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In technical terms, a "free radical" is an unbalanced molecule with an odd, unpaired electron. This unbalanced molecule tries to balance itself by bombarding other molecules in your body in an effort to capture that other molecule's electron. When it "steals" the electron from the other molecule, that molecule then becomes a free radical itself and goes into attack mode on other molecules, causing a chain reaction. This chain reaction ultimately results in the degeneration of cells, tissues, organs and systems within the body.

The human body doesn't have an effi-cient metabolic function to eliminate heavy metals; because of this, the body warehouses them in deep-tissue places - bones, ligaments and other places such as the large intestine. Over time, metals migrate to other cells and tissues, initiating the stages of degenerative disease through free-radical formation. The first signs of toxicity might include fatigue, pain in the muscles and extremities, poor circulation and inability to think clearly. The longer heavy metals are retained, the more devastating the health consequences potentially become.

What Is the Solution?

Since the heavy metals already in our environment are not going away, the solution involves one of two things: limiting exposure as much as possible and removing the heavy metals already in your body.

Chelation [pronounce as "kee-lay-shun"] therapy has been in the medical community for years, but typically has required an IV and a half-day stay in the hospital. The concept of chelation is based on the premise that when EDTA (ethylene-diamine-tetra-acetic acid), a synthetic amino acid, comes in contact with certain positively charged metals and other substances, it removes them from the body. EDTA must be introduced directly into the bloodstream for maximum effectiveness. When taken orally, EDTA must pass through the gastrointestinal system, where the acid and enzymes in the stomach and intestine will cause the EDTA to break down and not be properly absorbed. This is why EDTA therapy has been more successful when administered by IV, compared to the oral route of administration.

Suppositories provide the same results as the IV without the needle, since the EDTA is absorbed by the colon wall and placed directly into the bloodstream, just like an IV treatment. Suppositories are given at a lower dose than the IV, which lowers the risk of complications with liver and kidney function; and are safe enough to be given daily, thus increasing the amount of EDTA in the bloodstream at any given moment. This makes the suppository method more effective over time.

The Bottom Line

There is no place on Earth where you can escape heavy metals; they are in your environment to stay and in your body now. If you want to test for levels of heavy metals in your body, it's easy and affordable. But you can just assume you probably have too high a concentration of heavy metals in your body. Taking oral products to reduce heavy metals is probably ineffective, since going through the digestive track breaks down the EDTA. But using IV or suppository procedures can reduce heavy metals to a significant degree, and with suppositories, it's more affordable and there is no need for a half day spent in a hospital or medical office. Talk to your doctor about the dangers of toxins and what you can do to protect yourself.

Ronald E. Partain Sr. graduated from the University of Arizona Pharmacy School in 1968. Among his clinical interests are detoxification of heavy metals and other environmental toxins, and enhancing and improving body energy at the cellular level.