with Nadine Saubers, R.N., B.S.N.
I painted my office this weekend and was fully prepared to suffer the consequences of breathing in toxic VOCs from the paint (even though I was using low VOC paint). And on top of the fact that I get my allergy shots on Thursday and they usually kick me around for a few days. But even worse than the affect of the shots and breathing in paint fumes is the fact that I have to breathe in my neighbors dryer sheet fumes nearly every day of the year. Of course while painting I need to have the windows open. But even if I walk out to get my mail the air is HEAVY with the VOCs, they seem to be running their dryers constantly. I truly believe that fragrance is much worse than second hand smoke because of the obsession of using it in nearly everything. You can’t even walk into a store without being bombarded with TOXIC fumes. I no longer receive scented store ads but that’s because I had to request non-scented correspondence.
But what is behind illness related to toxins? Toxins affect and damage the brain. Today we’re seeing an explosion of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and Lou Gehrig’s disease that are occurring at much earlier ages than previously. Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) also has neurophysiological symptoms and brain imaging studies showed that CFS patients are dysfunctional in their ventral anterior cingulate cortex function, and other brain abnormalities. CFS has much in common with the neurodegenerative diseases.
All disease exists on a spectrum of severity from mild to full blown. So for every diagnosed case of disease there are many hundreds of cases that are just beginning, mild, or interfering with life somehow. This holds true for neuro disease and for illnesses like CFS.
In Parkinson’s disease for example, damage can occur in the peripheral nervous system, autonomic nervous system, and in the nerves of the heart. People with Parkinson’s have dysfunction in the ability to detoxify harmful elements and their mitochondria have low energy output and high free radical generation. Sound familiar?
Like CFS, Parkinson’s is also an inflammatory disease. Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease are linked to other inflammatory conditions including:
• Diabetes
• Autoimmune diseases
• Obesity
• Consumption of omega-6 fats (these fats found in junk/processed food are inflammatory)
• Trauma
• Exposure to certain toxic metals
• Infections
Infections, trauma, obesity, toxic metal exposure and pesticides/herbicide exposure all intensely activate the brain’s immune cells – the microglia – for very long periods. In fact it’s now known that exposure to pesticides and herbicides is the leading environmental cause of Parkinson’s disease. All of us are getting dangerous doses of very harmful chemicals every day particularly if we bug spray our homes, play on contaminated golf courses or work in buildings treated by pesticide services. And the damage is cumulative. So if you get a low single pesticide dose that doesn’t cause brain damage but then are exposed to another low pesticide dose in the future the two together will cause extensive damage to the part of the brain that one sees damaged in Parkinson’s disease.
The multiplying of toxicity is called “synergism.” All the pesticides, herbicides and chemicals exposure that you have daily is what is causing this enormous burst of cases of neurodegenerative disease. I talk about the cumulative effect of stressors over time leading to damage of the nervous system, the adrenals, and the immune system. It’s the same deal. People who have Parkinson’s disease also have weak detoxification enzymes in their neurons and liver so when they are exposed to toxins the poison is not detoxified instead it enters the brain causing damage. They also have low levels of glutathione in their cells, especially brain cells. Glutathione is the body’s major antioxidant that protects all cells, especially brain cells and is found in the cell mitochondria where 95% of free radicals are produced.
“Clinical evidence links low glutathione levels to the most common illnesses of our time as well as newly emerging diseases.” Dr. Jimmy Gutman, MD, FACEP
It’s suspected that people with low glutathione levels have the greatest risk of developing Parkinson’s and we know that low glutathione levels are also seen in CFS. Glutathione is a major protector against mercury toxicity so if you have low glutathione levels you have a much higher risk of mercury damage to your brain and of developing diseases like Parkinson’s.
Factors that can lower brain glutathione include:
• Brain injury
• Strokes
• Diabetes
• Autoimmune diseases
• Environmental toxins
• Infections
• Elevation of brain glutamate levels
All of these increase free radicals and lipid peroxidation products in the brain. Lipid peroxidation is a free radical process that causes cell damage. Your brain needs a constant low level of glutamate in order to manufacture glutathione but when glutamate levels become too high it actually depletes glutathione and increases the production of free radical and lipid peroxidation products and brain inflammation.
Excitotoxicity is the process by which nerve cells are damaged and killed by glutamate and similar substances such as toxins. Both inflammatory immune overactivity and excitotoxicity are known to play important roles in all neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s dementia. Normally immune cells in the brain (microglia) are inactive, but when attacked they become active immune cells secreting large amounts of inflammatory cytokines that damage brain cells (neurons), brain cell connections (dendrites) and the connections called synapses.
Inflammation triggers excitotoxicity. Inflammatory immune cytokines are able to increase the brain’s sensitivity to excitotoxicity. It makes sense then that when exposed to a toxic VOC you are using up your brain store of glutathione in order to protect against that toxin. In the case of the neurodegenerative diseases, inflammation appears to be the trigger. Inflammation is also an important factor in CFS.
Here are some steps to take to combat inflammation, decrease cell damage, heal your cells and increase your glutathione levels.
• Eat a real whole food diet incorporating a variety of foods but primarily plant foods.
• Wash all produce to remove pesticide residues.
• Decrease animal fats in your diet, they are high in pesticide residues, and omega-6 fats that will increase brain inflammation.
• Drink only filtered or distilled water that has added magnesium.
• Stay away from fluoride; fluoridated water, toothpaste, fluoride treatments.
• Have dental amalgam fillings removed.
• Avoid eating fish high in mercury.
• Increase antioxidants in your diet to reduce inflammation, increase brain energy, improve brain blood flow, reduce free radical damage, and promote repair of damaged brain cells.
• Take a high quality well-compounded multivitamin/mineral in capsule form.
• Natural vitamin E and tocotrienol.
• Vitamin C (as magnesium or calcium ascorbate) increases brain energy and stimulates the generation of neurotransmitters.
• Grape pip from the seed of the grape contains anthrocyanadins that inhibit free-radical damage, strengthen blood vessels and suppress microglial activation.
• White tea extract contains highly protective brain chemicals called catechins including epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). White tea extract has a higher concentration of catechins and is free of fluoride and aluminum.
• CoQ10 is used by all cells to produce energy.
• L-carnitine has been shown to improve neuron function, protect neurons against excitotoxicity, increase the level of braingrowth factors that promote brain repair.
• Bioidentical hormones for menopausal women: estrogen (estriol) is protective of brain cells, even against excitotoxicity and inflammation.
Hesperidin is a flavonoid found in many fruits, such as oranges and grapefruits that offers very powerful protection against a damaging free radical called peroxynitrite.
• Curcumin and quercetin are flavonoids that are very powerful anti-inflammatories that reduce microglial activation and excitotoxicity.
• DHA is a component of fish oils found in a pure state from algae. DHA is used by the brain to function and also for protection. DHA protects against excitotoxicity, reduces inflammation, calms microglia, and repairs the injured nervous system.
• Silymarin (on Milk Thistle) has been shown to significantly calm microglia.
• Magnesium Citrate/Malate protects the brain from inflammation. It raises glutathione levels, reduces excitotoxic damage and improves blood flow to the brain.
• N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine (NAC) increases brain levels of glutathione. Take 500 milligrams twice a day.
• Lipoic Acid is a powerful antioxidant found in all cells. It raises glutathione levels and increases brain energy levels.
• Melatonin is one of the brain’s most important protective antioxidants that also dramatically increases other her protective antioxidant enzymes in the brain. Aging causes brain levels of melatonin to fall.
• Vitamin D-3 deficiencies play a major role in neurodegenerative diseases. D-3 protects against inflammatory cytokines and against excitotoxicity. It calms microglial overactivity reducing brain inflammation.
• Regular exercise reduces brain degeneration and promotes brain healing. Excessive, intense, and compulsive exercise worsens brain degeneration increasing free radical and lipid-peroxidation generation. Go for moderate exercise like brisk walking, weights, and yoga.
• Adequate rest and restorative sleep.
• Regular mental activity and exercising your brain by learning new things.
• Having fun, spending time with friends.
• Spiritual devotion.
I truly believe that healing your brain is part of recovering from CFS.
posted on November 27, 2010 | 4,926 views | tags: acquired toxic brain injury, brain damage, brain inflammation, CFS, CFS recovery, chronic fatigue syndrome, healing diets, Nadine Saubers
Linda Clark
November 27, 2010 at 8:06 am
Hi Nadine
I appreciate your comprehensive article. I will definitely share it with friends. I have been studying antioxidants, and especially glutathione, for the last few years. Are you aware that NAC is a pharmaceutical, and as such is beneficial in temporary, emergency situations, but is not recommended for extended use? If you’re interested in exploring an effective food-based strategy for elevating glutathione, have a look at my website.
I look forward to your feedback. Cheers, Linda
Dominique
November 27, 2010 at 9:44 am
Thank you for this post. I didn’t understand the reason for milk thistle and now I do.
I do have to tell you, however, that I am amazed when people say they have ME/CFS come out and advocate weight training. Weight training would put me into such a severe crash it wouldn’t be funny. That is the last thing people with ME/CFS should ever be doing. As some one who has now lived with this illness for 20 years, I can tell you slow to moderate walking and yoga stretching are the only exercise I would ever recommend, especially in light of the malaise that occurs after strenuous effort.
Sue
November 27, 2010 at 12:56 pm
Some more resources to add, in terms of reducing brain inflammation. Since that is my main symptom, I have been experimenting with things to reduce it for awhile now. What has worked best for me, of things that I have tried so far:
Boswellia — the first thing that I found that worked. I stopped using it for a few days, to save money, and my brain became painfully inflamed again.
The SCD diet — taking all grains (quinoa, buckwheat, teff, millet, rice, etc.)/disaccharides/starchy foods out (I experienced an immediate improvement in brain fog, and long term gains)
Sleeping with a grounding mat every night (brings electrons from the earth into the body, which damp out free radicals. Any night that I miss, I can feel my brain inflammation returning…)
Phosphatidylserine (much improved brain fog symptoms)
My brain fog is also much improved by taking Trace Minerals Concentrace drops.
What Nadine’s article says about animal fats is exactly the opposite of what Nourishing Traditions says, so I’m confused.
My CFS is not worsened by moderate exercise.
Several things in the article, I was not able to get on in the past (silymarin/milk thistle, glutathione, NAC, L-carnitine, lipoic acid…). My doctor has a new version of glutathione for me to try.
All best,
Sue
earthwalker
November 27, 2010 at 1:13 pm
Sue, excellent suggestions, thanks so much for sharing what worked for you. I resonate with your tips, I was on the SCD for 6 years. I don’t have CFS but do have brain inflammation with MCS. I take Trace Minerals with every glass of water. I am interested in boswellia and the grounding mat so thanks for the confirmation they are working for you. Can you recommend a brand for the grounding mat?? Another friend just got one and is reporting good results. Being severely EMF sensitive I am nervous about sleeping on a pad. In fact, due to my MCS I probably could not sleep on it. But worth checking out.
I incorporate Weston Price dietary theory into my diet now, combined with raw foods and SCD (but not 100% SCD at this time….) but there are those that believe in a more plant based diet. Everyone seems to have their own theory. Nadine’s statement “Decrease animal fats in your diet, they are high in pesticide residues, and omega-6 fats that will increase brain inflammation” I don’t believe is true for organic, grass fed animal products. From what I have read, those animals fed a species appropriate diet will have high levels of omega 3 fats and will not have pesticide residues if raised on grass that is not sprayed. She was probably referring to the meat typically sold in the average supermarket, which in that case, what she says is very true.
I would say that people should be ultra concerned with the source of their food, no matter if animal or plant based. Find the purest, most organic source that is not adulterated with chemicals, antibiotics, pesticides, etc. Then, see how you feel when you eat it. The body knows best.
Sue
November 27, 2010 at 1:50 pm
Earthwalker,
Thank you for the interesting information about animal fats. That makes sense of the conflicting things I have heard.
I was doing SCD more carefully for several months, but now I am less careful, because I had to broaden my diet again–my food allergies were worsening, and my kitchen privileges were decreasing. I can get away with small deviations from SCD, but larger deviations result in brain pain and inflammation. In my experience, there is definitely a balance to be aimed for — between avoiding food allergies and reactions but not making your food choices too narrow, either.
I do know someone with electrical sensitivity who cannot tolerate any grounding apparatus at all, whatsoever. And, the company that I know of, Barefoot Connections (the company associated with the book Earthing) does not offer any great products for people with MCS — the sheets with silver threaded through them, for grounding purposes, are 50 cotton/50 poly, and the grounding mat, which I use, because it is the cheapest product, is pure rubber, but it stinks, and people with MCS tend not to like it. It smells just like the lid of my Blendtec blender, and I do ok with it (I aired it out on the line for a few days, before using it, but I suspect, Julie, that you might be better with the sheets, unless you can’t tolerate polyester ever. I have friends with MCS who were able to make the sheets tolerable quickly).
Here is the link to that particular company:
http://www.shop.earthing.net/
I was referred to a book by Jerry Tenant, called Healing is Voltage, which I am half-way through reading. I find it persuasive. He says every cell in the body is designed to run at a voltage of -20 to -25 millivolts, but when an area is damaged, it needs -50 millivolts to heal itself. He says people with chronic illness have chronically low voltage and are unable to heal themselves. I did find a leap in my healing, when I began using the grounding mat, and I am finding long-term gains. Another image, from the Earthing book, is that it is one Native American tradition, when I child is ill with disease, to dig a whole in the earth for them, which they lie in to heal (lots of earth’s electrons). Tennant’s book gives you many different options, besides sleeping grounded. For instance, pH is a measurement of voltage, you could say! Alkaline foods give the body electrons, and acid foods take electrons away! I thought this was very fascinating!!
All best,
Sue
Sue
November 27, 2010 at 2:00 pm
p.s. — Earthwalker, thank you for mentioning your blend of Weston Price, raw, and SCD. You are several steps ahead of me, and that combination really appeals. I eat both raw and non-raw SCD but have not yet learned much about Weston Price, though that is my next frontier. I want to learn how to make cultured foods and broths. So far, I’ve only learned how to make chicken soup with bones, from the SCD recipe for it. -Sue
Laurel
November 27, 2010 at 5:49 pm
Thanks Nadine and Julie,
I really agree with your statement about perfumes and scented products being everywhere and my husband and I often say that it is the new second hand smoke. In the evening when we walk the dog, I also smell dryer sheets when I walk in a subdivision or neighborhood, we have to choose our routes carefully even when walking outside. How crazy is that?
This is so fresh in my mind with yesterday being Thanksgiving…So many of my husband’s relatives came saturated in perfume, I spent the one hour that I was there dodging them…doesn’t make for a pleasant time especially since I’m so isolated and LOVE to get together with people when possible…Does anyone have suggestions on how to approach family?
What does help is reading and learning from the experience of others and for that I am really grateful.
peter
November 27, 2010 at 10:39 pm
Thanks Nadine.
Great article. Yes Glutathione is essential. I have found something that has been tested to be 300% more effective than NAC in raising Glutathione levels.
Paul
December 2, 2010 at 2:01 pm
Hello Nadine,
Thanks for putting this together. I am a physician who spent almost ten years at FDA before leaving in disgust. The more “natural” approaches are most often both far less toxic and more efficacious, as I believe I can testify to from a rather unique vantage.
Like you I have also started a website, in my case to attempt to warn people of some of the dangers they may not be so aware of in subscribing to the traditional model of “healthcare”. Though coming from an allopathic background I do often find myself sometimes both behind the curve and needing to unlearn some conventionally held positions.
Just finished a write-up looking at the CDC’s most recent estimate of dental fluorosis prevalence which you might find interesting.
http://healthjournalclub.blogspot.com/2010/12/cdc-update-on-dental-fluorosis.html
Over 40% of 12-15 year olds in the US now show signs of dental fluorosis, an increase from the last survey.
Heaven help us all.
Ciao,
Paul
Willow
December 3, 2010 at 12:11 am
Dear Nurse Saubers,
There are many different clinical diseases within the construct of CFS. All of these are real diseases, but they are not all the same condition. Some are indeed recoverable.
However, the people with ME who notice that they worsen with exercise should not ever perform graded exercise. This is harmful because of the oxidative damage being done in the cells and the possibility of unassessed cardiac disease.
And while supportive treatment like some of your other great suggestions can certainly improve the quality of life of people with ME, we will not be cured until additional causes are found and treatments are available. There is lots of evidence that we have various chronic/recurring infections (XMRV, EBV, HHV-6, etc.) which could be causative.
One of the main barriers to treatment is that most people do not get tested for any of the things that rationally could be wrong (doctors only test for other diseases, or don’t test at all, depending on one’s location and circumstances).
I would encourage you to look at the information at http://www.cfsknowledgecenter.org , http://www.name-us.org/index.html , and http://www.cfids-cab.org/MESA/index.html , and http://www.cfids-me.org/ .
Meanwhile, lots of your suggestions do look very helpful. Thanks so much for what was overall a good article.
eiswomann
December 3, 2010 at 8:22 am
Nadine,
first sorry if I don’t speak a good english. I want to say to you that I believe all you explain in this article. I think all the diseases are related with chemicals and physics toxics and resulted in a brain disfunction. My dr. thinks all you tell. Thank you very much for your effort to disseminate this knowledge. God blesses you and all you love.
clem boone
December 11, 2010 at 12:29 pm
thanks gracious merci thank you…