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Part One appeared in the June 2007 print version of
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Nutritional
Chelators: Supporting Nutrition While Removing Toxic Metals
The need for improved nutrition is just the one side of the coin
in bettering health. We get more benefits from nutritional support,
however,
when we also
deal with heavy metal toxicity. Since we now know we cannot hope to get
all the toxic metals out in less than a few years, we should always
be concurrently
improving total nutritional intake. This approach permits the body to function
better during the many months and years needed to lower the levels of toxic
metals. Fortunately, we do not need to remove all heavy metals to function
much better; the correct combinations of natural nutritional chelators
can bind toxic metals so that their adverse effects on health is
almost eliminated – temporarily,
that is, as long as nutritional chelators are continued and practitioners
start to learn the whole story on metal-binding and treat patients
for the long term,
not just the short term.
The Oral Detoxification Program: A Wide-Spectrum Protocol
Certain natural chelators can also be powerful antioxidants, but there is
no single chelator that can meet all the needs of various tissues to bind
different
metals with different valences under different conditions of oxygen availability
and differing pH levels. That is why I like my broadly based new program,
the Oral Detoxification Protocol (ODP), which I am using on my patients and
my
horses. [See Part One of this article in the June issue of Townsend
Letter for a complete introduction to my ODP.] With ODP, I am not relying on just
one substance to lower the activity of metal-induced free radical mediated
reactions.
It's important that patients always take the ODP with its high-potency
supplements. To make that unavoidable, I have had the basic program that started
all this, the Beyond Chelation Improved, combined into a nine-pill packet.
This means that every one of my patients always receives Omega 3 supplementation
and primrose oil and a high-potency multiple. I cannot risk anyone ever becoming
mineral-depleted with my long-term ODP, although the evidence is that some
of the so-called chelators employed may actually enhance the availability of
some minerals, such as cobalt, rather than always depleting them, contrary
to popular belief about long-term ingestion of metal-binding agents. For the
past 20 years, I haven't gone anywhere without my total ODP. Lately,
I have begun to eat more fish, so I also take a nightly DMSA capsule with selenium
(and other synergistic factors) to further enhance my own ODP-based mercury
detoxification program.
Recent research supports the increased benefits from using both EDTA and
DMSA, possibly even exceeding certain DMPS effects, without the associated
costs
and risks. EDTA is only five-to-eighteen percent absorbed, yet even the non-absorbed
portion can help save your life. It will increases fecal levels of toxic
metals pulling out the metals we are ingesting and also lower the level of
free radical
reactions going on in the intestines, decreasing the levels of mutagen and
carcinogens in feces, and thus reducing the potential for colon cancer, while
also decreasing the potential for entero-hepatic re-uptake of toxic metals.
The absorbed portion of oral EDTA seems to activate many useful functions,
such as a weak heparin-like effect from a mucopolysaccaride synergy, and
never fails to consistently lower lead levels.
There is no single chelator that is ideal to detox all of the different tissues
in our body, as some need fat-soluble and some need water-soluble metal chelators,
and some are more alkaline or acid, etc. Thus truly effective detoxification
requires the use of newly developing combinations of highly effective detoxifying
nutrients and or drugs. These may include many of the substances I consider
to be potential ancillary nutrients in my ODP: taurine, lipoic acid, stabilized
fiber, stabilized ascorbic acid, rutosid. Silybin, a new iron chelating agent,
stabilizes the unstable molecule formed by ascorbate in the presence of iron
(III). Scintilla Asiatica improves the effects of DMSA. Curcumin is an effective
iron chelator. Thiol compounds work better when concurrently administered
with thiamine. There is an ongoing need for magnesium supplementation. All
these
are useful nutritional therapies to synergistically enhance the benefits
from any other chelation program.
Wobenzym
One example of an important nutritional chelator is an iron chelator from
China – called
rutosid in the original German Wobenzym formula – which is now being
made in Arizona. This iron chelator prevents bruising after major trauma
or surgery if taken in adequate quantities – up to ten tablets q.i.d. – away
from food, and long enough for healing to occur. They give 50 of these
at once in emergency rooms in Germany where the product originally was
perfected.
Now,
finally, we are able to produce it here in Arizona in a specialized plant
designed for the complex task of making a natural non-toxic product that
in expensive
controlled studies competes head to head with Celebrex.
The iron chelation effect from Wobenzym is due to the rutosid content.
This effect is vital for the antioxidant and other well-documented benefits
of
Wobenzym. In the body, iron chelation is primarily handled by transferrin
and ferritin.
Free iron is extremely toxic and therefore must be bound (chelated) at
all times, or it accelerates free radical damage and lipid peroxidation.
Since
we cannot increase the levels of these natural chelators – ferritin or
transferrin – which the body uses to sequester free iron overnight, I
use my ODP. For acute trauma following surgery, I also incorporate nutritional
chelators with extra iron-binding effects, like Wobenzym. Its special form
of rutosid sequesters the iron released by the surgery or injury with an appropriately
charged "companion" so that the released iron molecules from
the injury or surgery are no longer free metals. Thus, I can help prevent
the iron
from catalyzing free radicals.
A High-Value Vitamin C
The world today seems to be in a useless "horsepower race" to
claim the latest and greatest high Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC)
value
antioxidant from the latest new multi-level company. Most of this is hype,
and high ORAC values alone are not enough to let us live a long life on
a toxic planet. Fortunately, most of us take vitamin C supplements, but
we know that
they are not always providing the antioxidant effects we desire, unless
concurrently ingested with some metal-binding agents such as are present
in Bio En'R-G'y
C, my new vitamin C product. Vitamin C generally appears to do many vital
things, such as supporting collagen synthesis, so it is always helpful.
However, the
non-stabilized forms of vitamin C on the market today do not appear to
offer significant reactive oxygen species (ROS) inhibition, and therefore
it is not
surprising that, to date, no vitamin C study has shown significant long-term
protection against developing cancer.
I wanted my daily oral vitamin C supplement to provide maximum antioxidant
activity. I had little confidence in the widely used ORAC testing unless
it is done with more testing to document the actual inhibition of ROS in
biological
tissues. This is much more expensive testing, of course, but vital if we
are to develop the advanced nutritional formula we need now if we are to
finally
enjoy the true benefits that the right formula of oral vitamin C can provide.
I believe we now have developed that formula with Bio En'R-G'y C with G.M.S–Ribose,
etc., that can work optimally in our toxic bodies and still provide meaningful – and
provable – daily antioxidant activity in all the tissues where vitamin
C is so vital.
I believe that combining ODP, with its metal-binding effects, with the new
forms of vitamin C and fiber, a formula I have helped develop, may change
that. In any event, most patients who want to may now take eight to16 grams
a day
orally without suffering gastrointestinal (GI) upset, diarrhea, or bowel
irritation, thus providing one more important tool in my ODP: a well-tolerated,
well-absorbed,
high-dose, oral ascorbic acid without side effects. This, taken in conjunction
with the stabilized rice bran in Beyond Fiber, rounds out my total ODP program.
This actually is another aspect of metal-binding in medicine, since I have
found that by combining the new form of oral vitamin C with certain other
natural chelators, vitamin C can provide these remarkable antioxidant effects
at very
low concentrations in tissue. Using tests that are more sophisticated than
simple ORAC values, we have been able to document highly significant inhibiting
of ROS in a biological study using human neutrophils even at parts-per-billion
levels. No other vitamin C preparation comes close to delivering these effects.
The chelators can help further stabilize this special form of vitamin C,
and that may explain the almost complete lack of GI irritation seen with
this new
form of Vitamin C, even when ingesting doses of 20 Gm a day, as Linus Pauling
recommended. Some report taking this dosage along with large doses of ODP
products. Occasionally, some patients are even taking this form of vitamin
C in drinks,
like the Penta water I recommend for detoxification, and some also use Bio
En'R'G'y with 2-3 gm of oral Calcium EDTA. Some have reported
gratifying improvement in cardiovascular function, even regaining the ability
to exercise vigorously. We are just beginning to learn how to maximize pro-oxidant
and antioxidant therapies with metal-binding and/or chelating agents and various
nutrients.
Other Additions to the ODP
My research convinces me that there are only minimal risks when consuming
low levels of garlic, malic acid (apple acid), EDTA, and DMSA. This was documented
in the case of EDTA by the FDA studies before they allowed EDTA to be added
to any food, as a preservative, where interestingly EDTA was found to also
lower free radical damage of the foods, just as I believe it is doing in
our
patients who are on my ODP.
We have documented hundreds of studies regarding the benefits of lower levels
of toxic metals like lead and mercury, and since the risks with ODP are minimal,
you can see why after using the basic program on my body for over 20 years
without fail, I now think it is safe enough to give it in this new improved
form as ODP to anyone, even our pets and horses. (In the future, farm animals
may routinely be needed to start receiving some forms of ODP in their food
and water, as there is no question that lowering toxins reduces all causes
of morbidity and mortality, which is a large problem with turkey and chicken
growers.) Using ODP means that all of us with lower toxic metals can live
longer before diseases like diabetes, arthritis, heart disease or cancer
develop,
the appearance of illness will be delayed, and the severity will be less
by lowering toxins.
Safety & New
Products
Since the components of my ODP include numerous ingredients with extensive
documentation pointing to their safety, I am comfortable proposing the radical
idea of life-long continued detoxification, as long as patients always take
the best possible high-potency mineral replacement product concurrently.
With so many studies documenting safe substances available to help detox – from
garlic and malic acid to ascorbic acid and stabilized rice bran and oral
EDTA, etc. – I am not enthusiastic about any new "chelator of
the month," although I do carefully evaluate each, as we always need
better therapies. Most new chelators that I look into turn out to be overly
hyped and poorly studied with new cure-all claims.
I review all new information about detoxification products that come out. I
always want to simplify and lower price, and I am always open to looking for
better answers. Unfortunately, when I look at some products whose proponents
claim 100% absorption, I find that the data falls apart on closer analysis.
I have nothing against rectal applications but most medicines administered
rectally are not better absorbed. Contrary to claims, such application really
only avoids first pass metabolism by the liver. Considering the need for long-term
detoxification, such nightly applications would soon irritate the tissues.
And by not taking the oral program I am suggestion, patients miss some important
opportunities to decrease free radicals in the intestine, which should somewhat
lower colon cancer incidence. I prefer having some antioxidant metal-binding
going on in my intestine all the time, if just to diminish enterohepatic reuptake
of heavy metals.
I have spent over two million dollars over the past 20 years on my post-graduate
studies, and Part One of this article lists discoveries and studies that I
have found that will deliver the punch we need to help patients facing increasingly
serious diseases at younger and younger ages whose only hope often is an extremely
toxic, often unaffordable drug that might help them live three more months.
I hope to empower all Townsend Letter readers to make use of my experience – to
visit my website and perhaps join the FACT discussion group. I hope to empower
you to provide meaningful interventions for thousands of patients. You may
not have a cure for their condition, but if you study this detoxification concept,
there will be no patients to whom you cannot offer meaningful intervention.
Although there is no guarantee about overcoming the primary diagnosis, realistic
detoxification can help when no other approach is available.
It seems that some see an effective oral detoxification program such as my
ODP as a threat rather than a way to help thousands of additional patients.
I do not find that there is a magic wand available anywhere. However, I challenge
anyone to review and argue against the documentation supporting what I am saying
here. You can view much of it conveniently
for no charge on my website anytime.
A group of chelating doctors wanted me to debate them about the value of oral
Chelation over IV Chelation. They all saw IV as essential to the economic well
being of their practices, so the moderator said it would be unfair for me to
pass out anything that had all the references supporting my case.
My ODP is more accepting of patient needs. For example, type in the word Coumadin
on my website to review my position and see how I let patients decide for themselves
whether to combine my oral programs (with things like Boluoke added to the
oral chelation where warranted) or to replace Coumadin entirely. Coumadin is
one of the most dangerous drugs prescribed, and responsible prescribers today
should do genetic testing to determine the rate of metabolism of Coumadin to
help avoid the all-too-frequent bleeding episodes that kill patients and put
so many in the hospital for little long-term benefit. I find its effects to
be weak compared to those of the ODP.
I have never encountered a bleeding episode at any time with the safe, gentle,
heparin-like activity produced by EDTA, which requires the presence of the
correct form of mucopolysaccaride. Note: Heparin has a strong negative charge,
and there are other substances with that charge. EDTA helps those other substances
work orally. I also support other nutrients to increase this heparin-like effect,
and the literature support this idea of oral heparin. Other additions, like
Wobenzym with its papain and bromelain components will also enhance oral heparin
absorption, while Wobenzym's overall anti-inflammatory effect helps to lower
the viscosity that inflammation increases.
Once you understand that substantially increasing your patient's life span
generally cannot be accomplished with any intervention that is followed for
only a few weeks or even months, then you may decide to use some substances
for many years. And when you do so, it would be prudent to have those substances
already proven safe by years of documented safe use. There are nearly 50 years
of reported experience around the substances I am discussing here like EDTA,
garlic, malic acid, ascorbic acid, fiber, etc.
We know that DMSA is normally found in the body; it too is quite safe when
used appropriately. Malic acid (apple acid) is amazingly useful for multipurpose
detoxifying, almost working on aluminum as well as desferoxamine. This leaves
us with many safe, synergistic, metal-binding substances like garlic, vitamin
C, and fiber, all of which I believe should be part of any long-term successful
ODP. I am convinced such a program will add years to your lives and life to
those years.
I first worked with Dr. Lester Morrison over 20 years ago. We came out with
earlier versions of the basic ODP program, based on his three textbooks and
his two documented studies showing a 91% reduction in fatal heart attacks in
patients on his Institute Formula. We later determined EDTA dramatically enhanced
the formula's effects, so that the product could be taken in the three
capsules of Essential Daily Defense we now use twice daily as part of the basic
nine-tablet package of pills. The EDTA permitted the desired effects to be
achieved with a far lower dose and still provide the desired anti-clotting
protection. I routinely encourage symptomatic patients to initially concurrently
take 30 or more of the older three-hour IV chelation or the new painless Calcium
EDTA, the new short chelation sweeping the world today.
I have also helped to develop EDTA-containing gum, called EZ Defense, which
I feel at least minimizes some of the toxic exposure from amalgam fillings
if used immediately after each meal, since chewing releases mercury from amalgam.
This gum approach is an addition to the life-long oral chelation program that
I know will keep my patient alive and healthy even with a mouthful of amalgam
fillings. I am confident that even with ten amalgam fillings, my patients on
such a program will outlive those who spend the money to remove their dental
mercury, This is because those patients spend so much time and money on just
dealing with mercury removal, which is only one source of their total body
burden, so they cannot conceive that they still they still must spend still
more money every month and stay on a lifetime ODP program. I believe this is
essential if we are to help them achieve their maximum intended useful lifespan
enjoying anything like the optimal health I have been fortunate enough to enjoy
since learning all this years ago.
If your patient can remove their amalgam fillings and stay on the totally ODP
program for life, well and good. However, I still prefer to postpone the dental
work until my patients have begun to show real signs of recovery. This is because
no matter how careful the dentist is, there is always a strong likelihood of
a short-term significantly increased mercury exposure for a time with any amalgam
removal.
If due to finances I have to recommend an even simpler, less comprehensive
basic program for detoxification I use just stabilized Vitamin C, EDTA and
the special stabilized rice bran in combination with a special source of Inulin,
as my vital FIBER contribution to detoxification everyday of life, as well
as for the probiotic effects. Those three items comprise an affordable program
that can dramatically reduce all causes of morbidity and mortality. This may
seem expensive but we all know the costs of a single emergency visit for chest
pain or one hospitalization. It is sad fact that over 50% of the money spent
on health care for the average person is spent in the final year of life. That
money does very little to change the final outcome. I recommend spending some
money every month now for my ODP program to significantly improve the quality
and quantity of life.
Dealing with Causes of Toxicity
I never recommend any form of ODP for long-term use without concurrent aggressive
nutritional supplementation. As mentioned above, many people experience the
effects of mercury exposure from dental amalgam fillings. Today's levels of
environmental toxicity also increase the need for most nutrients. Thus the
Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA) have no real applicability when we design
programs to treat toxic people. And who today is not toxic? The National Health
and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) study, funded by the National Institutes
of Health (NIH) corroborates what the Environmental Working Group (EWG) reported
when they found that everyone from all walks of life have 40-plus neurotoxins
in the blood at all times. The EWG studies were done at Mt. Sinai School of
Medicine. The study measured up to 240 chemicals for $4900 per patient. And
in Plague Time, author Paul Ewald documents that virtually everyone today
has some CMV,
Chlamydia, herpes, SV40 or even cell wall infections. Clearly, we all possess
numerous neurotoxins and carcinogens, and NO ONE tested is free of significant
numbers of such toxins, even if you live an all-organic life, since you are
still living on our toxic planet.
Birds in remote mountain areas of the United States have been found to have
frighteningly high levels of mercury. Researchers have proven that mercury
and other heavy metals in these birds at high elevations are proven to be
coming from coal-burning power plants from as far away as China. In fact,
radio isotope
analysis of the mercury proves we too are consuming mercury coming from the
burning of coal in far off China China and India are slated to bring online
hundred of new coal burning power plants over the next few years. There is
a report that as little as ONE new coal burning plant in Texas seemed to
increase the incidence of autism there by 17%. These new plants will dump
tons of mercury
into the environment.
This information makes me considerably less aggressive about removing just
one source of the pollution. I do not focus excessively on just one source
of toxicity, whether it be vaccines or fillings or fish. Our genetics, environment,
and diet are the interplay that largely determines the outcome from our ongoing
continuous heavy metal exposures, which are all cumulative.
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