RE: Copper & FMS

[Guest guest]

This article is from WebMD, I thought it a very interesting study.

 

Janet

*************

 

HEALTH: Fibromyalgia and Copper ToxicityWebMD provides a description and assessment of the condition termedfibromyalgia. They further suggest that the diagnosis of the syndrome isless than precise and suggest that the condition has only been isolatedas a specific complaint entity since the 1980's. They speculate that ithas likely existed for centuries. Evidence seen by this author suggeststhat the condition may have been around for some time, but due tocircumstances later revealed, the syndrome is likely another result ofcivilization's modern diet and modern medicine itself!The description goes on to state that the syndrome involves "chronic andwidespread muscle and soft tissue pain, tenderness and fatigue."Fibromyalgia patients experience pain when 18 specific trigger points or"tender points" are pressed upon.Additional symptoms include an insomnia or "unrestful sleep", headaches,depression and at least 50% of the patients suffering with irritablebowel syndrome. Cordano, et. al., suggests that diarrhea andmalabsorption may be complicated by copper deficiency more frequentlythan is appreciated. (Cordano, A., Baertl, J.M., and Graham, G.G.(1964). Pediatrics 34, 324.)Raynaud's syndrome or other "auto-immune syndromes" are additionally common.The author's experience at a laboratory specializing in hair mineralassays, has long noted the connection with this syndrome and findings ofcopper toxicity. A major offending cause of unwanted copper buildup inthe human body is theestrogen dominant birth control pill. Evidence suggests that use of the"pill" could very well have precipitated the rise in fibromyalgiasyndromes, especially since the 1980s.To assess the copper connection with these patients, we collected 40patient case histories inclusive of fibromyalgia and compared the hairanalysis results. These findings are indeed interesting. The readershould be aware that this "diagnosis" was the result of a patientsymptom survey, many times completed by the doctor, but otherwisesupplying no confirming information to establish the conditionspecifically as fibromyalgia. Such a diagnosis is elusive at best,although the patterns discovered have been reliable through hundreds ofthousands of patient test results.WebMD states that women suffer from the condition much more often thanmen. Not surprisingly, out of our 40 submitted patients, 38 were women.The average age of these 40 patients was 53.2 years, the youngest being23 and the oldest was 72 years of age. In addition, the ancillarysyndromes of headache, depression, "unrestful sleep," and auto-immunedisease also have been implicated at this laboratory with copper toxicity.Copper is much more of a concomitant metal to the female physiology dueto its use in utilizing estrogen. Thus the female who is already likelywell supplied with copper, is certainly subject to earlier symptommanifestation, when excessive or non-usable copper becomes a factor. Thefemale who is copper deficient pre-menstrually is likely to become a"choco-holic" due to chocolate's high quantity of copper. Accordingly,our findings suggested massive indication of copper toxicity.Prodigious work done by Dr. Paul Eck at Analytical ResearchLaboratories, Inc, and The Eck Institute of Bio-energetics andNutrition, has established protocols for an ultimate suggestion of toxiclevels of the mineral copper. These parameters and our study results arelisted in order.ZINC DEFICIENCYZinc is a known antagonist of copper. Adequate zinc levels in the bodyenhance balance between zinc and copper, and zinc deficiencies permitexcessive accumulation of copper. The accepted normal level for zinc ona hair mineral analysis is 20mg% (200PPM) We chose zinc levels of 15mg%(150PPM) or less to be at least indicative of a minimal deficiency of zinc.Twenty-seven (27) of our test subjects had levels of hair zinc less than <15mg%ALL FOUR LOW PATTERNEck had established this terminology to suggest a state of "give up" inoxidation capabilities (George Watson, Nutrition and Your Mind-1972),wherein the adrenal gland and the thyroid gland are both functioning atless than optimum energy production. Inadequate energy (oxidation rate)is being produced to maintain an effective immune response to any stressor.Oxidation-rate, mineral-indicators, according to Eck, include lower thannormal sodium and potassium (adrenal glands) and lower than normalcalcium and magnesium (thyroid gland).Five (5) of these patients demonstrated an All Four Low Pattern.HIGH HAIR COPPERThe accepted normal level for hair copper is 2.5 mg% (25 PPM)Eleven (11) of our subject patients overtly demonstrated higher thannormal levels of copper.ZINC:COPPER RATIODisturbances of the normal zinc:copper ratio in a hair mineral analysisis 8:1 to 1(Zn:Cu). This ratio is calculated as 20 mg% of zinc, dividedby 2.5 mg% of copper, or 8.0:1. Eck has established this ratio asindicating copper toxicity when deviant at <6.0:1 or >10:1.Thirty (30) of our test subjects demonstrated altered zinc:copper ratiosin their hair assay.SODIUM TO POTASSIUM "INVERSIONS", OR "BURNOUT"Eck suggests that sodium and potassium are specific indicators foradrenal cortical function in the human body. Laboratory rats having hadtheir adrenal glands removed, develop copper deposits in their liver.The adrenal glands mandate appropriate chelation of copper with theprotein carrier ceruloplasmin in the liver.When the normal ratio of sodium to potassium (2.5:1) drops below this2.5 to 1, using hair minerals, Eck suggests that impaired adrenal glandfunctioning exists. This impairment results in less than optimum bindingof copper by the liver into ceruloplasmin, and the unbound copper is aknown irritant to normal neuro-transmitter function.Fifteen (15) of our test subjects demonstrated "inversions" of thissodium to potassium ratio.THE INFLAMMATORY SODIUM TO POTASSIUM RATIO.Dr. Eck's work correlated inflammatory processes, or excessive stress,with sodium to potassium ratios greater than >4.0:1. His reasoningincluded the knowledge that sodium is controlled by aldosterone, anadrenal cortical hormone with a proclivity to inflammation. Potassium,the cortisone hair-mineral-equivalent, is associated with theanti-inflammatory function of cortisone. Excessive aldosterone (sodium),compared to cortisone (potassium) suggests an inflammatory process.Twenty three (23) of our test subjects demonstrated this "inflammatoryratio." Inflammation is the classic finding in fibromyalgia.HIGH CALCIUM AS AN INDICATOR OF COPPER TOXICITYThe Eck laboratory has established high calcium levels as indicative ofbio-unavailable and thus toxic levels of copper. Usable copper is arequirement for calcium transport and utilization in the bone matrix.Inadequate levels of usable copper allow calcium to becomebio-unavailable and accumulate in the soft tissue as calcium salts.Hair is one of those soft tissue repositories. Levels of hair calciumgreater than 75mg% are said to be indicative of copperbio-unavailability, and thus a toxic factor.Twenty-two of our test subjects demonstrated calcium bio-unavailabilityand "build-up," suggesting copper toxicity.COPPER TOXICITYUsing the parameters above, as suggested by Eck, all forty (40) or oursubjects demonstrated copper toxic condition as a likely perquisite ofthe inflammatory syndrome know as fibromyalgia. This elevated copperburden has been implicated in migraine headaches, "unrestful sleep" orinsomnia, auto-immune disease and depression. Gall bladder disease is afrequent result of this copper build-up, and the estrogen/copperrelationship likely corroborates the high propensity for migraineheadache sufferers and gall bladder surgeries to be largely a feminine affliction.The Eck Institute has suggested that copper toxicity some day, will benoted to rival the lead pollution of the past. Pfeiffer suggests thatcopper can now be added to mental illness along with lead. Copper waterpipes, copper sulphate algaecides and pesticides, and theclose-to-epidemic adrenal gland insufficiency and immune systemsuppression in this country suggest the time has arrived. The birthcontrol pill, so long touted to be free of complications other than thepossibility of thrombosis, may very well be the hidden major factor infibromyalgia. Ascertaining these 40 women's history in use of the pillmight be helpful.The two males in our 40 subject study displayed adrenal weakness or"burnout" (Na:K <2.5:1), impaired zinc to copper ratios, and zinc levelsless than 15 mg%. They both also demonstrated copper toxicity based uponthe above parameters.CONCLUSION:Based upon Eck's work, and analysis of hair mineral levels when the hairsample is NOT washed at the laboratory, fibromyalgia is a conditionundeniably associated with copper toxicity. Leroy has shown thatperforming a laboratory "wash" leaches certain minerals out of the hairsample on a random basis, including sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium.This copper toxicity is evident using all of the above parameters asproposed, and it presents a picture of adrenal gland impairmentconsistent through these 40 subjects. The uniform abnormalities seen onhair mineral assessment lends credence to the complaints of patientsthat have not been confirmed by blood or urine laboratory assessment.The forty subjects studied have remarkably similar mineral findings andequally remarkable symptoms reports. This is strong evidence for adefinitive diagnostic entity.Additional insult to the copper burden could be a factor in those womenusing the birth control pill currently, or at some time in their pasthistory. Alternative approaches to normalizing adrenal gland functionand detoxifying the body of its copper burden seems appropriate and mostlikely slated for success. Eliminating the obvious copper sources,including the aggravating factor of the birth control pill, along withenhancement of the adrenal/immune response mechanism would seem appropriate.*Dr. William Risley is a 1961 graduate of the Palmer College-Midwest, andhas chaired post-graduate faculty positions in Neurovascular Diagnosisand Hospital Protocol at Palmer. He is currently on the continuingeducation faculty at the Texas Chiropractic College, and is a consultantand educator for Analytical Research Laboratories in Phoenix. He was aformer instructor in Plethysmography and Doppler for Diagnostics International.He is the author of 12 textbooks in general use by the chiropractic andmedical professions, and was a developer and owner of FirstChiropractic, a 175 franchise organization of chiropractic offices. REFERENCESEck, Paul C., Migraine Headaches, Articles published by The EckInstitute for Bio-energetics and Nutrition, Phoenix, Arizona, 1985.Pfeiffer, Carl C., Mental and Elemental Nutrients, Keats Publishing, NewCanaan, Ct. 1975, p 439.Wilson, Lawrence, M.D., Nutritional balancing and hair mineral analysis.L.D. Wilson, Consultants, 1992.Leroy, Raymond. The effect of washing hair samples at the laboratory onvarious mineral levels. Accutrace Laboratories, Phoenix, Az. 1983Harrison, D.P. Copper as a factor in the dietary precipitation ofmigraine. Headache, 26(5):248-50, 1986.Eck, Paul C., Burnout, its cause and correction, Article published byThe Eck Institute for Bio-energetics and Nutrition, Phoenix, Arizona, 1985.I.J.T. Davies, MB, MRCP (London), The Clinical Significance of theBiological Metals (Cordano, A., Baertl, J.M., and Graham, G.G. (1964).Pediatrics 34, 324.)William B. Risley, Sr., D.C.www.chirobooks.comwww.walletlightbusinesscard.com***