Wednesday 10 August 2016

Cannabis for pain?

I tried normal cannabis (would've been high THC) and it utterly messed me up. Still have terrible terrible dreams even months afterwards. The cannabis was so expensive and honestly the benefit was really really minor for my needs. I would've been MUCH better off just juicing carrots oranges and ginger - cheaper, more effective for me, and a heck of a lot safer.

Benefits were totally exaggerated. Don't bother. 


Instead I recommend: 
  • have look on earthclinic.com 
  • get a heat lamp for pain & muscle spasms 
  • do fresh raw juices / fruit fasts
  • massage painful muscles with oil

Monday 25 July 2016

Ayurveda and Ankylosing Spondylitis



Arindam posted an interesting success story on kickas.org recently:
So, I came back to India and consulted an Ayurvedic Doctor. He gave me a diet chart - surprisingly which is so similar to LSD!! The doc told me that Ayurveda is following this diet for all sort of arthritis , for ages.  
I then tried to analyze my situation, in my family (both father and mother side) no one has active AS, though I am sure some one is carrying HLA B27, but still they are normal. My childhood food habit was typical east Indian, lots of fish, veggies and parboiled rice and my AS got aggravated when I was 38yrs(2 yrs back). SO I decided to give Ayurvedic Diet a shot - 
Allowed to Eat/drink - Rice, veggies(which grows above the ground), fish, lean meat (preferably only fish). Tea and plenty of water(but no chilled / cold drinks).Spices of all sort(indian dishes are generally very spicy!). Eat boiled bitter melon/gourd or anything bitter (about 2 small one) every day. I take bitter gourd or neem leaves every day.
NOT allowed to eat - no wheat product, flour , potato and yogurt and avoid milk.No sugar,no sweets, but honey in small amount. Honey should never he heated while consuming . No alcohol.No fruits but citrus fruit can be taken. 
Time to eat - from morning 10am till 6pm, meaning eat after 10am and before 6pm. Try to have 3 meals in a day. Doctor told me , NO EATING after the sun set.
Exercise - Gentle yoga (if you can), walk in the sun shine for about 15mins every day , but it should be always between 6am - 8am. 
Supplement : Liv 52 every morning(to protect Liver), Triphala (an Ayurvedic preparation to help in digestion) capsule twice a day. 
I came back to India on 4th June and I was on wheel chair then, today I can walk , I can climb stairs till 4th floor, I have stopped taking any pain meds, my ESR has come down from 155 to 40 and I can sit for longer without any pain , infact I can feel the difference. My body strength is coming back, I can stand almost straight now and most importantly - I have started working again as a freelancer since last 7days.

Saturday 23 July 2016

A quick way to reduce inflammation

Today I read with interest a Facebook user who found a quick way to bring down Ankylosing Spindylitis inflammation : 2oz of wheatgrass juice! (About 50ml) Make sure it is freshly made and raw. In Sydney most fresh juice stands also sell this. Worth a try :). Other things to try are fresh raw carrot juice and ginger.

Tuesday 19 May 2015

Spondylitis and the brain - hope, depression and meditation

The mental side of the equation came up on kickas recently..

Depression

If you read my story (link in navbar) you would know that when I was still on NSAIDs I was miserable as heck as the disease gradually worsened and I knew that eventually I was going to be bed ridden. I had lost all hope for my future.. I felt doomed and even questioned the value of living in such a state. It would have to be one of my worst moments in life.

As soon as I worked out the gut <-> inflammatory relationship, after a bit of a mishap with some bad food and a big nudge in the right direction from dragonslayer (on kickas.org)... at that point I was no longer miserable, as I knew that my health would ultimately be in my hands. Hope for the future had returned. Thinks might not have been all roses and sunshine, but I knew I could win this fight.

Meditation

There was also an event way back when I was at uni (somewhere around 1999-2000 I would guess). I was still on NSAID drugs at that point but the disease hadn't gotten so bad yet. I joined my universities buddhist group (Macbuddhi) and went off to a monastery for a short retreat. I was still eating normally and hadn't learned how effective the NSD was at that point. 

Venerable Mahinda, a monk, led us in meditation and in particular a meditation called "Metta meditation" which focussed on generating feelings of great compassion and goodwill. It works quite well at that by the way. Anyway, that night as I stayed in the monastery I slept in my sleeping bag. What was unusual is that when I woke up I remember that I felt much better than usual and had less pain and stiffness. 

It isn't so strange when you think about it though. The immune system functions much more efficiently when we are no longer under stress, and when our emotions are in a more positive frame.



Here is my post from way back December 2005 in which I mention this experience:

A few years back I went on a short Buddhist meditation retreat and I remember that my AS symptoms improved considerably at the time. I often wanted to go back to that retreat, but somehow I never did. It was a long time ago and my memory is a bit sketchy...
The meditations centred on wishing 'loving kindness' (metta) for others, and that they "be well and happy" .. first starting with those that are most dear to us (partners, family friends), then gradually widening this to colleagues, then to those in our town, then the entire region, then the entire country, then the world, then the entire universe. 
 Here is a very similar exercise I found on the net (almost identical) :
from: http://www.fwbo.org/metta.html
Loving-Kindness Meditation

The original name of this practice is mettabhavana, which comes from the Pali language. Metta means 'love' (in a non-romantic sense), friendliness, or kindness: hence 'loving-kindness' for short. It is an emotion, something you feel in your heart. Bhavana means development or cultivation. The commonest form of the practice is in five stages, each of which should last about five minutes for a beginner.

1. In the first stage, you feel metta for yourself. You start by becoming aware of yourself, and focusing on feelings of peace, calm, and tranquillity. Then you let these grow in to feelings of strength and confidence, and then develop into love within your heart. You can use an image, like golden light flooding your body, or a phrase such as 'may I be well and happy', which you can repeat to yourself. These are ways of stimulating the feeling of metta for yourself.

2. In the second stage think of a good friend. Bring them to mind as vividly as you can, and think of their good qualities. Feel your connection with your friend, and your liking for them, and encourage these to grow by repeating 'may they be well; may they be happy' quietly to yourself. You can also use an image, such as shining light from your heart into theirs. You can use these techniques - a phrase or an image - in the next two stages as well.

3. Then think of someone you do not particularly like or dislike. Your feelings are 'neutral'. This may be someone you do not know well but see around. You reflect on their humanity, and include them in your feelings of metta.

4. Then think of someone you actually dislike - an enemy. Trying not to get caught up in any feelings of hatred, you think of them positively and send your metta to them as well.

5. In the final stage, first of all you think of all four people together - yourself, the friend, the neutral person, and the enemy. Then extend your feelings further - to everyone around you, to everyone in your neighbourhood; in your town, your country, and so on throughout the world. Have a sense of waves of loving-kindness spreading from your heart to everyone, to all beings everywhere.


Tuesday 17 February 2015

Beer, one more cultured food to explore ;-)

Just another step on my journey into cultured foods eh. And apparently this brand, besides being preservative free, is also unpasteurised. 


So.. hope you're not thinking that I've sold out! :-p


"..Naturally conditioned ales, such as Coopers, are not pasteurised and contain live yeast that mops up dissolved oxygen. As a result, these naturally conditioned ales age and have a far longer shelf life than lagers.."
Source: http://www.australianbeers.com/beers/interview/timcooper/cooper.htm



UPDATE

Well, beer is an interesting one and I am not so sure whether it has worthwhile benefits.

The good stuff:
I noticed that my prostatitis seemed to improve quite markedly for 6 to 8 hours after drinking half a bottle of beer. Oh and it improved my rhinitis a little - but that could just be the bubbles. Unfortunately I am not so keen on being in a perpetual stupor, so I didn't find that to be a desirable treatment plan. Also, there were two occasions where it actually seemed to make it worse. Weird. Is it relieving a root cause of this issue, or is it just masking it from my immune system?

Popping all those bottles started to give me a bit of a callous on my right thumb, but I don't care about that. It's neither here nor there.

Bad stuff:
Loads of fungal related issues all over the shop. Candida would rear its ugly head, proctitis very noticeably worsened, heavy laboured breathing (presumably due to mycotoxins), hot feet, some itchy skin here and there, and issues with night dehydration too. Even fungal issues on my scalp if I recall (and that can lead to dandruff).

In summary:
Not worth it. I will stick with Kombucha and Jun Scoby - these are so much healthier and in fact they actively fight fungal issues.


Video on gut flora and health (Dysbiosis)

Brian Walsh made this great video titled "18 Ways Gut Dysbiosis (Bad Bacteria) Ruins Health". I thoroughly recommend it:
http://youtu.be/cbJuVvT6ALQ

-- Here are my notes from his video --
* LPS impacts brain function 
- lowers dopamine levels, this relates to willpower, motivation and depression
- lowers serotonin (5HT) : also relates to depression
- Hippocampus & Amydala: damages these. Hippocampus translates short term memory to long term memory
* Gut damage
- Leaky gut > undigested proteins in blood > immune reaction
- Villi. Decreased villi > decreased absorption of nutrition
* Thyroid 
- TSH lowered. 
- T4 > T3 conversion is decreased
- thyroid hormone receptors are affected
- all of the above lower metabolic rate
* Kidneys
- decreased excretion of wastes
* Graelin increased. This increases appetite & cravings
* Leptin decreased. Leptin signals satiety, thus LPS again incr appetite 
* Liver. Decreased ability to detoxify substances. 
* Cortisol increased due to stress
* Zinc absorption decreased. Thus less testosterone and less HCL acid in stomach
* Increased inflammation
* Increased oxidative stress
* Mitochondria. LPS damage these. This less energy, more fatigue. 
* Less Glutathione. 


Thursday 29 January 2015

Eczema / Dermatitis cured with B3

My eczema disappeared permanently after taking the B3 regularly over the last few months. 

This eczema is something I've had for over 20 years. Previously it would only go away if I went starch free, and would return soon after eating starch again. 

Initially, a few months back, I was taking B3 every time the skin problems worsened .. and found it worked very well at controlling it. Haven't even needed to take B3 for weeks now.  I can now eat whatever I like and the eczema doesn't return!

Dosage: When taking the 100mg pills I settled on 700mg taken once or twice a day as being a nice and effective dosage. 1000mg was the absolute maximum, although I never had adverse reactions. 

Thursday 8 January 2015

Research - Natto & Bacillus Subtilis


Here is a really interesting part from MarkyT's link [posted on kickas]. B. Subtilis becomes quite dormant if it is cold.
"Once the good hygienic Germans finally recovered from the shock of seeing the Arab natives gulping down warm camel dung, they quickly realized that there must be something in the dung that somehow counteracted the harmful bacteria that caused the dysentery. They questioned the Arabs, who told them that they had no idea why it worked, but that their fathers had always done so, as had their forefathers and it had always worked. The only caveat was that the camel or horse dung had to be ingested while still warm and fresh, because it had no effect on the dysentery if ingested cold.
So the Nazis began carefully examining fresh camel and horse dung. What they discovered was that it was teeming with a powerful bacterial microorganism which later came to be called Bacillus subtilis. This bacteria, it turned out, is so strong that it practically cannibalizes all harmful microorganisms in the human body-particularly pathogenic bacteria like the virulent strain which was causing dysentery in the German troops."
...
"According to clinical studies documented in the medical research report, Immunostimulation by Bacillus Subtilis Preparations, by micro-biologist J. Harmann, the cell wall components of ingested Bacillus Subtilis are able to activate nearly all systems of the human immune defense, including the activation of at least three specific antibodies (IgM, IgG and IgA secretion) which are highly effective against many of the harmful viruses, fungi and bacterial pathogens which regularly attempt to invade and infect the human system."

Source: http://www.life-enthusiast.com/bacillus-subtilis-story-a-3835.html




Friday 26 December 2014

No longer in remission? Or just a bad week?

UPDATE
Looks like I spoke to soon! The very same day that I made the post below I later ate some starchy cashews without reacting noticeably. Since I didn't react I grew braver and had a small amount of popcorn to which I only had a mild reaction. So things aren't quite as bad as I had previously thought, and the remission returns as long as I exercise more control over certain foods - ie. mixtures of fat and starch. 

I should add that over the last four days I had been on quite a strict no starch diet in order to bring the inflammation of Ankylosing spondylitis under control. I had also taken vitamin B3 at doses of 500-900mg as I suspect it is helping my immune system to bring the dysbiosis under control (Niacinamide is known to drastically improve neutrophil efficiency).

So then vitamin B3 and/or cashews are my friends now? Perhaps stick to more moderately starchy foods like cashews and sunflower seeds, and less high starch foods like potato or refined starch as in bread. 

I'm not completely sure yet what to make of all this but I have made some best guesses in this post. 


20141226 
After 20141210 my starch sensitivity would come and go until a few days ago when I ate lots of garlic bread and baked potatoes - after which I had full blown inflammation. 

Looking at this relapse and the previous relapse I blame:
A) mixtures of starch and fat. In the garlic bread the butter was soaked into the bread, and the instant noodles were deep fried in oil. 
B) processed starches, eg. white bread. 
C) eating less red meat, fatty foods for the duration. 
D) eating more starch than my body can handle in one sitting. 

What kept the remission period running? 
My sister (a doctor) said that with remission periods after FMT treatment are normally be temporary, and that it seems to stick if the recipient eats lots of vegetable fibre. So then, I believe the friendly commensal flora needed a lot of vegetable fibre and unprocessed starches, and that this is what kept my remission period running as long as it did. I'm also thinking that keeping the quantity of starch within reasonable limits is important - too much and harmful flora will grow too quickly for the body to control. Too little starch and friendly flora may starve. 

I had begun to notice in the weeks preceding that the smell when I went to the toilet was worse, initially during my remission it would smell nutty and sweet but gradually changed to sour nastier odour. 

Monday 15 December 2014

Fat & Carbs = Pain



Some personal notes from my phone


-- starch + fat --
With starch the fat has to be well integrated with the fat in order for problems to arise. Just eating the two in the same meal is not enough. 
Examples: donuts, battered fish, KFC, and many snack foods. 
Observations:
***** Iritis. <4 hours
**** tense muscles
**** AS. Worse than normal starch!

-- sucrose + fat --
Examples: chocolate, hot chocolate, protein drinks
Similar reaction to starch+fat except AS is effected a bit less. 
Observations:
***** Iritis
***** Prostatitis
**** Proctitis 



==== Posted on Kickas.org ====

-- sucrose & fat --
I should elaborate a bit - combining sugar and fat also causes the following issues in me: iritis, enthesitis, prostatitis, proctitis, brain fog, fatigue, and reduced coordination.

Honey and fructose are much less of a problem for me when cooked or eaten with fat. I have no great explanation, it is just an observation that has been perfectly reliable for me.

-- starch & fat --
Also starch and fat is much worse than normal starch, but in this case the fat has to be integrated with the starch for it to become an issue, just eating them in the same meal is not enough - for example: deep frying starch.. it still aggravates my AS terribly.


Tuesday 9 December 2014

Oil and starch = pain

Notes from my phone:

20141210 Oil and starch = pain

Fried starches cause AS to start up again! These are the worst nemesis for me of all starches. 

Yesterday evening: ate some instant noodles - said to be the best instant noodles of all by "ramen-master", so I thought I should try them. About 2 hours later I started to notice some mild stiffness (my starch reactions have always been very quick), and the stiffness gradually worsened overnight. 

Now, instant noodles are almost always deep fried in oil, presumably as a way of preserving them or improving texture and flavour. And even before starting the NSD many years ago  I had noticed that deep fried starches, such as battered chicken or donuts, were a serious problem for inflammation, including iritis. 

The plan: I'm going to start preparing some home made Natto now. I will eat mostly fruit / NSD, except that I will also eat cultured foods during the healing period, eg. Natto, Jun Scoby, and perhaps Kefir or unpasteurised sauerkraut if I can find it (the mass produced sauerkraut is dead). 



UPDATE - posted on kickas.org


== Here is the timeline ==
Thought I should add more about what happened with the noodles, and give a better timeline (I am on aussie time btw)

Tuesday - around 4pm ate these rubbish instant noodles. Felt yuck and almost nauseous. Inflammation starts up after about 2 hours.

Wednesday - ate lots of fruit, drank green tea with honey, ate natto, and some Jun Scoby. This seems to have helped start the detox, as in the afternoon all this disgusting thick oil came out of the pores on my face. Todays food is very low in fat, so I am certain the oil is from Tuesdays noodles. This oil is not normal at all.. presumably that gunk was clogging up my liver.

Which brings up an important reminder for me: there are multiple instances in the past when my liver had difficulty processing something toxic, eg. a preservative, and that added burden would increase inflammation levels. Yes, the gut is heavily involved, but so is the liver.

Thursday - wake up feeling better despite having eaten starch at dinner, along with Natto and 700mg B3.

What the hell kind of oil is this? It says palm oil on the noodle ingredients, but there is something wrong with it, I reckon it must be hydrogenated. No more instant noodles for me, I am giving the rest away to others who have a stronger digestive system / liver.

Thursday 4 December 2014

Root Causes

DRAFT - this needs editing 

Firstly, degradation of the gut wall by an invasive pathogen. This allows antigens and even whole pathogens entry into the body proper via blood and/or lymph. This is highly provocative to the immune system and this alone is enough to create serious disorder and pathology. The main contenders here that I am aware of are H. Pylori and, of course, fungi such as Candida. 

Secondly, we have Molecular Mimicry. Many pathogens have learned to evade our immune system by imitating specialised receptors on the surface of our human cells. These receptors are what our immune system uses to differentiate the self from the invader, and by copying these structures our immune system is made a fool of and becomes ineffective. The dampening effect here would mainly be handled by T regulator cells. 

But nothing is absolute, and this regulatory system can fail at times. And when it fails the result is a catastrophe.  As when it does recognise the invader, based on other chemical signatures, the immune system may be unable to fully dampen the immune response triggered from the invader. In this scenario parts of the immune system will now see those areas of the body which also resemble the invader as foreign. Now in an attempt to clear the invader the immune system will also attack those parts of the body which carry the same receptor. This is what we call an autoimmune disorder. 

Thirdly I would like to point out some things about our bodies Eco system. There are many adverse environmental factors which are causing harm to our commensal flora - that 'beneficial' flora which is protective towards our continued good health. These environmental factors can be split into two broad categories: those which kill the normal Eco system, and those which inhibit the transfer of beneficial commensal flora to our bodies. Consider the following: antibiotics, food preservatives, antibiotic hand wash, modern sterilisation of all forms, and lastly soil microbial systems have been devastated by modern farming techniques - soil which would in the past have been a natural reservoir for commensal flora, with our food being an intermediary means of transfer to ourselves. 

And them there is stress.. But that is a whole other story (perhaps see my post in May 2015 for something relevant). 


Wednesday 26 November 2014

Natto wearing off again (and Jun Scoby)

2014.11.27
I haven't eaten my neighbours homemade Natto in about 2 or 3 weeks (sorry, I should've made a note about the date), and I'm finding that some of the inflammation from Ankylosing Spondylitis is starting to creep back up on me. First my neck started to be a bit stiff from time to time. Now I'm starting to notice a bit of stiffness in my ribs too.

So then..Time to have some more Natto! First I will try some commercially made Natto and see how that goes. Then if that fails I will return to my neighbours homemade variety, which has been safely stored in my freezer for future emergencies. 

In the meantime I have been making Jun Scoby, which is very similar to Kombucha. A very yummy drink it is, but more than that, it also helps relieve inflammation and fatigue. These two go together you see.. Inflammation and fatigue. This Jun Scoby gives me so much energy! I sip it throughout the day and the effects last maybe an hour or two. And it is when it wears off that a little inflammation has been returning. 




UPDATE - 2014.12.01
Immediately after my initial post (Thu 27 Nov) I ate some commercial Natto that I had brought with me to work. The next morning I awoke and had no stiffness in my ribs or neck. So then yes, it seems that commercial Natto also works well at clearing my starch sensitivity!


UPDATE - 2015.08.26
I continue to be able to eat starch without Ankylosing Spondylitis inflammation returning. I don't need to keep eating Natto in order to maintain remission (despite what I may have thought when writing earlier posts). The change has been quite permanent.. except that mixtures of starch and fat are still an issue.

Monday 24 November 2014

Simple Eczema Cure - Vitamin B3


In July I posted about how I had been using a homemade Vitamin B3 cream to clear my eczema. In the last two or three months I have switched to taking this internally instead. I found that if I take 500mg of B3 orally twice a day then this is sufficient to clear any eczema from my body. Taking it this way has been working very nicely for me. Much better to assist the body through nutrition than to whack the immune system into submission with an immune suppressant.

I'm finding taking it internally is a bit more reliable than using a cream. My body is still prone to various forms of inflammation (eg. rhinitis, proctitis, prostatitis) and I am gradually finding better ways of dealing with each problem. So with that in mind, I think it is sensible to treat this problem systemically, as there is a possibility that it will address some systemic issue.. and who knows, maybe it will knock out the root cause whatever that may be.


Abstracts, Quotes, Etc
I will repost some relevant quotes here..

This one shows that B3 can have an anti-inflammatory effect on the skin
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicotinamide
 Skin conditionsNicotinamide has demonstrated anti-inflammatory actions that may be of benefit to patients with inflammatory skin conditions.[4] These conditions include acne vulgaris, and the compound can suppress antigen-induced, lymphocytic transformation and inhibit 3',5'-cyclic-AMP phosphodiesterase. Nicotinamide has demonstrated the ability to block the inflammatory actions of iodides known to precipitate or exacerbate inflammatory acne.
 NicAzel and Nicomide are the names of oral acne medications that include nicotinamide as their most predominant ingredient, based on this area of research. Nicotinamide is also found as part of a new adjunct supplement combination called, AzerizinTM. According to the makers of Azerizin, this adjunct is part of their prescription dietary supplement product, which they claim helps manage inflammatory skin conditions. Nicotinamide is also used topically as a 4% or 5% gel or cream - as effective as topical 1% clindamycin (8-week double-blind trial) performed at the New York University College of Medicine.[5] Unlike topical Erythromycin or Clindamycin it does not precipitate bacterial resistance in treating inflammatory acne. Nicotinamide acne treatment is also available as Nicotinamide pads and cream. 
This shows that B3 can the effectiveness of neutrophil immune cells by up to 1000 times

Title: C/EBPe mediates nicotinamide-enhanced clearance of Staphylococcus aureus in mice
Source: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/62070?key=a39ce7efc2f764ede04
 The myeloid-specific transcription factor, CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein e (C/EBPe) is a critical mediator of myelopoiesis. Mutation of this gene is responsible for neutrophil-specific granule deficiency in humans, a condition that confers susceptibility to Staphylococcus aureus infection. We found that C/EBPe-deficient mice are severely affected by infection with S. aureus, and C/EBPe deficiency in neutrophils contributes to the infectious phenotype. Conversely, exposure to the epigenetic modulator nicotinamide (vitamin B3) increased expression of C/EBPe in WT myeloid cells. Further, nicotinamide increased the activity of C/EBPe and select downstream antimicrobial targets, particularly in neutrophils. In a systemic murine infection model as well as in murine and human peripheral blood, nicotinamide enhanced killing of S. aureus by up to 1,000 fold but had no effect when administered to either C/EBPe-deficient mice or mice depleted of neutrophils. Nicotinamide was efficacious in both prophylactic and therapeutic settings. Our findings suggest that C/EBPe is an important target to boost killing of bacteria by the innate immune system. 

[I have made an almost identical post to earthclinic.com here]

Sunday 16 November 2014

Remission & Natto (NSD Book Chapter)

The following is a draft of content which I intend to be added to my NSD Chapter

-- Combatting fungi --

Polygodial 

In 2013 and 2014 I have been quite focused on combatting fungal infections. I tried out a product called Kolorex and in January of 2014 noticed that it helped with the dehydration that I had been experiencing at night. I looked up its active component Polygodial, found that it was an antifungal, and is found in Dorrigo Pepper, Australian Mountain Pepper, Horopito, Canelo, Paracress and Water-pepper. The Maori's of New Zealand traditionally used Horopito to treat fungal infections. Some interesting properties in this compound - it inhibits the ability of pathogens to form attachments to, for instance, your gut wall, bladder etc. 

By chance I found some Australian Mountain Pepper (also containing Polygodial) whilst browsing an Oxfam shop in Sydney. It cost about $10, which I considered pretty cheap as far as experiments are concerned. Worth a shot. I took a little Mountain Pepper and found that when taken on an empty tummy it very quickly cleared my nose (sinus/rhinitis), and Proctitis (itchy bum) cleared quickly too, as did the constant fatigue of my condition. Those three only took about 30 minutes to clear up. I found this remedy worked well if taken on an empty tummy with a glass of juice or water. When taken at dinner I would wake feeling refreshed and well rested - a state that I had become completely unaccustomed to. For so many years I have been waking up feeling tired, lethargic and as sleepy as when I went to bed. 

Another useful property was that Mountain Pepper would clear the dreaded "brain fog" that was so disabling, particularly at work. There was a downside however, it sometimes caused a bit of a headache, but only for a short while (possible die off reaction). 

Is it possible that so many of those little gremlins that are eating away at my quality of life .. that so many of these symptoms are caused by a fungal infection? Sinusitis, proctitis, brain fog, and fatigue, these all cleared after consuming a known anti-fungal, ie. Polygodial from Australian Mountain Pepper. 

After a few weeks of usage of Mountain pepper it seemed to take larger doses to achieve the same result, and after a month or so it just stopped working. Typical.. I have experienced this several times before with other things (Ginko tea, and Bromelain for instance). I expect it will only work again after a long pause in its usage.

Lufenuron

I had read about an interesting compound called Lufenuron a while back - most likely in 2013. In February of 2014 I plucked up the nerve to finally give it a try. The first two days nothing happened of note as it needs to build up in your system until the right concentration is reached. I was taking about a half teaspoon daily and it had to be taken with fatty foods. Typically I used yoghurt or almond butter.. or both all at once. 

On the third day was when things started to happen. My head was very clear, that was nice. However the jock itch I was experience became -worse-. Not only that, but the Proctitis was noticeably worse, there was a burning sensation when peeing, and there was some abdominal pain in the vicinity of the prostate. All very interesting but it didn't phase me at all and I pressed on. This was almost certainly a fungal die off reaction. 

On the fourth day things improved. My head was still very clear and I noted that I could think and make decisions better than previously. The jock itch had calmed down and now there was some skin peeling where it had previously been a bit inflamed. Proctitis was completely cleared, as were the abdominal pains, and prostate. It did burn a bit when urinating still. That afternoon I drank a bit of alcohol and unfortunately that undid much of the good work! Back came some mild proctitis, mild prostatitis, brain fog and also the night dehydration. I think the alcohol only temporarily worsened these issues. About a week later after finishing the course of Lufenuron I made a note that the old problems all seemed to gradually return. So typical. These little gremlins sure are tough to shift. 

Fiji 

In very early May 2014 I was taking Lufenuron again but stopped before going on my holiday to Fiji. I felt it was better if I didn't have to try and explain the product as someone may find a white powder strange or suspicious in some way. Instead I would take my Australian Mountain Pepper with me since it was apparently nothing more than a condiment. Of course it is much more than that to me. 

I was taking my mountain pepper quite regularly during my holiday. The extra energy was most welcome as we went travelling and snorkelling on gorgeous little islands. One island was so small you could walk across it in thirty seconds. The snorkelling was wonderful, the coral were both beautiful and fascinating, and those vibrantly coloured fish!. 

In mid May my fiancé and I were exploring Nadi town and became hungry. We sat down at an Indian restaurant - not a good choice for someone on a No Starch Diet. I ordered something but apparently chose quite poorly.. well, poorly according to my dietary needs. But my senses were telling me otherwise and I did succumb to these. The curry was delicious and couldn't resist!

Here are the notes which I made at the time:

"Ate quite a starchy indian curry yesterday whilst eating out. My partner told me it definitely had besan flour in it to thicken it up, and it reacted immediately to iodine. Decided to try it anyway, "for science!" Hehe. It was just tooo yummy to turn down.
About an hour or two later I started to get very very tired which is a classic symptom for me when eating starch .. But the painful inflammation never came! Looks like the anti fungal compounds I have been taking are keeping this disease at bay!?!"

Natto

This year I had moved into a new flat in Sydney. My neighbours from unit 7 were very kind, they greeted me and asked if we could meet for a chat to which I agreed. Whilst we chatted in my flat they noticed my interest in supplements and quite sensibly realised I had some health problems. When they asked, I mentioned that my condition was very much linked to the health of my digestive system. They were both quite keenly into health, but from a uniquely Korean, or Asian, perspective. They recommended things a westerner might never consider: homemade Natto and Kimchi. 

One day my neighbours made some homemade Natto for me. I tried it on Tuesday night (10 June 2014) and soon posted a photo on my blog. At first I was not noticing much in terms of immediate changes. A few days later I believe my jock itch became a bit more inflamed and then calm down again, this much was similar with what I observed taking Lufenuron. It was that weekend when things became interesting. My fiancé had booked us into a winery tour of Canberra and the surrounding region. There are some really nice ones in the area if you know where to go. For lunch we stopped at the Four Winds Winery. They focus on their wines really, and for food it is just pizza and more pizza. I brought my own food as I had been forewarned of this situation. But wow the pizza looked sooo good! I told my fiancé it would be worthwhile trying starch again and seeing how well I tolerated it. Usual excuse. Lets face it, I have a weakness for good food. My fiancé was a bit wary but I said I would just have a little and see how I went. I suppose that when the only thing you have on the menu is pizza, then it ought to be bloody good pizza.. and they did not disappoint. The pizza was as amazing as it looked and smelled. And did I stop at one slice? Oh noo .. I couldn't stop. So yummy!

When we were back on the bus a few hours after lunch I mentioned I my fiancé that I should have been feeling some symptoms by now.. But I wasn't. For over 10 years I have reacted to starch like clockwork, but not this time. Why didn't I react?. I believe I hadn't yet put two and two together and made the connection with Natto. It may seem obvious with hindsight but my first suspects would have been Lufenuron and Polygodial.

Normally my reaction after a starchy meal shows up within less than 4 hours and then peaks at 24 hours, then gradually subsides over another two days. Three days of pain all up. The only exception is that on very very rare occasions after months of very carefully following a no starch diet I can sometimes get away with some starchy food.. but just once though as after that my immune system is primed again and a full blown reaction will occur. 

I kept taking the Natto for several weeks and noticed that it made my eczema worse, so I decided to stop taking it for a while and let my eczema calm down. It took about a week but the starch sensitivity returned (on 10th July 2014) and AS came with full force after eating some cheap hummus. It wasn't even good hummus. I would put up with some pain for good quality hummus but this it was not. Anyway, I decided to try the Natto again and lo and behold the AS calmed down within 24 hours of consuming Natto. Not bad eh. So that was it then, the Natto was surely the thing which had brought me into remission this time, although it didn't explain my experience in Fiji. Why didn't I go into full blown inflammation, as I should have, when eating that starchy curry in Fiji? Was it the Lufenuron or the Mountain Pepper, or perhaps both?
Bacillus Subtilis is a very very closely related strain to Bacillus Natto which is found in commercial Natto. It just so happens that Bacillus Subtilis is a popular alternative remedy for fungal problems. This is the one common thread I can see, both in my observations in Fiji and now with Natto - in both cases we see an anti-fungal at the heart of my remission. 
I asked my neighbour how she makes her Natto .. and she doesn't add any starter culture. So it is quite possible that wild Bacillus Subtilis strains have entered their Natto culture. Wild Bacillus Subtilis is found in soil and is an extremophile, which means it tolerates very extreme conditions. You can boil this one and its spores can still survive! The B. Subtilis culture could even be originating from the soy beans themselves.



Returning home to starchville

Now that I could eat starch again I went thoroughly overboard. Several kind hearted souls mention their concern for my sudden eagerness to jump in the deep-end of starch consumption. It was certainly testament to my lack of will power, but I wanted to try everything. All these starchy foods such as croissants, Vietnamese pork rolls, potato wedges, porridge .. All these many foods had been forbidden me for over ten years. Can you imagine not bring able to eat chocolate for ten years?

Observations about resuming starch

After a while I calmed down as I gradually started to take note of which starches were best for me. For instance deep fried starch as found in batter or doughnuts and the like can still cause me mild AS symptoms. This inflammation however is far far milder than the usual reaction, less than a tenth of the usual starch reaction. What's more the reaction is not only quite mild, but also short lived and always dissipates by the next morning. On several occasions certain foods (for instance cheese) caused my starch sensitivity to briefly return. Initially I had thought that I needed to keep eating Natto in order to keep my A.S. in remission, but it gradually became clear that this was not the case, and that the remission would always return. 

I tried eating normal rice, and even basmati rice, but both very reliably bring on quite severe proctitis, just as with glutinous rice. All those years ago when I first started cutting out grains I had kept rice until last. Well now I know why I had so much difficulty with proctitis and yeast infections at that time. How strange it is now to find that wheat, my mortal nemesis, is now my kind friend and rice now shunned. How the tables have turned. 

Sugar, in the form of sucrose, still poses a real threat to me. When I eat foods that are adulterated with refined sugar I experience pain in the region of my prostate & bladder. I also can experience proctitis and a strange dehydration that seems exactly like Sjögren's syndrome and which inexplicably worsens greatly when I sleep, followed by fatigue and weakness. 

I'm unsure at the moment but I fear the same problems as found in sucrose may also be found with very high glycemic loads such as with white bread? I reacted badly to a Vietnamese pork bun, however it is quite inconclusive since the sauces they use certainly do contain refined sucrose. I have some doubts though, since pasta and wholemeal bread are quite safe thus far. Well, I certainly do find that the same wheat starch can digest quite differently depending on how it is prepared - deep fried versus steamed, al dente versus over cooked, or fluffy white bread versus a denser wholemeal or rye bread. 

Whilst following the NSD a cavity in a molar on the lower right side of my jaw had healed to some extent. It lay dormant as long as I stayed away from dried fruits and excess of sweets such as chocolate. But upon eating starch (including amylopectin starch) I found that this cavity would become a problem again, and I must now be far more vigilant about dental hygiene. Weston Price would have much to say on this, I have no doubt (if he were still alive). 

My eczema has also returned once I resumed eating starch. It isn't too severe though, and I find that apple cider vinegar helps (both oral and topical) and 500mg of vitamin B3 also brings relief (taken orally, and this too can be used topically if you wish). But I have dwelled far too much on the negative aspects of starch thus far. Time for some positive words..

Eating starch again has made life so much easier, I now have far more energy and not nearly as prone to debilitating bouts of fatigue. My body temperature is very noticeably warmer, something I believe my fiancé may have first noticed when holding my hand. Normally I was significantly colder than her, whereas now I am noticeably warmer and tolerate cold weather much better. 

I had difficulty getting the energy I needed whilst following the NSD. Unfortunately my body never adapted well to burning fat as fuel. In fact fats from fatty food I ate would regularly be seen floating as an oil slick after going to the toilet. This inability to assimilate and make use of fat as fuel makes me a rather poor poster child for the NSD and it is not my desire to dissuade others from following it, but rather to be realistic about its benefits and shortcomings. An inability to assimilate fat doesn't seem to be common, and yet I'm certainly not the only person as I can think of one other who complained of this issue. He found that he needed some starch to help digest, or "bind" the fats in our food. Coconut oil is an exception here, as even my body finds this an acceptable fuel at most times. 

Now that energy levels had normalised I was also starting to gain weight, a situation I was quite happy with as I was a tad too skinny before. After putting on about 5 kilos my weight stabilised nicely. 

There seemed to be noticeably less muscular tension. For the most part I attribute this to eating less animal fat. A heresy for those following a Paleo-diet of course that I should say so, but too much animal fat was a problem for me. To each their own. 

I don't regret following the NSD, as it was what my body needed at that time. Without the NSD my disorder will have continued its course of degeneration and calcification of my major joints. And let's not forget the years of great physical pain that I have been spared. For this I have much to thank those at the kickas.org forum, and perhaps a little thanks should go to the indomitable spirit and the kindness of strangers. 

“There is in this world no such force as the force of a man determined to rise. The human soul cannot be chained” - W.E.B. DuBois

Friday 14 November 2014

Probiotics. Good and Bad.


Us folk with autoimmune disorder almost always have some kind of dysbiosis - an imbalance in the flora of our gut. For instance, just as an example of the gut-immune connection, gut disorders like Crohn's disease and Ulcerative Colitis are both associated with Ankylosing Spondylitis. Also, taking antibiotics can bring autoimmune symptoms into remission briefly.. although the flora adapt quite quickly, especially the pathogenic ones. 

We are certainly missing key flora necessary for good health (called commensal flora). People have been brought into remission for months at a time via Faecal Matter Transplants (FMT). And I myself experienced an amazing remission of my Ankylosing Spondylitis after my neighbours gave me their homemade Natto. 

But that doesn't mean Yoghurt will help you much. It is beneficial in that it crowds out pathogens and corrects pH (acid producing flora are beneficial). Unfortunately beyond this, the standard probiotics don't do much. They just don't correct the underlying gut disorder, leaky gut or missing commensal flora. 

Some of us have experimented with more exotic probiotics - those with 10 or more strains. I can't get these in Australia so I have to order them online. 

There are a few things to be wary of with probiotics

Our experience as a group (on kickas.org) with probiotics are hit and miss. Worthwhile experimenting with though..But be warned!.. Two members have actually had there AS become worse after taking probiotics. One had a stiff neck for the duration, and the other had his AS badly worsened for some weeks afterwards. Both these people were seasoned followers of the No Starch Diet, and knew to check for starch. 

Starchy additives are quite a common issue we face, as are other polysaccharides used as probiotics, namely inulin and FOS. So watch out for these. 

The other possibility is that the immune system is cross reacting with the flora (think "reactive arthritis" or "molecular mimicry"), especially when the gut lining integrity is poor (leaky gut). When flora get past the gut wall and into our blood stream out immune system will become highly irritated. 

More likely the new flora stimulated their immune system, thus causing the existing immune disorder to worsen. 
This immune stimulation with the flora is what I believe may have happened to the two seasoned NSD followers mentioned earlier. It is fairly rare for this to happen, but I just want people to be aware of this possibility.




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- gut disease and yeast
Antibodies against S. cerevisiae are found in 60–70% of patients with Crohn's disease and 10–15% of patients with ulcerative colitis (and 8% of healthy controls).[2]

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Anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae antibodies (ASCAs) have been proposed as serological markers, which may differentiate Crohn's disease (CD) from ulcerative colitis (UC) and predict disease phenotype. Their importance in pathogenesis is unproven. We investigated the relationship between ASCAs, disease phenotype and NOD2/CARD15 genotype in CD and whether ASCAs were related to antibodies to other fungal proteins. Serum from 228 patients [143 CD, 75 UC, 10 with indeterminate colitis (IC)] and 78 healthy controls (HC) were assayed for ASCA. Antibodies (IgA, IgG) to other fungal proteins (Fusarium species ATC20334, Mycoprotein) were measured in the same samples using an in-house enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) assay. ASCAs were present in 57% of CD, 19% of UC, 30% of IC and 8% of HCs. ASCA-positive status was a predictor for CD with sensitivity of 57%, specificity of 87%, positive predictive value of 78% and negative predictive value of 68%. ASCA was associated with proximal (gastroduodenal and small bowel involvement) rather than purely colonic disease (P < 0·001) and with a more severe disease phenotype and requirement for surgery over a median follow-up time of 9 years (P < 0·0001). No associations with NOD2/CARD15 mutations were seen. There was no association between ASCA and antibodies to MP (IgA or IgG). These data implicate ASCA as a specific marker of disease location and progression in CD, emphasizing the heterogeneity within IBD.

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Sunday 2 November 2014

Dairy - study shows potential health risks

I am interested in this study given that many people who suffer from ankylosing spondylitis found that unfermented milk contributed significantly to inflammation.

Summary of points raised by this research:

  • Milk (non-fermented) worsens oxidative stress and inflammation
  • Fermented milk (sour milk and yoghurt) reduces oxidative stress and inflammation
  • Drinking unfermented milk did not reduce the risk of fractures - in fact the reverse was observed!
  • D-Galactose is highlighted as a possible explanation for the health differences between fermented milk and non-fermented milk. Unfermented milk is a major dietary source of D-Galactose. Galactose has been shown in animals to accelerate ageing and worsen oxidative stress.
My personal opinion is that there are differences in how fermented/unfermented milk digests in the gut / feeds harmful/beneficial flora, and that this is more likely the cause, especially given the changes observed in the immune system.



Milk intake and risk of mortality and fractures in women and men: cohort studies
BMJ 2014; 349 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.g6015 (Published 28 October 2014)

Abstract
Objective:
To examine whether high milk consumption is associated with mortality and fractures in women and men.
Design:
Cohort studies.
Setting: Three counties in central Sweden.
Participants: Two large Swedish cohorts, one with 61,433 women (39-74 years at baseline 1987-90) and one with 45,339 men (45-79 years at baseline 1997), were administered food frequency questionnaires. The women responded to a second food frequency questionnaire in 1997.
Main outcome measure:
Multivariable survival models were applied to determine the association between milk consumption and time to mortality or fracture.
Results:
During a mean follow-up of 20.1 years, 15 541 women died and 17 252 had a fracture, of whom 4259 had a hip fracture. In the male cohort with a mean follow-up of 11.2 years, 10 112 men died and 5066 had a fracture, with 1166 hip fracture cases. In women the adjusted mortality hazard ratio for three or more glasses of milk a day compared with less than one glass a day was 1.93 (95% confidence interval 1.80 to 2.06). For every glass of milk, the adjusted hazard ratio of all cause mortality was 1.15 (1.13 to 1.17) in women and 1.03 (1.01 to 1.04) in men. For every glass of milk in women no reduction was observed in fracture risk with higher milk consumption for any fracture (1.02, 1.00 to 1.04) or for hip fracture (1.09, 1.05 to 1.13). The corresponding adjusted hazard ratios in men were 1.01 (0.99 to 1.03) and 1.03 (0.99 to 1.07). In subsamples of two additional cohorts, one in males and one in females, a positive association was seen between milk intake and both urine 8-iso-PGF2α (a biomarker of oxidative stress) and serum interleukin 6 (a main inflammatory biomarker).

[following are some quotes from the body of the full text article]

Conclusions:
High milk intake was associated with higher mortality in one cohort of women and in another cohort of men, and with higher fracture incidence in women. Given the observational study designs with the inherent possibility of residual confounding and reverse causation phenomena, a cautious interpretation of the results is recommended.
[...]

Biomarkers
D-galactose supplementation in animals has been shown to increase oxidative stress and inflammation.4 5 6 7 To assess the association between milk intake and biological markers of oxidative stress and inflammation
[...]
Milk intake, oxidative stress, and inflammation

We further investigated whether milk intake was associated with oxidative stress and inflammation. Milk intake was positively associated with 8-iso-PGF2α in both sexes, and with interleukin 6 in men (fig 4⇓). Consumption of fermented milk products (soured milk and yogurt) indicated a negative relation with both the oxidative stress and the inflammatory markers (see supplementary figure C, panel A). No such association was observed with cheese intake (see supplementary figure C, panel B). Milk intake and risk of mortality and fractures in women and men: cohort studies

Results
[...] In women, higher rates were observed for death from all causes (adjusted hazard ratio 1.15, 95% confidence interval 1.13 to 1.17, for each glass of milk), cardiovascular disease (1.15, 1.12 to 1.19, for each glass of milk), and cancer (1.07, 1.02 to 1.11, for each glass of milk) (table 2 and fig 3⇓). Milk consumption corresponding to three or more glasses of milk a day (mean 680 g a day) compared with less than one glass a day (mean 60 g a day), was associated with a hazard ratio of total mortality of 1.93 (1.80 to 2.06) in women, with approximately similar estimates for cardiovascular mortality and somewhat lower for cancer mortality (1.44, 1.23 to 1.69). For women who consumed three or more glasses of milk a day the hazard ratio for any fracture was 1.16 (1.08 to 1.25) and for hip fracture was 1.60 (1.39 to 1.84).

[...]

Comparing milk with other dairy products
Particularly noteworthy is that intake of fermented milk products such as yogurt and soured milk and cheese were associated with lower rates of fracture and mortality. Furthermore, we observed a positive association only between milk intake and markers of oxidative stress (urine 8-iso-PGF2α) and inflammation (serum interleukin 6). Previously, we found a negative relation between bone mineral density and 8-iso-PGF2α.42 63 Interleukin 6 seems to be causally related to cardiovascular disease64 and may influence bone loss and osteoporosis.65 Importantly, those who consume high amounts of non-fermented milk have a more non-favourable cardiovascular risk factor profile, with higher blood pressure, lower high density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, and higher insulin resistance.18 In contrast, intake of cheese and fermented milk products is related to higher high density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, less insulin resistance, and a lower risk of myocardial infarction.18 22 23 24 In addition, a recent small randomised cross over study indicated that the intake of a fermented dairy diet seemed to provide a more favourable biomarker profile than that of a non-fermented dairy diet.66

Potential mechanism
One potential candidate for the discrepant results for different types of dairy products is D-galactose content. The intake of D-galactose from non-fermented milk is considerably higher than that from other food sources, including cheese and fermented milk products. Non-dairy sources of D-galactose are mainly cereals, vegetables, and fruits,67 but the concentration of galactose and the amount ingested from these sources accounts for a small proportion of the total intake of galactose. Put into perspective, the amount of lactose in one glass of milk corresponds to approximately 5 g of galactose, whereas the amount in 100 g of fruits or vegetables67 is measured in milligrams or tens of milligrams. D-galactose given to laboratory animals (mice, rats, and drosophila flies) is an established experimental model for premature aging, including shortened life span caused by oxidative stress and chronic inflammation,4 5 6 7 but whether this mechanism can be generalised to humans needs further scientific support. However, galactosaemia is a genetic disorder that results from loss of galactose-1P-uridylyltransferase, with accumulation of galactose in blood and other tissues as a consequence.68 69 Affected infants experience a rapid escalation of potentially lethal acute symptoms after exposure to milk, and experimental models display oxidative stress as a mechanism for the development of disease.68 Even with dietary restrictions of galactose intake these patients have higher circulating levels of galactose and an increased risk for chronic diseases in adulthood,69 including osteoporosis.70

Conclusion
A higher consumption of milk in women and men is not accompanied by a lower risk of fracture and instead may be associated with a higher rate of death. Consequently, there may be a link between the lactose and galactose content of milk and risk as suggested in our hypothesis, although causality needs be tested using experimental study designs. Our results may question the validity of recommendations to consume high amounts of milk to prevent fragility fractures.3 71 72 The results should, however, be interpreted cautiously given the observational design of our study. The findings merit independent replication before they can be used for dietary recommendations.