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Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Jury Out About Chelation Therapy
The scientific community is divided in its thinking about chelation therapy and what impact, if any, it has on the treatment of autism. Some think genetic or environmental factors in an infant adversely affect the production of metallothionein proteins, the proteins whose function is to allow the body to rid itself of heavy metals, such as mercury. They say metal toxicity accumulates in autistic children, and chelation is a necessary therapy to remove those heavy metals.
Others claim the link between mercury and heavy metals in regards to autism is unsubstantiated, and that chelation isn’t an effective autism treatment.
Chelation, often administered by intravenous drip or orally, is a process where ligands or agents are introduced into the bloodstream and adhere to metal molecules, forming an inert chelate that’s more easily excreted from the body.
Facts, theories, and some history about chelation and autism include:
* World War I, early form of “chelation,” called dimercaprol injected into soldiers to combat arsenic-based gases … many bad side effects
* 1920 Term chelation coined
* World War II Another, improved chelation developed to remove lead from bloodstream … mostly for sailors repainting ships
* 1950s Although statistics vary, it’s estimated two in 10,000 U.S. children were diagnosed with autism … infants receive 25 to 50 mcg mercury in vaccinations
* 1960 Practice chelation to lower heart and vascular disease … later studies found no benefit in these applications
* 1970s DPT vaccinations, some mercury, become common … small rise in U.S. autism
* 1988 Infants receive three Hib vaccinations, total of 75 mcg of mercury
* 1991 Three hepatitis B vaccinations mandated, total of 37.5 mcg of mercury
* 1999 FDA begins elimination of thimerosal (half mercury by weight) from vaccinations
* 2005 UPI’s Dan Olmstead reports, by population equivalent with the rest of nation, Amish community in Lancaster County, Pa, should have 130 autistic children … not believing in immunizations, they have four … one exposed to nuclear power plant and three who had immunizations
* 2006 About 500,000 U.S. children diagnosed with autism
* 2008 The incidence of U.S. children diagnosed with autism now about one in 175 children … Dr. Boyd Haley, former chair of U. of Kentucky’s Dept. of Chemistry, gets FDA approval for OSR (Oxidative Stress Relief,) an over-the-counter dietary antioxidant that works as a mercury chelator
* Cilantro, or coriander, a natural plant with chelating properties
One argument against mercury being a cause of autism is the fact that the removal of mercury from the body by chelation doesn’t cure the disease where the victim typically is trapped in a world of repetition and ritual, a world where they require extreme order and continuity in their lives, and have a propensity to avoid eye contact.
Still, the more we learn about chelation therapy in regards to mercury, as opposed to chelation therapy for lead which the FDA approves as early as age one, the better we’ll understand how to combat autism.
By Rocky Wilson author of Sharene -- Death: A Prerequisite For Life
