Toxic metals can provoke numerous adverse effects on human health. Lead, mercury, and arsenic serve no function in the human body. If they accumulate in large enough amounts, they cause poisoning.  Other metals which are essential to human function can become toxic if they accumulate in large amounts; examples include iron and copper. Individuals may be exposed to toxic metals present in the environment via multiple routes, such as the respiratory tract through inhalation of air pollution, or orally by ingestion of contaminated food and water. Exposure to environmental and occupational toxicants is responsible for adverse effects on human health. Chelation therapy is the only procedure able to remove toxic metals from human organs and tissue, aiming to treat damage related to acute and/or chronic intoxication. People with very high levels of these heavy metals are treated with drugs called "chelators". These medicines bind to the metals in the blood stream; this metal-chelator compound is then eliminated in the urine.

 

Benefits of chelation therapy include:
Metal level reduction: Chelation therapy removes heavy metals from the bloodstream, which can be beneficial for metal poisoning or related diseases, such as chronic kidney disease, Wilson’s disease, and hemochromatosis.
Antioxidation: Chelation therapy can serve as an antioxidant and reduce inflammation in the body, including the joints. 
Detoxification: The International Journal of Molecular Sciences found chelation therapy was an effective treatment for neurotoxicity. Neurotoxicity can relate to toxic metals ingested, but it can also involve cigarette or substance use.

 

Purported uses of chelation therapy include:
treating damaged arteries (atherosclerosis) by removing calcium from arterial plaques, though there is little to no evidence that this is possible or effective;
treating intermittent claudication (painful leg cramps due to arteriosclerosis [narrowed arteries]), though there is no evidence that this works;
curing or improving symptoms of autism, though there is no evidence that metals are a cause of autism;
preventing or curing neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, though there is no evidence that currently-available chelators have any effect on these conditions.

Side effects from chelation therapy vary by the dosage used for treatment and the severity of the patient’s health condition. Milder side effects may occur because of the injection.

 

These side effects include:
   - Nausea and vomiting
   - Headache or migraine
   - Fever
   - Diarrhea
   - Skin rash
   - Flu-like symptoms