dietary therapy for a weakened middle burner

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Dietary Therapy for a Weakened Middle Burner

by Don Richard PaladinApril 22, 2000

In the early 1980's I began my journey into investigation of alternative healing. Oneof my healing practitioners, a Westerner, with training in Eastern therapiesrecommended, Prince Wen Hui's Cook(1) by Bob Flaws. Unfortunately thispractitioner's diagnostic skills were not fined tuned. He had been trained in takingpulses, a method used in the Chinese system of differential diagnosis. My pattern wasone in which the energy in my lungs and heart was in excess. He assumed that mymetabolism was in excess and that I needed to lower it. He recommended diet tolower my metabolism not realizing that my problem was a "deficiency" disorder forwhich I needed support of my spleen-pancreas/stomach organ system. One of themost essential elements of differential diagnosis in Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM) is correctly determining the energy dynamics pattern of the person to betreated.

I went to many alternative practitioners who simply made things worse because oftheir lack of comprehension of differential diagnosis. It took me more than ten yearsof reading and rereading books on TCM before I could grasp the basic elements ofthis view from another culture. I have an above average understanding of the BASICSof TCM for an American but I am not at an expert level. I would highly recommendthat if anyone so choose to use a TCM dietary approach to aid in their healing thatthey seek a consultation from a naturopath or doctor of Oriental Medicine trained in

differential diagnosis. In this page I focus upon a deficiency of the middle burner(spleen/stomach), cold syndrome. I know that the whole body system must beconsidered.

Below are some basics of TCM and diet for those who may seek to use a protocol tohelp restore their weakened spleen-pancreas/stomach organ system. Please be awarethat if your ROOT organ system is not a weakened spleen-pancreas-stomach organsystem, then this dietary approach will not help in your healing and may actuallymake you worse. I only present and share this information with no claims that it maybe beneficial to you.

TCM BASICS - (with a focus on Middle Burner Deficiency)

1.According to Chinese medicine, health and longevity are a product of our inherentconstitution or inherited vigor and our moment to moment interaction with theuniverse. (2)

Said another way, both the environment and our genetic predisposition work togetherto impact the quality of our health. An important feature of Chinese cosmology notdirectly obvious in the above statement is impact of the dynamic nature of time uponthe growth and development of all of us.


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The Chinese healer looks for the pattern of disharmony during his differentialdiagnosis. He understands that part of that disharmony may be caused by our inheritednature. When I went for diagnosis and treatment with Dr. Henry Lu in Vancouver,Canada in 1987, he told me that I had a weakened middle burner or spleen-pancreas-stomach organ system. He did this by taking my pulse, asking questions, and seeing a

cleft or crack on the middle of my tongue about half an inch from the tip. I was laterto learn from my readings that my middle burner would be the root cause of mychronic illness. When I showed several individuals the cleft in my tongue and toldthem how it reflected a disorder of a weakened spleen-pancreas-stomach organsystem, their response was similar. One an M.D. and the other an Asian waitress atmy favorite Chinese restaurant both said the same thing, "You were probably bornwith that "crack" in your tongue."

It was a teaching opportunity for me. "Yes, I said. I was. It reflects an inheritedweakness in my organ system." Then I explained the concept of inherited constitutionof Chinese cosmology to them. I also explained that I needed to balance my weakness

with those "elements" and their analogues that complement my weak system. That iswhat I will attempt to do on this page with my diet, which is only one of the eighthealing practices of Traditional Chinese Medicine. [The others are massage,acupuncture, geomancy, Chi Gong and Tai Chi, moxibustion, astrology, andHerbology.]

For illness in which weakness in digestion is a primary factor, then diet is the mostcritical path to rebalance and better health.

2. In preventive dietary therapy, as in all life-arts, moderation is the key. (3)

It is wise to start slowly altering ones diet. The first step is recognizing the mostproblematic foods and removing them. The ones remaining should be nourishing andcomplementing the weakness of your system. If one has weak energy, then add thosefoods that increase energy. This can be tricky because where there is an imbalanceboth excess energy and deficiency can exist. For those with an over active upperburner (heart and lungs), one can have lots of energy clustered in our upper organsystems but be very weak in our lower organ systems.

When I first started Eastern Healing treatments, some of the practitioners focusedupon the heat in my lungs and heart and tried to prescribe diets that "cooled" medown. This only fed more greatly into the strong cold imbalance [lower metabolism] Ialready had. My lungs and heart may have had lots of energy but the rest of mebecame like an ice cube. What they also did not understand was that many pungentfoods that will rise energy up will also stimulate the cortex of the adrenals and causean increase in cortisol production. Trying to cool my heart and lung energy would notget at the root problem, the lack of warm energy from the middle triad (e.g., kidneymedulla) of my spleen-pancreas and kidneys.

We don't want to repress the fire in our bodies when the overall pattern is one of

deficient energy in the lower parts of our body. We want to move it down (yangenergy actually flows down the body in the Chinese cosmology) to the lower organs.


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We do this by using treatments that warm the middle burner and stimulate the fire ofthe kidney medulla.

What I later learned after years of reading and researching the Chinese healingpractices informally was that our kidney medullas are responsible for heating the

body.

Remember the concept of the ENERGY DYNAMICS OF THE WHOLE ISREFLECTED IN ALL THE PARTS. I will come back to that. Right now . . . just beconcerned with systematically and gradually changing your diet so that you nurtureyour "root organ" system with the correct foods.

3. If the Middle Burner Fire [stomach/spleen-pancreas] becomes weak it will draw onthe Lower Burner or Primordial Fire [kidney medulla energy]. This "Little Fire"supports the "Big Fire" or Mind. If the Essences becomes depleted, the Heart/Mind

will become agitated and disordered. This in turn will further impair the digestivefunctioning leading to a vicious circle of depletion. Therefore, the Qi or MiddleBurner Fire is called the Root of Postnatal Life. (4)

The essential point here is that the source of all warming energy is to be found in theMIDDLE element of the body's sub-parts. The source of energy that keeps us healthyis found in the middle of the kidneys and the middle of the body in the spleen-pancreas-stomach system. The kidneys are said to control the fire or energy of themind. When there becomes an imbalance of the MIDDLE, all the organ systems canbecome dramatically impacted. This is not an easy concept to explain briefly. It isimportant because it helps one understand the relationship between the psychologicalproblems with their root cause in the Central Nervous System and the imbalancecaused by a weakened digestive system that must nurture and create energy for thewhole body.

The pattern of the weakened middle triad is repeated throughout the whole bodysystem in all the parts. In my case it was the weakened bottom two triads that lackedproper energy flow. I had an overactive, head, cortex, heart, adrenal cortex, etc., allparts of the upper triads. Excess in the upper triad produced analogue biochemicalsthat fed into the imbalance. For example, the source of body heat from my kidney

system should have been produced by a strong kidney medulla. Instead, my adrenalcortex most easily produced higher levels of cortisol that actually cooled my bodydown even more then needed..The kidney medulla was the middle triad of the kidneyorgan system. Although I have no lab results for my brain chemicals as I do from anadrenal panel lab test, I could extrapolate that my brain cortex is probably highlyactive but both my middle brain and brain stem are, relatively speaking, underactive.The solution for me then is to find foods that will stimulate biochemical analogues tonourish my central nervous system and lower brain - and my digestive system. - andmy kidney medulla - all the parts of the body organs systems.

How can I extrapolate this information from all my diagnoses? It is simple. I know

that the ENERGY DYNAMICS OF THE WHOLE IS REFLECTED IN ALL THEPARTS. A healer trained in TCM can look at my tongue and see the energy dynamics


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of my whole body system or feel my pulses and discover the energy dynamics of mywhole body. If you think of three levels of the triad as a simple musical scale, theneach organ system would resonate energetically with the same note much in the sameway that two "c" keys an octave apart will resonate. When talking about the body weare talking about both energy and biochemicals. The easiest way to get the

biochemicals the body needs to sustain itself is from food. If we give the body thewrong foods, we feed into the wrong pattern.

4 Preventively it therefore of utmost importance to maintain the vigor of the MiddleBurner Fire and this is done mostly through diet. (5)

The correct diet is basic to ALL health. If you don't understand and believe that thenyou have not heard of many relationships between diet and health. To maintain ourhealth we need to strengthen the MIDDLE fire of our bodies if it is weak. We do this

by selecting the right foods to complement our energy needs.

5. The basic methodology of Chinese medicine is heteropathy. A treatmentis selected which will balance or cancel an imbalance or syndrome.Excesses are dispersed, Deficiencies tonified. Hot problems are cooled off,Cold problems are warmed up. (6)

As mentioned above this approach can be tricky. One must first know which organ isthe root cause of the illness. My heart and lung energy were in excess but it did notrespond to the treatment to disperse them and cool them down. That was because thereal problem was the incredible weakness of the middle burner which is responsiblefor vital energy (post natal chi) extracted from foods. My body was not effectivelygetting energy that it needed to support and control other organ systems. This is whyit is important that someone correctly diagnose a patient's energy pattern. If the overall pattern is a COLD SYNDROME which I have had, then the approach would be totonify (nourish) the root cause or weakened organ system with food and herbs . . . andother treatments.

6. Although each patient is unique, over two thousand years of Chinese clinicalpractice succeeded in delineating a number of syndromes of patterns of disharmony.(7)

This simply says there are patterns within groups of individuals that respond tosimilar treatment. If one has a particular pattern of disharmony as recognized bydifferential diagnosis, one should respond to the basic approach and protocol fortreating this pattern. The trick becomes knowing which patterns respond to whichtreatment protocol. It helps to have someone who has a good grasp of differentialdiagnosis and patterns of disharmony doing your treatment.


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7. Based on such an energetic diagnosis, the next step for the practitioner is to clearlystate the appropriate therapeutic principles. (8)

Once you have been through a bonafide diagnostic process, the next step is for the

practitioner to create the appropriate treatment. This process is much different from aWestern diagnosis but is amazingly valuable complementary information for healing.

8. First law of Therapeutics, be sure to first eliminate foods that will aggravate thecondition. After this is accomplished, add foods that will benefit the condition.(9)

Yes, the first step is getting rid of those foods that are a problem. If you get bloatedfrom wheat and have abdominal distress, get rid of it. In my case, I loved the taste of

wheat products. It was not until several years after getting laboratory diagnosticinformation that I had gluten intolerance that I removed the wheat and other glutengrains completely from my diet. It was from reading the research related to heartdisease and diabetes that I realized that wheat was a real problem for me. It may havealways been something that does not nourish the energy dynamics of my body. Wheatis cooling. I have always had a slower metabolism. My body may have beenresponding in its unique way to wheat and I have ignored the response . . . or morelikely, I have not been able to figure it out until recently.

This one concept is critical to our healing. Find and get rid of the bad stuff first, thenreplenish and nourish with the good stuff for our bodies. Of course, we each decidewhat food complements our energy system based upon or own unique needs. Gettingthe right ones can be a challenge.

9. A final guideline in erecting a treatment is not to make the patient's diet tooextreme. In a Hot problem do not just prescribe everything Cold or Cooling you canthink of for the patient. The extremity of the diet should be balanced with theextremity of the patient's condition. This sort of balance cannot be learned from abook but must be learned in the clinic through experience. (10)

In the past I have tried to treat myself with WARMING herbs. Usually what happenedwas that I had lots of heat in my stomach organ system but it did not move out to theother organs. [If you check your tongue and see a kind of yellow covering in thecenter of your tongue, this can be heat in the stomach]. It is a trick to balance yourdiet so that you are nourishing all your organ systems. In the diet below, there is anover focus on treating the middle burner system. The problem is that most of myorgan system is out of balance and needs to be nourished. By eating things locallygrown in season you can add small amounts of things not on the basic diet to helpwith seasonal energy. The real key is getting rid of those that feed into the imbalancelike I did with wheat and gluten proteins. Then add those that support the middle

burner. Then supplement with small amounts of things that may not be recommended.In the summer I eat one or two tomatoes grown in my garden because I love the taste.


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Tomatoes are cooling but in the heat of summer this will be OK for me..

10. Most of my dietary [Bob Flaws] recommendations are not any more specific thanto eat tonifying and nourishing foods [increase and balance the metabolism] and to

avoid foods cooling to the Middle Burner Fire, for patients with Deficiency, or toavoid foods that aggravate the Liver, for patients whose problems stem from theLiver. (11)

Bob Flaw wrote the book from which I have taken the above quotes. I think his basicapproach is the safest approach for those of us with food intolerance. It is a simpleapproach: Remove and restore.

11. In the realm of dietary therapy, if a disease is diagnosed as a Cold Disease [a

deficiency of vital energy], cold foods should be avoided and warm foods should beeaten. Foods that are energetically cool and cold are: cucumber, bananas, tomato, soyproducts (such as tofu, tempeh, soy milk), citrus fruit, spinach, seaweed, melons,millet. Foods that are warm and hot are: squash, carrot, peach, mussel, onion, litchinut, leek, kidney, mutton, garlic, coconut milk, chicken, chestnut, and amasake. (12)

I don't know how many people with MCS and food intolerance have trouble with thecool/cold foods list, but I have problems with them ALL. I love both cukes andbananas but have the worst gut ache in the world when I eat them. They are very hardfor me to digest. When the pain reaction is as strong as it is with some foods, wesimply condition ourselves to avoid them. The key is listening to our bodies andtrying to figure out which ones trigger a response. I think the above list should be ofhelp to many of us with food intolerance.

The Chinese do not categorize foods by their biochemical nature or their calories.Foods are categorized by their energy dynamics. Warm and hot foods increase themetabolism. Cold and cool foods slow the metabolism down. I have found that foodsthat push my body into a cold pattern are the ones for which I have the mostintolerance. Surprisingly some hot foods will also cause problems. The ones that arepungent cause energy to rise. This stimulates the upper triad of my organ systems.

Very hot foods are used in TCM to dry and cool too. Why would pungent foodsstimulate lowering of the body metabolism? I will suggest a possible reason later.

12. Before attempting to reduce any Excess one should first take into account theextent and nature of any concomitant Deficiencies. (13)

Here is the warning again about excesses. It is hard for us with a strong logical viewto grasp a mutually inclusive phenomenon. If one shows some heat symptoms in onesbody, that does not necessarily mean one treats the heat symptoms first. Look at the

whole dynamics of the energy pattern. Look for the root organ system. Nourish theroot system first. Later you can deal with the excess. I learned this the hard way. I


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think it is because so much of our medical approach in the Western view is geared tothe acute disorders and excess energy patterns. Chronic illnesses are not wellunderstood and treated in the West.

13. The diet must match the specific etiology and conformation, otherwise it will notbe helpful at best and at worst it may prove detrimental. (14)

My greatest fear in sharing my diet is that someone will incorrectly assume this diet isfor them and use it. They will then make their illness worse. Let me say again anddirectly that I am not recommending this diet for anyone. This is a treatment that hashelped me. One needs an appropriate diagnosis to know whether this diet will benefitthem. I am sharing information about my long term experience with diet and healing.You must find what works for you. I hope by explaining the basics and giving thesources that you may create your own treatment protocol with the appropriate experts.

14. Deficient Spleen Qi means that the day-to-day function of the Middle Burner isimpaired . . . If this situation is not corrected the patient will not be able to extract thepure Qi from food. Not only will the Spleen function be impaired, but over a period oftime there will be a drain on the root energy of the Middle burner, the foundation ofpost-natal life and source of Acquired Essence. (15)

When our spleen-pancreas system becomes weak, it will impact the energy in all theother organ systems. It becomes a downward spiral to ill health. The road back up issupporting the system so that it works to create the energy that one needs for balanceand health.

15. What should a person with Spleen Qi or Spleen Yang Deficiency eat? Cookedsquash, carrot, sweet potato, yam, rutabaga, turnip, leek, onion, and pumpkin (lightlystir-fried, steamed, baked, and/or mashed); well-cooked soft rice, sweet rice, and oats;butter; small amounts of chicken, turkey, mutton, beef or anchovy (particularlybroths, soups, or gravies of these); cooked peach, cherry, and strawberry; dried litchiand fig; cardamon, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, black pepper [be careful with pungent

spices]; tapioca and custards; kudzu root, arrow root; and moderate amounts ofsweeteners such as honey, molasses, barley malt, rice bran syrup, and sugar.[Sweeteners are contraindicated for those with hypoglycemia] What should beavoided? Salad, citrus fruit and juice, too much salt, tofu, undercooked grain, millet,buckwheat, milk, cheese, seaweed, agar, too much liquid with meals and too muchsweet. (16)

These are the foods the Bob Flaws recommends in his book for Spleen Deficiency. Beaware that one can have a weakened middle burner and still not tolerate some of therecommended food. The one food on the list I know I have problems with is black

pepper. In fact, I have problems with many pungent foods which cause energy to rise.This pattern feeds into the part of my energy that gets clustered in my upper burner


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[heart and lung energy]. I found that I could tolerate white pepper but not blackpepper. What is the difference? The black pepper has the exterior layer still intact.They remove it to create the white pepper. I felt intuitively that the outer or upperlayer in foods may actually be the source of upward stimulation with an analoguebiochemical structure that feeds into our excess upper burner pattern. Black and white

pepper are the only examples of experiencing the differences of this energy in foods.Pungent foods actually will stimulate a reaction to cool the body. It is safer using aminimum of them.

I have tested positive for reactive hypoglycemia. Glucose and fructose areproblematic for me. Like spices, sweet foods and drink are cooling and will slow yourmetabolism down. If you have a weak spleen-pancreas, best to avoid most fruit exceptfor an occasional seasonal treat. I will have small amounts of fruit this summer in theheat of the season. I know consciously that the fruit will lower my metabolism. Otherauthors have made recommendations for a weakened middle burner system. Theyhave been included below.

16 If the Spleen [spleen-pancreas organ system] is weak it may not have the energy tocreate peristalsis for the transportation of food and liquids. By strengthening theSpleen this torpidity can be tonified. (17)

One of the obvious symptoms of a weak spleen is undigested food in ones stool. Thespleen is very involved in sending energy to the other organs. So weakness and poormuscle tone are symptoms of this weakness, too.

17. Sugar also has a strong ascending nature and over consumption will lead to toomuch energy rising to the upper half of the body creating an Excess there whileleaving the lower half Deficient. This may manifest as mucous disorders,hyperactivity, fluid accumulation disorders, fatigue, and emotional disorders, all ofwhich are common in our culture. (18)

An important fact to remember is that a mechanism for cooling can be found in thecortex (outer layer) of the kidney. This is where the hormone cortisol is produced.

Those of us with a constitutional pattern toward upper burner (upper level of threelevels) excess, will be predisposed to having problems with a sugar metabolismbecause it feeds into an excess of this pattern. Sugar and pungent foods stimulateWATER and COOLING according to Chinese medicine. If one is hot or has hotdisorders, that is good. If one has a COLD SYNDROME then these foods are notgoing to be beneficial. Mucus is being stimulated by this biochemical mechanism. Ifyou have dark yellow or green mucus on your lungs, you may have a DAMP HEATdisorder. If you have clear white sputum, you have a DAMP COLD disorder. Thissuggests that sweets and heavy fruit diets are not beneficial for those who may alreadyhave a predisposition toward excess rising energy in the upper part of their bodies andorgan systems. [As unfair is it seems, sugar would be great for that thin, dry and very

energetic type person who tends toward constipation.]


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18. Cold syndrome: This syndrome includes all diseases caused by cold pathogenicenergy or a decline in yang energy with yin excess. The symptoms may include lowbody temperature, pale complexion, withered spirits, fatigue, sleeping with legs curledup, love of warmth, fear of cold, cold abdominal pain that lessens with warmth,absences of thirst or thirst with a craving for hot drink, discharge of watery stools,

clear and long streams of urine, pale tongue with a white and sliding coating, anddeep and slow pulse, which are mostly seen in chronic and weak diseases. (19)

This definition of the "Cold Syndrome" should help one understand if one fits intothis pattern. If you don't see yourself in this definition, then the diet on this page isNOT for you. One must also remember that for me the spleen-pancreas-stomachorgan system are my root (cause) organ system. The problems have been transferredto all my organs. I also have a very big issue with my liver function. One mustconsider all of the whole when trying to balance. Finding the "root cause" means thatin case of an energy deficiency we need to strengthen (tonify) that organ system first

before dealing with the excesses found in other organs. Think of it as a "balance." It iswiser to add to the light side to balance then to try to remove. This is especially true ina case where one side may almost be empty. In this model we want to add on orincrease the energy in order to increase and restore health.

19. Deficiency syndrome. This syndrome encompasses all diseases caused by adecline in body energy. The symptoms of this syndrome include pale complexion, lowspirits, fatigue, weakness, palpitations, shortness of breath, excessive perspiration,night sweats, tender tongue with no coating, and deficient and weak pulse. (20)

Deficiency (cold pattern) disorders are most often found in chronic rather than acuteillnesses. It is believed that they are caused by a lack of vital energy in the body thatallows the downward spiral of ill health.

20. InEast West Master Course in Herbology, Michael Tierra explains, " The spleen[spleen-pancreas considered a single organ in Chinese medicine] is consideredresponsible for the transformation and transportation of energy in the body. It controlsfluids. It has the function of controlling the lymphatic secretions. Dysfunction of the

spleen is associated with indigestion, swollen abdomen, diarrhea and edema.Deficiency of the spleen results in weak muscles and malnourishment due to poorassimilation, hypoglycemia and diabetes. . . . Diseases of the stomach correspond inmany ways to those of the spleen-pancreas although they tend to be more superficialand acute. . . . Diseases of Earth include hypoglycemia, diabetes, off-centeredness,lack of appetite, diarrhea, constipation, mucus diseases, menstrual irregularities,stomach and digestive disorders, and inability to stay in the moment and concentrate."(21)

Remember that when the spleen system becomes deficient and ill health takes over, it

will impact all the other organs because it is the source of vital energy. Diabetes,


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hypoglycemia, and digestive disorders are illnesses that are symptoms of themalfunctioning of this organ system.

If one has the cleft, crack, or line in the middle of the tongue about half an inch fromthe tip, this suggests weakness in the spleen-pancreas-stomach organ system. It also

suggests potential heart disease. I have included some recommendations for a diet forheart disease after the Chinese Dietary Therapy for a weakened Middle Burner.

21. Chinese nutrition is defined as "the science that deals with the healing propertiesof foods to correct disharmonies within the body." ... Chinese nutrition deals on anenergetic level to which balance is the key. Foods are selected according to theirenergetic qualities such as warming, cooling, drying, or lubricating. Thus, Chinesenutrition would seek to warm the coldness, cool the heat, dry the dampness, lubricatethe dryness and so forth . . . Generally speaking, warming food raise metabolism andcooling foods lower metabolism. (22)

Are you getting the point yet?

22. There is a useful relationship between food colors and the elements andcorresponding body system. White foods nourish the lungs; black and dark blue foodsnourish the kidneys; green foods nourish the liver; yellow and orange foods nourishthe spleen-stomach; red foods nourish the heart. Thus a person with weak digestion(spleen weakness) should include plenty of yellow and orange foods, such as sweetpotatoes and winter squash, as these are the colors that correspond to the Earthelement and the spleen organ. (23)

The important colors to nourish our weakened system are green and orange/yellowfoods. In fact, I believe that supplements would also apply to this rule. I have foundthat both folic acid and riboflavin are orange. I have expanded use of them in mypersonal regimen.

23. Ones diet should follow the seasons, eating what grows locally. Nature has the

perfect plan in providing the appropriate foods for the given season. The fruits andvegetables that ripen in summertime tend to be on the cooling side because theirgrowth period occurs during the cooler months. In wintertime we will tend toward amore warming diet. (24)

In the last 60 years we have been able to eat fresh fruits in the middle of the coldwinter. I have found that food that is fresh and in season always tastes better. Theopposite is also true. Eating a tomato in winter is not a gastronomic pleasure for me. Idon't know how significant it is eat seasonally, but I have for a number of years.


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24. The foods for energy deficiency [beef, chicken, ... goose, grapes, herring, . . .mackerel, ... sweet and white potatoes, rabbit, ... shiitake mushrooms, squash, ... andwhite string beans] mostly affect the stomach, spleen, and pancreas, all of which areregarded in Chinese medicine as the acquired sources of the immune function. Whenthey are deficient, the body's immune function will be impaired, which is why energy

tonics play an important role in enhancing the immune function. A Chinese physicianin the third century named Zhang Zhong Jing said, "When the spleen and pancreas arefull of energy, the body will be immune from disease." (25)

A weakened spleen system will be implicated in a weakened immunity. The Chinesebelieve in a bimodal immune system as we do in the West but it is unified. Theybelieve that the upper burner [heart, lungs] has its energy collecting point in thethymus area of the chest and the lower burner associated with the kidneys has itsenergy collecting point in the prostrate area. It is likely, considering the Eastern view,one part of the immune memory system is analogue and another is digital. One part

remembers specific antigens like the humoral system and the other can generalize toan analogue system of stimuli that are structurally similar. This will explain the"spreading phenomenon" so common in MCS. Those of us with an over active upperburner are likely to have an over active analogue system of immune response.However, we will also have a weakened digital response. This is, in fact, my ownexperience as reflected by lab results to measure my immune profile. The key will beto reduce the overactive component of the immune response (Cellular) and tostimulate the Humoral response. This may be done with supplementation and diet. Iam working on this now and will address this issue later.

25. A Chinese medical book published in the third century, entitled Prescription forAcute Diseases, said, "Good health is first and foremost to be found in foods; anyonewho does not know how to eat the right foods cannot stay in good health." (26)

Need I say more? I am amazed how far Western medicine has evolved away from thewisdom of Hippocrates who suggested that we let food be our medicine. Somewisdom is eternal.

26. Yang deficiency, or kidney yang deficiency, refers to a lack of yang energy in thekidneys [medulla], which is essential in the maintenance of body warmth . . . Aperson with yang deficiency often displays fatigue, cold limbs, ... soft bones, lowspirits, and diarrhea, backache, shortness of breath, frequent urination (especially atnight), pale complexion, hair loss, edema, impotence in men and infertility andvaginal discharge in women. A few common diseases are indicative of yangdeficiency, including bronchial asthma, asthmatic tracheitis, allergic rhinitis, chronicnephritis, vitiligo, psoriasis, tuberculosis of bones, osteoporosis, and diabetes mellitus.(27)

This is an important concept in the overall energy picture. Even though warmth of thebody can be generated by food, much of a basic metabolism is already with us. Those


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of us with food intolerance and chemical sensitivity are deficient in our level of bodywarmth (yang energy). We will want to stimulate with supplementation and foodthose that resonate with the kidney medulla. It is no surprise that people with asthmaare given adrenalin analogues to decrease their cold syndrome reactions toenvironmental triggers. They also work for us with MCS. The common factor in MCS

and asthma is the deficiency of yang energy and its chemical analogues found in theMiddle Triad.

27. USE ANIMALS' INTERNAL ORGANS TO STRENGTHEN YOUR OWN . . . Itis wise to make use of animals' internal organs to strengthen your own, which meansto eat animals' kidneys and liver to strengthen your own internal organs. (28)

Before you raise your nose and rebel about using animal internal organs, please beaware that some supplements and drugs are derived from animal organs. In this case

the principle is most important for us with weakened digestive system. We haveweakened digestive enzymes and bicarbonate produced by our underactive pancreas.

I tried a number of vegetarian enzymes under the direction of my environmentalphysician. It wasn't until I tried the enzymes made of animal organs and othersupplements and started taking Trisalts (bicarbonates)an hour after eating did I reallybegin to increase the efficiency of my digestion. Of course, I had also removed thefoods that were problematic. The use of digestive enzymes and bicarbonates an hourlater as a protocol is recommended in Optimal Digestion: New Strategies for

Achieving Digestive Health.(29)

Middle Burner Warming Diet

The list of foods below are taken from a number of sources that deal with ChineseDietary Therapy. I have only focused upon foods that will warm the middle triad ofour bodily systems. Many sources recommend removing the most criticalprecipitators of imbalance toward a cold pattern of disharmony. Removing sweets,most grains, soy, pungent spices, fruits, and fruit juices will go a long way to helpingrestore the energy to the middle burner. The rest is about fine tuning and listening toones body. I will also again mention the addition of digestive enzymes and somestomach acid followed an hour later by bicarbonates to neutralize everything for the

colon.

Food List Recommend Foods to Avoid(hypoglycemia)

beets# ?butter# soycarrots? (*Can lower blood sugar) wheatgreen onions# + Sugarleeks & garlic + (garlic is pungent an can be a problem)Chinese Chives+ Most grains (particularly

gluten ones)pumpkin ? Fruits other than


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recommendedchicken*#+ Fruit juicesmustard # Nuts other thanrecommendedadzuki beans# ? Most spices (pungent ones)

green beans+kale+mustard greens+ Coffeerice# ? (most tolerated grain) Teas?shrimp* Simple carbohydratesvinegar (brown rice sparingly)+ ?corianderfennel*oysters*mussel*caraway*

potato (Yukon yellows)# ?spearmintstar anisewhite pepper*beef*#+winter squash*#lamb/mutton*#+dill seed*walnuts*#+crab apple*sardines*raspberry*#strawberry*#trout or carp#perch*peach#parsley+olive oil# ?ginger#shiitake mushrooms#green olives

dates (sparingly)+almonds#cole vegetables (braccia family) ?

Foods To Raise HDL Cholesterol and Lower Triglycerides

As I have already alluded, heart disease may be an end organ disease for a weaknessof the middle burner. I have struggled for years with high cholesterol and triglyceridesand low HDL levels. The challenge became what to do to bring those levels intonormal range. In the spring of 2000 after changing my diet by eliminating sweet foods(low carbs) and gluten grains, my cholesterol level dropped to almost withing normal

range. My triglycerides had been higher than 850 and were now within normal range


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at 143. What changed my lab results after many years of doing all kinds of things withmy diet? I think it was the simple elimination of the grains and sweets.

I still need to increase my HDL levels. As I write this, I am now working at this withdiet. I am trying to fine tune my diet. Jean Carper has written a number of books on

healing and diet based upon review of current research of foods. Her new book, TheMiracle Heart(30) seems to be just what I need to focus on raising the my HDL.

Helpful Foods/Supplements Avoid foods

Beans ?Carrots High in Saturated FatsOlive Oil Trans Fats (vegetable oils)Avocados Glutenous GrainsAlmonds Simple SugarsWalnuts Fruit juices

Garlic (Problematic for some EI's) Iron (supplements)Onions (raw, yellow?)Fatty FishTea (green)Vegetables rich in Vitamin CVegetables rich in Beta CarotenePurple GrapesOystersMusselsFolic AcidVitamin B6Vitamin B12Magnesium/CalciumSeleniumCo Q-10Omega-3 Fish OilsBeta carotene

[Digestive Enzymes & support... Carper does not recommend this but for someonewith a weakened middle burner this will be critical]

Pattern of Disharmony - Weakened Middle Burner (31)

If you have a preponderance of the following symptoms, you may have a weakenedmiddle burner:

____Cold hands and feet____Fatigue easily____Concentration problems____Sugar cravings____Abnormal sleeping patterns

____Diminished libido____Undigested food in your stool


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____Digestive disorders____Food intolerance____Bloating and water retention____Loose stools____Love of warmth and massage

____Palpitations____Abdominal swelling and pain after eating____Frequent urination (usually clear and copious)____Cold abdomen to the touch [Touch forehead then stomach to compare warmth]____Pale white moss [tongue coating] on your tongue____Weak yang pulse [Taken by a trained practitioner]____Clear or white mucous____Preference for warmth and dryness over coldness and dampness____Pain and soreness throughout body____Tongue cleft (split, crack or line) in the middle of tongue about half inch from tip____When putting on weight it is usually as abdominal fat

Remove, Replace, Restore & Repair

In Optimal Digestion (32) Dr. Jeffrey Bland summarizes his protocol for improvingdigestion and detoxification:

Step 1: RemoveCommon food allergies or sensitivitiesBad bugs - candida or bacterial overgrowth or parasitesProblem from virusesMinimize environmental toxins and digestive toxins

Step 2. ReplaceBetaine hydrochloride (hydrochloric acid)Enzymes (animal-based or plant based)Bicarbonate (which enables the enzymes to work)

Step 3. Restore Beneficial FloraProbiotics-L. Acidophilus and other probioticsProvide prebiotics if starches and sugars are tolerated

Increase fiberIncrease resistant starch in the diet to reduce acidity and raise fatty acidsMonitor level of starches and sugars

Step 4. RepairProvide nutrients to heal the GI mucosaSupport the immune functions of the GI tractContinue to avoid allergens and irritants; certain drugs, alcohol, and foods that triggerallergies .

On this page I have attempted to suggest dietary therapy that has helped improve my

health. It should be remembered that I have lab results the reflect problems withcholesterol, homocysteine, glucose metabolism (hypoglycemia), immunology and


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detoxification. I have also been to a number of healers trained in Traditional ChineseMedicine (TCM) who have made a number of suggestions. Please do not forget that"Dietary Therapy" is only one of the eight branches of T.C.M. When energymetabolism is an issue, one needs to work on energy building issues too . . . but that isanother page. The best approach is for one to listen to their body, remove the foods

and things for which they have an intolerance, and add those that will enhance theirenergy and health. This page has been created as information to help you find yourown solutions to your particular dietary and energy enhancing needs. I hope I havestimulated thought and maybe shined a little light along the shadowy path of chronicillness leading to a restoration of health. Good luck.

References

1. Bob Flaws & Honora Wolfe, Prince Wen Hui's Cook: Chinese Dietary Therapy,Paradigm Publications, Brookline, Mass., 1983.

2. Ibid. , p. 73. Ibid., p. 114. Ibid., p. 125. Ibid., p 126. Ibid., p. 197. Ibid., p. 258. Ibid., p. 269. Ibid., p. 2910. Ibid., p. 2911. Ibid., p. 3112. Ibid., p. 3613. Ibid., p. 3614. Ibid., p. 3815. Ibid., p. 3916. Ibid., p. 4117. Ibid., p. 5418. Ibid., p. 7019. *Henry C. Lu, Chinese System of Natural Cures, Sterling Publishing, NY, 1994,p. 3220. Ibid., pg. 3321. Michael Tierra,East West Master Course in Herbology, Santa Cruz, CA, 1981,

"The Chinese Theory of Five Elements, Lesson 6, p. 5#Michael Tierra, East West Master Course in Herbology, "Herbs as Special Foodsand Foods for Healing," Section I, Lesson 3, p. 1 - 47, Santa Cruz, 198122. + Maoshing Ni, The Tao of Nutrition, Published by the Shrine of the Eternal Tao,Los Angeles, CA, 1987, p. 523. Ibid., p. 924. Ibid. p. 2225. Henry C. Lu, Chinese Foods for Longevity: The Art of Long Life, SterlingPublishing, NY, 1990, p. 3826. Ibid., p. 3227. Ibid. p. 39

28. Ibid., p. 179-18029. Trent W. Nichols & Nancy Faass, Optimal Digestion: New Strategies for


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Achieving Digestive Health, Avon Books, NY, 1999, p. 3030. Jean Carper, The Miracle Heart, The Ultimate Guide to Preventing and Curing

Heart Disease with Diet and Supplements, Harper Paperbacks, NY, 200031. Henry C. Lu, Chinese Foods for Longevity: The Art of Long Life, SterlingPublishing, NY, 1990, p. 107 - 149

32. Trent W. Nichols & Nancy Faass, Optimal Digestion: New Strategies forAchieving Digestive Health, Avon Books, NY, 1999, p 181-182.

Links:

"The Celiac/Autoimmune Thyroid Connection: A Major Thyroid DiseaseBreakthrough" athttp://thyroid.about.com/health/thyroid/library/weekly/aa040700a.htm

"Zonulin Could Be Linked To Many Autoimmune Ills" at

http://unisci.com/stories/20002/0501004.htm

"Newest Research: Reasons Why You Should Avoid Soy" athttp://www.mercola.com/2000/apr/9/soy_research_update.htm

"Lower Your Grains and Increase Your Health" athttp://www.mercola.com/article/carbohydrates/lower_your_grains.htm

Nutritional Supplements for Specific Conditions, taken from The PhysiciansHandbook of Clinical Nutrition (1995 edition) (Australian)http://www.accessnable.com.au/inform.htm

Healthy Liver and Weight Loss (A well written and informative article written by anAustralian doctor about liver function.)http://www.positivehealth.com/permit/Articles/Nutrition/cabot37.htm

Hypoglycemia Support Foundation at http://www.hypoglycemia.org/

Hypoglycemia Homepage Holland - the Unabridged Collection athttp://lightning.prohosting.com/~hypoglyc/

SYNDROME X athttp://www.americanheart.org/Heart_and_Stroke_A_Z_Guide/syndx.html

Syndrome X and Insulin Resistancehttp://www.colostate.edu/Depts/CoopExt/PUBS/COLUMNNN/nn971022.htm

Return to MCS - The Poisoned Web

Note: This page on Dietary Therapy is in its first format. Please send back any

comments [email protected]. If you don't understand something, please ask. Ihave intentionally tried to write in a non-authorative but personal style. I decided to
http://thyroid.about.com/health/thyroid/library/weekly/aa040700a.htmhttp://thyroid.about.com/health/thyroid/library/weekly/aa040700a.htmhttp://unisci.com/stories/20002/0501004.htmhttp://unisci.com/stories/20002/0501004.htmhttp://www.mercola.com/2000/apr/9/soy_research_update.htmhttp://www.mercola.com/2000/apr/9/soy_research_update.htmhttp://www.mercola.com/article/carbohydrates/lower_your_grains.htmhttp://www.mercola.com/article/carbohydrates/lower_your_grains.htmhttp://www.accessnable.com.au/inform.htmhttp://www.accessnable.com.au/inform.htmhttp://www.positivehealth.com/permit/Articles/Nutrition/cabot37.htmhttp://www.positivehealth.com/permit/Articles/Nutrition/cabot37.htmhttp://www.hypoglycemia.org/http://www.hypoglycemia.org/http://lightning.prohosting.com/~hypoglyc/http://lightning.prohosting.com/~hypoglyc/http://www.americanheart.org/Heart_and_Stroke_A_Z_Guide/syndx.htmlhttp://www.americanheart.org/Heart_and_Stroke_A_Z_Guide/syndx.htmlhttp://www.colostate.edu/Depts/CoopExt/PUBS/COLUMNNN/nn971022.htmhttp://www.colostate.edu/Depts/CoopExt/PUBS/COLUMNNN/nn971022.htmhttp://homestead.juno.com/sunergos/files/hubpage.htmhttp://homestead.juno.com/sunergos/files/hubpage.htmmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://homestead.juno.com/sunergos/files/hubpage.htmhttp://www.colostate.edu/Depts/CoopExt/PUBS/COLUMNNN/nn971022.htmhttp://www.americanheart.org/Heart_and_Stroke_A_Z_Guide/syndx.htmlhttp://lightning.prohosting.com/~hypoglyc/http://www.hypoglycemia.org/http://www.positivehealth.com/permit/Articles/Nutrition/cabot37.htmhttp://www.accessnable.com.au/inform.htmhttp://www.mercola.com/article/carbohydrates/lower_your_grains.htmhttp://www.mercola.com/2000/apr/9/soy_research_update.htmhttp://unisci.com/stories/20002/0501004.htmhttp://thyroid.about.com/health/thyroid/library/weekly/aa040700a.htm


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quote heavily from other sources so that others may explore information on theirown. As I mentioned on the Dietary Therapy page after many years of reading bookson TCM, I began to eventually get it. I don't mean to imply that I have resolved myMCS. I continue to find the correct elements to restore my health to greater balance. Iam better this last year. I believe it is in part due to the shift in the foods I have been

eating and the addition of supplements that support digestion. If you need someclarification, please let me know. I only have "book" knowledge and not clinicalexperience. I seek no remuneration for this information. I do ask, however, that if youdo read this information that you do something productive for the MCS Community. Iwould like to encourage anyone who has found this information useful andstimulating to please either donate to anMCS Research Fundor to write to yourCongressional members and seek support for research funds for MCS. For me,RESEARCHis the most important thing we call all encourage to resolve the issuesrelated to our illness. Thank you. dp

Note: July 4, 2001, After a long absence from looking at research [I have beensearching for safer housing for the past year], I went to the local library lastWednesday and did some research. I was excited to find information that answeredsome questions I had about my problem increasing my HDL levels and [I suspected]increasing my yet untested serum paraoxonase [PON 1].

For those of you on our state list who are new, I have discussed the issue of adeficiency of PON 1 before. We have a number of links on our links page athttp://wsmcsn.homestead.com/files/links.htm

My basic hypothesis is that we have some major biochemical imbalances that need tobe treated by restoring the biochemicals that increase the balance and removing thosebiochemicals which feed into the imbalance. For example, if one has insulindependent diabetes, one supplements with insulin and avoids a high sugar diet thatwould feed into the imbalance. \

For those who don't remember what I wrote in the past on the list, here is a quickreview:\par 1. I believe that nutrition is one ESSENTIAL element in the naturalhealing process ... so I believe selecting a beneficial diet will help improve mypersonal ecology. [THERE ARE OTHER ELEMENTS besides diet].\par 2. I believe

that MCS is a metabolic disorder probably caused by a deficiency of NATURALhuman enzymes and biochemistry. [Yes, chemical intolerance is an environmentallyinduced disorder but there has to be biochemical component to it or every humanexposed to the same chemicals would develop the same reactions. ... This is known asVARIABILITY OF TOLERANCE]\par 3. From what I have read about MCS the past19 years, I believe our most common family history is diabetes and heart disease.These are both related to a malfunctioning of our spleen-pancreas and liver systems.[Some of us have a more highly impacted spleen-pancreas function and others have amore impacted liver system. BOTH are a problem in MCS.]\par 4. I hypothesize forthose of us with indicators for heart disease and diabetes/hypoglycemia and who arealso pesticide intolerant that we have a deficiency of the enzyme PON 1 (serum

paraoxonase). We MAY be a subset of those with MCS. [WE NEED RESEARCHON THIS!!!!!! I don't think PON 1 is the MASTER DOMINO in the sequence that
http://www.ciin.org/fund.htmhttp://www.ciin.org/fund.htmhttp://www.ciin.org/fund.htmhttp://homestead.juno.com/sunergos/files/thepeg.htmhttp://homestead.juno.com/sunergos/files/thepeg.htmhttp://wsmcsn.homestead.com/files/links.htmhttp://wsmcsn.homestead.com/files/links.htmhttp://wsmcsn.homestead.com/files/links.htmhttp://homestead.juno.com/sunergos/files/thepeg.htmhttp://www.ciin.org/fund.htm


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leads to MCS. WE NEED TO FIND THAT COMMON LINK THAT LEADS TO AFAILURE TO CATABOLIZE TOXIC CHEMICALS!!!!]\par \par Last year I was allexcited because I stopped eating gluten grains, revised my diet, and my energybecame better. I lost weight (about 25 pounds) and my cholesterol and tryglyceridesplummeted after having immensely high numbers in everything except HDL for

years. My lipid profile was the best in about 17 years last year. I was disturbed thatmy change in diet did not bring my HDL into safe numbers because I had read in thePON 1 research a correlation between HDL and PON 1 activity. That is ... the betterthe HDL the better the PON 1. I hypothesized that if I could increase my HDL that Icould increase my PON 1 and DECREASE MY INTOLERANCE TO PESTICIDESand other toxic chemicals that may be detoxified through this biochemicalmechanism. Even though I have better energy and better lab results I REMAINEDchemically sensitive. I wondered if my hypothesis was wrong ... and still do.\par \parLast Wednesday I found some research I have imported that helps me explain why Imay NOT have INCREASED my HDL satisfactorily. [Please don't think just thisONE change will make me PESTICIDE and ENVIRONMENTALLY TOLERANT. I

still hope we find the MASTER ENZYME LINK!]\par \par Here is what I think is theproblem with the HDL. As long as I have added nutrients that supported a HEALTHYheart, I have taken both OLIVE OIL and FISH OIL (fish oil daily) in my diet. Listento this ONE: The research I have imported in to this email indicates that FISH OILactually DECREASES PON 1 levels. YES, DECREASES! The OIL that increasesPON 1 levels is TRIOLEIN. I had to do a search to find out where I could get this oil.It is a major component for OLIVE OIL. So based upon restore that which enhancesbalance and remove that which increases imbalance, I am increasing my personalconsumption of OLIVE OIL and removing my daily supplementation of fish oil. \par

\par Please understand I may be way ahead of the curve on this issue.[Or WAY OFFbase!] The thing about testing environmental issues is that one can only do it one itemat a time. After reading the research below, my lab results INDICATE that fish oilMAY be implicated in my low HDL levels. I will be taking my annual exam soon. Iwill wait until I have about a month with this new protocol in my diet (INCREASEDLEVEL OF OLIVE OIL ... REMOVAL OF FISH OILS and the avoidance of soy andgluten grains). I will report back to the group then.\par \par If there is anyone else onthe list with a similar health profile and would like to be part of an INFORMAL testgroup, then email me. [This is my health profile: documentation of abnormal lipidprofile with prediction of heart disease, documentation of reactive hypoglycemia witha family history of diabetes, documentation of abnormal homocysteine levelscorrected with supplementation, documentation of a porphyrin disorder, a long history

of chemical intolerance but particularly of pesticide intolerance (pyrethroids,glyphosate, organophosphate, etc.). I am hypothesizing that I have LOW PON 1. Icould not afford the $500 at the U of W Department of Genetics to test for my serumparaoxonase levels. Changing my fats intake is a cost effective way to test myhypothesis. Of course, I do wonder about other factors mentioned in the research. I doeat lots of cheese to help with the hypoglycemia. I think I may remove that too and

just take a tablespoon of OLIVE OIL between meals. In my search I found researchthat suggested the TRIOLEIN can improve the feelings of satiety. When one eatscarbohydrates the sugar levels go goofy. Cheeses are high in saturated fats andcholesterol. These were implicated in decreasing PON 1 in the research below. Theolive oil may fill the biochemical void.} dp [To be revised later. Rough note

addendum]


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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11015468&dopt=Abstract

: J Nutr 2000 Oct;130(10):2427-33 Books

Dietary fat modulates serum paraoxonase 1 activity in rats.

Kudchodkar BJ, Lacko AG, Dory L, Fungwe TV.

Department of Molecular Biology and Immunology, University of NorthTexas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX 76107-2699, USA.

We examined the effects of dietary fats with specific fatty acid compositions,on serum paraoxonase (PON1) activity in rats. Male adult Sprague-Dawleyrats were divided randomly into four dietary groups. One group received thecontrol diet [AIN 93M with soybean oil (5 g/100 g diet)], whereas the

remaining three groups received the modified control diet supplemented with(15 g/100 g diet) triolein, tripalmitin or fish oil, respectively. After 20 d, bloodwas obtained after overnight food deprivation and PON1 activity wasdetermined. Serum lipids and lipid components of lipoproteins were alsodetermined. Serum PON1 activity [micromol/(L.min)] was significantly (P: 1.15 kg/L). Serum PON1 activity correlatedstrongly with serum lipids as well as lipids of VLDL, HDL and itssubfractions. Multiple linear regression analysis, however, showed asignificant relationship of serum PON1 activity, principally with thephospholipids of VHDL (r = 0.47, P: < 0.002). These data suggest that themodulation of serum PON1 activity by dietary fat may be mediated via theeffect of the specific fatty acids on the synthesis and secretion of VHDL, thesubfraction of HDL that transports the majority of PON1 in the blood.

PMID: 11015468 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

October 8, 2000

I continue the search for information that will help restore my ability in a toxic world.Alhtough the dietary changes have helped with the digestive problems, I continue tobe very, very chemically sensitive. This spring and summer were again very difficult.

For the most part much of the past five or six months I have been "brain dead." I thinkmuch of my frontal lobe ability simply is not present during this time. As fall arrives
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11015468&dopt=Abstracthttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11015468&dopt=Abstracthttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11015468&dopt=Abstracthttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11015468&dopt=Bookshttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11015468&dopt=Bookshttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11015468&dopt=Bookshttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11015468&dopt=Abstracthttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11015468&dopt=Abstract


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this improves. I would like to import my latest message to my network into this site.At this point I am importing only rough data. Eventually when I have dealt with themore pressing issue of a safe and healing habitat, then I will come back to myunfinished work and reedit this work. The following was sent out today.

While doing my shopping at the Food Co-op I used the new nutrition database to lookup some things. I inadvertently clicked on the wrong supplement. When I read theblurb about Glucaric Acid, it piqued my interest. I printed the information and camehome and did a web search. What most interested me was that this supplement isinvolved in detoxification. In the past I was concerned about the relationship ofenzymes and biochemicals to under active liver, spleen, pancreas and stomachfunctions. Digestive enzymes and a restructured diet have greatly helped me withdigestive issues. Unfortunately, they have not helped with detoxification issues. I justkept telling myself that if I could find a supplementation (food regimen) that wouldhelp with the detoxification process in the liver, I would be closer to reducing myreactions. I have hypothesized that because our digestive/liver system is under

functioning that we have a failure of catabolism. I feel we need support in helpingbreaking chemicals and organisms like bacteria and viruses down. Our detox systemsdon't seem to be effectively neutralizing things that may be toxic.

After reading many sites that dealt with Glucaric Acid, I think I might be on tosomething. I don't know that it will help with MCS. The first step in an investigationwould be an assay to determine the glucuronidase activity in those with MCS. All Ihave to go on is really just a hunch this stuff MAY be useful.

One of my MCS friends in town has two sisters who have developed breast cancer(one of whom has died). We have talked about the fact that all three sister may bemanifesting toxic induced disorders. We wondered what the common biochemicalfactor was. My MCS friend and I have similar MCS profiles. We are both veryformaldehyde and pesticides sensitive. Although no member of my family has hadbreast cancer (or other hormone linked cancer), high cholesterol and heart disease arean issue for us. Interestingly, Glucaric Acid supplementation helps reduce LDLcholesterol (which is an issue for me). This suggests a pancreas/liver connection tome. In fact, I did find some indication in my search that pancreatitis is associated withabnormal Glucaric Acid levels. I may be imposing my current level of understanding(limited as it may be) on this, but intuitively I believe there MIGHT be someconnection. [BUT, HEY! I see connections in everything!]

As usual I have many more questions than answers. It is on days like these I wish Ihad my own direct red phone line to researchers investigating MCS.

I am NOT recommending anyone go out and buy Calcium D-Glucarate to treat MCS.In fact, I am wondering if the calcium might not be contraindicated for someone withMCS like myself who has perpetual muscle twitching (24/7) that suggests adeficiency of magnesium. The Calcium D-Glucarate that is the PATENTEDsupplement was designed to be more slowly absorbable ... and PATENTED by acompany who was involved in cancer research. I don't know what percentage of thosewith MCS have or develop cancer. I assume the mechanism for development is

different and there are different biochemical deficiencies. I will take a dietaryapproach. I will eat more brussel sprouts, broccoli, apples, and carrots which are high


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in Glucaric Acid.

I am importing quotes from my file on information about Glucaric Acid. As many ofyou know, I have not been trained as a western scientist. There are great limitations ofmy understanding of biochemistry. I would be curious about any thoughts those of

you with some back ground in science have about this issue. One piece of importantinformation I do understand: For many people with MCS antibody mediated inducedillness is not a problem. This suggests to me there may be a failure in our metabolismsto naturally BREAK DOWN biochemicals (like pesticides, solvents, and evenFOODS). If we can find and RESTORE the deficient enzymes and biochemicals thatassist in the process of breaking down and neutralizing these toxic chemicals, we areon our way home.

Thanks for taking time to read this.Take care,Don Paladin

IMPORTED INFO FOLLOWS

D-Glucaric Acid

*Organic Compounds in Urine: Metabolic Profiling to Assess Functional NutrientDeficiencies Gut Dysbiosis, and Toxicity, Natural Medicine (1998), Pizzorno andMurray, Churchill Livingstone, London. J. Alexander Bralley, Ph.D., C.C.N. andRichard S. Lord, Ph.D., at http://www.metametrix.com/articles/artcl_uoa.htm

*The Importance of Replenishing Phase II Cofactors, FMRC Update Winter 2000, athttp://www.healthcomm.com/research/update/back-issues/spring00/home.html

* Estrogen Metabolizers , at http://www.medlean.com/ML_estrogenmetabolizers.html

* Urinary Organic Analysis, Indicators of detoxification function, athttp://216.117.138.253/library/oa8_detox.html

* The following is a current review of information concerning D-Glucarate, athttp://www.md-phc.com/nutrition/calcium_d.htm

--------------------------------------------------------http://www.michiganapples.com/health.html

D-glucaric Acid

Perhaps the mysterious ingredient in apples is D-glucaric acid. Preliminary research,according to a study published in Nutrition Research, indicates that it and a relatedcompound may be natural regulators of cholesterogenesis. Laboratory rats fed thesubstances showed markedly reduced blood cholesterol levels. The results point to the

need for further studies to identify the mechanism by which this effect is achieved, theresearchers stated.


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They also did an analysis of many fruits and vegetables to determine their D-glucaricacid content. Apples had higher readings than all other types of fruit except grapefruit.

A bonus that D-glucaric acid appears to offer, based on the early research, is that the

form of cholesterol that it lowers is the damaging LDL type. Reductions of up to 35percent were found in the laboratory studies. The "good" type of cholesterol, the HDLthat should have a relatively high ratio to LDL in an ideal blood cholesterol profilewas not affected. The research adds to the case that apples are a real health food.

-----------------------------------------------at http://www.doctormurray.com/articles/breastcancer.htm

The Glucuronidase Factor

One of the key ways in which the body gets rid of estrogen is via attaching glucuronic

acid to the estrogen in the liver and then excreting this complex in the bile.Glucuronidase is a bacterial enzyme that uncouples (breaks) the bond betweenexcreted estrogen and glucuronic acid. Not surprising is the finding that excessglucuronidase activity is associated with an increased cancer risk, particularlyestrogen-dependent breast cancer. The activity of this enzyme is increased when thediet is high in fat and low in fiber. The level of glucuronidase activity may be one ofthe key underlying factors explaining why certain dietary factors cause breast cancerand why other dietary factors are preventive.

The activity of glucuronidase be reduced by establishing a proper bacterial flora byeating a diet high in plant foods and supplementing the diet with the "friendlybacteria" Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidum. Other dietaryfactors which can dramatically reduce the activity of this enzyme are the consumptionof onion and garlic, and foods high in glucaric acid like apples, brussel sprouts,broccoli, cabbage, and lettuce.

Glucaric acid in a pill form, calcium D-glucarate may turn out to be the "magic bullet"in the prevention of breast cancer, especially in women who have already battledbreast cancer. Preliminary research is quite encouraging.5 Currently, women with ahistory of breast cancer are prescribed the drug tamoxifen. This drug is associatedwith numerous side effects and is quite controversial in its overall effectiveness. In

contrast, calcium D-glucarate is completely safe and, if preliminary results hold true,more effective. Calcium D-glucarate is currently being investigated at the MemorialSloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. It is just entering the health food marketas well.---------------------------------------------------------

at http://www.thepillboxpharmacy.com/breast.htm

BREAST CANCER

We are led to believe that advances in medical technology, self-examination practices

and early detection have helped many women in the battle against breast cancer. Yetbreast cancer remains the second-leading cause of cancer death among American


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women. By the year 2000, it is estimated that more than 1 billion women worldwidewill have breast cancer. More startling is that the death rate of women with breastcancer today remains at 262 per 1 million, the same level it has been for the last 62years. This indicates that conventional treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy andradiation, for all their high-tech properties, have failed to reduce the overall death rate.

Where, then, do we go from here?

The causes of breast cancer still are unclear. Family history is a major risk factor,although it accounts for only 5 percent of cases. That small percentage of women whohave the breast cancer gene BRCA1 have a 59 percent risk of developing breastcancer by age 50; only 2 percent of the normal population develops breast cancer bythis age. Surprisingly, 75 percent of women with breast cancer have no family historyof the disease. Exploration of the primary causes has recently narrowed to two areasof concern: environmental toxins and diet.

Environmental toxins include pesticides and herbicides in produce and animal

products, air pollution, cigarette smoke, and residential and industrial compounds.These dangerous substances damage cellular DNA and lead to mutations and tumordevelopment. In part, this damage is caused by the ability of these substances tomimic harmful estrogens in the body and research data show a positive correlationbetween breast-cancer incidence and certain body estrogen levels.

Pesticides are fat-soluble and tend to remain in the fatty tissue of birds, fish, humansand other mammals. Studies have shown a higher level of pesticides in women withbreast cancer than in women with benign breast disease. A 1993 study by theWashington, D.C.-based National Cancer Institute (NCI) found that some womenwith breast cancer had high levels of the chemical DDE, a compound derived fromDDT, the infamous organochloride used in chemical pesticides and electricalcomponents.

Although DDE and DDT are now banned in the United States, many imported fruitsand vegetables continue to contain residual DDT as well as other harmfulenvironmental toxins. Avoiding foreign produce is beneficial, but be mindful thatAmerican produce still may contain residues of other hazardous chemical pesticides.

Washing and peeling fruits and vegetables removes only an estimated 25 percent ofresidues, probably because they soak in to some extent. According to the

Environmental Working Group, based in Washington, D.C., the foods that maypresent the greatest contamination risk include apricots, bell peppers, cantaloupe,celery, cherries, cucumbers, green beans, grapes, peaches, spinach and strawberries. Asensible solution is to purchase only certified organic produce grown in the UnitedStates.

Diet, which relates to the above concerns but goes far beyond properly grown andtreated produce is another nongenetic cause of breast cancer. The type and amount offat in a womans diet in particular may have considerable influence on her breast-cancer risk.

Obesity is one of the key factors associated with excess estrogen levels and breastcancer, because obesity increases estrogen output. Excess estrogen can increase


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cellular growth in tissues of the breast and reproductive organs. Still other breast-cancer risks related to prolonged estrogen exposure are menstruation before age 9,menopause after 55, having the first child after 40 and having few or no children.

Although the exact role of dietary fat in breast cancer is unknown, some forms of fats

such as omega-3 (in flaxseed or fish oil) and olive oil appear to provide protectivebenefits against breast cancer. Meanwhile, excess amounts of saturated fats such asthose found in meats and dairy products may lead to an increased incidence of breastcancer. Most nutritionists recommend a low-fat diet that includes sufficient amountsof healthy essential fatty acids such as omega-3 and -6, as well as olive oil; omega-3and olive oil in particular are the strongest protectors.

DETOXIFICATION

The elimination of unwanted toxins, chemicals, foreign substances and the body'sown estrogen should not be overlooked. Toxins damage cells and suppress immune

function. Internal cleansing lessens the body's toxic burden so the immune systemthen can rebound.

Detoxification typically includes cleansing the intestines, liver and lymphatic system.This process relies on a predominantly alkaline diet rich in phytochemical-laden fruitsand vegetables. A variety of juicing programs can assist in this process. Nutrients thathelp support the detoxification process include sufficient dietary and supplementalfiber such as oats, psyllium, mixed grain and vegetable fibers; friendly flora such asLactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidum; essential fatty acids; herbssuch as ginger for general detox, garlic for intestinal detox, milk thistle for liverdetox, fenugreek to break mucus, red clover and burdock for traditional bloodcleansing, and aloe vera for intestinal detox and immune enhancement; the sulfuramino acids N-acetyl cysteine and methionine for detox and heavy-metal removal;and antioxidants such as vitamins E and C, selenium and glutathione.

A healthy lifestyle that includes exercise stimulates general immune function,increases circulation and purges lymphatic pathways of impurities. Stress reduction,sufficient sleep, relaxation and an improved breathing technique also assist in properinternal functioning, immune enhancement and neutralization of toxic stresshormones such as cortisol, which can halt the body's protein synthesis.

Calcium D-Glucarate

Because estrogen plays such a pivotal role in the development of breast cancer,controlling the body's hormonal balance may decrease or block the effects ofcirculating estrogens.

Through a natural process known as glucuronidation, the body eliminates toxins,excess estrogen and other hormones from the body. In the liver, estrogeniccompounds bind to glucuronic acid and are then excreted. This process, however, isdisrupted by B-glucuronidase, an enzyme produced by intestinal bacteria. Recentfindings suggest that D-glucaro-1,4 lactone and its precursors, D-glucaric acid salts

and D-glucarates, can inhibit the activity of B-glucuronidase and may help controldifferent stages of the carcinogenic process.


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Calcium D-glucarate (CDG), a new supplement on the vitamin shelves, is the calciumsalt of D-glucaric acid, a natural substance found in small quantities in the body. Italso is found in a variety of fruits and vegetables such as apples, broccoli, carrots,oranges and spinach. CDG increases net glucuronidation and thus helps remove

hormones, steroids and cellular toxins from the body. Animal studies have shown thata CDG-supplemented diet can inhibit mammary carcinogenesis and also inhibittumorigenesis by more than 70 percent.

--------------------------------------------------------at http://www.gaines.com/html/product_info/AdvMed/AMNCDGinfo.htm

Supports Phase II detoxification of chemicals and hormones. By supplying a slow-release form of D-glucaric acid, calcium D-glucarate is an effective agent thatenhances the deactivation of toxic substances and encourages their elimination from

the body. When calcium glucarate is converted to D-glucaro-1,4-lactone, itcounteracts the enzyme beta-glucuronidase which can otherwise interfere withconjugation and detoxification of steroid hormones and potentially carcinogeniccompounds. Beta-glucuronidase enzymes are present in all cells, particularly the liver,kidney, lung, intestinal epithelium, breast and endocrine acid derivatives may exert aprotective, non-antioxidant effect on the immune system.--------------------------------------------------------------------------at http://www.metametrix.com/articles/artcl_uoa.htm

Indicators of detoxification function

Glucarate

Glucaric acid (glucarate) is the oxidation product of glucuronic acid. It is a by-productof the predominant liver Phase II detoxification reactions involving glucuronic acidconjugation and decreased glucarate is an indicator of reduced overall hepaticfunction. A great variety of drugs, food components and products of gut microbialmetabolism are prepared for excretion by glucuronidation. Glucarate elevation is anindication of enzyme induction due to such potentially toxic exposures [39,40].Theexcretion of D-glucaric acid, a metabolite of the cytochrome P-450 pathway, isconsidered a marker of the viability of hepatocytes and is a useful clinical prognostic

predictor in biliary atresia [41].

Any exposure that results in stimulation of hepatic P-450 activity will result inincreased excretion of glucarate. Urinary D-glucaric acid, an index of hepatic enzymeactivity, was elevated in pesticide-exposed groups [42] Patients with clinicallyquiescent chronic pancreatitis showed elevated glucarate indicating a relationship oftoxic metabolite stress to heightened free radical activity and hence to the genesis ofchronic pancreatitis [43].[Don's note: There is the reference to the pancreas and therelationship to glucaric acid. Am I grasping at straws? dp] The evidence of increasedutilization of phase II conjugative pathways of xenobiotic disposal is in keeping withon-going toxic metabolite stress from heightened phase I oxidative metabolism.

Glucarate measurements have been advanced as useful biomarkers to xenobioticexposure, being particularly useful as a screening tool in reproductive epidemiology


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[44].

SourceNatural Medicine (1998), Pizzorno and Murray, Churchill Livingstone, London.

J. Alexander Bralley, Ph.D., C.C.N. and Richard S. Lord, Ph.D.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------at http://www.healthcomm.com/research/update/back-issues/spring00/home.htmlSource:The Importance of Replenishing Phase II Cofactors, FMRC Update Winter 2000,

In humans, sulfation and glucuronidation are key Phase II activities that seemingly gohand in hand, that is, most compounds that are detoxified by glucuronidation are alsodetoxified by sulfation. These two reactions are important routes of excretion for avariety of xenobiotics, including many drugs, neurotransmitters, and steroid

hormones. Dietary sources of sulfate and glucuronic acid are necessary to supportthese activities. Of these cofactors, sulfate is the most easily depleted. The "net"glucuronidation activity is also indirectly enhanced by calcium d-glucarate - found insome fruits and vegetables - which provides an inhibitor of beta-glucuronidase, theenzyme involved in the de-glucuronidation of the conjugates.[5,6,7]

------------------------------------------------------at http://www.medlean.com/ML_estrogenmetabolizers.html

Calcium D-Glucarate

Description:

Calcium-D-Glucarate helpa the body excrete excess levels of estradiol It is veryeffective nutrient for removing toxins, carcinogens, and excess steroid hormones. It isbeing studied effects for preventing lung, prostate, and breast cancers.

Calcium D-Glucarate is the calcium salt if D-glucaric acid, a naturally occurringsubstance found in humans and in many plants. Calcium D- Glucarate has been shownto be an effective detoxifying agent through its effects on glucuronidation.Glucuronidation is quantitatively one of the most important Phase II conjugation

pathways for the detoxication and excretion of xenobiotics, lipid soluble toxins, andsteroid hormones. The final rate of elimination of toxic chemicals which undergoglucuronidation is measured not only by the rate of conjugation with glucuronic acidbut also by the rate of de- glucuronidation by beta-glucuronidase. Beta-glucuronidase,coming largely from intestinal bacteria, cleaves the glucuronic acid from theglucuronide allowing the toxin or conjugated hormone to be reabsorbed by the ilealmucosa. Calcium D-Glucarate increase net glucuronidation by inhibiting beta-glucuronidase. In animal models, oral administration of calcium D-glucarate results ina 50% inhibition of beta-glucuronidase for 5 hours.

The effect of Calcium D-Glucarate on reducing serum estrogen levels may help to

accounts for the results from a group of animal studies evaluating the effect ofCalcium D-Glucarate on mammary cancer, where 50-70% reductions of tumor


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formation have been reported. In rats fed a calcium glucarate fortified diet,researchers found that serum estradiol levels were decreased by 23% and the urinaryexcretion of 17-ketosteroids were decreased by over 50%.-----------------------------------------------------at http://216.117.138.253/library/oa8_detox.html

Indicators of detoxification functionGlucarate

Glucaric acid (glucarate) is the oxidation product of glucuronic acid. It is a by-productof the predominant liver Phase II detoxification reactions involving glucuronic acidconjugation and decreased glucarate is an indicator of reduced overall hepaticfunction. A great variety of drugs, food components and products of gut microbialmetabolism are prepared for excretion by glucuronidation. Glucarate elevation is anindication of enzyme induction due to such potentially toxic exposures 39,40.Theexcretion of D-glucaric acid, a metabolite of the cytochrome P-450 pathway, is

considered a marker of the viability of hepatocytes and is a useful clinical prognosticpredictor in biliary atresia 41.

Any exposure that results in stimulation of hepatic P-450 activity will result inincreased excretion of glucarate. Urinary D-glucaric acid, an index of hepatic enzymeactivity, was elevated in pesticide-exposed groups 42. Patients with clinicallyquiescent chronic pancreatitis showed elevated glucarate indicating a relationship oftoxic metabolite stress to heightened free radical activity and hence to the genesis ofchronic pancreatitis 43.

The evidence of increased utilization of phase II conjugative pathways of xenobioticdisposal is in keeping with on-going toxic metabolite stress from heightened phase Ioxidative metabolism. Glucarate measurements have been advanced as usefulbiomarkers to xenobiotic exposure, being particularly useful as a screening tool inreproductive epidemiology 44.

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dietary therapy for a weakened middle burner

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