Questions for Prof. Garth Nicolson
Department of Molecular Pathology,
The Institute for Molecular Medicine,
Huntington Beach, California
I have a question about headaches and neuropathy. I have had “small fiber sensory peripheral neuropathy” for the past several years and now I have been getting headaches for the past month – every day – constant headaches. I had a CT and it was just fine. What I would like to know is if the headaches could be at all related to the neuropathy. I have been trying to find things on line; however I cannot find anything about headaches and neuropathy on line. Thank you for your help.
Dr. Nicolson’s reply:
I am not sure of the relationship, but let me tell you of one possible relationship between chronic infections, vasculitis and vascular leak into the central nervous system.
Chronic vascular endothelial cell infections of the type that can occur in the brain (For example, we know that Mycoplasma and Chlamydia can cause this) cause local inflammation but also vascular leak of fluid across the Blood-Brain-Barrier into the brain. This is thought to be one of the causes of headaches; because of the skull, the brain is not equipped to swell above a certain amount as fluid enters from the blood.
Patients with these infections in the brain show abnormal magnetic resonance scans, with spots that may indicate excess fluid in the brain.
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Americans consume a huge amount of soda, but are you aware of cola’s effect on your health? Sure, you’ve heard the general talk, but learn more in depth facts about the nutritional value behind this favored drink.
The American Heart Association recognizes Metabolic Syndrome as a growing concern. According to the AHA the following are several of the symptoms, causes and possible treatment for Metabolic Syndrome.
What is the metabolic syndrome? The metabolic syndrome is characterized by a group of metabolic risk factors in one person. They include:
Abdominal obesity (excessive fat tissue in and around the abdomen)
Atherogenic dyslipidemia (blood fat disorders — high triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol and high LDL cholesterol — that foster plaque buildups in artery walls)
Elevated blood pressure
Insulin resistance or glucose intolerance (the body can’t properly use insulin or blood sugar)
Prothrombotic state (e.g., high fibrinogen or plasminogen activator inhibitor–1 in the blood)
Proinflammatory state (e.g., elevated C-reactive protein in the blood)
People with the metabolic syndrome are at increased risk of coronary heart disease and other diseases related to plaque buildups in artery walls (e.g., stroke and peripheral vascular disease) and type 2 diabetes. The metabolic syndrome has become increasingly common in the United States. It’s estimated that over 50 million Americans have it.
The dominant underlying risk factors for this syndrome appear to be abdominal obesity and insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is a generalized metabolic disorder, in which the body can’t use insulin efficiently. This is why the metabolic syndrome is also called the insulin resistance syndrome.
Other conditions associated with the syndrome include physical inactivity, aging, hormonal imbalance and genetic predisposition.
Some people are genetically predisposed to insulin resistance. Acquired factors, such as excess body fat and physical inactivity, can elicit insulin resistance and the metabolic syndrome in these people. Most people with insulin resistance have abdominal obesity. The biologic mechanisms at the molecular level between insulin resistance and metabolic risk factors aren’t fully understood and appear to be complex.
How is the metabolic syndrome diagnosed?
There are no well-accepted criteria for diagnosing the metabolic syndrome. The criteria proposed by the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III), with minor modifications, are currently recommended and widely used.
The American Heart Association and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute recommend that the metabolic syndrome be identified as the presence of three or more of these components:
Elevated waist circumference:
Men — Equal to or greater than 40 inches (102 cm)
Women — Equal to or greater than 35 inches (88 cm)
Elevated triglycerides:
Equal to or greater than 150 mg/dL
Reduced HDL (“good”) cholesterol:
Men — Less than 40 mg/dL
Women — Less than 50 mg/dL
Elevated blood pressure:
Equal to or greater than 130/85 mm Hg
Elevated fasting glucose:
Equal to or greater than 100 mg/dL
AHA Recommendation for Managing the Metabolic Syndrome:
The primary goal of clinical management of the metabolic syndrome is to reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Then, the first-line therapy is to reduce the major risk factors for cardiovascular disease: stop smoking and reduce LDL cholesterol, blood pressure and glucose levels to the recommended levels.
For managing both long- and short-term risk, lifestyle therapies are the first-line interventions to reduce the metabolic risk factors. These lifestyle interventions include:
Weight loss to achieve a desirable weight (BMI less than 25 kg/m2)
Increased physical activity, with a goal of at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity on most days of the week
Healthy eating habits that include reduced intake of saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol
Beginning the road back to good health can be difficult, as it often requires complete lifestyle changes. However, getting you cells working properly, and reducing fatigue can be a great start. That is where the science of Lipid Replacement Therapy can help. Lipid Replacement Therapy (LRT) has been shown over and over again to replace damage cell membranes with new healthy ones. Giving you back the energy you need, and a start to the good health you desire.
LRT is a unique process of replacing cell membranes damaged by oxidative stress, with new healthy ones. This gives your cells the ability to almost constantly work at their peak levels. Once a cell is performing its job, it metabolizes correctly, and turns food and oxygen, into energy, while getting rid of waste. When your cells function properly so can you. LRT gives you the energy you need to take those first steps towards a healthier lifestyle, and keep you going.
Questions for Prof. Garth Nicolson
Department of Molecular Pathology,
The Institute for Molecular Medicine,
Huntington Beach, California
Is there a cure for lupus? If not, what are the normal treatment protocols associated with the disease?
Dr. Nicolson’s Reply:
Although there is no cure for lupus, there are treatments that have been found to be effective in reducing signs and symptoms, preventing flares and reducing their severity and treating certain problems associated with lupus. The most common treatment used for lupus include immune suppressing drugs, such as steroidal and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and anti-rheumatic drugs. Other treatments have included antimalarials and antibiotics, analgesics (pain killers), intravenous immunoglobulins, among other treatments.
There are also treatments for certain symptoms. For example, we have suggested the use of NT Factor to treat fatigue, one of the most common symptoms reported in lupus. NT Factor also helps patients with skin lesions, hair loss and other problems by providing damaged cells with needed phospholipids for repair and cell membrane integrity.
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Questions for Prof. Garth Nicolson
Department of Molecular Pathology,
The Institute for Molecular Medicine,
Huntington Beach, California
What are the organs and tissues most affected by lupus and what symptoms are most often found in lupus?
Dr. Nicolson’s reply:
The signs and symptoms most often found in lupus depend on which organs and tissues are affected and how seriously they are affected. Examples of affected tissues and organs are the skin, kindneys, heart, lungs, blood or nervous system. Some of the most commonly found signs/symptoms of lupus or SLE are as follows:
A. Fatigue. Nearly all people with lupus have fatigue and malaise and an inability to engage in daily activities and exercise. Increased fatigue is usually a classic symptom that the disease is about to cause a symptom flare.
B. Skin Problems. Most patients with lupus develop skin rashes, and these are often an important clue to the diagnosis of lupus. The classic rash is a butterfly rash over the cheeks and bridge of the nose, but other skin conditions are also common, such as skin sores, flaky red spots on the arms, face, neck, mouth, lips, back or hands or raised purple rashes on the face, neck, ears, arms and chest.
C. Joint and Muscle Pain. Most patients will have joint pain or arthritis at some time during the disease process, and often this will be the first sign of the disease. This can occur in both sides of the body at the same time and involve the wrists, hands, elbows, knees or ankles.
D. Nervous System Symptoms. The majority of patients will develop central nervous system symptoms, in particular, headaches, depression, anxiety, mood disorders and sometimes memory loss, psychosis and seizures.
E. Photosensitivity. Most patients will show sensitivity to sunlight with worsening of skin rashes and even cause lupus flares.
F. Fevers. Most patients will sometimes have low-grade fevers.
G. Heart Problems. Lupus patients can develop inflammation of heart tissues (pericarditis, myocarditis or endocarditis).
H. Hair Loss. Some lupus patients show hair loss.
I. Swollen Glands and Tissues. Lupus patients can have swollen glands and swelling of the hands and feet. Also, inflammation of the blood vessels in the skin (cutaneous vasculitis) can result in bleeding of small blood vessels and blue spots and numbness or tingling feelings.
J. Anemia. Many lupus patients show reductions in red blood cells resulting in anemia.
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Find out which hormones are to blame for you feeling hungry and what you can do to curb your appetite and help you get to a healthy weight and stay there. Check out Healthy Curb for more information on a product that can help you lose weight without making drastic changes to your diet.
We’ve been doing some research, and the one piece of advice we keep coming across is stop dieting. Stop the constant goal of loosing weight. Instead learn to live healthy and let the rest take care of itself.
Learning to change your lifestyle can be the best benefit you can give yourself. If your goal is long lasting weight loss, lowering your cholesterol, or trying to keep your blood pressure down, the best thing is to change your overall lifestyle.
Lifestyle describes not just diet, but also a way of thinking, and acting. Diet, according to most experts, will just never be enough to lose weight, or maintain a healthy weight, especially fad diets. Other factors should also be incorporated into your life.
Exercise, along with diet is a key component to healthy living. Start small, and work your way up. Don’t feel the need to jump headfirst into the deep end. Motivation is the key. By taking small steps it is easier to motivate yourself into the habit. Once you have the habit down you can build from there.
Relieve stress and get plenty of rest. Cut down on caffeine. One of the first things your doctor tells you when trying to lower blood pressure is cut caffeine. It increases your heart rate, and as many of us know, will keep you up at night and increase anxiety. Many people feel it helps keep them alert throughout the day, but the down side is that the feeling is temporary, and needs to be constantly replenished.
Proper nutrition is important. Especially when dieting, we can end up denying ourselves of much-needed vitamins and minerals. Every food group serves some purpose. Diets that exclude a group can remove a benefit, no matter how small. Most nutritionists will tell you to supplement when dieting to help maintain your overall health.
Propax with NT Factor can help fill your needs in obtaining and keeping a healthy lifestyle. Propax provides you with the full spectrum of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, antioxidants, and pre and probiotics, Omega-3, and NT Factor our patent-pending blend of nutrients. Everything you need in one convenient packet. Propax with NT Factor works by replacing your damaged cell’s outer membranes with healthy new ones. This allows your cells to intake food and oxygen, normally and effectively, and translates into energy. Long lasting energy that stays with you all day without the jitters, anxiety, or over-stimulation you get from caffeine, or other “energy” providers.
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By Prof. Garth Nicolson Department of Molecular Pathology, The Institute for Molecular Medicine, Huntington Beach, California www.immed.org
This month we will consider heart health and the ways to insure a healthy cardiovascular system. More people die of cardiovascular diseases and stroke than any other cause, so it is important to consider approaches that will increase your chances of longevity by keeping your cardiovascular system healthy.
The American Heart Association has introduced seven simple ways to keep your heart healthy [1]. Let’s consider these simple approaches this month so that we can all keep our hearts healthy.
1. Increase Your Physical Activity. We all have heard the old phrase “use it or lose it,” yet this simple phrase has been held to be amazingly true over time. The facts are clear–by 30 minutes of physical activity each day you can significantly reduce your risk of heart disease [1]. Physical activity is anything that requires you to move your body and burn calories, such as climbing stairs, walking, jogging, swimming, exercising or playing sports. In the absence of regular physical activity, your body will lose its strength and ability to function, so maintaining physical activity is essential for a longer, healthier life. Physical activity results in lower blood pressure, better control over blood sugar and body weight, reduces stress and generally makes you feel better. Interestingly, people that take NT Factor are more likely to increase their physical activity due to a decrease in overall fatigue. In clinical trials NT Factor reduced overall fatigue from 35-45% [2], and this could allow you to increase your level of physical activity.
2. Control Your Blood Cholesterol Levels. It’s completely normal to have cholesterol in your blood, and it is present in every cell in your body, especially in your cellular membranes. The problem occurs when there is too much blood cholesterol (above a total of 200 milligrams per deciliter of blood), which is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease. Blood cholesterol is mainly present in lipid-protein complexes called lipoproteins that can be distinguished by their densities. High levels of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) or so-called “bad” lipoproteins are a risk factor for heart disease, whereas high levels of high-density lipoproteins (HDL) are the opposite. These are often measured by a ratio of HDL-to-LDL. Interestingly, use of NT Factor can lower your blood cholesterol and improve your HDL/LDL ratios to more heart healthy ratios. For example, a healthy goal would be to keep the HDL/LDL ratio above 0.4. In a clinical trial using Healthy Curb with NT Factor we found that subjects lost weight, girth and body mass while showing reduced blood cholesterol and improved HDL/LDL ratios [3].
3. Eat Healthier and Eat Less. A healthy diet low in saturated fats, high in vegetables, fruits, fish, poultry, whole-grain and low-fat dairy products will help. The American Heart Association recommends that you eat a wide variety of nutritious foods from each of the basic food groups [1]. In addition to lowering your blood cholesterol, whole-grain foods add fiber, which can help in managing your weight (also see 5, below).
4. Manage Your Blood Pressure. The American Heart Association lists hypertension or high blood pressure as the most significant risk factor for heart disease. It’s called the “silent killer” because it has no observable symptoms. One in three adults has high blood pressure, yet one in five don’t even know that they have it. According to the American Heart Association only 69% of people with high blood pressure are receiving treatment, while only 45% have control over their blood pressure [1]. Controlling high blood pressure is important, because it can lead to stroke, heart attack, kidney failure and even heart failure.
5. Lose Weight. Among Americans age 20 or older, there are 145 million (77 million men and 68 million women) people that are considered overweight or obese. Obesity is now considered an important independent risk factor for heart disease, and it usually goes along with high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, a poor HDL/LDL ratio and diabetes [1]. If you are over-weight, then you might consider using Healthy Curb with NT Factor. In clinical trials we have found that using Healthy Curb with NT Factor for two months before meals can reduce your weight by an average of 3 pounds, your waist by an average of 2.5 inches and your hips by an average of 1.5 inches as well as reduce your overall hunger by 44% and even reduce your cravings for sweets. In addition, participants in this clinical trial showed a decrease in overall fatigue of 23%, and their average blood cholesterol levels were lowered and their HDL/LDL ratios improved to more healthy ratios [3].
6. Reduce Your Blood Sugar. The American Heart Association considers diabetes one of the important major controllable risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Adults with diabetes are 2-4 times more likely to eventually have heart disease or a stroke than adults without diabetes [1]. Diabetes is controllable, but even with control diabetics are more likely to eventually die of cardiovascular diseases or stroke. A healthy diet with less sugar is important to maintaining lower blood sugar levels. Interestingly, Healthy Curb with NT Factor contains a natural sugar uptake inhibitor that can help reduce your blood sugar levels.
7. Quit Smoking. Smoking is the most important preventable cause of premature deaths in the United States, and smokers have a much greater risk of developing many serious chronic conditions, such as atherosclerosis (which can lead to coronary heart disease), lung disease and cancer. Smoking also decreases your tolerance for physical activity and increases your chance for developing blood clots, peripheral artery disease and stroke.
NT Factor can help with many of the recommendations of the American Heart Association. NT Factor provides cells with the specific types of membrane lipids that can repair mitochondrial membranes and other cellular membranes and make them functional again. The uniqueness of NT Factor over other lipid supplements is that NTFactor’s lipids are required by mitochondria and other cellular organelles for their function, and NT Factor lipids are protected from damage by oxidative free radicals and other factors that damage most lipids before they even reach our cells [4]. Taking NT Factor can also improve your HDL/LDL ratios [3]. Thus NT Factor is not only heart healthy, but it is a safe, useful way to help protect our cardiovascular systems from damage.
2. Nicolson, G.L. and Ellithrope, R. Lipid replacement and antioxidant nutritional therapy for restoring mitochondrial function and reducing fatigue in chronic fatigue syndrome and other fatiguing illnesses. J Chronic Fatigue Syndr 2006; 13(1):57-68.
3. Nicolson, G.L., Settineri, R. and Ellithrope, R. Dietary supplement Healthy Curb for reducing weight, girth, body mass, appetite and fatigue while improving blood lipid values with NT Factor Lipid Replacement Therapy. J. IiME 2009; 3(1): 39-48.
4. Nicolson, G.L. Lipid replacement as an adjunct to therapy for chronic fatigue, anti-aging and restoration of mitochondrial function. J Am Nutraceut Assoc 2003; 6(3):22-28.
About the Author: Professor Garth L. Nicolson is the President, Chief Scientific Officer and Research Professor at the Institute for Molecular Medicine in Huntington Beach, California. He is an Emeritus Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. Professor Nicolson has published over 600 medical and scientific papers, edited 16 books, and served on the Editorial Boards of 30 medical and scientific journals and was the senior editor of four of these. Professor Nicolson has won many awards, such as the Burroughs Wellcome Medal of the Royal Society of Medicine (United Kingdom), Stephen Paget Award of the Metastasis Research Society, the U. S. National Cancer Institute Outstanding Investigator Award, and the Innovative Medicine Award of Canada. He is also a Colonel (Honorary) of the U. S. Army Special Forces and a U. S. Navy SEAL (Honorary) for his work on Armed Forces and veterans’ illnesses.
Questions for Prof. Garth Nicolson
Department of Molecular Pathology,
The Institute for Molecular Medicine,
Huntington Beach, California
Have you done any studies of the cellular effects of different dietary oils?
There are ads touting “virgin coconut oil” everywhere. Any good science behind this?
Dr. Nicolson’s reply:
Dietary oils low in saturated fats have been touted for some time as “healthy oils”. There are a variety of sources for these oils and many are of excellent quality but one point is often overlooked. That is, there are wide differences in the quality of various commercial products, especially in the oxidation states of the lipids in the oils. That is why particular attention has been made to quality and especially oxidation damage to lipids in NT Factor preparations containing membrane phospholipids. We know that oxidative damage to membrane phospholipids is the number one reason why mitochondria in our cells decline in their ability to produce high energy molecules (oxidative phosphorylation). This occurs in CFS and in a variety of chronic illnesses, and this is why I recommend NT Factor for chronic illness patients. The phospholipids in NT Factor are protected from oxidation during storage and during digestion, and this is absolutely necessary for replacement of damaged lipids in our cells.
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Questions for Prof. Garth Nicolson
Department of Molecular Pathology,
The Institute for Molecular Medicine,
Huntington Beach, California
I was reading the abstract of your weight loss study published in the Journal of IiME last year, using a nutritional supplement with NT Factor and a “starch blocker.” (Healthy Curb) How does that work? I wonder what causes hunger, and does NT Factor always reduce hunger even when not in this formula?
The new product called Healthy Curb that was based on the FDA-approved starch blocker or amylase inhibitor that blocks carbohydrate uptake and NT Factor. A few years ago it was noticed that NT Factor suppresses appetite. When participants in a clinical study used the starch blocker and NT Factor together (Healthy Curb) they experienced gradual and consistent weight loss along with waist and hip reductions during a two-month period. In addition, there was a 44% reduction in overall hunger with reduced cravings for sweets, indicating notable appetite suppression. The entire test group also showed an average of 23% increase in their overall energy levels. Blood lipid profiles generally improved, suggesting improved cardiovascular health, and no adverse effects were noted clinically or found in blood chemistries of the participants. No adverse effects were observed or reported. Thus the all-natural HealthyCurb is a safe and extremely well tolerated weight loss product.
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