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ChiroCredit.com™ / OnlineCE.com presents

Physical Diagnosis 132

Instructor: Robyn Mayfield, DC, CAN, LAc

Important Notice: This download is for your personal use only and is protected by applicable

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It used to be easier to get people well:

Keeping up with Inflammation

emember the days when patients got well easily? A patient entering

your clinic 15 years ago with complaints of neck pain, fatigue in the

afternoons, and indigestion was often corrected with a handful of

adjustments or treatments and a few dietary corrections.

For those with more stress in their lives—often Type A workaholics or overburdened

Moms—in the throes of pathological Adrenal Fatigue, we recommended a few bottles of

some sort of Adrenal Support, maybe 4-6 pills daily. Within a few weeks, Adrenal

Fatigue was on the mend and the patient loved you as they forgot how tired they used

to be. Their pain was gone as well.

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Maybe I'm recalling the "good ol' days" a little too romantically, but certainly patient

responses 20 years ago were different than today's patients. (Yes, I’m dating myself to

be of a certain age.) Today’s patient comes in with a myriad of symptoms: weight gain,

chronic fatigue, pain all over the body, hypertension, depression and/or anxiety,

menstrual disorders, inability to concentrate or think clearly, insomnia…sound

familiar? If you do any nutrition work at all, you know that it now takes multiple types

of supplements and a fairly large protocol to introduce change in the body’s expression

of symptoms, plus many adjustments. And adjustments are reluctant to hold between

visits. What's happening?

This course is intended to awaken you to new possibilities of health for those tough

patients that seem to never heal. And possibly for yourself and your family, too.

In this course, you will learn about:

Intracellular inflammation and its effects on the entire body

Oxidation and the importance of quality anti-oxidants

What causes free radicals and what resolves the problem

Environmental toxins and their realistic effects on the health of your patients,

your family and you

Tests you can easily run in your office to determine levels of oxidative stress

Insulin resistance is yesterday’s news, now it’s Hormonal resistance

Weight loss resistance and how to correct it

Lifestyle choices that "pull the trigger" for epigenetics and how to reverse it

The new catch-all term: Mitochondrial diseases. Formerly known as “no

known cause, no known cure”

Methylation, Methyl donors, and its depletion

Cell membrane impermeability and its effect on your paradigm of health

The role of antioxidants, fatty acids, and vitamin D: what you MUST use in

your clinic now to get people well

How to address these issues in your daily practice

I’m going to start with some microbiology review. Not to fret, the latter portion of the

course will focus on clinical applications and practice. Learning some of the latest

research will help you answer some of your own questions in your mind about those

tough patients. Secondly, perhaps it will create another avenue of healing for you to

offer in your practice.

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While adjustments and acupuncture treatments are a vital part of healing, in my

opinion, nutritional support is becoming more and more necessary. It is one of the

strong support spokes on the wheel of health. After all, what part of “holistic” would you

leave out?

In the Beginning: Molecular Biology You Learned Once and Probably Forgot

e live and die at the cellular level. Today, medical science is

discovering the irrefutable law of Nature that “Energy is

everything.” In this case, energy refers to the cells’ production of

ATP (Adenosine TriPhosphate) by the Mitochondria. This same energy

provides the life energy called ch’i in Chinese Medicine or prana in

Ayurveda. All this life-enhancing power is governed by the cell’s innate

intelligence and/or the autonomic nervous system.

ATP is the fuel for all life processes. Inside the cell, it’s the energy that

facilitates cell signaling of activities and immune system alerts

allows the passage of nutrients into the cell through the

membrane

repairs DNA for optimal function

constructs RNA to manage the DNA coding and biochemical life-

processes

repairs and maintains cellular integrity

detoxifies metabolic wastes and xenobiotic chemicals

conducts cellular housekeeping

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You can easily see that we do indeed live and die at the cellular level. And the cellular

level is exactly where we must target our clinical nutrition to help our patients’ bodies

correct their less-than-optimal health expressions.

This recent study from the Department of Aging & Geriatric Research, College of

Medicine, Institute on Aging, University of Florida, Gainesville and Department of

Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville tells us:

A decline in mitochondrial function plays a key role in

the aging process and increases the incidence of age-

related disorders. A deeper understanding of the

intricate nature of mitochondrial dynamics – the

balance between mitochondrial fusion and fission, has

revealed that functional and structural alterations in

mitochondrial morphology are important factors in

several key pathologies associated with aging.

Indeed, a recent wave of studies has demonstrated the

pleiotropic [producing more than one effect] role of

fusion and fission proteins in numerous cellular

processes, including mitochondrial metabolism, redox

signaling, and maintenance of mitochondrial DNA and

cell death. Additionally, mitochondrial fusion and

fission, together with autophagy [self-digestion], have

been proposed to form a quality-maintenance

When the organs and glands work optimally, the body lives in the optimal health of youthful vitality and adaptability.

When tissues work optimally, then the organs and glands work optimally.

When the cells work optimally then the tissues work optimally.

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mechanism that facilitates the removal of damaged

mitochondria from the cell, a process that is particularly

important to forestall aging.

Thus, dysfunctional regulation of mitochondrial

dynamics might be one of the intrinsic causes of

mitochondrial dysfunction, which contributes to

oxidative stress and cell death during the aging process.

Wow, that was a mouthful, wasn’t it? There’s no need for you as a practitioner to

memorize all of that. Let’s simplify:

When the mitochondria become

damaged, they can become like a

nuclear meltdown and cause cellular

malfunction, destruction and aberrant

cellular behavior.

Mitochondria are most often

damaged by free radicals that ruin

their energy-producing mechanisms

and create a free radical cascade that

destroys or alters the mitochondrial

and cellular DNA. Through this course we’ll look into what causes free

radicals and what you can do about it.

When the energy-producing system goes awry, the cell can become a volatile cell and

the immune system must intervene and destroy that cell. Nutritionally, mitochondria

are damaged by xenobiotic molecules (synthetic chemical compounds, environmental

pollutants, toxins) and refined sugars, especially high fructose corn syrup. These

xenobiotics crash through ATP energy-producing mechanisms like a bull in a china

shop, (or my dad whenever he tries to fix anything, which is frighteningly similar to that

bull).

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The body removes xenobiotics by xenobiotic metabolism. This consists of the

deactivation and the secretion of xenobiotics, and happens mostly in the liver. Secretion

routes are urine, bowel movements, breath and sweat.

Hepatic enzymes are responsible for the metabolism of xenobiotics by first activating

them (oxidation, reduction, hydrolysis and/or hydration of the xenobiotic), and then

conjugating the active secondary metabolite with glutathione, followed by excretion

via bile or urine. Liver congestion and lack of available glutathione and other

antioxidants obviously slows this naturally occurring detoxification process.

Nearly all categories of pharmaceuticals including pain

killers (analgesics and anti-inflammatory), antibiotics,

anticonvulsant drugs, Beta-blockers, blood lipid

regulators (statins), X-ray contrast media, cytostatic

drugs (Chemotherapy), oral contraceptives, and

veterinary pharmaceuticals among many others have

been found in the environment in water and soil.

One common indirect source of xenobiotics into the environment is the passing of

antibiotics, anesthetics and growth promoting hormones by domesticated animals in

urine and manure. This is often stored in large pits before being pumped and applied to

fields as fertilizers where many of the xenobiotics are either absorbed into plants

grown for foods and can be washed away by rainfall to aquatic environments.

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Section Two: The Mitochondria, ATP, and Energy

itochondria are our fountains of youth, and thankfully we have

billions and billions of them. The healing molecules they create

and release into the body are called ATP (Adenosine

TriPhosphate), the body’s ultimate and necessary life energy.

As the human body

ages, the number of

mitochondria

organelles decreases,

indicated one way by

the observation that

elderly people often

have less energy than

younger people. The

decline in the number

of mitochondria in the

aged may not be a

function of time

however, but rather a function of the lack of accessible nutrients needed to repair all

cellular functions, including the maintenance of mitochondria. As we’ll see, you can eat

a perfect diet and still not gain the nutrients into the cell. It’s all about the cell,

remember?

Physical energy and stamina is but one small and literal expression of ATP energy that

results from ATP production. “Energy” is used for every function of the body; from a

heartbeat to replication of a healthy cell to liver detoxification to hair growth to … well,

you get the idea. It’s everything, everywhere, all the time, in every function.

Further, the mitochondria create free radical molecules as naturally occurring by-

products of producing ATP. Free Radicals can be any unpaired ionic molecule. In

the body, however, it is typically an unpaired molecule of Oxygen.

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Stabilized Oxygen exists in pairs as O2. Oxygen free radicals are one highly reactive

molecule of Oxygen without it’s dance partner; a scavenger looking to attach to

something—anything—quickly or else it experiences cell death. By attaching to other

cells that might not have wanted this unwelcome visitor, it changes that cell’s structure

and function, causing the body to perceive it as undesirable.

The two most important oxygen-centered free radicals are superoxide and hydroxyl

radical. They are derived from molecular oxygen under reducing conditions. However,

because of their reactivity, these same free radicals can participate in unwanted side

reactions resulting in cell damage.

Excessive amounts of these free radicals can lead to cell injury and death, resulting in

diseases such as cancer, stroke, fibromyalgia, hypertension, metabolic syndrome,

hormonal resistance, weight gain, myocardial infarction, diabetes and other major

disorders.

Many forms of cancer are thought to be the result of reactions between free radicals and

DNA, resulting in mutations that can adversely affect the cell cycle and potentially lead

to malignancy. Some of the symptoms of aging such as atherosclerosis are also

attributed to free-radical-induced oxidation of many of the chemicals making up the

body.

In addition, free radicals contribute to alcohol-induced liver damage, perhaps more

than alcohol itself. Radicals in cigarette smoke have been implicated in inactivation of

alpha 1-antitrypsin in the lung. This process promotes the development of emphysema

and other lung disorders.

Free radicals may also be involved in Parkinson's disease, senile and drug-induced

deafness, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer's. The classic free-radical syndrome, the iron-

storage disease hemochromatosis, is typically associated with a constellation of free-

radical-related symptoms including movement disorder, psychosis, skin pigmentary

melanin abnormalities, deafness, arthritis, and diabetes mellitus.

Because free radicals are necessary for life, the body has a number of

mechanisms to minimize free radical induced damage and to repair damage that

occurs, such as the enzymes superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione

peroxidase and glutathione reductase. In addition, antioxidants from food and

supplementation play a key role in these defense mechanisms. These are often the three

vitamins, vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin E and polyphenol antioxidants.

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Further, there is good evidence bilirubin and uric acid can act as antioxidants to help

neutralize certain free radicals. Bilirubin comes from the breakdown of red blood cells'

contents, while uric acid is a breakdown product of purines. Too much bilirubin,

though, can lead to jaundice, which could eventually damage the central nervous

system. Too much uric acid causes painful gout.

Current scientific breakthroughs tell us the theory of mitochondrial decline is

that, “without adequate energy, the body is unable to control the free radicals and

thus become damaged by its own metabolic by-products.”

That’s a very importance sentence. Let me say it again:

WITHOUT ADEQUATE ENERGY, THE BODY CANNOT ELIMINATE FREE

RADICALS FROM THE CELL. THIS IS CALLED INFLAMMATION.

Genetically, some people are more susceptible to free radical damage than others.

Today’s diet is simply not including enough

organically grown, carefully harvested vegetables

and fruit to keep the mitochondria supplied with

the phytonutrient raw materials to function

properly—and thus we have the fact that our poor

food choices are the primary cause of our diseases.

But is that all?

In this day and age, even if one consumed vast

quantities of organic vegetables and fruit, modern

farming has depleted nutrient levels in our foods

through genetic modification, soil overuse, and

picking before ripe for shipping. Oxidation could

still be occurring at dangerous levels in the body.

There are other issues that must be addressed – the free radical damage from

xenobiotic toxins (pesticides, heavy metals, vaccinations, food additives, air pollution)

as well as from ionizing radiation (cell phone radiation, airport body-scanners, X-rays,

air travel, nuclear radiation, smoke detectors, radon gas, etc). All of this and more is

leading to cell membrane resistance, the ultimate culprit in this picture.

One interesting fact about mitochondria is that many cells can create more of these

energy generators if the body perceives it needs more energy and has the fuel and

oxygen available. This is called “mitochondrial biogenesis.” Thus athletes’ muscles can

create more mitochondria as their muscles make demands for more energy via their

aerobic and anaerobic exercises. It takes four ATP produced by the mitochondria to

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create 38 ATP that are then used as fuel for the cells’ processes, including the

production of glutathione.

Mitochondria render energy for every cellular function including the repair of the

genetic code so the cells replicate themselves with minimal damage from aging. For a

human being, there is an optimal range of active, energy-producing mitochondria that

are associated with optimal health. Most people today are suffering from a lack of

energy, especially cellular energy, indicating there are rampant mitochondrial and cell

membrane disruptor issues.

Fuel for Life—ATP

To emphasize this point, ATP is the very biochemical currency of cellular life required

by every bodily function. When your cells make the right amount of ATP, everything

works well—including your brain, digestion, nerves, metabolism, hormones, muscles,

libido, immune system, and your detoxification systems. You name it—if you want it to

work better, your cells need to make the right amount of ATP.

At the cellular level, this means that nutrients enter the cell, toxins and wastes exit the

cell, the mitochondrial and cellular DNAs repair themselves, antioxidants are utilized to

prevent free-radical damage, and the mitochondrial processes, e.g. fusion, fission,

autophagy, energy generation, all function according to the body’s optimal blueprint.

(Now I’m thinking that was the best run-on sentence I’ve written in my career.)

If you don’t make enough ATP for your cells to function optimally, then there are

consequences, and the body’s gentle “messengers of consequences” are called

“symptoms” in the English language.

And if your ATP levels drop below what is required for fundamental life processes, then

you die. If you run low on ATP, your body can allow dread disease processes to occur –

it’s the best a body can do under the circumstances.

So making ATP for life-processes is the activity that separates the living from the dead,

the healthy from diseased, and the vital from the weak; making ATP is essential to both

survival and optimal health.

From: American Journal of Biochemistry and Biotechnology 4 (2):

208-217, 2008. “Evidence of Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Autism and

Implications for Treatment” by Daniel Rossignol, Jeffrey Bradstreet,

Melbourne, FL 32934.

Classical mitochondrial diseases occur in a subset of

individuals with autism and are usually caused by genetic

anomalies or mitochondrial respiratory pathway deficits.

However, in many cases of autism, there is evidence of

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mitochondrial dysfunction (MtD) without the classic features

associated with mitochondrial disease. MtD appears to be

more common in autism and presents with less severe signs

and symptoms. It is not associated with discernable

mitochondrial pathology in muscle biopsy specimens despite

objective evidence of lowered mitochondrial functioning.

Exposure to environmental toxins is the likely etiology for MtD

in autism. This dysfunction then contributes to a number of

diagnostic symptoms and comorbidities observed in autism

including: cognitive impairment, language deficits, abnormal

energy metabolism, chronic gastrointestinal problems,

abnormalities in fatty acid oxidation and increased oxidative

stress. MtD and oxidative stress may also explain the high male

to female ratio found in autism due to increased male

vulnerability to these dysfunctions. Biomarkers for

mitochondrial dysfunction have been identified, but seem

widely underutilized despite available therapeutic

interventions. Nutritional supplementation to decrease

oxidative stress along with factors to improve reduced

glutathione, as well as hyperbaric oxygen therapy represent

supported and rational approaches. The underlying

pathophysiology and autistic symptoms of affected would be

expected to either improve or cease worsening once effective

treatment for MtD is implemented.

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Section 3: Mitochondrial Diseases: “No known cause,

no known cure”

kay, we’ve gotten much of the MicroBiology 101 review behind us, and we can

look at this more clinically. What causes mitochondrial damage?

The simplistic answer is “Life in the 20th-21st Centuries”. More specifically, here

is a list of some of the causes of mitochondrial damage:

Air pollution – thousands of xenobiotic chemicals are dispersed in the Earth’s air

Water pollution – thousands of xenobiotic chemicals are dispersed in the Earth’s

water

Pesticides, Fungicides, Herbicides used daily on crops, foods, lawns, and parks

Household cleaning chemicals – ammonia, oven cleaner, dryer anti-static sheets

Ionizing Radiations – cell phone, radar, airport scanners, solar (thinning of ozone

layer)

Electromagnetic disruptions – electrical transformers, geopathic stress, cell phones,

electrical appliances

Industrial chemicals – thousands of deadly xenobiotics in air, earth and water

Building materials – formaldehyde, arsenic, paints, thinners, primers, glues, carpets,

carpet pads, etc.

Toxic cosmetics – toluene in fragrance and much more

pH imbalances – overly acidic, overly alkaline

Poor circulation – toxin accumulation, low O2

Heavy metals – mercury amalgam, aluminum

antiperspirants, lead and more acquired as fetus from

mother as heavy metals cross placental barriers

Vaccinations – contain many toxic additives, heavy metals

Lifestyle – tobacco, excessive alcohol, OTC drugs, Rx drugs, lack of exercise

Stressed out lifestyle – financial, relationships, lack of sleep, fast paced world

Computer lifestyle – lack of outdoor time, too much sitting, radiation

Terrain issues – bacteria, virus, parasites, fungi (cause immunological free radical

generation)

Food additives

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Excessive caffeine, soda, alcohol, sugar, non-naturally occurring foods

Most all cellular damage is caused by free radicals and inflammation-responses, but ionizing

radiation injures DNA as well as causing cellular inflammations. As you can see, NO ONE IS

EXEMPT from encountering cell-damaging, inflammatory, free-radical-generating substances

every day. Not if you breathe, eat, drink, or live.

Allopathic medicine has now combined many diseases formerly referred to as the “no known

cause, no known cure” syndrome and are now calling them mitochondrial diseases. The causes

behind mitochondrial diseases – improper nutrition, free radical damage, lack of cellular

energy, is what chiropractors, acupuncturists, herbalists and other alternative healers have

addressed for decades.

We’ve always known that the body has the innate ability to heal itself, given the appropriate

conditions and fuel. Science is catching up to us now, and recognizing the underlying causative

agent – inflammation – though allopathic solutions still don’t exist.

MITOCHONDRIAL DISEASES

Alzheimer’s Dementia

Arteriosclerosis

Ataxia

Atherosclerosis

Autism

Blindness (non-injury)

Congestive Heart Disease

Cancer, metastasis

Cirrhosis, liver (non-viral, non-alcohol related)

Crohn’s Disease

Deafness (non-injury)

Diabetes, Type 2

Epilepsy

Fatigue

Fibromyalgia

Hypercholesterolemia

Hypertension

Insulin Resistance

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Kidney failure

Liver failure

Lupus, systemic

Multiple Sclerosis

Muscular Dystrophy

Myasthenia Gravis

Neuropathy

Obesity

Parkinson’s

Retinitis Pigmentosa

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Strokes

Wilson’s Syndrome

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…and more to come, without a doubt.

Well, I was a bit premature when I said we were done with the Microbiology.

There’s a little more to the picture. Hang in there.

Mitochondrial damage as we’ve been discussing is more simplistically referred to as

“inflammation”. There’s the primary word you need to remember – inflammation. While

most people think of inflammation as what happens when they sprain their ankle, that

instance would be extracellular inflammation. Mitochondrial diseases, as they are now

called, are all about intracellular inflammation. And this mitochondrial damaging cycle

sets the stage for cell membrane resistance.

Free radicals cause inflammation. And inflammation causes free radicals.

Pathogens also cause inflammation and free-radical activity throughout the body. This

is the underlying process that can tip the body into altered tissue function and

autoimmune activities.

Cellular inflammation is a severe “terrain” issue based on having too many toxins in the

body.

The Making of a Free Radical: The NO/ONOO Cycle

When the body experiences a severe stress such as a

pathogenic illness (virus, bacteria, toxoplasmosis),

injury, psychological stress, or environmental poisoning

(pesticides), it reacts with a localized inflammation

process that starts with Nitric Oxide (NO).

NO serves the body in many capacities and is necessary

for many healthy tissue functions particularly for the

cardiovascular system. The immune system’s

phagocytes (monocytes, neutrophils, macrophages)

utilize NO as a free radical to kill virus and bacteria.

However, NO is a free-radical-oxidizing molecule: a destructive agent when there is not

enough superoxide dismutase, glutathione, and catalase (the body’s strongest anti-

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oxidants) available to donate an electron to nullify its potentially damaging free-radical

activity whereby the mitochondria are injured or destroyed.

That last paragraph is so important; let me say it again in a different way. If

your body doesn’t have enough available anti-oxidants inside the cell, Nitric

Oxide does not get stopped in its tracks. Then…

…If there is an overabundance of NO released, as often happens from injuries, illnesses,

and psychological trauma; NO can react with a free radical called “super oxide” and a

very damaging free radical molecule is born called “peroxynitrite” (ONOO).

Not only is peroxynitrite damaging to the body, but there are 22 permutations of three

primary metabolic pathways that turn ONOO back into NO, and the process starts all

over again with increasing cell damage and increasing disease processes.

Again, let me say it differently. Nitric Oxide, without the presence

of adequate anti-oxidants inside the cell, converts into many

metabolic waste products, of which the most damaging to the cell

is peroxynitrite (ONOO). ONOO then has 22 different possible

pathways that lead back to the creation of more NO. Which then

allows the abundance of NO to create more ONOO, which creates

more NO, and on and on. You see the vicious cycle? Antioxidants

are the police that step in and break up the fight.

Antioxidants help the body avoid and quench the cellular free-radical damage so the

cells can once again perform optimally. The Standard American Diet lacks in anti-

oxidant nutrients and thus many people supplement their diets with anti-oxidant

supplements.

Cell Membrane Permeability

However, if the antioxidants, and other nutrients, cannot pass through the cell bi-lipid

membrane, then the cycle continues no matter how many supplements one takes.

This impermeability has commonly been mostly known as “insulin resistance”. Though

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now it has gone way beyond insulin. Inflamed membranes resist induction of oxygen

and nutrients for ATP energy production, thus resulting in DNA destruction and cell

death.

A primary reason the membrane has become less permeable is due to the lack of

adequate fatty acid ingestion. This cycle began with the advent of “low fat” diets pushed

by the media as well as our government beginning in the 70’s. Depriving the body of

its necessary fatty acids found in healthy fats began the process of cell

impermeability.

Initial research into fats in the 60’s caused scientists to believe that all saturated fats

were bad, and that eating cholesterol was unhealthy. This led to a generation of adults,

as well as their children, avoiding vital foods such as eggs, avocados, nuts, seeds, yogurt,

and butter.

Fatty acids from these healthy fats are essential to keeping

the cell membrane permeable. Now of course we know that

it is Trans Fats, not ALL fats that are damaging. Again, Trans

Fats are oxidators…sounding familiar?

Next, in came the fake foods: margarine, low fat substitutes

filled with high fructose corn syrup and refined wheat, and

aspartame. New mothers chose to use formula rather than

breast milk based on their beloved doctor’s recommendation

and their own desires to move into the workplace for the

first time as a peer. Nutritionally, it was an ugly time.

Our cells were deprived of what they needed in the form of healthy fats, and force fed

high glycemic, glucose-producing fake foods. The cell membrane began to suffer.

Genetic symptomatic expressions that were triggered by the food crazes of the latter

decades of the last century are now being born out in multiple generations of

Americans. Sadly, with global connectedness, our American lifestyle is leaking into

other countries as well and this is becoming a worldwide phenomenon.

Genetically modified foods, hormone additives in feed for cattle and chickens bred for

food, pesticides running rampant on crops, and foods grown quickly with additives and

picked before ripening so they can be shipped thousands of miles is now the norm.

Despite public awareness of many of these issues, the majority of Americans do not eat

organically, do not buy locally grown foods, and still live on the cheapest food possible

in high quantities. Generations of Americans are dying and aging rapidly, due to

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completely preventable conditions.

Then, add to this picture the fear that dermatologists have put into the general public

about sunlight. Recent studies on Vitamin D3, synthesized in the body from naturally

occurring sunlight, have indicated that it is vital to immune function, anti-inflammatory

processes, and overall health in many areas. Vitamin D3 is VITAL to cell membrane

permeability and ability to reduce inflammation in the membrane.

Section Four: Changing your paradigm of

“Resistance Conditions”

Resistance Condition Medical Literature Links It To:

Insulin resistance Diabetes

Glucagon resistance Hepatic steatosis (fatty liver)

Thyroxin resistance Low thyroid performance

Leptin resistance Obesity

Follicle Stim. Hormone resistance Ovarian atrophy

Luteinizing hormone resistance Male & Female gonadal

dysfunction

Estrogen resistance Menstrual & Menopausal

issues, breast, uterine,

prostate cancer

Progesterone resistance Endometriosis, breast

tenderness, irregular menses

Testosterone resistance Erectile dysfunction, prostate

cancer

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rmed with your new knowledge of

inflammation and lack of permeability of cell

membranes as a result, you might change

your paradigm of the above conditions.

What was once called “Estrogen Dominance” (see my

course on this website entitled “Introduction to

Hormones 101a” for detailed information of this

epidemic in women, men and now children) can now

also be seen as “too much estrogen in the blood

because it cannot get into the cell”.

Toxins interfere with the integrity of the cell

membrane and cause hormone resistances. Even

worse, they damage DNA.

High Cholesterol? Serum tests that indicate this steroid in “higher than normal

amounts” now indicates to healers with the newest knowledge available that endocrine

production is compromised because the cholesterol molecule can’t get into the cell

due to inflammation.

High Uric Acid? Again, it can’t get into the cells.

Liver enzymes high on lab work? You know the answer now; they are circulating in the

blood because they can’t get into the cells.

Overweight due to Leptin resistance? It can’t get into the cell and tell the body to burn

fat.

And on and on. More and more, it is recognized that the body’s expression of symptoms

that allopaths refer to as a disease or syndrome is a result of cell membrane

impermeability.

Dr. Martin Pall’s groundbreaking research discussed in his book Explaining 'Unexplained

Illnesses': Disease Paradigm for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity,

Fibromyalgia, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Gulf War Syndrome demonstrates that the

NO/ONOO (Nitric Oxide/ Peroxynitrate) cascade is the process that causes Chronic Fatigue

Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, and Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome.

Additionally, this process underlies Chronic Degenerative Diseases and Autoimmune Diseases.

All such conditions can be improved by appropriate antioxidant supplementation.

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Stopping the vicious cycle of NO to ONOO to NO etc. conversion process is vital to life

force and improvement of health.

NO/ONOO Cycle Diseases.

The letters represent the phrase “Nitric Oxide/Peroxynitrate” in biochemistry

terminology. Basically, this is the paradigm of chronic, self-perpetuating inflammation

based on the inability of the cells to make enough antioxidants to control free radical

damage and the resulting inflammation. This is a paradigm that, like several others,

overlaps all the other paradigms, but is becoming the repository for Chronic Fatigue

Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Multiple Chemical

Sensitivities.

The discovery by Dr. Martin Pall at Washington State

University that those disorders all share a common

situation where a short-term stressor (illness,

accident, pesticides and toxins, emotional upheaval,

ionizing radiation, pathogenic infection) initiates the

nitric oxide/peroxynitrite-mediated inflammation

process. But instead of ending soon, it gets locked

into a self-feeding, endless cycle resulting in chronic

pain and chronic adherence to a disease process. Dr.

Pall’s solution is to interrupt the disease cycle by

supplementing with glutathione precursors and

antioxidant nutrients.

This is not to say that antioxidants are the only

treatment necessary for these chronic conditions, but rather than your current

protocols will be dramatically enhanced by incorporating strong antioxidants to reduce

inflammation. This lowered inflammatory state will restore cell wall permeability, thus

allowing your supplements to enter the cell and perform the supportive and healing

task for which they were designed.

Hormone Resistance. Mitochondrial and cellular DNA damage is also associated with

hormone resistance – insulin, estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, leptin, thyroxin and

more. When the cells do generate enough ATP, hormone messengers may not be able to

effectively alter cell behavior thus the message is not ‘heard’.

Of even greater importance to hormone resistance is the free-radical damage to the cell

membrane, which in effect shuts down the hormonal cascade, and thus again, the

message is not heard. The unheard messengers may then cause unwanted cellular

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proliferations and neuro-endocrine confusion since their mission was never completed.

Dr. Pall also states that the solution to the NO/ONOO cascade is nutritional with a focus on

anti-oxidants and glutathione precursors.

To summarize the NO/ONOO situation: poor dietary practices (Standard American Diet)

means there is a pandemic deficiency in phytonutrients (organic raw fruit and

vegetables) that provide antioxidants to the body. The environment is rampant with

free-radical-generating chemicals. Coupled with the stresses and rigors of life in the

21st Century, this is an epidemic for the generations.

Effective nutritional support of hormonal issues must include mitochondrial

support with anti-oxidants.

The hormonal component of aging: “Hormonal issues from pre-menstrual mood changes and

menopausal difficulties to dread diseases are really about the cell membranes and not so much

about the gland (tumors, reversed hormones excepted). The body’s prime directive is to do what it

thinks is right for survival. If the body is found doing something wrong hormonally, it’s probably

an issue of the receiving cell’s membrane resisting the hormonal messenger.” – Dr. Jack Tips,

Neuro-Endocrinology & You

Our toxic environment--pesticides, vaccinations, air and water pollution, food additives, ionizing radiation, hormones and pharmaceuticals in our foods, chemical spills, et. al.-- and the resulting free radicals are directly responsible for many of the modern diseases via mitochondrial damage.

Localized free-radical damage and inflammation occurs in specific tissues resulting in malfunction of core life processes. This is the NO/ONOO cycle of endless, self-perpetuating damage within the cells.

Mitochondrial dysfunction and resulting inflammation is the “cause” of practically all of the chronic, degenerative diseases.

21

Hormone dysfunction diseases. This Paradigm encompasses the entire neuro-

endocrine, endocrine and exocrine processes of hormone messengers and the body’s

ability to regulate its metabolism. The largest issue here is not the hormone producing

tissue (thyroid, ovaries, testes, pituitary, etc.), but the ability of the targeted cells to

receive the hormone messengers.

If the messenger is blocked at the cell membrane

by toxins then the message never gets delivered

and hormonal mayhem results.

The cells require ATP to manage their membranes, induct nutrients through the cell

membrane (active transport), and handle toxic molecules. Detoxification of the

extracellular matrix allows better hormone receptivity by the cells. Better

communication solves many of the body’s regulatory issues.

Ischemic cardiovascular disease. The current medical paradigm focuses on the

reduction in blood supply to a tissue and the resulting low oxygen environment created.

Low oxygen is a favorable terrain for tumors and pathogens, and it also chokes off the

mitochondria’s ability to make ATP energy. Often, lesions in the arteries cause a

narrowing of the blood passageways. Lesions are the result of free radical damage that

ATP-produced glutathione and other anti-oxidants should control—if there is adequate

ATP and good nutrition. The body’s ability to make its own free-radical quenchers

(antioxidants) is based on ATP which is based on nutrition.

22

Dr. Paul proposes other NO/ONOO diseases that can be remedied by stopping this

vicious cycle:

1. Tinnitus

2. Post-radiation syndrome

3. Multiple sclerosis

4. Asthma

5. Irritable bowel syndrome

6. Autism

7. Overtraining syndrome

8. Silicone implant-associated syndrome

9. Sudeck’s atrophy

10. Postherpetic neuralgia

11. Chronic whiplash associated disorder

12. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

13. Parkinson’s disease

14. Alzheimer’s disease

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In upcoming sections, we’ll focus more on the clinical application of all this molecular

discussion. Changing your paradigm about looking at diseases and syndromes—even for those

of us accustomed to viewing the body alternatively—can take a while to soak in.

Assignment:

Take 3 minutes now to jot down the names of antioxidant nutrients that you already know

and use. Try to list at least 5.

24

Section Five: Diagnosis and management of Mitochondrial

Diseases, i.e. everything chronic

Cell Membrane and Inflammation Treatment follows the five R’s:

Remove the Source

Regenerate the Membrane

Restore ATP

Reduce Inflammation and Oxidative Stress

Reestablish Methylation

25

t is absolutely essential that clinicians first help the body remove the cause of

cellular inflammations while supporting the body’s requirement for more anti-

oxidant nutrients.

Your patient must avoid as much as possible off of this list:

1. Viral and Bacterial Infections

2. Toxoplasmosis (from cat feces)

3. Severe Psychological Stress

4. Physical Trauma

5. Pesticides

6. Ciguatoxin – (from eating coral reef fish (grouper, amberjack, triggerfish)

7. Carbon Monoxide

8. Lead (heavy metal exposure like pesticides, can cross placenta into fetus)

9. Mercury from amalgam fillings, vaccinations

10. Toluene from cosmetic fragrances

11. Toxic mold: Brittany Murphy and her husband died from toxic mold in home

12. Aspartame—excitotoxin that causes Leptin resistance

13. BPA: tooth sealants, canned foods, water pipes, eyeglasses, soft plastics

14. Phthalates: creams, powders, shampoos, children's toys

15. Synthetic food additives

A realistically impossible list, isn’t it? Is there anywhere in the planet without some sort

of pollutant? Can you avoid every pathogenic bacteria or virus?

Educate your patient in the most common and prevalent steps to take

for health to reduce inflammation in the cells.

Start with avoiding aspartame; the commonly consumed “Diet Cokes” actually

prevent weight loss by increasing cell membrane inflammation.

BPA in plastics as they heat up is easily preventable: avoid drinking water from

plastic bottles. Never use plastics in the microwave, in fact, switch all food

storage to glass.

Remove the Source

I

26

If a patient has severe psychological stressors preventing healing from

occurring, recommend counseling from a reputable psychotherapist in your

area.

Eat whole foods as close to the land as possible, and locally whenever available.

Farmer’s markets with organic choices are the ideal, and becoming more and

more prevalent. Begin reading labels and avoid synthetic food additives and

preservatives.

Add good fats back into the diet, and avoid over processed foods.

Eat organic as much as possible. The following list is a nice guideline for budgeting

your food dollar.

The LEAST Contaminated Foods - No Need to Buy Organic

The following food items are the least contaminated food items that you don't necessarily need to purchase organic.

Vegetables: Asparagus, Avocados, Broccoli, Cabbage, Onions, Corn (non-genetically modified), Sweet Peas, Eggplant, Watermelon, Sweet Potatoes

Fruits: Bananas, Kiwi, Mango, Papaya, Pineapple

The MOST Contaminated Foods - Best to Purchase Organic Only

The following food items are the most contaminated food items that you should always buy organic.

Fish

Recommended for good health and longevity and yet, increasingly so, it is becoming one of

the most contaminated protein sources in the world.

Avoid Atlantic and farm raised Salmon unless specifically raised

hormone/antibiotic free

Choose wild caught, fresh fish, especially Pacific/Alaskan Salmon for high

omega benefits

Fish shown to be high in mercury and pesticides are: Atlantic cod, Atlantic

Halibut, Atlantic Sole, Atlantic Flounder, caviar, Chilean Seabass, Eel, Orange

Roughy, Shark, Atlantic Bluefin tuna.

Choose certified hormone free seafood from quality markets

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Meat

Antibiotics & Hormones: Animals destined for food production are exposed to antibiotics, growth hormones and steroids that will end up in the meat that we eat.

Preservatives: Also, manufacturers add color-fixer chemicals, such as Sodium Nitrate, to preserve meats and also to keep the red color of the meat -- without this, the meat would turn grey, which would obviously keep consumers from buying it.

Corn Syrup: Processed meats commonly contain high-fructose corn syrup Pesticides: Animals (chicken, pork, cows, etc.) raised for the meat market using traditional

methods are generally provided a feed that is grown with the help of pesticides.

Whatever toxins the food animals eat may end up in you. Therefore, the options are to either change over to an organic, vegetarian diet, or, alternatively to buy organic meats from animals that have been raised without the use of growth factors, antibiotics and

steroids - commonly referred to as "free-range." These animals are fed on natural, pesticide-free grass without the use of chemicals.

This recommendation also applies to eggs and other dairy products. For the sake of your family's health and for humanitarian reasons that dictate that all living beings are entitled to humane treatment, it's best to buy organic / free-range.

Milk and Dairy Products A recent European-wide study has found that levels of antioxidants in milk produced by

organically-raised cattle were 50 to 80 percent higher than in normal

milk.

The fat in dairy products is another haven for pesticides, antibiotics and bovine growth hormones. These get passed on to you through commercial milk, cheese, and butter. Organic dairies do not use chemicals or growth hormones like rGBH or rbST.

Coffee

Many of the beans you buy are grown in countries that don't regulate the use of chemicals and pesticides.

Look for the Fair Trade Certified label on the coffee package or can; it will give you some assurance that chemicals and pesticides were not used on the plants. It will also mean that fair prices were paid for the end product in support of the farm that supplied the coffee, and that the farm workers are treated fairly.

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Fruits

If you can’t purchase organically grown in season, then choose frozen organic.

Apples and Pears

The FDA states that more pesticides are found on apples than are found on any other fruit or vegetable. When the Environmental Working Group tested conventionally grown apples, they discovered as many as 36 pesticides on the apples. The pesticides that were detected have been linked to damages to the human reproductive system, damages to the brain and nervous system, including decreased intelligence and increased attention problems in children, and damages to the immune system.

Scrubbing and peeling a fruit doesn't eliminate chemical residue completely so it's best to buy organic when it comes to apples.

Blueberries

Blueberries are treated with up to 52 pesticides and are now considered one of the dirtiest berries on the market. Fortunately, they are delicious when purchased organically frozen.

Grapes and Raisins

Imported grapes run a much greater risk of contamination than those grown domestically.

Vineyards can be sprayed with 35 different pesticides during different growth periods during the season and no amount of washing or peeling will eliminate contamination because of the grape's permeable thin skin.

Peaches & Nectarines

Peaches have the highest pesticide load of all fruits. Nectarines are not far behind. Forty-five different pesticides are regularly applied to these delicately skinned fruits in conventional orchards.

Strawberries & Cherries

Methyl Bromide is a pesticide used mainly on strawberries, found predominantly in the California areas. Bromide is a common endocrine disruptor. As bromide is a halide, it competes for the same receptors that are used in the thyroid gland to capture iodine, thus inhibiting thyroid hormone production resulting in a low thyroid state (Hypothyroidism). If you buy strawberries out of season, they're most likely imported from countries that use less-than-stringent regulations for pesticide use.

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Vegetables

Celery, Lettuces, Kale, Collard Greens, Mustard Greens, Turnip Greens

Leafy greens are frequently contaminated with the most potent pesticides used on food.

Green Beans

There are over 60 pesticides that are registered for use on green beans in the U.S.

Cucumbers

Cucumbers were ranked the 12th most contaminated food and the second in cancer risk due to their pesticide content.

Potatoes

Root vegetables, such as potatoes, rank high for pesticide residue. They absorb herbicides, pesticides and fungicides in the soil. Conventionally grown Potatoes, for example, are treated with fungicides during the growing season, and then sprayed with herbicides to kill off the fibrous vines before harvesting. After they're dug up, the potatoes are treated yet again to prevent them from sprouting.

Peppers

Peppers have thin skins that don't offer much of a barrier to pesticides. They are one of the most heavily sprayed vegetables out there and may be coated with nearly 40 commonly used pesticides meant to keep them insect-free.

Tomatoes

Their easily punctured skins are no match for chemicals that will eventually permeate the whole tomato. Also avoid CANNED tomatoes unless the can is marked BPA free. The resin

linings of tin cans can contain bisphenol-A (BPA) - a synthetic estrogen that has been linked to a variety of health problems, including reproductive problems, heart disease, diabetes and obesity. The primary characteristic of tomatoes is their acidity which draws BPA out of the lining and allows it to leach into the tomatoes.

Baby Food

Non-organic baby foods are typically made with fruits and vegetables that have been treated with chemicals. The immune and detoxification systems of infants are less

30

developed than that of adult's and they are much more metabolically active. Therefore, they are more vulnerable to toxins.

31

Section Six: (Continuation) Cell Membrane and Inflammation Treatment

ell Membranes respond positively to dietary changes and modifications by removing the

sources above. Additionally, you might choose to add even more Omegas via

supplementation. Be sure to choose oils that have been cold processed and never heated,

even during shipping. This is vital to avoid rancidity.

Clinicians can now easily monitor a person’s rate of cell

membrane oxidative damage and subsequent improvement

through your treatments. The simple and inexpensive urine

test that measures malondialdehyde, a by-product of lipid

peroxidation is available for in-clinic use.

Performing this simple test in your clinic during an office

visit is an invaluable tool for patient education and

measuring the clinical effectiveness of your antioxidant

protocols. Try using it every 1-2 weeks to observe rapid

changes as you intensity your antioxidant treatments.

5 Minute Assignment: Pause now to search for the term “malondialdehyde urine

test” in your Internet Search Engine and discover the many

companies that offer this affordable test to clinicians.

Your patient must begin to add good fats back into their diet, while removing bad fats.

Every day, include some of the good fats on this list:

Olive Oil

Regenerate the Membrane

C

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Grapeseed Oil

Avocado

Grass-fed beef

Almonds

Cashews

Flax

Hemp

Pecans

Pine Nuts

Macadamia Nuts

Sesame

Sunflower Seeds

Walnuts

Almond Butter

Butter

Cashew Butter

Coconut

Coconut Milk, Oil and Spread

Cod Liver Oil

Full Fat Plain Yogurt

Flaxseed Oil

Grape Seed Oil Vegenaise

Raw Cheeses

Canned Sardines

Eggs

Salmon

Eggs

Ricotta Cheese

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You might wish to lead your patient through a detoxification protocol. There

are many high quality programs available to alternative practitioners, and it

is beyond the scope of this course to detail the intricacies of the entire

detoxification.

However, supporting the liver and kidneys as you regenerate the cell

membrane is vital. As mitochondria heal and begin restoring levels of ATP,

cell housecleaning will commence. Waste products and stored toxins that can

now pass through the membrane must be able to leave the body.

Begin your detoxification process with at least 2-3 weeks of drainage

remedies to ensure that the bowels are moving, kidney and bladder are

clearing, and the liver is softening and allow pathways to open. Bile should

flow freely from the gallbladder before attempting any detoxification,

especially when heavy metals might be involved.

The patient MUST stay hydrated. The general rule of thumb for water

amounts is this rule:

Divide patient weight in half.

Drink that number in ounces

of water daily. If a patient

weighs 200 pounds, they

need 100 ounces of water

daily.

Have your patient find out if some of their problems are related to toxic mold

exposure. A simple, affordable visual acuity test that can be taken online in

your clinic or in the privacy of the patient’s home is the recommended test.

You might be surprised the levels of exposure from old office buildings and

homes, as well as many other sources. This test is surprisingly simple and

indicates neurological impairment that can be a result of toxic mold

exposure.

Assignment:

Please take 5 minutes and review the information on the VCS test here:

http://www.survivingmold.com/diagnosis/visual-contrast-sensitivity-vcs

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Section Seven: (Continuation) Cell Membrane and Inflammation Treatment

estoring ATP involves ingesting proper nutrition,

continuing to avoid toxic sources, and continued work on

the cell membrane, all discussed above. Supplementation

to help the body generate more ATP comes in the form of naturally

occurring nutrients from clean foods.

Again from Dr. Martin Pall, biochemist and originator of the NO/ONOO cycle

theory:

There are a number of agents that have been reported in clinical trials to produce substantial improvements in patients, most commonly those suffering from CFS/ME and/or FM. … The apparent efficacy of these agents provides support for several parts of the NO/ONOO- cycle.

For example, the agents carnitine/acetyl carnitine and coenzyme Q10 are reported to be helpful and these probably act to improve mitochondrial function,

Restore ATP

R

35

suggesting that mitochondrial dysfunction has an important role in the disease mechanism.

There is also evidence from clinical trials for a role of excessive NMDA activity in Fibromyalgia. … Magnesium which acts to lower NMDA activity is probably the most widely reported agent for producing improvements in the multisystem illnesses, although magnesium may also act to improve energy metabolism and may have other effects, as well. In general we have substantial evidence for roles of excessive NMDA activity, an important NO/ONOO- cycle element, from these clinical trial and clinical observation studies.

The polyphenolic antioxidants, flavonoids and Ecklonia cava extract, have been reported to produce improvements in clinical trials, suggesting a role for oxidative stress.

Algal supplements may also act primarily by providing substantial doses of antioxidants and again are reported to produce improvements in clinical trials.

High dose IV ascorbate (vitamin C) has been studied in four clinical trial studies in Japan to be helpful, as well, ….

High dose hydroxocobalamin, a form of vitamin B12 that is a potent nitric oxide scavenger was reported in a placebo-controlled trial to produce statistically significant improvements in a group of CFS/ME-like patients.

Vitamin B12 has been used for over 60 years to treat CFS/ME-like patients and has also been used to treat FM and MCS patients…

Hydroxocobalamin has been used experimentally as a test for a role on nitric oxide, so its potent role as a nitric oxide scavenger is extensively recognized in the scientific literature.

Fish oil supplements have been shown in clinical trials to be helpful with these multisystem illnesses and fish oil supplements are known to have anti-inflammatory effects.

Folic acid supplements have been reported to be helpful in clinical trial studies as well and these may be expected to help restore BH4 levels.

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Some Food Nutrients Necessary For Mitochondrial ATP Production

Vitamins: B-1, B-2, B-3, B-5, C, D, E

Proteins: Carnitine, Cysteine, Glutamine, Histadine, Glutamic

acid, Isoleucine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Proline, Tyrosine,

Valine

Minerals: Iron, Magnesium, Zinc, Phosphorus, Sulfur,

Manganese

Nutrients: Lipoic acid, Co-enzyme Q-10

Some Food Nutrients Necessary For Electron Chain Transport

Production of ATP

Vitamins: B-2, B-3, C, K

Protein: Carnitine

Minerals: Magnesium, Zinc

Nutrients: CoQ-10

Proper ATP energy production depends upon: 1) nutrition, 2) oxygen, 3)

non-inflamed cell membranes, and 4) sufficient antioxidants to protect the

mitochondrial mDNA from damage that results from a lack of cellular energy.

Oxygen

Oxygen is NOT needed to produce ATP. This is only true for Oxidative

Phosphorylation. Substrate Level Phosphorylation does not require ATP at

all.

While ATP can be produced without oxygen via a process called anaerobic

respiration, aerobic respiration is a much more efficient means of ATP

production.

Aerobic respiration is the release of energy from glucose or other organic

substrates in the presence of Oxygen. Strictly speaking aerobic means in air,

but it is the Oxygen in the air which is necessary for aerobic respiration.

Anaerobic respiration is in the absence of air.

Aerobic respiration takes place in almost all living things. It is easy to get rid

of the Carbon Dioxide and excess water; this is excretion (the removal of the

toxic waste products of metabolism), and maximum energy is released from

the glucose.

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Some organisms can respire in the absence of air: this is anaerobic

respiration. This does not release so much energy and it produces much

more toxic waste products. However, if Oxygen is not available, anaerobic

respiration is better than nothing. When this happens in our muscles we

produce lactic acid which gives you cramps.

The heart runs on ATP energy. The heart’s mitochondrial DNA is unique and

separate from the heart’s nuclear DNA. The specialized mtDNA

communicates with nDNA, and together they run the show of the heart’s

contracting and expanding activity, generation and reclamation of energy,

and tissue repair that must occur between every beat because the heart can

never stop working. Hearts are simple machines that must have a ready

supply of nutrients and oxygen to perform.

Nutrients are primarily used by the mitochondria to make energy. These

nutrients are much more important to the heart because it is the body’s high

performance engine. The heart has a unique process of quick repair and

regeneration, and that process must be funded by considerable amounts of

ATP.

The heart is the largest user of ATP in the human body.

Whereas other organs can take a bit more nutritional abuse, this is not the

case with the heart muscle. The heart is vulnerable to deterioration if its

simple, basic requirements are not met including:

• A ready supply of nutrients (natural diet)

• A ready supply of oxygen (exercise, alkaline blood)

• A range of activity (e.g. exercise and rest)

• Ability to remove or convert metabolic wastes and acquired toxins.

From that simple list, we can see where the breakdown occurs. Poor dietary

habits, unnatural (processed) food-molecules, and lack of exercise are all

contributors, but let’s take a closer look at that last basic requirement.

Studies found that inability to detoxify metabolic wastes and the resulting

lack of ATP is the primary cause of heart attacks. What does that mean? It’s

fundamentally a nutritional issue and not arterial obstruction, not a lack of

statin or blood thinning drugs.

38

Metabolic Acidosis. With the inclusion of two highly acidic, dietary shifts—

margarine (partially-hydrogenated “trans” fats), and soda beverages

(phosphoric acid)—users shift their pH from a healthy, slightly alkaline

environment to an acidic environment that causes many problems such as

bone loss, and a terrain that favors infectious diseases. Acidosis reduces the

oxygen available to make the ATP that is necessary for heart energy and

detoxification of myocardial metabolic wastes.

ATP—Nature’s Law of Economy. The primary metabolic waste product of

muscle performance is lactic acid. If there is adequate oxygen, ATP, and

nutrition, the cell can convert lactic acid into pyruvate and then use pyruvate

to make more ATP. So Nature has a terrific plan. One molecule of glucose

makes 38 molecules of ATP. In optimal function even more molecules of ATP

are generated from metabolic by-products. Of these 38 molecules of ATP, 3

are used up in the generation of one molecule of glutathione.

This is an amazing return on the dietary investment and also the basis that

the human being does not need to eat so many refined carbohydrates. When

we eat a high sugar diet, we overload our systems with glucose, and our

bodies must store the glucose energy as fat.

This continues into Metabolic Syndrome as the cells reject the excessive

glucose and cause insulin production to increase. Again, lack of membrane

permeability comes into play with insulin resistance. Today, over 58 million

people in the USA are overweight; 40 million are obese; and 3 million are

morbidly obese.

Lactic Acid. We’ve all engaged in overly strenuous exertions, or “found”

seldom-used muscles and experienced muscular soreness. When muscle cells

are overwhelmed with lactic acid (occurs from strenuously exercising

unused muscles), the result is muscle soreness that lasts until the liver and

kidneys pitch in to get rid of the acidic metabolic wastes.

The muscles generate more lactic acid than the cells can detoxify or convert,

and this causes soreness.

Remember that the heart is a high performance pump and it does not often

39

complain of soreness from functioning within the wide range of human life—

running, jumping, day to day movement—because it is well equipped to

handle its job of circulating oxygen throughout the body. But Nature’s plan

changes when the diet and environment become adversarial to the heart’s

internal processes.

If the body pH is tipped toward the acidic pH range for an extended time,

there is a lack of oxygen available to the cells.

The Heart is Particularly Vulnerable to Acidosis.

Section Eight: (Continuation) Cell Membrane and Inflammation Treatment

he role of antioxidants must be one of the most primary in

the modern patient’s quest for regained health. As the

practitioner, this should be the first supplement you reach

for to make long-term changes in your patient’s expression of

symptoms and underlying chi.

Glutathione is a potent detoxifier and antioxidant that protects

the cells and the liver from free radical and peroxide damage.

Without glutathione, the cells die because they destroy

themselves, or establish errant cellular activities that result in cell-

death, or worse, abnormal cell proliferations.

Reduce Inflammation and Oxidative Stress

T

40

The cell’s ability to produce its own glutathione is

critically important. You can think of glutathione as what

the cells use to protect themselves from the effects of

toxins. Glutathione, along with super oxide dismutase and

catalase, protects the mitochondrial DNA from damage

thus preserving the integrity of the cell’s life energy

production.

It is also the premier detoxification molecule that facilitates the protein tearing down and rearrangement of toxins so they can be excreted.

What this means is that cells make glutathione IF they have available nutrients (peptides), methyl groups and ATP. Glutathione then protects the cells and facilitates proper function.

People with low glutathione levels suffer from more rapid

aging, cellular damage, liver damage, thus their life

processes get choked down with toxins. Inevitably, a lack

of methyl groups and low ATP result in low glutathione

production and a person becomes a “pathological

detoxifier” where their cells choke on metabolic wastes.

Besides the body’s own antioxidant creation of

Glutathione, there are many antioxidants in food sources

that must be part of your supplemental protocol.

D-Ribose. Improves the heart’s energy recovery (resynthesizes

ATP) after each systolic activity. Ribose is a necessary substrate

for nucleotide synthesis and is part of the DNA/RNA building

blocks. Ribose helps reduce congestive heart failure processes.

It’s an antioxidant. It helps the body overcome Chronic Fatigue

41

Syndrome and Fibromyalgia symptoms that are based on chronic

free radical activity that inhibits production of ATP.

Resveratrol. The anti-inflammatory effects of resveratrol have been

demonstrated in several animal model studies. In a rat model of carrageenan-

induced paw edema, resveratrol inhibited both acute and chronic phases of

the inflammatory process.

Supplements vary in purity, and can contain anywhere from 50

percent to 99 percent resveratrol. Many brands consist of an

unpurified extract of Japanese knotweed; these may contain about 50

% resveratrol by weight.

In 2006, Italian scientists obtained the first positive result of

resveratrol supplementation in a vertebrate. Using a short-lived fish,

Nothobranchius furzeri, with a median life span of nine weeks, they

found a maximal dose of resveratrol increased the median lifespan by

56%. Compared with the control fish at nine weeks, which is by the

end of control fish’s life, the fish supplemented with resveratrol

showed significantly higher general swimming activity and better

learning to avoid an unpleasant stimulus. The authors noted a slight

increase of mortality in young fish caused by resveratrol, and

hypothesized its weak toxic action stimulated the defense

mechanisms and resulted in the life span extension.

Later the same year, Sinclair reported resveratrol counteracted the

detrimental effects of a high-fat diet in mice. The high-fat diet was

compounded by adding hydrogenated coconut oil to the standard diet;

it provided 60% of energy from fat, and the mice on it consumed

about 30% more calories than the mice on standard diet and became

obese and diabetic. Mice on the high-fat diet exhibited a high mortality

rate compared to mice fed the standard diet; mice fed the high-fat diet

plus 22 mg/kg resveratrol had a 30% lower risk of death than the

mice on the high-fat diet alone, making their death rates similar to

those on the standard diet. The supplement also partially corrected a

subset of the abnormal gene expression profile and abnormal insulin

and glucose metabolism. However, resveratrol supplements did not

change the levels of free fatty acids and cholesterol, which were much

higher than in the mice on standard diet

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Vitamin E. An antioxidant that protects the heart. Increases the expression

of two enzymes that suppress arachidonic acid metabolism, thereby

increasing the release of prostacyclin from the endothelium, which dilates

blood vessels and inhibits platelet aggregation. Supports the endothelial cells

that line the interior surface of blood vessels so they are better able to resist

blood-cell components adhering to the surface. It protects cell membranes

and supports the induction of oxygen and nutrients into the cell. Vitamin E

reduces cellular aging, inhibits the damaging peroxynitrite radical associated

with the NO/ONOO cascade of self-perpetuating free radical damage to the

heart’s DNA.

L-Carnitine. Provides direct support for the mitochondrial energy processes

within every cell. Also helps with cellular detoxification of metabolic wastes.

In the strictest sense L-carnitine is not an amino acid, but a substance related

to the B vitamins. Its primary role is to help transport fatty acids into the

mitochondria, where they can be converted to energy. As such, carnitine

increases the use of fat as an energy source. Carnitine is useful for angina

pectoris, congestive heart failure, and elevated cholesterol and triglyceride

levels.

“Vitamins A, E, C and carotenoids are able to protect cells and enhance

humoral and cellular immune responses in disease” (Nockels, C.F. The role of

vitamins in modulating disease resistance. 1988. Vet Clin North Am Food

Anim Pract 4(3):531-42). In a clinical trial, 300 women who had developed

precancerous cells in the cervix entered a study where half of them received

treatment consisting of vaginal sponges which released a synthetic relative of

vitamin A. In the moderate cases, the precancerous spots disappeared in the

treated women (Science News. 1994;143(22):341).

Although vitamin A protects cells, it is not technically an antioxidant,

because it does not donate electrons. Beta-carotene, however (the

precursor to vitamin A), is an antioxidant. Numerous studies point to

the beneficial effects of the antioxidant vitamins in cancer protection

(Dietary carotenes, vitamin C and vitamin E as protective antioxidants

in human cancers. Annu Rev Nutr 1992;12:139-59). Beta carotene

seems to have a protective antioxidant effect on DNA, as Japanese

researcher Keizo Umegaki of the National Institute of Health and

Nutrition in Tokyo reported that beta-carotene, “significantly reduces

chromosome damage” (Science News. 1994; 145:126).

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Vitamin E comes to the rescue after free radical damage. When free radical

damage has already disrupted the lipids in the cell membrane, it is up to

vitamin E to “stop the chain reaction." It donates a hydrogen to the radical,

and neutralizes its activity. This is why vitamin E is called the major lipid

antioxidant in the body.

When the red blood cell membrane is peroxidized, it loses its ability to

change shape and squeeze through the vessels, and leads to a

rupturing of the membrane, or hemolysis. Vitamin E has

demonstrated a protective effect against this hemolysis in blood

diseases, including sickle cell anemia. “In these diseases, there is extra

oxidant stress, or a decrease in other protective mechanisms, so that

the effects of vitamin E are more readily seen” (Halliwell and

Gutteridge, Free Radicals in Biology and Medicine, 1990. New York,

Oxford University Press, p. 173).

Besides these antioxidant vitamins, there are other substances which possess

antioxidant activity:

Proanthocyanidins are potent antioxidants which have been

discovered in dark colored fruits and vegetables, and substances such

as grape seed extract.

Quercetin is a powerful anti-inflammatory bioflavonoid with high

antioxidant activity.

Zinc is an essential element in superoxide dismutase (SOD), a potent

radical scavenging enzyme. Research demonstrates that high levels of

SOD, “protect mitochondria from oxidative damage that probably

occurs with ageing in the retinal pigment epithelium" (Invest.

Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 1992, 33:1909-18).

Selenium is an essential element in another radical scavenging

enzyme, glutathione peroxidase.

Turmerin, which forms 0.1% of the weight of the spice turmeric, contains three residues of methionine that are partly responsible for its antioxidant activity. Free Radicals in Biology and Medicine (1991, 11:277-83), found turmeric to be the most effective protectant against DNA oxidative damage in human lymphocytes, amongst the

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ingredients they tested... "Turmeric used widely as a spice would probably mitigate the effects of several dietary carcinogens” (Plant Foods Hum. Nutr 1993, 44:87-92).

Other spices of nature, in the limelight for their antioxidant properties, are: cloves, cumin, red chilies, ginger, coriander, and black pepper (Mol Cell Biochem 1992, 111:117-24; Indian J Biochem Biophys. 1993, 30:130-4). Gamma Oryzanol.

An antioxidant from rice bran oil containing ferulic acid. Helpful to

prevent oxidative damage within the cells. Also helpful to normalize

elevated cholesterol. It may contribute an additional cholesterol-

lowering benefit beyond the effects of the fatty acids.

Considering how essential the antioxidants are in preventing cell damage,

and the role they play in mitigating disease, they should be important

considerations for supplementation.

Section Nine:

Methylation, disease and Anti-aging

ethylation used to be a “given”—something we did not

have to concern ourselves with clinically. In days past,

most of our patients had plenty of methyl groups to

conduct the body’s processes and help receive the healing directives

we provided through food and herbal nutrition, remedies, and

therapies. But as discussed when we started, we’ll soon see this is no

longer the case. It’s harder to heal patients now because of the cell’s

inability to uptake methyl groups.

Methylation is simply the addition of a methyl group (CH3) to

another molecule (enzyme, RNA, chromosome (DNA), toxin, protein,

M

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etc.). The adding or subtracting of a methyl group causes profound

changes to occur as they activate or deactivate the body’s life code

and thus affect core life processes.

The fact is, we can and do run short of methyl groups. Further, they

decline with age. Supplementing methyl donors is an anti-aging

therapy that can prevent decline. When our bodies have limited

methyl groups, there are dire consequences such as cancer, autism,

diabetes, chronic fatigue, Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis,

autoimmune diseases, and, well, actually—most all diseases and

severe metabolic dysfunctions, with a few exceptions for “over-

methylation” conditions.

People can also be and become “over-methylators”, so like all things

in health, the key is moderation. A percentage of over-methylation

activities seem to be the body’s overreaction to a lack of methyl

groups where the genes overcompensate in a particular area.

Statistically, our population is 49% under-methylators, 14% have

over-methylation issues, and the remaining 37% are neutral at the

present time.

Over-Methylation

Often actually a sub-set of Under-Methylation conditions.

Anxiety, Panic Attacks, non-internal, easily observed by others

Chemical Sensitivities (mostly under-methylation)

Despair, some depressions

Food sensitivities

Decreased Neurotransmitter--histamine

Eyes, dry

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Hallucinations, visual and auditory

Hyperactivity (mostly under-methylation)

Learning disabilities

Libido, low

Motivation, low

Neurotransmitters, high (serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine)

If the mitochondria do not make enough ATP, then there is not

enough energy to accommodate methylation.

Proper ATP energy production depends upon

1) nutrition,

2) oxygen, 3) non-inflamed cell membranes, and 4) sufficient antioxidants to protect the mitochondrial mDNA from damage that results from a

lack of cellular energy—the very energy that’s needed for

methylation performance.

Further, if there is not enough nutrition to support methylation such

as B vitamins (B-12, Folic Acid, and others), and their mineral

synergists (zinc, selenium, molybdenum, magnesium), there can be a

critical shortage of methyl groups to serve the trillions of life

processes every day.

Methyl groups:

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Turn genes (genetic expressions) on and off.

Protect telomeres – reduce aging processes

Support neurotransmitter processes – prevent depression,

anxiety and facilitate proper brain function

Detoxify dangerous chemicals and heavy metals – prevent cell

damage and disease, makes glutathione (the body’s most

important detoxifier)

Prevent hormone imbalances – that can cause cancer, weight

gain, fibrous tissue, endocrine confusion

Turn the stress response on and off – and if left on, then

disease results such as obesity and Metabolic Syndrome

Repair cellular communication processes – a facet of auto-

immune diseases

Weight Loss – helps solve hormone resistance and toxic

hormonal activity

Mitochondrial protection – protects the mitochondrial

production of ATP by synthesizing glutathione

If lowered vitality allows an unwanted gene expression such as “react

to cat dander with asthma”, then the key to changing that is to

instruct the body to place a methyl group on the “react to cat dander

with asthma” gene.

What does it mean, genetically, if you run a little short of methyl

groups? As explained in our allergy example above, we found that

there is a cellular, genetic methylation process. It’s called DNA

Methylation. Methyl groups attach to our chromosomes and

deactivate certain sequences so we don’t express them.

This includes disease processes, viral genes and other

undesirable expressions that may be introduced to our genomes.

Methyl groups prevent the expression of chronic degenerative

diseases.

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Further, they control what is actively expressed such as how

vigilant our immune systems are. Methyl groups are essential

molecules that regulate and repair our DNA so we do not express

diseases and defects, and do express optimal health and

adaptability. Having adequate methyl groups keeps the cellular

processes running correctly and when we run a little short,

symptoms quickly appear.

Mood (Depression), Neurotransmitters, & Methylation

Neurotransmitters are basically amino acids that have a methyl

group attached. Let’s understand the methylation cycle that is so

fundamental to our life processes.

Methionine is an amino acid found in all protein foods. Notice the

“meth” part of methionine because it refers to its methyl group.

Methionine grabs a packet of energy called ATP and a molecule of

magnesium and becomes SAM (S-Adenosyl Methionine). As SAM, the

methyl group hitches a ride all around the body making over 400

known chemical reactions occur when and where they needed.

When SAM delivers a methyl group where needed, it becomes

reduced to an amino acid called homocysteine.

When homocysteine meets up with another methyl group, it receives

it and transforms itself back into SAM. If homocysteine does not find

a methyl group, it becomes a dangerous molecule associated with

cardiovascular disease and degenerative conditions. One pathway for

homocysteine to gain a methyl group is from vitamins B-12, Folate,

B-6, and choline; as well as trimethylglycine (TMG).

The popular supplement, SAMe, is the form of SAM that can be

absorbed nutritionally. It can help with depression, but it does

not help lower homocysteine, thus it’s only a band-aid helper

and does not address the cause. The cause is mostly nutritional,

and B-12/folate supplementation is more effective and can have

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results in 60 days, assuming it can cross the cell membrane.

Both the safe, nutritional SAMe as well as dangerous anti-

depressant drugs are only “cover ups” to the real solution of

reestablishing the body’s methylation.

So what if there are not enough nutrients for all the homocysteine to

be converted back to SAM? Sure the body gets big globs of

homocysteine associated with cardiovascular disease, but if

homocysteine is not converted back to SAM, then there is a shortage

of SAM, and that means there is a shortage of methyl groups to make

neurotransmitters.

This shortage of methyl groups in the brain is the “chemical

imbalance” aspect of depression. Chemical imbalance is only one

facet of depression, but it’s the one honed in upon by a host of

dangerous drugs that cover up the underlying methylation issue.

Even worse, the detoxification of those drugs by the liver requires

both methyl groups and ATP, further depleting the body of its

corrective resources. The specific neurotransmitters and brain

processes that are vulnerable to under-methylation (or in the case of

anxious depression—over-methylation reactions that can be

predicated genetically, or due to a general lack of methyl groups that

support neurotransmitter uptake), determines the type of depression

and its severity.

People who eat refined sugar and drink excessive alcohol are more

prone to depression because the abuse of those substances impacts

the brain’s chemistry and inflammatory processes creating

weaknesses in certain neurotransmitter pathways that become even

more susceptible to methylation imbalances. Fundamentally,

depression and anxiety expressions are simple nutritional

deficiencies, not drug deficiencies.

Detoxification and Methylation

Detoxification is the body’s great alchemical transmutation process.

Methylation helps convert dangerous molecules to ones that the

liver, gall bladder, and kidneys can eliminate. The liposome organelle

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in the cells can take a molecule of mercury or lead and change it to

less offensive molecules that can be more easily eliminated. The same

holds true for arsenic and hundreds of other chemicals.

Inevitably, a lack of methyl groups and low ATP result in low glutathione

production. Low glutathione production results in low energy, toxicity,

cellular damage, and disease.

Section 10: Weight Loss Resistance

Methylation and Weight Loss Resistance

When pesticides, food additives, physical and emotional stress, heavy metals

both from mother’s womb and the dentist office, and chemicals all inflame

cell membranes, the hormone messengers are unable to deliver their

message.

Both Insulin and Leptin are the two primary hormones that end up unable

to enter the cell through an inflamed membrane. This additional amount of

insulin in the blood rather than in the cell is called insulin resistance, and is

identified as a marker for potential onset of Diabetes.

Leptin is the hormone that tells the body when it is full and to stop eating, as

well as triggering the burning of fat for fuel. High levels of Leptin in the

blood indicate that it is unable to enter the brain cells of the hypothalamus

and trigger appetite suppression and fat burning.

Leptin Resistance causes weight gain and the inability to burn fat. Insulin

Resistance causes food to be stored as fat, and Leptin regulates the body’s

ability to burn fat.

Thus in weight loss resistance, the very same toxins that inflame the cell

membranes coupled with the body’s own hormones become “obesogens” ,

or obesity genes, which are the result of the body’s inability to provide

methyl groups to serve detoxification.

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Ultimately excessive weight gain and the inability to lose weight is a cellular

issue—one involving inflammation, the cell membrane, anti-oxidants, ATP

production, and methylation.

Removing sugar, high fructose corn syrup and refined simple carbohydrates such as

white bread from the diet can have a dramatic effect on insulin and Leptin

resistance. In as little as five days, receptors will begin to regenerate.

Sugar Burners:

If you have high triglycerides, your body burns

sugar for fuel. No wonder you have sugar

cravings! Because of leptin resistance, your

body is unable to pull fuel from the fat cells.

As a result, you must eat sugar, or something

that will turn quickly into sugar, every few

hours to refuel.

Epigenetics

In biology, and specifically genetics, epigenetics is the study of changes produced in

gene expression caused by mechanisms other than changes in the underlying DNA

sequence – hence the name epi- (Greek: επί- over, above, outer) -genetics. Examples

of such changes might be DNA methylation or histone deacetylation, both of which

serve to suppress gene expression without altering the sequence of the silenced

genes.

To make that definition above a little more understandable to the clinician, consider

it this way. Michael J. Fox, the diminutive actor whose public battle with Parkinson’s’

onset at an early age, has become a well-educated patient. He described epigenetics

thusly: “Parkinson’s disease is a genetic trait inherited by everyone in my family. But

I’m the only one to have the symptoms occur. The GENE is the gun to my head, but

my LIFESTYLE pulled the trigger.”

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In a nutshell, his body’s expression of

the symptoms of the Parkinson’s’ gene

is the “epigenesis” of a “genetic” code: epigenetics.

If you have the obesity gene, the hypertension gene, the diabetes gene, the

gluten intolerance gene, the agoraphobia gene, the ADHD gene…whatever

gene…it is lifestyle that causes its expression.

Now perhaps some of those “lifestyle choices” were given to you in the

womb; yet another reason to blame Mom for everything.

Heavy metals, one of the most aggressive of the inflammatory components,

can and do cross the placenta into the fetus.

If your Mother had a stressful pregnancy, stressful breastfeeding experience

or had a less than perfect diet herself; you guessed it, you can blame her

again. Stress mediators and toxic waste products can cross the placental

barrier.

ASSIGNMENT: Take 5 minutes to reflect upon your own potential genetic

expressions.

Did your mother have a lot of dental work?

Note: If you are over 40 years old, most likely your mother was

exposed to lead in some form.

What traits seem to be expressed in your own families on both sides?

(It isn’t all Mom’s fault, just most of it. Sperm are just not too invested

beyond conquering the egg and winning the race;.. go figure.)

By adding the previously discussed simple urine malondialdehyde test to

your practice, you can measure the results of your efforts to reduce

inflammation in your patient’s cells. Reducing inflammation is now job one

for practitioners in the United States.

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Life expectancy at birth in the US is an average of 78.14 years, which ranks

47th in highest total life expectancy compared to other countries. Source:

CIA Factbook (2008)

The United States ranks 43rd in lowest infant mortality rate, down from

12th in 1960 and 21st in 1990. Singapore has the lowest rate with 2.3

deaths per 1000 live births, while the United States has a rate of 6.3 deaths

per 1000 live births. Some of the other 42 nations that have a lower infant

mortality rate than the US include Hong Kong, Slovenia, and Cuba. Source:

CIA Factbook (2008)

Percent of persons using at least one prescription drug in the past month:

48% (2005-2008), from Centers for Disease Control Statistics for United

States Population.

Most frequently prescribed therapeutic classes:

Analgesics

Antihyperlipidemic agents (i.e. statins)

Antidepressants

Percent of adults in U.S. 18 years and over who currently smoke: 19%

(Really? In this day and age almost 20% of people still smoke? Mind

boggling.)

Percent of adults 20 years and over who are obese: 34% (2007-2008)

Percent of persons 65 years and over who had received an influenza shot

during the past 12 months: 64%

According to several research studies in the last decade, a total of 225,000

Americans per year have died as a result of their medical treatments:

• 12,000 deaths per year due to unnecessary surgery

• 7000 deaths per year due to medication errors in hospitals

• 20,000 deaths per year due to other errors in hospitals

• 80,000 deaths per year due to infections in hospitals

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• 106,000 deaths per year due to negative effects of drugs

Thus, America's healthcare-system-induced deaths are the

third leading cause of the death in the U.S., after heart

disease and cancer.

Thank you for taking this Online Continuing Education course. I hope I have

presented you with some new ideas to ponder. For me, learning this work

has been life changing, and ultimately practice-changing.

If you would like to take other classes that I have online at ChiroCredit.com,

you may find them listed as:

Ergonomics 102: Modern Ergonomics: Using Biomechanics, Feng Shui

and common sense to make your home and workplace a safer and

more productive environment.

Intro to Hormones 101a: A four hour Introduction to Hormones with

an alternative healer’s viewpoint.

Physical Diagnosis 130: Natural Treatments and Diagnosis of

Common Female Disorders, a course where I list specific Lab Names

and Brand Names of products that you can use in your practice.

Physical Diagnosis 131: Fibromyalgia: Myths and Realities

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References and Acknowledgements

Many thanks to Dr. Jack Tips, a prolific scientist and author whose work I

have liberally cited and referenced in this course. His explanations of the

molecular processes were delightfully understandable and extensive editing

would have only diminished his work.

Pacher P, Beckman JS, Liaudet L (2007). "Nitric oxide and peroxynitrite in

health and disease".

Rajamani Karthikeyan, Manivasagam T, Anantharaman P, Balasubramanian

T, Somasundaram ST (2011). "Chemopreventive effect of Padina boergesenii

extracts on ferric nitrilotriacetate (Fe-NTA)-induced oxidative damage in

Wistar rats". J. Appl. Phycol.