Kidney and Bladder

Acid, not calcium supplementation, is the real cause behind kidney stones. The largest study ever published on calcium and kidney stones, concluded that high calcium intake is associated with a decreased risk of stones. Moreover, the study found that those who consumed less than 850 mg of calcium per day were at an increased risk for kidney
stones. (New England Journal of Medicine, 1993)  Another study showed that acid-forming foods are a risk factor for developing kidney stones.

Acid ash aggravates the kidney and bladder and worsens all forms of cystitis. One two-year study showed that the use of alkalizing salts reduced bladder pain by 43% and urgency by 35%. By the end of the two-year period, some study subjects had 100% relief.

An acidic pH can cause weight gain and diabetes. It strains the enzyme-producing pancreas, which is highly dependent upon an alkaline pH to function properly. In this sense, an acidic body contributes to an autoimmune sufferer’s lack of vital enzymes and ability to distinguish self from a foreign invader. Acid causes fungal overgrowth, weakened immunity and disease resistance, fatigue, and joint pain. A recent study has linked acid waste in the body to chronic back pain.  This toxic waste in the body also causes hormonal imbalances and decreased HGH production.  Lower HGH levels will worsen your fibromyalgia symptoms.

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“Diet is the essential key to all successful healing. Without a proper balanced diet, the effectiveness of herbal treatment is very limited. With the appropriate eliminative or balanced diet, herbal treatment will prove itself to be effective where no medicine will work and will often be faster than the quick but temporary relief of Western drugs.”
-Michael Tierra, C.A., N.D.

Does taking high quality supplements and concentrated food complexes mean that you can eat whatever you want, avoid exercising, and be symptom free? No. I will admit that some people get away with it. They eat terribly. They smoke two packs a day and think that aerobic exercise is running to the bathroom during a commercial break. We all know someone like this, who seems as healthy as a horse.  However, by virtue of the fact that you need this blog series, it stands to reason that you are not one of those genetically blessed people.

I have been approached by individuals who were as sick as I once was.  They wanted to know since they were taking the exact supplements as me why they weren’t 100% symptom-free also. The right supplements should make you feel much better, but you can’t expect supplements to totally compensate for poisoning yourself with the Standard American Diet. (You also need to give supplements time to do their job.)  I wish it weren’t true, but there is no such thing as a magic pill or potion. That said, I would be miserable without my pills and potions.  However, without eating right, my pills and potions would be less effective.

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“Fitness - If it came in a bottle, everybody would have a great body.”

 - Cher

Choosing a healthy vitamin supplement can be almost as tricky as choosing a healthy food. I personally have little respect for the typical vitamins sold in the grocery store. I used them without ever noticing any difference in the way I felt. I have also tested certain brands of herbal supplements against others and found a big difference in the quality. Apparently, my unscientific findings are pretty typical. Consumer Laboratories, a non-profit organization, did random testing on bottled herbs in 1999.  At that time, 75% percent of the herbs met product quality standards. However, in 2003, when they repeated the test, only 22% of the products tested met standards. In fact, most contained only one-fifth of the active ingredient that they were supposed to contain.

Finding a pharmaceutical grade brand of supplements is key. It is really the only way for the consumer to know for sure that the label matches the product inside.  Another choice is to use “whole food” supplements as opposed to isolated vitamins. A whole-food supplement is one made of foods that have been concentrated into supplemental form. This provides you with vitamins the way that they exist in nature - with their co-factors intact.  Whole-food nutrients also have a lower risk of toxicity.

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“According to experts, development has brought about a new global scourge — widespread malnourishment among overweight individuals eating calorie-rich, nutrient-poor diets. In fact, the world’s population of 1.2 billion overfed and undernourished individuals now equals those starving from a lack of healthy food.”
- Dr. Joseph Mercola

In a perfect world, we would get all necessary nutrients from the food that we eat. That is the “ideal” situation. Adam and Eve certainly didn’t have access to a health food stores – nor did they need access. Times being what they are though, we do not live in a perfect world. Individuals with fibromyalgia need to supplement missing nutrients in their foods.

Reliance upon chemical fertilizers and the loss of topsoil has depleted American fields of nutrients. Few farmers replace missing trace minerals in the land. Often, produce is picked before it is ripe so that it travels better. Unfortunately, many plants produce nutrients during the ripening stage, while the fruit is on the vine. Once picked, the produce is stored in a cool, dark place to prevent spoilage. This storage causes up to 50% nutrient loss in just five days. Then we really clean up the nutrients by chopping, cooking, processing, and canning the foods.

Note: A storage method that allows for much more nutrient retention than canning fruits and vegetables is blanching, then freezing them. To learn how to blanch fruits and vegetables to prepare them for freezing, visit http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/foods/348-596/348-596.html.

What it all boils down to is unless you organically grow your own food in soil that has been tested and amended, vine ripen it, eat it fresh, and eat it raw, it is nearly impossible to consume adequate nutrients through diet alone. Despite all of these efforts, you may still need to supplement because cytokines promote increased vitamin utilization.

Cytokines cause many fibromyalgia symptoms. In the brain, cytokines can cause behavioral changes. They can either prompt or worsen depression, anxiety, or anorexia. They may cause a person to become withdrawn. Cytokines create fatigue and interfere with sleep patterns. They are one thing responsible for what has been termed “brain fog.”

We know from studies done at the Department of Family Medicine at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte that daily use of multivitamins and mineral supplements “dramatically” reduced infections in patients with Type-2 Diabetes and persons 45 and older. Researchers found that 73% of those who took the placebo developed colds or other minor infections during a one-year period, but only 43% of those receiving the multivitamins and minerals became ill during the same time period. The biggest difference came in what percentage of the test subjects developed skin infections, which are problematic with diabetics. Of the test subjects who were taking placebos, 93% of the Type 2 Diabetes reported an infection compared with only 17% of those receiving the multivitamins and mineral supplements.

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Digestive enzyme deficiencies may cause reduced thyroid hormone production and constipation or hard stools. Also, undigested food leads to toxicity that strains the immune system, but that is not the only significant problem associated with a lack of
enzymes. A lack of enzymes contributes to a “cell identity crisis.”

Each cell of the body has a nametag called a cell marker. This nametag or cell marker is what tells the immune system, “Hey, I am part of your body so leave me be.” When the nametag is not present, the immune system treats the tissue or system as a foreign invader and attacks. Creating these nametags is an enzyme intensive process. A body that is already straining to produce enough digestive enzymes will not be able to keep up with the other kinds of enzymes it needs.  A body that is low on enzymes, will also suffer a nametag shortage, and attack itself.

On its own, eating cooked and processed foods can cause an enzyme deficiency. However, nutritional deficiencies and toxins can compound the problem. The amino acid L-Lysine is necessary in enzyme production. Often, individuals with Fibromyalgia are lacking L-Lysine.  Fluoride and seed oils also block enzyme action.

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Human Growth Hormone (HGH) enhancement and progesterone support thyroid function, but estrogen does the opposite.  Besides supporting the thyroid, HGH strengthens the immune system. This hormone also aids in tissue repair and enzyme production.

HGH naturally declines with age, except in people with Fibromyalgia, it declines well beyond what is considered normal. If you take your chronological age and add 30 to it, your answer would be what the average Fibromyalgia sufferer’s HGH productions are estimated to be. For example, I’m 36 years old, so 36 +30=65 years old. If I were not supplementing to increase my HGH levels, they were closer to that of a 65-year-old. Additonally, HGH can be stimulated by exercise in normal individuals, but not by those with Fibromyalgia.

Note: Occasionally, HGH stimulators worsen thyroid function. More often, it normalizes thyroid function.

The amino acid, L-arginine, promotes the production of HGH. L-arginine can be purchased as a supplement and is prescribed by some doctors. Much research has been done on L-arginine since the 1998 Nobel Prize in Medicine validated its benefits. Since that time, nutritional supplement companies began scrambling to release their own version of L-arginine.

L-Arginine enhances wound healing, improves insulin sensitivity in Type II Diabetics, can be used as a “natural” alternative to Viagra TM, and can significantly lower blood pressure. A deficiency in human growth hormone (HGH) can also interfere with sleep regulation. However, for all of its virtues, L-arginine also has its dangerous vices. This amino acid stimulates both the HIV (AIDS) and the herpes simplex viruses.

Because it stimulates the herpes virus, many supplement companies’ L-arginine formulations include L-lysine, which is an amino acid that quiets the herpes simplex virus.  Unfortunately, L-lysine prevents the L-arginine from crossing the blood brain barrier, which is the vascular barrier that protects the brain.  If L-arginine cannot cross the blood brain barrier, it cannot stimulate Human Growth Hormone production. Other production processes by supplement companies affect L-arginine’s benefits.  One is combining it with sugar because of its terrible taste. This combination makes the amino acid useless.
L-arginine is what is called a “blind” amino acid when it is separated from its sister amino acids. This means that by itself, L-arginine does not know where to go or what to do.  Instead of crossing the blood brain barrier to be converted into human growth hormone, it wanders around the body as a damaging cancer-causing free radical.  L-arginine must be combined with an escort called a chemical rider, which helps it across the blood brain barrier. Not only is L-arginine useless in the production of HGH without this chemical rider, it is dangerous.

Dr. Ann de Wees Allen, N.D., was the youngest person ever diagnosed with stomach and esophageal cancer. At that time, the survival rate for this particular form of cancer was less than 2%. As directed by Dr.Linus Pauling, two-time Nobel Prize winner, Dr. Allen was put on a protocol of the antioxidant, vitamin C, and L-arginine. Her survival inspired her to dedicate her life to L-arginine research. Dr. Allen has since developed the only chemical rider for L-arginine and the only L-arginine formula that does not stimulate HIV or herpes. Even if your doctor prescribes L-arginine, you need to be sure it contains a chemical rider. If not, it cannot stimulate growth hormone. In large enough amounts to stimulate growth hormone production, it could stimulate a whole host of other problems. At publication date, Dr. Allen had the only L-arginine formulation with the rider. (Read Dr. Allen’s inspiring story at http://www.arginineresearch.com/Dr.%20Allen%27s%20Inspiring%20Survival%20Story.htm.)

Note:  If you have a history of breast cancer (or hormonally sensitive cancers) in your family, you should use L-arginine only under a doctor’s supervision.

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You may find some plant sources of both ALA and DHA, but it is nearly impossible to find a plant source for EPA. Since your body cannot easily convert ALA into EPA, it is necessary to find another dietary source of it.  Cold-water fish is the best source of EPA and DHA. This is one reason why people whose diets are high in (non-mercury polluted) fish have a much lower risk of developing an autoimmune disease.

My favorite supplement source of fish oil is deep-sea shark liver oil. (The reasons will be discussed in a later chapter.) Because of its ability to control cytokines, fish oil has been used successfully to support RA, Chrohn’s, Raynauds’s, MS, lupus, and CFS to name a few.

Cytokines cause many fibromyalgia symptoms. In the brain, cytokines can cause behavioral changes. They can either prompt or worsen depression, anxiety, or anorexia. They may cause a person to become withdrawn. Cytokines create fatigue and interfere with sleep patterns. They are one thing responsible for what has been termed “brain fog.”

According to WebMD, a compound found in fish oil may help those at risk for Type-2 Diabetes stave off the disease. Studies show that fish oil supplements appear to improve the function of insulin in overweight individuals.

Fish oil and RA: http://www.arthritis-symptom.com/alternativel-arthritis-treatments/omega-3-fatty-acids.htm and http://www.thyroid-info.com/autoimmune/1stqtr2003.htm

Fish oil and Crohn’s Disease: http://www.arthritis-symptom.com/alternativel-arthritis-treatments/omega-3-fatty-acids.htm and http://www.thyroid-info.com/autoimmune/1stqtr2003.htm

Fish oil and Raynaud’s Disease: http://www.arthritis-symptom.com/alternativel-arthritis-treatments/omega-3-fatty-acids.htm

Fish oil and MS: http://www.msrc.co.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=show&pageid=721 and http://www.thyroid-info.com/autoimmune/1stqtr2003.htm
Fish oil and lupus: http://www.uklupus.co.uk/news60.html and http://www.nutraingredients.com/news/news-NG.asp?n=37475-fish-oil-could and http://www.lowcarb.ca/articlesb/article304.html and http://www.thyroid-info.com/autoimmune/1stqtr2003.htm

Fish oil and CFS: http://www.fibromyalgiasupport.com/library/showarticle.cfm/ID/3876/e/1/T/CFIDS_FM/
Omega-3 fatty acids are important for cytokine control and more. For MS, Fibromyalgia, Lyme, ALS, and Chronic Fatigue sufferers Omega-3 fatty acids create the best environment possible for myelin sheathe repair and regeneration. In the case of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia, Omega-3 fatty acids serve yet another purpose, which will be discussed in the next article.

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“Most human illnesses and diseases are due to a deficiency of vital nutrients. When you supply your body with the proper nutrients, in a form that your body can use, it knows how to repair itself”

-American Living Foods

Some diseases associated with a vitamin D deficiency include: MS, lupus, arthritis, Chrohn’s, Psoriasis, and diabetes.

The Sun  

“I think you might dispense with half your doctors if you would only consult Dr. Sun more.”
-Henry Ward Beecher

Our bodies make vitamin D when our skin is exposed for a long enough period of time to the sun’s rays. On the equator, where people get lots of sun and their bodies are able to produce plenty of vitamin D on their own, MS is almost non-existent! In places like the Pacific Northwest, where there are a lot of overcast days and shorter days, MS affects a higher percentage of the population.

Now, there are certain populations that break this rule. Populations whose diets are naturally high in fish have a low incidence of MS, psoriasis, asthma, and Type-1 Diabetes, even if they live in areas with short daylight hours. Why? Because fish is an excellent dietary source of vitamin D and omega 3 fatty acids, which help suppress inflammation-causing cytokines.

Cytokines cause many fibromyalgia symptoms. In the brain, cytokines can cause behavioral changes. They can either prompt or worsen depression, anxiety, or anorexia. They may cause a person to become withdrawn. Cytokines create fatigue and interfere with sleep patterns. They are one thing responsible for what has been termed “brain fog.”

The vitamin D connection is so significant that doctors may soon be asking, “What’s your sign?” when determining your risk for Multiple Sclerosis (MS). According to a new Oxford University study, your birth month can increase or decrease your likelihood of developing MS. Individuals born in May have the highest risk and November the lowest. The mother’s exposure to sunlight during pregnancy and consequent vitamin D production is believed to be the probable cause of the birth month’s relevancy.

Many factors, including the color of your skin, the use of sunscreen, keeping the body covered due to cultural or religious reasons, and age will determine how much vitamin D you are able to produce on your own. Generally speaking, the fairer your skin, the less sun exposure you need to produce adequate amounts of vitamin D on your own. For this reason, studies have shown that African American women in the US are more likely to be vitamin D deficient than Caucasian women. No matter what your skin color, wearing sunscreen or completely covering the skin will block vitamin D production. Additionally, when sunlight comes through glass, it will not cause your body to produce any vitamin D.1

Dietary vitamin D absorption can be hindered by a number of factors. People with Inflammatory Bowel-type disorders have an increased risk of vitamin D deficiency. Diseases such as Cystic Fibrosis and Cholestastic Liver Disease decrease the body’s ability to absorb vitamin D. Additionally, obesity and steroid use make vitamin D less bioavailable to the body.

Some experts estimate that up to 40% of the U.S. population is deficient in vitamin D, especially during the winter months.   This deficiency can cause achiness in the muscles and is often misdiagnosed as Fibromyalgia.

Note: Eating soy foods can cause deficiencies in both vitamin D and calcium. 5

Studies have shown that women supplementing with vitamin D were significantly less likely to develop Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) than their peers.  The same is true of women in MS studies.  Over the years, scientists have also used vitamin D injections to help with symptoms in MS, lupus, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, and Type-1 Diabetes.

How much vitamin D do you need? That is a good question and one that scientists continue to battle out. According to the Linus Pauling Institute, evidence suggests that vitamin D supplements of about 800 IU/day may be helpful at supporting certain health issues. But, in order for the vitamin D supplementation to be effective 1,000 to 1,200 mg per day of calcium should also be consumed. 9 This is much less vitamin D than many of our forefathers got from the sun. The amount of vitamin D synthesized by white human skin under UV exposure common to our outdoor ancestors was about 4,000 IU/day.
However, the major danger from taking too much of this vitamin is damage to kidney tissue.

Please don’t use the suspicion that you may be low on vitamin D as a reason to drink more milk or eat ice cream! Even though milk is touted as being an excellent source of vitamin D, milk consumption is linked to a higher incidence of autoimmune diseases like MS.
(Read more about it at http://www.drlam.com/A3R_brief_in_doc_format/2003-No2-Milk.cfm#MultipleSclerosis and http://www.notmilk.com/ms.html)

Note: Vitamin D supplementation is contraindicated in the presence of renal (kidney) disease. Consult your doctor about vitamin D supplementation.

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Licorice and Stinging Nettle are two herbs that can help support the adrenals. Licorice Root Extract is a commonly used Chinese herb. Licorice contains a substance similar to adrenal hormone.  A 1996 study by Japanese researchers demonstrated licorice root relieves inflammation caused by cytokine over-production.

Cytokines cause many fibromyalgia symptoms. In the brain, cytokines can cause behavioral changes. They can either prompt or worsen depression, anxiety, or anorexia. They may cause a person to become withdrawn. Cytokines create fatigue and interfere with sleep patterns. They are one thing responsible for what has been termed “brain fog.”

Note: Licorice root used regularly in large doses can cause high blood pressure, swelling, potassium imbalance, and breast enlargement in men.

Stinging Nettle was used by Native Americans to treat aches and pains. It has also been traditionally used to treat gout, arthritis, and asthma. This herb is helpful for allergies because it contains natural antihistamines.

Note: Vitamin C offsets the stress that mercury vapor puts on the adrenal glands.  For an adrenal support tonic recipe, visit http://www.wildroots.com/adrenal.html.

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DHEA is the most prevalent hormone secreted from the adrenal glands. DHEA levels in children are very low. Increased DHEA production is thought to be the reason children “outgrow” allergies and asthma. The decline in DHEA levels leads to a decline in immune function. DHEA levels are at their highest around age 25, then begin to drop. Later in life, DHEA levels drop enough that we are more susceptible to allergies and asthma. Low DHEA levels can cause cold hands, brittle hair, and dry skin.

DHEA supplementation of 200 mg daily has been shown in studies to benefit lupus patients. DHEA has also been used in studies to support MS and Rheumatoid Arthritis because people with these diseases have been shown to be deficient in this hormone. DHEA is known to be anti-viral, help prevent muscle wasting, and is anti-inflammatory. Maybe the most exciting news is that DHEA studies show how much it helps with heat intolerance.

Supplementing with DHEA is not without controversy. While studies show that it may prevent certain cancers, others show that it promotes them.

Note: The body uses cholesterol to make Pregnenolone and from Pregnenolone the body makes DHEA. For this reason, some experts believe that better results are achieved by taking Pregnenolone in conjunction with DHEA.

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