#Chelation therapy is either 1) a legitimate medical treatment for diagnosed heavy metal poisoning, or 2) a pseudoscientific practice whereby certain substances (usually #EDTA or deferoxamine) are administered to a patient to "clear them of toxins".
In chemistry, "coordination" is the formation of a relatively weak bond between a metal ion and another substance called a "ligand" to form a "coordination complex". "Chelation" is a type of coordination where the ligand has multiple sites ("teeth") with which to bind to the metal, which makes the complex significantly more stable. A commonly encountered chelating agent is citric acid, which is a useful rust remover owing to its ability to chelate to iron. Chelation therapy is medically useful in heavy metal poisoning when the coordination complex is less toxic or more easily eliminated than the metal itself. …
#rationalwiki #chelationtherapy #alternativemedicine #altmed
https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Chelation_therapy