HOW TO TREAT AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE. START TODAY

Thank you, Lew Rockwell. 

Now, wait a minute. Dr. Nathan Thompson did say that it was an auto-immune disease. Auto-immune is not new. Didn't he cite AIDS or AIDS-like condition that destroys the immune system.  

A couple of good things about this video: one, we got to see the commonly listed immune cells that make up the immune system.  I could have gotten that from a Wikipedia search, that is true; still, it's nice to see.  He makes a good point that in order to treat auto-immune diseases, you have to remove the triggers that are causing your immune system to attack healthy structures in your body.  He admits that he doesn't know how to address the problem.  He points to the fact that it hasn't been studied, but I would think that AIDS, which is an auto-immune disease, has been studied and been treated to some success.  Could that be a place to start looking for applicable and valuable healing remedies?  Though Dr. Thompson certainly sounds and thinks like a very decent, sincere man, I did get the sense that he hasn't brushed up nutritional support for ailments.  I could be wrong.  Except for vitamin D, which grew in popularity about 10 years ago.  

What is the approach to healing auto-immune diseases?  Though the auto-immune disease that develops from a COVID shot is a unique auto-immune disease, my guess is that the different auto-immune diseases have similar mechanisms but slightly different targets.  There are over 100 auto-immune diseases.  Martie Whittekin spots one way to repair an immune system. 

Mr. Sardi noted that as much as 90% of underactive thyroid is due to autoimmune activity. I asked him for a summary statement to clarify and to expand on autoimmune problems. He said:

·         It is very plausible that a shortage of zinc and its co-factors B6 (required for absorption) and selenium (required for zinc release) may result in vulnerability to autoimmune disorders…that is, the immune system attacks various organs such as the eyes (uveitis, macular degeneration), kidneys (nephropathy), liver (hepatitis), pancreas (type 1 diabetes), colon (colitis, leaky gut). [We know that imbalances in the gut bacteria and leaky gut also foster autoimmune trouble.]

·         Zinc is crucial for proper function of the immune system (and so much more). Zinc deficiency is rampant in the American population. Anyone who doesn’t get enough zinc or can’t use it properly is prone to autoimmune reactions. It is possible to get enough zinc in the diet, but it takes adequate selenium to release the zinc from its binding protein. And you should know that high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) depletes zinc. Given the high consumption of HFCS in the US, the increasing incidence of autoimmune disorders is not surprising.

·       Some autoimmune conditions start as something else. Take, for example, Lyme disease. An infection (Borrelia burgdorferi) may or may not result from a tick bite. Such an infection may or may not be quelled by antibiotics. If people are low in zinc, the medication is less likely to be effective. If they are low in critical nutrients and/or have an imbalance in gut bacteria, they be more prone to autoimmune reactions.  So, seemingly out of nowhere, an infection from a tick bite mysteriously becomes an unremitting chronic problem. That effect is reported more frequently among those who are zinc-deficient. Tick bites and the infections have been around throughout human history. The new element may be zinc deficiency made worse by a craving for sugar that is too often satisfied with high fructose corn syrup.

·         Modern medicine is dealing with over 100 autoimmune conditions and trying to calm the symptoms with steroids and treat the disease with medication called monoclonal antibodies. Sadly, that process interferes with normal wound healing and restorative processes. 

I would have thought that Beta-glucans would be the go-to immune strengthener, and they are, by the way.  But so is Glutathione, fat-soluble Vitamin A, Vitamin D, and zinc.  [Find more here.]  This effort to maintain or correct the immune system will be a lifelong effort.  So you'll need to commit to powerful and effective nutritional compounds rather that synthetic ones to get your immune system back on track.  

EXTRA SELENIUM FOR LONG-COVID?

This is a really fascinating thread for people suffering long COVID and the #vaccineinjured. https://t.co/2eb72fRPaH

— To The Lifeboats (@ToTheLifeboats) February 13, 2022

The article above reports on how methylated selenium, brand name Seleno, enhances the antioxidant capacity of retinal epithelial cells on the cells exterior [COVID and spike proteins are an intra-cellular disease] by inducing the transporter xc to increase glutathione, the master anti-oxidant.  The poster's comments read "higher doses" without identifying how much.  Some researchers caution against iver doing it.  And since most selenium comes in doses if 200mcg, doubling that would be more than sufficient to qualify as "higher doses."  Any more than that simply doesn't get absorbed.

Nutrients absolutely improve quality of health and quality of life.  What's that phrase?  Better living through chemistry.  Just avoid doctor-prescribed meds.  Doctors are the 3rd leading cause of death.  So buyer beware. 

Of note, whenever a single nutrient is praised or promoted, know that "in vivo," meaning in your body, meaning metabolized nutrients interact with others to deliver their benefits.  Too many of the articles listing or covering the benefits don't cover the necessity of synergy from other nutrients.  Yes, selenium is good, essential even, but know that zinc is also required.  What does selenium do?  It helps to release zinc into the blood to activate vitamin D3.

Bill Sardi explains:

Zinc: how to convert vitamin D to its active form

The masses don’t need to get a prescription for calcitriol from their doctor. The trace mineral zinc facilitates maximum calcitriol levels via release from white blood cells known as macrophages.  Zinc is particularly important when calcium or phosphorus are depleted.  Zinc is commonly deficient among patients with kidney disease.  The lack of stomach acid in senior adults impairs zinc absorption.  Selenium is needed to release free unbound zinc from its carrier protein, metallothionein.

It is unconscionable that oncologists and infectious disease specialists don’t prescribe zinc across the board for their patients given its important role in releasing calcitriol from its binders.

Zinc is also documented to increase vitamin D receptor on the surface of cells and thus increase calcium binding protein.

Furthermore, the trace mineral zinc inhibits nagalase, the enzyme that degrades a liver protein called Gc Protein Macrophage Activating Factor (GcMAF).  It is GcMAF that stimulates white blood cell called macrophages that literally engulfs and devours pathogens and cancer cells.

FOR THEIR LACK OF KNOWLEDGE, THE PEOPLE PERISH

This was a decent presentation, meaning that it took a complex topic and made it comprehensible. It did fail, however, to answer how to balance gut microbes so that you restore your body and your health returns to a more normal state.  Dr. Sears' Zone Diet focused on balancing hormones.  His diet plan definitely does that, for sure.  And as a target, balancing hormones is a good one.  But maybe balancing the whole body is not as easily as we think since certain organs and organ systems, due to their size and volume, play a larger role in health maintenance than others.  The gut is large system.  In fact, the gut starts at your mouth.  Never heard that before.  

The gut (gastrointestinal tract) is the long tube that starts at the mouth and ends at the back passage (anus).  

The key is to know how to repair and remedy a leaky gut. A leaky gut is exactly what it sounds like--it means your gut is porous with all kinds of bacteria spilling out gradually perhaps into other compartments of your body.  That's a large area, so let's be specific.  A leaky gut refers mainly to the small intestine.  You may not even feel any specific pain other than a tire or weak stomach. Or it may show up in the form of dry or flaky skin. It may show up in the form of bruises or scarring.  

CAUSES OF LEAKY GUT  
The list is long.  One thing that tops the causes of a leaky gut is a poor diet.  What does that mean?  We're all guilty of that.  Even if one follows the best diet, we're always tinkering with so as to accommodate our preferences, little cravings, and must-haves.  Eating all vegetables is not good enough.  Prebiotics are perhaps the best foods to eat to restore the gut.  See this list:

Low-fat diets that never satisfy and only induce more food craving instead of a varietal diet rich in prebiotics like mushrooms, pickles, sauerkraut, miso soup, bran, oats, barley that populate our gut with bacteria that produces lean, non-diabetic humans.

At another site, Sardi points out how unhealthy bacteria, the kind that causes your intestines to leak, produces inflammation at the back of your eyes and is responsible for macular degeneration.  Healthy gut bacteria inhibits invasive blood vessels that destroy vision.  

Healthy gut bacteria inhibit inflammation.  Unhealthy gut bacteria generates low-grade inflammation that is characteristic of accelerated ageing.

Fermented foods like pickles, sauerkraut, miso soup, apple pectin, beta glucans (barley), resveratrol and other foods are recommended to restore and maintain healthy gut bacteria.

Unhealthy gut bacteria increase intestinal permeability and allow undigested proteins to enter the blood circulation, sparking allergic and autoimmune reactions.  [EMBO Molecular Medicine Oct 11, 2016]

This explains how fermented and prebiotic foods listed above spare your vision, spare your gut health, spare your immune system.  And how the Biblical saying of "For their lack of knowledge, the people perish" is no small statement.  The gut and its healthy and unhealthy bacteria is a complex topic.  Though the solutions have already been discovered.  We know what works--prebiotics.  Dairy prebiotics may not be the best.  On probiotics versus prebiotics, this might be helpful.  



Probiotics are “good” bacteria that help keep your digestive system healthy by controlling growth of harmful bacteria. Prebiotics are carbohydrates that cannot be digested by the human body. They are food for probiotics. The primary benefit of probiotics and prebiotics appears to be helping you maintain a healthy digestive system.

One of the best sources of probiotics is yogurt. It has good bacteria like lactobacillus or bifidobacteria. Look for “live or active cultures” on the label to be sure your favorite brand of yogurt is a rich source of probiotics. Other good food sources are sauerkraut, miso soup, fermented, soft cheeses (like Gouda), and even sourdough bread. The common feature of all these foods is fermentation, a process that produces probiotics.

There is nothing in particular about probiotics or prebiotics that will give you energy. However, one of the best probiotic-rich foods, yogurt, is an excellent source of lean protein and calcium. Prebiotic foods are a great source of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that give you the energy you need to get through the day. Prebiotic-rich foods include whole grains, onions, bananas, garlic, honey, and artichokes.

SERIOUS PROBLEMS FROM A LEAKY GUT  

One of the problems with diagnosing conditions and knowing what you're working with is that the symptoms show up in distal points and start as something else.  Bill Sardi points this out elegantly

Some autoimmune conditions start as something else. Take, for example, Lyme disease. An infection (Borrelia burgdorferi) may or may not result from a tick bite. Such an infection may or may not be quelled by antibiotics. If people are low in zinc, the medication is less likely to be effective. If they are low in critical nutrients and/or have an imbalance in gut bacteria, they be more prone to autoimmune reactions.  So, seemingly out of nowhere, an infection from a tick bite mysteriously becomes an unremitting chronic problem. That effect is reported more frequently among those who are zinc-deficient. Tick bites and the infections have been around throughout human history. The new element may be zinc deficiency made worse by a craving for sugar that is too often satisfied with high fructose corn syrup. 

So in addition to those fermented probiotics, like miso soup, sauerkraut, mushrooms, and others, you need to be on zinc.  The best form of Zinc is OptiZinc.  Bill Sardi explains that high-fructose corn syrup depletes zinc.  We really need to be careful of the sweeteners we're consuming.  

Zinc is crucial for proper function of the immune system (and so much more). Zinc deficiency is rampant in the American population. Anyone who doesn’t get enough zinc or can’t use it properly is prone to autoimmune reactions. It is possible to get enough zinc in the diet, but it takes adequate selenium to release the zinc from its binding protein. And you should know that high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) depletes zinc. Given the high consumption of HFCS in the US, the increasing incidence of autoimmune disorders is not surprising. 

So there's that.

BEWARE OF HOSPITALIZED ANTIOBIOTICS
I write this because my mother died from hospital antibiotics.  The hospital protocol killed her.  Due to a weakness, she was taken to the Emergency Room where after a series of useless tests the ER doctor assigned her a room--you guessed it--for more tests.  Once they learned of her full insurance coverage, the hospital protocol is to treat anyone coming in as an ATM from which to perform cash withdrawls.  Once she was hospitalized, the doctors put her on an IV of Zosyn.  It was slow-drip biological trauma, slowly and effectively destroying any of her remaining good bacteria, leaving her system open to stress and weakness.  And true to the intentions of that restorative protocol [burning sarcasm], ten days later she was dead.  The best place for your loved ones to be IS OUT OF THE HOSPITAL.  Don't just sign their life over to aloof and fully-licensed professionals.  Instead, provide your loved ones with the protocol that Bill Sardi offers up above:

Low-fat diets that never satisfy and only induce more food craving instead of a varietal diet rich in prebiotics like mushrooms, pickles, sauerkraut, miso soup, bran, oats, barley that populate our gut with bacteria that produces lean, non-diabetic humans. 

Find ways to deliver these in delicious, life-affirming dishes.

CHONDROITIN SULFATE REVERSES HEART DAMAGE

"heart and blood vessel disease could be reversed and prevented with natural molecules, particularly chondroitin sulfate."

I started this blog as a way to learn how through food to maximize daily intake of nutrients.  I did so because I thought that all of the claims about supplements were hype, and that too much of the supplement ingredients were either synthetics and substitutes and not something particularly nutritionally valuable.  But I was wrong.  It doesn't mean that my original intention to learn about how to maximize my daily nutritional profile was wrong.  On the contrary.  But there are just too many factors that play a role in getting the best nutrition you can.  

One is age.  I am over 50 now and my body is not producing certain fluids or hormones that I did when I was 22.  Stomach acid, meaning Hydrochloric Acid, is less.  That means that digestion is reduced.  And absorption of nutrients also declines.  What's the answer?  If nutrient absorption is a problem, it can't be easily or readily resolved simply by eating more or doubling down on the servings of carrots or broccoli for example.  We've got to account for calories.  And it should be known by now, for anyone who's read nutritional literature at all over the last 20 years, that calorie restriction is one of the main paths to living longer.  Now these paths toward life extension are not the same paths toward looking good or doing well. Something else or something other is required for that.  So how does one proceed? Well, to repair the first problem of absorption a few things should be considered.  One is betaine hydrochloride.  Zinc Carnosine also works.  But there is a single product that perhaps resolves low stomach acid as well as a host of other gastro-intestinal issues.  And that product is Garligest.  

Okay, so there is one problem solved or at least managed with a great deal of effectiveness and satisfaction. 

What else? 

Well, it depends.  It depends if you're a woman, a man, a woman of 32 or a man of 91.  It depends if you live in Toronto or in Los Angeles.  So lots of things to consider.  Having said that, you can check this list to see what kind of deficiencies that might need correction for you.  You'll notice that I am not recommending food choices in this article; instead, I am recommending supplements as advised by Bill Sardi.  I just think that these products do better.  

Several months ago I read up on zinc and could not believe what is it is capable of doing and how a zinc deficiency can wreak havoc on so many parts of our biology.  See here and here.  It's that latter article where I learned of Abram Hoffer, M.D. Ph.D and his use of zinc in his Vitamin C cancer treatments.  Linus Pauling is the guy who is most noted for observing the positive benefits of Vitamin C on cancer.  The irony is that Pauling didn't have the success that Hoffer did, the doctor who added zinc and other nutrients to his Vitamin C treatments.  So zinc is important. It helps regrow the Thymus Gland.  So there's that.  But it also helps with blood vessels: all of them--capillaries, veins, and arteries.  So take zinc.  I tried zinc acetate early last year and my chest swelled with vigor and health.  I thought "Is that the zinc that's doing that?"  Turns out yes!  For zinc repairs the Thymus gland which sits right in front of the heart.  

Vitamin C is excellent when you're under stress. 

Vitamin D should be taken everyday.

Vitamin E is excellent for blood vessels. 

The preferred form of Selenium is Seleno Excell.

Want to stave off Alzheimer's disease and keep your brain from shrinking?  First, stay off anti-depressants and take the fat soluble B1, Thiamine, called Benfotiamine.

Chondroitin Sulfate repairs heart tissue following a heart attack, stroke, or ischemic event.  See Dr. Lester Morrison's excellent efforts in that regard. And that's Chondroitin Sulfate, divorced from Glucosamine.  Bill Sardi tags Morrison as "The Man Who Cured Heart Disease Naturally."  And as one of the most astute and specific writers, Bill Sardi does not use words lightly.  Sardi writes

His name: Dr. Lester Morrison.

His qualifications: Director and Research Professor, Institute for Arteriosclerosis Research, Loma Linda University, School of Medicine.

Author: Coronary Heart Disease and the Mucopolysaccharides (1974, Charles C. Thomas)

In 1982 Dr. Morrison wrote: "I am Lester Morrison MD, and I have been a doctor for over 50 years. Much of that time has been devoted to finding a way to stop heart disease, which killed my mother, my father and several other members of my family and remains the number one killer in the U.S. and other developed countries."

Dr. Morrison provided compelling evidence in the 1960s that heart and blood vessel disease could be reversed and prevented with natural molecules, particularly chondroitin sulfate. This was over 20 years prior to the advent of the first cholesterol-reducing statin drug, Mevacor (1987).

Dr. Morrison writes that his ideas involving heart disease went back as far as 1942. He first began is his research using natural molecules to heal damaged hearts and arteries.

Dr. Morrison’s research was published in no less than 8 different medical journals. He began his studies in the 1940s, working with choline, a natural component of lecithin.

Here are the results (below) of an early study published in the American Heart Journal. Lecithin was later to become an important component in Dr. Morrison’s Heart Saver Program. (Dr. Morrison’s book for the lay public by this title can still be purchased.)

Comparison of Survival Rates: Choline (Lecithin) Patients with coronary thrombosis (blood clots in the heart) after 3 years 115 patients Deaths with choline 115 patients Deaths without choline 14 35 Source: American Heart Journal, July—August, p. 729, 1949
He later conceived of the idea that gelatinous material, then known as mucopolysaccharides, today known as glycosaminoglycans, could heal damaged hearts and arteries. His work involved chondroitin sulfate, a molecule that is a normal component of the connective tissue in the body. Dr. Morrison calls it "the glue of life."

He noted that chondroitin is the "coronary artery’s first line of defense against invasion by foreign substances," such as cholesterol, bacteria and tumor cells. Chondroitin contributes to the elasticity of the blood vessels.  

I find this stuff fascinating if for no other reason than this healing mechanism was known when my parents got married way back in the 1940s.  And yet people are trying to figure out what works, what doesn't, and what causes the greatest risks.  It's known already.  For heart muscle, take Chondroitin Sulfate.  

Find Chondroitin Sulfate here. 

Food is certainly more pleasurable.  But due to stress at work, environmental stresses, biological stresses, or stress of any kind, if we are running deficiencies it seems to me prudent to supplement with something more than an extra serving of broccoli.

TAKE VITAMIN D3 CONSTANTLY: If you wait until you actually get the virus, it's already too late.

Once they have a virus, take 50 milligrams [of zinc] two times a day for one week and that hits the virus on the head within hours.

As the first line of defense, we should be dealing with people's immune systems in the safest way possible.

8:05  How much vitamin D? 50 to 100 grams/milliliter.  4,000IUs, but he did mention that people can do 50,000IUs a day for 6 months without any adverse effects.

10:40  25 milligrams of zinc is extremely safe; you can take up to 40mg a day without any ill effects in most adults.  You go above that and you reduce the absorption of copper.    How much zinc?  50mg  

11:05  You asked me about vitamin D.  4,000 units.  But people who are overweight need up to or over 8,000 to 10,000 units or more per day.

How much vitamin K2?  200mgs per day, every day.  Because vitamin D does cause the release of calcium from the bones into the blood and you want to try to avoid any deposition of that in the wrong places.  

To fight infections like COVID, you'd want to have levels of vitamin D above 50 grams.  With each higher dose of vitamin D, it triggers the protein and genetic pathways that people need to do better.

Virtually every cell in your body has vitamin D receptors.  Therefore, . . . take your vitamin D.  Your body is waiting, hungering to feel better.  A lot of vitamin D's functions are immunomodulatory that actually directs the immune system to work in a better way.  If you combine vitamin D with zinc, which has significant effects on viral infections, boosts the cells' ability to kill viruses, including cancer.

Get enough sleep.  Get outside, get some sun.  Engage in sports.  It's very much about looking after yourself.  

15:30  If you want the derided compound, Hydroxychloroquine to work, it works in combination with zinc.  It seems that that makes the difference.  You don't want a zinc deficiency.  Studies have shown that zinc does improve the immune response to viral infections.  And, I can say anecdotally, that I use it on a daily basis [as a physician] for viral infections.  Once they have a virus, take 50 milligrams two times a day for one week, and that hits the virus on the head within hours.

Cytotoxic lymphocytes need zinc to function properly.  Without Cytotoxic Lymphocytes, what viral infection--it's going to run right over you.  

Whereas zinc works straight away on a virus, vitamin D needs to be metabolized.  What does that mean?  You need at least a few days beforehand to get into your system, therefore, I just tell people to take it constantly.  You want to take it for at least a few weeks beforehand, seeing as you don't know when you're going to get CVID, you could get COVID twice easily.  If you wait until you actually get the virus, it's already too late.  Even people who've received high doses after they get the virus--they've done studies with 50,000, 200,000 units of vitamin D given as a shot at the time of admission to the hospital, it probably does have some immunomodulatory effect but it takes time to kick in.  It takes a few days, by which stage the person could be a lot farther down the illness with COVID.  They could be onto a much later stage of COVID whereby they're already ventilated.  And the whole idea of this is to prevent that.  

Yes, we know it has to be metabolized by the liver and it has to be metabolized by the kidneys.  I can remember patients with renal failure, for example, who couldn't metabolize their vitamin D.

After metabolism, you've got to make sure it has its effects on the genetics of the body, on the immune system, and that presumably takes longer.  

High doses of vitamin D.  

He neglects to mention it but for D to be absorbable, you must take magnesium.  That means you must take magnesium with vitamin D.

Zinc-deficiency leads to release of renin from the kidneys, a hormone that increases blood pressure.

From The Drudge Report

CANBERRA, Australia — There are plenty of reasons to prioritize healthy blood pressure levels, but we can now add robust brain health to the list. Researchers from the Australian National University report maintaining optimal blood pressure helps the brain stay at least six months younger than a person’s actual age. Meanwhile, people with high blood pressure, even if it still falls within the normal recommended range, are actually at a higher risk of their brains aging at a rapid rate.  

Study authors say participants with high blood pressure had older, less healthy brains and a much higher risk of heart disease, stroke, and dementia. Even those with only slightly elevated blood pressure still showed signs of accelerated brain aging and increased disease risk.

“This thinking that one’s brain becomes unhealthy because of high blood pressure later in life is not completely true,” says Professor Nicolas Cherbuin, Head of the ANU Centre for Research on Ageing, Health, and Wellbeing, in a university release. “It starts earlier and it starts in people who have normal blood pressure.”

Usually, normal blood pressure is below 120/80, while optimal blood pressure is closer to 110/70.

These findings are especially concerning in light of another recent research project that concluded the number of people over the age of 30 with high blood pressure on a global scale has doubled.

“It’s important we introduce lifestyle and diet changes early on in life to prevent our blood pressure from rising too much, rather than waiting for it to become a problem,” explains cardiologist and study co-author Professor Walter Abhayaratna. “Compared to a person with a high blood pressure of 135/85, someone with an optimal reading of 110/70 was found to have a brain age that appears more than six months younger by the time they reach middle age.”

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE EFFECTS ON BRAIN MAY NOT START [UNTIL] MIDDLE AGE

Researchers examined over 2,000 brain scans conducted on 686 generally healthy patients between the ages of 44 and 76 during this project. Additionally, the team measured each person’s blood pressure on four occasions over the span of 12 years. All that data helped to calculate each person’s “brain age,” an indicator of overall brain health.

Prof. Cherbuin adds that these findings are particularly troubling for adults in their 20s and 30s because the impact of high blood pressure on brain health won’t typically appear until years later. 

“By detecting the impact of increased blood pressure on the brain health of people in their 40s and older, we have to assume the effects of elevated blood pressure must build up over many years and could start in their 20s. This means that a young person’s brain is already vulnerable,” he explains.

Study authors conclude that all adults, even young adults, should regularly have their blood pressure checked.

“Australian adults should take the opportunity to check their blood pressure at least once a year when they see their GP, with an aim to ensure that their target blood pressure is closer to 110/70, particularly in younger and middle age groups,” Professor Abhayaratna concludes. “If your blood pressure levels are elevated, you should take the opportunity to speak with your GP about ways to reduce your blood pressure, including the modification of lifestyle factors such as diet and physical activity.”

The study appears in the journal Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience.

DOES MELATONIN, ZINC, & ARGININE TREAT HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE? 

Bill Sardi writes, "Melatonin is the only agent that Dr. Houston has found to work to normalize blood pressure among patients whose blood pressure does not dip at night."

Elsewhere, Sardi points to zinc as the secondary ingredient to bring hypertension under control, "Zinc is the unexpected mineral that controls blood pressure as described in the medical literature but not heeded by practicing physicians."  Further on in that article, Sardi makes another interesting point that "In a zinc-deficient population, excessive salt-induces fluid overload that leads to release of renin from the kidneys, a hormone that increases blood pressure."

If you're looking for markers, Bill Sardi has that too.  "Age-adjusted data, reported by researchers at UCLA a few years back show any risk for death from uncontrolled hypertension doesn’t start till blood pressure is 160/90 or more among adults 55 years of age or older."  Normal blood pressure levels are 136/88.  Hypertension is absolutely something that needs monitoring.  For one, it can lead to strokes.  Scary stuff indeed.  "The latest review of the medical evidence shows adults with 130-139 systolic pressure doubled their risk for a stroke, heart attack, kidney or heart failure compared to those with lower blood pressure."  Pick your poison, or pick optimal nutrients to stay productive, look after the things important to you as well as the people important to you.  Martie Wittekin is in alignment with Sardi on the value of adequate zinc to protect your heart.

Arginine, too, is another important remedy.

Arginine has been marching towards greater acceptance for treatment of a variety of cardiovascular disorders in recent published studies. The Journal of Nutrition suggests human studies begin using arginine among adults with high blood pressure, since arginine is required to produce nitric oxide, a transient gas that dilates (widens) blood vessels and helps to control blood pressure. [Journal Nutrition 134: 2807-11S, 2004] 

Zinc is better absorbed in the presence of selenium; selenium releases the zinc in to your blood.  And if you're looking for a thyroid supplement, getting zinc in combination with selenium and iodine may be the way to go for you.

And if you're looking for a thyroid supplement, getting zinc in combination with selenium and iodine may be the way to go for you.

Hydrochloric Acid: It Does a Body Good

How important is hydrochloric acid to general well-being?  Turns out very important. Dr. Rob D'Aquila explains that "A need for hydrochloric acid supplementation is definitely one of the most common things I see in patients. Especially those patients who complain of digestive difficulties like bloating, gas, diarrhea, constipation, yeast overgrowth (even vaginal), and even heartburn. Additionally, patients who complain that they “lost the taste” for meat tend to need HCl as well. Lastly, it should be investigated in everyone with mineral deficiency symptoms, especially osteoporosis."

Nutritionist and Certified Trainer, Brad Sly, observes, "The digestive system is really the corner stone of our wellbeing, as it is involved in so many processes. If our digestive system is in order, we feel great, we can perform at the level we want, and we can push ourselves to make bigger and better gains in the gym. If our gut health is poor, we can end up with impaired immune and nervous systems, and it can also wreak havoc with our hormonal function throughout the body."

He made an interesting point about coffee, which I had suspected, and that is that the caffeine renders the gut more permeable and can . . . can lead to a leaky gut.  Not good.  Not good at all.

WHAT ROLE ZINC?

Both Sly and D'Aquila note the importance of zinc in the repair, maintenance, and formation of HCL.

D'Aquila explains that zinc plays an important role in the formation of hydrochloric acid, ". . . it takes more energy to make HCl in the body than any other chemical. Additionally, the mineral zinc is absolutely necessary to make it. Hydrochloric acid production is formed by the interaction of carbon dioxide and water, which is mediated by an enzyme called carbonic anhydrase, which is zinc-dependent. As a result, I always supplement zinc when I find a patient needs HCl, and then eventually wean them off the HCl. By the way, a generally accepted reliable indicator of the need for more zinc is white spots on the finger nails. I can’t find conclusive scientific evidence for this, however, I’ve had personal experience with it and also with my patients."

He finishes by saying that the best way to fix HCI deficiency is that ". . . 90% of the time, the patient must alter their diet. Very often, HCl supplementation is one of the main solutions." 

HOW TO REPAIR THE GUT?

Sly recommends the following. 

"In this first step we remove the offending foods and toxins from your diet that could be acting as stressors on your system. This means caffeine, alcohol, processed foods, bad fats, and any other foods you think may be causing issues, like gluten and dairy. All of these all irritate the gut in some form and create an inflammatory response."

Though not surprised I was disappointed to read this.  Not for any perceived or tested inaccuracy but for the inclusion of dairy as a stressor. Yes, I've heard how dairy is inflammatory, but I'd always thought that at least in its purer forms that it was actually beneficial for your immune system.  Must be a kind of inflammatory but perhaps in certain amounts or for certain conditions it is beneficial.

 

He continues, "The next step is to begin to repair the gut and heal the damaged intestinal lining. You do this by consuming an unprocessed diet and giving your body time to rest by providing it with substances that are known to heal the gut, like L-glutamine, omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, antioxidants (in the form of vitamins A, C, and E), quercitin, aloe vera, and turmeric."

FOOD REMEDIES FOR THE GUT

Marilee Nelson explains that eating ". . . unpasteurized unheated salt-free sauerkraut . . . helps to raise stomach acid "if" it is too low, and it lowers stomach acid "if" it is too high. Eating 1/4 to 1/2 cup of sauerkraut with meals is very helpful to the digestive system. I recommend making your own or buying Rejuvenative Foods.

Here is a second article on the importance of this acid and how to rebuild it.