4 ms·

I agree with the article, except it's missing another type of useful detox -- chelation therapy. It's generally used with heavy metal poisoning. I have a frien

I agree with the article, except it's missing another type of useful detox -- chelation therapy. It's generally used with heavy metal poisoning. I have a friend who ate way too much sushi and had seriously elevated mercury levels. Eventually her body cleared the mercury out on it's own, but I believe she went through a initial round of mild chelation therapy.

dalke 12y ago
Chelation therapy has only been shown effective for acute and higher exposure poisoning. Chelating agents have serious side effects. For low exposures the best solution is to avoid or remove the source of the exposure. Quoting from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3846980/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3846980/ (italics mine): > Chelation treatment of asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic patients is unlikely to benefit patients and may actually cause harm, as discussed elsewhere in this publication. Patients seek clear cause–effect relationships for their “poisoning,” but it is not always possible to determine the cause of symptoms. Physicians should seek a thorough diagnosis in spite of the pressure to find a simple environmental culprit. Internet advertising by marketers of “toxic testings” have made testing and treatment popular in some alternative medicine practices and has encouraged some people with health problems to seek these treatments. However, it is not possible to remove all “toxins” from the body, and treatments remove essential elements as well. Furthermore, the efficacy of chelation treatment has not been generally demonstrated for all but severe recent acute exposures to a few metals. In addition to concerns about short-term adverse impacts that may result from chelation, public health practitioners are also concerned about the potential subtle and latent effects that have not been characterized. > In responding to citizen’s requests for information, public health officials are often confronted by extremely emotional appeals to solve personal health problems. Commercial laboratory marketings “toxin testing” offer hope that there is another treatment option. They also appear to prey on the guilt of caregivers, suggesting that not every treatment option has been tried until chelation products are used. However, no assessment of the true risks and benefits of chelation treatments are being provided.
- webnrrd2k 12y ago
  Thanks for the clarification. I learned about chelation therapy in a chemistry class, many years ago, and didn't know a lot about it's actual use.

dalke 12y ago

Chelation therapy has only been shown effective for acute and higher exposure poisoning. Chelating agents have serious side effects. For low exposures the best solution is to avoid or remove the source of the exposure. Quoting from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3846980/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3846980/ (italics mine): > Chelation treatment of asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic patients is unlikely to benefit patients and may actually cause harm, as discussed elsewhere in this publication. Patients seek clear cause–effect relationships for their “poisoning,” but it is not always possible to determine the cause of symptoms. Physicians should seek a thorough diagnosis in spite of the pressure to find a simple environmental culprit. Internet advertising by marketers of “toxic testings” have made testing and treatment popular in some alternative medicine practices and has encouraged some people with health problems to seek these treatments. However, it is not possible to remove all “toxins” from the body, and treatments remove essential elements as well. Furthermore, the efficacy of chelation treatment has not been generally demonstrated for all but severe recent acute exposures to a few metals. In addition to concerns about short-term adverse impacts that may result from chelation, public health practitioners are also concerned about the potential subtle and latent effects that have not been characterized. > In responding to citizen’s requests for information, public health officials are often confronted by extremely emotional appeals to solve personal health problems. Commercial laboratory marketings “toxin testing” offer hope that there is another treatment option. They also appear to prey on the guilt of caregivers, suggesting that not every treatment option has been tried until chelation products are used. However, no assessment of the true risks and benefits of chelation treatments are being provided.

webnrrd2k 12y ago
Thanks for the clarification. I learned about chelation therapy in a chemistry class, many years ago, and didn't know a lot about it's actual use.