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This is a reply to # 2,132,983(NaturalNews) In September 2007, the EU's European Environment Agency (EEA)1 and the country of Germany2 both issued warnings to their citizens advising them to avoid the use of WiFi and Cell Phone s until further long term studies are conducted, citing fears that the ubiquitous use of wireless technology has the potential to become the next public health disaster on the level of tobacco smoking, asbestos, and lead in automobile gas (as reported by The BioInitiative Working Group3). Israel’s Knesset recently banned the placement of cellular antennas on residential buildings4. According to Canadian Underwriter, Lloyd’s of London is already "preparing for the next big liability action — for personal injury damages based on the use of Cell Phone technology."5
Referred to as "electro-smog" by some, the danger of magnetic, electric, radio (microwave), ground current, and high frequency radiation is that it is mostly invisible until great damage is done - like the increased risk of some brain tumors in long term Cell Phone users.6 Added to the worry are the unknown effects of electromagnetic frequencies (EMFs) on the more vulnerable: children, infants, the elderly, and the infirm; all of whom are equally blanketed by the invisible electro-storm of today’s Blackberrys, cell phones, Game Boys, cordless phones, and WiFis (not to mention refrigerators, air conditioners, electric heaters, dishwashers, microwaves, and other large appliances found in almost every home). There are currently over 210,000 cell towers, providing 81% wireless penetration in America alone,7 and one would be hard-pressed to find an inhabitable place on Earth that is not within range of cell frequency transmissions.
Ask those who have become "electrically sensitive" (ES), people who now experience a wide range of symptoms upon exposure to even low levels of EMF radiation and have a most difficult time finding a place to live safely in our wireless age. Symptoms can range from the uncomfortable (headaches, burning sensations, tingling) and debilitating (severe "brain fog," heart arrhythmias, migraines, severe depression, chronic insomnia) to even life threatening (seizures, heart attacks). Many of today’s ES started out as healthy working citizens and through chronic and acute exposures to electric radiation (some worked directly with electronics and computers, others worked in standard school and business/office settings), they became electrically sensitive with little warning. Their message: it could be you next.
Hayley Robinson*, a 41-year-old "type A personality" who spent 15 years of her working life in New York City offices warns "Keep cell and cordless phone use to a bare minimum and take care of your general health: eat organic, sleep 8 hours a day, drink lots of purified water, exercise regularly and spend time in nature regularly. We are exposed to an increasing amount of invisible toxins in our lives - from chemicals and heavy metals to electro-smog. We've become unwilling, and unwitting, guinea pigs in the biggest experiment of all time. Take notice before it’s too late for you and your family." Hayley spent many years in front of a computer and is now so electrically sensitive she cannot be around microwaves, air conditioners, cell phones, or airports without experiencing distressful cardiac and neurological symptoms. *pseudonym
Not only do EMFs impact your own health and that of your children and pets, but also the Earth as a whole, as our overuse of electricity contributes greatly to pollution from coal-fired electricity plants. Those who are wise will heed the warnings of the electrically sensitive and reduce the EMF radiation in their homes through good design and reduction of dependence on electric appliances. Below is an excellent start: an abbreviated list of construction and lifestyle tips based on a survey I took of those with severe electrical sensitivity.8
15 Ways to Reduce EMF Radiation in Your Home and Life Right Now
1. Rise with the sun and go to bed early to make maximum use of daylight and avoid using artificial lighting whenever possible.
2. Do things manually if there’s a way - don’t use electricity as a matter of convenience or to save time. For example, use a manual juicer, a "bike blender," or a broom/mop instead of a vacuum cleaner - all great ways to incorporate exercise into your lifestyle and stay fit, without needing a gym membership or having to leave your home!
3. Keep your immune system strengthened with a nutrient-rich organic diet, 8 hours of sleep, moderate exercise, and plenty of fresh air and sun.
4. Practice a chemical-free lifestyle to reduce your total body burden of toxins: replace all personal care and home-cleaning products with chemical free versions, wear organic clothing, use organic bedding, etc.
5. Wear shoes with a sole made from natural materials (like undyed leather), walk barefoot on the beach or earth, or hug a tree - these all may help you release excess EMFs into the earth and ground your body.
6. Unplug electrical appliances when not in use.
7. Keep your bedroom free of electrical appliances, especially near your head while you sleep - use a battery-operated alarm clock rather than electric; unplug lamps.
8. Remember that walls, floors, and ceilings do not block EMFs when arranging your furniture.
9. Replace dimmer switches with regular switches to eliminate high-frequency radiation, or "dirty electricity," that can be hidden in your home’s electrical wiring.
10. Avoid low-voltage halogen and fluorescent lighting (including the currently popular energy-efficient compact fluorescent lighting). Fluorescent lighting has been shown to cause migraines10 and contains mercury, which is a hazardous material that can create huge health and environmental problems.
11. Avoid the use of appliances with variable speed drives, such as fans, heaters, front-loading washing machines and some furnaces.
12. Avoid the use of microwave ovens, hair dryers, electric toothbrushes, electric blankets, heating pads, baby monitors, and other electric products.
13. Do not buy cordless DECT phones, which emit a constant electromagnetic signal even when not in use. Save cell phones for emergencies and use land lines whenever possible. Make sure cell phones are turned off when not in use, and avoid using them inside a car. When you do use cell phones, use appropriate air tubes and shielding devices: see RFSafe.com and LessEMF.com for available products. Keep cell phone chargers unplugged when not in use.
14. Use LCD computers and TV screens and avoid plasma TVs. Keep computer use to a minimum; keep unplugged when not in use.
15. Avoid areas with wireless networking (WiFi) - internet cafes, airports, etc.
sources: 8, 9
If you are currently buying or building your own home, make sure you choose a home at least 5 miles from the nearest microwave or cell phone tower, high tension power line, or other radio and TV transmitters. Check for future cell tower sites as well as existing ones. Design with as much natural lighting as possible so that you are less dependent on artificial lighting. For added protection against radio and cell phone waves, use low-e coatings on windows.8
Locate the electrical power panel, solar inverters (if you are using active solar), clothes dryer, hot water heater, and any other large electric appliance at least 20 feet from living/sleeping areas. The routing of any dedicated circuits for computer and other electronics should be kept away from critical areas like the bedroom. Provide a dedicated circuit for the refrigerator so that you can turn off other breakers at night if desired, except for the fridge.8
Good sources for EMF related products include LessEMF.com, RFSafe.com, and CutCat.com.
Sources:
1 Geoffrey Lean, "EU watchdog calls for urgent action on Wi-Fi radiation," The Independent, September 16, 2007, ((http://environment.independent.co.uk/gr...) .
2 Geoffrey Lean, "Germany warns citizens to avoid using Wi-Fi," The Independent, September 09, 2007, ((http://environment.independent.co.uk/gr...) .
3 The BioInitiative Working Group, "BioInitiative Report: A Rationale for a Biologically-based Public Exposure Standard for Electromagnetic Fields (ELF and RF)," BioInitiative, August 31, 2007, (http://www.bioinitiative.org/report/index.htm) .
4 Zafrir Rinat, "Knesset bans placing cellular antennas on residential buildings," Haaretz, October 24, 2007, (http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/916666.html) .
5 "Lloyd's preparing for personal injury related to cell phone use," Canadian Underwriter, October 22, 2007, ((http://www.canadianunderwriter.ca/issue...) .
6 Lennart Hardell, Michael Carlberg, Fredrik Söderqvist, Kjell Hansson Mild, L. Lloyd Morgan, "Long-term use of cellular phones and brain tumours: increased risk associated with use for >=10 years," Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 2007;64:626-632 (http://oem.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/64/9/626) .
7 "Wireless Quick Facts," CTIA, The Wireless Association, June 2007, ((http://www.ctia.org/media/industry_info...) .
8 Julie Genser with Melinda Honn and Greg Conrad, "Safer Construction Tips for the Environmentally Sensitive," September 2007, (http://tinyurl.com/3259rj) .
9 Maria Tzavaras, "Tips to have less EMFs in your home," Toronto Community News, November 27, 2007, ((http://www.insidetoronto.ca/News/Featur...) .
10 "Low-energy bulbs 'cause migraine'," BBC News, January 2, 2008, (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7167860.stm) .
About the author
Julie Genser is a graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) in NYC and is certified in permaculture and ecovillage design. She has a Bachelor's degree in Design and Environmental Analysis from Cornell University. Julie is also the founder and director of www.PlanetThrive.com , a grassroots community for personal wellness that aims to empower those healing from environmental illnesses with the information, resources, and support necessary to create change in their world.
Reducing Electromagnetic Frequency Exposure May Improve Your Health
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(NaturalNews) As has been well documented on NaturalNews*, there is a clear link between mercury poisoning, especially through thimerosal in vaccinations, and autism, along with other neurological disorders. There is, though, another factor that has recently been clearly linked to autism: wireless technology.
The Wireless Connection
George Louis Carlo, who has a doctorate from the prestigious State University of New York, a law degree from George Washington University, and is a fellow of the American College of Epidemiology, has been a thorn in the side of the cellular phone industry. In 1993, he was granted $28 million by this industry and U.S. government agencies to study risks associated with Cell Phone s. His initial results indicated that there were no problems. However, by 1999, Dr. Carlo had gained significantly more evidence indicating a risk to DNA, eye cancers, and brain tumors.
Carlo developed a theory that low frequency Cell Phone signals are harmful to cell function. This results in cells protecting themselves by stopping movement of nutrients and waste products through the cellular membrane. Inability to move wastes outside cells results in a buildup of toxins. This led him to suspect a connection with the enormous increase in autism. His hypothesis suggests that autistic children are less able to process heavy metals, so they remain in their bodies (primarily the brain) and cause neurological damage, including autism.
Back to Mercury
There is now no question that mercury, along with other heavy metals such as lead, is associated with autism. A study in a 2003 issue of the International Journal of Toxicology shows that the hair of autistic babies is significantly short of mercury and other heavy metals. At first, this might seem counterintuitive. However, it shows a clear connection with Carlo's hypothesis. Mercury exposure is linked to autism. The problem is the inability of some children to metabolize it. It's stuck inside their brain cells. Therefore, it isn't excreted, so little of it shows up in hair. In other words, autistic babies have less mercury in their hair, because it's still in their brains, causing neurological damage.
Chelation Treatment for Autistic Children
Several different methods have been used to treat autistic children. Chelation attempts to remove toxic metals from the body. According to the December 2007 issue of WDDTY (What Doctors Don't Tell You), the most common chemical used for chelation is dimercaptosuccinic acid, better known as DMSA. Its safety record is good. It acts by binding with heavy metals in the blood, thus allowing them to be excreted. WDDTY reports that Dr. Amy Holmes used this technique on 85 autistic children over a course of four months at the end of 2000. The results showed that the younger the child, the greater the benefit:
* Children under age 6 have the best results, with 35% showing marked improvement and 39% showing moderate improvement. Sadly, 11% show no improvement.
* Between ages 6 and 12, 4% show marked improvement, 28% show moderate improvement, with the rest showing no improvement.
* Saddest of all, by age 18, no child gained any benefit from the chelation.
Dr. Holmes says, “We have noticed a large dependence of excretion on age of patient, with the younger patients excreting much more mercury than the older patients.” She also said that she suspects that older children excrete heavy metals more slowly than younger ones, which would explain the better results in younger children.
Clearly, chelation therapy can help limit the symptoms of autistic children by removing toxic metals, including mercury. However, it's critical that this therapy be provided as early as possible, and it does not appear to be able to clear enough mercury to fully heal any autistic children, while some do not respond at all.
Chelation therapy results that are similar have been reported by clinical nutritionist, Tamara Mariea in Nashville, Tennessee at her Internal Balance clinic. She has treated over 500 children, but has found, like Dr. Holmes, that it fails to clear any heavy metals and provides no improvement in some children.
The Wireless/Electromagnetic Field Connection
Tamara Mariea and George Carlo met a few years ago. They wondered if Carlo's theory that Cell Phone s, along with other electromagnetic (EM) radiation, could be the reason that some children were not helped with chelation therapy - that EM radiation interferes with the ability of cells to excrete toxic heavy metals. So, they decided to test Carlo's hypothesis. They chose a severely autistic 10 year-old boy whose parents had tried every therapy they could find, including chelation, but to no benefit.
First, they removed toxins from the boy's home, including cell phones, pollutants of all kinds, all wireless equipment, and most electrical equipment. All EM radiation devices were removed from Mariea's clinic, or their radiation was shielded. No wireless devices were allowed to enter.
Thus, most of the boy's time was spent without EM radiation. Hair and stool analyses were done to track whether he was able to excrete heavy metals, and gradually, they did. Most thrilling, though, is that this boy, who had been able to say nothing more than "Yes" or "No" started to talk. At one point, he told his parents, "The noise has gone from my head."
Mariea and Carlo then set up a trial with 20 autistic children. This one was less strict, involving little more than spending at least four hours, two-to-three times a week, in the EM-free clinic. It did not require such limitations elsewhere and no chelation was done. In three months, analyses showed that heavy metals were beginning to be excreted by the children. This is reported in the Journal of the Australian College of Nutrition and Environmental Medicine in the November 2007 issue.
This is, of course, an early study. But it's very promising. There were other results that indicate the likelihood of the efficacy of removing EM radiation. Heavy metals were excreted in a specific order, from the lightest to the heaviest:
* beryllium
* aluminum
* copper
* antimony
* mercury
* lead
* uranium
There was no anticipation of such a result by any study participant, including those who designed it. The consistency of it makes it difficult to assume that the results were from a placebo effect.
What Can a Parent Do?
First, and most significant, every parent should think about whether to vaccinate children. Look at the information available, not just that given out by the pharmaceutical companies and medical establishment. Do not be railroaded into vaccinating your child. Remember how your parents responded when you whined, “But everyone's doing it!” They made it absolutely clear that such an argument was pure nonsense. Now is the time to remember that lesson:
* Just because all the other parents are doing it.
* Just because the doctors are saying you should.
* Just because the schools are pressuring for vaccinations.
* Just because the government is now trying to coerce vaccinations.
Not one of these reasons, or all of them put together, can justify vaccinating your child without careful consideration of the risks involved.
If Your Child Has Already Been Vaccinated:
If your child has already been vaccinated, consider whether there was any adverse reaction of any kind. If so, then assume the worst. You have nothing to lose by doing that. It will allow you to be proactive, to be aware if your child starts to exhibit problems and to start looking - before problems show up - for treatment options.
There is no reason to give up hope, even if you realize that your child has been affected. As this article shows, there are ways to help your child.
Homeopathic treatment by a professional can be effective in helping a child reach his or her full potential. Nonetheless, my first advice, as a professional homeopath, would be to do everything possible to eliminate WiFi and EM from your child's environment. If you live close to overhead wirelines or cell phone masts, then move. It may be expensive, but consider the expense to your child's entire life or the costs of raising such a child, let alone the emotional turmoil you'd be facing.
Do not let your child sit close to a television (It might not be a bad idea to ban television from your home entirely) . Keep your child's time in front of a computer to a minimum. Do not allow your child to use a cell phone, unless it's with an earpiece, and try to keep even cell phone usage with earpieces to a minimum. Make sure your child sleeps in an EM radiation-free room. Try to give your child as many hours a day as possible completely away from any electrical devices.
After shielding your child from EM radiation to the best of your ability, consider other therapies, such as chelation; first insisting on understanding any negative effects that the chelating drug may cause, or homeopathy.
These are not the only possible treatments, though they are the ones this author sees as the first recourse and most likely to bring the greatest benefit, especially if started very early in life. For other approaches, especially for older children, refer to the website of New Generation, a parents' group that is studying the causes and potential treatments for autism (http://www.NaturalNews.com/011764.html) .
Conclusion
A true understanding of Science means understanding that nothing is ever fully proven. If absolute proof of the connections among mercury/heavy metals, thimerosal, vaccinations, WiFi/EM, and autism (along with many other neurological disorders) are required before doing something to limit the damage, then it will never be possible to stop the pharmaceutical corporations and medical juggernaut from poisoning our children and destroying lives.
The evidence of these connections is already compelling. It is long past the time to stop giving free license to the profit motive and start looking at what is happening to us and to our children based on the specious argument that there is no proof or faked pharmaceutical tests. There is more than enough documentation now to show the likely links causing the autism epidemic. If we wait, then there truly is no hope for the future.
In another related arena, PEST management, the founder of PEST (Prevent Environment Suicide Today), Steven Tvedten stated, “The people who would do this to children, to all of us, have no souls. I have looked into their eyes and seen that”**. Nothing could say it better.
References:
* The Great Thimerosal Cover-up (http://www.NaturalNews.com/011764.html)
** Poisoning the Earth for Profit – DDT, A Vaccine for Mosquitoes? (http://www.NaturalNews.com/022454.html)
About the author
* Heidi Stevenson, BSc, DIHom, FBIH
* Fellow, British Institute of Homeopathy
* Gaia Therapy (http://www.gaia-therapy.com)
*
* The author is a homeopath who became concerned with medically-induced harm as a result of her own experiences and those of family members. She says that allopathic medicine is the arena that best describes the motto, "Buyer beware."
*
* Iatrogenic disease is illness, disability, and death caused by medical practice. It is common, resulting in huge costs to society and individuals. It's possible - even common - to suffer an iatrogenic illness without realizing its source.
*
* Heidi Stevenson provides information about medically-induced disease and disability, along with incisive well-researched articles on major issues in the modern world, so members of the public can protect themselves.
WiFi and EM Radiation - The Rest of the Autism Story
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The Endocrine System: The Adrenal Glands
By: Jon Barron
In our last newsletter, we examined the pancreas and the disease most commonly associated with it: diabetes, which is one of the fastest growing diseases in the world today. In this issue, we conclude our series on the endocrine system with an exploration of the adrenal glands. Surprisingly, the adrenals get far less "publicity" than the pancreas, and yet adrenal fatigue affects far, far more people than diabetes. Just consider the fact that the energy drink market has exploded from non-existent 25 years ago to become today's multi-billion dollar juggernaut. And for all that, energy drinks and energy shots are dwarfed by the $70 billion plus in sales of coffee as a stimulant that fuels much of the world's office workers.
And driving all of these billions and billions of dollars in sales in stimulant drinks is the underlying condition of adrenal fatigue. In today's newsletter, we will explore the anatomy and physiology of the adrenal glands, and how the abuse of these glands has led to a dependency on stimulants that goes far beyond the world's illicit drug trade.
General anatomy
The adrenal glands are located on top of each kidney; hence, the terms "ad renal" -- as in "added" to the renal glands. They are small glands, about 2 inches (5 cm) in length, and weighing about 5 gm each. As part of the kidneys, they are located way, way to the back of the body (as any good martial artist knows) and are abundantly supplied by three sets of blood vessels to ensure redundancy:
- Inferior phrenic arteries off the aorta.
- Middle suprarenal arteries off the aorta.
- Inferior suprarenal arteries of each renal artery.
Like the pituitary gland, the adrenal glands are composed of two entirely separate sections (the cortex and the medulla), and like the pituitary gland, the two sections actually evolve during embryology from two entirely different types of tissue. The adrenal cortex evolves from fetal mesodermal cells (essentially cells that produce connective tissue). The adrenal medulla, on the other hand, evolves from the nervous system. In fact, the adrenal medulla actually consists of modified neurons (neural crest cells). In the fifth week of fetal development, neuroblast cells migrate from the neural crest to form the sympathetic chain and preaortic ganglia. The cells then migrate a second time to the adrenal medulla. Forgetting all the technical names of cells and cell sources, the key point to remember here is that the two parts of the adrenal glands form two entirely different types of cells and share little in common -- other than location.
The adrenal cortex is the outer layer.- The adrenal medulla is the inner layer.
The adrenal glands, or at least the cortex of the glands, are absolutely essential for life. Then again, although it is possible to survive without the inner layer, the adrenal medulla, the quality of life would be severely compromised.
Let's now examine the adrenal cortex and medulla in more detail.
Adrenal cortex
The adrenal cortex produces three hormones in three separate zones.
Mineralocorticoids
Aldosterone is 96% of this group, and it controls water and electrolyte (sodium and potassium) balance in the body. Without the action of the mineralocorticoids in maintaining electrolyte homeostasis, you would die since this has a direct effect on regulating blood pressure. The action of the mineralocorticoids is on the kidneys, which under the direction of these hormones excrete sodium or potassium as required to maintain optimal balance. Adrenal adenomas (benign, actively secreting growths in the cortex) cause hyper-production of aldosterone, which may account for as much as 25% of high blood pressure patients. Treatment involves removal of the tumor, and positive results are virtually instantaneous. The trick, of course, is arriving at the correct diagnosis. Most adrenal adenomas are discovered by chance when an abdominal computed-tomography (CT) or magnetic-resonance imaging (MRI) scan is done for unrelated symptoms.
Glucocorticoids
Cortisol (also called hydrocortisone) is 95% of the total, plus corticosterone, and cortisone.
- Cortisol depresses the immune system.
- It is an anti-inflammatory (as a result of depressing the immune system).
- It retards allergic overreactions, but as a result slows wound repair.
- It promotes the breakdown of protein (catabolism).
- It promotes lipolysis, the conversion of triglycerides to stored fatty acids.
- Many weight-loss supplements sold today theoretically address this problem by relieving stress, thereby reducing cortisol production and correspondingly eliminating excess fat storage. Although the theory is sound, how well any individual supplement works, of course, is open to debate.
- It promotes glucose formation (gluconeogenesis).
- It promotes resistance to stress, resulting in higher blood pressure.
Addison's disease results from acute adrenocortical insufficiency.
- The symptoms are lethargy, low blood pressure, weight loss, anorexia, and low blood sugar.
- Addison's disease is treated with a steroid hormone (cortisol in various forms, natural and synthetic) replacement.
- John F. Kennedy may be history's most famous Addison's disease patient and required regular cortisone injections to deal with stress. Since one of the side effects of cortisol injections is a "tanning" of the skin, JFK looked his best (tanned and relaxed) during times of stress -- immediately after injections.
- Full blown Addison's disease is extremely rare. However, "low level" adrenal fatigue is extremely common, and we will be discussing it in more detail later.
Cushing's syndrome, on the other hand, results from excessive adrenal cortical function. It results in spindly arms and legs, a moon-face,a buffalo hump on the back, flushed skin, hypertension, osteoporosis, and decreased resistance to infection or stress.
Androgens
Androgens are masculinizing hormones that occur in insignificant amounts in the adult male. The primary and most well-known androgen is testosterone. In men, the vast majority of androgens are produced in the testes, but in women, the adrenal glands are responsible for the overwhelming quantity of androgen production. Surprisingly, for women, the masculinizing hormones produced by the adrenal glands are essential for well being. In females, androgen accounts for sexua| drive, energy, and "joie de vivre." It is converted into female hormones (estrogens) after menopause.
Incidentally, old treatments for Breast Cancer involved removing the pituitary gland to prevent the adrenal glands from producing estrogen by stopping release of ACTH that would normally have stimulated the adrenals. Nowadays, this is accomplished with pharmaceuticals.
Adrenal medulla
Hormones in the medulla are produced in the chromaffin cells ("chromium + affinity"). They get their name from the fact that they stain readily in the presence of chromium salts. Chromaffin cells are neuroendocrine in that they are activated by neurotransmitters released by nerve cells located in the autonomic nerve fibers coming directly from the central nervous system. In response to this input, the chromaffin cells of the medulla release hormone messenger molecules into the blood. In this way, they integrate the nervous system and the endocrine system, a process known as neuroendocrine integration.
Because the chromaffin cells are directly activated by the nerve fibers from the autonomic nervous system, they respond very quickly -- as is necessary in a system that responds to emergency situations. On the other hand, chromaffin cells continue to secrete adrenal hormones "long" after nervous stimulation has passed. In fact, hormonal effects can last up to ten times longer than those of neurotransmitters. In a sense, neurotransmitters respond in the short term to emergencies, whereas the medullary hormones cover the longer term. In this way the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system and the medullary secretions function together.
So which hormones are we talking about?
The adrenal medulla releases two hormones: adrenaline (80%) and noradrenaline (20%), more commonly known among the medical establishment as epinephrine and norepinephrine. Collectively, they are called catecholamines. As I mentioned earlier, unlike the adrenocortical hormones, the medullary hormones are not essential for life -- at least when the body is in the resting state. Without stress, you don't need these hormones -- with one primary exception. Standing up from a reclining or sitting position would entail an unsustainable drop in blood pressure, as blood pooled in the feet and legs, if not for a compensating action governed by the medullary hormones. (We will talk more about this in a moment.)
Adrenaline
Epinephrine (also known as adrenaline) increases heart rate, contracts blood vessels, dilates air passages and participates in the fight-or-flight response of the sympathetic nervous system. As a hormone, epinephrine acts on nearly all body tissues. Its actions vary by tissue type and by the differing responses of the various receptor sites scattered throughout the body. For example, epinephrine causes smooth muscle relaxation in the airways, but causes contraction of the smooth muscle that lines most arterioles.
Noradrenaline
Norepinephrine (also known as noradrenaline) both complements the actions of adrenaline and adds its own stimulus to the brain. Along with adrenaline, noradrenaline also responds to the fight-or-flight stimulus by directly increasing heart rate, triggering the release of glucose from energy stores, and increasing blood flow to skeletal muscle. In addition, though, noradrenaline affects parts of the brain where attention and responding actions are controlled. Noradrenaline also works as an anti-inflammatory agent in the brain.
I've fallen down, and I can't get up
When a healthy individual stands up, gravity, if not accounted for, would cause approximately 10-15% of their blood to settle in the stomach and limbs. This blood pooling would mean that less blood reaches the brain -- resulting in lightheadedness, seeing stars, tunneled vision/darkening, and even fainting. In healthy individuals, however, this does not happen because special pressure sensors in blood vessels instantaneously act (via the involuntary nervous system) to trigger important responses in the body. These responses maintain normal blood pressure and flow to the brain and body primarily by pumping adrenaline and noradrenaline into the bloodstream. As we discussed earlier, these hormones cause the smooth muscle that lines most arterioles to contract. They also cause the veins of the lower body to contract. The net result of all this contraction is the raising of blood pressure and the forcing of blood up into the head. Also, the heart is stimulated to increase its output by increasing the number of heart beats per minute, the volume of blood pumped per beat, and the force with which each beat squeezes. We can actually feel this happening, from time to time. (Pay special attention and check it out the next time you stand up.) The end result is more blood returning to the brain and heart. Usually, if all components of the circulatory reflexes are working properly, the move from lying to standing proceeds without symptoms.
Common adrenal problems
For the most part, the adrenal glands function so well, and can handle almost any abuse we throw at them, that we barely give them a thought. But if pushed too far, they will crack. Addison's disease, which we've already discussed, is the primary "disease" of the adrenals, but there are several "lesser" problems worth discussion. Although not normally recognized by the medical community, they actually represent the vast majority of adrenal problems people face in today's high stress world. We're talking about non-clinical adrenal fatigue, weight gain, and caffeine addiction.
Adrenal Fatigue
According to the Mayo Clinic, adrenal fatigue is a term applied to a collection of nonspecific symptoms, such as body aches, fatigue, nervousness, sleep disturbances, and digestive problems. The term often shows up in popular health books and on alternative medicine Web sites, but it isn't an accepted medical diagnosis. The "unproven theory" behind adrenal fatigue is that your adrenal glands are unable to keep pace with the demands of perpetual fight-or-flight arousal. As a result, they can't produce quite enough of the hormones you need to feel good. Existing blood tests, according to this theory, aren't sensitive enough to detect such a small decline in adrenal function -- but your body is. That's why you feel tired, weak, and depressed. However, the only real, diagnosable, medically accepted form of adrenal fatigue is Addison's disease (discussed earlier).
But is that true?
What I find absolutely delicious in the Mayo Clinic's commentary on adrenal fatigue is their conclusion. "Unproven remedies for so-called "adrenal fatigue" may leave you feeling sicker, while the real cause -- such as Depression or fibromyalgia -- continues to take its toll." How wonderful to include fibromyalgia as a "real" condition. Lest anyone forget, it was just a few years ago that the medical establishment was dismissing fibromyalgia as an alternative health fantasy…just like adrenal fatigue. And many doctors still dismiss it as such. So with that in mind, what is adrenal fatigue?
First of all, contrary to what the Mayo Clinic claims, adrenal fatigue probably affects as many as 80% of adults at some point in their lives. These patients often end up going from doctor to doctor trying to find out why they feel exhausted and sick. Too often they're told after extensive testing, as the Mayo Clinic would do, that there is nothing wrong with them -- or perhaps that they are suffering from stress and need to relax more. The problem is that, from a medical point of view, adrenal fatigue has a broad spectrum of non-specific, yet often debilitating symptoms, including:
Fatigue, lethargy:
- Difficulties getting up in the morning.
- Lack of energy in the mornings, and also in the afternoon between 3 and 5 pm.
- Often feel tired between 9 and 10 pm, but resist going to bed.
- Sleep difficulties.
- Difficulty concentrating or remembering (brain fog).
- Need coffee or stimulants to get going in the morning.
- Feel better suddenly for a brief period after a meal.
- Cravings for salty, fatty, and high protein food such as meat and cheese.
- Lowered blood pressure and blood sugar.
- Lightheadedness (including dizziness and fainting) when rising from a sitting or lying-down position.
- High frequency of getting the flu and other respiratory diseases -- plus a tendency for them to last longer than usual.
- Tendency to tremble when under pressure.
- Pain in the upper back or neck with no apparent reason.
- Increased symptoms of PMS for women; periods are heavy and then stop, or are almost stopped on the 4th day, only to start flow again on the 5th or 6th day.
- Reduced sex drive -- particularly in women.
- Tendency to gain weight and unable to lose it, especially around the waist.
The bottom line is that being consistently under stress eventually exhausts the ability of the adrenal glands to produce sufficient amounts of hormones -- particularly cortisol. As the Mayo Clinic indicated, because they are prepared only to diagnose extreme dysfunction in the adrenals such as Addison's disease, conventional endocrinologists and medical tests cannot diagnose adrenal fatigue. But that does not mean that it is untestable. Beyond the symptoms themselves, natural healers can conduct a saliva cortisol test to evaluate your adrenal function. This will pick up more subtle dysfunctions in your adrenal glands than the typical medical tests.
If you are diagnosed with adrenal fatigue, or simply believe you have it, you will want to consider the following steps.
- Relax! Chill out! Find some way to reduce your stress levels. Remember, adrenal fatigue is almost always the result of unrelenting stress.
- Eliminate, or cut way back, on your use of stimulants such as coffee and energy drinks. They work by stimulating the adrenals. If your adrenals are already exhausted, stimulants merely drive your adrenals further into "the red."
- Switch to a low glycemic diet since high Sugar levels increase stress on the body and consequently increase cortisol levels. In turn, elevated cortisol levels interfere with the body's ability to handle Sugar -- thus raising blood Sugar levels and locking you into a vicious circle.
- Consider using a formula such as Standard Process' Drenamin to "feed" the adrenals.
- Supplement with a formula that contains adaptogenic herbs to help rebuild the adrenals. It would also be useful if the formula helped free up bound testosterone since this would take a burden off of the adrenals as they would no longer have to "make up the difference" caused by low free testosterone levels.
Weight gain
Cortisol is elevated in response to stress. The adrenal glands are not particular, any kind of stress will do. The stress can be physical, environmental, chemical, dietary, or imaginary. The human brain is hard wired with automatic responses to protect the body from harm. All forms of stress produce the same physiological consequences.
As we mentioned earlier, one of the primary roles of cortisol is to promote the conversion of triglycerides into stored fatty acids. It also promotes glucose formation (gluconeogenesis). The bottom line is that chronically elevated cortisol levels contribute to the accumulation of abdominal fat and make it very difficult to eliminate.
- Lowering cortisol levels requires the same five steps mentioned above for relieving adrenal fatigue.
Caffeine
Last year, I devoted an entire newsletter to caffeine. In summary, the way caffeine works on the adrenal glands is as follows:
Caffeine works by blocking adenosine's ability to slow nerve cell activity in preparation for sleep, and instead increases the speed of nerve cell activity and of the neuron firing in the brain. (The caffeine molecule is structurally similar to adenosine, and binds to adenosine receptors on the surface of cells without activating them -- an "antagonist" mechanism of action.) The pituitary gland "sees" all of the increased neuron firing in the brain and thinks some sort of emergency must be occurring, so it releases hormones that tell the adrenal glands to produce adrenaline, which gives your body a boost, so it can remain active and alert in response to the perceived "emergency."
If you're drinking five, six, ten cups of coffee a day, or if you're slugging down five or six energy drinks a day, you've put your body in a state of continual "alert." This produces a constant drain on the adrenals -- eventually leading to adrenal fatigue.
So yes or no on consuming caffeine? Unfortunately, when it comes to caffeine, the devil is in the details.
- Natural caffeine is preferable to "added" caffeine. Natural caffeine comes packaged with a number of powerful antioxidants such as:
- Chocolate: flavonoids, procyanidins, epicatechin, cocoa phenols.
- Tea: epigallocatechin, epicatechin gallate, and epicatechin. Not to mention theanine, which is not an antioxidant, but rather, a profoundly beneficial amino acid.
- Coffee: chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, and melanoidins.
- The Mayo Clinic says under 300 mg a day is fine. I set the figure much lower -- at about 100 mg a day. That still allows for 3 cups of green tea a day. The exception to this guideline is that if you take your caffeine bound to fiber, as in guarana (not guarana extract), the caffeine releases over time rather than in powerful bursts, which allows you to consume more without the negative side effects.
- Don't use caffeine as part of a daily ritual such as "every morning" to start the day. Use it selectively, if possible, to get a boost only when needed. And take at least two days off each week -- totally caffeine free -- to allow all caffeine to clear from your body on a weekly basis.
- And if you're already in a state of adrenal fatigue, you might want to consider stopping all caffeine consumption at least until you give your adrenals a chance to rebuild some of their lost reserves.
And that concludes today's newsletter on the adrenal glands and our series on the endocrine system. There are several other glands in the body that have endocrine functions--such as the sex glands -- but we will cover those when we focus on the primary systems involved.
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- Fight the Energy Crisis: Support You... plzchuckle
11 y
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(NaturalNews) Stress, illness and poor nutrition can take a toll on our health, and the adrenal glands are often hit the hardest. If you're short of energy, it may be a cry for help from your adrenal glands.
Feeling sluggish and cranky? Is mental fog making it hard to concentrate on anything for more than a few minutes? Having trouble losing weight? It might be time to check up on your adrenal glands. These tiny organs, located just above the kidneys, are the body's very own Rodney Dangerfields. The adrenals get very little respect, even though they're responsible for secreting the lion's share of invaluable hormones that are essential for so many of our normal bodily functions.
As part of the endocrine system, the adrenal glands are true workhorses. When they're in proper working order, this dynamic duo plays vitally important roles in a number of functions in the body, including blood Sugar and carbohydrate metabolism, health of the cardiovascular system, central nervous system operations, the immune system and hormone production. In addition, the adrenals produce more than 150 different hormones, including adrenaline (sometimes called epinephrine), cortisol, norepinephrine and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), the major stress hormones in our bodies. And that simple fact is why they need our support.
Since the human body is not equipped to handle a constant barrage of stress, the adrenal glands are designed to have part-time jobs. But the demands of our current world have made stress an ongoing, accepted part of daily life. The result? A non-stop stream of stress hormones flooding the body, eventually leading to adrenal fatigue and even total burn-out.
Think about it -- these little organs, which together weigh less than one ounce, are the body's first responders in times of stress, making it possible for us to react in times of danger, whether physical, emotional or even imaginary, as is the case with worrying.
So when your car stalls on the railroad tracks just as you spot an oncoming train, the adrenal glands mobilize the body's resources by releasing a stiff shot of adrenaline to rev up your metabolism -- a not-so-subtle wake-up call telling you to get out of the car and off the tracks. That's why adrenaline is linked to the well-known "fight or flight" reaction; it helps mobilize our muscles in response to threats.
Similarly, the adrenals pump out cortisol to regulate blood Sugar and help metabolize carbohydrates. But under a constant barrage of stressors, cortisol production can spiral out of control. And "a constant barrage of stressors" is precisely what so many people are living with today.
The adrenal glands are truly impressive, able to secrete balanced, life-saving doses of complex hormones on demand. But they can't tell the difference between that oncoming train and the nightly news report on the financial meltdown that just ate a big chunk of your 401K. Or the mortgage statement showing your payment is about to double. Or the 101 other things -- including family or relationship difficulties, too little sleep (see accompanying article in this issue for more on that), yo-yo dieting, chronic illness and unresolved emotional issues -- have put stress levels over the top. To make matters worse, the Standard American Diet (SAD) of fast and processed foods- high in sugar, salt and "bad" fats- weakens the adrenal glands even more.
As stress accumulates, so does cortisol production, taking a huge toll on the adrenals, as well as the rest of the body. Before long, the overworked adrenals are struggling to keep up with the over-the-top stress levels, and their role in secreting and managing other important hormones suffers.
Not surprisingly, when the adrenal glands aren't fully functioning, fatigue, reduced immunity and a host of other symptoms may occur. At the most extreme end of the spectrum, the result can be Addison's disease, a chronic state of adrenal exhaustion requiring ongoing medical care and medication. Adrenal fatigue (or adrenal insufficiency, as it's sometimes called) is less severe, but it can create serious complications and interfere with daily life. Not surprisingly, many experts believe that adrenal fatigue is under-diagnosed and far more common than anyone realizes.
Fatigue is usually one key symptom of adrenal fatigue, but it's far from the only one. Here are other common signs that adrenal glands may be suffering:
SYMPTOMS OF ADRENAL FATIGUE:
* Muscle weakness
* Feeling tired despite sufficient hours of sleep
* Insomnia
* Weight gain
* Anxiety
* Depression, anxiety or other mood disorder
* Hair loss
* Acne
* Dizziness when standing
* Nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea
* Loss of appetite
* Stomachache
* Craving salt or fatty foods
* Extra effort required to perform daily tasks
* Reliance on stimulants like caffeine
* Poor immunity and frequent illnesses
* Intolerance to cold
* Feeling overwhelmed or crying easily for no apparent reason
If three or more of these symptoms apply, it's time to see a doctor, since there are other conditions that need to be considered as well. Diagnosing adrenal fatigue can be done in one of two ways, either with saliva cortisol testing or cortrosyn stimulation test.
Fortunately, exhausted adrenal glands usually do respond to treatment. Learning simple stress management techniques can restore energy by easing the strain on these overworked glands. And supplementing with vitamin B complex, co-enzyme Q10 and DHEA, as well as selected herbal relaxants, can go a long way toward maintaining healthy adrenal functions.
Diet and lifestyle changes can also be useful. Individuals with adrenal fatigue should eat balanced meals (40 percent protein, 30 percent carbohydrates and 30 percent fat) every three to four hours.
Making time each day for moderate exercise is also helpful. In addition, don't feel guilty about scheduling a daily time out to rest, so your body can heal and repair the damage. Finally, look into herbal and non-prescription supplements that are designed to give the adrenal glands the support they need. Good stress management techniques, fresh, nutritious food, adequate rest and the right supplements can give the adrenals -- and you -- a new lease on life!
RESOURCES
Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome by James L. Wilson, ND, DC, PhD. (Smart Publications, 2002)
Werbach MR. "Nutritional strategies for treating chronic fatigue syndrome." Alternative Medicine Review 2000 Apr;5(2):93-108
Bentler SE, Hartz AJ, Kuhn EM. "Prospective observational study of treatments for unexplained chronic fatigue." Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 2005 May;66(5):625-32.
About the author
Leigh Erin Connealy, M.D. has specialized in Integrative Medicine for over twenty years, using conventional and natural methods to determine and discover the "root of the cause" in her clinic, Center for New Medicine in Irvine, California, each and every day. Many people come in to the clinic from all over the world with severe chronic illnesses that conventional medical protocols have been unsuccessful treating. She realized early on that she can truly change lives through education as well as treatment protocols.
Leigh Erin Connealy, M.D. and her medical staff strives to look at the whole person while exploring the effects and relationships among nutrition, psychological and social factors, environmental effects and personal attunement. Out of frustration of trying to find the right products to help her patients she formulated the perfectlyhealthy brand of products. All perfectlyhealthy products are clinically tested. For more information on recommended products, please visit www.perfectlyhealthy.net or www.perfectlyhealthy.com.
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- Reason You are Sick and Tired may be... plzchuckle 11 y 8,049
- Endocrine System: Hypothalamus, Pitu... plzchuckle
11 y
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Today, we begin our exploration of the endocrine system. In many ways, the endocrine system can be viewed as a partner, or complement, to the nervous system. Whereas the nervous system uses nerve impulses that last milliseconds to control short term events in the body, the endocrine system uses hormones that can sometimes take minutes, hours, or even days to take effect and control events. And sometimes those effects can last a lifetime.
Once you understand how important the endocrine system is in controlling every aspect of your life, from your moods to your sexuality to your energy levels to your ability to grow and be strong, you realize how important it is to keep it optimized. And yes, there are things you can do to keep it optimized.
Introduction
The endocrine system is comprised of a group of ductless glands that secrete hormones directly into the spaces surrounding their cells. From there, the bloodstream picks them up and circulates them throughout the body -- ultimately reaching the organ or cells designed to respond to a particular hormone. It is the ductless nature of the glands that defines them as part of the endocrine system. As for hormones, they are the body's chemical messengers that tell the body what to do…and when. Hormones produced by the endocrine system are necessary for normal growth and development, reproduction, and maintaining bodily functions (homeostasis). In humans, the major endocrine glands are the hypothalamus, pituitary, pineal, thyroid, parathyroids, adrenals, the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas, the ovaries, and the testes.
Secretion of hormones in the endocrine system is controlled either by regulators in a particular gland that detect high or low levels of a biochemical and inhibit or stimulate secretion or by a complex mechanism involving the brain, the hypothalamus, and the pituitary.
It should be noted again that the nervous system and the endocrine system are complementary -- both in terms of form and function. Both systems share a primary function of coordinating the activities of the body's many systems. For example, the nervous system tells muscles when to contract and relax, whereas adrenalin tells the body how to respond to stress or threats. The primary difference is that nerve impulses execute their effect in milliseconds…and the effects tend to be short-lived. The endocrine system, on the other hand, takes substantially longer for hormones to wend their way from the gland that produces them, through the bloodstream, and ultimately to the organ or cells where they take effect. In addition, the actions of hormones are much longer lasting than the milliseconds of nerve impulses. Another way of putting this is to say that the nervous system directs the body's short term responses, whereas the endocrine system directs the body's longer term responses.
One other point of note is that both systems are mutually interconnected. For example, when the nervous system needs to control things longer term, it acts through the endocrine system by stimulating the release or inhibition of hormones themselves from the endocrine organs. On the other hand, adrenalin, released by the adrenal glands, acts upon the brain to stimulate the fight or flight response.
General definitions
Before we continue, we need to lock down some important definitions.
- As mentioned above, endocrine glands (endo = "within") are glands that secrete directly into the spaces around the cells and whose products are picked up and circulated by the bloodstream.
- In contrast to the endocrine glands are the exocrine glands (exo = "out", krinein = "to secrete"). Unlike endocrine glands, exocrine glands secrete into ducts, which in turn, carry the secretions out of the glands and into the lumens (the inner cavities of a tubular organ such as blood vessels and the intestinal tract) or other body cavities or even out of the body. By an overwhelming majority, most glands in the body are exocrine glands, and most exocrine glands secrete their "products" outside of the body. These include sweat, oil, and mammary glands. (We will not be discussing the exocrine glands in this particular series of newsletters.)
- The endocrine system includes some organs that are wholly endocrine in function such as the pituitary gland, thyroid gland, parathyroid gland, adrenal glands, and pineal gland. (It is these glands in particular, along with the pancreas, that will be the focus of this series of newsletters.)
- Endocrine organs that have other functions as well as endocrine functions include the pancreas, liver, ovaries, stomach, hypothalamus of the brain, small intestine, kidneys, testes, and placenta. These are compound glands/organs. (Most of these will be covered when we explore their other functions.)
Endocrine gland locations
- The hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and pineal gland are located in the brain.
- The thyroid gland is located in the neck, with the four parathyroid glands situated behind it.
- The thymus is in the chest (will be covered when we discuss the immune system).
- The adrenal (AKA the supraneal) glands lie on top of the kidneys.
- The pancreas, stomach, ovaries, and testes are located in and beneath the abdominal cavity and have multiple functions -- some of which include endocrine functions.
Hormones
As we mentioned earlier, the endocrine system releases chemical messengers called hormones (hormone = "urge on"), which act on other organs in different parts of the body. Effectively, hormones are the body's chemical messenger system -- they tell the body what to do and when. Some hormones promote or inhibit nerve impulses, while others (epinephrine and norepinephrine, for example) may act as neurotransmitters themselves in certain parts of the body. Then again, these hormones act as hormones (rather than as neurotransmitters) in other places. (This will be much easier to understand when we explore the adrenal glands in a subsequent newsletter.)
Also, as we mentioned earlier, hormones may take seconds, minutes, or hours to work their effects, and their duration of action may be short- or long-lived. How long?
Consider that once estrogen tells a fetus to become a girl, the effect lasts an entire lifetime -- unless a doctor intervenes at some point. In general, though, hormones regulate growth, development, reproduction, metabolism, mood, and tissue function.
General properties of hormones
Although they may reach all the cells of the body via the bloodstream, each of the 50+ hormones in the human body affects only a tiny handful of very specific cells. This selectivity is key to the functioning of the endocrine system. How is it accomplished?
- Target cells contain highly specific receptors, which are surface glycoproteins (proteins which include a carbohydrate and a simple protein).
- The geometry of the glycoprotein molecules allows only for very specific hormones to attach to the receptor in the target cell surface. Think of it as a lock and key mechanism. Exceptions include:
- Chemical mimics such as xenoestrogens (petroleum-based hormone lookalikes) and synthetic growth hormones in meat, etc. -- which can be potent in amounts as small as a billionth of a gram. These are never good.
- Plant mimics such as phytoestrogens consumed in the diet or in supplements, which can fill receptor sites, making them unavailable to the stronger natural hormones (or chemical mimics for that matter) in the human body. This effect can often be used to advantage to tone down overly strong hormonal responses in the human body.
Each target cell has up to 100,000 receptors for a given hormone. When there is an excess of that hormone, the number of receptors decreases, reducing sensitivity. This reduction of sensitivity is known as "down regulation." Also, as just explained, chemical and phyto mimics can fill receptor sites on a cell making those sites unavailable to the actual hormones -- thus down regulating the cell. Or in the case of some chemical mimics, up regulating them. (Note: cells contain receptors for multiple hormones, not to mention neuropeptides produced by the brain, and other kinds of receptors too. Thus a single cell may actually have millions of receptor sites on its surface.)
If an abnormally low number of hormone molecules is circulating, the number of receptor sites on individual cells will increase to raise the level of sensitivity and thus compensate. This is known as "up regulation."
Locally acting hormones:
These hormones do not enter the general circulation. There are two types -- one of which, in particular, is of special concern to us.
- Paracrine hormones (para = "near") act on cells next to the secreting cells without entering the bloodstream -- just passing through the interstitial fluid between cells.
- Autocrine hormones (auto = "self") act on the cell that secreted them. These can play a critical role in terms of our health. Cancer cells use autocrine signaling to trigger growth. This means that cancer cells are autonomous. They don't take orders from other cells in the body. They tell themselves what to do. That's one of their features that makes them so dangerous.
Now that we have a basic understanding of what the endocrine system is, what it does, and how it works, let's start making our way down through the body and begin by taking a look at the three endocrine glands in the human brain: the hypothalamus, the pituitary, and the pineal glands.
Hypothalamus
The hypothalamus is located below the thalamus and posterior to the optic chiasm. In humans, the hypothalamus is roughly the size of an almond. But within that small size, it contains a number of small nuclei with a variety of functions. One of the most important functions of the hypothalamus is to link the nervous system to the endocrine system via the pituitary gland. The hypothalamus actually controls the pituitary gland; and it integrates many messages from parts of the brain based on feedback from all over the body and tells the pituitary what to do.
Communication between the hypothalamus and the pituitary is effected through a portal blood capillary system, which connects the two glands over a very short distance. This provides a direct venous to venous connection. The advantage of this type of direct connection is that a portal flow allows blood-borne molecules from the hypothalamus to act on the pituitary before they are diluted with the blood in larger vessels, thus it takes very, very few molecules to direct the pituitary.
The hypothalamus synthesizes and secretes neurohormones, often called hypothalamic-releasing hormones, and these in turn stimulate or inhibit the secretion of pituitary hormones. Among other things, the hypothalamus, through its action on the pituitary, controls body temperature, hunger, thirst, fatigue, childbirth, emotions, growth, milk production, salt and water balance, sleep, weight, and circadian cycles. It is responsive to light (the length of the day for regulating both daily circadian and seasonal rhythms). It is also responsive to olfactory stimuli (including pheromones), steroids, neurally transmitted information (from the heart, stomach, and reproductive system, stress, changes in body temperature caused by infection, and blood-borne stimuli (including leptin and ghrelin (appetite regulating hormones), angiotensin, insulin, pituitary hormones, cytokines, and glucose, etc.)
For the most part, the hypothalamus functions pretty much problem free for the vast majority of people. However, any of the following can cause it to malfunction: anorexia, bulimia, malnutrition, too much iron, bleeding, head traumas, infections, inflammation, genetic disorders, tumors, radiation, and surgery.
Pituitary gland
At one time, the pituitary gland, also called the hypophysis, was once thought to be the "master gland" that controlled all the other endocrine glands. But, as mentioned above, we have since learned that the hypothalamus actually controls the pituitary gland; and it integrates many messages from parts of the brain based on feedback from all over the body and tells the pituitary what to do. In any case, the two glands are tightly integrated. Together, they regulate all processes having to do with primitive reactions, such as stress, rage, flight, body temperature, thirst, hunger, sexua| activity, and survival in general. And between them, they secrete 16 hormones.
The pituitary is about 1 cm in diameter, and it lies in the sella turcica ("Turkish saddle") at the base of the brain, directly behind the optic chiasm. It is divided into two embryologically and functionally different parts: the anterior pituitary and the posterior pituitary. Embryologically refers to what tissue the gland developed "out of" starting as an embryo. The anterior pituitary evolved anatomically up from the floor of the mouth. The posterior pituitary, on the other hand, evolved downward from the base of the brain. In fact, the two parts of the pituitary don't even talk to each other.
Anterior pituitary
The anterior pituitary gland is also called the adenohypophysis, and it makes up 75% of the pituitary gland -- the remaining 25% belonging to the posterior pituitary. Seven releasing hormones (including growth-hormone-releasing hormone and growth-hormone-inhibiting hormone) are secreted by the hypothalamus and are responsible for the release or inhibition of the anterior pituitary hormones. They are generally controlled by negative feedback mechanisms.
Once triggered by the hypothalamus, hormones released by the anterior pituitary flow into the general circulation for action in far parts of the body. Like the hypothalamus, anterior pituitary hormones are also controlled by negative feedback from the brain and the target organ. That is, when the target organ responds to the activating hormone from the pituitary, it will release its own hormone back into the blood, which will travel back to the brain through the circulatory system, which in turn triggers the hypothalamus to turn off production of the stimulating hormone in the anterior pituitary. For example, the pituitary stimulates the thyroid to release thyroid hormones, which travel throughout the bloodstream stimulating metabolism in sellect parts of the body as required. Through the negative feedback loop, the brain learns that the metabolism has been activated enough (in other words, that enough thyroid hormones have been released) and tells the hypothalamus/pituitary to stop stimulating the thyroid. This completes the negative feedback loop.
Principal anterior pituitary hormones
- Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) stimulates the thyroid gland to release thyroid hormones, which tend to upregulate metabolism.
- Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) together stimulate the release of estrogen and progesterone, which cause the maturation of ova in the female and sperm cells in the male, as well as the release of testosterone.
- Prolactin (PL) stimulates the production of milk by the breasts. As a side note, prolactin can cross the placenta-blood barrier, causing "witch's milk," or milk production from a baby's nipples.
- Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) stimulates the release of adrenal cortical hormones by the adrenal glands.
- Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) causes increased skin pigmentation.
- Human growth hormone (hGH, or somatotropin) stimulates body growth and regulates metabolic processes. High hGH increases the growth of the skeleton during childhood, and it maintains muscle and skeletal size in the adult. Since hGH is probably the best known hormone produced by the pituitary -- and in the news constantly because of its illegal use among amateur and professional athletes looking for a competitive edge -- let's take a look at this particular hormone in a little more detail.
Human Growth Hormone
The rejuvenating powers of growth hormone (GH) are no secret to the wealthy and professional athletes: for the last 30-40 years, GH has been available from doctors, requires two injections a day, and costs up to $1,800 a month. Over the last few years, however, several alternatives for the rest of us have become available. And while I could never recommend the injections (for a variety of reasons), I can endorse the alternatives. Many fantastic claims are made for the effects of growth hormone, even claims of "almost" eternal youth. Would that it were so! Although the effects are more subtle for most people, they are nevertheless wide ranging:
Fat loss (14 percent on average after six months, without dieting)- Elimination of cellulite
- Higher energy levels and enhanced sexua| performance
- Regrowth of heart, liver, spleen, kidneys, and other organs that shrink with
- age
- Greater heart output and lowered blood pressure
- Improved cholesterol profile, with higher HDL ("good") cholesterol and
- lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol
- Superior immune function
- Increased exercise and athletic performance
- Better kidney function
- Stronger bones
- Faster wound healing and recovery from injury
- Younger, tighter skin
- Hair regrowth
The most important function of GH, however, is telling the liver to produce insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), the main key to anti-aging. Specifically, the benefits of GH can be measured in terms of how much it increases the body's production of IGF-1 (above a 20 percent increase starts to be significant
in terms of effectiveness).
There is some concern that, because it increases IGF-1 levels in the body, GH may increase the risk of prostate cancer. A simple reality check, however, calls these observations into question. First, both GH and IGF-1 levels decline as we age, yet the incidence of prostate cancer increases as these levels decline -- the exact opposite of the expressed concern. In addition, in numerous studies involving thousands of patients receiving growth hormone over many years, there were no observed increases in prostate cancer. In fact, based on real-life observation, there is evidence that growth hormone supplementation may reduce the risk of prostate cancer.
Supplementing with Growth Hormone
Most supplement formulas will increase IGF-1 levels by a minimum of 20 percent, with some even approaching 100 percent. But keep in mind that just one 30-minute aerobic session can easily increase IGF-1 levels by 100 percent, and a solid session of weight training can increase levels by an incredible 400--800 percent. Injections, on the other hand, which work directly on the liver (almost like a massive "pulse"), can increase IGF-1 production by only 20--40 percent. A downside to injections, in addition to cost, is that they can give too much GH to the body, shock the body, and can stop the pituitary from producing its own GH. This may explain why injectable GH produces more immediate results, yet ultimately plateaus in terms of effectiveness.
Incidentally, you can no longer actually buy true hGH or human growth hormone. Technically, only growth hormone actually taken from human beings can be called "human" growth hormone. Thirty years ago, the sole source of growth hormone was human cadavers, but that was abandoned when it turned out that growth hormone taken from people had a major downside (in addition to cost) -- it occasionally caused the human equivalent of mad cow disease.
Fortunately, at around the same time, recombinant DNA technology came into its own and scientists learned how to alter the DNA of a single-cell yeast plant, and more recently from bacteria, so that they could produce large amounts of growth hormone (molecularly identical to real hGH), safely and inexpensively. Because this growth hormone is identical to hGH, people often use the terms growth hormone and human growth hormone interchangeably, but it should be referred to as a "plant-based growth hormone."
Given this good, inexpensive source of growth hormone, another problem remained: the growth hormone molecule is so large (containing 191 amino acids) that it cannot be absorbed orally. That meant it could only be administered by injection, which required a doctor and was very expensive. Because of the cost, growth hormone injections became known as the secret youth formula of movie stars, athletes, and the very rich.
For most people, then, the best alternative to GH injections is the use of amino acid-based precursor formulas (also called a GH secretagogues). Typically, these formulas contain ingredients such as glutamine, tyrosine, GABA, arginine, and lysine. Although not as powerful as growth hormone injections, these formulas can be quite effective, provided your pituitary is functioning well, and they carry none of the downside of injections.
Things that sometimes go wrong with the anterior pituitary gland
Not surprisingly, since the pituitary is so involved with regulating growth, some of the key problems associated with a malfunctioning pituitary are related to growth. These include:
Pituitary dwarfism: Low levels of hGH during the growth years causes bone-growth-plate closure before normal size is achieved. Also, many organs are smaller than normal, and the person has a childlike stature. Fortunately, injections of synthetic hGH produced by recombinant DNA technology in bacteria can prevent this if diagnosed in time.
- Pituitary giantism: Hyposecretion of hGH during childhood causes long bones and tall stature but otherwise normal proportions.
- Acromegaly: Usually caused by functioning pituitary tumors in the already normal adult, it causes thickening of bones of the face, hands, and feet (bones can get longer after the closure of growth centers) and thickening of the tongue, eyelids, and nose. Andre the Giant, the well known wrestler and actor, was one of the world's best known examples and was, in fact, often billed as The Eighth Wonder of the World. Another famous (possible example) might have been the biblical Goliath, who was slain by David with a slingshot. In fact, there is a very interesting theory, with real scientific basis, that proposes that Goliath's acromegaly might actually account for how he was slain by David. According to the theory, a pituitary tumor, because of the pituitary's placement right behind the optic chiasm, can sometimes place pressure on peripheral vision nerve fibers, resulting in tunnel vision. If Goliath had that condition, which sometimes does occur with acromegaly, he would have been blind to David, if David approached from the side, and a rock hurled from the side would hit the temple at the thinnest part of the skull, thus stunning the giant. Once stunned and on the ground, David would then be able to safely approach his now helpless victim and cut off his head. And thus the legend was born -- or so the theory goes.
Posterior pituitary gland
As I mentioned earlier, the posterior pituitary gland (AKA the neurohypophysis) is anatomically derived from a down growth of the brain and is not technically a gland since it does not synthesize hormones, but rather, stores and secretes two hormones actually made in the brain. These two hormones, oxytocin and vasopressin, are transported from the brain in small packets for storage in the posterior pituitary -- to be released as needed.
- Oxytocin (oxytocia = "rapid child birth"; AKA Pitocin) enhances the strength of uterine contractions and stimulates the ejection of milk after delivery. It may also foster maternal instincts and sexua| pleasure during and after intercourse. Now synthesized and readily available, it is often given to women to help them have stronger contractions and expel the fetus in a more timely manner…when necessary.
- Vasopressin (Antidiuretic hormone, ADH) decreases urine production by increasing re-absorption by the kidneys, a useful trick when suffering from dehydration. The effect, though, is to raise blood volume and, therefore, to raise blood pressure. Alcohol inhibits ADH secretion, thus producing profuse urination after a drinking binge, which leads to severe dehydration, and the severe dehydration leads to the headache and thirst associated with a hangover.
Pineal Gland
The pineal gland is about the size of a grain of rice, is shaped like a tiny Pine Cone (hence its name), and is located in the center of the brain in a tiny cave, behind and above the pituitary gland. For years, mystics considered it to be the seat of the mystical third eye, whereas the medical community considered it vestigial and, thus, pretty much non-functioning. Since then, the mystics have not necessarily been refuted, but the medical community has been. The pineal gland is now known to be the major source of melatonin production in the body. It is full size in children, a size it maintains throughout adulthood -- although its weight can drop significantly starting with puberty. And it is not unusual for the gland to literally calcify in many adults. The gland most likely plays a significant role in sexua| maturation, circadian rhythm and inducing sleep, and in seasonal affective disorder and depression. In animals, it plays a key role in hibernation.
Melatonin
The trigger for production and release of melatonin is total darkness -- any light in the room will inhibit this process. Today, however, living in a world with nightlights in the bedroom or streetlights sneaking through the window, we actually have an epidemic of people with insufficient melatonin production, even at a very young age. The problem doesn't just come from light falling on our eyes while we sleep, but from light falling on any part of the body. Even if you wear an eye-mask, if any light is falling on your arms or chest or feet, that's enough to slow melatonin production. Without artificial light, we would normally be in total darkness 8--12 hours a night, producing melatonin during all of those hours. Living in a city or suburban area may cut the hours of total darkness to six or less, and in many cases, zero. Melatonin levels also decline significantly as we age. Since its discovery in 1958, melatonin has been studied extensively and shown to be widely beneficial to the body. The benefits of supplementation to compensate for abnormally low production in the body include:
- Better Sleep -- Lowered levels of nighttime melatonin reduce the quality of sleep, resulting in the need for more sleep. If your pineal gland does not produce adequate melatonin early enough in the evening, both the quality and quantity of your sleep may suffer. Lack of melatonin may make it difficult for you to fall asleep or may cause you to wake up too soon. Too much melatonin and you will feel exhausted or "drugged" throughout the day. By taking melatonin instead of other sleep aids, rapid eye movement (REM) sleep (dreaming) is not suppressed nor does it induce "hangover" effects when used as directed.
- Enhanced Immune Function -- Many people report that supplementation with melatonin has significantly reduced their incidence of colds and infections. The exact way in which melatonin affects the immune system is not known. However, since much of the activity of the immune system takes place at night, some researchers have proposed that melatonin interacts with the immune system during sleep, helping to buffer the adverse effects of stress. It has been proposed by some that the increased incidence of cancer we see today is partially due to the extended time we are exposed to artificial lighting. This is reflected in the fact that melatonin levels in Breast Cancer and prostate cancer patients are half of normal.
- Powerful Antioxidant Capabilities -- Melatonin is one of the most powerful antioxidants produced in the body. In addition, since it is both water and fat-soluble, melatonin can reach almost every cell in the body. However, since it cannot be stored in the body, it must be replenished daily.
- Mood Elevator -- Nighttime melatonin levels are low in people with major depressive and panic disorders. Individuals with mood swings or who are melancholic also have lower melatonin levels. Both seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and cyclic depressions are related to the peaks and valleys of melatonin levels.
Third eye
While the physiological function of the pineal gland remained unknown until recently, mystical traditions and esoteric schools, have long considered the pineal gland to be the connecting link between the physical and spiritual worlds…and the seat of extrasensory perception. I am not here to argue the spiritual qualities of the pineal gland, nor talk about its extrasensory capabilities, excepting one: its sensitivity to light.
As medically theorized, the pineal gland responds to the ebbs and flow of light entering our eyes during the day. In the evening, the pineal gland reacts to the diminishing levels of daylight and starts to produce melatonin, which is then released into the blood and flows through the body making us drowsy. Its secretion peaks in the middle of the night during our heaviest hours of sleep. In the morning, bright light shining through the eyelids reaches the pineal gland which reacts by switching off the production of melatonin, thus removing the desire to sleep. And we wake!
But this description is incomplete in one significant aspect. As it turns out, the pineal gland can be diminished not only by light shining on the eyelids, but by light shining anywhere on the body. Literally, light striking any part of your skin can reduce production of melatonin from the pineal gland. It seems the pineal can "see without eyes." How's that for ESP? Even more interesting is the fact that in some lower vertebrates the pineal gland actually has a well-developed eye-like structure and is considered by some scientists to be the evolutionary forerunner of the modern eye. In other vertebrates, though not organized as an eye, it functions as a light receptor -- effectively a third eye.
In any case, the key when it comes to the pineal gland and melatonin is that it's important to sleep in a darkened room, with no light coming through the curtains or night lights turned on in the room. And wearing eyeshades won't help as the pineal can sense any light shining on your skin. Failure to sleep in a darkened room will inhibit melatonin production, which presents a series of health problems, not the least of which is an inability to sleep deeply. But beyond that, if continued for too long, it will literally shut down the pineal and cause it to atrophy. At that point, your only choice will be to use melatonin supplements.
Conclusion
We'll pause here and pick up our discussion of the endocrine system in the next newsletter with an exploration of the thyroid and parathyroid glands. One of the interesting things you'll notice is that as we move down through the body, you'll find that you have progressively more options for altering the behavior of your endocrine glands. That said, you can nevertheless consider using the following supplements to assist the hyopthalamus, the pituitary, and the pineal glands in the optimal performance of their basic functions.
- hGH secretagogue -- available throughout the internet
- Timed release melatonin
- Hypothalamus PMG from Standard Process -- available throughout the internet
- Pituitrophin PMG from Standard Process -- available throughout the internet
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- How To Identify Your Body Type for B... plzchuckle
11 y
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- Your Thyroid Gland: The Often Overlo... plzchuckle
11 y
8,354
This is a reply to # 2,133,355
It only weighs about an ounce, yet it’s one of your body’s most important organs. Meet your thyroid gland. Located at the base of your neck, just below your Adam’s apple, this tiny organ is responsible for the optimal functioning of a wide variety of body functions because it produces the hormones that regulate the metabolic activities of every cell in your body. It does this in two ways—first by stimulating the production of health-supporting proteins by nearly all of your body’s cells and tissues, and secondly by increasing the amount of life-giving oxygen that your cells can use. As a result of the way in which thyroid hormones regulate these two processes, healthy thyroid function is vital for a wide range of bodily activities, including your body’s growth, healthy heart and respiratory rates, proper digestion, heat production, healthy skin, heat production, and the efficient burning of calories. In women, healthy thyroid function is also required to support fertility.
Given how important the thyroid gland is, it’s surprising how often physicians fail to consider thyroid function when assessing their patient’s health. One of the main reasons for this oversight is because conventional blood tests used to measure thyroid hormone levels don’t always provide an accurate reading. The two most common tests measure levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (
Types of Thyroid Conditions
Impaired thyroid function can lead to a number of thyroid conditions. These include hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid function), goiter (characterized by an enlarged thyroid, caused primarily by Iodine deficiency and often part of hyperthyroidism), hypothyroidism (low thyroid function), thyroiditis (inflammation of the thyroid gland), and thyroid cancer.
By far the most common type of thyroid disorder in the
Both hyper- and hypothyroidism can be caused by a variety of factors. For the most part, hyperthyroidism is due to overstimulation of thyroid gland by an overactive pituitary gland, inflammation of the thyroid, exposure to radiation, abnormal growth of thyroid tissues, and
Hypothyroidism is primarily caused by poor diet, Iodine deficiency, lack of exercise, chronic stress, hormonal imbalances, or Hashimoto’s disease, another type of autoimmune disorder. Radiation exposure can also cause hypothyroidism, as can certain drugs, especially lithium and synthetic estrogen. In women, pregnancy can also be a factor.
Symptoms of Thyroid Problems
Since thyroid problems, especially those of hypothyroidism, can often be overlooked by doctors, being aware of thyroid symptoms can help alert you to potential problems.
Common symptoms of hyperthyroidism include thyroid gland enlargement, thyroid pain or tenderness, bulging eyes, increased or irregular heart rate, excessive perspiration, hand tremors, anxiety and nervousness, insomnia, unexplained weight loss, more frequent than normal bowel movements, and diarrhea. In older people, symptoms can also include sleepiness, mental confusion, weakness, and feelings of Depression and apathy.
Symptoms of hypothyroidism are more wide ranging. They include anemia and fatigue, anxiety, apathy, blurred vision, brittle or peeling fingernails, carpal tunnel syndrome, cold hands and feet, constipation, Depression and irritability, digestion problems, dry eyes, dry skin and hair, edema (water retention), hair and eyebrow loss, headaches, high cholesterol, hoarseness, impaired immune function and/or recurring infections, insomnia, low libido, memory and concentration problems, muscle aches and pains, sensitivity to cold and heat, slow bruise and wound healing, tingling in the extremities, and unexplained weight gain. Women with low thyroid function can also be more prone to infertility, PMS, and irregular menstruation.
If you suffer with any of the above symptoms, ask your doctor to check your thyroid function, especially if your symptoms have not responded to previous treatments recommended by your doctor. Also ask your doctor what steps you can take on your own to maintain or improve the health of your thyroid gland. Because the healthier your thyroid is, the healthier you will be too.
The Health Plus Letter,
Copyright © 2010 by Larry Trivieri, Jr. All rights reserved.
http://www.1healthyworld.com:80/ezine/vol8no1.cfm
- Endocrine System: Kristen's Thyroid ... plzchuckle
11 y
8,278
This is a reply to # 2,133,547
By: Jon Barron
As I mentioned in my last newsletter on the thyroid gland, I was going to ask my wife, Kristen, to write up her experiences in overcoming Graves' disease when she had a moment to spare. As it turns out, she really didn't have any time to spare, but did it anyway…as a priority project. Here is her story, in her own words, on how she used natural methods to overcome what is generally considered to be an incurable disease.
Kristen's Thyroid Story
My introduction to natural health came early at the age of 16. It was the 70's, and my mother was one of those people who started reading all kinds of natural health books. She got me involved as well, and together, we were juicing, went on juice fasts, stopped drinking milk, stopped eating red meat, did colon cleanses, etc. She taught me the value of having a balanced body. I tried to live right and eat right because of the things she taught me.
Symptoms start appearing
Fast forward 14 years. I'm 30, and my life is out of balance. I had a successful real estate career and got too caught up in my work. The hours were long and not healthy. Plus my eating habits were not what they once were. I was now eating red meat as well as fried foods. I was on the run all the time and ate whatever was convenient. Add to that the stress of a divorce, a friendly divorce, but still emotional and stressful. (And no, that wasn't Jon. I hadn't met him yet.)
I was physically fit, or so I thought. I went to the gym several times a week and ran three to five miles every day. Nevertheless, "symptoms" started appearing. The first time I noticed something was wrong with me was when I was running. Suddenly, instead of getting stronger each day, I was progressively getting more and more tired and each day running a shorter distance. My heart rate wasn't coming down after running either. It just kept on pounding. It would even start racing while sitting in bed. I finally had to stop because I just didn't have it in me to go beyond a few feet. I'd been a runner my whole life and never had this experience before. I didn't know what to make of it.
After about a month of the tiredness and, now, full blown exhaustion, I decided to seek out advice from some health experts. I was put on all kinds of vitamin regimens with no change. The heart was always racing now. They did EKG's but said the heart was fine. No one could figure out what the problem was.
Over time I became sensitive to heat, and my skin became clammy. I lost the hair on my arms, legs, and a quarter of the hair on my head. No one noticed though because I had always had thick hair, but I knew it, and it concerned me.
Months later I dropped from a size 9 to a size 5. (By the way, that was back before they adjusted sizing to accommodate the fattening of America.) I was eating three large meals a day and a pint of Häagen-Dazs® but kept losing weight. When I saw photos of myself, I could see I was too thin and my eyes seemed to bug out a bit.
Six months after dropping to a size 5, suddenly everything reversed. I started gaining weight. I went from a size 5 to a size 12. Then my menstrual cycle stopped and my pubic hair turned completely grey. "What on earth is happening to me!?"
Months later my eyesight changed. I found myself unable to read signs at any distance on the freeway. Mind you, all of these changes took place over the span of a year and a half. And as bad as things were, it was only at this point that they started getting really scary. I was entering a freeway one day and accidentally knocked off someone's bumper. We were able to retrieve it thank goodness. Two weeks later, I was entering a parking lot and came around a corner and lost control of my car. I had a brand new car and ran it alongside a wall taking out the entire side of my car. I was watching myself in slow motion as I drove along the wall literally unable to pull away from it. The incident was terrifying and no one knew what was wrong with me.
My mother had made comments about my neck looking fat; I ignored her not knowing what that meant. Something was wrong with my throat though; for months, I would have choking incidents. It happened in the car a few times. I would be driving along and suddenly start choking and couldn't breathe. I'd have to pull over until it stopped. It was frightening. I had trouble sleeping at night because the heart was pounding so hard. My muscles were weak, and I was a mess.
Finally, a diagnosis -- Graves' disease
A chance meeting turned everything around. I was at a party one night and met a very nice female doctor. We ended up talking about what I had been going through and a look of recognition crossed her face. She reached out and touched my neck and said "Oh honey, it's your thyroid, you have a goiter." (As you may remember from Jon's last newsletter, you normally can't feel the thyroid when touching the neck -- only if it's enlarged. That's how she could identify the problem.) She said I would need to see an endocrinologist and gave me a recommendation. At last I was going to find someone to help me!
In May 1984, I went to see the doctor she had recommended, and he took blood samples. I came back to the office several days later to get the results. He told me in the gravest voice that I had ever heard that I had some of the worse thyroid levels he had ever seen:
May 1984 thyroid levels
Results
Normal
T4
23.4 mcg dl
Between 5 and 13 mcg/dl
T4 Index
29.4
Between 5 and 13
T3 level
813 ng/dl
75 -- 175 ng/dl
He said I needed to have my thyroid taken out immediately. I was shocked. Then I said no and left
He called me a day later and said, "Young lady, I don't care if you don't like what I told you. You have a serious disease and if you don't get treatment, you will die within a few weeks. If you don't want to come back here that's fine, but you must get help so please go to another doctor right away!"
He scared me, but I still didn't like the message, so I went for another opinion. I asked around and was led to the head endocrinologist at UCLA. Blood was drawn and I waited for the results. He also did a physical examination and said my thyroid was 4 times normal size, and my left eye was protruding more than the right which would account for the blurred vision. (Again, as Jon explained in the last newsletter, the bulging eyeballs associated with Graves' disease are caused by a build-up of fat behind the eyes, which pushes the eyes outward.) When I came back in to see the doctor, he had that same grave look on his face. He sat me down and said "You have the highest thyroid levels I have seen in 30 years! You have Graves' Disease." I asked what that meant, and he said, "Your thyroid is dead. We'll need to schedule treatment for you within the next few days. There are two ways to treat it, we can remove it by surgery or kill it with radioactive iodine."
I didn't understand the logic of the last statement so I innocently asked why they would have to kill it or remove it if it was already dead. He became flustered, stood up, and looked down at me sternly and said, "It's what we will need to do to save your life."
I asked another question because I wanted more information about the disease: I asked what caused it. He said he didn't know, he said it was generally known as a young woman's disease. Well, that wasn't very helpful. I told him the stress I'd been under and how out of balance my life had become. Would that have caused it? His response was "No, it had nothing to do with it." (I did find it curious that although he admitted he had no idea what caused it, he could be so definite about what didn't cause it.)
In any case, I didn't want the surgery or the radioactive Iodine so I asked another question that clearly annoyed him. I said that I believe that god gave us all these body parts for a reason; if you remove or burn out my thyroid, wouldn't that disturb the balance in the body; wouldn't it make the situation worse?
He said they had to get rid of the thyroid, but I was not to worry because they would be able to balance me with drugs. I wasn't buying any of it.
I didn't want to do any of the recommended treatments and told him so, and he was getting more upset with me by the minute. He told me the same thing the other doctor did, "If you don't have this taken care of right away, you'll be dead within 2 weeks!"
I said just give me a few days to think about it. In the meantime, is there something you can give me to keep me alive while I'm doing that? In ultimate frustration, he blurted out, "Well, if I hear you've come back downstairs (meaning the emergency room) and you're having a thyroid storm, I won't rush." I asked what a thyroid storm was, and he said it's when all your internal organs explode. (Whaaaat??????!) He too succeeded in scaring me almost to death, but I was not going to give up my body parts without a fight. In the end, he prescribed Propylthiouracil for the thyroid and Inderal for the heart since the most immediate problem I had was the danger of a fatal heart attack.
As I was leaving he asked where my ride was, and I told him I had driven myself in. He was shocked. He actually didn't believe me at first. He said, "Do you know where people like you end up with your thyroid levels?"
I said, "No."
"In the psych ward," he replied. "Most of them try to kill themselves." I don't know why you aren't there now or how you drove yourself in."
I was taken aback by that, I told him I was tired but hadn't had any signs of Depression at all. Other than the extreme exhaustion and everything else I was going through, I was actually feeling positive about life.
I couldn't wait to get away from the hospital. The experience with the doctor had been shocking and he had indeed scared me. I didn't want to die; I was only 30! I took the prescriptions with me because I needed to stay alive long enough to find a natural way to get my body back in balance. I had no intention of letting them remove or burn out my thyroid. I would find a natural way to beat this.
Finding a treatment
I knew in my heart that the reason I was sick was that I had thrown my body and mind out of balance. I needed to find a way to get back in balance so my body would heal itself.
I had heard of a natural healer named Ann Wigmore who had cured herself of cancer with wheat grass. Of all the books I had read, there was something about hers that struck a chord, so I set out to find her. I found out she had an institute in Boston, but when I called she wasn't there. I tracked her down and found out she was in LA visiting with friends and giving lectures. The people she was staying with were high profile (Dennis and Gerry Weaverr), and I asked around and told people my story until someone gave me their number so I was able to leave a message on their answering machine.
I'm grateful that Gerry called me back. She was an angel. She told me that Ann was doing a seminar and we arranged to meet there. I was able to get a few of Ann's books so I could get started. Back in those days, there was no one complete book that talked about all the body systems and what you needed to do to achieve balance. I had to search through book after book to put the pieces together. Gerry was a trail blazer when it came to the health movement, and she put me in the right direction to get books on Enzymes, colon health, a book on water, friendly bacteria (probiotics), etc. I told Jon later that if his book Lessons from the Miracle Doctors had been out at that time I would have been able to heal within 6 months instead of a year! (Incidentally, by an amazing coincidence, although I never met him at the time, Jon and Gerry were close friends and constantly shared information on health and healing. It wasn't until three years later that Jon and I actually met and discovered the amazing connection we shared through Gerry Weaver.)
There were things Gerry knew that had not yet been put into print, so she invited me over to take notes. It was not easy given that the disease had debilitated my muscles, and it was hard to write. But the information was crucial so I hung in there.
I went to the doctor once a month for blood tests. I was determined to heal myself through natural means but also recognized the value of working with my doctor. My numbers were coming down, which validated the path I had chosen. It was working.
My divorce was finalized around this time. We sold our home, and I moved to a studio apartment. Unfortunately, we sold in a down market, so I started my new life with next to nothing to exist on. When I had been well and at my peak, I was the top salesperson in my office, and one of the top residential agents in Los Angeles, in fact. Now, I was too weak to work. The effort required to get up in the morning to get a glass of water was enough to exhaust me and send me back to bed. In fact, I was in bed for months and in danger of having a heart attack because of such prolonged inactivity. I had two episodes where I thought I was going to die. When I called the doctor, he said it didn't sound like a heart attack, so I didn't go to the hospital. I rested until it passed.
I had no money, but was lucky to get calls from clients I had worked with in the past who needed to either buy or sell their homes. I always felt there was a divine hand taking care of me. Somehow I always managed to pay my rent and buy food and get the supplies I needed for healing.
The program
The program I had worked out for myself with Gerry's help addressed the physical, mental and spiritual components of life:
The physical components
- Foods: From what I read, I knew I had to get off all processed food. I went totally raw for a year. I ate what I grew in my apartment (sprouts) or bought organic from a local health food store. I understood that to heal the body I needed raw enzymes that would provide nutrition and would be easy for the body to assimilate.
I bought a Norwalk juicer and juiced vegetables every day using Norman Walker's Fresh Vegetable & Fruit Juices book as a guide. I also followed the guidelines in Ann Wigmore's book for growing sprouts for eating and blending. I had very little energy and remember practically living on sunflowers sprouts that I put in the blender to make a green drink per Ann's recipe. I grew my own wheatgrass and drank a few ounces every day.
My main meals were fresh salads with my own fresh dressing. I would also have some type of seed cheese or nut loaf, or raw soup.
I also made things that would help replenish friendly bacteria in the intestines like sauerkraut and Ann's rejuvelac drink.
- Internal Cleansing: I started my mornings off with Watermelon juice to flush my kidneys. Later, I would juice a lemon to clean out bacteria in the gut and clean the liver. I also did wheatgrass enemas and wheatgrass implants several times a week with the aid of a slant board. (At that time I did not know about Jon's detox program, which would have saved me hours of work and months of healing time.)
- Exercise: The doctor told me to stay in bed, and I was categorically told not to exercise. However, I remembered an axiom from the 70's, "Exercise or die!" It may exhaust me, but I didn't believe it would kill me. I knew I had to get some kind of exercise, or I would only get sicker. From one of the books I read, I knew I needed to move the lymph fluid. There was a pool in the complex, and I had a friend come over and watch me swim. Just in case I did have a heart attack, she could pull me out. I would swim very gently for about 20 minutes, then go back to bed. Or I would take short walks down the block. It did a lot of good to get the blood moving, and I felt better for having done it.
Mental and spiritual components
Let me be perfectly clear. If my natural approach hadn't worked, if my thyroid numbers had not begun to drop almost immediately, if I hadn't begun to feel better, I would have gone back to the doctor and taken the medical route. I had no intention of dying to prove a point. On the other hand, as Jon makes abundantly clear in Lessons from the Miracle Doctors, there are no guarantees when it comes to health and healing -- merely odds. I had every reason to believe that the odds were decidedly in favor of my pursuing the alternative route as opposed to the medical route -- a belief that was subsequently borne out by the reversal of my Graves' disease for the last 25 years.
For my part, I'm glad I put in the year of work I did. With a normally functioning thyroid, life has been very good.
I knew that changing my eating habits and exercising were very important, but if I had a bad attitude during this time, it would have negated the program. It would have been easy to be depressed or upset. I was very much isolated and alone. Neither my family (other than my mother) nor my friends understood, or tried to understand, what I was going through. Everyone wanted to throw a few vitamins my way and thought it was all in my head. My friends were off working and partying, and I rarely saw anyone during this time. For some reason, I had the strength to go through all of this alone. The little contact I had with Gerry was very helpful, but once I had what I needed I didn't want to bother her and kept to myself.
I kept a positive attitude about it all and meditated twice a day. I found out years ago, when I dislocated my tailbone and was in a great deal of pain, that being upset or angry was not healing. Someone told me at the time that I should love my body, not be mad at it. She said to visualize my body enveloped in a loving, healing white light. I tried it and found that my body would tingle all over. I could feel energy running throughout my body and it was soothing, healing, and the pain stopped. I remembered the lesson from years ago and at the end of my meditations, I would visualize healing energy flowing throughout my body. Once again I felt the soothing healing energy and knew it was speeding up the healing process.
Sticking with it
What I did to heal myself on one hand appears very simple, and the idea of it is indeed very simple. But it was difficult at first sticking to it. There were times when I felt better and had a normal dinner out. Normal meaning cooked food: fish, potatoes and cooked greens. I would immediately experience tachycardia. And if I had something really salty, like cheese, I would almost pass out since my heart was beating so fast. I did this a number of times before I got that it was not a good idea and faithfully stuck to the program.
Living on raw foods, especially if you are growing your own, can be time consuming. I grew the sprouts and wheat grass, made my own meals, and did my own juicing to keep costs down and to have control of everything I put in my body. For a year, my life was dedicated to growing or preparing food, a lot of rest, no stress, some form of exercise every day, and meditation. There was little room for anything else other than healing that year. It was a full time job.
The first 3 months were spent mostly in bed. After that I started to regain my energy and increased my exercising. My heart rate was still very fast, but was no longer at what I considered a dangerous level. I found that the Inderal the doctor had prescribed was making no difference and weaned myself off it.
After a year, my menstrual cycle returned, and the grey hair started to go back to its normal color. I was starting to live a more normal life. I felt I was in remission, and over the course of a month weaned myself off of the Propylthiouracil. I was completely off all medication by July 1985.
I went back to the doctor to get tested, and he confirmed that my "thyroid levels were entirely within normal limits." He said that I appeared to be euthyroid, (the state of having normal thyroid gland function.) He also said I could begin to get off of the Propylthiouracil. When I told him I was already off, he said, "Good job." Then he caught himself and said that I could have caused a heart attack by going off of it without knowing what I was doing. He then added that it was only a temporary remission. I would always have the disease and it would come back if there was any stress in my life and listed many other reasons it would come back. The whole time he was talking, I was saying to myself, "No it won't!" Despite the many severe stresses I've had in my life the last 25 years, it never did come back.
Over the years, I've shared this story with anyone who wanted to know how I kept my thyroid and got it functioning again. There have been many people in a similar position who wanted to know what I took for the thyroid to heal it. My response is I never took anything that targeted the thyroid. I worked to put my body back in balance so it would heal itself.
The sad thing is it never inspired anyone to try the natural route. When I talked to them months later, they all said they thought it would be easier to just cut the thyroid out. And at first glance, that does indeed seem to be true. But when I talked to these same people years later, they were all having severe problems getting "balanced out" with the medication. Many were severely overweight, but even worse had severe psychological problems that were affecting their lives and their marriages. I lost touch with them and have no idea how they are doing now.
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Baseline of Health® is a Registered Trademark of Jon Barron
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- Foods: From what I read, I knew I had to get off all processed food. I went totally raw for a year. I ate what I grew in my apartment (sprouts) or bought organic from a local health food store. I understood that to heal the body I needed raw enzymes that would provide nutrition and would be easy for the body to assimilate.
- Thyroid plzchuckle
11 y
8,271
This is a reply to # 2,133,547
by David Christopher, MH
Hypothyroid, or low functioning thyroid, is extremely common in today's world. Symptoms would include, but are not limited to: Fatigue, weight gain, dry skin, hair loss, intolerance to cold and constipation. A confirmation of thyroid malfunction can easily be done at home. Simply shake down a glass thermometer and place it next to your bed. In the morning, place it in your armpit for ten minutes and then read it. If it registers below 97.4 degrees Fahrenheit, you can suspect you have a low functioning thyroid. Averaging out multiple morning readings can confirm your suspicions.
The best therapy would include internal cleansing and a mucusless diet with the addition of Kelp or other seaweeds that are good natural sources of Iodine. Dr. Christopher has an excellent formula called Thyroid Maintenance which would be taken with meals. Implementing these treatments should produce a marked improvement in symptoms within six weeks or less. If symptoms persist, do not discontinue the above treatments but add Dr. Christopher's Herbal Thyroid formula to your regimen. This formula will stimulate the thyroid into activity. It should be taken between meals until the capsules in the bottle are all consumed.
Note: Stay away from all fluorine (it has been shown to decrease thyroid activity). This would include fluorine based drugs, supplements and fluoridated water.
Hyperthyroid, or over-active functioning of the thyroid isn't as common as hypothyroid, but could be potentially more troublesome. Symptoms would include: goiter, weight loss, appetite changes, heat sensations, excess sweating, excess thirst, heart rate and or rhythm changes, muscle and joint pain, skin problems, hair loss, problems with finger nails, bulging eyes, thinking problems, mood swings, tremors, fatigue, exhaustion and insomnia.
Whether hyperthyroid is caused by physical trauma to the organ (like whip lash), medical treatments, glandular supplements, exposure to excess iodine, or major stress it needs to be addressed.
The herbal protocol would be calming with Mullein and Lobelia. This is available in Dr. Christopher's Glandular Formula as capsules for internal consumption and as a massage oil for rubbing on the front of the throat over the thyroid area. It is also available in bulk for making a fomentation, for the same area.
A woman visited me who was scheduled for surgery the next week to remove her hyperactive thyroid. I told her of the procedure of putting the glandular formula wet compress on the thyroid with plastic wrap over the compress to retain the moisture and strips of cotton cloth wrapped around the neck to hold it in place. She kept these fomentations on 24-7 and took the capsules daily. The next week she went to the hospital for her operation but the preliminary examination showed no signs of thyroid hyperactivity, so the surgery was not performed.
If this procedure is ineffective, we would try Dr. Christopher's Master Gland formula which would help correct a possible weakness in the pituitary gland or the hypothalamus.
If the condition still doesn't improve, we could suspect a tumor on or near the thyroid gland. If this is indeed the problem, then Dr. Christopher's four basic cleansing formulas would be a must. In addition, we would consume six to thirty apricot seeds per day till the tumor is eliminated by the body.
The aforementioned symptoms for hyperthyroid could lead to a diagnosis of the auto-immune diseases Hashimoto or Graves Disease. For these conditions we would add the Dr. Christopher's Immucalm formula in large amounts (5 capsules 5 times per day). Also we would take his Complete Tissue and Bone formula in large amounts (also 5 capsules 5 times per day) to repair the damage to the thyroid tissues, caused by the immune system.
You can find an herb shop we recommend here:
http://www.christopherwebsites.com
Printable Version: http://www.herballegacy.com/Thyroid.pdf
If you missed an article or want to leave comments about this article, be sure to visit our blog at http://articles.herballegacy.com
- Thyroid and Parathyroid Glands plzchuckle
11 y
9,653
This is a reply to # 2,133,547
By: Jon Barron
In our last newsletter, we began an exploration of the endocrine system by examining the three endocrine glands in the brain: the hypothalamus, the pituitary, and the pineal gland. In this issue, we move down the body to examine the five endocrine glands found in the neck: the thyroid and the four parathyroid glands. The thyroid gland regulates the rate and intensity of the body's chemical/metabolic reactions, and the parathyroid glands regulate the amount of calcium and phosphorus in the blood. As it turns out, malfunctions in these glands are not that uncommon, can produce serious problems such as over excitement of the muscle and nervous systems, bony demineralization, high calcium levels, duodenal ulcers, kidney stones, and behavioral disorders. And if left unchecked, they can kill you. Fortunately, there are things you can do to minimize the chances of these problems occurring in the first place, or relieving them through alternative means if you get them.
With that in mind, let's begin by looking at the thyroid gland.
Thyroid overview
In essence, the thyroid gland is the thermostat of the body. It regulates both the rate and intensity of chemical/metabolic processes. It is one of the largest endocrine glands in the body and specifically controls how quickly the body uses energy, how it makes proteins, and the body's sensitivity to other hormones. The function of the thyroid gland is to take Iodine and convert it into thyroid hormones -- primarily, thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). Normal thyroid cells accumulate and retain iodide far, far more efficiently than do any other cells in the body. Most cells don't absorb Iodine at all, but some, including thyroid cancer cells and breast epithelial cells, can to a limited degree. Thyroid cells combine Iodine and the amino acid tyrosine (as bound to thyroglobulin) to make T3 and T4. (We will cover this process in more detail a little later.) T3 and T4 are then released into the bloodstream and transported throughout the body, where they control metabolism (i.e., the conversion of oxygen and calories to energy). Every cell in the body depends upon thyroid hormones for regulation of their metabolism.
Anatomically speaking, the thyroid is a butterfly shaped gland (two larger lobes connected by a narrower isthmus) located between the Adam's apple and the clavicle. When viewed from the front of the body, the thyroid totally covers the trachea. Nevertheless, a normal thyroid gland cannot be felt externally. If a doctor can "see" it or "feel" it when touching the neck with his fingers, it's enlarged. Under normal circumstances, it's soft and flat.
Not surprisingly for such an important organ, it is richly serviced by multiple arteries and veins, which makes surgery on the thyroid that much more difficult. In addition, surgeons face further complications since the nerves that service the vocal cords run right next to the arteries that provide blood to the thyroid. Bottom line is that the thyroid is intricately entwined with key nerves and blood vessels. And it's not just surgery on the thyroid that presents problems. Tracheotomies, for example, must be performed either above or below the thyroid gland. It is also the main reason doctors prefer to "kill" the thyroid with radioactive iodine rather than remove it surgically (a procedure we will talk more about later).
At the micro level, the thyroid is primarily comprised of spheres called follicles. The follicles themselves are primarily composed of two types of cells:
- On the outside circumference of the follicles are the cuboidal follicular cells. The follicular cells produce two iodine based compounds, thyroxine (tetraiodothyronine, also known as T4) and triiodothyronine (also known as T3). On the inside circumference, or lumen of the follicle, is a brush border composed of hairlike extensions (not visible in the slide below). This allows for the easy deposit and removal of key hormonal components into the follicular lumen (see slide below) as required for production of T3 and T4.
- The parafollicular cells (C cells) sit scattered about the outer edge of the follicles on top of the follicular cells and produce calcitonin, a minor regulator of calcium in the body.
Thyroid hormones
When talking about thyroid hormones, we're actually talking about four bio-chemicals:
- Thyroglobulin is a protein (not a hormone) produced by the thyroid. It is synthesized from amino acids and Iodide and stored in the follicular lumen as colloid and used entirely within the thyroid gland in the production of the thyroid hormones.
- T3 (triiodothyronine) affects almost every physiological process in the body, including growth and development, metabolism, body temperature, and heart rate. Production of T3 and its prohormone, T4 (T3 is actually produced by the breakdown/conversion of T4), is activated by thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), which is released from the pituitary gland. As a side note, the 3 in its name refers to the fact that it contains 3 iodine atoms.
- T4 (thyroxine, AKA tetraiodothyronine) is the prohormone from which the body extracts T3. It is synthesized from residues of the amino acid tyrosine, found in thyroglobulin. Every cell in the body depends upon the thyroid hormones T3 and T4 for regulation of their metabolism. The normal thyroid gland produces about 80% T4 and about 20% T3. However, T3 is about four times "stronger" than T4. T4 is converted to T3 in body cells. This allows the body to fine tune the metabolic regulating capabilities of T3 and T4. As with T3, the 4 in T4's name refers to the fact that T4 contains 4 iodine atoms.
- Calcitonin is produced in the parafollicular cells and regulates calcium levels in the blood (to a minor degree), along with the parathyroid glands (the main regulator). It lowers blood calcium and phosphorus by decreasing the rate of re-absorption of these minerals from bone.
As we discussed previously, thyroid chemistry is an iodine-based chemistry; iodine must be ingested because it can't be manufactured in the body; it is an element, not a compound. In fact, follicular cells actively trap virtually all iodine/iodide molecules in the body. Any iodine you ingest is trapped exclusively by cells in the thyroid to be used for manufacturing thyroglobulin and, ultimately, T3 and T4. This fact is exploited by endocrinologists when it comes to treating several thyroid disorders. (We will talk more about this later.) If iodine is not present in sufficient amounts, the body will develop a benign goiter (enlargement of the thyroid) over time. It is common in areas where iodine does not naturally occur in food.
In the early 1900's, Western countries began adding iodine to salt to combat this problem. And it worked, in the sense that goiters are now uncommon in the Western world. But using iodized salt presents its own problems. Surprisingly, a number of "older" societies recognized the connection between iodine and goiters. The ancient Greeks, for example, consumed iodine-rich seaweed to successfully combat goiters -- without the problems associated with iodized salt. Sometimes grandma really does know best.
As seen in the slide above, the thyroid stores something called colloid (which is manufactured in the follicular cells) in the center (lumen) of the follicles in large quantities. Although colloid contains some T3 and T4, it is primarily comprised of thyroglobulin, which is converted to T3 and T4 and released into the body when triggered by thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), released by the pituitary. In fact, a healthy thyroid stores about a three-month supply of thyroglobulin at any given moment in time.
As we touched on in our last newsletter, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) from the anterior pituitary regulates the processes via a negative feedback loop. That is to say, thyroid releasing hormone (TRH) from the hypothalamus stimulates the pituitary to release TSH into the bloodstream, which stimulates thyroid follicular cells to add iodine to the amino-acid (tyrosine) component of thyroglobulin (which, once again, is stored as colloid within the lumen of the thyroid follicles). Once converted, the T3 and T4 hormones are released into the bloodstream. This arrangement essentially works as a reserve system for thyroid hormones, allowing it to release active hormones into the body on an as needed basis. As more thyroid hormones are produced, blood levels of T3 and T4 rise. Ultimately, these hormones make their way through the bloodstream back to the hypothalamus, telling the hypothalamus that enough is enough and to stop releasing TRH, which stops the pituitary from releasing TSH -- shutting down the cycle.
It should be noted that the thyroid hormones are slow acting. Unlike adrenalin, for example, it takes awhile for anything to happen with thyroid hormones.
Thyroid hormone functions
Thyroid hormones regulate the following activities:
- Oxygen uptake (they up regulate it).
- Gross basal metabolic rate (they up regulate it).
- Maintenance of body temperature.
- Intracellular metabolism (microscopic protein synthesis, lipid breakdown, and cholesterol breakdown.) Patients who are hypothyroid, for example, will have higher levels of cholesterol in the blood because of reduced thyroid up regulation. Patients who are hyperthyroid will often be thin and have lower levels because of too much up regulation.
- Growth and development; that is, body growth rate and nervous system development.
- Thyroid hormones also enhance the effects of catecholamines, accounting for high blood pressure, nervousness, sweating, and fast heart rate in hyperthyroid patients.
Iodine uptake and control
Iodide (I-) ions circulating in the blood are actively taken into follicular cells through capillaries and become trapped in the endoplasmic reticulum inside the follicular cells. Once iodine is present, the follicles begin synthesizing thyroglobulin. Vesicles (small transport membranes) transport some of the Iodide further into the follicles, where it is combined with thyroglobulin to produce the amino acid tyrosine. This combination of thyroglobulin and tyrosine is bound into colloid, which can be transformed into T3 and T4 as needed.
Incidentally, the thyroid's ability to trap iodine can be used clinically.
- Low levels of radioactive iodine (I-131), combined with x-ray exposure, can map thyroid function.
- Higher levels of I-131 will irradiate and destroy thyroid tissue, when needed, without damaging surrounding cells. This can be used to kill off some of the thyroid to down regulate its function, or kill the whole organ. When Kristen was diagnosed with Graves' disease many years ago, this was the first thing they wanted to do to her. She chose to go an alternative route. A quarter of a century later, she still has her thyroid, and it functions perfectly. (At some point, I will get her to tell her complete story in a newsletter -- when she can find the time.)
- Theoretically, if doctors give a hypothyroid patient some synthetic thyroid hormones, they're not too concerned if they give a little too much, since the negative feedback loop will pick up the extra hormone in the blood and stop the pituitary from releasing more TSH. If they give too little, the functioning cells in the thyroid will be stimulated to release enough to "top" levels off. But that assumes that there's still some functioning thyroid cells in the neck to respond to stimulation if necessary. If the thyroid has been surgically removed or killed off by I-131 irradiation, then there is no self-regulatory mechanism. Trying to mechanically balance thyroid levels with pharmaceuticals at that point is almost impossible, and people are forced to live the rest of their lives in a borderline psychotic state. It was for that reason that Kristen chose a natural solution.
- Cancerous cells will not trap iodine when normal thyroid tissue is present. Tumors must be surgically removed or thyroid tissue must be destroyed with higher levels of I-131, before I-131 can be re-administered to destroy cancerous thyroid cells.
Thyroid dysfunction
The two main types of thyroid disease fall into hyperthyroidism (Graves' disease), and hypothyroidism (Hashimoto's thyroiditis).
Hyperthyroidism
Hyperthyroidism causes increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, high body temperature and sweating, nervousness, diarrhea, heat intolerance, and weight loss despite high caloric intake. In other words, the metabolic processes are up regulated to dangerous levels. Also, it can lead to severe neurotic behavior. Graves' disease, a specific form of hyperthyroidism, is an autoimmune disorder in which antibodies mimic the effects of TSH but are not constrained by the negative feedback system for turn-off and control; thus, they continue to drive the thyroid to release stimulating T3 and T4 hormones without letup. This disease causes goiter, enlargement of the thyroid, and exophthalmos (bulging eyeballs caused by the build-up of fat behind the eye). Curing the diseases (often involving the destruction or removal of the thyroid followed by the lifelong administration of synthetic hormones) may not cure exophthalmos, which may leave the eyes open to injury. When talking about Graves' disease and bulging eyes, the late actor, Marty Feldman almost immediately comes to mind.
Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism is a condition in which the thyroid gland does not make enough thyroid hormone. Early symptoms include:
- Being more sensitive to cold
- Constipation
- Depression
- Fatigue or feeling slowed down
- Heavier menstrual periods
- Joint or muscle pain
- Paleness or dry skin
- Thin, brittle hair or fingernails
- Weakness
- Weight gain (unintentional)
There are two fairly common causes of hypothyroidism. The first is a result of inflammation of the thyroid gland which leaves a large percentage of the cells of the thyroid damaged (or dead) and incapable of producing sufficient hormone. The most common cause of thyroid gland failure, however, is called autoimmune thyroiditis (aka Hashimoto's thyroiditis), a form of thyroid inflammation caused by the patient's own immune system. (Think of it as the flip side of Graves' disease.)
Dr. Lee covers hypothyroidism in What Your Doctor May Not Tell You about Menopause. First, he points out that thyroid problems are far more common in women than in men -- a strong indicator that we're dealing with an estrogen issue. Then he points out that for most women, when they start using progesterone crème, their need for thyroid supplements is greatly reduced -- and often even eliminated. Note: just because it is more common in women, does not mean that men cannot have estrogen problems also -- caused by exposure to chemical estrogens.
If you suffer from hypothyroidism, removing your thyroid or blasting it with radiation or trying to balance it out with synthetic medication are not your only options. There are natural progesterone crèmes (for both men and women), which easily can be found by searching the net. Also, immunomodulators such as cetyl-myristoleate and L-carnosine might make sense in case the problem is associated with an autoimmune disorder. And finally, thyroid extracts such as Standard Process' Thytrophin PMG can be helpful in rebuilding lost thyroid function.
Cretinism
Hypothyroidism during fetal development totally disrupts normal development patterns, leading to dwarfism, mental retardation, and physical deformities. (Now usually called "thyroid dwarfism.")
Thyroid cancer
Cancerous thyroid tumors (nodules) are most often associated with patients who have had their faces irradiated (at one time this was done to treat acne -- really), but these cancers are easily curable by simply removing the cancerous nodules. Other risk factors include:
The parathyroid glands
The four parathyroid ("beside the thyroid") glands are located on both sides of the thyroid but have functions totally unrelated to the thyroid. This physical relationship of the parathyroids to the thyroid is typical of the endocrine system. Last issue we saw that the pituitary, although extremely small, is comprised of two parts -- anterior and posterior -- that have totally unrelated functions, that develop out of entirely different parts of the body despite their close proximity, and that are for all intents and purposes entirely separate glands. When we explore the adrenals, we will see the same disparate relationship between the adrenal cortex and the adrenal medulla. The bottom line is that the only connection the parathyroids have with the thyroid is their physical location.
Specifically, the parathyroid glands are located behind the thyroid, and they are intimately connected to the covering of the thyroid gland. There are two on each side. They are supplied by the same blood vessels that supply the thyroid. Each parathyroid is about the size of a large kernel of rice. They can be extremely difficult for surgeons to locate and identify. And something that can make the job even harder is that the parathyroid glands sometimes "disengage" from the thyroid gland and migrate down into the chest cavity, making them difficult to find and remove.
So what do the parathyroids do? The chief cells (principal cells) produce parathormone (PTH, parathyroid hormone). The oxyphil cells produce…???? In fact, the function of the oxyphil cells is as yet unknown.
Parathormone, PTH, parathyroid hormone
PTH has one simple function. It regulates the levels of calcium and phosphorus in the blood. It accomplishes this by increasing the cells of the bone (osteoclasts), which reabsorb calcium. It also increases urinary re-absorption of calcium by the kidneys. In addition, it causes the kidneys to form calcitrol, a hormone made from vitamin D that increases absorption of calcium from the GI tract.
And finally, it increases excretion of phosphorus by the kidneys (which, in turn increases calcium levels). Calcium and phosphorus always go in opposite directions -- in a defined relationship called the solubility constant. Bottom line: parathormone increases calcium levels.
Note: Calcitonin (from the thyroid gland) participates in the negative feedback system that regulates the parathyroids by forcing calcium back into the bones.
Pathology of parathyroid dysfunction
Hyperparathyroidism refers to increased PTH production, usually because of a benign tumor of one or more of the parathyroid glands (parathyroid adenoma). If PTH is produced in excess, calcium is reabsorbed from the kidneys, bones, and stomach back into the blood. This leads to a condition that many endocrinologists call "Stones, bones, groans, and moans." This terminology refers to the classic set of four symptoms associated with hyperparathyroidism: kidney stones, de-mineralized bones (osteoporosis), groans of pain from intestinal distress (including duodenal ulcers), and the moans of psychosis.
Hyperparathyroidism is almost always caused by parathyroid adenoma. Removing a parathyroid adenoma, a fairly simple surgery, can cause an immediate and drastic return to normal function and the disappearance of all symptoms.
Another form of hyperparathyroidism is called parathyroid hyperpiesia, in which all four parathyroid glands overproduce PTH for no obvious reason. In other words, there is no adenoma causing the problem. Surgeons usually attempt to fix the problem by removing most of the parathyroid glands.
On the other hand, if the surgeon makes a mistake and removes too much (or all) of the parathyroid tissue by accident, you can end up with hypoparathyroidism. Hypoparathyroidism leads to low serum calcium levels and an elevated state of excitement for nerves and muscles, resulting in twitching and over-activity of the muscular and nervous systems. In the extreme, this can lead to convulsions and death. Again, it is caused primarily by inadvertent surgical removal. This is an extremely difficult condition to live with, as it is almost impossible to self regulate. Fortunately, there is one medical alternative that works in some cases…if the surgeon recognizes the error in time.
Removed parathyroid glands can be chopped up and implanted into muscle tissue in other areas of the body (such as the forearm), where sometimes, they will survive and start producing PTH again. If that doesn't work, hypoparathyroid patients require lifelong calcium and vitamin D injections, which are almost impossible to manage accurately.
Conclusion
When it comes to maintaining the health of the thyroid and parathyroid glands, you want to address several key issues.
- Autoimmune problems
By using immunomodulators such as L-carnosine, Cetyl-myristoleate (CMO), and the Transfer Factor found in bovine colostrum, you can retrain the immune system to not overreact -- which, as we've seen is one of the biggest factors associated with the onset of thyroid problems. - Estrogen dominance
Constant exposure to chemical estrogens in our food, water, and environment creates a condition called estrogen dominance in both men and women. (Consider the fact that the average man by the age of 65 contains more estrogen than the average woman of the same age -- the reason so many men develop breasts as they age.) In any case, the regular use of a men's or women's progesterone crème is advisable -- not to mention their value in minimizing serious prostate, breast, and uterine problems. 
Nutrition
- Iodine
Again, if you're not using iodized salt (and there are good reasons not to), you need to make sure you're getting iodine in your food, or you're using a supplement that contains your daily requirement for iodine (about 150 mcg a day). Seaweed, kelp, shrimp, lobster, and other shellfish are all good sources of iodine. Cod, sole, haddock, and ocean perch are also decent choices, and they are relatively low in mercury. Yogurt, cow's milk, eggs, and many cheeses may also contain reasonable amounts of iodine -- depending on whether or not the feed the cows lived on was grown in soil that contained iodine. Strict vegetarians may need to rely on supplemental sources, unless the produce they eat is grown in iodine rich soil. - Thyroid gland extracts
Extracts derived from bovine thyroid glands can provide critical cell factors that help re-establish normal cell function. Check out Standard Process' Thytrophin PMG.
- Iodine
- Body pH
Proper pH is required for the thyroid to access and utilize iodine. In fact, the higher the pH, the more iodine that accumulates in the thyroid, as the thyroid uses the iodine, as part of an exchange mechanism to regulate thyroid pH. pH can be raised using alkaline teas, potassium based water drops, and water ionizers.
In our next issue, we'll move on down the body into the pancreas. In our previous newsletters on the digestive system, we explored the pancreas' production of digestive enzymes. But the pancreas has two distinct functions in the body. In addition to producing digestive juices, it also is part of the endocrine system and produces several key hormones, most notably insulin and ghrelin (the appetite hormone). We will explore those hormones in our next newsletter.
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Copyright © 2002-2009 The Baseline of Health Foundation. All rights reserved.
Baseline of Health® is a Registered Trademark of Jon Barron
http://www.JonBarron.org
-
- Pancreas plzchuckle
9 y
6,485
This is a reply to # 2,133,355
Pancreas and Digestion
As we work our way down the digestive tract, we encounter two major "outpouchings" -- the pancreas and the liver. Like the mouth and the stomach, these
outpouchings represent evolutionary adaptations of the GI tract from its original straight line tube construction as found in more primitive animals such
as worms. In today's newsletter, we are going to focus on the pancreas, both its anatomy and physiology. The pancreas actually plays two major roles in the
body. It both produces hormones and digestive juices that dump into the duodenum, and it produces Sugar and growth regulating biochemicals that empty
directly into the bloodstream. In this newsletter, we will focus on the digestive functions (and the problems associated with those functions) and save the
sugar and growth regulating functions for a later discussion when we explore the body's endocrine system. We will also explore how abuse of this commonly
ignored organ (through poor diet, inadequate supplementation, and lack of regular cleansing) can lead to serious -- even fatal -- health problems.
There is one important note/perspective before we begin. The word pancreas actually means something. Translated from the original Greek, it reads as "all
flesh" (pan -- all, kreas -- flesh), which refers to its ability to digest virtually all flesh (protein based tissue), including itself.
Physical facts about the pancreas
Most organs in the abdomen, such as the intestines, stomach, and liver are located in the peritoneal cavity. Just like we saw with the heart, which was
located in the pericardial cavity, the
peritoneal cavity is lined with a sac like membrane called the parietal peritoneum. Also, as with the heart, the organs inside the peritoneal cavity are
covered with a visceral membrane.
The pancreas, however, does not fit this description. Like the kidneys, the rectum, and most of the duodenum, the pancreas is what is called a
retroperitoneal organ. That means it lies within the peritoneal cavity but outside (behind) the visceral peritoneum or membrane. From a natural health
perspective, as we explore the anatomy and physiology of the pancreas, this distinction has little meaning. On the other hand, to the surgeon, it matters a
great deal.
Physically, the pancreas is located in the middle to upper abdominal cavity, towards the back or posterior. It is about 12 inches long and tapers from right to left. (Remember, as with our discussion of the heart, anatomically speaking, left and right are referenced from behind the body so they are actually reversed in most diagrams that view the body from the front.) The thick part, the head, comprises almost 50% of the mass of the pancreas and lies to the right, nestled in the curve of the duodenum. This location, as we will learn in a bit, is key to the functioning of the pancreas. As for the body of the pancreas, it moves up and to the left, tapering into what is known as the tail of the pancreas, which terminates at the junction of the spleen.
This locates the pancreas in terms of its head and tail. As for the front surface of the pancreas, it rests mostly against the back (posterior) wall of the stomach. The rest of it nestles against the first portion of the duodenum. This can be important in the case of duodenal ulcers that actually penetrate the duodenum -- as the ulcer will now begin to spread to the pancreas, leading to severe, often fatal, pancreatitis.
As might be suspected for such an important organ, the pancreas is richly supplied with arteries and veins. It is served by branches from the hepatic artery, the gastroduodenal artery, the pancreaticoduodenal artery, the superior mesenteric artery, and the splenic artery.
Pancreatic duct system
The pancreas shares a duct system with the liver in what is known as the biliary tree. We will discuss the complete tree in more detail when we talk about
the liver in our next issue of the newsletter. When it comes to natural health, a complete understanding of the biliary tree and how to keeps its
functioning optimized is essential to maintaining optimal health. For now, though, we will focus on that part of the tree that resides in the pancreas.
The pancreas is served by a major pancreatic duct (the duct of Wirsung) that runs down the middle of the pancreas and empties into the duodenum at the head
of the pancreas through a valve called the ampulla of Vater. (Some people have a secondary duct (the duct of Santorini) that splits off from the main duct
and empties into the duodenum just above the ampulla of Vater -- but this duct is usually non-functional.) It is important to note that the main duct joins
the common bile duct (through which the liver and gallbladder empty) at the point it enters the duodenum. This is important as stones from the gallbladder
can find their way down into the pancreatic duct, blocking it at the ampulla of Vater and leading to pancreatitis.
Secretory cells that release pancreatic juice are arranged in acini (clusters of cells that resemble
many-lobed "berries") around small ducts that feed into progressively larger ducts and ultimately into the main duct -- virtually identical to the tracheal-bronchi tree we saw in the lungs.
Pancreatic function
Endocrine and exocrine functions coexist in the pancreas. By definition, endocrine organs secrete hormones directly into the bloodstream, whereas exocrine
organs secrete hormones directly into the cavity (lumen) of another organ. The pancreas does both. The exocrine pancreas comprises 99% of pancreatic
tissue. It secretes digestive juices into the duct system that carry them on into the cavity of the duodenum. The endocrine pancreas, on the other hand,
secretes hormones (insulin, glucagon, and somatostatin) directly into the bloodstream. Simple math tells us
that if 99% of pancreatic tissue serves the exocrine function of the pancreas, only 1% of pancreatic tissue is available for its endocrine function. Oh,
but how important that 1% is. It is so important (and complex) that we will save our discussion of it for a separate newsletter when we explore the body's
endocrine system. Once again, our focus on this issue is on the digestive system; therefore, our focus in this newsletter is on the exocrine function of
the pancreas.
Finally, it should be noted that the major stimulation of the pancreas is primarily parasympathetic (originating in the brain stem), through the vagus
nerve, and promotes secretion of digestive juices. Parasympathetic stimulation to the pancreas occurs in response to the digestive processes of the
stomach. Food in the stomach stimulates the secretion of all pancreatic enzymes. And in fact, we covered the pancreatic triggering mechanisms in great detail in our exploration
of the stomach.
Conversely, inhibition of pancreatic secretion of digestive juices is controlled by triggers and nerves outside of the central nervous system -- the
sympathetic nervous system. Specifically, when acid chyme enters the duodenum, along with partially digested fats, proteins, and carbohydrates, enteroendocrine cells in the duodenum and small intestine
release cholecystokinin (CCK) and secretin. Secretin decreases gastric secretion and CCK inhibits gastric emptying. These two enzymes circulate into the
bloodstream. In addition, they stimulate further secretion of pancreatic enzymes and sodium bicarbonate into the small intestine, thus further raising the
pH in the duodenum.
Pancreatic digestion
As we've discussed in previous newsletters, the primary processes of digestion occur in the stomach, and the primary processes of absorption occur in the
small intestine. However, both these functions depend heavily on the digestive juices secreted by the pancreas -- specifically, the exocrine secretions of
the pancreas that dump into the duodenum. The exocrine pancreas has the following components and functions.
Pancreatic juice
The pancreas produces 1,000-1,500 mL (1-1.5 qts) of digestive juices per day. These juices consist primarily of water, NaCl (salt), and NaHCO3 (sodium
bicarbonate). The purpose of the sodium bicarbonate is to neutralize the high acidity of the chyme (food plus stomach acid) raising it to an alkaline pH of
7.1-8.2. This both stops the action of gastric pepsins and stomach acid and prepares chyme for the process of nutrient absorption, which takes place in the
small intestine.
Pancreatic enzymes
In addition to containing sodium bicarbonate to neutralize the action of the digestive juices, pancreatic juice also contains a number of digestive enzymes
(optimized to function in an alkaline environment) that help finish off the digestive process started in the stomach. (Obviously, and we will talk more
about this later), the more complete the digestive process that took place in the stomach, the fewer digestive enzymes will be needed from the pancreas to
finish the process. And in fact, the more complete will be the process of absorption in the small intestine.) These pancreatic enzymes include:
Amylase
digests the remaining complex carbohydrates into sugars -- mostly complex. Complex sugars are then further broken down into their individual component
sugars in the small intestine:
Maltose (glucose + glucose) is acted on by maltase and broken down into two molecules of glucose.
Sucrose (glucose + fructose) is acted on by sucrase and broken down into glucose and fructose.
Lactose (glucose + galactose) is acted on by lactase and broken down into glucose and galactose.
Trypsin
, chymotrypsin, and elastase all digest proteins.
Lipase
digests triglycerides into fatty acids and monoglycerides.
Almost all pancreatic enzymes are secreted in an inactive form to prevent autodigestion. (Remember, pancreas literally means "eats all flesh.") Inactive
forms of enzymes end in "gen", e.g. trypsinogen. If the pancreatic enzymes were in the active form inside the pancreas, they would literally digest the
pancreas itself. This is, of course, identical to what we saw in the stomach, in which the mucosal cells of the stomach lining release pepsinogen, pepsin's precursor -- which is converted
into pepsin only after the pepsinogen has made its way out of the chief cells and into the stomach itself, where it is converted in the presence of stomach
acid. Since the wall of the stomach is coated with mucous, the pepsin can only digest your meal and not your stomach. This would not be the case, of
course, if the pepsinogen converted to pepsin while still in the stomach lining. And the same is true for the pancreatic enzymes, which only convert to
their active form once they are fully clear of the pancreas itself. Incidentally, it is enterokinase (produced in the small intestine) that activates the
pancreatic enzymes once they are in the safe confines of the small intestine. In the small intestine, the mucosal lining protects the tissue of the small
intestine from autodigestion -- as in the stomach.
In severe pancreatitis, however, activated enzymes may travel back into the pancreas and digest it. We will talk more about pancreatitis in a little bit,
but for now, consider alcohol. Regular consumption of alcohol inflames the pancreas. When the inflammation is severe, the smaller ducts of the pancreas are
squeezed shut. Thus, the pancreatic enzymes do not readily flow through the duct system, but rather are released into the blood of the pancreas, where they
become active and start digesting the pancreas itself. (Blockage of the biliary tree is also a major problem and can cause enzymes to back up and
autodigest pancreatic tissue. We will explore this in more detail in a couple of newsletters when we focus on the biliary tree.)
It should be noted that the pancreas has self-defense mechanisms that can help prevent auto digestion -- at least in minor cases of back up. For example,
the acinar cells (mentioned earlier) contain a trypsin inhibitor that inactivates any active trypsin accidentally released into the pancreatic tissues.
The role of the pancreas in digestion
We've assumed a basic understanding of what the purpose of digestion is in all of our discussions of the digestive process so far, but never really defined
it in specific detail. Now would be a good time. The purpose of digestion -- with the contribution of the pancreas -- is to take the generally complex
molecules of the food you eat and break them down into simple molecules and reassemble those molecules into necessary compounds. That's it, in a nutshell.
For example, by eating foods with proteins containing the essential amino acids, the body can break those proteins down into their component amino acids
through the efforts of the stomach and the pancreas, then send those amino acids to the liver, which then reassembles them to produce the full complement
of non-essential amino acids the body needs. Essential amino acids are those which the body cannot assemble in the liver. Non-essential amino acids are
those which can be manufactured in the liver -- as long as the right mix of essential amino acids is present in the diet. Essentially the same process is
involved in digesting carbohydrates and fats -- breaking down complex molecules of great variety into smaller molecules of limited variety.
That's the simple description. If we take it one level deeper, it becomes even more interesting.
As it turns out, the body has evolved to favor molecules with similar structures. This presents the body with two major advantages. First, it makes the
digestive process easier, since the body has only a limited number of end products it is trying to produce. But even more importantly, it makes
reassembling molecules into more complex structures that much simpler since they all have fundamental similarities no matter what their function. For
example, the four ring cyclopentanophenanthrene structure is common to all of the steroid hormones including: cholesterol, estradiol, testosterone, and
cortisol. The only differences between these compounds are one or two groups attached to the outside of the common ring structure. I discussed this in
detail in Lessons from the Miracle Doctors when exploring the
make-up of hormones in the body. They all look remarkably similar because they share the same basic ring structure, but with tiny variations. Look at how
remarkably similar the testosterone and estrone molecules are -- and yet how remarkably different they are in function. One makes men; the other makes
women.
The bottom line is that because they are remarkably similar, it is that much easier for the body to assemble the basic building blocks after digestion into
whatever is needed: testosterone, DHEA, estrogen, cortisol, cholesterol. You name it. Thus, the body can easily replace any particular missing compound by
modifying the creation process of a similar compound. And in fact, we see this all the time in the body. For example, if you remove the ovaries to drop
estrogen production to combat breast cancer, it only provides temporary relief. Estrogen levels will miraculously start to rise again eventually. How? The
adrenals take over and start producing estrogen from the almost identical cortisol building block. Miraculous!
Incidentally, that's why doctors now prefer tamoxifen to removing ovaries. Instead of eliminating the body's ability to produce estrogen (which always
shifts over to another organ), tamoxifen works to block estrogen receptor
sites so that vulnerable tissue cannot "take up" any estrogen circulating in the bloodstream. Of course, this can also be done using natural health
resources without the side effects and cost, but that's a topic for another newsletter.
Pancreatitis
Quite simply, pancreatitis refers to inflammation of the pancreas; usually marked by abdominal pain. The primary causes are identified in the medical
community as alcohol, Gallstones (by virtue of the shared biliary tree), infection, and certain medications such as diuretics. It is estimated that some
50,000 to 80,000 cases of acute pancreatitis occur in the United States each year. But that's just the tip of the iceberg. Acute pancreatitis only
documents those cases accompanied by abdominal pain or threat of death. But what about asymptomatic non-acute pancreatitis? How prevalent is that?
Unfortunately, doctors and hospitals do not document the incidence of non-acute pancreatitis since they offer no treatment for it. But researchers such as
Edmund Howell in his book Enzyme Nutrition declared that virtually 100% of all Americans have an enlarged pancreas by the time they are 40! Is
this possible? In fact, yes! There are strong indications that a major factor in chronic non-acute pancreatitis is the stress put on the pancreas through a
diet high in cooked and processed foods -- a diet deficient in natural or supplemented enzymes.
Research done on rats and chickens that were fed cooked foods revealed that the pancreas enlarged to handle the extra burden of the enzyme-deficient diet.
In other words, the pancreas will enlarge over time when called upon to compensate for a diet high in enzyme deficient foods. Ruminant animals such as
cattle, goats, deer, and sheep get along with a pancreas about a third as large as the human pancreas because of their raw food diet. However, when these
animals are fed heat-processed, enzyme-free food, their pancreas enlarges up to three times the normal size than when fed on a raw plant
diet.
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Grossman, M. Greengard, H, Ivy, A. American Journal of Physiology. 141:38-41, 1944
. Make no mistake; long-term, non-acute pancreatitis is a condition that affects virtually every person living on a modern diet -- given enough time. And
just because doctors ignore it because it appears to be asymptomatic (at least in the short term), does not mean that you should be so cavalier about it.
Over time, it has a profound impact on your health.
Pancreatic cancer
Just like pancreatitis, the incidence of pancreatic cancer is rising dramatically in the developed world. At one time virtually unknown, there are now some
25,000 cases a year in just the US -- with a 95% mortality rate. In fact, the overall 5-year survival rate from pancreatic cancer is only about 2%. The
first symptoms usually noticed are caused by the pancreatic tumor blocking the bile duct and causing a bile reflux into the bloodstream, resulting in
jaundice as the first indicator. Even worse, though, are cancers of the tail and body of the pancreas, which produce no symptoms until they are far
advanced. In the whole history of pancreatic cancer (millions of cases), there are only 5 known survivors of body and tail pancreatic cancer -- patients
whose cancer was discovered early on, by pure accident.
Surgical treatment of pancreatic cancer involves removing the pancreas, duodenum, the bile ducts, and half the stomach and reconnecting the remaining
organs (the Whipple procedure). This is one of the biggest surgeries known, requiring from 6-14 hours to complete. It has a five year survival rate of just
2%, and in fact, almost half of all patients die on the operating table. Treatment of pancreatic cancer is especially difficult because the location of the
pancreas means that tumors tend to spread rapidly to highly innervated (rich in nerves) regions of the back and spine.
The causes of the rising incidence are unknown within the "medical community," although one link that has definitely been established is smoking. The
bottom line is that if you get pancreatic cancer, there is very little the medical community can do for you. When the medical community accuses the natural
health community of diverting people away from effective treatments for cancer, there is no way they could be looking in a mirror if they are talking about
pancreatic cancer. All the medical community can offer in the case of pancreatic cancer is great pain and suffering -- and at huge cost. On the other hand,
within the natural health community, we can once again make some educated assumptions that may allow you to better your odds of never getting pancreatic
cancer in the first place.
Using natural health to optimize your pancreas
The steps for taking care of your pancreas are fairly simple.
Basic concepts of pancreatic health
Chronic pancreatitis:
Long-term inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis) has been linked to cancer of the pancreas. In fact, long-term, non-acute inflammation of the
pancreas may be the single leading cause of pancreatic cancer. Reducing inflammation of the pancreas, both acute and non-acute is fundamental to
pancreatic health.
Diabetes:
Diabetes
is not only a symptom of pancreatic cancer, but long-standing Type 1 diabetes significantly increases the risk of pancreatic cancer.
Obesity:
Obesity also significantly increases the risk of pancreatic cancer.
Alcohol
: Consume alcohol only in moderation as even small quantities of alcohol inflame the pancreas, not to mention the liver.
And quit smoking
: Statistically, smoking doubles the risk of pancreatic cancer. It has been estimated that as many as one in four cases of pancreatic cancer are the
direct result of smoking cigarettes. Conversely, the risk of pancreatic cancer drops close to normal in people who quit smoking.
Diet
Diets high in meats, cholesterol, fried foods, and nitrosamines increase the risk of both pancreatic cancer and pancreatitis, while diets high in raw
fruits and vegetables reduce risk. The bottom line is that a Mediterranean diet is pancreas friendly.
Supplemental digestive enzymes
Unless you're living on an all raw food diet, you need to be supplementing with digestive enzymes. Insufficient live digestive enzymes in the diet
force the pancreas to overwork and overstress resulting in long-term, non-acute enlargement of the pancreas. Using digestive enzymes with every meal is one
of the simplest things you can do to improve the health of your pancreas.
Kidney, gallbladder, liver flushes
We will cover this issue in more detail when we focus on the liver and biliary tree. However, there can be no question but that regularly softening and flushing of gallstones that can block both the gallbladder and the
pancreatic ducts is fundamental to preventing pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer.
Endocrine function
All of the above steps will help with maintaining the health of the endocrine pancreas, but there is more that you can do to support that 1% of pancreatic
function. However, we need to save that for our discussion of the body's endocrine system, when we will have time to explore that function in detail. In
the meantime, for a heads up on additional steps you can take, check out Diabetes: the Echo Effect.
In our next issue of the newsletter, we will continue our exploration of the digestive system as we take on the liver -- one of the most fascinating and
important organs in the body.
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