Dietary Strategies for Combating Myelin Degeneration

and Supporting Myelin Regeneration

Revision 2 - April 22nd, 2010.

by cthaun[at]Hotmail[dot]com

Warning/Disclaimer: no information on any of these webpages should be trusted or used in the place of professional health care. Use this information at your own risk. The author is not responsible for your health and makes no guarantees of any sort. This is provided for you to have additional things to discuss with your trusted health advisors.

Background

I don’t have multiple sclerosis or any other myelin degeneration disease. But I have spent the last few years trying to research and experiment my way out of parasite-induced condition which compromised my immune and neurological systems. Since the immune system may play an important role or two in the mystery of multiple sclerosis, my experience is not necessarily irrelevant to MS. Assuming that diet can help manage MS, my experience is of additional value. Many of these recommendations may be helpful for many chronic condition conditions. But they are tailored for multiple sclerosis and other myelin degeneration conditions.

I can’t answer whether or not food and food additives are causing many of the mysterious diseases of the 21^st century. And I can’t promise that dietary changes will totally cure these mysterious diseases. But I am confident that radical dietary changes can help improve the quality of life by mitigating these conditions. It took me a year or two to gradually make more and more radical dietary changes. I know that the changes I’m going to recommend may seem impossible at first. And the first couple months of these changes may be extremely difficult. There are habits to unlearn and food additive addictions to break. I am not making any promises that radical dietary changes will cause myelin degeneration to totally stop and cause myelin regeneration to occur. I do think the following radical dietary changes may prove to be a necessary part of slowing or even halting the problem.

AVOID “EXCITOTOXINS”

First and foremost avoid excitotoxins. These are flavor enhancers that stimulate so potently that are arguably neurotoxins. The chief two excitotoxins in our food supply are Aspartame and MSG (monosodium glutamate). These chemicals excite certain cells of the brain and become addictive. Some say that over time they attack cells in the central nervous system. Some describe Aspartame/Phenylalanine and MSG as the “crack cocaine” of the flavor enhancer world.

Fortunately for us, all foods with either of these two excitotoxins are required by the FDA to have them labeled. Check for “contains MSG” and "Phenylketonurics: Contains phenylalanine." The FDA is good about protecting the public from things that cause immediate damage but I’m not so convinced that they’re geared for long-term issues with food additives.

Many chain restaurants have lists of all the foods that they have which have MSG in them. The better the food tastes, the more likely it is to have MSG in it. Restaurants know the power of MSG.

I’d suggest going a step further and avoid all artificial sweeteners and flavor enhancers and alternatives to msg. Sucralose/Splenda does not seem to be very controversial yet. (Some would disagree.) Stevia seems to have a good reputation so far.

Also become used to reading ingredient labels on food packages and try to minimize (or totally avoid) mysterious sounding ingredients like “natural flavors,” “artificial flavors,” guar gum, xantham gum. If you have any difficulties pronouncing it try not to eat it. ‘Natural flavors’ can mean almost anything. Keep in mind that natural flavors are usually added to foods to make them more flavorful. And foods can have a label that says “No MSG” but in the place of MSG they’ll put some other similar chemical that is high in liberalized glutamate and functions like a low grade form of MSG. But since it’s not technically MSG, they’re not required by the FDA to label the ingredient as MSG.

One helpful suggestion in avoiding excitotoxins is to “shop on the outermost rows at the grocery store.”

Further info:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqIFDoOwSFM

the truth about aspartame - Dr Russell Blaylock

http://www.naturalnews.com/020550_MSG_aspartame_cancer.html

http://www.truthinlabeling.org/Blaylock-AspartameAndMultipleSclerosis-Neurosurgeon'sWarning.html

Other videos: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=aspartame&aq=f

Other links: http://www.bing.com/search?q=myelin+aspartame&form=QBRE&qs=n&sk=

http://www.sweetpoison.com/phenylalanine.html

http://www.sweetpoison.com/multiple-sclerosis.html

http://www.mercola.com/article/aspartame/dangers.htm

According to researchers and physicians studying the adverse effects of aspartame, the following chronic illnesses can be triggered or worsened by ingesting of aspartame:(2) Brain tumors, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, chronic fatigue syndrome, parkinson's disease, alzheimer's, mental retardation, lymphoma, birth defects, fibromyalgia, and diabetes.

ANTI-EXCITOXIN? - Minocycline

Minocycline might be something to discuss with your doctor. This sounds like it treats the symptom more than the root cause but, if it’s true, then it could at least speed up the recovery process.

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Neurology/can-aspartame-damage-myelin/show/472243

Any dietary excitotoxin can activate the microglia, thereby greatly aggravating the injury. This includes the aspartate in aspartame. The methanol adds to this toxicity as well. Now, the secret to treatment appears to be shutting down, or at least calming down, the microglia. It has been found that the antibiotic minocyclineMinocycline
Minocycline hydrochloride
Minocycline hydrochloride er powerfully shuts down the microglia. I tried this treatment on a friend of mine who just came down with fulminant MS. He was confined to a wheelchair. I had him placed on minocyclineMinocycline
Minocycline hydrochloride
Minocycline hydrochloride er and now, just a few weeks later, he is walking. The good news is that other things also calm the microglia - the most potent are: silymarin, [milk thistle] curcumin [turmeric] and ibuprophen.

Phosphatidylcholine [found in egg yokes. Ref.] helps re-myelinate the nerve sheaths that are damaged, as does B12, B6, B1, vitamin D, folate, vitamin C, natural vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) and L-carnitine. DHA [order link] plays a major role in repairing the myelin sheath.

What is Minocycline? Generic Name: minocycline. Other Brand Names: Dynacin, Minocin, Myrac, Solodyn, Vectrin, Minocin PAC, Minocycline Hydrochloride, Minocycline Hydrochloride ER

ANTIOXIDANTS - FOOD

Second, saturate your diet with antioxidants, antioxidants, and more antioxidants! 

Some antioxidants may help combat neurodegenerative diseases. Change your diet so that fruits and vegetables become the main thing you eat. Supplements are a good idea too but foods should be the primary source.

Get Vitamin A from carrots, squash, broccoli, sweet potatos, tomatoes, kale, collards, cantaloupe, peaches, apricots, and other bright colored fruits and veggies.

Get Vitamin C from oranges, limes, citrus, green peppers, broccoli, leafy greens, strawberries, tomatoes.

Get Vitamin E from nuts, seeds, whole grains, leafy green vegetables, various vegetable oils.

Get selenium from fish, shellfish, red meat, grains, eggs, nuts, chicken, garlic.

Get polyphenols from purple grapes or concord grapes, red wine, pomegranate, cranberries, tea, soy (somewhat controversial), olive oil, cinnamon, oregano, dark chocolate. Dark chocolate? It seems some of the less common kinds of chocolate, such as Xocai, are actually healthy and naturally packed with great antioxidants. Some people report amazing results. Research at: http://www.healthy-dark-chocolate-reviews.com/index.html

Get lycopene from tomatoes, grapefruit, watermelon, eggs

Get lutein from dark green leafy veggies like kale, broccoli, kiwi, brussel spouts, spinach.

Get lignan from flax seed, oats/oatmeal, barley, rye.

Also consider various supplements.

ANTIOXIDANT - GLUTATHIONE

Glutathione is an antioxidant that some say helps immensely with MS symptoms.

Glutathione has been found to be substantially reduced in almost all patients with neurological disorders. According to Dr. Code, by the time you've been officially diagnosed with a neurological disorder, the body’s cellular glutathione is only 5% of what it should be. Supplementing glutathione either intravenously, with liposomal glutatione or with glutathione precursors such as non-denatured whey protein powder can have remarkable effects. In his book “Who’s in Control of Your Multiple Sclerosis – Pieces of the MS Recovery Puzzle”, Dr. Code stresses that optimizing glutathione levels is a very significant piece of the puzzle for the person with multiple sclerosis. In his words, “I feel that raising my glutathione levels is one of the biggest pieces – 30% - of my own MS recovery puzzle. It could have a similar benefit in your MS journey." Glutathione is a supplement that is extremely difficult to absorb. Most oral supplements are worthless, because the digestive tract destroys the nutrient before it can be absorbed. Supplements such as NAC can help your body make more glutathione, but the effect is mild. This is why intravenous therapy was once considered to be the only therapy that really works.

Additional reading:

http://www.evenbetternow.com/multiple-sclerosis.asp

Order Lipoceutical Glutathione from here:

http://www.evenbetternow.com/proddetail.asp?prod=Lipoceutical_liposomal_glutathione

Order Whey Protein Powder from here:

http://www.evenbetternow.com/proddetail.asp?prod=ImmunoPro

ANTIOXIDANT – ROSAVIN (Adaptogen)

Adaptogens are from different herbs Acai berries, Ashwagandha (Indian Ginseng), Rhodiola rosea (Siberian Golden root), Georgian Pomegranate, Caucasian Billberry, Blueberry leaf, Eleutherococcus and Schizandra chinensis. Some of them have been used in China and India for thousands of years. The Russians began studying them in the 1940s and they’re somewhat new to the western world. Nikolai Lazarev defined an adaptogen as “an agent that allows the body to counter adverse physical, chemical, or biological stressors by raising nonspecific resistance toward such stress, thus allowing the organism to adapt to the stressful circumstances.” So they supposedly cope with various sources of “stress” on the body. They are also “powerful antioxidants.”

Rosavin is an adaptogenic herb along the lines of more famous cousins such as ginseng, ashwaganda, suma, etc. Rosavin, however, is more powerful and may be the best adaptogenic herb available.

http://www.evolutionhealth.com/supplements/rosavinPlus.htm

Rosavin Plus® (Siberian Rhodiola Rosea or Golden Root)

90 capsules - $23

http://store.ameriden.com/servlet/-strse-9/rhodiola-rosea%2C-Russian%2C-depression%2C/Detail

Rosavin – 60 Capsules - $18

http://www.naturalhealthconsult.com/Monographs/rosavin.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adaptogen

ANTIOXIDANT - SELENIUM

Brazil nuts (super high!), oats, cod, turkey, brewer’s yeast, kidneys, liver, oily fish, shellfish, sunflower seeds, lentils, cashews, snapper, cod, halibut, tuna, salmon, sardines, shrimp, mushrooms

http://www.dietaryfiberfood.com/selenium.php

MAGNESUIM

Magnesium is crucial.

Almonds, cashews, brazil nuts, pine nuts, bananas, apricods, avocados, dark green leafy veggies (sppinach, broccoli), soy and tofu (controversial), brown rice, millet, artichokes, figs, buckwheat, oat bran, black beans, navy beans, cornmeal, pumpkin seeds, tomato, peanuts, halibut, okra, plantain, rockfish, scallop, squash seeds,

Ref: http://magnesiumrichfoods.com/

OILS & EFAs

Eat more fish and supplement with flax oil, hemp oil, Evening Primrose Oil (for Omega 6 oils), and Fish Oil (for Omega 3) and/or Cod Liver oil.

Several scientists suspect that the North American diet, which is high in cholesterol, alcohol and saturated fats and low in essential fatty acids, leads to a production of prostaglandin 2, which promotes an inflammatory response and worsens symptoms of myelin sheath damage.

This may explain why myelin sheath damage is more common in the United States and Northern Europe and almost unheard of in some other countries such as Japan, Korea and China. People in Asian countries consume much less fat than people in North America and northern Europe. Their diets are much richer in marine foods, olive and fruit oils and seeds, which are a rich source of essential fatty acids, and which have an inhibiting effect on the inflammatory response.

Researchers in Scandinavia have long used essential fatty acid supplementation to support myelin sheath repair and to reduce the frequency of flare-ups. About 75% of myelin is composed of fat, with a substantial amount coming from essential fatty acids.

References:

http://www.evenbetternow.com/multiple-sclerosis.asp (see #6)

http://www.ratical.com/renewables/TherapHoil.html Therapeutic Hemp Oil

Order cod liver oil here: http://www.evenbetternow.com/proddetail.asp?prod=Arctic_cod_liver_oil

VITAMIN D

Research is showing more and more that Vitamin D is one of the absolute most important vitamins.

Some researchers say that on average, people with myelin sheath degeneration are severely vitamin D deficient. Dr. William E. Code firmly believes that Vitamin D supplementation is one of the key pieces in his” recovery puzzle”. As well, Dr. Perlmutter describes that vitamin D has been shown to completely prevent the development of a multiple sclerosis-like disease in mice.

So get sunshine daily! Get 20 minutes of sunshine on as much skin as possible every day. 15 minutes of sunshine on the forearms at midday might translate into 3000 or 10000 IU of vitamin D. Don’t use sunblock during those 20 minutes.

Eat more cold water fish. Cod liver oil is the best. Herring. Catfish. Mollusks and oysters. Salmon and trout. Sun ripened shiitake mushrooms, shrimp, mackeral, tuna. Milk, yogurt, sardines, beef liver, egg yolks, butter.

Supplement. When choosing a vitamin D supplement, be sure that it is vitamin D3 or cholecalciferol, which is the natural form of vitamin D (unlike vitamin D2 which is a synthetic) and has 1000 IU of vitamin D. There are several available at health food stores and on the internet.

References:

http://www.evenbetternow.com/multiple-sclerosis.asp (see #8)

http://www.ei-resource.org/expert-columns/dr.-jacob-teitelbaums-column/vitamin-d-could-save-your-life/

Significantly increases the risk of Multiple Sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and diabetes.. . . Vitamin D deficiency is wreaking havoc in many other ways as well. It is critical in regulating immune function, and Vitamin D deficiency is implicated in Multiple Sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis,⁷⁵ inflammatory bowel disease⁷⁶ and diabetes.^77-81

http://www.naturalnews.com/028536_sunlight_multiple_sclerosis.html

in a study just published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS), DeLuca and fellow researcher Bryan Becklund conclude the ultraviolet (UV) portion of sunlight could play an even more important role than vitamin D in preventing and/or controlling the MS.

http://www.naturalnews.com/026408_Vitamin_D_multiple_sclerosis_disease.html

"Vitamin D acts as an immune modulator," Banwell said. "On our immune cells there are what are known as receptors, a docking mechanism, for vitamin D. In MS, there are many lines of evidence that immune cells are not regulated properly."

http://www.naturalnews.com/026384_Vitamin_D_multiple_sclerosis_disease.html

So, while drug researchers continue looking for the latest greatest drug treatment, Great Britain urges its Prime Minister to devote millions of pounds for stem cell research and the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada creates new training centers designed to "conduct MS research through training of the next generation of MS researchers"; the "next generation" for the prevention AND treatment of this 'incurable' disease is sitting right in front of us -right here, right now. While you may have to weigh the risks and benefits of getting your Vitamin D through the sun, this safe and effective treatment for Multiple Sclerosis is completely free of charge and no insurance is required.

Ordering options:

http://www.evenbetternow.com/proddetail.asp?prod=Trace_Minerals_Liquid_Vitamin-D3

http://www.drichfoods.com/catalog_c263918.html

PROTEINS / MEAT / FISH / DAIRY / EGGS

The IDEAL

Get 40% of your proteins from vegetables (beans, lentils, quinoa, nuts, etc).

Get 25% of your proteins from free-range hen eggs

Get 25% of your proteins from fish

Get 10% of proteins from lamb, beef, chicken, bison, deer

DAIRY

I think the recommendation for MS patients to get off of dairy proteins sounds wise. I’d recommend avoiding all dairy (milk, cheese). The same pundits also say that the MS patient should avoid meats and red meat. They’re probably right I suspect. But I know how hard it is for an american who is raised on dairy and meat to drop it all at once. So I will suggest that you drop all dairy proteins but continue for a time to eat meats.

Butter contains about 5% dairy protein (casein) and so it may be fine to continue having butter. (Although a superior alternative would be to make ghee out of the butter to have a purified cooking oil without any casein in it.)

CAVEMAN

One thing that is helpful is to think like a caveman. If you’re not sure whether you should eat something or not, ask yourself if a caveman would have been able to eat it. This basically translates into fruits, vegetables, nuts, raw seeds, fresh fish, and lean meats. Note how it is devoid of grains (wheat, corn, barley, rye) and devoid of dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt). While it can be very helpful to adopt a caveman diet (also known as a Paleolithic diet) and many people with many maladies experience tremendous healing from adopting a caveman diet (or even a similar protein rich diet like the Atkins diet or the South Beach Diet) it is probably not ideal to stay with a caveman diet for long. It may be helpful in making the transition from the SAD (Standard American Diet) to a more natural diet but is probably not something that should be practiced for long. There is some evidence that diets high in red meat are ultimately a bit hard on the heart. Also there is some thinking that suggests that red meats increase the general level of acidity in the body and that this is bad. Proteins from plants, however, lower the acidity in the body. Some thinking also says that red meat ultimately increases level of inflammation in the body. So my suggestion is to go ahead and eat a lot of steak and chicken for the first few months while making all the other radical dietary changes just to ease the transition. And gradually and eventually increase the amounts of fish and vegetable proteins.

BEEF. Ideally beef should be grass-fed rather than corn fed, free of antibotics and hormones. Some say that the toxins the cows get from the environment collects in the fat, but I’m not sure. I think bison is a great alternative to cattle, but more expensive.

CHICKEN. I’m not sure what to say about chicken. If it’s from free-range chickens without hormones and antibiotics, it’s probably a superior option to red meat from the standpoint of fat.

PORK. I’ve become increasingly scared of pork over the years. At this point I’d say avoid pork whenever possible? If you knew exactly what the hog had eaten over the years, it might be fine. But commercially raised hogs could have been eating anything.

SOY. It’s a tempting protein. It’s everywhere. It may have some good health selling points but it’s just too controversial. So I think it should be avoided in all forms by someone who is trying to recover from any chronic condition. I could be wrong.

EGGS. Hen eggs used to get a bad rap. But now they are being touted again by nutritionists as a “super food.” I suspect eggs are perhaps one of the most important things for someone trying to rebuild myelin because myelin is made from a lot of the same stuff as eggs are.

http://www.everydayhealth.com/photogallery/eggs-13-best-super-foods.aspx

Eggs - The best protein source on the planet, eggs consistently outrank milk, beef, whey, and soy in the quality of protein they provide. In addition to containing all nine essential amino acids, eggs are loaded with nutrients. "And for God's sake, eat the yolks," says Bowden. People avoid the yolks because they fear cholesterol, but egg yolks contain choline, which helps protect heart and brain function and prevents cholesterol and fat from accumulating in the liver.

DECREASE YOUR INFLAMMATION

Everything you can do to lower your levels of inflammation in your body is going to help recovery and help prevent further damage. Do whatever you can to soothe (not suppress but stop irritating) your immune system. The immune system when it is at war can attack the myelin sheath.

SUGARS. Begin to avoid sugar. Begin to avoid table sugar (sucrose), corn syrup (fructose), honey (fructose). The average American consume 179 lbs of processed sugar per year. Try to work on dropping this to something more like 20 lbs of sugar per year. It is more important to avoid artificial sweeteners than natural sweeteners. Try to break addictions to sweets entirely. It’s better to have raw cane sugar than aspartame. And it’s better to have raw honey, agave nectar, or brown rice syrup than table sugar. But all sugars do increase levels of inflammation throughout the body. The fewer sugars you consume, the more decrease inflammation, the better you’ll feel and more relaxed your immune system can become, the less your immune system is likely to attack things like the myelin sheath. Your body doesn’t need sugars. Your body needs proteins, fats, and complex carbohydrates.

MRT Test

I cannot say enough good about the LEAP-MRT test, or MRT Test. It rocks! It was invented by the same doctor who invented the venerable ALCAT test. It’s a blood test that is sent to a lab where they expose the blood to 150 different foods and food additives to see in a deep and holistic way what the immune system reacts to.

It surprised me with all sorts of foods that I’m reactive to—things that I could have never guessed. (Click here to view my MRT results and see what my immune system was reactive to.) For me it was right on. Highly accurate. When I avoided foods I was reactive to, my quality of life and brain function improved. When I tested the results by eating what I knew I was reactive to, I paid a harsh price. I have trouble imagining life without those results. With the MRT results the list of foods I was eating had decreased to a very few things that were safe for me but my inflammation levels (and therefore my headache levels) decreased to a point where I could usually pass for normal to most observers.

I highly recommend the MRT test for people who are struggling with food allergies, any condition characterized by inflammation, and perhaps any other autoimmune/immune-compromised condition. If my insurance wouldn’t cover the cost of the MRT test I might consider the Alcat or Sage ELISA tests as second and third best alternatives.

1. MRT Test - 1-888-NOW-LEAP

2. Alcat

3. Sage ELISA Test - 1-877-SageLab

If you’re interested, give them a call (or website visit) and ask them if there are any healthcare providers in your area that collect blood samples for this test. If not, ask them what you need to do when you try to talk your doctor into collecting the blood and sending it off to them.

The MRT test may be expensive ($3,000?) but it can be life changing. You may be eating foods that are healthy to most people and they may be making your symptoms worse. If in multiple sclerosis it is some component of the immune system being at war which attacks the myelin sheath, use this test to reduce your levels of immune response. This is not suppressing the immune system. This is just letting it enter a state of peace.

Mercury / Toxic Metals

Some think that toxic metals in our bodies are the indirect cause of multiple sclerosis. I am not sure if this is true or not, but I am sure that heavy metals do tend to cause a lot more damage to the human body than not.

It may be very wise to get a toxic metals screen from great plains laboratory or genova diagnostics. 

Depending on what the test results say, perhaps consider finding a dentist who specializes in safe removal of fillings. Some say that fillings are a major source of toxic metals.

EXERCISE

Aerobic and anaerobic. Force the mind and body to use the nerves.

ALKALOIDS

Avoid alkaloids like caffeine and nicotine.

Beware Nightshade / Solanine. Be wary of solanine and the nightshade family plants. This includes potato, tomato, eggplant, bell peppers (and other peppers). The solanine in them can attack the nervous system.

The solanine is found mostly in the skins. So if you simply cannot live without tomato, for example, perhaps at least try only eating tomato without its skins. In potatoes, 30-80% of the solanine is contained in the skin.

“The [alkaloids] found in Nightshades (scopolamine , atropine, solanine, nicotine and more) may be the leading cause of Arthritic inflammation, cancer, Alzheimer’s, Migraine headaches, birth defects, miscarriages, inflammatory bowel disorder, and Crohn’s Disease.”

PARASITES?

Get tested for parasites (d.fragilis and b.hominis). They’re more common than we might think. See www.badbugs.org. And they can have a wide range of effects on the body and immune system.

Here are three labs that have pretty good reputations for their comprehensive stool analysis tests. You might want to try to talk your doctor into ordering one of their kits for you. Or you can call the lab to ask if there are any doctors in your area that already use their tests.

1. Great Plains Laboratory – Advertisement/Intro - Instructions – customerservice@GPL4u.com – (913)341-8949

2. Genova Diagnostics

3. Meridian Valley Laboratory

This is one test I think almost anyone could benefit from. I’d especially recommend it for people suffering with crohns, IBS, colitis, and/or chronic diarrhea. How does this relate to MS? Well, maybe it doesn’t. But if you’ve got any gastrointestinal issues, I think this is worth doing. And if you have some gastrointestinal issues, it is a fact that your immune system is being impacted. And if your immune system is at war, your myelin sheath may be a victim.

Books to be aware of:

· The Better Brain Book by David Perlmutter, MD

· Who’s in control of your Multiple Sclerosis; Pieces of the MS Recovery Puzzle by William E. Code, MD

· The Multiple Sclerosis Diet Book by Roy Swank

· The MS Recovery Diet by Ann Sawyer

· Healing Multiple Sclerosis by Ann Boroch

· The Truth about Migraines to Multiple Sclererosis and More by B. Tancredi

Sample Weekly Diet

Day 1

Breakfast – oatmeal, blueberries, cranberries, walnuts

Lunch - salad (lettuce, tomato, cabbage, etc.)

Dinner – fish (tuna, cod), olive oil, spinach

Dessert – dark chocolate

Snacks – strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, almonds, cashews

Supplements - cod liver oil, apple cider vinegar, rosavin, sunshine

Day 2

Breakfast – five eggs (scrambled or fried in real butter)

Lunch -

Dinner – small portion of red meat, sweet potato,

Snacks

Supplements - cod liver oil, apple cider vinegar, rosavin, sunshine

Day 3

Breakfast – fruit smoothie with almond milk, two eggs

Lunch –

Dinner – fish (salmon or trout), wild rice, red wine (or pure dark grapejuice)

Snacks - apple

Supplements - cod liver oil, apple cider vinegar, rosavin, sunshine

Day 4

Breakfast – eggs

Lunch -

Dinner – turkey, lentils or beans, brown rice or black rice/wild rice

Snacks

Supplements - cod liver oil, apple cider vinegar, rosavin, sunshine

Day 5

Breakfast – oatmeal, berries, walnuts

Lunch -

Dinner –

Snacks

Supplements - cod liver oil, apple cider vinegar, rosavin, sunshine

Fasting?

After four months of healthy eating and living, I’d go for a 20 day fast. No food. Just pure water. This may sound crazy but it may be cutting edge awesome too.

Engineered Antibody

Talk to your doctor about this engineered “antibody”?

http://www.mayoclinic.org/news2007-rst/4294.html

Antibody Leads to Repair of Myelin Sheath in Lab Study of Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders, Mayo Clinic Study Shows

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic researchers have found that a human antibody administered in a single low dose in laboratory mouse models can repair myelin, the insulating covering of nerves that when damaged can lead to multiple sclerosis and other disorders of the central nervous system.

The study will be presented on Oct. 9 at the American Neurological Association meeting in Washington, D.C.

"The repair of chronic spinal cord injury is seldom modeled in laboratory studies, but it is an important reality for the treatment of humans. The concept of using natural human antibodies to treat disease of this kind has not yet been tested in humans, but these research findings are very promising," says Moses Rodriguez, M.D., a Mayo Clinic neurologist and the study's corresponding author. "The findings could eventually lead to new treatments that could limit permanent disability," states Arthur Warrington, Ph.D., a Mayo Clinic scientist and study author.

Myelin repair normally occurs spontaneously, but in multiple sclerosis and other disorders of the central nervous system, the myelin repair process occurs very slowly or fails altogether. Researchers are trying to determine how to speed up the myelin healing process, which they hope will eventually lead to new treatments for patients.

The antibody, which was genetically engineered from a single cell, binds to myelin and the surface of cells in the brain and spinal cord, then it triggers the cells to begin the repair process called remyelination. This antibody is the first known reagent designed to induce repair by acting within the central nervous system at the damage sites on cells responsible for myelin synthesis.

The study uses laboratory mouse models of chronic progressive multiple sclerosis in humans. The severity of the disease and also success of the treatment were largely defined by how naturally active the mice were, particularly during the night because mice are nocturnal and are especially active at this time. They received a single dose of the antibody. A minimum of 25 mcg/kg was needed to trigger remyelination, which is equivalent to about 2 mg in the average adult, considered a very low dose. The myelin repair plateaued after five weeks in the mice models.

In addition, when combined with daily methylprednisolone, (an immune modulating steroid) the antibody still promotes remyelination in mouse models. This is an important fact because the first multiple sclerosis patients treated with the antibody will have been treated first with methylprednisolone.

As a naturally occurring protein of the immune system, antibodies do not appear to carry any side effects, nor are they toxic — even when administered at 4,000 times the minimal effective dose — though the concept has not yet been tested in humans, the researchers say.

In summary, this antibody:

* Promotes remyelination with a single dose as low as 25 mcg/kg in mice models

* The remyelination plateaus at five weeks after a single dose

* Converts a model of chronic immune mediated demyelination to one that repairs with the speed of a toxin induced model of demyelination

In terms of replicating the findings in humans, the researchers have already produced the antibody through genetic engineering and conducted preliminary toxicology experiments in mice showing that 1,000 times the therapeutic dose is not toxic. The study continues to be explored in animal models and eventually, in clinical trials.

In short, the critical finding is that when combined with methylprednisolone, the antibody still effectively promotes remyelination and does not make the mice worse, Dr. Warrington states.

About Multiple Sclerosis:

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, potentially debilitating disease that affects the central nervous system, which is made up of the brain and spinal cord. Multiple sclerosis is widely believed to be an autoimmune disease, a condition in which the immune system attacks components of the body as if they're foreign.

Multiple sclerosis affects an estimated 300,000 people in the United States and probably more than 1 million people around the world ¡X including twice as many women as men. Most people experience their first signs or symptoms between ages 20 and 40.

Collaboration and Support

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada, the Hilton Foundation and Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Applebaum.

http://myelinrepair.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/MRF-Scientific-Progress-5_FINAL_10-20-09.pdf

GLUE FOODS?

If your enterologist did an endoscopy and concluded that there is something wrong with the microvilli of your small intestine (such as the tips burned off or all of them coated in some glue-like film) seriously consider going gluten free. No more wheat breads. Switch to oats and rice.

Greatly reduce (or totally avoid?) your consumption of wheat/gluten, dairy/milk/cheese, soy, and corn.

Go with oats and rice instead of wheat.

If you need milk, goats milk is better than cow milk. Milk from jersey cows is better than most cows. Milk from Guernsey cows is the best of the cow milks. Soy milk is too controversial. Almond milk (milk made from almonds) may be the absolute best thing to try!

http://www.sweetpoison.com/multiple-sclerosis.html

Multiple Sclerosis Information

The medical community is less understanding of the environmental factors, which includes aspartame, that effect Multiple Sclerosis, but environmental contact, especially during early years of growing up, can result in Multiple Sclerosis symptoms in later years.

It has been determined that Multiple Sclerosis is mediated in large part through the immune system. The immune system is what then alters the response to foreign materials in the body and appears to attack the myelin or the coating of the nerves around the axons in the brain and in the spinal cord.

Ingestion of aspartame adds to toxic reactions within the myelin, exacerbating Multiple Sclerosis symptoms.

Multiple Sclerosis and Aspartame

The cause of Multiple Sclerosis is not a single thing but a coming together of genetic predisposition, environmental contacts, commonly starting early in life, and other factors that we really only partially know about today, such as food chemicals like aspartame. One key question to ask is why do some people succumb to the disease and others do not?

Specifics things about Multiple Sclerosis have been researched and determined to be valid such as the patterns that people with certain tissue types from certain hereditary backgrounds are more likely to get Multiple Sclerosis, as well as persons from a Northern European background are more susceptible than someone from an African background. It is twice as common in women as it is in men, and people who grow up in the cooler polar regions of the world, whether it be the Northern Hemisphere or the Southern Hemisphere, have two to three times more chance of getting Multiple Sclerosis than the same person with the same genetic background who grows up in a warmer climate or a tropical area.

Actually, these factors are settings for the disease, but not the triggers. So, what triggers Multiple Sclerosis?

Whats known about Multiple Sclerosis?

Scientists do know some certain things about Multiple Sclerosis. Some new information that came out within the last few months shows there is more going on with Multiple Sclerosis than meets the clinical eye. When patients are clinically stable, they may still have the disease working in their body, but just not being manifested. With the development of MRIs, Multiple Sclerosis appears to have more active MRI lesions than it appears to have clinical exacerbation. This correlates with the research results of lesions within the brain mass of laboratory mice fed aspartame.

The best advice for Multiple Sclerosis worries, stay away from aspartame at all cost.

http://www.sweetpoison.com/aspartame-detox-components.html

Aspartame Detoxification Components

The components of the Aspartame Detoxification Program consist of:

1. French Green Clay

2. B-Complex

3. B3 Niacin

4. Digestive Enzymes

5. Vitamin C

6. Multi-vitamin

· French Green Clay is virtually unknown in America as an internal detoxification supplement, yet Europeans have used it internally for thousands of years to remove the causes of disease symptoms. In 1986 after the meltdown of the Soviet nuclear power plant, Chernobyl, the Soviet Union put French Green Clay in chocolate bars and dispensed them freely to the masses to remove radiation they may have been exposed to. Found only in France and India, the ancient sea beds that provide the green clays have healing qualities that not only attach themselves to and remove toxic foreign substances within the body, but activate the body's own immune system through its chemical constitution.

Green clays contain magnesium, calcium, potassium, manganese, phosphorous, zinc aluminum, silicon, copper, selenium, cobalt, micro-algaes, kelp, and phyto-nutrients.

French green clay has the ability to remove toxic metals and chemical residues, bacteria, and blood toxins with virtually no side effects of constipation, diarrhea, or stomach cramping. It is known to remove radiation, arsenic, lead, mercury, and aluminum amid other toxic metals in less than six weeks. The more you use, the quicker you detox.

· Vitamin C to bowel tolerance. The most affective form of Vitamin C is ascorbic acid NOT from corn. Begin with taking 2,000 to 3,000 milligrams (mg) every day and increase by 1,000 mg daily until you have a loose stool several days in a row. Remain slightly below that dosage, daily. You can split the dosage throughout the day if the milligrams run high during the detox process. Ascorbic acid removes toxins from the water stores within your body, and ideally, every cell within your body should be bathed in water. When the ascorbic acid levels have successfully reached every cell within your body, the excess vitamin C excretes in your stool, which makes it soft and watery.

· B-100 Complex once daily in the morning

· Begin with 50 mg. Niacin on a slightly full stomach; increase by 50 mg. daily until an immediate flush occurs; do not panic if you turn red or your heart beats rapidly; this is a good sign that your blood is pure and toxins are being removed. Some people have taken as much as 500 mg. Niacin three times a day until they broke through their toxins and felt a burn. And the less food you have in your stomach, the quicker the Niacin will get into your bloodstream to do it?s work.
Remember this general rule of thumb: if you have more toxins than Niacin, you will not feel a burn through your skin. As you increase your daily Niacin intake, you are increasing the amount of B3 in relation to your toxic load. When you have more Niacin than toxins present, you WILL feel the burn within 10 to 20 minutes after taking it.

· Digestive enzymes after every meal. Always supplement with an enzyme that contains both upper (papain, HCL) and lower (amalyse, lactase, etc.) stomach digestive aides and digestive enzymes. I recommend taking digestive enzymes immediately AFTER eating a meal so to give the stomach a chance to produce its own needed stomach acids in order to properly dissolve food intake. What the stomach cannot produce on its own can then be supplemented.

· Multi-vitamin five days a week. As much as we may think we are eating balanced diets, unless you grow your own organic foods, most Americans are not getting the proper amount of vitamins and minerals from the food supply. American soils are depleted in nutrients and saturated with chemical pesticides and fertilizers, especially on corporate farms. It is merely an 'insurance policy' to supplement with a natural, organic multi-vitamin and mineral at least five days a week. If you have sufficient vitamins in your diet, it won't hurt to keep a good vitamin supplement available for special times of need.

Diet:

· no artificial food chemicals

· no aspartame or diet sweeteners

· use only sea salt

· lessen processed foods; use olive oil, coconut oil or cold pressed seedoils of choice

· no white flour or white sugar; replace with whole grains, Brewer's Yeast, and bee pollen

· eat 75% raw or steamed foods at each meal

Exercise:

· honor a scheduled weekly workout of biking, walking, aerobics, etc.

Apple cider vinegar

· It has been used for centuries as a folk remedy for a selection of ills. The ancient Egyptians, as far back as 3000 BC, and even the father of modern medicine, Hippocrates, sang the praises of this unique, yet humble, product.

· Apple cider vinegar contains the following: acetic acid, propionic acid, lactic acid, enzymes, amino acids, roughage -potash and apple pectin,

· It also contains minerals and trace elements such as

o potassium

o calcium

o magnesium

o phosphorous

o chlorine

o sodium

o sulfur

o copper

o iron

o silicon

o fluorine

· Its vitamin contents includes

o Vitamin C

o Vitamin E

o Vitamin A

o Vitamin B1

o Vitamin B2

o Vitamin B6

o Provitamin beta-carotene

o Vitamin P (bioflavonoids)

· The saying "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" comes from the medieval English saying, which really goes "to eat an apple before going to bed will make the doctor beg for his bread."

· For more information on apple cider vinegar please click here.

· For a full analysis of all ingredients contained in apples, please click here

http://www.msrc.co.uk/index.cfm/fuseaction/show/pageid/815

Dr Weil's Multiple Sclerosis Dietary Tips

Dr. Andrew Weil's dietary recommendations to those who have MS ...

· Decrease protein toward 10 percent of daily caloric intake.

· Replace animal protein as much as possible with plant protein.

· Eliminate milk and milk products, substituting other calcium sources.

· Eat organically grown fruits and vegetables as much as possible as well as organic products made from wheat and soy.

· Eliminate polyunsaturated vegetable oils, margarine, vegetable shortening, all partially hydrogenated oils, all foods (such as deep-fried foods) that might contain trans-fatty acids. Use extra-virgin olive oil as your main fat.

· Increase intake of omega-3 fatty acids.

· Eat more fruits and vegetables.

· Eat ginger and turmeric regularly.

http://www.msrc.co.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=show&pageid=816&CFID=3791590&CFTOKEN=89401774

The Great Oils Debate

The recommended healthy eating diet for people with Multiple Sclerosis is low in saturated-fat but includes essential fatty acids (EFA's). Good sources of EFA's are Evening Primrose Oil (for Omega 6 oils), and Fish Oil (for Omega 3).

The Omega 6 fatty acid is Linolenic Acid (LA). Controlled trials have shown that supplementation with 17-23g of LA a day can reduce the rate and severity of relapse in mild cases of relapsing/remitting MS. Results of a small study¹ carried out in Norway suggested that fish oil supplementation given together with vitamins and dietary advice can improve the clinical outcome in patients with newly diagnosed MS.

Dr. Roy Swank has demonstrated a link between saturated fat and the incidence of MS and many people have benefited from following Swank's low-fat dietary recommendations. You can read more about this topic in the Best Bet Diet book.

http://www.msrc.co.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=show&pageid=1283&CFID=3791590&CFTOKEN=89401774

Giving Up Milk

There is plenty of anecdotal evidence suggesting that milk can make Multiple Sclerosis symptoms worse, cause relapses or the progression of MS. However this subject remains controversial, and giving up milk without taking advice from a fully trained Nutritionist or Dietician could be just as harmful. If you do give up milk please ensure you take a good Calcium/Magnesium supplement and it may be worth also looking at supplementation with Vitamin D.

People with MS who have been treated with steroids are more at risk of developing Osteoporosis anyway. Those who also eliminate dairy could end up deficient in calcium, which can also lead to Osteoporosis.

Therefore if you wish to eliminate milk from your diet please take advice first. Plenty of people with MS have found that they have improved drastically by taking this step. Though the evidence is largely anecdotal it is, never the less, compelling. Many people decide to take an Elisa Panel Blood Test to find out which foods they show intolerance to. Then they have a good guideline as to which foods they should eliminate from their diets. Milk is often among them. If you require further information as to how to get discounted food allergy testing please visit the The Best Bet Diet Group

 pages.

You can read about people's experiences of giving up milk within theWhat Has Helped You section of the website.

Other sources of Calcium

• Almonds and dry nuts
• Broccoli and leafy green vegetables
• Tinned fish with bones e.g. sardines
• Supplements

Other sources of protein

• Lean meat
• Fish

http://www.msrc.co.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=show&pageid=817&CFID=3791590&CFTOKEN=89401774

Have you ever heard of the Swank Diet?

It was developed by the now 92 year old Dr Roy Swank. Dr Swank began his study of the correlation between MS and Diet in the late 1940's. Since then thousands of people with MS world-wide have benefited from following his diet.

We'd be wise to take heed of this man's wise words!

"My 50 years of research and working with approximately 5,000 people, just like you, have proven that this protocol works to slow progression of the disease as well as benefit overall health. After considerable research, I developed this plan for the treatment of multiple sclerosis that absolutely anyone can do. A lifestyle change will have to take place, which may be a challenge for you, but the challenges of living with a disability are much greater."

To read more about the Swank diet you can buy Dr Swanks "Multiple Sclerosis Diet Book-a low-fat diet for the treatment of MS". You can order this book through the MSRC's Buy.at/MSRC - Amazon link.

Enzymes?

Probiotics?

Juice Plus?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juice_Plus

http://newportnutritionals.com/what.html

Supplements designed by Dr. Russell L. Blaylock. Intended to reduce inflammation and promote healing.

http://www.pamrotella.com/health/ms.html

Multiple Sclerosis: The mercury/parasites model
[Posted 28 May 2004]
In alternative medicine, the main theory for the cause of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is mercury poisoning followed by a parasitic invasion of the nervous system, particularly the brain. There are other possible causes, which can be determined through laboratory testing for metals, pathogens, and toxins, but the mercury/parasite model is the most common.

Although many diseases can be treated successfully at home with alternative medicine, MS is one disease where a doctor's care is almost always necessary. First, lab work must be ordered to determine its actual cause (other than the "nobody knows" or "genetic" model still circulating among the allopathic or mainstream medical field). Then, treatment for the most common mercury/parasite model involves chelation therapy to remove the mercury, which can only be prescribed by a doctor, usually a naturopathic doctor (ND) or osteopath (DO). Practitioners such as herbalists can work with an ND or DO to have this chelation prescribed. The drug usually used for mercury chelation is very strong, as is needed for something as serious as MS, and it happens to chelate good metals from the body along with the bad. This is why all mineral levels must be closely monitored for a patient on chelation therapy, and supplements containing the "good" metals (selenium, zinc, magnesium, copper, etc.) are prescribed along with chelation. Often patients must be taken off of the chelation drug for periods of time, to allow the essential trace minerals to regain normal levels. This is something that should be overseen by a professional practitioner.

For the mercury/parasite cases of MS, parasites also need to be eliminated. Sometimes patients prefer to opt for Hulda Clark's zapper because of the speed of eradication. Others use herbs or drugs as prescribed by their doctor. According to the mercury/parasite model of this disease, mercury is a fat soluble metal. Because the brain is composed largely of fat, mercury follows the nerves up to the brain and stays there, happy in its fatty environment. Then, according to Hulda Clark's model of parasitic invasion of the brain, the positive charge of metals in the brain attracts parasites.

Mercury and parasites are considered to be the most common cause of this disease and can be treated, often with a partial or complete reversal of symptoms. There are other causes not related to mercury, for example aspartame poisoning sometimes results in similar symptoms. Obviously, a good diagnosis based on lab tests is needed before any method of treatment can be planned.

"I was struck down by Multiple Sclerosis in 1989 when I was 40 and was bedridden for a number of months. I could not feel my legs. They were just dead weight. My arms and hands were so numb and my coordination so poor that I could not feed myself or dress myself. I had excruciating nerve pain. Suffice it to say that I was in big trouble. I could no longer work."
-Ken Presner, http://zap.intergate.ca/sclerosi.html (quotation 24 May 2004)

One popular and fascinating case was that of a Canadian man who cured himself of MS, not only controlled but actually reversed his symptoms. His name was Ken Presner, and he became a sort of poster boy for the mercury/parasite model. He underwent chelation therapy, dental metal removal, and the usual methods of treatment for this disease, but became most famous when he decided to start experimenting with variations on Hulda Clark's design for a zapper. He eventually developed "The Ultimate Zapper", a zapper "improved with" AC power and other modifications. He also developed another liver cleanse called "The Ultimate Liver Cleanse", which he claims is an improvement on Clark's, helping to eliminate more gallstones. These are offered for sale on his web site. Some criticize him for profiting from his cure, but the fact remains that the man cured his own MS and uses his own zapper. Ken Presner's web site is very interesting, including a description of how he cured himself of supposedly terminal MS and Crohn's Disease, and came to experiment with zapper development. His page can be found here:
http://zap.intergate.ca/sclerosi.html

As with most patients who realize that effective cures are being suppressed from mainstream medicine due to profit motives, Presner became disillusioned with the medical establishment. Below is a quote from his speech to the MS society in 1997:

"It's no surprise that you will never hear the MS Society tell anyone to get tested for metal toxicity or mineral and DHEA deficiencies. This only involves simple blood and urine tests. Well, even simple lab testing is a threat to the MS Society. If people find that they are toxic and deficient, and they will, this would expose the Society. So the Society never utters the words "lab testing". They have a mission - to protect themselves and their friends at the College of Physicians and Surgeons and The College of Dental Surgeons whose livelihoods depend on the MS Society helping to perpetuate the lie about the safety of dental mercury. The Dental Industry generates billions of dollars every year in revenue. It cannot afford to have the MS Society oppose mercury. The dominos would start to fall. So, it makes sure the MS Society remains solidly pro-mercury. There is too much at stake here. The Dental Industry is totally corrupt and will do anything to retain its market and its power. And so will their friends at the MS Society."
- From Ken Presner's speech to the MS Society on 15 November 1997 in Vancouver, BC, Canada, http://zap.intergate.ca/speech.html

Although MS and mercury poisoning are two separate diseases, most MS cases include mercury toxicity. Mercury poisoning itself has different symptoms than MS, for example dentists have had higher suicide rates than the general population for decades, because one of the symptoms of mercury poisoning is depression. Depression isn't the same as MS, just another way mercury can affect the body. A good source on mercury poisoning is MercuryPoisoned.com. The woman who started the page, Marie Flowers, is an incredible woman who discovered and treated her own mercury poisoning, then decided to start a web site to help others with mercury problems. Her site includes information on mercury poisoning, such as the vaccine-autism link, shaken baby syndrome, etc.

Other health and nutrition articles from pamrotella.com
Today's medical fad: The Genetic Myth
Essential Fatty Acids, the "healthy fats" we all need
Copper: What aneurysms, white hair, and wrinkles have in common
Dr. Lawrence Broxmeyer's BACTERIAL Mad Cow Disease theory
Mad Cow and Mark Purdey's Organophosphate theory
Alternative medicine vs. the common cold and flu
Hulda Clark: A cure for cancer and AIDS?
Vegans and the B-12 deficiency myth
Aspartame, MSG, and other excitotoxins

http://www.mothernature.com/Library/bookshelf/Books/41/87.cfm

Green Pharmacy for Multiple Sclerosis

Most dietary approaches to MS stress the importance of decreasing the amount of saturated fat in the diet--the kind of fat found in meat and dairy products. In addition, I'd also suggest some herbs.

nettle if I had MS. This practice, known as urtication, involves taking the fresh plant, which is covered with tiny, hairlike stingers, and simply slapping it against your exposed skin

. (Remember, you need to wear gloves whenever you handle this plant.) It stings and is irritating as all get-out, but it does provide microinjections of a number of potentially beneficial chemicals.

Among these compounds is histamine, the chemical that often induces allergies like hay fever. Several compounds in stinging nettle plant rather than bees. Unlike the bees, which die after stinging you, the plant recharges its microinjector needles and can be used again and again. I don't consider stinging nettle, but there have been severe reactions to bee stings, including some fatalities.

Dr. Swank's Low-Fat Diet

In the late 1940s, Roy L. Swank, M.D., Ph.D., professor emeritus of neurology at Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland and author of The Multiple Sclerosis Diet Book, who is now almost 90, first became interested in multiple sclerosis (MS). At that time, scientists were puzzled by the observation that the disease becomes more prevalent as one moves away from the equator. Rates in the United States, Canada, England, Scandinavia, Germany and Switzerland were higher than rates in Mexico and southern Europe.

A half-century ago, MS statistics were sketchy in most countries except Norway, which had instituted one of the first comprehensive disease-reporting systems. Dr. Swank looked at MS there, expecting to find more cases in the northern part of the country than in the south. Instead he found a completely different pattern. The MS rate was low along the entire north-south Norwegian coast, but considerably higher inland. What could account for the difference?

Using Norwegian diet surveys, Dr. Swank determined that the farm-based inland population ate a diet that was considerably higher in saturated fat (meats and dairy products) than the fishing-based coastal population. Intrigued, he reinterpreted the strange geographic distribution of MS: All of the northern countries with high MS rates also consumed more saturated fats than the southern countries with low MS rates.

To test his theory, beginning in 1950--decades before dietary fat was linked to cancer, heart disease and other ills--Dr. Swank recruited 150 people with MS, placed them on a diet low in saturated fats and compared the course of their disease to that of a similar group who ate an unrestricted diet. After 20 years, those on the Swank diet experienced substantially fewer MS flare-ups, fewer deaths and less disability. (Their blood cholesterol levels also fell to an average of less than 150, substantially reducing their risk of heart disease.) The details of Dr. Swank's diet are available in his book.

There are many stories of the neurological deterioration of MS substantially slowing, and sometimes stopping, on the Swank diet, but it remains very controversial. The MS organizations do not endorse it.

I think it's probably worth trying. Even if the Swank diet doesn't help your MS, it would certainly help prevent cancer and heart disease because it is low in fat and high in Black currant oil contains a compound known as gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) that is thought to be useful in treating MS. Herb advocate Andrew Weil, M.D., professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson and author of Natural Health, Natural Medicine, strongly
endorses GLA as an effective anti-inflammatory

for treating autoimmune disorders. He recommends taking 500 milligrams of borage and black currant oil may be cheaper. (I'm partial to EPO myself.)

Black Currant

Black currant seeds contain the same anti-inflammatory substance that's found in Blueberry (Vaccinium, various species). These berries contain compounds known as oligomeric procyanidins (OPCs). The biochemistry of OPCs is complicated, but there's good evidence to show that they help prevent the breakdown of certain tissues, such as the myelin sheaths that surround the nerve fibers. OPCs also have anti-inflammatory activity that might help relieve MS symptoms. This sounds like a good reason to eat more blueberries.

Evening primrose (Oenothera biennis). Like enzymes, pancreatin and enzymes have been shown to help reduce the level of circulating immune complexes (CICs). High levels of CICs occur in a number of autoimmune diseases, including MS. These immune complexes activate the immune system to attack the body, ultimately leading to tissue damage.

Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) and other foods containing magnesium by itself worked better for him than all other supplemental vitamins and minerals. He took 375 milligrams a day. (The Daily Value is 400 milligrams.) This is just one man's story--an anecdote--even though it comes from a biochemist and was printed in a respected journal. Still, from my point of view, it means that purslane and other sources of magnesium from an herbal source, purslane is the herb richest in this mineral, at nearly 2 percent on a dry-weight basis, followed by poppy seeds, cowpeas and spinach. I steam purslane like spinach and eat it raw in salads. A heaping serving of steamed greens could provide as much

Barley green - http://www.greenbarley.com/

http://www.everydayhealth.com/photogallery/avocados-13-best-super-foods.aspx

Avocados

Sure, they're high in fat, but avocados contain healthful monounsaturated fat, which has been linked to a reduced risk of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. "Avocados aid in blood and tissue regeneration, stabilize blood sugar, and are excellent for heart disorders," says Ed Bauman, Ph.D., director of Bauman College. They're loaded with fiber (11 to 17 grams per fruit) and are a good source of lutein, an antioxidant linked to eye and skin health.

http://www.everydayhealth.com/photogallery/apples-13-best-super-foods.aspx

Apples

"An apple a day really does keep the doctor away," says Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S., author of The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth. Apples are loaded with the powerful antioxidants quercetin and catechin, which protect cells from damage - that means a reduced risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease, especially if you eat the skin. Research shows that the apple peel contains five times more polyphenols than the flesh. Apples and their skins pack a lot of fiber too (about twice that of other common fruits, including peaches, grapes, and grapefruit), which may help fight the battle of the bulge.

http://www.everydayhealth.com/photogallery/blueberries-13-best-super-foods.aspx

Blueberries

Antiaging superstars, blueberries are loaded with antioxidants, especially anthocyanins, which have been shown to improve vision and brain function. Studies show that eating blueberries slows impairments in motor coordination and memory that accompany aging. These little berries also reduce inflammation, which is inextricably linked with virtually every chronic disease from Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, to diabetes and heart disease. Other studies show that blueberries have much greater anticancer activity than other fruits.

http://www.everydayhealth.com/photogallery/cabbage-13-best-super-foods.aspx

Cabbage

In the vegetable world, the Brassica genus reigns supreme, and the cabbage is the most impressive of the lot. Brassica vegetables (including broccoli, bok choy) contain compounds called indoles, which have been shown to reduce the risk of cancer dramatically. "Eating cabbage more than once a week cut men's colon cancer odds by 66 percent," says Bauman. "Cabbage also stimulates the immune system, kills bacteria and viruses, and is a good blood purifier." If you go for the red variety, you'll also get a healthy dose of anthocyanins (the same pigment molecules that make blueberries blue), another powerful antioxidant with an anticancer punch.

http://www.everydayhealth.com/photogallery/fish-and-fish-oil-13-best-super-foods.aspx

Fish and Fish Oil

Eating fish helps cut the risk of heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's, stroke, diabetes, and arthritis. The fatty varieties may also help alleviate depression. The American Heart Association recommends that adults eat at least two fish meals per week, especially wild salmon, herring, and sardines, because those varieties provide the most heart-healthy omega 3s. Avoid mercury-containing varieties like shark, swordfish, king mackerel, tilefish, and albacore tuna, says Roberta Anding, M.S., R.D., national spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. (Chunk light tuna is okay.)

http://www.everydayhealth.com/photogallery/garlic-13-best-super-foods.aspx

Garlic

Research shows that garlic lowers total cholesterol and triglyceride (blood fat) levels, helping prevent clogged arteries. "Two to three cloves a day cut the odds of subsequent heart attacks in half for heart disease patients," says Bauman. "Garlic also tops the National Cancer Institute's list of potential cancer-preventive foods." Whole baked garlic helps detoxify the body of heavy metals like mercury (from fish) and cadmium. Garlic also acts as an antibacterial and antiviral, boosting resistance to stress-induced colds and infections. Can't stand garlic breath? Chew on a sprig of parsley.

http://www.everydayhealth.com/photogallery/mushrooms-13-best-super-foods.aspx

Mushrooms

Used for centuries in Eastern medicine, mushrooms have powerful effects on the immune system – especially the maitake, shiitake, and reishi varieties. "Mushrooms such as maitake help prevent and treat cancer, viral diseases, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure," says Bauman. In fact, mushrooms are used as an adjunctive cancer treatment throughout Asia because of their ability to counteract the toxic effects of chemotherapy and radiation while simultaneously shrinking tumors. What's more, Japanese researchers have found that regularly eating shiitake mushrooms lowers blood cholesterol levels up to 45 percent.

http://www.everydayhealth.com/photogallery/almonds-13-best-super-foods.aspx

Almonds

Almonds are loaded with fiber and monounsaturated fat, both of which have been shown to lower cholesterol. According to the Food and Drug Administration, eating 1.5 ounces of most nuts, including almonds, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease. And even though almonds are relatively high in fat and calories, studies show that eating almonds can actually help with weight loss (their protein, fiber, and monounsaturated fats provide the feeling of fullness, preventing overeating).

Flax Seeds and Flax Oil

http://www.everydayhealth.com/photogallery/flaxseeds-13-best-super-foods.aspx

Flaxseeds

Loaded with alpha-linolenic acid, an essential fatty acid that helps reduce inflammation, flaxseed has been used for centuries for medicinal and health reasons. Gandhi himself proclaimed, "Wherever flaxseed becomes a regular food item among the people, there will be better health." Bauman adds, "The seed itself has terrific nutritional value, very usable protein, tremendous fatty acids, and minerals like magnesium, potassium, and zinc." Additionally, they're a great source of fiber.

Pomegranates

http://www.everydayhealth.com/photogallery/pomegranates-13-best-super-foods.aspx

Pomegranates

Pomegranates have up to three times the antioxidants of red wine and green tea – and the juice has been shown to reduce artery-clogging plaque, which in turn prevents heart disease and stroke. Research shows that long-term consumption of pomegranate juice may also help slow aging and protect against cancer.

http://www.everydayhealth.com/photogallery/red-wine-13-best-super-foods.aspx

Red Wine

A small amount of any kind of alcohol each day does your heart good by increasing HDL cholesterol and reducing the risk of blood clots. "Red wine also contains powerful antioxidants, reservatrol and saponins, which may provide additional cardiovascular benefits," says Anding. Resist a refill, however: More than one drink daily has been linked to high blood pressure.

http://www.everydayhealth.com/photogallery/dark-chocolate-13-best-super-foods.aspx

Dark Chocolate

When it comes to chocolate, bitter is better – at least in terms of health. The benefits of chocolate come from flavonols and antioxidants (the same disease-fighting chemicals found in cranberries, apples, strawberries, and red wine). The caveat: Only real cacao contains flavonols, so look for chocolate that boasts a high percentage of cacao (60 percent or more). Dark chocolate also has fewer calories than other varieties, and when eaten in moderation, it lowers unhealthy LDL cholesterol and prevents plaque from building up in your arteries.

http://health.msn.com/nutrition/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100241585&GT1=31036

The Healthiest Foods On Earth

By Jonny Bowden, Forbes.com

Forbes

What is the best diet for human beings?

Vegetarian? Vegan? High-protein? Low-fat? Dairy-Free?

Hold on to your shopping carts: There is no perfect diet for human beings. At least not one that's based on how much protein, fat or carbohydrates you eat.

People have lived and thrived on high-protein, high-fat diets (the Inuit of Greenland); on low-protein, high-carb diets (the indigenous peoples of southern Africa); on diets high in raw milk and cream (the people of the Loetschental Valley in Switzerland); diets high in saturated fat (the Trobriand Islanders) and even on diets in which animal blood is considered a staple (the Massai of Kenya and Tanzania). And folks have thrived on these diets without the ravages of degenerative diseases that are so epidemic in modern American life—heart disease, diabetes, obesity, neurodegenerative diseases, osteoporosis and cancer.

The only thing these diets have in common is that they're all based on whole foods with minimal processing. Nuts, berries, beans, raw milk, grass-fed meat. Whole, real, unprocessed food is almost always healthy, regardless of how many grams of carbs, protein or fat it contains.

All these healthy diets have in common the fact that they are absent foods with bar codes. They are also extremely low in sugar. In fact, the number of modern or ancient societies known for health and longevity that have consumed a diet high in sugar would be ... let's see ... zero.

Truth be told, what you eat probably matters less than how much processing it's undergone. Real food—whole food with minimal processing—contains a virtual pharmacy of nutrients, phytochemicals, enzymes, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, anti-inflammatories and healthful fats, and can easily keep you alive and thriving into your 10th decade.

Berries, for example, are phenomenally low in calories, high in fiber and loaded with plant compounds that improve memory and help fight cancer. Studies have consistently shown that nut-eaters have lower rates of heart disease. Beans are notorious for their high fiber content and are a part of the diet of people—from almost every corner of the globe—who live long and well.

Protein--the word comes from a Greek word meaning "of prime importance"—is a feature of every healthy diet ever studied. Meat, contrary to its terrible reputation, can be a health food if—and this is a big if—the meat comes from animals that have been raised on pasture land, have never seen the inside of a feedlot farm and have never been shot full of antibiotics and hormones.

Ditto for raw milk, generally believed to be one of the healthiest beverages on the planet by countless devotees who often go to great expense and inconvenience to obtain it from small, sustainable farms. Wild salmon, whose omega-3 content is consistently higher than its less-fortunate, farm-raised brethren, gets its red color from a powerful antioxidant called astaxathin. The combination of protein, omega-3s and antioxidants makes wild salmon a contender for anyone's list of great foods.

Another great food: eggs—one of nature's most perfect creations, especially if you don't throw out the all-important yolk. (Remember "whole" foods means exactly that—foods in their original form. Our robust ancestors did not eat "low-fat" caribou; we don't need to eat "egg-white" omelets.)

There are really no "bad" vegetables, but some of them are superstars. Any vegetable from the Brassica genus—broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kale—is loaded with plant chemicals called indoles, which help reduce the risk of cancer.

In the fruit kingdom, apples totally deserve their reputation as doctor-repellants: they're loaded with fiber, minerals (like bone-building boron) and phytochemicals (like quercetin, which is known to be a powerful anti-inflammatory and to have anti-cancer properties). Some exciting new research suggests that pomegranate juice slows the progression of certain cancers. Other research shows it lowers blood pressure and may even act as a "natural Viagra."

Tea deserves special mention on any list of the world's healthiest foods. The second most widely consumed beverage in the world (after water), all forms of tea (black, oolong, white, green and the newer Yerba Matte) are loaded with antioxidants and anti-inflammatories. Some types (green tea, for example) contain plant chemicals called catechins which have decidedly anti-cancer activity.

Finally, let's not forget members of the Alliaceae family of plants—onions, garlic and shallots. Garlic has been used for thousands of years for its medicinal properties; hundreds of published studies support its antimicrobial effects as well as its ability to lower the risk of heart disease. A number of studies have shown an inverse relationship between onion consumption and certain types of cancer.

A healthy diet doesn't have to contain every one of the "healthiest foods on earth," but you can't go wrong putting as many of the above mentioned foods in heavy rotation on your personal eating plan.

Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S., is a board-certified nutritionist and the author of seven books on health and nutrition, including The 150 Most Effective Ways to Boost Your Energy and The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth.

http://eatthis.menshealth.com/content/8-foods-you-should-eat-every-day?Best-Worst-The-Best-8-Foods-You-Should-Eat-Every-Day-166

8 Foods You Should Eat Every Day

a. Yogurt

b. Tomatoes

c. Carrots

d. Blueberries

e. Black Beans

f. Walnuts

g. Oats

SWEET POTATOES / YAMS?

Quinoa

Quinoa Sprouts

Contain over 40 amino acids, minerals, high levels of B Vitamins, iron, fiber, calcium and more. Quinoa has ancient origins to the Incas. It is known for building strength and endurance and contains the highest protein levels of any known grain. Sprouting converts the indigestible grain to a fruit/vegetable that neutralizes anti-nutritional factors, and renders the contained nutrients highly digestible. Sprouting permits us to incorporate the seed as a raw ingredient. We are unaware of any scientific evidence that quinoa sprouts at the low levels used in Origins do anything other than benefit health.

May 20, 2008

Five Rules of Thumb from the book, In Defense of Food

When Michael Pollan says, "just eat food," you may think, that's simple.  Because of the thousands of products that line our grocery isles, we are left in a current state of confusion.  The general guidelines below will help us navigate those confusing shopping trips.

1. Don't Eat Anything Your Great Grandmother Wouldn't Recognize As Food.

By going back this far, we are avoiding most modern foods.  Some examples would include: cereal bars, Go-Gurt Portable Yogurt, Corn chips, non-dairy creamers, protein or vitamin enhanced waters.

2.  Avoid Food Products Containing Ingredients that are A) Unfamiliar, B) Unpronounceable, C) More Than Five In Number, or that include D) High-Fructose Corn Syrup.

The above are all markers to alert us to foods that have been highly processed.

3.  Avoid Food Products That Make Health Claims.

In order for a food to have a "health claim" it has a package, which means it has been processed to some point.  Typically it is the big food companies that have the resources to secure a FDA-approved health claim.  A recent example of this would be all of the new and improved yogurt on the market enhanced with probiotics.

    4.  Shop the Peripheries of the Supermarket and Stay Out of the Middle.

Most supermarkets are set up the same way with processed foods in the middle and fresh produce, meat and dairy around the perimeters. 

    5.  Get Out Of The Supermarket Whenever Possible.

Fresh, whole foods are found at Farmers' Markets, CSA programs (community supported agriculture) and your own garden.  Eating local is picked ripe, it travels a smaller distance to get to your table, and the foods are in season.  This means fresher, tastier, and more nutritious food.  So, go out and find your local Farmer's Market, CSA or get your hands dirty in your own garden. 

Bee Venom

http://www.naturalnews.com/026689_venom_arthritis_bee_stings.html

The report showed that bee venom acted by slowing the production of the compound known to cause arthritis pain: interleukin-1. A study in South Korea also showed anti-arthritis effects in mice and demonstrated that one of the compounds found in bee venom, called melittin, helped to block the inflammation that caused arthritis pain. A study on bee venom and MS in 2005 showed mixed results. Published in the Journal of Neurology, the study concluded that bee venom therapy did not help MS sufferers; however, individuals report many successes. Another study is underway at the Hahnemann University in Philadelphia using bee venom to treat mice that carry a disease similar to MS. Further research is still needed.

Spirulina

Spirulina's Nutritional Analysis

Proteins:

The blue-green algae, and Spirulina in particular, have a primitive structure with few starch storage cells and cell membrane proliferation, but rich amounts of ribosomes, the cellular bodies that manufacture protein. This particular arrangement of cellular components allows for rapid photosynthesis and formation of proteins. The lack of hard cellular walls assures that Spirulina protein is rapidly and easily assimilated by consuming organisms.

Spirulina is approximately 65 to 71 percent protein, depending on growing conditions. These proteins are biologically complete, which means they provide all eight essential amino acids in the proper ratios. Most plant foods are not complete proteins because they usually lack one or more amino acids.

Unfortunately, the body cannot store amino acids in anticipation of deficient ones eventually arriving in subsequent meals. To synthesize protein for the body's repair and maintenance, all dietary protein factors must be present simultaneously or the amino acids are wasted.

Furthermore, even if complete protein is consumed, digestive difficulties can prevent assimilation of all needed elements. Spirulina provides all the required amino acids, and in a form that is five times easier to digest than meat or soy protein.

These eight essential amino acids are found in Spirulina:

· ISOLEUCINE (4.130/o): Required for optimal growth, intelligence development and nitrogen equilibrium in the body Used to synthesize other non-essential amino acids.

· LEUCINE (5.8001o): Stimulator of brain function, increases muscular energy levels.

· LYSINE (4.000/o): Building block of blood antibodies, strengthens circulatory system and maintains normal growth of cells.

· METHIONINE (2.170/o): Vital lipotropic (fat and lipid metabolizing) amino acid that maintains liver health. An anti-stress factor, it calms the nerves.

· PHENYLALANINE (3.950/o): Required by the thyroid gland for production of thyroxine which stimulates metabolic rate.

· THREONINE (4.170/o): Improves intestinal competence and digestive assimilation.

· TRYPTOPHANE (1.1301o): Increases utilization of B vitamins,improves nerve health and stability of the emotions. Promotes sense of calm.

· VALINE (6.0001o): Stimulates mental capacity and muscle coordination.

These are the non-essential amino acids supplied by Spirulina:

Spirulina supplies ten of the twelve non-essential amino acids. "Non-essential" does not mean that these amino acids are not needed by the body, but merely indicates that the body can synthesize them itself if it needs to do so, provided the appropriate nutritional building blocks are available. Nevertheless, the body is better served if these excellent protein components are readily and totally available in dietary sources, since all the amino acids must be on hand as the cells manufacture enzymes, proteins, hormones, brain chemicals and the other products of metabolism. Of the thousands of biochemical substances acting and interacting in the human body, not one is derived from a vacuum; the body is ultimately dependent upon nutrient intake for all of its functions.

· ALANINE (5.820/o): Strengthens cellular walls.

· ARGININE (5.98%): Important to male sexual health as seminal fluid is 80 percent arginine. Also helps detoxify the blood.

· ASPARTIC ACID (6.340/o): Aids transformation of carbohydrates into cellular energy.

· CYSTINE (0.670/o): Aids pancreatic health, which stabilizes blood sugar and carbohydrate metabolism. Has been used to alleviate some symptoms of food allergy and intolerance. >

· GLUTAMIC ACID (8.940/o): With glucose, one of the principal fuels for the brain cells. Has been used to reduce the craving for alcohol and stabilize mental health.

· GLYCINE (3.5%): Promotes energy and oxygen use in the cells.

· HISTIDINE (1.08%): Strengthens nerve relays, especially in the auditory organs. Has been used to reverse some cases of deafness.

· PROLINE (2.970/o): A precursor of glutamic acid.

· SERINE (4.00%): Helps form the protective fatty sheaths surrounding nerve fibers.

· TYROSINE (4.60%): Slows aging of cells and suppresses hunger centers in the hypothalamus. Can be synthesized from phenylalanine. Involved in proper coloration of hair and skin, including protection from sunburn.

Minerals:

Although proteins are the building blocks of life, many trace minerals can profoundly affect health and metabolism.

The waters Spirulina favors are so saturated with minerals deposited from ancient soils and mountains that no other plants can live there. Because Spirulina thrives in such alkaline waters, it incorporates and synthesizes many minerals and derivative compounds into its cell structure.

Transformed into natural organic forms by Spirulina, minerals become chelated with amino acids and are therefore more easily assimilated by the body. Many times people have ingested large amounts of inorganic minerals without benefit to health because the body does not know what to do with these incompatible forms. In fact, evidence is accumulating that the inorganic minerals can block absorption of the organic forms, leading ultimately to mineral deficiency diseases.

Spirulina contains essential minerals and trace elements absorbed from its growth medium into chelated, easily absorbed forms:

· POTASSIUM (15,400 mg/kg): A crucial mineral that regulates body electrolyte balance. Deficiency can cause heart arrest, hypertension, adrenal exhaustion and muscular collapse.

· CALCIUM (1,315 mg/kg): The most abundant mineral in the body, it is especially important to bone and dental health, but is also involved in neural transmissions to the muscles. Spirulina supplies about as much calcium, gram for gram, as milk.

· ZINC (39 mg/kg): The pivot point of over thirty vital enzymatic reactions, with profound effects on mental health, skin tone, prostate function and healing capacity.

· MAGNESIUM (1,915 mg/kg): Deficiency can lead to spasmodic muscle disorders, including cardiac irregularities. Helps assimilation of vitamin C, B vitamins and protein.

· MANGANESE (25 mg/kg): Activates enzyme systems, along with zinc. Promotes activity of neurotransmitter acetylcholine, and helps stabilize blood sugar.

· SELENIUM (0.40 ppm): Originally believed to be a toxic heavy metal, but now known to be necessary for health. It retards aging, harmful oxidation and free radical formation, reduces the toxic effect of carcinogens, and improves cardiac efficiency.

· IRON (580 mg/kg): Promotes formation of hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying blood pigment found in healthy red blood cells. Iron deficiency is most common among women in their reproductive years.

· PHOSPHORUS (8,942 mg/kg): The second most abundant mineral in the human body, it is found in practically every cell. Functions with calcium to maintain bone density. Helps to digest carbohydrates and the B vitamins niacin and riboflavin.

Vitamins:

Spirulina supplies several of the vitamins that all living beings need to carry on metabolic processes:

· PYRIDOXINE or B6 (3 mg/kg): Involved in breakdown and assimilation of protein. Protects cardiac health, reduces edema and stabilizes female hormone levels. Dr. Carl Pfeiffer has demonstrated that B6, together with the mineral zinc, can cure some forms of schizophrenia.

· BIOTIN (0.4 mg/kg): An enzyme that carries CO, during certain biochemical reactions involved in carbohydrate metabolism. Also acts as a co-enzyme in the assimilation of other B-complex vitamins. Biotin is destroyed by eating raw egg whites and some kinds of raw fish.

· COBALAMIN or B12 (2 mg/kg): The most difficult of all vitamins to obtain from vegetable sources. Spirulina is extremely rich in this rare vitamin, containing 250 percent more than beef liver, previously thought to be nature's richest source. A single serving of Spirulina easily exceeds the Recommended Daily Allowance of 1.5 to 3 mcg daily. A B12 deficiency results in pernicious anemia, nerve degeneration, premature senility, pronounced fatigue and mental illnesses resembling schizophrenia.

· PANTOTHENIC ACID (11 mg/kg): The "stress" vitamin, used by the adrenal glands, along with cholesterol and vitamin C, to manufacture cortisone and other steroids in response to physical and mental stress. Deficiency encourages sensitivity to allergy, infection and degenerative diseases such as arthritis and rheumatism. Ulcers and hypoglycemia have also been associated with shortage of this vitamin.

· FOLIC ACID (0.5 mg/kg): Essential to proper hemoglobin formation in red blood cells. Deficiency results in anemia, poor growth, skin pigmentation disorders and premature graying of the hair.

· INOSITOL (350 mg/kg): Vital lipotropic nutrient that sustains liver health and helps detoxify carcinogens, particularly excess female hormones. Helps normalize blood cholesterol levels. With choline, inositol is used by the liver to manufacture lecithin. Inositol is the second most abundant vitamin in the body, after niacin. Recent studies indicate that inositol, with biotin, reduces loss of scalp hair.

· NIACIN (118 mg/kg): Also known as nicotinic acid and niacinamide, which is an alternative form, niacin is essential to mental health. Dr. Abram Hoffer, a renowned pioneer in orthomolecular psychiatry, has completely relieved schizophrenic symptoms using niacin. The Physicians' Desk Reference, a pharmaceutical text used by doctors when prescribing medication, recognizes niacin as an effective cholesterol lowering agent.

· RIBOFLAVIN or B2 (40 mg/kg): The most common vitamin deficiency is that of riboflavin and results in cataracts, failing vision, watery eyes and uncontrollable eczema.

· THIAMINE or B 1 (55 mg/kg): A co-enzyme in the breakdown of dietary carbohydrate. Maintains levels of glucose in the blood. Deficiency results in weakness, cardiac damage, abdominal distention and poor oxygenation. Severe shortage results in death; critical toxemia develops from unmetabolized carbohydrate fragments.

· TOCOPHEROL or vitamin E (190 mg/kg): Spirulina contains more vitamin E per gram than pure wheat germ. This nutrient protects heart and vascular health, promotes oxygenation of cells, and retards aging.

Carotenoids:

Some substances in plant foods are not true vitamins, but provide the precursors from which the body can then synthesize the appropriate vitamins. The carotenoid compounds of Spirulina are of this nature, since they are used to produce vitamin A.

True vitamin A is found in the pre-formed state only in animal sources, such as liver. This is the form of vitamin A sometimes associated with toxicity and overdose, since it is fat-soluble and is not readily excreted from the body.

In contrast, the carotenoid complexes found in vegetable foods are converted to vitamin A only as it is needed, thus minimizing the dangers of toxicity. Spirulina and other algae are a primary source of vitamin A precursors - it is from algae carotenoids that fish livers derive and concentrate vitamin A.

Spirulina contains the yellow/orange pigments cryptoxanthine and beta-carotene from which vitamin A can be made. Two units of carotene will normally yield one unit of complete vitamin A, if required by the body. Spirulina contains 4,000 mg/kg carotenoids in these forms:

· Alpha-carotene -- traces

· Beta-carotene -- 1,700 mg/kg

· Xanthophylis -- 1,000 mg/kg

· Cryptoxanthin -- 556 mg/kg

· Echinenone -- 439 mg/kg

· Zeaxanthin -- 316 mg/kg

· Lutein -- 289 mg/kg

Enzymatic pigments:

While the protein, mineral and vitamin value of Spirulina is impressive, this minute organism is also rich in pigments that are bio-chemically important to life. Without pigments, organisms could not synthesize many of the enzymes necessary for balancing metabolism.

Chlorophyll

The most visible pigment in Spirulina is chlorophyll, a green molecule common to plants. It releases ions when struck by the energy of sunlight. These free ions proceed to stimulate the biochemical reactions that form proteins, vitamins and sugars.

Chlorophyll is sometimes called `green blood" because of its similarity to the hemoglobin molecule found in human blood cells. In fact, both are constructed of almost identical molecular structure called pyrrole rings, and both substances are chemically known as "porphyrin pigments" by scientists.

The difference is that chlorophyll contains a magnesium ion at its core, while hemoglobin contains an iron molecule. Magnesium imparts a green color to the chlorophyll molecule and is involved in synthesis of other materials, while iron gives hemoglobin a red coloration and changes the function of the porphyrin molecule to respiration and breakdown of materials.

It is believed that if chlorophyll is ingested with sufficient iron, the magnesium can be displaced to yield a hemoglobin molecule. Experiments in Japan have demonstrated that Spirulina has a marked positive effect on anemia, possibly due to the conversion of chlorophyll into hemoglobin. Of course, the high nutrient density of Spirulina, especially the blood-building vitamins B12 and folic acid and the amino acids, are also useful in treating cases of anemia.

Chlorophyll has other positive benefits to the body. It increases peristaltic action and thus relieves constipation, and also normalizes the secretion of digestive acids. It soothes the inflammation and reduces the excess pepsin secretion associated with gastric ulcers.

During World War 11, the drying action of chlorophyll and its antiseptic qualities made it a common first-aid measure to prevent festering of wounds. In addition, chlorophyll soothes swelling and promotes granulation, the process that regenerates new tissue over injuries.

Chlorophyll appears to promote regeneration of damaged liver cells, and also increases circulation to all the organs by dilating blood vessels. In the heart, chlorophyll aids in transmission of nerve impulses that control contraction. The heart rate is slowed, yet each contraction is increased in power, thus improving the overall efficiency of cardiac work.

Phycocyanin

The pigment which gives Spirulina its blue cast is phycocyanin, found in concentrations of about 7 percent, compared to the I percent chlorophyll content most commonly found. Phycocyanin is related to the human pigment bilirubin, which is important to healthy liver function and digestion of amino acids.

Porphyrin

Another important pigment is porphyrin, a red compound that forms the active nucleus of hemoglobin. Related to this structure is the polypyrrole molecule of B12, which is essential to the formation of healthy red blood cells.

These and several lesser pigments such as phycoerythrin, tetrapyrrole, phytonadione and the carotenoids are not just the "color" of living organisms, but are used to carry on metabolic processes throughout the body. Without them, enzymatic reactions would be reduced until cellular disintegration occurred.

Fats, sugars, salts and calories:

It is probably hard to imagine that a concentrated source of nutrients such as Spirulina is not also loaded with fats, starches and calories. Amazingly, Spirulina is only 7 percent lipid, and most of that is in the form of essential fatty acids that promote cholesterol normalization. The essential fatty acids sometimes called vitamin F, include linoleic, linolenic and arachidonic acid. They are used by the body to manufacture Prostaglandins, the hormonal regulators of blood pressure and capillary resilience.

The essential fatty acids are involved in respiration in all the cells, and are especially important to oxygen transport. They affect the health of the hair, skin and nails, and help break up cholesterol in the blood stream. They are not dangerous fat but are absolutely vital to health.

Spirulina contains very little starch or sugar. What carbohydrate it supplies, roughly 10 to 15 percent, is primarily in the form of rhamnose and glycogen. These two polysaccharides are easily absorbed by human cells with minimal intervention by insulin. Hence, Spirulina sugars provide speedy energy, without taxing the pancreas or precipitating hypoglycemia.

From a caloric standpoint, Spirulina nutrition is economical. There are only approximately 3.9 calories per gram of protein obtained from Spirulina. You would have to consume about 65 calories of beef to obtain a gram of protein. The average 500 mg tablet of Spirulina contains only one to two calories!

Some people are concerned about sodium in their diets, and have therefore avoided seaweed foods such as nori, wakami and kombu. These kelp foods are very nutritious, but they do contain significant sodium amounts. Spirulina avoids the sodium problems of algae that grow in the sea, yielding only .206 mg of sodium per tablet. Most hypertension patients are restricted to 2,000 mg or less of sodium per day; Spirulina has such small amounts of sodium that no danger is presented to persons on a salt-restricted diet.

The United Nations World Food Cenference in 1974 lauded Spirulina as the 'best food for the future.'

Spirulina contains rich vegetable protein (60~ 63 %, 3~4 times higher than fish or beef ), multi Vitamins (Vitamin B 12 is 3~4 times higher than animal liver), which is particularly lacking in a vegetarian diet. It contains a wide range of minerals (including Iron, Potassium, Magnesium Sodium, Phosphorus, Calcium etc.), a high volume of Beta- carotene which protects cells (5 time more than carrots, 40 time more than spinach), high volumes of gamma-Linolein acid (which can reduce cholesterol and prevent heart disease). Further, Spirulina contains Phycocyanin which can only be found in Spirulina.

In USA, NASA have chosen to use it for astronauts food in space, and even plan to grow and harvest it in space stations in the near future.

What does Spirulina contain?

With over 100 nutrients, Spirulina is often described as the most complete food source in the world. The American National Aeronautical and Space Agency includes it in their astronauts diet and plans to grow Spirulina in it’s space station. It’s easy to see why.

Japan has some good examples of some Japanese seniors who have only relied on Spirulina and water for more than 20 years showing how good is Spirulina for the human body.

How should Spirulina be stored?

High temperature, moisture or pollution will reduce the beneficial effects of Spirulina.

1. Buy and keep no more than 6 months worth.

2. After open the packaging we strongly recommend you use the product within three months.

3. After usage , ensure you reseal the packing as soon as possible.

4. Keep the product away from any possible heat source.

5. Keep the product away from sun or any exposure to strong light.

Who should take Spirulina?

1. Children who don’t like or get enough vegetables and or have an imbalanced food intake.

2. Teenagers during their rapid growing period need a sufficient injection of nutrients. Spirulina is ideal for this.

3. Pregnant mums who need extra nutrients.

4. Seniors who have difficulty in having reasonable average 3 meals per day.

5. Sport lovers or athletics who need extra nutrients to keep their energy levels up.

6. Modern busy people who don't have the time to eat good meals.

7. Patients or people who need high volumes of nutrients to assist recovery (please consult your doctor)

8. Vegetarians who require extra nutrient sources

Who shouldn't take too much Spirulina?

1. People with hyperparathyroidism

2. People who have serious allergies to seafood or seaweed.

3. Patients current experiencing high fever.

How much Spirulina should be taken?

We suggest 10~ 20 tablets a day for adults, 6~ 10 tablets for children under 12 years old. If you have special requirements for extra nutrients, please consult your chemist or your health practitioner.

How should Spirulina be taken?

1. Take only with cold or warm water, (not juice, soft drinks, coffee or tea)

2. After taking Spirulina, avoid alcohol, soft drinks or coffee for 30 minutes as these drinks can destroy some of the Spirulina nutrients and enzymes

3. Take at least an extra half litre of water a day

4. It doesn't matter if you take it once a day or twice a day, so long as you take enough for a day.

Recommend dosage for adults is 10 ~ 20 tablets a day, children under 12 should take 5 ~10 tablets a day.

What are the Spirulina side effects?

Spirulina is a totally natural product and will not normally cause any problems to the body. Even if too much is taken, there will be no harm to the body, but doing this is a waste.

However some people may experience some of the following symptoms after taking Spirulina;

1. Slight fever due to the body's need to burn the extra protein from Spirulina

2. Slight dizziness. If this occurs, take less of the product. If the symptom does not improve please stop taking Spirulina

3. Thirst and constipation. After taking a high volume of Spirulina we recommend at least an extra 1/2 litre of water per day to help our body absorb the Spirulina

4. Stomach ache

5. Skin itch or slight body rash

Spirulina: a food ? or a medicine?

As we all know, some of our illnesses are caused by having insufficient nutrients in our body. These illnesses are just the symptoms to show us that we may be lacking in some nutrients. If we replenish these nutrients in time, the symptoms usually disappear. If not, we can lower the function of our immune system causing further problems.

In most cases people will go to consult their doctor and may be prescribed some medicine.

Spirulina is not a medicine, but when used as a good source of supplementary food, you can avoid nutrient deficiencies causing illness

In most cases people will go to consult their doctor and may be prescribed some medicine.

The topic of Spirulina is currently quite hot for it's therapeutic applications. Medical research has already shown that Spirulina can provide benefits to our body. (Refer to our references section.)

Spirulina can help you to have reasonable levels of nutrients in your body, which will in turn give you less of the chance to get sick.

Spirulina Vegetable protein vs animal protein

Spirulina contains more than 60% vegetable protein, which is much higher than fish, pork, or beef (which contains about 15 ~20 %).Animal protein is a much bigger molecule than vegetable protein, and is much harder to for our system to digest.

Most modern people overindulge in animal protein, by eating fish, beef, pork etc. When too much animal protein is eaten, it is deposited in our body as fat. Too much fat will cause high cholesterol levels and may impact our heart and blood vessels.

Vegetable protein is water soluble, and is much smaller than animal protein. If you eat too much vegetable protein, it is simply discharged by your system as waste and not stored as fat.

Animal protein is a much bigger molecule than vegetable protein, and is much harder to for our system to digest.

Most modern people overindulge in animal protein, by eating fish, beef, pork etc. When too much animal protein is eaten, it is deposited in our body as fat. Too much fat will cause high cholesterol levels and may impact our heart and blood vessels.

Vegetable protein is water soluble, and is much smaller than animal protein. If you eat too much vegetable protein, it is simply discharged by your system as waste and not stored as fat.

Spirulina & Heavy metals contains

Spirulina easily absorbs the nutrients from any possible source. Like putting a dry sponge in water, Spirulina will take just about everything from the water and store it in their cells.

So ,take Spirulina from polluted area may result some negative result as Spirulina has been highly concentrate all the heavy metals from growing enviorment.

Pollution sources are;

1. Air

2. Water

3. Dirt or dust

4. Feed

Air pollution will bring lead, mercury etc. All commercial Spirulina is grown in open areas,for maximum production yield.

Water pollution is another issue. Most Spirulina production sites need plenty of water to compensate for high evaporation. If the water contains any heavy metal which will accumulate in the growing system, then Spirulina will absorb it. Water pollution is a big issue as even the water pumped from the sea or surface can contain certain amounts of possible pollutants which will eventually accumulate in Spirulina. This is why some other brands suggested that infants or pregnant women should not take Spirulina.

Our company, based in Darwin in the Northern Territory , uses only pure crystal clear mineral water. With having this best growing environment, our Spirulina has the lowest heavy metal content in comparison with any other Spirulina product on the market, with almost no heavy metal at all.

Protein

Spirulina contains an unusually high amount of protein, between 55% and 77% by dry weight, depending upon the source. It is a complete protein,^{[citation needed]} containing all essential amino acids, though with reduced amounts of methionine, cysteine, and lysine when compared to the proteins of meat, eggs, and milk. It is, however, superior to typical plant protein, such as that from legumes.^[4][5]

Essential fatty acids

Spirulina is rich in gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), and also provides alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), linoleic acid (LA), stearidonic acid (SDA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and arachidonic acid (AA).^[5][6]

Vitamins

Spirulina contains vitamin B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (nicotinamide), B6 (pyridoxine), B9 (folic acid), vitamin C, vitamin D, and vitamin E.^[5][6] The bioavailability of vitamin B12 in Spirulina is in dispute. Several biological assays have been used to test for the presence of vitamin B12.^[7] The most popular is the US Pharmacopeia method using the Lactobacillus leichmannii assay. Studies using this method have shown Spirulina to be a minimal source of bioavailable vitamin B12.^[8] However, this assay does not differentiate between true B12 (cobalamin) and similar compounds (corrinoids) that cannot be used in human metabolism. Cyanotech, a grower of spirulina, claims to have done a more recent assay, which has shown Spirulina to be a significant source of cobalamin. However the assay is not published for scientific review and so the existence of this assay is in doubt.^[9] The American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada in their position paper on vegetarian diets state that spirulina can not be counted on as a reliable source of active vitamin B12. ^[10]

Tests done on Australian grown spirulina by the Australian Government Analytical Laboratory (AGAL) show Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) levels of 659.1ug / per100g^{[citation needed]}. A one gram tablet could provide more than three times the recommended daily intake of B12.

[edit] Minerals

Spirulina is a rich source of potassium, and also contains calcium, chromium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, selenium, sodium, and zinc.^[5][6]

Olive Oil and Wine

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ngu7oq6-WUE

Her secrets: 

· drink olive oil

· avoid alcohol

· some herb named hubasy (sp?)

Mariam Amash, a Palestinian citizen of Israel, recently completed an application to be granted a re-issue of her lost identity card. In it, she cited her year of birth as 1888 -- making her 120 years old.

That is her secret "She is a healthy, active woman. She walks each day and makes sure she drinks at least one glass of olive oil," not just any oil it has to be 100% pure Palestinian oil J

http://www.lubbockonline.com/news/080597/frances.htm

ARLES, France (AP) - She took up fencing at 85, and still rode a bicycle at 100. She liked her port wine, her olive oil, her chocolate and her cigarettes, and she released a rap CD at 121.

For Mrs. Calment, the keys to long life were olive oil and port wine.

She gave up cigarettes in 1995, and her doctor said her abstinence was due to pride rather than health - she was too blind to light up herself, and hated asking others to do it for her.

The French had their own theories about why she lived so long, noting that she used to eat more than two pounds of chocolate a week, treat her skin with olive oil, drank port wine and rode a bicycle until she was 100.

"I think she was someone who, constitutionally and biologically speaking, was immune to stress," he said in a telephone interview. "She once said, `If you can't do anything about it, don't worry about it.' "

The Guinness Book of World Records had listed Calment as the oldest-living person whose birth date could be authenticated by reliable records.