Hi Bob: Think your kind of "ranting" is essential to the health and well-being of the members of this List. A chronic, progressive illness with no known cure makes one all too vulnerable. Carole H. --- "Robert A. Fink, M. D." <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Pam Bower wrote: > > > Studies show that a low protein diet with most of > the protein being eaten > > in the evening significantly reduces the symptoms > of Parkinson's. > > Deficiency of folic acid, magnesium and the amino > acids tryptophan and > > tyrosine, precursors to neurotransmitters, may all > be involved somehow in > > the disease. Excess amounts of manganese, iron, > mercury, aluminum and > > copper have all been reported connected to > Parkinson's. It is thought that > > these excess minerals increase free radical > pathology and accelerate cell > > death. The mercury in dental amalgams has been > suggested to be involved in > > some cases of Parkinson's. > > > > Vitamin C and E, selenium as well as the amino > acid derivative, > > N-acetyl-cysteine, are free radical scavengers and > can remove excess > > mercury from the body. Lactoferrin, a naturally > occurring iron-binding > > protein, manganese and vitamin E helps offset iron > excesses in the body. > > Zinc supplementation can help push excessive > copper out of the body. > > Strong antioxidants like proanthocyanidins > (pycnogenols, grape seed > > extract, pine bark extract or bilberry) which can > cross the blood brain > > barrier would likely be the most effective > antioxidants in Parkinson's > > complicated by toxic heavy metal excesses. > Intravenous chelation therapy > > is recognized to be effective against toxic heavy > metal excesses. > > > > Parkinson's cases that have been treated for long > periods of time with the > > drug Levodopa may develop deficiencies in vitamin > B6, vitamin B3 (niacin), > > folic acid and vitamin B12. Supplementation of > these vitamins may be > > necessary to prevent worsening of the symptoms. > Many people over the age > > of 60 have problems in the absorption of vitamin > B12 and folic acid. In > > these cases, taking either a sublingual form or > injections is better. > > > > Other supplements effectively used in the > treatment of Parkinson's include > > choline, octacosanol, inositol, lecithin, > niacinamide, vitamin B1, vitamin > > C, vitamin E and Coenzyme Q10. These nutrients are > all involved in the > > body's synthesis of acetylcholine and dopamine. > Evening primrose oil > > supplementation has been shown to reduce the > tremor of Parkinson's. Herbal > > remedies of potential benefit include ginseng and > horsetail. A nutritional > > evaluation by a natural health care practitioner > can pinpoint these and > > other potential deficiencies or toxicities. > Combined with conventional > > medical therapy, a good nutritional supplement > program will help produce > > optimal results. > > > > Before attempting any of these natural therapies > it would be a good idea > > to get extensive lab testing done. This includes > routine blood and urine > > tests, hair mineral analysis, livecell microscopy, > comprehensive stool and > > digestive analysis including comprehensive > parasitology, food and chemical > > allergy testing and amino acid analysis. A > naturopath or medical doctor > > familiar with nutrition should be consulted. > > > > REFERENCES > > > > Beal, M., Flint, M.D. Aging, Energy, and Oxidative > Stress in > > Neurodegenerative Diseases. Annals of Neurology, > 1995;38:357-366. > > > > Carter, J. et al. Amount and distribution of > dietary protein affects > > clinical response to levodopa in Parkinson's > disease. Neurology 39:552-56, > > 1989. > > > > Clayton, P. et al. Subacute combined degeneration > of the cord, dementia > > and parkinsonism due to an inborn error of folate > metabolism. J. Neurol. > > Nerosurg Psychiatry 49:920-7, 1986. > > > > Critchley, E.M.R. evening primrose oil in > parkinsonian and other tremors: > > a preliminary study, in D.F. Horrobin, Ed. > Clinical Uses of Essential > > fatty Acids. Montreal, Eden Press, 1982:205-8. > > > > Dexter, D.T. et al. Increased nigral iron content > and alterations in other > > metal ions occurring in brain in Parkinson's > disease, other chronic > > neurological diseases and control brains. Can. J. > Neurol. Sci. > > 16(3):310-14, 1989. > > > > Jimenez-Jimenez, F.J., et al, Serum and Urinary > Manganese Levels in > > Patients With Parkinson's Disease.ACTA Neurol. > Scand, 1995;91:317-320. > > > > Lohr, James, B. and Browning, John, A. Free > Radical Involvement in > > Neuropsychiatric Illnesses. Psychopharmacology > Bulletin, > > 1995;31(1):159-165. > > > > Logroscino, Giancarlo, M.D., M.S., et al. Dietary > Lipids and Antioxidants > > in Parkinson's Disease: A Population-Based, > Case-Control Study.Annals of > > Neurology, 1996;39:89-94. > > > > Pall HS et al. Raised cerebrospinal-fluid copper > concentration in > > Parkinson's disease. Lancet 2:238-41, 1987. > > > > Penney, John, B., Jr., M.D., et al . Impact of > Deprenyl and Tocopherol > > Treatment on Parkinson's Disease in DATATOP > Patients Requiring Levodopa. > > Annals of Neurology, 1996;39:37-45. > > > > Singh, Ram, B., M.D., et al. Dietary Intake and > Plasma Levels of > > Antioxidant Vitamins in Health and Disease: A > Hospital-Based, Case-Control > > Study. Journal of Nutritional & Environmental > Medicine, 1995;5:235-242. > > > > Tsui J. et al. The effect of dietary protein on > the efficacy of L-dopa: a > > double-blind study. Neurology 39:549-52, 1989. > > > > "There can be no happiness if the things we > believe in are different > > from the things we do." - Author Unknown > > > > The paragraphs above are full of nonscientific > generalizations and > have little, if any, basis in fact. The references > given are all basic > science studies, done, for the most part, at the > laboratory level, and > have no application (at least as yet) to clinical > management of > Parkinson's disease. Note also, that some of the > article titles refer to > "parkinsonism", which may reflect any basal-ganglion > disorder > involving abnormal movements, and may have nothing > to do with > classical Parkinson's disease. > > The probable "true purpose" of the material above is > deeply > embedded in the paragraphs; i. e., the "need for > testing". There are a > number of laboratories around which make a good > living testing > people for various "toxins", heavy metals, etc., > claiming that such-and- > so cause human diseases, and then offering > "treatments" to "remove > the toxins". This is, in most cases, quackery, and > can be found on > many Internet Lists, especially those which deal > with "incurable" or > other "dread" diseases. Laetrile, Krebiozen, shark > cartilage, Essiac tea, > etc., are all such examples. The common denominator > is that they are > worthless, expensive, available from only limited > sources, and any > attempts to show them up as scams are due to the > "profiteering of the > medical establishment" who want to "hide" the "real > cures" === message truncated === ===== __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com