Shortsbriefed by Jule Klotter

Social/Emotional Stress and Autoimmune DiseaseSocial stress elevates pro-inflammatory cytokine

interleukin-6 and worsens autoimmune disease symptomsin mice, according to research by Mary W. Meagher, PhD,at Texas A & M University and colleagues. The researchersplaced an older, aggressive male mouse into the "residenceof three young mice...who had established a stable socialhierarchy" for two hours - one mouse each night for sixconsecutive nights. The young mice were infected withTheiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus. This virusproduces an acute central nervous system infection thatdevelops into a chronic autoimmune response similarto multiple sclerosis. The stress caused by the aggressive"intruders" caused a rise in interleukin-6 levels in theserum and brain in the younger mice and also producedmore severe MS-like illness.

In a second experiment, the researchers injected theyounger mice with an IL-6-neutralizing antibody during thestressful period. The antibody inhibited IL-6 elevation andreduced MS-tike symptoms. These mice showed less motorimpairment, inflammation of the brain and spinal cord,and CNS viral infection than the mice that did not receivethe neutralizing antibody. Dr. Meagher's research waspresented at the 115th American Psychological AssociationConvention (Session 1157), held August 1 7-20, 2007. Theabstract was published online by Brain, Behavior, andImmunology on )une 25, 2007.

Up to 807o of people with autoimmune diseasewho have taken part in retrospective studies reported"uncommon emotional stress" before their illness arose, saySerbian researchers L. Stojanovich and D. Marisavljevich.Dr. Meagher's research indicates that inhibiting the pro-inflammatory cytokine response to social conflict couldreduce people's risk of developing serious illness. Shesays that human clinical trials are needed to evaluatethe effectiveness of anti-inflammatory drugs, exercise,antidepressants, omega-3 fatty acids, and mindfulnessmeditation/relaxation training to lessen the inflammatoryresponse caused by social stress. Reducing the physiologicalresponse to stress may be a key to reducing symptomsin autoimmune disease. As the Serbian researchers state,"...not only does stress cause disease, but the disease itselfalso causes significant stress.. .creating a vicious cycle."Busko M. Chronic stress exacerbates MS-like illness in murine model. Medscape

Medical News. August 22, 2007. AvdiUble at: www.medscape.coni/viewarticie/561731_print. Accessed Augusî 10, 2008.

Stojanovich L, Marisavljevich D. Stress as a trigger of autoimmune disease (abstract).Autoimmun Rev. 2008 jan;7(3);209-13. Available at: www.ncbi.hlm/nih.gov/pubmed/18190880. Accessed August 6, 2008.

Multiple Sclerosis, Grave's Disease, and ExcitotoxinsFor years, internist H.J. Roberts, neurosurgeon Russell

L. Blaylock, and other physicians have warned thatmonosodium glutamate (MSG) and aspartame break downinto excitotoxins and cause neurological damage. In nature,excitotoxins are amino acids, such as glutamate, aspartate,and cysteine, which excite the nervous system. When theseamino acids are obtained through whole foods, they arebound in amino acid groupings. When MSC and aspartamebreak down, they produce high levels of free aminoacids that over-stimulate nerve cells and literally excitethem to death. In recent years, independent researchershave produced more evidence of the damage caused byexcitotoxins.

People with multiple sclerosis have an increased riskfor glutamate excitotoxicity. Oligodendrocytes, one type ofcell that forms the myelin sheath surrounding neural axons,"appear to be predominant cells for glutamate clearancein human white matter of the brain," says David Pitt andcolleagues at Albert Einstein College of Medicine (Bronx,New York). Their research indicates that an autoimmuneattack, possibly by the proinflammatory cytokine tumornecrosis factor-a (TNF-a), may be responsible for damagingglutamate transporters on oligodendrocytes near MS lesionsand inhibiting glutamate uptake. As these oligodendrocytesdie from the build-up of glutamate (excitotoxicity), morelesions form. Genetic and biochemical individuality mayexplain why some people are more sensitive to excitotoxinsthan others. "Any dietary excitotoxin can activate themicroglia [interstitial cells in the central nervous systemthat collect waste products], thereby greatly aggravating theinjury," writes Dr. Blaylock. "This includes the aspartate inaspartame."

Multiple sclerosis is not the only autoimmune diseaseassociated with excitotoxins. Justin Dumais, a 25-year-oldcompetitive diver, was diagnosed with Grave's diseasein December 2003. Grave's disease is characterizedby nervousness, hand tremor, weight loss, fatigue,breathlessness, palpitations, increased metabolic rate,Gl motility, and other signs of hyperthyroidism. On theadvice of a nutritionist, he eliminated aspartame from hisdiet in mid-March 2004, particularly diet soda. Within

2S TOWNSEND LETTER - NOVEMBER 2008

three months, he was no longer on thyroid medicationand was able to compete at the 2004 Olympic games. Dr.H.J. Roberts and the Aspartame Consumer Safety Networkhave collected several cases that link diagnoses of Grave'sdisease with aspartame use. Symptoms of Grave's disappearwhen aspartame use is discontinued and resume with thechemical's use, even if exposure is "accidental."

While monosodium glutamate and aspartame are easyto identify on processed food labels, many excitotoxinsare "hidden" under a variety of names: hydrolyzed (anextraction process) proteins, hydrolyzed oat flour, sodiumcaseinate, calcium caseinate, yeast extract, textured protein,and autolyzed yeast. Soybean extracts are especiallyproblematic because soybeans are very rich in glutamate.Hydrolyzing soybeans frees the glutamate, producinghigher levels of the excitotoxin than that found in the sameamount of MSG. Sometimes MSG is added to malt extract,bouillon, broth, stock, natural flavoring, natural beef orchicken flavoring, seasoning, and spices listed on a label.Salad dressings are notorious for using MSG. The only wayfor people to avoid excitotoxins is to cook and eat wholefoods at home. Restaurants and hospitals often receivetheir foodstuffs without ingredient lists. While the facilitymay not add MSG, staff has no way to know if MSG oraspartame has been added to the processed foods they areusing. Avoiding excitotoxins for several weeks is the onlyway to tell whether MSG or aspartame is contributing to (oreven causing) one's symptoms.

Adams M. Interview with Dr. Russell Blaylock on devastating health effects ofMSG, aspartame and exritotoxins. September 27, 2006. Available at: www.natur¿t(r>ews.coni/z020550.html. Accessed Augusl 7, 2008.

Aspartamp Consumer Safety Network. Studies and Observations oí PersonsDiagnosed with Graves Disease. Available at: www.aspartamesafety.com/Graves.htm. Accessed August 8, 2008.

Blaylock RL. Tfie ronnection between MS and aspartame. (une 7, 2004, Available at:www.rense.com/generdl53/ms.htm. Accessed August 8, 2008.

Michaelis V. Disease diagnosis doesn't deter diver. USA TODAY. |une 10. 2004,Available at: www.laleva.org. Accessed August 8, 2008,

Pitt D, Nagelmeier IE, Wilson HC, Raine CS. Glutamate uptake by oligodendrocytes(abstract). Neurology 2003;61:1113-1120. Available at: www.neurotogy,org/cgi/content/abstrad/61/8/1113. Accessed August 10, 2008.

Srinivasan R, Sailasuta N, Hurd R, Nelson S, Pelletier D. Evidence of elevatedglutamate in multiple sclerosis using magnetic resonance spectroscopy at 3 T.Brain. 2005;128:1016-1025. Available at: httpL/^rain.oxfordjournals,org/cgi/reprint/128/5/1016. Accessed August 10. 2008.

Tillman BJ, Your (ood may be causing you brain damage - simple truth aboutexcitotoxins. Available at; www.dr-jo-md,com/excitotoxins.html. AccessedAugust 10, 2008.

Autoimmune Disease and Environmental TriggersAbout one in 31 Americans has an autoimmune disease,

according to Jonathan J. Powell and co-authors. Why doso many people have immune systems that have turnedagainst them? By studying identical twins, researchershave determined that certain genetic combinations makea person more susceptible to autoimmune disease, butenvironmental and lifestyle factors, particularly factors foundin industrialized countries, seem to incite the actual diseaseexpression and exacerbation. People living in Westerncountries have a higher risk of autoimmune disease: "...immigrants take on the same incidence of disease as theindigenous population and in some cases even exceed it"(Powell etal.).

Industrial chemicals, organic solvents, certainPharmaceuticals, metals, and pesticides are among thexenobiotics (chemicals foreign to the body) that have beenlinked to autoimmune diseases. Occupational exposures tovinyl chloride and to silica dust (e.g., mining, sandblasting,sculpture) contribute to some cases of scleroderma andmixed connective tissue disease. Submicron-sized, chargedparticles that attach to environmental or gut-residingantigens can also disrupt the immune system. No singlechemical or particulate, however, appears to be a primaryinstigator of illness.

In contrast, specific Pharmaceuticals, used for chronicdisease, can produce lupus-like disease in susceptiblepeople. The condition dissipates when medicationstops. Procainamide and quinidine (antiarrhythmics) andhydralazine (antihypertensive) account for most drug-induced lupus cases. Long-term use of one of these high-risk drugs produces drug-induced lupus in five percentto 207o of recipients, according to the Lupus Foundationwebsite.

Estrogen replacement therapy in postmenopausalwomen increases the risk of lupus, scleroderma, andRaynaud's disease. L. Fraenkel and colleagues conducteda study involving 497 postmenopausal women {Ann ¡nterr)Med. 1998;129:208-211): "The prevalence of Raynaudphenomenon (an ischémie condition associated withautoimmune disease) was 8.4% in women not takinghormone replacement therapy, 19.1% in those receivingestrogen alone, and 9.87o in those receiving estrogenplus progesterone." Because of the correlation betweenestrogen supplementation and Raynaud's, some researchershave wondered if chemicals in the environment that haveestrogen-like effects might also be contributing to theincrease in autoimmune disease. Little evidence is availableof such a link at this time.

Another medical intervention associated withautoimmune disease is vaccination. A quick Googlesearch produces several case reports in medical literatureof Guillain-Barré Syndrome arising after influenza orhepatitis B vaccination. Multiple sclerosis has also beenconnected to the hepatitis B vaccination, and autoimmunethrombocytopenia is linked to the MMR vaccination,according to Vered Molina and Yehuda Shoenfeld. TheseIsraeli researchers say, "Better understanding of theseenvironmental risk factors will likely lead to explanation ofthe mechanisms of onset and progression of autoimmunediseases and may lead to effective preventive involvementin specific high-risk groups."Barker RA, Cahn AP, Parkinson's disease: An autoimmune process (abstract), Int

I Neurosa, 1988 Nov: 43(1-21:1-7, Available at: www.ncbi/nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3215724. Accessed August S, 2008,

Hess EV, Environmental chemicals and autoimmune disease: cause and effect.Toxicology. 27 December 2002; 181-182: 65-70. Available at: www.sciencedirect.com. Accessed August 5, 2008.

Lupus Foundation, Drug-induced lupus. Available at; www.lupus.org. AccessedAugust 14, 2008.Mayes MD, Epidemiologie studies of environmental agents andsystemic autoimmune diseases, Eiivimiimental Health Perspectives. October1999;107(Supplenient 5); 743-748. Available at; www,ehponline.org. AccessedAugust 5, 2008,

TOWNSEND LETTER- NOVEMBER 2008 29

Shorts

Molina V, Shoenfeld Y. Infection, vaccines and olher environmental triggers ofautoimmunity. Autoimmunity. 3 May 20O5;38(3); 235-245. Available at: www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content-a723877724-db-all. AccessedAugust 5, 2008.

Nakazawa D). Donna lackson Nakazawa: Autoimmune diseases hazards. March 19,2008. Available at: www.sacbee.com/110/v-print/story/795258.html. Assessedluly 29, 2008.

Powell Jl, Van de Water I, Gershwin ME. Evidence for the role of environmenlalagents in the initiation or progression of autoimmune conditions. £fjv;ron/7ieDia/Health Perspectives. Odober 1999; 107(5i;667-672. Available at: www.ehponl ine.org. Accessed August 5, 2006.

DIRECT-MSWhen his son was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis

(MS) in 1995, research scientist Ashton F. Embry scouredthe scientific literature for possible causes of the diseaseand for effective treatments. Embry checked proposedenvironmental triggers against epidemiological patterns.The highest incidence of multiple sclerosis occurs at higherlatitudes (toward the poles) in the US, Canada, WesternEurope, New Zealand, and Australia. He concluded thatdiet-ahighconsumptionof dairy foods, gluten grains, andsaturated fats - is the only environmental factor that explainscertain paradoxes. For example, Japanese descendantswho live in Hawaii are more likely to get MS than Japaneseliving in their homeland, but Hawaiian Caucasians have alower rate of MS than Caucasians who live on the mainland.Embry attributes this seeming contradiction to the fact thatJapanese-Hawaiians are more likely to eat dairy and glutengrains that can cause hypersensitivity reactions than thoseliving in Japan. In contrast, Caucasians in Hawaii eat morefish and fresh produce (and fewer reactive foods) than thoseon the mainland.

Embry found empirical support for his hypothesis thatMS's main environmental trigger is diet: "...abundantanecdotal data indicate that many people have achievedeither a permanent remission or a significant slowdownin disease progress through diet revision involving theelimination of hypersensitive food," he writes. The dietthat he deduced from these anecdotal reports proved to bevery helpful for his son, who "remains in excellent healthwith no MS symptoms," and others. As a result, Embry, hiswife, and colleagues set up DIRECT-MS (Diet Research intothe Cause and Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis), a federallyregistered charity based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

DIRECT-MS.org has produced an online, 60-page bookletof recipes with dietary guidelines for people with MS. Thediet eliminates allergenic foods (those identified by skinand ELISA tests) and proteins that may trigger autoimmunereactions: all dairy products, gluten grains, and legumes(beans, soy, peanuts, peas). Fish, skinless chicken breast,and turkey are the primary sources of protein with lean redmeat permitted no more than once per week. Plenty of freshfruits and vegetables for micro-nutrients, fiber, and neededcarbohydrates are also recommended. Candy, soft drinks,and foods with a high sugar content - all of which alter gutflora and contribute to intestinal permeability (leaky gut) -

are disallowed. Because people with MS have done wellon a diet low in saturated fat, DIRECT-MS recommendsusing olive oil as the fat source. The website also has a listof recommended supplements. Vitamin D3, omega-3 fattyadds, calcium, and magnesium are considered essential.Testimonials about the diet, posted on the organization'swebsite, report a remission of symptoms and even, in somecases, a disappearance of lesions.

DIRECT-MS is funding two clinical trials that are underthe direction of established MS researchers. The first trial isa dose/safety study of vitamin D for people with multiplesclerosis. The second trial will involve 30 people withrelapsing-remitting MS and EDSS disability between 0 and3.5. Fifteen patients will follow the diet recommended bythe MS Society for one year. This diet focuses on avoidingsaturated fat. The remaining 15 will follow DIRECT-MS'sBest Bet Protocol, as outlined above. In addition to disabilityassessments, questionnaires, and physical-neurologicalmedical evaluations, the participants will undergo severalMRI scans throughout the study to measure lesions andbrain volume. With so little formal research into the effectof diet on MS, these studies will be a welcome and muchneeded addition to the literature.DIRECT-MS. Molecular mimicry. Available at: www.direct-ms.org. Accessed August

7, 200S.DIRECT-MS. Recommended recipes for people with Multiple Sclerosis. Available al:

www.direct-ms.org. Accessed August 7, 2008.DIRECT-MS. Research. Available at: www.direct-ms.org/planrtedresearch.html.

Accessed August 7, 2008.Embry AF, Multiple sclerosis and food hypersensilivilies. Available at: www.dirert-

ms.org/foodhypersensilivities.html. Accessed August 7, 2008.

Emotional Freedom Techniques and Autoimmune DiseaseAs I was looking for information about stress reduction

and autoimmune disease, I came across three prettyamazing case reports from practitioners of EmotionalFreedom Techniques (EFT). EFT is an acupressure techniquethat uses tapping to relieve emotional traumas and reducestress. (See "Shorts," Townsend Letter. 298;38-39.) Thesereports really stretch our current understanding of the mind-body connection.

In the first report, EFT practitioner and certified postpartumdoula Alina Frank used EFT to address her own Hashimoto'sthyroiditis. She had developed the autoimmune diseasesix months after giving birth to her stillborn daughter. For13 years, Frank had sought healing via Chinese herbs,acupuncture, homeopathy, nutrition, and other alternatives.Her endocrinologist kept telling Frank that she would "mostlikely have to take [synthetic thyroid hormone therapyjfor the rest of [her] life." When Frank began working withEFT, she realized that several unresolved emotional issuesconcerning her daughter's death were "somehow trappedin [her] thyroid." She used EFT to address these emotionalissues as well as the symptoms of hypothyroidism andany other associations that she believed kept her fromhealing. Frank does not specify how long it took before shenoticed a physical change. Eventually, however, she beganexperiencing insomnia, tinnitus, and other symptoms ofhyperthyroidism, caused by an overdose of the thyroid

30 TOWNSEND LETTER - NOVEMBER 2008

rTiedication she was taking. With the help of her nursepractitioner, Frank was able to discontinue the synthetichorrTione therapy. At the time of her report, Frank had beenrTtedication-free for eight months.

In the second report, Estelle Toby Goldstein, MD, writesabout a 50-year-old man who sought help for Sjogren'ssyndrome. Sjogren's is an autoimmune condition in whichwhite blood cells attack glands that produce moisture. Inthis man's case, a lack of saliva had caused tooth damage,requiring the removal of two molars and threatening thehealth of two more. The man was already taking Salagen-brand pilocarpine to relieve dry mouth. Unlike Alina Frank,this man did not report any signs of depression or emotion-charged life events. Rather, he associated the illness' onsetwith a dream he had had about the movie The Fly, starring|eff Goldblum. "Somehow, when his mouth became dry,he had the feeling he was becoming a fly as if he were inthe movie," Dr. Goldstein writes.

Dr. Goldstein followed the EFT Basic Recipe (see www.emofree.com) several times, focusing on his symptoms andon forgiving his mouth, teeth, and the practitioners whohad treated him. Then, Dr. Goldstein instructed the manto tap the thyroid area on his left hand while imagininghimself in a theater, watching The Fly. He "saw" all themajor scenes from beginning to end, then from the end tobeginning. At that point. Dr. Goldstein instructed the patientto visualize "leaving the theater, and the movie's namebeing taken off the marquee as it would not run again."She had him perform another round of EFT while affirminghis ability to move forward and leave The Fly and drymouth behind. When this final round of tapping ended. Dr.Goldstein asked the man to relax and "blow his problemsout to the universe." To the surprise of both the man andDr. Goldstein, "[hje started to literally froth at the mouth,producing so dramatic an amount of saliva that he starteddrooling all over his shirt and we needed some tissues toclean things up." At an eight-month follow-up, the patienthad not used salivary stimulants or pilocarpine for severalweeks, and he had had "no further dental damage." (Thiscase makes me wonder what "movies" are still replaying inmy psyche!)

The third case involves a German man with systemicprogressive scleroderma who was having problems withhis esophagus in addition to the characteristic hardeningof the skin. After the first transatlantic EFT phone session,the man told EFT practitioner Baerbel Froehlin that a fingerwound that had not healed in over a year broke open andexpelled "a lot of pus," then closed cleanly. After a secondsession, he began to experience tingling in his hard, numbfingers. Over six weeks, he was able to cut down on hismedications because pain and inflammation had decreased.A blood test documented the decrease in inflammation.He was able to swallow without any problem. At thattime, Froehlin reported, "The emotional improvement isamazing...He needed to turn his life around quite a bit andhe did! He now takes times out during the day for himself,to rest, to pause, to do some exercise."

The man flew to Froehlin's practice in the US for twoweeks of intensive work with EFT, hypnosis, journaling,and art therapy. "The day he left for the airport," Froehlinwrites, "he told me he felt 'profoundly' convinced that he isgoing to get better....As soon as he was on the plane backto Germany, his pain level, which had been consistentlylow for months, shot up into extreme heights....Back home,he had blood work done which showed high inflammationcounts." One would expect the patient to be extremelydisappointed, but he wrote Froehlin to thank her "for theCOMPLETE emotional well-being he is enjoying....He talksabout 'looking forward into the future optimistically.'"Froehlin, herself, was disappointed with the result. She,however, came to realize that the illness gives this mana culturally acceptable excuse for selling his prosperousstone masonry business and choosing "an easy life withoutthe hard work." The man's father told Froehlin that "hehas never seen his son as 'alive and well' emotionally asnow....'There is a deep calm about my son that was neverthere before!'" As Froehlin says, healing takes a variety offorms.

"We make no specific medical claims for EFT," saysGary Craig, the Stanford-trained engineer who developedEFT, "but we agree with medical experts who say that by

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relieving past traumas and improving the body's flow ofenergy, EFT can help most patients improve their health."A free EFT Manual that explains the basics is available atwww.emofree.com/LearnEFT.htm. The website also sellsEFT training DVDs and advertises live workshops.Frank A. A successful use of EFT for Hasimoto's (sic) Thyroiditis. Available at: www.

emofree.rom/Articles2/>iasi moto-lhyroiditis.htm. Accessed August 7, 2008.Froehlin B. Using EFT for Scleroderma. Available at: www.emofree.com/scleroderma.

htm. Accessed August 7, 2008.Goldslein ET, MD uses FFT to treat Sjogren's Syndrome with impressive results.

Available at: www.emofree.com/Articles2/sjogiens-relief-dry-mouth.htm,Accessed August 7, 2008,

What Really Causes Disease? Experts Blame Stored Emotions and Recommend NewAcupressure Technique (press release!. Available at www.emofree.com/Press-Releases/disease-cause,htm. Accessed August 7, 2008.

Ultraviolet Blood RadiationFordecades, both medicine and industry have recognized

and used ultraviolet light (UV) to kill pathogens. NielsRyberg Finsen, a Danish physician and scientist, gaineda Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology in 1903, forpioneering UV therapy with his phototherapy treatment oflupus vulgaris (tuberculosis of the skin, a bacterial infectionnot related to SLE). His treatment had a 98% successrate. Emmett Knott, a physicist, built on Finsen's work bydeveloping an effective means of using UV radiation tocombat internal infections. He withdrew about 1.5 cesof blood per pound of body weight from a vein, citratedthe blood to prevent coagulation, then exposed it to UVradiation by running it through a small radiation chamberbefore re-injecting the blood back into the vein. The "Knotttechnique" gained interest from other physicians whenKnott and collaborating obstetrician Dr. Virgil K. Hancockpublished a 1934 article about their experiences with UVtherapy. During the 1940s, several American hospitalsaccepted UV blood irradiation as a highly effective andvery safe way to treat infections, including pneumonia(bacterial and viral), septicemia, hepatitis, and acute polio.Interest died out with the arrival of antibiotics.

Ultraviolet blood irradiation (UVBI) does more thaninhibit bacteria and viruses. Its documented effects,according to Robert )ay Rowen, MD, include an increasein the blood's oxygen-combining power, activation ofsteroids, increased cell permeability, activation of sterolsinto vitamin D, increase in red blood cells, and white cellcount normalization. UV apparently also has "a remarkableeffect on the autonomie nervous system," according to areport by E. W. Rebbeck who used the therapy in the 1940sto relieve post-surgical paralytic ileus (decrease/absence ofintestinal movement). More recently, German researchershave investigated the use of UV blood irradiation forvascular problems, such as peripheral arterial disease andRaynaud's disease. They report an increase in painlesswalking, improved claudication distances, and decreasesin plasma viscosity. Autoimmune disorders, includingscleroderma and rheumatoid arthritis, have responded

to UV blood irradiation too, according to Dr. Jonathan V.Wright.

Ultraviolet radiation is also a cancer therapy. The US Foodand Drug Administration approved ultraviolet treatment,used along with 8-methoxypsoralen (a photosensitizingagent), to treat cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Dr. RobertOiney used ultraviolet blood irradiation, in conjunctionwith detoxification techniques, dietary changes, nutritionalsupplements, and the Koch catalyst to treat a varietyof cancers. His pamphlet Blocked Oxidation, privatelyprinted in 1967, recounts cancer reversal in patients withgeneralized malignant melanoma, highly metastatic coloncancer, thyroid cancer, uterine cancer, and breast cancerpenetrating the chest wall and lung.

A Russian study assessing complications in 2380sessions of UVBI therapy reported that 1.37o of thesessions had "complications associated with the technicalperformance of the manipulation." Twelve patients alsoreacted to the ultraviolet blood irradiation itself: "rigor in4 cases, hypotension in 2 cases, nasal bleeding in 3 cases,hypoglycemia in 1 patient, bronchospasm in 1 patient andurticaria in 1 patient." Eating carbohydrates for an hour ortwo after the session helps prevent complications.

The International Oxidative Medicine Association(Oklahoma City, Oklahoma} sponsors UVBI workshops andseminars. Phone 405-634-1310 for more information.Marochkov AV, Ooronin VA, Kravtsov NN, Complications in ultraviolet irradiation

of Ihe blood (abstract) [Article in Russian]. Anesteziol Reanimatol. 1990 Jul-Aug;(4):55-6, Available at: www,ncbi.nlrrt.nih.gov/pubmed/2O77972, AccessedAugust 5, 2008,

Rowen R). Ultraviolet blood irradiation therapy (plioto-oxidalion) the rure that timeforgot, Int ¡. Biosodal Med Research. 1996;14(2):115-132. Available at: www,doctorrowen.com/doc5/ubi,pdf. Accessed August 7, 2008.

Wrigbt )V. Harnessing the healing power oí light Part 2: Time-tested strategies forbeating superbugs and more of today's deadliest health threats. Dr. ¡onathan V.Wrighl'% Nutrition & Healing. June 2O08:15(4J: 1-5.

Type 1 DiabetesCow's milk, vitamin D, and insulin taken by diabetic

parents are among the factors that may affect whether ornot a genetically susceptible child acquires type 1 diabetes.Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which theimmune system attacks and destroys insulin-producingbeta cells in the pancreas in children and young adults.(Type 2 is characterized by insufficient insulin and insulinresistance.) Outi Vaarala, Professor of Pédiatrie Immunologyat University of Linköping (Sweden), performed severalstudies that link an infant's consumption of cow's milk toincreased risk of acquiring type 1 diabetes. She says that"..infants who have been exposed to cow-milk formulasbefore the age of three months have higher levels of insulin-binding antibodies and T-cell reactivity to insulin thaninfants who have been exclusively breast-fed." Interestingly,children of diabetic mothers have a lower immune responseto insulin than children with diabetic fathers, according toJohanna Paronen. She proposes that a baby's exposure tomaternal diabetes or insulin therapy during pregnancy andearly infancy (through breast-feeding) teaches the infant'simmune system more tolerance to insulin and insulin-producing cells.^ " coninued on page 39 >

32 TOWNSEND LETTER - NOVEMBER 2008

Continued from page 32 >

Several European studies indicate that vitamin Dsupplementation can decrease type 1 diabetes risk. In onetrial, women's cod liver oil consumption during pregnancysignificantly reduced the risk of type 1 diabetes in theiroffspring (L.C. Stene et al. Diabetotogia. 2000;43:1093-8).A Lancet 2001 prospective study, by E. Laara Hyppönen andcolleagues, looked at the effect of infant supplementationduring the first year of life. Offspring who received vitaminD supplements regularly during their first year had a 0.12relative risk (CI, 0.03-0.51) of developing type 1 diabetesby age 30, compared to those without supplementation.These children grew up in Northern Finland, an area thatgets little D-promoting sunlight. Those receiving morethan 50 micrograms/day had the lowest relative risk. UStolerable upper intake level for infants is just 25 microgramsof vitamin D supplementation per day, as of 2002. The USrecommended dietary intake for babies up to one year isfive micrograms per day.

Type 1 diabetes has no cure at this time, but researchersat the University of British Columbia announced a potentialbreakthrough in May 2008. They used genetic engineeringto alter K cells in mice. Normally, K cells, which residein the gut, secrete glucose-dependent insulinotropicpolypeptide, a hormone that turns on insulin productionwhen food is in the digestive tract. These geneticallyaltered cells, however, actually produce insulin. As anadditional benefit, the animal's immune system ignores thealtered K cells. Previous attempts to transplant functioningbeta cells into a patient's pancreas have required the useof immunosuppressive drugs because the immune systemattacks the new cells. If this K cell therapy works in humanswith type 1 diabetes, their bodies will make insulin and endthe need for immunosuppressive drugs, continual bloodsugar/insulin monitoring, and insulin injections.Äkerblom HK, Virtanen SM, Honen J, Savilahti E, et al. Dietdry manipulation of

beta cell autoimmtinity in infants at increased risk of tyiie 1 diabetes; A pilotstudy. Diabetologia. (2005) 4B;829-â37. Available al: www.direct-ms.org/pdf/NutfilionOther/Akerblominfarttfeed.pdf. Accesi.ed July 28, 2008.

Harris S. Mayer |, Can vildmin D suppiementation in infancy prevent type 1 diabetes?Nutrition Reviews. 2002;60(4):118-121. Available at; www.dfrect-ms.org/pdf/VitDOtherAuto/HarrisDTypeiDiabetes.pdf. Accessed August 12, 2008.

Paronen ). Dietary insulin and the giit immune system in lype 1 diabetes (Academicdissertation). 2001. Available at: http://ethesis.helsinki.fi/julkaisut/iaa/kfiin/uk/paronen/dietdryi/pdf. Accessed July 28, 2008.

Smith C. UBC lab accomplishes diabetes breakthrough. May 22, 2008. Available at:http://69,90.96.34/article-146520/ubc-lab-accomp!i5lies-diabetes-breakth rough.Accessed July 28, 2008.

Vaarala O. Intestinal immunity and type 1 diabetes. Available at: www.direct,ms.org/pdf/LeakyCutOther/lntestinal%20lmmunity%20and%20Type'Ä.20201%Diabetes.pdf. Accessed July 28, 2008.

Waldhoiz M. Researchers' goal slopping diabetes before kids get it. The Wall Streetjournal. March 1, 2004; A I , A1 2.

Lupus Erythematosus and HerbsEric Yarnell, ND, and Kathy Abascal, JD, RH (AHG),

present information about herbs used to treat systemiclupus erythematosus ÍSLE) and other autoimmune diseasesin Alternative & Complementary Therapies (February2008). Some, such as Trametes versicolor and Cordycepssinensis, have immunomodulating properties (i.e., aregulating effect). T. versicolor was formerly known as

Shorts

Coriolus versicolor. PSK, a extract made from T. versicolor,improved lupus symptoms in a preliminary study in 1980.Yarnell and Abascal found no follow-up lupus studies. Theysay, however, that large cancer trials using PSK and similarextracts testify to the botanical's safety at a dosage of oneto three grams per day. The fungus Cordyceps sinensis isamong the herbs that increase interleukin-2 productionin SLE, according to preliminary Chinese research.Interleukin-2 is an immunoregulatory cytokine that tends tobe low in people with lupus. Artemisia annua and Artemisiaapiacea may also have immunomodulating effects althoughsome studies indicate that Artemisia may simply suppressimmune activity and have anti-inflammatory effects. InChinese research, A. annua, A. apiacea, and artemisinin (acomponent of these herbs) have helped people with SLE,according to Yarnell and Abascal.

Tripterygium wilfordii has anti-inflammatory andimmunosuppressive properties. In a small open trial,people with systemic lupus or discoid lupus took 5gof whole root and stem given three times per day, orprednisone. The Chinese researchers B.X. Wang and Z.Z.Yuan reportedly found that the T. wilfordii and prednisone"were in general equally effective, although 7. wilfordiieased arthralgia and rash significantly more effectively thandid prednisone." Another Chinese study reported that 30-45 grams daily of decorticated 7. wilfordii stems and rootsdecreased symptoms and improved titers of anti-nuclearantibodies and lupus erythematosus cell counts. 7. wilfordiidoes have some safety issues. Yarnell and Abascal saythat the bark contains nontherapeutic alkaloids that maycause amenorrhea, male infertility, kidney damage, andleukopenia. Long-term use of the herb may also decreasebone mineral density, "although this is not as severe as thatseen in women who take prednisone."

The one botanical that Yarnell and Abascal recommendthat people with lupus avoid is alfalfa: alfalfa seed, sprouts,and tablets. Alfalfa sprouts and tablets have induced SLE inprimates and have worsened SLE in humans. Canavanine,an arginine homologue found in alfalfa, is believed to bethe source of the problem.Alcocer-Yarela J, Iglesias A, Llórenle L, Aiarcón-Segovia D. Effects of L-canavanine

on T cells may explain (he induction of systemic lupus erythematosus by alfalfa.Arthritis Rheum. 1985 Jan;28(l):52-57. Available at: www.ncbi.nlni.nih.gov/pubmed/31 55617. Assessed August 27, 3008.

Yarnell E & Abascal K. Lupus Erylhematosus and herbal medicine. Alternative &Complementary Therapies. February 2008. Available dl: www. lieberton line.com/doi/abs/10.1089/aa.2008.14l05. Accessed August 7. 2008.

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