Is There a Cure for Autoimmune Disease?

Sun, 10 Oct 2010 18:44 CDT
Dr. Mark Hyman
drhyman.com

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Isabel, a cute 10-year old girl from Texas who loved riding horses, walked into my office a year and a half ago with one of the most severe cases of autoimmune disease I had ever seen. Her face was swollen, her skin was inflamed, her joints were swollen, her immune system was attacking her entire body - her muscles, her skin, her joints, her blood vessels, her liver, and her white and red blood cells. Isabel couldn't squeeze her hand or make a fist. The tips of her fingers and toes were always cold from Raynaud's disease that inflammed her blood vessels. She was tired and miserable and was losing her hair. Isabel was on elephant doses of intravenous steroids every three weeks just to keep her alive, and she was taking prednisone, aspirin, acid blockers, and methotrexate, a chemotherapy drug used to shut down the immune system daily.

Despite these megadoses of medication she still wasn't getting any better, and her lab tests were still abnormal. Her doctors wanted to add another powerful immune suppressing drug (a TNF alpha blocker) to the regimen of medication she was already taking. This drug increases the risk of cancer and death from overwhelming infection, because it prevents the immune system from fighting infections normally. The inflammation slows down thus the autoimmune symptoms may abate, but you are risk for cancer and infection. Unwilling to accept this as the only course of treatment, they came to see me.

Two months after I first saw Isabel and discovered and treated the underlying causes of her inflammation - after, as she says she, "stopped eating gluten, dairy, and sugar and took some supplements" she was symptom free. In less than a year, she was completely healthy, her blood tests were normal, and she was off all her medication.

If her story is true (and it is), what are the implications for research on autoimmune disease and our approach to treating these disorders which now affect over 24 million Americans and 5 percent of the population in Western countries? These diseases include type 1 diabetes, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, colitis, Crohn's disease, and dozens of others, but they have one thing in common: The body attacks itself. Is there another way to treat these problems than powerful immune suppressive drugs that put patients at increased risk of infection and death?

Watch Isabel tell her story.

The Unfortunate Demise of the Case Study in Medicine

Historically medical discoveries originated from physicians' keen observation of their patients' diseases and responses to treatment. Doctors reported their findings to their colleagues or published them as case studies. Today these "case studies" are often dismissed as "anecdotes" and have become increasingly irrelevant. Instead, we now focus on randomized controlled trials as the only standard of "evidence". Sadly, this dismisses the experience of thousands of patients and physicians as they apply new scientific findings to treat difficult conditions.

Basic scientific discoveries often take decades to be translated into medical practice. Unfortunately, this prevents millions from accessing therapies that could benefit from them now. The determining factor in deciding whether to try a new approach with a patient is the risk/benefit equation. Is the treatment more likely to help than harm? How risky is the treatment? What are the side effects? How dangerous or risky is the current approach to a problem? How debilitating or life threatening is the disease being treated? These questions can guide exploration toward innovative approaches to chronic disease.

Except for treating infections with antibiotics and treating trauma, medicine today approaches most disease by suppressing, covering over, blocking, or otherwise interfering with the body's biology. We generally do not attempt to seriously address the underlying problems that lead to the disease in the first place. For example, cholesterol medications block an enzyme that produce cholesterol (among other important molecules like CoQ10), but they don't address why cholesterol may be high in the first place (factors like diet, exercise, stress, and genetics). Doctors use beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, SSRI's (serotonin reuptake inhibitors), ACE-inhibitors, antibiotics, and anti-inflammatories. We are inhibiting, blocking, or anti-ing everything. But we don't ask one simple question:

Why is the body out of balance and how do we help it regain balance?

There is a new approach to medicine that is beginning to ask these questions.

Functional Medicine: Treating Causes, Not Symptoms

I just lectured at the Institute for Functional Medicine's basic training course for physicians. Even though the course is expensive - because unlike most other continuing medical education pharmaceutical companies do not support it - this conference was sold out. There were practitioners from 27 countries, and 24 faculty members from medical schools.

Functional medicine is a hidden movement sweeping across the globe, and it is based on a different method of diagnosing and treating disease - one that focuses on causes not symptoms, one that is based on an understanding of the dynamic way our genes interact with environment, one that goes beyond simply treating diseases based on their label. The training I lectured at teaches practitioner to understand the body as a system; to seek the causes of illness; to understand the body's basic functional systems, where they go awry, and how to restore balance; to understand the interconnections between symptoms and organs rather segregate diseases into specialties.

This approach is a fundamentally different way of solving medical problems, one that allows us to decipher the origins of illness and identify the disturbances in biology that lead to symptoms. Let's see how this approach worked for Isabel.

From Conventional Illness to Functional Health

For Isabel, the only response physicians had to her life-threatening illness was to shut down her immune system, leaving her at risk for cancer, infection, osteoporosis, muscle wasting, and psychiatric illness. But there was another way. I simply asked the question WHY. I didn't focus on WHAT the name of her disease was (mixed connective tissue disease, otherwise known as an autoimmune disease that affects the whole body), but WHY she was inflamed, WHERE this inflammation originated from, and HOW we could locate the causes and restore balance to her overactive immune system that was attacking her own body?

The immune system usually responds to some insult such as an allergen, a microbe, or a toxin, and then runs out of control. Finding and removing that trigger is essential. In a review in the New England Journal of Medicine, it was acknowledged that "even in a genetically predisposed person, some trigger, an environmental exposure, or change in the internal environment - is usually required for [autoimmunity]." (i)

When I talked to Isabel the first time, I found many potential triggers for her inflammation. She was being exposed to a toxic mold, Stachybotrys, in her house. Her mother worked in limestone pits exposing her to excessive amounts of fluoride while pregnant. Isabel had all her immunizations before 1999 when thimerosol was removed from vaccines. She also had a thimerosol-containing flu shot every year. Thimersol contains mercury and mercury is a known immune toxin. This problems was compounded by her diet which included large amounts of tuna and sushi which she loved and ate regularly (and which exposed her to even more mercury), and loads of dairy, gluten, and sugar. In the year before she got sick, she also had many courses of antibiotics.

Mold, mercury, antibiotics, sugar, dairy, gluten - all potential immune irritants.

Isabel's lab tests at her first visit with me were frightening. Her muscle enzymes and liver function tests showed severe damage. She had many autoimmune antibodies (anti-nuclear antibodies, rheumatoid factor, anti-SSA, anti-DNA, anti-RNP, lupus anticoagulant), a sign that the levels at which the body was attacking itself were extremely elevated. Other markers of inflammation were extremely high as well. Her white blood count and red blood cell count were low. Her vitamin D was also low. She had elevated levels of antibodies to gluten, which is a common cause of autoimmune disease and triggers significant intestinal inflammation. And her mercury level was extremely high in her urine after a provocation test (the only way to assess total body burden of metals). Normal is less than three. Hers was 33.

At the first visit, I simply put Isabel on an anti-inflammatory elimination diet to remove possible triggers of inflammation from food allergens. She stopped eating sugar, dairy and gluten (from wheat). I gave her a multivitamin; vitamins D, B12, and folate; fish oil; and evening primrose oil all of which are anti-inflammatory. I also gave her nystatin (a non-absorbed anti-fungal) to treat suspected yeast because of her multiple courses of antibiotics. I gave her NAC to support her liver, and told her to get off the acid blocker, the calcium channel blocker, which she used for her Raynaud's, and the intravenous steroids she had been taking.

After two months her rash was totally gone. She had no joint pain and her hair was growing back. Her autoimmune markers had dramatically improved. Her muscle enzymes, liver function, and level of inflammation were all normal.

At the second visit two months later, I added probiotics to support healthy digestive function and reduce gut inflammation. I also started her on DMSA (a chelating agent) to help bind the mercury from her tissues and cells and help her excrete it. To help her get off the prednisone I gave her herbs to support her adrenal gland function.

Seven months later, her tests were normal, including her white blood count. Her mercury came down from 33 to 16. After 11 months, her mercury was down to 11 and her gut inflammation was gone. She was off all her medications and feeling happy, normal, and was able to ride and show her horse again.

Some may dismiss this as an anecdote, or a "spontaneous remission", or claim the testing methods unconventional, or the treatments used unproven. But if there is a shimmer of a possibility that this approach works, that it can help patients recover from some of the most debilitating, devastating human diseases out there, are we not obligated to investigate further? Shouldn't we expect that scientists and physicians would be motivated into new avenues of research, that the National Institutes of Health would fund studies to test this model? And if found to be effective, shouldn't academic medical schools change their curriculum and teach this new method of practicing medicine? This is the mission of the Institute for Functional Medicine, but it needs help because it has no funding from the usual sources: government and pharma.

Isabel's experience is not rare. The approach of finding and removing triggers of disease such as hidden microbes, toxins, or allergens, and supporting the body's function with nutrients and herbs and "pro" drugs such as probiotics is more than idea that needs to be proven. It is a movement that is now being practiced by thousands of practitioners at the cutting edge of medicine. It is an approach called functional medicine that has helped tens of thousands of patients worldwide. Shouldn't this revolutionary new method of practice be expanded and made available to more patients? Isabel's story should be common. We have the knowledge and the methods. Now we just need to apply them.

To your good health,

Mark Hyman, MD

References

(i) Mackay, I. and Rosen, F. 2001. Autoimmune diseases. New Engl J Med. 345(5): 340 - 350.

About the author

Mark Hyman, MD is dedicated to identifying and addressing the root causes of chronic illness through a groundbreaking whole-systems medicine approach called Functional Medicine. He is a family physician, a four-time New York Times bestselling author, and an international leader in his field.

Sun Exposure, Vitamin D May Lower Risk of Multiple Sclerosis

Physorg.com
Mon, 07 Feb 2011

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People who spend more time in the sun and those with higher vitamin D levels may be less likely to develop multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study published in the February 8, 2011, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. MS is a chronic disease of the brain and spinal cord, usually with recurrent flare-ups of symptoms. It is often preceded by a first episode (or event) of similar symptoms lasting days to weeks.

"Previous studies have found similar results, but this is the first study to look at people who have just had the first symptoms of MS and haven't even been diagnosed with the disease yet," said study author Robyn Lucas, PhD, of Australian National University in Canberra.

"Other studies have looked at people who already have MS - then it's hard to know whether having the disease led them to change their habits in the sun or in their diet."

The multi-site study involved 216 people age 18 to 59 who had a first event with symptoms of the type seen in MS. Those people were matched with 395 people with no symptoms of possible MS who were of similar ages, of the same sex and from the same regions of Australia.

The participants reported how much sun they were exposed to during different periods of their lives, and researchers also measured the amount of skin damage participants had from sun exposure and the amount of melanin in their skin. Vitamin D levels (from sun exposure, diet and supplement use) were measured by blood tests.

The risk of having a first event, diagnosed by a doctor, ranged from approximately two to nine new cases for every 100,000 people per year in this study. The reported UV light exposure of participants ranged from about 500 to over 6,000 kilojoules per meter squared. The researchers found that the risk of having a diagnosed first event decreased by 30 percent for each UV increase of 1,000 kilojoules. They also found that people with most evidence of skin damage from sun exposure were 60 percent less likely to develop a first event than the people with the least damage. People with the highest levels of vitamin D also were less likely to have a diagnosed first event than people with the lowest levels.

Studies have shown that MS is more common in latitudes further away from the equator, and this has been confirmed in Australia.

"Added together, the differences in sun exposure, vitamin D levels and skin type accounted for a 32-percent increase in a diagnosed first event from the low to the high latitude regions of Australia," Lucas said.

Lucas noted that the effects of sun exposure and vitamin D acted independently of each other on the risk of first event. "Further research should evaluate both sun exposure and vitamin D for the prevention of MS," Lucas said.

Lucas also stated that people should continue to limit their sun exposure due to skin cancer risks. She also noted that the risks of tanning beds far outweigh any possible protective effect against MS. Exposure to the sun has not been shown to benefit people who already have MS.

Source

Provided by American Academy of Neurology

‘Superfood’ celery combats brain diseases

Celery may not only be good for diets but also help safeguard mental health. Researchers have found that it generates compounds that can fight Alzheimer’s and other degenerative diseases.

The compounds luteolin and diosmin appear to block the inflammation that causes the brains of victims to start shrinking and dying. In animal experiments they reduced the levels of amyloid beta, which forms the sticky deposits that build up in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s.

The chemicals belong to a group of plant-based compounds known as flavonoids. “Luteolin and diosmin could be used in purified form as therapeutic agents,” said Dr Terrence

Town of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles. “The compounds have few side effects and are available as dietary supplements.”

Any finding that celery may slow the progress of brain diseases could push it into the “superfood” bracket along with green peppers, camomile and other green vegetables that contain similar chemicals.

Town emphasised that research was in its early stages and based on animal experiments. His study used mice genetically modified to develop Alzheimer’s. Progress of the disease slowed sharply in animals given diosmin.

Dr Susanne Sorensen, of the Alzheimer’s Society, said: “We know a healthy balanced diet can reduce dementia risk. This work reinforces the need to eat a diet rich in fruit and vegetables.”

Treatments for diseases such as Alzheimer’s are becoming increasingly urgent. There are currently 700,000 people with dementia in the UK, at least 15,000 of whom are under 65, and some in their forties.

La vitamine D pourrait prévenir la sclérose en plaques

PsychoMédia
05 février 2009

Une interaction directe entre la vitamine D et une variation génétique associée à la sclérose en plaques (SEP) modifie le risque de développer la maladie selon une récente étude publiée dans PLoS Genetics. L'étude suggère qu'une carence en vitamine D pendant la grossesse et durant les premières années pourrait augmenter le risque de développer la SEP plus tard dans la vie, considèrent les chercheurs.

La SEP est l'affection neurologique la plus fréquente chez les jeunes adules. Des facteurs génétiques et environnementaux sont à l'origine de la maladie.

Des études précédentes avaient montré que les populations des pays de l'Europe du Nord ont un risque plus élevé de SEP s'ils habitent dans des régions moins ensoleillées. Ce qui suggère un lien direct entre une carence en vitamine D, qui est produite par l'organisme en réponse à l'action de la lumière du soleil sur la peau, et un risque accru de SEP.

Le facteur génétique qui est de loin le plus important est la variation DRB1*1501, située sur le chromosome 6, et les séquences ADN adjacentes.

Des chercheurs de l'Université d'Oxford et de l'Université Columbia ont montré que des protéines activées par la vitamine D se lient à une séquence particulière de l'ADN qui se situe près de la variation DRB1*1501 et activent le gène.

"Chez les personnes qui portent la variation DRB1 associée à la sclérose en plaques, il semble que la vitamine D puisse joue un rôle critique", dit Dr Julian Knight, coauteur. "Si trop peu de vitamine est disponible, il est possible que le gène ne puisse pas fonctionner correctement". Ce gène agit sur le système immunitaire (rappelons que la SEP est une maladie auto-immune).

Cette étude suggère que de prendre des compléments de vitamine D durant la grossesse et durant les premières années pourrait réduire le risque de développer la SEP plus tard dans la vie", selon Dr Sreeram Ramagopalan qui a dirigé la recherche. (Il est difficile de combler les besoins en vitamine D par l'alimentation).

Psychomédia avec source:
Science Daily

Vitamin D is ray of sunshine for multiple sclerosis patients

Melanie Reid and Oliver Gillie
Times Online
Thu, 05 Feb 2009

Multiple sclerosis could be prevented through daily vitamin D supplements, scientists told The Times last night.

© Time Online
An MRI scan of the brain of a multiple sclerosis sufferer

The first causal link has been established between the "sunshine vitamin" and a gene that increases the risk of MS, raising the possibility that the debilitating auto-immune disease could be eradicated.

George Ebers, Professor of Clinical Neurology at the University of Oxford, claimed that there was hard evidence directly relating both genes and the environment to the origins of MS.

His work suggests that vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy and childhood may increase the risk of a child developing the diease.

He has also established the possibility that genetic vulnerability to MS, apparently initiated by lack of vitamin D, may be passed through families.

These risks might plausibly be reduced by giving vitamin D supplements to pregnant woman and young children.

"I think it offers the potential for treatment which might prevent MS in the future," Professor Ebers said.

"Our research has married two key pieces of the puzzle. The interaction of vitamin D with the gene is very specific and it seems most unlikely to be a coincidence of any kind."

Warnings over sun exposure could now also be called into question - sunlight allows the body to produce the vitamin.

Professor Ebers said: "Serious questions now arise over the wisdom of current advice to limit sun exposure and avoid sunbathing. We also need to give better advice and help to the public on vitamin D supplements, particularly pregnant and nursing mothers."

The news has momentous implications for Scotland and other northern countries, where the incidence of multiple sclerosis is the highest in the world. It will give added urgency to recent moves by Scotland's Chief Medical Officer to consider recommending vitamin D supplements.

Deficiency in vitamin D, caused by lack of exposure to sunshine, has been increasingly linked to the cloudier climate in Scotland and other northern latitudes. The deficiency is twice as common among the Scots as it is amongst the English - and Orkney and Shetland have among the highest rates.

Studies have also shown that fewer people with MS are born in November and more in May, implicating a lack of sunshine during pregnancy.

The breakthrough comes after a groundswell of expert belief in the importance of vitamin D. Last November, at a conference organised by the Scottish Government, international experts urged vitamin D supplements for Scots to be tested "sooner rather than later" to find whether they could improve the nation's health.

Researchers for the World Health Organisation said there should be large, randomised trials as there was strong evidence that increased daily intake of vitamin D could significantly improve health.

The seminar followed evidence, revealed in The Times, that Scotland's poor health record has close links to vitamin D deficiency. Last September this newspaper reported evidence from scientists in Canada that children with early symptoms of multiple sclerosis have low levels of vitamin D.

Until now there has been no scientific proof of the links. However, Professor Ebers and his team have shown that vitamin D affects a particular genetic variant, identified as the one that increases the risk of developing MS threefold.

They suggest that a shortage of the vitamin alters this variant, thus preventing the immune system from functioning normally.

Professor Ebers said: "Whether it's at the core of MS is going to take some further work, but it does look like a reasonably good chance."

Last October Professor Ebers, in an article in The Times, backed the idea of distributing vitamin D supplements in Scotland to guard against conditions that may be linked to a deficiency, including MS.

"It is plausible that some 200 cases a year of MS might be prevented in Scotland alone by giving vitamin D to mothers and children," he wrote.

"Over a trial duration of 25 years, 5,000 cases of this disease might be otherwise prevented.

"The economic impact of each person with MS is at least an extra million pounds during a lifetime.

"Over 25 years £5 billion is at issue in this disease without factoring in the human cost, the increasing rate of MS or inflation. A large-scale programme providing vitamin D could provide scientific evidence."

Disease of the North: MS rates per 100,000 of the population

Canada 240

Scotland 150 - 200

Norway 110

England and Wales 90 - 110

Australia 78

Spain 59

Brazil 18

Sources: Atlas of Multiple Sclerosis

When Myelin Is The Cause, Might Nicotine Be the Cure?

The development, maintenance, and repair of myelin is the single most important factor affecting cognition and behavior, according to a UCLA neurology professor who has collected extensive data on the nerve insulator. In an article to be published in an upcoming issue of Biological Psychiatry, George Bartzokis, MD, asserts that myelin may be the universal cause or contributor to a wide range of neuropsychological brain disorders, from autism to Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Bartzokis, who directs the UCLA Memory Disorders and Alzheimer’s Disease Clinic in Los Angeles, suggests that using noninvasive imaging technology to view the miles of myelin in the brain as it grows and breaks down throughout a human life cycle may offer insights leading to the development of new treatments for brain disorders. Nicotine, which studies have suggested enhances the growth and maintenance of myelin, could be one such novel treatment.

In some of the first research to approach brain disorders from a myelin-centered point of view, Dr. Bartzokis studied the effects of cholinergic treatments, including acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) that are used to improve a neuron’s synaptic signaling in people with diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Some data suggest that such treatments may even modify or slow the progression of Alzheimer’s as well as other diseases.

Nicotine, Age, and Disease

Dr. Bartzokis hypothesizes that cholinergic stimulation at neuronal synapses affects the myelination process throughout brain development in the course of a human’s lifetime.He found in clinical trials that cholinergic treatment protects brain cells, while postmortem and imaging data have shown cholinergic receptor changes during brain development and degeneration. Trials have also revealed epidemiologic evidence that nicotine from tobacco may have a protective effect on degenerative diseases of old age and younger psychiatric populations. Cholinergic treatments have also shown efficacy in the aging process and age-related neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, as well as some neurodegenerative diseases like autism and ADHD.

According to Dr. Bartzokis, myelination development resembles an inverted “U” over the course of a lifetime, with increasing myelin development peaking in middle age and breaking down and declining in later years. Following the analogy of the Internet, Dr. Bartzokis says the “connectivity” provided by myelination increases speed by 10-fold and decreases refractory time by 34-fold. Thus, myelination increases the “bandwidth,” or processing capacity, of our brain’s Internet by 340-fold and is “indispensable for developing our uniquely elaborate higher cognitive functions.”

Different cortical regions myelinate at different ages, with later-myelinating oligodendrocytes growing increasingly more complex as we age. Irregular development during the most complex stages of the myelination process contributes to several of the neuropsychiatric disorders that tend to manifest in the early years. These disorders—eg, autism, ADHD, schizophrenia, mood disorders, addictions—are defined by overlapping cognitive and behavioral symptom clusters.

According to Dr. Bartzokis, healthy individuals with normal myelin development typically lose 45% of their myelinated fiber length when they reach the degeneration phase in adulthood. This change in the brain may cause progressive losses of memory and cognitive functions, as well as mild to severe behavioral changes.

The loss of myelin and its components such as sulfatide, myelin basic protein, and cholesterol begins early in the development of Alzheimer’s disease, well before diagnosis of dementia or mild cognitive impairment. The myelin breakdown process is further modified by risk factors such as the presence of APOE ε4 or environmental factors such as a head trauma.

Nicotine's Effect on Myelination and Repair

Recent research has unveiled some surprising findings on the influence of nicotine on myelination and the aging process. Direct nicotinic stimulation associated with smoking has been shown to increase nicotinic receptors in the late myelinating frontal and temporal intracortical regions. Unlike most agonists, nicotine causes an up-regulation of its receptors and has been shown to accelerate brain function recovery when white matter is damaged.

Nicotine dependence is common among people with psychiatric disorders. Some researchers have suggested the high prevalence of nicotine use among the psychiatric population represents an unconscious effort to “self-medicate.” Research on proteins has suggested that nicotine may marginally increase the expression of myelin proteins; other addictive drugs (eg, cocaine, alcohol) along with developmental diseases (eg, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression) show a decrease of these proteins.

Other research has found an association between nicotinic stimulation and protective effects in schizophrenia and autism, where cortical myelination deficits have been documented. While nicotine has well-known negative effects on overall health, smoking during later years is also associated with a reduced likelihood of the development of degenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Using the myelin-centered model, the apparent beneficial aspects of smoking on brain disorders can be attributed to nicotine’s stimulation of oligodendrocyte precursors. Dr. Bartzokis believes that nicotine, delivered through a patch, not through smoking cigarettes, should be studied for its efficacy in promoting the growth and maintenance of myelin, and that AChEIs “deserve much closer scrutiny” as a therapy for the prevention of both developmental and degenerative brain disorders.

—Kathlyn Stone

Suggested Reading
Bartzokis G. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors may improve myelin integrity. Biol Psychiatry. 2006 Oct 26; [Epub ahead of print].
Bartzokis G, Lu PH, Mintz J. Quantifying age-related myelin breakdown with MRI: novel therapeutic targets for preventing cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease. J Alzheimers Dis. 2004;6(6 suppl):S53-S59.
Doody RS, Geldmacher DS, Gordon B, et al. Open-label, multicenter, phase 3 extension study of the safety and efficacy of donepezil in patients with Alzheimer disease. Arch Neurol. 2000;58:427-433.
Morens DM, Grandinetti A, Reed D, et al. Cigarette smoking and protection from Parkinson’s disease: false association or etiologic clue? Neurology. 1995;45:1041-1051.

Le régime pour lutter contre la SEP

màj le 28/03/2010 - alimentation et slérose en plaques

Les conseils d'alimentation d'Edgar Cayce pour guérir de la SEP

Edgar Cayce indique que la sclérose en plaques provient d'un problème d'assimilation de certains micro-nutriments. Au bout d'un moment le corps n'a simplement plus les matériaux nécessaires pour construire les gaines qui entourent les nerfs, c'est le processus de démmyélinisation. Cayce nous indique quels aliments consommer pour pourvoir le corps en micro-nutriments qui lui manque le plus dans le cas de sclérose en plaques.

Il considère que c'est notamment l'or, présente naturellement en quantité infinitésimale dans certains aliments qui manque cruellement à l'organisme. Le problème est que si ces micro-nutriments sont mal absorbés, augmenter leur apport risque de na pas être suffisant puisqu'ils n'arrivent pas dans le corps d'où l'utilisation simultanée d'un autre traitement plus radical, la Wett-Cell qui utilise un autre moyen pour amener les matériaux nécessaires à l'organisme.

Autre point : éliminer les graissent animales car trop lourdes à digérer.

Mais de toute façon une correction de l'alimentation pour amener les micro-nutriments indispensables est absolument nécessaire et ceci sur le long terme pour avoir des résultats.


Voici les aliments nécessaires et ceux à éviter :

Cresson de fontaine



Cresson Florette 125 g à Monoprix : 2,70€ (07/08/2008)
Soupe bio de Cresson & lentilles : Naturalia
Disponible aussi chez Tang frères si vous êtes sur Paris 13.

Attention, l'été est la basse saison du cresson de fontaine.

Salsifis



Boite chez ATAC : 1.40€ (30/07/2008)


Céleri cru


Céleri rave rappé à Monoprix : 2,25€ (7/08/2008)
Le céleri bio en branche (photo 1) est de loin le plus agréable et sûrement efficace à consommer.


Carottes (contiennent de l'or)


Laitue (purifie le sang)

Haddock (contient de l'iode)

Fruits de mer (contient de l'iode)

Aliments	Teneur en iode en microgrammes pour 100 g
Huile de foie de morue	838
Aiglefin (appelé haddock lorsqu'il est fumé)	318
Saumon	245
Morue	143
Langoustines	130
Homard	102
Coquillages	78
Huîtres	57

Viande d'agneau

Volaille

Poisson

Formellement interdit :

Toute forme de friture

A éviter :

Le Bœuf (à consommer seulement de manière occasionnelle)

Les Féculents

Les bananes si elle n'ont pas été cueillies proche de chez vous


Conseils personnels : Compléments alimentaires

• Huile de foie de flétan (Vitamine D)
• Magnésium

Liste complète des conseils, en anglais, à traduire : Dietary Advice from the Edgar Cayce Readings

The Sunny Solution That Slashes Your Multiple Sclerosis Risks

An analysis of the blood serum of more than 7 million U.S. military personnel, 257 of whom had multiple sclerosis (MS), found that vitamin D is associated with a lower risk of multiple sclerosis. MS cases were identified through physical disability databases and medical-record reviews.

The benefits, at least among Caucasians (the majority of the study participants), included a 41 percent decrease in MS risk for every 50-nmol/L increase in blood levels of vitamin D.

Those whose vitamin D levels were in the top 20 percent saw their MS risks plunge by 62 percent compared to those in the lowest 20 percent.

Vitamin D is known to be a potent immunomodulator, and increasing vitamin D levels among adolescents and young adults could lead to a reduction in MS cases.

Sources:

• Journal of the American Medical Association December 20, 2006; 296(23): 2832-2838

• Reuters December 19, 2006

• Medpage Today December 19, 2006

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

One of the best things you can do for your health -- getting enough regular exposure to sunshine on your uncovered skin so your body can produce optimal amounts of vitamin D -- can greatly reduce your risks of developing serious autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS).

A lack of sunlight was identified as a risk factor for MS as early as 1922.

Within the United States, you are roughly twice as likely to develop MS if you spent your childhood in northern states than if you did so in more southerly states. The "cutoff" age appears to be 15; your likelihood of developing MS remains higher if you lived as a child in a less sunny climate, even if you move farther south (or to a higher altitude) as an adult.

Vitamin D has been shown to positively affect MS patients by changing the status of chemicals called cytokines, which modulate the immune system and can either fight or increase inflammation. One study found that sunlight exposure reduced the death rate from MS by as much as 76 percent!

As easy as it is to get a healthy amount of sunshine in the summer, it can be equally as difficult to do during the winter. Before you turn to cod liver oil or an oral supplement, however, I don't advise taking either one unless you have your blood levels monitored regularly.

You might want to view my recent video on how tanning can be used for vitamin D if you follow these simple precautions.

On Vital Votes, reader Nick from Queens, New York has personal experience with the effectiveness of vitamin D:

"Absolutely! Vitamin D is one of the major factors in reducing your risk for MS. And that's coming from someone who had heavy MS and then kicked its butt!"

Other responses to this article can be viewed at Vital Votes, and you can add your own thoughts or vote on comments by first registering at Vital Votes.

Sunlight Exposure Beneficial In Multiple Sclerosis

In a recently published exploratory study, mortality from multiple sclerosis (MS) was found to be reduced by exposure to sunlight. Depending on the degree of sunlight exposure, the risk of death from MS was reduced by up to 76%. No theory on the precise mechanism of action in this reduction was proposed by the authors.

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

The commonly spread word is that sunlight is not good for us and will only cause cancer. We are encouraged to slap on sunscreens to protect ourselves. Well, it is important to know that there are contrary views. One clearly needs to exercise caution with the sun and avoid ever getting sunburnt, but this is relatively easy to do. This study confirms one of the central issues that sunlight is actually healthy for us. Lack of sunlight has also been associated with high blood pressure. It seems as though there are both benefits and risks to sunlight exposure. However, someone with MS is probably much less concerned with the risks of skin cancer than the risks of the MS and therefore the benefits of the sunlight would be much greater. One strong possibility for the benefit with MS patients could be the increased vitamin D levels in those with the greater exposure to sunlight.

Vitamin D Treats & Prevents MS

According to a study, women who take vitamin D supplements through multivitamins are 40 percent less likely to develop multiple sclerosis (MS) than women who do not take supplements. The study, which involved 187,563 women, is the first examination to question if MS is caused by lack of sunlight, which prevent the body from making its own vitamin D.

Researchers examined data collected from two large studies involving the women, one was a 20-year-old study and the other was a 10-year-old study. The participants’ diets and use of multivitamin supplements were measured in the beginning of the study and then again every four years. Out of the 187,563 women participating in the study, 173 developed MS during the course of it.

Researchers divided the large group of women into groups based on vitamin D use. The study found that the risk of developing MS was lower both for those with high intakes of vitamin D supplements (400 IU or more per day) and for those with high intakes from the supplements and food. However, the study also suggested that the participants whose intake of vitamin D was only from food did not have any lesser risk of developing MS.

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

Evidence continues to mount showing that a little vitamin D can do a lot more than build strong bones. We've known for some time that vitamin D can affect function of the immune system, which could explain why it seems beneficial in this autoimmune condition.

In animal studies, vitamin D has been shown to suppress the autoimmune response in rats with a disorder very similar to MS. Other recent studies link vitamin D deficiency to a greater risk of other ailments, including heart disease, diabetes, unexplained muscle and joint pain, and various forms of cancer. As with MS and other autoimmune diseases, the secret may be in how this nutrient affects cell activity.

We need adequate amounts of vitamin D to keep cell growth and activity in check. When the body is deficient in this crucial nutrient--best known for coming from sunlight--cells can go haywire, become overly active or multiply too quickly. These results are not too surprising though as it's been well-known that if you live at a higher latitude, where there's less sun exposure, you're at a higher risk of developing MS. Conversely, if you live in a sunny climate where vitamin D can easily be absorbed year-round from sunlight for your first 10 years, it imprints on you a decreased MS risk that can last a lifetime.

If you or anyone you know has MS, it is imperative that they have their vitamin D blood levels checked to get the levels between 45 and 50 with a combination of sun exposure and supplemental vitamin D. If you follow my newsletter then you'll know that I recommend cod liver oil as the best source of vitamin D (other than the sun, of course).

When choosing your cod liver oil, be sure to choose a brand that has been purified of mercury and other toxins, and has the independent laboratory testing to prove it. I offer Carlson’s brand fish oil and cod liver oil because its high-quality and superior purity and freshness have been proven here in my clinic, whereas I have not been so satisfied with some other brands.

Multiple Sclerosis Radically Improves With Simple Diet Changes with the Help of Nutritional Typing

By Jim Marlow, chief nutritionist at the Optimal Wellness Center

Gwen is a 26-year-old who was diagnosed last year with Neural demyelination, associated with probable Multiple Sclerosis. Her brain MRI, done in November 2005, showed five to six spots (light gray, old ones) and a couple that were active.

The past five years were very stressful for her. She does have a history of tremors since age 13 or 14. She used to get migraines with some vision loss. She has had a severely low libido, moderate sinus problems, dry skin and fatigue.

After taking the Nutritional Typing™ test, she was assessed as a MIXED type. A review of her lab analysis from December 2005 identified that she clearly had been over-consuming carbohydrates and under-consuming protein. Also, her omega-3 fat and LDL cholesterol levels were very low -- and omega-3 fats are critical to improving MS. A review of her Hair Element Analysis identified small but significant levels of mercury, arsenic and cadmium.

For seven weeks now, Gwen has been doing her best to follow the Prime MIXED type nutrition plan, and she continues to have a very good response to it. Because of our entire program, she reports that ALL of her symptoms have improved. She is eating very well despite her difficulty in obtaining organic foods. She reports that she has experienced complete elimination of tingling and headaches, and a remarkable reduction in the occurrence of dry skin and sinus problems.

She also reports that she has not been having nightmares anymore, so she is sleeping much better, and her energy level is much improved. In fact, she stated that "my energy level is a thousand times better than it was."


Dr. Mercola's Comments:

Another amazing testimony as to the power of Nutritional Typing™. In this case, Gwen was a mixed type, which in the past we had not seen tremendous results with because this is very close to what many people are already eating.

However, our chief nutritionist, Jim Marlow, has modified the program so that mixed types have very precise eating combinations, and now most of our MS patients are improving just as well as the protein and carb types.

It is a simple yet amazingly effective alteration, and I am grateful that Jim developed it. I used to cringe when MS patients came into my office as we rarely were able to help them, but with Nutritional Typing™ and some of the emotional work it is very unusual when a person with MS does not improve.

As you can read in the related links below, all the drugs for MS are not addressing the underlying cause. I personally do not advise them, even though they may provide temporary relief; by not addressing the causal condition the actual disease tends to worsen while the symptoms are being masked by the drugs.

Without out a doubt Nutritional Typing™ has been the most profound nutritional intervention I have ever seen.

If you would like to learn more please take the free, four-part mini course on Nutritional Typing™. All you have to do is enter your e-mail in the box below.

We have recently opened up this test to those outside of our clinic. One of our metabolic typing therapists moderates the free forum that people have access to once they complete the test, and it is amazing how many people are being helped with this system. We have thousands of posts on this forum and have had great feedback.