Food For Thought

[can]

Around 65% of the human immune system is in the digestive system. Some foods induce allergic reactions, which of course are reactions of the immune system. Some areas of North America have some of the highest occurences of MS in the world. Some areas of Asia have some of the healthiest people in the world. Could it be because of what they eat ( like less cow's milk, processed food etc. and more sea food )? Google " alpha lipoic acid " then go to the bottom of page 1 and click on " Mayo Clinic- Antioxidant ALPHA LIPOIC ACID ( ALA ) significantly....." This is in regards to symptoms of diabetic neuropathy. Peter Dyck- Mayo Clinic neurologist and peripheral nerve specialist states " We also found some improvement in neurologic signs and nerve conduction."

[powder pig russ]

Thanks, Can. I took ALA for about a year after it was suggested by a friend for similar reasons and found no difference with or without the supplement. Per my recollection and rereading of the Mayo findings is that they pertain to diabetic neuropathies which comprise the majority of peripheral neuropathy cases. I quote, "...ALA significantly and rapidly reduces the frequency and severity of symptoms of the most common kind of diabetic neuropathy." (http://www.mayoclinic.org/news2003-rst/1733.html)

Treatment strategies for diabetic neuropathies are different than for immune mediated neuropathy like MMN.

Russ

[can]

How are you holding up? I also am getting weaker. Google " Alpha Lipoic Acid " On page 1 go to " Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University ". Then scroll down to Multiple Sclerosis ( thought to be an autoimmune disease also. ) and read " feeding high doses of LA to mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis ( EAE ), a model of multiple sclerosis ( MS ), has been found to slow disease progression." Lester Packer, PhD, of the University of California, Berkeley ( he also wrote a book on antioxidants ) states " Alpha Lipoic Acid is unique among natural antioxidants making it a potentially highly effective therapeutic agent in a number of conditions in which oxidative damage has been implicated." In regards to ALS research, from the University of Saskatchewan ( Canada ), Dr. Bernhard Juurlink, head of the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology states " Strong evidence suggests that oxidative stress contributes to the death of motor neurons in ALS." Also in part, he also states " It seems very possible that phase 2 enzyme activities can be increased in the central nervous system and in muscle. This suggests the very strong possibility that dietary interventions can delay the onset of motor neuron and muscle changes in ALS." I have been taking alpha lipoic acid ( 100 to 200 mg per day ) for about 2 years now. I do not know if it works ( slows it down ) because alot of my symtoms wax and wane and because of all the variables in play. I also take other vitamins. Good luck to you also. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

[powder pig russ]

I did a regular regimen of vits for a while and let them drop away. No difference observed. My attitudinal supplementation makes more of a difference than any nutritional supplementation I've ever encountered.

While I wouldn't have said so 5 years ago, I'm skeptical that nutritional intervention can make much of a difference. In some types of disease (even neurological ones) food allergies/environmental toxins play an important role. For us, I think our conditions are pretty set and nothing is likely to change them until the "switch" that's keeping antibody level elevated is found and turned off.

My perspective is that nutritional supplementation is going to help with other things going on. There's never any substitute for eating and living well. We can still experience wellness even if one small segment of the immune or nervous system is compromised.

Russ

[can]

Well stated!

[Mark Kirby]

Some areas of North America have some of the highest occurences of MS in the world. Some areas of Asia have some of the healthiest people in the world. Could it be because of what they eat ( like less cow's milk, processed food etc. and more sea food )?

One always needs to be careful making comparisons like that.

Are more cases of MS found in America because we have more or is it that people in the developing world don't have a health care system to diagnose MS and those people die from something else anyway.

Same thing with the "healthiest people" claim.

Yes, they probably have lower rates of cancer, heart disease, and other typical health problems found in the West, but they also have much higher numbers of diseases that are essentially eliminated of in the West.

So again, do they not have higher percentages of these other diseases because they aren't diagnosed or because they get sick with something else first?

There is also a possible genetic factor that influences the prevalence of these diseases.

Now this isn't to say that what one eats can have an effect on your health, of course it can. Simply that looking at the raw numbers may not tell the whole story.

[can]

Sorry for misleading you. Instead of " Asia ", I should have put " Japan " so there would not be an issue about developing countries. I just stated 2 true facts and a question, not intending to make a comparison about anything. Happy New Year

[powder pig russ]

The China Study (http://www.thechinastudy.com/about.html) is an interesting read on this subject of diet & chronic disease - especially on the role of dairy (milk) products.

Russ

[can]

Yes, The China Study is very interesting and thanks for bringing it to my attention. I read on the NET that someone with MS got alot better when he cut out dairy from his diet ( who knows for sure ). Also from the NET ( who knows for sure ). What does your breakfast cereal, funeral parlours and airplanes have in common? The answer is " BHT "! Check the ingredients on the box. Funeral parlours use BHT as an embalming fluid and BHT is used as a jet fuel stabilizer. Have a delicious breakfast.