Absorption of EDTA Chewing Gum

I understand that Longevity Plus is now carrying EDTA in a chewable gum form. What is known about its absorption and possible utilization in the body?

Dear Doctor:

We know that EDTA is primarily associated with increased excretion of toxic metals and is basically not utilized (metabolized) in the body; however, the 90% reduction in cancer reported by Blumer makes it now clearly related to the INHIBITION of collagenases (metalloproteinases), which are necessary for CANCER to grow. I am preparing a well referenced 1 hour lecture on this chelation and cancer phenomena (IAACN Florida) and the references from my talk will be available on my website later in August. When that talk is available I will announce it to this discussion group.

Basically I have tried to keep the miracle of chelation affordable and convenient and with the Gum only costing $12.00 per 100, I hope to put to shame those that are profiteering on EDTA chelation with wild claims for other forms of EDTAsuppositories, Liposomes etc. Instead, I am helping to put a SUBLINGUAL delivery form of EDTA in your hands. Sublingual delivery has proven itself repeatedly in medicine, but if nothing else worked, it will still get swallowed (for the usual 5-18% absorption) and if rectal absorption is as great as the suppository people would have you believe, the EDTA will eventually get there too!

I have endured tremendous skepticism for years about Oral EDTA's ability to be sufficiently absorbed to really help lower lead levels and most of us understand that sublingual absorption is a classic route to deal with issues regarding poor absorption, as proven with the highly effective administration of Vitamin B12 by the sublingual route.

Thus, anyone familiar with drug absorption discussions from their pharmacology courses will recall that the sublingual route IS documented to be highly effective, from the use of Nitroglycerine tablets up to modern day applications of our sublingual B12 (methylcobalamin), which studies show approximates that of IM B12.

This is why I have all 504 References regarding Oral EDTA along WITH THEIR ABSTRACTS on my website, www.gordonresearch.com. You simply click on the reference to read the abstract. The doctors that actually take the time to review any of these references readily learn that research from many countries proves beyond any doubt that anyone taking oral EDTA will SIGNIFICANTLY increase lead levels in urine. (Los Alamos research lab reports average 5-10 TIMES more lead excreted in children taking oral EDTA!)

Yet, we still find that health professionals are often wasting their patient's money by using rectal suppositories of EDTA and even recommending, based on what I consider to be HYPE, the taking of expensive, unproven, liposome forms of EDTA where the long term safety has NOT been documented. (This form conceivably could carry toxins INTO brain cells.)

My review of nearly 7000 papers over the last 30+ years on EDTA convinces me that the benefit to risk ratio regarding the consumption of Oral EDTA over a lifetime is so clearly in its favor that I am prepared to argue that given our AVERAGE lead levels today, everyone will have a higher IQ and a longer lifespan IF we can get EDTA into them in some fashion, whether that is sublingual, oral, IV or possibly even topical, on a regular and, preferably, prolonged basis.

However, the oral ingestion of EDTA tablets IS associated, as least initially, with some diarrhea in many patients. Thus, to start the detoxification process with the EZ Defense in the form of gum for sublingual absorption means we can start many more people into learning about the importance of heavy metal detoxification and the need for some form of chelation in their life if they are to enjoy optimal health. The lecture I am preparing on CANCER AND CHELATION has further helped convince me that we all need to regularly consume EDTA. With our average elevations of lead (average 1000 fold increase in bones now over 400 years ago), I believe that it is realistic today to consider Calcium EDTA has become a conditionally essential NUTRIENT for optimal health.

California demands that doctors test blood lead on children; however, in their now outdated guidelines they fail to recommend chelation therapy of any kind until the child's blood level is over 45 µg/dl! This failure to treat is based on ignorance of the value of convenient, safe, oral chelation through the Garlic, EDTA and malic acid found in Essential Daily Defense. The withholding of proven, beneficial, lead-lowering therapies is clearly a disaster in view of the New England Journal of Medicine article this year showing that IQ is adversely effected at every level above zero and concluding that there is NO safe level of lead.

Thus, I want a safe, convenient form of lead lowering for millions of children around the world. There is one very poor study published claiming that chelation therapy to lower elevated blood lead will NOT improve mental functioning; yet the majority of published literature in my possession proves that all kinds of improvements are documented from lowering elevated lead levels. I fear that because of the controversy surrounding chelation therapy its benefits are being denied to the vast majority of people who would be helped if we get some EDTA into them and thus lower their lead levels. Of course, someone will attack the gum and pretend that sublingual absorption does not lower lead but this will appear ludicrous to those who are familiar with how EDTA works. Obviously you cannot ingest EDTA without increasing losses of lead!

We know that the IQ is directly tied to lead levels, and since there are so many who can not or will not swallow pills, the convenience and affordability of EDTA in chewing gum simply cried out to be made available to everyone. I feel that using this gum as little as once daily and even chewing up to 10 of these a day for anyone weighing over 45# will significantly enhance lead excretion. The known recommendation for oral EDTA dose is 1 Gm per 35# and there is 125mg in each gum/tablet. I recommend spitting the gum out and not swallowing it after several minutes and/or when the flavor is gone. Most of the sublingual absorption should occur in the first 3 minutes or so.

There can clearly be no LESS absorption than the 5-18% widely reported in the literature from oral EDTA and it is MORE than likely that it is far better than that. However, there will be wide variability and, since the intent it to keep this as CHEAP as possible for all the children in need of lowering lead levels, we are choosing NOT to pursue this as a research project until we can get Foundation or government research funds.

Those who study the stability constants of EDTA note that it is a magnitude of order more powerful on chelation of mercury than DMPS or DMSA. This has suggested another possible use in preventing the absorption of mercury that happens when we eat fish or after anyone with amalgam fillings swallows after chewing and consequently releasing a new load of mercury into their intestine.

Some are recommending then that another use is to chew this gum immediately after eating so that it is able to help bind the mercury released into the food from the amalgam fillings and the food, particularly fish, before it is absorbed into the body.

However, the more proven use will be for LOWERING lead levels conveniently in children as those up to around age 6 are widely known to be at the greatest risk of low level lead toxicity as they absorb everything so rapidly. I hope that the cost-effective chelation effects provided by both Essential Daily Defense and now the EZ Defense (Calcium EDTA in chewing gum-125 mg per tablet) will help many health professionals see that they are for the detoxification that we all need daily, not just those with learning disorders or DIAGNOSED lead toxicity; this is for lowering the low level lead excesses found in everyone.

There is NO ONE on planet earth today with OPTIMAL lead levels since that is clearly now shown to be ZERO and without daily, affordable, convenient oral forms of chelation, that goal is obviously impossible.

Since my work with Procter and Gamble in life extension revealed less wrinkling, less skin cancers and diminished age related changes in the skin with lifelong application of their patented Iron chelating agents to the skin, I now regularly add 3-6 gm of EDTA powder to my bathwater! I am convinced from the youthful appearance of those that have taken over 2000 IV chelations that the benefits clearly outweigh the risks, and that it seems to be very unlikely that, as long as a first-class MINERAL/VITAMIN supplement is consumed daily with the chelation, the allegations of dangerous mineral depletion are entirely self serving by those that would limit the benefits of chelation to the few that can arrange the time and finances to receive it intravenously in their offices.

Sincerely,
Garry F. Gordon, MD,DO,MD(H)

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