• See "Acetaldehyde + Cysteine/Cystine Redox Pool" http://curezone.com/forums/fm.asp?i=1975696
• See "Acetaldehyde + Glutathione Pool" http://curezone.com/forums/fm.asp?i=1977665
Since chronic exposure to acetaldehyde can both spawn reactive oxygen species and degrade the competence of the body in dealing with free radical damage, then something that is a good acetaldehyde scavenger may help reduce the oxidative stress from both of these directions.
A substance that performs well as an antioxidant is not necessarily a good acetaldehyde scavenger and hence may not prevent the other types of damage that can be inflicted by acetaldehyde. Chasing free radicals throughout the body with mega-dose supplementation of antioxidants alone can be associated with negative consequences [1], since by removing free radical intermediates, antioxidants become oxidized themselves. Additionally, antioxidants such as L-ascorbate (vitamin C), under certain conditions may actually increase the acetaldehyde load [2] and exacerbate acetaldehyde protein damage [3]. The point here is that if yeast-released acetaldehyde is quenched adequately, farther upstream, then the need for larger than normal quantities of antioxidants may be decreased by both reducing the formation of free radicals and increasing the ability of the body to deal with them via its innate redox systems.
Perhaps this is the reason that foods containing superior acetaldehyde scavenging configurations and an antioxidant (such as apple phloretin which belongs to both categories), stand out of the crowd:
• See "Acetaldehyde + An Apple A Day" http://curezone.com/blogs/fm.asp?i=2000628
Another problem of using massive dosages of antioxidant nutrients, such as vitamin C, is that these substances are often multifunctional, participating in biochemical pathways other than their antioxidant role. Excessive amounts of these molecules can accelerate these other pathways to the point that companion nutrients involved are depleted. This cofactor depletion may then shut down an enzymatic pathway with exactly the same symptoms as if the supplemented nutrient were in a depletion state. Again, OPK techniques [4] can flag such situations much earlier than biomarker deficiency symptoms in addition to providing information on when and how much of a nutrient is required.
One of the advantages of wondrenic acid from Wondro [5] is that the body really doesn't need it for anything so that ingesting it doesn't put pressure on any biochemical pathways one way or another. It functions as an acetaldehyde trap and little else. In terms of coating the esophageal and intestinal regions where yeast may be colonizing, its viscous hydrophobic nature is ideal. However, the characteristics of its possible absorption for addressing other sites of yeast colonization, such as adjacent to the the blood brain barrier, are unknown. A smaller water-soluble molecule used in conjunction with it would likely improve overall systemic acetaldehyde scavenging considerably.
Finding a complementary scavenger, preferably from a food source, is not a trivial task. Phloretin from apples is not water-soluble [6] but methyl anthranilate from concord grapes is slightly soluble in water [7]. It is used as a food flavoring agent in items such as grape KoolAid® , candy, soft drinks, and gum. Concord grapes also have some history in terms of healing potential in Johanna Brandt's "grape diet" cure. This technique was subjected to much critical skepticism because the biochemical mechanics of yeast to acetaldehyde to disease were not understood at the time it was introduced.
Methyl anthranilate was part of the suite of potential acetaldehyde scavengers tested in the industrial application described previously:
• See "Acetaldehyde + Industrial Contaminant" http://curezone.com/blogs/fm.asp?i=1995773
Although there was no ring closure byproduct in that series of tests [8], methyl anthranilate is nonetheless used in the perfume industry to form Schiff bases with aldehydes.
But what does all this mean in terms of something that can become a palatable part of a useful protocol?
DAILY APPLE SNACK
***************************
• Granny Smith apple (1)
• ginger ale (6 oz)
• concord grape juice (4 oz)
• lemon juice (2 oz)
• Danone Danactive® probiotic drink (3 oz)
Halve the apple and inhale its aroma for the homeopathic acetaldehyde effects. Mix the chilled liquid ingredients and consume along with the apple.
Yeast is an incredibly patient organism. It can go dormant and wait for long periods of time for conditions to improve. With a doubling time of about an hour [9], it can easily re-establish its presence even after a significant antifungal onslaught. Competitive exclusion by beneficial probiotics, as included in the daily recipe, is a crucial part of limiting its proliferation. Strategies for reducing its impact in the long term must be powerful enough to be effective but gentle enough that they can be sustained indefinitely. Yeast abatement is not like a course of antibiotics that is taken for a week or two and then stopped -- it is a lifetime endeavor. This why the adage referred to "an apple a day" not just an apple once in a while. Since yeast is with us for the duration, daily prophylaxis with an acetaldehyde scavenger should be as commonplace as teeth brushing.
This is the motivation behind the "less is more" minimalist objective in the yeast abatement protocol [10]. Consider just the part of the protocol that seeks to deal with acetaldehyde:
• homeopathic sulfur to induce the yeast to stop its production
• pulsed low-dosage exposure acquired tolerance removal visualization
• entrapment visualization to prevent it from exiting the yeast cell
• hydration visualization for any yeast-extracellular escapee to curtail its reactivity
• physical scavenging molecules to snare it before it reacts with anything else
In the minimalist philosophy of design, each step is independent but mutually supportive of the others. If one fails, then another may succeed. Each step does no harm on its own or in combination with the others. With all in place the synergy of their action may free the body from the scourge of this poison and allow it to heal itself.
Contrast this with medication cocktails that not only have side effects of their own but also potentially fatal interactions when mixed with each other or with foods and alcohol. And, if you take a drug that controls a symptom but doesn't address the cause, then you are stuck in a dependent state that may never correct itself.
Although an in-depth examination of the biochemistry at each step of this journey may seem a bit cumbersome, this background is essential to understanding the staggering potential for interaction that the acetaldehye molecule has both in terms of the diseases that it can cause and for finding ways of dealing with it. Substances that have substantially different structures and ways of reacting with acetaldehyde may conceptually converge at the level of being able to scavenge and effectively neutralize its aldehyde reactivity before it has a chance to damage body structures and processes. This means that more informed choices about protocol constituents may be made, choosing the ones that complement each other with minimal risk and passing up those with toxic side effects.
Some individuals take immense risks in the face of diseases like cancer with dubious substances that may actually defeat the disease. But if a link from yeast to acetaldehyde to cancer, for example, can be established and it can also be shown that the risk-prone treatments are in fact addressing acetaldehyde toxicity at the biochemical level, then alternative protocols that also target acetaldehyde and the yeast source of its production can be substituted with equally successful results.
[1] Bjelakovic G et al., "Mortality in randomized trials of antioxidant supplements for primary and secondary prevention: systematic review and meta-analysis.", JAMA. 2007 Feb 28;297(8):842-57.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17327526
[2] Miyake T et al., "Formation of Acetaldehyde from L-Ascorbic Acid and Related Compounds in Various Oxidation Systems", J. Agric. Food Chem., 1995, 43 (6), pp 1669–1672.
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf00054a047
[3] Tuma DJ et al., "Enhancement of acetaldehyde-protein adduct formation by L-ascorbate.", Arch Biochem Biophys. 1984 Nov 1;234(2):377-81.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6093697
[4] "Orthomolecular Psychokinesiology" in "Astrophysiology… and Yeast", 2011.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/74090699
http://www.epubbud.com/book.php?g=7JQU45V8
[5] "Wondro -- Inside Out", 2012.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/101099776
http://www.epubbud.com/book.php?g=7D42SJH6
[6] Bingbo L et al., "Solubilities of Phloretin in 12 Solvents at Different Temperatures", J. Chem. Eng. Data, 2011, 56 (4), pp 1459–1462
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/je101168w
[7] CAS DataBase List, "Methyl Anthranilate", CAS 134-20-3.
http://www.chemicalbook.com/ChemicalProductProperty_EN_CB0722306.htm
[8] Rule et al., "Method To Decrease The Acetaldehyde Content Of Melt-Processed Polyesters", US Patent 6274212, 2001.
http://www.google.com/patents/US6274212?printsec=abstract#v=onepage&q&f=false
[9] Ingham CJ et al., "Rapid susceptibility testing and microcolony analysis of Candida spp. cultured and imaged on porous aluminum oxide.", PLoS One. 2012;7(3):e33818. Epub 2012 Mar 16.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22439000
[10] "Yeast Abatement Protocol" in "Astrophysiology… and Yeast", 2011, op. cit.