Archive for the ‘Lyme’ Category

Rejuvenate Cells & Combat Chronic Illness With a Fasting Mimicking Diet

https://www.treatlyme.net/guide/fasting-mimicking-diet

Rejuvenate Your Cells and Combat Chronic Illness with a Fasting Mimicking Diet

By Dr. Marty Ross

Sept. 2024

If you’re grappling with chronic Lyme disease, Bartonella, Babesia, or mold toxicity, the term “fasting” may seem hard to think about. However, the Fasting Mimicking Diet (FMD) offers a scientifically backed, less intense method that promises significant health benefits. Imagine rejuvenating your injured cells and potentially alleviating symptoms without the extreme measures associated with traditional fasting.

Interested? Let’s explore how FMD may be the game-changer you need.

What is the Fasting Mimicking Diet?

The Fasting Mimicking Diet is a revolutionary dietary protocol that mimics the effects of fasting while still allowing some nutrient intake. Developed by Dr. Valter Longo and his team at the University of Southern California, this diet aims to provide the health benefits of fasting without the hardship of complete food deprivation. It’s a five-day plan that involves reduced calorie intake, typically between 750 to 1,100 calories per day, mainly from plant-based foods, while ensuring that your body enters a fasting-like state.

Understanding Cellular Rejuvenation

Cellular rejuvenation refers to the process of renewing old or damaged cells. This concept is critical for those with chronic illnesses like Lyme disease, Bartonella, Babesia, and mold toxicity, where cellular damage and inflammation from oxidation damage could lead to ongoing symptoms. FMD has been shown to trigger autophagy, a crucial cellular cleanup process where the body removes damaged cells and regenerates new ones. This process not only helps in maintaining cellular health but also stimulates the production of stem cells, which are essential for repairing and regenerating tissues and can help remove senescent zombie cells. By doing so, FMD promotes cellular regeneration and can lead to improved overall health for people living with chronic tick-borne infections and mold toxicity. FMD also potentially enhances longevity and reduces the risk of various age-related diseases.

Key Health Enhancing and Anti-Aging Pathways Affected by the Fasting Mimicking Diet

  • Autophagy Pathway: FMD induces autophagy, a critical process for cellular cleanup and renewal. This promotes the removal of damaged proteins and organelles, supporting longevity and overall health, and may help reduce cellular debris linked to chronic infections like tick-borne diseases and mold toxicity.
  • Cellular Senescence: FMD aids in addressing cellular senescence, where cells lose their ability to divide and function optimally while often developing a pro-inflammatory secretory profile known as the Senescence-Associated Secretory Phenotype (SASP). Chronic infections are a cause of early cellular senescence. By removing these senescent cells and fixing the effects of SASP, the diet may reduce inflammation and tissue damage, contributing to healthier aging, an extended lifespan, and improved health for people with chronic infections and mold-related issues.
  • Improvements in Immune Function: FMD enhances immune function by promoting the regeneration of immune cells and supporting a balanced immune response. This can lead to a more robust defense against infections and a reduction in inflammation, benefiting individuals with chronic illnesses such as tick-borne diseases and mold toxicity. Enhanced immune function contributes to healthier aging and improved resilience against stressors, ensuring better overall health and longevity.
  • mTOR (Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin): FMD reduces signaling through the mTOR pathway, which is closely linked with cell growth, aging, and immune function. Inhibiting mTOR activity can enhance cellular stress resistance, longevity, and may aid in managing chronic infections by improving immune response.
  • IGF-1 (Insulin-like Growth Factor 1): FMD lowers levels of IGF-1, a hormone that promotes growth and has been associated with aging and cancer. Reducing IGF-1 can lead to decreased cellular proliferation and increased autophagy, which may benefit those dealing with persistent infections and inflammation.
  • AMPK (AMP-Activated Protein Kinase): By activating AMPK, the diet enhances energy metabolism and promotes the breakdown of fats. This pathway is associated with improved longevity, protection against age-related diseases, and could also support detoxification and energy balance in individuals facing mold toxicity and chronic infections.
  • Sirtuins Activation: The diet stimulates sirtuins, a family of proteins that regulate cellular health and longevity. Activation of sirtuins is linked to improved DNA repair, enhanced stress resistance, and extended lifespan; these functions may also aid individuals with chronic tick-borne infections and mold toxicity by bolstering cellular resilience and repair mechanisms.  (See link for article)

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Category:

Babesia, Bartonella, diet and nutrition, Lyme, Mold

IGeneX Lyme ImmunoBlot Test Receives FDA Clearance

https://www.lymedisease.org/lyme-immunoblot-fda-clearance/

IGeneX Lyme ImmunoBlot test receives FDA clearance

The Lyme ImmunoBlot test first introduced by IGeneX in 2017 has now been converted to a test kit–and has received FDA clearance.

The name of the test is iDart™ Lyme IgG ImmunoBlot Kit.

It’s a stand-alone test for the detection of IgG antibodies against Borrelia-causing Lyme disease.

The iDart ImmunoBlot Kit features 31 Lyme antigen bands, which are more antigen bands than any other Lyme immunoblot test on the market.

Moreover, it is the only immunoblot that includes Osp A (P31) and Osp B (P34). (Note: those are the two bands removed from other Lyme tests in the 1990s because of their use in the development of Lyme vaccines.)

The inclusion of 31 antigens improves the sensitivity of the detection of Lyme-specific IgG antibodies, which in turn will improve the sensitivity of the diagnosis of Lyme disease in suspected patients without sacrificing specificity.

“We are delighted to have received FDA clearance for our Lyme ImmunoBlot Kit,” said Dr. Jyotsna Shah, Ph.D., President and Director of IGeneX Labs.

These kits are not available for sale to consumers, but only to labs who perform Lyme diagnostic testing.

Key features of the iDart Lyme IgG ImmunoBlot kit

  • Results interpretation is based upon new criteria and not CDC criteria.
  • The bands are grouped according to their antigen groups. The test is considered positive if the Lyme Screen Antigen (LSA) band and one or more bands from at least two other groups are present on the ImmunoBlot.
  • Bands 31 and 34 are included, making this the only FDA-cleared Lyme serological test that includes these bands.

SOURCE: IGeneX, Inc.

Category:

Activism, Lyme, Testing

Medicine Struggles to Define Chronic Lyme. Long Covid Has Only Made it Harder

https://www.statnews.com/2024/09/09/lyme-disease-long-covid-symptoms-diagnosis-research/

Medicine struggles to define chronic Lyme. Long Covid has only made it harder

By Isabella Cueto and Alina Sajani

Sept. 9, 2024

Going to the doctor is already tricky enough for people with chronic symptoms of Lyme disease. Their concerns often dismissed by mainstream medicine, those patients now face an additional hurdle: ruling out long Covid.

The two illnesses — one seeping in over the course of decades and another suddenly springing to life on a massive scale — share many qualities, including being widely misunderstood. But as efforts to demystify long Covid intensify, so does interest in studying neglected conditions, including persistent complications from Lyme disease.

Long Covid was a crash course in chronic conditions that start with infection. “As a result, Lyme patients are now met with more compassion and understanding than ever in the past. It is now harder for a physician to dismiss the possibility of a Lyme diagnosis out of hand than it was before the pandemic,” said Bernadette Clavier, facilitator of the Coalition for Infection-Associated Chronic Conditions and Illnesses Research.

New studies aim to tease apart the diseases’ differences and similarities in hopes of finding treatments for patients that have gone without vetted, tailored therapeutics, in some cases for decades. (See link for article)

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**Comment**

The article discusses the case of a Lyme advocate who had a mild case of COVID and only lost her sense of taste and smell, but who crashed two months later.  Joint pain and GI issues popped up seemingly out of nowhere.  She also got severe brain fog.

I’m sure this patient isn’t alone.

COVID did a number on both of us as well and we were very sick, numerous times.  The first time caused us to relapse with Bartonella.

But this patient is blaming COVID for it all.  I question the logic of this as there is no accurate test to prove it. One of the most common features of long-COVID syndrome is post-exertional malaise and research has shown the spike protein exhausts cardiomyocyte mitochondria.  Also, ‘Long COVID’ symptoms mirror those in other viral illnesses and with Lyme/MSIDS it is nearly impossible to discern what is causing what.  I can rattle off 10 things that cause joint pain, GI issues, and brain fog, including a bevy of bacterial and parasitic infections!

Researchers at Johns Hopkins and other institutions have a lost of potential new therapies they’d like to study – everything from inflammatory treatments to antibiotic combination therapies, brain stimulation, and magic mushrooms.

It is widely known that ALL vaccines prime illness by injecting foreign proteins and the COVID shots specifically cause T-cell exhaustion and masks are immunosuppressive.  These issues are side-stepped regarding ‘long covid.’ A top biologist states they are ‘bioweapons’ that can target entire populations by ‘triggering the immune system to stand down.’  This is the last thing a Lyme/MSIDS patient needs!

Italian scientists have issued a disturbing warning over a new neurological emergency surging in those who received the mRNA shots and others have shown they have caused excess death, organ damage, autoimmunity, and myocarditis and pericarditis, and urinary and bladder issues.  Then there’s the paper showing the spike protein induces a lethal cancer phenotype.

Seems to me ‘Long COVID’ is an easy scapegoat from much larger and damning issues.

Category:

Lyme, Treatment, vaccines, Viruses

Two Plants in Plaintain Family Show Antioxidant and Bb Inhibiting Properties

https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/25/13/7112

Plantago major and Plantago lanceolata Exhibit Antioxidant and Borrelia burgdorferi Inhibiting Activities

by Pille-Riin Laanet, Olga Bragina, Piia Jõul and Merike Vahe*
Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Tallinn University of Technology, Akadeemia tee 15, 12618 Tallinn, Estonia
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(13), 7112; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25137112
Submission received: 18 May 2024 / Revised: 15 June 2024 / Accepted: 20 June 2024 / Published: 28 June 2024
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antioxidant, Anti-inflammatory, and Antimicrobial Activities of Phytochemicals: Bridging Traditional Knowledge and Molecular Insights)

Abstract

Lyme disease, caused by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato infection, is the most widespread vector-borne illness in the Northern Hemisphere. Unfortunately, using targeted antibiotic therapy is often an ineffective cure. The antibiotic resistance and recurring symptoms of Lyme disease are associated with the formation of biofilm-like aggregates of B. burgdorferi. Plant extracts could provide an effective alternative solution as many of them exhibit antibacterial or biofilm inhibiting activities. This study demonstrates the therapeutic potential of Plantago major and Plantago lanceolata as B. burgdorferi inhibitors. Hydroalcoholic extracts from three different samples of each plant were first characterised based on their total concentrations of polyphenolics, flavonoids, iridoids, and antioxidant capacity. Both plants contained substantial amounts of named phytochemicals and showed considerable antioxidant properties. The major non-volatile constituents were then quantified using HPLC-DAD-MS analyses, and volatile constituents were quantified using HS-SPME-GC-MS. The most prevalent non-volatiles were found to be plantamajoside and acteoside, and the most prevalent volatiles were β-caryophyllene, D-limonene, and α-caryophyllene. The B. burgdorferi inhibiting activity of the extracts was tested on stationary-phase B. burgdorferi culture and its biofilm fraction. All extracts showed antibacterial activity, with the most effective lowering the residual bacterial viability down to 15%. Moreover, the extracts prepared from the leaves of each plant additionally demonstrated biofilm inhibiting properties, reducing its formation by 30%.
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**Comment**
Both plants are in the plantain family, which is a diverse family of flowering plants and herbs and includes snapdragons, foxglove, particularly the broadleaf or greater plaintain (Plantago major) which is considered an herb, and narrowleaf plantain or ribwort (Plantago lanceolata).  You will find the former to be a common weed that is often found along the edge of the road.  This is handy because if you react to bee/wasp stings you can chew these leaves which are highly anti-inflammatory and them put it directly on the sting until you get home.  I’ve had to do this.  The tea is also excellent for bronchitis.  While narrowleaf plantain is has supposedly been introduced in WI, I don’t believe I’ve ever seen it and I consider myself a plant freak.
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Word of warning: many think herbs are always safe.  I know of patients who messed themselves up pretty badly with herbs.  Herbs are strong medicine.  Never forget that.  For some they make all the difference.  For others, not so much.  Make sure you learn all you can about these powerful plants and as always – use with caution – as with any treatment.  I’m certainly not trying to dissuade you, just remind you to take heed, do your homework, and preferably work with experienced herbalists.  Nothing beats experience.

Category:

Biofilm, Herbs, Inflammation, Lyme, research, Treatment

Tick-Borne Illnesses and the Gut: A Fascinating Look At Their Link

https://www.jillcarnahan.com/2023/05/23/tick-borne-illnesses-and-the-gut-a-fascinating-look-at-their-link/

Tick-Borne Illnesses and the Gut: A Fascinating Look at Their Link

Jill Carnahan, MD ABIHM, ABoIM, IFMCP

What comes to mind when you think of a bug bite? Chances are a disrupted digestive system isn’t the first thing that pops into your head.

But certain bug bites (like those that come from ticks) can have some serious consequences for your health – triggering a slew of differing infections known as tick-borne diseases or tick-borne illnesses. And one such consequence that these tick-borne diseases can cause, is a dramatically negative impact on the health of your gut.

Today we’re going to explore exactly what tick-borne diseases are, the gut-related (and non-gut-related) symptoms they can cause, zoom in on exactly how these microbes harm your digestive tract, and most importantly – review what you can do if you suspect you’ve been exposed to any of these gut-damaging pathogens. Let’s dive in.  (See link for article)

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Category:

diet and nutrition, Gut Health, Herbs, Lyme, Supplements