ASCORBIC ACID COMPETES WITH SUGAR IN THE IMMUNE SYSTEM

[Guest guest]

D

Sun, 24 Dec 2006 23:27:44 -0800 (PST)

ASCORBIC ACID COMPETES WITH SUGAR IN THE IMMUNE SYSTEM

 

 

 

http://www.newswithviews.com/Howenstine/james52.htm

 

 

 

ASCORBIC ACID COMPETES WITH SUGAR IN THE IMMUNE SYSTEM

 

 

By Dr. James Howenstine, MD.

December 25, 2006

NewsWithViews. com

 

Nearly every animal converts sugar into ascorbic acid (Vitamin C).

Human beings, primates and guinea pigs are the only organisms unable

to do this. The enzyme L-gulonolactone oxidase that accomplishes this

chemical reaction does not work in these beings. This forces these

beings to obtain ascorbic acid from food or supplements. Research

studies suggest that humans would produce about 2 to 4 grams of

Vitamin C daily under normal conditions and about 15 grams daily[1]

when under stress.

Insulin moves both glucose and ascorbic acid into cells including

phagocytic immune cells. The phagocytic cells like leukocytes attack

and remove microbes, tumor cells and debris from the blood. The level

of ascorbic acid in leukocytes may be 80 times greater than that found

in plasma. Glucose and ascorbic acid are constantly competing for

insulin transport so diets high in sugar and carbohydrates will

decrease the amount of ascorbic acid that enters cells and thus create

undesirable effects on the immune response.

There is another form of competition between glucose and ascorbic

acid. Ascorbic acid stimulates the hexose monophosphate (HMP) shunt

and glucose inhibits it. The HMP is a series of chemical reactions

that reduces niacin coenzyme NADP to NADPH. Phagocytes need NADPH to

create superoxide and other reactive oxygen species that are used to

destroy pathogens. In addition to creating NADPH ascorbic acid has the

ability to deactivate excess quantities of NADPH and oxidative

substances that could harm normal tissues.

The hexose monophosphate shunt also produces 5 carbon sugars (ribose

and deoxyribose) . These 5 carbon sugars are needed to make DNA and

RNA. When the immune system faces microbial invasion it immediately

signals for production of new immune cells that need these genetic

materials DNA and RNA. If the body has too much glucose and too little

ascorbic acid there will be a lack of genetic material and inadequate

DNA and RNA for creation of needed new leukocytes. Clearly high sugar

intake will reduce the potential health benefits of this pathway.

The failure to evaluate glucose intake may afford a good explanation

for failure of some earlier research studies about ascorbic acid to

show beneficial effects. Persons taking Vitamin C with sugary fruit

drinks and pastries will fail to show any benefit from Vitamin C therapy.

The addictive property of sugar makes it routine for food

manufacturers to place sugar in nearly all packaged and processed

foods. Sugar intake in U.S. citizens has gone from a few pounds a year

in 1800 to about 155 pounds per person currently. The excess intake of

sugar plays a major role in the current diabetic epidemic, obesity,

arteriosclerosis and rising cancer incidence.

A Swedish urologist, Dr. Jan Hammarsten, is an expert in the

relationship between insulin and prostate cancer.[2] He relates that

there is no evidence that insulin causes prostate cancer. What insulin

does do is act as a stimulus for prostate and probably other cancers

to grow and become more aggressive. Between the years 1995 and 2003

Dr. Hammarston's group studied 320 patients with biopsy proven

prostate cancer. They also used ultrasound to measure the size of the

prostate gland. They did blood tests for all the components of

metabolic syndrome (insulin, cholesterol, triglycerides and uric acid).

Excess insulin caused the cancers to grow more rapidly. The men who

died had a faster rate of growth of prostate tissue and also had more

aggressive scores on the cancer biopsy samples. Elevated fasting blood

insulin levels were associated with the lethal cases of prostate

cancer. The higher the insulin levels the greater the likelihood of

death. The insulin values were more accurate than microscopic grading

of stage of the tumor or PSA values in identifying persons at risk of

rapid fatal cancer courses. This suggests that revising diets in

cancer patients toward low insulin stimulating foods may be as

worthwhile as what therapeutic agents are being administered.

Excessive sugar intake is now regarded as the number one risk factor

for females[3] and the number two risk factor for males in the

causation of heart attacks. Obviously public health efforts to

decrease arteriosclerotic heart disease should focus on this problem.

However, the truth about sugar could hurt food conglomerate profits so

it is not discussed. Pyridoxine B6 100 mg daily significantly

decreases the incidence of heart attacks probably by the mechanism of

it's infection[4] fighting capability. Decrease in gingivitis and

bacterial infection in artery walls can curb the incidence of

arteriosclerosis.

There is evidence that the Vitamin Pyridoxin B6 appears to block the

adverse effects of excessive intake of glucose in patients with

arteriosclerosis as use of this vitamin decreased death from heart

attacks in population[5] studies involving women.

Supplemental Vitamin B6 also increases the possibility of avoiding

cancer.[6] Therefore all persons may benefit from taking 100 mg of B6

Pyridoxine daily.

What happens to patients who lower their insulin values? Dr. Dean

Ornish uses a plant based diet. The cancer markers for the men on this

diet decreased[7] over a one year followup whereas the control

patients on a standard diet saw their tumor markers get worse. This

suggests that individuals on a low fat low carbohydrate diet will do

well in avoiding and defeating cancer by keeping their insulin values

low. This diet is exactly the same as the diet used in the initial

stage of therapy for Type 2 diabetes.[8]

Dr. Robert Rowen advises getting an 8 hour fasting insulin test

annually which is a good idea because it identifies persons at risk of

becoming diabetics when elevated values are discovered. This test may

be even more important for patients with malignancies because elevated

insulin results select out the cancer patients at risk of early death

because of rapid uncontrolled spread of cancer. Persons with or

concerned about cancer will probably fare better if they go on a low

fat, low carbohydrate diet. The fasting insulin value needs to be

below 5 mU/L.[9] The nearer this value is to zero the better. On a

vegetarian low fat low carbohydrate diet Dr. Rowen has been able to

reduce his fasting insulin blood level to zero. Decreasing fat intake

in the diet permits smaller quantities of insulin to control blood

sugar values than when fat intake is uncontrolled. When there is no

carbohydrate excess in the diet and the carbohydrates being eaten are

low glycemic (do not cause prompt large increases in insulin output)

the pancreas produces less or no insulin. High glycemic carbohydrates

include potatoes, corn, rice, bananas and pasta.

To the best of my knowledge no other cancers have yet been studied to

see if this relationship between high carbohydrate diet with

corresponding high insulin levels causes increasing cancer deaths

holds up for other cancers as well. My guess is this is likely to turn

out to be just as dangerous for these cancers as it is for prostate

cancer.

The fasting insulin blood test is probably the most important blood

test that is rarely utilized by U.S. health care providers. Insist on

obtaining this test at least once a year. Early discovery of high

insulin values enables the pre Type 2 diabetic to institute

restriction of sugar and fat which will reverse the impending diabetic

state in 90 % of persons. This will permit these individuals to avoid

the ravages of long term hyperinsulinemia (premature aging and death).

Footnotes:

1, Ottoboni F. Ottoboni A. Ascorbic acid and the immune system. The

Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine 2005;20(3):179- 183

2, Hyperinsulinemia: a prospective Risk Factor for Lethal Clinical

Prostate Cancer Eur J. Cancer, 2005 Dec; 41(18):2887- 95 EPub

2005,October 20.44412 (5/2006);

3, Grant WB Reassessing the role of sugar in the etiology of heart

disease. J Orthomolecular Med 1998;13(2): 95-104

4, LS et al Vitamin B6 and immune competence Nutrition Reviews

1993;51, 8:217-25

5, Rimm EB et al Folate and vitamin B6 from diet and supplements in

relation to the risk of coronary heart disease among women Journal

American Medical Assoc 1998; 279:5:359-364

6, Maksymowych AB et all Efficacy of Pyridoxal treatment in

controlling the growth of melanomas in cell cultures and an animal

pilot study. Anticancer Research 1993; 13: 1925-1938

7, Ornish, Dean et al J. Urol.. 2005; 174(3) 1065-9

8, Howenstine, James A. A Physicians Guide To Natural Health Products

That Work 2002 pg. 100-04 Penhurst Books Miami, Fl.

9, Rowen, Robert M.D. Second Opinion Vol XVI No. 11 November pg 1-3.

 

© 2006 Dr. James Howenstine -

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Dr. James A. Howenstine is a board certified specialist in internal

medicine who cared for office and hospital patients for 34 years. Four

years of research into natural health convinced him that natural

products are safer, more effective and generally less expensive than

pharmaceutical drugs. This research culminated in writing the book A

Physician's Guide To Natural Health Products That Work (328 pages) $17.95.

This book and recommended products can be obtained from

www.naturalheathtea m.com and by phoning 1-800-416-2806. Dr.

Howenstine can be reached at dr.jimhow (AT) gmail (DOT) com and by writing Dr.

James Howenstine C/O Remarsa USA SB 37, P.O. Box 25292, Miami, Fl.

33102-5292.

E-Mail: dr.jimhow (AT) gmail (DOT) com

[Guest guest]

I have known that sugar interferes with vitamin C for about a decade

now. But I never knew how/why.

 

I now wonder if the sugar cravings which humans have is a very old

sub-routine, back from before our ancestors lost the ability to

convert sugars to vitamin C. So we crave sugar because the body wants

vitamin C. Just an hypothesis. I sure have nothing to back it up.

 

Alobar

 

On 12/25/06, califpacific <califpacific wrote:

> D

> Sun, 24 Dec 2006 23:27:44 -0800 (PST)

> ASCORBIC ACID COMPETES WITH SUGAR IN THE IMMUNE SYSTEM

>

>

>

> http://www.newswithviews.com/Howenstine/james52.htm

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Wonderful article; I learned alot by reading; actually this is a

wonderful website; goes into detail of Co-Enzyme Q-10 and diseases.

diseases like Arthrits and Muscular Dystrophy. Thank you. PS

 

this is a true story: When I was 10 I was having continual nose-

bleeds. Mum took me to Doc. Doc. says I have Scurvy or a Lack of

Vitamin C Ascorbic Acid. I took the Vitamin C; the nosebleeds left.

 

It has been 40 years since I have had another nosebleed for no reason.

, Alobar

<Alobar wrote:

>

> I have known that sugar interferes with vitamin C for about a decade

> now. But I never knew how/why.

>

> I now wonder if the sugar cravings which humans have is a very old

> sub-routine, back from before our ancestors lost the ability to

> convert sugars to vitamin C. So we crave sugar because the body

wants

> vitamin C. Just an hypothesis. I sure have nothing to back it

up.

>

> Alobar