Andrew Cavanagh
2004-02-15 04:19:58 UTC
I believe you can beat MS.
Let me introduce myself.
I am Andrew Cavanagh, a health writer from Australia.
I am a member of the Australasian Medical Writers association.
I've been involved in the health and fitness field for over 15 years as a
writer and consultant.
I would hate to give people false hope but it is my experience and the
experience of many other well credentialled, high profile leaders in the
health field that you can halt the progression of multiple sclerosis and
even reverse existing symptoms.
My notes on this disease are below.
You can also download the notes and the highly recommended free book From
Depression to Glorious Health from the website
www.geocities.com/glorioushealth
This book was originally written as a protocol for an MS sufferer and has
proved to be effective.
MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease.
Basically your body's immume system begins attacking the myelin sheath of
your nerve endings particulary in your brain.
The origninal cause of this confusion of the immune system is most likely a
Herpes virus (HHV6). It is possible other viruses could be similarly
responsible (possibly chickenpox and measles).
The herpes virus resides in the nerve base and moves to the nerve endings
initiating a herpes episode (blisters etc). MS episodes are usually
preceded by some form of viral attack and especially a herpes episode.
Herpes is spread by contact with blisters containing the active herpes
virus.
The most likely method that Herpes reaches your brain is through
1. Contact with the active herpes virus (blisters) through your fingers
2. Subsequent contact with the mouth.
Nail biting is especially implicated in MS (Which could explain the higher
incidence in women. More women bite their nails than men).
Leading expert on advanced hygiene Dr Kenneth Seaton suggests that the
confusion of your immune system could be caused when protein in the
fingernails, mucus, dead skin and other proteins similar in constitution to
the myelin sheath in your nerves are ingested with the active herpes virus.
If the virus takes up residence in the nerve endings of your brain then this
could lead to your immune system confusing the myelin sheath of the nerve
endings in your brain with the virus which has been ingested with these
proteins similar in constitution to the myelin sheath.
The overactive immune response in autoimmune diseases like MS is usually
related to bad eicosanoids called cytokines which regulate immune response.
Continuing inflammation, which can result in further and continued damage is
related to the bad eicosanoid PGE2 which has been found in elevated levels
in patients with MS and depression. (The two diseases are linked.
Depression is very common in MS patients).
TREATMENT.
FISH OIL
Large dosage of pharmaceutical grade fish oil is usually an effective
treatment for MS.
Recommeded dosage is around 2-4 teaspoons or 8-16 capsules of pharmaceutical
grade fish oil (5-10 grams of omega 3 fatty acids).
Doses are usually more effective if increased sympotmatically (if your
symptoms don't disappear increase the dose) and in severe cases a dosage as
high as 20grams of omega 3 fatty acids a day may be appropriate - twice the
maximum dose listed above.
Dosage should be maintained indefinitely to ensure symptoms do not reappear.
Basically you take the minimum dose of fish oil required to be free of the
symptoms of MS and depression.
It is important to note that ceasing intake of fish oil is likely to result
in the return of MS symptoms.
In the absence of an AA/EPA test (which is recommended) you can get a
guideline on your dosage for pharmaceutical grade fish oil with a simple
cholesterol test you can have at your local doctor's.
Divide your triglycerides(TG) by HDL. You should aim for a TG/HDL ratio of
around 0.3 to 1. If it is more than 1.5 you probably need to take a higher
dose of fish oil. Higher than 2 and you definitely need more fish oil (also
look at diet, exercise etc.)
HOW FISH OIL WORKS
The fish oil can work in two basic ways.
The EPA in fish oil is the major building block of good eicosanoids and can
slow down your body's production of the bad eicosanoids like the cytokines
and PGE2. EPA can reduce levels of bad eicosanoids by inhibiting an enzyme
called delta 5 desaturase which is required for their production.
The DHA in fish oil helps repair nerve endings, and lay down new brain
tissue.
Remember it is damage to the myelin sheath in the nerve endings that is the
primary cause of MS symptoms.
DIET
The original and very effective Swank diet for MS was based on fish and eggs
as protein sources. No milk or dairy. No red meat. No wheat products or
sugar. Very similar to a zone diet.
Over a 35 year period (an impressive length of time for any study) 95% of
patients on the Swank diet never progressed to any form of disability.
I believe a zone diet which incorporates the elimination of dairy, wheat,
sugar and most red meat not only coincides with a Swank diet but should be
more effective by reducing levels of the bad eicosanoids implicated in MS
(the cytokines and PGE2 in particular).
The book From Depression to Glorious Health which you can dowload free at
www.geocities.com/glorioushealth describes a zone type diet designed for MS
and depression patients.
But any zone diet should be effective if it eliminates:
dairy - the peptides in milk have been found to be molecular mimics of self
antigens in myelin
wheat products and sugar linked to cadidas (see below)
limits red meat and egg yolks (egg yolks, red meat and especially the fat in
red meat are high in arachadonic acid the building block of bad eicosanoids)
CANDIDAS
Candidas is common in MS patients (often due to courses of antibiotics taken
for viruses like herpes) so the elimination of sugar and wheat which tend to
feed this bacteria and taking a daily dose of an acidophilus/bifidus capsule
between meals should help restore intestinal flora.
VITAMIN C
The herpes virus (and many other viruses) can respond to large, frequent
doses of vitamin C especially if the does are titrated to bowel tolerance at
the onset of early symptoms. Suggested dosage is 4-30 daily doses of
250mg-1500mg of vitamin C with bioflavinoids (powder in water).
Cold sores are often eliminated with large doses of vitamin C.
HYGEINE
Stop biting your nails.
Any reinnoculation of the virus could potentially worsen the MS condition.
Avoid contact between your fingers and your mouth.
Use kitchen utensils to eat.
Clean your fingernails with clean zone soap from
www.advancedhygieneproducts.com to reduce any chance of reinnoculation and
to reduce the chance of picking up other viruses which can lead to an MS
episode.
Avoid contact between your fingers and your eyes and nose for the same
reason.
Perform facial dips once or twice daily to prevent the development of
respiratory viruses.
EMOTIONAL HEALTH
Excess stress can lead to the excess release of the stress hormone cortisol.
Too much cortisol leads to an overproduction of bad eicosanoids like PGE2
and cytokines.
So learning basic relaxation methods and dealing with emotional distress
effectively is essential for the MS patient.
The negative thinking spiral is common to MS and depression. Sharing
problems and feelings with someone objective and various forms of therapy
(cognitive therapy etc) are recommended.
EFT (emotional freedom technique - a method for relieving negative emotions
is highly recommended.
These are covered in more detail in From Depression to Glorious Health (free
download www.geocities.com/glorioushealth ).
SLEEP
Sleep onset and quality can be poor in patients with MS and depression.
This is related to low levels of serotonin, the "feel good" hormone, which
is converted to melatonin the "sleep" hormone.
The good eicosanoid PGE1 is responsible for the release and uptake of
serotonin so increasing levels of good eicosanoids with diet and lifestyle
should help improve sleep.
Getting 15-30 minutes of bright sunshine in the morning and limiting
exposure to bright lights at night (red light is allright) can help improve
sleep patterns and quality of sleep.
Also consider supplementing with 3-6mg of melatonin a half hour to an hour
before bedtime to help with sleep onset and quality.
EXERCISE
Exercise can help reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol and help
increase insulin sensitivity both of which can help increase the production
of good eicosanoids.
Repetitive exercise like walking or jogging also helps release the feel good
hormone serotonin.
Exercise and stretching in the morning can help improve sleep quality at
night.
Some strength building exercises (push ups, abdominal crunches and squats)
are recommended along with some aerobic exercise (walking, jogging,
dancing).
A total daily exercise time of 25-45 minutes is probably a healthy goal you
can work up to gradually.
Performing EFT (the method for relieving emotional distress) while
exercising is highly recommended.
CONCLUSION
Of all these therapies diet is probably the most effective at halting the
progression of MS and pharmaceutical grade fish oil is probably the most
effective at reversing the physical symptoms of the disease. Larger doses
of fish oil will probably be necessary if the other guidelines are not being
met.
Hygiene, emotional health, sleep and exercise should all be undetaken
seriously to achieve excellent long term health.
It should be noted that depression can be considered an early symptom of the
more serious symptoms of MS in the MS patient since both diseases are linked
to the bad eicosanoid PGE2.
So to be symptom free from MS you also need to eliminate any symptoms of
depression.
The book From depression to glorious health is highly recommended and free.
Website: www.geocities.com/glorioushealth
Let me introduce myself.
I am Andrew Cavanagh, a health writer from Australia.
I am a member of the Australasian Medical Writers association.
I've been involved in the health and fitness field for over 15 years as a
writer and consultant.
I would hate to give people false hope but it is my experience and the
experience of many other well credentialled, high profile leaders in the
health field that you can halt the progression of multiple sclerosis and
even reverse existing symptoms.
My notes on this disease are below.
You can also download the notes and the highly recommended free book From
Depression to Glorious Health from the website
www.geocities.com/glorioushealth
This book was originally written as a protocol for an MS sufferer and has
proved to be effective.
MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease.
Basically your body's immume system begins attacking the myelin sheath of
your nerve endings particulary in your brain.
The origninal cause of this confusion of the immune system is most likely a
Herpes virus (HHV6). It is possible other viruses could be similarly
responsible (possibly chickenpox and measles).
The herpes virus resides in the nerve base and moves to the nerve endings
initiating a herpes episode (blisters etc). MS episodes are usually
preceded by some form of viral attack and especially a herpes episode.
Herpes is spread by contact with blisters containing the active herpes
virus.
The most likely method that Herpes reaches your brain is through
1. Contact with the active herpes virus (blisters) through your fingers
2. Subsequent contact with the mouth.
Nail biting is especially implicated in MS (Which could explain the higher
incidence in women. More women bite their nails than men).
Leading expert on advanced hygiene Dr Kenneth Seaton suggests that the
confusion of your immune system could be caused when protein in the
fingernails, mucus, dead skin and other proteins similar in constitution to
the myelin sheath in your nerves are ingested with the active herpes virus.
If the virus takes up residence in the nerve endings of your brain then this
could lead to your immune system confusing the myelin sheath of the nerve
endings in your brain with the virus which has been ingested with these
proteins similar in constitution to the myelin sheath.
The overactive immune response in autoimmune diseases like MS is usually
related to bad eicosanoids called cytokines which regulate immune response.
Continuing inflammation, which can result in further and continued damage is
related to the bad eicosanoid PGE2 which has been found in elevated levels
in patients with MS and depression. (The two diseases are linked.
Depression is very common in MS patients).
TREATMENT.
FISH OIL
Large dosage of pharmaceutical grade fish oil is usually an effective
treatment for MS.
Recommeded dosage is around 2-4 teaspoons or 8-16 capsules of pharmaceutical
grade fish oil (5-10 grams of omega 3 fatty acids).
Doses are usually more effective if increased sympotmatically (if your
symptoms don't disappear increase the dose) and in severe cases a dosage as
high as 20grams of omega 3 fatty acids a day may be appropriate - twice the
maximum dose listed above.
Dosage should be maintained indefinitely to ensure symptoms do not reappear.
Basically you take the minimum dose of fish oil required to be free of the
symptoms of MS and depression.
It is important to note that ceasing intake of fish oil is likely to result
in the return of MS symptoms.
In the absence of an AA/EPA test (which is recommended) you can get a
guideline on your dosage for pharmaceutical grade fish oil with a simple
cholesterol test you can have at your local doctor's.
Divide your triglycerides(TG) by HDL. You should aim for a TG/HDL ratio of
around 0.3 to 1. If it is more than 1.5 you probably need to take a higher
dose of fish oil. Higher than 2 and you definitely need more fish oil (also
look at diet, exercise etc.)
HOW FISH OIL WORKS
The fish oil can work in two basic ways.
The EPA in fish oil is the major building block of good eicosanoids and can
slow down your body's production of the bad eicosanoids like the cytokines
and PGE2. EPA can reduce levels of bad eicosanoids by inhibiting an enzyme
called delta 5 desaturase which is required for their production.
The DHA in fish oil helps repair nerve endings, and lay down new brain
tissue.
Remember it is damage to the myelin sheath in the nerve endings that is the
primary cause of MS symptoms.
DIET
The original and very effective Swank diet for MS was based on fish and eggs
as protein sources. No milk or dairy. No red meat. No wheat products or
sugar. Very similar to a zone diet.
Over a 35 year period (an impressive length of time for any study) 95% of
patients on the Swank diet never progressed to any form of disability.
I believe a zone diet which incorporates the elimination of dairy, wheat,
sugar and most red meat not only coincides with a Swank diet but should be
more effective by reducing levels of the bad eicosanoids implicated in MS
(the cytokines and PGE2 in particular).
The book From Depression to Glorious Health which you can dowload free at
www.geocities.com/glorioushealth describes a zone type diet designed for MS
and depression patients.
But any zone diet should be effective if it eliminates:
dairy - the peptides in milk have been found to be molecular mimics of self
antigens in myelin
wheat products and sugar linked to cadidas (see below)
limits red meat and egg yolks (egg yolks, red meat and especially the fat in
red meat are high in arachadonic acid the building block of bad eicosanoids)
CANDIDAS
Candidas is common in MS patients (often due to courses of antibiotics taken
for viruses like herpes) so the elimination of sugar and wheat which tend to
feed this bacteria and taking a daily dose of an acidophilus/bifidus capsule
between meals should help restore intestinal flora.
VITAMIN C
The herpes virus (and many other viruses) can respond to large, frequent
doses of vitamin C especially if the does are titrated to bowel tolerance at
the onset of early symptoms. Suggested dosage is 4-30 daily doses of
250mg-1500mg of vitamin C with bioflavinoids (powder in water).
Cold sores are often eliminated with large doses of vitamin C.
HYGEINE
Stop biting your nails.
Any reinnoculation of the virus could potentially worsen the MS condition.
Avoid contact between your fingers and your mouth.
Use kitchen utensils to eat.
Clean your fingernails with clean zone soap from
www.advancedhygieneproducts.com to reduce any chance of reinnoculation and
to reduce the chance of picking up other viruses which can lead to an MS
episode.
Avoid contact between your fingers and your eyes and nose for the same
reason.
Perform facial dips once or twice daily to prevent the development of
respiratory viruses.
EMOTIONAL HEALTH
Excess stress can lead to the excess release of the stress hormone cortisol.
Too much cortisol leads to an overproduction of bad eicosanoids like PGE2
and cytokines.
So learning basic relaxation methods and dealing with emotional distress
effectively is essential for the MS patient.
The negative thinking spiral is common to MS and depression. Sharing
problems and feelings with someone objective and various forms of therapy
(cognitive therapy etc) are recommended.
EFT (emotional freedom technique - a method for relieving negative emotions
is highly recommended.
These are covered in more detail in From Depression to Glorious Health (free
download www.geocities.com/glorioushealth ).
SLEEP
Sleep onset and quality can be poor in patients with MS and depression.
This is related to low levels of serotonin, the "feel good" hormone, which
is converted to melatonin the "sleep" hormone.
The good eicosanoid PGE1 is responsible for the release and uptake of
serotonin so increasing levels of good eicosanoids with diet and lifestyle
should help improve sleep.
Getting 15-30 minutes of bright sunshine in the morning and limiting
exposure to bright lights at night (red light is allright) can help improve
sleep patterns and quality of sleep.
Also consider supplementing with 3-6mg of melatonin a half hour to an hour
before bedtime to help with sleep onset and quality.
EXERCISE
Exercise can help reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol and help
increase insulin sensitivity both of which can help increase the production
of good eicosanoids.
Repetitive exercise like walking or jogging also helps release the feel good
hormone serotonin.
Exercise and stretching in the morning can help improve sleep quality at
night.
Some strength building exercises (push ups, abdominal crunches and squats)
are recommended along with some aerobic exercise (walking, jogging,
dancing).
A total daily exercise time of 25-45 minutes is probably a healthy goal you
can work up to gradually.
Performing EFT (the method for relieving emotional distress) while
exercising is highly recommended.
CONCLUSION
Of all these therapies diet is probably the most effective at halting the
progression of MS and pharmaceutical grade fish oil is probably the most
effective at reversing the physical symptoms of the disease. Larger doses
of fish oil will probably be necessary if the other guidelines are not being
met.
Hygiene, emotional health, sleep and exercise should all be undetaken
seriously to achieve excellent long term health.
It should be noted that depression can be considered an early symptom of the
more serious symptoms of MS in the MS patient since both diseases are linked
to the bad eicosanoid PGE2.
So to be symptom free from MS you also need to eliminate any symptoms of
depression.
The book From depression to glorious health is highly recommended and free.
Website: www.geocities.com/glorioushealth