Dietary Therapy for a Weakened Middle Burner
by Don Richard Paladin
April 22, 2000
In the early 1980's I began my journey into investigation of alternative healing. One of my healing practitioners, a Westerner, with training in Eastern therapies recommended, Prince Wen Hui's Cook (1) by Bob Flaws. Unfortunately this practitioner's diagnostic skills were not fined tuned. He had been trained in taking pulses, a method used in the Chinese system of differential diagnosis. My pattern was one in which the energy in my lungs and heart was in excess. He assumed that my metabolism was in excess and that I needed to lower it. He recommended diet to lower my metabolism not realizing that my problem was a "deficiency" disorder for which I needed support of my spleen-pancreas/stomach organ system. One of the most essential elements of differential diagnosis in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is correctly determining the energy dynamics pattern of the person to be treated.
I went to many alternative practitioners who simply made things worse because of their lack of comprehension of differential diagnosis. It took me more than ten years of reading and rereading books on TCM before I could grasp the basic elements of this view from another culture. I have an above average understanding of the BASICS of TCM for an American but I am not at an expert level. I would highly recommend that if anyone so choose to use a TCM dietary approach to aid in their healing that they seek a consultation from a naturopath or doctor of Oriental Medicine trained in differential diagnosis. In this page I focus upon a deficiency of the middle burner (spleen/stomach), cold syndrome. I know that the whole body system must be considered.
Below are some basics of TCM and diet for those who may seek to use a protocol to help restore their weakened spleen-pancreas/stomach organ system. Please be aware that if your ROOT organ system is not a weakened spleen-pancreas-stomach organ system, then this dietary approach will not help in your healing and may actually make you worse. I only present and share this information with no claims that it may be beneficial to you.
TCM BASICS - (with a focus on Middle Burner Deficiency)
1.According to Chinese medicine, health and longevity are a product of our inherent constitution or inherited vigor and our moment to moment interaction with the universe. (2)
Said another way, both the environment and our genetic
predisposition work together to impact the quality of our health.
An important feature of Chinese cosmology not directly obvious in
the above statement is impact of the dynamic nature of time
upon the growth and development of all of us.
The Chinese healer looks for the pattern of disharmony during his differential diagnosis. He understands that part of that disharmony may be caused by our inherited nature. When I went for diagnosis and treatment with Dr. Henry Lu in Vancouver, Canada in 1987, he told me that I had a weakened middle burner or spleen-pancreas-stomach organ system. He did this by taking my pulse, asking questions, and seeing a cleft or crack on the middle of my tongue about half an inch from the tip. I was later to learn from my readings that my middle burner would be the root cause of my chronic illness. When I showed several individuals the cleft in my tongue and told them how it reflected a disorder of a weakened spleen-pancreas-stomach organ system, their response was similar. One an M.D. and the other an Asian waitress at my favorite Chinese restaurant both said the same thing, "You were probably born with that "crack" in your tongue."
It was a teaching opportunity for me. "Yes, I said. I was. It reflects an inherited weakness in my organ system." Then I explained the concept of inherited constitution of Chinese cosmology to them. I also explained that I needed to balance my weakness with those "elements" and their analogues that complement my weak system. That is what I will attempt to do on this page with my diet, which is only one of the eight healing practices of Traditional Chinese Medicine. [The others are massage, acupuncture, geomancy, Chi Gong and Tai Chi, moxibustion, astrology, and Herbology.]
For illness in which weakness in digestion is a primary
factor, then diet is the most critical path to rebalance and
better health.
2. In preventive dietary therapy, as in all life-arts, moderation is the key. (3)
It is wise to start slowly altering ones diet. The first step is
recognizing the most problematic foods and removing them. The
ones remaining should be nourishing and complementing the
weakness of your system. If one has weak energy, then add those
foods that increase energy. This can be tricky because where
there is an imbalance both excess energy and deficiency can exist.
For those with an over active upper burner (heart and lungs), one
can have lots of energy clustered in our upper organ systems but
be very weak in our lower organ systems.
When I first started Eastern Healing treatments, some of the practitioners focused upon the heat in my lungs and heart and tried to prescribe diets that "cooled" me down. This only fed more greatly into the strong cold imbalance [lower metabolism] I already had. My lungs and heart may have had lots of energy but the rest of me became like an ice cube. What they also did not understand was that many pungent foods that will rise energy up will also stimulate the cortex of the adrenals and cause an increase in cortisol production. Trying to cool my heart and lung energy would not get at the root problem, the lack of warm energy from the middle triad (e.g., kidney medulla) of my spleen-pancreas and kidneys.
We don't want to repress the fire in our bodies when the overall pattern is one of deficient energy in the lower parts of our body. We want to move it down (yang energy actually flows down the body in the Chinese cosmology) to the lower organs. We do this by using treatments that warm the middle burner and stimulate the fire of the kidney medulla.
What I later learned after years of reading and researching the Chinese healing practices informally was that our kidney medullas are responsible for heating the body.
Remember the concept of the ENERGY DYNAMICS OF THE WHOLE IS
REFLECTED IN ALL THE PARTS. I will come back to that. Right now .
. . just be concerned with systematically and gradually changing
your diet so that you nurture your "root organ" system
with the correct foods.
3. If the Middle Burner Fire [stomach/spleen-pancreas] becomes weak it will draw on the Lower Burner or Primordial Fire [kidney medulla energy]. This "Little Fire" supports the "Big Fire" or Mind. If the Essences becomes depleted, the Heart/Mind will become agitated and disordered. This in turn will further impair the digestive functioning leading to a vicious circle of depletion. Therefore, the Qi or Middle Burner Fire is called the Root of Postnatal Life. (4)
The essential point here is that the source of all warming energy
is to be found in the MIDDLE element of the body's sub-parts. The
source of energy that keeps us healthy is found in the middle of
the kidneys and the middle of the body in the spleen-pancreas-stomach
system. The kidneys are said to control the fire or energy of the
mind. When there becomes an imbalance of the MIDDLE, all the
organ systems can become dramatically impacted. This is not an
easy concept to explain briefly. It is important because it helps
one understand the relationship between the psychological
problems with their root cause in the Central Nervous System and
the imbalance caused by a weakened digestive system that must
nurture and create energy for the whole body.
The pattern of the weakened middle triad is repeated throughout the whole body system in all the parts. In my case it was the weakened bottom two triads that lacked proper energy flow. I had an overactive, head, cortex, heart, adrenal cortex, etc., all parts of the upper triads. Excess in the upper triad produced analogue biochemicals that fed into the imbalance. For example, the source of body heat from my kidney system should have been produced by a strong kidney medulla. Instead, my adrenal cortex most easily produced higher levels of cortisol that actually cooled my body down even more then needed..The kidney medulla was the middle triad of the kidney organ system. Although I have no lab results for my brain chemicals as I do from an adrenal panel lab test, I could extrapolate that my brain cortex is probably highly active but both my middle brain and brain stem are, relatively speaking, underactive. The solution for me then is to find foods that will stimulate biochemical analogues to nourish my central nervous system and lower brain - and my digestive system. - and my kidney medulla - all the parts of the body organs systems.
How can I extrapolate this information from all my diagnoses?
It is simple. I know that the ENERGY DYNAMICS OF THE WHOLE IS
REFLECTED IN ALL THE PARTS. A healer trained in TCM can look at
my tongue and see the energy dynamics of my whole body system or
feel my pulses and discover the energy dynamics of my whole body.
If you think of three levels of the triad as a simple musical
scale, then each organ system would resonate energetically with
the same note much in the same way that two "c" keys an
octave apart will resonate. When talking about the body we are
talking about both energy and biochemicals. The easiest way to
get the biochemicals the body needs to sustain itself is from
food. If we give the body the wrong foods, we feed into the wrong
pattern.
4 Preventively it therefore of utmost importance to maintain the vigor of the Middle Burner Fire and this is done mostly through diet. (5)
The correct diet is basic to ALL health. If you don't understand
and believe that then you have not heard of many relationships
between diet and health. To maintain our health we need to
strengthen the MIDDLE fire of our bodies if it is weak. We do
this by selecting the right foods to complement our energy needs.
5. The basic methodology of Chinese medicine is heteropathy. A treatment
is selected which will balance or cancel an imbalance or syndrome.
Excesses are dispersed, Deficiencies tonified. Hot problems are cooled off,
Cold problems are warmed up. (6)
As mentioned above this approach can be tricky. One must first
know which organ is the root cause of the illness. My heart and
lung energy were in excess but it did not respond to the
treatment to disperse them and cool them down. That was because
the real problem was the incredible weakness of the middle burner
which is responsible for vital energy (post natal chi) extracted
from foods. My body was not effectively getting energy that it
needed to support and control other organ systems. This is why it
is important that someone correctly diagnose a patient's energy
pattern. If the over all pattern is a COLD SYNDROME which I have
had, then the approach would be to tonify (nourish) the root
cause or weakened organ system with food and herbs . . . and
other treatments.
6. Although each patient is unique, over two thousand years of Chinese clinical practice succeeded in delineating a number of syndromes of patterns of disharmony. (7)
This simply says there are patterns within groups of individuals
that respond to similar treatment. If one has a particular
pattern of disharmony as recognized by differential diagnosis,
one should respond to the basic approach and protocol for
treating this pattern. The trick becomes knowing which patterns
respond to which treatment protocol. It helps to have someone who
has a good grasp of differential diagnosis and patterns of
disharmony doing your treatment.
7. Based on such an energetic diagnosis, the next step for the practitioner is to clearly state the appropriate therapeutic principles. (8)
Once you have been through a bonafide diagnostic process, the
next step is for the practitioner to create the appropriate
treatment. This process is much different from a Western
diagnosis but is amazingly valuable complementary information for
healing.
8. First law of Therapeutics, be sure to first eliminate foods that will aggravate the condition. After this is accomplished, add foods that will benefit the condition. (9)
Yes, the first step is getting rid of those foods that are a
problem. If you get bloated from wheat and have abdominal
distress, get rid of it. In my case, I loved the taste of wheat
products. It was not until several years after getting laboratory
diagnostic information that I had gluten intolerance that I
removed the wheat and other gluten grains completely from my diet.
It was from reading the research related to heart disease and
diabetes that I realized that wheat was a real problem for me. It
may have always been something that does not nourish the energy
dynamics of my body. Wheat is cooling. I have always had a slower
metabolism. My body may have been responding in its unique way to
wheat and I have ignored the response . . . or more likely, I
have not been able to figure it out until recently.
This one concept is critical to our healing. Find and get rid
of the bad stuff first, then replenish and nourish with the good
stuff for our bodies. Of course, we each decide what food
complements our energy system based upon or own unique needs.
Getting the right ones can be a challenge.
9. A final guideline in erecting a treatment is not to make the patient's diet too extreme. In a Hot problem do not just prescribe everything Cold or Cooling you can think of for the patient. The extremity of the diet should be balanced with the extremity of the patient's condition. This sort of balance cannot be learned from a book but must be learned in the clinic through experience. (10)
In the past I have tried to treat myself with WARMING herbs.
Usually what happened was that I had lots of heat in my stomach
organ system but it did not move out to the other organs. [If you
check your tongue and see a kind of yellow covering in the center
of your tongue, this can be heat in the stomach]. It is a trick
to balance your diet so that you are nourishing all your organ
systems. In the diet below, there is an over focus on treating
the middle burner system. The problem is that most of my organ
system is out of balance and needs to be nourished. By eating
things locally grown in season you can add small amounts of
things not on the basic diet to help with seasonal energy.
The real key is getting rid of those that feed into the imbalance
like I did with wheat and gluten proteins. Then add those that
support the middle burner. Then supplement with small amounts of
things that may not be recommended. In the summer I eat one or
two tomatoes grown in my garden because I love the taste.
Tomatoes are cooling but in the heat of summer this will be OK
for me..
10. Most of my dietary [Bob Flaws] recommendations are not any more specific than to eat tonifying and nourishing foods [increase and balance the metabolism] and to avoid foods cooling to the Middle Burner Fire, for patients with Deficiency, or to avoid foods that aggravate the Liver, for patients whose problems stem from the Liver. (11)
Bob Flaw wrote the book from which I have taken the above quotes.
I think his basic approach is the safest approach for those of us
with food intolerance. It is a simple approach: Remove and
restore.
11. In the realm of dietary therapy, if a disease is diagnosed as a Cold Disease [a deficiency of vital energy], cold foods should be avoided and warm foods should be eaten. Foods that are energetically cool and cold are: cucumber, bananas, tomato, soy products (such as tofu, tempeh, soy milk), citrus fruit, spinach, seaweed, melons, millet. Foods that are warm and hot are: squash, carrot, peach, mussel, onion, litchi nut, leek, kidney, mutton, garlic, coconut milk, chicken, chestnut, and amasake. (12)
I don't know how many people with MCS and food intolerance have
trouble with the cool/cold foods list, but I have problems with
them ALL. I love both cukes and bananas but have the worst gut
ache in the world when I eat them. They are very hard for me to
digest. When the pain reaction is as strong as it is with some
foods, we simply condition ourselves to avoid them. The key is
listening to our bodies and trying to figure out which ones
trigger a response. I think the above list should be of help to
many of us with food intolerance.
The Chinese do not categorize foods by their biochemical
nature or their calories. Foods are categorized by their energy
dynamics. Warm and hot foods increase the metabolism. Cold and
cool foods slow the metabolism down. I have found that foods that
push my body into a cold pattern are the ones for which I have
the most intolerance. Surprisingly some hot foods will also cause
problems. The ones that are pungent cause energy to rise. This
stimulates the upper triad of my organ systems. Very hot foods
are used in TCM to dry and cool too. Why would pungent foods
stimulate lowering of the body metabolism? I will suggest a
possible reason later.
12. Before attempting to reduce any Excess one should first take into account the extent and nature of any concomitant Deficiencies. (13)
Here is the warning again about excesses. It is hard for us with
a strong logical view to grasp a mutually inclusive phenomenon.
If one shows some heat symptoms in ones body, that does not
necessarily mean one treats the heat symptoms first. Look at the
whole dynamics of the energy pattern. Look for the root organ
system. Nourish the root system first. Later you can deal with
the excess. I learned this the hard way. I think it is because so
much of our medical approach in the Western view is geared to the
acute disorders and excess energy patterns. Chronic illnesses are
not well understood and treated in the West.
13. The diet must match the specific etiology and conformation, otherwise it will not be helpful at best and at worst it may prove detrimental. (14)
My greatest fear in sharing my diet is that someone will
incorrectly assume this diet is for them and use it. They will
then make their illness worse. Let me say again and directly that
I am not recommending this diet for anyone. This is a treatment
that has helped me. One needs an appropriate diagnosis to know
whether this diet will benefit them. I am sharing information
about my long term experience with diet and healing. You must
find what works for you. I hope by explaining the basics and
giving the sources that you may create your own treatment
protocol with the appropriate experts.
14. Deficient Spleen Qi means that the day-to-day function of the Middle Burner is impaired . . . If this situation is not corrected the patient will not be able to extract the pure Qi from food. Not only will the Spleen function be impaired, but over a period of time there will be a drain on the root energy of the Middle burner, the foundation of post-natal life and source of Acquired Essence. (15)
When our spleen-pancreas system becomes weak, it will impact the
energy in all the other organ systems. It becomes a downward
spiral to ill health. The road back up is supporting the system
so that it works to create the energy that one needs for balance
and health.
15. What should a person with Spleen Qi or Spleen Yang Deficiency eat? Cooked squash, carrot, sweet potato, yam, rutabaga, turnip, leek, onion, and pumpkin (lightly stir-fried, steamed, baked, and/or mashed); well-cooked soft rice, sweet rice, and oats; butter; small amounts of chicken, turkey, mutton, beef or anchovy (particularly broths, soups, or gravies of these); cooked peach, cherry, and strawberry; dried litchi and fig; cardamon, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, black pepper [be careful with pungent spices]; tapioca and custards; kudzu root, arrow root; and moderate amounts of sweeteners such as honey, molasses, barley malt, rice bran syrup, and sugar. [Sweeteners are contraindicated for those with hypoglycemia] What should be avoided? Salad, citrus fruit and juice, too much salt, tofu, undercooked grain, millet, buckwheat, milk, cheese, seaweed, agar, too much liquid with meals and too much sweet. (16)
These are the foods the Bob Flaws recommends in his book for
Spleen Deficiency. Be aware that one can have a weakened middle
burner and still not tolerate some of the recommended food. The
one food on the list I know I have problems with is black pepper.
In fact, I have problems with many pungent foods which cause
energy to rise. This pattern feeds into the part of my energy
that gets clustered in my upper burner [heart and lung energy]. I
found that I could tolerate white pepper but not black pepper.
What is the difference? The black pepper has the exterior layer
still intact. They remove it to create the white pepper. I felt
intuitively that the outer or upper layer in foods may actually
be the source of upward stimulation with an analogue
biochemical structure that feeds into our excess upper burner
pattern. Black and white pepper are the only examples of
experiencing the differences of this energy in foods. Pungent
foods actually will stimulate a reaction to cool the body. It is
safer using a minimum of them.
I have tested positive for reactive hypoglycemia. Glucose and
fructose are problematic for me. Like spices, sweet foods and
drink are cooling and will slow your metabolism down. If you have
a weak spleen-pancreas, best to avoid most fruit except for an
occasional seasonal treat. I will have small amounts of fruit
this summer in the heat of the season. I know consciously that
the fruit will lower my metabolism. Other authors have made
recommendations for a weakened middle burner system. They have
been included below.
16 If the Spleen [spleen-pancreas organ system] is weak it may not have the energy to create peristalsis for the transportation of food and liquids. By strengthening the Spleen this torpidity can be tonified. (17)
One of the obvious symptoms of a weak spleen is undigested food
in ones stool. The spleen is very involved in sending energy to
the other organs. So weakness and poor muscle tone are symptoms
of this weakness, too.
17. Sugar also has a strong ascending nature and over consumption will lead to too much energy rising to the upper half of the body creating an Excess there while leaving the lower half Deficient. This may manifest as mucous disorders, hyperactivity, fluid accumulation disorders, fatigue, and emotional disorders, all of which are common in our culture. (18)
An important fact to remember is that a mechanism for cooling can
be found in the cortex (outer layer) of the kidney. This is where
the hormone cortisol is produced. Those of us with a
constitutional pattern toward upper burner (upper level of three
levels) excess, will be predisposed to having problems with a
sugar metabolism because it feeds into an excess of this pattern.
Sugar and pungent foods stimulate WATER and COOLING
according to Chinese medicine. If one is hot or has hot
disorders, that is good. If one has a COLD SYNDROME then
these foods are not going to be beneficial. Mucus is being
stimulated by this biochemical mechanism. If you have dark yellow
or green mucus on your lungs, you may have a DAMP HEAT disorder.
If you have clear white sputum, you have a DAMP COLD
disorder. This suggests that sweets and heavy fruit diets are not
beneficial for those who may already have a predisposition toward
excess rising energy in the upper part of their bodies and organ
systems. [As unfair is it seems, sugar would be great for that
thin, dry and very energetic type person who tends toward
constipation.]
18. Cold syndrome: This syndrome includes all diseases caused by cold pathogenic energy or a decline in yang energy with yin excess. The symptoms may include low body temperature, pale complexion, withered spirits, fatigue, sleeping with legs curled up, love of warmth, fear of cold, cold abdominal pain that lessens with warmth, absences of thirst or thirst with a craving for hot drink, discharge of watery stools, clear and long streams of urine, pale tongue with a white and sliding coating, and deep and slow pulse, which are mostly seen in chronic and weak diseases. (19)
This definition of the "Cold Syndrome" should help one
understand if one fits into this pattern. If you don't see
yourself in this definition, then the diet on this page is NOT
for you. One must also remember that for me the spleen-pancreas-stomach
organ system are my root (cause) organ system. The problems have
been transferred to all my organs. I also have a very big issue
with my liver function. One must consider all of the whole when
trying to balance. Finding the "root cause" means that
in case of an energy deficiency we need to strengthen (tonify)
that organ system first before dealing with the excesses found in
other organs. Think of it as a "balance." It is wiser
to add to the light side to balance then to try to remove. This
is especially true in a case where one side may almost be empty.
In this model we want to add on or increase the energy in order
to increase and restore health.
19. Deficiency syndrome. This syndrome encompasses all diseases caused by a decline in body energy. The symptoms of this syndrome include pale complexion, low spirits, fatigue, weakness, palpitations, shortness of breath, excessive perspiration, night sweats, tender tongue with no coating, and deficient and weak pulse. (20)
Deficiency (cold pattern) disorders are most often found in
chronic rather than acute illnesses. It is believed that they are
caused by a lack of vital energy in the body that allows the
downward spiral of ill health.
20. In East West Master Course in Herbology, Michael Tierra explains, " The spleen [spleen-pancreas considered a single organ in Chinese medicine] is considered responsible for the transformation and transportation of energy in the body. It controls fluids. It has the function of controlling the lymphatic secretions. Dysfunction of the spleen is associated with indigestion, swollen abdomen, diarrhea and edema. Deficiency of the spleen results in weak muscles and malnourishment due to poor assimilation, hypoglycemia and diabetes. . . . Diseases of the stomach correspond in many ways to those of the spleen-pancreas although they tend to be more superficial and acute. . . . Diseases of Earth include hypoglycemia, diabetes, off-centeredness, lack of appetite, diarrhea, constipation, mucus diseases, menstrual irregularities, stomach and digestive disorders, and inability to stay in the moment and concentrate." (21)
Remember that when the spleen system becomes deficient and ill
health takes over, it will impact all the other organs because it
is the source of vital energy. Diabetes, hypoglycemia, and
digestive disorders are illnesses that are symptoms of the
malfunctioning of this organ system.
If one has the cleft, crack, or line in the middle of the
tongue about half an inch from the tip, this suggests weakness in
the spleen-pancreas-stomach organ system. It also suggests
potential heart disease. I have included some recommendations for
a diet for heart disease after the Chinese Dietary Therapy for a
weakened Middle Burner.
21. Chinese nutrition is defined as "the science that deals with the healing properties of foods to correct disharmonies within the body." ... Chinese nutrition deals on an energetic level to which balance is the key. Foods are selected according to their energetic qualities such as warming, cooling, drying, or lubricating. Thus, Chinese nutrition would seek to warm the coldness, cool the heat, dry the dampness, lubricate the dryness and so forth . . . Generally speaking, warming food raise metabolism and cooling foods lower metabolism. (22)
Are you getting the point yet?
22. There is a useful relationship between food colors and the elements and corresponding body system. White foods nourish the lungs; black and dark blue foods nourish the kidneys; green foods nourish the liver; yellow and orange foods nourish the spleen-stomach; red foods nourish the heart. Thus a person with weak digestion (spleen weakness) should include plenty of yellow and orange foods, such as sweet potatoes and winter squash, as these are the colors that correspond to the Earth element and the spleen organ. (23)
The important colors to nourish our weakened system are green and
orange/yellow foods. In fact, I believe that supplements would
also apply to this rule. I have found that both folic acid and
riboflavin are orange. I have expanded use of them in my personal
regimen.
23. Ones diet should follow the seasons, eating what grows locally. Nature has the perfect plan in providing the appropriate foods for the given season. The fruits and vegetables that ripen in summertime tend to be on the cooling side because their growth period occurs during the cooler months. In wintertime we will tend toward a more warming diet. (24)
In the last 60 years we have been able to eat fresh fruits in the
middle of the cold winter. I have found that food that is fresh
and in season always tastes better. The opposite is also true.
Eating a tomato in winter is not a gastronomic pleasure for me. I
don't know how significant it is eat seasonally, but I have for a
number of years.
24. The foods for energy deficiency [beef, chicken, ... goose, grapes, herring, . . . mackerel, ... sweet and white potatoes, rabbit, ... shiitake mushrooms, squash, ... and white string beans] mostly affect the stomach, spleen, and pancreas, all of which are regarded in Chinese medicine as the acquired sources of the immune function. When they are deficient, the body's immune function will be impaired, which is why energy tonics play an important role in enhancing the immune function. A Chinese physician in the third century named Zhang Zhong Jing said, "When the spleen and pancreas are full of energy, the body will be immune from disease." (25)
A weakened spleen system will be implicated in a weakened
immunity. The Chinese believe in a bimodal immune system as we do
in the West but it is unified. They believe that the upper burner
[heart, lungs] has its energy collecting point in the thymus area
of the chest and the lower burner associated with the kidneys has
its energy collecting point in the prostrate area. It is likely,
considering the Eastern view, one part of the immune memory
system is analogue and another is digital. One part remembers
specific antigens like the humoral system and the other can
generalize to an analogue system of stimuli that are structurally
similar. This will explain the "spreading phenomenon"
so common in MCS. Those of us with an over active upper burner
are likely to have an over active analogue system of immune
response. However, we will also have a weakened digital response.
This is, in fact, my own experience as reflected by lab results
to measure my immune profile. The key will be to reduce the
overactive component of the immune response (Cellular) and to
stimulate the Humoral response. This may be done with
supplementation and diet. I am working on this now and will
address this issue later.
25. A Chinese medical book published in the third century, entitled Prescription for Acute Diseases, said, "Good health is first and foremost to be found in foods; anyone who does not know how to eat the right foods cannot stay in good health." (26)
Need I say more? I am amazed how far Western medicine has evolved
away from the wisdom of Hippocrates who suggested that we let
food be our medicine. Some wisdom is eternal.
26. Yang deficiency, or kidney yang deficiency, refers to a lack of yang energy in the kidneys [medulla], which is essential in the maintenance of body warmth . . . A person with yang deficiency often displays fatigue, cold limbs, ... soft bones, low spirits, and diarrhea, backache, shortness of breath, frequent urination (especially at night), pale complexion, hair loss, edema, impotence in men and infertility and vaginal discharge in women. A few common diseases are indicative of yang deficiency, including bronchial asthma, asthmatic tracheitis, allergic rhinitis, chronic nephritis, vitiligo, psoriasis, tuberculosis of bones, osteoporosis, and diabetes mellitus. (27)
This is an important concept in the overall energy picture. Even
though warmth of the body can be generated by food, much of a
basic metabolism is already with us. Those of us with food
intolerance and chemical sensitivity are deficient in our level
of body warmth (yang energy). We will want to stimulate with
supplementation and food those that resonate with the kidney
medulla. It is no surprise that people with asthma are given
adrenalin analogues to decrease their cold syndrome reactions to
environmental triggers. They also work for us with MCS. The
common factor in MCS and asthma is the deficiency of yang energy
and its chemical analogues found in the Middle Triad.
27. USE ANIMALS' INTERNAL ORGANS TO STRENGTHEN YOUR OWN . . . It is wise to make use of animals' internal organs to strengthen your own, which means to eat animals' kidneys and liver to strengthen your own internal organs. (28)
Before you raise your nose and rebel about using animal internal
organs, please be aware that some supplements and drugs are
derived from animal organs. In this case the principle is most
important for us with weakened digestive system. We have weakened
digestive enzymes and bicarbonate produced by our underactive
pancreas.
I tried a number of vegetarian enzymes under the direction of my environmental physician. It wasn't until I tried the enzymes made of animal organs and other supplements and started taking Trisalts (bicarbonates)an hour after eating did I really begin to increase the efficiency of my digestion. Of course, I had also removed the foods that were problematic. The use of digestive enzymes and bicarbonates an hour later as a protocol is recommended in Optimal Digestion: New Strategies for Achieving Digestive Health.(29)
Middle Burner Warming Diet
The list of foods below are taken from a number of sources that deal with Chinese Dietary Therapy. I have only focused upon foods that will warm the middle triad of our bodily systems. Many sources recommend removing the most critical precipitators of imbalance toward a cold pattern of disharmony. Removing sweets, most grains, soy, pungent spices, fruits, and fruit juices will go a long way to helping restore the energy to the middle burner. The rest is about fine tuning and listening to ones body. I will also again mention the addition of digestive enzymes and some stomach acid followed an hour later by bicarbonates to neutralize everything for the colon.
Food List Recommend Foods to Avoid (hypoglycemia)
beets# ?
butter#
soy
carrots? (*Can lower blood sugar)
wheat
green onions# +
Sugar
leeks & garlic + (garlic is
pungent an can be a problem)
Chinese Chives+
Most grains (particularly gluten ones)
pumpkin ?
Fruits other than recommended
chicken*#+
Fruit juices
mustard #
Nuts other than recommended
adzuki beans# ?
Most spices (pungent ones)
green beans+
kale+
mustard greens+
Coffee
rice# ? (most tolerated grain)
Teas?
shrimp*
Simple carbohydrates
vinegar (brown rice sparingly)+ ?
coriander
fennel*
oysters*
mussel*
caraway*
potato (Yukon yellows)# ?
spearmint
star anise
white pepper*
beef*#+
winter squash*#
lamb/mutton*#+
dill seed*
walnuts*#+
crab apple*
sardines*
raspberry*#
strawberry*#
trout or carp#
perch*
peach#
parsley+
olive oil# ?
ginger#
shiitake mushrooms#
green olives
dates (sparingly)+
almonds#
cole vegetables (braccia family) ?
Foods To Raise HDL Cholesterol and Lower Triglycerides
As I have already alluded, heart disease may be an end organ disease for a weakness of the middle burner. I have struggled for years with high cholesterol and triglycerides and low HDL levels. The challenge became what to do to bring those levels into normal range. In the spring of 2000 after changing my diet by eliminating sweet foods (low carbs) and gluten grains, my cholesterol level dropped to almost withing normal range. My triglycerides had been higher than 850 and were now within normal range at 143. What changed my lab results after many years of doing all kinds of things with my diet? I think it was the simple elimination of the grains and sweets.
I still need to increase my HDL levels. As I write this, I am now working at this with diet. I am trying to fine tune my diet. Jean Carper has written a number of books on healing and diet based upon review of current research of foods. Her new book, The Miracle Heart (30) seems to be just what I need to focus on raising the my HDL.
Helpful Foods/Supplements Avoid foods
Beans ?
Carrots
High in Saturated Fats
Olive Oil
Trans Fats (vegetable oils)
Avocados
Glutenous Grains
Almonds
Simple Sugars
Walnuts
Fruit juices
Garlic (Problematic for some EI's)
Iron (supplements)
Onions (raw, yellow?)
Fatty Fish
Tea (green)
Vegetables rich in Vitamin C
Vegetables rich in Beta Carotene
Purple Grapes
Oysters
Mussels
Folic Acid
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B12
Magnesium/Calcium
Selenium
Co Q-10
Omega-3 Fish Oils
Beta carotene
[Digestive Enzymes & support...
Carper does not recommend this but for someone with a weakened
middle burner this will be critical]
Pattern of Disharmony - Weakened Middle Burner (31)
If you have a preponderance of the following symptoms, you may have a weakened middle burner:
____Cold hands and feet
____Fatigue easily
____Concentration problems
____Sugar cravings
____Abnormal sleeping patterns
____Diminished libido
____Undigested food in your stool
____Digestive disorders
____Food intolerance
____Bloating and water retention
____Loose stools
____Love of warmth and massage
____Palpitations
____Abdominal swelling and pain
after eating
____Frequent urination (usually
clear and copious)
____Cold abdomen to the touch [Touch
forehead then stomach to compare warmth]
____Pale white moss [tongue coating]
on your tongue
____Weak yang pulse [Taken by a
trained practitioner]
____Clear or white mucous
____Preference for warmth and
dryness over coldness and dampness
____Pain and soreness throughout
body
____Tongue cleft (split, crack or
line) in the middle of tongue about half inch from tip
____When putting on weight it is
usually as abdominal fat
Remove, Replace, Restore & Repair
In Optimal Digestion (32) Dr. Jeffrey Bland summarizes his protocol for improving digestion and detoxification:
Step 1: Remove
Common food allergies or
sensitivities
Bad bugs - candida or bacterial
overgrowth or parasites
Problem from viruses
Minimize environmental toxins and
digestive toxins
Step 2. Replace
Betaine hydrochloride (hydrochloric
acid)
Enzymes (animal-based or plant based)
Bicarbonate (which enables the
enzymes to work)
Step 3. Restore Beneficial Flora
Probiotics-L. Acidophilus and other
probiotics
Provide prebiotics if starches and
sugars are tolerated
Increase fiber
Increase resistant starch in the
diet to reduce acidity and raise fatty acids
Monitor level of starches and sugars
Step 4. Repair
Provide nutrients to heal the GI
mucosa
Support the immune functions of the
GI tract
Continue to avoid allergens and
irritants; certain drugs, alcohol, and foods that trigger
allergies .
On this page I have attempted to suggest dietary therapy that has helped improve my health. It should be remembered that I have lab results the reflect problems with cholesterol, homocysteine, glucose metabolism (hypoglycemia), immunology and detoxification. I have also been to a number of healers trained in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) who have made a number of suggestions. Please do not forget that "Dietary Therapy" is only one of the eight branches of T.C.M. When energy metabolism is an issue, one needs to work on energy building issues too . . . but that is another page. The best approach is for one to listen to their body, remove the foods and things for which they have an intolerance, and add those that will enhance their energy and health. This page has been created as information to help you find your own solutions to your particular dietary and energy enhancing needs. I hope I have stimulated thought and maybe shined a little light along the shadowy path of chronic illness leading to a restoration of health. Good luck.
References
1. Bob Flaws & Honora Wolfe, Prince
Wen Hui's Cook: Chinese Dietary Therapy, Paradigm
Publications, Brookline, Mass., 1983.
2. Ibid. , p. 7
3. Ibid., p. 11
4. Ibid., p. 12
5. Ibid., p 12
6. Ibid., p. 19
7. Ibid., p. 25
8. Ibid., p. 26
9. Ibid., p. 29
10. Ibid., p. 29
11. Ibid., p. 31
12. Ibid., p. 36
13. Ibid., p. 36
14. Ibid., p. 38
15. Ibid., p. 39
16. Ibid., p. 41
17. Ibid., p. 54
18. Ibid., p. 70
19. *Henry C. Lu, Chinese System
of Natural Cures, Sterling Publishing, NY, 1994, p. 32
20. Ibid., pg. 33
21. Michael Tierra, East
West Master Course in Herbology, Santa Cruz, CA, 1981, "The
Chinese Theory of Five Elements, Lesson 6, p. 5
#Michael Tierra, East West Master
Course in Herbology, "Herbs as Special Foods and Foods
for Healing," Section I, Lesson 3, p. 1 - 47, Santa Cruz,
1981
22. + Maoshing Ni, The Tao of
Nutrition, Published by the Shrine of the Eternal Tao, Los
Angeles, CA, 1987, p. 5
23. Ibid., p. 9
24. Ibid. p. 22
25. Henry C. Lu, Chinese Foods
for Longevity: The Art of Long Life, Sterling Publishing, NY,
1990, p. 38
26. Ibid., p. 32
27. Ibid. p. 39
28. Ibid., p. 179-180
29. Trent W. Nichols & Nancy
Faass, Optimal Digestion: New Strategies for Achieving
Digestive Health, Avon Books, NY, 1999, p. 30
30. Jean Carper, The Miracle
Heart, The Ultimate Guide to Preventing and Curing Heart Disease
with Diet and Supplements, Harper Paperbacks, NY, 2000
31. Henry C. Lu, Chinese Foods
for Longevity: The Art of Long Life, Sterling Publishing, NY,
1990, p. 107 - 149
32. Trent W. Nichols & Nancy
Faass, Optimal Digestion: New Strategies for Achieving
Digestive Health, Avon Books, NY, 1999, p 181-182.
Links:
"The Celiac/Autoimmune
Thyroid Connection: A Major Thyroid Disease Breakthrough" at
http://thyroid.about.com/health/thyroid/library/weekly/aa040700a.htm
"Zonulin Could Be Linked To Many Autoimmune Ills" at http://unisci.com/stories/20002/0501004.htm
"Newest Research: Reasons Why You Should Avoid Soy" at http://www.mercola.com/2000/apr/9/soy_research_update.htm
"Lower Your Grains and Increase Your Health" at http://www.mercola.com/article/carbohydrates/lower_your_grains.htm
Nutritional Supplements for Specific Conditions, taken from The Physicians Handbook of Clinical Nutrition (1995 edition) (Australian) http://www.accessnable.com.au/inform.htm
Healthy Liver and Weight Loss (A well
written and informative article written by an Australian doctor
about liver function.)
http://www.positivehealth.com/permit/Articles/Nutrition/cabot37.htm
Hypoglycemia Support Foundation at http://www.hypoglycemia.org/
Hypoglycemia Homepage Holland - the Unabridged Collection at http://lightning.prohosting.com/~hypoglyc/
SYNDROME X at http://www.americanheart.org/Heart_and_Stroke_A_Z_Guide/syndx.html
Syndrome X and Insulin Resistance
http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/CoopExt/PUBS/COLUMNNN/nn971022.htm
Return to MCS - The
Poisoned Web
Note: This page on Dietary Therapy is in its first format. Please send back any comments to Sunergos@juno.com. If you don't understand something, please ask. I have intentionally tried to write in a non-authorative but personal style. I decided to quote heavily from other sources so that others may explore information on their own. As I mentioned on the Dietary Therapy page after many years of reading books on TCM, I began to eventually get it. I don't mean to imply that I have resolved my MCS. I continue to find the correct elements to restore my health to greater balance. I am better this last year. I believe it is in part due to the shift in the foods I have been eating and the addition of supplements that support digestion. If you need some clarification, please let me know. I only have "book" knowledge and not clinical experience. I seek no remuneration for this information. I do ask, however, that if you do read this information that you do something productive for the MCS Community. I would like to encourage anyone who has found this information useful and stimulating to please either donate to an MCS Research Fund or to write to your Congressional members and seek support for research funds for MCS. For me, RESEARCH is the most important thing we call all encourage to resolve the issues related to our illness. Thank you. dp
Note: July 4, 2001, After a long absence from looking at research [I have been searching for safer housing for the past year], I went to the local library last Wednesday and did some research. I was excited to find information that answered some questions I had about my problem increasing my HDL levels and [I suspected] increasing my yet untested serum paraoxonase [PON 1].
For those of you on our state list who are new, I have discussed the issue of a deficiency of PON 1 before. We have a number of links on our links page at http://wsmcsn.homestead.com/files/links.htm
My basic hypothesis is that we have some major biochemical imbalances that need to be treated by restoring the biochemicals that increase the balance and removing those biochemicals which feed into the imbalance. For example, if one has insulin dependent diabetes, one supplements with insulin and avoids a high sugar diet that would feed into the imbalance. \
For those who don't remember what I wrote in the past on the list, here is a quick review:\par 1. I believe that nutrition is one ESSENTIAL element in the natural healing process ... so I believe selecting a beneficial diet will help improve my personal ecology. [THERE ARE OTHER ELEMENTS besides diet].\par 2. I believe that MCS is a metabolic disorder probably caused by a deficiency of NATURAL human enzymes and biochemistry. [Yes, chemical intolerance is an environmentally induced disorder but there has to be biochemical component to it or every human exposed to the same chemicals would develop the same reactions. ... This is known as VARIABILITY OF TOLERANCE]\par 3. From what I have read about MCS the past 19 years, I believe our most common family history is diabetes and heart disease. These are both related to a malfunctioning of our spleen-pancreas and liver systems. [Some of us have a more highly impacted spleen-pancreas function and others have a more impacted liver system. BOTH are a problem in MCS.]\par 4. I hypothesize for those of us with indicators for heart disease and diabetes/hypoglycemia and who are also pesticide intolerant that we have a deficiency of the enzyme PON 1 (serum paraoxonase). We MAY be a subset of those with MCS. [WE NEED RESEARCH ON THIS!!!!!! I don't think PON 1 is the MASTER DOMINO in the sequence that leads to MCS. WE NEED TO FIND THAT COMMON LINK THAT LEADS TO A FAILURE TO CATABOLIZE TOXIC CHEMICALS!!!!]\par \par Last year I was all excited because I stopped eating gluten grains, revised my diet, and my energy became better. I lost weight (about 25 pounds) and my cholesterol and tryglycerides plummeted after having immensely high numbers in everything except HDL for years. My lipid profile was the best in about 17 years last year. I was disturbed that my change in diet did not bring my HDL into safe numbers because I had read in the PON 1 research a correlation between HDL and PON 1 activity. That is ... the better the HDL the better the PON 1. I hypothesized that if I could increase my HDL that I could increase my PON 1 and DECREASE MY INTOLERANCE TO PESTICIDES and other toxic chemicals that may be detoxified through this biochemical mechanism. Even though I have better energy and better lab results I REMAINED chemically sensitive. I wondered if my hypothesis was wrong ... and still do.\par \par Last Wednesday I found some research I have imported that helps me explain why I may NOT have INCREASED my HDL satisfactorily. [Please don't think just this ONE change will make me PESTICIDE and ENVIRONMENTALLY TOLERANT. I still hope we find the MASTER ENZYME LINK!]\par \par Here is what I think is the problem with the HDL. As long as I have added nutrients that supported a HEALTHY heart, I have taken both OLIVE OIL and FISH OIL (fish oil daily) in my diet. Listen to this ONE: The research I have imported in to this email indicates that FISH OIL actually DECREASES PON 1 levels. YES, DECREASES! The OIL that increases PON 1 levels is TRIOLEIN. I had to do a search to find out where I could get this oil. It is a major component for OLIVE OIL. So based upon restore that which enhances balance and remove that which increases imbalance, I am increasing my personal consumption of OLIVE OIL and removing my daily supplementation of fish oil. \par \par Please understand I may be way ahead of the curve on this issue.[Or WAY OFF base!] The thing about testing environmental issues is that one can only do it one item at a time. After reading the research below, my lab results INDICATE that fish oil MAY be implicated in my low HDL levels. I will be taking my annual exam soon. I will wait until I have about a month with this new protocol in my diet (INCREASED LEVEL OF OLIVE OIL ... REMOVAL OF FISH OILS and the avoidance of soy and gluten grains). I will report back to the group then.\par \par If there is anyone else on the list with a similar health profile and would like to be part of an INFORMAL test group, then email me. [This is my health profile: documentation of abnormal lipid profile with prediction of heart disease, documentation of reactive hypoglycemia with a family history of diabetes, documentation of abnormal homocysteine levels corrected with supplementation, documentation of a porphyrin disorder, a long history of chemical intolerance but particularly of pesticide intolerance (pyrethroids, glyphosate, organophosphate, etc.). I am hypothesizing that I have LOW PON 1. I could not afford the $500 at the U of W Department of Genetics to test for my serum paraoxonase levels. Changing my fats intake is a cost effective way to test my hypothesis. Of course, I do wonder about other factors mentioned in the research. I do eat lots of cheese to help with the hypoglycemia. I think I may remove that too and just take a tablespoon of OLIVE OIL between meals. In my search I found research that suggested the TRIOLEIN can improve the feelings of satiety. When one eats carbohydrates the sugar levels go goofy. Cheeses are high in saturated fats and cholesterol. These were implicated in decreasing PON 1 in the research below. The olive oil may fill the biochemical void.} dp [To be revised later. Rough note addendum]
| : J Nutr 2000 Oct;130(10):2427-33 | Books |
October 8, 2000
I continue the search for information that will help restore my ability in a toxic world. Alhtough the dietary changes have helped with the digestive problems, I continue to be very, very chemically sensitive. This spring and summer were again very difficult. For the most part much of the past five or six months I have been "brain dead." I think much of my frontal lobe ability simply is not present during this time. As fall arrives this improves. I would like to import my latest message to my network into this site. At this point I am importing only rough data. Eventually when I have dealt with the more pressing issue of a safe and healing habitat, then I will come back to my unfinished work and reedit this work. The following was sent out today.
While doing my shopping at the Food Co-op I used
the new nutrition database to look up some things. I
inadvertently clicked on the wrong supplement. When I read the
blurb about Glucaric Acid, it piqued my interest. I printed the
information and came home and did a web search. What most
interested me was that this supplement is involved in
detoxification. In the past I was concerned about the
relationship of enzymes and biochemicals to under active liver,
spleen, pancreas and stomach functions. Digestive enzymes and a
restructured diet have greatly helped me with digestive issues.
Unfortunately, they have not helped with detoxification issues. I
just kept telling myself that if I could find a supplementation (food
regimen) that would help with the detoxification process in the
liver, I would be closer to reducing my reactions. I have
hypothesized that because our digestive/liver system is under
functioning that we have a failure of catabolism. I feel we need
support in helping breaking chemicals and organisms like bacteria
and viruses down. Our detox systems don't seem to be effectively
neutralizing things that may be toxic.
After reading many sites that dealt with Glucaric Acid, I think I
might be on to something. I don't know that it will help with MCS.
The first step in an investigation would be an assay to determine
the glucuronidase activity in those with MCS. All I have to go on
is really just a hunch this stuff MAY be useful.
One of my MCS friends in town has two sisters who have developed
breast cancer (one of whom has died). We have talked about the
fact that all three sister may be manifesting toxic induced
disorders. We wondered what the common biochemical factor was. My
MCS friend and I have similar MCS profiles. We are both very
formaldehyde and pesticides sensitive. Although no member of my
family has had breast cancer (or other hormone linked cancer),
high cholesterol and heart disease are an issue for us.
Interestingly, Glucaric Acid supplementation helps reduce LDL
cholesterol (which is an issue for me). This suggests a pancreas/liver
connection to me. In fact, I did find some indication in my
search that pancreatitis is associated with abnormal Glucaric
Acid levels. I may be imposing my current level of understanding
(limited as it may be) on this, but intuitively I believe there
MIGHT be some connection. [BUT, HEY! I see connections in
everything!]
As usual I have many more questions than answers. It is on days
like these I wish I had my own direct red phone line to
researchers investigating MCS.
I am NOT recommending anyone go out and buy Calcium D-Glucarate
to treat MCS. In fact, I am wondering if the calcium might not be
contraindicated for someone with MCS like myself who has
perpetual muscle twitching (24/7) that suggests a deficiency of
magnesium. The Calcium D-Glucarate that is the PATENTED
supplement was designed to be more slowly absorbable ... and
PATENTED by a company who was involved in cancer research. I
don't know what percentage of those with MCS have or develop
cancer. I assume the mechanism for development is different and
there are different biochemical deficiencies. I will take a
dietary approach. I will eat more brussel sprouts, broccoli,
apples, and carrots which are high in Glucaric Acid.
I am importing quotes from my file on information about Glucaric
Acid. As many of you know, I have not been trained as a western
scientist. There are great limitations of my understanding of
biochemistry. I would be curious about any thoughts those of you
with some back ground in science have about this issue. One piece
of important information I do understand: For many people with
MCS antibody mediated induced illness is not a problem. This
suggests to me there may be a failure in our metabolisms to
naturally BREAK DOWN biochemicals (like pesticides, solvents, and
even FOODS). If we can find and RESTORE the deficient enzymes and
biochemicals that assist in the process of breaking down and
neutralizing these toxic chemicals, we are on our way home.
Thanks for taking time to read this.
Take care,
Don Paladin
IMPORTED INFO FOLLOWS
D-Glucaric Acid
*Organic Compounds in Urine: Metabolic Profiling to Assess
Functional Nutrient Deficiencies Gut Dysbiosis, and Toxicity,
Natural Medicine (1998), Pizzorno and Murray, Churchill
Livingstone, London. J. Alexander Bralley, Ph.D., C.C.N. and
Richard S. Lord, Ph.D., at http://www.metametrix.com/articles/artcl_uoa.htm
*The Importance of Replenishing Phase II Cofactors, FMRC Update
Winter 2000, at http://www.healthcomm.com/research/update/back-issues/spring00/home.html
* Estrogen Metabolizers , at http://www.medlean.com/ML_estrogenmetabolizers.html
* Urinary Organic Analysis, Indicators of detoxification
function, at http://216.117.138.253/library/oa8_detox.html
* The following is a current review of information concerning D-Glucarate,
at http://www.md-phc.com/nutrition/calcium_d.htm
--------------------------------------------------------
http://www.michiganapples.com/health.html
D-glucaric Acid
Perhaps the mysterious ingredient in apples is D-glucaric acid.
Preliminary research, according to a study published in Nutrition
Research, indicates that it and a related compound may be natural
regulators of cholesterogenesis. Laboratory rats fed the
substances showed markedly reduced blood cholesterol levels. The
results point to the need for further studies to identify the
mechanism by which this effect is achieved, the researchers
stated.
They also did an analysis of many fruits and vegetables to
determine their D-glucaric acid content. Apples had higher
readings than all other types of fruit except grapefruit.
A bonus that D-glucaric acid appears to offer, based on the early
research, is that the form of cholesterol that it lowers is the
damaging LDL type. Reductions of up to 35 percent were found in
the laboratory studies. The "good" type of cholesterol,
the HDL that should have a relatively high ratio to LDL in an
ideal blood cholesterol profile was not affected. The research
adds to the case that apples are a real health food.
-----------------------------------------------
at http://www.doctormurray.com/articles/breastcancer.htm
The Glucuronidase Factor
One of the key ways in which the body gets rid of estrogen is via
attaching glucuronic acid to the estrogen in the liver and then
excreting this complex in the bile. Glucuronidase is a bacterial
enzyme that uncouples (breaks) the bond between excreted estrogen
and glucuronic acid. Not surprising is the finding that excess
glucuronidase activity is associated with an increased cancer
risk, particularly estrogen-dependent breast cancer. The activity
of this enzyme is increased when the diet is high in fat and low
in fiber. The level of glucuronidase activity may be one of the
key underlying factors explaining why certain dietary factors
cause breast cancer and why other dietary factors are preventive.
The activity of glucuronidase be reduced by establishing a proper
bacterial flora by eating a diet high in plant foods and
supplementing the diet with the "friendly bacteria"
Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidum. Other
dietary factors which can dramatically reduce the activity of
this enzyme are the consumption of onion and garlic, and foods
high in glucaric acid like apples, brussel sprouts, broccoli,
cabbage, and lettuce.
Glucaric acid in a pill form, calcium D-glucarate may turn out to
be the "magic bullet" in the prevention of breast
cancer, especially in women who have already battled breast
cancer. Preliminary research is quite encouraging.5 Currently,
women with a history of breast cancer are prescribed the drug
tamoxifen. This drug is associated with numerous side effects and
is quite controversial in its overall effectiveness. In contrast,
calcium D-glucarate is completely safe and, if preliminary
results hold true, more effective. Calcium D-glucarate is
currently being investigated at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering
Cancer Center in New York. It is just entering the health food
market as well.
---------------------------------------------------------
at http://www.thepillboxpharmacy.com/breast.htm
BREAST CANCER
We are led to believe that advances in medical technology, self-examination
practices and early detection have helped many women in the
battle against breast cancer. Yet breast cancer remains the
second-leading cause of cancer death among American women. By the
year 2000, it is estimated that more than 1 billion women
worldwide will have breast cancer. More startling is that the
death rate of women with breast cancer today remains at 262 per 1
million, the same level it has been for the last 62 years. This
indicates that conventional treatments such as surgery,
chemotherapy and radiation, for all their high-tech properties,
have failed to reduce the overall death rate. Where, then, do we
go from here?
The causes of breast cancer still are unclear. Family history is
a major risk factor, although it accounts for only 5 percent of
cases. That small percentage of women who have the breast cancer
gene BRCA1 have a 59 percent risk of developing breast cancer by
age 50; only 2 percent of the normal population develops breast
cancer by this age. Surprisingly, 75 percent of women with breast
cancer have no family history of the disease. Exploration of the
primary causes has recently narrowed to two areas of concern:
environmental toxins and diet.
Environmental toxins include pesticides and herbicides in produce
and animal products, air pollution, cigarette smoke, and
residential and industrial compounds. These dangerous substances
damage cellular DNA and lead to mutations and tumor development.
In part, this damage is caused by the ability of these substances
to mimic harmful estrogens in the body and research data show a
positive correlation between breast-cancer incidence and certain
body estrogen levels.
Pesticides are fat-soluble and tend to remain in the fatty tissue
of birds, fish, humans and other mammals. Studies have shown a
higher level of pesticides in women with breast cancer than in
women with benign breast disease. A 1993 study by the Washington,
D.C.-based National Cancer Institute (NCI) found that some women
with breast cancer had high levels of the chemical DDE, a
compound derived from DDT, the infamous organochloride used in
chemical pesticides and electrical components.
Although DDE and DDT are now banned in the United States, many
imported fruits and vegetables continue to contain residual DDT
as well as other harmful environmental toxins. Avoiding foreign
produce is beneficial, but be mindful that American produce still
may contain residues of other hazardous chemical pesticides.
Washing and peeling fruits and vegetables removes only an
estimated 25 percent of residues, probably because they soak in
to some extent. According to the Environmental Working Group,
based in Washington, D.C., the foods that may present the
greatest contamination risk include apricots, bell peppers,
cantaloupe, celery, cherries, cucumbers, green beans, grapes,
peaches, spinach and strawberries. A sensible solution is to
purchase only certified organic produce grown in the United
States.
Diet, which relates to the above concerns but goes far beyond
properly grown and treated produce is another nongenetic cause of
breast cancer. The type and amount of fat in a woman’s diet
in particular may have considerable influence on her breast-cancer
risk.
Obesity is one of the key factors associated with excess estrogen
levels and breast cancer, because obesity increases estrogen
output. Excess estrogen can increase cellular growth in tissues
of the breast and reproductive organs. Still other breast-cancer
risks related to prolonged estrogen exposure are menstruation
before age 9, menopause after 55, having the first child after 40
and having few or no children.
Although the exact role of dietary fat in breast cancer is
unknown, some forms of fats such as omega-3 (in flaxseed or fish
oil) and olive oil appear to provide protective benefits against
breast cancer. Meanwhile, excess amounts of saturated fats such
as those found in meats and dairy products may lead to an
increased incidence of breast cancer. Most nutritionists
recommend a low-fat diet that includes sufficient amounts of
healthy essential fatty acids such as omega-3 and -6, as well as
olive oil; omega-3 and olive oil in particular are the strongest
protectors.
DETOXIFICATION
The elimination of unwanted toxins, chemicals, foreign substances
and the body's own estrogen should not be overlooked. Toxins
damage cells and suppress immune function. Internal cleansing
lessens the body's toxic burden so the immune system then can
rebound.
Detoxification typically includes cleansing the intestines, liver
and lymphatic system. This process relies on a predominantly
alkaline diet rich in phytochemical-laden fruits and vegetables.
A variety of juicing programs can assist in this process.
Nutrients that help support the detoxification process include
sufficient dietary and supplemental fiber such as oats, psyllium,
mixed grain and vegetable fibers; friendly flora such as
Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidum; essential
fatty acids; herbs such as ginger for general detox, garlic for
intestinal detox, milk thistle for liver detox, fenugreek to
break mucus, red clover and burdock for traditional blood
cleansing, and aloe vera for intestinal detox and immune
enhancement; the sulfur amino acids N-acetyl cysteine and
methionine for detox and heavy-metal removal; and antioxidants
such as vitamins E and C, selenium and glutathione.
A healthy lifestyle that includes exercise stimulates general
immune function, increases circulation and purges lymphatic
pathways of impurities. Stress reduction, sufficient sleep,
relaxation and an improved breathing technique also assist in
proper internal functioning, immune enhancement and
neutralization of toxic stress hormones such as cortisol, which
can halt the body's protein synthesis.
Calcium D-Glucarate
Because estrogen plays such a pivotal role in the development of
breast cancer, controlling the body's hormonal balance may
decrease or block the effects of circulating estrogens.
Through a natural process known as glucuronidation, the body
eliminates toxins, excess estrogen and other hormones from the
body. In the liver, estrogenic compounds bind to glucuronic acid
and are then excreted. This process, however, is disrupted by B-glucuronidase,
an enzyme produced by intestinal bacteria. Recent findings
suggest that D-glucaro-1,4 lactone and its precursors, D-glucaric
acid salts and D-glucarates, can inhibit the activity of B-glucuronidase
and may help control different stages of the carcinogenic process.
Calcium D-glucarate (CDG), a new supplement on the vitamin
shelves, is the calcium salt of D-glucaric acid, a natural
substance found in small quantities in the body. It also is found
in a variety of fruits and vegetables such as apples, broccoli,
carrots, oranges and spinach. CDG increases net glucuronidation
and thus helps remove hormones, steroids and cellular toxins from
the body. Animal studies have shown that a CDG-supplemented diet
can inhibit mammary carcinogenesis and also inhibit tumorigenesis
by more than 70 percent.
--------------------------------------------------------
at http://www.gaines.com/html/product_info/AdvMed/AMNCDGinfo.htm
Supports Phase II detoxification of chemicals and hormones. By
supplying a slow-release form of D-glucaric acid, calcium D-glucarate
is an effective agent that enhances the deactivation of toxic sub-
stances and encourages their elimination from the body. When
calcium glucarate is converted to D-glucaro-1,4-lactone, it
counteracts the enzyme beta-glucuronidase which can otherwise
interfere with conjugation and detoxification of steroid hormones
and potentially carcinogenic compounds. Beta-glucuronidase
enzymes are present in all cells, particularly the liver, kidney,
lung, intestinal epithelium, breast and endocrine acid
derivatives may exert a protective, non-antioxidant effect on the
immune system.
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at http://www.metametrix.com/articles/artcl_uoa.htm
Indicators of detoxification function
Glucarate
Glucaric acid (glucarate) is the oxidation product of glucuronic
acid. It is a by-product of the predominant liver Phase II
detoxification reactions involving glucuronic acid conjugation
and decreased glucarate is an indicator of reduced overall
hepatic function. A great variety of drugs, food components and
products of gut microbial metabolism are prepared for excretion
by glucuronidation. Glucarate elevation is an indication of
enzyme induction due to such potentially toxic exposures [39,40].The
excretion of D-glucaric acid, a metabolite of the cytochrome P-450
pathway, is considered a marker of the viability of hepatocytes
and is a useful clinical prognostic predictor in biliary atresia
[41].
Any exposure that results in stimulation of hepatic P-450
activity will result in increased excretion of glucarate. Urinary
D-glucaric acid, an index of hepatic enzyme activity, was
elevated in pesticide-exposed groups [42] Patients with
clinically quiescent chronic pancreatitis showed elevated
glucarate indicating a relationship of toxic metabolite stress to
heightened free radical activity and hence to the genesis of
chronic pancreatitis [43].[Don's note: There is the reference to
the pancreas and the relationship to glucaric acid. Am I grasping
at straws? dp] The evidence of increased utilization of phase II
conjugative pathways of xenobiotic disposal is in keeping with on-going
toxic metabolite stress from heightened phase I oxidative
metabolism. Glucarate measurements have been advanced as useful
biomarkers to xenobiotic exposure, being particularly useful as a
screening tool in reproductive epidemiology [44].
Source
Natural Medicine (1998), Pizzorno and Murray, Churchill
Livingstone, London.
J. Alexander Bralley, Ph.D., C.C.N. and Richard S. Lord, Ph.D.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
at http://www.healthcomm.com/research/update/back-issues/spring00/home.html
Source:
The Importance of Replenishing Phase II Cofactors, FMRC Update
Winter 2000,
In humans, sulfation and glucuronidation are key Phase II
activities that seemingly go hand in hand, that is, most
compounds that are detoxified by glucuronidation are also
detoxified by sulfation. These two reactions are important routes
of excretion for a variety of xenobiotics, including many drugs,
neurotransmitters, and steroid hormones. Dietary sources of
sulfate and glucuronic acid are necessary to support these
activities. Of these cofactors, sulfate is the most easily
depleted. The "net" glucuronidation activity is also
indirectly enhanced by calcium d-glucarate - found in some fruits
and vegetables - which provides an inhibitor of beta-glucuronidase,
the enzyme involved in the de-glucuronidation of the conjugates.[5,6,7]
------------------------------------------------------
at http://www.medlean.com/ML_estrogenmetabolizers.html
Calcium D-Glucarate
Description:
Calcium-D-Glucarate helpa the body excrete excess levels of
estradiol It is very effective nutrient for removing toxins,
carcinogens, and excess steroid hormones. It is being studied
effects for preventing lung, prostate, and breast cancers.
Calcium D-Glucarate is the calcium salt if D-glucaric acid, a
naturally occurring substance found in humans and in many plants.
Calcium D- Glucarate has been shown to be an effective
detoxifying agent through its effects on glucuronidation.
Glucuronidation is quantitatively one of the most important Phase
II conjugation pathways for the detoxication and excretion of
xenobiotics, lipid soluble toxins, and steroid hormones. The
final rate of elimination of toxic chemicals which undergo
glucuronidation is measured not only by the rate of conjugation
with glucuronic acid but also by the rate of de- glucuronidation
by beta-glucuronidase. Beta-glucuronidase, coming largely from
intestinal bacteria, cleaves the glucuronic acid from the
glucuronide allowing the toxin or conjugated hormone to be
reabsorbed by the ileal mucosa. Calcium D-Glucarate increase net
glucuronidation by inhibiting beta-glucuronidase. In animal
models, oral administration of calcium D-glucarate results in a
50% inhibition of beta-glucuronidase for 5 hours.
The effect of Calcium D-Glucarate on reducing serum estrogen
levels may help to accounts for the results from a group of
animal studies evaluating the effect of Calcium D-Glucarate on
mammary cancer, where 50-70% reductions of tumor formation have
been reported. In rats fed a calcium glucarate fortified diet,
researchers found that serum estradiol levels were decreased by
23% and the urinary excretion of 17-ketosteroids were decreased
by over 50%.
-----------------------------------------------------
at http://216.117.138.253/library/oa8_detox.html
Indicators of detoxification function
Glucarate
Glucaric acid (glucarate) is the oxidation product of glucuronic
acid. It is a by-product of the predominant liver Phase II
detoxification reactions involving glucuronic acid conjugation
and decreased glucarate is an indicator of reduced overall
hepatic function. A great variety of drugs, food components and
products of gut microbial metabolism are prepared for excretion
by glucuronidation. Glucarate elevation is an indication of
enzyme induction due to such potentially toxic exposures 39,40.The
excretion of D-glucaric acid, a metabolite of the cytochrome P-450
pathway, is considered a marker of the viability of hepatocytes
and is a useful clinical prognostic predictor in biliary atresia
41.
Any exposure that results in stimulation of hepatic P-450
activity will result in increased excretion of glucarate. Urinary
D-glucaric acid, an index of hepatic enzyme activity, was
elevated in pesticide-exposed groups 42. Patients with clinically
quiescent chronic pancreatitis showed elevated glucarate
indicating a relationship of toxic metabolite stress to
heightened free radical activity and hence to the genesis of
chronic pancreatitis 43.
The evidence of increased utilization of phase II conjugative
pathways of xenobiotic disposal is in keeping with on-going toxic
metabolite stress from heightened phase I oxidative metabolism.
Glucarate measurements have been advanced as useful biomarkers to
xenobiotic exposure, being particularly useful as a screening
tool in reproductive epidemiology 44.
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