Is this for real? I've been told by several people that oral chelation
- through nutritional supplements- really lowers cholesterol and
improves circulation. it seems to me that, if so, HMO's would use the
therapy to lower  their costs...but, then again, maybe it's cheaper
for them to simply tell you to watch your diet.

Greetings!

I want to remind you to consult with your physician concerning matters
relating to your health and treatments for any condition, such as high
cholesterol.  I am not a physician, I am only providing some
interesting data concerning your question.

Remember the old saying, "If it sounds to good to be true, it probably
is..."?
You may want to keep that in mind when searching for alternative
medical therapies.

Oral Chelation is not recommended, in fact there is a good reason to
believe that it is potentially very harmful.  Even advocates for
intravenous chelation therapies are issuing warnings against this type
of treatment.

As far as intravenous chelation therapies, there are many people for
and against the practice.
 
I am going to list several websites for you to view, but ultimately,
it is your decision to believe what you want to believe.  Just like
any subject that causes one to draw an opinion, it is your
responsibility to weigh the evidence about chelation therapy, and make
a decision that is right for you.

For example, my son used to have seizures and the doctor prescribed
medication.  I gave my son the medication, but he continued to have
seizures.
My cousin also had a child that had seizures, and she mentioned that
her physician had advised her that Vitamin B6, seemed help reduce
seizure activity in some children.

I could not wait to give it a shot, so I started giving a dose of
vitamin B6 to my son, and he immediately stopped having seizures. 
Coincidence?  Who knows, my mind tells me that it was too
easy...something else had to have happened, but my heart says Vitamin
B6 saved my son.  Yet B6 did not help my cousin's child at all, he
continues to have seizures.

Is the cup half empty or half full?  It is all in your point of view.

It is the same with chelation therapy.  You are going to find that
there are people that will always stand their ground and claim that
chelation therapy changed their lives in a positive way, and then you
will find just as many people who say that it is just a bunch of hocus
pocus.

I hope the information I have provided helps you to come to your own
conclusion concerning chelation therapy.


Links of interest:

WHAT ABOUT ORAL CHELATION?
By Elmer M. Cranton, M.D. 
http://drcranton.com/oralchelation.htm

CHELATION THERAPY
Various Articles
http://drcranton.com/chelation.htm

Chelation Therapy:
Unproven Claims and Unsound Theories
by Saul Green, Ph.D
http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/chelation.html


Search terms

chelation therapy
"oral chelation therapy"

Interesting links as well concise commentary...thanks.

If you are referring to EDTA chelation see
https://answers.google.com/answers/main?cmd=threadview&id=36752

However, since you mentioned "supplement" and EDTA is not really a
"supplement"
I delved further.  N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), an amino acid derivative,
is taken orally and chelates mercury.

These citations support NAC having a benefical effect on circulation
and cholesterol:

De Mattia G, Bravi MC, Laurenti O, Cassone-Faldetta M, Proietti A, De
Luca
O, Armiento A, Ferri C. 
Reduction of oxidative stress by oral N-acetyl-L-cysteine treatment
decreases
plasma soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 concentrations in
non-obese,
non-dyslipidaemic, normotensive, patients with non-insulin-dependent
diabetes.
Diabetologia. 1998 Nov;41(11):1392-6.
PMID: 9833950 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Franceschini G, Werba JP, Safa O, Gikalov I, Sirtori CR. 
Dose-related increase of HDL-cholesterol levels after N-acetylcysteine
in man.
Pharmacol Res. 1993 Oct-Nov;28(3):213-8.
PMID: 8108311 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]


Search was performed on medline