Chelation and IV therapy
At A Better Alternative Medical Center, we deliver many different combinations of nutrients via intravenous infusion to target many different medical conditions very effectively, but of these, chelation therapy is probably the best known. In essence, chelation is the introduction into the body of a substance that has the ability to chemically attract unwanted minerals from the body’s tissues and lead them to be eliminated. The "chelating” substance can be a chemical, a nutrient, or a food, hence, there are a number of substances that can be used to chelate (i.e., remove unwanted minerals) in this way. Certainly, the best known of these is EDTA (ethylenediamine tetra-acetic acid, familiar to us as a preservative in many foods). The protocol for administering EDTA that we use at our center has been refined and tested over the past 50+ years and, to provide the safest and highly effective treatment.
The use of EDTA in traditional medicine is limited to the removal of toxic lead, while, in holistic medicine, it is used as a way to dismantle atherosclerotic plaque on blood vessels by directly removing calcium that is integral to its structure. But beyond reduction in plaque, the benefits of intravenous EDTA treatments are multiple. To name a few:
Up to a remarkable 90% reduction in the overall risk of cancer (based on a classic Swiss study)
Improvement in blood pressure
Increase in bone mineral density
Healing of leg/foot ulcers and gangrene of the extremities
Preventing stents from closing after being placed surgically
Reduction of or elimination of Coumadin and other pharmaceutical medications
For these reasons and more, chelation therapy can be of value to nearly anyone with adequate kidney function to do this therapy safely.
As with any medical treatment chelation must be administered using proper protocol, and prudent judgment. Dr. Leder was first introduced to intravenous therapies, including chelation therapy, at the Atkins Center in 1988, and was Board Certified in the mid 90’s via the American Board of Chelation Therapy (now the American Board of Heavy Metal Toxicology). The doctor employs a conservative approach, with frequent replacement of essential minerals, and regularly scheduled clinical monitoring.
Another popular type of chelation therapy features the agent DMSA (meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid). DMSA is used to draw heavy metals out of the body, including lead, mercury, arsenic, and antimony. These metals act as oxidants in your body, causing damage and a wide variety of symptoms, mostly focused in the areas of the nervous system, emotional health, skin problems, and the gastrointestinal tract. Some forms of autism have been tentatively linked to an excess body level of these metals in very young children. Several years ago, an announcement was made in New York City that a striking 25% of its population had excess blood levels of lead.
Lowering one's levels of the toxic “heavy metals” can play a critical role in alleviating certain conditions. The metals are removed on a daily basis by our own detoxification systems as they travel through our bloodstreams upon exposure, but this doesn’t always work well enough. Sometimes the exposures are too intensive for the body to handle, and some metals remain. Some people do not have a strong ability to eliminate metals (poor detoxifiers) and in this case, again, some metals are left behind in the body. These remaining metals find” sanctuary” in the body’s tissues (fatty tissue is the preferred site), and after they bind there securely, they do not readily offer themselves for further detoxification by the body. Rather, they remain in the tissue for years, causing less acute symptoms than would an outright, acute overdose, but, over time, wreaking serious havoc on an individual’s health.
When Dr. Leder does specialized testing and discovers that a patient has high levels of metals, she suggests an appropriate course of chelation. She is often asked why, if this is so important, did no other physician in the past ever test them, tell them that they had this problem, and explain its medical consequences. Dr. Leder has no perfect answer for this question, other than that this essential piece of medicine, as with several others, has been left to functional physicians such as herself, and to make sure to tell friends and family to get themselves checked for heavy metal intoxication as well.
If you have been chelated in the past, it would be wise to check levels again from time to time. If this is the case, or if you know someone who has been treated by the doctor, scheduling bloodwork would be the next step.
Other useful and often used intravenous protocols exist for:
Dissolving Soft (non-calcified) Arterial Plaque
Chronic Fatigue
Adrenal Support
Immune Enhancement or Moderation
Vision Preservation
Resolution of Acute Viral Illnesses
Hepatitis
Optimizing Endurance/Energy