PARKINSON’S: AN ALTERNATIVE APPROACH
Dr. Sharon Rabb
Parkinson’s
disease (PD) is a chronic neurological disorder caused by a progressive
degeneration of the nigrostriatal dopamenergic neurons in the pars compacta of
the basal ganglia. Other neuronal fields and neurotransmitter systems are
involved including non-adrenergic, serotonergic and cholingeric neurons. As the
neurons in the ganglia degenerate there is a loss of the neurotransmitter
dopamine. When the individual initiates an action such as walking, the basal
ganglia help smooth the movements and coordinate the posture by signaling the
thalamus in the brain which then communicates with the cerebral cortex. All of
these signals are coordinated by neurotransmitters and the neurotransmitter
used by the basal ganglia is dopamine. As the neurons degenerate in PD the
amount of dopamine is decreased and the number of nerve connections with other
nerve and muscle cells also decreases. Levo-dopa (L-dopa) is the precursor of
dopamine and is widely used in the treatment of PD. However, it loses
effectiveness as the disease progresses and has negative side effects. Pd is
characterized by slowness of movement, muscular stiffness, rigidity, tremor,
poor posture and balance and sensory motor integration deficits. It is the
second most common neurodegenerative disease, as Alzheimer’s is the first (Kasture
2009; Abde-Salam, 2008). Apparently, the neurons in the ganglia degenerate due
to oxidative stress which causes among other things an energy crisis in the
mitochondria in the neurons. The key question is what factors cause the
degeneration because genetics is not the total answer, although PD does run in
families. Some of the known precursors
for the disease are listed below.
Sixty
to eighty percent of Pd patients have constipation which seems to appear
between ten and twenty years prior to the onset of symptoms (Abbott 2003).
Constipation is defined in this study as less than one bowel movement in three
days. It is my belief that you need to have at least one movement a day. In
fact, Abbott found that lower frequency of bowel movements could actually
predict the disease. Now, why is this so important? One reason is because, constipation
results in a build-up of toxins which can cause degeneration of the neurons.
Lewy neuritis and Lewy bodies, the hallmark of PD pathology, appear in the
dorsal nucleus of the vagus nerve in the earliest stages of the disease and
then extend upward toward the brain to reach the substantia nigra in the third
stage. This results in impaired bowel motility and the build-up of toxic
substances (Ueki 2004). Toxins from the bowel break through the mucosal barrier
of the intestines and are incorporated into the axon terminal of the vagus and
transported in a retrograde manner to the vagus nucleus. This results in toxic
overload of the neurons and early degeneration. It is estimated that between
seventy to eighty per cent of the neurons in the ganglia are destroyed by the
time symptoms appear. I believe these toxins not only decrease bowel motility
but also hasten degeneration of the neurons in the ganglia. These toxins are in
part from protein metabolism and include guanidine one of the most toxic
substances in the breakdown of protein. Dr. Harrower (1957) in his classic book
Practical Endocrinology states that the parathyroid controls the elimination of
acid waste via calcium and other nutrients. “The parathyroid hormone has been
called “a calcium mordant” and exerts destructive influence on certain wastes
–especially guanidine” (p. 557). He goes on to say that the complete removal of
the parathyroid glands result in tetany (neuromuscular hyper-excitability
manifested by tonic spasms and eventually death). Harrower and a few early
doctors that practiced endocrinology used parathyroid extracts to treat PD and
other neuromuscular diseases. Some patients responded remarkably well to this
glandular while others did not. The knowledge of this therapy seems to have almost
been lost as I could not find it mentioned in the current literature. As far
back as 1907 W.N. Berkeley was treating PD with parathyroid. He published a
paper in the New York Medical Journal which Harrower summarizes below. At that
time PD was more often referred to as paralysis agitans. Dr. Berkeley in his
article gave 3 good reasons to treat Pd with parathyroid extract:
1.
The blood calcium is often unusually low. Parathyroid raises this figure, thus
increasing calcium reserves. Lime
(calcium) of course is one of Nature’s neutralizers.
2. Certain protein split products, such as
guanidine, are often in excess in hypoparathyroidism. Parathyroid therapy
lessons this excess, and at the same time gives symptomatic benefit. A
condition sometimes called ‘hyper-guanidinemia’ is not infrequently found in
paralysis agitans (PD), and it is known that these guanidine congeners have a
special predilection for the nervous system.
3. There are on record, a number of autopsy
reports of patients dying with PD, showing parathyroid atrophy or pathology.
“The effects of parathyroid in favorable cases are in every way beneficent. The
rigidity and tremors are controlled, salivation is diminished, and restlessness
and insomnia are relieved. Occasionally a miracle is worked (
Harrower
goes on to say that the best proof of the essential correctness of these
conclusions about the connection between the parathyroids and PD is just this:
the empirical use of parathyroid extract has been of symptomatic benefit in
many cases of paralysis agitans. In 1926
We can now trace the problems of
constipation
Toxins
such as guanidine leak out of the gut impairing the GI motility and causing
constipation as well as degeneration of the neurons, whether this causes
hypoparathyroidism or the hypo condition already existed and was responsible
for the build-up of toxic guanidine is as far as I know not known. The body
uses calcium reserves to neutralize the toxins and this puts a further stress
on the parathyroid system. Dr. Harrower also advocated using adrenal cortical
extracts in treating PD. This makes sense because the adrenals are involved in
muscular toxemias. Also, many Pd individuals are excessively depleted and
fatigued and need adrenal support for that reason. Adrenal extracts facilitate
the intramuscular chemistry by catalysis---hastening or completing the
destruction of large amounts of fatigue poisons.
Adrenal
cortical extracts have shown great benefit
in treating PD, in 1931 doctor DH Plank of San Francisco wrote to doctor
Harrower, “The more I use adreno-cortin, the more I am impressed with its value
in various dysfunctions. My patient with Parkinson’s continues to improve in
every way; the pain is all gone, he sleeps well, appetite is good, and he can
assist himself in every way. He is using his left arm, which has been helpless
for more than 2 years, and can now raise it above his head. This patient is now
using a Whitley exerciser, with his back to it to develop the arm and shoulder
muscles and to bring the head erect. I consider this to be quite remarkable for
less than three months.”
Adreno-cortin
was an extract of the cortical adrenal developed by Harrower, and is no longer
in existence. However, we can probably get very similar results from various
standard process adrenal products. The point is that it might be very
beneficial to PD individuals to give them both parathyroid and adrenal extracts
along with diet modifications, whole food vitamins and minerals plus certain
potent herbs.
D I E T
Diet
modifications are critical in the PD individual. Research substantiates the
adoption of a relatively high fat low protein diet, with plenty of fresh fruits
and vegetables for vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants. There are several
reasons for a low protein diet. One of these is that as explained earlier, the
protein breakdown products cause toxicities to the neurons and thus destroy
them, especially in a hypothyroid state. Also, L-dopa is transported through
the blood brain barrier on transport molecules that also transport other amino
acids (protein building blocks). In high concentrations of amino acids, in
other words a high protein diet, L-dopa has to compete with other amino acids
and may get “left behind” (Tyrrell ,1998). Protein foods may also interfere
with PD meds for this very reason. I have found that all chronic illnesses do
better on a moderate to low protein diet and replacing animal sources with
vegetable ones with the exception of eggs, cheese, and yogurt. Vegetable fats
seem to be good because the PD brain reportedly does better on a ketogenic diet
(Tai, 2008). Also, every nerve cell is encased in a fatty sheath which protects
and facilitates function. I understand that certain oils such as coconut, flax,
sesame, and others to be very beneficial. Diet for any disease needs to be
personalized for every individual based on needs and other conditions in the
body, but a general diet for PD would include low protein, moderate fat intake
with calorie restriction (CR) if possible and weight loss is not an issue.
CR
can have beneficial effects on health and it is beyond the scope of this
article to delve thoroughly into the concept and explore exactly how it
benefits chronic illnesses, but I will give a general outline as refers to PD.
CR can have profound effects on brain function and vulnerability to injury and
disease. CR is defined as the lowering of caloric intake to a range of from 900
Kcal to 1400Kcal per day depending on the individual. There is an organization
of people called the Caloric Restricted Society and they have been extensively
studied because of the surprising effects that CR has in animal models on
health and aging. Benefits appear to be the result of a cellular stress
response that stimulates the production of proteins that enhances neuronal
plasticity and resistance to oxidative and metabolic stress. These include
neuronal factors such as brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF),
mitochondrial proteins and other proteins known as chaperone or heat shock
proteins. These metabolic changes in CR protect neurons from degeneration in
animal models and can also stimulate the production of new neurons from stem
cells.
Clearly,
CR would be of great benefit in treating Pd if the patient is not already
debilitated. In researching caloric
restriction I found that the most important types of food to restrict are
proteins. Again, I would like to
emphasize the importance of a high fruit and vegetable diet. These foods
provide the necessary phytochemicals needed by the body to heal from chronic
illness, especially important are the whole food vitamins such as vitamin C and
the B complex (Martin, 2002).
I
found several supplements listed in the research literature that report to
benefit PD).
Protomorphogens (PMG) by Dr. Royal Lee:
I
will not take the space here to give a lengthy description of PMGs as I have
two articles on my web-site devoted to the theory and how it works. Briefly,
PMGs are the blue prints used by the body to create a particular cell type,
such as muscle or nerve. Two types exist. The first type is called endogenous
PMG and is created in the body and used for either growth or repair of body
tissues. The second type is exogenous and is usually taken in when protein is
consumed. Exogenous PMGs in food can in a very small way influence cell repair.
The reason its action is small is because there is not very much PMG in say an
ounce of fish. Dr. Royal Lee and a team of other researchers developed the PMG
theory but Lee was the only one to figure out a way to process it into
concentrated supplement form. He has developed a PMG for almost every cell type
including nerve, muscle, parathyroid, adrenal, and others. He also developed a
few extracts from glandulars including adrenal and hypothalamus, a part of the
brain that controls the endocrine system. By using the PMGs plus the glandular
extracts or cytosols and the desiccated glandular products when available, one
can have a full range of glandular products to facilitate healing. The PMGs
taken orally upregulate the formation of new neurons and other cells depending
on the type of PMG taken. They also diminish any inflammatory response. Wow!
What a supplement, and to think they have been available to health care
professionals for over 50 years. The PMGs are only blue prints, so you also
have to add the building blocks in order to build a new “bodily House”. The
buildings blocks include the raw materials found in fresh whole non processed
foods such as proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, mineral, and other
phytochemicals. Phytochemicals are part of vitamin complexes and are not found
in the vast majority of supplements sold over the counter in stores. Again, Lee
came to the rescue and developed processing equipment to formulate REAL
vitamins, with their co-factors intact, and organic minerals from organically
grown produce (see articles on web-site for discussion on real vs. artificial
vitamins). Synthetic vitamins are
harmful and are not to be used if healing is your goal. Ascorbic acid is NOT
vitamin C but only the synthetically manufactured artificial copy that does NOT
function as a real vitamin in the human body (Lee, 1998). I have used PMGs and
other glandular for healing chronic diseases with spectacular results.
Real Vitamins:
I
have discussed vitamins in the previous discussion, but would like to add a few
comments here. Since PD is considered a disease in which free radicals damage
the nerve cells it is important to supplement with real whole food anti-oxidant
vitamins such as vitamins C and E (Martin, 2002). Selenium is actually a part
of the E complex and I will discuss it further later. The research literature
is contradictory in reports on these two vitamins and their benefits for
chronic illnesses. This is partly due to the fact that some studies use whole
foods containing the nutrients they are testing and others use artificial
supplements. Of course, the artificial supplements show either little or no
value. The vast majority of people do not understand that vitamins are living
systems and contain many co-factors not found in the artificial supplements.
Therefore, synthetic supplements are not FUNCTIONAL as they do not contain the
co-factors needed. There are very few companies that sell whole food vitamins,
Lee’s company is by far the best. There is substantial evidence that poor nutrition
is causative in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases such as PD
(Martin, 2002).
Folate and Vitamin B12:
A
deficiency of dietary folate can modify the vulnerability of dopaminergic
neurons leading to dysfunction and early death. Also, lack of folate
exacerbates dopamine depletion, neuronal degeneration and motor dysfunction. It
also exacerbates oxidative stress, and to mitochondrial dysfunction of human
dopaminergic cells exposed to the pesticide rotenone or the pro-oxidant
Fe(2+)(iron) (Duan, 2002). In fact excess iron seems to be very detrimental to
PD, but in the presence of vitamin C this is ameliorated (Logroscino, 2008).
Both folate and B12 seem to influence the effects of homocysteine (Hcy). Hcy is
a metabolite that builds up in the body when folate, B12 and or B6 is
deficient. The metabolite is harmful to the neurons and other cells in the
body. L-dopa drug therapy increases the need for these B vitamins as it
increases the levels of Hcy (Lamberti, 2005). The B vitamins are very important
in nerve tissue, in fact, their primary function in the body is to ensure
proper nerve health. I have seen individuals with undifferentiated tremors heal
themselves with diet and whole food B vitamins. B vitamin deficiency is a major
issues because these vitamins have been removed from our food supply and been
replaced with artificial and or synthetic substitutes that do not function as
the real ones do. Dr Lee called heart disease white flour disease because of
the absence of real vitamins B and E and essential fatty acids in processed
flour. In a future article I will enumerate the various B vitamins and their
functions, although to some extent this has been done in the article on
diabetes. Suffice it to say that all PD patients need to take whole food B
supplements, but I generally put different individuals on different ones.
The minerals, copper, selenium, and
zinc:
Selenium
is part of the vitamin E complex and is itself an anti-oxidant. Imbalances between oxidants and ant-oxidants
in the body can lead to PD. Selenium supplementation has been shown to
successfully up-regulate the anti-oxidant status and to decrease dopamine loss
and the time it takes to reach functional recovery. Pd induced rats were tested
for neurobehavioral activity, glutathione peroxidase,
glutathione-S-transferase, glutathione reductase and glutathione status and all
were shown to decrease dopamine loss after selenium supplementation (Zafar,
2003). Copper is part of the vitamin C complex and is an important supplement
for PD patients. Zinc and copper are in a delicate balance in the body and
sometimes need to be given together.
L-tyrosine:
L-Dopa
(L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine) is produced from the amino acid L-tyrosine. This
reaction is catalyzed by tyrosinase. L-Tyrosine is also the precursor for other
catecholamines which are produced in the chromaffin cells of the adrenals,
sympathetic nerve cells, and the neurons of various parts of the brain.
Tyrosine uptake occurs via a transport carrier located in the blood brain barrier
in the brain and it is in competition with other large neutral amino acids
(LNAA) such as tryptophan, phenylalanine, leucine, isoleucine, and valine. PD
Patients who received an oral administration of L-tyrosine of 50 to 100mg/kg
per day for 4 to 7 days improved as much on L-tyrosine as L-dopa. L-tyrosine
was more effective when administered to mild and early onset patients as some
did not respond as well as others. Of course L- tyrosine did not cause the
complications and side-effects that L-dopa did (Tyrrell, 1998). L-tyrosine has
also been used to treat depression and individuals with high stress levels
although I do not recommend L-tyrosine for these problems unless other
supplements are also given.
Bacopa monnieri:
Bacopa
has been used for cognitive issues for many years in the herb world. It has
been shown to enhance mental clarity and support cognitive function, support
normal memory function, support physical endurance, ease the effects of
temporary and occasional stress, and to nourish the nervous system. In a study using fruit flies, bacopa
significantly decreased the levels of oxidative stress, inhibited dopamine
depletion and decreased mortality (Hosamain, 2009).
Valerian:
I
have used valerian with great success in supporting various types of hyper-
irritability states. It is a calmative to the central nervous system and
probably also to the autonomic nervous system.
Ginkgo biloba:
Ginkgo
is one of the most widely studied herbs on the market and it supports a variety
of issues. It provides ant-oxidant protection so needed in PD as it is
oxidation that causes the neurons to degenerate. It supports mental function
and mental clarity as well as increases blood flow to the brain. It is widely
used in cardiovascular health and it has anti-aging properties. Oxidative
chemicals such as reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species
(RNS) are able to damage cellular structures like DNA, proteins and lipids in
the body. The concentration of these harmful chemicals increases as we age and they
also increase in disease states. Improper diet and stress also effects the
concentration and the amount of damage these substances can do. The
accumulation of oxidatively damaged proteins is a hallmark of PD and other
neurodegenerative diseases. Also, the process of aging is connected to their
accumulation because cellular function is disturbed. These reactive chemicals
damage ferritin (iron) which then significantly increases oxidative damage to
proteins in the body. Ginkgo has been shown not only to counteract this
oxidative damage to the brain, but also to increase the number of dopaminergic
neurons. Ginkgo was shown to be able to chelate transitional metals, such as
excess iron, thus slowing oxidation. There is a great need to develop protocols
that include neuroprotective agents that can stop and prevent oxidative damage
(Rojas, 2008; Voss, 2006).
Blueberry extract (BBE):
Several
studies exist on substances that improve the life of transplanted neuronal
cells in vitro, but few studies concentrate on changing the internal
environment of the host. This is
probably because the research community is controlled by the drug companies and
many of these phytochemicals that protect our internal environment are natural
and not drugs. Flavonoids and other beneficial nutrients found in produce and
herbs have strong anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In one study
BBE was shown to significantly prevent oxidative stress associated with
impairment of striatal motor function during aging and RESTORED lost motor
function in aged rats. BBE improved survival of embryonic dopaminergic neurons.
It increased the survival of DA neurons and ameliorated rotational behavioral
asymmetries (McGuire, 2006). I have found BBE very effective for both nerve
health and eye repair from macular degeneration. BBE apparently reduces
inflammation and improves blood flow. Two other supplements also help with this
and they are turmeric and phosphatidyl serine. I will not expound here on these
two supplements, but will address these in a later article.
Mucuna puriens (MP):
Mucuna
seems to the miracle herb for PD. In several studies it was shown to be more
effective than L-dopa in terms of neuromuscular behavior. MP has been used in
traditional Indian medicine for centuries. It contains L-dopa and other
synergistic ingredients which act together to “out perform” L-dopa. MP at
16mg/kg showed improved turning behavior and a reduction in abnormal
involuntary movements (AIM) in rats, significantly out performing L-dopa
(Kasture, 2009). In a small clinical study in 2004, Katzenschlager observed a
more rapid onset of action and longer “on-time” without concomitant increase in
dyskinesia when MP seed was administered as compared to L-dopa, suggesting that
MP possesses advantages over conventional L-dopa in long-term management; 48 mg
of MP contains 6 mg of L-dopa. In another study, MP restored specific motor
deficits such as akinesia and gait impairment. MP decreased time required to
initiate movement and also tremor (Hussain, 1997). Apparently, MP contains
5-hydroxytryptophan as well as L-dopa which plays a role in ganglia physiology
and decreases long term complications with L-dopa treatment (Kasture 2009).
Portulaca grandiflora:
I
would like to mention this plant as I found one reference that is noteworthy.
According to Rani portulaca produced more L-dopa from L-tyrosine that mucuna
puriens in cell cultures. I have not as yet located a source for this as it
appears to be a moss rose (Rani, 2007).
In
summary, the main goals of supporting PD are to cease adding toxins via the
diet and to detoxify the existing toxins in the body, to include the needed
herbs that supply L-dopa, to protect the remaining dopaminergic neurons and to
rebuild new ones. This can only be achieved with a multi-deminsional program to
include diet modification, stress reduction techniques, whole food
supplementation with certain glandulars and protomorphogens (PMG), and high
potency herbs. Each program needs to be tailored to the specific needs of the
patient based on medical, genetic and dietary histories. Each “prong” of the
protocol works synergistically with the others to bring about a more affective
outcome. A good source of herbs is critical to success as most of the herbs
sold in this country have minimal concentrations of phytochemicals. That is why
I use herbs produced In
References
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