Modified Citrus Pectin Effective Oral Chelator

SANTA ROSA, Calif.—A pilot trial provided evidence that moderate amounts of modified citrus pectin (MCP) taken orally significantly increased the urinary excretion of toxic metals, but not essential minerals, in subjects with a “normal” body load of metals. Eight healthy adults (two men and six women) ages 39 to 52 years ingested 15 g/three times daily of PectaSol® modified citrus pectin (from EcoNugenics Inc.) for five days and 20 g four times on day six. A urine sample was taken every hour for 24 hours at baseline (for all but one participant);then urine samples were collected every hour on day one and day six (minus one participant).This resulted in a total of seven sets of data for each collection day. The results of urine analysis done in the first 24 hours of MCP administration demonstrated that urinary excretion of arsenic increased 130 percent, excretion of mercury 150 percent, and cadmium 230 percent. On day six, urinary excretion of cadmium again increased significantly (150 percent). In addition, lead showed a dramatic increase in excretion—560 percent over baseline, while there was also an increase in tin excretion by 130 percent. No significant changes in the excretion of other metals, including iron, were observed.

Results suggest MCP administration and subsequent urine collections could be developed into a mild, noninvasive test to assess the relative amount of toxic metals in human subjects, but methods would need to be refined.The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health was published in Phytotherapy Research (DOI: 10.1002/ptr.1953).