smiling-female-athlete-using-smart-phone-drinking-healthy-smoothie-while-lying-down-floor-

Medical Chelation Protocol for Heavy Metal Detoxification

What are Heavy Metals?

Heavy metals are elements with high atomic weights and densities. Some, like iron and zinc, are essential for the body in small amounts. However, others, such as lead, mercury, and arsenic, are toxic even in trace amounts.

Why Should We Care About Heavy Metals in Our Bodies?

We are exposed to toxic heavy metals constantly through our normal everyday activities. Even with simply drinking water from a faucet, showering and everyday encounters with water delivered through lead-containing pipes. Heavy metals can have significant adverse effects on human health, even at low levels of exposure. Here's why we should be concerned:

Toxicity: Heavy metals can interfere with various bodily functions, including:
- Nervous system: Damage to the brain and nerves, leading to cognitive impairment, behavioral problems, and neurological disorders.
- Immune system: Weakening of the immune response, increasing susceptibility to infections.
- Reproductive system: Adverse effects on fertility and fetal development.
- Cardiovascular system: Increased risk of heart disease.
- Kidney and liver damage: Impaired organ function.
Bioaccumulation: Heavy metals tend to accumulate in the body over time, especially in organs like the liver, kidneys, and bones. This chronic exposure can lead to long-term health problems.
Sources of Exposure: Heavy metals can enter our bodies through various pathways:
- Inhalation: Contaminated air from industrial emissions, smoking, and certain occupations.
- Ingestion: Contaminated food and water, certain types of fish, and traditional medicines.
- Absorption: Through the skin from contact with contaminated soil or water.

What Can We Do to Reduce our Body’s Heavy Metal Burden?

Reduce Exposure: Be mindful of potential sources of heavy metal exposure and take steps to minimize them.
Dietary Choices: Choose a balanced diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Limit consumption of certain types of fish high in mercury.
Water Quality: Ensure access to clean drinking water. Consider using water filtration systems if necessary.
Professional Guidance: Consult with healthcare providers for concerns about heavy metal exposure or potential toxicity.

It's important to be aware of the potential health risks associated with heavy metals and take steps to minimize exposure.

Heavy metal chelation is a medical procedure that uses specific medications to remove heavy metals from the body. These metals, such as lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic, are toxic in ALL doses when present in the body. As levels build up in the body and accumulate over time they can cause or contribute to several disease conditions. Heavy Metals in the body have been linked to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinsons. Heavy metals can be a cause of cardiovascular disease, arrythmias and peripheral vascular diseases. Heavy metals in the body increase the risk of cancer, cause gastrointestinal issues and immune dysfunction

How does chelation therapy work?

Chelation therapy involves the use of chelating agents, which are substances that bind to metals and form stable complexes. These complexes are then excreted from the body through urine or stool.

What are the uses of chelation therapy?

Heavy metal poisoning: Chelation therapy is the primary treatment for acute heavy metal poisoning, such as lead poisoning.
Atherosclerosis: Seveeral studies have suggested that chelation therapy may be beneficial for people with atherosclerosis, a condition characterized by the buildup of plaque in the arteries. More research is needed to confirm these findings.

What are the risks of chelation therapy?

Chelation therapy can have side effects, including:

Low blood pressure
Kidney problems

Muscle weakness
Allergic reactions

It is important to discuss the potential risks and benefits of chelation therapy with a healthcare provider before undergoing treatment.

Important Considerations:

Physician consultation and lab work-up is required for ALL patients prior to undergoing chelation therapy to determine whether or not you are an appropriate candidate for chelation therapy and risks are limited based on medical history and laboratory findings.
Chelation therapy is a medical procedure that should only be performed under the supervision of a qualified healthcare provider.
It is not a cure-all and should not be used to treat conditions for which it has not been shown effectiveness for.

Resources

Menke A, Muntner P, Batuman V, Silbergeld EK, Guallar E: Blood lead below 0.48 micromol/L (10 microg/dL) and mortality among US adults. Circulation. 2006, 114:1388-1394. 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.106.628321

Patterson CC, Shirahata H, Ericson JE: Lead in ancient human bones and its relevance to historical developments of social problems with lead. Sci Total Environ. 1987, 61:167-200. 10.1016/0048-9697(87)90366-4

Moreno RC, Navas-Acien A, Escolar E, et al.: Potential roles of metal chelation to prevent cardiovascular complications of diabetes. J Clin Endocrinol Metlab. 2019, 104:2931-2941. 10.1210/jc.2018-01484

Aneni EC, Escolar E, Lamas GA: Chronic toxic metal exposure and cardiovascular disease: mechanisms of risk and emerging role of chelation therapy. Curr Atheroscler Rep. 2016, 18:81. 10.1007/s11883-016-0631-0

Cheung MR: Blood lead concentration correlates with all cause, all cancer and lung cancer mortality in adults: a population based study. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2013, 14:3105-3108. 10.7314/APJCP.2013.14.5.3105

Gonick HC, Behari JR: Is lead exposure the principal cause of essential hypertension?. Med Hypotheses. 2002, 59:239-246. 10.1016/S0306-9877(02)00207- 4

Lamas GA, Navas-Acien A, Mark DB, Lee KL: Heavy metals, cardiovascular disease, and the unexpected benefits of chelation therapy. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2016, 67:2411-2418. 10.1016/j.jacc.2016.02.066

Lanphear BP, Rauch S, Auinger P, Allen RW, Hornung RW: Low-level lead exposure and mortality in US adults: a population-based cohort study. Lancet Public Health. 2018, 3:177-184. 10.1016/S2468-2667(18)30025-2

Bakulski KM, Rozek LS, Dolinoy DC, Paulson HL, Hu H: Alzheimer's disease and environmental exposure to lead: the epidemiologic evidence and potential role of epigenetics. Curr Alzheimer Res. 2012, 9:563-573. 10.2174/156720512800617991

Weisskopf MG, Wright RO, Schwartz J, Spiro A III, Sparrow D, Aro A, Hu H: Cumulative lead exposure and prospective change in cognition among elderly men: the VA Normative Aging Study. Am J Epidemiol. 2004, 160:1184- 1193. 10.1093/aje/kwh333

Cojocaru M, Chicoş B: The role of heavy metals in autoimmunity. Rom J Intern Med. 2014, 52:189-191. § Dietert RR, Piepenbrink MS: Lead and immune function. Crit Rev Toxicol. 2006, 36:359-385. 10.1080/10408440500534297

Born T, Kontoghiorghe CN, Spyrou A, Kolnagou A, Kontoghiorghes GJ: EDTA chelation reappraisal following new clinical trials and regular use in millions of patients: review of preliminary findings and risk/benefit assessment. Toxicol Mech Methods. 2013, 23:11-17. 10.3109/15376516.2012.730562

Alam ZH, Ujueta F, Arenas IA, Nigra AE, Navas-Acien A, Lamas GA: Urinary metal levels after repeated edetate disodium infusions: preliminary findings. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020, 17:4684. 10.3390/ijerph17134684