The chelation process is comprehensive. EDTA cleans the bloodstream of heavy metals by seeking them out and binding to them. The body then flushes out the EDTA, taking the metals along with it. There are two theories for why chelation therapy works for other health conditions. One is that EDTA also binds to free radicals, highly active molecular fragments that can damage tissue and perhaps the lining of the blood vessels. The other is that it binds to calcium and other minerals in the bloodstream, resulting in a series of actions that can improve cellular and vascular health.

When an individual undergoes chelation therapy, EDTA can make clogged arteries and blood vessels more open, pliable and flexible by reducing inflammation and plaque density. This therapy can improve circulation, which in turn can lower blood pressure and improve cardiovascular disease and vascular disease in the legs. Chelation therapy with EDTA can also help diabetes and osteoarthritis. Although there are many documented cases involving the benefits of EDTA, it has also been found that chelation can help some people with memory loss and cataracts because of the way it clears the heavy metal toxins from the bloodstream.

In contrast to bypass surgery, which treats only the particular arteries that are bypassed, EDTA chelation therapy treats all of the arteries in the body simultaneously. These treatments are not mutually exclusive and patients who undergo bypass surgery often benefit from chelation therapy either prior to or after the bypass surgery.