Atherosclerosis, or "hardening of the arteries", is the cause of two
most deadly health problems – atherosclerotic heart disease and
cerebro-vascular disease.
Unfortunately, it begins quite early in life and continues relentlessly
until circulation is so compromised that a heart attack or a stroke is
almost certain.
The process begins innocently enough, by formation of a small plaque on
the wall of an artery. It attracts platelets that form a small blood
clot. Later on, additional clotting elements increase the size of the
clot. Eventually cholesterol and calcium get deposited into the growing
plaque.
Calcium completes this process, making the arteries "hard".
Normally arteries have the ability to expand or contract, depending on
the need of the body. But once the calcium is settled on the arterial
walls, they become rigid, unable to either expand or contract.
That's where the expression "hardening of the arteries" comes from.
As more and more such plaques accumulate on the walls of the arteries,
the diameter becomes smaller, making it harder for blood to circulate.
Eventually the opening becomes so small that blood flow is completely
cut off.
The cells of the body require continuous blood supply in order to live.
When it stops, most cells die within a few minutes. If this happens in
the heart, the result is known as a heart attack. In the brain, it is
called a stroke.
By using nutritional adjustments and lifestyle modifications, many of
these risk factors can be reduced or even eliminated. However, no matter
how hard they try, people still develop hardening of the arteries. In
fact, studies of young people who die from accidents show that
significant plaque accumulation is already present very early in life.
Major symptoms
chest pain (angina) because of decreased circulation within the heart
memory loss, dizziness, poor balance from reduced blood flow to the
brain
pain in the legs after walking which is relieved by rest, also known as
intermittent claudication.
Traditional treatment
Hardening of the arteries is a systemic disease. In other words, it
happens throughout the body, not just in one or 2 areas. If you
understand this, you will realize that the current approach to treatment
is crude, primitive and misguided. Some experts have compared it to
putting a band-aid on a major injury.
When a surgeon performs a bypass surgery or an angioplasty, it does
nothing to correct the widespread atherosclerosis already present in
other parts of the body, such as brain, kidneys, lungs, legs and
everywhere else.
To complicate matters further, most of the arteries are very small. They
are called capillaries, and they comprise the majority of the 40 to 60
thousand miles or arteries feeding the tissues of the body. The diameter
of a capillary is smaller than the size of a red blood cell. This is
necessary for the exchange of oxygen and nutrients to take place.
Obviously, these arteries can not be bypassed or surgically manipulated.
Various medications used for "treatment" of heart disease are designed
to deal only with the symptoms, not the real causes of the problem.
Clearly, the real treatment for atherosclerosis would be a procedure
that removes the plaques from the arteries and restores blood flow all
over the body, in large arteries as well as small ones. And this brings
us to
Chelation Therapy
Chelation therapy is probably one of the most effective treatments for
hardening of the arteries, yet it is being ignored and even maligned by
mainstream medicine.
Chelation therapy was used successfully in over 1 million patients over
the last 40 plus years. The main ingredient of chelation therapy is a
synthetic amino acid known as EDTA (ethylene-diamine-tetra-acetic acid).
It has a peculiar ability to strongly attract minerals, especially toxic
metals - lead, mercury, cadmium, aluminum and others.
The word "chelation" is derived from a Greek word chele, which means
"claw".
Chelation therapy was first used for medicinal purposes in the 1950s,
when it was given intravenously to people with lead toxicity. As
expected, the symptoms of lead toxicity promptly improved. But, to the
surprise of the doctors, an unexpected benefit was also observed –
patients with symptoms of heart disease started feeling remarkably
better.
Since then, a number of studies published in reputable medical journals
have confirmed the effectiveness of IV chelation therapy for treating
atherosclerosis and improving blood flow to the heart, the legs and the
brain.
Chelation protocol
A specific protocol for the administration of chelation therapy has been
developed by the American College for Advancement in Medicine (ACAM).
This organization trains and certifies physicians in the proper use of
this treatment.
Chelation is administered intravenously over a period of 1.5 to 3 hours.
The mixture contains EDTA, magnesium, B complex vitamins, vitamin C and
some additional elements (all natural) depending on the patient's unique
requirements.
This procedure is performed in the doctor's office, with a patient
sitting in a comfortable chair while reading, chatting with other
patients, watching TV or even sleeping.
The full course of treatment is 20 to 40 intravenous infusions.
Treatments are usually performed once a week, but can range from 3 times
a week to once a month.
The benefits of chelation
Chelation therapy is used for removal of toxic metals and other toxic
substances and to improve the circulation. Circulation improves in all
the arteries of the body, both large and small.
Chelation will improve circulation to the heart, brain, legs and all the
other organs. That's why it is very useful in heart disease (even after
a heart attack), angina, high blood pressure, poor circulation in the
legs, certain cases of impotence and as a stroke prevention.
Chelation is also used with success in such conditions as diabetes,
abnormalities in heart rhythm, cataracts, ulcers from diabetes or poor
circulation, gangrene, high calcium levels, macular degeneration,
osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, senile dementia
and Alzheimer's disease and many other degenerative conditions in which
blood circulation is impaired.
Side effects
There are no major side effects associated with chelation therapy, when
it is performed according to the established protocol. Minor side
effects are rare. They may include burning at the site of injection and
a temporary "tired" feeling which usually does not last more than a few
hours. This is the result of detoxification – removal of some toxic
metals and other chemicals.
When doctors first began using chelation therapy some 50 years ago, they
did not have as much experience with its use as we do today. They have
used huge doses (5 to 15 times what is used today) and simply injected
the entire amount into a vein, instead of dripping it slowly over the
course of 1.5 to 3 hours. As a result, some patients developed low blood
pressure and even kidney problems.
But when today's safe protocol is followed, kidney functions actually
improve. In addition, a blood test for kidney functions is performed
after every 5-6 treatments.
Mechanism of action
Chelation has a definite and profound positive effect on the health of
blood vessels and blood circulation. But exactly how this is
accomplished, is not yet fully understood.
It is known that chelation improves the balance of calcium and magnesium
in the muscle cells lining the arterial walls. As we become older, more
and more calcium accumulates on the walls of the arteries, creating a
relative lack of magnesium.
Chelation corrects that by removing the extra calcium.
EDTA also reduces the production of free radicals in the body. Free
radicals are highly active molecular fragments that form when cells
produce energy. When they get out of control, they can damage the
tissues and cells of the body. Free radicals have been implicated as a
cause of age-related deterioration of the body, heart disease, cancer,
arthritis, immune dysfunction and many other diseases.
Toxic metals can increase the production of free radicals. Since
chelation removes these metals from the body, it reduces the free
radical load. One study showed a markedly lower incidence of cancer
among patients who had received chelation therapy, confirming beneficial
effect of EDTA on free radical production.
Why is chelation therapy still relatively unknown?
In other words, if it's so good, why doesn't every doctor use it and
recommend it? Good question. There are a few reasons for it.
1. The patent on EDTA has expired in the early 1960s, which means that
any pharmaceutical company can manufacture it. This immediately removed
any financial incentive to promote EDTA, just like you don't hear too
many commercials about Penicillin.
2. Bypass surgery became widespread and today it is a
multibillion-dollar industry, despite the findings that 50 to 70% of all
surgeries may not even be necessary. According to one large study called
"Coronary Artery Surgery Study (CASS)", published in 1983, many patients
do better without the surgical treatment.
Yet, the cardiac surgery department is usually the biggest money maker
for any hospital. Obviously, with all the money at stake and with the
power and respect accorded to cardiac surgeons and cardiologists, there
is a lot of opposition to a procedure that can make all that obsolete.
Conclusion
Despite all the new drugs and advances in surgical techniques, heart
disease remains the number one killer in America.
Bypass surgery is expensive and risky, and its benefits are questionable
at best.
If you have a vascular problem (chest pain, angina, high blood pressure,
peripheral vascular disease, stroke, heart attack) or have many risk
factors, consider chelation therapy. It can be used both as a
therapeutic and a preventative technique. With so many benefits and no
side effects, it's a clear winner.
Note: Every reasonable care is taken over the information offered here,
however no responsibility or liability whatsoever will be taken for any
consequence relating directly or indirectly to any information,
treatment, or application of any recipes or tips presented herein.