Vitamin D from the sun has existed for a long time as an immune booster. In the 1800’s when many people had tuberculosis, sunshine was known to have curative powers, and sick patients flocked to sanitariums in sunny places to soak up the healing sunshine. Cod liver oil, also a rich source of vitamin D, has also been around for decades as a preventative for infections, colds and flu.
Studies show that vitamin D regulates many functions in the body, including hormone balance, metabolism, blood pressure, bone density, fighting cancer, and immune function (ever notice that people tend to get colds and flu in the winter when the sun is low?).
Vitamin D is critical for our health. We know that vitamin D is essential for healing and protecting against many contagious diseases and chronic diseases. Low levels of vitamin D are associated with upper and lower respiratory infections, heart disease, asthma, cancers, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, HIV, hypertension, inflammatory bowel disease, Alzheimer’s disease and other autoimmune diseases. Vitamin D deficiency is a worldwide public health problem in both developed and developing countries.
Did you know that our bodies contain cell receptors for vitamin D in virtually every system of the body? That tells us that vitamin D is necessary for virtually all body functions. Vitamin D actually influences the expression of over 200 health-supporting genes in our bodies.
There’s a lot of buzz about vitamin D boosting immune function to fight off colds, seasonal influenza, and other viruses. Research suggests that vitamin-D deficiency may one of the primary reasons people get more colds and flu in the winter when sunshine is less available.
As many as 70 percent of Americans are considered deficient in vitamin D. The elderly, females more than males, those who live the far north or south of the equator, people with darker skin pigmentation, those who work and stay inside during the day, and people with poor dietary habits generally have the lowest levels of vitamin D.
How does vitamin D boost immune function?
The immune system is an incredibly complex protective mechanism, but to simplify, we can divide the immune system into two main categories: innate immunity, and adaptive immunity.
Innate immunity is our nonspecific defense mechanism that activates in the presence of an invading pathogen. So, even if you have never been exposed to a virus or pathogen, your body has a built-in ability to protect itself from an invader. This part of your immune system is your first line of defense against any type of new type of germs—whether it is bacteria, viruses, and fungi. And it’s super important to be sure this line of defense is strong.
The other type of immune response is your adaptive immune response. This immune response is active against pathogens that you have previously encountered. The body recognizes, adapts and attacks specific invaders much more efficiently.
In the case of brand new types of influenza strains, the body has not had a chance to develop specific antibodies against it yet. So, this is where we call in the powers of our innate immune system to protect us. Vitamin D works to strengthen this innate immune system response.
Many different studies have associated vitamin D with its power to fight infection. One report looked at almost 19,000 people and found that the individuals with the lower levels of vitamin D were more likely to report upper respiratory tract infections, than those with sufficient levels of vitamin D.
This study looked at 800 people in Finland, and found that those with the lowest levels of vitamin D lost more days at work due to respiratory infections. Other studies have focused on how vitamin D helps to prevent influenza, colds and even HIV. And this well-designed study using therapeutic doses of vitamin D showed that vitamin D administration resulted in a statistically significant (42%) decrease in the incidence of influenza infection.
Vitamin D works by boosting the strength of the immune system while lowering inflammatory reactions. This makes vitamin D a powerful immune modulator. It helps boost immune power, but prevents the immune system from overreacting, as in the case of autoimmune disease.
How does it work? Vitamin D strengthens particular cells within the immune system, such as the T cells. It also helps to decrease levels of inflammatory cytokines, a part of the immune system that can overreact with dangerous outcomes.
There are three ways to get vitamin D levels up in your system. One—you can take a vitamin D3 supplement. D3 or cholecalciferol is most easily utilized in the body, over vitamin D2. Secondly, you can get some vitamin D from foods and third, you can get vitamin D from the sun—IF you are in an area where the sun is strong enough. Depending on the latitude where you live and the time of year, you may or may not be able to get vitamin D from the sun. In my opinion, however getting vitamin D from sunshine is the best way if you can.
The sun’s rays are too weak in the winter generally (depending on the latitude that you live). Even if you can get outside in the winter, if you live north of say, Los Angeles to the west and Atlanta Georgia to the east, you won’t be able to get enough sun from November through February.
The only way for our bodies to make vitamin D from the sun is to allow the UVB rays of the sun to reach our skin. That means we need to expose enough skin for 20-40 minutes without sunscreen at the strongest times of the day, between the hours of 10am and 2pm.
UVB rays are the rays that cause sunburn, just don’t overdo it! Full-body exposure of pale skin to summer sunshine for 30 minutes without clothing or sunscreen can result in the synthesis of between 10,000 and 20,000 IU of vitamin D.
However—if you don’t supplement with vitamin D3 in the winter you’re can pretty much count on being deficient in vitamin D in the winter.
Supplementing with vitamin D has a wide range of ‘suggested’ dosages, and you can overdo it with this fat soluble vitamin and create adverse health effects. While some doctors advise people to take 5000 to 10,000 Iu per day of vitamin D, this can be too much and a safer range would be around 5,000IU vitamin D3 per day.
Lastly, be sure to get plenty of healthy food with natural sources of vitamin D, such as egg yolks, wild caught salmon and mackerel, organ meats, and some mushrooms. And avoid those processed foods with added vitamin D—those do nothing for your health.
Some of the best absorbed vitamin D comes from taking some cod liver oil daily. Make sure to take only small doses of cod liver oil (enough for 50% to 100% DV of vitamin D), as large doses can give you an overdose of Vitamin A.
One more thing to point out as we near the end of winter, sunlight has far more beneficial benefits for our health than just increasing our vitamin D.
A recent 20-year study following 29,518 subjects found that those individuals avoiding sun exposure were twice as likely to die from all causes. Sunlight helps us make more endorphins, the natural chemical in our bodies that makes us feel relaxed and happy.
Sunlight promotes production of a peptide that helps to dilate the blood vessels, lowering blood pressure, and it helps create another substance called ‘Substance P’, that promotes better blood flow and regulates the immune system in response to acute stressors. And one more benefit of sunshine, it helps to reduce appetite, increase the libido and gives you a nice looking golden glow, while regulating your sleeping/waking cycle better.
If you want to stay healthy and strong, it’s not only wise, but essential to spend time outdoors in the sunshine. Soak it up!
Although we now have parts of and in some cases all of some form of vaccine, I am asking my patients and all others who may read this put to Not Let Their Guard Down!Due Diligence is imperative in times such as these and when dealing with a virus that has the propensity to create many variants
With so much information regarding protocols for COVID, I though I would at least put all my emails along with various articles which I felt had merit and worth into one post on my website. All articles/links a have indeed been Fact Checked.
Let me make it crystal clear that One Size Does Not Fit All !
MASKS:I do believe in Masks. I recommend a light spray of Oregano Essential Oil or my very favorite Thieves on the actual Mask enabling me to inhale these excellent antimicrobial oils and further protect myself whenever I put the mask(s) on!
Chlorine Dioxide has been used for years to kill airborne pathogens –this now includes the COVID 19. I use them at home, at my office and at the hotel in Atlanta. This makes the Aphinity product worth looking into. You can call the office and ask questions but they will refer you to Steve who is an encyclopaedia how these work.
I do know that one packet is good for 5-600 sq. ft and may last up to two months–Check with Steve, he will provide good sound advise
Basic Immune Protocol
Beta 1,3 D Glucan 100/500
The most studied immune system modulator in the world. Available in 100mg which I recommend for children; and 500mg for adults at a dosage of one capsule per day
• 6,000 times stronger than vitamin C (more electrons to donate) • 800 times stronger than CoQ10 • 550 times stronger than green tea catechins (strongest of all catechins) • 75 times stronger than alpha lipoic acid
This Mercola / Dr. Seheult article/video on NAC is worth having a look at. Way before COVID 19, I have recommended NAC for many patients. I myself take one per day for lung/pulmonary support even though it does not appear that I have any issues there. NAC is also a precursor to Glutathione and Glutathione is the body’s “top cream of the crop” # 1 Antioxidant having a direct effect on everything in our bodies
Vitamin D (K2 D3 5000) or (Vitamin D3 Complete 5000)
At the forefront of the COVID pandemic from its very onset, is Vitamin D and how its receptor sites are imperative in strengthening our immune system. All Vitamin D products are not the same so be careful to purchase only the best. Remember Vitamin D without Vitamin K is useless
NOTE: I am a firm believer in a blood test to determine Vitamin D levels. A test such as this will determine the dosage. If your doctor will not order for you, contact me and I will send you a requisition for LabCorp.
Edgar Cayce’s Detoxified Iodine is just what it says it is which is Iodine that has been Detoxified
For this product, I recommend 6 drops in mouth; swish around; gargle and swallow. Once or twice a day seems to work—just to keep the throat and tonsillar area free of bacteria and virus that should not be there
Zinc Glycinate (optional)
Liquid or Liposomal Vitamin C
Quercetin (Reg. / Phytosome)
Zinc Glycinate or Picolinate
The trace mineral Zinc has become important in the fight against COVID-19. The reason why I am cautious with Zinc is that it is possible to get too much zinc, which can actually depress your immune system and negatively affect your health.
I therefore recommend using Zinc one or two weeks per month.
Standard Process Labs has had a test to determine if you need Zinc for well over 60 years
Vitamin C:
Enough cannot be said about Vitamin C when it comes to Immune System overall health. Linus Pauling is the only person holding not one but two Nobel Peace Prizes for his work on the benefits of Vitamin C
I use two different varieties of Vitamin C and as with Vitamin B,, I like my patients to use smaller dosages through the day
Liposomal (from France)
Powder Vitamin C (from Israel)
Quercetin:
Although a Flavonoid and an excellent one at that. I do not use Quercetin in my COVID Protocol basically because I feel it is not necessary and “enough is enough:
NANO SOMA is made from all natural, food-based ingredients and has no known side effects. It is commonly called policosanol and is present in foods such as rice, sugar cane, wheat, and peanuts.
Nano Soma work specifically with the Vitamin D receptors in the body and also teaches the body how to make its own Vitamin C which humans were capable of doing at one time
The following two items are pharmaceutical based and have held my interest since day one. Both are anti-parasitic; both are used for Rheumatoid Arthritis and Lupus and both MAY have an enormously positive effects on COVID with minor side effects if any.
NOTE: Quinine is a Zinc Ionophore, British Soldiers stationed in India & Africa were told to take Quinine to prevent Malaria. However, Quinine is extremely bitter so they had to add fruited water and sugar to take it. Hence the expression “Just s little bit of sugar makes the medicine go down” Ultimately the British government gave permission to add 1 teaspoon of gin to the quinine and the Gin & Tonic was born. Tonic by the way is composed of Quinine, Fruited Water and Sugar!
I again end with the paragraph at the beginning which states
Although we now have parts of and in some cases all of some form of “vaccine”, I am asking my patients and all others who may read this put to Not Let Their Guard Down!Due Diligence is imperative in times such as these and when dealing with a virus that has the propensity to create many Variants
Should you want information on any of these recommendation or even better, a discussion about any of them, please email or call me at 619-231-1778
1 Gallon Distilled Water–MUST be Distilled so as not to build up scale on the humidifier
1 Quart bottle of Hydrogen Peroxide
18-20 drops Oregano Oil
1 Tablespoon Silver 500
Add ingredients together and rest well
Aside from the bedroom for sleeping, some folks set one up in the living room or any space they are hanging in.
Use when feeling stuffy; cold; flu; coughing; and anything respiratory including nCOVID-19 and all its’ variants.
** All Oregano Oils are not the same nor the difference between Colloidal Silver and Silver Protein. I use Physician Strength P73 Oregano Oil and very specific Mild Silver Protein.Contact me for product details
NEBULIZER TECHNIQUE
Fill cup 1/2 to 3/4 full of silver 500
Add 2 drops of DMSO if available OR if by chance you happen to have Albuterol, call me to discuss how to use for this recipe
Do a breathing session twice daily
The best nebulizer for your money is made by PARI PRONEB Max Aerosol Delivery System with LC Sprint
For the Nebulizer, call Just Nebulizers and ask to speak to Renee OrAnn at 888-550-2450. Tell them you are my patient and they will sell you the filter for the same price I would be paying. They know exactly what I want my patients to have.
NOTE: The Nebulizer Silver technique is my ACE in the HOLE when it comes to preventing treating pneumonia and most other respiratory situations
Erectile Dysfunction: The Canary in the Cardiovascular Coal Mine?
The role of endothelial function on tumescence – and beyond
By Erica Zelfand, ND
The stories I hear of men* with erectile dysfunction (ED) are strikingly similar: The issue begins insidiously and is initially treated at a “low T clinic” with gradually increasing doses of exogenous testosterone in regimens that yield varied but ultimately insufficient results.
A review of the lab work of these individuals reveals that they are typically overdosed on their prescription hormones, with total testosterone levels often above 1000 ng/dL. While supraphysiological levels of testosterone do, in fact, enhance the sexual desire and performance of some men, they come with significant health risks and pesky side effects like anxiety, irritability, and insomnia. Other men, however, find that even high doses of anabolic steroids fail to engender desired outcomes in the bedroom.
Erectile dysfunction (ED, impotence) is a fairly common medical condition, characterized by the inability to achieve and maintain a penile erection firm enough for satisfying sexual intercourse.1 ED is also on the rise: While the condition affected an estimated 152 million males worldwide in 1995, that number is expected to swell (no pun intended) to over 320 million people by 2025.2,3
Just last week, a new patient shouted at his wit’s end, “I’m taking testosterone, HCG [human chorionic gonadotropin], and anastrozole. I’m lifting more weight than the other guys at the gym. I look amazing. I have tons of energy—so much I can’t fall asleep at night – but I after two years of playing with all my doses I still can’t get hard. What the heck is wrong with me!? What are my other doctors missing? I really hope you can figure it out.” [Note: This patient employed more expletives when expressing himself.]
Time and time again, I explain to exasperated fellows like this one that sex hormone levels are just one piece of the puzzle. The successful treatment of ED often also entails assessing the nervous system (including mental health), adrenal function, metabolic health, and endothelial integrity, with the latter being among the most overlooked aspects of sexual health.
Tumescence is a hemodynamic process characterized by enhanced penile arterial inflow and reduced venous outflow.4,5 Because the physiology of tumescence (penile erection) requires that the penis engorges with blood, the integrity of the vascular system—and ergo the status of nitric oxide production—is of utmost importance to male sexual performance and satisfaction.6
Nitric Oxide: The Endothelium Relaxer
Our understanding of nitric oxide (NO) is relatively new: In 1998 three American pharmacologists received the Nobel Prize for their discovery of NO’s effects as a signaling molecule within the cardiovascular system.7
This tiny gas molecule is produced in the blood vessels, nerves, and immune cells. Neuronal and endothelial NO causes relaxation of the surrounding smooth muscle, resulting in vasodilation.8,9 With regard to male sexual health, NO triggers the relaxation of the cavernous smooth muscle of the penis, allowing for engorgement and subsequent erection.
NO production declines with age, however, placing males at increased risk of ED as they grow older.10 It is now estimated that nearly half of men above the age of 40 have some degree of ED.11
Endothelial inflammation undermines NO production and is thus a significant determinant of ED and other vascular diseases.12 It is also a culprit that can effectively be treated with naturopathic medicine.
Erectile Dysfunction as Coronary Risk Marker
Due to the relatively small size of the penile vasculature (on even the most well-endowed of individuals), ED may be understood as a warning sign of poor vascular function and impending coronary artery disease (CAD).9,11,13,14 ED may present well before the observation of so much as an elevated blood pressure reading.15 If left unchecked, the vascular inflammation and dysfunction associated with many cases of ED may lead to ischemic heart disease;16 ED has thus been referred to as “penile angina.”17
ED is such a strong predictor of cardiovascular disease in men,3 in fact, that providers are now advised to assess the cardiovascular health of patients presenting with the condition.16 While not all men with ED have cardiovascular problems, a significant percentage of males with angiographically demonstrated CAD have been observed to have ED.13 ED was also shown in one study to precede CAD in a whopping 70% of male CAD patients.13
It is perhaps no surprise that ED and CAD go hand-in-hand, as they share many of the same risk factors, including sedentary lifestyle, obesity, diabetes, smoking, hypertension, dyslipidemia, metabolic syndrome, and declining NO activity.9,11,18,19
Conventional Treatments of ED
The first-line therapy for ED entails phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5i) like sildenafil.20 Although these drugs do not directly increase NO, they do augment NO-mediated pathways.21
When PDE5i’s fail to improve symptoms, vacuum devices, intracavernous injections, and penile prosthesis implantation are considered second- and third-line therapies. Few patients are eager to try these interventions, however, which may not be too great of a tragedy, as none of these methods adequately addresses the underlying metabolic, neurological, hormonal, or endothelial aspects of ED.
Testosterone plays an important role in sexual function via several mechanisms, including the stimulation of NO release.22 As more and more males become afflicted with ED, the increasing number of “low T” clinics that have cropped up over the years now comprise a multi-billion-dollar industry.23,24 Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) does help many men with ED—though not all. In my experience and opinion, focusing on NO augmentation—either in lieu of or in addition to hormone prescription—may serve ED patients in both the short and long term.
Erectile Dysfunction: The Canary in the Cardiovascular Coal Mine?
Two Pathways of Nitric Oxide Production
There are two pathways by which NO is created in the body (see Figure 1).25 One pathway entails the reduction of dietary nitrates to nitrite and then NO.26 Another pathway depends upon the enzyme nitric oxide synthase (NOS) to convert L-arginine to NO.27
Oral Hygiene
In the NOS independent pathway of NO production, facultative oral microflora reduce dietary nitrates (NO3–) to nitrites (NO2–), which are then converted to NO in the acidic environment of the stomach.26
In this pathway, the presence of particular oral bacteria and the stomach’s low pH are invaluable for NO production. These requisite conditions are undermined, however, by antiseptic mouthwashes, proton-pump inhibitors, and over-the-counter antacid medications—agents commonly used in industrialized societies.28–30 Although restoring a patient’s gastric acidity is a relatively straightforward task for the naturopathic physician, as of this writing there is no nutritional probiotic supplement that contains the oral bacteria essential for nitrate reduction. We may still, however, advise patients to avoid commercial mouthwash products.26
Dark Leafy Greens and Beetroot
Vegetable-rich diets have been shown to support heart health,31,32 in part due to their nitrite and nitrate content. High nitrate diets lower the risks of hypertension, heart attack, and stroke,33–35
Although dietary nitrites such as those naturally found in bacon have been vilified, nitrites and nitrates are actually naturally occurring molecules produced in the body that are important to health.36,37 (The culprit in processed meats is likely not nitrite, but rather the carcinogenic compound nitrosamine.38,39)
In addition to eating plenty of green, leafy vegetables, powdered greens products, beetroot (also known simply as “beets”), and beetroot products may all be used as supplemental sources of nitrates, antioxidants, and phenolic compounds pertinent to cardiovascular health.40 Beetroot is a particularly rich source of nitrates and antioxidant compounds and has been observed to increase NO levels and lower blood pressure readings in both men and women of various ages.41–43
Although dietary nitrites such as those naturally found in bacon have been vilified, nitrites and nitrates are actually naturally occurring molecules produced in the body that are important to health.36,37 (The culprit in processed meats is likely not nitrite, but rather the carcinogenic compound nitrosamine.38,39)
In addition to eating plenty of green, leafy vegetables, powdered greens products, beetroot (also known simply as “beets”), and beetroot products may all be used as supplemental sources of nitrates, antioxidants, and phenolic compounds pertinent to cardiovascular health.40 Beetroot is a particularly rich source of nitrates and antioxidant compounds and has been observed to increase NO levels and lower blood pressure readings in both men and women of various ages.41–43
L-Arginine and L-Citrulline
L-Arginine may be acquired from nutritional supplements and/or endogenously derived from the amino acid L-citrulline, and serves as the source raw material from which the body produces NO via NOS (Figure 1).44 Low serum levels of L-arginine have unsurprisingly been correlated with poor NO production.45
A significant percentage of ED patients have low L-arginine or L-citrulline levels, placing them at increased risk of disease.45 Because of this and because the NOS-dependent route of NO production was the first pathway discovered, the nutraceutical product market is now replete with L-arginine-containing formulae.46
Although oral L-arginine supplementation may improve NO-mediated vasodilation and endothelial function, its effects as a monotherapy are transient due to the short duration of its presence in the circulation (on the order of milliseconds).47 This may be why a review of L-arginines efficacy in the treatment of ED reports that a minimum dosage of 3 g daily is necessary to achieve outcomes. Some studies have even dosed the amino acid at 5 g and higher.48
The efficacy of L-arginine may be improved by delivering it alongside N-acetylcysteine or glutathione (GSH), both of which contain sulfur residues or thiols. NO binds GSH, forming S-nitrosoglutathione. This molecule then transports and circulates NO, has a half-life of hours, and is just as vasoactive as NO.49 Antioxidants like ascorbate also are able to cleave or release bound NO.50 L-arginine also pairs particularly well with Pycnogenol, as is explored in the section below.
Unlike L-arginine, its precursor L-citrulline (named for the watermelon, or Citrullus vulgaris, from which it is derived51) evades presystemic metabolism, effectively increasing circulating NO levels.45,52,53 This may make L-citrulline a more advantageous nutritional supplement than L-arginine in the treatment of ED, hypertension, and related vascular conditions.54,55
Although L-citrulline supplements are less effective than PDE5i’s (at least in the short term), they are an effective adjuvant to PDE5i treatment.54,56 L-citrulline has also been shown to be safe and psychologically well tolerated.54
What may be even more effective than L-arginine or L-citrulline monotherapy, however, is the administration of the two NOS substrates concurrently: Simultaneous oral supplementation of L-arginine and L-citrulline (1 gram of each) increased plasma L-arginine levels more than 2 g of either alone in a 2017 study.57 (Note that because many viruses, including herpes simplex virus [HSV], are dependent upon the bioavailability of arginine,58 L-arginine and L-citrulline supplements may be poorly tolerated by patients with frequent HSV outbreaks.)
In addition to augmenting the body’s supply of L-arginine, it is also important to support conversion of the amino acid into NO.38 This conversion is enhanced by oxygen, NADPH, heme, tetrahydrobiopterin (THB, also known as BH4), and other coenzymes. Things as simple as checking oxygen saturation and ferritin levels may therefore prove advantageous.
Pycnogenol
A standardized extract from the bark of the French maritime pine, Pinus pinaster—or Pycnogenol, as it’s known in the US by its patent name—can improve erectile function both as a stand-alone treatment and in combination with L-arginine.59,60
In a double-blind study of 21 males suffering from ED, patients received 120 mg of Pycnogenol or placebo daily. After three months, Pycnogenol significantly improved the symptoms of ED from moderate to mild stage. Perhaps more importantly, a significant increase in plasma antioxidant activity was noted among those who received Pycnogenol, while no such benefit was found in those who received placebo. The Pycnogenol group further enjoyed reductions in total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol levels (from 5.41 to 4.98 mmol/L and from 3.44 to 2.78 mmol/L, respectively). (No significant changes in triglycerides or HDL were observed.) These findings suggest that Pycnogenol may not only treat ED but may also temper some of the more serious vascular changes that succeed it.61
In another study of 40 males, 25 to 45 years of age, a combination of L-arginine and Pycnogenol significantly outperformed Pycnogenol alone, helping 80% of men (and, after another month of the study, 92.5% of men) achieve a normal erection – as compared to only 5% of men who benefitted from Pycnogenol alone. Pycnogenol was given at a dose of 40 mg one to three times daily, with L-arginine at a dose of 1.7 g daily.60 (It is worth noting that the minimum effective daily dosage of L-arginine as a standalone treatment of ED may be 3 g,62 though this study suggests that lower doses may be used within the milieu of co-treatment with Pycnogeol.)
In a similar trial of 50 males, L-arginine (3 g/day) plus Pycnogenol (80 mg/day) restored normal erectile function after just one month of supplementation. Sperm quality improved in the men who took this combination and their testosterone levels increased significantly. The men also reported a doubling in their sexual intercourse frequency.63
Glutathione and Other Antioxidants
Supplementation with L-citrulline and GSH has also been shown to synergistically increase NO levels.
In addition to providing thiols for the formation of S-nitroso glutathione, GSH also affects the NOS enzyme function. In a GSH-depleted environment, NOS becomes uncoupled, resulting in the production of toxic superoxides instead of salubrious NO. Endothelial NOS (eNOS) uncoupling has been implicated in numerous conditions marked by vascular endothelial dysfunction, including heart failure, ischemia/reperfusion injury, hypertension, atherosclerosis, and diabetes.65
As the master antioxidant of the body, GSH strongly protects against the oxidative stress associated with endothelial dysfunction. Like other antioxidants, GSH may prevent eNOS uncoupling by scavenging free radicals, mitigating certain radical-generating pathways, maintaining the optimal ratio of reduced to oxidized glutathione, and protecting the endothelium against damage by toxic metabolites.66
GSH and other antioxidants can thus prevent oxidative stress, ameliorate vascular endothelial dysfunction, and stave off cardiovascular disease (among other chronic ailments).66
DHEA
The steroid hormone precursor dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) not only augments hormone production, but also positively affects eNOS. Supplementation with DHEA may thus further support endothelial health.67 A systematic review of 38 trials found that DHEA improves various aspects of sexual health in both males and females, including sexual interest, sexual frequency, lubrication, arousal, pain, and orgasm.68
Carnitine and Taurine
Carnitine and taurine have been shown to support NO production and vascular health. Specifically, propionyl-L-carnitine (PLC) has been observed to stimulate NO production and facilitate the delivery of free fatty acids into the mitochondria.69 When administered alongside acetyl-L-carnitine, PLC enhances the efficacy of sildenafil in treating the symptoms of ED in men who have undergone bilateral nerve-sparing prostatectomy.70
Taurine also increases NO, likely by decreasing asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), as an inhibitor of NO synthesis.71,72
Meditation
Beyond erectile function and blood pressure, NO’s benefits include blood clot prevention, immune function enhancement, and nervous system support.7 NO may also contribute to the relaxing effects of meditation and mindfulness practice—and mindfulness practice may likewise enhance NO production.73 In one study, for example, experienced meditators were found to have lower levels of subjective stress and higher nitrate and nitrite levels.9 This finding may be added to the long list of reasons to recommend meditation and other mindfulness-based practices to those with ED and other cardiovascular ailments.
Exercise
Sedentary lifestyle is a significant risk factor for both ED and cardiovascular disease.9 Physical activity is known to increase vascular NO levels and improve vascular function,74 which explains at least in part why exercise is hailed as the lifestyle factor most strongly correlated with erectile health.74,75
A 2018 systematic review of 10 studies concludes that moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise four times weekly for six months improves erectile function in men who have ED caused by sedentary lifestyle, obesity, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and/or metabolic syndrome.9 Considering that exercise helps with a wide array of other health conditions, physical activity should be a basic treatment guideline for just about every patient.
Conclusion
During sexual arousal, the vessels of the penis rely upon nitric oxide to help blood—and the oxygen and nutrients it carries—engorge the penis, resulting in tumescence. Erectile dysfunction may therefore represent poor endothelial health and a deficit of NO in many cases—and thus serve as a warning sign of more serious vascular ailments to come.
Because there is no standard lab test for assessing NO levels,76 it is important for healthcare providers to make astute clinical assessments of their patients’ cardiovascular status when labs and imaging fall short.
Simple, natural strategies and supplements—like oral health, digestive hygiene, green vegetables and beetroot, L-arginine, L-citrulline, glutathione, DHEA, carnitine, Pycnogenol, meditation, and exercise—may well serve the men who suffer from erectile dysfunction. Even in the context of testosterone replacement and phosphodiesterase inhibitor prescription, nitric oxide support may further improve sexual performance and safeguard against more serious vascular disease.
A significant proportion of your immune system resides in your gastrointestinal tract. Harvard researchers have now identified the specific population of gut bacteria that modulate localized and systemic immune responses to ward off viral invaders
Bacteroides fragilis and other bacteria in the Bacteroides family initiate a signaling cascade that induces the release of interferon-beta, which protects against viral invasion by stimulating immune cells to attack the virus and causing virus-infected cells to self-destruct
Zonulin-mediated gut permeability plays a determining role in the pathogenesis of many chronic inflammatory diseases. Zonulin is produced in response to bad bacteria. It flushes the bacteria out by opening up the tight junctions
Aside from bacteria overgrowth, gluten is a powerful trigger of zonulin release as the zonulin pathway misinterprets gluten as a potential harmful component of a microorganism
Chronic inflammatory diseases associated with dysregulation of the zonulin pathway and leaky gut include autoimmune disorders, metabolic disorders, intestinal diseases, neuroinflammatory diseases and cancer of the brain and liver
More attention than ever is being put on your gut health, and understandably so, considering a significant proportion of your immune system resides in your gastrointestinal tract.1 As such, optimizing your gut microbiome is a worthwhile pursuit that will have far-reaching effects on your physical health and emotional well-being.
Mounting scientific evidence also continues to suggest a large component of nutrition centers on nourishing health-promoting bacteria in your gut (and elsewhere in and on your body). In doing so, you keep harmful microbes in check and shore up your protection against chronic disease.
Disease Begins in Your Gut
ADHD, autism, learning disabilities, obesity, diabetes2 and Parkinson’s disease are but a few of the conditions found to be influenced by your gut microbiome. One 2020 scientific review3 goes so far as to say that all inflammatory disease begins in the gut. Part of the blame is laid on excessive hygiene. In other words, we’re “too clean” for our own good.
But your diet also plays a crucial role. The paper specifically addresses the role of zonulin-mediated gut permeability in the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory diseases (CIDs). According to the author, Dr. Alessio Fasano,4 a pediatric gastroenterologist, researcher and director of the Center for Celiac Research and Treatment:5
“Apart from genetic makeup and exposure to environmental triggers, inappropriate increase in intestinal permeability (which may be influenced by the composition of the gut microbiota), a ‘hyper-belligerent’ immune system responsible for the tolerance-immune response balance, and the composition of gut microbiome and its epigenetic influence on the host genomic expression have been identified as three additional elements in causing CIDs.
During the past decade, a growing number of publications have focused on human genetics, the gut microbiome, and proteomics, suggesting that loss of mucosal barrier function, particularly in the gastrointestinal tract, may substantially affect antigen trafficking, ultimately influencing the close bidirectional interaction between gut microbiome and our immune system.
This cross-talk is highly influential in shaping the host gut immune system function and ultimately shifting genetic predisposition to clinical outcome. This observation led to a re-visitation of the possible causes of CIDs epidemics, suggesting a key pathogenic role of gut permeability.
Pre-clinical and clinical studies have shown that the zonulin family, a group of proteins modulating gut permeability, is implicated in a variety of CIDs, including autoimmune, infective, metabolic, and tumoral diseases. These data offer novel therapeutic targets for a variety of CIDs in which the zonulin pathway is implicated in their pathogenesis.”
Bacteria, Not Genes, Rule Your Health Destiny
Fasano points out that we simply do not have enough genes to account for the myriad chronic diseases that can beset us. Genes also cannot explain the timing of disease onset. To solve these mysteries, we must look to the microbiome, he says, as “it is the interplay between us as individuals and the environment in which we live that dictates our clinical destiny.”
Aside from the microbes themselves, the condition of your intestinal mucosa also plays a significant role. “Although this enormous mucosal interface (200 m2) is not apparently visible, it plays a pivotal role through its dynamic interactions with a variety of factors coming from our surrounding environment, including microorganisms, nutrients, pollutants and other materials,” Fasano explains.
While intracellular tight junctions used to be thought of as static and impermeable, we now know this is not the case. As explained by Fasano, zonulin is a powerful modulator of intestinal permeability. However, while zonulin is a biomarker of gut permeability and plays a pathogenic role in in many chronic inflammatory diseases, not all CIDs are caused by leaky gut.
Proposed Chain of Events Leading to CID
The graphic below, included in Fasano’s review but originating from an earlier paper6 titled “Zonulin, a Regulator of Epithelial and Endothelial Barrier Functions, and Its Involvement in Chronic Inflammatory Diseases,” co-written by Fasano and Craig Sturgeon, details the “proposed chain of events leading to chronic inflammatory disease.”
Under normal circumstances, a healthy homeostasis is maintained in your gut lining such that when an antigen is encountered, no excess immune reaction occurs (anergy). Under No. 2 in the graph, gut dysbiosis is setting in (i.e., an imbalance in the number and diversity of your gut microflora), causing excess production of zonulin, which in turn makes the gut lining more permeable.
According to Fasano, the two most powerful triggers of zonulin release are bacteria overgrowth and gluten. Zonulin is produced in response to bad bacteria7 — it helps flush the bacteria out by opening up the tight junctions — so bacteria overgrowth makes sense. But why does it respond to gluten?
Interestingly enough, the zonulin pathway misinterprets gluten as a potential harmful component of a microorganism. That’s why gluten triggers zonulin release. While not mentioned by Fasano, the herbicide glyphosate also triggers zonulin, and is 10 times more potent than gluten!8
The subsequent permeability allows microbiota-derived antigen and endotoxin to migrate from the lumen to the lamina propria (the connective tissue that is part of the mucous membrane lining your intestine), thereby triggering inflammation.
As the process continues to worsen (No. 3 in the graph), your adaptive immune response kicks in, triggering the production of proinflammatory cytokines, including interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). These cytokines further worsen the permeability, thus creating a vicious cycle. Eventually (No. 4), mucosal tolerance is completely broken, resulting in the onset of a chronic inflammatory disease.
Chronic Inflammatory Diseases Linked to Leaky Gut
The specific chronic inflammatory disease that ultimately emerges at the end of all this depends in part on your genetic makeup, in part on the types of exposures you’ve had, and in part on the composition of your gut microbiome. As explained by Fasano:9
“Besides genetic predisposition and exposure to environmental triggers, the pathogenesis of a variety of CIDs seems to involve mutually influenced changes in gut permeability/Ag trafficking, immune activation, and changes in composition/function of the gut microbiome.
Zonulin is a modulator of both epithelial and endothelial barrier functions … Gut dysbiosis may cause the release of zonulin leading to the passage of luminal contents across the epithelial barrier causing the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines that themselves cause increased permeability establishing a vicious loop leading to massive influx of dietary and microbial Ags triggering the activation of T cells.
Depending on the host genetic makeup, activated T cells may remain within the GI tract, causing CID of the gut … or migrate to several different organs to cause systemic CID.”
Chronic inflammatory diseases associated with dysregulation of the zonulin pathway include:
Autoimmune disorders such as Celiac disease, Type 1 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis and ankylosing spondylitis
Metabolic disorders such as obesity, insulin resistance, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, gestational diabetes, hyperlipidemia and Type 2 diabetes
Intestinal diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome, non-celiac gluten sensitivity and environmental enteric dysfunction (a chronic disease affecting the proximal intestine)
Neuroinflammatory diseases such as autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia, major depressive disorder and chronic fatigue/myalgic encephalomyelitis
Brain and liver cancers
Gut Microbes Influence Genes and Can Influence Cancer Risk
While the inclusion of cancer on that list may seem odd at first glance, some researchers believe the gut microbiome may actually end up being a game-changer for cancer prevention and treatment.
Not only have gut bacteria been shown to influence gene expression,10,11 turning some genes on and others off, research12 published in 2018 found gut microbes actually control antitumor immune responses in your liver, and that antibiotics can alter the composition of immune cells in your liver, triggering tumor growth.
Harvard Medical School researchers have identified the specific population of gut microbes that modulates both localized and systemic immune response to ward off viral invaders.
Certain gut bacteria also promote inflammation, which is an underlying factor in virtually all cancers, whereas other bacteria quell it.13 The presence of certain gut bacteria has even been shown to boost the patient’s response to anticancer drugs.14
One way in which gut bacteria improve the effectiveness of cancer treatment is by activating your immune system and allowing it to function more efficiently. Researchers have actually found that when these specific microbes are absent, certain anticancer drugs may not work at all.
Gut Bacteria Are Part of Your Antiviral Defense
Gut bacteria are also involved in your antiviral defense, recent research15 shows. As reported by Harvard Medical School November 18, 2020:16
“For the first time, Harvard Medical School researchers have … identified the specific population of gut microbes that modulates both localized and systemic immune response to ward off viral invaders. The work … pinpoints a group of gut microbes, and a specific species within it, that causes immune cells to release virus-repelling chemicals known as type 1 interferons.
The researchers further identified the precise molecule — shared by many gut bacteria within that group — that unlocks the immune-protective cascade. That molecule, the researchers noted, is not difficult to isolate and could become the basis for drugs that boost antiviral immunity in humans.”
While the findings still need to be replicated and confirmed, they point to the possibility that you might be able to enhance your antiviral immunity by reseeding your gut with Bacteroides fragilis and other bacteria in the Bacteroides family.17
These bacteria initiate a signaling cascade that induces the release of interferon-beta that protect against viral invasion by stimulating immune cells to attack the virus and causing virus-infected cells to self-destruct.
“Specifically, … a molecule that resides on the bacterium’s surface triggers the release of interferon-beta by activating the so-called TLR4-TRIF signaling pathway,” Harvard explains.18“This bacterial molecule stimulates an immune-signaling pathway initiated by one of the nine toll-like receptors (TLR) that are part of the innate immune system.”
The Role of Vitamin D
Recent research also highlights the role of vitamin D in gut health and systemic autoimmunity. The review article, published January 21, 2020, in Frontiers in Immunology, notes:19
“Autoimmune diseases tend to share a predisposition for vitamin D deficiency, which alters the microbiome and integrity of the gut epithelial barrier.
In this review, we summarize the influence of intestinal bacteria on the immune system, explore the microbial patterns that have emerged from studies on autoimmune diseases, and discuss how vitamin D deficiency may contribute to autoimmunity via its effects on the intestinal barrier function, microbiome composition, and/or direct effects on immune responses.”
As noted in this review, vitamin D has several direct and indirect regulatory effects on your immune system, including promoting regulatory T cells (Tregs), inhibiting differentiation of Th1 and Th17 cells, impairing development and function of B cells, reducing monocyte activation and stimulating antimicrobial peptides from immune cells.
That said, the relationship between vitamin D and autoimmunity is complicated. Aside from immunosuppression, vitamin D also appears to improve autoimmune disorders by the way it affects your microbiota composition and gut barrier.
The review cites research showing that your vitamin D status alters the composition of your gut microbiome. Generally speaking, vitamin D deficiency tends to increase Bacteriodetes and Proteobacteria while higher vitamin D intake tends to increase prevalence of Prevotella and reduce certain types of Proteobacteria and Firmicutes.
While research is still slim when it comes to vitamin D’s impact on gut bacteria, especially in patients with autoimmune disease, vitamin D deficiency and autoimmune diseases are known comorbidities and vitamin D supplementation is often recommended for these patients.
Vitamin D Required for Tight Junction Maintenance
Better known is how vitamin D supports intestinal and immune cell defenses in the gut. In fact, vitamin D is one of the crucial components required for maintaining tight junctions. As explained in this review:20
“The intestinal epithelium is in constant interaction with the external environment. Adequate barrier integrity and antimicrobial function at epithelial surfaces are critical in maintaining homeostasis and preventing invasion or overcolonization of particular microbial species.
A healthy intestinal epithelium and intact mucus layer are critical to protect against invasion by pathogenic organisms, and vitamin D helps to maintain this barrier function … Multiple studies found that vitamin D3/VDR signaling modulates tight junction protein quantity and distribution …
As a ‘leaky’ protein that allows movement of ions into the intestinal lumen, claudin-2 expression in the setting of functional vitamin D deficiency may contribute to colitis pathology …
Vitamin D upregulates antimicrobial peptide mRNA and protein expression including cathelicidin, defensins, and lysozyme … Antimicrobial peptides, primarily secreted by Paneth cells in the gut, are important mediators of microbiome composition … Defensins are secreted by epithelial cells, Paneth cells, and immune cells, and are important components of the innate immune response in the gut.”
How Vitamin D May Contribute to Autoimmune Disease
According to the authors, vitamin D deficiency may contribute to autoimmune disease by affecting the microbiome and the immune system in the following manner:
Vitamin D deficiency or supplementation changes the microbiome, and manipulation of bacterial abundance or composition impacts disease manifestation.
Lack of vitamin D signaling due to dietary deficiency can impair physical and functional barrier integrity of the gut, thereby allowing bacterial interactions to either stimulate or inhibit immune responses.
Your innate immunologic defenses may be compromised if you are deficient in vitamin D.
How to Optimize Your Gut Microbiome
All of this information should really drive home the point that optimizing your gut flora and vitamin D level is of crucial importance for good health. By reseeding your gut with beneficial bacteria, you can keep pathogenic microbes and fungi in check and prevent them from taking over, and optimizing your vitamin D will help avoid leaky gut.
Regularly eating traditionally fermented and cultured foods is the easiest, most effective and least expensive way to make a significant impact on your gut microbiome. Healthy choices include lassi (an Indian yogurt drink), cultured grass fed organic milk products such as kefir and yogurt, natto (fermented soy) and fermented vegetables of all kinds.
Although I’m not a major proponent of taking many supplements (as I believe the majority of your nutrients need to come from food), probiotics are an exception if you don’t eat fermented foods on a regular basis. Spore-based probiotics, or sporebiotics, can be particularly helpful when you’re taking antibiotics. They’re also an excellent complement to regular probiotics.
Sporebiotics, which consist of the cell wall of bacillus spores, will help boost your immune tolerance, and because they do not contain any live bacillus strains, only its spores — the protective shell around the DNA and the working mechanism of that DNA — they are unaffected by antibiotics.
Antibiotics, as you may know, indiscriminately kill your gut bacteria, both good and bad. This is why secondary infections and lowered immune function are common side effects of taking antibiotics. Chronic low-dose exposure to antibiotics through your food also takes a toll on your gut microbiome, which can result in chronic ill health and increased risk of drug resistance. Last but not least, you also need to avoid things that disrupt or kill your microbiome, and this includes:
Antibiotics, unless absolutely necessary
Conventionally-raised meats and other animal products, as these animals are routinely fed low-dose antibiotics, plus genetically engineered and/or glyphosate-treated grains
Processed foods (as the excessive sugars feed pathogenic bacteria)
Chlorinated and/or fluoridated water
Antibacterial soap and products containing triclosan
A mainstay of my work has always been the Liver, Gallbladder & Ileo Cecal Valve. The main organs of detoxification. I decided to go back to my roots and reintroduce The PushCatch® LiverDetox- a versatile two-step cleansing protocol designed to help support the liver. It is widely accepted that eliminating toxins and then minimizing their redistribution and reabsorption is essential for proper health. Other improperly designed protocols on the market can result in unwanted redistribution, not elimination.*
This elegant and powerful formulation and delivery chemistry derive from Dr. Christopher Shade’s extensive research into detoxification pathways. In the “push” phase, powerful antioxidants assist a liposomal blend of bitters that support bile flow and help mobilize substances out of the tissues. Flowing into the gut, natural binders “catch” the compounds so that they can be safely eliminated by the body. Our PushCatch® contains a broad-spectrum constellation of binders that are blended with uniquely soothing prebiotic fibers.*
The PushCatch® Liver Detox integrates two unique Quicksilver Scientific products:
Dr. Shade’s Liver Sauce®: Certain botanicals have a potent effect on bitter receptors and phytonutrients can support healthy inflammatory response to support the different phases of liver detoxification and toxin elimination.* Dr. Shade’s Liver Sauce® contains a blend of four classic drainage botanicals and a synergistic medley of powerful phytonutrients.*
UltraBinder®: In the body, binders work across the gut to intercept and neutralize an array of toxins. UltraBinder™ contains a comprehensive, broad-spectrum binder, and because binders can be constipating, we added a soothing and fluidizing acacia gum and aloe vera to the blend.*
This system is highly flexible and can be used as a gentle, daily standalone detox, or as an intensive program.
Effective cleansing respects the fact that our body has built-in, highly evolved defense mechanisms that include adaptation, habituation, and a tendency to tilt toward homeostasis. Botanicals and phytonutrients that promote detoxification, drainage and elimination can be highly effective, but over time, the body may habituate to stimulation and become less responsive.
Cycling between on and off periods, and titrating doses from low to high over time are both key concepts essential for effective, safe detoxification. Cycling will give the body a necessary rest, and allow it to reset during the off period, so that detoxification can be resumed with full effect.
Titrating dosages and schedules up over time offers a scalable, flexible, and tolerated approach that is suitable for all, from the highly sensitive to the highly robust and resilient.
The PushCatch® LiverDetox can be adapted for very light frequent detoxification and can also be slowly scaled up for more intensive, deeper cleanses.
Suggested use:
1. Take a dose of Dr. Shade’s Liver Sauce, (remember to hold in mouth 30-60 seconds before swallowing.)
2. 30 minutes later take a dose of UltraBinder, then3. Wait 30 minutes before eating
Let’s do once a day before breakfast. If that absolutely will not work then we will still do once a day between 1-4pm
Disclaimer: This system is not intended to diagnose or treat any disease. The dosing schedule below is designed to serve as a guide, and should not supplant guidance concerning the use of these supplements provided by your healthcare practitioner.
Caution: Because Ultra Binder™ contains activated charcoal and other substances which may affect the absorption of medications, it should be taken at least two hours before or after prescription medications.5 days on 2 days off!! This is the Beginners program on the attached PDF
This is really a great article because aside from Hydrogen Peroxide & Nebulizers, He mentions the importance of Iodine and other items that have always been on my protocol.
Most of you know my protocol for maintaining or creating a strong immune system. There are dozens of other products out there–my policy is to recommend the very best product at an affordable cost that I can guarantee will work. The protocols are as follows Supplements Beta 1,3 D Glucan (1) daily Astaxanthin (1) daily Vitamin D (1) daily Ormed Vitamin C (5 drops (1x daily) Detoxified Iodine Drops (6 drops 1-2 daily)N Acetyl Cysteine NAC (1 cap or tab 1-2 x daily) LUNGS Techniques Dr. P’s Humidifier Technique (Physicians Strength Oregano, Peroxide, Silver 500, Distilled Water) Nebulizer Hydrogen Peroxide (Food Grade Hydrogen Peroxide diluted down to 1-4% strength) Nebulizer Mild Silver Protein 500
**A reminder that 80% of our immune system is based in our Gut
Proof is in Bible Quotes—Positive Affirmations of Faith
“All things are possible to him that believeth.” (Mark 9:23)
“Be not faithless, but believing” (John 20:27)
“And these signs shall accompany them that believe; in My name shall they cast out demons; they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover.” (Mark 16:17, 18)
I believe; help Thou, my unbelief” Mark (9:24)
Positive Affirmation:
“Yes, Source and Maker, I believe You can and will heal any person upon whom I lay my hands”
Negative Affirmation:
Sick folks have faith and plenty of it—but in the wrong way. Your attention is your faith. Whatever gets your attention, you have faith in. Whatever you expect and prepare for, you have faith in.
Some facts about Faith:
Words of faith can be creating, or dissolving, according to whatever one has faith in.
The power of faith has equal authority to destroy one’s health, if used destructively as do words of faith that create a and build up one’s health
A person who is sick and attending a healing circle to receive healing prayers will get not better if he keeps talking about his ill health and listens to descriptions of ill health problems enjoyed” by a neurotic neighbor. Through that person’s faith and attention to ill health, he keeps it manifesting. His faith is indeed an irrepressible force, but for illness instead of wholeness.
Gratitude
is more than a positive personality trait or a willy-nilly feeling.
Gratitude has the power to change the lens through which we view the
world, bringing us more joy, health and satisfaction. It’s easy to see
the problems in life, not because we are cynical, but because we are
looking for what we can improve in our lives. The downside to this is
that we can skip over the miracles in our lives, taking the small gifts
for granted.
Creating a gratitude practice such as a
gratitude jar, gratitude meditation or a gratitude journal is a great
way to press pause on that dissatisfied inner voice constantly seeking
more.
The Definition of Gratitude
The word gratitude is derived from the Latin
word gratia, which translates as grace or favor. Interestingly, the
word grace is defined as “smoothness and elegance of movement” and
“courteous goodwill,” which speaks of bringing flow and harmony into
your life.
Another phrase for gratia in Latin is “gratus animus.” Gratus means grateful, agreeable, pleasing, acceptable and welcome. Animus means
heart, mind, affections, purpose and feeling. Much of human life is
about kindness and compassion (giving and receiving), which makes a
gratitude practice so transformative.
Recognizing and affirming benevolence has a vitalizing effect on the mind, body and spirit. That might be why gratitude is at the core of every major spiritual tradition.
The roots of a gratitude practice must be in selflessly rejoicing in
the other and seeking opportunities for giving, rather than using it as a
narcissistic self-improvement technique.
A practice of gratitude will help you to
live a wonderful life, and is the opposite of being entitled. Rather, a
practice of gratitude is rejoicing in the gifts and wonders of life.
Gratitude has been established as a universal human attribute suggesting
that it is at the core of our very being.
The Healing Power of Gratitude
Gratitude has amazing powers of improving mental health
and has proven in clinical trials to have long lasting healing
properties. It promotes feelings of love and tenderness toward other
people and life experiences. A deep practice of gratitude also has the
power of alleviating trauma, due to its other-directed understanding.
Gratitude is used in a clinical setting with Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Therapy (ADEPT).
ADEPT was designed by American psychologist Diana Fosha. The premise is
that we are all capable of self-healing and transformation in the right
environment. ADEPT is designed to create a deep emotional connection
with both yourself and other people.
“Be content with what you have; rejoice in
the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole
world belongs to you.” —Lao Tzu
In the paper Gratitude as a Psychotherapeutic Intervention
published by Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and the University
of California, the writers astutely wrote: “Losing some aspects of one’s
life may lead the person to increase the value they see in other
aspects of life.”
Gratitude Breeds Connection
We all know that it’s nice to get gifts, but
the feeling of joy from material objects is fleeting. Taking the time
to be truly thankful for all of the blessings in your life will open
doors. Our life depends on the existence of everything in the universe,
from the sun and moon to the oceans and trees. And each person can play a
special role in our lives. Taking the time to write a thank you note to
spread the love has also been shown to benefit those with mental health
challenges.
“With this attitude, people recognize that
they are connected to each other in a mysterious and miraculous way that
is not fully determined by physical forces, but is part of a wider, or
transcendent context.” -Streng (1989)
Gratitude can be seen as the elemental life
force that powers compassion. We are all intricately connected and as
such a practice of gratitude gives thanks to the interdependence,
interpenetration, and mutuality of living.
Gratitude isn’t merely positive thinking; it
is a deep appreciation for life. Contrast can also be viewed through
the eyes of gratitude. Pain and affliction can be released when they are
contrasted with more positive aspects of the now. No matter how small,
there is always something to be grateful for.
What does a Gratitude Practice Look Like?
In the first instance you can simply pay
attention to what is going well in your life. Taking time to shift your
focus from the negative to the positive. A gratitude practice should
include the understanding that even painful situations are teachers. The
simple act of redirecting our focus can take us from a place of
victimhood to appreciation, altering our view of the world.
Simple 3-Step Gratitude Practice
Step 1 – Attention – become aware of the blessings in your life that you may have taken for granted.
Step 2 – Tune into the many reasons for gratitude that exist in our lives.
Step 3 – Write it down – Writing is scientifically proven to
be more powerful than simply thinking thoughts of gratitude. You can
choose to write down one thought a day and place it in a gratitude jar.
Or you may like to keep a special gratitude journal and write down 5-10
blessings every day.
If you choose to use a gratitude jar, you
can amplify the benefits by sharing the experience with your family.
Sharing a gratitude jar will encourage family members to have a grateful
outlook on life. Counteracting feelings of entitlement, envy, and
resentment, which are negative feelings that push people away from us.
A gratitude jar encourages each member of the family to practice
thinking in a positive way that will bring joy, prosperity and
connection into your home.
“Always be rejoicing. Give thanks for everything.” -1 Thessalonians 5:16, 18.
In Conclusion
Gratitude intervention remains an untapped
therapeutic resource that can be used by anyone, especially those
working in healthcare settings. Changing the perspective of a patient
from one of despair to gratitude could catalyze their healing process.
Adding gratitude techniques is an easy way to boost your self esteem and
that of those around you.
In 2002 several large-scale clinical studies
were published on the risks of breast cancer in postmenopausal women
using conventional FDA-approved hormone therapy. These were the Women’s
Health Initiative (WHI) and Million Women’s studies of women using
FDA-approved estrogens and progestogens in the United States and Great
Britain, respectively [1,2].
Both studies came to the same conclusion – that estrogen therapy,
mostly in the form of oral conjugated equine estrogens, by itself did
not significantly increase the risk of breast cancer and, to the
surprise of many, was associated with a lower risk. However, when
estrogen was combined with a synthetic progestin to prevent uterine
cancer, the breast cancer risk increased 1.5 to 2-fold. Virtually all
forms, of which there are many, of synthetic progestins increased risk
to about the same extent. Smaller studies suggested that FDA-approved
oral progesterone, which was not as widely used, did not increase risk
in combination with estrogen therapy. These results led to widescale
panic among postmenopausal women using conventional estrogen and
progestogen (both synthetic progestins and natural progesterone)
therapies and a precipitous drop in prescriptions for these forms of HRT
[1].
Many women stopped cold turkey all forms of hormone replacement therapy
(HRT), which significantly diminished their quality of life. Adverse
estrogen deficiency symptoms that were effectively suppressed with
estrogen therapy (e.g., hot flashes and night sweats, sleep
disturbances, memory issues, incontinence, vaginal dryness, depression,
weight gain, etc.) resurfaced with a vengeance in many women, as did
risk for diseases of advanced aging (e.g., bone loss and osteoporosis,
cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, senile dementia, Alzheimer’s
disease). Women were left frightened between “damned if you do and
damned if you don’t,” and a large majority chose not to continue HRT.
Many health care providers refused to prescribe hormone therapy until
more information about risks were made available through clinical
trials.
Natural Progesterone Reduces Breast Cancer Risk
It was clear to me from the research literature
and smaller clinical studies that the natural hormone progesterone, when
delivered topically at a physiological dose (25 mg) protects normal
breast tissue from the growth promoting actions of estrogens.
When these and other studies emerged in 2002 John Lee, MD, and I
along with Virginia Hopkins had just published our book entitled, “What
Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Breast Cancer: How Hormone Balance
Can Help Save Your Life” [3].
The short of the book is that if your hormones are out of balance and
you are suffering from symptoms and conditions of advancing age, meaning
the transition into menopause
and beyond, then you should replenish your hormones back to
physiological levels with the same hormones that your body made when you
were healthy early middle age. This meant if you were to use estrogen
replacement therapy (ERT) you would replace with estradiol and/or
estriol, not a synthetic estrogen like ethinyl estradiol (synthetic
estrogen found in birth control pills) or a conjugated horse estrogen
(Premarin). And if you were taking a progestogen to help balance the
estrogen and protect against its proliferative effects, use bioidentical
progesterone, not a synthetic progestin like medroxyprogesterone
acetate (Provera) or other synthetic “fake” progesterone. We already
knew from earlier studies published several years before WHI that the
synthetic progestins were increasing the incidence of breast cancer [3, Chapter 11].
As a research scientist at that time, who had spent 20+ years
researching and publishing on the role of estrogen and progestogen
binding to their receptors and regulating breast cell proliferation and
differentiation, it was clear to me from the research literature and
smaller clinical studies that the natural hormone progesterone, when
delivered topically at a physiological dose (25 mg) protects normal
breast tissue from the growth promoting actions of estrogens [4]. In the breast cancer book [3]
we delved into a lot more of what the scientific literature says causes
breast cancer and what can be done to help prevent it, like avoid bad
foods and environmental chemicals, make sure you’re eating good
nutritious foods with plenty of colored vegetables, exercise in
moderation, get adequate sleep in the dark, reduce stress as much as
possible to lower cortisol-induced estrogen, and take nutritional
supplements that bolster the army of antioxidants that protect against
environmental toxins that convert good estrogens to bad ones [5,6].
And if your hormones are out of balance, based on testing their levels
in body fluids that represent the bioavailable fraction that enters
cells, use physiological amounts of bioidentical hormones to adjust them
to levels when you were younger and healthy. What has been crystal
clear is that bioidentical hormone therapy, if used correctly and in
physiological amounts, will significantly reduce risk but is no
guarantee you will never develop breast cancer.
Synthetic Progestins Raise Breast Cancer Risk
Fast forward about 20 years to present; several more recent
meta-analyses of the risk of breast cancer with FDA-approved, or
equivalent for non-US countries, estrogen and progestogen therapies,
shed some new light on risk of HRT for breast cancer. These studies (US,
British) mostly just reiterated what we already knew: that estrogen
therapy only increases breast cancer risk slightly, but significantly
when combined with synthetic progestins [1].
The meta-analysis of prospective studies of slightly over 100,000 women
using estrogen alone or estrogen combined with progestogens (mostly
synthetic), but also oral progesterone [1],
revealed that estrogen therapy alone was only associated with a slight
increase in risk, but when combined with a synthetic progestin the risk
was approximately doubled after 5 years and doubled again at 10 years of
use. No question, synthetic progestins were bad for the breasts and
should not be used, especially by women who want to reap the many
benefits of hormone therapies their entire lives, who should avoid
synthetic progestins. Most surprising was that this study also reported
that FDA-approved oral bioidentical progesterone, combined with
estrogen, carried the same approximately 2-fold higher risk at 5-10
years, but strangely had no increased risk less or greater than that [1].
No data were available for topical progesterone combined with
estrogens, perhaps because very few, if any, clinical studies have been
carried out in the US or Great Britain and surrounding European
countries using natural progesterone delivered topically.
Topical versus Oral Progesterone
Oral progesterone, while it protects the
endometrial lining, may not raise progesterone to a level high enough to
counter the growth-promoting actions of estrogens in the breast tissue.
Despite research and small clinical studies showing that natural
progesterone delivered topically directly to the breasts of humans [4]
and primates protects against estrogen-stimulated cell proliferation of
normal mammary epithelial cells, a risk factor for breast cancer,
surprisingly no large prospective randomized clinical studies have been
carried out to investigate if topical progesterone therapy is associated
with reduced risk for developing breast cancer. The reason for this is
not based on science, but economics. Progesterone cannot be patented;
however, progesterone combined with a special delivery system can be, as
seen with several forms of FDA-approved oral progesterone (Prometrium
and Bijuva). Oral progesterone, however, while it protects the
endometrial lining, may not raise progesterone to a level high enough to
counter the growth-promoting actions of estrogens in the breast tissue [7].
Factors Influencing Estrogen Metabolism to Mitigate Risk
What is clear is that anything that reduces excessive estrogen
burden, be it progesterone, natural or synthetic aromatase inhibitors,
diet with more fiber and phytochemicals with colored vegetables,
exercise, stress reduction, better sleep habits, etc., translates to
lower breast cancer risk. That is what progesterone does. It lowers cell
proliferation by down-regulating estrogen receptors (ER), preventing
further estrogen-mediated stimulation of cell proliferation and
redirects differentiation through progesterone interaction with
estrogen-regulated cellular progesterone receptors (PR). Progesterone,
via its activation of 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (see
diagram below), also increases the conversion of estradiol, a potent
estrogen with high affinity for cellular ERs, to estrone, a weak inert
estrogen [3].
Progesterone also enhances synthesis of sulfotransferase, an enzyme
that then sulfates estrone to estrone sulfate, which is unable to enter
cells and serves as a circulating estrogen precursor that must be
converted back through two enzymatic steps, sulfatase and
17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1, to estradiol.
Diagram depicts the
progesterone-regulated metabolism of E2 to E1 and then to E1-SO4, and
then Cyp1A1 and Cyp1B1 conversion, respectively, to 2- and 4-hydroxy
estrogens and their further oxidation to 2- and 4-quinones. For details
see reference [5].
Progesterone’s Effects on Estrogen-Stimulated Cell Proliferation
What is poorly understood in the scientific/clinical community is
that progesterone has dual actions in its effects on estrogen-stimulated
cell proliferation. At the lower luteal levels (about 1-10 ng/mL)
progesterone synergizes with estrogen to promote cell proliferation with
little differentiation. If insufficient progesterone is produced in the
presence of high estradiol, as often occurs at perimenopause with
compromised luteal function, proliferation may be higher than with
estradiol alone [7].
However, at higher luteal levels (10-30 ng/mL) progesterone counters
the growth-promoting actions of estrogen by down-regulating ER, and
through induction of cellular PR redirects the cellular machinery to
drive quiescence and differentiation, causing proliferation to come to a
halt. If inadequate progesterone is present, as often happens at the
transition to menopause (perimenopause) when the corpus luteum fails to
produce adequate progesterone but abundant estrogen (low
progesterone/estradiol ratio), then the combination of higher
physiological estrogen and lower luteal progesterone (in range, but
low-normal) will often result in persistent proliferation and the
clinical manifestation of fibrocystic and painful breasts. Excessive
proliferation in the absence of progesterone increases risk for gene
mutations that have the potential to lead to increased breast cancer
risk.
Risks Greatest During the Menopausal Transition
Retrospective clinical studies have shown that
the higher the luteal progesterone level 5 years prior to breast cancer
diagnosis, the lower the risk of developing breast cancer.
As shown in the diagram above, estrogens in excess, in the absence of
progesterone and with exposure to environmental toxins, induce the
cytochrome enzyme Cyp1B1 that converts beneficial estradiol to
potentially toxic and mutagenic 4-catechol estradiol [5,6].
During this perimenopausal transition is when the rate of increase of
breast cancer is greatest. Retrospective clinical studies have shown
that the higher the luteal progesterone level 5 years prior to breast
cancer diagnosis, the lower the risk of developing breast cancer [8],
so it is important to keep progesterone balanced with estradiol,
especially during the menopause transition when estrogen metabolite
damage is most likely to occur, as shown in a recent study on estrogen
metabolite formation and breast cancer risk [6].
As mentioned, oral progesterone, because it is mostly degraded
(90-95%) in the GI tract and liver to metabolites with no capacity to
bind and activate PR, may not reach sustained luteal levels to counter
the growth-promoting actions of estrogens. Based on saliva, capillary
blood, and tissue levels of progesterone, only topically applied
progesterone [9]
can achieve capillary blood and tissue levels of progesterone high
enough to counter the proliferative actions of estrogens. While small
clinical studies have shown that topical progesterone used at
physiological dosing (25-50 mg) effectively reduces estrogen-induced
proliferation of the mammary epithelium in humans [4],
this form of therapy has not been tested in a large scale prospective
case-control randomized study as with FDA-approved conjugated equine
estrogens in combination with synthetic progestins [1,2].
What might we learn from what we know about the dual actions of
progesterone as it relates to bioidentical estrogen and progesterone
therapies for menopausal women and their risk for breast cancer? If we
let mother nature be our guide, then we should strive to keep estrogen
within the physiological ranges seen throughout a full monthly cycle
(about 50-150 pg/mL in serum or about 2% of that seen in saliva, 1-3
pg/mL). For at least half of the month serum or capillary blood (Dried Blood Spot, DBS) progesterone should be about 10-30 ng/mL and saliva
200-600 pg/mL. This results in a progesterone/estradiol ratio of about
100-300, which is consistent with the ratio seen at the peak of the
luteal phase and shown to be protective of the breasts exposed to
estradiol [4]. Excessive estradiol or too little progesterone will result eventually in estrogen dominance
and symptoms of estrogen excess (e.g., weight gain in the hips and
thighs, fibrocystic and painful breasts, mood swings, etc.) Those are
warning signs. High levels of 4-catechol estrogens ratchet that up to
extreme warning [5] as we have found that 4-catechol estrogens are much
higher in women harboring breast cancers than healthy women [6].
Many providers believe that topical progesterone is ineffective because it doesn’t raise serum levels. To the contrary, we [9] and others [4,10]
have shown that physiological dosing with topically delivered
progesterone raises the progesterone to physiological levels in tissues
of the body such as the salivary gland, and capillary beds of the finger
tips. High dose progesterone (> 50 mg), in an attempt to achieve
physiological concentrations in serum never does this, regardless of the
topical progesterone dose [9].
What may seem paradoxical based on serum levels is that excessive
progesterone and too little estrogen will eventually keep ER
persistently down-regulated and may precipitate symptoms of estrogen
deficiency with weight gain, vasomotor symptoms, excessive sleepiness,
etc. Keep in mind that estradiol and progesterone are produced in a
rhythmic pattern each month. Estradiol rises slowly throughout the first
half of the cycle and peaks about midway with ovulation. This
stimulates growth and proliferation of the uterus and breasts.
Progesterone will not work if there is no cellular PR, which requires
adequate ER. Excessive progesterone down-regulates ER, stopping the
cycle.
In summary, maintaining estradiol levels in balance with natural
progesterone is necessary to achieve optimal clinical benefits of these
hormones. It is the opinion of this author that these goals for optimal
progesterone therapy as a breast cancer preventive can best be achieved
with topical progesterone, and not oral progesterone, or a synthetic
progestin. However, clinical studies with topical progesterone are
needed to confirm this hypothesis.
While you go through the stages of menopause, it is important to get
your hormone levels checked to ensure that you are within physiological
levels. If you are going into, in the middle of, or at the end of your
menopause journey, ZRT’s saliva and blood spot testing can give you the information necessary to get your hormones balanced and get you back to optimal health.
This article was first published in the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M) Winter 2019 Issue.
