Greenberg Oral Chelation Study-page 3
Discussion of results:
This is the first study, of which we are aware, that has measured
the efficacy of a chelation product by documenting reduction
of "Total Toxic Metal Body Burden" via pre &
post hair analysis. Since comparable data is not available
for other chelation products, we can not state definitively
that Chelorex™ is a more potent chelator than any other
prescription or non-prescription chelation product. However
we can say that the solid reductions achieved seem dramatic
compared to any other currently published data on toxic metal
chelation agents. The data also indicate that Chelorex™
is highly effective at removing multiple toxic metals, including
a high rate of reduction of cadmium, which according to the
ATDSR has at present, no known effective chelator. Furthermore,
given the low cost and absence of significant adverse effects,
we believe Chelorex™ to be the most cost effective and
safe chelation agent available. We invite manufacturers of
other chelation products to perform similar studies to render
the task of comparing chelating agents more feasible.
Why hair analysis was used in this study.
Our intention was to find a biomarker that would give us the
best indication of overall efficacy. We believe the best to
be Total Toxic Metal Body Burden. Many other chelation products
have published studies showing increases of a single toxic
metal such as lead or mercury in urine and blood after being
challenged by the chelator tested. However, measurements of
metals in urine and blood provide an indication of only transient
changes in metal levels. Urinary levels are a reflection of
how much metal is being cleared from blood by the kidneys
during a relatively brief interval (hours). Blood levels tend
to be transient and within hours are cleared from blood and
either excreted or deposited in various tissues. Neither urine
nor blood levels provide an indication of other pathways of
excretion or of reduction of total body load. While an increased
urinary level of lead or mercury provides an indication that
a single toxic metal is being excreted, it does not provide
data regarding how many other toxic metals are present or
how much residual metal is left post- chelation. A recent
study of DMSA challenge from Emory University in Atlanta revealed
no correlation between past occupational exposure to mercury
and mercury excretion before or after DMSA challenge.13 Furthermore,
challenge studies incur a significant risk of serious side
effects (see below) and also of kidney damage, particularly
in older individuals. The best method for determining total
toxic metal body burden would probably be some type of MRI
spectroscopy. However, MRI for toxic metals has yet to be
developed.
The most reliable and cost effective method commercially available, as well as the safest, is hair analysis by a quality laboratory. Hair analysis is very well documented and referenced with respect to measuring body burden of heavy metals such as Lead, Mercury, Cadmium, and Arsenic. The World Health Organization, the International Atomic Energy Agency, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency CDC, NIH and Justice Dept. have all recommended hair analysis for determination of heavy metals. . The EPA stated in a report "…if hair samples are properly collected and cleaned, and analyzed by the best analytic methods, using standards and blanks as required, in a clean and reliable laboratory by experienced personnel, the data are reliable." (USEPA 600/4-79-049). ).
Hair analysis provides a vast amount of information regarding toxic and trace minerals which relate to health and nutrition, at a tiny fraction of the cost of other methods such as blood and urine testing, which only reflect recent, but not chronic toxic metal exposure. Just as the measurement of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c} has been found to be a more accurate measure of average blood sugar levels than random blood glucose levels, toxic metal levels in hair provide a more accurate reflection of toxic metal accumulation in the body. Furthermore, a single hair sample provides information concerning levels of an entire spectrum of toxic metals. Hair analysis frequently reveals exposure to several different toxic metals, which would not be apparent from a single blood or urine test. Persons with suspected lead or mercury poisoning need to be tested for all toxic metals, not just lead or mercury because studies have shown that the presence of more than one heavy metal lowers the toxic threshold for each toxic metal. Since our study attempts to determine the efficacy of our formulation as a broad- spectrum chelating agent, hair analysis was the only viable choice.
The evaluation of trace mineral levels in the body is important for several reasons. 1. Low levels of essential minerals such as zinc, selenium, calcium and magnesium are believed to make persons more vulnerable to the toxic effects of heavy metals. 2. High levels of toxic metals are believed to cause depletion of essential minerals such as selenium and zinc, which in turn can have important physiological effects such as impairment of thyroid function and impairment of detoxification mechanisms for chemicals and drugs. 3. Symptoms of trace mineral depletion may be mistaken for metal poisoning or may aggravate metal poisoning.
More government published info on the viability of hair analysis
can be found at: HAIR ANALYSIS PANEL DISCUSSION: EXPLORING
THE STATE OF THE SCIENCE http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/HAC/hair_analysis/pdfs.html
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