Re: Health care - minor rant
The UK especially Scotland is one of the highest proportions of the population that suffer from MS. Those living close to the equator have significantly lower risk of MS. This is due to the beneficial effects of regular sun exposure and vitamin D intake in modulating healthy immune responses. I have heard some experts say that heavy metal toxicity in the body also contributes to MS.
Heal the gut BY Mike Adams:
Chronic auto-immune and other inflammatory-based issues are very often associated with a damaged gut lining. This leaky gut causes undigested food particles to pass into the bloodstream where they are tagged by the immune system and attacked with massive inflammatory processes that have the ability to affect nearly every system in the body.
The most common food-based culprits include all processed foods, artificial sweeteners/preservatives and products containing gluten. Soy, peanuts, pasteurized dairy, eggs and other heavy proteins are often not tolerated well.
An anti-inflammatory lifestyle is very important for full recovery from MS. The most important anti-inflammatory foods include good fat sources such as coconut, avocado, olive oil, grass-fed butter and purified fish oils. Phytonutrient-rich fruits and vegetables that are low in sugar such as green leafy veggies, onions, garlic, herbs, citrus & berries are vital for recovery.
Fermented raw dairy from grass-fed cows or goats in the form of amasai, kefir and raw cheese along with an abundance of cultured vegetables should be a staple part of the diet. Cultured veggies include non-processed sauerkraut, pickles, kimchi, etc. Additionally, fermented drinks such as coconut water kefir, fermented whey and apple cider vinegar should be used in abundance.
High quality protein sources such as grass-fed beef, wild game, wild fish and organic eggs contain loads of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. Individuals with MS should consume very high amounts of these omega-3 rich foods along with vegetables and anti-inflammatory herbs such as turmeric, ginger, rosemary, oregano, thyme, cinnamon and clove.
People with autoimmune related disorders such as MS are likely to have neurological dysfunction in their upper neck. Neurological interference at the occipital region along with C1-C2 affects immunological coordination. Well trained chiropractors can analyze these regions and give specific adjustments and exercises to restore balance and optimal neurological expression to re-coordinate the immune system.
cannabis has demonstrated effects on immune function that also have the potential of reducing the autoimmune attack that is thought to be the underlying pathogenic process in MS.
MS patients report that cannabis has a startling and profound effect on muscle spasms, tremors, balance, bladder control, speech and eyesight. Many wheelchair-bound patients report that they can walk unaided when they have smoked cannabis.
A House of Lords report states that the British Multiple Sclerosis Society (consisting of some 35,000 MS-suffering patients) estimates that as many as 4% of their population already use cannabis for the relief of their symptoms despite the considerable legal risks associated with prohibition. The chairman of the committee went on to state that, "We have seen enough evidence to convince us that a doctor might legitimately want to prescribe cannabis to relieve... the symptoms of multiple sclerosis and that the criminal law ought not to stand in the way."
A U.K. study published recently in the journal Lancet looked at 630 multiple sclerosis patients after 15 weeks of orally delivered treatment. Fifty-seven percent of the patients taking a whole cannabis extract said their pain had eased compared with 50% who took capsules containing THC and 37% who were given placebo capsules.
Numerous case studies, surveys and double-blind studies have reported improvement in patients treated with cannabinoids lessen MS symptoms and may also halt the progression of the disease.
Although the cause remains officially unknown, multiple sclerosis is widely thought to begin as an autoimmune inflammation with magnesium deficiency at the core. In studies it's been shown that there was a significantly lower value of magnesium than that seen in control cases. The rate of relapse in multiple sclerosis was found to be
decreased with dietary magnesium supplementation.
Iodine
The relatively low prevalence of multiple sclerosis in Japan, despite its temperate latitude is thought to be because their soils have some of the world's highest known levels of iodine caused by the use of seaweed as a fertilizer, their soil also contains higher content of selenium. Researchers have found significantly lowered selenium values and lowered glutathione peroxidase activities in people with MS.