• What is EDTA?
• How does it Work to Remove Metal?
• Is it safe?

In a Nutshell:

EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) is an amino acid compound, a powerful chelating agent - meaning it attaches to plaque build up and heavy metals and removes them naturally from the body. EDTA is recognized by the body and easily assimilated.

Chelation - (Greek) To bind, or to claw

EDTA is one of the most powerful metal chelators known. However, EDTA has become a commonly known name. There are actually many forms and chemical formulas for the same basic product called EDTA. All are formulated to remove metals, but for different purposes. Industrial Grade EDTA is used in batteries and for other practical purposes. Food Grade EDTA is used to protect us to some degree from harmful metals that find their way into the foods we eat. The sodium and calcium salts of EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) are common sequestrants in many kinds of foods and beverages.

And Pharmaceutical Grade EDTA is used in the best chelation products for its primary function, that of removing unwanted metals (in particular Calcium, Mercury, Lead, Cadmium & Arsenic) from the body's organs and cardiovascular system.

HOW DOES IT WORK TO REMOVE HEAVY METALS?

EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid). The EDTA molecule can bind to metal ions by forming six bonds to it - two from nitrogen atoms in amino groups and four from oxygen atoms in carboxyl groups.

When divalent metals (such as lead, mercury, cadmium, aluminum, calcium etc.) are chelated by EDTA, the original electromagnetic attraction is lost, and the fatty debris is dissolved by circulating blood and metabolized. The metal EDTA molecule, now inactive and non toxic, is carried by the blood until it passes through the kidneys. It then is removed from the body via the urine.

The solid sticky plaque goes into solution and is harmlessly removed. By this unique mechanism, dangerous solids are converted to a liquid, then transported away to be eliminated. This is a natural, normal phenomenon of body chemistry.

WHAT ABOUT PLAQUE?

Plaque is formed when non bi-carbonate calcium and cholesterol combine. Plaque builds up on arteries and can create blockages and hardening, causing a host of health concerns such as arteriosclerosis, atherosclerosis, infarction, stenosis, PAD, CAD, congestive heart failure, angina, and so on.

Chelation therapy works by reversing hardening of the arteries due to calcification. Calcium is a major contributor to the atherosclerotic process.

Calcium has two positive charges which are called valences. Hence, calcium is divalent. Calcium is strongly attracted electromagnetically by the open ended, molecular structure of EDTA that is circulating in the blood during the chelation treatment. This results in the calcium ion being incorporated into the EDTA molecular structure, forming a closed ring. When this process takes place, the metal is said to be chelated and EDTA is termed the chelating agent.

IS EDTA SAFE?

EDTA is used in the food products we eat every day, including some baby foods, and is approved by the FDA and USDA for this use. It is recommended by the American Heart Association for removing toxic metals from the body, and even children undergo this treatment. More than 1 million Americans and over 3 million patients in other countries use Chelation Treatments for heavy metal detox and plaque removal each year. Chelation Therapy has been used successfully for over 60 years.

It should be noted that there are many formulas for EDTA. Some are used for Industrial purposes, others are Food Grade or Pharmaceutical grade for consumption.

It is also very important to consider the method of administering EDTA. It is taken orally (liquid, capsule, sublingually), by suppository, and through IV. There are varying degrees of safety and effectiveness for each. Please see Treatment Options for Blocked Arteries and Treatment Options for Metal Toxicity for more information. The following information will focus primarily on EDTA Oral Chelation.

SEE ALSO:

• Various benefits and uses of EDTA (including those in the foods we eat)
• Research studies on EDTA
• Excerpts from Chelation Can Cure by Dr. E.W. McDonagh. Explanations as to the workings of EDTA and a brief history, Discussion of stroke, cardiovascular disease, hardening and narrowing of the arteries, effects on the brain, Relationship to Calcium
• Chelation Therapy and High Blood Pressure “increase the effectiveness in the treatment of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, gangrene, retinitis, macular degeneration, kidney disease, and many other difficult medical conditions”
• The $35 Billion Boondoggle - reviewed by Irene Alleger - Discusses the high cost of unnecessary surgery.