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Methylation cycle and B vitamins

Tuesday, April 12th, 2011

Some of you know already that specific B vitamins (B6, B12 and folate) are involved in the metabolism of homocysteine and that deficiency in these vital vitamins leads to atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. We rectified the misunderstanding about cholesterol causing the above conditions and showed how important biological molecule it is; at the end of the day it is not the causing agent of heart disease but a healing substance the body needs dearly. The blessings with B vitamins do not end with atherosclerosis though. Surely it shows how critical these vitamins are for the body but this is just one aspect of the multi functionality of the three angels. Many debilitating syndromes have been associated with deficiencies in B6, B12 and folate; more than you can imagine and completely varied. This is because they are involved in a group of omnipresent and super essential biochemical reactions that are known collectively as methylation process. Our 3 B vitamins act as co-factors in these reactions; in their absence the system does not work efficiently or not at all, depends on the level of deficiency we are talking about.

But what is methylation anyway? Without going into much technical detail I will give a simplified explanation. When a molecule is methylated, this means that a methyl group is added to it; a methyl group is a tiny extra molecule itself, imagine it a small tail that it is attached to a ball (the bigger molecule) when methylation occurs. The new chemical structure gives new properties to our big molecule which is now methylated. Usually methylation results in activating the original molecule. So, if we have a big molecule A for example and it is totally inactive by itself, then a little methyl group will transform it into its active version. Methylated A is now ready to fulfill its biochemical destiny in our body. When its mission is over, the methyl group will be removed from the molecule A and it will return into its inactive state until its services are needed again.

 

 

All these reactions (i.e. adding a methyl group to a molecule or removing it) happen in the human body with the help of enzymes, so in order for all the methylation to take place in time the enzymes must be fully functional and ready to perform their task. This is where the B vitamins come; they help the enzymes stay functional. The good thing with enzymes is that they only help the reactions happen, they do not really get involved in the reaction itself, so their quantities are not diminished or altered in any way; in fact they are regenerated after every cycle. The only thing they need is their helpers, the B vitamins, to keep them fit and ready to facilitate another cycle of biochemical reactions.

Well, this is the mystery of methylation, it doesn’t sound that exotic when you understand what it really isJ. It is very simple indeed; don’t let peculiar chemistry names confuse you.  The juice of the methylation is that this simple reaction has been found to activate all sorts of very important molecules in the human body. In fact methylation has been found to regulate gene expression, DNA repair, detoxification (remember the detoxification of homocysteine for atherosclerosis???), regulation of protein function, hormone release and so many more; the list is very long… People of all ages and backgrounds need to have their methylation system in prime condition; it is fundamental for our biology.  The only way to ensure that is by having your B6, B12 and folate vitamins storage super charged constantly. Research in China has shown that expectant mothers that did not include enough B vitamins in their diets (especially during the first trimester of the pregnancy) gave particularly often birth to babies with a birth defect called spina bifida or myelomeningocele. This can only prove to you how important B vitamins are and how essential biochemical systems in the body will consistently fail if these vitamins are not present in the required quantities.

As this is the first part of this topic I will close this post by insisting on the fact that our diet plays a massive role in the shape, health levels and fitness of our bodies. Food is powerful information for your cells and DNA , not just calories. Even in cases with people being genetically predisposed to certain conditions, diet will be the determining factor of whether the condition will manifest or not. B vitamins are just an example of just how basic these processes are.

 

 

 

 

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Dr Bieler – Food is Your Best Medicine

Friday, April 8th, 2011

 

During my research I found some very unique individuals who realized that food can act as a powerful healing agent, most of them after years of experience in the medical profession. So, here I would like to present Dr Bieler, an experienced doctor who found himself consistently at odds with the American Medical Association because he insisted that drugs are harmful and advised his patients to follow a therapeutic diet.

Dr Bieler graduated from the Ohio- Miami Medical School in 1916. He suffered severe asthma attacks which worsened as time passed by. While in Medical School none of his professors was able to help him handle or cure his disease, until he met Professor Agustin Levinson. Professor Levinson traveled and gave lectures about healing dietary habits; he advised Bieler to undergo a therapeutic diet to treat his problem with asthma. To Dr Bieler’s surprise asthma was treated and he started to use Levinson’s formula and principles first for himself and gradually for his patients. Dr Bieler concluded that the human body has its own powerful inherent healing mechanisms and that disease can be cured through proper nutrition. He realized that wrong lifestyle choices, toxic diet and synthetic drugs (which had started to be very popular by that time, i.e. the pharmaceutical companies had already gained a lot of power in influencing the mainstream medical practice) were the root cause for most diseases that people suffered from. Dr Bieler was very successful in treating patients from various backgrounds and with very diverse syndromes / symptoms. He had many famous patients such as Greta Garbo, Anthony Quinn, Gloria Swanson and many more. Probably his most comprehensive book is the “Food is Your Best Medicine” which was published in 1965. This is a small paperback book which you can buy very cheap in amazon or in a second hand book shop.

It is very impressive to see doctors who reached the same conclusions as we are now, without them having any of the state of the art facilities or research material that we do. In fact, there is no need for all these, if we simply keep an open mind and are ready to accept the truth even if it contradicts “common sense”. I am not a doctor myself so maybe it was a bit easier for me to adopt a new paradigm about my health but this is not the case for a doctor who has spent many years training and studying this very same medical science he will eventually oppose. I can only convey feelings of gratitude and awe when I find a doctor who has the courage and true sense of responsibility to accept and then support such an alternative medical model that obviously works better for public health.

Dr Bieler created the famous now Bieler Broth which advised his patients to consume every day. It is a super easy broth to make and has astonishing results. The basic concept of this broth, as with many alternative therapies, is that it restores the pH of the body.  The human body reaches its prime condition when pH is alkaline. Most of the modern foods and snacks we love today result in the body’s pH to become too acidic. According to Dr Bieler this is one of the basic reasons why we get sick and I can verify here that this is totally true. One of the first lessons in undergraduate Cell Biology is that the healthy cell’s pH is alkaline; the moment that the cellular pH balance is lost, a whole set of abnormal events take place, it’s like a chain reaction. Wrong pH in the cell means that the proteins and enzymes inside the cell cannot function as they are supposed to or they lose their functionality completely. The cellular biochemical balance is tightly regulated as it is a major factor that determines the condition and state of the cell. Of course it takes years of unhealthy dietary habits for a major devastating disease to establish in the body. By restoring the pH of the body is one the simplest and most efficient ways to reverse disease. Dr Bieler did not take any classes on Cell biology in Medical School so he had to come to this conclusion after years of experience; this makes his wisdom a million times more valuable.

 

Bieler’s Broth Recipe

1 pound string beans, ends snipped

6 medium zucchini (green), ends cut off

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 bunches parsley (cut stems, optional)

Several sprigs of tarragon or thyme, tied together

250 ml filtered water.

 

Put all ingredients in a large pot, add water, don’t freak out that it doesn’t seem like anywhere near enough water, bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about half an hour. Take out the tarragon/thyme, pour into a blender (or use a hand-held blender if you have one of those) and puree everything into a thick soup.

 

 

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Radiation exposure/Poisoning and Therapy (Part 2)

Sunday, March 20th, 2011

In this part I want to focus on the foods that can make a massive difference in the way the body responds in the case of radiation exposure. You will find that many parts are common with the heavy metal detoxification articles (Mercury Poisoning Detox, Charcoal) and the reason is that radiation exposure is an acute form of poisoning and like any other poisoning it must be eliminated. The mechanisms are more or less the same but in this case the most powerful agents are recruited to facilitate the process and alleviate the body. I have a list of the most important 10 foods/ supplements you must know about with some basic info about each. Needless to say that wherever possible you should use purified water for cooking, making teas etc if you are in doubt about the contamination levels of the local water supply.

  1. Glutathione

One of the most significant antioxidant agents the human body produces, glutathione is a major player when it comes to protecting the body from literally all sorts of toxic stuff. As you know from my previous article it is made of 3 amino acids, therefore in order to get your body to produce as much glutathione as possible you must eat plenty of good quality protein; that is free range meat, poultry and wild fish. Excellent source of concentrated protein is bioactive whey protein, a very unique and powerful product that I have described extensively in a special article. It provides very good quality of protein isolated from milk (so not suitable for vegans) and gives your body the best shot for glutathione production; if you can get hold of this product, definitely use it.  If you are a vegan / vegetarian try to combine 2, 3 or more sprouted grains or beans in your meals. Don’t bother taking glutathione supplements; high quality protein is by far the most efficient and practical way to help your body to produce it. Another very important element for the successful production of functional glutathione is the consumption of sulfur rich vegetables such as the Brassica family. Famous for the sulfur they contain, these vegetables support the liver in specific detoxification reactions to bind toxic metals and convert them to harmless derivatives which will be flush out of the system in the urine. Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, swede, turnips, kale, cress, collards and Bok choi. Onion and garlic are also rich in sulfur.

2.Sea vegetables and Miso soup.

You must have heard of the survivors of Nagasaki…. They were seaweed eaters! At the time of the atomic bombing during World War II, Dr. Tatsuichiro Akizuki was the Director of the Department of Internal Medicine at St. Francis’s Hospital in Nagasaki. His staff and patients followed a strict diet of brown rice, miso and tamari soy soup, local seaweed, Hokkaido pumpkin, and natural sea salt. Also, he prohibited the consumption of sugar and sweets since they suppress the immune system. No one succumbed to radiation poisoning, whereas the occupants of hospitals located much further away from the blast incident suffered severe radiation fatalities.

Research since 1968 in the McGill University in Montreal, Canada (Dr Stanley Skoryna) has shown that sea vegetables have the polysaccharide sodium alginate which selectively binds radioactive particles of strontium and escorts them out of the body. Sodium alginate also binds with other metal pollutants such as excess barium, cadmium and zinc. Another potent radioprotective agent found in kelps in Russia is the polysaccharide U-Fucoidan.

Finally sea vegetables are extremely rich in vital minerals. If you remember from the previous article the potassium iodite and its potent ability to protect the thyroid from absorbing radiation, you will be happy to know that all sea vegetables are very rich in iodine and provide support to your thyroid gland. The natural iodine found in seaweed prevents the absorption of the isotope iodine -131, which is one of the radiation particles. The iron found in seaweed prevents the uptake of two other isotopes plutonium 238 and 239 while zinc and sulfur block the absorption of zinc -65 and sulfur 35 respectively.

Miso soup has also been found to contain radioprotective ingredients that bind heavy metals and radioactive isotopes like strontium. Miso soup can be found in most good health food stores and in Asian markets. If you cannot tolerate what or barley, try miso with rice.

3. Activated charcoal

Potent detoxification agent to be consumed with water or juice. It mysteriously binds an impressive number of heavily toxic compounds and escorts them out of the body. Check the Charcoal article for detailed info. In case of radiation exposures don’t hesitate to double the dose recommended in the article.

4. B vitamins

Since you will be taking loads of protein, make sure you are able to metabolize them properly. Vitamins B6, B12 and folate are crucial for supporting the various metabolic pathways in your liver. Check the articles for cholesterol and the role of B vitamins in protein metabolism for more info. Also bear in mind that B vitamins have significant anti-cancer properties which are very important in the radiation case because a common disease caused by radiation is cancer in its most aggressive forms. B vitamins participate in many protective cellular reactions that guard the stability of the DNA and the regulation of the cell cycle. Finally B12 has been shown to prevent the uptake of the isotope cobalt 60.

5. Omega 3-6-9

Very important antioxidant and anti-aging agents. Fish oils have a direct healing effect in the cellular DNA, protecting it from damages and oxidation.

6. Spirulina and chlorella

Spirulina has been successfully administered in Minsk, Russia to treat children exposed to radioactive compounds. The children who took spirulina were found to have stronger immune system, higher counts of white blood cells and significantly lower radiation levels than the untreated group. Also chlorella is a well known immune booster which also has the ability to bind toxic heavy metals. Israeli researchers have used chlorella to normalize the blood chemistry of children exposed to radiation in Chernobyl.

7. Magnesium

No matter what happens magnesium can play a major role in detoxifying your body. It is part of so many biochemical pathways and reactions in the body and it can give a massive boost in whatever you try to get rid of. Read the comprehensive article on magnesium to find all the info about the dose and the biologically active forms of magnesium you should obtain.

8. Milk thistle.

A mighty supporter of the liver, it can help when the body is under such intense detoxification as in the case of radiation exposure.

9. Green tea, rosemary tea

Drink these healing teas to facilitate your body flush away all the toxic radioactive particles that the mighty detoxifiers above manage to bind and deactivate.

 

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Radiation exposure/Poisoning and Prevention (Part 1)

Monday, March 14th, 2011

The world is literally frozen after the triple disaster in Japan: massive earthquake, then huge tsunami and in the end nuclear danger knocking again on the doors of the planet. We cannot undo the first two but we can certainly hope and pray for the latter to disappear as a potential future. Nevertheless there is some radiation leakage in certain areas near the nuclear reactors so I wanted to give some information about the whole radiation poisoning thing and how we could handle such a sad eventuality if we need to.

First of all, how can you know if you have been affected by radiation? The first signs of exposure are nausea and vomiting. Depending on the dose the condition will deteriorate fast or slower. Fatigue, loss of appetite and seizures are the next set of signs to look for. Higher exposures affect directly the bone marrow leading to low counts of white blood cells and subsequently to weak immune system responses. Also, low red blood cell counts are expected leading to reduced amount of oxygen delivered to the body. The intestinal wall gradually loses its functionality hence gastrointestinal dysfunctions are very common.

Think you are experiencing the above symptoms? This is what you do asap:

1. Don’t apply ointments to radiation burns – These will hold in radioactive particles. Soap and water are best to remove them. Dress any burn and do not change the dressing frequently.

2. Leave irradiated area – Continued exposure is much more harmful that one-time exposure. Going indoors, or getting away from the irradiated area sounds simple, but it reduces exposure.

3. Take off and discard affected clothing – Removing these eliminates about 90 percent of radioactive particles.

In general, radiation exposure is a very acute form of poisoning affecting multiple systems of the body. Radiation consists of specific radioactive particles; remember many particles have radioactive and non radioactive varieties; the ones released in a case of radiation leak are the radioactive types. We are mainly talking about radioactive iodine, cesium, plutonium, americium and curium. In the case of Japan the danger is primarily radioactive cesium and iodine. Our goal, upon exposure, is to prevent these particles to be taken in by our cells because if that happens then radiation will cause the maximum possible damage in your DNA. Hard core detoxification regimes should be followed in order to support the body to flush this sophisticated poison out and it can definitely be done. Don’t forget that after the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs, there were certain groups of people that survived the massive radiation contamination with minimal or no damages while most of the population suffered extensive damage even in areas miles away from the bomb sites.

All the radioactive iodine in the air will naturally fill your thyroid; we must not let this happen. A very effective way to protect your thyroid gland is potassium iodite or potassium iodate tablets; with these tablets you fill in your thyroid with non radioactive iodine so that it won’t absorb any of the radioactive kind. It is mostly effective when taken prior to exposure and protects up to 24 hours. The standard dose is a 130 mg tablet. The body will eliminate the excess of radioactive iodine through the urine. This prevents about 99% of the damage you would get otherwise.  As I said, these tablets block the absorption of radiation by the thyroid but do not offer any protection for other parts of the body. Also, any damage that has been done already cannot be undone by potassium iodite tablets; it is for prevention of damage. Beware that these tablets are to be taken in emergencies only and not as a supplement; do not take them unless radiation exposure were imminent. Potassium iodide is a concentrated, isolated nutrient combination that should only be used in serious emergencies and never for casual use; it has potential side effects. Due to the fear of a major radiation incident at the moment, these specific tablets are running out extremely fast, especially in the States. If you manage to get hold of a quantity for yourself and loved ones keep it safe until you really need it.

Potassium Iodite side effects

In the unfortunate event of radioactive exposure you should take a vigorous bath to wash away any traces of radioactive chemical from your skin. Be particularly careful with open wounds you would have in your skin as they are potential entry points for the radiation into the body. A chelation agent should be used to wash and scrub them to prevent the radioactive chemical from entering the body. From a medical point of view, chelation agents are used to bind certain heavy metals and other toxic compounds and in cases of poisoning as well.  The most commonly used medical chelation agent is EDTA; another very powerful option is chlorophyll, the green stuff in the leaves of the plants.  Niacin flushes and curative hot water baths help by clearing any radioactive fragments that cling to the skin. A short cool shower after a hot bath helps in removing toxic material out of the skin. Epsom Salt bath, Clorox bath and Baking soda bath are some simple home remedies for a radiation exposure detox.

In the next part, I will be discussing the dietary detoxification option to best support, protect and heal the body from the effects of radiation.

 

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Bioactive Whey protein

Monday, January 10th, 2011

 

glutathione production

A different whey protein for everyone

Most of us get the picture of bodybuilders or annoyingly fit people in our minds when we think about whey protein. Here I want to talk about a different kind of whey protein which can be used by everyone, athletes included. I talked about bioactive whey protein in my article about glutathione. This specific whey protein is a great booster for the production of glutathione something that glutathione supplements cannot guarantee or produce. Let me remind you that maintaining high glutathione levels in your body is a synonym of solid health, vitality and exceptional physical and mental performance. Not many people know about what bioactive whey protein is and why it is such a unique product. I very rarely recommend something so specific to my readers but believe me this is state of the art; you don’t want to miss out.

For a start do not confuse bioactive whey protein with the whey protein that athletes and body builders take. The former is am ultra high quality product stemming from years of extensive scientific research and multiple clinical trials, the production of which alone requires 69 registered production patents, international  (64) and in the USA (5). The latter is whey protein coming from milk using traditional pasteurizing and heating up methods which destroy the structural integrity of the milk proteins; the result is this powder that is rich in fragmented protein, a great general source of protein but cannot possibly induce other responses than supporting the recovering muscles of the athletes.

Now, as I said the production process of bioactive whey protein requires 69 patents. It is the product of research of the Canadian company called Immunotec and the specific product is called Immunocal. It is a great investment that took 10 million dollars and 18 years of research to be perfected. It has undergone multiple phases of clinical trials which have all confirmed that it increases serum and tissue glutathione levels, and is validated by extensive research which you will find at the end of the article for your own reference. Now, bioactive whey protein is highly concentrated milk serum isolate which is high in protein (90% protein by weight) and is lactose-free, carbohydrate and sugar-free, and fat-free. Bioactive whey protein shares many of the same immune promoting and enhancing properties of Mother’s milk.. Bioactive Whey Protein is not a prescription drug, but a powerful and unique patented un-denatured and highly bio-active whey protein dietary supplement that is loaded with glutathione precursors. It is the only non-prescription dietary supplement to appear in the year 2000 through 2005 Physician’s Desk Reference (PDR) for Prescription Drugs, although it is available without prescription! It has its own NDC (National Drug Control) number, and is reimbursable under Medicaid, Medicare, and by private insurance in many states.

Bioactive protein has a particular stimulating effect upon the immune system that is not the case with other whey proteins. The secret here is that bioactive whey has been shown to not only increase intracellular levels of glutathione following ingestion, but also significantly builds up the stores of this substance and its precursors inside the cells. This beneficial effect lasts for considerable periods of time after consumption.  This special properties has to do with the concentrations of 3 bioactive and thermolabile (easily damaged by heat) proteins that are contained in the milk serum: serum albumin, alpha lactalbumin and lactoferrin. Since these compounds are thermo sensitive and can be damaged by heat (in excess of 140 degrees F) or excessive mechanical agitation, bioactive whey protein must not be cooked, heated, or placed in a steel-bladed blender. Therefore, in order to preserve the bioactivity of its serum albumin, α -lactalbumin and lactoferrin, bioactive whey protein has not been exposed to standard high-temperature pasteurization. Rather, it has been bio-filtered to remove bacteria, and subjected to patent-process low-temperature purification procedures to ensure its safety and purity.

As you can see we are talking about a state of the art product here. I cannot recommend it highly enough, it is truly amazing.

References

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=immunocal

 

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Glutathione: The Master Antioxidant

Wednesday, December 8th, 2010

antioxidants

 

 

This master is small, really tiny in size… glutathione is a biological molecule made of just three amino acids bound together cysteine, glycine and glutamine. It is considered to be the single most important molecule to help you maintain health and vitality, prevent aging, cancer, dementia, chronic fatigue, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, Alzheimer’s  and more diseases. I know that it probably looks as an exaggerated list but I am hardly scratching the surface here. There are about 100,000 scientific publications available proving the impressive qualities of glutathione, yet many people haven’t heard of it and even worse are seriously deficient in it. Doctors practicing functional medicine (the medicine that treats the causes behind the symptoms) confirm that their sickest patients are all deficient in glutathione and this is not an accident or coincidence at all.

Glutathione basically deactivates all toxins and free radicals that can cause cellular damage. Cysteine, one of the amino acids it consists of, is rich in sulfur which is the secret for this extraordinary detoxifying ability. Literally all the bad stuff stick to glutathione, are deactivated and eliminated. The good thing with glutathione is that it is recycled internally and in general the body aims for high levels of fully functional glutathione so that any toxins or free radicals have no time at all to cause damage. The problems start when there is an overload of toxins in our environment or food, too much stress etc, glutathione levels are depleted leaving the body unprotected. This is when chronic disease hits; toxins and cellular damage are accumulated and so do various pathological conditions. Glutathione has been proved to be critical for the immune system to work properly and fight off infections as well as inflammation. Glutathione is the master detoxifier and the major antioxidant that keeps many other systems in our body functional and in prime condition. The truth is that at the moment we are living in a world that about 80,000 toxins exist, electromagnetic radiation is everywhere, our lakes, rivers and seas are polluted and these facts create inevitably a very heavy toxic load for our bodies to handle. It is therefore critical to be able to produce and maintain a high level of glutathione in order to stay healthy and in optimal condition, mentally and physically.

The human body produces its own glutathione so basically the only thing we need to do is provide it with the building blocks. For a start we need protein; the dietary protein is broken down to amino acids in the gut, which are absorbed and used to make glutathione among other thousands of proteins of course. Protein can come from high quality free range meat, fish, poultry and eggs. Also a super protein recommendation from my favorite doctor that practices functional medicine, Dr Mark Hyman, is bioactive whey protein, a great source of cysteine and glutathione building blocks. In this case, the whey protein must be bioactive, must be made from non denatured proteins (i.e. proteins that are not broken down or have altered their structure) and non pasteurized and non industrially produced milk (therefore its clean of toxins, pesticides, hormones and antibiotics to begin with).

Then, it is crucial to eat veggies that contain sulfur as it is an important component of functional glutathione. Here you have many options indeed: broccoli, cauliflower, garlic, onion, Brussels sprouts, kale, water cress, collard, swede, turnips and many more. Also, you need certain micronutrients to support glutathione production such as zinc and selenium which can be easily covered by your multivitamin supplement which (I hope) you takeJ.  Speaking about vitamins, I need to insist that you make sure you take enough B vitamins daily; especially B6, B12 and folate (folic acid). These 3 vitamins are major players in regenerating glutathione. They are critical parts of many super important biochemical pathways in the liver and believe me you will be doing yourself a big favor if you took these vitamins religiously. As you saw in the article about atherosclerosis, deficiency of these vitamins can have lethal effects.

Finally, glutathione levels are boosted by mild exercise. I’m not talking about becoming a super athlete but simply incorporating in you weekly schedule 3 sessions of 30 mins of exercise.

If you search online for glutathione you will also find many supplements; DO NOT take them. They have absolutely no effect in raising the levels of the glutathione in your body. Research showed that even when patients were given orally mega doses of glutathione, there was not any significant or measurable effect on the levels in the body. The supplements are broken down in the gut that’s why there is no point in taking them. Also don’t forget that glutathione production requires the synergistic effect of several factors: protein, sulfur rich foods, zinc, selenium and B vitamins.

Glutathione, the master antioxidant

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Charcoal Miracle

Saturday, October 9th, 2010

I have been reading a lot about medicinal charcoal lately and I must say I am simply amazed at this little forgotten miracle. It seems that activated charcoal acts as a powerful absorbent of toxins and poisons. Science cannot properly explain this ability so far; in a way it remains a mystery of nature, but the results are nothing less than extraordinary. What scientists believe is that the charcoal particles have a particularly complex surface comprising of a network of crevices, tunnels and cracks that increase impressively the total surface of each grain; a 1 cm cube unfolds to a thousand square meters! It is believed that this structural characteristic of charcoal is what gives it the ability to absorb toxins and poisons; molecules like that get trapped and are held in the mysterious network on the surface of charcoal grains by electrostatic forces, capillary action and probably more types of unknown interactions. It is considered completely safe though and all hospitals use it for acute cases of poisoning of any kind; it is even given to pregnant women! It can be used both externally and internally. It is truly a universal first aid available for all of us.

But what is charcoal anyway? Definitely not a drug or mineral; minerals are inorganic. In some cases it is listed as food supplement but this is totally wrong since it is completely inert and indigestible, at least by humans. In a sense, charcoal is a class of its own as there are other substances or compounds to classify it with. Basically, when wood burns, there is often not enough oxygen to allow for complete combustion. Water evaporates and the carbon of the wood is converted to the black charcoal material left after a camp fire is over. Medicinal charcoal, is converted to fine powder first and then undergoes one extra step of activation, where it is subjected to steam or air at high temperatures. This increases its ability to absorb toxins and poisons. This activation protocol erodes the surface of the grains even more thus creating an even more complex superficial landscape, hence the enhanced ability to absorb bad stuff!

For treating external infections or wounds you basically mix 1-2 tablespoons of charcoal powder with the necessary amount of water to make a paste. Spread this paste on a piece of cloth, place and fix (with plasters etc) on the affected area. A thin plastic film will lock in the moisture and speed up the process. If you refresh with a new quantity of charcoal paste every 6-8 hours, you can ensure the best possible results.

When it comes to internal uses, most people take charcoal for different kinds of digestive disorders like upset stomach or diarrhea. Certainly charcoal can act super fast to relieve the above or related conditions since it naturally absorbs gases and toxins. The truth is that charcoal can be used for hundreds of poisons like arsenic, mercury, pesticides, strychnine, warfarin etc. It is also effectively used for detoxification in drugs overdose cases (barbiturates, Prozac, aspirin, cocaine, morphine, opium, paracetamol etc). Activated charcoal is recommended by the Poison Control of America, including the Animal Poison Control Center. As mentioned above, activated charcoal is used in hospitals and clinics around the world mainly for the poisoning and drug overdose cases but it is also widely used in hemoperfusion cartridges, kidney and liver dialysis units, breast cancer surgery, wound dressings and indeed many cases, to ensure a toxin free environment.

The magnificence of charcoal does not stop in human or animal body though. Activated charcoal products are efficiently used to clean the air from bad odors, purify water, deodorize garbage containers and pet areas; it is like a magical substance which is able to absorb all the bad stuff out there, solid or gases, no matter where they are. ..

There are 2 books I really want to recommend about charcoal

  1. Charcoal Remedies. com, the complete Handbook of Medicinal Charcoal and its Applications by John Dinsley
  2. Activated Charcoal: Antidote, Remedy and First aid by David O. Cooney

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    Mercury Poisoning (Part 2)

    Friday, August 6th, 2010

    So, given that there is a certain level of mercury poisoning, what can we do to eliminate it? Detoxifying your body from mercury is a process that will take some time, most probably a few months. During this time you need to support your body and provide it with all the nutrients it needs so that it can restore its balance again. Detoxifying your body involves basically three major organs / systems: Digestive tract, Liver and Kidneys. General points to be careful of before and during your Detox are the following:

    • Drink loads of water and green tea so that you flush mercury out of your body. Your urine needs to be clear.
    • You need to pay a visit to the toilet daily otherwise you will reabsorb the mercury being excreted through your gut. If in doubt or difficulty do try magnesium citrate capsules (1-2 capsules, about 150 mg), milled flax seed (added in porridge, smoothies or soups)
    • In order for your body to fully respond to your Detox diet and all the effort you are doing with this it is imperative to be sure that your digestive system is in a very good condition. You need to get the maximum absorbance in the powerful nutrients you will be eating as well as the vitamins and minerals. If you have any suspicions for food allergies / intolerances you need to check this out first, rebalance your gut and then proceed with the Detox process.
    • Apparently the kidneys and liver will also do a big part of the detoxification as well so you need to make sure that these systems are healthy and fully functioning. By no means should you try to Detox if there are indications that there is a problem with these valuable organs.

    DMSA or DMPS Challenge

    DMSA and DMPS are substances that bind mercury and literally pull it out of the body through. This is not done in one go of course but over a series of sessions. Although there is some controversy about this method, experienced doctors practicing Functional Medicine have seen magnificent results with their patients. Most terrifying info on the internet about DMPS or DMSA is coming from practitioners who are not trained to do them or patients having experiences with such doctors. DMPS is not FDA (Food and Drugs Administration) approved (it is available in Europe) so people in the States will have to go for the DMSA instead. The difference is that DMPS can pull out a lot more mercury out of the body than DMSA. This challenge is also used as a test, to determine the levels of mercury in the body. The protocol is quite simple; you orally (DMSA) or intravenously (DMPS) take one of the two agents in the morning and then collect the urine for a certain amount of hours. The mercury bound is in the urine and this gives a very good measurement of the levels of the heavy metal in the body. DMSA removes more mercury so it gives a better indication. These tests are usually done after you have replaced your amalgam fillings with harmless ones.

    DMSA: It must be taken at a dose of 30 mg/kg for this test. The protocol is as follows: One 100 to 250 mg pill of DMSA orally three times a day before meals, for 3 days. Then stop for 11 days. Do this for 6 months. You need to recheck your level of mercury through the challenge test after the 6 months period to monitor your progress.

    DMPS: Take 500 mg of DMPS in one dose in the morning, after emptying your bladder, followed by a 6-hour urine collection.

    Below you can find more info on these protocols.

    http://www.medical-library.net/content/view/227/41/

    http://www.neuraltherapy.com/DMPSChallenge.pdf

    Your best chances on working properly with the above tests / protocols are to be done in conjunction with a doctor that is familiar or even better practices functional medicine. You can check this website to find a practitioner: http://www.functionalmedicine.org

    Removal of amalgam fillings

    One of the first things you can do is replace the mercury fillings with more neutral ones. For this you need to find a dentist trained to do it as it is not an ordinary procedure at all. If handled in the wrong way, the mercury in the fillings can literally poison you in much worst way than it would if you just let them be. You need to search for a biological dentist as they are the right people to do this. They will do a thorough evaluation of your fillings and proceed with a careful plan to replace them with harmless ones. You can find a certified practitioner in this website: http://www.iaomt.org/

    Body detoxification

    In order to promote and support your natural detoxification mechanisms that your body possesses you need to include as much as you can of the following foods / supplements in your diet.

    Activated Charcoal: a potent substance that absorbs toxins is medicinal activated charcoal. This is a very fine powder that every hospital has it in the ER section. 1 gr can absorb enough toxins to fill the square footage of four tennis courts. If you are serious about detoxing your body of decades of daily exposure to heavy metals and poisons you need to follow this simple regime for 1-2 weeks.

    • 20-30 grams of activated charcoal per day – prefer the loose powder, not capsules.
    • Divide the above quantity in smaller doses
    • Mix with water or other liquid (e.g. smoothies, juices etc)
    • You can find medicinal activated charcoal in health food shops.

    Vitamins: There are certain vitamins that you will need to supplement yourself with as they are really important here. These are B9, B12, B6, C and E. They all contribute to multiple detoxification pathways in the body. Ideally you will take a good multivitamin supplement which will provide you with the minerals (especially Selenium and Zinc) you need as well.

    Glutathione: This is a tiny little protein that our body makes that is a super major player in every Detox process. You need to provide your body with plenty of protein to ensure that there are available all the raw materials for producing glutathione. Go for organic free range meat and wild fish, beans and free range eggs (if you can tolerate them). Also for functional glutathione you need the mineral selenium which can be found in ample quantities in Brazil nuts or you can take a supplement (55 -200 micrograms per day) if it is not covered by your multivitamin formula. Finally you need to eat as many of the following: kale, broccoli, collards, garlic and onions, as they contain sulfur which a key element in glutathione metabolism and functionality.

    Herbs: very powerful that can support your Detox plan are the following: milk thistle, cilantro, chlorella and garlic. These little gems help your liver get rid of heavy metals and all sorts of toxins. Believe me you liver needs all the help it can get when you get into such an important phase.

    Chlorella Chlorella is algae.   C. Pyreneidosa is the form with the best metal absorbing properties. Most people can tolerate high doses of it with great success. Take 1 gram with breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You can increase the dose to up to 3 grams 3 to 4 times a day.
    Garlic Use fresh, freeze-dried, or aged garlic for best results. It contains a bioactive form of selenium, which is a potent mercury detoxifier. Start with one capsule or one clove and slowly increase to three capsules or cloves after each meal.
    Cilantro Cilantro is a kitchen herb and one of the best detoxifiers for your central nervous system. It mobilizes so much mercury; it can’t always carry it out of the body fast enough. So use it in combination with chlorella. Eat organic cilantro, make a pesto, tea, or buy a tincture. Take 2 drops 2 times a day before meals or 30 minutes after taking chlorella.  Increase to dose to up to 10 drops three times a day.

    Sauna: Many toxic poisons are excreted through sweating and this is true for mercury as well. You need to have as many as you can per week, ideally every day. Make sure you drink a lot of water and your multivitamin supplement will provide you with minerals lost while sweating.

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    Selenium: a magical mineral and super medicine

    Friday, July 23rd, 2010

    Well, selenium is without a doubt a very important trace element that most people simply ignore. It has been found to be a powerful antioxidant with significant anti-cancer and antiviral properties. It dramatically lowers the risk for many types of cancer like prostate, lung and colon cancer. It really looks like it prevents damaged DNA from duplicating thus it stops the cancer at the earliest possible stage; it blocks the development of tumors.  Selenium binds with the amino acid called cysteine (and forms selenocysteine) in the body and subsequently is incorporated in proteins – the so called selenoproteins.  These proteins are very important because they are recruited upon infection or any situation that can potentially cause biochemical and oxidative shock / imbalance in our body.  High selenium levels have been consistently been correlated with low incident of Hepatitis B and C as well as infections of virus Coxsackie B3, all very common and potentially dangerous viral infections.

    Also, selenocysteine is one of the three amino acids that form the tripeptide glutathione peroxidase (the other two being glutamine and tryptophan). Glutathione is one of the most powerful antioxidants our body produces and is commonly used as a reliable marker for our capability to handle oxidative stress. Glutathione can suppress, on the molecular level, the activity of enzymes that viruses use to replicate and infect an organism.  One of the first things a virus does the moment it enters a body is to inactivate the defenses this body has to block its replication. This astounding finding has been demonstrated in the case of HIV /AIDS patients. HIV infection is monitored by watching over the levels of selenium and CD4 cells (specialized cells of the immune system); as the disease advances, these two go down. Both selenium and CD4 are successfully used as independent predictors of mortality.  According to professor Dr Harold Foster (University of Victoria in Canada) HIV first depresses the levels of selenium, which then triggers a fall in the CD4 levels too; the ability of the immune system to defend the body from the infection is severely compromised. The same doctor treats patients in Africa using a dietary supplementation method consisting of high doses of four nutrients: selenium, cysteine, tryptophan and glutamine. In this way it provides all the necessary raw materials for the body to produce its own glutathione. Miraculously, symptoms of AIDS dissolve, as a result of this regime and even patients in advanced stages are able to resume their everyday lives within a month. I don’t know about you but I think that this is great news for a disease that is considered to be lethal and irreversible. Apparently it is not strange that Senegal displays the lowest AIDS rates in comparison to any other country in Africa. The reason is that Senegal has soil really rich in selenium, so the people there naturally get massive amounts of this valuable trace element just by feeding with locally grown fruits and vegetables.

    So, how can we get more selenium?? Certain foods are naturally rich in this element.

    Food Micrograms (μg)
    Brazil nuts (1 ounce) 544
    Tuna (3 ounces) 63
    Beef cooked (3 ½ ounces) 35
    Cod cooked (3 ounces) 32
    Turkey  roasted(3 ½ ounces) 32
    Chicken breast roasted (3 ½ ounces) 20
    Egg whole(1 medium) 14
    2% Low fat Cottage Cheese (1/2 cup) 12
    Oatmeal cooked (1 cup) 12
    Brown Rice cooked (1/2 cup) 10
    Walnuts (1 ounce) 5

    The optimal daily intake of selenium is 50 – 200 micrograms (μg) and that is if you are not deficient in it. There are also selenium supplements if you find it hard for any dietary reason to take in enough of it.

    Essential online reading

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      Mercury poisoning: How it happens & what are the symptoms (Part 1)

      Tuesday, July 20th, 2010

       

      In this article I will be analyzing the very important topic of mercury poisoning. It is an issue of massive importance for public health because first of all it has been correlated with many devastating and life threatening diseases/conditions and second most cases of this poisoning go undetected as few doctors are trained to recognize the symptoms and request the relevant tests. In this part I am going to explain what this element is, how we can get poisoned and what the symptoms are. My next post will focus on the treatments to detoxify your body, safe nutritional options and practices to protect yourself and loved ones.

      Mercury is an element found naturally in our environment. It is found in the earth’s crust in abundance. Humans cannot process mercury at all, create it or destroy it. There are 3 forms of mercury: elemental or metallic mercury (known as quicksilver), inorganic mercury compounds and organic mercury compounds. Elemental mercury and its compounds are toxic and upon exposure to excessive levels the brain and kidneys can be permanently damaged or fatally injured. Elemental mercury can also be absorbed through the skin and cause allergic reactions. Ingestion of inorganic mercury compounds can have severe impact in the kidneys and gastrointestinal tract. Organic mercury compounds are considered the most toxic forms of this element. Exposures to even very small amounts of them can result in devastating neurological damage and death. People in general respond quite differently in mercury poisoning and this is related with several factors such as the overall quantity of the element accumulated, how it entered the body (different forms), the duration of exposure as well as the detoxification ability of the body (which in turn depends on several genetic factors but mainly on proper diet). When coal or other fossil fuels are being burned, mercury pollution is released in the air.  Mercury particles in the air eventually settle into waterways or onto land where it can be washed into water. Once deposited, certain bacteria metabolize it and transform it into methyl mercury, a highly toxic form that accumulates in fish, shellfish and finally in animals that eat fish. Fish and shellfish are the main sources of methyl mercury exposure to humans.

      Mercury poisoning can cause a wide variety of symptoms because this type of poisoning causes systemic problems. This means that it doesn’t just affect one part, rather than every system of the body; it literally seeps every tissue and every organ in the body. For a start it crosses the brain (not many substances can do that) and affects the nervous system. From there, a downward spiral begins with the manifestation of many diverse symptoms like headaches, vertigo, tiredness, anxiety, restlessness, lack of concentration/attention, slow reflexes or you can even develop numbness and tingling. Also mercury weakens the immune system so it is a matter of time before more diseases occur; many scientists associate mercury poisoning with autoimmune diseases such as Crohn’s disease, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.

      The list of symptoms does not stop here I’m afraid though. Mercury affects the cardiovascular and respiratory system big time. Related symptoms may include weak pulse, blood pressure changes, chest pain, asthma, feeling of pressure in the chest area and difficulty in breathing. Especially in children and babies, mercury poisoning has been associated with the development of autism, ADHD (Attention Deficiency Hyperactivity Disroder) and other infants’ unexplained behavioral syndromes (all of neurological nature, no wonder…!).

      Exposure to mercury is quite easy these days. First of all mercury coming from environmental pollution,  accumulates in fish muscle tissues, thus reaching a concentration about  a million times more than the levels found in the water itself. Some fish seem to be more prone to accumulating mercury in their tissues than others and this depends heavily on whether they are fresh water or sea species, the size of the fish itself, how long they live (the longer the greatest the exposure) as well as what they eat. As a general rule the bigger the fish, the larger the amount of mercury found in the tissues. Therefore fish like shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish have been found to be number 1 in mercury concentrations. Also albacore tuna (canned or steaks), lobster and sea bass were found to have a lot more mercury than the amount allowed for humans.

      Mercury is used as 50% of the contents of amalgam dental fillings. This is a serious source of mercury poisoning indeed as it keeps on “feeding” the body on a consistent basis with small amount of this poison for years. Many people have found miraculous relief after they removed their fillings and substituted them with alternative, non – mercury types. Also, cosmetics can be another source of poisoning. In the States a company produced a beauty cream with an ingredient called “calomel” in the formula. “Calomel” is mercurous chloride (HgCl2). This specific product had mercury levels approximately 10%. Also in Germany there were reports of serious mercury poisoning cases due to hair bleaching products. Finally mercury spills (from broken thermometers, laboratories, some light bulbs etc) can be a very serious source of contamination because metallic mercury evaporates when exposed to air. The air in a room can reach critical mercury concentrations just by the mercury of one thermometer.

      Article on mercury fillings HERE

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