Surely there is a great need in our nation for both inner and outer cleansing. As a nation, we need to be cleansed of drug abuse, food abuse, which includes overeating and over-refining of foods, and self-abuse, such as cigarette smoking. We need not only an inner cleansing, but a cleansing of the entire body, mind and spirit.

ILLUSTRATION: A new technique called chelation therapy has been devised in an attempt to cleanse the inner blood vessels. With new techniques such as Positron Emission Tomography (PET) which may completely replace cardiac catheterization, we are able to see coronary blood vessel blockages. PET scanning holds promise to pick up occlusions much earlier and potentially to discover plaque buildup.

Within the context of body, mind and spirit, once we have discovered these blockages, what can we do to reverse them? Medically, we can use techniques such as Mevacor and other cholesterol-lowering drugs or vitamins such as niacin, fish oil and chromium. We can also use the Dean Ornish and Pritikin program, which is a modified macrobiotic or vegetarian diet geared toward lowering cholesterol levels. The new technique of chelation, when used with drugs and nutrients, may produce an end to the age of bypass and angioplasty, opening up a new age of revitalization of the human heart.
On the psychological and spiritual fronts: stress has been shown to negatively affect one's cholesterol synthesis, thus contributing to increased blockages. To reduce the stress in our lives we can practice prayer and meditation therapy and relieve our guilt by confessing to a priest, rabbi, pastor or friend.

The word chelation is derived from the Greek word "chel", meaning "to claw". Chelation therapy, in conjunction with sodium citrate, was first used in medicine in 1941 for lead poisoning. Its uses, although somewhat controversial, continue to grout Some of the early studies using chelation have discovered it dissolves heavy metal from the body, and calcium. This was severely criticized by orthodox medicine. Orthodox physicians pointed out that chelation robs the body of vitamins, mainly vitamin B6, and may even chelate an abundance of calcium from the teeth and bones. However, applications of this therapy resulted in supplementation with the necessary vitamins for replacement of what is lost.
Oral chelation was used at first, but this actually increased lead and heavy metal absorption in the lower intestines. Today, this method of delivery is strongly discouraged. Now, with new techniques, over 3 million chelation treatments have been given to over 300,000 patients, and few fatalities or detrimental effects have been reported. The success rate has been estimated by chelating physicians at approximately 82 percent.

This therapy has been used for arteriosclerosis, lead or other heavy metal intoxication, memory loss, senility, Alzheimer's disease, diabetic gangrene, impaired vision, kidney stones, high blood pressure, and a host of other maladies. In one case, a 54-year-old chiropractor was saved from a leg amputation for diabetic gangrene by chelation therapy. Another doctor used chelation to lower his cholesterol and then noticed a great improvement in his memory. Certain eye diseases, such as macular degeneration involving diminished circulation are greatly helped by EDTA due to its cleansing effects on the blood vessels. The most popular use is for treatment of cardiovascular disease.
There are several drawbacks to this therapy. The program does tend to be quite expensive, approximately $85 per treatment, and anywhere from 20 to 100 treatments may be necessary. Treatments usually last 3-4 hours. This price is still considerably less than a bypass. Some insurance companies do not recognize this treatment. However, considering the potential benefits, the slight drawbacks can be secondary.

~~~~~~~~
By Rabbi Eric Braveman, M.D. and Allison Braveman