Things That Will Make You Go "Hmmmmm"

[PlateletGal]

I recently conducted a poll in the fibromyalgia/CFS forum. I'm sure most of you here already know that I have a CFS diagnosis (and it is accurate.. unfortunately). Anyhow, I asked members in the forum if they work or worked in the medical field and/or have family members who are in the military... or live near a military base ?  I think you will be surprised at the results:


http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/784467?show_poll_results=true

[sick and tired 47]

Hmmm... I was to late to see this study... but...
I am a Radiologic technician for 20+ years, lived on or near military bases( husband works  for military). Wow... so interesting.....

[sick and tired 47]

Hi! I hope no ones minds me jumping in this thread. You mention DHEA... well I am a very unusual case. I have very high DHEA... and no dr. knows why. Had it retested after 3 months ( dr. thought lab error), still is very high - both blood and saliva tests.
  So endo/PcP says ??? - lets wait  a few months more and retest. Meantime I am on low dose of progesterone to balance high estrogen and they are guessing maybe it converts to DHEA?? so stopped progesterone for now.
I am so glad I found this forum... was lurking on thryoid/ heart rythym for some time.... you all are great and such a wealth of information!!!

[PlateletGal]

Let's see... I've taken DHEA (if my memory is right (yikes).... my DHEA level was low and so was my L-Carnitine). I've also taken the licorice extract for my adrenals. I'm doing much better now because the pathogen killing treatment that I've been on is actually adjusting my hormone levels ! It really is amazing ! I started out with the Marshall Protocol and then Dr. David A. Jernigan's natural herbal-homeopathic formulas to address mycoplasma and other bacterial infections. Dr. Jernigan also has formulas for viruses, yeast & parasites.

[stella5349]

Amazing.. thanks

I am particularly interested in the cortisol factors of your article. If it releases the stress hormone - then could a person assume it would assist in weight loss or gain?

[deepdiver]

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) actually has a medical definition: Severe disabling fatigue in combination with impaired concentration and short-term memory, poor sleep, and musculoskeletal pain. Think of CFS as a severe form of TATT—the extreme end of the spectrum—in which your fatigue has gone on for six months or more and you’ve ruled out all other causes. Unfortunately, many mainstream primary-care doctors deny CFS exists, because that’s easier than trying to figure out something that is not understood––and challenging to treat. The broad integrative approach I give for TATT is an excellent treatment strategy for CFS. Also, Corvalen M (www.corvalen.com) is a wonderful supplement containing a form of ribose with magnesium that helps replenish your cells’ ATP, a primary energy molecule.

Research over the past 10 years reported in important medical
journals, such as the New England Journal of Medicine, has
shown that deficient DHEA levels in the blood are associated
with increased heart disease, breast cancer and a decline in the
competence of the immune system. Some of the conditions
DHEA has been touted for include:
• Aging • Heart disease
• Lupus • Arthritis
• Alzheimer’s/dementia • Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Diabetes • Cancer
• Depression • Menopause
• Obesity • Insomnia
This is quite a list, and I don’t think that DHEA is the
answer to all of these problems all of the time. But it is an
important aspect of general good health to maintain optimal
levels. Instead of checking cholesterol levels, doctors should be
checking DHEA levels on a routine basis, especially in patients
over 50. But ask the average doctor about DHEA and you will
discover that he knows little, if anything, about it.

Licorice whips your health problems
Let me make one thing clear: When I talk about the health
benefits of licorice, I’m not referring to licorice candy. Candy
means sugar and the “licorice” is probably licorice (anise) flavoring—
and who knows what that might be? So the stuff you
find in the supermarket and at the movie theater concession
stand is anise-flavored candy, not real licorice at all.
Licorice is found in the stem of a tall purple-flowered shrub.
Glycyrrhizin (really hard to spell and even harder to say) is the
herb’s key therapeutic compound. There are other ingredients but
let’s concentrate on glicerizin, excuse me, I meant glycyrrhizin.
The following is going to be a little confusing; at least it
was to me. There are two types of licorice and they are both
excellent treatment options. But they act on different systems
of the body, one on the digestive system (think Pepto-Bismol),
and the other on the anti-inflammatory side (think aspirin). That
covers a lot of territory and this is where it gets confusing.
There is licorice with glycyrrhizin (let’s shorten it to GZN
since I will never be able to keep spelling it) and licorice without
GZN, called deglycyrrhizinated licorice, or DGL. Licorice
from DGL is effective in many therapeutic areas. It reduces
inflammation by preventing the breakdown of cortisol, the
body’s primary stress-fighting adrenal hormone, making these
hormones more available to the body. It also appears to
enhance immunity by boosting levels of interferon, a key
immune system chemical that fights off attacking viruses.
Here’s a list of some of the conditions the GZN form can
be particularly helpful for:
ã Respiratory problems and sore throat
ã Chronic fatigue syndrome
ã Fibromyalgia
ã Hepatitis
ã Skin irritations such as eczema and shingles
ã PMS and menstrual problems
ã Menopausal symptoms
ã Heart disease. Recent studies have found that by limiting
the damage from LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, licorice may
discourage artery-clogging plaque formation and contribute
to the healthy functioning of the heart. Research
indicates that modest doses of licorice (100 mg a day)
have this effect. The ingredient responsible, glabridin, is
not present in licorice candy but can be obtained through
licorice root supplements and standardized extracts.
But there is a downside to licorice with GZN. It may raise
blood pressure in susceptible individuals. If you are taking a
blood pressure lowering medication, it might neutralize the
effect of the drug. (Hmm, is that a good thing or a bad thing?)
So it is a good idea to stay away from licorice containing GZN
and try DGL first.
Deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) can help to:
ã Alleviate ulcers, heartburn, indigestion, and inflammatory
bowel problems such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative
colitis. In a number of clinical trials, standard anti-ulcer
medications failed to perform as well as DGL supplements.
ã Control canker sores. By coating and shielding these
painful mouth ulcers from irritants, chewable DGL
wafers can accelerate healing.
It may also help with the problems listed above. Try it first,
and if you do not get the expected results, then try GZN-containing
licorice (but remembering the caveat about blood pressure).
Action to take:
1.) Start with the DGL form. Take two capsules of any standard
DGL product twice daily.
2.) If the DGL form doesn’t work, then try GZN, but regular
licorice, the GZN-containing type, should not be taken if you
have hypertension, glaucoma, diabetes, or diseases of the heart,
liver, or kidneys.
3.) As I said earlier, the licorice you’re probably most
familiar with is sugar-laden candy. You can find real licorice in
health food stores. It also comes in supplement form. DGL
licorice is always marked as such, so if it doesn’t say DGL
(deglycyrrhizinated) on the label, assume that it contains GZN.
Stick to my basic rules and you can try licorice for just
about anything; you may be well rewarded. After all, can 2,000
years and a zillion people be wrong? Well, yes, I guess they can.
But licorice, when used properly, is a winner

[margypops]

Goodness I did go hummmmmmm  such intrigueing /interesting information, definatly something worth thinking about there and the implications, will you keep us updated Platelet please