Help With Autism

Chelation became well known during the 1950’s when it was proposed as a method to cleanse the blood vessel walls of toxins and minerals. It was originally used to treat heavy metal poisoning. As of today, there are different ways that chelation is being used.

Some people with Autistic children believe that Chelation therapy is an option. Due to the belief that autism is caused by to much mercury exposure, some believe that chelation will help in the treatment of autism. As with anything, there are pros and cons. This is especially true when it comes to anything medically related. Before you decide on any type of medication or therapy you will want to discuss it with your doctor.

Chelation is the formation or presence of two or more separate bindings between a polydentate ligand and a single central atom. So what exactly does that tell us in more comprehendible terms? The chelate effect says that one who undergoes this process of the body will experience an enhanced affinity of chelating ligands for a metal ion compared to the affinity of a collection of similar nonchelating ligands for the same metal.

Well, I guess it turns out there is not an easy way to describe or define chelation. But let’s take a look at chelation therapy for a little more insight. This is described as the delivery of chelation agents to remove heavy metals from the body and this process is most commonly used to remove lead, arsenic or mercury from the body.

It can be devastating to hear that your child has been diagnosed with autism. However, an autistic child holds the same capacity to love you and bring the utmost joy to your life just like any other child. So, before you dive into a supposed cure or treatment for your autistic child, you should do your homework because some ‘solutions’ have long-term effects that are less than desirable.

Have you ever heard of chelation? This supplemental therapy expels mercury from the body and many parents of autistic children view autism to have been caused by mercury within childhood vaccines. However, the truth is that there is no scientific cure for autism and chelation therapy can pose the risk of a severely damaged liver or kidneys in the long run. Therefore, it’s best to research any and all autism treatments before exposing your child to any potentially harmful ‘cures.’

It is often said that mercury poisoning is among the leading causes of autism. As the debate on the subject continues there is a great deal of anecdotal evidence that supports the claims by some parents that removing heavy metals from the body can improve the symptoms of autism. The medical community seems to be divided right down the middle on the subject with both sides citing organized studies to support their claims.

Some sources claim that anywhere between 2%-8% of all autistic children have been treated with chelation therapy. Rates of success or improvement, however, remain unknown. Despite the evidence on both sides, parents of autistic children may want to investigate this treatment as its dangers appear to be minimal to non-existent. There are several avenues parents can take if they choose to try chelation with comprehensive supplements being the most popular.

In this blog we often examine how chelation therapy can be utilized to treat a host of diseases and conditions, but we’ve yet to delve into what is taking place at the molecular level. Chelation is when a bond exists or is formed by a multi-bonded ligand and a single atom. The resulting organic compounds are referred to as chelating agents, the compounds utilized in the therapies.

The chelating agents bind with certain metal ions to form soluble, complex molecules. This effectively inactivates the metal ions so they can’t react with other elements. These chelating agents have myriad uses, including food preservation and serving as water softeners in shampoo. Of course, chelation therapy is effective for heavy metal detox, as it essentially inoculates the metal agents in a person’s body.

Although chelation therapy is used to treat a variety of diseases and disorders, there are few conditions where chelation is deemed “medically necessary” by medical practitioners and insurance providers. Some of these conditions include extreme heavy metal exposure, lead poisoning and Wilson’s disease. Although chelation is currently only believed to be “necessary” in these specific circumstances, it is used to treat a variety of other diseases and disorders as well.

The American Association of Pediatrics has issued guidelines for administering chelation therapy to children who have experienced excessive lead exposure, but there are few parameters set forth for other uses of the treatment. Many people advocate the use of chelation to remove mercury and other heavy metals, which some believe are the root cause of autism. With the scarce information available, there are sure to be future studies that expound the benefits of chelation and reveal possible side effects and drawbacks.

A study conducted at Cornell University has proven that chelation therapy can help solve learning and behavioral problems that result in rats from heavy metal exposure. While these findings are promising, it’s not all roses. There are implications and potential side effects to the procedure.

 The researchers at Cornell also found that when chelation therapy was used on rats that weren’t exposed to heavy metals, the chelating agents had a detrimental effect on learning and behavior. These chelating agents are already being used widely on children with autism despite little research into the possible adverse consequences. As of yet, there is also minimal quantitative evidence that shows chelation therapy can reduce the symptoms of autism.

While we have all heard cautionary tales about the ill-effects of heavy metal exposure—particularly mercury poisoning—few people know what the actual risks are. High exposure to mercury can cause damage to the central nervous system, as well as other organs such as the liver and intestinal tract. One of the reasons that mercury is so dangerous is that your body stores it up over time, which can magnify the health risks.

There is a way to treat excessive exposure to mercury and heavy metals: chelation therapy. In the US, DMSA is the most commonly used compound in this process. That acronym stands from dimercaptosuccinic acid, which is a organosulfur compound that latches onto the heavy metal molecules and works to remove them from the body.

Before we begin to discuss clathration therapy and its many positive benefits, it’s important to have an understanding of the chelation process. When chelating agents are introduced into the body, they bond with pre-existing toxic materials that have been collected over time. The chelating agent will encapsulate the toxins during that bonding process, and the body’s natural excretory processes – defecation, urination, the loss of dead skin, and breathing – take care of the rest.

Chelating agents are commonly used to treat arterial plaque, which can build up and cause serious cardiovascular problems. In some cases chelation has been used to pull heavy metals such as mercury out of the system as well. Unfortunately, chelation is not without its drawbacks. After the bond is created with the toxic substance, there’s still nothing preventing it from attaching to other cells on the way out of the body.

Clathration therapy offers a solution to the disadvantages of chelation, as it neutralizes toxins and keeps them from harming other cells and tissues as they are leaving the body. PCA-Rx is one clathration agent that works to remove mercury and other heavy metals and toxins that would do severe damage to the system. Whether they are picked up through the natural environment or from childhood vaccines, these dangerous substances have got to go.

In the last few weeks, we’ve dwelled on headlines that allude to the possibility of mercury-based preservatives in vaccines including that of the H1N1 virus, commonly known as swine flu. Today, let’s shift gears and investigate a potential solution for families that are already struggling with the scourge of autism as caused by mercury poisoning. Even if you’re feeling down, remember that there’s always hope.

Chelation therapy is one of the most popular forms of heavy-metal detox, and, along with the similar clathration therapy, has been proven an effective treatment of mercury-poisoning-related conditions. It’s important to note that in most cases the human body is capable of flushing mercury from the system in short order – but that’s not true of the heavy metal that reaches the brain. Once lodged inside the brain, mercury stays for years at a time unless it’s forced out through detoxification methods. With chelation therapy, you can wage a war against contaminants at the molecular level by dispatching chelating agents that counteract and remove mercury from the system.