Nutritional factors and Multiple Sclerosis

[Guest guest]

Thanks again JoAnn!

 

After reading those 'tips' on dealing w/ms feel that

those tips only reinforce what I already know about

dealing with the 'condition'..

 

Was not aware of the 'quantity' issue w/respect to

vitamin D- been sporadically and unwittigly depriving

myself of that higher iu count- thanks!

 

I'm provided, on a wkly basis, the 'pleasure' of

enjoying an intramuscular injection of this Avonex

nonsense just prior to breakfast; shots nowdays have

to be administered by a lisenced physician in my

case..

 

In any event, this avonex is a synthetic 'interferon',

as I presume youre aware; well, I've recently been

blessed with this new awareness of a supplement that

coincidentally contains this coveted 'hormone'- I

believe I read it was a hormone, well its naturally

produced in the body I hear..

 

Suprisingly, this supplement is a type of the popular

echinachia, or however its spelled- called Super

echinachia; that, in conjunction with an upgraded form

of B-12, not the methylcobalamin or cyanacobalamin

(whats w/the 'cyana'-isnt that a type of cyanide?),

but hydroxocobalamin, common form found in b-12 shots,

anyway, available in supplemental form as well!

 

My physical imrovements have been significant, and my

divulging this information serves as my altruistic way

to get 'the word out', if you will; whats really

surreal about all this is the fact that I started

w/these special supplements a week ago- countless

people w/this ms fiasco could potentially benefit from

this obscure supplemental awareness, dont you agree?

 

Hoping that ultimately this 'super echinachia' can be

a valid alternative to that 'shot'- without those side

affects..

 

Can you pass this on? Thanks you so much!

 

Renato

 

 

--- JoAnn Guest <angelprincessjo wrote:

 

>

> A Summary

> Ashton F. Embry

> http://www.direct-ms.org/nutritional.html

>

> Introduction- To understand how nutrition plays a

> critical role in multiple sclerosis (MS) it is

> essential to understand the basic disease process of

> MS. Most cases of MS are due to autoimmunity, which

> means one's own immune system is attacking their

> body. In MS the white blood cells of the immune

> system are attacking myelin, which is the substance

> which wraps around nerve cells in the central

> nervous system (CNS). The progressive loss of myelin

> results in a variety of disabilities.

>

> MS Disease Process- Extensive research has revealed

> that there are three main factors that cause a

> person's immune system to attack and destroy their

> myelin.

>

> Genetic Susceptibility- It appears as if about .5%

> of northern Europeans carry the genes that make them

> susceptible to MS. People of other heritages tend to

> have a much lower susceptibility.

>

> Immune activators- The immune system is activated by

> the introduction of foreign proteins into the body.

> Autoimmune disease is mainly caused by foreign

> proteins which have a molecular structure similar to

> self proteins in the body. Thus, when immune cells

> are activated against such foreign proteins, the

> immune cells also attack similar-looking self

> proteins. In MS, self-proteins in myelin in the

> central nervous system are " mimicked " by foreign

> proteins and consequently attacked by the immune

> system.

>

> Immune Suppressants- The activation of immune cells

> against one or more self proteins seems to occur in

> many people, especially following an infection. Thus

> the immune system has evolved a system of shutting

> down such autoimmune reactions before they cause any

> noticeable damage. Persons with MS seem to have a

> defective immune suppressant mechanism due to

> various deficiencies. This allows autoimmune

> reactions to get out of control and to cause damage

> to the central nervous system.

>

> Nutritional factors play a significant role in MS by

> contributing to both the deficiency of immune

> suppressants and an overload of foreign proteins

> which activate the immune system against the central

> nervous system. Thus the keys to using nutrition for

> controlling MS are to:

>

> increase the intake of nutrients which help the body

> suppress autoimmune reactions.

> avoid eating foods which contribute to the

> activation of the immune system against self and the

> occurrence of autoimmune reactions.

>

> Suppressing Autoimmune Reactions- Notably there are

> two nutrients which are effective in suppressing the

> immune system in the central nervous system. These

> are vitamin D and omega three essential fatty acids.

> Not surprisingly these nutrients are in very short

> supply in our society and persons with MS are very

> deficient in them. By greatly increasing their

> intake, persons with MS can help the body suppress

> autoimmune reactions.

>

> Research has shown that a vitamin D supply of about

> 4000-5000 IU is required every day for optimal

> functioning. The main source of vitamin D is the sun

> and Canada is much too far north to allow anyone to

> obtain an adequate supply of vitamin D from the sun

> on a yearly basis. A few foods have some synthetic

> vitamin D added to them but this amount is very

> small and is no where near enough.

>

> Thus to ensure an adequate supply of vitamin D, a

> person with MS should take a daily 4000 IU

> supplement which is readily and cheaply obtained at

> most drug stores (Jamieson and Natural Factors make

> a good product). Such an amount has been shown to be

> safe and to be well below any toxicity level.

>

> Omega three fatty acids are found in substantial

> quantities in only a few foods. The best source is

> fish with fatty fish such as salmon and mackerel

> being the best. Thus persons with MS should eat fish

> at least three times a week. Salmon oil supplements

> are also a convenient way of increasing one's supply

> of these essential fatty acids.

>

> Flax also contains a lot of omega three EFA and a

> tablespoon of flax oil every day is another good way

> of obtaining such a nutrient.

>

> Avoiding Immune Activators- Infectious agents are

> one source of foreign proteins which active one's

> immune system to attack self. However it is often

> difficult to avoid contracting common infections.

> Another main source of foreign proteins, which have

> the potential to activate the immune system against

> self, is our food supply. Studies have shown the

> foods that have the greatest potential to cause

> autoimmune reactions are dairy, gluten grains

> (wheat, rye ,barley) and yeast. Thus persons with MS

> should avoid eating anything which contain these

> food types.

>

>

> The types of fats eaten can also affect immune

> activation and saturated fat (animal fat) and omega

> six essential fatty acids (vegetable oil) can be

> problematic.

>

> Thus persons with MS should use mainly olive oil

> (monosaturated fat) in conjunction with fish oils to

> provide most of their fat intake.

>

> In order to greatly reduce saturated fat intake, red

> meat should be avoided with skinless breast of

> chicken and fish providing most of the protein

> supply.

>

> Summary- Nutritional changes can be very effective

> in controlling MS and slowing or halting disease

> progression. The key changes are:

>

> Take a 4000 IU supplement of vitamin D every day

> Eat fish at least three times a week and use a flax

> oil supplement

> Stop eating any food that contains dairy products,

> gluten grains (wheat, rye, barley), legumes and

> yeast

> Stop eating red meat and greatly reduce the intake

> of saturated fat.

> Use mainly olive oil for fat supply

> Use mainly skinless breast of organic or free range

> chicken and fish for protein supply

> Avoid any food which causes an allergic reaction as

> determined by either a body reaction or a blood test

>

> Take a variety of supplements to enhance health and

> heal various systems. A suggested list is on the

> site

>

> This nutritional regime can be used in conjunction

> with any of the current MS drugs.

> Notably a lot of people find they do not need the

> drugs once the nutrients are working.

> _________________

> JoAnn Guest

> mrsjoguest

> DietaryTipsForHBP

> www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Genes

>

>

>

>

> AIM Barleygreen

> " Wisdom of the Past, Food of the Future "

>

> http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Diets.html

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

 

> Messenger

> Show us what our next emoticon should look like.

> Join the fun.

>

> [Non-text portions of this message have been

> removed]

>

>

>

>

>

 

 

 

 

 

 

Personals - Better first dates. More second dates.

http://personals.

[Guest guest]

, renato alexander

<renato23451> wrote:

>

> Thanks again JoAnn!

>

> After reading those 'tips' on dealing w/ms feel that

> those tips only reinforce what I already know about

> dealing with the 'condition'..

>

> Was not aware of the 'quantity' issue w/respect to

> vitamin D- been sporadically and unwittigly depriving

> myself of that higher iu count- thanks!

>

> I'm provided, on a wkly basis, the 'pleasure' of

> enjoying an intramuscular injection of this Avonex

> nonsense just prior to breakfast; shots nowdays have

> to be administered by a lisenced physician in my

> case..

>

> In any event, this avonex is a synthetic 'interferon',

> as I presume youre aware; well, I've recently been

> blessed with this new awareness of a supplement that

> coincidentally contains this coveted 'hormone'- I

> believe I read it was a hormone, well its naturally

> produced in the body I hear..

>

> Suprisingly, this supplement is a type of the popular

> echinachia, or however its spelled- called Super

> echinachia; that, in conjunction with an upgraded form

> of B-12, not the methylcobalamin or cyanacobalamin

> (whats w/the 'cyana'-isnt that a type of cyanide?),

> but hydroxocobalamin, common form found in b-12 shots,

> anyway, available in supplemental form as well!

>

> My physical imrovements have been significant, and my

> divulging this information serves as my altruistic way

> to get 'the word out', if you will; whats really

> surreal about all this is the fact that I started

> w/these special supplements a week ago- countless

> people w/this ms fiasco could potentially benefit from

> this obscure supplemental awareness, dont you agree?

>

> Hoping that ultimately this 'super echinachia' can be

> a valid alternative to that 'shot'- without those side

> affects..

>

> Can you pass this on? Thanks you so much!

>

> Renato

>

There is nothing more gratifying than reading these types of

responses. :-) I'm just so glad that we were able to help!~ And yes,

I agree, there are so many who could benefit from the information,

it is a pity that more people aren't aware that these types of

options are available to them! We certainly will do all in our power

to spread the word. I was able to find some info regarding B-12

which I found interesting and thought you might benefit as well...

 

Vitamin B12 works with folic acid in many body processes including

the

 

synthesis of DNA, red blood cells, and the insulation sheath (the

 

myelin sheath) that surrounds nerve cells and speeds the conduction

of

 

the signals along nerve cells.

 

Vitamin B12 deficiency is most often due to a defect in absorption,

not

 

a dietary lack.

 

In order for vitamin B12 from food to be absorbed, it must be

 

" liberated " from food by hydrochloric acid and bound to a substance

 

known as " intrinsic factor " within the small intestine. Intrinsic

 

factor is secreted by the parietal cells of the stomach

 

Vitamin B12 is available in several forms.

 

The most common form is cyanocobalamin, however, vitamin B12 is most

 

active in the form of methylcobalamin.

 

The most common forms are cyanocobalamin and " hydroxycobalamin " ,

 

however, vitamin B12 is active in only two forms - methylcobalamin

and

 

adenosylcobalamin.

 

These later forms are active immediately upon absorption, while

 

cyanocobalamin and " hydroxycobalamin " must be " converted " to either

 

methylcobalamin or adenosylcobalamin by the body.

 

Methylcobalamin is preferred over adenosylcobalamin as 90% of the

 

body's active B12 is in this form and methycobalamin is easily

 

converted to adenosylcobalamin.

 

 

 

Our immune system is perhaps one of the most complex and

fascinating

 

systems in our body. It consists of specialized cells residing in

 

various tissues and other chemical factors such as interferon, and

 

interleukin.

 

T cells are responsible for our " cell-mediated immunity. "

 

Cell-mediated immunity refers to immune mechanisms not controlled by

 

antibodies. Cell-mediated immunity is critical in " protecting "

against

 

" autoimmune disorders " .

Not surprisingly, Echinacea has been used to treat all these

 

conditions.

 

Echinacea promotes nonspecific *T-cell* activation.

When Echinacea polysaccharides bind to the surface of T-cells, the

 

T-cells increase their production of " interferon " and immune

 

" potentiators " .

 

The result is enhanced T-cell replication, macrophage activity,

 

antibody binding, and increased numbers of circulating neutrophils.

 

The nonspecific T-cell activation by Echinacea increases the

activity

 

of another type of white blood cell...natural killer cells... called

 

" natural killer cells " because they destroy cells that have become

 

" infected " with viruses.

 

The level or " activity " of natural killer cells in MS is usually

low.

 

Macrophages are blood monocytes that have taken up residence in

 

specific tissues such as liver, spleen, and lymph nodes.

 

Macrophages and monocytes are in essence, the " garbage collectors "

of

the body. Macrophages " protect " the body against " microorganisms "

and

 

prevents damage to our " lymphatic " system.

 

Echinacea polysaccharides-have been shown to enhance macrophage

 

phagocytosis and stimulate macrophages to produce a number

of " immune

 

potentiating " compounds (e.g. tumor necrosis factor (TNF),

" interferon " , and interleukin.The interactions of macrophages are

most

 

likely responsible for much of the immune system " enhancement " of

 

Echinacea polysaccharides.

 

Interferon is " synthesized " in laboratories and sold at skyrocketing

costs, however any " viral infected " cell can create it.

 

There are various types of " interferons " , and their name

is " derived "

 

from their function:

the ability to " interfere " with viral infections.

 

When a cell is attacked by a virus, though it cannot save itself, it

 

can create an " interferon " that will warn other cells of an

impending

 

infection.

 

Interleukins are " hormones " that carry messages between the immune

 

cells to orchestrate the entire battle. One interleukin attracts

 

T-cells to their

targets and alerts them to create " interferon " (if needed) and

create

 

another interleukin to create helper T-cells to " kick " the immune

 

system into high gear and call in the natural killer cells and

 

" stimulate " B-cells to produce antibodies.

 

Your body creates these wonderful chemicals whenever you do

something

 

the excites you, enthralls you, rings all your bells.

 

Interferon and interleukin are classified as " lymphokines " , the

 

substance (hormone)

that infected cells and T-cells create to " stimulate " other cells

in

 

the immune system.

 

Studies have shown that " natural interferons " and interleukins are

 

extremely effective and have no " side effects " ; as opposed to those

 

that medical science introduces to fight disease, and this has the

 

medical community baffled.

 

 

High levels of fats, impact " negatively " on the immune system and

decrease its ability to cope.

 

Recently it has been found that diets high in polyunsaturates,

particularly those rich in " n-6 " fatty acids (e.g. linolenic acid in

 

refined oils),exert a negative impact on the " ability " of killer

cells.

 

 

Three types of blood cells are associated with the " immune response "

 

and " secrete substances " that effect B- and T-cell activity.

 

Examples of lymphokines are interferon and interluekon, of which

 

" interferon " stimulates " T-cell proliferation " and interleukon 1

 

stimulates a broad range of cells, including the

" natural killer " cells, neutrophils, and B- and T-lymphocytes.

---

 

Shitake Mushroom is an adaptogen and " immunostimulant " .

From Herbal Descriptions by Truman Berst:

 

Shiitake is a mainstay in the Japanese diet - it contains 18 amino

 

acids ( 7-8 of which are essential) and over 30 enzymes. Shitake

 

Mushroom is high in B vitamins, especially B1, B2 and niacin; and in

 

its sun-dried form,

 

it provides *vitamin D* (found in very few foods).

 

Oriental herbalists have used wild Shitake Mushroom medicinally for

 

many years. Shitake Mushroom is an enhancer of the immune system,

and

 

it has been found that it stimulates " production " of interferon.

 

 

Echinacea's medicinal power is threefold: It fights viruses and

 

bacteria and " enhances' immunity.

 

Scientists think echinacea's root extracts, in particular, may act

like

 

" interferon " , and mimic our bodies' own " antiviral compound "

 

Echinacea stimulates the body to make interferon, along with

 

interleukins and tumor necrosis factor.

 

Licorice is well-known as a powerful herb. According to a report in

 

Microbiology and Immunology, licorice may stimulate " cell

production "

 

of " interferon " .

 

 

Synthetic Interferon has been touted as the cancer cure of the

century.

 

However, tests show that sometimes it works like a magic bullet, and

 

sometimes it doesn't work at all. And the side effects can be very

 

devastating!

 

 

> --- JoAnn Guest <angelprincessjo> wrote:

>

> >

> > A Summary

> > Ashton F. Embry

> > http://www.direct-ms.org/nutritional.html

> >

> > Introduction- To understand how nutrition plays a

> > critical role in multiple sclerosis (MS) it is

> > essential to understand the basic disease process of

> > MS. Most cases of MS are due to autoimmunity, which

> > means one's own immune system is attacking their

> > body. In MS the white blood cells of the immune

> > system are attacking myelin, which is the substance

> > which wraps around nerve cells in the central

> > nervous system (CNS). The progressive loss of myelin

> > results in a variety of disabilities.

> >

> > MS Disease Process- Extensive research has revealed

> > that there are three main factors that cause a

> > person's immune system to attack and destroy their

> > myelin.

> >

> > Genetic Susceptibility- It appears as if about .5%

> > of northern Europeans carry the genes that make them

> > susceptible to MS. People of other heritages tend to

> > have a much lower susceptibility.

> >

> > Immune activators- The immune system is activated by

> > the introduction of foreign proteins into the body.

> > Autoimmune disease is mainly caused by foreign

> > proteins which have a molecular structure similar to

> > self proteins in the body. Thus, when immune cells

> > are activated against such foreign proteins, the

> > immune cells also attack similar-looking self

> > proteins. In MS, self-proteins in myelin in the

> > central nervous system are " mimicked " by foreign

> > proteins and consequently attacked by the immune

> > system.

> >

> > Immune Suppressants- The activation of immune cells

> > against one or more self proteins seems to occur in

> > many people, especially following an infection. Thus

> > the immune system has evolved a system of shutting

> > down such autoimmune reactions before they cause any

> > noticeable damage. Persons with MS seem to have a

> > defective immune suppressant mechanism due to

> > various deficiencies. This allows autoimmune

> > reactions to get out of control and to cause damage

> > to the central nervous system.

> >

> > Nutritional factors play a significant role in MS by

> > contributing to both the deficiency of immune

> > suppressants and an overload of foreign proteins

> > which activate the immune system against the central

> > nervous system. Thus the keys to using nutrition for

> > controlling MS are to:

> >

> > increase the intake of nutrients which help the body

> > suppress autoimmune reactions.

> > avoid eating foods which contribute to the

> > activation of the immune system against self and the

> > occurrence of autoimmune reactions.

> >

> > Suppressing Autoimmune Reactions- Notably there are

> > two nutrients which are effective in suppressing the

> > immune system in the central nervous system. These

> > _________________

> > JoAnn Guest

> > mrsjoguest@s...

> > DietaryTipsForHBP

> > www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Genes

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > AIM Barleygreen

> > " Wisdom of the Past, Food of the Future "

> >

> > http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Diets.html

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > Messenger

> > Show us what our next emoticon should look like.

> > Join the fun.

> >

> > [Non-text portions of this message have been

> > removed]

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

>

>

>

>

>

>

> Personals - Better first dates. More second dates.

> http://personals.

[Guest guest]

Nutritional Factors and Multiple Sclerosis

 

 

A Summary

Ashton F. Embry

http://www.direct-ms.org/nutritional.html

 

Introduction- To understand how nutrition plays a

critical role in

multiple sclerosis (MS) it is essential to understand

the basic disease

process of MS. Most cases of MS are due to

autoimmunity, which means one's

own immune system is attacking their body. In MS the

white blood cells

of the immune system are attacking myelin, which is

the substance which

wraps around nerve cells in the central nervous system

(CNS). The

progressive loss of myelin results in a variety of

disabilities.

 

MS Disease Process- Extensive research has revealed

that there are

three main factors that cause a person's immune system

to attack and

destroy their myelin.

 

Genetic Susceptibility- It appears as if about .5% of

northern

Europeans carry the genes that make them susceptible

to MS. People of other

heritages tend to have a much lower susceptibility.

 

Immune activators- The immune system is activated by

the introduction

of foreign proteins into the body. Autoimmune disease

is mainly caused

by foreign proteins which have a molecular structure

similar to self

proteins in the body. Thus, when immune cells are

activated against such

foreign proteins, the immune cells also attack

similar-looking self

proteins. In MS, self-proteins in myelin in the

central nervous system are

" mimicked " by foreign proteins and consequently

attacked by the immune

system.

 

Immune Suppressants- The activation of immune cells

against one or more

self proteins seems to occur in many people,

especially following an

infection. Thus the immune system has evolved a system

of shutting down

such autoimmune reactions before they cause any

noticeable damage.

Persons with MS seem to have a defective immune

suppressant mechanism due to

various deficiencies. This allows autoimmune reactions

to get out of

control and to cause damage to the central nervous

system.

 

Nutritional factors play a significant role in MS by

contributing to

both the deficiency of immune suppressants and an

overload of foreign

proteins which activate the immune system against the

central nervous

system. Thus the keys to using nutrition for

controlling MS are to:

 

increase the intake of nutrients which help the body

suppress

autoimmune reactions.

avoid eating foods which contribute to the activation

of the immune

system against self and the occurrence of autoimmune

reactions.

 

Suppressing Autoimmune Reactions- Notably there are

two nutrients which

are effective in suppressing the immune system in the

central nervous

system. These are vitamin D and omega three essential

fatty acids. Not

surprisingly these nutrients are in very short supply

in our society and

persons with MS are very deficient in them. By greatly

increasing their

intake, persons with MS can help the body suppress

autoimmune

reactions.

 

Research has shown that a vitamin D supply of about

4000-5000 IU is

required every day for optimal functioning. The main

source of vitamin D

is the sun and Canada is much too far north to allow

anyone to obtain an

adequate supply of vitamin D from the sun on a yearly

basis. A few

foods have some synthetic vitamin D added to them but

this amount is very

small and is no where near enough.

 

Thus to ensure an adequate supply of vitamin D, a

person with MS should

take a daily 4000 IU supplement which is readily and

cheaply obtained

at most drug stores (Jamieson and Natural Factors make

a good product).

Such an amount has been shown to be safe and to be

well below any

toxicity level.

 

Omega three fatty acids are found in substantial

quantities in only a

few foods. The best source is fish with fatty fish

such as salmon and

mackerel being the best. Thus persons with MS should

eat fish at least

three times a week. Salmon oil supplements are also a

convenient way of

increasing one's supply of these essential fatty

acids.

 

Flax also contains a lot of omega three EFA and a

tablespoon of flax

oil every day is another good way of obtaining such a

nutrient.

 

Avoiding Immune Activators- Infectious agents are one

source of foreign

proteins which active one's immune system to attack

self. However it is

often difficult to avoid contracting common

infections. Another main

source of foreign proteins, which have the potential

to activate the

immune system against self, is our food supply.

Studies have shown the

foods that have the greatest potential to cause

autoimmune reactions are

dairy, gluten grains (wheat, rye ,barley) and yeast.

Thus persons with MS

should avoid eating anything which contain these food

types.

 

 

The types of fats eaten can also affect immune

activation and saturated

fat (animal fat) and omega six essential fatty acids

(vegetable oil)

can be problematic.

 

Thus persons with MS should use mainly olive oil

(monosaturated fat) in

conjunction with fish oils to provide most of their

fat intake.

 

In order to greatly reduce saturated fat intake, red

meat should be

avoided with skinless breast of chicken and fish

providing most of the

protein supply.

 

Summary- Nutritional changes can be very effective in

controlling MS

and slowing or halting disease progression. The key

changes are:

 

Take a 4000 IU supplement of vitamin D every day

Eat fish at least three times a week and use a flax

oil supplement

Stop eating any food that contains dairy products,

gluten grains

(wheat, rye, barley), legumes and yeast

Stop eating red meat and greatly reduce the intake of

saturated fat.

Use mainly olive oil for fat supply

Use mainly skinless breast of organic or free range

chicken and fish

for protein supply

Avoid any food which causes an allergic reaction as

determined by

either a body reaction or a blood test

Take a variety of supplements to enhance health and

heal various

systems. A suggested list is on the site

 

This nutritional regime can be used in conjunction

with any of the

current MS drugs.

Notably a lot of people find they do not need the

drugs once the

nutrients are working.

_________________

JoAnn Guest

mrsjoguest

DietaryTipsForHBP

www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Genes

 

 

 

 

AIM Barleygreen

" Wisdom of the Past, Food of the Future "

 

http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Diets.html