You may have heard of Chelation therapy as it has made its rounds among the medical circles. What you do not know is whether this therapy is indeed worth the hype or not. Chelation therapy claims to be able to cure or alleviate symptoms associated with cardiovascular problems, lead poisoning, and even autism.

But what is this Chelation therapy anyway? Is it a proven medical treatment, or is it one of those quack treatments that can do more harm than good?

Chelation as a treatment
Chelation is the use of chemicals to help cleanse the body from harmful metallic substances in the body. It is also said to be able to bind with calcium in the arteries making them softer and more pliable. Because of these claims it has become a popular treatment for those suffering from arteriosclerosis.

It has also been claiming to be able to treat people suffering from autism. It does so by binding with the harmful and toxic substances in the bloodstream and flushing them out. Some autism is blamed on metal poisoning which has impaired development. In this sense, Chelation does seem like a good remedy.

History of Chelation
During World War I, poisonous and toxic agents were used in the battlefield. Thus was born biochemical warfare. Among the toxic agents used in the battlefield was arsenic gas. This gas is lethal for any contaminated by it. To counter this, the Chelation agent dimercaprol was used to bind to the toxic agents in the body making it easy to flush out of the body through the kidneys and the liver.

These Chelation agents can bond with many of the toxic metals known to man. These metals include lead, mercury, and arsenic.

Uses in Medicine
Today, Chelation agents have been since then used to treat acute metal poisoning. This is especially true for people under occupational hazards who are inadvertently exposed to these metals. Heavy metal poisoning can damage the body greatly, and can cause harm to every organ in the body.

Chelation has been proven to be able to reduce the amount of the substances in the body of a great amount. Although they may not be successful in removing all traces of the poison, it can at least reduce them to more tolerable levels.

It has been proven to cure, or at least mitigate damage caused by disease types of heavy metal poisoning. And, aside from this, there has arisen claims that Chelation therapy can do a host of other curative wonders. Among these is its claim to treat arteriosclerosis, and autism.

Arteriosclerosis
In 1997, more than 800,000 patients underwent Chelation therapy. This is even more than the number of patients that underwent bypass surgery in the USA alone. This is due to its claim to be able to halt or even reverse the effects of age-related are to sclerosis and macular degeneration.

Chelation claims to be able to bind with the calcium in the arteries therefore negating the negative effects of arteriosclerosis. However, this claim has yet to be substantiated by third-party nonpartisan studies. EDTA Chelation therapies are currently the topic of a number of studies into their reliability and efficacy.

But until that time that they can be scientifically proven to be able to live up to their claims, they will remain on the borderline of alternative medicine.

Autism
Some forms of autism are said to be caused by heavy metal poisoning. Chelation therapy is said to be able to reduce the amount of heavy metals in the bloodstream. This has the effect of reversing, or mitigating the effects of the poisoning.

Also, lead poisoning has been blamed on the decreased IQ of children in many cities in the world. This is especially true in cities that are heavily polluted. Children in these areas-most of them coming from Third World countries, show increased levels of lead in their bodies. There is a direct correlation with this amount of lead in their bodies and their IQ.

Chelation therapy is said to be able to reduce the amount of lead, and other metals in the body. Due to this, many autistic children undergo Chelation therapy. However scientific studies have yet to be released to verify if this therapy does indeed work.

Safety
Chelation is basically non-life-threatening; however there have been cases of accidents and even deaths because of reckless therapies performed by nonprofessionals. These therapies should be conducted by trained professionals using the right chemicals. If this is not so, there is always a risk for injury and even death.

Conclusion
While Chelation therapy is an exciting new alternative therapy, he should not need people to jump on it as the Holy Grail of cure for arteriosclerosis and autism. While its mettle has been tested for heavy metal poisoning, it’s used for the above-mentioned other ailments should be further studied and verified.