Posted by raybakes on November 7, 2004, at 4:46:43
In reply to Re: carnosine and brain health » raybakes, posted by Jasmineneroli on November 4, 2004, at 19:23:36
> Hi Ray:
> Yes, your post is of interest. I haven't read much about your inflammation theory, but I have read some links you sent me on oxidative degeneration/excitotoxicity in the brain.Hi Jas, came across some studies a couple of years ago that mentioned people given immune therapy for hepatitis or cancer become depressed - stop the thrapy, and the depression goes!
'Interferon alpha-induced depression in chronic hepatitis C patients: comparison between different types of interferon alpha.'
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=9566274&dopt=Abstract.
> There's loads of reports surfacing, for instance, on oxidative degeneration in brain cells, causing or contributing to diseases such as Parkinson's, Alzheimers and ALS.
> I'm guessing, therefore, that you may well be right about dopamine, in particular.I've read a few articles that say that L dopa supplementation accelerates the progression of parkinson's - that rings some alarm bells for me!
This abstract talks about apoptosis (immune system triggering cell death)in parkinson's. From the abstract it looks like Bcl-2 is an 'antiapoptic' protein an protects the brain, caspase 3 and PARP initiate apoptosis.Excitotoxicity can trigger these events by causing excess calcium to enter nerve cells, drive them faster than the mitochondria can cope with, and as the mitchondria breaks down, mitochondrial proteins can then trigger the immune system to destroy the cell.
Lack of blood flow or oxygen can do the same (ischemia). Read some articles about hypercoagulation of the blood, and the use of enzymes like 'nattokinase' to thin the blood.
Autoimmunity, viral infection...
> I'm really focussing on anti-oxidants, as I've stated before, as a preventive/healing mode, to help my mental health issues. This is in part why I was looking for other answers and started the thread above about bowel toxins and enzymes etc.I'm really interested in autism because of the gut-brain link with them - went to an autism conference last week, and they were showing that the urine analysis of autistic children matched the urine analysis of adults with ME/chronic fatigue. Just read Dr McCandless' book "children with starving brains" about how she's been treating her granddaughter for autism - It's got a great chapter on healing the gut. What I also like about the book is the total dedication to helping these children from doctors specializing in autism - you start to realize that there is a difference between 'scientific fact' and 'what works'. The majority of doctors tell autistic parents that there's nothing that can be done for them, which is an outright lie! There are new ways of dealing with disease, which require dedication, patience and honouring of each client's invividual imbalances - most doctors are too scared or proud to change the way they work - they also would earn less too!
Sorry, going off on one! I've spoken to several parents whose 'normal' children have regressed into autism after vaccinations (their doctors denied any association with the vaccine). The vaccine dysregulates their immune system and triggers a gut and brain disorder. Antioxidants are good, but I feel that understanding our own personal mechanisms for immune dysregulation is a must, so we can fine tune our therapy to try to bring our immune system back into balance.
> Your inflammation theory really interests me.
> How do you feel the inflammation occurs? Purely from free-radicals? or from toxins? from viruses/bacteria? lack of hydration/nutrition?Probably all of the above! - for example, having mercury laden vaccinations or teeth are thought to trigger immune reactions that inhibit a protein called metallothionein, that transports mercury.
> Does the inflammation have a psychological/behavioural base too? I.E. Our brains physically respond with inflammation to life-events/trauma's, excess stress.I believe it would - the anxiety of a psychological problem, might over drive the nervous system, resulting in excitotoxicity for example - alcohol causes the brain to make more glutamate receptors, so I wonder if part of the hangover is an excitotoxic rebound effect?
I feel the body has the great ability to adapt to what life throws at it - when something goes wrong, there are probably a lot of things that have gone on below our perception that need to be addressed, as well as the problem we percieve - It's quite a journey!!
Thanks,
Ray
poster:raybakes
thread:407989
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20041022/msgs/412775.html