Chelating corner

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, May, 2007 by E. Blaurock-Busch, Peter VanderSchaar

Chelating therapies are not new, and acceptance varies from country to country. In my humble opinion, there are reasons for this discrepancy in acceptance:

1. If you speak Latin to the Chinese, expect miscommunication.

2. To receive medical acceptance, you must prove the therapy's effectiveness.

Point 1: International Communication

When I met Dr. VanderSchaar, President of the International Board of Clinical Metal Toxicology (IBCMT), we discussed international communication problems as they pertained to this medical specialty, called "Chelation Therapy." I, who had worked in the laboratory for most of my life, suddenly and unexpectedly sat with one of the pioneering chelationists, and he was interested in sharing knowledge. What an experience!

We found we had much in common, namely, curiosity mixed with a dose of scepticism, and an analytical mind. Having both worked internationally, we could see how the various medical specialties misunderstood chelating treatment. Being aware that detoxification treatments are an accepted practice in occupational medicine, we found it interesting, if not amusing, that the term "chelating therapy" was, and still is, generally frowned upon. When we replaced this term with "metal toxicology" for our European workshop agenda, we received accreditation from the medical authorities in the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands. We were accepted, because we had communicated in the language of traditional medicine.

Now, physicians of various specialties join our meetings and are interested in "Metal Toxicology." We still teach EDTA chelating therapy as it applies to atherosclerosis and related diseases, but since the main focus is heavy metal detoxification, we also attract pediatricians, dermatologists, oncologists, and other medical specialists.

Point 2: Proving the Therapy's Effectiveness: A Multiphase Program

Phase 1: Recognizing International Differences

We had to realize that not all countries provide the same chelating agents. Nearly all chelating agents are recognized in Germany and the Netherlands. In Portugal, Malaysia, or other countries, physicians have to be creative in receiving EDTA, DMSA, and other needed pharmaceuticals. Even simple vitamin C infusions might not be available.

Phase 2: Broadening Concepts

We broadened the scope of practice and teaching. No longer do we limit our teaching to EDTA chelation therapy; our focus is metal detoxification. We are concerned about all available chelating agents, including DMPS, the DTPAs, DMSA, and the naturally occurring chelating agents. Since it is our goal to provide physicians with useful treatment protocols and to prove treatment success, we researched the effectiveness of various chelating agents.

Phase 3: Setting Up Meaningful Protocols

During our research, we first established urine collection protocols, which are necessary to obtain meaningful data. In 2003, Dr. VanderSchaar's clinic provided patient samples, and our laboratory got busy evaluating data. From these initial clinical trials, we learned how important it is to adjust urine collection time to the individual chelating agent's half-life. In 2004, we established some urine-collection protocols. Thereafter, we included in our studies test samples from other clinics that followed our protocols. Since then, the data base expanded. We now have a truly international and thus broader database.

Our current urine collection protocol proposes the following:

* A fluid intake of three cups of water during urine collection

After the collection period is completed, the patient is asked to drink sufficient water to "flush" the kidneys.

[FIGURE 1 OMITTED]

* We ask patients not to eat fish two days prior to chelating. Fish may contain significant amounts of mercury or arsenic, and an oral-chelating agent will first bind metals found in the gut.

* We don't let the patient drink tea, because it is rich in manganese.

* Patients are not allowed to smoke during chelation, because cigarette smoke contains arsenic, nickel, cadmium, beryllium, and other metals.

Phase 4: Proving How Chelating Agents Work

A chelating agent has a binding capacity that can be mathematically determined. EDTA, for instance, has at least six pairs of unshared electrons that can bind to atoms or group of atoms carrying a positive charge. The two nitrogen atoms (N), plus the four oxygen atoms (O) from the carboxyl groups are known as "dentates," or the "clawing teeth," which bind metals such as calcium, lead, and other ionized metals. (See Figure 1)

Phase 5: Avoiding Misleading Results

By providing metals through food or drink, we are saturating EDTAs (or any chelating agent's) "clawing teeth." We prevent the actual process of cell detoxification. For example, if the patient drank tea during the EDTA-infusion process, the chelating agent will quickly bind manganese and other metals found in tea. If the patient smoked during this time, EDTA will quickly bind the inhaled metals arsenic, cadmium, and nickel. As a result, fewer "clawing teeth" are available for the actual cell detoxification. While urine excretion values are elevated, the results are not reflecting therapy success. Instead, they are simply the total sum of bound and excreted metals.