Now that you've found that you have heavy metals in your system, what can you do about it? One answer is chelation therapy. Chelation (pronounced Key-LAY-shun) means "to grab." Chelation therapy uses a grabbing agent to take hold of the metals that are hiding out in your body and take them out through your urine and feces. A great video explaining chelation in easy to understand terms can be found here. IV Chelation is done via--you guessed it--an IV of the chelation agent. Oral chelation is done via pills containing the chelation agent.
There are a couple of different main chelating agents:
1. EDTA, which stands for ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, and
2. DMSA, which stands for Dimercaptosuccinic acid.
Both of these have been used for removing heavy metals from the body, including lead and mercury, among others.
Because the chelating process also removes vital nutrients like vitamins C and E, these must be supplemented during the process. It is very important to have a high protein diet during a heavy metal detox because the sulfur-bearing amino acids in the protein will greatly facilitate detoxification. If you're not getting enough protein, you can supplement with MSM, which will help boost the sulphur necessary to make the metals more grabable by the chelating agent. It is also important that you include plenty of fiber in your diet during chelation therapy, because you don't want the metals sitting in your bowels, stuck in your body.
As with anything else, there are potential risks to chelation therapy. Likewise, there are risks with keeping the metals in your body. Thus, you must weigh the option and make your own decision. "Chelation therapy may produce toxic effects, including kidney damage, irregular heart beat, and swelling of the veins. It may also cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and temporary lowering of blood pressure. Since the therapy removes minerals from the body, there is a risk of developing low calcium levels (hypocalcemia) and bone damage. Chelation therapy may also impair the immune system and decrease the body's ability to produce insulin. People may also feel pain at the site of the EDTA injection. Chelation therapy may be dangerous in people with kidney disease, liver disease, or bleeding disorders. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should not use this method." (click her for source)
I have just begun my own chelation therapy via DSMA. Because I also had high levels of Barium in my system, it was determined that DSMA would be better for me that EDTA. I take 2 capsules of DMSA every 8 hours, 3 times per day. This I do for only 3 days at a time, taking 11 days off afterward so as not to overtax my liver and kidneys. I then continue 3 days on, 11 days off, for a total of 3 months. I am also taking heavy doses of detox nutrients to replace vitamins and minerals lost in the chelation process, as well as a fiber supplement to make sure I am eliminating all the yuck. I am on day 2 of my first cycle, and the only thing I've noticed is a slight metalic taste after taking the DSMA, a metalic smell to my urine, and bit of tiredness. That is fine with me. I am looking forward to having it all out of me and (hopefully) getting my body back in proper working order.