The Health ForumBook 2

The Health ForumBook 2

Candidiasis and DysbiosisAbatement Techniques

Edited and Compiled by Polly Hattemer

©2002 by Polly Hattemer, also known as Pauline Hattemer

All rights reserved. Permission must be obtained from the publisher or theindividual contributors before republishing parts of this work. Purchase of thisPDF file entitles you to use it for yourself and immediate family, but not todistribute copies to others.

Published byHealth Reflections Book CorpPO Box 900Manhattan Beach, CA 90267-0900USAemail ReflectHealth@adelphia.net

November 2003 versionMinor updates will be done occasionally.

More Health Forum books can befound at www.dysbiosis.com

Book 1: Candida’s Impact on your Health

Book 2: Candidiasis and Dysbiosis Abatement Techniques

Book 3: Diets for Immune Support and Gut Health

Book 4: Hormones, Dysbiosis and Candidiasis

Book 5: Hope for Autism through Nutrition

Book 6: Cleansing the Body of Mercury

Book 7: Fibromyalgia Treatment Options

DisclaimerThis book contains the opinions, anecdotes, and speculations of lay people.Anecdotes are for pondering. They are not necessarily representative of themajority of people. However, anecdotes do serve to illustrate possibilities as wellas how different we are. The contents of this book should in no way be consideredprofessional advice nor should it be interpreted as prescribing treatment. Use yourown judgement. If you do not understand the risks involved with a particulartreatment or supplement discussed in the book, please consult a knowledgeableprofessional. We have tried to present the well-known dangers of treatments andsupplements in this book. However, never treat this or any other information asthe whole truth. There is always more to be learned. Nothing is absolutely safe.Accordingly, the publisher and the contributors to this book do not assume anyliability in connection with any of the supplements or treatments mentioned in thisbook. Although all contributors have tried their best to provide reliableinformation, this book is not guaranteed to be accurate or complete. Readers areencouraged to consult other sources.

Please note that the principal editor, who gathered these posts, does nothave any financial interest in any of the supplements or laboratories mentioned.If only one brand or one distributor is mentioned, it is not necessarily anendorsement. It has just been included to give the reader at least one place toreadily obtain a remedy. There is no guarantee that the website addresses in thisbook will be valid or correct. Website addresses go stale and sometimes they aretaken over by other businesses. There are also many phone numbers in the lastindex of this book. There is no guarantee that they will remain valid. Prices ofsupplements are as of the writing of this book. Again, there is absolutely no waythat we can guarantee that these will remain the same. Listed prices may just giveyou an approximate idea of the cost of products.

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Table of Contents

SO WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT? ................................................................................8

ABOUT THE HEALTH FORUM BOOKS........................................................................9

THE INTERNET FORUM ...........................................................................................10

DIGESTION..............................................................................................................11

HOW TO TEST FOR STOMACH ACID LEVEL .............................................................12

POOR STOMACH ACID OUTPUT CAN LEAD TO SERIOUS DISORDERS ......................14

H. PYLORI INFECTIONS ...........................................................................................17

RESTORING STOMACH ACID PRODUCTION .............................................................17

WHAT ARE DIGESTIVE ENZYMES? .........................................................................18

ENOUGH BILE? .......................................................................................................20

MSM ..........................................................................................................................22

ANTIFUNGALS .......................................................................................................27

HOW TO LESSEN THE DIE-OFF REACTION ..............................................................27

THE ATTOGRAM PROGRAM ....................................................................................28

COLONICS ...............................................................................................................29

NATURAL OR PRESCRIPTION ANTIFUNGALS?..........................................................30

TRANSFER FACTOR, TH1 AND TH2 ........................................................................37

ANTIFUNGALS AND CLOSTRIDIUM .........................................................................38

PARASITES..............................................................................................................41

PROBIOTICS ...........................................................................................................46

BRUSH YOUR GUMS WITH PROBIOTICS..................................................................46

IS THERE SUGAR IN YOUR PROBIOTICS? ................................................................47

FRUCTO-OLIGOSACCHARIDES (FOS), OLIGOFRUCTOSE, AND INULIN .....................47

INFANT/TODDLER PROBIOTICS ...............................................................................48

PROTECT YOUR PROBIOTICS...................................................................................49

TEST RESULTS ........................................................................................................49

WHAT DO GOOD BACTERIA LIVE ON? ...................................................................50

PROBIOTICS AND THE IMMUNE SYSTEM.................................................................50

PROBIOTIC SUPPOSITORIES .....................................................................................51

ARE PROBIOTICS EFFECTIVE?.................................................................................52

HOW MUCH IS NEEDED? ........................................................................................53

Candidiasis and Dysbiosis Abatement TechniquesThe Health Forum—Book 2

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SOIL-BASED MICROORGANISMS ............................................................................. 56

YEAST AS A PROBIOTIC? ....................................................................................... 58

ARE PROBIOTICS EVER HARMFUL? ........................................................................ 58

PARASITES AS PROBIOTICS .................................................................................... 61

WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS .......................................................................................... 62

LEAKY GUT ............................................................................................................ 64

DR. LEO GALLAND’S OBSERVATIONS ON HEALING LEAKY GUT ........................... 65

MORE REMEDIES FOR LEAKY GUT ......................................................................... 66

GLUCOSAMINOGLYCANS (GAGS) .......................................................................... 67

TAURINE................................................................................................................. 70

VITAMINS AND MINERALS................................................................................ 72

GOVERNMENT RESTRICTIONS ON VITAMINS AND MINERALS................................ 73

VITAMIN A............................................................................................................. 73

VITAMIN A OR CAROTENE?.................................................................................... 76

VITAMIN B1 ........................................................................................................... 77

VITAMIN B6 ........................................................................................................... 77

VITAMIN B12 ......................................................................................................... 79

BIOTIN.................................................................................................................... 81

COENZYME Q10 ..................................................................................................... 84

MOLYBDENUM ....................................................................................................... 85

ZINC IS IMPORTANT................................................................................................ 87

ZINC TASTE TEST ................................................................................................... 87

BE CAREFUL WITH ZINC OR IRON ......................................................................... 88

ZINC AND COPPER BALANCING.............................................................................. 89

ACETYLALDEHYDE POISONING .............................................................................. 91

THANK YOU RAINMASTER! .............................................................................. 94

INDEX....................................................................................................................... 96

PrefaceThe true power of the Internet is the people who are on it. Rather than being a hugeimpersonal library, the Internet is filled with live people from all over the world whocontribute their thoughts, perspectives and experiences. At one particular site in thisvast sea of exchanges, people have gathered to discuss health concerns related to theyeast syndrome and dysbiosis. The people at this Internet site/forum have learned andgained so much from their cyberspace meetings that they decided to create this bookto let others share in the ideas and information exchanged. This book is a gift from ourhearts to you. No one was paid for his or her contributions, and all net royalties willbe donated to charity. May our efforts bear fruit, and may you, the reader, enjoy thisbook, and learn as much from the people at the healthy awareness forum as they havefrom each other.

AcknowledgementThis work would not have been possible without the support of my husband, DaleGoudey, PhD. Thank you for your patience and for your generosity. A specialacknowledgement is due Raymond Peat, PhD. Without his 1985 lecture on “TheEndocrine System and Candidiasis,” I would have surely lost my health. More thananyone else, his books and newsletters have influenced the way I think about nutrition.Thank you Andy Cutler, PhD, for teaching me about mercury poisoning, and thankyou Willis Langford for teaching me about autism. I owe much to the Candida andDysbiosis Information Foundation, as they were my only link with reliable informationfor many years. Thank you to all my friends on the Internet who participated in thisendeavor. Special thanks to Susan Rodriquez, Shelley Thorstensen, Kippy Noble,Thone Ritch, Billie Jo Secrist, Marilyn in Seattle, Jeanne Jackson, and Taylor Vancefor their suggested improvements to the book. Also, Huy Hoang, MD was kind enoughto review the book for me. Thank you Brent James for the formatting suggestions.Rosalind James, Shari Ostapiuk and Sondra Lewis have my sincere gratitude forproofreading the manuscript. And of course, last but not least, thank you to KellyNowicki for bringing so many of us together at the healthy awareness Internet site.This book would not exist if it weren’t for the help of so many.

So What’s It AllAbout?

About twenty-five years ago, Orian Truss, MD,reported a constellation of symptoms thatappeared to be related to yeast/fungusovergrowth in the body. Since then, WilliamCrook, MD, and others have been keeping the“yeast syndrome” theory alive and informing thepublic of further insights into this condition.Unfortunately, mainstream medicine has rejectedthe idea of yeast as a major contributor tocommon illnesses. However, they now believethat intestinal bacteria may be important tohealth. With time, and more information, the twoviewpoints may come closer. In the mean time,the patient must decide which makes the mostsense—alternative medicine or mainstream.

At first, many people assumed that thesymptoms were due just to an overgrowth ofyeast/fungus in the intestines. However, thewrong bacteria and parasites are often presenttoo. Sometimes viruses play a role. For mostpeople, the more general term dysbiosis is moreapplicable. Dysbiosis means harmful flora hasoverwhelmed the intestinal environment.

Dysbiosis is present in many illnesses besidesthe “yeast syndrome.” These illnesses includeCrohns, colitis, autism, attention deficit,fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, and mercury

poisoning. This book series will start with anexploration of the yeast syndrome and then moveon to discuss diet, hormones, autism, mercuryand fibromyalgia.

The yeast syndrome is a constellation of manydifferent symptoms, all of which combine to givean overall picture of ill health. Some of thepossible manifestations are fatigue, constipation,diarrhea, abdominal bloating, food intolerances,hypoglycemia, dizziness, vaginal yeastinfections, prostatitis, bladder pain, earaches,sinus infections, too many colds, asthma, carpaltunnel, mitral valve prolapse depression, rashes,psoriasis, mood swings, irritability, sensitivity tosmells, headaches/ migraines, and difficultyconcentrating.

Autism is characterized by impaired socialinteractions, by impaired communication, and byrepetitive interests and behaviors. Sometimesautistic people are unable to speak. Vision maybe impaired/altered. Almost 90% of the autisticpopulation have the wrong flora in theirintestines and many appear to have a viralinfection in the intestines. Most have highserotonin levels or excess free serotonin. It isstrongly suspected that one of the underlying

So What’s It All About? 9

causes of autism is a unique type of mercurypoisoning. When detoxified of mercury andtreated for the infections, dysbiosis, and otherrelated problems, some of the autistic recover.Interventions with the youngest children seem tohold the most promise.

Mercury poisoning makes one very susceptibleto dysbiosis. When the body is detoxified ofmercury, the intestinal flora has a much betterchance of returning to normal. The list ofpossible mercury associated health challenges arevery similar to that of the yeast syndrome. Theyare fatigue, allergies, depression, digestivedisorders, immune suppression, gum disease,neurological problems, reproductive disorders,birth defects, kidney disease, heart problems,high blood pressure, autism, breathing disorders,skin disease, and leukemia.

Fibromyalgia is characterized by generalizedjoint and/or muscle pain. People withfibromyalgia often have very poor sleep, and aheightened sensitivity to stimuli. Fatigue iscommon and sometimes there is difficultythinking. At a very simple level, the differencebetween the yeast syndrome and fibromyalgia isoften just the type of intestinal infection and itsdistribution in the intestines. Those withfibromyalgia usually have a bacterial overgrowthin the small intestine. Often there is too muchtartaric acid being produced by the bacteria infungus in the intestines. Most of those withfibromyalgia also have a viral infection of the E.coli that reside in their intestines. An improperuse of serotonin seems to underlie many of thesymptoms of fibromyalgia.

About The Health Forum BooksIn these books, you are listening to real peopletalk about their experiences with the yeastsyndrome, autism and mercury poisoning. The

conversations first took place on the Internet.Then they were compiled with permission intothese books. However, you will not be readingexact replicas of the Internet conversations.Editing was necessary to avoid repetition ofinformation and to help with the clarity ofpresentation. Often a person will post a messagethat covers many different topics. Including thewhole message/post would make organization ofthe book impossible. So most posts wereshortened to only include comments on one topicat a time. To improve the organization further,several real discussions on the same topic wereoften combined to create what appears to be onelong discussion in this book. Backgroundmaterial and introductory remarks were addedthrough the voice of Polly, the person whogathered the posts for this book. Occasionally,you will find a post from a Mr. or Mrs. Genericin this book. This was a necessary artifact to keepthe discussion moving.

Because there was so much informationgathered, it was necessary to split The HealthForum into several books.

Book 1 — Candida’s Impact on Your Health.Is the problem really Candida, or is it just aweakened and toxic body that allows thecandida/yeast to take over? What about bacteria,parasites and viruses? This book also covers thetotal body load, liver support, and the usualconcurrent health problems associated with yeastovergrowth.

Book 2 — Candidiasis and DysbiosisAbatement Techniques. This book delves intosome basic methods for eliminating the problem,like employing the right antibiotics, antifungals,and probiotics. Also, this book discusses theparticular vitamins and minerals that are morelikely to be depleted in this syndrome.

Candidiasis and Dysbiosis Abatement TechniquesThe Health Forum—Book 2

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Book 3 — Diets for Immune Support and GutHealth. There isn’t a perfect diet for everyone.However, some very common mistakes must beavoided. There is much that we can learn fromeach other.

Book 4 — Hormones, Dysbiosis andCandidiasis. When there is dysbiosis, often thereis low thyroid, high estrogen and/or weakadrenals. This book explores the proper use ofhormonal support when dysbiosis is present.Migraines are also covered.

Book 5 — Hope for Autism through Nutrition.This book covers autism, attention deficit, andvaccinations. Most people with autism havesevere dysbiosis. What helps the autistic providesinsight into everyone else’s dysbiosis problem.The treatment of attention deficit is also touchedupon in this book. The treatment strategy is verysimilar to that for autism. The role ofvaccinations and mercury in triggering autism isalso explored.

Book 6 — Cleansing the Body of Mercury.Those who are mercury poisoned are very likelyto have dysbiosis. This book covers mercurydetoxification methods and the role of aminoacids in dysbiosis and mercury toxicity.

Book 7 — Fibromyalgia Treatment Options.Fibromyalgia is a special case of dysbiosis, withusually a bacterial overgrowth in the intestines.This bacterial overgrowth can contribute to thepoor sleep, lack of energy and hormonaldisturbances found in this condition. This bookdeparts from the usual format, and is but asummary of the information gleaned from thepatients and medical literature.

Even if you are only interested in the conditionsspecifically covered in the latter books, at somepoint you should consider reading the first fewbooks. The earlier books will add depth to your

understanding and give you many practical hintson how to recover. All the chapters are fairlyself-contained, so you can read the chapters orthe books in about any order you wish. However,if you are new to this subject, you will find thatthe chapters in the first books are easier to grasp.

The vast majority of messages found inbooks 1 to 4 came from the Healthy AwarenessInternet forum. These messages can still be foundin the archives at www.healthyawareness.com .However, the latter books are a little different asthey focus on autism, mercury poisoning andfibromyalgia. Although these illnesses arediscussed at the healthy awareness site, they arenot the main thrust of the conversations.Therefore, to a much greater extent, otherInternet resources were tapped to complete thesebooks.

The Internet ForumThe quotes in this book are but a snapshot in timeof the interactions found at the healthy awarenessforum. As people heal and move on with theirlives, they visit the healthy awareness forum lessoften. If you come visit the forum, most of thepeople found in this book will no longer be there.Yet, you will find other very interesting andcaring people at the forum who would love tohave you join them. Please be aware that at anyInternet site, including this forum, unfortunatemisunderstandings arise. When you visit, pleasetry to keep your posts polite and unambiguous.For many of us, fatigue and brain-fog make itdifficult to create perfect posts. Please don’texpect perfection. The forum is a place to learn,express your thoughts and enjoy the camaraderie.Have fun!

DigestionTaylor: How often I’ve wanted to yell at a doctorwho says, “ Candida can’t be the problem, it is anormal inhabitant of the intestinal track!” Whenit gets to the overgrowth stage, like a vaginalyeast infection, or a nail infection, they can see itis a problem. Why can’t they see that intestinalyeast overgrowth is a problem too, only much,much worse?

Polly: E. coli causes food poisoning. Yet it isalso a “ normal” inhabitant of the intestinal track.No one considers large quantities of E. colibenign. The unwillingness of some people toconsider the possibility of yeast being a problemis so sad. In fact, one person tried to prove thatyeast in the intestines were benign by ingestinglarger and larger quantities of it. Eventually hemade himself sick. Yeast overgrowth in theintestines is not benign. It will

1) shift the immune system from Th1 to Th2. [1]This type of shift favors inflammation. It alsotends to keep the infection in place bymaking it more difficult for the body to getrid of the yeast, parasites and viruses.

2) alter the pH and other intestinalenvironmental factors, which will favor thegrowth of different bacteria,

3) destroy nutrients like coenzyme Q10, [2]

4) over-burden the liver with poisons,

5) produce toxins that interfere with energyproduction, and other bodily processes,

6) and generally make a person absolutelymiserable.

Taylor: Understanding how to aid the digestiveprocess seems to be key in helping the immunesystem fight the candida. There is an apparentinterplay between the digestive process and theimmune system where

1) Food is improperly digested

2) Undigested food molecules slip through theleaky gut into the bloodstream.

3) The immune system stays busy fighting thesefood molecules and toxins, and so it is unableto cope with the candida overgrowth.

4) Because our food is not well digested andabsorbed, we don’t experience the full benefitof its nutrients.

5) Without these nutrients, our immune systemwill never be able to attain the strength itneeds to win the war against candida.

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So it would appear that a front-line in ourapproach to health would be to attend to ourdigestion by using enzymes and/or acids to helpdigest the food, and using supplements to attendto the leaky gut.

Polly: Taylor, I think you are correct on everypoint. We need to get the nutrition in us insteadof feeding the yeast, bad bacteria, and ourallergies. This will help us break out of thisvicious cycle. This interplay of the immunesystem and the digestive system is even moreinvolved than you have outlined. A very largeportion of the immune system is located in thegut, and the bacteria and yeast present in the gutinteract with it. For instance, some bacteria evendestroy interferon. [3] The health of the intestinallining will determine to a large extent whichbacteria thrive. This lining receives most of itsnourishment directly from the food in the gutrather than from the blood supply. So if we wanthealthy flora, it is very important that the food iswell digested.

To improve digestion, we must start bycorrecting the stomach acid pH, getting adequatedigestive enzymes, and getting the proper flow ofbile going. However, this by itself is not enoughto digest food properly. The intestines must behealthy. For instance, if intestinal irritation andinflammation causes the food to flow too quicklythrough the digestive tract, then there would beno time for the digestive enzymes and bile to dotheir work. Healthy intestines are needed tosecrete an enzyme, enterokinase, to activate thepancreatic enzymes. Without this activation ofthe digestive enzymes, food cannot be digested.The intestinal lining feeds the flora, and the florahelps the body digest food by providing neededenzymes. Therefore, we must also concentrate oncreating healthy intestines if we are to improvedigestion and our immune system.

How to Test for Stomach AcidLevelPolly: Many of us have found that adding anhydrochloric acid supplement is helpful. If youneed it, it is very important because higher acidlevels not only are important for digestion, butthey help keep the yeast and bacteria levelsdown. Also, there is something called thedigestive cascade—stomach acid triggers thepancreas to release its enzymes and bicarbonates,and it also triggers the release of bile. Withoutthe trigger of enough stomach acid, the wholedigestive system suffers.

Jane: What is the test for low stomach acid? Isuspect this may be one of my problems andwant to check it out.

Polly: One of my doctors suggested that I just trya little hydrochloric acid (HCL) and see if itmade me feel better after a meal. If you havestomach ulcers, I assume this isn’ t a good idea.Also, you should be careful if you are takingmedications that might increase your chances ofgetting a peptic ulcer. Egnonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)or cortisone-like drugs. If you try HCL tablets,don’ t chew the tablets because they may harmyour tooth enamel.

At Dr. Mercola’ s site, he describes a simpletest to determine if you need stomach acid. Feelfor a tender spot on your rib near the stomacharea. The spot is about one inch across from yourmidline. If tender, there is a good chance youneed extra acid. This is his article:

www.mercola.com/article/mercury/detox_protocol.htm

There is a good overview on tests for stomachacid in Ralph Golan’ s book, Optimal Wellness.Also, this article may be helpful,

Digestion 13

http://library.mothernature.com/index.cfm?page=detail&ContentID=2808009

Mary Kay: Dr. John Trowbridge checked me forlow stomach acid back in 1983 (there may be amore up-to-date test now). He did what is knownas the Heidelberg test. I swallowed an electroniccapsule that could communicate with the receptoroutside of me. It relayed the pH of my stomach.

Marilyn in Seattle: My naturopathic doctor saidthey could no longer get these capsules and nowa challenge test is what they rely on to determinestomach acid requirements.

(Note, with the challenge test, a person ingestsone hydrochloric acid tablet, and if they don’ tfeel any warmth or a peppery feeling in theirchest and/or their throat after a few minutes, theyadd another tablet. They continue addinghydrochloric acid (HCL) tablets in this manneruntil some warmth is felt. If too much is taken,some baking soda or milk can be used toneutralize the acid.)

Linda in Virginia: I tried the challenge test lastnight using Twin Lab Betaine HCL, whichcontains ten grains per capsule. It took tencapsules (100 grains) before I felt anything. Nowonder I am having problems. I have been takinghydrochloric acid (HCL), but not near enough. Ihave been fearful of taking too much and burninga hole in my stomach or something. This meansI will have to take 9 capsules per meal. I’ m stillshaking my head

Polly: Typical doses are 10 to 30 grains, which isonly one to three pills of the product you tried. Ifyou are up to 100 grains, you better check withyour doctor. [4] (Sometimes measurements aregiven in grains and sometimes they are in grams.10 grains are approximately 650 gm.)

Linda in Virginia: Hi Polly, thanks so much foryour reply. My doctor said that they are findingthe average dose for people with rosacea is about70 grains. After writing about taking 100 grains,my next meal only required 60 grains. Thisseems to be a meal by meal process. I also noticethat I seem to need less as I go along. It’ s as if itbuilds up in my system? Does this make anysense? Has anyone else noticed this when takingBetaine HCL? Thanks.

MM: I did the test that you had outlined, andnever reach a SAFE HCL supplemental levelwhen I felt the supposed “ burn.” So I didsupplement at about 5 or so tablets at meals. Thisdid NOTHING to help my symptoms. Then, Ihad my stomach acid levels tested in my doc’ soffice, and my own stomach acid levels wereGOOD—indicating that I needed NOsupplementation. My conclusion is that the “ taketablets until you feel the burn” test is NOT valid.Rather than creating a NEW problem for yourselfby supplementing IF you don’ t need it, I’ dsuggest having your doctor do a stomach acid testfor you! Just my $.02.

Linda in Virginia: MM, it is interesting you hadno reaction from the HCL. I am glad youmentioned this. It is important for everyone toknow. I do have a lot of symptoms associatedwith low stomach acid, but it couldn’ t hurt tohave the test. More to think about. Thanks.

Polly: Marilyn found an article at

www.drdebe.com/BAKESODA.htm

which describes a safer test for stomach acid.Remember those old science classes where youmixed vinegar and baking soda and watched itbubble? When baking soda comes in contact withvinegar or any acid, then carbon dioxide gas isreleased. If you ingest baking soda on an empty

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stomach, and the baking soda comes in contactwith sufficient stomach acid, you may burp upthe gas. Dr. Joseph A. Debé suggests putting aquarter teaspoon of baking soda in 8 ounces ofwater and then drinking it first thing in themorning, before eating anything. Then checkhow long it takes before you belch. If it is longerthan 2 or 3 minutes before you produce a belch,then perhaps you are not producing enoughstomach acid. A lot of immediate repeatedbelching might indicate excess stomach acid.

Kippy: Is hydrochloric acid available under thename “ hydrochloric acid” or under a differentname?

Polly: Usually it is found as betaine HCL.Supposedly you can also find glutamic HCL, butI haven’ t seen it. One of my doctors told me toget a homeopathic remedy for stomach acid. Iwas to get the 4x or 6x type, but avoid the 9x.There is a school of thought that suggests thestronger 9x homeopathic remedy may actuallywork to suppress stomach acid.

Carol: Stomach acid is a paradoxical substance:too little can actually make you think you havetoo much. Many people think they have acidreflux or GERD, and they take Prilosec or otherantacids to reduce the amount of stomach acid. Inactuality, they may not have enough acid in theirstomach to trigger the opening of a valve at itsbase. When food begins to fill the stomach, acidis released to assist with digestion. When enoughacid is detected, the valve opens, releasing thefood into the small intestine. If there isn’ t enoughacid, the valve doesn’ t open. The food, mixedwith what little acid is present, is forced back upthe esophagus, creating a burning sensation.Paradoxically, the answer to the burningsensation is more acid, not less. Antacids cancreate a vicious cycle in these cases.

As with so many things, the dose of BetaineHCL is very individualized. If you take too little,you will have that paradoxical burning sensationfrom the food/acid mixture coming back up theesophagus, because there is not enough acid totrigger the release of food into the small intestine.If you take more, but still not quite enough, thefood/acid mixture will still come back up theesophagus. However, now it will burn evenworse because it has more acid in it—just notenough to open the valve at the bottom of thestomach. If you take too much, you willexperience “ dumping” , as Dr. Cheney calls it,usually diarrhea or a general “ yucky” feeling.

Polly: GERD is due to the wrong movement ofthe stomach. Either the stomach does not emptywhen it should or the stomach pushes acid backup the esophagus. More acid might help thestomach empty when it should, but if theesophagus is injured, then what do you do?Adding stomach acid before the sore has time toheal may pose an immediate problem. Perhaps agood gastroenterologist can help you. Smallermeals may help your body deal with the GERD.Fat slows the emptying of the stomach, and soless fat in the diet might help. Saliva fromchewing your food well will help protect theesophagus.

Poor Stomach Acid Output CanLead To Serious DisordersPolly: Marilyn pointed out an excellent article onstomach acid by Lynda Wells, PhD. It has beenrepeated here with Dr. Wells’ permission. Othergreat articles can be found at Dr. Wells’ website,

http://oak.cc.conncoll.edu/~rjcha/wells/wells.htm

Her Wellsprings Center for Natural Healing islocated at Worden’ s Pond Shores, Wakefield, RIwhere she offers clinical nutrition, botanical

Digestion 15

medicine, homeopathy, Hatha Yoga, Reiki,craniosacral therapy, Japanese magnetic healing,and colon cleansing.

Mrs. Generic: My symptoms are burping,stomach bloating, my stomach upsets easily andI tend to be constipated. I take antacids for thesymptoms but do not get much relief. Do youhave any ideas to help my digestion?

Lynda J. Wells, PhD: It sounds like you mayhave poor stomach output of hydrochloric acid,known as hypochlorhydria. Have acomprehensive stool analysis and a hair analysisto help ascertain if that is the problem.

Hypochlorhydria is fairly common; accordingto some surveys, a low level of stomach acidoccurs in up to 47% of the general population,the highest incidence being found in olderpeople.

Much has been said in the media about toomuch acid, hyperacidity, and millions of dollarsare erroneously spent on antacids, when theopposite problem is often the case—too littleacid. The bloating, belching, upset stomach andconstipation that you mention are commonsymptoms. Some others are listed below.

On the other hand, some people mayexperience no gastrointestinal symptomswhatsoever. When there are no symptoms,individuals can wind up years later with seriousconsequences that are never related to theunrecognized hypochlorhydria.

Without acid, the body has a difficult timedigesting food. The chief function of stomachacid is the initiation of protein digestion. Withoutit, proteins putrefy in the intestines which meansthe bacteria wind up decomposing the proteinand producing foul-smelling compounds likehydrogen sulfide gas, cadaverine (what does aname like that tell you?).

Acid secretion is also of fundamentalimportance in the assimilation of many minerals,and of vitamin B12. Before looking to hormonereplacement therapy for prevention ofosteoporosis, check your stomach acid. As wellas looking to vitamin B12 shots for perniciousanemia, check your stomach acid.

Another important function of hydrochloricacid is the stimulation of pancreatic enzyme andbile release into the small intestine. Withoutenough pancreatic enzymes and bile, thedigestion and absorption of carbohydrates,proteins, fats, and vitamins A and E, is severelycompromised, inadvertently causingundernutrition even with an excellent diet.

Hydrochloric acid is also primarilyresponsible for keeping the three pounds ofbacteria that live in the colon from translocatingup into the small intestines. (This is a veryimportant immune function.) Without a potentamount of hydrochloric acid, undesirable strainsof bacteria and yeast can take hold and multiply,and interfere with digestion and absorption. Theycan also inflame the intestines, cause them tobecome permeable to undigested foods and thusthe individual becomes allergic to healthfulfoods. Do you know that the total absorptive areaof the inside wall of the small intestine of anaverage person is about the same as a standardfootball field, and every square inch of thissurface can be covered with mucus in whichbacteria are imbedded and growing? Imagine thenegative impact from odd strains of bacteria.

One can begin to see why, if allowed tocontinue for many years without treatment, manydiseases can ensue from hypochlorhydria. Someassociated with it are: asthma, celiac disease,chronic autoimmune disorders, diabetes, eczema,food allergies, gall bladder disease, gastriccancer, gastritis, lupus, osteoporosis, perniciousanemia, psoriasis, and acne rosacea. According toDr. Jonathan Wright at a September, 1994

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seminar on the Use of Laboratory Testing inNutritional Medicine, ulcerative colitis, hair loss,100% of multiple sclerosis, and 100% ofrheumatoid arthritis can also be added to the list.

A way to determine the proper dose ofhydrochloric acid for your individual need maybe accomplished in the following manner. Onthree consecutive mornings take one, then two,then three betaine hydrochloric acid tablets on anempty stomach. If you have no negativereactions, then take one or two before each mealfor a week and see how your digestion feels. If itis better, you can safely assume that yourstomach has not been producing enough acid forproper digestion. Some bad reactions to the tabsare heartburn, worse gas, or pain in the stomach.If it hurts, do not take any more. You canneutralize the reaction with milk or baking sodain water. A few persons require as little as 5-10grains of betaine hydrochloride with each meal.Others may need as much as 50-60 grains. Theright dose can be estimated but has to be finallyadjusted by trial and error. Pepsin and gentian areoften added to the hydrochloric acid supplementsto further promote protein digestion.

Over time the stomach cells that secrete acidmay be repaired by supplements of licorice,glutamine, and gentian. Sometimes acupuncturehelps restore the cells, and if a subluxation iscreating weakened stimulation of nerves to thestomach, chiropractic will help.

Next time you think of taking an antacid,STOP, try taking acid first to see if that relievesthe symptoms. If your problem is too little acid,antacids just contribute further to the abovescenario.

Symptoms of poor stomach acid output

stomach bloatingburpingupset stomachburning

flatulencediarrheanausea after taking supplementsrectal itchingweak, peeling, cracked fingernailsdilated capillaries in the cheeks and nose (innon-alcoholics)post adolescent acneiron deficiencyother mineral deficiencieschronic intestinal infectionsundigested food in stool

Disorders associated with poor stomach acidoutput

Addison’ s disease or weak adrenalsasthmaceliac diseasechronic autoimmune disordersdiabeteseczemafood allergiesgall bladder diseasegastric cancergastritisGraves diseasehepatitislupusosteoporosispernicious anemiapsoriasisacne rosaceathyrotoxicosisurticariavitiligoulcerative colitishair lossmultiple sclerosisrheumatoid arthritis

Digestion 17

H. Pylori InfectionsPolly: If you have stomach pain, get tested for aH. pylori infection. H. pylori is the bacteria mostoften responsible for stomach ulcers. Thisinfection is very common in people with theyeast syndrome, and the infection will down-regulate (lower) stomach acid production.Common treatments for a H. pylori infection areantibiotics (Omeprazole, Losec, andAmoxicillin), vitamin C, grapefruit seed extract,deglycerolized licorice, bismuth (Pepto-Bismol),mastic gum, Active Manuka honey, magnesium,zinc, N-Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC), and coconut oil.(The body creates monolaurin from the lauricacid in coconut oil, and it is the monolaurinwhich kills H. Pylori.) Please be careful withsupplements of NAC if you have mercurypoisoning or if you are hypothyroid. You maynot tolerate much of it. If you are having troublefinding the mastic gum, Allergy Research/Nutricology carries it. Phone (800) 782-4274website www.nutricology.com Don’ t use thegum if you are allergic to pistachio because thegum is made from the pistachio tree. Check forthe latest information on H. pylori infections atwww.helico.com .

Harold: My doctor gave me those antibiotics, butthey weren’ t effective, and he didn’ t recommendanything else. On my own I took NAC, EveningPrimrose oil, Panax Ginseng, Active Manukahoney, a special Calcium-Magnesiumsupplement (in colloidal form) and whennecessary, Pepto-Bismol. This has done the trickalong with changing my double filtered water(which turned out to be highly acidic) to springwater, which has a neutral pH. With the above,and a radical change of diet, I pretty well have itall under control with very little discomfort.

Restoring Stomach AcidProductionPolly: There are several deficiencies that cancause a lack of stomach acid. Often the body islow in thyroid, taurine, glutamine, histidineand/or acetylcholine when yeast or mercury ispresent. (Book 6 talks about the significance ofthese substances and their use.) All of thesesubstances are needed to produce stomach acid.Getting rid of the yeast and/or mercury toxicitywill help restore these substances to normal,although sometimes you need to correct thedeficiencies with supplements to bringfunctioning back. However, don’ t try to increasestomach acid production until after you get an H.pylori infection under control. You may damagethe stomach lining.

If your stomach acid production is too high,consider a supplement of Methyl-Sulfonyl-Methane (MSM). It has been known to bringexcess stomach acid production back undercontrol. MSM will sometimes get rid ofconstipation too. Copper deficiency, zinc excess,or selenium deficiency is also known to lead toexcess stomach acid. [5]

Sal DN, DD: Stomach acid is produced via a zincmediated pathway. The absorption of minerals(zinc, calcium, magnesium, potassium, etc)requires an initial acid medium.

Polly: That sounds like a vicious cycle. You needzinc to produce stomach acid, but you need thestomach acid to absorb the zinc. Hmmm. Someof the people on the autism list use a zinc sulfatecream applied to the soles of the feet. Guess thisgets around the absorption problem.

Marilyn in Seattle: In this book, All Your HealthQuestions Answered, Maureen Kennedy Salamankeeps emphasizing that the best form of mineral

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supplement to take is a plant-derived mineral insolution. She does not recommend any particularbrand, but says that when minerals are taken inthis manner, they are absorbed well and youbypass problems of mal-absorption and lack ofstomach acid. She says if you have absorptionproblems only 1-5% of a tablet type supplementwill get into your system—an abysmally lowamount, I’ d say.

Harold: For the last year I have been using aplant-based mineral/vitamin/amino acids liquidsupplement. It is called Seasilver. I have triedother colloidal mineral supplements, but preferthis. It has 43 trace minerals, and 7 macrominerals. Seasilver contains:

Aloe Vera (which contains substantial amountsof over 39 essential minerals and all 22 aminoacids.)

Pau D’Arco (a herb beneficial for those withyeast overgrowth)

Organic Sea Vegetation (10 kinds from the farnorthern Atlantic Ocean)

Catalyst Concentrate (to help the Aloe Verabecome a finer texture for better assimilation)

Cranberry Concentrate

Colloidal Silver (an antifungal that helps killyeast)

It comes in a liquid 32oz size and is absolutelydelicious. This Seasilver is not available in thestores, but is available through a Multi-LevelMarketing system (pyramid scheme basically). Idon’ t do this thing. I just get it for my own use.Do a search for Seasilver on the Internet, and youwill find many people selling it.

Polly: That sounds better than most of thecolloidal mineral products that are popular now.If you try a colloidal mineral product, be carefulwhich one you choose. One very popular

colloidal product contains strontium andaluminum£although the company claims thatthese particular minerals in their product are notabsorbed, so you aren’ t to worry.

I think the ionic mineral supplements, likeWaterOz or ENIVA are a better bet. The ionicform is the form found in live plants—themineral particles are microscopic. Colloidal justmeans the minerals are suspended in water. Thatis why the colloidal products are opaque. Theionic solutions are clear. The ionic companies tryto point out the difference in theiradvertisements. However, the response of thecolloidal companies has been to merely add theword ionic to their label. I think this is bothconfusing and misleading. Only a portion of theminerals in the colloidal products are in the ionicform. They don’ t tell you the percentage.

Many of us have decreased absorption ofminerals because of intestinal inflammation andlow stomach acid. Sometimes the only way outof this mess seems to be going around thedigestive system—either a mineral cream appliedto the skin, mineral shots, or a mineral drip in ourdoctor’ s office.

What Are Digestive Enzymes?Polly: Digestive enzymes are made by yourpancreas. They are necessary for the digestion offats, proteins and carbohydrates. Supplementingdigestive enzymes is a very important first step inridding yourself of yeast overgrowth in theintestines. When you supplement pancreaticenzymes, not only does your body get morenutrients, but also digestive enzymes help breakup yeast clusters in the intestines. Digestiveenzymes taken between meals help clean upsome of the debris in the blood stream.Supplemental digestive enzymes sometimesreduce food allergies too.

Digestion 19

Start slowly, as with all supplements. Youcould be sensitive or allergic to the supplements.Be particularly wary of plant-based digestiveenzymes. These enzymes are produced using amold called Aspergillus. People with yeastovergrowth are often sensitive to molds. Atypical adverse reaction is breathing difficulties.However, I heard that there is a new plant-basedproduct from Japan where the mold spores havebeen stripped from the enzymes. Thus it may besafer. The advantage of the plant-based enzymesis that they work over a wider range of pH.

The other type of digestive enzymes is calledpancreatic enzymes. It is simply dried pancreas.You might be allergic to these too. If you arehaving a lot of problems with sensitivities andallergies, be particularly careful of which brandyou try. I could not tolerate a brand that claimedto be a special concentrated 8x type. Yet theAllergy Research/ Nutricology brand was noproblem. Allergy Research/Nutricology carriesbeef, pork, and lamb pancreatic enzymes. DEWSalso carries an excellent pancreatic digestiveenzymes product. Phone. (940) 243-2178 andwebsite www.DEWSnatural.com . Wobenzymehas an excellent reputation. One place topurchase it is from Life Enhancement. Websitewww.life-enhancement.com Phone (800) 543-3873. Your doctor may favor a particularproduct. Ask. Be sure you have enough stomachacid to allow these to work properly.

If you aren’ t allergic, and you don’ t haveulcers, you can probably use 10 or more pills perday of the pancreatic enzymes without a problem.One doctor suggested that my dad take 30 pillsper day of the DEWS product. However, thismany pills will tend to push you a little morealkaline, which may or may not bother you. I’ venot heard of any other reason to be careful aboutthe amount used. However, with the plant-basedenzymes, I would be a bit more concerned aboutthe amount used. The body uses pH to activate

and deactivate the pancreatic enzymes. With theplant enzymes, the pH range of activity is notwhat the body is designed for.

If you are using any type of digestiveenzymes with an autistic child, be careful.Referring to autistic children, Dr. Bradstreetstates,

“Warning- do not give enzymes to children whoare eating gluten and casein. It may raise levelsof opioids in the child.”

(quote is from this articlehttp://www.gnd.org/autism/overview.htm )

From what I’ ve heard on an autism list, thiswarning is especially true for the enzymepreparations that are specifically prepared todigest gluten and casein. There may even be aninitial reaction to the enzymes when the childrenhave been off of wheat and milk for a while. Itseems like there is always some exception toevery nutritional rule. Therefore, I use theory andthe experience of others to guide me in adirection for my personal experiments, but Ialways trust my personal observations the most.

There are several brands of this specialenzyme preparation for digesting wheat glutenand milk casein. One is called peptizyde and isavailable from Houston Nutraceuticals.

www.houstonni.com phone (866) 757-8627

Another is called DPP IV Forte, which isavailable from Kirkman Labs.

www.kirkmanlabs.com phone 800-245-8282

Judy in Nevada: No-Fenol is a new digestiveenzyme product that is being discussed onAutism boards. They report that it is an excellentyeast fighter. It is said to work in a similar way asthe Specific Carbohydrate Diet by breaking downthe extra waste and fiber passing through the

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digestive tract, in effect, starving the yeast. It ismade by Houston Nutraceuticals.

Polly: That No-Fenol product is supposed to helpthe body separate the phenolics fromcarbohydrates and perhaps allow the body todispose of the phenolics better. (Phenols arefound in vegetable and fruit colors, food dyes,estrogen and bioflavonoids.) Phenolics are oftena problem for kids with autism or attentiondeficit. The No-Fenol product certainly has thepotential to help many people. The initial reportson the autism lists are very favorable. However,you must be careful. Don Panburn points out thatthe amino acid tyrosine is a phenolic. Andtyrosine is necessary for the formation of thyroid,dopamine and adrenaline. Perhaps the No-Fenolproduct should be reserved for meals that consistof mainly vegetables and fruits, or a supplementof tyrosine should be considered. Time will tellas more people try No-Fenol and report theirfindings.

Mrs. Generic: Does anyone know if papayaenzymes have too much sugar? And if this wouldoutweigh the benefits of taking them?

Polly: I don’ t know how much sugar is in apapaya supplement. However, usually a smallamount of natural sugar should not set you back.I wouldn’ t worry too much about that aspect.Papain (found in papaya) helps you tolerate anddigest gluten as well as meat. Yet, I wouldn’ t usemore papain than the label suggests. Papain isused to tenderize meat. Too much papain will eata hole in your intestines. Be sure to read labels,so you know if papain is in your digestivesupport supplement before taking high doses.

Mr. Generic: Should we rotate digestiveenzymes? Is it possible to becomesensitive/allergic to them?

Linda in Virginia: Yes, I became allergic tothem! You can rotate pancreatic enzymes madefrom beef, pork, lamb, bromelain, etc. I spoke tothe doctor at N.E.E.D.S. and he said thebromelain is not as effective as the others (morean anti-inflammatory). I needed it anyway so Iwould have enough to rotate over four days.N.E.E.D.S. was the only place I could find all thedifferent types.

There is not a supplement on the planet thatI have not developed an allergy to. I try to bemore careful now. I can’ t rotate everything, so Ijust hope for the best. There have been periodswhen I could not take any supplementwhatsoever.

Dani: Ultrase MT20 is a prescription digestiveenzyme that has helped me so much. I hadSEVERE gas and bloat. I couldn’ t plan anythingbecause of this! Sometimes I couldn’ t even standup the pains were so bad. Anyway, Ultrase MT20along with Betaine HCL has changed my life! Ifanyone has gas and bloat pains, it may be wortha try.

Enough Bile?Polly: Anyone who has had their gallbladderremoved should consider taking bile salts withtheir meals to help them emulsify their fats andabsorb the fat-soluble vitamins of A, E, D, and K.All of these vitamins are anti-inflammatory andthey are extremely important for healthyintestines. Many digestive supplements containsome bile. If you want a plain bile supplement,DEWS makes one. www.DEWSnatural.com orphone (940) 243-2178

However, there seems to always beexceptions to every rule. Bile salts can becomean irritant to the lining of the large intestine. [6]So don’ t take an excessive amount of bile salts.If only a modicum of bile salts make you feel

Digestion 21

bad, you might have a parasitic infection. In thebook Overcoming Parasites by Ann LouiseGittleman (page 29), she mentions that bile acidsincrease the growth of Giardia Lamblia, a water-borne parasite. Giardia Lamblia irritates the bileducts and can cause gall bladder disease. AGiardia infection can look a lot like the yeastsyndrome. The infection can also produce glutenintolerance.

To create bile, you need the amino acidsglycine and taurine. Taurine is particularlyimportant because it helps keep gallstones fromforming. Thyroid is also important because ithelps turn cholesterol into bile salts. (See sectionin the next chapter on the Liver-GallbladderFlush.)

references1. Puccetti P, Romani L, Bistoni F., “ A TH1-TH2-like

switch in candidiasis: new perspectives for therapy.”Trends Microbiol. 1995 Jun;3(6):237-40.

2. See this article by Hugh Fudenberg, MD on the“ Typical course of an Autistic Patient,”http://www.whaleto.freeserve.co.uk/v/fudenburg.html

3. Valyshev AV, Zykova LS, Konnova ME (Article inRussian) “ The screening diagnosis of intestinaldysbiosis” Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol 1994Aug; Suppl 1:71-74 and Valyshev AV, Gil’ mutdinovaFG, Fomicheva SV, (Article in Russian)” Thepersistence factors of the enterobacteria in the fecalflora in intestinal dysbiosis.” Zh Mikrobiol EpidemiolImmunobiol 1996 May;3:96-98

4. Alan Gaby, MD, “ Literature Review and Comments,”Townsend Letter, Dec. 1998

5. Nichols, Trent, MD, and Faass, Nancy, MSW, MPH,Optimal Digestion, 1999, Avon Books, NY, NY, pg.313

6. Fratkin J, OMD, “ Leaky Gut Syndrome” GreatSmokies Diagnostic Laboratory Newsletter, 1999 .

MSMIngrid in Sweden: Please explain, what doesMSM stand for? It has been suggested that I usethis treatment with hydrogen peroxide.

Kari in Norway: MSM stands for Methyl-Sulfonyl-Methane. It is also called biologicalsulfur. It is similar in structure to coenzyme Q-10. You can have a cleansing reaction to it, so itis reasonable to start with a low dose. MSM alsohelps remove heavy metals.

Mona: MSM is not a medicine, drug or a foodadditive; it is a nutritional food supplement. It isin milk, fruits, vegetables and meats. It is anorganic sulfur found in all living organisms.MSM is the 3rd largest ingredient found in yourbody. In order of percentage, your body makeupcontains water, salt, and MSM. The body usesMSM to create new, good healthy body cells.Vitamins and amino acids work with MSMduring this process. Without MSM our bodies areunable to build healthy cells, and this leads toillness. MSM is non-allergenic, non-pyretic, andhas no known undesirable pharmacologicaleffects. It can even be used as a safe blooddilutent.

Polly: MSM is also called biological sulfur andDMSO2. It is a form of sulfur that your body canuse. It is abundant in raw milk. It is helpful forgastrointestinal upsets and for mucous lininginflammation, and it may help with foodallergies. Over a period of time, it may relieveexcess stomach acidity. There is a book calledThe Miracle of MSM by Jacob, MD, et al. Also,there are many places to read about MSM on theweb. Here are a few,

www.MSM.com

www.pennysaved.com

www.vitaminusa.com/msmexin.html

www.lifelinknet.com/siteResources/ArchivePages/MSM.html

www.familyhealthnews.com/54.html

Many of the people in our HealthyAwareness candida forum have reported thatMSM really helped them. Sometimes it was moreeffective than the expensive prescription drugs.Yet a few have reported no noticeableimprovement. Others didn’ t notice anything untilthey used very high doses. Yet be careful.Shelley and Donna got very sick from it, and

MSM 23

cannot tolerate it at this point. As for me, when Ifirst started taking MSM, I would get ill if I tookmore than 500 mg per day. However, I still hadvery good results just by taking the 500 mg perday for three months. A skin infection got muchbetter in a relatively short period of time. Mygum health dramatically improved, and it mayhave been just coincidental, but a uterine fibroidI’ d had for several years disappeared too.

Jane: I have heard on a couple tapes that theclinical observations do not show significantdifference in response based on dosage of MSM,but based on consistency. Even a very tiny doseevery twelve hours is supposed to be sufficient toproduce results for most people if it is donefaithfully.

Mrs. Generic: Can people be allergic orsensitive to this form of sulfur?

Polly: I haven’ t heard of any allergies to this typeof sulfur. However, many people have describedwhat is assumed to be a cleansing reaction,including rashes. The reaction is said to occur ifyour cells are releasing stored toxins faster thanyour body can eliminate them. If this happens,just cut back to a lower dose. You can also try ahot bath or sauna to help eliminate the toxinsthrough the skin. This might cut down on areaction. Since MSM may change the levels ofacetylcholine, you may want to give your body achance to adjust to this change too.

To avoid such reactions, I suggest that youstart very slowly on MSM and find how muchyou can tolerate. Recommended doses are about3,000 mg for an adult, but many of us have foundthat we must start with 500 mg per day or less. Iread a study where they were getting resultsusing just 250 mg per day. So don’ t worry aboutusing a lower dose to start with. Some of theparents on the autism list are starting their

children out on magnesium sulfate (Epsom Salt)baths before they even attempt a small dose ofMSM. (Some of the poor kids are so toxic thatthey can’ t even tolerate the Epsom salt bath.)However, sometimes chondroitin sulfate orglucosamine sulfate or other sulfates aretolerated. These would be worth trying.

Perhaps we are so sensitive to MSM andsulfates because our body has adjusted to adeficit of sulfur. Many of us probably really needthe sulfur. Intestinal inflammation will get rid ofsulfates. So will mercury poisoning. (Mercurycauses the excretion of sulfates through theurine.)

One more suggestion. If you try say 500 mgof MSM one day with no problems, and if thenext day you try the same amount and get sick,then you are taking too much. The effects of theMSM seem to be cumulative over a few days.Most of the MSM will leave your body in oneday, but not all. From my own experimenting, thetotal dose over about three days seems to be whatis important. So try the same dose for at leastthree or four days before you decide that youmight be able to tolerate more.

RB: MSM is helping me. I am taking a smallamount daily with the result that my allergicmanifestation around my eyes and on my skinhas decreased and almost disappeared. It takes awhile to be effective because what it is doing iscorrecting a deficiency which makes the yeastmore able to over come the body. Without it,your cell walls do not release toxins like theyshould and the yeast adheres to the intestinal wallmore deeply. With it, the cell membranes regaintheir normal characteristics and receive nutrientsand release toxins. It also helps the cells on theintestinal wall become more nourished by theblood supply. I vote for MSM over caprylic acidbecause the die-off seems to be less disruptive tomy life.

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Michelle H: I have been taking MSM for aboutsix months now and have found it definitelyhelps with candida and/or possible mercurytoxicity. One thing I noticed was that when Icontracted a cold recently, I did not suffer withan aching jaw/teeth— a symptom I have alwayshad with colds and flu. Is this because of theMSM? I like to think so. MSM is not anovernight cure but seems to work over a periodof weeks/months. Someone on the forum alsomentioned they suffered leg pains with MSM.This disappeared over a period of months for me.You do have to build up the dose of MSMslowly. Good health to all.

Marilyn in Seattle: I am still feeling my way. Ijust know that at low levels I am finding theMSM is doing very good things for me. Toomuch and it seems to pull toxins out of tissuestoo rapidly. Or maybe it’ s that my liver functionis poor. I suspect most people with mercurytoxicity have poor liver function and have todetox slowly. When I take 500mg of MSM withvitamin C, I am having nothing but good effects.I wonder if people’ s poor reactions to sulfur onthe amalgam lists are not signs of detoxifying?Doctor’ s Data where I had my hair analysis donesaid it was their experience that sulfur is low inthe mercury-burdened patient. I think replacing itkick starts the body into being able to detoxifythe mercury, which has some unpleasant effects,but the mercury has to come out in my opinion,or health problems will remain.

One of the interesting things I read the otherday, which really applies to me, is that drughypersensitivity can be a sign of sulfurdeficiency. I react to all drugs with extremehyper-reactions— could never take any of thepharmaceuticals that were prescribed forspasticity (stiffness). Extreme untowardreactions, many times the drug in me would dothe exact OPPOSITE of what it was supposed to.

I am sure now that once again this was related tothe liver, which has to process all drugs. I thinkI have had many indications over the years thatmy liver was not functioning well, but I had toearn an IHMD to understand how important thiswas.

Note: IHMD stands for In-Home-Medical-Degree. It is one of our forum jokes. Many of ushave spent a lot of time studying medical topicsthat are usually only of interest to doctors.

Michele: My experience with MSM began whenI started walking almost four miles a day withoutany previous exercise. I had just started takingMSM. My friend had really sore muscles, and Ifelt great. Next I had been having a severeproblem with one knee for a year. When I wouldsit still for more than ten minutes my knee wouldbecome so painful with sharp stabbing pain thatI was unable to stand and walk. I would have togingerly stand and wait, then I could limp and asit warmed up I could eventually walk normally.That pain was completely gone, as well as asimilar problem in my thumb, after three weeksof taking MSM. I cut the same thumb deeplywith a band saw and had ten stitches, and it hashealed without a scar, though it is not completelyhealed internally. I have an old scar from a verysloppy thyroid surgery, which irritated my throatwith a slight choking sensation because it was sothick and ropelike. With internal MSM and MSMlotion it has softened and thinned and becomesupple so that it is no longer irritating. And as faras candida, I have had clearer thinking, clearerskin, and far fewer vaginal or esophagealnoticeable yeast symptoms. It is the onlysupplement I have found so far that has had adefinitive impact, and I would not want to dowithout it.

MSM 25

Taylor: Michele, where do you get your MSM?I have read that it can be obtained from animalfeed stores quite cheaply because it is fed toanimals to help their nutritional uptake. Thatwould be $20 a pound as opposed to $30 for 100tablets. Because you have gotten particularlygood results with MSM, it would be good toknow your source.

Michele: MSM for horses runs about $23 perpound. (One pound is about 450 grams.) I take itmorning and evening with 1000mg ascorbic acid.I checked with my uncle who is a veterinarianand he said it is the same quality as is used forpeople. I am super frugal (five kids and a pastor’ swife) so I go the cheapest I can find if the qualityis good.

Polly: Christy mentioned that you could purchaseMSM by the pound at an even better price fromHealth Line Nutrition, phone (800) 981-5056.They sell the Lignisul brand of MSM, which ismade in the USA and costs the distributor a littlemore than MSM from some other sources. Mostcompanies in the USA sell the higher gradeMSM like the Lignisul brand, but recently therehave appeared imports of lower grade MSM thatmay not conform to USA standards for foodgrade purity. So you must ask the source of yourMSM, purchase from reputable companies, andcheck the labels for a high purity product. Here isanother company that sells MSM powder at avery good price. www.msm-msm.com phone(800) 453-7516

MSM tastes bitter, so if you purchase just thebulk powder, you need to mix it with coffee orsomething to mask the taste. Wait until the coffeecools somewhat so that the heat doesn’ t destroythe MSM.

There is reason to try some MSM at somepoint in your treatment. An inflamed intestinewill lose sulfates, so we may be shy on sulfur in

general. According to Dr. Elson M. Haas, authorof Staying Healthy with Nutrition, sulfurdeficiency is more common when there is a lackof intestinal bacteria, or low-protein diets. Pleasenote that MSM isn’ t a perfect supplement for thiscondition. Some people cannot tolerate it, andsome notice nothing with its use. Just in ourexperience, MSM has a good track record for themoney.

If you take a lot of MSM, it may help you getrid of unwanted heavy metals and toxins, yet itmight also get rid of some of the other metals/minerals that you may need. Or perhaps it mayincrease your need for other minerals becauseyou may need to replace heavy metals that arebeing released from biologically active sites. Inthe book Mineral and Trace Element Analysis byEleonore Blaurock-Busch, PhD, she indicatesthat sulfur interacts with zinc, copper,molybdenum, selenium and calcium, and thata deficiency or metabolic disturbance of sulfurcan affect these minerals, and vice versa. But thisdoesn’ t mean that these are the only minerals thatmight interact with sulfur. Not all have beenchecked. For instance, silica is usually notstudied because you can’ t use glass test tubes tostudy it, plus hair samples are not studied forsilica levels because shampoos often containsilica. Silica is important for healthy intestinestoo. Yet like everything else, too much silica isn’ tgood for you.

MSM is noted for improving hair condition,yet several people at the forum have noticed aloss of hair when using MSM. Perhaps it is dueto a disturbance of other mineral balances, likethat of zinc or silica. I’ d use a balanced mineralsupplement and perhaps a trace mineralsupplement if you are going to be using a lot ofMSM, sulfur amino acids, vitamin C, or anyother natural chelator. If you need to use a lot ofMSM, one should perhaps also take a little extramolybdenum, selenium, zinc and copper.

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Laurie Andreoni, DC: MSM doesn’ t react withmost medicines, but if someone is taking a bloodthinner, they need to monitor it closely. MSM, E,gingko, garlic, ginger, ginseng, feverfew, aspirinand St. John’ s Wort all thin the blood.

Polly: Pau d’ Arco, a popular herb to treat yeastovergrowth, also thins the blood. It interacts withvitamin K.

Later£Kathleen: A short while back on thisforum, I initiated discussion about MSM and hairloss. I said at that time in response to a post fromPolly that I did not have a mercury burden. I waswrong. Very wrong. A hair analysis and a DMSAchallenge both showed extremely high levels ofmercury. I have done several rounds of DMSAnow, and I find I am able to take 4 grams ofMSM per day without significant hair loss. Mydoctor had told me that the only way MSM couldcause hair loss was due to heavy metal toxicity.Apparently he was right in my case.

Polly: I know a lot of people suggest taking 3grams (3,000 mg) of MSM per day, but I thinkyou could hurt yourself by taking that much on along term basis, even if you seem to tolerate it.

Later£Marilyn in Seattle: I tried and tried totake MSM over a period of months and I justbecame more and more sensitive to it instead of

it getting better£something I now understand inrelation to my liver tests which showed defectivesulfation. I react to all sulfur, not just MSM. Ireact to the sulfur amino acids of N-Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC), cystine, cysteine, methionine,and taurine. They all create the same unbearableleg pain. (Marilyn has mercury poisoning andmultiple sclerosis.)

Polly: Andy Cutler is a doctor of chemistry whowrote a book on amalgam poisoning. He feelsthat those who are mercury poisoned should notbe using MSM. In his opinion, there are othermeans of removing mercury that are much lessharmful. He suggests that if you are mercurypoisoned and if you need more sulfur, then usesulfates, not MSM. This viewpoint is becomingmore widely accepted, although you will still finda few who disagree. Glucosamine sulfate,chondroitan sulfate, and mineral sulfates areoptions. Epsom salt baths (magnesium sulfate)and a magnesium sulfate skin cream may also beuseful in increasing sulfates in the body.(Dissolve 4 tablespoons of Epsom salts in 3tablespoons of warm water. Then add to 12tablespoons of coconut oil.) Be careful to startslowly with the Epsom salt baths or the cream ifyou are mercury poisoned or very low onsulfates. Some people cannot tolerate very muchat first. (See the chapters on autism, mercurypoisoning and detoxification in books 5 and 6)

AntifungalsPolly: Supplements to kill or inhibit the growthof yeast are an important part of many treatmentplans. However, you may have to try severaldifferent antifungals before you find one that issuitable for you. Different antifungals killdifferent strains of yeast. Some doctors will testyou to find out which antifungal will kill the typeof yeast in your body, and other doctors will justtry several different antifungals and see whichone helps. It is often hard to tell if an adversereaction is due to the medication itself or due tothe toxins released when the yeast die. You mustbe careful not to indiscriminately use antifungals.Your main problem may be bacteria, not yeast.

How To Lessen The Die-offReactionPolly: When yeast die, they release alcohol andother toxins. This can make you quite ill. Hereare a few things you can try that might helpminimize your reactions.

1) It is very important that you are notconstipated before killing the yeast orbacteria. Perhaps, try some magnesium orSmooth Move tea if you are constipated. Youdon’ t want the released toxins to recirculate.This would make you sicker.

(If you are severely constipated, suspect aClostridium infection. See article entitled

“ Constipation-predominant IBS” by theProbiotic Therapy Research Centrewww.probiotictherapy.com/physicians/diseases_2.html )

2) Charcoal, by soaking up the toxins may be asignificant aid to reducing die-off symptoms.

3) Yet, why suffer the brunt of all the toxinrelease if you don’ t have to? Get rid of thebulk of the yeast with mechanical meansbefore killing the remainder£try either theAttogram method or colonics. Dr. Rogerssuggests that Milk of Magnesia can get thingsmoving too.

4) Before starting antifungals, start with a lowcarbohydrate diet that stops feeding the yeast.The diet in itself may cause some die-off.After your body adjusts to the diet, start theantifungals slowly. Going slowly will allowyour body more time to handle the toxins.

5) According to Dr. Shaw, vitamin B6,glutathione, N-Acetyl-Cysteine, and lipoicacid may help protect you from some of thetoxins that are released. (If you are mercurypoisoned, please read the chapter in book 6on this condition before trying the N-acetylcysteine, lipoic acid, or glutathione.)

6) Some antifungals like Nystatin will cause theyeast to burst and empty their contents intoyou. This type of an antifungal may be more

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difficult for your body to handle than anantifungal that causes the yeast to shrivel-upinstead of burst. If you are having a hard timewith one type of antifungal, try a differentone. You may have an easier time handlingthe die-off.

7) Sometimes an adverse reaction to aprescription antifungal is due to the dyes andother fillers in the product. For those whosuspect this problem, the doctor can order IVsolutions of these antifungals, and have thepatient take the appropriate amount orally.

The Attogram ProgramPolly: Beth, Cheryl and others at the forum haveused the Attogram program and found it quitehelpful. This program was popularized by S.Colet Lahoz, RN, MS, Lac in her bookConquering Yeast Infections. (This is her websitewww.wholeapproach.com ) Colet Lahoz employsacupuncture to control the die-off symptomswhile giving a mixture of ingredients designed toclear out the bulk of the yeast in the intestines.She recommends using a mixture consisting ofbentonite clay to absorb toxins, a bulking agentlike psyllium to help scrape out the excess yeast,caprol as an antifungal agent, and L. acidophilusto help repopulate the intestines with goodbacteria. She starts her patients out on just amixture of the bentonite and psyllium, and thengradually adds the antifungal caprol (liquidcaprylic acid with olive oil) to the mixture. If youcannot tolerate the olive oil found in the caprolproduct, you may have to substitute plaincaprylic acid.

In my opinion, consider using charcoalinstead of bentonite in the Attogram program.Bentonite is a form of aluminum that issupposedly not absorbed. Yet, I really don’ t trustthis, especially for people with leaky gut andother gut issues. For instance, tartaric acid

increases the absorption of aluminum from thegut, and many people with fibromyalgia haveincreased levels of tartaric acid that wereprobably produced by intestinal bacteria. [1] Atthe very least, I feel the bentonite is not the bestchoice for long term use.

You might also consider substitutingcellulose (insoluble fiber) for the psyllium(soluble fiber). Dr. Galland feels that too muchinsoluble fiber may make leaky gut worse.(However, a little of the soluble fiber should behelpful.)

The charcoal or bentonite may interfere withthe absorption of nutrients or medicines, so takethe mixture at least an hour away from food andmedicine. You can purchase about a quart and ahalf of activated charcoal powder for anexceptionally good price from Charles Wilson.Presently, it will cost you only $10.95 (includesshipping in the USA) for one can of charcoal.The can holds about a quart and a half ofactivated charcoal. ($60 for 6 cans.)

Charles Wilson, DistributorBox 693, LeicesterN.C. 28748

Phone (828) 622-3671

The charcoal doesn’ t have a strong taste, but myhusband prefers to mask the taste by adding thecharcoal to his morning coffee. (One heapingteaspoon per day has been of definite benefit.)Use the charcoal for die-off reactions, and justabout anytime you feel out-of-sorts. It shouldhelp.

At least initially, you may find the Attogramprogram better than other options. According toa study by Lahoz, people using this mixture ofcaprol, bentonite clay, psyllium, and L.acidophilus reported better results than the peopleusing Nystatin, garlic or Diflucan. Lahoz sent out70 questionnaires to people with candidiasis, and

Antifungals 29

received back 50. She asked them questionsabout 10 different products: caprol, bentonite,psyllium, L. acidophilus, Nizoral, garlic,Monistat, Nystatin, Candida extract, andDiflucan. The questions covered initialimprovement, relapse, product effectiveness, andside effects. In the patient’ s opinion, the mosteffective treatment was a combination of caprol,bentonite, psyllium and L. acidophilus. Monistat,Nystatin and Diflucan were ranked more likely togive only short-term improvement. The productsthat were most likely to be perceived as causingno change in symptoms were the Candida extract,garlic, and Nizoral. Other products like oreganooil, Lamisil and Sporanox were not included inthe survey. The respondents also suggested thatuse of fungicides by themselves without coloncleansers should not be practiced because theycause severe die-off reactions. [2]

ColonicsPolly: Colonics can clear out the bulk of theyeast in the colon, where most of the yeastusually reside. Colonics also dislodge impacteddebris and can change the environment to onemore favorable to a new flora. In the survey ofyeast syndrome patients conducted by ColetLahoz, twelve people had tried colonics and eachperson highly recommended them. As furthertestimony to their effectiveness, several of thepeople at the forum have found that colonics givealmost immediate relief, including for some amarked lessening of brain fog. However,remember, sometimes the problem is in thesmall intestine, not the colon. Colonics shouldnot be expected to be a godsend for everyone.They may even be an irritation to the colon.However, for those who have tried colonics andhave reported the results at the forum, the usualposting is similar to the following.

Bob: Had my first colonic yesterday and mysecond one today. You would not believe howmuch yeast came out. I felt like a different personwalking out. I felt like I was coming out of acoma I have been in for years. Anyway, thecolonic along with my diet and taking theantifungal Lamisil has me with more hope than Ihave had in years. Thank you Jesus.

Polly: One person with a known problem in thesmall intestine reported that there was noimprovement at all with colonics. Another saidhe felt worse afterwards. However, he wasn’ tsure if it was due to the length of the procedureor not. There has been quite a bit of discussionabout the length of the first treatment. The fear isthat if the first colonic is not long enough, toomuch of the loosened debris will settle back intothe colon and cause a reaction.

Please be careful and ask a physician forguidance, especially if you are particularly weakor have a heart condition. If you have anyuntoward symptoms after a colonic, see a doctortoo. One person at our forum had septicemia(blood poisoning/infection) shortly after her firstcolonic. However, even given her bad firstexperience, she found that the generalimprovement in her condition prompted her tocontinue with subsequent treatments.

Some electrolytes will be lost with a colonic,so make sure you have enough salt, potassiumand magnesium in your body before attemptingone. The increased fluids may be a problem for abad heart. Colonics will also disturb the existingflora; one should ask about an implant ofprobiotics to help rebuild the proper gut floraafter each treatment. Please make sure a certifiedprofessional helps you with this procedure. If youwish to try it, make sure they have a machine thatuses disposable parts. Also the machine shouldbe Okayed by the Board of Health. If the idea ofa colonic doesn’ t set well with you, look into

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herbs that help clean the intestines. Get a brandthat has been tested for impurities.

Natural or PrescriptionAntifungals?Michael: Hi Bill. To answer your questionregarding whether or not to use herbal orprescription antifungals ...I haven’ t had muchluck with the herbal antifungals. I think a lot ofthem make claims that aren’ t true and just end updraining a sick person’ s wallet with little or noresults. That’ s just my opinion of course. Thereare a few herbal antifungals that I do believehave merit.

Ideally, a person suffering from candidashould have himself/herself tested forfood/supplement allergies via Electro DermalScreening (a.k.a. Vega Testing). This method hasproven to be 80% accurate, and takes much of theguesswork out of the getting well process.Usually you can be tested for at least 100 foodsplus all of your supplements in one sitting.

Don’ t spend your money on expensive garlicpills £swallow 2 cloves per day raw (diced) with2 glasses of water. Be aware of how you arefeeling on garlic though as some people reportfeeling worse on it. Try to find liquid caprylicacid if you can and mix it in with some psylliumand water. Also, colloidal silver does work forsome. I make my own, and I do believe it hashelped somewhat.

If you try a combination/rotation of theseantifungals, along with the diet and probiotics,and along with the recommendations that Susanand I made to Ken you should definitely seesome positive results. If you don’ t, I would try atleast a 3-month course of Lamisil or Diflucan. Ifound Lamisil to be the most effective.

Be aware that prescription antifungals cancause some pretty wicked die-off. I was bed-ridden for 5 weeks after starting Lamisil. I had

dead yeast cells coming out of every orifice inmy body. I was crawling on my hands and kneesto get to the washroom. I literally thought I wasgoing to die. Don’ t let that scare you though, Ihad a rather severe case, and the light at the endof that tunnel was well worth it.

I noticed you mentioned pain pills in anotherpost. I suspect they are NSAIDs (non-steroidanti-inflammatory). NSAIDs can also damage thegut and intestinal flora. If you are taking theseyou will be making your candida condition muchworse and you will not get better. Take Feverfewfor pain, and use a little Kava as an anti-inflammatory. If you have arthritic type pain takeglucosamine or MSM.

Mrs. Generic: We should not take syntheticantifungals because they are hard on the liver.Natural antifungals are much safer.

Michael: Hi All, I would like to get my thoughtsin on the topic of natural vs synthetic antifungals.I do think that the natural antifungals (the onesthat actually show some activity against candida)have a place in this illness. I think they should bethe first line treatment in very mild cases. Thenatural antifungals that seem to work are garlic,caprylic acid, and Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE),with GSE being the most potent of the three (ifyou are able to tolerate it).

The buyer must be aware though. Candida isslowly becoming a profitable business forvitamin companies. Some products contain solittle of the active herb that they won’ t do a thing.Crook’ s book mentions that

“candida strains were shown to be activelygrowing in Pau d’Arco tea—yet people still buyit.” This proves the power of anecdotal evidence.

I think it’ s ridiculous however for someonesuffering severely from a systemic case with allthe signs and symptoms (gas, bloating, diarrhea,

Antifungals 31

depression, insomnia, severe fatigue, thrush,vaginal, fog, prostate, allergies, etc.), to not takeadvantage of the known and proven candidakillers such as Lamisil, Diflucan, Sporanox andNystatin.

I would be dead right now if it wasn’ t forLamisil! I was at one point going to bed eachnight convinced that I wouldn’ t make it throughthe night. I’ m only 30 years old. I was so brain-fogged and literally staggering drunk from thecandida toxins that I couldn’ t even put a Willtogether! I had to crawl on my hands and kneesto get to the washroom. I was like that for fiveyears.

I’ m providing this information so that others’will understand that when we say we have“ candida” , they will know that there are varyingdegrees of this illness. One person may simplyhave a rash, and the other is on a life supportsystem in an infectious disease unit with 10 whitecoats standing over him/her scratching theirheads.

Thanks to rotating with Lamisil, Diflucan &Sporanox, plus diet and supplements, I am 75%back to good health in one year. I’ m left withonly Leaky Gut Syndrome (LGS), and foodallergies to battle. Without the use of a systemicantifungal, it would take years for a systemiccase to show even mild improvement. To quotedoc Darren’ s paper:

“Natural antifungal products are far too weak tohave any significant effect or else they would beused in cases of severe mycosis.”

I think people giving advice to others like “ don’ ttake synthetic antifungals,” and “ synthetics arehard on the liver,” should stop and consider whatthey are saying before they push that post button.That sort of advice could make the differencebetween someone whom is severely ill, gettingtheir health back or dying of “ unknown causes.”A short-term strain on the liver from Lamisil or

Diflucan is no match for a lifetime ofacetaldehyde, ammonia, and the 70 or so othertoxins that candida strains generate.

I hope my post will encourage those who aresuffering from a severe candida infection to seekAGGRESSIVE treatment for their situation.

Alana: I agree 100%. Prescription antifungals arewhat kicked my candida overgrowth; the naturalswere NOT strong enough. Thanks for posting thisinformation.

Susan in Olympia: You Go Michael! I agreewith you, and don’ t you think that detoxificationshould be an important part of treatment too?You got to get those dead and living critters outsometime!

Jane: Hi, Michael, I agree that the stronger drugshelp more. But for me, I could be taking Diflucanall the rest of my life...I have been ill (withoutknowing it) for 35 years or more. The spam hitthe fan following an antibiotic in 1997. I tookDiflucan for four months. It helped some things,not all. I had to stop it for an amino acids test.Once off the Diflucan, the symptoms trickledback despite the “ natural” stuff I’ m taking. MyPMS is horrible again. I did not go back onbecause tho’ liver tests were in range, I washaving symptoms associated with an overtaxedliver, and am dealing with mercury, whichfurther taxes the liver.

I would consider the medication route againas soon as my “ toxic liver“ situation is better andI have addressed my sulfur intolerance. But I alsohave this FEAR underneath, that my strains willbecome resistant to the stronger drugs and thenwhat will I do? Or that I will have to take thestrong drugs for the rest of my life. Or that untilthe mercury is mostly out of my system (whichcould take years) the strains of bacteria/yeast I

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have cannot be eradicated. It is so complicated inmy case. I wish it were simpler.

I see nothing wrong with going theprescription drug route if you can, and only wishI could! The people cured all seem to have gonethat route, at the very least having had Nystatin.Others had Diflucan, Sporonox and/or Lamisil.Why mess around with natural stuff if it is like“ peeing on a burning building” ?

Michael: Hi Jane, You’ ve been ill for 35 yearsand you’ re worried about resistant strains? Thisdoesn’ t make sense to me. Have you triedNystatin or Lamisil or rotating any combination?Are you on the diet and avoiding allergic foods?Are you supplementing with a good probiotic?Are you taking any fiber, and doing any coloncleansing? Please don’ t settle for your currentlevel of (poor) health. Candida must be dealt withaggressively.

Phyllis: Hi Michael, I was on Diflucan for sixweeks about one year ago. I did significantlyimprove; however, I still have candida. I also hada systemic case. I was on antibiotics for 3 1/2years. I too have leaky gut syndrome. Do youlive in New York? If so, what doctor did yousee? I am presently just taking naturalantifungals. I absolutely agree with you on theantifungal drugs. My candida was so bad andentrenched in my tissues that my doctor said Ineeded the Diflucan. I hope you continue to dowell!

Michael: Hi Phyllis, I’ m not from New York orthe USA for that matter. I’ m from Toronto,Canada. I’ ve seen many doctors since I becameill (over 400 appointments). Not one of thosedoctors was able to diagnose me or help at all forthat matter. I hold no faith in doctors whatsoever.

Glad to hear the Diflucan helped you. Do youhave LGS (leaky gut syndrome) as well? Are you

avoiding foods that cause reactions? Are youtaking a good probiotic? Are you doing coloncleansing along with fiber therapy? Are youtaking digestive enzymes and HCL with yourmeals? I really believe that candida has to bedealt with aggressively in order to be controlled.

Phyllis: Dear Michael, I do have LGS, I takehydrozyme and gastozyme from BioticsResearch. I also take supplements to heal the gut.I do believe that I still have candida; however,not as bad. Take care Michael and thanks again.

Amy in IL: As a synthetic antifungal user forover a year, I am cured! I stopped Diflucan onmy own, and no problems to mention. Still takingNystatin, but not often enough. My diet isn’ tlaced with sugar, but it isn’ t very strict either. Iam healthier than I’ ve been in years. One thing Ineed to mention, though, is that I didn’ t startmaking big progress until I stopped the negativethought patterns and changed to positive. Andyes, I am a Christian, and my friend Jesus hasbeen at my side guiding me. I run circles aroundmy former self. I am probably underweight, butwho cares! My digestive system works and evenmakes digestive noises again! No constipation,no brain fog! Gone, I say, all gone.... Myhusband and four children are extremely happy tohave me back; and most of all, I love myselfagain...

I don’ t think I’ d be alive right now if I hadn’ tfound my doctor last year and started prescriptionantifungals. My doctor’ s theory is thatNaturopathic Doctors (ND) cannot prescribeprescriptions medications, so therefore theyprescribe other treatments. Although he feelsthey are truly trying to be helpful, heunfortunately ends up getting patients who havebeen there and done that, such as me. Michael,you are brave for speaking your mind, and I

Antifungals 33

respect that...Take care and good luck to you inyour cure.

Michael: Hi Amy, Thank you for your kindwords. I wish you all the best.

Dyl: Well, after reading all of your posts, I dideven more research into your drug suggestions. (Iam very open-minded and truly enjoy learning).I must say, though, that after finding thefollowing quotes on the Internet, my opinion hasnot changed.

“My experience (with Lamisil) resulted in:insane skin itching of the head, ear, legs, arms,chest, back, underarms, anus and genital areas.”

“I have also suffered from liver hepatitis as aresult of this drug (Lamisil).”

“A good friend of mine has definitely beenaffected by taking Diflucan. She was diagnosedwith anti-immune hepatitis after taking thismedicine and has been suffering for months withvarious symptoms...”

Not to mention the nausea, hair loss, kidneyproblems, and on and on£signals from yourbody that it is trying to get rid of these toxicsubstances. (Remember that a lot of the positive,technical information that is circulating aboutcertain drugs is published by the drug companiesthemselves).

Please know that I honestly wish you all thebest of luck. I am certainly not trying to push mybeliefs on others. I only want to shed light onsome alternative ideas in case people findthemselves (still) suffering long after taking theprescriptions. Maybe then, they will rememberme and try a different route. I only visit this siteto help, not offend.

Alana: Dyl, I can only comment on my specificcase. My purpose is not to be confrontational, but

to give the other side of the argument aboutprescription antifungals. The natural onessometimes are NOT strong enough to kill theyeast if it’ s too far spread. In some cases,prescription antifungals are necessary. It needs tobe evaluated individually, and according to ones’wishes/ goals/availability/insurance etc. I knowthat it was the prescription antifungal (Diflucan)that ultimately killed my candida overgrowth (inthe lower throat).

Yes, I have made dietary changes, andincreased my activity. But those factors, and thenatural antifungals did not get rid of the plaquesin my lower throat. Diflucan did. Just wanted togive my opinion on prescription medicines. Theyare not for everyone, but some of us needed themin our quest to get better. It got me over thehump, and now I can continue to heal naturally.It would have been great not to use them, butthey were a necessary part of my treatment.

I’ m not sure if any of us can call ourselvescured. That’ s not the point! The point thatMichael, and a lot of others agree upon (as youcan see from the responses), is that prescriptionantifungals are ONE part of a treatment plan. Iagree totally, that diet and other life changes aredrastically important. But others have benefitedtoo from the medicines. I think Michael’ s postwas to try to give the other side of the story.

Polly: One of my doctors doesn’ t like to use theprescription antifungals because his patients getwell, and then later come back with the sameproblem. For some patients he seems to have agood point. If people don’ t take the diet seriouslybecause they think all that is needed is aprescription, then they will get themselves intotrouble. Each time they come back they will havemore resistant strains. However, if the patient isalready on the diet, and is not making significantprogress, it would be very sad if a doctor didn’ t

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do the appropriate tests and give the appropriateantifungals.

There has to be some judgement used by thepatient and doctor. Prescription antifungals havesome drawbacks. If they damage the liver, this ishard on your immune system, reduces yourenzyme production, interferes with hormones,and reduces your ability to detoxify. On the otherhand, the yeast produce all those toxins which arehard on your liver, your immune system, yourhormonal system, and they interfere with theabsorption of your nutrition. It is a trade-off.

One can’ t just assume that antifungals arealways the correct treatment for symptoms ofdysbiosis. If there is an overgrowth of a bacterialike Clostridia, then antifungals may make thingsworse. This makes it difficult to know if a poorreaction to antifungals is due to intolerance, die-off, or a worsening of the situation.

Of the prescription antifungals, Nizoral is oneof the hardest on the liver, and is rarely usedanymore. Lamisil, Diflucan, and Sporanox aretolerated by most. However, a couple of peopleon the forum noticed neurological problems withDiflucan, and one person found that she neededmore and more T4 thyroid hormone to keep herTSH stable while on Diflucan. Always be on thealert for unusual reactions with any of thesedrugs.

Nystatin stays in the intestines, and so issupposedly the safest. Yet Nystatin only treatsthe surface of the intestines (take it in-betweenmeals). I heard of one person who claimedNystatin made him much worse, but that heimproved on GSE (grapefruit seed extract) whichtreats the whole intestine. Yet the ammoniumcompounds in GSE products or perhaps thebioflavonoids might make the product intolerablefor some people. Please be aware, that theeffectiveness of these different antifungalsdepends on the type of yeast or fungus present. Ifone doesn’ t work, try another, and/or get tested.

It might be a good idea to use either garlic orTaheebo on a regular basis even if these don’ tseem to help you. These are known to help keepthe bloodstream clear. A supplement of iodine, ifyou are low on it, will also help keep thebloodstream clear. I found Kyolic garlic helpfulbut not another brand that I tried. Kyolic garlichas a good reputation.

Michael, your list of effective naturalantifungals left out Oil of Oregano, which ispretty broad spectrum and should be among thefirst products to try. Other antifungals areTanabilt, Biocidin, Uva Ursi, Kolorex™ andcolloidal silver. Many of these also haveantibacterial properties. Other options aren’ tdirect antifungals, but they will help the immunesystem get rid of the fungus. These are transferfactor, Pau d’ Arco, olive leaf extract and CatsClaw. (Look for herbs from companies that havea good reputation. Or better yet, find brands thathave been tested for active components andclinical effectiveness. eg. Saventaro brand ofCats Claw.)

Unfortunately, there is a wide variation inquality with many products. Also, it depends onthe person and their particular problem as towhich will be the most effective. Adversereactions need to be viewed from a biggerperspective than just “ allergic,“ too. For example,grapefruit seed extract is a bioflavonoid and caninterfere with the liver‘s detoxification function.Even though it is considered a “ natural”antifungal, it can do harm to the liver.

Another big problem is that the dosagerecommendations on the bottles are often off. Ifa product is expensive, like shark cartilage orprobiotics, the quantity recommended on thebottle will often be too low. Have you evernoticed that almost everything in a health foodstore is priced under $20? People aren’ t willingto try anything more expensive. If you tell them

Antifungals 35

the truth, and that their $20 is only going to be afew days supply, they won’ t purchase it.

Michael, I disagree with Dr. Crook’ scomment about Pau D’ Arco. As you point out, itdoes not kill fungus directly. However, it doeshave an action on the immune system. I found ithelpful, but its effectiveness depended on thebrand. Wisdom of the Ancients has a goodreputation for their La Pacho (also known as PauD’ Arco or Taheebo). They carry two kinds. Thered is milder than their purple. Phone (602) 921-1978. Several people at the forum say they hatethe taste of the tea, yet it doesn’ t bother me. Thelapachol in Pau D’ Arco is a vitamin Kantagonist, so be careful if you are also using ablood-thinning drug like Coumadin. [3]

Beth: I make ‘coffee’ by boiling Pau D’ Arcopowder (my health food store sells it ground up)and adding cinnamon. It’ s really good especiallyif you like black coffee. The trick: boil for 5minutes like the Nutritional Healing book says,then remove from heat, let stuff settle to bottom,and carefully pour the drink to not stir up thebottom. Then add cinnamon. I think I created thisbut maybe everyone already does this. Try it ifyou haven’ t. If you like coffee, it’ s a lot likecoffee without a real bitter taste. I just wonderhow often we could drink this without over-doingit! Every day seem okay?

Polly: I read about a person who accredited PauD’ Arco with her recovery from candidiasis. Shewas sipping it all day long.

Linda in Virginia: I rotate only naturalantifungals. I am avoiding the pharmaceuticalsbecause my liver is weak. I am trying tostrengthen it with herbs, lipotropics, etc. I havefood and chemical sensitivities too. I rotate myfoods on a four-day rotation schedule so I dolikewise with my antifungals. If my antifungals

are part of a food family I use them on the day Ieat from that family. For instance, I use caprylicacid on the day I use coconut oil for cookingsince they are both derived from coconuts. I useoregano oil on the day I use any spices from thatfamily; same for garlic. Right now I am usingcaprylic acid, garlic, oregano and tannalbit. Ihave also used undecylenic acid, pau d’ arcocapsules, grapefruit seed extract. I change aroundoccasionally to avoid building an intolerance. Ifind even with rotating foods I still build anintolerance to them so I assume I will do thesame with antifungals. I have read that onecannot build an intolerance to dioxychlor(oxygen therapy). I use that sometimes alongwith the antifungals. I find it to be very strong(lots of die-off). It also destroys the good bacteriaso probiotics have to be taken at least two hoursaway from the dioxychlor.

Sara: Five weeks ago I started an anti-yeastprogram given to me by my acupuncturist. He isalso a bio-chemist and he is very respectedaround here. He is having me DRINK aQUARTER CUP a DAY of “ phenolated iodine.”It’ s a special kind of iodine which he says willNOT penetrate or affect your thyroid in any way,but WILL kill every yeast and fungus in yourbody. He helped develop this “ phenolatediodine” idea, and he says it works much betterthan Diflucan. He is also having me takeTWELVE caps of Candimyacin a day, which isa very high dose of a supplement by PhytoPharmica which includes Oil of Oregano, ThymeOil, Peppermint Oil, and Goldenseal. He saysthese two things will blast the yeast out of yourbody— no questions asked. After five weeks, Ihave NO MORE sinus or ear congestion. It iscompletely gone. My sinuses feel more clear thanthey ever have in my life. I also have NO MOREurinary pain, it is gone. I do have urinaryfrequency though, and all my other symptoms.

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Polly: Hi Sara. The phenolated iodine is veryinteresting. Is there some place where I couldlearn more about it? Glad it is helping you.

Sara: It is manufactured in a solution calledDAG— not sure what that stands for. It wasoriginally made for gargling and topical use. I’ mnot sure if anyone else besides my doctor’ spatients is actually DRINKING it!

Shari in Chicago: About the phenolated iodine,Sara. I would be concerned about the phenolcomponent of that product. I had allergy shotscontaining a phenol preservative before I got sickand I think it really sent me downhill. So that’ swhy I bring this up to you. I don’ t mean to soundlike a doomsayer (nearly every treatment hasrisks), it’ s just something to consider.

Polly: Like Shari, I do worry a bit about anycompound with phenols in it. Phenols suppressthe detoxifying systems of the body. Also, someof the autistic and mercury poisoned people havea particularly hard time removing phenols. Yet,if your liver and thyroid are healthy, perhaps itwon’ t be much of a problem.

Here is one place to purchase the DAG,www.healingedge.net phone (888) 421-9355.The DAG contains phenolated iodine in an Irishmoss extract with organic borates. The otherproduct that you mentioned is sold at manydifferent Internet sites. Here is one place to findCandimyacin, www.phillypharmacy.com orphone 800-830-1028. Candimyacin supplementcontains oil extracts of oregano, thyme andpeppermint with a standardized extract ofgoldenseal root.

Kathleen: Lamisil warning! A complete bloodcount (CBC) after six weeks of Lamisil therapyrevealed that I am severely leukopenic. My whiteblood cell count (WBC) is 1.9. This is dangerous.

Under precautions for Lamisil in the Physician’ sDesk Reference (PDR) is the possibility of severeleukopenia. If you have been on Lamisil for awhile, please consider getting a complete bloodcount.

Susan L: I just got back from a liver specialist inDallas. I couldn’ t believe what he said. In highenough doses, Nystatin can and will irritate theliver. The worst are the azoles and Lamisil thenthe next group is Nystatin. The least liverannoying is amphotericin B oral (remember oralnot iv). It is the least liver toxic of all theprescription antifungals. (The azoles areketoconazole, fluconazole, and itraconazole.These are also known as Nizoral, Diflucan, andSporanox.)

Later— Polly: Nick posted a reference that saidGrapefruit Seed Extract (GSE) does not appear tohave anti-microbial properties. It is actually thepreservatives in the GSE products that have theanti-microbial properties. Preservative-free GSEdid not kill the bacteria and yeast which wereexamined in this testing. [4] Yet, if you go to theCitricidel/Nutribiotic website, they claim the testsin Germany and Japan were false positive. Thecompany regularly tests for contaminents likethis using US labs and cannot find thesubstances. They use organic grapefruit andcarefully control their product. See this article:http://nutriteam.com/gse.htm#thrush

Most people are familiar with grapefruitseed’ s ability to kill protozoa and yeast.However, the Citricidel website points to invitroevidence that GSE also kills off viruses likemeasles, Herpes Simplex Virsus-1, influenza Avirus, and some animal viruses. They also givetestimonials from people who use GSE topicallyto get rid of warts. [5]

Antifungals 37

Transfer Factor, Th1 And Th2Polly: If at all possible, you want to get the yeastunder control with things that simulate theimmune system without damaging the liver. Suchan agent is the specific transfer factor that HughFudenberg, MD is working with. Transfer factor“ educates” the immune system to express its Th1(T-cell Helper type 1) response. The Th1 immuneresponse is needed to control viruses, protozoa,and fungus.

Transfer factor is a component of mother’ sfirst milk (colostrum) that provides immunesystem messenger molecules. If a transfer factoris “ specific,” that means it contains immunecomponents specific to a particular pathogen. Forexample, if you have a particular strain of yeastovergrowth, a specific transfer factor productcould be made that targets that strain of yeast.However, I don’ t know of any products thattarget different strains of yeast that are availableto the public at this time.

There are only a few companies producingtransfer factor at this time. Maureen posted thatshe had good luck with the ProHealth 4Lifebrand. 4Life is a multi-level-marketing company,website www.4-life.com The 4Life companyeven makes a gel for use on the skin. Here isanother company that sells transfer factor,www.immunesupport.com phone 1-800-366-6056. In order to get a good effect when using ageneral transfer factor, a lot must be used. (Thiscan get expensive.) Kenneth A. Bock, MD,prescribes 3 tablets, taken three times per day (atotal of 9 tablets), of 200 mg for his autisticpatients. Results are seen after a few months.

For those who have hepatitis, AIDS orchronic fatigue, take a look at the specializedtransfer factors available from the Natural HealthConsultants. Phone 888-852-4993 and websitewww.naturalhealthconsult.com/Monographs/immunfactor.html

Shelley, since you are using the drugKutapressin, you might find this articleinteresting,

http://virtualhometown.com/dfwcfids/medical/cavalry.html

It is about Dr. Cheney‘s work with CFIDS. Thearticle talks about Kutapressin and Isoprinosine(Imunovar) helping the body to kill viruses and atthe same time shifting the immune system awayfrom the Th2 side towards the Th1 side. (HighTh2 contributes to allergies; low Th1 contributesto yeast overgrowth.) Other products were listedthat shift the immune system this way. These are

Pine Cone extract,carried byVibrant Health, phone (800) 242-1835http://members.aol.com/GreenVib/black.html

Heparin (prescription)This laboratory does the appropriate testing andhas several articles on Heparin. www.hemex.com

formula 560 transfer factor,carried by www.immunitytoday.com phone888-217-2200..

Undenatured whey may be important for somepeople since glutathione depletion moves theimmune system from the Th1 side to the Th2side. [6] (However, don’ t use whey or cysteine ifyou are copper poisoned. Also, sometimescysteine will increase yeast growth. It should beused with caution if you are mercury poisoned. Idon’ t like the idea of using the cheap wheyproducts that are not undenatured.)

Mycology Research Laboratories Ltd sells amushroom to professionals called Coriolus orYun-Zhi that shifts the immune system backfrom the Th2 to the Th1 side. Websitehttp://mycologyresearch.com . An article by thiscompany mentions that Th1 function is lowered

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by excessive exercise, deprivation of sleep orfood, and/or exposure to carbamate andorganophosphate insecticides.

Shelley: Polly, yes, I haven’ t looked at thisspecifically, but I know of his research on this. Itis very exciting. I took Kutapressin for about ayear and a half. It got me out of the sore throatall-the-time thing I think. Now, because ofCheney’ s Th1 shifters research, I am trying 4LifeTransfer Factor. Boy does it make me feelterrible! Patients of Cheney say that this reactionis good. It is the best way to know that it will hita “ home run” ...Dr. Cheney’ s advice is that if itaffects you that strongly, then take the transferfactor once a week all day, and then try to buildup the use to 2 times a week etc. So, these days I“ make myself sick” on Mondays!

Polly: That is very interesting about yourreaction to the ProHealth’ s 4Life transfer factor.I tried the same brand and didn’ t notice a thingwith it. Yet that could have been just due to thefact that I was fairly healthy when I tried it. Thisarticle is an interview with the president ofChisolm Biological Laboratory. In response to aquestion about people feeling worse on thetransfer factor, he said,

“ One feels worse because the immune systemrecognizes these antigens and successfullyaddresses them. These dead and dying antigensare in the blood stream, which causes one to feelbadly. However, taking a macrophage activatingproduct, like Beta glucan, can circumvent thisresponse quite a bit.”

www.immunesupport.com/library/showarticle.cfm?ID=2996

He suggests using about 1 to 2 grams daily ofbeta glucan. After you have been on the transferfactor for a month, you might be able to stop it

for a while. Then three months later, use it for 5days. This is how long the immune systemremembers it. Their company also makes aproduct that is specific for Epstein Barr Virus andHHV-6A called ProHealth’ s ImmuneTransferC.Their competitor makes transfer factor 560 tocombat these same viruses, but they use adifferent process to create the transfer factor. Atthis point in time, they have no data to indicatewhich of these products is the most effective.

A note of caution about plant sterols andsterolins: Beta-sitosterol, the main plant sterol,can shift the immune system from Th2 towardsTh1. For this reason, it has shown some promisein the treatment of HIV infected individuals. [7]These plant sterols/fats are being advertised ashealth promoting. In small quantities, theyprobably are. However, there must be a betteranswer. Beta-sitosterol is considered aphytoestrogen/hormone disrupter. It has beenshown to alter the reproductive systems of rabbitsand fish. [8]

Antifungals And ClostridiumPolly: Clostridia is a harmful bacterial resident ofthe intestines. It is resistant to most antibioticsand so it can take over the intestinal environmentafter treatment with antibiotics. Apparently it canbe a problem after antifungal therapy too.

Most of us are well aware that takingantibiotics can set us up for a fungal infection. Sowe are careful to take an antifungal and/orprobiotics when taking antibiotics. However,how many of us have considered that taking anantifungal could lead to an overgrowth of thewrong bacteria? I’ m presently listening to somelecture tapes from the DAN! 2000 Conference onautism, and on one of these tapes, an unidentifieddoctor mentions that one must treat Clostridiabacteria overgrowth at the same time thatantifungals are given. It sounds to me like the

Antifungals 39

yeast can keep the growth of Clostridia down,and when you eliminate the yeast with anantifungal, then the Clostridia has a field day.

When asked how to treat Clostridia, thisdoctor replied that you use either Flagyl(metronidazole), which is a strong antibiotic, ora yeast called Saccharomyces boulardii, which isconsidered a probiotic. I’ ve read that Clostridiumcan also be killed by the antibiotics vancomycin,rifampicin, teicoplanin or bacitracin. (Watch outfor strains of Clostridia that are resistant to theseantibiotics.) Bifidus secretes an enzyme that killsClostridia and thus increasing the presence ofBifidus bacteria would be desirable. [9] Biocidinis an herbal product that will kill Clostridium too.www.biobotanicalresearch.com Phone number800-775-4140.

MM: Yes, this was my experience after theantifungals too. I never took the prescribedFlagyl, but took mega doses of probiotics.Sounds like I should do a follow-up urine test tosee whether I’ ve taken care of the Clostridium.

Mary in Pennsylvania: Polly, I can personallytestify to that occurring. While being treated forsmall bowel bacteria overgrowth withFlagyl/Tinidazole, I constantly took probioticsand Nystatin. I still had a candida overgrowthand addressed it after all the antibiotics werediscontinued but months later I felt more fatiguethen I had felt all my life. After a dysbiosis panelwas done, it was determined that indeed all thesmall bowel bacteria overgrowth and fungal weregone but now I had a whopping overgrowth ofClostridia. (My panel showed a reading of 100when less than 0.7 is the reference.) I tookvancomycin with Harry’ s Custom Probiotics andcompletely eradicated the Clostridia (confirmedby urine dysbiosis panel). Only ONE of thefungus compounds went high again, even thoughI had taken an antifungal with the antibiotic

therapy. Now I’ m just using Amphotericin B(liquid suspension) with Harry’ s CustomProbiotics. So hopefully I’ ll get everything incheck after this, but it’ s a long steady process thatyou have to monitor closely and change yourstrategy as needed.

Avandish: Hi Polly, There have been studies ofClostridium difficile in the elderly in whichbifidobacteria taken at doses of about 20 billionor more kept this bacteria in check. It even waseffective in patients that no other treatment hadhelped. I have also read that L. acidophilus hassome of the same potential against this particularstrain. It is hard to tell up from down these days.

Mary G: Polly, Dr. Cranton suggests that it isnot advisable to take antibiotics and antifungalssimultaneously because doing so could promotethe growth of resistant fungal organisms againstwhich no therapy would be effective. He suggeststhat if antibiotic therapy is necessary, it isadvisable to subsequently resume the anti-yeastprogram for a month or more, but only afterantibiotics are discontinued. I wonder if this alsoapplies to herbals which are both antibiotic andantifungal (like grapefruit seed extract andgarlic)? Doc Darren suggests that this might alsobe a problem.

Sally: Dr. Rogers recommends discontinuingantifungals if it is necessary to take an antibiotic.She believes the combination can foster thegrowth of Candida tropicalis. Probiotics shouldbe continued throughout.

MM: Also, don’ t ignore the fact that the scriptantifungal drugs have ANTIBIOTIC properties.This is cited in my Merck Manual; they also saythat because of cost, few choose to useantifungals for their antibiotic properties. Maybethe yeasts are NOT keeping the Clostridium at

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bay, but instead, the antifungals kill off enoughGOOD flora to allow the Clostridium to takeover.

Polly: Good point. It certainly seems to be aconstant battleground for supremacy in theintestines. Perhaps we really need to be lookinginto probiotics more. By the way, N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC), helps protect one from theClostridium toxins. [10] However, if you aremercury poisoned, or if you are hypothyroid, youmust be particularly careful with how much NACthat you use. If you are hyperthyroid, you shouldbe watchful too.

references1. Desroches S, Dayde S, Berthon G., “ Aluminum

speciation studies in biological fluids. Part 6.Quantitative investigation of aluminum (III)-tartratecomplex equilibria and their potential implications foraluminum metabolism and toxicity.” J Inorg Biochem.2000 Oct 1;81(4):301-12.

2. Lahoz, S. Colet, MS, RN, Lac “ Candidiasis: An InitialIndication of A Positive Treatment Approach,”Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, July 1995,page 68-70

3. Dinnen RD, Ebisuzaki. “ The search for novelanticancer agents; a differentiation-based assay andanalysis of a folklore product.” Anticancer Research1997; 17:1027-34.

4. von Woedtke T, Schluter B, Pflegel P, Lindequist U,Julich WD “ Aspects of the antimicrobial efficacy ofgrapefruit seed extract and its relation to preservative

substances contained.” Pharmazie 1999Jun;54(6):452-6

5. Nutribiotics/Citricidel, “ Grapefruit Extract StopsBacteria, Fungi, Candida Yeast, Parasites, and More”http://nutriteam.com/gse.htm#thrush Themanufacturer’ s website is www.nutribiotic.com

6. Peterson JD, Herzenberg LA, Vasquez K,Waltenbaugh C., “ Glutathione levels in antigen-presenting cells modulate Th1 versus Th2 responsepatterns.” Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1998 Mar17;95(6):3071-6. PMID: 9501217

7. Patrick J.D. Bouic, PhD and Johan H. Lamprecht, MD,“ Plant Sterols and Sterolins: A Review of TheirImmune-Modulating Properties,” Altern Med Rev1999;4(3):170-177

8. Deborah L. MacLatchy and S.A. Ghannudi and others,“ Adverse Effects of Phytoestrogens III. The Effect ofBeta-sitosterol on the Ovarian Structures of ImmatureRabbits,” The Libyan Journal of Science Vol. 9a(1979), pgs. 1-12. And Glen J. Van Der Kraak, “ ThePhytoestrogen Beta-Sitosterol Alters the ReproductiveEndocrine Status of Goldfish,” Toxicology andApplied Pharmacology Vol. 134 (1995), pgs. 305-312(see this article http://db.rtk.net/E11783T815)

9. Wang, X. & Gibson, G.R., “ Effects of the in vitrofermentation of oligofructose and inulin by bacteriagrowing in the human large intestine.” J. Appl.Bacteriol. 1993;373- 380.

10. Ehrich, M., “ Biochemical and Pathological effects ofClostridium difficile toxins in mice,” Toxicon.,20(6):983-989,1982, as mentioned in EricBraverman’ s book on amino acids.

ParasitesKayc: I read Louise Gittleman’ s books onparasites as well as a website by a NaturopathicDoctor (ND). Both state that one cannot treatyeast and expect results without also, or first(?)treating parasites. Anyone had any experiencewith this?

Pearl: Hi. Yes, I think that you have to deal withthe parasites. My husband and I both took theGreat Smokies Lab Comprehensive Stool Testand discovered that we both had parasites(different ones) and candida.

We both treated the parasites and then thecandida. He is completely well now (we bothfollowed the diet, did anti-parasites£natural andantibiotic£took supplements, antifungals, andprobiotics). The antifungals we have used havebeen both the drug and the natural ones.

I am still working on it because I have had amuch worse case of candida. I am 100 timesbetter now than I was a year ago. I think that it isessential to work with a doctor who specializes incandidiasis, also.

Kayc: Hi Pearl, thank you for responding. MayI ask you how you even thought to be tested forparasites? What were you signs and symptoms?Had you traveled? Did you drink water from astream? I haven’ t done any of these things and

wonder if it is worth the expense. I did just emailthe lab you suggested to ask about cost,turnaround time. thanks.

Pearl: Hi, Kayc. The symptoms of parasites arevery similar to the ones for candida. I amfortunate to have found a doctor who specializesin Chronic Fatigue, candida and parasites, etc. Heis the one who ordered the test to find out exactlywhat was going on in my intestinal tract. I thinkbeing tested is well worth the money, because ifyou do not know what is there, how can you treatit?

Even having said that, the test came backindicating that I had Blastocystis hominis(parasites) and no candida. This does not meanthat it was necessarily a false negative forcandida, it meant that either the candida was inmy small intestine or the yeast were firmlyattached to the intestinal walls and not beingpurged enough from the walls to register on thetest. My physician used his 20 years ofexperience and felt that in addition to havingparasites, I also had candida. And, he wasabsolutely correct. So, I think that testing andhaving a very experienced physician is a goodthing to have.

I got the parasites either from travelling toMexico or from the water system in San

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Francisco. It turns out that the water in SanFrancisco has a high Blastocystis hominis count.They first found out about this when SanFrancisco AIDS patients had problems with thisparasite. When they studied the local water theyfound that it was the source of the problem. So,parasites can come from some surprising sources.

Mrs. Generic: Where do you get parasites?

Dyl: You probably have parasites if you’ ve evereaten in a restaurant. Especially if you eat sushi,raw clams, meat, etc. There are many ways to getthem.

Polly: You can get parasites from eating freshfruits and vegetables too. You can get parasiteson your hands from handling a pet, or handlingjust about any object. You can get parasites frominsects, drinking water, food, air, soil, and otherpeople. Even skin contact, like swimming in alake, might give you a parasite. In that sense, it isjust like catching a cold. Parasites areeverywhere. If you have good hygiene, goodstomach acid levels, and a good immune system,then you are less likely to get infected. However,chances are, you have some parasites. (In EarlMindell’ s book on MSM he says that 85% of theAmerican population is hosting at least oneparasite, page 33.) Whether or not you haveenough to cause problems is another story. Thatis why it is a good idea to do a parasite cleanseevery so often. Traditionally, people do themevery spring.

If you get tested, then this may help you findwhich agents are more effective at killing theparasites that you have. However, stool testingcan easily miss something like Giardia, whichnormally resides in the upper portion of thedigestive tract and in the bile ducts, and tends tocause diarrhea. To detect Giardia, you need anenzyme immunoassay for it. Giardia is pretty

common in those with dysbiosis. (MSM helps getrid of parasites, Giardia in particular. [1] Giardiais also killed by monolaurin, which your bodycreates from the lauric acid in coconut oil.Giardia is also killed by the herb Goldenseal.) Itis very difficult to find most parasites. Pickinglabs that specialize in parasites will enhance thechances of detection. The Great Smokies Lab isone such institution. www.gsdl.com phone (800)522-4762 This website has a good article onparasites by Andreas Marx, O.MD.www.explorepub.com/articles/gastro-intes.htmlIt is from their Explore Issue: Volume 7,Number 4.

Mary G: Doesn’ t cooking kill the parasites?

Polly: Cooking kills parasites. Freezing yourfood for two weeks kills them too. The bestdefense is general hygiene and good stomachacid. Then add a periodic parasite cleanse. If youaren’ t particularly ill, I wouldn’ t worry about itmore than that.

PGB: I have had insomnia all my adult life. I am57. It has gotten to the point now that I can’ tsleep until 7 a.m. or later and can only sleep anaverage of five hours. I also have somethingseriously wrong with my left leg. I have hadsevere leg pain for three months. I told mydoctor, and he sent me home with an Advilprescription. When I asked this doctor if hewould work with me on having tests done, hesaid, “ What kind?” I said, “ Well a parasite testfor one.” He said, “ If you had parasites, thegastroenterologist would have seen that when hedid a colonoscopy.” I don’ t believe that!

Polly: Your hypothesis has some merit.Ammonia produced by parasites could beinterfering with your sleep and possibly mayeven be contributing to the leg pain. You might

Parasites 43

have parasites even though they were not foundat the time of the colonoscopy. Some parasitescan be seen with the naked eye, but manyparasites are hard to find even with a microscope.The lab technician is supposed to spend 20minutes on just one sample. The skill of thetechnician makes a big difference, yet even thebest technician will often not find the parasites ina given sample. Presently, there are only a fewlabs that doctors have any confidence in. TheGreat Smokies Laboratories is one of them. Theyfind parasites in about 30% of the specimensexamined. The most common parasites found areCryptosporidium parvum, Entamoeba histolytica,and Giardia lamblia. Even if you don’ t have averified parasitic infection, I think it just makessense to do a parasite cleanse ever so often.

Mary G: Polly, do you have a particular parasitecleanse that you might recommend? Thanks!

Polly: First, you need to cleanse the intestinaltract to uncover the parasites. My doctor told meto take an herbal-cleansing product while doingthe parasites cleanse. The brand he gave me wasR-Pur-Aloe’ s Colon and Body Cleanse.However, he said that there were several otherbrands that were just as good. I asked him whathe thought of colonics. He didn’ t like thembecause it disturbed the ecology of the gut toomuch. You could be left with the chore ofreimplanting the correct bacteria. However, manycolonic specialists do a wash with L. acidophilusafter each session. That should help. I guess likeso many things, it is a judgement call.

There are lots of different herbal productsthat kill parasites. Check your local vitaminshop/health food store. If you don’ t know whichparasites you have, then the Hulda Clarkrecommendation of green black walnut hulls,cloves, and wormwood might be worth trying.Generally, the herbal tinctures are better for those

with a compromised digestive system. I’ ve heardsome positive reports about the Clear andExperience products made by the AwarenessCorporation. This is by a multi-level marketingcompany. Do a search on the Internet and youwill find hundreds of places to purchase it.However, like many multi-level marketingcompanies, you might have to listen to the“ business opportunity” speech before you areallowed to purchase it.

Ann Louise Gittleman‘s booklet OvercomingParasites, is the best reference I’ ve come acrosson parasite treatment. [2] I hear that the latestedition of her other book, Guess What Came toDinner, is very good. Unfortunately, I only havethe older edition of this book, and it doesn’ t havemuch on treatment. Hopefully, she hasincorporated the information found in herpamphlet into this new edition.

She suggests that if you have microscopicprotozoa like Giardia lamblia or amoebas, thatyou choose products similar to Para-Key withPara-Plus from UniKey Health Systems, websitewww.UnikeyHealth.com phone 800-888-4353.For larger parasites such as tapeworms,roundworms, and pinworms, choose productssimilar to Verma-Key with Verma-Plus fromUniKey.

A note of caution— start very slowly to makesure you are not sensitive to the herbalingredients. Then gradually, over several days,build up the dose to the recommended amount. Ifyou start to have problems, back down on thedose, or perhaps change to another brand. Theherbal products might bother you a little, butdon’ t use them if you have severe reactions.There was a case of a contaminated batch ofparasite cleansing herbs that caused severecramping. Don’ t consider this normal if ithappens to you.

Ann Louise Gittleman also suggests that youtake digestive enzymes, and if warranted,

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hydrochloric acid. Just make sure that yourdigestive supplement does not contain bile if youare trying to kill Giardia lamblia. Giardia lambliathrives on bile salts. Interesting aside note:Giardia lamblia lodges in the bile ducts and maycause gallbladder disease and gluten intolerance.(Gluten is a protein found in grains.) AnnGittleman also lists some foods that can helpeliminate parasites: papaya seeds, pomegranatejuice, pumpkin seeds, garlic, onions, carrot tops,radish roots, kelp, raw cabbage, ground almonds,blackberries, pumpkin, sauerkraut, crushedlemon seeds, mugwort tea, three-taste tea(sakosai, licorice, daio), and corsican brandseaweed tea.

I had tried a parasite cleanse on my ownbefore, but I couldn’ t tolerate the herbs. After afew days, the room started to spin. So later, whena doctor told me to do a parasite cleanse, Iobjected. I didn’ t want to get sick again. He toldme that I wouldn’ t get sick if I took someslippery elm tea and some saffron tea during theparasite cleanse. (The slippery elm tea and thesaffron tea were to sooth the intestines. Theseteas don’ t kill parasites.) So I tried his protocol.When I used the teas, the other herbs didn’ tbother me. If I skipped the teas, the cleansing andparasite herbs made me ill that day. He was right.

This is how he had me use the teas. Threetimes per day, in-between meals, he had me drinksaffron tea, and at night he had me drink slipperyelm tea. A teaspoon of saffron or slippery elmwas to be used when making the tea. The teaswere to be steeped in a half a cup of hot water for20 minutes. Then “ magnetized” water was addedto dilute the tea to two cups. Grape juice could beused to cut the taste of the slippery elm tea. (Atthis time, I was healthy enough that eating somesugar or fruit wasn’ t a problem.)

If you head off to the store to buy somesaffron, you may find it costing up to $3 for onecup of tea. But you can purchase a large bag of

saffron for about $5 from Heritage Products,website www.caycecures.com and phone (800)862-2923 You can also buy the slippery elmpowder from them too. If you want organicslippery elm powder, the Country Petaler sells it,website www.countrypetaler.com (The addedcarbohydrates from the slippery elm tea might bea problem for a few people.)

My doctor told me something very strangeabout the timing. I was to use the herbs for twoweeks starting at the full moon. Then wait for thenext full moon and use the herbs for another twoweeks. I was taken aback. Yet, out of respect forthis doctor, I didn’ t say anything, and just did astold. Later, I read that certain parasites procreateat the full moon. I also read that there is anitrogen shift in the body that is tied to the mooncycles. I laugh when I think of this now. Maybeit wasn’ t such a weird idea.

Shelley: I’ m going to do a parasite cleanse. I amconfused about the “ magnetized water”£somany theories as to how to do this. What did youdo?

Polly: Get a glass pitcher, fill it with good water,and leave it sitting on a magnetized plate. Be surethe negative side of the magnet is up. My doctorsaid that you could use the cheap magnets thatyou find at a hardware store, so long as you knowwhich side to use. These are a bit small though,and I found it less awkward to use a largeceramic magnet. I tried the thin plastic magnetplates that are sold for this purpose (likerefrigerator magnets), and they didn’ t work well.They weren’ t strong enough to make a differencein the water. When using the strong ceramicmagnet, I could tell that the water was different.It seemed more thirst quenching, just like theexpensive clustered water. I’ ve read that themagnet plus gravity is supposed to alter the angleat which the hydrogen atoms are attached to the

Parasites 45

oxygen in the water. That is why the orientationis important. The magnet aligns, and the magnetand gravity pull. Whether or not the effect ismore than momentary, I don’ t know. Yet itmakes me feel that perhaps the magnetized watereffect isn’ t pure placebo.

Kippy: It’ s 11:00 A.M. Do You Know WhereYour Parasites Are? It’ s Friday, and I thought wecould use some humor to brighten the dreary (atleast here in New England) day. I’ ve beenthinking about parasites. When you get rightdown to it, they’ re really not that bad, as far ascreatures go. I mean think about it£they’ requiet, they don’ t carry guns, they don’ t get intoscreaming matches (as far as I know), and theydon’ t take up much space. So I thought I’ d letyou know why parasites could be our friends:

1. Parasites don’ t ask you to buy them beer;

2. Even though parasites sleep with you, theydon’ t hog the bed;

3. Parasites don’ t try to peek in your windowswhen the shades aren’ t drawn;

4. Parasites don’ t need to be bathed or clothed(I wonder what they would wearanyway?£I’ m thinking moss green andbrown tube tops);

5. Parasites don’ t try to sell you life insurance;

6. Parasites don’ t remark, “ My, you’ ve put onsome weight” or “ My, your 30 years old andstill not married. Now, why is that, dear?” ;

7. Parasites don’ t make you pay $200 for theprivilege of wearing turquoise and/orangesatin bridesmaid dresses that would makefabulous outdoor tents at a Howard Johnson’ sconvention;

8. Parasites don’ t scratch your furniture or barfup furballs;

9. Parasites don’ t sponsor infomercials;

10. Parasites don’ t bark. (How embarrassing, canyou imagine? … “ What was that sound?”“ Ummm, I have no idea” , “ It sounded like amuffled barking. Do you have a dog in youroffice?” “ Um, no ma’ am, I really haven’ t thebrain foggiest idea what you’ re referring to.” )

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!

references1. Jacob, MD, Lawrence, Martin Zucker, Stanley W.

The Miracle of MSM, B.P. Putman’ s Sons, 1999,page 23

2. Gittleman, Ann Louise, Overcoming Parasites,Avery Publishing Group, Garden City Park, NewYork, 1999

ProbioticsPolly: Probiotics are beneficial microorganismsthat promote the health of the gastrointestinaltract. Lactobacillus L. acidophilus is one of thebetter-known probiotic bacteria that most of uswill recognize as being used in yogurt. However,there are many different kinds of probioticbacteria with odd sounding names likeLactobacillus bulgaricus, Lactobacillusplantarum, Lactobacillus salivarius, Lactobacillusrhamnosus, Lactobacillus casei, Bifidobacteriumbifidum, Bifidobacterium infantis, Bifidobacteriumlongum, and Streptococcus thermophilus. Whenin the gastrointestinal tract, these beneficialbacteria create B vitamins for us and help usdigest our food. They also interact with ourimmune system. When we have the wrongbacteria in our intestines, it is a strain on ourimmune system, our nutrition, and on ourdetoxification system.

To help get rid of the wrong bacteria in ourintestines, we can ingest good bacteria from foodsources or from capsules and powders. We canalso employ soil-based microorganisms to helpus recover. (Soil-based microorganisms arenormal residents of the soil, not our intestines.)All of these are classified as probiotics becausethey improve the properties of the indigenousmicroflora of the gastrointestinal tract. Whenused properly they can help us recover. Please becareful with children. For infants and toddlers,you don’t employ the same bacteria as for

adults. Get a product made especially for them.Here is a good article on probiotics, by Kirkman.

www.kirkmanlabs.com/products/articles/probio.htm

Brush Your Gums With ProbioticsSunny, PEP Japan: (PEP stands for Parents forExceptional Progress) I just wanted to share withyou this simple oral care to make your own andyour child’ s gums healthier. Two weeks ago, Isaw on TV, the effectiveness of brushing withflora. All the persons who have tried brushingtheir gums with L. acidophilus, etc reportedimprovement within 3 days. I’ ve tried this for aweek and my gums are firmer. My autistic sonhas had swollen gums and after brushing with L.acidophilus for 2 days we saw improvement. Ithas saved us a few trips to the dentist. One dentalassistant commented that after a week or so, sheno longer has a “ white” tongue. The dentist thatdeveloped this idea (Nagoya, Japan) says that itis good for periodontal disease. (Many adultssimply brush with unsweetened yogurt, but thisis not recommended for our autistic kids that cannot tolerate the casein in milk.)

Recommended protocol: After brushing yourteeth, apply powdered flora on your toothbrushand gently brush your gum. In the beginning,brush 5 times a day (morning, after each meal,before bedtime). After seeing some

Probiotics 47

improvement, reduce to twice a day(morning/night). Do not rinse after brushingwith flora.

We have seen improvement with our sonbrushing his gums only once a day, before goingto bed. Hope this is helpful to some of you.

Polly: I wonder which probiotics are most likelyto help or harm the enamel of the teeth? Somebacteria produce stronger acids than others do. Ialso wonder if the brushing with bacteria couldaffect the immune system.

Sunny PEP Japan: I’ m not aware of anyharmful probiotic for this brushing purpose. TheTV program that introduced this said anyprobiotic sold at health food stores would do. Ihave tried it with Kirkman’ s probiotic since mostof what we have here have lactose in them. Iwouldn’ t brush the enamel, only the gum,though.

Polly: I found conflicting opinions on theInternet, with one site saying that the acidproduced by L. acidophilus when it acts on sugarin the mouth could be a problem. Yet the Natrensite had an article where they suggested that itwould be a good idea to use a mixture ofbacteria, including L. acidophilus as a mouthrinse. This could prevent cavities by lowering theyeast population in the mouth. (The Natren articleis at www.natren.com/pages/atozdental.html .) Iguess if the teeth are first cleaned, and you areusing a product that doesn’ t contain sugar orFOS, then there would be nothing on the teeth forthe bacteria to convert to acid. I’ d only use thenormal intestinal flora resident bacteria for thegum brushing. I’ d be afraid to use soil-basedprobiotics brushed into the gums, since somewould get into the bloodstream, and I have noidea on what it would do to the heart.

Is There Sugar In YourProbiotics?MM: I have always wondered why I seemed toreact so negatively when I am taking lots ofprobiotics. Many probiotics that I’ ve seen andtaken contain maltodextrin (a type of sugar) as afiller ingredient. Well, I just learned thatmaltodextrin has a glycemic index that isHIGHER than pure glucose. This is BAD, if yourblood sugar regulation is off.

Polly: Some have dextrin in them, which is alsoa type of sugar. Lactose is milk sugar, and youmight find this in some products too. If you aresensitive to it, be careful. Read labels thoroughly.I found one product with added corn syrup. Thecompany had the audacity to label the producthypoallergenic. If you can tolerate undenaturedwhey or lactoferrin, these also support the growthof favorable bacteria and they don’ t have sugar inthem. (Some of the Custom Probiotics productscontain undenatured whey or lactoferrin.) Someproducts will put in fructo-oligosaccharides(FOS) as food for the bacteria. Not everyone willbe able to tolerate the FOS either.

Fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS),Oligofructose, and InulinPolly: Fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) areincluded in many probiotic preparations as a foodfor bacteria. Be careful when using FOS.Although it has some highly beneficialproperties, it is not perfect for everyone. It hasmade several of our forum members sicker.

FOS is a sweet tasting carbohydrate found infoods such as onion, garlic, artichoke, asparagusand lettuce. Certain bacteria can break down FOSinto sucrose (a type of sugar) and used it to fueltheir growth. Humans are unable to breakdown orabsorb the FOS, so it will usually reach the colon

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to feed the bacteria there. However, if you havean overgrowth of bacteria in the small bowel,where the bacteria do not belong, then the FOSmight feed this bacteria and make you sicker.

FOS increases the growth of Bifidus bacteria.For some people this is wonderful. Bifidusbacteria excrete chemicals that may keep otherless desirable bacteria from growing. [1] Also theBifidus keeps the colon more acidic, whichreduces the amount of ammonia absorbed. [2]Unfortunately, FOS can feed some bacteria thatare harmful; Klebsiella, Bacteroides fragilis, andpeptostreptococci bacteria will grow on FOS. [3]Baker’ s yeast will grow on FOS, and thereforethere are probably many other types of yeast thatcan use it too. [4] Therefore, if you try FOS,watch your reactions closely, and/or get tested forthe type of bacteria present and their location. Ifyou want to test your reaction to just the FOS,Allergy Research/Nutricology makes asupplement of just FOS. Or try a product withoutFOS first and compare your reaction to a productthat has FOS.

Sometimes product labels will state that theycontain inulin or oligofructose. These are justdifferent forms of FOS. Oligofructose has fewerdegrees of polymerization than does inulin.Because of the higher degree of polymerization,the inulin is probably the better product; it willlikely have less plain fructose in it.

Here are some articles from the AmericanJournal of Clinical Nutrition and the Journal ofNutrition on the subject of FOS and inulin.

www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/71/6/1682S“ Prebiotics and probiotics: are they functionalfoods?” by Marcel B Roberfroid. June 2000

www.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/129/7/1483S?view=full&pmid=10395626 “ The Effect ofSynbiotics on Colon Carcinogenesis in Rats” byDaniel D. Gallaher2 and Jinmo Khil. 1999

www.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/129/7/1478S?view=full&10395625 “ Possible Mechanisms byWhich Pro- and Prebiotics Influence ColonCarcinogenesis and Tumor Growth” by BandaruS. Reddy. 1999

www.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/129/7/1438S?view=full&pmid=10395616 “ Dietary Modulationof the Human Gut Microflora Using thePrebiotics Oligofructose and Inulin” by Glenn R.Gibson, 1999

These carbohydrates appear to increase theBifidus bacteria population faster thanpathogenic bacteria like Clostridia.Unfortunately, those with the yeast syndrome orfibromyalgia have a poorer flora to start with,and therefore might have a different reaction toFOS or inulin than the test subjects in thesestudies.

Infant/Toddler ProbioticsPolly: Lactobacillus GG has been studiedextensively, and has been used with infants aswell as adults. Giving Lactobacillus GG toformula fed infants for six months or givingLactobacillus GG to the moms who were breastfeeding cut the babies’ incidence of eczema inhalf. [5] Lactobacillus GG was also found toreduce antibiotic-associated diarrhea in children.[6] This product is often suggested to controlclostridia overgrowth.

The only brand of Lactobacillus GG isCulturelle. Website www.culturelle.com andphone 1-888-828-4242. Each pill contains 10billion microorganisms or more. Be aware thatpresently, they only offer their product in a baseof inulin. No problems have been reported usingthe inulin with infants, however, inulin mayincrease the growth of some harmful bacteria andyeast. Once in a while, adults have reported aproblem with inulin/FOS. So be on the lookout

Probiotics 49

for an unusual situation where things seem to getworse instead of better.

The company states that refrigeration is notneeded with their product; you can just store theirproduct in a cool dry place and use it before theexpiration date. However, I suggest that youleave all probiotic products in the refrigerator,including this one. Especially during the summer,I’ d request that this product be shipped with dryice. You never know when and if the product willbe sitting in a hot truck all day. Culturelle canalso be purchased from other places, likeKirkman, who ship using dry ice.

Kirkman carries another product that can beused with infants that contains L. rhamnosus.Website www.kirkmanlabs.com and phone 800-245-8282. Natren carries a Bifidus probiotic forinfants and toddlers. Website www.natren.comand phone (800) 992-3323. Both of these latterproducts do not contain FOS or inulin. Kirkmanand Natren ship their probiotics with ice or dryice.

Although it seems logical that the samestrains of probiotics can be used with infants aswith adults, I’ d be careful and only use thosestrains that have been tested in infants andtoddlers. Also, don’ t give more than therecommended amount. The mucin layer in theintestines is not fully formed until two years ofage. More probiotics will get through the layerand into the blood stream. Too much wouldcause an infection. The composition of the floragrowing in a infant is a little different too, sincethe mucin layer supports the growth of differentbacteria.

Protect Your ProbioticsPolly: Probiotics, especially the normal floravariety, are sensitive to both heat and moisture.(The soil-based probiotics are much more stable.)You have the best chance of purchasing a live

product if your manufacturer has been careful tokeep them dry and refrigerated. After you receiveyour probiotics, keep them refrigerated in asealed container. Don’ t mix you probiotics inchlorinated water or in hot food. This will killthem. Taking them with digestive enzymes isokay. However, don’ t take them with garlic,oregano or other strong herbs that are known tokill microorganisms. Too strong of an acid cankill the bacteria too. To protect the probioticsfrom the stomach acid, some people havesuggested taking probiotics on an empty stomachwith an antacid. You can also drink some waterwhen your stomach is empty. This will wash outthe stomach acid. Then you can take theprobiotics a few minutes later. Some peoplesuggest rectal implantation. An interesting idea isto use the right oil to protect the probiotics fromthe stomach acid, as done in the Natren HealthyTrinity product.

If you find a probiotic product just sitting onthe shelf in a store, and not refrigerated, I’ d bevery wary of it being a decent purchase, even ifthe company claims the product is heat stable.Similarly, if you purchase a product mail orderand it was not shipped in dry ice, then I’ d worryabout the attitude of the company that sold youthe product. They might not take care of theproduct before shipment. Yet, if you accidentallyleave your product outside the refrigerator for afew days, or even if you leave it out a week whenthe weather is cool, don’ t think that you have tothrow out the product. Most of the potencyshould still be there.

Test ResultsPolly: A Belgian study of 55 probiotics showedthat more than a third of the powdered productscontained no living bacteria. The results are to bepublished later in the year 2001 in theInternational Journal of Food Microbiology. This

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information is from one of Dr. Mercola’ s articles,www.mercola.com/2001/jul/11/probiotics.htm .I don’ t have that list to show you. However, awhile back, Harry Bronozian commissioned aprivate survey, and posted the results at thisforum. I have a copy of those original lab papers.The testing was done in September 2000 byDeibel Laboratories. Custom Probiotics (Harry’ scompany), Natren, Ethical Nutrients, Wakunaga,Nature’ s Way, and Jarrow had a very good toacceptable showing. Three other well-advertisedproducts were quite disappointing, with less thana quarter of the bacteria alive at the time oftesting. A test done in March of 2002, on the newVSL product showed acceptable results.

What Do Good Bacteria Live On?Marilyn in Seattle: What do good bacteria liveon? Do carbohydrates feed good bacteria?

Polly: Carbohydrates can feed both good and badflora. Sugars/carbohydrates are important forestablishing the initial good flora in the gut.Breast milk helps the correct bacteria getestablished because it is low protein with plentyof sugar, which tends to make the chyme moreacidic. Breast milk also contains immune factorsthat promote the establishment of the correctbacteria.

The type of bacteria that predominate willdepend on the total environment as well as themix and type of fats, protein, and carbohydratespresent. In rats, sugar promotes more yeast,lactobacilli, enterococci, enterobacteria, andpeptostreptococci. Fat promotes enterobacteria,lactobacilli and peptostreptococci. Proteinpromotes more Clostridia. [7] According to Dr.Baker, wheat, oats, and casein will promoteClostridia. [8] This interaction between food andthe flora mix may help explain why different

individuals will tolerate some foods better thanothers will.

To a large extent, our body’ s healthdetermines what flourishes in the intestines. Ahealthy mucin layer in the gut promotes thecorrect bacteria. Our body grows this mucin layerthat coats the intestines and feeds the residents.Hence, our general health and the vitamin andnutrient content of our food will make adifference in the health of this mucin layer inwhich bacteria flourish. In infants, things are a bitdifferent because the mucin layer isn’ t fullydeveloped until about 2 years of age. Yet Isuspect the secretions from the gut and thegeneral health of the body play a big role at thisearly age too.

Probiotics And The ImmuneSystemPolly: Be aware that some probiotics push thebody’ s immune system towards the Th1 side andothers push it towards the Th2 side. You want abalance in your immune system between Th1 andTh2. People with dysbiosis tend to have a weakTh1 immune system and an overactive Th2system. Dr. Cheney explains how people withCFIDS, viruses, or yeast overgrowth can getstuck on the Th2 side. The pathogens move youthere to protect themselves from being destroyed.Here is an article about Dr. Cheney’ s work withshifting the immune system.

http://virtualhometown.com/dfwcfids/medical/cavalry.html

Jarrow has a new product called Th1 thataddresses this situation by trying to activate theTh1 system. Their TH-1 Probiotics contains thetyndallized (heat killed) probiotic bacteriaLactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus plantarum,along with organic fermented soy-milk and liveBifidobacterium longum BB536 (Morinaga

Probiotics 51

strain). It may seem strange that with all thisconcern for keeping the bacteria alive in otherproducts, that this product contains heat-killedbacteria. There is a reason. For people withseverely compromised immune systems (likeAIDS), the fear is that the live bacteria will betoo great a strain. Just the DNA and protein fromthe bacteria will modulate the immune system.The hope is that this is sufficient to make adifference. (Jarrow can be found in most stores,or it can be ordered at their website,www.Jarrow.com and phone 800-726-0886.Many of these same pro-Th1 bacteria are foundin Custom Probiotics‘s Adult Formula CP-1product, only at a higher potency per capsule andcontaining live bacteria. Either of these productsmight be good choices, depending on thesituation.

Because part of the benefit of the probioticsis the way your immune system reacts, it hasbeen suggested to use the probiotics for a while,then give yourself a break from them, and thenreintroduce them again— like a vaccine. It takesat least a few weeks to normally make adifference, so maybe a month on the probioticsand a few weeks off might be something to try.Or rotate the type of probiotics that you employ.

Probiotic SuppositoriesHarold: My advice is to use your probiotics assuppositories, as in most cases they will notsurvive the trip through the digestive system. Igot absolutely nowhere until I did. Over the yearsI spent thousands of dollars on supplements andbasically got zilch results until I used theprobiotics as suppositories— AND, it workedquickly.

Mrs. Generic: Which brand do you recommend,and do you purchase a special type forsuppositories?

Harold: I have used various brands of probioticswith good results. The best was Natren, which Iwould prefer, but in my area it is not easy to getit in the powder form any more. When I could getit in powder form, I would get gel capsules andfill them myself. At first you will probably haveto insert one or two caps 2 or 3 times a day. Imodified an applicator from a Monistat 7 kit tomake it easier to insert. As they take effect youfind that you can spread them out and eventuallygo for days without trouble. I also would take theprobiotics orally too because your stomach morethan likely has H-Pylori bacteria too. H. Pyloriaids and abets candida. Besides, H. Pylori is themain cause of ulcers; and it is linked to someintestinal cancers. The only time I have to go thisroute now is if I weaken and go out for meals andeat all the wrong things for maybe 6 months. Youmust realize this is not an overnight cure, but ithas worked for me where nothing else would.

Sorry, I almost forgot. There are two kinds ofcapsules, one is a quick dissolving one made ofvegetable gelatin and the other is slow to melt.You must use the one that dissolves quickly. Thebest way to know the difference is to test byputting them in water and see how fast theydissolve. In the event you don’ t have enoughmoisture in the bowel to do the job, then open thecapsules, put the probiotics in warm water, andthen use as an enema. I had to do this at thebeginning to jump-start the action. I would say toget a few billion and as many kinds as possible.The ones I used had in them: Lactobacillusacidophilus, Bifidobacterium bifidum; and S.faecium. These three were in capsule form byProtec. The following was in a powder by Natrenthat I put in capsules: B. longum, L. rhamnosusRO11, L. acidophilus, S. thermophilus, L.rhamnosus RO49, Enterococcus faecium, L.delbreucki Subspecies P Bulgaris.

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Polly: Notice that Harold only used a couple ofbillion microorganisms in his suppositoryexperiments. This is the amount found in lowdose probiotic pills. Don’ t try a high doseproduct, at least, not at first. The shock couldmake you very ill. The most prevalentmicroorganism in the colon, and thereforeprobably the safest to use in this manner isBifidus. I would be afraid to try the soil-basedprobiotics. Also, I wouldn’ t use a product thatcontained Enterococcus faecalis or Enterococcusfaecium. Instead of a suppository, some peopleget a baby enema bulb and fill it with non-chlorinated water and microorganisms.

Are Probiotics Effective?SR: There must be at least 500+ people thatcome to this site per week and view the posts.Every one of them has probably tried at leastONE probiotic— you would think so at least? Ithink the NON responsiveness speaks for itself inreality. In my opinion, after over 10+ years ofthis crap, the reality is that 90 + % of probioticstruly do little to NO good at all. Although thegiant health food industry wants to force us tobelieve otherwise. That still leaves anapproximate 10 % chance of finding some goodprobiotics... Right ?... I think many people haveworked on themselves to the point that completehealing is just within their reach, but theprobiotics that have been made available to themare useless and/or too weak. Now comes the hardpart— finding which probiotics are truly worthbuying, due to their actually being able to bringabout cures on their own along with our faith inthem as well.

Polly: These are some reasons that I thinkprobiotics have been such a disappointment formany people:

1) Most products only contain a few billionmicroorganisms of the normal resident florain each capsule. When taken orally, very littleof these are going to make it to the colon. Toget an effective oral dose, higher countproducts are often needed. (30 billion to 500billion microorganisms) Very few productscontain this much in each pill. (However,soil-based products are a different story. Onlya few billion of the soil-basedmicroorganisms are needed to make anoticeable difference.)

2) A fair number of companies do NOT takeproper care of their product. By time you getthe product, most of the microorganisms maybe dead. Be highly suspicious if a companyclaims that their product does not have to berefrigerated. You may be buying zero livebacteria.

3) Preparing the environment is important. Iread of one case where the high doses didn’ thelp until after colonics were administered.Most doctors prefer to first do thegroundwork of diet, hormones, cleansing,antifungals, antibiotics, anti-inflammatorydrugs and nutrients before adding in theprobiotics. There are studies using VSLprobiotics showing that they keep Crohns andColitis in remission. But the VSL probioticswill not put these conditions into remission.You have to give antibiotics first to clear aspace for the probiotics and increase theireffectiveness. Some doctors find it importantto first give antibiotics, then rinse out thecolon before implanting probiotics. Yet Iwonder if there may be something to begained from using the probiotics at earlierstages of the healing too.

4) The probiotics may have to be taken for along time. This can get frustrating. Theresults will also depend on the person who

Probiotics 53

takes the probiotics. One brand will help oneperson, and another brand will help adifferent person, but perhaps not vice versa.One person’ s existing flora will modifyquickly and another person’ s flora will hardlychange given the same probiotic.

How Much Is Needed?Polly: The studies with some of the soil-basedorganisms have shown impressive results withonly a couple of billion organisms taken orally.Most of the soil-based products contain thisamount. The studies using the flora that normallyreside in the intestine (L. acidophilus, B. bifidus,L. bulgaricus…) employ 30 billion to 500 billionmicroorganisms taken orally per day. Mostcompanies put only a couple of billion in theirproducts. (No wonder the consumer doesn’ t havethe same results.) There are only a few brands ofthese probiotics that contain counts anywherenear the amounts used in studies. (I’ m aware ofNatren, Kirkman, Custom Probiotics, Bio-K,VSL and the Torrance Company.) I’ ve not seenany studies where the probiotics are used rectally,however, the amount needed will obviously bemuch less.

Realize that even if you took 500 billionmicroorganisms per day, you aren’ t reallyreplacing the flora by overwhelming the existingbacteria. 500 billion is only a small percent ofyour existing flora, which is estimated at about100 trillion viable bacteria. What you are doingis changing the environment in the intestines sothat a more favorable flora will take over. Thismay take a while. That is why you may need totake these bacteria on a long-term basis. Chancesare, the probiotics you take will not implantpermanently in your intestines until the vastmajority of flora has changed. Even then, the newstrains that you have introduced will likely be asmall proportion of the resulting flora.

Lynni: I really love Natren’ s Healthy Trinity.I’ ve been through a whole shelf of other probioticproducts. Yet, one supplement, one protocol isnot a cure. Allopathic notions do not apply. Thatis to say, “ take this it will make it all better” (not).The time to use probiotics is after coloncleansing; otherwise you are just throwing goodafter bad. (The Natren brand is found in manyhealth food stores.)

Patti: I tried Natren probiotics and didn’ t getbetter even though I was working with a brillianthealer. When I switched to Custom Probioticsacidophilus powder (not capsules), my healingdramatically accelerated. It has been a miracle forme, after over a year and a half of thinking I wasgoing to have to stop living due to constantmigraines. I can’ t recommend Custom Probioticshighly enough. Natren just didn’ t work for me.

Polly: By chance was the Natren product oil-based and did it come in brown pills? If so, thatwas the Healthy Trinity. If not, it was probablyone of the lower potency Natren products.

Patti: No, it was just the white stuff. No wonderit didn’ t work!

SR: The only Natren product I can recommend isthe Healthy Trinity with the guaranteed 30+billion colony forming units (cfu) per one singlegram. All the other Natren products are a wasteof money, as they are far too low potency,especially for the outrageous price they chargefor their products.

Polly: I certainly don’ t recommend the low-countprobiotics for anyone with severe dysbiosis. Iagree that that they seem to be a waste of money.Yet, a low-count may be all that is needed forsome people.

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Some Higher Potency Normal Flora Products

Product Composition # of bacteria ApproximatePrice as ofMarch 2002

Website and Phone

VLS#3 S. thermophilusB. breveB. longumB. infantisL. acidophilusL. plantarumL. casei,L. bulgaricus

450 billionper packet

$56 for 20packets

www.vslpharma.com

phone (866) 438-8753

TorranceCompany’ sAcidophilus

L. Acidophilus 250 billionperteaspoon;centrifugedandfrozen

$16 for 6fluid ounces

www.torrancecompany.com

phone (800) 327-0722

Bio-K’ syogurt-likefood

L. Acidophilus L. Casei 50 billionbacteria

$4 perserving

phone (800) 593-2465

Natren’ sHealthyTrinity

L. acidophilusB. bifidumL. bulgaricus

And oil

30 billionper capsule

$60 for 30capsules or

$150.00 for90 capsules

www.natren.com

phone (800) 992-3323

CustomProbiotic’ sCP-1

L. acidophilusL. casieL. plantarumB. longumB. infantis

25 billionper capsule

$40 for 90capsules

www.customprobiotics.com

phone (818) 248-3529

Kirkman’ sPro-Bio Gold

L. rhamnosusL. acidophilusB. bifidumL. caseiL. bulgaricusS. thermophilus

20 billionper capsule

$30 for 60capsules or

$50 for 120capsules

www.kirkmanlabs.com

phone 800-245-8282

Probiotics 55

Yes, the Natren Healthy Trinity costs a lot ofmoney. Up to two dollars per pill is hard toswallow. Part of the high cost is because theprobiotics are in oil. Also, perhaps part of thereason for the high price is lack of competition.Compared to most (not all) of their competitors,Natren is a bargain. If you adjust for the numberof bacteria, the Natren Healthy Trinity product ischeaper than low-count probiotics. Manycompeting products in the health store only have1 or 2 billion bacteria in each capsule.

The Custom Probiotics Adult CP-1 product orthe Kirkman products have a much more palatableprice at around 50 cents per pill, and they arerelatively high potency products. If you want totry either of these brands, you will probably haveto contact the companies directly. You won’ t findthem in many stores.

Presently, the best deal is from VSL. It has thelowest price if you adjust for potency. Instead ofcapsules, the product comes in packets with 450billion microorganisms in each packet. The strainsVSL chose are very similar to that found in theCustom Probiotics product. Yet, I’ m not sureexactly why VSL decided to include the S.thermophilus; it is not found in other products onthe market except yogurt. They said that the S.thermophilus is needed for synergism. All thestrains were chosen to complement and notcompete with each other in the body. The producthas been shown to be effective. Four packets perday of VSL#3 keeps pouchitis and ulcerativecolitis in remission (abstracts of the studies are attheir website). This probiotic should be anexcellent choice. However, you might want tostart with less than a packet per day to make sureyou can tolerate large doses.

A product called Bio-K comes in its ownmedium, like a yogurt or sour cream, and thusshould contain viable microorganisms whenpurchased. It has a high microorganism count. Itcosts about $4.00 a serving. So it can get

relatively expensive if used on a long-term basis.It may be a good option for a short treatment afterantibiotics, or if you want to make your ownyogurt from it. It tastes good, and it is available inmany health food stores.

If someone only wants acidophilus, I found avery inexpensive high-count product put out bythe Torrance Company. The Torrance Company’ sproduct has at least 250 billion L. Acidophilusmicroorganisms per teaspoon. (Even though theyonly claim you will receive 250 billion bacteria,the initial amounts in their product are closer to450 billion per teaspoon.) However, I can’ t tellyou how effective their liquid product iscompared to the normal powders. The fact that theproduct is centrifuged and frozen might interferewith its effectiveness. At least it doesn’ t taste bad.

SR: Custom probiotics and Natren, need toexplore new and better strains, such as the L.Plantarum 299V strain that the Probi company inSweden uses.... www.probi.com

Polly: It may be that there are special strains ofthe normal resident bacteria that work better thanother strains. However, I suspect that even thosestrains will have to be given at the highercounts/doses to make a noticeable difference formany of us. Which of these strains is the mosteffective for the broadest spectrum of people? Idon’ t know. It is just too hard to tell from theadvertisements and from the limited experience atthe forum. Everyone seems to have a miracleproduct for sale.

Later— Polly: Custom Probiotics has recentlyadded yogurt starter cultures, where you can pickyour own blend of bacteria. They have also added10 different high potency powders. The powderscost less per unit than the pills— about half theprice on average per unit bacteria. Their powderedproducts are more comparable in price to the

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VSL#3 powdered product. The Custom Probioticscompany allows you to mix and match these 10strains to you or your doctor’ s specification. Oryou can pick a blend that is already formulated.

The Osumex probiotic product called LB12has just now become available in North America.www.osumex.com phone (905) 339-1964 Theyclaim that the cell walls of their probiotic bacteriaaren’ t as damaged as the cell walls of the bacteriafound in other products. This makes the Osumexproduct more potent. It supposedly makes up forthe fact that there is very little bacteria in eachpill. They use an herbal and fruit culture mediumand they culture the product for 5 years. Presently,it costs about a dollar per pill. The recommendeddose is three to nine pills a day, depending on theseverity of the problem.

One of the strains in the Osumex product,TH10, helps get rid of E. coli. This might turn outto be important in the treatment of fibromyalgia,since there seems to be a high incidence of a viralinfection of E. coli in those with fibromyalgia.Invitro (test tube or petri dish) results also showthat this TH10 bacteria kills H. pylori.

Soil-based MicroorganismsMary W: For those of you, who are curious aboutsoil-based microorganisms, here’ s my experienceto date. I’ ve been on it for 3 weeks. I started itafter a bad relapse in overgrowth when no naturalantifungals seemed to be keeping pace. Within 2days of being on it, my digestive system hadcalmed way down. After a week, I could toleratefats again and my bloated stomach was and isabout 50% less bloated than it was. Didn’ t haveany noticeable die-off ‘til yesterday (diarrhea andstomachache when I ate). Today ok. Been able toincrease the dose pretty consistently so I’ m up to7 capsules a day. Don’ t know if I ‘m going tomake it to 20 per day. I am also taking Thera-zyme SmI which has cellulase designed to digest

the yeast die-off. http://loomisenzymes.comphone (800) 662-2630. I take it off and onbecause I’ m not sure if it’ s doing anything and Ifind it very constipating.

I know a lot of people have trouble withsoil-based microorganisms, especially in thebeginning. (I was able to start right away with 1capsule; some people take less.) It must dependon the nature of each bacterial overgrowth. I amnow intensely allergic (gastro-intestinally) tomany things, including the fillers in all capsulesand tablets, even vitamins in their pure form(have started doing vitamin/mineral IVs on aweekly basis) and yet I tolerate soil-basedmicroorganisms — at least for now. So, younever know...

Polly: The bacteria in soil-based probiotics arenormally found in the soil, and are not the usualresidents of the human intestine. For this reason,there is some concern about their possible long-term effects on the user. However, soil-basedorganisms can be very effective. NatashaCampbell-McBride, MD, claims soil probiotics(Primal Defense brand) were of dramatic benefitin her child’ s autism symptoms. [9] A study ofpatients with enteric infections demonstrated rapidimprovement in patients put on 2 billion soil-based microorganisms per day. (The experimentused a combination of Bacillus subtilis andBacillus licheniformis). [10] Of interest, Bacillussubtilis creates a biosurfactant that is particularlydamaging to lipid envelope viruses like measles,herpes and retroviruses. [11] Bacilluslicheniformis is also valuable. It kills manydifferent types of fungus. [12]

If you decide to try soil-based organisms, startwith only a half capsule per day, and graduallywork up to the recommended amount. Accordingto an article by the keep-hope-alive group,Nature’ s Biotics (contains Bacillus subtilis andBacillus licheniformis) may give the user flu-like

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Some Soil-Based Microorganism Products

Product Composition ApproximatePrice as ofAug 2003

Website and Phone

PrimalDefense

Bacillus subtilisBacillus lichenformis,

Grown in a base of grasses, minerals, etc.Including 80 mg PhytoSterol/Sterolin fromsprouts chosen for their high phytosterolcontent. (The Primal Defense formulationchanges from time to time, so please checkwith the company for the currentingredients.)

$45 for 90capsules

www.gardenoflife.com

phone (800) 622-8986

Nature’ sBiotics

Bacillus subtilisBacillus lichenformis

PlusPhytoplanktons, aminoacids, vitamins, minerals, etc.

$54 for 90capsules

www.lifescienceproducts.com

phone (800) 713-3888

FloraBalance

Bacillus laterosporus(BOD strain)

$25 for 60capsules

www.flora-balance.comphone (800) 583-1939

Threelac

fromGlobalHealthTrax

Bacillus Subtilis, Bacillus laterosporus(BOD strain), Lactobacillus Sporogenes,Streptococcus Faecalis (strain group D,which is considered benign), Lemon JuicePowder, Refined Yeast Powder, Castor Oil,(The yeast is supposed to be a food sourcefor the lactic acid bacteria, to keep it alivewhile in the packaging.)

$65 for 60packets

www.globalhealthtrax.com

phone (760) 542-3000

AttogramSBX

Herbal blend Reishi (Ganoderma) Shitaki Astragalus SchizandraeSuberB-X Base

minerals, trace elements, enzume proteinsand a proprietary blend of organisms thatinclude Bacillus subtilis and Bacilluslichenformis

$43 for 90capsules

www.wholeapproach.com/diet.html

phone (715) 248-7751

Probiotics 58

symptoms or a cold during the first month of use.It may break up old fecal matter in the intestines.The experience of patients suggests that theproduct may be shifting the immune system awayfrom the Th2 and towards the Th1 arm. [13]

Both Nature’ s Biotics and Primal Defensecontain Bacillus subtilis and Bacilluslicheniformis. The Primal Defense brand alsomakes an effort to include phytosterolins. BothNature’ s Biotics and Primal Defense have a verysmall amount of other microorganisms, but notenough to make a difference in my opinion.

There is another soil-based product, FloraBalance, which contains a different soil-basedorganism called Bacillus laterosporus BOD.However, I don’ t know of any studies withpatients using this particular soil-based organism.A relatively newcomer to the soil-based productsis called Threelac. It contains Bacillus Subtilis,and Bacillus laterosporus BOD.

Jenny: I’ ve found that the soil-basedmicroorganisms are really helping me with mydigestion. I started to gain weight right away, asure sign that everything I ate was in fact beingabsorbed.

Polly: That might be what is happening. Theproper flora is needed to absorb our food. Ratswithout any flora need 30% more calories intheir diet. [14]

Mona: Threelac and Hydroxygen (oxygenelements) truly gave me my life back. I havebeen candida overgrowth free for 10 months.GONE. It hasnt come back. It took me 4 1/2 yrsof trying other things and I never could get rid ofit. It always came back whenever a stressfulevent would come into my life. It wasnt until theThreelac and oxygen that I actually was able tostart getting well.

Polly: I’ ve not tried the Threelac, but HealthTrax’ s Oxygen Elements Plus is the strongestoxygen product that I’ ve tried so far. I liked it.However, I noticed that it had to be usedconsistantly, or else it made things worse insteadof better.

Yeast As A Probiotic?Polly: Believe it or not, the yeast Saccharomycesboulardii can be used to alter the flora to a morefavorable composition. Using this yeast as atreatment has been dubbed “ yeast against yeast.”It crowds out the more harmful yeast whileallowing good bacteria to take over. The amountemployed is 1 to 9 billion organisms per day.Jarrow and Allergy Research/Nutricology makea supplement of this. The Jarrow product has 1billion organisms per capsule and the AllergyResearch product has 3 billion organisms percapsules. When you adjust for the potency, theprice is similar for both brands. However, if youwish to start with a smaller investment, theJarrow brand is more affordable, presentlyretailing at $13 for a bottle.

Are Probiotics Ever Harmful?Polly: You will have to go by how you react tothe probiotics. Start slow. Nothing is everperfectly correct. Here are a few considerations.

1) You want your immune system in theintestines to react to the probiotics, but youdon’ t want a full out war. So if large dosesmake you sick, cut back on the dose.

2) Dr. Leo Galland warns that probiotics couldincrease the growth of protozoal parasites.Therefore use the probiotics only after theseparasites have been eradicated. [15]

3) When you take probiotics orally, this puts anunusually high number of microorganisms inthe small bowel. (A healthy small intestine

Probiotics 59

will have very few of these microorganisms.Most of the bacteria should reside in thecolon.) If you have very poor bufferingcapability, you should be wary of adding inso many bacteria into the small bowel. Whenthe bacteria come in contact with the largeamount of sugar there, too much acid may beformed. In the book Cleanse and PurifyThyself, Richard Anderson, ND, NMD claimsthat people have gotten sick with acidosis byingesting too many acid forming bacteria.(Dr. Anderson’ s website can be found atwww.ariseandshine.com )

4) If you have small bowel bacterialovergrowth, then adding in more bacteriacould help or harm. If the bacteria you arereplacing are particularly harmful, then youwill feel better. If all you are doing is addingin more bacteria to the small intestine, thenyou might even feel a little worse.

5) For infants and toddlers, you cannot use thesame bacteria that you use for adults. Theamount used is less too. Get a product madeespecially for them.

Mary W: Hi, just curious if anyone hasexperienced this? I’ ve just done 7 weeks ofantifungals/antibiotics treatment and am findingall probiotics except one, are now making meviolently ill, with Custom Probitotics and theSCD (Specific Carbohydrate Diet) yogurt(trillions of cfus) being the absolute worst. Thismirrors my experience of 3 years ago where Iwas treated with lots of antibiotics for an acuteparasitic infection and couldn’ t tolerate anyprobiotics afterwards. I eventually found my wayto Natrens Healthy Trinity and I was able totolerate that and found it somewhat helpful, butby then it was too little too late. So I’ m back onthe Healthy Trinity but I’ m only tolerating 1capsule per day. The yogurt is a complete

disaster, no matter how little or strained. It seemsas if my body is rejecting all these probioticstrains as foreign organisms. Perhaps HealthyTrinity is closer to a human strain? Perhapsmostly Bifidus is preferable right now, but why?(Before the drugs, I could tolerate up to 80 billioncfus of any probiotic strains or 3 cups of theyogurt once a week).

Any theories or suggestions appreciated. I’ mconsidering probiotic implants again as analternative but am a little worried given theviolence of the reaction.

(Note, this experience was several months afterMary had tried the soil-based probiotics, and onlyafter she had taken a combined antibiotic andantifungal treatment.)

Avandish: Nutrients to feed the production ofmucous lining cells of the GI tract come from thegrowth of Bifido. As these nutrients are graduallydelivered, the production of mucous graduallybuilds. This affords protection to the wall of theintestine from the acids produced by otherbacteria and prevents direct attachment of thebacteria to the GI tract wall. Most likely thedrugs you have been using have reduced yourgood bacteria populations in the large intestine,causing a reduction in mucous productionthroughout the entire GI tract. Most likely theacids produced by the organisms you are using,including the long fermentation period yogurt(Specific Carbohydrate Diet) are too acidic forthe unprotected wall of the small intestine. Thislack of mucous also allows direct attachment ofbacteria to the villi in this area (something youdon’ t want).

Try taking just Bifido, as these are milderstrains. They produce more of the essentialnutrients and less of the irritating acids. Eventhese may be a little strong for you right now.Taking a little long chain inulin without free

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sugar at the end of a meal will help deliver someof the needed food to the large intestine. Takinginulin with food slows the bacteria growth in thesmall intestine, but stimulates growth in the largeintestine. Don’t take inulin or FOS on anempty stomach or with your probiotics as thiswill stimulate fast growth in the stomach andsmall intestine, creating much irritation,especially for people with long-standingdysbiosis. Also, if you have significant GIinflammation, unrefined wheat germ oil takenafter a meal can be helpful. I only userefrigerated wheat germ oil. I use Spectrum brandin the black bottle, liquid, stored in the fridge. Itake a tablespoon at the end of breakfast wheninflammation is a problem. Do not heat this oil,as it is mostly polyunsaturated. Spectrum is alarge veggie oil producer in the health food store.Good Luck Sport.

Mary W: AHA. Finally, an intelligentexplanation. Thank you!

MM: Mary, as I was reading Avandish’ sresponse to you, one thought dawned on me. Thepeople who follow the Specific CarbohydrateDiet (SCD) who have ulcerative colitis andCrohns disease get fish oil capsules that areprotected from digestion in the stomach. A largenumber of studies have shown that theseprotected fish oil capsules help to minimizeinflammation in the gut. See pubmed, etc. forabstracts. You can also ask the Healing Crow andSCD list members about how the protected fishoil capsules have worked for them.

Mary W: According to all those studies, thosepeople were taking tons of fish oil capsules a day,8-10. That amount is hard on the liver. In the firstyear of my illness, I took one a day and they didnothing. Funny how the SCD people are totally

against Bifidus. They say some ulcerative colitispeople have had flares with them.

Polly: Seems like in this situation, you have totreat the intestinal lining like that of a newborn,with special care. There certainly is a lot morethat needs to be learned about using probiotics toour best advantage.

2 weeks later— Polly: Mary, you were takingsoil-based probiotics about a year ago. Why didyou stop the soil-based probiotics?

Mary W: I stopped Primal Defense last Marchspecifically because I found (along with Mary inPennsylvania) that as we got to higher doses ourdysbiosis actually increased. We posited (alongwith your help) that since the plantsterols/sterolins they had added in the last 2 yearswere ALL derived from estrogenic sources, theywere boosting our hormone levels. Then I triedNature’ s Biotics, which supposedly had the sametwo soil-based microorganisms (bacillus subtilisand bacillus lichenformis) without the sterolinsbut with phytoplanktons. That just gave me moreand more gastric distress. Then I tried a customversion (no maltodextrim) of a different soil-based microorganism called Bacillus laterosporusBOD, which has been shown in labs to beeffective against candida albicans specifically. Ihad a little improvement from it but it didn’ t last.

Based on my dramatic improvement initially,I still personally believe that bacilluslichenformis and bacillus subtilis can be veryeffective for gut infections. The problem may bethat these products are now packaged with allkinds of substances (plant sterols, maltodextrin,FOS, reishi mushrooms, etc.) These trials ofNature’ s Biotics and the laterosporus BOD wereduring the months of March to June. Then I wenton a round of using EVERY natural antibioticand antifungal for about 4 to 5 months, including

Probiotics 61

colloidal silver and tons of propolis. (Myselection of propolis was based on a case historyin the Townsend letter.) Since I become allergicto herbs/foods very quickly, I was rotatingthrough all this stuff except the propolis. (I didnot become allergic to the propolis.)

In December I went to a new doctor whofound seven pathogens including Blastocystishominis (parasites), Candida krusei, Klebsiella,etc. He put me on a massive 6-week tiered drugtherapy of antifungals and antibiotics. I toleratedthis amazingly well, but now here I am with astripped mucus layer. The same thing happenedto me three years ago after taking lots ofantibiotics to treat an acute parasitic infection. Ihad terrible gut inflammation afterwards and NOtolerance for probiotics. I just didn’ t know whatwas causing it, nor did my hopeless doctors. Thiswent on for months. But this time, I’ m gettingsome control much faster, thanks to Avandishidentifying the problem. Once he identified thestripped mucosa, I took a supplement calledColixen to help restore the mucosa. This allowedme to start tolerating a mostly Bifidus probioticabout a week later.

I think any antifungal or antibiotic, natural ordrug, has the potential to harm the mucosa. If thetreatment results in dehydration, I think this is awarning that damage is being done. According tomy research, dehydration is not a common sideeffect with Diflucan. Yet for me, the Diflucanwas INCREDIBLY dehydrating. The samedehydration happened three years ago, when Itook all those antibiotics and also got the strippedmucosa.

Note: Primal Defense has changed theirformulation a few times. As of September 2003they state that each pill contains “ 80 mgPhytoSterol/Sterolin Blend from sprouts in theirnatural whole food form.”

The main plant sterol called beta-sitosterolshifts the immune sytem from Th2 towards Th1,which is often helpful. However, just like thecontroversy over the phytoestrogens in soy, thereis reason to have some concern about beta-sitosterol. Beta-sitosterol is considered aphytoestrogen / hormone disrupter.

Parasites As ProbioticsPolly: Parasites can also be used to shift theimmune system and get rid of intestinalinflammation. Joel Weinstock of the Universityof Iowa has successfully treated inflammatorybowel disease with the eggs of porcinehelminthic parasites. (The parasites do notreproduce in the intestinal track and areeliminated in a few months.) Preliminary resultslook promising. However, the eggs are not acure-all. People, who have these eggs present intheir stool, still may have intestinal inflammation.

Another parasite used for medicinal purposesis part of traditional Vietnamese medicine. Thisparasite is found in the soil and is called EarthDragons, earthworms, or lumbricus. Theseparasites have been used to treat stroke,hypertension, arteriosclerosis, malaria, fever,blood infections, seizures/epilepsy, urinaryproblems, acne, cough, joint pain, migraines,insomnia, skin infections, and inflammatorybowel disease. [16] These earthworms areavailable from Allergy Research/Nutricology, ina tonic preparation with herbs. Websitewww.nutricology.com phone (800) 782-4274. Iwould not want to purchase parasites from justany company. The source of the eggs or parasiteshas to be carefully controlled so that viruses arenot present.

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When All Else FailsPolly: There is an unusual probiotic treatmentthat is producing some very good results,especially when there is an infection ofClostridia. If you have tried everything elsewithout success, here is one more option. TheProbiotic Therapy Research Center in SidneyAustralia is employing donor intestinal flora froma healthy relative or friend to implant in thecolon. This is their reasoning:

It should be noted that commercially availableoral probiotics are currently incapable ofimplanting permanently into the bowel flora asthey have lost their capability to adhere toepithelial cells through the process of culturingin the commercial laboratory. Only fresh humanprobiotics from another human being that retainthat capability and hence can be implanted toreverse bacterial deficiency and eliminateinvading infections.

They feel that sometimes this is the only way tocompletely eradicate the spores and infection ofClostridium.

They do not use this treatment on everypatient. They are very careful to first identify thepathogens using colonoscopy before deciding ona course of action. Eg, sometimes it is a parasitethat needs eradication, and therefore thisprobiotic treatment is not warranted. I think youwill find all the articles at their site highlyinformative. They delineate the types ofinfections found most commonly with each typeof bowel disorder. www.probiotictherapy.com

For those who enjoy the technical side of thissubject, there is a new book you will like: GutEcology by Hart, Stagg, Graffner, Glise, Falk andKamm, as published by Martin Dunitz.www.dunitz.co.uk

references1. Wang, X. & Gibson, G.R., “ Effects of the in vitro

fermentation of oligofructose and inulin by bacteriagrowing in the human large intestine.” J. Appl.Bacteriol. 1993;373- 380.

2. Hanson, Lars a., and Yolken, Robert H., Probiotics,Other Nutritional Factors, and Intestinal Microflora,Nestle Nutrition Workshop Series, Vol. 42,Lippincott-Raven Publishers, Philadelphia,Pennsylvania, 1999, Phone (800) 638 - 3030

3. Mitsuoka T, Hidaka H, Eida T, “ Effect of fructo-oligosaccharides on intestinal microflora,” Nahrung1987;31(5-6):427-36

4. Oda Y, Ouchi K, “ Construction of a sucrose-fermenting bakers’ yeast incapable of hydrolysingFructooligosaccharides,” Enzyme Microb Technol1991 Jun;13(6):495-8

5. Kalliomaki M, Salminen S, Arvilommi H, Kero P,Koskinen P, Isolauri E, “ Probiotics in primaryprevention of atopic disease: a randomised placebo-controlled trial.” Lancet. 2001 Apr 7;357(9262):1076-9. Dr. Mercola summarized this article. At his website:www.mercola.com/2001/apr/14/probiotics.htm.

6. Arvola T, Laiho K, Trokkeli S, et al. “ ProphylacticLactobacillus GG reduces antibiotic-associateddiarrhea in children with respiratory infections: Arandomized study.” Pediatrics. 1999; 104(5):64. Foundat www.slackinc.com/child/idc/200001/diarhea.asp

7. Romano C, Biondi R, Quarto N, Galdiero F, [ Articlein Italian. Changes of the intestinal mucosa-bacterialflora ecosystem in rats fed various diets] Boll IstSieroter Milan 1978 Mar 31;57(1):12-9

8. DAN! 2000 Conference Tapes. They are availablefrom Insta Tapes, P.O. Box 908, Coeur D’ Alene, ID83816-0908, or phone (800) 669-8273 or (208) 667-0226.

9. Walker, Morton, DPM, “ Homeostatic Soil Organismsfor One’ s Primal Defense,” Townsend Letter forDoctors and Patients, February/March 2001,#211/212]

10. Gracheva NM, Gavrilov AF, Solov’ eva AI, SmirnovVV, Sorokulova IB, Reznik SR, Chudnovskaia NV[The efficacy of the new bacterial preparationbiosporin in treating acute intestinal infections].

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Article in Russian, Zh Mikrobiol EpidemiolImmunobiol 1996 Jan;1:75-77

11. Vollenbroich D, Özel2 M, Vater J, Kamp R M, PauliG, “ Mechanism of Inactivation of Enveloped Virusesby the Biosurfactant Surfactin from Bacillus subtilis,”Biologicals. 1997 Sep;25(3):289-97.

12. Lebbadi M, Galvez A, Valdivia E, Martinez-Bueno M,Maqueda M “ Purification of amoebolytic substancesfrom Bacillus licheniformis M-4.” Arch Microbiol1994;162(1-2):98-102

13. Konlee M, Report No 16 Spring Issue (1998), PositiveHealth Newswww.execpc.com/~keephope/report16.html

14. Wostmann BS, Larkin C, Moriarty A, Bruckner-Kardoss E. “ Dietary intake, energy metabolism, andexcretory losses of adjult male germfree Wistar rats.Lab Anim Sci 1983; 33:46-50 as mentioned in thebook by Dunitz M, Gut Ecology, published by MartinDunitz Ltd., www.dunitz.co.uk

15. Galland, Leo, MD, “ Gut Parasites,” EnzymePotentiated Desensitization Conference, October 1995http://www.food-allergy.org/root3.html

16. “ Parasitic Worm May Be Beneficial in the Treatmentof Inflammatory Bowel Disease” by Nutricology,Copyright1999-2001.www.nutricology.com/Newsletter/earthdragon1.htm

Leaky GutPolly: “ Leaky gut” is a popular term forincreased intestinal permeability. Toxins andlarger food molecules than normal pass throughthe gut and escape into the blood stream. Thissets the stage for many food allergies. Toxins,inflammation, parasites and viruses seem to playa part in initiating leaky gut. Toxins fromClostridium difficile (a bacteria), and influenzaand vesicular stomatitis viruses have beenshown to loosen the tight junctions in theintestinal lining. [1] (These same toxins couldalso make the blood-brain barrier morepermeable.) The common parasites calledGiardia and Blastocystis hominis also seem tocause leaky gut. [2] Besides toxins generated inthe gut by pathogens, toxins from outside thebody, like organophosphate pesticides andmercury, are suspected of contributing to leakygut.

Leaky gut could be caused by excesscalcium entering the cells that line the gut. [3]Cells take up calcium if there is some type ofinjury (toxins, oxidant stress, hypoxia, metabolicinhibition, tissue acidosis, exposure to nitricoxide or cytokines, endotoxemia, and sepsis). Sothere are probably many general health problemsthat need to be corrected if we are to get rid ofleaky gut.

Once the yeast or abnormal flora has beenminimized, many doctors will start their patients

on nutrients that are specific to healing the gut.Like so many other treatment modalities,sometimes these remedies help and sometimesthey aren’ t tolerated. Besides providingnutrients, perhaps we also need to remove theremaining toxins. For example, cholestyraminewill remove certain low molecular weight fat-soluble toxins. In certain cases, it has gotten ridof irritable bowel. Would this or charcoal oranother drug be helpful in clearing up leaky gutsyndrome?

Here are several excellent articles on theconnection of the leaky gut syndrome to theyeast syndrome.

www.gsdl.com/news/1999/19990227/index2.html “ Leaky Gut Syndrome” by Jake Paul Fratkin,OMD

www.gsdl.com/news/1999/19990228/index.html“ Inflammatory Conditions and theGastrointestinal Tract” by Myron Lezak, MD

www.johnsondrugs.com/news/index.asp LeakyGut Syndrome (LGS) Origins, Effects andTherapies, The “ Medical Link” BetweenDysbiosis and Many Major Ailments, “ Is Thisthe Most Misdiagnosed/UnderdiagnosedCondition in Medicine Today?” ContributingAuthors: Dan Koontz, NMD; Jack Hinze, NMD,PharmD; Derrick M. DeSilva, MD; Andrea

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Herr, RN, FBIH; Craig Konzen, RPh in theHerbal Pharm, issue 19, 1999.

Dr. Leo Galland’s Observationson Healing Leaky GutPolly: Leo Galland, MD, wrote an excellentarticle on leaky gut. It can be found atwww.healthy.net/library/articles/galland/Leakygut.htm He suggests that diet is the mostimportant factor in healing leaky gut, but thatthere are several adjuncts to the diet that canhelp. I’ ve summarized some of Dr. Galland’ ssuggestions here for you.

1) Merely taking the time to chew your foodwell will help because purified epidermalgrowth factor (found in saliva) has beenshown to heal ulceration of the smallintestine.

2) Insoluble fiber like cellulose is helpful.Soluble fiber is helpful too, but be carefulnot to get too much soluble fiber because inlarger quantities it can increase permeability.(Soluble fiber soaks up water, insoluble fiberdoes not.)

3) Probiotics help.

4) Undenatured whey is valuable for increasinggut IgA (immunoglobulin) levels, whichimproves your immunity. (IgA is discussedin the autism chapter in book 5.)

5) Since the liver’ s glutathione levels are oftenlow in this syndrome, you may want toincrease your glutathione levels by using N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) and methionine.

6) Gamma oryzanol from rice bran is helpful.

7) In general, avoid vegetable oils becausepolyunsaturated oil tends to increase the freeradical content of the bile. This damages thegut and pancreas. Yet, you may need someGLA, and he suggests getting your GLA

from a concentrated source (like primroseoil), so as to avoid over-exposure to thepolyunsaturated oils.

8) Fish oil along with vitamin B6 can increaseanti-inflammatory prostaglandin formationand thus help reduce inflammation of thegut.

9) Bioflavonoids like quercetin may block theallergic reactions that increase gutpermeability.

I have some comments about his suggestions.

1) Careful with the NAC and whey. Somepeople with mercury poisoning have highcysteine levels. Whey or NAC aren’ tappropriate in this case. Also, too muchcysteine can suppress thyroid. Cysteine isharmful if you are copper poisoned.

2) Don’ t overdo fish oil either. Fish oil ishighly unsaturated. Just like the vegetableoils, it can increase the free radical contentof the bile. If you wish to use fish oil,consider using a little fish liver oil for itshigher vitamin content. The fat-solublevitamins found in fish liver oil (A, E, D, andK) control inflammation.

3) Gamma oryzanol may interfere with theinterpretation of thyroid blood tests.Typically, doses of about 300 mg per dayare used to treat ulcers and gastrointestinalcomplaints. This amount will lower TSHsignificantly in people with primaryhypothyroidism, even though it does notincrease the thyroid hormone level in theblood. [4] Because of its possible effect onhormone levels, it seems wise for pregnantand lactating women to avoid takingsupplements of gamma-oryzanol.

4) Don’ t overdo bioflavonoids. Bioflavonoidshelp control inflammation, but they also

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lower the body’ s ability to detoxify othersubstances. (See the liver health chapter.)Those with impaired sulfation may findsome of the bioflavonoids hard to tolerate.Also, the process of removing thebioflavonoids from the body may use upsulfates, which are needed to heal a leakygut.

5) Other things that help control inflammationare transfer factor, colostrum, bromelain,pancreatic enzymes, progesterone, Mead oil,coconut oil, and emu oil. Butter and aloevera are soothing to the intestine too.

Dechen: My doctor had told me that aloe gel isone of nature’ s strongest anti-inflammatories. Iwas taking this commercial brand which waspure crap since it was full of citric acid. I thenstarted extracting aloe gel from the plant in myliving room! And bingo, my gut feels heavenly!Every morning I take one or two fat leaves, cutthe sides with scissors, open and scrape theinsides. Then I blend it with my hand blenderand water. I add my probiotic and voila! It reallyreally helps. Of course, my house plant looksravaged... But I’ ll just buy another one. Icouldn’ t find a brand of aloe gel that didn’ tcontain all kinds of added caca, and I was veryunwilling to go without the benefits of aloe.Apart from it’ s anti-inflammatory qualities, it’ sa cleanser of the digestive system and the liver,a detoxifier, and slight immune booster. So mysolution might seem strange but it works verywell, and it’ s cheap.

Polly: It is extremely easy to ruin the healingproperties of aloe vera by processing and heat.The sugars in it are ruined. Very few companiesdo it right. Mannatech is one of the fewcompanies that know how to do it. Althoughtheir product is good, it can get expensive, andif you want to get those good effects from it, you

have to use a lot. I think you have a wonderfulsolution. Just be careful not to use the outer partof the leaves because the yellow sap is alaxative. The old leaves contain more of themannose sugar, which may help the immunesystem. There are a few people that are allergicto aloe vera. A good precaution may be to test adab of it on the skin first. This book isinteresting, Sugars that Heal by Emil Mondoa,MD and Mindy Kitei. It talks about manydifferent sugars in our food that are veryimportant to healing and to the immune system.

More Remedies for Leaky GutDY: All my vitamin levels are fine. I just don’ tknow what to take for leaky gut!? Thanks!

Linda in Virginia: L-Glutamine is good forleaky gut. Vitamin A is also good. I am takingOmega Plex (butyric acid) by AmericanBiologics (2 capsules 3 X day) and IntestinalPermeability Support by Biotics Research (2capsules 3 X day). Tyler also makes somethingfor leaky gut called Permeability Factors.Normally Tyler products can only be purchasedthrough a health care practitioner. However,N.E.E.D.S. (Syracuse, NY) carries the brandbecause they have a doctor on staff.www.needs.com phone (800) 634-1380.Biotics Research products are harder to find. Mylocal health food store just started carrying theirproducts. Before that I bought them from myhealth care practitioner.

Jennifer: Are there any other vitamins or aminoacids that are helpful? How about single herbs?Combinations like Intestinal PermeabilitySupport are difficult for me to tolerate. Thankyou!

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Polly: Jennifer, there are so many manydifferent things that you can use. Vitamin A,copper and zinc seem particularly important fora healthy intestine. Other than that, I don’ t knowwhat is best. However, here is a list of someideas.

1. Slippery elm and saffron tea sooth theintestine.

2. There is a book on Chinese herbs for healingthe gut called Healing Digestive Disordersby Andrew Gaeddert. He suggests blends ofherbs for different intestinal conditions. Iguess you have to go to a doctor or herbstore familiar with these blends. I’ ve neverheard of them before. But if you can tolerateherbs, this seems like a good avenue toexplore.

3. Elderberries help heal the intestines, but theyare pretty pungent and not very sweet£notthe best tasting in my opinion. Elderberriesalso have very good anti-viral properties.Elderberry jam is a verified treatment forintestinal ulceration. The dry berries stopdiarrhea. However, Morton Walker, D.P.M.cautions that elderberries should not be eatenraw. [5]

4. In Andy Cutler’ s book, Amalgam Illness, hementions that if you are low on the aminoacids arginine or taurine, then supplementsof these can help heal leaky gut. But thereare precautions one must be aware of whenusing any amino acid. In particular, severalpeople have mentioned how supplementingwith just glutamine increases ammonialevels and can be intolerable. Even thoughcorrecting a deficit of arginine will help healleaky gut, too much arginine will harm thegut. (See the chapter on amino acids in book6.)

5. Colixen is a product used to reduce intestinalinflammation and heal leaky gut. It is madeby Ecological Formulas. It contains mucin,lauric acid, and ricinoleic acid. Mucin is theprotective coating in your intestines. Thelauric acid should help get rid of viruses. (Inthe intestines, the lauric acid converts tomonolaurin, which is an anti-viral substance.Lauric acid is found in coconut oil.) Thericinoleic acid is essentially castor oil.Castor oil is a treatment for intestinalinflammation and worms. Castor oil is alsoa laxative. An overdose will cause severecramping. Castor oil should not be usedwhen you are pregnant. Too much mayinduce labor and cause stillbirth.

6. Then there are substances that may improvethe integrity of the glucosaminoglycans(GAGs) that line the intestines.

Glucosaminoglycans (GAGs)Polly: Fully sulfated glucosaminoglycans(GAGs) provide a protective barrier in the gutand prevent leaky gut. We shed these GAGswhen there is inflammation. For healing, weneed to get rid of the inflammation and toprovide the basic material for our body to createmore fully sulfated GAGs.

What basic material should we supply to thebody so that it can create more GAGs? Shouldwe ingest more sulfates, glutamine, chondroitansulfate, glucosamine sulfate or perhaps N-acetyl-glucosamine? All of these are potentialcandidates for increasing the formation ofGAGs.

Glucosamine is the amino acid glutaminecombined with fructose, a sugar. Glucosamine isthen used as a building block for more complexGAGs such as chondroitin sulfate. Sinceglucosamine is the basic building block forGAGs, I’ m guessing that it might be the best

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substance to supply the body. However, I’ ve notseen anyone suggest that glucosamine sulfate isgood for healing leaky gut. It just seems logicalthat it would be.

Avandish: Products from a number ofmanufacturers for leaky gut contain glucosaminesulfate. I have seen it in Biotics research, maybeTyler, and others. I have not tolerated theseblends of ingredient type products for leaky gutand am exploring as you are. I may experimentwith more pure glucosamine sulfate in the nearfuture, but right now I am looking into thepossible production of some of these gut-healingcompounds by various species of bifidobacteria.

Sally: I remember reading somewhere thatglucosamine sulfate is the best anti-inflammatory because it doesn’ t cause damageto the gut like all the other ones. The article alsosaid it is proven to help heal the gut instead ofcausing damage and promotes healing of thestomach lining. If I find where I read it I willpost it verbatim. I’ ve used it for several years formy arthritis-like symptoms with great successand have recommended it to many who havereported back with good results. One person hadbeen having digestive problems and startedtaking it for arthritis, but commented later thathis digestive symptoms had greatly improvedshortly after starting it.

Avandish: What dosage do you take? Thanks.

Sally: 1500 mg daily until symptoms aresatisfactory. Then after a while I back down to1000 mg.

Mary in Pennsylvania: I know that when Istopped using N-acetyl-glucosamine (NAG) orany of the products with it in it (like IntestinalPermeability by Tyler), I quickly got my candida

under control. Up to this point though, it hadbeen an up hill battle due to the fact that I wasattempting to correct leaky gut syndrome (LGS)with the recommended supplements like NAG.What I was doing was making a bad situationeven worse. It wasn’ t until I read the forumarchived posts by Author and JD, whichcondemned NAG because it was a knowninducer of yeast myceliation, that I wised up andstopped all the crazy supplementation. (Yeastcan take on several different forms. Themycelial form burrows into tissue.)

Polly: I just did a little rummaging around inmedline, and found references that indicatesome drawbacks to NAG.

1) NAG causes Candida albicans to formmycelia. [6]

2) NAG increases adherence of Candidaalbicans to vaginal epithelial cells. [7]

3) The yeast Candida krusei can live on thesugar in NAG. [8]

4) Some bacteria can use the sugar in NAG togrow and some can’ t. [9]

Glucosamine has drawbacks too. Theinformation at this website suggests thatglucosamine could lower energy production andincrease yeast growth. www.biochemicals.comIn their opinion, chondroitan sulfate, althoughmore expensive, would be a much better choice.The articles at that site also warn thatglucosamine might increase insulin resistance. Ifyou are diabetic, be particularly careful with it.

Besides the obvious importance of buildingup the intestinal lining with GAGs, there isanother aspect to glucosamine sulfate andchondroitan sulfate than may be very helpful.Viral infections can lead to gut inflammation,and glucosamine sulfate and chondroitan sulfatemay help control these viral infections. There is

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an article at the Keep Hope Alive site that talksabout using chondroitan sulfate and glucosaminesulfate to control the HIV virus. It is not knownif these help control other lipid envelope viruses(measles, CMV, and HHV-6). However, if theydo help kill these other lipid envelope viruses,that could make their use very important. [10]

Sheila: Just wanted to share a recent experiencewith NAG vs glutamine. I switched fromglutamine to NAG for about a month. Duringthat time, I experienced a lot of intestinalinflammation and stools went from prettyhealthy to very unhealthy looking. I didn’ timmediately attribute it to the NAG, but when Iswitched back to glutamine, those problemsimmediately disappeared. Since I saw so muchimprovement, I doubled the glutamine to 1gram/day & have been getting better & bettersince. This was an unintentional experiment, butdefinitely proved to me the benefit of glutamineover NAG, in my case at least.

SK: I like the glucosaminoglycans (GAGs). L-glutamine didn’ t work for me. I didn’ t like thechondroitin or glucosamine sulfate£ah but theNAG? Nice.

Polly: That proves that everyone’ s needs are sodifferent. NAG can protect a person from certainlectins like those found in wheat. I wonder ifthat is why you found it so helpful? Maybe youdon’ t have the type of bacteria or yeast that canbreak down NAG and get to the sugar in it?

Avandish: What is your source of GAGs? Arethey isolated or foods high in them naturally?

SK: Enzymatic Aorta-glycan 50mg —“ mixture of highly purified bovine-derivedGAGs naturally present in the aorta includingderman sulfate, heparin sulfate, hyaluronic

acid, chondroitin sulfate and relatedhexosaminoglycans.” Cow parts, yum.

(The Enzymatic Therapy brand is carried inmany vitamin shops. You might have to askthem to order this Aorta-glycan product for you.Or here is a discount vitamin company thatcarries a lot of Enzymatic Therapy products,www.totaldiscountvitamins.com/Merchant/enz.htm or phone 1-800-283-2833.)

Avandish: I have read that the inorganic sulfatesmust be balanced with organic sulfurcompounds like MSM. When one uses a lot ofglucosamine sulfate it initially does not show upin the urine in large quantities and the personfeels better (arthritis/joint pain study). But afterusing the inorganic sulfur (sulfates) for a while,the improvement fades and the urine begins toshow high levels of inorganic sulfur. When asource of organic sulfur is added, then theimprovement often returns and the urine levelsof inorganic sulfur drop while continuing withthe same oral dose. This seems to suggest thenecessity of balance between inorganicand/organic sulfur.

Polly: What were the food and other sources oforganic sulfur that were used in the study?

Avandish: You have to realize that theinformation I mentioned was based on testingdone in people using glucosamine sulfate andchondroitin for joint/arthritis problems. Leakygut was not addressed in the participants. If anyof them had it, it was not mentioned. Imentioned this study to show the necessity ofbalance between organic and inorganic sulfur.About the organic sulfur, the only supplementmentioned was MSM. Plant enzymes were usedwith foods typically high in sulfur such as eggs,bell peppers, protein, garlic, etc. I think the

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MSM was the primary source for organic sulfur.Wish I could give more specifics, but can’ t findmy notes on this.

Lilian: Have you found glutamine to be aproblem with fighting candida and leaky gut? Itake it now, but I don’ t know if it might bepreventing me from getting better.

Polly: Some people find glutamine helpful, andothers get sick on it. When I tried glutamine, itseemed to make an infection on my hand worse.So I didn’ t continue the glutamine. One persontold me that glutamine was wonderful for awhile, but then she started to get sick from it. Idon’ t know why it does this to some people.There is no sugar in glutamine to feed the yeast.(Yet the body can fairly easily convert thisamino acid into glucose, a sugar.) Glutamine canincrease ammonia levels, which might be theproblem. Ammonia interferes with alpha-ketoglutaric acid, which is needed for energyproduction. Glutamine supplementation mayalso lower taurine levels, which could be anotherproblem, since many of us may be already lowon taurine. A Great Smokies Laboratory articlewarns that one should get rid of dysbiosis beforetrying certain amino acids, including glutamine,because the pathogens can act on them creatingunwanted substances. Apparently,

“ Even glutamine, which helps to keep mucosaltissue healthy, can be changed into succinicacid, which is detrimental when excessive.” [11]

Jock in UK: Glutamate (free), glutamicacid, and glutamine are all on the forbiddensubstance list at this celiac disease websitewww.celiac.com/safe_forbidden.html . Proteinsthat contain a lot of glutamine and prolineappear to be very damaging to the intestines,especially if glutamine and proline are found in

a particular sequence in the protein. Seewww.csaceliacs.org/celiacdisease.html

Polly: So do you think some people with celiaccould have an immune reaction to glutamine? Ormaybe they are sensitive to impurities inglutamine products? We are back to trial anderror here.

One cannot conclude that any one substanceis the best for healing leaky gut. It will dependon the individual. However, I guess the leastlikely to cause problems would be MSM,mineral sulfates, chondroitan sulfate or Aorta-glycans. Gelatin is quite helpful for joints, but Idon’ t know if it is effective for healing the gut ornot. (Gelatin is high in glycine and proline.) Iwould not start with NAG, glutamine, orglucosamine because they are more likely to besomething your body could not tolerate. Also,I’ d be wary of trying a combination ofeverything we have discussed lately. If youcombined everything into one product, youwould be bound to get one substance that yourbody couldn’ t tolerate.

TaurineMary J: Taurine reduces the translocation ofbacteria and toxins from the gut. [12]

Polly: That is enlightening. Yeast overgrowthand/or alcohol abuse will deplete taurine.Perhaps this is one of the ways that yeast andalcohol cause leaky gut. It is also another reasonto try a supplement of taurine. If anyone wishesto try taurine, take it with a meal because taurinecan increase the secretion of stomach acid. Alsostart slowly on taurine, maybe as little as 50 mgper day, because taurine will cause cells todetoxify, and you don’ t want to do this tooquickly. Later, you may want to try more. As

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much as 1500 mg per day has proven useful formany conditions.

references1. Fasano A, “ Regulation of intercellular tight junctions

by zonula occludens toxin and its eukaryoticanalogue zonulin” Ann N Y Acad Sci 2000;915:214-22

2. Dagci H, Ustun S, Taner MS, Galip E, Ferit K, BudakS. Protozoon infections and intestinal permeability.Acta Tropica 2002;81:1-5 and Di Prisco MC, HagelI, Lynch NR, Jimenez JC, Rojas R, Gil M, Mata E,“ Association between giardiasis and allergy.” AnnAllergy Asthma Immunol 1998 Sep;81(3):261-5

3. Naoki Unno 1 MD, PhD Mitchell P. Fink 2 3 MD,“ Nutritional, Physiologic, and PathophysiologicConsiderations of the Gastrointestinal Tract,Intestinal Epithelial Hyperpermeability Mechanismsand Relevance to Disease,” Gastroenterology ClinicsVolume 27 • Number 2 • June 1998

4. Shimomura Y, Kobayashi I, Maruto S, Ohshima K,Mori M, Kamio N, Fukuda H, “ Effect of gamma-oryzanol on serum TSH concentrations in primaryhypothyroidism,” Endocrinol Jpn 1980Feb;27(1):83-6

5. Walker, D.P.M., Elderberry Internal cleansing,Switzerland’ s Highly Effective Seven-Day BodyDetoxification and Weight Loss Program, New Wayof Life, Inc., A Life Enhancement Book, Stamford,Connecticut, 1989

6. Mattia E, Carruba G, Angiolella L, Cassone A,“ Induction of hyphal transformation, uptake and

incorporation of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine in Candidaalbicans,” Ann Ist Super Sanita. 1982;18(3):493-6.Italian. And Simonetti N, Strippoli V, Cassone A,“ Yeast-mycelial conversion induced by N-acetyl-D-glucosamine in Candida albicans,” Nature 1974 Jul26;250(464):344-6

7. Reinhart H, Muller G, Sobel JD, “ Specificity andmechanism of in vitro adherence of Candidaalbicans,” Ann Clin Lab Sci 1985 Sep-Oct;15(5):406-13

8. Hayford AE, Jakobsen M, “ Characterization ofCandida krusei strains from spontaneously fermentedmaize dough by profiles of assimilation, chromosomeprofile, polymerase chain reaction and restrictionendonuclease analysis,” J Appl Microbiol 1999Jul;87(1):29-40

9. Brinkkotter A, Kloss H, Alpert C, Lengeler JW,“ Pathways for the utilization of N-acetyl-galactosamine and galactosamine in escherichia coli,”Mol Microbiol 2000 Jul;37(1):125-35

10. Konlee M, Progressive Health News, Vol 1www.execpc.com/~keephope/v1998.html Hereferenced this article. Basgasra O et al; J. Inject Dis.1991 Dec; 164(6):1082-90 “ Anti-HIV virus type 1activity of sulfated monosaccharides: comparisonwith sulfated polysaccharides and other polyions,

11. Pangborn J, PhD. “ Question of the Month,” Nutritionand Metabolic Newsletter (Great Smokies) Issue 2,No. 2 - April 2000 page 1 of 4

12. Wang WY. [Intestinal endotoxin translocation inendotoxemic rats] [Article in Chinese] Sheng Li KeXue Jin Zhan. 1995 Jan;26(1):41- 4

Vitamins And MineralsPolly: Since there is always a situation where avitamin or mineral supplement can becomeharmful, please employ some common senserules to protect yourself.

1) Find out as much as you can about asupplement before taking it, both good andbad. Never treat any information as the wholetruth. We are always learning more.

2) Learn about the correct dose foreffectiveness.

3) Start very slowly with low doses.

4) Add one new supplement at a time.

5) Observe how you react.

6) Don’ t overdo anything, yet don’ t be afraid totry things. Even though something may startout as very helpful, eventually you may notneed it, or continuing to take it may evenbecome harmful.

7) If your health is hanging by a thread, thenconsult a professional and have him testeverything reasonable before starting on anyvitamin or mineral supplement. Usually, butnot always, a naturopathic doctor or analternative doctor will know more aboutvitamins and minerals than a conventionaldoctor.

8) Trust your body’ s reaction. If a supplementwas great for someone else with the samecondition, but it makes you sicker, then stop

taking the supplement. Find out more.Perhaps you are starting with too high a dose.Maybe the supplement has to be taken withfood or another supplement. Perhapssomething else in your body must becorrected before you can tolerate thissupplement. Sometimes the brand is no good.Many bargain brands have impurities thatmake people sick. Sometimes a supplementdoesn’ t contain the amount or even thesubstance as shown on the label, even in asupposedly good brand. If the herb isn’ t wild-crafted (no commercial fertilizers andpesticides), then sometimes the herb isn’ tvery active, like in the case of echinacea.Usually a powder or capsule is going to beabsorbed better than a hard tablet.

9) If you can’ t tolerate even the most puresupplements, then look to food. You are morelikely to tolerate food than any supplement.For instance, lightly cooked liver is a goodway to get some vitamin A, coenzyme Q10,and the B vitamins.

10) Try not to be disappointed. I’ ve tried manydifferent supplements. Each seems to havesome value. However, perhaps only one inten has given me a very noticeable benefit.

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Government Restrictions OnVitamins And MineralsJon: Just a little note to folks about somethingthat happened this morning here in the UnitedKingdom. I ran out of B12 and B6. So I went tothe local chemist and all they had was a Bcomplex. I asked if they had any B12 or B6, andthe head pharmacist there said they hadwithdrawn it under orders as it has been provennow that it causes nerve damage. I had heard afew rumours but the main health food stores stillstock it !!! It shows the strange world we live inas they refused to give me vitamins and yet a 19-year-old in front of me was happily given hisdaily dose of methadone ......warped world!

Polly: Usually B12 and B6 are used to improvenerve functioning. I’ ve never heard of B12causing nerve damage, however, the possibilityof nerve damage from high-dose B6 has beenknown for a long time. An abstract in medlinesays that doses of 200 mg to 500 mg per day ofB6 for extended periods has produced nervedamage. [1] (The purity of the B6 may accountfor some variation in the amount tolerated. Also,B6 is known to be better tolerated if B2 andmagnesium are given with it.) Yet some autisticshave taken 1000 mg or more of B6 per day on along-term basis with no problem. [2]

The possibility of nerve damage is a problemthat everyone on high dose B6 should be awareof. However, if high dose B6 could only be givenby prescription, people wouldn’ t be able to getthe prescription. A doctor would be labeled aquack and have his license taken away if heprescribed it. If the government limits our accessto no more than a couple of milligrams of B6,B12, or other vitamins, they would protect a fewbut hurt many others. Ideally, access should beallowed, warnings should be put on labels, andpeople should read those labels. Labels should

have the well-known risk situations clearlydefined, but not exaggerated. We do this forprescriptions, why not for vitamins? Then youwould have the best of both worlds— protectionand freedom.

The Internet is full of opinions and articlesabout the new CODEX guidelines. The CODEXguidelines restrict vitamin and mineralsupplements to low potencies that are multiplesof the RDA. (Restrictions on herbs are not part ofthe CODEX guidelines.) If the United Nationsadopts the CODEX guidelines, many people fearthat all is lost— that the citizens of the world willnot have access to vitamins and minerals inpotencies that can help them. However, all is notlost if the UN adopts CODEX. UN membernations that ratify GATT will only have toconsider the CODEX guidelines when creatinglaws on health supplements. Notice that this doesnot mean that each nation must implement theseguidelines, but just that they must consider theCODEX guidelines. However, there is the veryreal concern that many nations will implementthe CODEX guidelines and the citizens of theworld will not have access to the potenciesneeded. Emotions run very high on this issue. Formore detailed information, see www.vitamins-for-all.org and www.health4us.org/codex.html

Vitamin APolly: Vitamin A is very important for healthyintestines and flora. According to Dr. LarsHanson, in rats, vitamin A deficiency causes

“ a contaminated bowel syndrome, accompaniedby a very abnormal immune response with IgEantibody formation to the bacteria,dyspagocytosis, increased translocation [leakygut], and a number of other abnormalities, suchas increased nitric oxide production.” [3]

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Susan Owens, an autism researcher, points outone of the reasons that a lack of vitamin A cancause leaky gut.

“ Vitamin A deficiency has been shownexperimentally to produce an acceleratedturnover of GAGs as well as theirundersulfation.”

GAGs (glycosaminoglycans) form a protectivebarrier in the gut. When deficient orundersulfated, this can cause a leaky gut. [4]

Avandish: Stay away from the patented syntheticderivatives of Vitamin A like Accutane. Theirslightly altered chemical structure makes themtoxic. I’ m now at this candida forum websitebecause of these toxic effects. I have spent 6-7years of my life trying to reverse this damage. Ihave experimented with numerous forms ofvitamin A during this time period, and have spentcountless hours in medical libraries trying tobuild an educated understanding of the biologicalactivity of these products and vitamin A.

Polly: At the Roche pharmaceutical site, theyhave a long list of potential problems associatedwith Accutane. This list includes intestinal, liverand pancreas problems. [5] Avandish, it couldvery well have been the triggering factor in yourcase.

Avandish: If you would like to experiment withVitamin A, read up on the side effects ofexcessive dosages, so that if you begin toexperience any of them, you will be able torecognize them early and discontinue. For adults,start with 1000 IU a day (much lower thannormally used). Gradually build to 5000 IU iftolerated. Larger doses although tolerated bymany should not be necessary. A low consistentdose will be much more beneficial than highdosage vitamin A. Preformed chelates of vitamin

A are easiest to absorb and most absorbable ofthe “ Natural” vitamin A products. They areretinal succinate or retinal palmitate. These canbe toxic as well so please read.

Polly: I agree that it is always good to start slowwith vitamin A or any other supplement.However, if someone has an active measlesinfection in the gut (like many of the autistic),then perhaps more vitamin A than normal isnecessary. You may want to get a doctor tomonitor the vitamin A content of the blood in thissituation. Also you must go by symptoms. Itcould be that the liver has plenty of vitamin A,but it is not releasing it to the blood.

Many parents of autistic individuals aretrying to give children some fish oil for its retinolvitamin A content, in particular its 14- hydroxy-retro-retinol content. Dr. Megson says that forthose with a damaged gut, the best-absorbed formof vitamin A is the retinol form of vitamin A,which is found in fish, butter and liver. She evensuggests avoiding the palmitate. Dr. Megsonimplies that a good deal of the trouble we are inis due to substituting the palmiate for the retinolin the diet of infants and children. Yet, Avandish,you imply that this retinol form isn’ t that wellabsorbed, and you prefer the palmitate. Why?

Avandish: If the retinol were extracted from thefish oil, its absorption would be easy. However,fish oil, as any polyunsaturated oil, requires thebreakdown of the fats by lipase to allowdigestion. Lipase from the pancreas digests fats.Micellization and emulsification can be used oncod liver oil to increase the surface area for lipaseto act. This will improve absorption.(Micellization means the large fat-solublenutrients have been broken down into tiny,stable, water-soluble particles called micelles,which are absorbed more easily. Bile essentially

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does the same thing. It emulsifies fats£makesthe fat particles very small.)

There is a problem with this emulsificationtechnique though. The compounds used toemulsify can be different from differentproducers. For example: some use glycerin, someuse lecithin, etc. These added ingredients aresometimes the sole reason a product becomesintolerable. Also many companies buy theirvitamin A containing preservatives NOT listedon the label such as BHT, sodium benzoate, etc.If negative symptoms occur, you shoulddiscontinue and try another.

I can’ t stress purity enough for people withany type of liver malfunction. If you have troublegetting pure Vitamin A without additives youmay try College Pharmacy in Colorado Springs,Colorado, at (800) 888-9358. You MUST specifythat you want a product with no additivesbecause the pharmaceutical companies sell bothto vitamin companies and pharmacies. The stuffwith additives is easier to weigh and thereforemore popular. You have to realize that 20,000 IUis smaller than a drop of pure A liquid. It must bediluted to measure it. You can have it diluted bythis pharmacy with dilutents of your choice.

Polly: From what you just said, I assume addingbile salts and/or pancreatic enzymes might helpabsorption if someone were taking the cod liveroil. (You can purchase bile salts separately.DEWS carries them. www.DEWSnatural.comphone (940) 243-2178) Maybe even an additionof the palmitic fatty acids from coconut wouldmake the absorption easier too. There is someindication that the presence ofphosphatidylcholine in the intestine will help theabsorption of vitamin A. [6] Yet, just improvingthe absorption isn’ t the total solution. A goodportion of the autistic children are not able totolerate cod liver oil. Faced with this problem,one mom tried micellized retinyl palmitate and

noticed some improvement. Yet others are notable to tolerate the palmitate. Are there any otherforms of vitamin A that they could try?

Avandish: You can bind or chelate retinol to justabout anything. I have seen succinate, acetate,palmitate, and others. Thorne Research offers apreservative FREE retinyl palmitate. BioticsResearch has also been tolerable for me. I wouldexperiment with these before fish oil.

The retinol in fish oil must be converted inthe liver to a form that can be distributedthroughout the body. The palmitate and succinaterequire no further processing. When you give theliver any compound in which it can’ t easilyprocess, natural or not, it will put undo stress onthat organ. In my situation the chelates have beenmuch more tolerable and effective, while retinolfrom fish oil increased my symptoms associatedwith liver decline and increased the level of myliver enzymes. Also, if you look up vitamin A inany health book, or medical book it willgenerally advise against the use of cod liver oil inpatients with clinical liver dysfunction.

Polly: Thank you, Avandish. That is veryimportant information, and it is well expressed.Have a little more patience with me, and ifpossible, could you explain this quote by Dr.Mary Megson? Dr. Megson states,

“ … the enzyme that helps split vitamin Apalmitate is in the microvilli of the gut, and if thechild has a single adenoviral or rhinoviralinfection before fifteen months of age, themucosal cells are sloughed off so that enzymemight not be available for use. Vitamin Apalmitate has to be in the presence of bile, andthe right pH for absorption. [Sporn, M, Roberts,A, Goodman, D. The Retinoids: Biology,Chemistry and Medicine. Raven Press, 1994,page 231]” [7]

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Avandish: It is my understanding that theseintestinal cells actually chelate the retinol withpalmitic acid for absorption. This step dose notoccur automatically, but is carried out by thecells lining the intestine. I am not sure why thereis so much conflicting information out there. Ithink that doctors often form hypotheses, thatalthough sometimes get good results clinically,are not necessarily correct biochemically. I can’ tsay who is correct for sure. I would suggesthaving the vitamin A palmitate or any othervitamin A traced in the blood and tissues with aradioactive tracer or just simply test for thosecompounds in a sample to see if its present. Ihave, myself, had very poor bile secretion withthese health problems, and poor fat metabolism.Yet palmitate has helped more than fish oil forme. If taken in high dosage, I experiencesymptoms of excess vitamin A. These symptomsshould not occur body wide without properabsorption.

Every text I read on nutritional medicine,whether from one medical journal to another orfrom one nutritional text to another, containconflicting information. After experimentingwith this vitamin A thing for a while, I havecome to the conclusion that palmitate is safer andmore effective than fish oil for me. I have learnedthat the more you attempt to learn, the more yourealize that everything should be questioned. Notvery settling on the stomach.

Polly: Avandish, I’ ve learned a lot from you, butI still feel uncomfortable with my level ofunderstanding on this issue. Perhaps the key isnot what form of vitamin A gets absorbed intothe bloodstream the best, but what form ofvitamin A heals the intestines the best. Theintestines are designed to get most of theirnutrition directly from the food in the gut. Hencethe retinol form of vitamin A, which is the formnormally found in food, might be the best way to

let nature heal the gut. At least it is the first thingI’ d try. Yet, if the retinol vitamin A from butter,fish, and liver didn’ t help, then I’ d certainly trythe palmitate.

Vitamin A or Carotene?Polly: An overdose of vitamin A can suppressthyroid, and be just as deleterious as too littlevitamin A. Therefore, to be on the safe side,many people turn to a supplement of carotene.When you use carotene, the liver should convertthe carotene into vitamin A as it is needed. Thisavoids the possible problem with an overdose ofvitamin A. Most people assume that you can’ t gettoo much carotene, so they feel that there is noproblem with making this substitution. However,one cannot go too far with this logic withoutrunning into a few problems. A little carotene inyour diet is fine, but too much carotene caninterfere with liver function, and can block theaction of vitamin A by competing with it. Also,if you are hypothyroid, it may be difficult foryour liver to convert carotene into vitamin A.Especially for children, one needs to make surethey get some vitamin A instead of just carotene.In general, all children have a problemconverting carotene into vitamin A. [8] Thosewith a phenol-sulfotransferase problem (many ofthe autistic and mercury poisoned) may havemore trouble than most with carotene and othercartinoids. Therefore, I feel that a nominalsupplement of vitamin A may be a better optionthan a carotene supplement, at least for many ofus.

Please be careful if you give a child vitaminA supplements. A child will get very sick if yougive them an adult dose of vitamin A on a regularbasis. If your child is healthy, then just keepingbutter in their diet should go a long way tokeeping them healthy. If you want to add someinsurance, you might consider a child’ s vitamin

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supplement from Allergy Research/Nutricology.They are small capsules, and you use a number ofthem depending on the child’ s weight— onecapsule per 10 pounds of body weight or asdirected by a physician. Each capsule contains800 IU of vitamin A palmitate along with manyother vitamins and minerals. Since the pills arecapsules, they can be pulled apart, and thecontents added to food. www.nutricology.comphone (800) 782-4274

Supplements of 25,000 IU of vitamin A perday is usually quite safe for adults More might behard on the liver. However, there is currentlysome debate going on about using this much ona long-term basis. Adults can use higher doses ona short-term basis (eg 200,000 IU a day during aninfection), but not necessarily for an extendedperiod. Vitamin A supplements should bebalanced with vitamin E because vitamin A tendsto suppress the level of vitamin E.

Vitamin B1Polly: Any of us with an overgrowth of yeast arelikely to need some extra B1. B1 is destroyedwhen the yeast toxin acetylaldehyde isdetoxified. Also, candida can cause thebreakdown of B1 before it has a chance to beabsorbed by the intestines. [9] Those withmercury poisoning should pay particularattention to this vitamin. In Ziff’ s DentalMercury Detox book, he states,

“ The symptoms of B1 deficiency and mercurypoisoning are almost identical.”

Mercury lowers B1 levels by oxidizing it. Sincemany of us are considering using lipoic acid tochelate mercury, it should also be noted that B1is required to have lipoic acid work properly.[10]If plain B1 doesn’ t seem to help, try coenzymeB1 (also called TTFD). Dr. Teitlebaum notes that

some of his fibromyalgia patients require thecoenzyme form of B1. [10] DEWS and AllergyResearch/Nutricology used to carry TTFDseparately, but demand hasn’ t been high enoughto keep it as a separate nutrient. For now, youwill have to look for it in a “ coenzyme” or“ coenzymate” B complex supplement. SourceNaturals and DEWS make them. There is alsoanother form of B1 available called allithiamine.This “ fat-soluble” form of B1 is absorbed well. Itis from Cardiovascular Research/EcologicalNutrients. Phone (800) 351-9429. There is alsoBenfotiamin or Befotiamine which is another fatsoluble coenzyme form of B1.

Vitamin B6Polly: If you have yeast overgrowth, there aremany reasons that you may want to get extra B6,at least for a while.

1) You might be low on coenzyme B6 if youhave been exposed to the yeast toxinacetylaldehyde. [11] This toxin interfereswith the production of coenzyme B6.

2) You might be low on coenzyme B6 if youhave been exposed to alcohol for a longperiod. Some types of yeast and bacteriaproduce alcohol.

3) Dr. Shaw, in his book on autism, suggeststhat starting B6 supplementation early inyour treatment might reduce die-offsymptoms. Since B6 is an aldehyde, itseffectiveness may be diminished by thepresence of the yeast toxin acetylaldehyde.For this later reason, Dr. Shaw suggests thatthe extra B6 might be particularly importantduring a yeast overgrowth condition, butmight not be as critical after the yeast levelsare reduced.

4) There may be a functional deficiency of B6as well as the actual deficiency. When yeast

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levels are high, often there are high levels ofarabinose. According to Dr. Shaw, this cancause a functional deficiency of B6, lipoicacid and biotin.

5) Pentosidine formation may be prevented byhigher levels of B6, glutathione and vitaminC. (High levels of arabinose formed by yeastcan lead to pentosidine formation.Pentosidines interfere with many functionsin your body and might be a contributingfactor in Alzheimer’ s disease.)

6) B6 is important for both your cell-mediatedimmune response (Th1) and your humoralimmune response (Th2). [12]

7) B6 is very important for the properabsorption of protein; protein is veryimportant for your cell mediated immuneresponse. [13] (It takes a while for theimmune system to recover after a period oflow protein.)

8) B6 and the other B vitamins are required toactivate the liver enzymes that get rid oftoxins.

For all of the above reasons, if you have yeastovergrowth, addition of B6 may be a wiseinvestment, even if you don’ t notice anythingspectacular from it.

Mrs. Generic: Wonder if B6 has a more“ bioavailable” form, just like pantethenic acidhas the form pantethine?

Polly: Just like the active form of pantethenicacid is called pantethine, the active form of B6 iscalled coenzyme B6, or sometimes Pyridoxal-5-Phosphate or P5P. Coenzyme B6 is the actualform of the vitamin that the body needs.Coenzyme B6 is a much better purchase thanplain B6, in my opinion.

1) I strongly suspect that many of us who havehad a long-standing yeast problem may havetrouble converting B6 into its coenzymeform. You need the amino acid alpha-ketoglutaric acid and vitamin B2 to convertB6 into its active coenzyme form. Some of usmay be low on alpha-ketoglutaric acidbecause the yeast toxin acetylaldehydedepletes this. [11]

2) Those with aluminum poisoning may be lowon alpha ketoglutaric acid and have troubleusing phosphates. [14] This could interferewith the formation of Pyridoxal-5-Phosphate(coenzyme B6) and riboflavin-5-phosphate(coenzyme B2).

3) Coenzyme B6 isn’ t that much moreexpensive and, when you consider itseffectiveness is considered 3 to 10 timeshigher, it is actually cheaper. Country Life’ s“ Active B6“ contains coenzyme B6 and itcosts about $8 for 50 capsules of 50 mg each.This should be enough to tell if it is helpful.Solgar makes tablets of P5P (coenzyme B6).Klaire Labs makes a combination of P5Pwith magnesium glycinate. You might haveto have your vitamin shop order one of thesefor you.

4) Personally, I’ d try the coenzyme form of B6before ever trying the high dose B6. I thinkthe coenzyme B6 product should be muchless likely to cause nerve problems. The liverhas a limited ability to convert B6 intocoenzyme B6. If you overload the body withplain B6, the B6 can theoretically becometoxic by taking up the receptor sites meant forcoenzyme B6. [15] If B6 starts to cause nerveproblems, doctors suggest that you lower thedose, and add magnesium and other Bvitamins, especially B2. B2 activates anenzyme that completes the conversion of B6into coenzyme B6.

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Here are some brief articles on coenzyme B6.

www.medical-library.net/sitesd/framer.html?/sitesd/_pyridoxine_(b6).html

www.bioscienceproducts.com/bioscienceprod/products/bioal.htm

www.naturalhealthconsult.com/Monographs/Pyridoxal5Phos.html

Mr. Generic: How much coenzyme B6 or P5Pshould I take?

Polly: I was told to take 40 mg of coenzyme B6three times per day (total of 120 mg) by thecompany that did my amino acid assay. In Dr.Shaw’ s book on autism, they talk about using500 mg or more of regular B6 along with B2 andmagnesium. If you assume that coenzyme B6 isup to 10 times as effective as regular B6, thistranslates into 50 mg or more of coenzyme B6per day. However, one must always be careful toobserve reactions carefully and not take toomuch. Those with a PST problem must beparticularly careful with coenzyme B6.Coenzyme B6 can suppress the PST enzyme,phenol-sulfotransferase. [16] (There is somemore information about PST, B6, autism andattention deficit in book 5.)

Bernard Rimland, MD, suggests that in orderto avoid destabilizing the coenzyme B6, you takeyour coenzyme B6 after your meals, especially ifyou are taking other vitamins and minerals beforeyour meal. However, nothing is perfect. I haveheard of one autistic kid who can’ t tolerate thecoenzyme B6, but who does well with plain B6.Part of the problem may be that the coenzyme B6is used more quickly than plain B6. Of course, ifyou are taking prescription drugs, you shouldcheck for interactions before supplementing highdoses of either form of B6. [17]

Vitamin B12Polly: There are four types of vitamin B12available.

1. cyanocobalamin

2. methylcobalamin

3. adenosylcobalamin

4. hydroxycobalamin

Cyanocobalamin is the form of vitamin B12 thatyou will find in most supplements. It is cheaperthan the other forms and most people tolerate itwell. However, because it contains cyanide, itmight be toxic when used in high doses.

Methylcobalamin and adenosylcobalamin andare the active forms of the vitamin found innature. [18] You can purchase methylcobalaminfairly readily. Thorne Research makes it. Unlikecyanocobalamin, the methylcobalamin does notrequire intrinsic factor for absorption. [20] Sowhen taken orally, the methylcobalamin has abetter chance of being absorbed.Methylcobalamin can be found in thecerebrospinal fluid. It supports the healthystructure and functioning of the brain andnervous system. It is the form oftenrecommended for those who have been mercurypoisoned.

Adenosylcobalamin is also easily purchased,but it is often not found under that name.Adenosylcobalamin is also called coenzyme B12,cobamamide, cobinamide, or dibencozide.Ecological Formulas makes a separatesupplement of it. DEWS includes this form ofB12 in with their coenzyme B complex producttoo. The body readily stores adenosylcobalaminin the liver and mitochondria

The hydroxycobalamin must be orderedthrough a compounding pharmacy. The body willconvert it into the active methylcobalamin andadenosylcobalamin. Large doses ofhydroxycobalamin have proved useful in the

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treatment of both fibromyalgia and chronicfatigue. The reason might be due in part to B12’ sability to mop up excess nitric oxide. Dr. MartinL. Pall hypothesizes that elevated nitric oxideand peroxynitrite may be the common etiology ofposttraumatic stress disorder, fibromyalgia,chronic fatigue syndrome and multiple chemicalsensitivity. Hypoxia (lack of oxygen) or anytraumatic stress can set in motion a vicious cyclethat perpetuates the elevated levels of the nitricoxide and peroxynitrite in the body. Seewww.ImmuneSupport.com/library/showarticle.cfm?ID=2976

Those with mercury poisoning may not beable to tolerate B12 supplements. Try asublingual B12 before experimenting with thehigher dose shots. The sublingualmethylcobalamin form of B12 might be the bestto try since it is often recommended for themercury poisoned. B12 should be balanced withfolic acid. SAMe is also important to the properuse of folic acid and B12. If B12 levels areparticularly low, check for a parasite infection.Giardia and Diphylobothrium latum interferewith the absorption of B12. Pancreatic enzymesare required to absorb B12. Also, adequatesulfates might be important since they activatethe CCKA receptor that regulates intrinsic factor.

Carol S: Personally, Dr. Cheney started me offon 5000 mcg/ml of cyanocobalamin, 1 cc sub Q,three times a week, in 1996. In the spring of 1998he switched me to 10,000 mcg/ml ofhydroxycobalamin, 1cc daily. After reading theSwedish research on B-12 depletion in ChronicFatigue Syndrome patients in the cerebrospinalfluid (when blood levels showed normal!),Cheney wanted to raise the dose. He realized theonly way to safely get the higher dose was to usehydroxycobalamin. He hadn’ t been aware of it.He said that most American doctors only knowabout cyanocobalamin. He read and learned that

the British used in it high doses as a detoxifyingagent. It really excited him. I found the differencein dose and type of B-12 to be very significant.The hydroxy not only gave me a little moreenergy; it also helped me sleep more deeply if Itook it at bedtime, and my pain level droppedsome. It’ s definitely worth the much higher price.

Dr. Cheney employs B-12 injections of10,000 mcg/ml of hydroxycobalamin, 1 cc ormore daily at bedtime, given subcutaneously orintramuscularly. (Here is an article on his work:http://virtualhometown.com/dfwcfids/medical/cavalry.html ) This form and dosage of B-12 is apotent detoxifier of the brain, increases energy,assists with sleep, and provides pain relief forsome patients. Patients report that they needed topush to plateau (keep increasing dose untilbenefits stop increasing) to get a sustained effect.In a recent study most CFS patients had nodetectable B-12 in their cerebrospinal fluid,though all had normal B-12 blood levels. It issuspected that there is dramatically increasedconsumption or destruction of B-12 in the brain.Another published study documents the use of upto 26 mg a day of B-12 with great benefits, andno side effects. At these high doseshydroxycobalamin rather than cyanocobalaminmust be used to avoid the toxicity of the cyanidein the later.

A few patients have reported feelinghyper/jittery or lethargic or have experience acneand diarrhea when taking the hydroxycobalamin.The dosage should be reduced if this occurs.Cheney speculates that it’ s acting as a detoxifierand is pulling out toxins too fast. This problemwith B-12 appears to generalize to other B-vitamins as well. (The British usedhydroxycobalamin 5 gm infusions to successfullydetox people with cyanide poisoning.) It’ simportant to supplement other B vitaminsmoderately when taking high dosages of B-12.This form of B-12 is available only through a

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compounding pharmacy and can be foundlocally. If there isn’ t a source near you, theWellness Pharmacy offers 30 1cc injections foraround $80. This preparation is preservative freeand contains 10 mg per mil. Websitewww.wellnesshealth.com and phone (800) 227-2627.

Polly: This is a quote from Raymond Peat’ s April1999 newsletter:

“ One of the most interesting approaches toinhibiting carbon monoxide production is to usevitamin B12, as hydroxocobalamin, as anantidote to nitric oxide, preventing the nitricoxide from stimulating the formation of hemeoxygenase. Wherever carbon monoxide mediatesa biological malfunction, as in acquiredimmunodeficiency, Alzheimer’s disease, andcancer, vitamin B12 seems to have a place as adetoxicant.”

These are a few tidbits from Dr. Mercola’ sarticle on B12 in his August 27, 2000 newsletter.http://www.mercola.com/2000/aug/27/vitamin_b12_deficiency.htm He states that an alternativeto the injections would be to use DMSO to carrythe B12 through the skin. Intranasal B12 is alsoavailable, but it is very expensive. Be carefulabout the use of Prilosec (an antacid) because itdecreases B12 absorption.

Matt in UK: B-12 is one of the most commondeficiencies with small intestinal candida andbacterial overgrowth. There is a paper availableat www.biolab.co.uk correlating specific nutrientdeficiencies with the above situation. I think themost commonly seen pattern is low B1, B2, B6and zinc.

BiotinLucy: Has anyone used or heard of the benefitsof biotin supplementation for yeast? At the FloraBalance Site, it says,

“ Biotin helps to prevent Candida Albicans fromtransforming from yeast to fungal form and iscreated by normal flora in the intestinal tractwhich are most likely suppressed in the case of aCandida Albicans Overgrowth.” www.flora-balance.com

They recommend 5mg which seems a littleexcessive, but willing to try anything that willstop it in it tracks ahead of time.

Jane: Hi, Lucy, I’ m someone who tried biotinearlier in my illness and it made me much worse.I got horrible brain fog and couldn’ t do anythingbut sit in a chair. Couldn’ t follow a thoughtthrough. I still haven’ t tried it again, tho’ ambetter over a year later. I also think in my casethat the high mercury levels perhaps wereaffecting things. I think the yeast/bad bacteriawere “ recycling” any mercury in the bowel andthe biotin helped them live in the unrooted stage.I read somewhere that biotin feeds the yeast inthe bud stage, but keeps it from putting out roots.

Polly: Dr. Shaw recommends that you wait onsupplementing biotin until you have brought theyeast levels down, because biotin might increaseyeast growth. [20] If you take it, try it on anempty stomach with some garlic to inhibit theyeast or take it under the tongue.

Shelley: I have read recommendations for the Bvitamin biotin from 1 to 5 to 10 mg a day. Atpresent I am taking Solgar at 600 mcg. MyGP/MD said that if candida is embedded in one’ sintestines, it is hard to get at. He suggests usingbiotin to get at the yeast. Yeast like biotin and

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will be drawn to it in one’ s intestines. Then kill itwith an antifungal.

Franca: I’ m so glad that at least one medicalpractitioner somewhere has confirmed mysuspicion that when I took Diflucan, it was likemowing a lawn: It cut off the tops of theyeast/bacteria, but left the roots embedded in mybody! I think what you (or your doc) are trying tosay, if I’ m not mistaken, is that biotin willactually cause the yeast, root and all, to leave theintestinal wall it’ s living in, to take a closer lookat the biotin. This is when you zap it with theantifungal, yes? Am I the only one who’ sreminded of that Whack-A-Gopher game thatyou find at fairs??

Polly: That is funny, and important. I’ m sure theeffectiveness of the antifungals that we use willdepend on the form that the yeast has taken. Yetthings never seem to be simple. Biotin might notbe that important to the particular yeast that youharbor. One study showed that added biotin willinduce the yeast called Candida albicans toconvert from the invasive root-like mycelial forminto the bud form, and yet another study showedthat biotin wasn’ t that important to the formtaken£glucose was the main factor. [21] Thedifferent experimental results may be due tosomething as simple as a different strain ofCandida albicans. Different strains of Candidaalbicans have different conditions under whichthey will change form. [22]

Michael R. McGinnis and Stephen K. Tyringwrote an article about the different forms thatfungus could take. [23] Some fungus can be bud-like yeast under one condition, and act like aninvasive mold under another condition. Thisfungus is called dimorphic. Temperature is themost important factor in determining the formdimorphic fungus will take. At temperatures likefound in the body, dimorphic fungus tend to

remain a yeast. Other factors that influence theform are carbon dioxide, pH, zinc, cysteine,sulfhydryl-containing compounds, and serumtransferrin (iron binding compounds).

Even though biotin might not be thatinfluential to the form certain yeast take, it is stillprobably very important that we get some biotininto us. Normally, our flora makes much morebiotin than our body requires. However, when theflora is destroyed, we can become deficient inbiotin. Also, the increased arabinose due to yeastovergrowth may cause a functional deficiency ofbiotin.

Marilyn in Seattle: This is from All Your HealthQuestions Answered by Maureen KennedySalaman: p 667

“ Biotin is a B vitamin whose primary role is tomodulate fat metabolism. When liver damageoccurs, the cells swell and become infiltratedwith fat. This fat, when present, keeps the cellsfrom healing. Biotin works well to remove fattydeposits resulting from toxins.”

This woman is also totally hepped on Kyolicliquid garlic extract and I think I will get some ofthat as it is good for so many things— includingshe says, the fact that good bacteria thrive on it!I LIKE this book— taken in its entirety it hasmucho info that is really educational.

Jenny: Wow, thanks. That sure makes me feelgood£anytime I hear of fat leaving my body,plus my liver getting better. BIOTIN TO THERESCUE!!!

Polly: That is interesting. I didn’ t know biotinwas a lipotropic agent.

Kippy: What are lipotropic agents (I know, Iknow secret agents for the government oflipotropia)? Are they found in herbal remedies?

Vitamins And Minerals 83

Polly: According to the dictionary, lipotropicmeans promoting the physiologic utilization offat. The context I’ ve seen it used in refers toremoving fat from the liver. Lecithin, choline,TMG (tri-methyl-glycine), methionine, threonine,milk thistle, and lipoic acid are consideredlipotropics. Recently pantethine (dosage 600 mgper day) has been added to the list of lipotropicagents that heal the liver. [24]

Shelley: Does Maureen Kennedy Salaman talkabout dosage? That is my big question withbiotin. Thanks.

Marilyn in Seattle: Well, there’ s a hole in thebook there because she is recommending a Bcomplex since all Bs work together. She doeshave one interesting bit on diabetes and biotin. Itseems that when a group with type 2 insulindependent diabetes were given 16 milligrams ofbiotin per day for one week, they saw their bloodglucose level drop. Another test was with 9milligrams of biotin per day for 2 months and all43 participants saw their glucose levels fall tonearly half their original levels. So long termusers saw more benefit...I wonder what rolebiotin/candida has to play in hypoglycemia???Still working on the IHMD.

Note: IHMD is a forum joke. It means In-Home-Medical-Degree.

Polly: In one of the newer Prevention books, Isaw similar doses of biotin recommended forcarpal tunnel syndrome and other ailments.

Jennifer: I found a product called Biotin 5000Yeast Free by Nutricology/Allergy ResearchGroup (website www.nutricology.com and phone(800) 782-4274). It has 5mg of Biotin percapsule. Most Biotin supplements seem to be

measured in mcg, which is a much smallermeasurement.

Later— Polly: Many of us have a deficit of the Bvitamin biotin, and we are employing large dosesof biotin to correct this problem. However, somecaution must be exercised. Biotin must bebalanced with inositol, which is another Bvitamin. This is a quote from Raymond Peat’ sbook, Nutrition for Women, page 50:

“ Very large doses of biotin cause experimentalanimals to develop fatty livers (developing intoliver cancer), but this effect can be offset byfeeding the animal another B vitamin inositol.”

Those with multiple sclerosis or those who haveantibodies to myelin protein (as found in many ofthe autistic) might also want to pay attention tothis other quote from the same book, page 52:

“ Biotin is involved in the synthesis of fats in thenervous system, and so should probably be givenspecial attention in the MS diet.”

Biotin is necessary for the proper use of thebranch chain amino acids. Branch chain aminoacids are helpful in cases of hypoglycemia andthey are depleted when the body needs to removelots of ammonia, so it isn’ t too surprising that alack of biotin will cause hypoglycemia andexcess ammonia. A biotin deficit can also lead todepression, muscle pain, fungal infections of theskin, rashes, nausea, sleepiness, acidosis, fine andbrittle hair, dry skin, hair loss, seborrheicdermatitis and a poor fatty acid profile due tointerference with the desaturase enzymes. Itserves as a carrier of carbon dioxide. A deficit ofbiotin can be caused by prolonged antibiotictreatment, the ingestion of raw egg whites, or theuse of certain anticonvulsant drugs. [25]

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Coenzyme Q10Polly: Coenzyme Q10 is an important nutrientfor those with chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, ordysbiosis. According to Jacob Teitelbaum, MD,without adequate supplies of electron carriers likecoenzyme Q10, we have problems producingATP, the energy molecule. (Iron-sulfur proteins,copper proteins, and riboflavin-based proteins arealso electron carriers.) [10] Coenzyme Q10 isused in the treatment of cancer, mitochondrialdisease, and heart disease. However, there isanother very important use of coenzyme Q10 thatis less well known. In animal models and in afew human examples, pre-treatment or immediatepost-treatment with large doses of coenzyme Q10is extremely important for recovery from stroke.People that are more likely to have a low level ofcoenzyme Q10 are the elderly, cancer patients,surgical patients, HIV patients, people takingcholesterol blockers, and people with poornutrient status.

Low levels of coenzyme Q10 can be causedby a poor ability to manufacture it in the body,poor intestinal absorption, and/or higher thannormal use (eg lots of exercise). A poor ability tomanufacture coenzyme Q10 can be caused by alack of tyrosine, B6, B2, B3, folic acid, B12, C,pantethenic acid and other nutrients. Yeastinterfere with you obtaining coenzyme Q10 fromyour food. They use it and alter it before you canabsorb it. If the upper bowel is colonized byyeast, you can end up with such a low level ofcoenzyme Q10 that it is life threatening. Youmay need intravenous feeding of this nutrient.(See these articles on coenzyme Q10 by JohnEly. http://faculty.washington.edu/~ely/ Also seethis article by Hugh Fudenberg, MD on the“ Typical course of an Autistic Patient,”www.whale.to/v/fudenburg.html )

How much should one take? I tried only one50 mg capsule per day and I noticed a difference

in energy. It took several months at that dosebefore I didn’ t seem to need it to keep my energyup. I read a suggestion that breast cancer patientsshould take 300 mg per day of coenzyme Q10.This is similar to the amount taken by many withmitochondrial diseases. The body usually usesabout 500 mg per day with a reserve pool of 2grams. [26] I’ d try close to the 300 mg at first, toshore up your pool of coenzyme Q10. After awhile, you might be able to reduce the dose.Many people can use less for maintenance, about30 mg per day. Also, it is safest to keepcoenzyme Q10 in balance with other anti-oxidants.

There are currently two forms of coenzymeQ10 on the market. One is liposoluble (fat-soluble) and is widely available from manydifferent distributors, and the other one ishydrosoluble (water-soluble) and available fromCountry Life. Both are important for your health.However, I can’ t tell you which form would bebest for which person. The hydrosolublecoenzyme Q10 might not increase the brainlevels of coenzyme Q10 as quickly as the otherform. (The blood-brain barrier passes fat-solublenutrients more easily.) Therefore there should beat least some initial differences in your reactionto these two types of coenzyme Q10, withperhaps the hydrosoluble being gentler. Take thefat-soluble supplement dissolved in oil or eatsome fat with it to improve absorption. ThorneResearch and Allergy Research/ Nutricologycarry a fat-soluble coenzyme Q10 mixed withrice bran oil and vitamin E. DEWS Twenty-firstCentury Products carries a product called Qzymethat is approximately equivalent to 100 mg ofcoenzyme Q10 per tablet. (Qzyme supplies thenutrient building blocks necessary for the body tomake coenzyme Q10. Qzyme also contains sometyramine.) Any of the above should be a fairlystable preparation (less likely to degrade beforeyou get it), and thus would be a good choice.

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Here is one place to purchase the hydrosolubleform of coenzyme Q10: Phone (800) 649-4372and website: www.mellenmedical.com/coq10.htm

There is also a relatively new product on themarket called idebenone. It is a coenzyme Q-10derivative with increased blood-brain barrierpenetration. Under low oxygen conditions,regular coenzyme Q10 can change from an anti-oxidant to a pro-oxidant. However, idebenonedoes not have this problem. The VitaminResearch site has a lot of information onidebenone. www.vrp.com Phone (800) 877-2447.Here is another good article on idebenone,www.smart-drugs.com/ias-idebenone.htm . Theproduct can also be found at Kirkman labs, whichcarries many of the supplements used in thetreatment of autism. www.kirkmanlabs.comphone 800-245-8282.

Food will not provide as high a dose ofcoQ10 as you can get from these supplements,but for general health maintenance, you might tryeating very lightly cooked liver. It has a fairamount of coenzyme Q10. However, if youovercook the liver, you will destroy thecoenzyme Q10 in it. [27]

MolybdenumMr. Generic: After trying some molybdenum,something miraculous has happened. My brainfog is totally gone!

Polly: That is great that it helped you so much.Once in a while, we get someone at the forum forwhom molybdenum has been unusually helpful.In my case, the molybdenum made me feel alittle better, but it didn’ t really help much withthe brain fog. Molybdenum is needed to removeacetylaldehyde, a yeast toxin that is suspected ofcontributing to the brain fog. Perhaps this is whyit helped you.

Kathleen: I also found molybdenum helpful. Infact, the MSM supplement I take has 25 mcgmolybdenum per 500 mg MSM (plus 100mgVitamin C).

Polly: Kathleen, that is pretty strange that theMSM sulfur had molybdenum packaged in withit. Was it supposed to be especially for peoplewith yeast? Or was it just because excess sulfurcan reduce molybdenum levels?

Kathleen: No, I don’ t think it is made especiallyfor people with yeast. It is called FundamentalSulfur by Amni. Website www.amni.com andwww.douglaslabs.com Phone: (888) 368-4522.This is from the website: AMNI uses licensed,patented MSM as a source of bioavailable sulfurin the following products: Fundamental Sulfur:Provides 500 mg of MSM per tablet togetherwith 100 mg of ascorbic acid and 25 mcg ofmolybdenum for synergistic benefit.Fundamental Sulfur ll: Contains 500 mg of MSMper tablet plus 25 mcg of molybdenum to assistsulfur metabolism. It does not contain vitamin C.

Polly: There is a nice discussion of molybdenumin the book Mineral and Trace Element Analysis,Laboratory and Clinical Application by E.Blaurock-Busch, PhD and Veronica Griffin, PhD.(The book is quite informative, and availablethrough a company that does mineral analysis—Trace Minerals International. www.tracemin.com(800) 437-1404.) Here are a few notes of minetaken from their discussion on molybdenum. Therecommended daily allowance (RDA) formolybdenum is 150 mcg to 500 mcg per day.Molybdenum is just like so many other minerals.Too much or too little is not good. Too much cancause gout, and oddly enough, too little can causegout too. Supplemental molybdenum may helpreduce sulfite sensitivity. Excessive molybdenumcan cause deposits in soft tissues and joints, and

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trigger arthritic symptoms. Excessivemolybdenum can also cause copper deficiencyand hence anemia, diarrhea, and growthdepression. Good sources of molybdenum areliver, kidney, wheat germ, leafy vegetables, andlegumes. Molybdenum interacts with sulfur andcopper.

Mrs. Generic: I have a book called OptimalWellness, by Ralph Golan MD. In it he suggeststaking 500 micrograms (mcg) of molybdenumtwice a day for sulfite sensitivity. BUT TOTAKE 2-4 MILLIGRAMS A DAY OF COPPERBUT NOT AT THE SAME TIME. Anyone knowwhere to purchase molybdenum? I’ ve had troublefinding it.

Alison: I got mine at the Vitamin Shoppe. Lookunder A to Z. Website www.vitaminshoppe.comand phone (800) 880-3055.

Mr. Generic: Solgar also makes it and this brandis carried in most vitamin shops. Which brand areyou using? Do you know anything about theeffectiveness of the different brands?

Alison: I chose the Douglas Lab/Amni because itwas free of yeast and other common allergens. Icannot speak to the effectiveness of the others, asI have only taken this one. Frankly, I cannot tellwhat positive effects it has had on me, but I feelthe same way about other important vitamins andminerals like my multi, C, and B6. After readingthe same article you mentioned, I decided to addit to my arsenal. I only take 250 mcg a day,because I am too lazy to split the tablets and tooscared to do a double dose!

Polly: Here are two other places to purchasevarious brands of molybdenum:

www.vitaminlife.com phone 800-996-8599

www.modernherbalist.com

Shelley: People on metals lists have talked abouttaking 250 mcg of molybdenum 3 times a day.That is to help with sulfur intolerance due tomercury toxicity. It helps convert sulfites intosulfates. I asked my doc about this dose, he saidcool.

Mrs. Generic: What do you know about sulfurintolerance? I am sure I suffer from it, but I’ venot heard anyone else talk about it.

Shelley: This is a common “ ailment” of themercury toxic— and mercury (read dentalamalgams) and candida go hand in hand. Mydoctor started suspecting mercury amalgamtoxicity when he realized how I couldn’ t get ridof candida. The test for sulfur intolerance comesfrom Great Smokies— called comprehensive liverdetox panel. Trouble is that one needs a doctorthat understands the subject! Look atwww.cfsn.com . I think there should be morethere about sulfur stuff.

The best way to figure out if sulfur is aproblem is to cut out sulfur containing foods (Ithink they are actually called thiols in case youdo a search)— all cruciferous vegetables, coffee,onions, garlic, eggs, spinach, are a good start. IfI remember the rest, I’ ll post. I have just sort ofinternalized not eating them so intensely now.

Jane: I’ ve recently started taking somemolybdenum, and lo and behold, I can eat eggswithout bad leg pains/aches. I am hopeful thiswill allow my body to get the needed sulfur intoit. This is a mercury allergic or poisoningproblem, according to Shelley, as found out onthe metals list. Anyhow, thought you might wantto know, it’ s true for me.

Mr. Generic: Jane, how much do you take?

Vitamins And Minerals 87

Jane: I only take 500 mcg /day at this point. Ithasn’ t helped 100%, but enough to notice adifference.

Polly: If you get the liquid sublingual form, therecommended dose is less because it is absorbedbetter in this form. This form is carried byAllergy Research/Nutricology.

Zinc Is ImportantPolly: One of Crook’ s older books on the yeastsyndrome encouraged the use of zinc. Why? Zincis very important for the health of the intestines,lungs, and skin. It has been a big help to somepeople with dysbiosis. Perhaps compared to therest of the population, many of us are relativelylow in zinc. Hypothyroidism, estrogendominance, and mercury poisoning, which manyof us have, will tend to cause you to loose zinc.

A sign of zinc deficiency is white spots in thefingernails. Sometimes you will see whitehorizontal lines in the fingernails of women,corresponding to about once a month, when thewoman is estrogen dominant.

To keep your zinc levels up naturally, youmight try avoiding grains that are in the form ofcereal or pasta, and substituting leavened breador sprouted grain products. Grains contain phyticacid, which binds zinc and inhibits its absorptionfrom the intestinal tract. However, the addition ofyeast when making bread destroys the phytates.Sprouting the grains destroys the phytates too.The same caution goes for beans and soyproducts, which contain phytates. (Thecookbook, Nourishing Traditions will teach youa lot about why the food preparation method is soimportant to good health. I highly recommend thebook.) Alcohol depletes zinc, so avoid alcohol.

Zinc Taste TestMarilyn in Seattle: Just wanted to say I passedthe zinc taste test yesterday! It was mychiropractor that first gave me one of these tests.You drink a liquid (zinc sulphate I believe) and ifyou can’ t taste the liquid, then you have a zincdeficiency. Well I first did this test in 1985 andhave done a couple of times in the years since,but yesterday was the first time I could taste thebitterness.

Why the difference? One, I got rid of myamalgams and since zinc is a mercury antagonist,maybe I am not using it up so fast. Two, I thinkthat the hydrochloric acid is a big component Iwas missing. I am a blood type A and we don’ tsecrete much stomach acid anyway (I think thisis why I have always loved coffee as it stimulatesthe release of hydrochloric acid and I was alwaysconvinced that coffee with breakfast made mefeel better.) I think the HCL is helping me derivebenefit from all these supplements I am taking. Ihave taken supplements for years and keptthinking they weren’ t doing much, but now Ithink I wasn’ t maybe digesting them properly.Also, it seems to be a feedback loop. I tested solow on zinc that I probably wasn’ t producingenough hydrochloric acid, which probablyinterfered with breakdown/absorption of the zincsupplements I have been shoveling into me.Anyway, I passed! One small step at a time iswhat I am working on and it’ s nice to see evenone small victory.

Linda in Virginia: Marilyn - Congrats! I justrecently was tested and was very low on zinc andhad high mercury levels. Now I know theconnection! Thanks.

Polly: I found an explanation of how to do thezinc taste test in the book Dental Mercury Detoxby Sam Ziff. (See www.bioprobe.com ) You hold

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the liquid in your mouth. You should experiencea “ furry” unpleasant taste immediately or within5 to 10 seconds. If not, then you need more zinc.Of course, no test is perfect for everyone. Usecommon sense. If you can’ t find zinc sulfateliquid at your health store, then you can makeyour own by mixing 100 milligrams of zincsulfate powder in 100 milliliters of water.Metagenics makes two liquid zinc sulfateproducts. One of these products is specifically fortesting, called Tally Zinc. The other has to bediluted by about a factor of three if you want touse it for testing. If your vitamin store doesn’ tcarry Tally Zinc, the product can probably beordered through the parent company, EcologicalFormulas, phone (800) 351-9429

Be Careful With Zinc Or IronPolly: Zinc is very important for the health of theintestines. Yet, I’ m still quite wary of zincsupplements. No one talks about the downside oftaking too much zinc. Yet I suspect zincpoisoning can exist. More isn’ t always better. Inmalnourished infants, a supplement of zinc wasshown to encourage yeast growth. [28] This is anexcerpt about zinc and iron from Raymond Peat’ s1985 lecture on Candidiasis, given to the Candidaand Dysbiosis Information Foundation.

“ Female animals are known to be able to take upiron out of their food much more efficiently thanmale animals or non-pregnant animals. … If yougive extra iron to a pregnant animal or ananimal under the influence of estrogen, it is mucheasier to poison the animal because they are in astate receptive to absorbing iron … … ironstimulates their growth [the growth of yeastcells] and their formation of mycelia. Zinc at ahigh level does the same thing, at a level you canreach if you take a zinc supplement. … But justthe iron associated with an ordinary diet andhigh estrogen, the amount of iron that the body

gets soaked with eventually, is stimulatory to theyeast, whereas a supplement of zinc seems to benecessary to reach that same pro-candida level.”

Have you ever noticed how much iron somedoctors routinely prescribe to their pregnantpatients? A pregnant friend of mine was given aprescription for 150 mg of elemental iron perday. (This is equivalent to about 800 mg of ironsulfate.) She wasn’ t anemic. The RDA for iron isonly 18 mg per day. Why so much?

If you have anemia, it isn’ t necessarily due toa lack of iron. A lack of vitamin B12, A or Ecould also cause it. The problem could also bedue to a lack of copper, since the transport of ironin the intestines is dependent on a copper-containing enzyme. [29] In fact, if you were lowon copper, it wouldn’ t be a good idea tosupplement just iron. Iron competes with copperand could thus suppress your copper levelsfurther. Before trying iron, you might employ ahomeopathic remedy called Ferrum Phos. It getsrid of anemia by mobilizing the iron stored in thebody.If you must take iron, consider a supplement oflactoferrin. Lactoferrin binds iron and makes itunavailable to the yeast and bacteria in the gut,yet your body can obtain the iron. (Lactoferrin isfound in colostrum, undenatured whey, and rawmilk products. Allergy Research / Nutricologymakes a separate supplement of lactoferrin. It israther expensive.) Also, the iron salts insupplements can destroy vitamin E. [30] Possiblytake your vitamin E supplement at a differentmeal than the iron supplement. The ironsupplement will also decrease zinc levels, so becareful. Here is an article by Leo Galland, MD,on the dangers of iron supplements, and how touse them properly.

www.healthy.net/asp/templates/column.asp?PageType=column&ID=68

Vitamins And Minerals 89

Zinc And Copper BalancingPolly: Zinc is a very important nutrient, but besure that it is balanced with other minerals. In thebook, Wellness Against All Odds by SherryRogers, MD, she mentions that zinc can decreasecopper, iron, manganese and molybdenum levels.In particular, be careful of balancing zinc withcopper. Maureen Salaman, in her book All yourHealth Questions Answered, warns that both zincand copper need each other in order to beproperly absorbed. Thus if you aren’ t gettingenough zinc, you can become low in copper. Yet,the opposite is true too. If you take too muchzinc, you can become low in copper. It becomesquite a balancing act if you are low in both ofthese and need to correct such a deficiency.

Harold: For years I suffered off and on withprostatitis and the pill rollers could only standand go HMMMMMMMM! Then about 25 yearsago I heard that zinc was good for said misery,(Adelle Davis’ book, Lets Get Well ) so I got zincand I took zinc and LO!!!!!! and behold, suchblessed relief, not only to yours truly but therewas much joy in Dogpatch too, need I elucidate?For a long time I took Saw Palmetto and Pygeumto keep same problem in check when I found zincto be as effective and safer.

Polly: It just dawned on me how the lack of zincfits in with the excess estrogen associated withprostatitis. Guess I’ ve only been thinking interms of PMS and how the zinc/copper ratio canbe thrown off due to too much estrogen inwomen. I can be very chauvinistic in mythinking. Hmmm.. Maybe I should apologize toall the men I’ ve ever implied were chauvinists?Nah. It’ s too much fun to razz them.

Doris: Hi, I had a hair analysis and blood teststhree years ago and they showed I had too much

copper in my system. What is a good startingdosage of zinc to take? I no longer see anydoctors at all and would rather not waste anymore time messing around experimenting. Is 50mg a day of zinc too much?

Polly: Initially, to help correct the problem thatmay be a good strategy. However, I wouldn’ ttake that much zinc for any length of timewithout a blood test or some other means ofmonitoring your progress. The doses that areusually recommended are about 15 mg per day.According to Joel Wallach in the book RareEarths - Forbidden Cures, there are 1.4 to 2.3grams of zinc in the adult human. If you took 50mg per day, and were able to absorb a third of it,you would be able to supply all the zinc in anadult human body in 90 to 150 days. Therefore,I would guess that 50 mg pills are too strong ifyou were going to take them for any length oftime.

Doris: Anything else I can do to reduce thecopper levels?

Carole: I just found this book by Ann Gittleman,Why Am I Always So Tired? It explains how a lotof people have too much copper, and that this canlead to health problems. One of the ways to getrid of this excess copper is sulfur. Another goodreason to take MSM! Also, you should take zincsupplements, along with B6 and maganese, andget most of your carbohydrates from veggies.Sounds good to me, I’ m adding it to my list ofthings to try when I can afford it. This may beone of the less expensive ones, since I alreadyhave MSM.

Polly: If you are high in copper, then avoidestrogen, since it causes the retention of copper.Vitamin C helps lower copper levels and thesulfur amino cysteine is very effective in

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reducing copper levels. Dr. Braverman, in hisbook The Healing Nutrients Within, found thatwhen he treats patients for low cysteine andcystine levels with cysteine, not only do thecopper levels go down as expected, but the zinclevels rise to normal also.

Andy: Rats too high in copper die if givencysteine. It is important not to just dump a bunchof cysteine down your throat to start off. It maybe helpful later. The way to reduce copper isMODIFY YOUR DIET TO REDUCE INTAKE,then take ZINC and MOLYBDENUM with everymeal to reduce absorption (eg 10 mg zinc and250 mcg molybdenum), and take manganese tooin order to help your body deal with the copper.The Pfeiffer Center is experienced in treatingcopper excess and will consult with yourphysician.

Henry: When I was taking zinc 20 years ago, onthe label (and my doctor stressed it too) it statednot to take zinc within one hour of milk or dairyproducts, because the zinc will be poorlyabsorbed.

Jane: Now I’ m confused! Copper was one thinglow in my hair analysis recently. So it was one ofthe supplements advised by the environmentalallergist. Our bodies need some copperapparently. But Hulda Clark who wrote an oddbut possibly true book about parasites said toavoid copper piping, and copper in general, as itfeeds or allows parasites to flourish. Who’ s toknow?

Carole: Jane, this author also said that copper ishard to detect because it’ s deeply imbedded inthe tissues (like mercury?). The fact that someshowed up in your hair may indicate an excess.I’ ll be doing some more research (at Chapters,

my local bookstore/library). I respect this author,she’ s written many health books.

Jane: Thanks for the info. So, should I take allthe supplements that were low in my hairanalysis test?

Carole: Just as Polly said, the book I got myinformation from said it’ s the ratio of copper tozinc and other minerals that matters. Apparentlyexcess copper can cause low thyroid as well. Theauthor recommends 10 to 25 mg zinc, as well asmanganese, B6, C, and lipoic acid or black radishfor sulfur. Hope this helps. Polly, any advice?Have you studied nutrition, or are you self-educated?

Polly: I’ m self-educated. I’ ve never taken aformal biology or nutrition class.

Jane, the proper zinc and copper levels seemvery important to our immune system. The hairtest is pretty unreliable for zinc because manyshampoos contain zinc. The blood serum levelscan be misleading too. So ask for a red blood celltest. If the hair test shows that a mineral level islow, then that is a pretty good indication that it islow. However, if the hair shows that a minerallevel is high, you can’ t count on that being thetruth. However, if mercury or some otherpoisonous metal showed high, I’ d take thereading seriously.

Zinc and copper supplements aren’ t thatexpensive. If you have reason to believe that youare low on copper or zinc, try taking the one youthink you are low on. If it makes you feel worse,or if you don’ t notice anything, I’ d leave it alone.Get your hormones straightened out, and yourdigestive pH correct, and let your body do thezinc/copper balancing for you. Perhaps take onlya small amount of both zinc and copper assupport.

Vitamins And Minerals 91

MM: I’ m struggling to rebalance my zinc-copper-iron-manganese-magnesium-potassiumand so forth. I had LOW copper levels. Then Itook copper, but I took it for too long so I endedup with high copper. Then I took zinc andmanganese to get the copper down. Of course, Itook these for too long, and went back to havingtoo little copper again.

This time, I took copper for only 8 days. I’ vebeen trying to add zinc and manganese, but I stillget hot and sweaty when I do this, so I must nothave taken copper for long enough yet. Bloodlevels for several of these minerals (such as zincand copper) are totally worthless. So it reallybecomes a trial and error approach.

Polly: Sounds like you are pretty low on bothzinc and copper. That may be why it is such atricky balancing act for you. For those of us whoaren’ t as sensitive, it might be simpler tosupplement zinc and copper at the same time. I’ mreading a book by Pat Lazaus called Healing theMind the Natural Way. It mentions the correctratio of zinc to copper supplementation.Psychiatrist Michael Schachter, MD stated: “ Theratio of zinc to copper should be 7:1, up to 14:1,”Zinc can lower manganese, so Dr. Pfeifferregularly includes manganese with any zincsupplementation. (But again, take the correctproportion of manganese. You don’ t need a lot ofmanganese. The RDA is 2.5 to 5 mg per day.) Itis important to take your zinc supplementseparate from other mineral supplements to avoidcompetition for absorption. The people on theautism lists are using a specially compoundedzinc sulfate skin cream to get around the poorabsorption in the intestines. Many of those withmercury poisoning or autism need a lot of zinc.

Acetylaldehyde PoisoningPolly: Acetylaldehyde is the first break downproduct of alcohol. It is a toxin that is believed tocause most of the damage from alcoholism.Unfortunately, yeast make this toxin. Those withlong-term yeast overgrowth may be sufferingfrom the effects of this toxin (and other yeasttoxins). Therefore they may want to payparticular attention to certain nutrients thatremove or protect a person from the yeast toxinacetylaldehyde. I’ ve heard of these: vitamin C,B1, coenzyme B6, B12, folic acid, pantethine,NADH (coenzyme form of niacin), selenium,molybdenum, iron, zinc, lipoic acid, glutamine,alpha-ketoglutaric acid, taurine, and N-Acetyl-Cysteine. What follows is some information onwhy these supplements are important.

Dr. Stephan Cooter states that you needglutamine, selenium, niacin, folic acid, B6, B12,and iron to metabolize the aldehydes into aceticacid, which can then be excreted or convertedfurther into acetyl coenzyme A (this is notvitamin A). (See his article at www.mall-net.com/cooter/moly.html ) Zinc is also requiredfor the detoxification of acetylaldehyde, asmentioned in many papers of John Cleary, MD.Pantethine is another important nutrient.(Pantethine is the coenzyme form of the Bvitamin pantethenic acid, available fromEcological Formulas, phone (800) 351-9429.)Pantethine is necessary for the conversion ofacetylaldehyde into CoA. (See this article “ TheCandida/Aldehyde detox pathway and theMolybdenum Connection” by Jann Weiss, at

www.panix.com/~candida/aldehyde.shtml

Pantethine also supports the growth of friendlybacteria in our intestines and is excellent supportfor the adrenals. It is also important for theproper use of biotin.

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Vitamin C, B1, lipoic acid, and N-acetylcysteine are not necessarily what is needed toconvert acetylaldehyde into CoA, but they shouldhelp protect you from being poisoned by theacetylaldehyde. Herbert Sprince, MD andcolleagues showed this in rat experiments in the1970’ s.

NAD is converted to NADH (coenzymeniacin) when acetylaldehyde is oxidized. InTruss’ s classic paper on acetylaldehydepoisoning by candidiasis, he hypothesizes thatthe acetylaldehyde causes a shift from NAD toNADH concentration in the body, and this isresponsible for many of the problems weexperience. Not fully understanding theimplications, I was hesitant to try a NADHsupplement for this reason. However, when I didfinally try NADH, I experienced a verynoticeable increase in energy. I’ d tried plainniacin before, and had not experienced thisimprovement. Perhaps it had to do with my lackof coenzyme B6 at the time, which is needed toconvert niacin into NAD? According to Dr.Truss, acetylaldehyde depletes the body ofcoenzyme B6 (also known as P5P). In his paperon the yeast syndrome and acetylaldehydepoisoning, he found that his patients were alsodepleted of certain amino acids: glutamine,glutamate, glutaric acid, alpha-ketoglutaric acid,and asparagine. Another amino acid might alsobe low in those with yeast overgrowth. In PhyllisBalch’ s Prescription for Nutritional Healing, shementions that taurine is spilled in the urine ofthose with yeast overgrowth. The same spillingof taurine is found when one drinks alcohol.

references1. Parry GJ, Bredesen DE, “ Sensory neuropathy with

low-dose pyridoxine” Neurology 1985Oct;35(10):1466-8

2. Rimland B, PhD, “ What is the right 'dosage' forVitamin B6, DMG, and other nutrients useful inautism?” Autism Research Institute,

4182 Adams Avenue, San Diego, CA 92116 Thearticle is atwww.autism.com/ari/editorials/dosage.html

3. Hanson, Lars a., and Yolken, Robert H., Probiotics,Other Nutritional Factors, and Intestinal Microflora,Nestle Nutrition Workshop Series, Vol. 42,Lippincott-Raven Publishers, Philadelphia,Pennsylvania, 1999, Phone (800) 638 - 3030LarsHanson book

4. Owens, Susan Costen, “ Explorations of the NewFrontier between Gut and Brain: A look at GAGs,CCK and Motilin,” 1998 Durham Conference onAutismhttp://osiris.sunderland.ac.uk/autism/owens.htm Theprinted version of this paper is for sale athttp://osiris.sunderland.ac.uk/autism/. Owens, SC.Explorations of the new frontier between gut andbrain: A look at GAGs, CCK and motilin. FromPsychobiology of Autism: Current Research andPractice. Van Mildert College, University of Durham,April 15-17th, 1998, pp. 45-70.

5. Roche pharmaceutical site provides information onaccutane atwww.rocheusa.com/products/accutane/pi.html

6. Koo, S.I. and Ahn, J. Lymphatic absorption of vitaminA and fatty acid is restored to normal in zinc deficientrats by intraduodenal infusion of phosphatidylcholine.FASEB J. 9:A166, 1995.

7. Interveiw with Mary Megson, MD, “ Clinition of theMonth,” Functional Medicine Update&tradehttp://home.att.net/~pediatricaac/jan10/jan10.htmlMary Megson can be reached at Pediatric andAdolescent Ability Center, 7229 Forest Avenue, Suite211 in Richmond, Va. 23226

8. Fallon, Sally, Sally Fallon’s 1996 Lecture onNourishing Traditions, Price-Pottenger NutritionFoundation, a Peli-Graphic Production (video tape) toorder phone PPNF at (800) 366-3748

9. Rogers, Sherry, Wellness Against All Odds, PrestigePublishing, 1994, page 135 and page

10. Teitelbaum, Jacob, MD, “ Mitochondrial Dysfunction” ,Fatigued to Fantastic Newsletter, Volume 1, issue 2,July 1997 phone (800) 333-5287

11. Truss O. “ Metabolic abnormalities in patients withchronic candidiasis: the acetaldehyde hypothesis.” J

Vitamins And Minerals 93

Orthomolecular Psychiatry 13:66-93, vol. 13, no. 2,1984

12. Long KZ, Santos JI., “ Vitamins and the regulation ofthe immune response.” Pediatr Infect Dis J. 1999Mar;18(3):283-90.

13. Lotfy OA, Saleh WA, el-Barbari M. “ A study of somechanges of cell-mediated immunity in protein energymalnutrition.” J Egypt Soc Parasitol. 1998Aug;28(2):413-28.

14. Ganrot, P.O., “ Metabolism and Possible Health Effectsof Aluminum” , Environmental Health Perspectives,1986; 65: pp.363-441 and Elemental Analysis Hair labreport notes from Great Smokies DiagnosticLaboratory, August 2001

15. Werbach, Melvyn, R. MD, “ Carpal TunnelSyndrome,” Townsend Letter for Doctors andPatients, July 1997

16. Bartzatt R, Beckmann JD, “ Inhibition of phenolsulfotransferase by pyridoxal phosphate.” BiochemPharmacol 1994 Jun 1;47(11):2087-95

17. Ebadi M, Gessert CF, Al-Sayegh A. “ Drug-pyridoxalphosphate interactions.” Q Rev Drug Metab DrugInteract. 1982;4(4):289-331.” Review

18. Gregory Kelly, ND, “ The Coenzyme Forms ofVitamin B12: Toward an Understanding of theirTherapeutic Potential,” Alt Med Rev 1997;2(5):459-471 www.thorne.com/altmedrev/fulltext/b122-6.html

19. Ward, Dean, MD, VRP newsletter, August 2002,www.vrp.com

20. Shaw, William, PhD, Biological Treatments for Autismand PDD, 1998

21. Yamaguchi, H,”Mycelial development and chemicalalteration of Candida albicans from biotininsufficiency” Sabouraudia 1974 Nov;12(3):320-8 andVidotto V; Picerno G; Caramello S; Paniate G,“ Importance of some factors on the dimorphism ofCandida albicans” Mycopathologia, 1988 Dec, 104:3,129-35

22. Manning M, Mitchell TG, “ Strain variation andmorphogenesis of yeast- and mycelial-phase Candidaalbicans in low-sulfate, synthetic medium,” J Bacteriol1980 May;142(2):714-9

23. McGinnis M, Tyring S, “ Introduction to Mycology”University of Texas Medical Branch Graduate Schoolof Biomedical Sciences. As displayed athttp://gsbs.utmb.edu/microbook/intomyco.htm

24. Osono Y, Hirose N, Nakajima K, Hata Y, “ The effectsof pantethine on fatty liver and fat distribution”Atheroscler Thromb 2000;7:55-58

25. Sloan H, MD, PhD “ Biotin Deficiency”eMedicineJournal,http://author.emedicine.com/PED/topic238.htm

26. Dr. John Ely has an article on coenzyme Q10, athttp://faculty.washington.edu/~ely/turnover.html inwhich he gives these references: Bliznakov EG,Wilkins DJ: Biochemical and clinical consequences ofinhibiting Coenzyme Q10 biosynthesis by lipid-lowering HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins): Acritical overview. Advances in Therapy, 1998; 15(4),218-28; Kalen A, Appelkvist E-L, Dallner G: Agerelated changes in the lipid composition of rat andhuman tissue. Lipids, 1989; 24: 579-584; Ernster L,Dallner G: Biochemical, physiological and medicalaspects of ubiquinone function. Biochim BiophysActa, 1995; 1271:195-204.

27. Peat, Raymond, PhD, “ Endocrine System and theCandida Patient” , 1985 lecture tape given to theCandida and Dysbiosis Information Foundation

28. Schlesinger L, Arevalo M, Arredondo S, Lonnerdal B,Stekel A, “ Zinc supplementation impairs monocytefunction.” Acta Paediatr. 1993 Sep;82(9):734-8.PMID: 8241668; UI: 94060572

29. Science News, “ A Greek God Explains Anemic Mice” ,April 10, 1999.

30. Peat, Raymond, PhD, Nutrition for Women, 1993, page67

Kelly Nowicki, the Rainmaster

Thank You Rainmaster!

Kelly: I am a self taught artist and computerprogrammer. I created the Healthy Awarenesswebsite in 1992 when I was very ill with asystematic candida infection. Drugs and diet hadhelped little in relieving my symptoms, and Ibecame reclusive and depressed. I knew verylittle about computers then, but I was desperateto find a cure for my condition. I made it mymission to create an open discussion on the webthat might get the attention of others whosuffered from candida. Soon after creation, mywebsite became very popular. I knew I was not

alone. Thanks to many supportive andknowledgeable discussion members, I found myhealing path. HealthyAwareness.com was agodsend for me. I hope that many others find ithelpful too.

Marilyn in Seattle: Rainmaster (Kelly), you area hero of mine. What you have done by creatingthis forum is great beyond words. I thank you formaking my connection to all these wonderfulsouls possible.

Vitamins And Minerals 95

Mona: This is the best site I have ever gone intoon the Internet. Thanks for all your time andmoney and trouble you have put out in helpingothers and giving people a place of refuge. GodBless You!!

Taylor: Folks here at the forum know by nowthat I am not usually at a loss for words. In fact,“ she does go on” a weeeee bit. But as I try tothink of how to describe my feelings of gratitudetoward Kelly for this forum, my mind expands tothe place of no words…no words sufficient torelate how profoundly thankful I am…no wordsto convey how helpful this stream of informationhas been to me.

I line that awareness up next to the not-distant-enough memory of asking my doctor fordetailed information about the digestive system,especially as it relates to the candida vsacidophilus balance. I told him, I want to really

know this system, in case I can discover clues tohelp me work on this problem. His response wasto hand me a small tri-fold pamphlet containingperhaps as many as 75 words. It was clear hethought that that information corresponded withmy ability to understand this complicatedsystem. I was stunned. Then I find the forum,where we each bring every bit of helpfulinformation that we find to share. So muchmaterial, that information overload can be a realproblem. One must keep lists of treatments to tryfirst, second and third, and lists of new sites andmaterials to plan to get to and to read as fast aspossible. This forum is a life saver. If we aregoing to be able to conquer this candidaovergrowth, then streams of information andexperiments to try are our only hope. Asinadequate as it is, let me offer up my heartfelt,boundless thanks to Kelly.

Index

A

acetylcholine · 17, 23acid, alkaline and pH · 12,

13, 17, 48, 50, 75, 82, 90acidophilus · 28, 39, 43, 46,

47, 53, 54, 55allergies · 12, 15, 16, 17, 18,

19, 20, 22, 23, 30, 31, 32,34, 56, 64, 65, 86

AllergyResearch/Nutricology · 17,19, 37, 48, 58, 77, 88

aloe vera · 18, 66alpha-ketoglutaric acid · 70,

78, 91, 92aluminum · 18, 28amino acids · 18, 21, 22, 25,

26, 66, 67, 92ammonia · 31, 42, 48, 70Ann Louise Gittleman · 21,

43antibiotics · 17, 31, 32, 38,

39, 41, 48, 62antifungals · 27-41, 52, 56arthritis · 16, 30, 68, 69, 86asthma · 15, 16Attogram · 27, 28autism · 19, 23, 37, 38, 46,

56, 65, 74, 75, 76, 79, 83,85, 92

B

bacteria overgrowth · 38, 39Baker, Sidney, MD · 50

bentonite · 28Beta glucan · 38beta-sitosterol · 38, 61Bifidus · 46, 48, 54bile · 12, 15, 20, 21, 42, 44,

65, 75, 76Biocidin · 34bioflavonoids and flavonoids

· 34, 65, 66Bio-K · 55bladder and urinary · 15, 16,

21Blastocystis hominis · 41,

42, 61, 64bulgaricus · 46, 53

C

calcium · 17, 25, 64Campbell-McBride, MD · 56candida tropicalis · 39caprol · 28caprylic · 23, 28, 30, 35carbohydrates · 15, 18, 50,

89carbon dioxide · 82casein · 19, 46, 50celiac · 15, 16cellulase · 56CFIDS (Chronic Fatigue

Immune DysfunctionSyndrome) · 37, 41, 50,80, 84

charcoal · 27, 28, 64Cheney · 37, 38, 80cholestyramine (Questran) ·

64

choline · 83Clostridium or Clostridia ·

27, 38, 39, 40, 62, 64coenzyme Q10 · 11, 72, 84,

85, 93coffee · 28, 86, 87colitis · 16, 55, 60colloidal minerals · 17, 18colloidal silver · 18, 30, 34colon cleansing · 15, 29, 32,

53colonics · 29, 43colostrum · 37, 66, 88constipation · 15, 17, 27, 32copper · 25, 37, 65, 67, 84,

86, 88, 89, 90, 91craniosacral therapy · 15Crohns · 52, 60Crook, William, MD · 30, 87Culturelle · 48Custom Probiotics · 39, 47,

50, 51, 53, 55cysteine · 26, 27, 40, 65, 82,

89, 90, 92

D

depression · 31, 86DEWS · 19, 20, 75, 77, 79diabetes · 15, 16, 83diarrhea · 16, 30, 42, 48, 56,

62, 67, 80, 86Diflucan · 28, 30, 31, 32, 33,

34, 36, 82digestion · 11-21, 74digestive cascade · 12

Index 97

digestive enzymes · 12, 18,19, 20, 32, 43

dioxychlor · 35DMSA (2,3-

Dimercaptosuccinic Acid)· 26

E

eczema · 15, 16, 48ENIVA · 18environmental · 90enzymes · 12, 18, 19, 20, 69,

75, 78Epstein Barr · 38Epstein Barr Virus · 38estrogen · 87, 88, 89exercise · 24, 84

F

Fallon, Sally · 92fats and oils · 15, 18, 20, 38,

50, 56, 65, 74butter · 74, 76coconut · 35, 66emu · 66fish · 65, 74, 75, 76olive · 28primrose · 17

feverfew · 26Feverfew · 30fiber · 32, 65fibromyalgia · 28, 48, 77, 80,

84folic acid · 80, 84, 91FOS (fructo-

oligosaccharides) · 47, 48,62

G

GAGs · Seeglucosaminoglycans

Galland, Leo, MD · 58, 65,88

garlic · 26, 28, 30, 34, 35, 39,44, 47, 69, 82, 86

Giardia · 21, 42, 43, 44, 64,80

gingko · 26ginseng · 26Ginseng · 17GLA (gamma linolenic acid)

· 65glucosaminoglycans · 67, 69,

74, 92glutamine · 16, 17, 67, 69,

70, 91, 92glutathione · 27, 37gluten · 19, 20, 21, 44glycine · 21, 70, 83Golan, Ralph, MD · 12, 86Grapefruit Seed Extract

(GSE) · 30, 34, 36Great Smokies Laboratory ·

41, 42, 64, 86

H

H. pylori · 17, 56hepatitis · 16, 33HHV-6 · 38, 69histidine · 17HIV and AIDS · 37, 38, 42,

51, 69, 84Hulda Clark · 43, 90hydrochloric acid · 12, 13,

14, 15, 16, 44, 87hypoglycemia · 83hypothyroid · 17, 40

I

immune system · 11, 12, 34,35, 37, 38, 42, 46, 50, 51,58, 61, 78, 90

Imunovar · 37inflammation · 12, 22, 23,

58, 61, 65, 66, 67, 69interferon · 12iodine · 34, 35, 36ionic · 18iron · 16, 82, 88, 89, 91Isoprinosine · 37

J

Jarrow · 50, 58

K

Kava · 30Kenneth A. Bock, MD · 37Kolorex · 34Kutapressin · 37, 38Kyolic · 34, 82

L

Lahoz, S. Colet, RN, MS,Lac · 28, 29

Lamisil · 29, 30, 31, 32, 33,34, 36

leaky gut · 11, 12, 28, 32, 64-71, 73

lectins · 69licorice · 16, 17, 44lipoic acid · 27, 77, 78, 83,

90, 91, 92lipoic acid or alpha lipoic

acid · 27, 77liver · 11, 24, 26, 30, 31, 33,

34, 35, 36, 37, 65, 66, 72,

Candidiasis and Dysbiosis Abatement TechniquesThe Health Forum—Book 2

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74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 82, 83,85, 86

M

magnesium · 17, 23, 26, 27,29, 73, 78, 79, 91

magnets · 44manganese · 89, 90, 91Mannatech · 66Manuka honey · 17Mead oil · 66Mercola, Joseph, MD · 12,

62, 81mercury · 17, 23, 24, 26, 27,

31, 40, 65, 76, 77, 80, 81,86, 87, 90

methionine · 26, 65, 83migraines · 53, 61milk · 13, 16, 22, 37, 46, 47,

50, 83, 88, 90molds · 19MSM (Methyl-Sulfonyl-

Methane) · 17, 22-26, 30,42, 45, 69, 70, 85, 89

multiple sclerosis · 16, 26, 83

N

N.E.E.D.S. · 20, 66NAC · See N-Acetyl-

CysteineN-Acetyl-Cysteine · 17, 26,

27, 40, 65, 91NADH · 91, 92Natren · 49, 50, 51, 53, 55Nature's Biotics · 56Nizoral · 29, 36NSAID · 30Nystatin · 27, 28, 31, 32, 34,

36, 39

O

olive leaf extract · 34oregano · 29, 35organic · 22, 50, 69

P

pancreas and pancreaticenzymes · 15, 18, 19, 20,66, 75

pantethenic acid · 78, 84, 91papain · 20parasites · 21, 41-45, 58, 61,

63Pau D'Arco · 18, 35Peat, Raymond, PhD · 81,

83, 88, 93Pepto-Bismol · 17pesticides · 38pH · See acid, alkaline and

pHphenolated iodine · 35phosphatidylcholine · 75phytoestrogen · 38, 61Pine Cone extract · 37potassium · 17probiotics · 29, 30, 35, 38,

39, 41, 46-53, 55, 56, 58,66

proline · 70prostaglandins · 65psyllium · 28, 30

Q

Qzyme · 84

R

Rogers, Sherry, MD · 39, 89

S

Saccharomyces boulardii ·39, 58

saffron · 44, 67saliva · 65salt · 22, 23Schachter, Michael, MD,

F.A.C.A.M. · 91Seasilver · 18seizures and epilepsy · 61selenium · 17, 25, 91Shaw, William, PhD · 27, 77,

78, 79, 81slippery elm · 44, 67soil-based organisms · 46,

47, 52, 53, 56, 58soy · 50, 87Specific Carbohydrate Diet ·

19, 59, 60Sporanox · 29, 31, 34, 36St. John's Wort · 26sterolins and sterols · 38stomach acid · 12, 13, 14, 15,

16, 17, 18, 19, 42, 49, 87

T

Tannalbit and Tanabilt · 34,35

taurine · 17, 21, 26, 67, 70,91

Taurine · 6, 21, 70Teitelbaum, J., MD · 84, 92Th1 and Th2 · 37, 38, 50, 51,

58, 78threonine · 83thyroid · 24, 34, 65, 76, 90TMG (tri-methyl-glycine) ·

83Torrance Company · 55Transfer Factor · 34, 37, 38

Index 99

Trowbridge, John, MD · 13Truss, O., MD · 92tyramine · 84

U

UltraseMT20 · 20UniKey Health Systems · 43urinary · 61urine test · 39Uva Ursi · 34

V

vaginal · 11, 24, 31, 68

vitamin A · 15, 20, 65, 77vitamin B1 · 77, 81, 91, 92vitamin B12 · 15, 73, 79, 80,

81, 84, 88, 91, 93vitamin B2 · 73, 78, 79, 81,

84vitamin B6 · 27, 65, 73, 77,

78, 79, 81, 84, 86, 89, 90,91, 92

vitamin D · 20, 65vitamin E · 15, 20, 26, 65,

77, 84, 88vitamin K · 20, 26, 35, 65

W

WaterOz · 18whey · 37, 47, 88Wisdom of the Ancients · 35

Y

Yoga · 15

Z

zinc · 17, 25, 67, 81, 82, 87,88, 89, 90, 91, 92

Candidiasis and Dysbiosis Abatement TechniquesThe Health Forum—Book 2

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More Health Forum books can be found at www.dysbiosis.com

Book 1: Candida’ s Impact on your Health

Book 2: Candidiasis and Dysbiosis Abatement Techniques

Book 3: Diets for Immune Support and Gut Health

Book 4: Hormones, Dysbiosis and Candidiasis

Book 5: Hope for Autism through Nutrition

Book 6: Cleansing the Body of Mercury

Book 7: Fibromyalgia Treatment Options

About Polly Hattemer, PhD — editor of The Health ForumPolly Hattemer’ s formal education is a doctorate in System Science Engineering fromUCLA. She has spent over 20 years working in the aerospace industry. Specifically, sheanalyzed and helped to design missile guidance systems, satellite sensors, and radarwaveforms. This background perhaps explains the way she looks at health. Because ofher systems engineering background, she is always looking for the interactions betweendifferent “ systems” in the body. However, her perspective is just one of many that willbe found in the Health Forum books.

Polly Hattemer used to have intestinal yeast overgrowth with the accompanyingsymptoms of migraines, food sensitivities, fatigue, brain-fog, and of course, intestinalupsets. Over many years, she accumulated information on how to get rid of theseailments and how to heal the damage left in its wake. Several years ago, she startedchatting with others on the Internet about this problem. She discovered that the Internetwas a vast resource of technical information and an interesting source of personalexperiences. With the permission of her Internet friends, she recorded their personalexperiences and organized them into the Health Forum books. She also addedreferences to tutorial and technical articles.