Naturopathic Management of Cervical Dysplasia

Contact Dr. Hillary Martin today for more information on how to educate, prevent and treat Cervical Dysplasia .

 

 

Management of Cervical Dysplasia and Human Papillomavirus

The least invasive, most natural, safe and effective treatments that address the cause should be offered

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by Marriane Marchese, ND

Dr. Marchese is the author of 8 Weeks to Women's Wellness. She maintains private practice in Phoenix AZ and teaches Gynecology at Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine. She was named in Phoenix Magazine's Top Doctor Issue as one of the top naturopathic physicians in Phoenix.

In the 1950’s George Papanicolaou and Herbert Traut developed a test to screen for cervical cancer in women called the pap smear test. This was at a time when cervical cancer was the leading cause of death in women in the United States. Currently, cervical cancer ranks 13^th on the list of causes of death in women in the U.S. Thanks to the pap smear test precancerous lesions, called dysplasia, are diagnosed more frequently than invasive cervical cancer. Annual screening and early diagnosis give physicians a chance to start treatment and prevent cervical cancer. Some risk factors for cervical cancer include¹:

• Multiple sexual partners
• Young age at first intercourse (<16)
• Having intercourse with uncircumcised partner
• Unprotected intercourse
• Human papillomavirus
• Chlamydia and HIV
• Immunocompromised
• Smoking
• Poor nutritional status
• Diethylstilbestrol (DES) exposure
• Long term oral contraceptive use (>5 years)
• Low socioeconomic status
• Lack of access to health care or health insurance
• Rural residence

The main risk factor for cervical cancer is the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. It is estimated that cervical infection with one of 15 HPV types account for all cervical cancers.² HPV type 16 is the most common carcinogenic HPV type detected in women with cervical cell changes including precancerous lesions and cancerous lesions. Other HPV types implicated in cervical cancer include; 18,31,33,35,39,45,51,52,56,58,59,66,68,73,and 82.²

"...an alternative approach to managing...pap results & cervical epithelial neoplasia...begins by educating the patient on safe sex practicing to decrease transmission of HPV, HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases..."

It is important to screen women for high risk HPV along with their annual pap smear which screens for cervical cell abnormalities. HPV testing can be performed during the pap smear. Most pap smear cytology is now done with liquid based cytology using the Thin Prep or SurePath vial which has the ability to test for both cervical cytology and HPV. A separate swab test for HPV also exists and is called the Digene probe. We now can identify the exact high risk strain a woman has by running an additional test for HPV genotype.

Screening
Recently the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, ACOG, made the following changes in regards to screening guidelines for how often a woman should get a PAP smear.³ The new guidelines recommend less frequent screening for certain age groups.

1. Women ages 21 to 30 will be screened every two to three years instead of every year.
2. Women age 30 and older who have had three consecutive negative cervical cytology test resultsand who have no history of moderate cervical dysplasia (CIN 2) or severe cervical dysplasia (CIN 3), are not HIV infected, are not immunocompromised, and were not exposed to DES in utero may be screened once every three to five years.
3. Women of any age with certain risk factors may need more frequent screening, including those who have HIV, are immunosuppressed, were exposed to diethylstilbestrol (DES) in utero, and have been treated for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 2, CIN 3, or cervical cancer.
4. Women over the age of 30 should have both cervical cytology test and high risk HPV testing. This is referred to as combination test.
5. Women under 30 should be tested for high risk HPV if the pap comes back as atypical cells of undetermined significance, or ASCUS. This is called reflux testing and can be done from the same sample if liquid based cytology is done.
6. It is acceptable to discontinue cervical cancer screening between 65 years and 70 years of age in women who have three or more negative cytology test results in a row and no abnormal test results in the past 10 years.

In the past ACOG recommended that cervical screening begin three years after first sexual intercourse or by age 21, whichever occurred first. Moving the baseline cervical screening to age 21 avoids unnecessary treatment. Although HPV infection is high among sexually active adolescents, invasive cervical cancer is rare. The immune system clears the HPV infection within one to two years among most adolescents. The large majority of cervical dysplasia in adolescents resolves on its own without treatment.

Treatment
Conventional management for cervical dysplasia includes colposcopy with endocervical sampling to determine the extent and degree of dysplasia which is categorized as cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, CIN, and graded level I, II, or III.⁴ The American Society for Coloposcopy and Cervical Pathology, ASCCP, has determined guidelines for conventional management of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. They include;⁵

• CIN I and satisfactory colposcopy- Follow-up without treatment with PAP and HPV test at 6 months. This is called ‘watch and wait.’ If still positive repeat the colposcopy. Alternative approach is to follow-up at 12 months with repeat colposcopy. A third approach is to treat immediately with cryotherapy or a loop electrosurgical excision procedure,LEEP.
• CIN I and unsatisfactory coloscopy- diagnostic excisional procedure (cone biopsy)
• CIN II and III with satisfactory colposcopy- LEEP or diagnostic excisional procedure
• CIN II and II with unsatisfactory colpo- diagnostic excisional procedure (cone biopsy)

The goal is to remove the abnormal cells and shed the top layer that holds the virus. But, the virus is in the body and conventional treatmentsdon’t treat the whole body, support the immune system, or systemically treat HPV. Also, there are complications from cryotherapy and LEEP that will make pregnancy and child birth more difficult.

There are options
Naturopathic physicians offer an alternative approach to managing both abnormal pap results and cervical epithelial neoplasia. Addressing the cause is key to treating the disease. This begins by educating the patient on safe sex practicing to decrease transmission of HPV, HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. Smoking is linked to cervical cancer as it increases the duration of infection with high risk HPV.⁶ Smoking also weakens the immune system. Smoking cessation and supporting the immune system are an important part of treatment for cervical dysplasia.  Poor nutritional status is linked to cervical cancer. Folate and B12 deficiency has been associated with increased HPV infection.⁷ Low serum retinol levels has been linked to increased risk of cervical epithelial neoplasia.⁸ A comprehensive nutritional intake and dietary counseling should be included in treatment.

No need to watch and wait
When the pap comes back with ASC-US and no HPV, normal cytology with HPV present, or ASC-US with HPV in the younger women, conventional medicine suggests to watch wait and repeat the pap. This is where naturopathic medicine would begin treatment. Supporting the immune system to fight off HPV as well as treating HPV directly can reverse the low grade cervical cell abnormality and eliminate HPV. Guidelines for referral to colposcopy are the same.

Naturopathic medicine can also treat cervical intraepithelial neoplasia I and II. This treatment consists of oral systemic support as well as local vaginal treatment of the cervix. Some important herbal medicines and nutrients to consider include:

Folic acid
There have been several studies showing low serum folate levels are linked to cervical dysplasia and high folate blood levels are linked to the prevention of CIN I.^9,10 Improvement in cervical dysplasia using folic acid supplementation is also well documented.¹¹ The doses vary and are most often given with vitamin B12 as not mask B12 anemia.

Indole-3-carbinol
Indole-3-carbinol (I3C) is present in all members of the cruciferous vegetable family including cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and kale. Studies indicate I3C has the potential to prevent and even treat a number of common cancers, especially those that are estrogen related.¹² In a double-blind, placebo controlled study, 30 patients with biopsy-confirmed CIN II-III were randomized to receive placebo or 200 or 400 mg oral I3C daily for 12 weeks. Three patients did not complete the study. None of the 10 patients in the placebo group had complete regression of CIN. Four of eight patients in the 200-mg/day group and four of nine in the 400-mg/day group had complete regression of CIN.¹³ I3C is easily available over the counter as a supplement or simply by eating 4-5 servings of the cruciferous family vegetables a day.

Antioxidants
Antioxidants are known for their cancer prevention properties. Studies have linked antioxidant levels to CIN and cervical cancer. In one study, blood levels of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and vitamin E were measured in patients with biopsy-confirmed CIN, cervical cancer, and in controls with normal PAP smears. Results showed levels of CoQ10 and Vitamin E were significantly lower in patients with diagnosed CIN and cervical cancer when compared to controls.¹⁴ Levels of CoQ10 from cervicovaginal epithelial cells were measurable and also appeared to be significantly lower in women diagnosed with CIN.¹⁵ These findings suggest low levels of these two antioxidants may play a role in the pathogenesis of cervical dysplasia.

Vitamin C
Vitamin C is an excellent antioxidant that boosts the immune system and has proven anti-cancer effects. It is known that women with cervical dysplasia have low blood levels of vitamin C.¹⁶ A recent studied showed that women with high intake of dietary vitamin C had a reduction in the risk of cervical dysplasia.¹⁷ A study on Korean women looked at 58 colposcopy confirmed cases of CIN and compared them to 86 women with normal pap smears. The plasma concentration of Vitamin C was significantly lower in the CIN group than in the control group.¹⁸ This suggests a role for Vitamin C in the treatment of cervical dysplasia.

Green tea extract
Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is the standardized extract from green tea. It is known to inhibit epidermal growth factor receptor which is needed for cervical cell growth. A recent study looked at 51 women with HPV infected cervical lesions divided into 4 groups and compared them to 39 controls. Green tea ointment was applied locally to 27 patients twice a week. For oral delivery, a EGCG capsule was taken orally every day for eight to 12 weeks. In the study, 20 out of 27 patients under ointment therapy showed a response. Six out of eight patients under green tea ointment plus capsule therapy showed a response. Six out of 10 patients under EGCG capsule therapy showed a response. Overall, a 69% response rate was noted for treatment with green tea extracts, as compared with a 10% response rate in untreated controls. A good response meant an improvement in cervical dysplasia.¹⁹

Coriolus versicolor
Coriolus is a mushroom commonly used in Asian cultures for its immune properties. It is often called an immunomodulator and has been studied for it is immune enhancing properties in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Recently is has been studied for its immune modulating effects on HPV and reversing early stages of cervical cancer.²⁰ A study published in the Townsend Letter November 2006 by J. Silva Couto looked at women with cervical dysplasia, LSIL (CIN I and HPV). Half of the women in the LSIL group were given 3g/d Coriolus a day for one year and the other half took none. Dr. Silva Couto found that Coriolus versicolor supplementation over a period of one year substantially increased regression of the dysplasia (LSIL) and induced clearance of the high risk sub-types of the HPV virus. Some interesting findings of the study include;

a) Coriolus versicolor supplementation demonstrated a 72% regression rate in LSIL lesions compared to 47.5% without supplementation.

b) Coriolus versicolor supplementation demonstrated a 90% regression rate in the high risk HPV virus sub-types compared to 8.5% without supplementation.

Local treatment applied to the cervix
Escharotic treatment
The use of escharotic or caustic treatments for epithelial cancers is based on a centuries-old observation that select plant and mineral extracts could be used to treat topical skin lesions. Two small studies show the efficacy of this treatment in reversing cervical dysplasia in women.^21,22 This treatment is used for CIN I and II after a satisfactory colposcopy is performed and if there is no disease in the endocervical canal and no glandular cells present. Escharotic treatment for cervical dysplasia involves the local application of a natural enzyme, bromelain, to the surface of the cervix. This is left in place for 15 minutes with heat applied to activate the enzyme. The proteolytic properties in bromelain dissolve the top layer of cells on the cervix which are infected and damaged by the HPV virus. A mixture of zinc chloride and a plant Sanguinaria is applied to the cervix to cause sloughing of abnormal tissue. Zinc chloride is caustic and acts to disrupt the cellular membrane integrity and the mucus over coating to allow the Sangunaria to penetrate the cells. Sanguinaria has been shown to have anti-neoplastic qualities.²¹ The treatment is performed twice per week with at least two days in between treatments for 4-5 weeks. The ZnCl solution is made by a compounding pharmacist.

Vaginal suppository treatment
Vaginal depletion packs have been in use since the 1800s. Vaginal depletion packs, Vag pak, work by the action of the substances within the packs, which draw infection out of the cervical cells and boast the immune system. Each suppository contains: magnesium sulfate, glycerin complex, hydrastis tincture, thuja oil, tea tree oil, bitter orange oil, vitamin-A (as palmitate) 100,000 iu, ferric sulfate,ferrous sulfate in polybase. Hydrastis canadensis is effective against many microbial pathogens, as are the essential oils of tea tree, thuja and bitter orange.Vag Pak suppositories are often used for mild dysplsia and/or high risk HPV.

Green tea suppositories made from a pharmacy are also effective for cervical dysplasia and HPV. ECGC in green tea was evaluated on cervical epithelial; cells and cervical cancer cells and HPV. Green tea inhibited cancer cell growth, induced apoptosis, decreased gene expression, and cell cycle changes.²³ As mentioned earlier green tea has been shown to be effective against HPV.

Critics of natural medicine say there is no published evidence that these options work or are backed in science. There are several recent published articles explaining the science and patient outcomes. One can be found at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19679625

Summary
It is important that a woman is informed of her options for managing cervical health. The least invasive, most natural, safe and effective treatments that address the cause should be offered. There are times natural medicine is not an option for treating cervical cell changes due to the severity and location of disease but in many cases naturopathic treatment of cervical dysplasia and HPV is the safest and most effective option.

References
1. Synder U. A look at cervical cancer. Medscape OB/GYN & Women’s Health. 2003;8(1):1-12
2. Wheeler C. Advances in primary and secondary interventions for cervical cancer: prophylactic human papillomavirus vaccines and testing. Nat Clin Pract Oncol. 2007;4(4):224-235.
3. ACOG.org
4. Wright TC, et al. 2006 consensus guidelines for the management of women with abnormal cervical cancer screening tests. Am J OB/GYN 2007;11:346-355.
5. Wright TC, et al. 2006 consensus guidelines for the management of women with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia or adenocarcinoma-in-situ. Am J OB/GYN 2007;11:340-345.
6. Synder U. A look at cervical cancer. Medscape OB/GYN & Women’s Health. 2003;8(1):1-12
7. Weinstein SJ, et al. Low serum and red blood cell folate are moderately, but nonsignificantly associated with increased risk of invasive cervical cancer. J Nutr. 2001;131:2040-2048.
8. Schiff MA, et al. Serum carotinoids and risk of cervical epithelial neoplasia in southwestern American women. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2001;10:1219-1222.
9. Piyathilake CJ, et al. Lower risk of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia in women with high plasma folate and sufficient vitamin B12 in the post-folic acid fortification era. Cancer Prev Res. 2009;2(7):658-664.
10.Piyathilake CJ, et al. Lower red blood cell folate enhances the HPV-16-associated risk of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. Nutrition. 2007;23(3):203-10.
11. Marshall K. Cervical dysplasia: early intervention. Altern Med Rev. 2003;8(2):156-70.
12. Grubbs CJ, Steele VE, Casebolt T, et al. Chemoprevention of chemically-induced mammary carcinogenesis by indole-3-carbinol. Anticancer Res 1995;15:709-716.
13. Bell MC, Crowley-Nowick P, Bradlow HL, et al. Placebo-controlled trial of indole-3-carbinol in the treatment of CIN. Gynecol Oncol 2000;78:123-129.
14. Palan PR, Mikhail MS, Basu J, Romney SL. Plasma levels of antioxidant beta-carotene and alpha-tocopherol in uterine cervix dysplasias and cancer. Nutr Cancer 1991;15:13-20.
15. Mikhail MS, Palan PR, Romney SL. Coenzyme Q0 and alpha tocopherol concentrations in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and cervix cancer. Obstet Gynecol 2001;97:3S.
16. Hudson T. Women’s encyclopedia of natural medicine. Keats Publ. 1999.
17. Ghosh C, et al. Dietary intakes of selected nutrients and food groups and risk of cervical cancer. Nutr Cancer. 2008;60(3):331-41.
18. Lee Gj, et al. Antioxidant vitamins and lipid peroxidation in patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. J Korean Med Sci. 2005 Apr;20(2):267-72.
19. Ahn ws, et al. The protective effects of green tea extract on human cervical lesions. Eur J cancer prev 2003;12(5):383-390
20. Bogdanova J. [Coriolus versicolor--innovation in prevention of oncogynecological diseases, especially HPV]. Akush Ginekol (Sofiia). 2008;47 Suppl 3:51-3.
21.Hudson TS. Consecutive case study research of carcinoma in situ of cervix employing local escharotic treatment combined with nutritional therapy. J Naturopathic Med 1991;2:6-10.
22. Hudson TS. Escharotic treatment for cervical dysplasia and carcinoma. J Naturopathic Med 1993;4:23.
23. Zou c, et al. Green Tea Compound in Chemoprevention of Cervical Cancer Int J Gynecol Cancer. 2010 ;20(4):617-624

http://www.naturopathic.org/article_content.asp?edition=105&section=168&article=788

Sunscreen Update by LABRIX

Sunscreen Update
Now that summer is in full swing, even the Pacific Northwest is sunny and bright which causes many people to turn to sunscreens so they can enjoy their favorite summer activities, while preventing overexposure to the sun. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States with more than 3.5 million cases annually, so it should be a big concern for all; however in an attempt to minimize cancer risk many are causing additional damage to their bodies through the use of chemical laden products that can have allergic, carcinogenic and endocrine disrupting side effects.


Among the many ingredients that are often used in topical sunscreen, some of the most important to be aware of include:

Retinyl palmitate - A derivative of vitamin A which can serve as a potent anti-oxidant, this compound has been shown to break down when exposed to UV light and produce free radicals that can cause damage to DNA in mouse and rat studies. There is some controversy regarding whether or not these changes may occur in humans or if the free radicals produced are simply quenched by the antioxidant milieu in human skin. Topical retinoids are frequently prescribed for a variety of skin conditions with no published data to suggest that they increase skin cancer risk; however it is currently restricted from being used in cosmetics in Canada and Japan.

Oxybenzone - This compound is an aromatic ketone and one of a greater category of organic compounds called benzophenones that are included in sunscreens as broad-spectrum UV blockers. Oxybenzone is present in close to half of all sunsreens and problems include a high photoallergic potential (meaning that an allergen is produced with UV exposure causing contact dermatitis), but our primary interest in this chemical is the estrogenic effect it has on the endocrine system.

Nanoparticles - Mineral based UV filters such as titamium dioxide and zinc oxide have long been used in sunscreen products and have a low photoallergic reaction rate as well as relative stability in the sun. Issues with these products have largely been cosmetic, as they tend to produce an opaque or white appearance on skin. Newer formulations are using nanosized particles of these minerals to minimize the cosmetic impact and while that has raised question of systemic absorption and toxicity, analysis has been unable to demonstrate toxicity so these may be one of the best bets when it comes to UV blockers.

Keep in mind that large amounts of UV exposure do increase the risk of certain skin cancers, especially basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas and therefore protection from the sun is very important. We recommend you do some research and choose sunscreens with the fewest amounts of endocrine disrupting ingredients along with a combination of timing your outdoor activities when the sun is not at its peak and covering exposed skin with light weight cotton materials or hats. For detailed information about specific ingredients and ratings on sunscreens, visit the Environmental Working Groups 2012 Sunscreen Guide.


References:

1. www.skincancer.org
2. Chem Res Toxicol. 2005 Feb;18(2):129-38. Cherng SH, Xia Q, Blankenship LR, Freeman JP, Wamer WG, Howard PC, Fu PP. Photodecomposition of retinyl palmitate in ethanol by UVA light-formation of photodecomposition products, reactive oxygen species, and lipid peroxides.
3. Yin JJ, Xia Q, Fu PP. UVA photoirradiation of anhydroretinol--formation of singlet oxygen and superoxide. Toxicol Ind Health 2007 Nov; 23(10):625-31.
4. Xia Q, Yin JJ, Wamer WG, Cherng SH, Boudreau MD, Howard PC,Yu H,Fu PP. Photoirradiation of retinyl palmitate in ethanol with ultraviolet light--formation of photodecomposition products, reactive oxygen species, and lipid peroxides. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2006 Jun; 3(2):185-90.
5. Burnett ME, Wang SQ. Current sunxreen controversies: a critical review. Photodermatol Photoimmunol Photomed. 2011 Apr;27(2):58-67.
6. Sambandan DR, Ratner D. Sunscreens: an overview and update. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2011 Apr;64(4):748-58
7. Wong T, Orton D. Sunscreen allergy and its investigation. Clin Dermatol. 2011 May-Jun;29(3):306-10.

Shingles: Herpes Zoster

Shingles: Herpes Zoster

Naturopathic Antiviral Treatment and Pain Control for Shingles(Herpes Zoster)

What is Shingles?

Shingles(Herpes Zoster) is a extremely painful rash that develops on the body after reactivation of the chicken pox virus(Varicella Zoster). Outbreaks occur in times of stress when the immune system is compromised and can also be due to nutrient deficiencies. Shingles tends to be most common in people over 50, those with autoimmune disease and I often see it in new moms that are exhausted and may be re-exposed to chicken pox. Outbreaks are generally quite painful, forming a patchy, concentrated rash on the body with deep burning pain called post-herpetic neuralgia. Common areas are along the torso and you may feel as if you have a broken or bruised rib. The shingles virus and rash will run its course in 3-4 weeks but has been known to persist for months on end and should be treated as soon as possible to decrease long term symptoms and nerve damage. Natural treatments provide antiviral and anti-inflammatory supplementation, immune support, help prevent recurrence by avoiding triggers and most importantly decrease pain.

Prevention

Shingles is a herpes virus that, unlike chicken pox having a single episode, lies dormant in the nerve cells until it is triggered by stress to emerge in its active viral form.  Herpes viruses utilize the amino acid arginine for viral replication. In times of stress or at onset of an outbreak you should avoid all arginine increasing foods such as nuts, chocolate and dairy products. Also arginine and the amino acid lysine have been shown to have an antagonistic relationship competing for entry into the cells. Lysine supplementation has been shown to decrease herpes outbreak by inhibiting arginine induced viral replication. Take 500 – 1,000 mg of L-Lysine a day to prevent herpes zoster outbreaks and up to 3,000 mg a day during acute outbreaks

As well as using lysine to prevent shingles outbreaks incorporate the following into your lifestyle:  keep stress to a minimum, moderately exercise three to five times a week, incorporate breathing and relaxation techniques like meditation, avoid caffeine and nervous system stimulants, get proper rest and nutrition.

Nutrient deficiencies have been associated with HZ, specifically Vitamin C, Zinc, Calcium and B12. Nutrient support in food based as well as supplemental form should be taken into consideration. Vitamin D and A are hormones and immune modulators where deficiencies have been related to immune compromise and infection.

Immune Support

Strong herbal antivirals are also important to take for shingles prevention. They can stimulate the immune system and reduce activity of the virus. Lemon balm and licorice are antivirals that can be taken orally in tincture form and or put directly on the lesion. Elderberry is my favorite antiviral to use that has a pleasant taste and is safe long term, if pregnant or breast feeding and with children, Goldenseal, Astragalus and Echinacea are all powerful antivirals that can be used together during acute outbreaks.   Astragalus is the best tincture to use long term for prophylaxis. According to David Hoffman in “Medical Herbalism,” astragalus has been shown to strengthen immunity and is an ideal remedy for anyone who is immune compromised.

Pain Relief

Shingles can be severely painful. It travels along the nerve root, commonly in the area of the abdomen and ribcage and may feel as if you have broken a rib. It is a deep, burning sensation. The best natural treatment to relieve the pain of shingles is by using capsaicin, a constituent found in cayenne. In “Prescription for Nutritional Healing,” capsaicin has been noted to decrease “substance P,” a neurotransmitter than regulates the stimulation of pain impulses. Capsaicin can be found in many topical creams over the counter. Apply capsaicin cream three to four times a day to reduce pain. Do not use capsaicin until blisters have healed completely or burning may result. Pain will also be reduced with an anti-inflammatory diet and anti-inflammatory herbs such as Bromelain, Curcumin, Boswellia and Quercetin.

If you suffer from repeated herpes outbreaks or suspect exposure contact your naturopath today for diagnosis, prevention and immediate treatment.

CREATE HEALTH!

Dr. Hillary Martin, ND LMT
Licensed Naturopathic Doctor

13323 W. Washington Blvd Suite 202
Los Angeles, California 90066
www.drhillarymartin.com
310-691-6237

Brain Damaging Excitotoxins

Health Ranger interviews neurosurgeon Dr. Russell Blaylock on MSG and brain-damaging excitotoxins

(NaturalNews) In the following interview, Dr. Russell Blaylock, renowned neurosurgeon, author and researcher, talks to Mike Adams about MSG, aspartame and other brain-damaging excitotoxins that are widely used in our food supply today. Dr. Blaylock is the author of Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills and other important books on this important topic as well as others. In this interview, find out why Dr. Blaylock was shocked at what he found out about the effects MSG and aspartame have on our brain function and pathology and much more.

Health Ranger: Hello and welcome everyone, this is Mike Adams, the Health Ranger for Natural News.com and today I'm joined by neurosurgeon and author, researcher, Dr. Russell Blaylock. He's widely regarded as the foremost authority on excitotoxins, and we're going to be talking about MSG, aspartame, and other issues as we interview him today via Skype video. Dr. Blaylock, thanks for joining me today.

Dr. Blaylock: Well thank you, Mike.

Health Ranger: It's great to have you on, you know I'm a big fan of your work and your books. In fact, one of your earlier books, Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills is one of the first books I read that helped get me into the business of teaching people about health.

Dr. Blaylock: I'm glad I contributed- you're a great person to teach people about these things. I'm a great fan of yours as well.

Health Ranger: Well, I'm a huge fan of your work, but for those watching , most people are probably familiar with you and your work and your books, but for those who may not be, can you give us just a brief background of how you got started in this, what encouraged you to write that book and so on.

Dr. Blaylock: Well, I was a neurosurgeon and during my residency training, I was interested in what causes all these neurological diseases and I was particularly interested in something that most of my colleagues were not interested in. That's nutrition and its effect on the brain and recovery from brain injury. So that naturally led into looking at things that produce these problems. And I came across a book by George Schwartz on the MSG syndrome and as I read this little book about it, I said well there's a lot of things in here I wasn't familiar with. So I started researching monosodium glutamate and what it does to the brain and I was astounded by what I found. This is a very common additive to food and most people have no clue as to what it's doing to the brain function and pathology, particularly in the developing brain, a child's brain. I amassed all of this research, and so I decided to write a book, my first book, and I put it together and I presented it to the publishing company and they liked it and printed it.

Health Ranger: Now, most people who read that book are truly astonished by what you unveil in there. You talk about how the excitotoxins overexcite nerve cells and cause those cells to die, how it passes through the blood/brain barrier and so on. Just how toxic is MSG really and then, might you also add, what have you learned since writing the book that would add to the weight of the evidence?

Dr. Blaylock: Well actually, this book was written in 1994 and updated a few years after that but the amount of information we have about this toxicity has grown by leaps and bounds. There's an enormous amount of literature, so the weight of the evidence on my side is just overwhelming. Now, what we've discovered is that this is a very toxic substance, particularly to the developing brain. So if a mother is consuming it while she's pregnant in these high amounts, it not only passes through the placenta to the developing baby, but the amount or concentration of glutamate in the baby's blood is twice as high as the mother's. And of course this is a very delicate developing brain, the brain is under very complex development and we know that glutamate plays a big role in brain development. If the levels are too high or too low it can cause significant abnormalities in how the brain develops. Well women have been consuming this stuff and children have been consuming this stuff since 1945. And the amount in the food has doubled every decade since that time. Massive amounts of this stuff- and a study, a research foundation found out in fact that the amounts humans are consuming is the same amount that produces lesions in animal's brains. So of all the life forms on earth, humans are the most sensitive to the MSG toxicity.

Health Ranger: Well let's make sure we cover two of the basic concepts again for those viewers who may be new to this. Number one, why is MSG added to foods and then number two, what are the most common symptoms that people might observe in their own physiology that would be a clue that they're experiencing MSG toxicity.

Dr. Blaylock: Well it was previously added to food during wartime into the sea rations, into the Japanese rations for the soldiers to increase taste, to stimulate taste. And they had discovered long ago that if you add a little bit of monosodium glutamate, it stimulates certain cells in the tongue to make food taste very good- so you could take a very bad tasting food, particularly canned foods, they have that tinny type taste to it, a metallic taste, and you put MSG in it, it just tastes scrumptious. Well, all the food manufacturers discovered this as they were introduced to it by the military and so all the major food manufacturers started adding MSG to food, including baby foods. So, up until 1970 it was placed in the baby foods itself and then when Dr. John Olney, a neuroscientists, discovered this toxicity to the brain and the serious implications of that toxicity, that's when we started giving a little bit more attention to it. As far as symptoms, of course the first group of symptoms that came to the public's attention was the MSG syndrome in which people would have flushing of their face and heart palpitations and sometimes pains going down their arms and even episodes of GI discomfort and diarrhea. Well those are the obvious symptoms. What was discovered after that in fact that there's silent damage to the brain in which there's very few symptoms. But over time, we see destruction of major important areas of the brain, things that can cause Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease, ALS and that if you have these diseases it's make them progress much faster.

Health Ranger: Now, as a neurosurgeon, have you ever actually seen brains that you know those those tissues have been damaged by MSG, is it something that's visible when you're actually looking at a living brain or is it not visible?

Dr. Blaylock: Well it's not visible to the naked eye, you would have to look under a microscope to see it, but we know there are certain areas of the brain that are very sensitive, for instance the hypothalamus. There's a nucleus in the hypothalamus called the arcuate nucleus, that controls your energy supply. That's where leptin receptors are located and growth hormones. And it is the most sensitive place in the entire brain, it's virtually wiped out by high doses of MSG. We know there's a lot of damage to that nucleus and there's good evidence that this obesity epidemic is caused by damage to that nucleus by the large amount of MSG put in food. Germans knew this, the German research scientists are writing about this regularly. In America, they don't want to talk about it because of the enormous wealth.

Health Ranger: It's really extraordinary, the food lobby has so much influence in Washington that they're able to keep the FDA off of this issue or the USDA off of this issue. And it's not just MSG, they're able to put sodium nitrite in processed meat for example, to the point where today if you go buy beef jerky and you look at the ingredients, it's got both MSG and sodium nitrite in it. It's like a double dose of a toxic chemical cocktail, it's amazing.

Dr. Blaylock: Well if you look at a lot of processed food you'll see they do contain multiple toxins and multiple forms of glutamate, this excitotoxin. So I refer to them rather than MSG I refer to it as excitotoxic food additive. And they put it in virtually everything. Every processed food and those that don't put it in there have trouble selling their food because they can't get the taste hyped up enough to be able to sell it.

Health Ranger: You know that's a good point, Dr. Blaylock, I also have noticed because I'm very sensitive to MSG and I have been for as long as I can remember- decades. Causes severe headaches, face flushing and things like that so I know if I've had some MSG. I've learned to look for it on labels. And I've found that, of course, the food companies hide it under all these different names. And my pet peeve name today is yeast extract because it's used by many of the so-called natural food companies and even the vegetarian foods. They're loaded with yeast extract. Can you talk about yeast extract and other hidden names for a minute?

Dr. Blaylock: Yeah When I first spoke on this issue in Chicago at a convention one of the chief manufacturers of processed foods came up and told me, he said if you convince everyone of the toxicity of this, we'll just change the name. We're gonna get it in the food one way or another. I told him, well, I'm gonna tell everybody the story of our conversation and I do, I repeat this story because it's very important. And the government allows them, if it's less than 99 percent pure MSG they can call it anything they want to. Caramelized yeast, caseinate, carrageenan, natural flavoring, vegetable extract, protein concentrate, soy isolate, the names just go on and on and on and on, and they're very benign sounding like natural flavoring. Well people think that's natural, or it'll say hydrolyzed protein or plant protein, people think that's natural. That's why you see it in so many natural foods and these natural food stores.

Health Ranger: Yeah, it's sickening, it's insidious, I mean this is an age when consumers want full transparency, consumers want to know, are there GMO's in the product, They want to know, is it organic or not, they want to know is there MSG in there and these companies just keep trying to hide it. Now to their credit, some companies have placed claims on their labels that say no MSG added and generally I find that to be an honest claim. And some of those companies are very much doing the right thing in that realm, but other companies just hide it under a different name. Seems to be a wide diversity of ethics in the food industry.

Dr. Blaylock: Well you see they do this quite commonly. When my book came out and a lot of people were talking about it, it had a big impact on these companies. They began to remove MSG on the label. And they would even put NO MSG and I would look at the label and I would see about three to four different forms of disguised glutamate in it. So they learned very quickly to just disguise the name, most of the public's not going to know what it is and they'll say well it says plainly on the label, no MSG, but in fact it contains more glutamate.

Health Ranger: Incredible, I want to urge those watching right now to learn more from Dr. Russell Blaylock and his website is RussellBlaylockMD.com did I get that right?

Dr. Blaylock: That's right.

Health Ranger: Russell BlaylockMD.com, put it on the screen there, and then also you could check out his books at bookstores everywhere, including Amazon.com where he's got Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills and Health and Nutrition Secrets, is that another one? What's your book on cancer, Dr. Blaylock?

Dr. Blaylock: Natural Strategies for Cancer Patients.

Health Ranger: Ok, good, Natural Strategies for Cancer Patients I really want to encourage you to check out his books, you'll learn a wealth of information. It's just astonishing. Dr. Blaylock, you, as a neurosurgeon, you are of course well informed about the structure and function of the brain and yet, I'm sure you often find yourself either arguing with or debating with some sort of MSG pusher who says things like, Oh, it's perfectly safe, it doesn't affect brain function at all. Is that a common piece of feedback that you hear from the industry?

Dr. Blaylock: Well not anymore. In the beginning, I did. When I first started giving lectures, when the book first came out. I did an interview with Chicago Tribune and I pointed out all these different dangers and then they had the representatives of the company that makes the product come back after me and say, well it doesn't enter the brain because of the blood/brain barrier, and I'd already discussed that with the reporter. That in fact there's compelling evidence and now absolute proof that it does pass the barrier. And that there's many tissues in the body that have glutamate receptors. Virtually every cell in your body has glutamate receptors, and there's no barrier. Now they know I've accumulated so much powerful evidence they never try to confront me directly, they know I've been to an audience, they never try to come back and defend themselves. There's no defense. All the evidence is on my side.

Health Ranger: They just hope people don't pay attention to your message?

Dr. Blaylock: Exactly. That's right. They just ignore me, have the major media ignore it because they evidence I have is so compelling, most of the scientific world would agree with what I'm saying once they start looking at it, and more and more articles are being written on this.

Health Ranger: You mentioned the scientific world. That's one of the most extraordinary things happening today is that the so called scientific world, in many cases they simply abandon the science and they become a priesthood of defenders of a certain narrow mythology. Such as, MSG doesn't harm the brain or all vaccines are safe and effective, for example, complete quackery. But that becomes the line of the so-called scientist who abandoned the science. I mean are you concerned about the reputation, the credibility of the scientific community because of that, or what are your thoughts on that?

Dr. Blaylock: Well, you're exactly right and this is a major problem and a number of studies and articles have been written in some of the clinical journals, very good journals, pointing out this fact. The fact that the pharmaceutical companies, the food industry is having such a massive affect on publication of papers and research articles that it's really polluting the scientific world. They're trying to make this more stringent, where there's transparency and you know that these people work for the company. For instance, when I look at an article that says MSG is good for the elderly because it makes them eat more nutritious food or that it's safe, I can almost assure you if I look at who wrote the paper it's either someone that works directly for the "geno-modo" company or is connected and is being funded by the "geno-modo" company [sic], the principle maker of monosodium glutamate and its other additives.

Health Ranger: What do you think about the theory, there's something that I've noticed as a very keen observer of this, that Chinese people in particular seem to not suffer the migraine headaches that many white people do when they consume MSG. Is there a metabolic difference in the way different people process glutamate?

Dr. Blaylock: Well, actually, the difference is they don't consume near as much of this as we do.

Health Ranger: Really?

Dr. Blaylock: When they eat, they eat small portions, and now we're starting to see in the Japanese population that are eating these higher portions, they're getting grossly obese, they're having neurological problems, Alzheimer's increasing, ALS, Parkinson's disease- all increasing significantly in Japan and these countries that traditionally ate a smaller amount. The other thing is the rest of their diet. For instance, they eat a lot of omega-3 fatty acids, they have one of the highest flavonoid intakes from fruits and vegetables of any population in the world. These are protective against a lot of this toxicity. Americans don't do that, they do just the opposite. They're eating things that enhance the toxicity of glutamate.

Health Ranger: Yeah, that's a really good point. Instead of the antioxidants, they've got other junk food, other fried food and then maybe a couple vaccines on top of that and some chemtrails on top of that. It's like a toxic stew.

Dr. Blaylock: Fluoride and aluminum, it just goes on and on and on. Pesticides, herbicides, all add to the toxicity and have been shown to enhance the toxicity of glutamate additives.

Health Ranger: Incredible. Alright, one last question for you in this segment, Dr. Blaylock, and then we'll wrap this up. What about the critics of your work who say, hey well glutamate appears naturally at some level in tomatoes or seaweed or other natural foods. What's your response to that criticism?

Dr. Blaylock: Well it does, but it's almost always bound as a protein so when it's released in your body, it has to break down the protein. It's a slow release so your blood levels really don't go up that high. Now we know in people with, for instance, ALS, if they eat, for instance, a steak their blood level goes twice as high as a person that does not have ALS. So with certain neurological conditions, you do have to avoid foods that naturally have high glutamate levels, like meats and pureed tomatoes. When you eat a whole tomato, it's very slow release of the glutamates and your blood level really does not rise that high. If you're physically active, that glutamate, instead of going to your brain, goes into your muscles. If you're sedentary and you eat the very same diet, most of it's going to go to your brain and have toxicity. So there's so many variables there.

Health Ranger: Yeah, that's interesting. So there's a fitness level impact on the way your body metabolizes it. That's fascinating. I want to bring up one last question, sorry, one more that just came to mind when you were speaking there. People talk about glutamine, the amino acid, and the dietary importance or applications of glutamine, and then some people confuse glutamine with glutamate. Can you briefly describe the difference for those watching?

Dr. Blaylock: Well, glutamine is an amino acid that's converted to glutamate. In your brain, in order to make glutamate, your body has glutamine that is converted in your brain cells into the glutamate neurotransmitter. If you feed an animal a lot of glutamine, you will produce excitotoxicity in the brain. You will produce these brain lesions. Patients who have ALS, if you feed them a lot of glutamine, they will get worse and die a lot sooner. So there is a conversion of glutamine into glutamate. They're related amino acids, so there's a relationship. As far as the health effects of glutamine, that's just way overblown and I get this question a lot when I lecture. People want to say, well isn't it good for gut repair and good for immune stimuli and I say well, yes, your immune cells have glutamate receptors that have to do with producing the free radicals they use to kill microorganisms. So, to a limited degree, yes, it's good for that. Now as far as for gut repair, the new results show that glutamine is not that good for gut repair. Things like pyruvate are much more effective. Pyruvate also protects your brain against glutamate.

Health Ranger: Oh really. Pyruvate, which, any mineral bound in pyruvate form?

Dr. Blaylock: Magnesium or calcium, it doesn't matter, its' the pyruvate that protects you. Pyruvate's used in the Krebs cycle to produce energy. When you produce energy in the brain, it protects the brain against excitotoxicity. And it's an antioxidant.

Health Ranger: Now you're getting me fascinated, I'm going to ask you one more question, sorry. People often ask me what is the defense against high glutamate foods. For example, if they know they're going out to eat, with a social group let's say, they know they're going to get some MSG in the soup or whatever, can they take something beforehand to reduce the effects of MSG?

Dr. Blaylock: Well there are several things. One of the most important is magnesium. One of the most prominent glutamate receptors, one of the regulators of its over activity is magnesium. So people who have low magnesium, that eat soup for instance with MSG in it, they'll have a terrible headache, terrible response to the glutamate. If they have a higher magnesium level, if they take magnesium supplements, then get their brain levels up higher, they're much more resistant to the toxicity. Also, curcumin, all your antioxidants, vitamin E, vitamin C. These things protect against glutamate's excitotoxicity in the brain and its toxic response. And the pyruvate.

Health Ranger: That's really interesting, so there is a strategy you might call defensive eating. Again, if you know you're gonna subject yourself to the toxicity, obviously it would be wiser to not do that. But, if you want to, you could protect yourself in advance with better nutrition. That's fascinating.

Dr. Blaylock: If you combine these nutrient protectants, and I've protected the literature about how to protect yourself against glutamate toxicity. If you combine them you could produce tremendous protection against this toxicity to the brain. But like you say, you don't want to expose yourself to a toxin just because you can reduce the level of damage.

Health Ranger: Right. It's like putting a helmet on your head so you can strike yourself with a sledgehammer.

Dr. Blaylock: That's exactly right. You brought up the migraine headaches. I want to expand on that a little bit- the interesting thing, when you look at people who have migraine headaches, number one they have very low magnesium levels. When they have an attack of migraine, the spinal fluid glutamate level goes up tremendously. Once the attack stops, the glutamate level falls. And this is why glutamate in your diet can trigger a migraine headache. And usually when I was treating migraine headaches that were very resistant to treatment, the first thing I'd tell them, get off all the glutamate. I'd make a list of things and tell them how to get off the glutamate. Their attacks would get dramatically better, they were less intense and easier to control. And you put them on the magnesium or the pyruvate, they got even better. A lot of them never had a migraine attack again.

Health Ranger: That's fascinating, you've got so much great information here, we're about out of time for this segment. Let me just give your websites again- RussellBlaylockMD.com, folks, sign up there for Dr. Blaylock's email newsletter and you can stay informed on issues like what we've talked about here. Also, you have a wellness center website, is that right? Can you give us the URL?

Dr. Blaylock: It's BlaylockWellnessCenter.com

Health Ranger: Perfect, BlaylockWellnessCenter.com, and there you can find books, DVDs, lots of information Dr. Blaylock has put together to educate you about how to protect your health against excitotoxins. Dr. Blaylock I want to thank you for joining me in this segment. We'll do more in the future, but I thank you for this time.

Dr. Blaylock: Thank you, I appreciate it.

Health Ranger: Alright, folks, that was our interview with Dr. Russell Blaylock. Share this video, it's very important to get this out there. Check out his websites for more information, and also search YouTube and TV.NaturalNews.com for more videos interviewing Dr. Russell Blaylock. We're gonna talk to him about vaccines and other topics in future videos. Thanks for joining me today. This is Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, reporting for NaturalNews.com

http://www.naturalnews.com/035555_Russell_Blaylock_interview_excitotoxins.html

Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy

Is BioIdentical Hormone Replacement Therapy(BHRT) Right For You?

Estrogen decrease over our lifetime is a natural process of aging as we approach peri-menopause and enter menopause. Although a natural process, decreasing levels of estrogen can have less than desirable side effects, most importantly its effects on cardiovascular disease. Low estrogen in menopause leads to:

•         Cardiovascular Disease

•         Osteoporosis

•         Muscle Weakness/Fatigue

•         Insomnia/Foggy Thinking

•         Weight Gain

•         Decreased collagen/skin thickness

•         Decreased libido/vaginal dryness

CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE IS THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN WOMEN. It is important to have a comprehensive health workup when considering hormone replacement therapy. Creating complete health and balance in your life by fully evaluating cardiovascular health and risks, thyroid and adrenal function, breast/ovarian related cancers as well as dietary and lifestyle influences will ensure safe use of BHRT and the full benefit of anti-aging therapies. BHRT is most beneficial for women entering perimenopause and early menopause as the cardiovascular risks will be most reduced at this phase of life. Starting BHRT after the age of 65-70 years old is not recommended on the basis of increasing risk of stroke.

What is Bio-identical Hormone Replacement Therapy?

Bioidentical hormones are made from natural soy or yam components that are synthesized to be identical to the hormones that are made in your body.  Bioidentical hormone therapy is specifically created by a compounding pharmacy for your individual needs determined from thorough hormone testing. Proper estrogen and progesterone ratios can then be reestablished as well as uncovering testosterone, cortisol, and DHEA imbalances. Bioidentical hormones are used together with naturopathic therapeutics, exercise and nutritional therapies to increase health and vitality.

Who needs BHRT?

Pre-menopause:

Pre-menopausal women that are regularly cycling may have symptoms indicating hormone imbalance. Symptoms may include:

•  PMS(mood changes, acne, breast tenderness, painful cycles and irregular menses)

•  Migraines 

• Fatigue

• Anxiety 

• Miscarriage/Infertility

   

Peri-menopause:

Peri-menopausal woman will start to have changes in their menstrual cycle commonly skipping monthly cycles as the hormone levels start to decrease. Women with chronic illness, depletion, adrenal fatigue and long term use of oral contraceptives tend to notice peri-menopausal changes earlier than other women. The average woman enters perimenopause at 45 years old. Symptoms may include those above as well as:

• Hot flashes
• Insomnia
• Short term memory loss
• Heart palpitations
• Decreased sex drive
• Weight gain
• Hair loss

Menopause:

Woman that have entered menopause have not had a single menstrual cycle for an entire year. This symbolizes a drop in hormones that has consistently remained low over time unable to stimulate a menstrual cycle. Symptoms generally include the above mentioned as well as increased RISK FOR:

•  Cardiovascular disease

•  Osteopenia/osteoporosis

• Collagen changes and increased infection

 

Naturopathic Treatment Plan and Assessment includes:

• Salivary hormone testing to determine the actual hormone levels
• fasting blood work to assess nutrient levels, thyroid and adrenal function
• hormone balancing with customized herbal formulas specific to your condition
• medical nutrition assessment
• exercise protocols
• homeopathic medicine
• intramuscular vitamin injections
• natural hormone replacement if necessary

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310-691-6237