EDTA is a chemical compound that chelates the blood. A chelate is a chemical compound in which a central atom (usually a metallic ion) is attached to neighboring atoms by at least two bonds in such a way as to form a ring structure. Chealatins is the process in which the metal ion reacts with another molecule to form the chelate. EDTA (ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid) is an amino acid. It was synthesized in Germany in 1935, and first patented in the United States in 1941.
Chelation therapy itself can be understood simply as the removal of calcium deposits (from your arteries, where you don't want them) and other harmful minerals that promote blood clotting and atherosclerosis. Since these harmful deposits are known to cause excessive free radical production, EDTA chelation also functions as a powerful free radical buster.....protecting cell membranes, DNA, enzyme systems, and lipoproteins from the destructive effects of these ravenous molecules. Some experts believe that the primary benefits of chelation are due to its free radical fighting effects.
Somewhat less well known, among consumers and health care professionals, are the benefits of the oral form EDTA Chelation therapy (in which the same EDTA compound is taken orally.) Some doctors have stated that if someone is on aspirin to prevent a heart attack, that EDTA may be as much as 300 times safer. And has been shown to improve the function of the arteries without angioplasty.
As with early IV chelation studies, the early clinical studies with oral EDTA were also promising, including loss of fat in rats, reduction of blood pressure in humans, and lowered cholesterol in rabbits.
Consequently, a study of the effects of oral EDTA on patients with atherosclerosis and/or hypertension was conducted on 10 patients. 4 of these patents hand hypertension, 4 had angina pectoris, 1 hand peripheral vascular disease and 1 was recovering from a heart attack. All were treated with 1 gram of oral EDTA daily for 3 months.
Seven of the patients experienced significant reductions in their cholesterol levels and blood pressure was reduced in all 10.