The term chelation itself comes from the greek word for 'claw' and the claws we utilize are thiol groups (-SH). True chelators are di-thiols meaning they have two -SH groups bonded to carbon atoms.

Chelators bind to heavy metals. The heavy metal+chelator metabolite is called a "chelate" (not to be confused with minerals bound to amino acid, which are also called mineral chelates).

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 So what then is low dose frequent chelation?

Simply put the purpose of low dose frequent chelation aka Andy Cutler Chelation (ACC) is to remove heavy metals from the body, so that the body can function as

intended.

Neurons function better without mercury oxidizing their cell membranes, the digestive tract works more efficiently with enzyme production unhampered by mercury. Our bodies as biological systems want to be in a state of balance and health- homeostasis.

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As a side note, Andrew Cutler never called it ACC himself. He named it "low dose frequent chelation" to distinguish it from unsafe protocols such as Infrequent high dose chelation. Examples of unsafe chelation include: Hundreds of  milligrams  taken once a day every few days. Or a high amount of chelator given as IV chelation in a practitioner's office after a urine challenge test showed high levels of heavy metals.​ Urine Challenge tests themselves are NOT safe for heavy metal toxic individuals, since they lead to a lot of heavy metals being scattered elswhere in the body. Chelators only bind for several hours with their toxic cargo, hence the strict scheduling ACC utilizes. The goal is to only give small doses so the body can excrete the toxins continously over the course of several days. Rest, repeat and get better in the process. These cycles of taking chelators are termed "rounds" since chelators are taken around the clock during this time.

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