Also known as biochemical tissue salts, the medicinal use of these simple mineral compounds was developed by Dr Wilhelm Schuessler in Germany in the 1870s. He placed particular emphasis on the balance of minerals in the body and the onset of disease and identified 12 salts which were vital for general health and self-healing. If the mineral balance in cells was just right, Schuessler reasoned, diseases do not occur. Schuessler concentrated his efforts on the healing of everyday illnesses like colds and muscular pain, skin rashes and allergies.
Today these compounds are widely used by homeopaths but may be prescribed in a slightly different way to the Schuessler remedies, in keeping with the homeopathic principle of like curing like. The salts are known by an abbreviated name, such as Calc. fluor. for Calcium Fluoride and Kali mur. for Potassium Chloride, and are usually dissolved under the tongue. People suffering from lactose intolerance should note that lactose is often used as a binder in tissue salt powders and tablets (see Homeopathy). Tissue salts are also made up in combinations to treat different aspects of various problems.
*63\69\2*
Even though research is still going on, the available data show that Hypericum extract is clinically effective as an anti-depressant drug and that it probably works by biochemical mechanisms not so much different from the mechanisms of action of the tricyclics or the SSRIs. We feel that these findings are important enough to be communicated and interesting enough to stimulate further research.
Walter E. Muller, Frankfurt Siegfried Rasper, Vienna 1997
The modern era of research into St John’s Wort was ushered in by the German Health Department, which set up Commission E to investigate the many herbal remedies in general use in Germany and to find out for which of these there was reasonable evidence of efficacy. Commission E came out with its report in 1984 and identified approximately 300 herbs for which such evidence existed. Shortly after this, certain German pharmaceutical companies targeted some of these herbs as worthy of particular research attention; St John’s Wort was one of these herbs.
Research into a new treatment, such as St John’s Wort for depression, usually develops in predictable ways. One needs to establish whether the treatment actually works, who benefits most from it, what dosages are appropriate and for how long treatment should be continued. Side-effects need to be documented. Only once a treatment is regarded as safe and effective does attention usually turn to how the treatment actually works. Research in St John’s Wort is ongoing, but so far it has taken these expected directions. In this chapter I summarize the state of the art of research on the herbal anti-depressant.
*37\75\2*
A similar, but much more serious case was presented by Eleanor Wyckham, an overweight middle-aged woman. Two years before entering the Ecology Unit, Mrs. Wyckham had been hospitalized for depression. She had attempted suicide twice and had been given electroshock therapy. In her case, the treatment was ineffective and caused some memory loss.
Mrs. Wyckham was one of those patients who was aware that her problems stemmed in part from food. «I’ve reached the point where I am afraid to eat any longer,» she said, before entering the Ecology Unit. «Once I start eating, I feel as if I simply cannot stop.» She alternated between binges of eating and fasts or all-fruit diets. Her favorite food in the world, she said, was peanut butter—this was the one item she could not do without. She also loved bread, baked goods, and in fact anything with wheat in it. She had eaten wheat addictively since childhood, when her mother, who was interested in nutrition, became convinced of the virtues of whole wheat bread. She therefore plied her daughter with large amounts of this staple. Mrs. Wyckham, who had a family history of alcoholism, likened herself to an alcoholic, too—in her craving for bread and peanut butter.
She entered the hospital in a very depressed state. After five days of fasting, she was much less depressed. Not surprisingly, in her food test she had a severe reaction to peanuts (as well as to lamb). More unexpected was the fact that she passed the wheat test with no trouble—which shows that food allergies cannot always be pinpointed on the basis of histories or «hunches.» She did have moderate reactions to yeast and milk, however, which are often components of bread.
Mrs. Wyckham was then retested on some of the foods to which she had had no adverse reaction, but this time to foods which had been purchased in a commercial market. There was a definite increase in her depression, after a few such meals. Through the avoidance of incriminated foods, Mrs. Wyckham was able to control both her depression and her weight problem. This points to the fact that the Rotary Diversified Diet (Chap. 18), although not specifically designed as a weight-loss diet, can be helpful in that regard for the overweight patient.
The patients described in the preceding cases appear to have become sicker gradually, after a long period of cumulative exposure to chemicals and foods. Sometimes, however, a preexisting condition is suddenly made much worse by a massive exposure to an allergy-causing substance.
*88\110\2*
Those who worry about passing flatus (rectal gas) must understand that it is quite normal to do so, Drug Therapy (17#10:76) reports. Everyone experiences this problem to a certain extent, and the amount of gas is excessive only when it causes physical discomfort or bloating of the abdomen.
Gas is produced in the colon (large intestine) by bacteria that ferment the sugars and other carbohydrates which fail to get digested and absorbed higher up in the intestinal tract. One of the more common causes of this embarrassing problem is lactase insufficiency (milk intolerance), a condition in which certain people are incapable of digesting lactose (the natural sugar in milk) because they lack the necessary sugar-splitting enzyme, lactase.
Lactase insufficiency victims can now take the missing enzyme by mouth in the form of the product Lactaid. This is available in drug stores and does not require a prescription.
Other common causes for fermentable sugar reaching the colon include the consumption of wheat, oats, potatoes, or corn in excessive amounts. Some fruits (apricots, bananas, prunes, and raisins) and vegetables (beans, Brussels sprouts, carrots, celery, and onions), contain indigestible carbohydrates, too, and are notorious sources of excessive gas.
However, people differ enormously in how much of these foods they can eat without experiencing this problem. Furthermore, everyone changes in this regard from day to day, and these differences depend upon variation in the types and number of bacteria living in the colon. For those who continue to be plagued by too much gas despite dietary adjustment, one can attempt to reduce the number of the offending colonic bacteria with a short course of antibiotic treatment (a doctor’s prescription is needed for this).
First, though, it is worth trying to inhibit the excessive fermentation by taking some charcoal pills by mouth. Activated charcoal (available in most drug stores) is not only a good poison antidote but reduces the bloating and cramps due to excessive intestinal gas, the American Journal of Gastroenterology (81:532) reports. In-both settings, charcoal works because it absorbs and inactivates many other substances, including gases. This is much less expensive and does not require a doctor’s prescription. By taking some charcoal every day, which is not expensive and does not require a doctor’s prescription, one can soon rid oneself of the discomfort and embarrassment of intestinal gas.
*166\143\2*
Signs and symptoms
Swollen, slightly tender lymph glands are a symptom of illness or infection. If glands continue to swell, become painful and more tender, and redden the overlying skin, the glands themselves may have become infected. If the node is killed by the infection, it breaks down into pus, which may erupt through the skin as would a deep-seated boil.
Home care
Mildly swollen glands usually require treatment only for the disease or infection causing the swelling. Note which lymph nodes are swollen, look for the cause, and treat that disease or infection.
If lymph nodes are greatly enlarged, very tender, and red, see your doctor.
Precautions
• In infants, swollen glands in the neck (and sometimes other locations) usually require a doctor’s treatment because infants have a limited resistance to diseases.
• Any lymph node that continues to increase in size and tenderness or that becomes reddened needs a doctor’s attention.
• Healthy children have visible lymph nodes the size of fresh peas or smaller in the sides of the neck. These may become especially noticeable when the child turns the head; they are normal.
Medical treatment
Your doctor will seek the cause of swollen glands by conducting a complete examination of all sites of glands as well as the spleen and liver. The doctor may also order a blood count, mononucleosis test, and, in severe cases, chest and kidney – X rays, bone marrow examination, and test of sedimentation rate. Your doctor will treat the disease causing the swollen glands and may treat the glands themselves by prescribing antibiotics. An infected gland may be opened and drained or removed either as treatment or for a biopsy (culture and examination).
*83/84/5*
Baycol was a statin drug manufactured by the German drug company Bayer AG. It was approved for use in the United States by the FDA in 1997. On 8th August 2001 Bayer AG voluntarily withdrew the drug from the market because it was responsible for the deaths of 31 people in the USA. These people developed rhabdomyolysis which is a severe breakdown of muscle cells that causes muscle pain, weakness, tenderness, fever, dark urine, nausea and vomiting. Most people die of kidney failure when this happens. Rhabdomyolysis is a possible side effect of all cholesterol lowering drugs called statins. In one third of these cases, the victim was also taking another cholesterol lowering drug called gemfibrozil, which is known to increase the risk of this condition. Following the withdrawal, the FDA did not undertake any regulatory action with regard to the other cholesterol lowering drugs in the same category as  ay col.
Baycol was the third best selling prescription drug for Bayer, and in the year 2000 it earned the company 560 million US dollars in sales. It is very sad that people had to die when cholesterol levels can be normalized in most cases with an appropriate eating plan and improving liver function. Between 1981 and 2000 the FDA approved 543 new drugs in the US. Fourteen of these drugs were subsequently recalled because of safety concerns. The drug Vioxx was withdrawn from the market in September 2004 because it was found to significantly increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. Why put your life in the hands of drug companies when nutritional medicine can prolong your life and improve its quality.
*29/53/5*
Mercury
Mercury is a heavy toxic metal which now contaminates the air, soil and water in many parts of the world. Mercury pollution has been caused by the burning of fossil fuels and the increased use of mercury in industry and agriculture. Traces of mercury can be found in pesticides, dental fillings, and in fish (especially tuna). The saying ‘mad as a hatter’ came about because hatters used to polish top hats with mercury and many of them were poisoned by it. It is extremely toxic and can affect fertility.
Female dental assistants, for instance, who are exposed to mercury through the amalgam fillings they handle, have been found to be less fertile than female dental assistants who do not come into contact with the metal. And women dentists, it is claimed, have a higher rate of miscarriage.
There are real concerns about the impact of mercury on male fertility, following research in Hong Kong where people eat a lot offish and shellfish containing minute and supposedly safe quantities of the metal. Here, scientists found a significant link between the level of mercury in hair and male sub-fertility. Eating mercury-contaminated fish over a number of years stopped sperm development in many Hong Kong men.
Mercury seemed to be one factor in the case of Teresa and her partner.
Case History
Teresa and her partner conceived easily but she was diagnosed with a blighted ovum when she was 10 weeks pregnant and had to have a D&C. Teresa had deficiencies of both zinc and selenium and her partner was low in magnesium with above average levels of mercury. He told me that as a child he had played with mercury. Mercury is an unusual metal, in that it is liquid at room temperature and forms small balls as it flows. Over the four months of the Preconception Plan they both took specific nutritional supplements to correct their deficiencies and Teresa’s partner had extra antioxidants and support for his liver in order to eliminate the mercury. They now have a baby boy.
Lead
Lead is a heavy toxic metal which is naturally present in the earth but we get a high exposure to this metal from lead pipes.
Lead was used in the past to induce an abortion, and severe lead intoxication has been shown to result in infertility and miscarriage. It could be argued that these problems are due to lead poisoning and that most of us are not exposed to such high levels. However, women who just live in lead-polluted areas have also shown a greater risk of miscarriages.
According to a 1991 study, of all the toxic metals, lead seems to pose the greatest threat to male fertility. Research shows that it can reduce the sperm count, increase malformed sperm and make the sperm more sluggish.
Cadmium
This is an inorganic poison present in tobacco smoke which accumulates in the body. It blocks nutrients like zinc – which is absolutely crucial for both male and female fertility.
Copper
Copper can be both toxic and essential, depending on how much you are exposed to it. Your body absorbs copper from water pipes, contraceptive coils, swimming pools and jewellery. Copper tends to increase its concentration in the body after any hormonal treatment, such as the Pill or fertility drugs. Copper and zinc are antagonistic which means that if you have too much copper, your zinc levels can be reduced. As zinc is so vital for fertility for both of you, it is important that your copper levels are kept in check.
Zinc deficiency and high lead levels were certainly factors for Janet and her partner.
Case History
Janet, 38, had a miscarriage at 12 weeks before she came to see me. Her nutritional analysis showed that she was low in calcium, selenium and zinc, and had higher than normal levels of lead. Her partner, 34, had low levels of selenium and zinc and very high levels of lead. I felt it was important that they both got themselves back into optimum health by following the Four-Month Preconception Plan, before they tried again, in order to try and prevent another miscarriage. I recommended appropriate supplements for their deficiencies, as well as antioxidants like vitamin Ñ to help eliminate the lead from their bodies.
Janet and her partner waited until their mineral and lead levels were back to normal and then conceived and gave birth to a healthy baby boy.
*14/73/5*
Any dementia-causing neurological condition can slowly rob you of things you take for granted-like language, memory, judgment, even your ability to make sense of what you see or where you are. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia and perhaps the deadliest. The estimated four million American adults who have it suffer any combination of those cognitive losses, usually starting off with seemingly insignificant memory lapses.
There are genes that predispose you to Alzheimer’s. A family history of any kind of dementia puts you at higher risk. Other risk factors include a history of depression, alcohol abuse, or thyroid disease. Here are some ways to bolster your odds against this ailment.
Get smart. An idle mind is Alzheimer’s playground. «Well-educated people seem to show signs of Alzheimer’s less often,» says Linda Hershey, M.D., Ph.D., professor of neurology at the State University of New York at Buffalo and chief of neurology at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, also in Buffalo. «Education has a protective effect.»
But even if you dropped out of school, it’s not too late to build up your brain against Alzheimer’s. Dedication to mind-challenging hobbies like music, cards, or drawing will help, according to the Institute for Brain Aging and Dementia at the University of California, Irvine, College of Medicine. The only requirement is an active mind.
Relieve brain pain. A toxic protein in Alzheimer’s patients’ brains actually stimulates inflammatory reactions that contribute to cell loss. «You could possibly slow that process by taking an anti-inflammatory pain remedy like ibuprofen,» Dr. Hershey says. «Just like this drug helps reduce inflammation in your joints, it helps the same way in your brain.» In fact, studies have shown that any of the non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (that is, aspirin, ibuprofen, and the like) help. But Dr. Hershey cautions that you should ask your physician before taking these drugs, as they can cause serious side effects.
Take vitamin E. When Columbia University researchers looked at Alzheimer’s sufferers, they found that those who took vitamin E in the middle stages took about a year longer before requiring institutionalization. That doesn’t mean that vitamin E can prevent Alzheimer’s. Also, this study’s dosage was much higher than what most doctors would recommend. In fact, taking high doses of vitamin E has the potential to cause neuropathy, according to Dr. Hershey.
«Vitamin E presumably works because it’s an antioxidant and, therefore, the enemy of free radicals that can damage brain cells in people with Alzheimer’s,» Dr. Hershey says. «A free-radical scavenger like vitamin E can slow down the process.» And so can other antioxidants, research indicates, including ginkgo and vitamin Ñ. But again, before you add a vitamin E supplement to your diet, Dr. Hershey advises that you speak with your doctor.
Watch your head. Trauma, especially combined with a predisposing gene, increases your risk for Alzheimer’s. It can happen from one severe head injury or various blows to the noggin over the years. «If you have the gene, head trauma can make the symptoms show up earlier,» Dr. Hershey says.
Check the pressure. High blood pressure is usually associated with other kinds of dementia, but at least one study at the University of Illinois has found a hypertension-Alzheimer’s link. Fifteen years after having their blood pressure tracked at age 70, those in the study group who developed Alzheimer’s turned out to be those with higher blood pressure readings.
*92/36/5*
In bulimia, over-control produces lack of control. Trying to govern something that is ungovernable—the need to eat—just leads to the feeling that one is out of control. That feeling in turn drives a woman to exert even more control—and so the vicious cycle continues.
How does this happen? In several ways. After a binge-purge episode, a woman usually skips the next meal or two. Her hunger increases. Her body’s cry for food grows stronger, pushing her closer to the inevitable binge.
Unrealistically strict diets have the same effect. Under such regimes a woman sets up rigid rules. She believes she must follow these rules perfectly. There is no margin for error. The trouble is that such rules are impossible to follow all the time. Once she breaks a rule, as she inevitably will, her thoughts spiral out of control. She thinks, «All is lost! I might as well go ahead and eat anything I want now, since I’m such a failure anyway.» And voila-a binge.
Some women go a step further. They try to hold off bingeing by distracting themselves through abuse of alcohol or illicit drugs. Unfortunately, these substances cause the woman to «let her guard down.» Once she surrenders her willpower, the urge to binge takes over. Now she not only binges and purges, she suffers from substance abuse as well.
One last point: Many women create strict rules about their personal appearance. As one patient said, «If I weigh more than a hundred pounds I can’t go out. I’ll call in sick at work. And I won’t be lying either – weighing more than a hundred pounds is sick!» The more such women stay home, the more isolated they become from other people. Lonely, depressed, and bored, they succumb to the temptation to binge.
The bulimic process, like the process of anorexia, eventually takes on a life of its own. The metabolic damage of purging impairs the ability to think clearly. Patients may describe themselves as being «in a fog» all day long. In time, the illness produces devastating feelings of depression, sometimes leading to thoughts (or even acts) of suicide.
There is much more to say about these illnesses, their patterns, and the impact they have on those who suffer from them. I include these brief sketches here hoping that you will recognize whether your own pattern, or that of someone close to you, reflects an eating disorder—and, if so, that you will recognize the stage the illness has reached.
Remember: The sooner you seek help, the greater the chance of recovery.
*23/35/5*
Do you remember what you were doing on November 4,1980? Sharon Turrentine of Monroe, Louisiana, does. It made her the slim, strong woman that she is today
On that particular day Sharon was lying in bed, watching TV and eating candy. At age 36, she was unhappy and feeling sorry for herself. Her son was about to get his driver’s license, and she felt that she wasn’t needed anymore. Then there was her weight: At 5 foot 2 and 132 pounds, she dressed in the closet to avoid looking at her body.
As Sharon nibbled on her candy bar and brooded about her life, the images on the TV screen grabbed her attention. It was the first-ever Ms. Olympia Bodybuilding Competition. As she watched the women show off their strong, shapely physiques, Sharon snapped out of her funk. «I announced to my husband, ‘I’m going to be a bodybuilder,’» she recalls.
The very next day, Sharon—who had not exercised in years— dug out an old leotard and headed for the local gym. Gradually, she established a regular workout routine using information she had gathered from books and magazine articles on weight training.
«When I first started out, I couldn’t climb a flight of stairs without being out of breath. Five pounds was the most I could lift,» Sharon says. «Now, I bench-press more than 100 pounds.»
To support her exercise program, Sharon made some changes in her diet, too. «I remembered all the nutrition information that I had learned from third grade on, such as the basic food groups and proper portions,» she says.
Within 3 years of starting her exercise program, she dropped four dress sizes. And Sharon, a woman who had once hidden in her closet to get dressed, was ready to show off her 109-pound body in competition. Over the next 7 years, she entered a number of bodybuilding contests. She collected a total of 15 trophies, never placing less than second. «I was old enough to be my competitors’ mother,» she adds.
Now age 55, Sharon runs her own business, teaching other women how to lift weights and shape their bodies. «I want to set an example,» she says» I want them to know they can do this.»
W IN N ING ACTION
Show off your accomplishments. Sharon’s quite an achiever! But don’t feel you have to try out for the Ms. Olympia competition to get a sense of accomplishment. Training for any special event—a 5K, a swim meet, a bicycle race—will give you something to strive for. It will also motivate you to stick with a regular workout routine. If you’re not into competition, do it for charity. Many nonprofit organizations raise money through noncompetitive athletic events.
*77\89\8*
Maurice, aged thirty-seven, found it difficult to establish a normal sleeping pattern after frequent business trips to America. Mogadon was prescribed and he found the jet-lag easier to cope with. After three months he was not travelling so much and felt he did not need the tablets. His insomnia became worse than he had ever known it. He had palpitations and a tight feeling in his chest, and also had digestive problems.
His doctor was kind and sympathetic but said he did not think Maurice had been on the tablets long enough for dependence to have developed. The doctor suggested going back on the full dose to see what happened.
Maurice’s symptoms were much improved when he visited the surgery a week later. His doctor said that he had discussed the case with his partner who had two patients who had experienced similar problems, although they had taken the tablets over a longer period.
Complete withdrawal took six weeks. For the following three weeks Maurice felt ‘off colour’ but did not have any dramatic symptoms. After that he was back to normal.
*67\49\8*
Skin Problems
These should always be investigated in case there is another cause. The ones most commonly reported are: dryness, itching, a dry scaly rash (often on the hands or over the bridge of the nose and on to the cheeks), spontaneous bruising and skin breaking easily. Minor cuts often take a long time to heal. Many people notice a change in skin colour. It can have a slightly jaundiced or pale brown appearance. Often a dramatic improvement can be seen in the condition of the skin even in the early days of withdrawal.
Dental Problems
The high incidence of premature tooth loss (apart from extractions because of the jaw pain) in people who have been on tranquillizers for years is another pointer to inadequate nutrition. (The same may be said for split nails.)
*51\49\8*
You may feel delighted that you have managed to cut down or stop taking your pills, but be puzzled by how down you feel. This is another temporary state to endure. It will improve or disappear altogether when you are through withdrawal. Many people who have loving families and no financial worries, or stress of any kind, feel guilty about being so down.
Withdrawal blues do not single out people with life problems, many people have a temporary ‘down’. Sometimes the depressive symptoms are delayed and appear when the sufferers feel they are coping well. Try not to get discouraged if this happens—it will pass. If it gets too much for you to cope with, your doctor may want to give you an anti-depressant for a short time. Many find this a help, but realize it is a temporary measure. Gradual reduction from these drugs is advisable.
Depression may manifest itself in ways other than extreme sadness. Here are some of them: sighing; sluggishness; headaches; nausea; constipation; heavy limbs; feeling bloated; needing more sleep; time passing slowly; losing interest in people; feeling that people do not want to see you; isolating yourself; losing interest in appearance; loss of appetite; compulsive eating (particularly sweet foods); being annoyed out of proportion to the situation; feeling a black cloud or shape over your head or on your shoulders; finding mornings are worse and having to force yourself from the oblivion of sleep; people you love seeming far away—you know you love them but cannot feel it—you feel guilty and worry about this; the smallest task seems beyond you; you feel worthless—how could anyone love you; you feel a burden.
Many people are slow to accept the physical symptoms they have as depressive symptoms. That is not to say that it is ‘all in the mind’—far from it. It usually starts in the mind and then affects the body.
Suppressed emotions such as fear, anger, hurt and jealousy, actually cause chemical changes to take place. It is the altered body chemistry that is responsible for the physical changes. It can happen the other way too. A physical change can cause depression. Influenza, anaemia, bad nutrition, food allergies, certain glandular disorders, and hormonal changes such as at puberty, the menopause, and after childbirth, are all common causes of altered emotional states.
So often the sufferer will say ‘If I did not feel exhausted, sick, heavy-limbed, etc. I would not be depressed.’ In fact, it is often the other way around. If they were not depressed, they would not have the physical symptoms. So until you recognize that you are depressed, you cannot do anything about it.
*30\49\8*
It will take time for the body’s normal chemicals to be produced again. When you understand that there is a definite physiological reason why you may feel more anxious during withdrawal, this will give you the confidence to ignore the ‘pull yourself together’ brigade. This point is also illustrated by the large numbers of people who are prescribed these drugs for a physical reason who also have anxiety symptoms on withdrawal.
When you have a major problem or upset in life, it is often necessary to relieve anxiety for a short time, but it is a great mistake to carry on for months or years. Not only does the user run the risk of dependence, but also because the emotions are dulled, he or she is unable to adjust to the loss or altered situation. This is particularly so in bereavement. The user has to face the grief again when medication ceases, and may feel severe guilt about not grieving at the appropriate time. Because the suppressed emotions of years come to the surface in withdrawal, many people are able to face old conflicts and traumas, and in doing so, lose some of their fears, and gain self-respect.
To illustrate how many (although it is agreed not all) of the withdrawal symptoms are due to rebound anxiety, here are anxiety symptoms listed under ‘Anxiety Neurosis’ from the Oxford Textbook of Psychiatry (1983), Ed. Gelder, Gath and Mayou. Some people have found this section rather technical, others were finally convinced (because the source was beyond dispute) that they were not suffering from some serious physical illness.
Anxiety neuroses have psychological and physical symptoms. The psychological symptoms are the familiar feeling of fearful anticipation that gives the condition its name, irritability, difficulty in concentration, sensitivity to noise, and a feeling of restlessness.
Patients often complain of poor memory when they are really experiencing the effects of failure to concentrate.
*14\49\8*
How immune complexes affect the blood vessels depends very much on what sort of antibodies they contain – there are five different isotypes. In the healthy person, the main antibody formed to food is immunoglobulin A, or IgA, which has special protective properties. Unlike most other antibodies it does not activate the defensive proteins in the blood known as the complement system.
The products of the complement system cause inflammation, a reaction designed to mobilize the body’s protective forces. The effects of inflammation are to make the blood vessels in the vicinity more leaky and to attract other immune cells into the area – the leaky vessels make it easier for the immune cells to gain access to the surrounding tissues. What appears on the outside as a swollen, red, tender area is in fact a microscopic battleground, where the body’s own cells and tissues are unfortunate casualties of the general mayhem.
The purpose of inflammation, in the healthy individual, is to fight off infection. The body assumes that the antibodies have attached themselves to an invading bacterium or virus and sends in the troops. Obviously the body needs to have control systems that tell it not to react when the antibodies are bound to something innocuous – such as a food protein which happens to have wandered into the blood through the gut wall. This is the function of IgA. Because it does not activate the complement system it can quietly mop up non-harmful antigens for disposal by the phagocytes, without setting off a damaging episode of inflammation.
For this system to work, the body must somehow distinguish food from other sorts of antigen. And it must make sure that IgA – rather than IgG, another more inflammatory type of antibody – is manufactured to fit the food molecules. The details of how the body does this are still far from clear, but a general picture is emerging from current research, and this is described in Chapter Twelve. The process is known as ‘the induction of oral tolerance’.
What, if anything, goes wrong with this system? There is only a limited amount of evidence available, but it does seem that the system for producing IgA rather than IgG to food molecules breaks down in some people. Where this occurs, the immune complexes circulating in the blood after a meal will be potentially inflammatory. If they are deposited in a blood vessel, damage to the walls of the vessel will follow.
Such people may also have IgE in their food-molecule immune complexes, so mast cells could be triggered to add to the inflammation. Whether this actually happens is not clear. But if it does then there are important implications for the way we think about allergies: the dividing line between Type I (IgE) food allergy and Type III food allergy may not be as sharp as is often assumed.
*84\180\8*
As long ago as in April 1956, at the Second International Biogenetic Congress held in Baden-Baden, Germany, under the chairmanship of Dr Galeazzi, many of the papers presented dealt with the research findings in connection with royal jelly.
Then there were the articles written by Professor Belvefer of Paris, who had been conducting research on royal jelly for decades. It is amazing to read his references to the findings made by a number of researchers, for example the fact that the queen bee is able to lay 300,000—450,000 eggs a year as a result of her feeding on this remarkable nutritive complex. This feat cannot be matched by any other creature on earth.
Further reports explained that royal jelly not only vitalises and rejuvenates through its effect on the endocrine glands, but also successfully combats whooping cough and asthma, especially in children. It has been found that children with a weak constitution soon pick up and have better appetites when given royal jelly. Benefits can also be obtained in cases of bronchitis, migraine, stomach and gallbladder troubles, digestive disorders, bad nerves and the peculiar kind of fatigue resulting from weak functioning of the endocrine glands. These and many other health problems can be improved considerably, if not cured, by taking royal jelly regularly. Moreover, it is maintained that people with a predisposition to cancer will benefit from a regular intake of royal jelly. It is also good for the skin when taken orally and when used for massage. For the latter, dilute some royal jelly with honey and water and massage the solution into the skin.
*891/28/1*
In many cases the orthodox doctor goes to no end of trouble to help a patient, but unfortunately, without success. Then, when a simple natural remedy like cabbage leaves produces a cure, we are astonished at how natural active forces, without depending upon laboriously collected human knowledge, can bring about almost miraculous results.
The case of a 62-year-old patient, who suffered considerably, serves as a good example. An infection, aggravated by eating sprayed cherries, resulted in the development of a fungus the size of a small coin on the lady’s tongue. The doctor removed it with cautery (silver nitrate) and found it necessary to prescribe, in addition, eight days of radium treatment. After three weeks the patient left the hospital with a paralysed tongue.
Five weeks later, a large swelling appeared on her neck. It seemed that another operation would be necessary to remove it. Discouraged by the prospect of more surgery, the patient kept postponing it. Eight weeks later the pain had become almost unbearable but now an operation was considered out of the question. Instead, she received forty-three radiation treatments. Afterwards, the patient felt weak and thought death was inevitable.
*855/28/1*
In fact, the programme consists of four remedies, one each to stimulate the intestines, liver, kidneys and stomach:
1. Rasayana No. 1 is a herb tablet that stimulates and cleanses the intestines.
2. Rasayana No. 2, is also a herb tablet; it contains curcuma root (Indian saffron) and serves to stimulate the liver.
3. A special kidney tea stimulates the kidneys and the excretion of wastes through the urine.
4. Arabiaforce, an Arabian plant essence, improves, regulates and balances the function of the stomach lining and the mucous membranes of the intestines. This remedy is made according to an old herbal recipe that was brought to Europe by Paracelsus. The herbal ingredients come from the Near and Far East.
These four remedies taken together serve to ‘spring-clean’ the body and are of special benefit to all those who suffer from constipation and sluggish metabolism.; For even better results and to consolidate them, take the above- mentioned ‘spring tea’ after completing the Rasayana Programme. Your body will respond to this good care, and will enjoy greater vitality and energy.
*819/28/1*
Babies with teething problems will respond to Calcarea fluorica, taken in alternation with Calcarea phosphorica (calcium phosphate). I should also mention that mothers can more quickly regain their figure after the birth of their babies and prevent a pendulous abdomen, which is caused by a relaxation of the abdominal muscles and ligaments, if they take Calcarea fluorica or the calcium complex Urticalcin regularly during pregnancy.
Calcarea fluorica is generally given in the potency 12x, but for some rare cases it may be 6x. The normal dose is two tablets (0.125 g each), three times daily.
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Some time after the above experience, I travelled to the Amazon region and visited a jungle where malaria was rampant. I was accompanied on this study tour by a colleague who had been working with me in Peru, a man who was well acclimatised to South America.
I took the risk of travelling without malaria drugs, but I did take Echinacea tincture daily, about forty drops every morning and evening. During the first few days we put up a mosquito net, but in the native huts the mosquitoes were able to slip through the chinks in the bamboo floor. We even killed some blood-filled insects under the net.
My colleague had no confidence in Echinacea and declined to take any. Like myself, he must have been bitten hundreds of times. The area we visited around the Upper Maranon was notorious and feared for malaria. Although I was bitten all over, I was astonished that I did not once come down with a fever attack, whereas my colleague returned home with a bad case of the disease. Unfortunately, he had not taken any remedy. He believed that his sixteen years in Peru had made him immune to malaria. However, the area where he had been living, at our farm in Tarapoto, was malaria-free, unlike the Amazon region we visited on this occasion.
Thirty years later, a medical check-up brought to light that I had once had a malaria infection, which could only have been during this visit to the Maranon. As I had never suffered so much as a bout of fever or any other symptom of the disease, I came to the obvious conclusion that Echinacea may well help to prevent malaria.
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It is suggested that sterilization requires grieving. All sterilization involves a loss – a loss of fertility. Though it may be by vasectomy or tubal ligation or naturally, as at the menopause, it is not necessarily welcomed. Mr G. was left numb and empty after the procedure. It was not acceptable for him to be angry with his wife for pushing him to do it. Although there was some camaraderie and group support in ‘joining the club’, he needed help to see why he went off sex and is only now enjoying it again two years later.
What features of the grief reaction should be expected. Emptiness, denial, anger and later readjustment to a world that will never be the same. This is not a time to hand over control on the spur of the moment. Doctors are sometimes asked by a partner to arrange vasectomy for the spouse. It is essential to determine how the request has come about; perhaps interviewing the man alone. Doctors may be asked for advice when a choice for a vasectomy or tubal ligation seems even handed. An important parameter to consider is to identify who would grieve least from losing their fertility.
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Nowadays, with a national cervical screening programme in place, someone like Mrs H. may not manage to avoid a smear for so long, but she would certainly have managed to find some effective way of keeping both doctors and her husband away from her emotional fears surrounding intercourse until she wanted a baby: if not away from the actual physical examination, as had happened here. The patient has to want some changes to be made before treatment can begin to be effective, but Mrs H. could not acknowledge her own desire to have intercourse and all that it might mean for her. However, now it was for a baby she felt that it was a suitably acceptable reason to approach her doctor about such an uncomfortable topic.
It took Mr and Mrs H. almost a year to achieve intercourse and there followed 18 months of infertility before the psychosexual doctor met them again, this time in the infertility clinic. Mrs H. had changed into a confident woman compared with the little girl that had appeared originally. A simple ovulation induction regime proved successful and they now have a healthy young son.
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These terms are often used interchangeably. Unplanned may also mean unwanted. For some women, an unplanned pregnancy may be a very unwelcome intrusion into her life. For others, unplanned pregnancies may not necessarily be unwanted. It is estimated that up to one third of pregnancies may be unplanned (Fleissig, 1991). Some women may go on to term because of moral objections to abortion, but some of these unplanned pregnancies do become very much wanted. Efficient contraception is meant to lead to ‘family planning’ but we all know plenty of women who look lovingly at their bulging abdomen and say, ‘It wasn’t planned’ Efficient contraception means being able to take responsibility for deciding when to have a baby. To some this means waiting for the right situation in terms of marriage, accommodation, money and career. It also means being able to say to the world that they are now mature enough to become a parent and responsible enough to care for another individual. Some women can allow themselves to have a baby in less than ideal circumstances only by allowing it to be unplanned.
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It is common for the coil (intrauterine contraceptive device, or IUCD) to be chosen by the woman after all other methods have been discussed and rejected, for whatever reason. All doctors are familiar with the lady who, sitting back in her chair, looks with a marked lack of enthusiasm at the tiny curl of plastic and copper, and says, dubiously, ‘Well, I could give it a go.’ By this time, the doctor, for medico-legal reasons, has gone into gruesome detail about possible, horrific sounding side-effects, so it is surprising that women choose it at all. The next, inevitable question is ‘Will it hurt?’ In other words, the woman is accepting that here she is placing herself directly in thedoctor’shands, and is prepared to suffer the pain, vulnerability and humiliation of having a foreign body inserted into her precious womb. What can this method mean?
It is sometimes considered that this is a passive response by the woman, placing the responsibility onto the doctor. It has to be said that, as far as this doctor is concerned, such a feeling is rare. This author is usually more aware of admiration for the sheer courage of a woman prepared to undergo this experience. Why should she choose this method?
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Thus to use contraception requires at some level a grieving for all the possible loved babies that could be born. We are all too aware of the terrible irony of couples assiduously and conscientiously using contraception for years, only to discover that one or other or both of them are infertile. An awareness of these often unspoken feelings may explain some of the enormous fear of the reliable methods of contraception that can underlie some contraceptive difficulties. Such methods are too powerful and will damage fertility. There is a fear of retribution, the woman will be unable to have children, and hence some will play contraceptive roulette in order to ‘placate the gods’.
The reality, of course, has been that human beings from earliest historical times have tried to control their fertility when it was inconvenient to have a child. The sin of Onan in the Old Testament exemplifies this. Onan should under Hebraic law have impregnated his dead brother’s wife. Instead he ‘cast his seed upon the ground’ angering God. This story has been used as evidence that all forms of non-reproductive sex and the use of contraception are against God’s will. The ancient Egyptians used a vaginal pessary made of crocodile dung to prevent conception, and instruments to procure abortion were used in Roman times. Hippocrates, the father of medicine, advocated violent exercises. Thus powerful opposing forces are present in our psyches, both the urge to reproduce but also the urge to abort. All this may seem a far cry from the ordinary contraceptive consultation but every now and then these forces will be evident.
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Steroids are very powerful and potentially dangerous drugs which are used to prevent the inflammatory reactions that accompany allergic reactions. They are used particularly in more serious cases and are very effective.
For serious conditions, steroids may need to be taken for long periods at higher dosages, with the risk of inducing side effects which may not be readily reversible. If you have an alternative, such as avoiding the substances or foods which are triggering the disease, this is clearly better. If there is no alternative, then it is necessary to weigh up the advantages of the steroids against their risks. Ask your doctor to discuss it with you openly, so that you can make an informed decision. If you have serious disease or disability, do not refuse steroids without understanding the consequences.
Steroids should not be stopped suddenly if they have been taken for more than a few days, because they depress the natural production of steroids by the body, which must be given a chance to recover.
The worst side effects of steroids are mostly associated with prolonged oral treatments, or repeated injections, though if you use steroid creams or ointments too lavishly (particularly the stronger ones) you can absorb enough to have general effects. Side effects include facial swelling, obesity, brittle bones, high blood pressure, cataracts, diabetes, peptic ulceration, changes in mental state, and slowing the growth of children. Local effects include thinning of the skin and mucus membrane, nosebleeds, and reduced resistance to infections.
Very few people experience side effects from short courses of steroids or from the regular use of steroid inhalers, and this is the treatment of choice for moderate or severe asthma which cannot be controlled by avoiding allergens or other triggers.
Steroid inhalers (e.g. Becotide, Becloforte, Pulmicort) have less side effects than using tablets. (Sodium cromoglycate inhalers, see above, are usually tried before steroids because they can be effective, particularly with allergic asthma.) As a side effect, steroid inhalers can cause candidiasis (thrush) in the throat. This can be reduced by using a spacer, or by gargling with water after each use.
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If the above is not sufficient to relieve symptoms, then you may have to take greater precautions and limit your exposure to water generally as in the detection programme above. Try any or all of those avoidance measures and see how far you need to go.
If you are exceptionally sensitive, it may be worthwhile installing a plumbed-in filtering system of some kind (see below). Some people also find it helps to use a bottled water for cooking, washing vegetables and brushing teeth, although this is costly and inconvenient. Filtered or purified water is cheaper in the long run.
Some people are very sensitive to the fumes of water when it first emerges from the tap or cistern. If this applies to you, try the following measures. Start the bath or basin filling, then leave the room while they fill, with the window open to ventilate. Return and turn off the taps. Leave the room again and leave the water to stand for a few minutes more if you need to. Avoid taking showers. The fumes are more concentrated in newly emerging water. Get someone to flush the lavatory for you, if you can. Keep the lid shut as it flushes.
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If you are very chemically sensitive, you are best advised not to buy, use or travel in a brand new car. These usually give off high levels of chemical fumes and vapours from new foam, plastics and materials, particularly for the first six months. Many chemically sensitive people will be fine in a new car after six months. Some who are much more sensitive find they can only travel comfortably in a car which is at least two or three years old.
If you are thinking of buying a car, test-drive models and makes of different ages, or travel in friends’ or family’s cars, to see which age of car suits you best. If you ever have to hire a car, ask for one which is of an age that you tolerate well.
Some models and makes of car have fascia, seats and fittings made of materials which are better-tolerated by some people. The Volvo 340 range and the Volkswagen Polo, for instance, seem to be made of different materials; some people feel better in these, although others notice no difference. The Citroen 2CV and Dyane range have very little plastic fascia, and also cause fewer problems. Some people tolerate leather seats better than those of synthetic materials. Again, test-drive or try out different models or makes to see if one suits you better.
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Hard lenses do not absorb fluid in the way that soft lenses do. Even in gas-permeable lenses, only a tiny amount of fluid is taken up by the lens. Preservative-based systems can therefore be used on hard lenses without trouble by the chemically sensitive, since the agent can be thoroughly rinsed off before wearing.
The rinsing solution used is a sterile saline solution sold in ozone-friendly aerosol cans. Some brands of saline are buffered with chemicals that maintain the pH of the solution; these can cause problems. Make sure you are using an unbuffered saline solution – there are half a dozen brands readily available. Ask your optician or pharmacist to check for you if you are not sure which to use.
If you use a surfactant cleaner for your hard lenses, these will be thoroughly removed by overnight soaking and rinsing in saline.
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Burns and Scalds
Cool the area of the burn or scald to relieve pain. Keep the burned area in cold water or hold it under a cold running tap until the pain stops, or for at least 10 minutes. Do not prick or burst any blisters, or apply any ointment or lotion.
If the burn or scald is serious, seek emergency medical help. If the bum or scald is superficial, but rubs against clothing, cover it with a dressing of pure cotton lint and secure it with a cotton bandage. Do not use fluffy cotton wool.
Cystitis
Drinking alkali salts can ease the symptoms of cystitis. Dissolve a teaspoon of sodium bicarbonate in a glass of water and drink it. Consult your doctor if you are on a low-salt diet.
Diarrhoea
Taking arrowroot will stop diarrhoea very effectively. You can buy this as a powder at a pharmacy and make a paste by adding water. Consult your pharmacist to get the right dosage.
If you need rehydration salts after severe diarrhoea, do not take any of the proprietary ready-mixed products which can cause reactions. Rehydration salts are a mixture of sodium and potassium salts, and glucose in the right ratio; ask a pharmacist to mix these for you.
Earache
If you tolerate olive oil, warm a teaspoonful of it. Drop it into the ear, then close the earhole with pure cotton wool.
An alternative to this is sodium bicarbonate BPC, which is available in an eardrop solution.
Eyewash
For sore and itchy eyes, use a sterile saline solution to ease the itchiness. Either make a solution yourself, buy Normasol or Steripod in sachets from a pharmacist. Bathe the eyes with the solution in an eyebath, or put a few drops into the eye with a dropper.
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