next
to a heavily traveled highway. Both groups were exposed to the same
amount of lead from automobile exhaust, industrial pollution and
other carcinogens. The level of exposure was measured and was found
to be no greater than those existing in most other metropolitan
areas throughout the world. Specifically, the traffic flow past the
residences of the study subjects, was 4000 vehicles per day in 1956
and increased to 8000 vehicles per day in 1968. Of those, 7000 were
passenger cars and 400 were diesel trucks.
The results of this longitudinal study are quite remarkable. Over a
period of 18 years, only one of 59 treated patients (1.7%) died of
cancer while 30 of 172 non treated control subjects (17.6%) died of
cancer. Statistical analysis showed EDTA chelation therapy to be the
only significant difference between controls and treated patients
and serves to explain the marked reduction in cancer mortality.
IV EDTA Chelation
EDTA is a chemical that is widely used as a food preservative (and
therefore generally recognized as safe). We are in fact exposed to
about 20- 50 mg of this everyday simply from the food that we eat.
It is approved by the FDA in treatment of lead toxicity. Usually a
solution mixed with magnesium bound EDTA is the agent of choice in
IV chelation therapy practiced during the past 50 years by American
doctors. Because EDTA has a higher affinity towards calcium in
comparison to magnesium; magnesium is released while calcium is
picked up. Too fast of a removal of calcium from the blood stream,
however, is not productive and it can lead to a dangerous condition
known as hypocalcaemia and serious medical side effects. For this
reason, the IV drip must be administered slowly. One session of IV
chelation takes about 2-3 hours, infusing 1.8 to 3 grams of sodium-EDTA
intravenously. A course of treatment usually entails 30 sessions,
with one to three treatments per week. The patient sits in a
comfortable chair, and the EDTA is painlessly dripped into the veins
via an intravenous solution ( or “soup” ) mixed with minerals and
vitamins. In addition to the traditional form, a quicker IV push
format, advanced by Dr. Walter Blumer of Switzerland, also proved to
be very beneficial as well. In this process, the calcium bound EDTA
is used. There is no worry about calcium depletion because the
calcium is delivered together with the EDTA. The calcium is given
up, as the EDTA binds metals it has a higher affinity for, such as
lead. The best news is that this can be administered painlessly over
a matter of minutes instead of hours.
According to Dr Robert Rowen, a noted alternative medicine doctor
and editor-in-chief of Second Opinion, Dr Blumer’s research showed
remarkable cardiovascular benefits of IV push calcium EDTA. There is
an astonishing 90% reduction in heart attacks in Dr Blumer’s
patients receiving only calcium EDTA by the quick-push method, over
decades of clinical use. In his study, 343 patients were studied
with an average age of 44 and were administered 2-3 grams of calcium
EDTA twice a week for 5 -10 weeks. He noted complete resolution of
cardiac symptoms.
EDTA enhances the cardiovascular system by enhancing endothelial
function through the removal of toxic metals that are detrimental to
endothelial health. It chelates heavy metal from the vascular wall,
kidney and brain. EDTA binds to toxic metals such as lead, free
iron, cadmium, arsenic, and to a lesser extent, mercury When the
level of toxic metal is reduced, the endothelium will function
better. Increased levels of nitrous oxide will be released, and the
peripheral vascular flow will increase while blood pressure is
normalized. Calcium from the endothelium wall is not removed by EDTA.
Oral EDTA Chelation
While most IV EDTA chelation doctors are trained to believe that IV
EDTA chelation is the only way that works, advanced researches have
now shown that oral EDTA chelation therapy can also have beneficial
effects, although less potent than the IV form.
There are various forms of EDTA available in oral form. The most
common of which is calcium-bound EDTA. Calcium, however, is not the
best mineral for the aging body. Contrary to popular belief from
research over 30 years old, the newer longitudinal studies are
showing that calcium, in excess of 300 mg a day, does not contribute
to bone strength. Excess calcium can lead to increased cardiac
irritability and arrhythmia. In fact, calcium-channel blockers are
routinely used by doctors world-wide to treat hypertension.
Excessive calcium also leads to calcium deposits in soft tissues.
What our body needs is more magnesium, an increasing 80% of
Americans are deficient in even getting the RDA suggested dose of
350 mg of Magnesium per day. EDTA has a higher affinity for calcium
than magnesium. Oral EDTA chelation goes to work not only by binding
the unwanted toxic metals, but also leads to the release of
magnesium from the EDTA molecule while binding excessive calcium
from our body. Because the oral form works slowly, there is no worry
about dropping the amount of calcium in our body too quickly, as in
the case of IV chelation.
The best form of oral EDTA chelation product should contain
magnesium bound EDTA. As the EDTA is delivered, magnesium is
released. Magnesium is needed in over 300 enzymatic reactions in the
body. It helps to relax smooth muscles of the heart and lowers blood
pressure. It is nature’s calcium-channel blocker. It also helps
relax the mind and act as a natural sleeping pill and tranquilizer.
Taking 1,800 mg a day of oral magnesium bound EDTA chelation for 20
days (300 mg x6 tablets daily) at a 5% intestinal absorption rate,
will deliver the same amount of EDTA to the blood stream as one IV
session of 1,800 mg.
Removing Heavy Metals
90% of the oral EDTA pass through the gut. In this process, it binds
to ingested toxic metals, such as mercury found in fish. A complete
chelation program should therefore consist of an intravenous
component as well as an oral component. The oral component works on
the gut to remove ingested toxic metal. It also serves as a long
term maintenance program to remove the slow leakage of lead from its
reserve in our bones (where it is kept). Without an ongoing oral
maintenance, to remove the lead released from our bones, IV EDTA
chelation will not be able to keep the lead level in check once IV
therapy is stopped. Separately, the IV form works on the endothelial
cells. Therefore, both the oral and IV form work on very different
pathways and, in fact, complement each other.
Before embarking on oral or IV EDTA chelation treatment, accurate
determination of the degree of minerals and toxic element presence
should be carried out. Since serum levels are not accurate, it is
best to perform a pack red blood cell intracellular element
analysis. Hair mineral analysis is another method of measuring the
amount of mineral present in the body. Though the result reflects
historical data, a standardized reference standard is not readily
available, and interpretation can vary from laboratory to
laboratory.
Alternatively, a 24 hour, 6 hour, or spot urine (pre and
post-provocation study using oral chelation agents such as EDTA-Mg
K2 or DMPS) is a good way to yield a qualitative and quantitative
analysis of the amount of mineral and toxic metal load in the body
prior to starting of chelation treatment to remove toxic metal. Such
tests can be repeated 3 months after treatment in order to determine
the degree of toxic metal removal.
It is important to note that anyone on EDTA chelation treatment must
be supplemented with a high potency, anti-oxidant and mineral,
formula which adequately protects against chromium deficiency. Up to
400 mcg of chromium polynicotinate is needed for the healthy, and up
to 800 mcg for those with diabetes because chromium is easily
bounded to EDTA and excreted out of the body.
Source
In addition to EDTA, garlic and selenium are good chelators of
mercury; and malic acid is a good chelator of iron.