Chelation therapy is a treatment process using what are known as chelation agents. Chelation agents are compounds that naturally bind with harmful or toxic heavy metals in a patient's body, according to the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry. Through the bonding process, chelation agents inhibit generally toxic metals from harming a person's body. Once bonded, the combined chelation agent and once-harmful heavy metal eliminates from a patient's body.
Function
The function of chelation therapy is the removal of toxic metals from a person's body. The types of toxic metals that chelation therapy removes include mercury, arsenic and lead. Other types of toxic metals that chelation therapy is said to remove include uranium and plutonium.
Administration
The agent used in a particular chelation therapy process is administered either orally, intravenously or intra-muscularly. The manner of administration depends on the type of metal poisoning being addressed and the particular agent utilized in the process.
FDA Approved Agent
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved many chelation agents used both in the United States and in other countries. One chelation agent that garnered FDA approval is ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid or EDTA. Colorless and water soluble, EDTA is used in chelation therapy to treat lead poisoning and high levels of calcium in a patient's blood.
History
Chelation therapy is rooted in the research of Alfred Werner, a European chemist, according to Cardio Renew. He developed the theory of chelates which underpins the binding process of chelation therapy. He received a Nobel Prize for his efforts in 1913. The first documented medical applications of what today is known as chelation therapy occurred in World War I. This precursor to modern chelation therapy arose as a means to treat soldiers contaminated with poison gas. An estimated 500,000 patients received chelation treatment using FDA approved EDTA, according the American College for Advancement in Medicine.
Warning
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a public health advisory concerning EDTA and chelation therapy. Through this public health advisory, the FDA advised that the use of EDTA is approved by the agency for the treatment of lead poisoning and high levels of calcium in a patient's blood stream. EDTA and chelation therapy is not approved for the treatment of coronary artery disease or other purposes.
Chelation Certification
The American College for Advancement in Medicine developed a certification program for practitioners providing chelation therapy in the United States in an attempt to better oversee the practice of chelation treatment. The FDA is not involved in this certification program, nor is any other governmental agency.
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