LifeCare Chiropractic

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autoimmune diseases

Nutrition and diet in the clinical management of multiple sclerosis – (10-18-01)

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Nutrition and diet in the clinical management of multiple sclerosis

This article is always a nice one to hopefully wake up some of those in the medical community that consider nutritional advice for those with autoimmune diseases to be pointless. MS is one of those diseases that can be managed well with strong lifestyle changes designed to lower overall inflammatory burden and also to stabilize the blood brain barrier. Interestingly, I remember an article awhile back that addressed the approach to stabilizing the blood brain barrier and found the recommendations very similar to changes I would recommend to improve someone’s overall health. Remember…taking care or yourself is taking care of yourself–no matter what disease you happen to have.

Synergy : Journal of Human Nutrition & Dietetics 14 (5), 349-357

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Celiac Disease Overlooked as Cause of Iron-Deficiency Anemia – (02-19-01)

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Celiac Disease Overlooked as Cause of Iron-Deficiency Anemia

Celiac disease (gluten insensitivity; an allergy to certain proteins in wheat, barley and rye) does occur at a surprisingly high percentage in our population (one in 100 to 300, depending upon whom you ask…), and anemia is only a small portion of the potential deleterious effects; Alzheimers, autoimmune diseases, dental caries and osteoporosis are but a few others on the list. Remember that food allergies, no matter the type, can upregulate the immune system and lead to excessive inflammation. One chaep, easy way to begin to cut down on some of your food allergies is to add betaine HCL (stomach acid) to your meals–the better we break down proteins to amino acids, the less likely those proteins are to invoke an allergic response.

Br J Haematol 2000;111:898-901 Especially in menstruating women, celiac disease appears to be underinvestigated as a potential cause of iron-deficiency anemia. Dr. D. J. Unsworth of Southmead Hospital in Bristol, UK, and colleagues identified 483 blood samples from prospective blood donors who met study criteria for anemia (hemoglobin <11 g/dL for women, <13.5 g/dL for men in order to recruit enough men). Of the donors, 28 women (26 premenopausal) and 4 men tested positive for IgA anti-endomysial antibodies and were asked to undergo further followup for celiac disease. Of the 25 subjects who underwent endoscopic small intestinal biopsy, 22 “had histological changes compatible with celiac disease,” the researchers write. Twenty-one of these were women, and Dr. Unsworth’s team notes that none of the women had been previously investigated for the possibility of celiac disease. The research team reports that their screening of anemic adults for celiac disease resulted in a detection rate of over 6%, compared with 0% detection of celiac disease using EDTA blood samples from 250 nonanemic blood donors. “Celiac disease serology is easy, cheap and reliable,” the authors write. “We recommend that all cases of anemia of uncertain cause, including all women with anemia ascribed to menstrual blood loss or poor diet, be checked for celiac disease-associated autoantibodies.”

 

IL 13 blocks may protect cartilage – (01-18-01)

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IL 13 blocks may protect cartilage

This article is a little technical and deserves an overview of Th1/Th2 inflammatory cascades. Consider Th1 as the body’s attack system, to destroy things that get in. Consider Th2 as the body’s defense system, keeping things from getting in. We need a healthy balance between the two. Too much Th1 can tend towards autoimmune diseases such as MS. Too much Th2 can tend towards allergies. This article suggests that IL 13 may protect against cartilage damage in the face of inflammation. IL 13 is produced as a Th2 cytokine. This further supports a healthy balance of Th1/Th2 in overall health.

Ann Rheum Dis — Abstracts: Cleaver et al. 60 (2): 150 for more info on Th1/Th2 Entrez-PubMed

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Prenatal exposure to bisphenol A up-regulates immune responses – (07-16-04)

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Prenatal exposure to bisphenol A up-regulates immune responses, including T helper 1 and T helper 2 responses, in mice

In English, this article basically re-affirms how important the prenatal and natal periods are in determining the long term health of the child. Sources of BPA are all around us (see http://www.ourstolenfuture.org/NewScience/oncompounds/bisphenola/bpauses.htm) and our risk of exposure are high.

According to this study (which was done on mice), BPA really messes with the immune system–up – regulating BOTH TH1 and TH2 immune response (TH1 upregulation = autoimmune diseases, TH2 = allergies/asthma) although the TH1 response was greater. With chronic diseases (like asthma, allergies, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, MS, etc…) being such as issue in the health of our nation today, anything we can do to lower the risk is important, and it needs to start in pregnancy.

Prenatal exposure to bisphenol A up-regulates immune responses, including T helper 1 and T helper 2 responses, in mice – Immunology –

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BACTERIAL INFECTIONS LEAD TO SYSTEMIC ARTHRITIS – (04-22-02)

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Rheumatological, GI symptoms after infection with C jejuni/coli, E coli.

Mainstream medicine readily accepts the concept that certain bacterial infections in the gut can lead to systemic arthritis symptoms without the bacteria being present in the joint itself. So why do I have such a hard time convincing patients and many doctors that the GI tract can be a potent modulator of immune activity that can lead to systemic effects such as fatigue and joint pain and autoimmune diseases?? Maybe I’ll never get my answer on this one but I vow to keep plugging away.

Ann Rheum Dis — Abstracts: Locht and Krogfelt 61 (5): 448 –

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EXCESSIVE OXIDATIVE DAMAGE EFFECTS TISSUES AND IMMUNE SYSTEM – (12-04-06)

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Oxidatively modified autoantigens in autoimmune diseases

Only recently have we begun to change our views on autoimmune conditions. We used to view these conditions as a dysfunction of the immune system–it was attacking our own body and we needed to suppress the immune system to control the disease state. However, once we started taking a much closer look, we started to realize that the immune system was actually performing exactly as it was supposed to.

The problem is that there is excessive oxidative damage to the tissues and the immune system is working to remove this oxidatively damaged tissue. Oxidatively damaged DNA in lupus, oxidatively damaged Type 2 collagen in RA, etc… This can drastically impact the way these conditions need to be treated, and the best method of treatment HAS to include lifestyle modifications to lower overall oxidative stress and inflammation.

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GUT MICROFLORA PLAYS A LARGE ROLE IN OUR SYSTEMIC HEALTH – (10-02-06)

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Gastrointestinal Candida colonisation promotes sensitisation against food antigens by affecting the mucosal barrier in mice

While this is a mouse study, there is much clinically to support the notion that altered gut microflora plays a large role in our systemic health. If you think about it, our physiology has spend tens of thousands of years developing a commensal relationship with the little buggers growing in our GI tracts.

Now, in a mere blip on the timeline, we have been handing out antibiotics like they’re candy to everyone with a sniffle or who even thinks they may have a sniffle. The resulting destruction of normal flora w/o replacement can truly be linked to a key role in our rising incidence of chronic diseases like certain cancers, neurological disorders, almost every GI disorder and autoimmune diseases.

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