What is the definition of Chelation

Chelation is probably a new term for many of us, and the definition can be somewhat complicated from a scientific view, but let’s examine the word itself which should shed some light on just what chelation means.

Chela: noun Inflected forms: pl. che-lae A pincer like claw of a crustacean or arachnid, such as a lobster, crab, or scorpion. Etymology New Latin ch*la, from Greek KH*l*, claw.

Chelate: Transitive verb Chemistry, A chemical compound in the form of a heterocyclic ring, containing a metal ion attached by coordinate bonds to at least two nonmetal ions.

Whew! Did that confuse you? Well the bottom line is Oral Chelation of toxic metals is a procedure that introduces a substance (natural or synthetic) into the body which bonds to toxic metals in the blood and various tissues. The body then excretes the bound toxic metals through the kidney, GI tract, sweat glands and hair.

In addition to the ability to bind and remove toxic metals, an ideal chelator can do so without producing adverse effects. Some chelators have an increased risk of adverse reactions for four reasons. Synthetic chelators must be detoxified. A high portion of people have inefficient Glutathione dependent detoxification mechanisms and are already chemically sensitive, leading to severe side effects.

Synthetic chelators cause excessive toxic metal release in persons whose antioxidant defenses are depleted due to chronic metal poisoning resulting in immune suppression and free radical damage to the body. EDTA has been shown to form a toxic complex with mercury which can damage the brain. Chelation can cause significant essential trace metal depletion and should be replaced before, during, and after chelation of the toxic metal load.

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