Dietary Modifications
and Live-Protein Therapy in the Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis
Correspondence:
Dr. Thomas Bayne D.C.
The Way To Optimal Health Clinic
1535 Lake Cook Rd. Suite 404
Northbrook, Il 60062
(847) 714-1531
fax (847) 714-1532
tom_bayne@mindspring.com.
Published by Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients - February/March 2000
The aim of the paper is to provide an
integrative approach to Multiple Sclerosis (MS). The author will review
current thinking on MS in relation to
possible etiologic factors and therapeutic strategies. The lack of certainty
regarding the cause impacts the doctors
and therapists who work with MS. The allopathic approach includes
corticosteroid therapy and other experimental
medicines. A Holistic approach including lifestyle modifications
combined with nutritional therapies
is a more comprehensive and patient-specific way of slowing the
progression of the disease, and can
be further enhanced with the use of thymus, liver and mesenchyme liquid
extracts.
Etiological theories of
MS
The autoimmune theory focuses on the
similarity between lesions of the nerve cells of MS patients and those
seen in autoimmune disease in animals
after they are injected with myelin. The result is a condition known as
Experimental Allergic Encephalomyelitis
(EAE). While the physical and physiological makeup of these lesions
mimics those of MS, a single antigen,
myelin basic protein, causes EAE. In MS, sensitivity to myelin basic
protein cannot be established. Deductive
reasoning has led many to believe that although there is no evidence
of an antibody reaction to myelin basic
protein the similarities are too coincidental to ignore, and there must
be
another antigen. Presently, efforts
to isolate any specific antigen unique to all MS patients have failed.
(1,2)
The viral theory is based on evidence
and research studies that point toward many viral infections causing
demyelinating disease in humans and
animals (1,2,3). Measles virus, parainfluenza virus, herpes simplex virus,
rabies virus, coronavirus, and sub-acute
myelo-opticoneuropathy virus have each been isolated from different
MS patients (1,2,3).
A recent study of MS patients showed
that the Chlamydia pneumoniae bacterium was or had been present in
the nervous system of all the test subjects.
They found the bacterium in 64% of the patients compared to 11%
of the control groups. In almost all
of the patients there was an increased antibody response to the C.
Pneumoniae while only a few in the control
groups showed it, and at very low levels (4).
At last, a theory by Swank et al may
put everything in perspective. Dr. Roy Swank has worked with MS
patients and in MS research his entire
career. He is most famous for his Swank diet in the treatment of MS
which will be discussed shortly. Swank's
research has led him to theorize that MS is part genetic (5) because
a critical component of the plasma (what
he refers to as factor X) is absent or in low amounts. This factor X
prevents aggregation of the components
of the blood, and it plays a role in maintaining an intact blood-brain
barrier. A high saturated fat diet appears
to be a predisposing element in this process. Large amounts of fat
are introduced to the circulation as
chylomicra and compete with red and white cells and other chylomicra for
this factor X. When factor X is in short
supply, there is a failure to prevent aggregation of the blood elements.
The circulation then becomes sluggish
and the microcirculation is microembolized. The result is a breakdown
of the blood-brain barrier in scattered
areas of the brain. (6,7)
Swank's ideas help to unify all the theories.
As the sluggish blood compromises the microcirculation and
breaks down the blood-brain barrier
the central nervous system is unprotected from the attack of viruses,
bacteria, circulating immune complexes
and even allergens. According to allopathic medicine these people fit
into a nice neat category based on their
symptomatology, and they are all given the same diagnosis. This lends
even more credence to the holistic medicine
concept of biochemical individuality because a group of people
with the same diagnosis could all have
different triggers that start the demyelination process.
Therapeutic Approaches
Dr. Roy Swank has provided convincing
evidence that a diet low in saturated fats over a long period of time
can slow down and in some cases stop
the degenerative process (8,9). The Swank diet calls for:
1.No red meat for the first
year of the diet (including the dark meat of turkey and chicken). Following
the
first
year, 3 oz of red meat will be allowed per week
2.No dairy products containing
1% butterfat or more
3.No processed foods containing
saturated fat
4.Saturated fat intake should
never exceed 15 grams (3 teaspoons) per day
5.Unsaturated fat intake
should be maintained at a minimum of 20 grams (4 teaspoons) and a maximum
of
50 grams
(10 teaspoons) per day
6.1 teaspoon or 4 capsules
of cod liver oil should be consumed each day
The results of Dr. Swank's 34-year study
from 1949-1984 are impressive. Patients diagnosed as minimally
disabled showed very little progression
of the disease. Only 5% of the diet group failed to survive the 34 years
of the study while a remarkable 80%
of those not following the diet failed to survive the same time period.
Moderately and severely disabled patients
progressed much better subjectively and objectively than those that
did not follow the diet. The diet has
been credited with preventing a worsening of the disease, greatly reducing
fatigue, and dramatically reducing the
death rate (10).
In Chinese Medicine the nerves are ruled
by the liver and wood element. Nerve inflammation in MS responds
well to liver yin building foods and
herbs while spasms and paralysis are associated with excessive liver wind.
Foods and herbs that calm wind are indicated
in MS patients.
Using the time-tested research of Dr.
Swank and combining the age-old wisdom of Chinese medicine makes
it possible to increase the therapeutic
results. Using the Swank diet as the backbone, foods that build liver yin
are added. The most effective liver
yin builders are leafy green vegetables, mung beans, mung sprouts, millet,
seaweeds, cereal grass concentrates,
micro-algae, and organic animal liver (11). Foods that reduce liver wind
are also emphasized, however it is important
to determine if deficient wind is in combination with heat or cold.
Neutral foods are used regardless of
the presence of heat or cold, and these foods include sage, black sesame
seed, fresh coconut, and flax oil. In
the presence of heat, celery and kuzu should be added. In combination
with cold, warming foods should be added
such as basil, fennel, ginger, oats, pine nut, anise, lettuce,
cucumber, watercress, tofu, plum, mushroom,
rhubarb, radish and daikon radish (11). Organic animal liver is
the only food that does not fit within
the parameters of the Swank diet. Here, modern science permits us to
receive the benefits of the organ meat
while staying on the Swank diet.
Live-Protein Therapy
Live-protein therapy is an option that
keeps the patient within the parameters of the Swank diet program while
providing the benefits of organotherapy.
Live-protein therapy is a step ahead of glandular and organ therapy
because it employs a cell extraction
process, which permits disruption and extraction of the proteins and
peptides, based on their specific properties.
These proteins and peptides can then be concentrated to provide
a stronger dose. This liquid extract
is purified at low temperatures and kept frozen until use to insure freshness
and to preserve the structure and properties
of the proteins. Three of these live-protein products are utilized in
the treatment of multiple sclerosis.
Thymus proteins
The use of live-cell thymus proteins
are based on the premise that if bacterial and or viral factors contribute
to
the destruction of the myelin tissue
than an immune system regulator is needed to enhance the body's ability
to
fight these infectious processes. The
effector mechanisms involved in the immune response against infectious
agents are mainly macrophages, natural
killer cells, granulocytes, T cells and B cells (12). These members of
the cellular branch of immunity are
responsible for the defense against viruses (13) and bacteria (14), and
are
those that have shown the most improvement
with the use of thymus extracts (12,15,16,17).
The use of thymus proteins in autoimmune
disease has developed a following within the holistic community.
Although allopathic treatment of MS
sometimes utilizes immunosuppressive pharmaceutical agents, a growing
number of holistic physicians are employing
Thymus live-proteins to modulate the immune response in
autoimmune diseases (18).
Liver Proteins
As discussed earlier, there is a relationship
between disorders of the nerves and the liver via Traditional
Chinese Medicine diagnosis. Live-cell
proteins derived from liver tissue have clinically demonstrated efficacy
in building liver yin. Research has
also demonstrated improved liver function with the administration of liver
extract as measured by clinical features
as well as laboratory analysis (19). Other studies have shown that liver
extracts are an excellent treatment
for both Herpes Zoster and Epstein-Barr viral infections (20).
Detoxification should be a cornerstone
of any therapeutic regiment dealing with chronic degenerative diseases,
and liver extracts have proven beneficial
in enhancing detoxification capabilities in both animal (21) and human
models (22).
Mesenchyme Extracts
The endoderm, mesoderm and ectoderm
are known as the primary germ layers, and these layers develop into
the organs, bones, nervous system, and
blood vessels (23). While it was long believed that extract of
mesenchyme was of mesodermal origin,
studies have shown that most mesenchyme of the head arises from
ectodermal germ layer, specifically
the neural crest. It has been theorized that mesenchyme is a morphological
least common denominator, which masks
both the origin and future fate of a given cell (24). Mesenchyme then
becomes a term that refers to undifferentiated
tissues regardless of their germ layer. Obviously, more research
is needed in this area. However, employing
mesenchymal extracts to MS patients makes sense since these
undifferentiated cells could possibly
help repair the damage to the blood-brain barrier. Another study
examined the use of undifferentiated
cells in the treatment of neurological disorders. Lurcher mutant mice are
characterized by degeneration of the
olivocerebellar system, and control groups were each treated with a
preparation of embryonic bovine
ectodermal extract or placebo and evaluated in motor coordination tests.
The treated Lurcher mutant mice were
quicker to initiate movement than the other groups, leading
investigators to conclude that the ectodermal
extract may improve movement initiation of cerebellar related
disorders in animals, but these effects
are test and disease specific (25). Again more studies are indicated, but
the possible benefit to the central
nervous system is an exciting concept.
Case Study
M.W., a 45-year old white female, presented
a 7-year history of diagnosed multiple sclerosis. M.W. strived
toward independence and feared
being a burden to her family. MRI and evoked potential findings were
consistent with an allopathic diagnosis
of MS. The presence of oligoclonal bands in her spinal fluid was
negative, but a worsening of her
neurological symptoms followed the spinal puncture. Traditional Chinese
diagnosis of excessive liver wind and
deficient yin induced by cold were a part of the workup. Upon
diagnoses, emotional reactions of insecurity,
fear and buy-in exacerbated M.W.'s capacity to adaptively
incorporate treatment recommendations.
Psychological consultation included brief therapy aimed at integrating
an internal locus of control, empowerment
and visualization exercises. The patient also had a history of chronic
candida infection. A diet that included
the Swank diet plus an emphasis on foods designed to correct liver
wind in combination with cold and deficient
yin was initiated. Therapy included anti-fungal botanicals in
addition to NatCell Thymus due to a
chronic presence of candida. The dose was 3 vials per week for 2
weeks. After a two-week period, the
dose was lowered to 2 vials per week, the anti-fungal botanicals were
continued, and NatCell Liver was added
at a dose of 1 vial per week. The liver support was necessary due
to the anti-fungal therapies and the
desire to strengthen the liver. At the end of the six-week period, the
patient
reported increased energy levels, and
an 80% drop in candida on follow-up stool analysis. An eight-week
program that included 1 vial of NatCell
Thymus per week, 1 vial of NatCell liver every 2
weeks and 1 vial of NatCell Mesenchyme
every 10 days was implemented. The patient reported continued
improvement in vitality and much improved
coordination with slight improvement in muscle strength upon
follow-up. M.W. remains on a maintenance
dose 1 vial of each of the 3 NatCell products every 2 weeks.
M.W. reports no exacerbations in the
nine-month period since therapy began.
Conclusion
Combining the time tested diet therapy
of the Swank program with Traditional Chinese Medicine food cures
makes it possible to customize a diet
to fit the needs of the individual who has been diagnosed with MS. The
addition of live-cell therapy
to enhance immunity, detoxify the liver, and provide the building blocks
to
rejuvenate the organs, blood supply,
and nervous system adds another dimension in the treatment of those
inflicted with this terrible disease.
The NatCell line of live-protein products
is available through Aeterna Laboratories of Quebec City, Canada.
All of the NatCell products come in
frozen 7 cubic-centimeter vials that are thawed immediately before
consumption.
The method of administration is once
the liquid has thawed, retain ¸ of the vial under the tongue for
5 minutes.
At the end of this period, any remaining
liquid is swallowed and the procedure is repeated with the second
half of the vial.
Over the past 5 years, I have used the
entire NatCell line that includes thymus, liver, mesenchyme, and
adrenal with consistent objective and
subjective results with many of my chronically ill patients.
Correspondence:
Dr. Thomas Bayne D.C.
The Way To Optimal Health Clinic
1535 Lake Cook Rd. Suite 404
Northbrook, Il 60062
(847) 714-1531
fax (847) 714-1532
tom_bayne@mindspring.com.
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Published by Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients - February/March 2000