Homeopathic Restore for Adrenal Fatigue!

Homeopathic Restore10/6/13

[Note from Kari J. Kindem, CFHom]: I have treated many successful cases of adrenal fatigue in both women and men, with several remedies not listed in this article. There are many factors involved in selecting a constitutional remedy for someone with adrenal fatigue. An excellent book for understanding much more about Adrenal Fatigue is by Dr. James Wilson called “Adrenal Fatigue: 21st Century Stress Syndrome”.

http://drnancymalik.wordpress.com/2013/10/06/adrenal-fatigue/   Dr. Nancy Malik BHMS

A Guest Post by Dr. Neha Vijayakar (The Author)

Stress and Cortisol

STRESS

Stress (or distress) comes stealthily in our life and creates great havoc in our body and mind. For some, stress means combating everyday traffic to get to work, for others it signifies getting the kids ready in time for school. The worst part is that we accept stress so easily and nurture it so carefully that it takes days, weeks and many times, years to realize that this seemingly “temporary” condition has been responsible for the biggest health issues in our lives.

EFFECT OF STRESS ON ADRENAL GLANDS

Because Stress is so mean (and also extremely smart), it directly attacks that part of your system which monitors the harmony of our physiology- the Neuro-Endocrine Axis. To explain simply, your Hypothalamus and all the Endocrine Glands are at the mercy of its unforgiving ways [5].

To set the ball rolling, Stress makes its presence felt first in the two tiny, deceptively less-important glands called the Adrenals. The adrenal glands sit at the top of the kidneys. In Chinese medicine, adrenal glands and kidneys are considered as one unit. Problem with one affects the other. Adrenal glands are “stress supervisors“. They release anti-stress hormone like Cortisol and other hormones.  Cortisol suppresses the release of the body’s “feel good” hormone Serotonin, amplifying the anxiety and sometimes, also augmenting depression, as well as Melatonin, the hormone related to sleep. Adrenal glands are responsible for the “fright, fight & flight” response of our bodies. It is these glands which feel the maximum punch of nervous tension.

ADRENAL FATIGUE:

Adrenal fatigue is a collection of symptoms such as body ache, fatigue (not relieved by any means, not even by sleep), nervousness, sleeplessness and digestive problems. It is so because adrenal glands become underactive i.e. functions performed by adrenal glands are below the necessary level. It can be due to intense or prolong (chronic) stress or infection.

STAGES OF ADRENAL FATIGUE
I: ALARM
Response

• The adrenals get alerted about stressors and, in an initial bid, step up the secretion of Cortisol.
• Insulin-secreting cells of Pancreas also get affected resulting in fluctuations in blood sugar levels.
• THE BODY IS SUCCESSFUL IN COMPENSATING FOR THE INCREASED REQUIREMENT OF GLUCOSE

Reaction

• Craving for foods high in carbs and fats like burgers, pizza, donuts and aerated drinks having high sugar content.
• Insomnia and irritability sets in.

·        (Cause): Overcompensation by consuming external stimulants like coffee, (chocolate), alcohol and by smoking
II: RESISTANCE
Response

• If Stressors persist, the Adrenals begin to feel the strain of working overtime. This time, it is extremely difficult to compensate for the demand of cortisol.
• The thyroid glands start misbehaving.

·        In women, the ovaries begin to malfunction.
Reaction

<![if !supportLists]>·        <![endif]>Insomnia, difficulty in falling asleep and irritability set in rapidly intensifying stress.

<![if !supportLists]>·        <![endif]>Digestion is hampered.

<![if !supportLists]>·        <![endif]>Stamina takes a beating and sluggishness and weight gain begin to seep in.

<![if !supportLists]>·        <![endif]>Women suffer from menstrual irregularities and PMS.

<![if !supportLists]>·        <![endif]>Men suffer from mood swings.

III: EXHAUSTION (ADRENAL INSUFFICIENCY)

Response

• The Adrenals now start giving up as they bow further down to pressure. Cortisol levels start declining.
• The body, in a desperate bid for energy, starts breaking down its own muscles for protein.

Reaction

• The aim is now to survive using the body’s rapidly depleting resources.
• Blood pressure begins to fluctuate, digestion slows down and sexual drive diminishes.

HOMEOPATHIC RESTORATION

It is no wonder that Homeopathy works, with uncanny instinct, to restore this miserably imbalanced state of affairs. Because, what is needed here is cleaning right from the basic level and eradication of the problem from its core (origin).

It is fascinating to note that Adrenal Exhaustion relates the exact textbook picture of one particular homeopathic remedy called NUX VOMICA. Nux Vomica meticulously covers not only the insomnia, digestive disturbances and irritability of the condition, but also accounts for the inordinate craving for stimulants and piquant foods.

It is a matter of clinical deduction that Nux Vomica works to combat Stress and restore the optimum functioning of the Adrenals, and in turn the entire chain of Endocrine glands.

Remedies for adrenal fatigue includes Argenticum nitricum, Arsenicum Album, Gelsemium, Phosphorous, etc.

However, a word of caution. This does not mean that Nux Vomica or any other homeopathic medicine should be taken on a routine basis by anyone manifesting the symptoms of Adrenal Exhaustion/Fatigue. Homeopathy is a highly individualistic discipline of Medicine, with each individual calling for a different remedy based on a holistic constitutional make-up and calls for the skilled professional services of a qualified homeopathic physician for complete cure.

Other than that, one needs to get involved in yoga and meditation to get relieved of stress.

References:
1. Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine. 15th Edition.
2. Oxford Textbook of Medicine 
3. Introduction to Psychology 
4. Pocket Manual of Homoeopathic Materia Medica. William Boericke
5. Response to stress by adrenal hormones

Glutathione: This ONE Antioxidant Keeps All Other Antioxidants Performing at Peak Levels

Glutathione: This ONE Antioxidant Keeps All Other Antioxidants Performing at Peak Levels
April 10, 2010 

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/04/10/can-you-use-food-to-increase-glutathione-instead-of-supplements.aspx

By Dr. Mercola, & Ori Hofmekler

Glutathione is your body's most powerful antioxidant and has even been called "the master antioxidant." It is a tripeptide found inside every single cell in your body.
Antioxidants are crucial in eliminating free radicals from your body. Free radicals are basically very reactive particles that bounce all around the cell damaging everything they touch. Most originate during the process of metabolism but they can also arise from exposure to toxins, irradiation, and toxic metals.
Because free radicals are so destructive, cells have a network of defenses designed to neutralize them. This antioxidant network is composed of numerous components that include vitamins, minerals and special chemicals called thiols (glutathione and alpha-lipoic acid).
Glutathione is comprised of three amino acids: cysteine, glutamate, and glycine.
Glutathione is sometimes confused with glutamine and glutamate due to the similarity in names. Although all three molecules are related, they are different in composition and function. When you are healthy, the three are balanced and do a delicate dance within your body.
In a nutshell, this is the difference between the three:

1.      Glutamine: Your body's most abundant amino acid, made in your brain from glutamate; has a major role in various anti-injury processes and muscle repair; a precursor to glutathione.

2.      Glutathione (two types, GSH and GSSG): The "master antioxidant"—most powerful antioxidant in your body, present in every cell. Protects cells, and especially important for liver health; breaks down into free glutamate.

3.      Glutamate (aka glutamic acid or L-glutamate): Monopeptide amino acid neurotransmitter in your brain—required for synaptic activity. You don't want too much of it—it's an excitotoxin. (See also monosodium glutamate, or MSG)

Glutathione is different from other antioxidants in that it is intracellular. It has the unique ability of maximizing the activity of all the other antioxidants, including vitamins C and E, CoQ10,alpha lipoic acid, and the fresh veggies and fruits you (hopefully) eat every day. It removes toxins from your cells and protects you from the damaging effects of radiation, chemicals, and environmental pollutants.
You might think that a miracle molecule such as glutathione might be a good thing to put into supplement form. As usual, science loses to nature when it comes to optimizing this health-promoting little gem.
There is currently a great deal of hype about glutathione supplementation, highly popularized as a "miracle" means to boost health, prevent disease and fight aging.
Let's separate some of the facts from the myths about how glutathione works and look at the right way to build your body's glutathione reserves.

How Glutathione Works

The main function of glutathione is to protect your cells and mitochondria from oxidative and peroxidative damage. As you age, your body's ability to produce glutathione decreases.
Glutathione isn't just an endogenous antioxidant--it is also an essential factor in energy utilization, detoxification, and preventing the diseases we associate with aging. Glutathione deficiency has been linked to:

·        Age-related diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's

·        Coronary and autoimmune diseases

·        Arthritis, asthma and other inflammatory conditions

·        Cancer

·        Mitochondrial dysfunction

·        Muscle weakness and fatigue

Synthesis of glutathione depends upon adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is the molecule that provides cellular energy. It follows that glutathione levels are linked to energy deficiency, or low ATP.
This is a major reason why exercise is so beneficial for your overall health—among other things, it boosts your glutathione levels!
If you can enhance internal glutathione production, you will strengthen your immune system in a way that will shield you from many of the adverse effects of aging.

Do Glutathione Supplements Work?

Your body is quite poor at getting glutathione from your digestive system into your blood. Most oral glutathione supplements have been shown to be poorly absorbed and a waste of your hard-earned money.
There has been some success with intravenous glutathione supplementation, but this is certainly not practical and very expensive and should be reserved for extreme situations. Glutathione supplementation can help people with immunodeficiency but only to a certain degree, and only temporarily—kind of like recharging a dead battery.
Ironically, glutathione supplements may actually interfere with your body's own glutathione production.
The human body is programmed to self-produce its own antioxidant enzymes such as glutathione and SOD (superoxide dismutase, the first antioxidant mobilized by your cells for defense). And synthetic supplementation of these compounds actually signal your body to stop its own production – which leaves you dependent on synthetic substances (supplements or drugs).
Glutathione levels can be enhanced somewhat by taking supplements such as alpha lipoic acid, which is known to regenerate glutathione. Alpha lipoic acid also helps to regenerate vitamins C and E so that they remain active longer in your body. Red meat and organ meats are the best dietary source of alpha lipoic acid.
Glutamine can be used as a supplement since it's a direct precursor to glutathione. However, there is quite a bit of evidence it is poorly absorbed.
There is also evidence that vitamin D increases intracellular glutathione. Unless you are a newcomer to my website, you know that I am an enthusiastic fan of vitamin D, and this is yet one more reason it's so important for your health.
Some nutritional authorities recommend taking a form of cysteine known as N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC), but I would advise against using this supplement if you still have mercury amalgam fillings because it could interfere with detoxification of the mercury.
Fortunately, there are natural ways to boost your body's glutathione reserves.
Vitamins and supplements have their uses but are always less desirable than nutrients in their natural form, obtained from the foods you eat. What has been proven beyond a doubt is that whole food based diets--rich in vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and quality protein--promote health and longevity.

What Foods Promote the Highest Glutathione Levels?

Many whole foods contain significant amounts of glutathione or its precursors. Foods richest in sulfur-containing amino acids are usually the best sources of glutathione:

·        The overall top food for maximizing your glutathione is high quality whey protein. It must be cold pressed whey protein derived from grass fed cows, and free of hormones, chemicals and sugar.
Quality whey provides all the key amino acids for glutathione production (cysteine, glycine and glutamate) and contains a unique cysteine residue (glutamylcysteine) that is highly bioactive in its affinity for converting to glutathione.

Glutamylcysteine is a bonded cysteine molecule (cysteine plus glutamate) that naturally occurs in Bovine Serum Albumin – a fragile immune component of the whey. This unique cysteine is exclusive to whey and rarely appears in other protein foods – which makes whey protein the best glutathione-promoting food source.

Furthermore, whey provides critical co-factors, immunoglobulins, lactoferrin and alpha Lactalbumin (also a great source of cysteine), which together help create the right metabolic environment for high glutathione activity.

·        Raw milk products, raw eggs and meat: Glutathione occurs in the highest levels in fresh, uncooked meats and raw milk, but is almost entirely absent in pasteurized dairy products.

·        Fresh fruits and vegetables provide excellent glutathione, but once cooked, values become negligible. Spinach, potatoes, asparagus, avocado, squash, okra, cauliflower, broccoli, walnuts, garlic and tomatoes have the highest glutathione per serving.

·        The herb milk thistle is an excellent source of the antioxidant compound silymarin, which may help to prevent glutathione depletion in the liver. Glutathione is crucial in the liver for detoxification and can become depleted from acetaminophen (Tylenol), alcohol consumption, and general toxic overload.

·        Curcumin may also be useful for increasing glutathione levels.

Keeping your glutathione levels up is a matter of increasing factors that boost your glutathione and decreasing factors that lower it. The things that deplete your glutathione the fastest are chemicals, toxins and sugar.

The Right Whey

If you want to supplement your diet with whey protein products, you have to be careful because not all whey protein products are created equal. Supermarket and nutrition store shelves are lined with protein powder choices, 99 percent of which are loaded with sugar and chemicals that don't support your health goal.
If you're going to supplement, you should only use a high quality whey protein that provides all the necessary nutritional elements for NATURALLY boosting glutathione and also preventing its decline.
Be sure your whey protein supplement has the following features:

1.      The whey comes from grass-fed cows that are not treated with pesticides or hormones

2.      Cold processed, since heat destroys whey's fragile molecular structure

3.      Whey protein concentrate, not protein isolates

4.      Sweetened naturally, not artificially, and low in carbohydrates

5.      Highly digestible—look for medium chain fatty acids (MCTs), not long chain fatty acids

References

·        Bounous G. Whey protein concentrate (WPC) and glutathione modulation in cancer treatment. Anticancer Res. 2000 Nov-Dec;20(6C):4785-92.

·        Bounous G., Gold P. 1991. The biological activity of undenatured dietary whey proteins: role of glutathione. Clin Invest Med. Aug;14(4):296-309.

·        Dickinson D., Iles K., Zhang K., Blank V., and Forman H. (2003) Curcumin alters EpRE and AP-1 binding complexes and elevates glutamate-cysteine ligase gene expression. J FASEB 17, 472.

·        Donnini D., Zambito A.M., Perrella G; Ambesi-Impiombato F.S., Curcio F. Glucose may induce cell death through a free radical-mediated mechanism.Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 219(2):412-7 1996 Feb 15.

·        El-Hawary Z., El-Hawary M.F.S., Morcus S.R. 1977. Blood glucose, glutathione, and total keto-acids levels in alloxan-diabetic rats. Zeitschrift für Ernährungswissenschaft 16(4): 227-230.

·        Fidelus R.K., Tsan M.F. Glutathione and lymphocyte activation: a function of aging and auto-immune disease. Immunology. 1987 61:503-508.

·        Glutathione. 

·        Glutathione White Paper. Richard Van Konynenburg, PhD. 

·        Herbert F.K., Cotonio Bourne M., Groen J. 1930. The effect of glutathione on the determination of blood-sugar. Department of Chemical Pathology, St. Bartholomew's Hospital, London.

·        Higashi T., Tateshi N., Naruse A., Sakamoto Y. (1977) A novel physiological role of liver glutathione as a reservoir of L-cystein. J Biochem. 82, 117.

·        Huh K., Kwon T.H., Kim J.S., Park J.M. Role of the hepatic xanthine oxidase in thyroid dysfunction: effect of thyroid hormones in oxidative stress in rat liver. Arch Pharm Res; 21(3):236-40 Jun 1998.

·        Loven D., Schedl H., Wilson H., Daabees T.T., Stegink L.D., Diekus M., Oberley L. Effect of insulin and oral glutathione on glutathione levels and superoxide dismutase activities in organs of rats with streptozocin-induced diabetes. 

·        Meister A. (1983) Selective modification of glutathione metabolism. Science.220, 472.

·        Meredith M.J., Reed D.J. (1983) Depletion in vitro of mitochondrial glutathione in rat hepatocytes and enhancement of lipid peroxidation by adriamycin and 1,3Bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosaurea (BCNU). Biochem Pharmacol. 32, 1383.

·        Powell L.A., Warpeha K.M., Xu W., Walker B., Trimble E.R. High glucose decreases intracellular glutathione concentrations and upregulates inducible nitric oxide synthase gene expression in intestinal epithelial cells. Journal of Molecular Endocrinology. December 1, 2004 33:797-803.

·        Seymen, O., Seven A., Candan G., Yigit G., Hatemi S., Hatemi H. The effect of iron supplementation on GSH levels, GSH-Px, and SOD activities of erythrocytes in L-thyroxine administration. Acta Med Okayama. 51(3):129-33 1997 Jun.

·        Stohs S.J., Lawson T., Al-Turk W.A. (1984) Changes in glutathione and glutathione metabolizing enzymes erythrocytes and lymphocytes of mice as a function of age. Gen Pharmacol. 15, 267.

·        Tsan M.F., Danis E.H., Del Vecchio P.J., Rosano C.B. (1985) Enhancement of intracellular glutathione protects endothelial cells against oxidative damage. Biochem Biophys. Res. Commun. 127, 270.

·        Wellner V.P., Anderson M.E., Puri R.N., Jensen G.L., Meister A. (1982) Radioprotection by glutathione ester: transport of glutathione ester in human lymphoid cells and fibroblasts. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 81, 4732.

Vitamin D reduces need for antibiotics in seniors, according to new trial

Posted on October 15, 2013 by Brant Cebulla

A new randomized controlled trial out of Australia suggests that vitamin D reduces the need for antibiotics.
Research to date on vitamin D’s role in the immune system and fighting infection has primarily focused on viral infections. A few small trials have found a reduction in influenza incidence and a reduction in general upper respiratory tract infections for those who took vitamin D compared to those who took placebo.
For bacterial infections, there have been a few trails looking at vitamin D’s effect on tuberculosis, with mixed results. There have also been a few trials looking at vitamin D’s effect on the need for antibiotic use, but the trials have been few and small, although they have shown some promising results.
In the present study, researchers wanted to fill this gap in research and examine vitamin D’s effect on the need for antibiotic use. They wanted to know, if people take vitamin D supplements, does it reduce their need for antibiotics? If yes, this would suggest that vitamin D does have a hand in fighting bacterial infections.
Researchers enrolled 644 people into their study. They randomly assigned one-third of them to take a placebo pill, one-third to take 30,000 IU and one-third to take 60,000 IU once per month for a year.
The researchers measured vitamin D levels at baseline and at the end of study. They kept track of antibiotic use by using Australia’s national administrative health data, so the participants didn’t have to self-report.
At the end of the trial, here is what they found:

• Seventy-five percent of patients were deficient in vitamin D at baseline (level under 20 ng/ml). Mean vitamin D levels in the 30,000 IU group increased from 16.8 ng/ml at baseline to 25.6 ng/ml over the year. Mean vitamin D levels in the 60,000 IU group increased from 16.8 ng/ml at baseline to 31.2 ng/ml. Placebo levels remained the same, with a level around 17 ng/ml.
• People in the 60,000 IU group had a nonsignificant lower risk of having at least one antibiotic prescribed compared to people taking placebo (RR: 0.72; 95% CI: 0.48, 1.07; P = 0.10). The 30,000 IU group also had a nonsignificant lower risk of having at least one antibiotic prescribed, although the association was even weaker (RR: 0.84; 95% CI: 0.57, 1.25; P = 0.40), which makes sense since it was a lower dose.
• When the researchers stratified their results based on age and only looked at seniors over 70 years old, they observed a significantly lower risk of having at least one antibiotic prescribed compared to people taking placebo (RR: 0.53; 95% CI: 0.32, 0.90; P = 0.02). They could not find a statistically significant relationship for younger age brackets.

The researchers concluded,
“Our results lend some support to the hypothesis that vitamin D supplementation might reduce the need for antibiotics, particularly in people aged over 70 years old. Because this was a post hoc analysis and quite possibly because of chance, the results suggest that future trials of vitamin D with antibiotic use or common infections as key outcomes are warranted.”
Prior to looking at the data, the researchers hypothesized that vitamin D would be most beneficial to seniors because of the known progressive decline of immune function as you age. And that’s exactly what they found: vitamin D was of almost exclusive benefit to seniors in protecting against need for antibiotics.
Future research should examine this topic using a larger dose of vitamin D and if possible, a larger population, to try and elucidate the antibiotic effects of vitamin D across all age groups.
Source
Tran B et al. Effect of vitamin D supplementation on antibiotic use; a randomized controlled trial. AJCN, 2013

Vitamin D deficiency prevalent among people with Parkinson's disease, new study says

Vitamin D deficiency prevalent among people with Parkinson’s disease, new study says

Researchers out of Harvard have found that those with Parkinson’s disease are more likely to have vitamin D deficiency compared to healthy adults.
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a debilitating disease that effects the body’s central nervous system. It gets worse over time, and people with PD often develop tremors, rigidness in movement and poor postural stability.
There are an estimated seven million worldwide and one million in the United States living with PD. Sixty thousand new cases are diagnosed each year in the United States alone.
Vitamin D is important for people with PD, as proper vitamin D intake can reduce falls and fractures, a common and serious concern for patients with PD.
In this recent study, researchers looked at 388 patients with PD and 283 control subjects from the Harvard Biomarker Study. While they measured many things, one of the things they measured were vitamin D levels.
They found that nearly 18% of those with PD were deficient in vitamin D compared to 9% of the control group.
Furthermore, the researchers found a correlation between vitamin D levels and severity of disease. Those with the lowest levels of vitamin D were in more severe stages of PD. This association was stronger among males.
One limitation of the study was that only patients from the Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital were sampled. Researchers note that future studies should examine minority populations who may be at a greater risk for deficiency.
The study concluded by saying, “These data suggest that patients with PD should be included among the categories of individuals at high risk of vitamin D deficiency who warrant…vitamin D treatment.”

Source
Ding, H. et. al. Unrecognized vitamin D3 deficiency is common in Parkinson disease. American Academy of Neurology, 2013.

Do Vaccines Cause Autism?

Please watch this important short 5 minute video!http://canaryparty.net/index.php/the-news/129-the-canary-partys-new-viral-video-do-vaccines-cause-autism

The Canary Party presents a video on the corrupt Vaccine Injury Compensation Program to show how the federal government and pharmaceutical companies continue to get away with claiming that vaccines don't cause autism in the face of mounting evidence that they are doing just that in a growing number of children.

Do Vaccines Cause Autism?

In the last 30 years, the childhood vaccine schedule has tripled —while the US autism rate has skyrocketed from 1 in 10,000 to 1 in FIFTY. Dozens of published research papers show that YES, vaccines and autism are linked. 

Yet the “debate” rages on in part, because of the 1986 National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act—passed by Congress as a result of pharmaceutical lobbying.  It shields drug companies from liability for injuries and deaths caused by the vaccines they manufacture… vaccines that the federal government admits are “unavoidably unsafe.” 

To see how this tilted the law in big pharma’s favor, let’s look at Eric, a child suffering from vaccine-induced autism.

Had Eric been harmed by a pharmaceutical product other than vaccines, his parents could sue the manufacturer in civil court, entitling them to the standard legal process with a judge, jury, private attorneys, legal precedent and discovery, all within public view.

But for kids like Eric, the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act says NO.

Instead of suing the pharmaceutical company directly, parents of children like Eric are forced to “petition” the Department of Health and Human Services and, if federal health officials oppose compensation, the case is argued before a special master in the U.S. Claims Court.  Many refer to this as "vaccine court”—though it isn’t a court at all, but rather an "administrative procedure" in which the family asks the government to admit the vaccine caused their child harm, and requests compensation for the child’s care.

Here are some shocking facts about the so-called “vaccine court”:

1.      Pharmaceutical companies do not have to participate in the proceedings at all.  Taxpayers pay for all damages.

2.      The US Department of Justice acts as the government’s lawyer—with taxpayers footing the bill for their defense.

3.      The family's attorney is paid out of the Trust Fund, administered by the Department of Health and Human Services, which has a history of punishing plaintiff’s lawyers by slashing their fees and waiting a decade or more to pay them, leaving some families without any legal representation.

4.      There’s no required discovery process—so potentially incriminating documents stay hidden in the hands of vaccine manufacturers.

5.      Most hearings are off limits: No public, no reporters.

6.      There’s no judge or jury—a special master appointed by the U.S. Court of Federal Claims both presides over the hearings, and issues the rulings, which can limit the chance of an objective verdict

7.      Legal precedent is limited, so the program issues contradictory rulings. In the case of Bailey Banks, a special master ruled the boy's autism was "caused-in-fact" by the MMR vaccine. Yet in later cases, special masters  ruled that vaccines do not cause autism, even though federal compensation has been awarded in at least 83 cases with autism.

Almost unbelievably, the Department of Health and Human Services actually owns vaccine patents. When these vaccines are purchased, HHS profits.

In the words of Eric’s mom, “Government attorneys defend a government program using government-funded science, decided by federal bureaucrats trying to keep their government jobs.  Kids like Eric NEVER had a chance.” 

The passing of the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act prompted manufacturers to ramp up development of new vaccines, furiously lobbying the CDC to add their new shots to the "recommended schedule."

As a result, a baby today receives more vaccinations by six months than her mother did by the time she graduated high school.

Amazingly, neither HHS nor Congress has ever reviewed the potentially devastating health effects this vaccination surge has had on our children. Today over half of US kids suffer from chronic disease and disability.

At a November 2012 Congressional autism hearing, CDC officials failed to cite even one study backing up vaccine safety claims.

Congress is now planning federal hearings to further investigate the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. 

The next round of hearings begins in November of 2013. If you’re outraged by the staggering miscarriage of justice exposed in this video, please visit CanaryParty.org now, and register for our mailing list.  Find out how YOU can help hold our government accountable for vaccine safety and bring about justice for our vaccine-injured children.

http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/blog/how-does-vitamin-d-work-in-multiple-sclerosis/

How does vitamin D work in multiple sclerosis?

Posted on October 2, 2013 by Rebecca Oshiro

A reader recently asked, after noticing a plethora of articles on vitamin D and multiple sclerosis (MS), how does vitamin D actually work in this condition? Yes, we see it’s probably important for MS, but why? How does it work? The Vitamin D Council asked me to write on this topic, which I systematically reviewed just this past March.

To start, I’d like to note that while it appears that vitamin D and sunlight play a strong role in preventing the development of (MS), researchers are still trying to pinpoint exactly how it works. Researchers may discover that vitamin D is essential for preventing MS without fully understanding the mechanisms.

MS is an autoimmune condition where the body’s immune system attacks the nerves in the brain and spinal cord. In 1974, Goldberg was the first to suggest a link between vitamin D and MS. He noted that MS was much more common in areas with less sun and proposed that the resulting low vitamin D levels of people in these areas interfered with their ability to properly form nerve cells.

In 1986, Goldberg performed a very small study in which he supplemented MS patients with 5,000 IU of vitamin D per day by giving them cod liver oil. The patients also received magnesium and calcium. There was no placebo group, but those receiving the vitamins had a significantly lower rate of relapses than before treatment.
Since Goldberg’s work, a large amount of research continues to link low sun exposure and vitamin D levels with MS. Several recent clinical trials have yielded promising results, but they include too few people to make solid conclusions about the role of vitamin D in preventing and treating multiple sclerosis.

But just what are the proposed mechanisms for how vitamin D might treat and prevent MS?

The majority of the research linking vitamin D and MS is actually research studying the link between the amount of sun exposure people get and whether or not they develop MS. Because people that report being in the sun more have less risk of developing MS, and because most people get their vitamin D by exposing their bare skin to sunlight, it is assumed that vitamin D is primarily responsible for this protective effect, though we need more research to say for sure.

As mentioned above, multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease where the body’s own immune system attacks insulating sheaths of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. The result is the body has a hard time communicating with itself. Vitamin D and sunlight – if effective – probably work by smartening the immune system and decreasing inflammation.

Sunlight contains ultraviolet (UV) A and B radiation. UV radiation affects the immune system, making it less inflammatory and less likely to attack other cells of the body. A handful of animal studies show that UVB radiation alone, without any significant vitamin D production, suppresses the symptoms of MS.

Many cells of the immune system have vitamin D receptors and activate vitamin D for their own use. In laboratory studies, when immune cells are exposed to active vitamin D, they become less inflammatory and decrease the amount of antibodies they produce. These changes might mean that the immune system can function more normally and not attack other areas of the body, like the brain and spinal cord.

Cells throughout the brain and spinal cord also have vitamin D receptors. In studies where very large doses of vitamin D are given, the type of nerve cell break down usually seen in MS patients is significantly reduced. Thus it appears that vitamin D works somehow by promoting normal nerve cell development and protecting the cells from attack by an immune system gone awry.

Lastly, researchers are looking at differences in genes that encode for the enzymes that make and break down vitamin D. This could mean inheriting certain genes increases your risk for developing MS because your ability to make and maintain levels of activated vitamin D is altered. The HLA-DRB1*1501 gene is most strongly associated with multiple sclerosis, and in vitro studies show that vitamin D regulates how it expresses itself.

The link between vitamin D deficiency and MS is one of the most exciting areas in vitamin D research, and researchers are scrambling to learn more about the role vitamin D can play in the prevention and treatment of MS. We should have a better idea of just how it is vitamin D works to prevent MS from developing and a better understanding of how much oral vitamin D people with MS should take to treat their condition in the next 5 years or so.

Sources
Goldberg, P. Multiple sclerosis: vitamin D and calcium as environmental determinants of prevalence (A viewpoint) part 1: sunlight, dietary factors and epidemiology. Intern. J. Environmental Studies. 1974;6(1)19-27.
Goldberg P, Fleming MC, Picard EH. Multiple sclerosis: decreased relapse rate through dietary supplementation with calcium, magnesium and vitamin D. Med Hypotheses. 1986;21(2):193-200.
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About Melatonin, The Sleep Hormone

About Melatonin, The Sleep Hormone

Have you heard this adage: "I am backwards; I wake up sleepy and go to bed wide awake"? As we age, sleep seems to become a precious commodity.

Much of our ability to sleep is initiated by melatonin, also known as the sleep hormone. Melatonin is produced by the pineal gland in the brain. Light inhibits the production of melatonin. Sleep and darkness are required in order to activate the pineal gland.

Artificial light and length of day also play a part in the production of melatonin, as does exercise and electromagnetic energy. This is why it is suggested when sleeping, one should be in a completely dark room without noise. Melatonin levels are higher in childhood than in adulthood. This is why as we age our sleep is easily disrupted. Disrupted sleep and too much light causes the decrease of melatonin which also affects our immune systems as we age. Those that work over night and sleep during the day tend to have poorer immune systems for this reason.

Melatonin is a powerful antioxidant. When our body cells use oxygen, they naturally produce free radicals (by-products) which can cause damage. Antioxidants act as "free radical scavengers" and hence prevent and repair damage done by these free radicals. Antioxidants also suppress tumors. Low levels of melatonin can not only lead to breast and cervical cancers in women but can cause chronic fatigue and brain fogginess.

Remember, homeopathic care can help your body naturally adjust and correct hormone levels and optimize the detoxification process, which positively impacts brain and immune system function.