Chelation Defined

• Chelation therapy involves the use of chelating agents--chemicals that "grab" heavy metal particles--to enable their removal.
  
  

Theories

• Over-the-counter nutritional supplements, such as alpha-lipoic acid (ALA), cysteine and EDTA have chelating effects, and may help to flush heavy metals out of the body when taken orally.
  
  

Effects

• No peer-reviewed trials have documented the effects of oral chelation. Intravenous chelation therapy is controversially used to treat heavy metal poisoning, heart disease, autism and other disorders.
  
  

Safety

• Oral chelation therapy is not endorsed by the FDA, and intravenous chelation therapy is only considered safe for the treatment of medically diagnosed heavy metal poisoning.
  
  

Potential Hazards

• Orally administered amino acids like ALA and cysteine are considered safe. However, self-diagnosis and self-treatment of heavy metal poisoning can be dangerous because patients may fail to seek medical attention for serious complications.