Your heart's got a hard job: It beats ceaselessly, pumping blood to every part of your body. If you've got high cholesterol, your heart has to work even harder to keep you alive, and that can be very dangerous indeed. In the late 1960s, scientists proposed an idea: What if we could use chemicals to break down cholesterol and clear diseased arteries? Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, or EDTA, seemed to be the miracle cure. Unfortunately, its effectiveness remains theoretical at best.
Function of EDTA
Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid is a man-made amino acid that is used to remove metal contaminants from food. According to 3D Chem, high levels of copper, iron and nickel can come from the soil or machinery used to produce foodstuffs. Unless they're removed, these metals can degrade our food. EDTA is a complex molecule that binds to metals, making them inactive. EDTA is very effective in this regard, and is even used in cases of heavy metal poisoning. In a process called chelation, EDTA is delivered directly into the bloodstream, where it binds to lead and other metals, deactivating them so they can be excreted.
EDTA and Cholesterol
In the 1960s, a few studies indicated that EDTA might also be effective against arteriosclerosis, or blocked arteries. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, arteriosclerosis is caused by the slow buildup of cholesterol, plaque and mineral deposits in the arteries. In the 1960s and 1970s, it was believed that EDTA removed calcium and other mineral deposits, causing the cholesterol and other buildup to dissipate and be absorbed back into the bloodstream. Some doctors began prescribing chelation therapy for cholesterol patients based on this theoretical connection.
Expert Insight
Multiple studies have examined the effect of EDTA on cholesterol, but unfortunately no connection has been proven. In 2000, the "American Heart Journal" published a systematic review of all the clinical evidence dealing with chelation therapy for heart disease. "The most striking finding," the review's author wrote, "is the almost total lack of convincing evidence." More seriously, Quackwatch.org claims that EDTA treatments may even be dangerous, causing low calcium levels, blood problems, heart and liver failure, and loss of zinc.
Misconceptions About EDTA
Despite the lack of supporting evidence, claims of EDTA's cholesterol-fighting powers are widespread. According to the American Heart Association, supporters claim that chelation saves lives, improves blood flow and reduces pain. However, EDTA therapists may require their patients to quit smoking, eat better, lose weight and make other lifestyle changes that have proven effects on health and cholesterol. The American Heart Association warns that these therapists may charge $3,000 to $5,000 for what amounts to a powerful placebo effect.
Ongoing Research
Chelation therapy and EDTA have not been fully researched. Many clinical studies have had inadequate controls or other major shortcomings. To correct this imbalance, the National Institutes of Health will conduct a wide-ranging clinical study of EDTA chelation therapy. The study will be conducted from 2010 through 2011, and the results will be published in 2012. Until these results are released, there can be no definite claim to EDTA's effectiveness against cholesterol.
References
- 3D Chem: EDTA
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid
- PubMed: Chelation Therapy for Coronary Heart Disease: An Overview of All Clinical Investigations
- American Heart Association: Questions and Answers About Chelation Therapy
- Quackwatch: Chelation Therapy: Unproven Claims and Unsound Theories
- National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: The NIH Trial of EDTA Chelation Therapy for Coronary Artery Disease
