Archive for the ‘Supplements’ Category

Lyme Disease & The Effects of Vitamin D

https://www.globallymealliance.org/blog/lyme-and-vitamin-d

Lyme Disease and The Effects of Vitamin D

by Jennifer Crystal on August 16, 2022

<img src="https://www.globallymealliance.org/hubfs/Gala%20PR%20Image%20%2829%29.jpg&quot; alt="Lyme Disease and The Effects of Vitamin D“>
Lyme disease can deplete your vitamin D levels–which ironically, are essential in your recovery. Read about the positive effects of Vitamin D and techniques to increase it.

While kayaking recently, a friend noticed that I was getting a lot of sun on my face and asked if I wanted a hat. “No thanks,” I replied. “I’m wearing sunscreen, and I want to soak up as much vitamin D as I can.”

There were summers during my convalescence from tick-borne illness when I couldn’t be in the sun at all, due to the phototoxicity of the medication I was on. Doxycycline, the most common antibiotic used to treat Lyme disease, can cause you to be very sensitive to the sun. When I was on doxycycline or other antibiotics in the same family, my face would feel like it was on fire if I was exposed for more than five minutes. I spent summers bundled in protective shirts, under hats and umbrellas in the shade.

A former camp counselor who spent every day in the sun before I got sick, summers in the shade were not my style. Now that I am in remission, I want to (carefully) get as much sun as possible, making up for lost time and summer glow. But it’s not just sun-kissed cheeks that I’m after. I literally am trying to soak up vitamin D, provided by the sun, because I know that Lyme disease can cause a deficiency in that vitamin.

The Lyme disease bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi, directly reduces vitamin D receptor expression in immune cells. Low vitamin D can be involved in immune dysfunction and autoimmunity, so Lyme patients who are already struggling with compromised immune systems may be further compromised by a vitamin deficiency. As Clinical Nutritionist Lindsay Christensen, MS, CNS, LDN, CKNS explains in her blog post “Lyme Disease Nutrition Tips for Optimal Immune Function,” Vitamin D3 is “essential for healthy immune function. Within the innate immune system, vitamin D3 supports the production of cathelicidin, an antimicrobial peptide (protein) that protects the body against bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Vitamin D3 also regulates dendritic cells, which are immune cells that ‘bridge the gap’ between the innate and adaptive immune system branches and may help defend the body against Borrelia.”

In other words, the very vitamin that can be depleted by Lyme disease is also necessary to help fight it.

So what should Lyme patients do? First, make sure your doctor is monitoring your vitamin D levels. A blood test can tell you whether you have a deficiency. If you do, sunshine, and certain foods like egg yolks and fatty cold-water fish, can help you get vitamin D. You also may need to supplement with vitamin D3 to maintain what Christensen describes as “an optimal vitamin D3 level of 40-60 ng/mL, which is higher than the 30-60 ng/mL range suggested by most labs.”

Testing vitamin D levels can also help a Lyme Literate Medical Doctor (LLMD) determine if you have Lyme disease, if you have symptoms but have not yet been diagnosed. Though not a definitive diagnostic marker (low vitamin D is also seen in other conditions like multiple sclerosis), low vitamin D can be a tip-off that Lyme disease could be the cause of your symptoms.

Vitamin D is not the only vitamin that can be affected by Lyme disease, or that you may need more of to help fight tick-borne illness. Many Lyme patients have a vitamin B12 deficiency. Others have anemia or low ferretin. It’s important that your doctor do regular blood work to check for any nutritional deficiencies, and then you can determine together how to best supplement them, to support your overall healing. In the meanwhile, as long as you’re not on a phototoxic drug, sticking your face in the sun can’t hurt!

The above material is provided for information purposes only. The material (a) is not nor should be considered, or used as a substitute for, medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, nor (b) does it necessarily represent endorsement by or an official position of Global Lyme Alliance, Inc. or any of its directors, officers, advisors or volunteers. Advice on the testing, treatment or care of an individual patient should be obtained through consultation with a physician who has examined that patient or is familiar with that patient’s medical history. *Make sure to protect your skin when in the sun.
Writer

Jennifer Crystal

Opinions expressed by contributors are their own. Jennifer Crystal is a writer and educator in Boston. Her work has appeared in local and national publications including Harvard Health Publishing and The Boston Globe. As a GLA columnist for over six years, her work on GLA.org has received mention in publications such as The New Yorker, weatherchannel.com, CQ Researcher, and ProHealth.com. Jennifer is a patient advocate who has dealt with chronic illness, including Lyme and other tick-borne infections. Her memoir about her medical journey is forthcoming. Contact her via email below.

Email: lymewarriorjennifercrystal@gmail.com

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**Comment**

This is a perfect example of Lyme/MSIDS patients needing to be their own advocates and learning about their own bodies and what they require for optimal health.  It’s a road that never ends so buckle up and enjoy it.

There are times in the journey when this revelation can be overwhelming.  Accept it for the time being and don’t allow it to bog you down.  When you are capable of reading, comprehending, remembering, and searching yourself – do it – you won’t regret learning and improving.  There are many stages to the journey.  You can’t learn it all at once – your head would explode.  So, bit by bit, piece by piece – accrue your knowledge and use it for yourself and to help others.  This is, BTW, the best way to learn.

For more on vitamin D:

Category:

Lyme, Supplements

Repair & Restore With Peptides in Lyme Disease Or Mold Toxin Illness

https://www.treatlyme.net/guide/repair-restore-peptides-lyme-mold-toxins  Video Here (Approx. 4 Min)

By Dr. Marty Ross

Restore & Repair with Peptides

Peptide therapies are one of the newest types of supports some with Lyme disease and mold toxin illness are using. In this article I discuss the current oral peptides that are available as supplements. I focus on the oral agents because the FDA is starting to regulate compounded injectable peptides as drugs – removing many from the market.

Oral Peptides

Peptides are short strands of amino acids. By comparison, long strands of amino acids of 50 or more are called proteins. Peptides occur naturally in our bodies. Some of these peptides have various healing properties. Below I list four of the major peptides that are currently found in oral products offered by Integrative Peptides. In addition I include information about collagen peptides which are found in Collagen Plus by Thorne.

(See link for article and video)

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For more:

Category:

Lyme, Mold, Supplements, Treatment

US Data Shows “Vaccine” Injuries Skyrocketed; Strategies to Recover

https://www.theepochtimes.com/vaers-autophagy_4497753

Latest US Data Shows Vaccine Injuries Skyrocketed; How Will We Recover?

BY Dr. Yuhong Dong and Health 1+1 May 28, 2022

At present, the adverse events brought about by the COVID-19 vaccines are getting more and more attention from the public. If vaccination causes injury or damage, how can the body heal itself?

Juliana Mastrantonio of New York is an 18-year-old full-time college student and part-time pharmacy technician. Prior to the vaccination, she was in good health and exercised daily. Juliana was infected with COVID-19 in December 2020 and recovered without long COVID symptoms.

Juliana received her first dose of Pfizer vaccine on December 10, 2021 and her second dose on January 2, 2022. Within one week after the second dose, Juliana developed pelvic pain that gradually worsened, and she became hospitalized.

Four days after being discharged from the hospital, she developed other severe symptoms, headaches, and tremors. When she woke up the next morning, she found herself immobile from the waist down, and was paralyzed. And she is currently undergoing rehabilitation.  (See link for article)

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SUMMARY:

  • Since Juliana was previously healthy and only developed these severe symptoms after ‘vaccination,’ it is highly likely there is a link.
  • The EMA has updated AstraZeneca’s shot product information to include rare spinal disorders as a side effect of the vaccine.
  • The shots can cause mitochondrial damage and induce cytokine storms that impair the immune system which leads to autoimmune diseases.
  • ALL the COVID shots have been hastily used without adequate testing andmay cause autoimmune diseases in organs if they contain the spike proteins and components of the virus.
  • As of May 13, 2022 VAERS has received more than 1.2 million adverse events reports; however, AHRQ states this only captures less than 1% of the true number.  Events include:

    • more than 28,000 deaths
    • over 157,000 hospitalizations
    • over 129,000 cases requiring urgent care
    • more than 190,000 cases requiring doctor office visits
    • all of which meet the definition of a serious adverse event
    • the vast majority of events occurred within 3 days of ‘vaccination’
    • 65% of deaths were related to the Pfizer shot, the most used injection
    • 26% were related to Moderna
    • 9% were related to J&J
    • the rest are unknown
    • The most common COVID-19 vaccine related adverse events reported by VAERS:
      • Permanent disability: nerve injury
      • Myocarditis, Pericarditis: cardiac injury
      • Heart attacks: cardiovascular injury
      • Bell’s palsy: facial nerve injury (with unknown etiology)
      • Shingles: dormant virus activated
  • Three strategies to detoxify the “vaccines” are:
    • prevent attachment of spike protein to ACE2 receptors by using ivermectin, suramin, catechin, curcumin, prunella vulgaris extract.
    • neutralize the downstream toxicity by using NAC, Vitamin C, other antioxidants.
    • enhancing self repair mechanism (autophagy) of cells through intermittent fasting as well as consuming polyphenols such as EGCG, Oleuopein, punicalagin, apigenin, resveratrol, pterostilbene, curcumin

For more:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/12/21/warning-3150-injuries-in-1st-week-of-covid-vaccines-among-american-healthcare-workers-pregnant-women-included/

Category:

Activism, Detoxing, diet and nutrition, Gut Health, Herbs, Inflammation, Supplements, Treatment, vaccines, Viruses

7 Conditions Masquerading As Dementia

https://greenmedinfo.com/blog/7-conditions-masquerading-dementia

7 Conditions Masquerading As Dementia

Monday, May 30th 2022
Written By:GMI Reporter

7 Conditions Masquerading As Dementia

More than 40% of dementia diagnoses have been shown to be wrong.  Here’s what may really be going on.  

Imagine this nightmare. For the last few years your mother has had serious memory problems.  She gets lost driving.  She repeats the same question to you over and over again.  She can’t process new information.  She loses her train of thought in mid-sentence.  A CT scan comes back with a diagnosis of early Alzheimer’s disease.  The doctors offer a prescription with little encouragement it will work.

Do you despair?

A new program from UCLA and the Buck Institute for Research on Aging offers new hope.  In the first study of its kind, researchers have proved that natural therapies can not only slow the progress of dementia but can actually reverse it.

In a paper titled “Reversal of Cognitive Decline: A novel therapeutic program” Dr. Dale Bredesen showed how 9 out of the 10 subjects diagnosed with dementia got their minds back.[i]

(See link for article)

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SUMMARY:

  • Study results were remarkable with 9 of the 10 showing improvement in memory within three to six months.
  • Treatment was a “systems approach” which included dietary changes, exercise, brain stimulation, sleep optimization, pharmaceuticals and vitamins, etc.  Specifically:
    • eliminating all simple carbohydrates;
    • eliminating gluten and processed food;
    • increasing vegetables, fruits, and non-farmed fish;
    • reducing stress with yoga and meditation;
    • taking melatonin each night;
    • increasing sleep from 4-5 hours per night to 7-8 hours per night;
    • taking methylcobalamin (vitamin B12), vitamin D, CoQ10, and fish oil each day;
    • optimizing oral hygiene using an electric flosser and electric toothbrush;
    • hormone replacement therapy;
    • fasting for a minimum of 12 hours between dinner and breakfast;
    • fasting for a minimum of three hours between dinner and bedtime;
    • exercising for a minimum of 30 minutes, 4-6 days per week.
  • The only side effect was improved health and weight
  • (www.sharpagain.org) educates the public and the medical community about the reversible causes of dementia.
They give 7 areas to investigate before accepting a dementia or Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
  1. Nutritional imbalances and deficiencies. Deficiencies of omega 3s, vitamin B12, vitamin C, magnesium, selenium, probiotics, and other nutrients frequently cause symptoms of Alzheimer’s and dementia.
  2. Artificial food colors, flavors, and sweeteners. Artificial additives of all kinds may cause dementia symptoms.
  3. Prescription medication side effects. Drugs, especially pain medications, and psychotropic drugs can severely disrupt cognition.
  4. Inflammation from low-level infections, mold, food allergies, and Lyme Disease. Inflammation is the body’s attempt to get rid of a toxic element or organism, and so it occurs in many different situations, even root canals and urinary tract infections.
  5. Stress and stagnation/inactivity. Stress elevates cortisol levels, leading to inflammation, and in turn to hormone imbalances, cognitive impairment, heightened blood sugar levels, hypertension, delayed healing time, and susceptibility to disease.
  6. Thyroid and other hormonal imbalances. Many people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or dementia simply have low levels of T3 thyroid hormone. However, standard thyroid tests completely miss T3 levels, and Synthroid (T4) doesn’t help. It is estimated that 10 to 15% of all nursing home residents may be there because of low T3.
  7. Mercury and other heavy metal poisoning. So-called silver amalgam fillings contain 50 percent mercury, and that mercury is neither stable nor inert. It off-gasses, crosses the blood-brain barrier, and destroys neurons even without contact. Removing these fillings is hazardous unless done with mercury-safe protocols.  Annual flu shots are another source of these toxins.

Since doctors are not experts in dementia causes or how to treat it, Sharp Again Naturally is building a medical advisory board and a database. It also offers help finding functional medicine specialists, naturopaths, or doctors who practice integrative medicine who are familiar with these areas.

Click here for more information on natural approaches to preventing and overcoming dementia.

Additional References

[i] Dale E. Bredesen, “Reversal of Cognitive decline: A novel therapeutic program.” AGING, September 2014, Vol. 6, No. 9.

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.
© [5/30/22] 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.

Category:

Alzheimer's, diet and nutrition, Lyme, Mold, research, Sleep, Supplements, Treatment, vaccines

Protect Dietary Supplements – Oppose Senate Bill 4090

Category:

Activism, Supplements