The term “chelation” comes from the Greek word chele, meaning "claw." A chelation agent is a chemical agent that, like a claw, grabs and chemically bonds with metals or other minerals and toxins. Simply put, chelation is the process in which chemicals bind with minerals.

While chelation is a naturally occurring biological process (hemoglobin binds with iron to provide oxygen to tissues), chelation agents arose out of attempts during the 1930s to find an antidote to the chemical warfare agents used on the battlefields during World War I. Chelation therapy has been practiced in the United States since the 1950s. It entered mainstream medical practice after World War II when it was found to be an effective treatment for workers suffering lead poisoning from on-the-job exposure. Chemists discovered they could create a ring of molecules that trap unwelcome, and potentially dangerous, molecules and carry them from the body through normal elimination. Once the chelating agent bonds with a metal atom, the result is a substance that, while harmless, is recognized by the immune system as “foreign” and is marked for removal from the body.

This process of chelation actually removes unwanted metals from the bloodstream. In fact, chelation therapy is the only way to treat lead poisoning. But lead is not the only metal cleansed from the body through chelation. A chelation agent will also bind with most metals, mineral deposits, calcium-based plaques, and other chemical toxins.