Chelation therapy involves the use of oral or IV substances that bind (or chelate) metal ions, making them inactive or impairing their ability to react with other elements or ions so they can be excreted from the body. Heavy metal toxicity can have a number of detrimental effects on health. Among other pathologies, it is thought to play a role in Atherosclerosis and Heart disease, Autism, Allergies, Rheumatoid arthritis, Candida, MS, Lupus, Leaky gut, Anxiety and Depression. EDTA sodium is a chelator specific for the removal of such elements as Ca, Mg and Aluminium. EDTA Calcium is used primarily for the chelation of lead.

Under normal circumstances the body will try to eliminate lead via glutathione from the liver. The problem with our natural chelation process is that the bond between glutathione and lead is not very strong. If an individual has anything less than optimal digestive functioning, the lead-glutathione complex is much more likely to break apart in the gut. The lead is then reabsorbed, the glutathione excreted and the liver is forced to use up more of its essential glutathione stores to attempt to remove the lead again. This ineffective cycle continues and significantly lowers our liver's glutathione stores, as well as allowing lead to build up in the system. EDTA waits in the gut and binds to free lead (broken up from glutathione) or the lead-glutathione complex in order to ensure excretion from the body.

EDTA sodium is used by alternative medical practitioners primarily for the treatment of atherosclerosis. The mechanism of action is poorly understood, although it is generally accepted that by sequestering calcium and therefore lowering the serum calcium level, it forces calcium to be released from plaques in the blood vessels, breaking up the plaque in the process. One of the concerns with EDTA is that the rapid removal of calcium can lead to arrhythmia or respiratory arrest. As calcium is an element that is essential to a number of vital processes within the body, there is also some concern with EDTA removing too much of a good thing. Deaths have been reported due to cardiac arrest caused by hypocalemia (lack of/insufficient calcium in the blood). Practitioners must also be careful not to overwhelm excretory routes when dealing with any kind of chelation therapy. Kidney functioning must be monitored closely. EDTA, like any form of chelation therapy, must be administered in a slow and steady fashion in order to prevent injury to the kidneys. The potentially dangerous side effects of chelation therapy have certainly made this form of complimentary medicine one of the more controversial.

EDTA can be found in both an oral form or can be injected via IV by certified parenteral therapists. The oral form of EDTA is both less expensive and less harmful, but unfortunately also much less effective and may be recommended more as a preventative or an adjunct to a set of IV treatments.