Archive for the ‘Supplements’ Category

The Link Between Nightshades, Chronic Pain and Inflammation

https://greenmedinfo.com/blog/link-between-nightshades-chronic-pain-and-inflammation

The Link Between Nightshades, Chronic Pain and Inflammation

“© [Article Date] GreenMedInfo LLC. This work is reproduced and distributed with the permission of GreenMedInfo LLC. Want to learn more from GreenMedInfo? Sign up for the newsletter here //www.greenmedinfo.com/greenmed/newsletter.”

Few people are familiar with the term nightshades, and many will be surprised to learn that consuming foods from this plant group may be contributing to their pain and inflammation

Nightshades belong to the Solanaceae family which includes over 2,000 species. They also include some of the most popular foods consumed today; such as tomatoes, potatoes, all types of peppers, and eggplant. Although not truly nightshades, blueberries, huckleberries, goji berries and ashwaganda all share the same alkaloids which may have inflammation-inducing properties.

The Solanaceae family contains cholinesterase inhibiting glycoalkaloids and steroid alkaloids including, among others, solanine in potato and eggplant, tomatine in tomato, nicotine in tobacco, and capsaicin in garden peppers. The glycoalkaloids in potatoes are known to contribute to Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and negatively affect intestinal permeability. (1,2) According to Dr. Marvin Childers, When these inhibitors accumulate in the body, alone or with other cholinesterase inhibitors such as caffeine or food impurities containing systemic cholinesterase inhibiting pesticides, the result may be a paralytic-like muscle spasm, aches, pains, tenderness, inflammation, and stiff body movements.” (3) These symptoms may dissipate in a few hours or days if ingestion is stopped, based on the sensitivity of the individual, the amount of nightshades consumed on a regular basis and their level of inflammation. However for some heavy consumers of nightshades the process of inflammation and pain reduction can take up to 3 months.

After reading the symptoms associated with nightshade consumption, it is easy to understand why one of the major problems attributed to nightshade is arthritis. Arthritis is also the most common disability in the U.S. (4,5) Statistics from a 2007-2009 study show that doctor diagnosed arthritis affects 49.9 million people in the United States alone (6). Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis affecting more than 20 million people. More than 2 million people are affected by rheumatoid arthritis, the most disabling and painful form of arthritis. Arthritis has no boundaries to gender, race or age, it affects young and old alike. (5, 7) In fact it may be surprising to some that an estimated 294,000 children (age 18 and under), have some form of arthritis. (7) In 2003 the medical cost of arthritis alone was approximately 128 billion annually. (4) Since 1994, disability-related costs for medical care and lost productivity have exceeded an estimated $300 billion annually in the United Statesthis includes arthritis and other rheumatoid related illness (8) Add to these numbers the report released in 2011 by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, where an estimated 116 million adults live with chronic pain, which costs the United States $635 billion annually in health care and lost productivity. (9) So the question is how much of these problems are nightshade related? That is the question some researchers are asking, as they believe that arthritis is often misdiagnosed in people who may in fact be experiencing severe side effects of nightshade consumption.

Many who suffer with arthritis or an arthritis related disease such as lupus, rheumatism, and other musculoskeletal pain disorders, have found that consuming foods from the nightshade family is in fact adversely affecting their health. Norman F. Childers, PhD, founder of the Arthritis Nightshades Research Foundation stated: “Diet appears to be a factor in the etiology of arthritis based on surveys of over 1400 volunteers during a 20-year period. Plants in the drug family, Solanaceae (nightshades) are an important causative factor in arthritis in sensitive people.” (3)

Three month challenge

If you want to know if nightshades negatively affect you, take the three month challenge. Avoid all nightshades for three months. (It’s called a challenge for a reason).Be careful to note the nightshade list, and become a label reader as some homeopathics, prescriptions, over the counter medications as well as numerous processed foods contain nightshades. Prescriptions and over the counter medicines may require a discussion with your pharmacist or a phone call to the manufacturer of your over the counter medicines to determine ingredients.

After three months, begin to reintroduce one nightshade at a time. Take note of any aches, pains, stiffness, and loss of energy, headaches, respiratory problems or any other symptoms. You may find as many others have, that the quality of your daily health will dramatically improve after eliminating nightshades from your diet.

The nightshade list

  • ­ tomatoes (all varieties, including tomatillos)
  • ­ potatoes (all varieties, NOT sweet potatoes or yams)
  • ­ eggplant (aubergine)
  • ­ okra
  • ­ peppers (all varieties such as bell pepper, wax pepper, green & red peppers, chili peppers, cayenne, paprika, etc.)
  • ­ goji berries
  • ­ tomarillos (a plum-like fruit from Peru)
  • ­ sorrel
  • ­ garden huckleberry & blueberries (contain the alkaloids that induce inflammation)
  • ­ gooseberries
  • ­ ground cherries
  • ­ pepino Melon
  • ­ the homeopathic “Belladonna” [note: this is highly precautionary as homeopathics contain virtually no measurable “active” chemical]
  • ­ tobacco
  • ­ paprika
  • ­ cayenne pepper

Soy sauce made in the U.S. is generally made with genetically modified (GMO) soy beans, which are cut with the nightshade plant Petunia.

The condiments black/white pepper and pepper corns are not nightshades

Other ingredients and products to avoid

  • ­Homeopathic remedies containing Belladonna [note: this is highly precautionary as homeopathics contain virtually no measurable “active” chemical]
  • ­Prescription and over-the-counter medications containing potato starch as a filler (especially prevalent in sleeping and muscle relaxing medications)
  • ­Edible flowers: petunia, chalice vine, day jasmine, angel and devil’s trumpets
  • ­Atropine and Scopolamine, used in sleeping pills
  • ­Topical medications for pain and inflammation containing capsicum (in cayenne pepper).
  • ­Many baking powders contain potato starch
  • ­Don’t lick envelopes, many adhesives contain potato starch
  • ­Vodka (potatoes used in production)

Read labels carefully because you could be doing everything else right, and still be sabotaged by one small amount of an ingredient.

Never buy a food has that uses the generic term of seasoning or spices…. nightshades may be included in the ingredients.

Learn more about the similarity of tomato lectin with wheat germ lectin (WGA), as well as lectins found in rice and barley:

Rice, Potato, and Tomato May Be As Inflammatory As Wheat


References

1. Potato glycoalkaloids adversely affect intestinal permeability and aggravate inflammatory bowel disease. www.greenmedinfo.com/article/potato-glycoalkaloids-adversely-affect-intestinal-permeability-and-aggravate

2. Naturally occurring glycoalkaloids in potatoes aggravate intestinal inflammation in two mouse models of inflammatory bowel disease. www.greenmedinfo.com/article/naturally-occurring-glycoalkaloids-potatoes-aggravate-intestinal-inflammation-two-mouse

3. Journal of Neurological and Orthopedic Medical Surgery (1993) 12:227-231.An Apparent Relation of Nightshades (Solanaceae) to Arthritis https://www.noarthritis.com/research.htm

4. National and State Medical Expenditures and Lost Earnings Attributable to Arthritis and Other Rheumatic Conditions — United States, 2003 https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5601a2.htm?s_cid=mm5601a2_e

5. Differences in the Prevalence and Impact of Arthritis Among Racial/Ethnic Groups in the United States, National Health Interview Survey, 2002, 2003, and 2006 https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2010/may/10_0035.htm

6. Prevalence of Doctor-Diagnosed Arthritis and Arthritis-Attributable Activity Limitation – United States, 2007-2009 https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5939a1.htm?s_cid=mm5939a1_w

7. Prevalence of and annual ambulatory health care visits for pediatric arthritis and other rheumatologic conditions in the United States in 2001-2004. Sacks JJ, Helmick CG, Luo YH, Ilowite NT, Bowyer S. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=18050185&ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

8. Prevalence and Most Common Causes of Disability Among Adults — United States, 2005 https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5816a2.htm

9. Relieving Pain in America: A Blueprint for Transforming Prevention, Care, Education, and Research https://www.iom.edu/Reports/2011/Relieving-Pain-in-America-A-Blueprint-for-Transforming-Prevention-Care-Education-Research.aspx

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of GreenMedInfo or its staff.

Interstitial Cystitis & Bladder Symptoms in Lyme & Bartonella

https://www.treatlyme.net/guide/interstitial-cystitis-lyme  (Article and video Here)

Updated: 10/13/23

Interstitial Cystitis and Bladder Symptoms

By Dr. Marty Ross

Some patients with Lyme disease and bartonella infection have symptoms similar to those seen in a bladder infection. These symptoms include

  • urge to urinate,
  • bladder pain and pain on urination,
  • bladder cramping, and
  • increased frequency of urination.

When these symptoms occur, a bladder infection should be ruled out by a healthcare provider. When it is ruled out, these symptoms are often the result of a condition called Interstitial Cystitis. Depending on a person’s age and other risk factors, a urologist may need to evaluate the bladder with a fiberoptic scope to assure that cancer is not present and to confirm a diagnosis of Interstitial Cystitis.

In this article I review the ways to support Interstitial Cystitis with natural medicines in a Lyme disease treatment.  (See link for article and video)

______________

For more:

ACTION ALERT: The FDA & Legalized Censorship

https://anh-usa.org/fda-launches-lab-test-attack/

FDA Launches Lab Test Attack

 

A new proposal from the FDA will compromise your ability to get the personalized medical care you need. Action Alert!

We reported a few months ago that the FDA was planning to propose a new rule to extend its power over laboratory developed tests (LDTs). That proposal was published last week, and, in line with our concerns, it represents a major attack on LDTs that we think will compromise patient health. We cannot allow the agency to regulate these critical tests out of existence. Use the forms below to post an official comment to the public docket.

This rule is the culmination of many years of effort from the FDA to extend its power over LDTs. Like previous attempts, what the FDA is trying to do is regulate LDTs like other medical devices, which means a boatload of additional regulatory requirements and, in many cases, premarket review.

This is a critical threat, as LDTs are crucial tools used in personalized medicine because labs can create custom diagnostic tests for all sorts of health conditions. LDTs are diagnostic tests developed and performed by local labs. They are important tools used by healthcare providers to diagnose and manage a wide range of conditions. They are widely used—thousands of different LDTs are available—and include genetic tests, heavy metal tests, tests for rare conditions, nutritional status tests, and hormone tests. They can be tailored to meet specific patient needs and can be used to respond rapidly to emerging threats like COVID-19. Currently, laboratories have the flexibility to adapt and modify tests based on evolving scientific knowledge and patient requirements. That could all change if this proposed rule goes through.  (See link for more and to take action)

The FDA has a long history of attempting to monopolize testing.  If they control testing, they control the entire narrative.

______________

https://anh-usa.org/ftc-clarifies-how-it-will-censor-supplement-claims/

FDA to Censor Supplement Claims

While the FTC appears to have backtracked slightly on its draconian campaign to censor supplement health claims, it is really a classic example of doublespeak.  Action Alert!

The FTC is working to conceal the remarkable truth about the healing and disease-preventing powers of foods and nutrients. This is only good if you’re a drug company looking to sell more expensive drugs for preventable chronic illnesses that often do not work. This censorship keeps you from learning that magnesium can help lower blood pressure, for example, or that chromium can lower blood sugar, or any of the other innumerable benefits that come from natural vitamins, minerals, herbs, and amino acids.

The FTC has been censoring natural product health claims for years, but the latest threat is the December 2022 revision to the agency’s Health Products Compliance guidance coupled with the hundreds of warning letters sent in April this year to producers of supplements, homeopathic medicines, and functional foods. These letters warned companies that if they make claims without proper scientific substantiation (that is, evidence from more than one randomized controlled trial, or RCT), they will face large civil penalties. You can reference our earlier coverage for the details.  

Important excerpt:

The agency is talking out of both sides of its mouth. On the one hand, it says quite clearly in its updated guidance (see below) that most supplement claims will require substantiation by RCTs, and other kinds of evidence will not be sufficient. On the other hand, it’s saying there “may” be some exceptions, but it depends on what experts in the field say. But we know good and well that the “experts” the government consults with are often on the take from Big Pharma or are otherwise critics of the use of natural products as the mainstay in health. Just look at what’s happening with another natural medicine in the government’s crosshairs, compounded bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (cBHRT). The FDA asked an “independent” panel of “experts” at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to review the clinical utility of cBHRT, and lo and behold, they concluded that there wasn’t any evidence to support cBHRT because there weren’t RCTs supporting safety and efficacy.

In our view, this “clarification” about possible exceptions to the RCT standard is all a smokescreen from the FTC, perhaps to lure companies into thinking they don’t need RCTs to support a health claim so the agency can bring the hammer down on them later.

(See link for more and to take action)

The FDA also has a long history of attempting to monopolize drugs, hormones, and supplements as well. The agency often completely ignores its scientific advisers and approves dangerous drugs & products – often without sufficient data. Pharmaceutical companies like Biogen (Project Onyx) use back channels to get FDA approval. And a court recently ruled that the FDA exceeded its authority by advising against using ivermectin for COVID. Instead, it dug remdesivir out of the drug grave yard after it failed for Ebola, and approved it for COVID (even babies!) despite being ineffective and toxic.

There were more than 500 deaths in the first year of remdesivir usage, but there have only been 20 deaths in 19 years of ivermectin usage. Nurses have dubbed the drug, “Run, death is near!”

But a world famous toxicologist couldn’t find a SINGLE case of an ivermectin overdose death.

_________________

https://anh-usa.org/legalized-censorship-a-radical-shift-in-regulating-speech/

Legalized Censorship: A Radical Shift in Regulating Speech

 

From Joseph Mercola, DO

If you think freedom of speech has gone down the tubes, you haven’t seen the half of it yet. September 19, 2023, the U.K. passed a new law to “regulate” (read, censor) online content. The so-called Online Safety Bill has been described as “one of the most far-reaching attempts by Western democracy to regulate online speech.

Interestingly, the bill has been in the works for the last five years, again proving that online censorship is not something that sprang up in response to COVID.  Governments have been steadily moving in this direction for a long time.

As reported by The New York Times, the bill forces online platforms to “proactively screen for objectionable material and to judge whether it is illegal, rather than requiring them to act only after being alerted to illicit content.”

Of course, we now know that flagging material for removal is how the U.S. government has illegally circumvented constitutional free speech rights for the past few years.

September 8, 2023, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld part of the lower court’s injunction, banning the White House, surgeon general, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the FBI from influencing social media companies to remove “disinformation.”

Unfortunately, the appellate court also reversed, vacated and modified other parts of the original injunction, leaving the door wide open for certain federal agencies to continue their censorship activities.

Importantly, officials from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) were excluded, even though CISA has played a major, if not central, role in the government’s censorship of Americans.

 (See link for article)

______________

**Comment**

In case you are unaware: the FDA is not our friend. 

For more:

Virus Prevention/Treatment Review

Interview with Dr. Saul

Transcript here

STORY AT-A-GLANCE

  • Initial predictions called for 2.2 million COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. alone. According to the latest models, an estimated 60,000 Americans may die from COVID-19 complications
  • Some doctors are promoting the use of the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine combined with azithromycin for seriously ill COVID-19 patients. Apparently, many are seeing good results, although not universally. Some Swedish hospitals have stopped using chloroquine due to severe side effects in some patients
  • Northwell Health, New York’s largest health care provider, is using vitamin C at its hospitals in conjunction with hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin
  • Some doctors have noted their patients’ symptoms have more in common with altitude sickness than pneumonia. In the final analysis, it may turn out that ventilators are inappropriate for a majority of patients. A better alternative may actually be hyperbaric oxygen therapy
  • Preventive methods you can use at home include taking vitamin C to bowel tolerance; zinc, vitamin B1 and melatonin supplementation; nebulized hydrogen peroxide; ozone therapy and nitric oxide boosting exercise

From Dr. Joseph Mercola

Since COVID-19 first entered the scene, exchange of ideas has basically been outlawed. By sharing my views and those from various experts throughout the pandemic on COVID treatments and the experimental COVID jabs, I became a main target of the White House, the political establishment and the global cabal.

Propaganda and pervasive censorship have been deployed to seize control over every part of your life, including your health, finances and food supply. The major media are key players and have been instrumental in creating and fueling fear.

I am republishing this article in its original form so that you can see how the progression unfolded.

Originally published: April 19, 2020

In this interview, recorded April 7, 2020, Dr. Andrew Saul, editor-in-chief of the Orthomolecular Medicine News Service, brings us new updates and insights into the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since our March 17, 2020, interview, which focused on the use of vitamin C, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, made the prediction that SARS-Cov-2 would kill anywhere from 100,000 to 240,000 Americans,1 which is still far less than the original prediction of 2.2 million.2

However, even that prediction has since been revised downward. April 8, 2020, a new model referred to as the Murray Model3 predicts COVID-19 will kill 60,000 in the U.S. by August.4 There’s no doubt in my mind that there will be more deaths from the financial collapse than there will be from the actual infection. So, it’s a sad state of affairs. As noted by Saul:

“Folks need to remember that in any given year, influenza escalating to pneumonia is a killer. And in any given year, there’s around 40,000 to 65,000 deaths, depending who you listen to, from pneumonia.

This is an awful lot of people dying every year. COVID-19 is a serious disease, but it’s not worth shutting down the world for. The stress from that is going to be a killer …

The people who die from COVID-19 are dying basically from SARS, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or pneumonia. So, it doesn’t really matter what virus does that. It matters if you die or not.

Many people are going to get COVID-19, and they’re going to have a mild case. And, for those who have a typical case, they’re going to have a miserable flu. They’re going to be sick as a dog for a couple of weeks.

Well, welcome to humanity, because how many times have we all had a miserable flu in our lifetimes? Those who are really at risk from COVID-19 usually have multiple pre-existing health problems, or they have a demonstrably poor lifestyle.

They’re overweight or they’re smoking, or they have an impaired immune system, or they’re elderly. And if you have a combination of those, anything can take that person out. So, we have to have perspective here.”

Google, Facebook Censor Real Data

Unfortunately, if you’re still using Google or social media platforms like Facebook, you’re unlikely to locate sensible information about how to protect yourself from COVID-19.

I believe suppressing access to the truth — the information you need to upregulate your innate immune system — is part of the plan to control the discussion about treatment options. Clearly, Fauci is promoting a pharmaceutical agenda when he says there’s nothing anyone can do until there’s a vaccine or antiviral drug available. Saul provides the following real-world example:

“This is something you can verify with your own Facebook account. Try this little experiment. If you post the meme I have at DoctorYourself.com on Facebook, it will immediately be blocked.

Here’s what the poster says: ‘Dr. Enqiang Mao, who is chief of emergency medical service at Ruijan hospital in Shanghai, China, treated 50 patients with high dose intravenous vitamin C. They had moderate to severe COVID. 50 out of 50 recovered. There were no fatalities.’

This is a report from a senior physician, right from China, to my contact in China, Dr. Richard Cheng, who is a board-certified himself and a Chinese-American, right there, reporting in firsthand. And this is labeled false news, fake news. This is demonstrably oppressive.”

The good news is Cheng is presenting his evidence before the National Institutes of Health. “I’ve seen his PowerPoint,” Saul says. “He’s going to run down why vitamin C is an antiviral, and how it can be used, and what doctors are doing.”

Aside from Mao, Dr. Zhiyong Peng, chief physician at Zhongnan Hospital, who is doing a major COVID-19 trial in Wuhan City, China, has stated that intravenous vitamin C is successful. “The number of new cases of COVID in China is very low, it’s gone way down, almost to the vanishing point,” Saul says. “Yet this information, somehow, is not on the news. And this is the very thing America and the rest of the world so needs to know now.”

Immune-Boosting Supplementation Regimen

Some New York hospitals are using vitamin C, though. A Northwell Health spokesperson has reportedly confirmed that vitamin C treatment is being “widely used” against coronavirus within the 23-hospital system.

According to Dr. Andrew G. Weber, a pulmonologist and critical-care specialist affiliated with two Northwell Health facilities on Long Island, vitamin C is being used in conjunction with the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine and the antibiotic azithromycin, which have also shown promise in coronavirus treatment.5 Saul notes:

“Northwell, which is the largest health care provider chain in New York state, [has] over 20 hospitals. It’s difficult to get information out of them, but to their credit, their spokesperson has announced that vitamin C is being used. And Weber … has reported that the vitamin C works. He said, basically, as close as I can quote him, ‘It’s not getting more publicity because it’s not a sexy drug.’ I love that …

If you have vitamin C for prevention, you are much less likely to have a bad case of any kind of viral infection, including COVID-19. Doesn’t mean you won’t get it; it means that your immune system will be able to handle it, and that’s what your immune system does …

In fact, people now are being told if they can manage this at home, [then] please stay home. Leave the hospital beds for those who really need them, and reduce risk of infection.

Remember, a hospital, by definition, is where we have our very sickest people with the greatest load of viruses and drug-resistant bacteria that you’ll ever find … We don’t live in a bubble, we live in a world of viruses, and they’re constantly mutating, and they’re constantly developing …

So, for prevention, the Orthomolecular Medicine News Service Editorial Review Board and the Japanese College of Intravenous Therapy both recommend 3,000 milligrams (mg) of vitamin C a day in divided doses, 400 mg of magnesium … 20 mg of zinc … 100 micrograms (mcg) of selenium … and 5,000 units of vitamin D, scaling down to 2,000 units of vitamin D a day after the first week.

That is a big difference. So, between the vitamin D and the vitamin C, we have something that will strengthen the immune system. When a person is in hospital, they are less likely to have access to supplements, at a very time when they’re going to need them more.

This is why we have to push, and the only way to do that is for the family to get in there and make it happen. More and more doctors are willing to do it because of the studies … in New York … So, the cat’s out of the bag … and it’s not going to go back in. There is a precedent. Just say to your doctor, ‘I want you to do what they’re doing in New York’ …

What we should learn from history is “have a strong immune system and you will survive.” This is the way it works. And the emphasis now is on scaring people, and actually telling them in the media, “Don’t take vitamin C, it won’t help you. Don’t take extra vitamin D, you don’t need it. There’s nothing you can do to build your immune system.”

You’ll actually see this on some news reports, and some newspapers. But, you’ll also see others that are reporting that it’s working in China and other parts of the world.”

Zinc With Hydroxychloroquine

Some doctors are promoting the use of the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) combined with azithromycin (Z-Pak) for seriously ill COVID-19 patients. Apparently, many are seeing good results, although not universally.

According to Newsweek, some Swedish hospitals have stopped using chloroquine due to severe side effects in some patients.6 That said, it appears one of the reason quinine drugs work is because it allows zinc to enter the cells. Saul comments on the use of hydroxychloroquine saying:

“I think if you can use a nutrient with a drug, you get better results than if you use the drug alone. Dr. Abram Hoffer, who was my personal mentor … said, ‘Sometimes you need a drug. Sometimes the drug will get you that immediate result that you’ve got to have, but you have to have nutrition if you want it to stick.’

So, if you use medication and the nutrient, you’re going to do better than if you use the medication alone … If the drug will help get the zinc to where it needs to go, that just makes good sense to me.”

Since the drug is now being rationed to those who need it most, you’d be wise to take zinc preventively. Your body only needs a small amount of it, and knows exactly what to do with it. Your immune system, for example, requires it to function. The elderly, who tend to eat less and eat less wholesomely, have a greater need for zinc supplementation.

“This is in every nutrition textbook ever written,” Saul says. “So, what we want to do right now is tell people, ‘Don’t worry about the drug unless you really need it. It’ll be at the hospital pharmacy. But for the rest of us, let’s stay out of the hospital by taking a step so we won’t need the drug.’

It’s not about avoiding doctors; it’s about not needing them. And that means you have to get on the wagon here. We have to do this every day. We have to be sure we take our supplements and eat a good diet, and avoid the junk and continue to get our fresh air and exercise.”

Ventilators May Do More Harm Than Good

In recent days, we’re seeing more and more reports of doctors saying the use of ventilators may be misguided.7 According to Business Insider,8 80% of COVID-19 patients in New York City who are placed on ventilators die, causing some doctors to question their use. As reported by STAT News:9

“What’s driving this reassessment is a baffling observation about Covid-19: Many patients have blood oxygen levels so low they should be dead. But they’re not gasping for air, their hearts aren’t racing, and their brains show no signs of blinking off from lack of oxygen.

That is making critical care physicians suspect that blood levels of oxygen, which for decades have driven decisions about breathing support for patients with pneumonia and acute respiratory distress, might be misleading them about how to care for those with Covid-19.

In particular, more and more are concerned about the use of intubation and mechanical ventilators. They argue that more patients could receive simpler, noninvasive respiratory support, such as the breathing masks used in sleep apnea, at least to start with and maybe for the duration of the illness.”

Some doctors have noted their patients’ symptoms have more in common with altitude sickness than pneumonia.10 This situation highlights the problems inherent with strategic standard of care. We thought we had a serious ventilator shortage and industries such as the auto industry redirected their manufacturing capacity to making ventilators.

In the final analysis, it may turn out that ventilators are inappropriate for a majority of patients. A far better alternative may actually be hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

“Making the oxygen available in a way that’s appropriate to the severity of the patient is the answer,” Saul says. “We have to remember that our body is singularly good at taking in oxygen or we wouldn’t be here. And our lungs have a huge amount of absorptive space. I mean, that’s what they do. It’s just an extraordinary system that we have.

Oxygen goes in by diffusion. You don’t push it in; the body sucks it in because if you have more oxygen outside than you do inside, it just goes through. All you do is give a lot of absorptive surface. And if you flattened out all the little alveoli in the lungs, you’d have an enormous area …

So, by providing the oxygen and then see if the body will take it up, you’ve made the first step. That can be done preventively by fresh air and exercise and going out and playing …

If somebody needs more oxygen, and you want to give them a little pressure, if that makes the patient better, then you do it. But the idea that you’ve got to ram this oxygen like a supercharger on a Mustang is, I think, a little bit, shall we say, industry friendly …

[The alveoli] are tiny, tiny little sacks. They have some of the thinnest little membranes you’ve ever seen. Look at them under a microscope. They’re very delicate. So, the last thing you want to do is add injury to insult.”

Hydrogen Peroxide Therapy

Saul, along with Dr. Thomas Levy, recommend nebulized hydrogen peroxide therapy. Similarly, Dr. Robert Rowen has published a commentary11 about the use of ozone therapy against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Both of these treatment alternatives are inexpensive and safe, and could be administered at home.

One point I want to stress after looking more deeply into this is that you may want to be careful about using regular 3% hydrogen peroxide, as they use proprietary stabilizers. By law, they’re not required to disclose those chemicals. So, ideally, you’d want to use food grade hydrogen peroxide and carefully dilute it to a 3% concentration.

What to Do if You’re Feeling Under the Weather

So, to recap, what can you do if you’re suddenly feeling under the weather and suspect a viral infection? Saul recommends taking vitamin C to bowel tolerance.

“Take enough C to be symptom free, whatever the amount might be. Dr. Cathcart would say take vitamin C to bowel tolerance, and that’s exactly what you think it means. The sicker you are, the more you hold. So, if you are really facing an influenza outbreak, you’ll hold a lot of C before you get to bowel tolerance.

This is something that everyone can do at home. My grandchildren can do this. When they get sick, they manage their own case by taking vitamin C until they get to bowel tolerance. Use whatever kind of vitamin C you can afford … [and] take enough C to be symptom free.

The more frequently you can take the vitamin C, the better off [you’ll be]. Vitamin C being water soluble is constantly lost … The more often you take it, the better results you will have, and you will need less to do so.

So, taking a small amount of vitamin C every half-hour is actually much better than taking a large amount of C twice a day. And taking a large amount of C twice a day is better than taking a huge amount of C every other day. So, the more often you take it, the friendlier it is for your body.”

For acute infection, you may need to increase your dosage somewhat beyond bowel tolerance. Keep in mind that taking it more frequently, such as every half-hour, will allow you to take more before you hit bowel tolerance. Other alternatives include taking a liposomal vitamin C or getting an IV infusion of vitamin C. Liposomal vitamin C can achieve intracellular levels very similar to IV vitamin C at a fraction of the cost and inconvenience.

B Vitamins (Thiamine)

Thiamine (vitamin B1) is also important, and works synergistically with vitamin C. Any infection increases your body’s need for thiamine. You can read more about this in “Vitamin B1 Is Vital to Protect Against Infectious Disease.”

The recommended daily allowance for thiamine is well below 2 mg. For acute illness or short-term prevention, Saul suggests taking 50 mg to 100 mg of thiamine per day, ideally in divided doses.

“Thiamine is the vitamin that smells funny,” he says. “When you open the bottle of your multiple vitamin, or your B complex, that smell is thiamine. So, when your urine smells like thiamine, you’re probably getting more than you need, but that’s not a problem.

Thiamine is safe, and you can excrete that. The excretion is an indicator of saturation. Thiamine, really, is best taken with the entire B complex. The B complex vitamins work better together.

For prevention, most people will get a B complex, B50 … Generally speaking, what I would tell people to do is take a look at the RDA, and you can do that on the internet in seconds, and take more than that. A B complex is this cheapest and safest way to do that.”

Melatonin for COVID-19

Another strategy that appears useful against both bacterial and viral infections is hormone melatonin. I review this in greater depth in “Melatonin for Sepsis.” Saul comments:

“Melatonin is a wonderful thing, because the safety studies are very encouraging. If you want to hurt yourself, melatonin will not do the job … Melatonin is inexpensive, it’s non-prescription and, obviously, something that safe deserves a try … And a little bit of melatonin can go a long way.

The older you get, the less you make. Now, if you keep your bedroom dark at night, you will make more melatonin. I’m about to impart a piece of wisdom that makes me very unpopular very quickly with a large number of people, and that is if you go to bed early, you will make more melatonin, and you will sleep better.

If you go to bed at 7:30 or 8:00 o’clock at night, you will have a far better sleep than if you go to bed later, even if you have the same number of hours. The old adage is, each hour of sleep before midnight is worth two hours of sleep after midnight. There’s something to that.”

Nitric Oxide Helps Inhibit Viral Replication

Another strategy worth mentioning is nitric oxide, which appears to inhibit viral replication. To boost nitric oxide, you could use precursors such as arginine or citrulline, but exercise and near-infrared radiation (such as a near-infrared sauna) will also do the trick.

“Exercise is absolutely crucial. I’m so big on that, and I would like to underscore that this is something that doesn’t cost a dime,” Saul says. “What is missing from most discussions on COVID-19 is an appreciation of how far we have let ourselves go. We’ve been eating crummy food for a long time.

We’ve been doing behaviors for a long time that don’t work. And sooner or later, the body is going to be weakened by that. Too much of the wrong thing, not enough for the right thing, and the immune system is going to be weak. And viruses, unfortunately, to put it very coldly, will thin the herd.

This is the way nature works … Now, this is a very harsh lesson from nature, but we would do well to learn it. If we let ourselves go, as my mother would say, ‘If you do this wrong, and you know it, don’t come crying to me afterwards.’ We have to take responsibility, and right now the COVID-19 epidemic is pointing that out in a very, very strong way.

It is most unpleasant to see this, but bearing in mind that we are not a healthy nation, we have to immediately take steps to become one, or there will be another virus, because this is not the first, and it is not the last … It just makes my day when I learn about people that … are not watching the news, they’re going out and they’re getting well.”

+ Sources and References

Cancer Metabolism as a Therapeutic Target and Review of Interventions

https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/15/19/4245

Cancer Metabolism as a Therapeutic Target and Review of Interventions

*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Nutrients 202315(19), 4245; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15194245
Received: 28 August 2023 / Revised: 20 September 2023 / Accepted: 26 September 2023 / Published: 1 October 2023

Abstract

Cancer is amenable to low-cost treatments, given that it has a significant metabolic component, which can be affected through diet and lifestyle change at minimal cost. The Warburg hypothesis states that cancer cells have an altered cell metabolism towards anaerobic glycolysis. Given this metabolic reprogramming in cancer cells, it is possible to target cancers metabolically by depriving them of glucose. In addition to dietary and lifestyle modifications which work on tumors metabolically, there are a panoply of nutritional supplements and repurposed drugs associated with cancer prevention and better treatment outcomes. These interventions and their evidentiary basis are covered in the latter half of this review to guide future cancer treatment.
nutrients-15-04245  pdf of the study
(See link for article)
_________________
SUMMARY:
  1. Glucose management: low carb, high fat, ketogenic diet
  2. Modified time restricted eating
  3. Exercise: aerobic and resistance training, stress reduction/sleep
  4. 20,000-50,000 IU D3 daily
  5. 1mg and increase to 20-30mg at night extended/slow release
  6. Green tea catechins – 500-100mg daily
  7. Metformin 1,000mg 2X/day
  8. Curcumin 600mg daily
  9. Mebendazole 100-200mg daily
  10. Omega 3 fatty acids 2-4g/day
  11. Berberine 100-1500mg or 500-600mg 2-3X/day
  12. Atorvastatin 40mg 2X/day
  13. Disulfiram 80mg 3Xday or 500mg once a day
  14. Cimetidine 400-800 mg 2X/day
  15. Mistletoe given SubQ by doctor
  16. Ashwaganda 2g/day during chemotherapy
  17. Sildenafil 20mg/day
  18. Itraconazoe 400-600mg/day

There is now a spate of cancer following the rollout of the COVID shots.  Lyme/MSIDS patients are already at a higher cancer risk.  Talk about these interventions with your doctor.

For more: