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While making a list of tests that I would like for my doctor to consider, I found this. Below is the beginning of the article and at the bottom I placed the link in case anyone wants to read the whole thing. IT is a buyer beware world out there, isn't it?!
How the "Urine Toxic Metals" Test
Is Used to Defraud Patients
Stephen Barrett, M.D.
Many patients are falsely told that their body has dangerously high levels of lead, mercury, or other heavy metals and should be "detoxified" to reduce these levels. This article explains how a urine test is used to defraud patients.
The report pictured to the right is a "urine toxic metals" test from Doctor's Data, a Chicago-based laboratory that performs tests for many chelation therapists and other offbeat practitioners. The patient who gave it to me was told by his doctor that his mercury and lead levels were high and should be reduced with EDTA chelation therapy.
The report classifies the man's lead and mercury levels as "elevated because they are twice as high as the upper limit of their "reference ranges." However, this classification is misleading because:
The report states that the specimen was obtained after patient was given a "provoking agent," but the reference range is based on non-provoked tests.
The levels, whether provoked or not, are not high enough to conclude that the patient has a problem that requires attention.
Even if a problem exists, chelation may not be the best course of action.
Doctor's Data also processes the urine toxic metals test for The Great Plains Laboratory, Inc., of Lenexa, Kansas. Urine toxic metal testing is also performed by Genova Diagnostics (Asheville, North Carolina) Metametrix Clinical Laboratory (Duluth, Georgia), and Micro Trace Minerals GmbH (Hersbruck, Germany).
http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/Tests/urine_toxic.html
How the "Urine Toxic Metals" Test
Is Used to Defraud Patients
Stephen Barrett, M.D.
Many patients are falsely told that their body has dangerously high levels of lead, mercury, or other heavy metals and should be "detoxified" to reduce these levels. This article explains how a urine test is used to defraud patients.
The report pictured to the right is a "urine toxic metals" test from Doctor's Data, a Chicago-based laboratory that performs tests for many chelation therapists and other offbeat practitioners. The patient who gave it to me was told by his doctor that his mercury and lead levels were high and should be reduced with EDTA chelation therapy.
The report classifies the man's lead and mercury levels as "elevated because they are twice as high as the upper limit of their "reference ranges." However, this classification is misleading because:
The report states that the specimen was obtained after patient was given a "provoking agent," but the reference range is based on non-provoked tests.
The levels, whether provoked or not, are not high enough to conclude that the patient has a problem that requires attention.
Even if a problem exists, chelation may not be the best course of action.
Doctor's Data also processes the urine toxic metals test for The Great Plains Laboratory, Inc., of Lenexa, Kansas. Urine toxic metal testing is also performed by Genova Diagnostics (Asheville, North Carolina) Metametrix Clinical Laboratory (Duluth, Georgia), and Micro Trace Minerals GmbH (Hersbruck, Germany).
http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/Tests/urine_toxic.html
Yes buyer beware.
I LOVE cilantro - who knew it had such a valuable medicinal use? I know I didn't.
I did know coriander/cilantro, for example (and that's true cilantro not the "Mexican parsley" variety, btw, says fussy cooking lione), but not burdock. Live. Learn. Thanks!