The Answer (Chap. 12-14)

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THE ANSWER- to “Why is the Plane of Our Nation’s Health in a Death Spiral?”

By Dogtor J.
©2001 DogtorJ.com

12.0 APPLIED KNOWLEDGE……………………………….32
12.1 Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and ALS…………..……….32
12.1.1 Parkinson’s as the Perfect Example……..………33

13.0 THE “TRUE” ROLE OF GENETICS………..…..…..33
13.1 Genetics Over-emphasized………………………………33
13.1.1 Oh, no! We’ve Mapped the Human Genome……33
13.2 Where Do We Go From Here?………………………..34

14.0 CONCLUSION……………………………….…..…..………34
14.1 The Simplicity of The Answer……………….………….34
14.2 The Forces Behind The Spiral………………….………34
14.3 Check Your Fork At The Door……………….….………34

Go to the Addendums of “The Answer”…

CHAPTER 12- APPLIED KNOWLEDGE

The application of this principle is without bounds in my opinion. That laundry list of diseases and immune-related disorders that I parrot back to all that will listen is in desperate need of a thorough cleansing. Diabetes, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, atherosclerosis (coronary artery disease), multiple sclerosis, thyroid illness (Hashimoto’s and Grave’s), Crohn’s Disease, et al are all candidates. I would run down that list like I have the previous conditions, but time doesn’t allow this. The previously described model of autoimmunity stands for all of them. The conditions that need further attention are no less important.

These devastating conditions are Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, and A.L.S. (Lou Gehrig’s Disease). As in most medical texts, these are grouped together for an obvious reason. What is known as well as what remains a mystery about these conditions links them together. The reason becomes more clear when a review of what we now understand is made in order to put the focus on these enigmas. The histological findings of Alzheimer’s, for example, suggest an autoimmune component. Even veterinary students are trained to link amyloidosis with immune-mediated disease. The first time I read the Merck Manual’s description of the components found in the brain of Alzheimer’s victims, my eye fell on one word- glycoprotein. I had just studied the damaging effects of the glycoproteins of wheat and dairy and immediately asked the obvious question. Is this glycoprotein endogenous or exogenous? Is it an immunoglobulin or a dietary protein or both? When I saw the same word, glycoprotein, in the description of coronary artery disease, it really piqued my interest.

From that point on, I researched these conditions from a variety of perspectives. Could it be that these are a combination of immune-mediated disease and the direct effect of neuron-killing amino acids? Are these debilitating diseases skyrocketing in incidence because all of the factors above are coming together to produce this epidemic? I have to believe in this distinct possibility. The viral model still holds true and is best exemplified in Parkinson’s Disease.

Nothing brought this to light more clearly than the historical event described on a Parkinson’s information Website. In the 1920s, there was a viral infection that swept through known as Von Economos virus. Its common name was the sleeping virus, for its obvious affinity for and affect on the brain. The site then stated that researchers have now traced 6.5 million cases of Parkinson’s Disease to this virus. Now, as far as I know, no one believes that Parkinson’s Disease is a simple viral infection. However, it is clear that the viral infection was certainly a huge factor in this insidious condition. How could that be?

I am sure the readers of this paper are now way ahead of my ability to type the words. Imagine, if you will, a population of people who are naturally consuming dairy and cereal grain proteins at the their usual rate. Suddenly, a virus appears that has a major attraction to the central nervous system. This virus becomes latent in that host tissue, suggested by the symptoms and course of the illness, and then begins to acquire the dietary proteins available from the unsuspecting victim. As time passes, more glycoproteins are added to the receptors of the virus while the host remains healthy and immune competent. Then, as the immune clock of this time bomb ticks down, the susceptible individuals suffer an explosion of symptoms. The signs are nebulous and varied at first. Some sufferers rapidly progress while others stagnate. Doctors become puzzled at the variance in presentation. Little did they know that this myriad of appearances had a logical explanation.

As in all of these immune conditions, the spectrum of presenting signs and clinical courses are as varied as the individual. Logic should then guide us in the discovery to the answer to this riddle…or answers, more correctly stated. These include the individual immune response to the initial viral infection, the diet of the individual, the degree of food intolerance and related malnutrition syndromes, the presence of concurrent infections and disorders, re-exposure to the offending virus or similar viruses, and the intake of other damaging dietary elements such as hydrogenated oils, the neurotoxic amino acids (glutamate, aspartate, and phenylalanine). There are obviously other factors, but I consciously left genetics off the short list because it has become clear that the role of family history has only an indirect effect on the actual manifestation of any of these conditions.

THE “TRUE” ROLE OF GENETICS

The focus on genetics has long since been a pet peeve of mine. (No pun intended.) Our genetic make-up is obviously an important determinant of our physical characteristics. They clearly play a role in the conditions to which we are predisposed. Diabetes, coronary artery disease, lupus, and others do appear to run in families. As in psychiatric disorders, there is a delicate relationship between genetic and environmental factors. However, history makes the over-emphasis of genetics undeniable. Many behavioral problems, such as ADHD, manic depression, and schizophrenia, have been since proven to be true medical problems. The same misconceptions occur in the medical realm.

The role of genetics needs to be accurately defined before we spend our time and resources looking for answers where none exist. I will never forget my gut response to the announcement that we had successfully mapped the human genome. President Clinton and those on the news were in a highly charged, celebratory mood upon the release of this historic news. In stark contrast, my innate reaction was one of utter disappointment. Another huge step in the wrong direction were the words I spoke to an empty room. What are we going to do? Pick apart DNA and remove the offending genes? I saw Alien 4- The Resurrection. You cant do that! Those were my words, reactive and accurate.

What will we do with this knowledge and technology? Will we eliminate these diseases through gene extraction? I would have to believe that is highly unlikely. Will we be able to alter the course of the encoded diseases? Not without the knowledge shared in this treatise. What then will the purpose be? Will it only serve to identify those at risk for serious illness, resulting in paranoia of things to come? Are the main beneficiaries the insurance companies who will then be able to screen us for conditions for which they can apply riders or at worst deny coverage altogether? If anything, man is shortsighted and has a terrifyingly limited vision when it comes to the results of his actions. Will we really be surprised when cells grown in tissue culture or developed from stem cells are immediately destroyed by the same immune system that caused the failure of that organ to begin with? Why did we think that it would tolerate a cell from a foreign source any better than the homemade ones? Will we really continue to subject ourselves to more powerful immunosuppressant drugs in order to protect foreign organs that have been installed to replace the damaged ones? Universally, the magnitude of the discovery and applied change is directly proportional to the possible negative repercussions of those actions. Who would have imagined that changing from goat milk to cow milk would contribute so significantly to our undoing.

CONCLUSION

In summary, the answer to this articles perplexing subtitle is multifaceted but almost childlike in its root simplicity. You are what you eat. We have heard it for years, and no truer words have been spoken. The viruses play a major role, but without the offending dietary proteins, they are just viruses. In the absence of maldigestion, malabsorption, and malnutrition, most of these viruses would be a passing nuisance at worst. Hydrogenated oils are a horrible facilitator of immune disease. But, without casein, gluten, soy protein, et al, they may be reduced to unnatural fats with limited health effects. We now understand that pharmaceuticals are a two-edged sword. Granted, they often play a vital role in saving lives. However, the injudicious and indefinite use of symptomatic medication in the name of pure comfort should be abhorred. Once the underlying cause of our diseases is better understood, the need for long-term medications should greatly diminish. More of our research dollars should be earmarked for nutritional studies and the development of safe foods rather than directed toward the adulteration of what we have left to consume. The focus on our genetics and that of our foods should take a back seat to the prevention of diseases through a close reexamination of what we already know. With safe foods and healthy immune systems, the diseases encoded in our DNA could well be bad dreams that never come to pass.

The spiral is being driven by a multitude of forces. The advent of the convenience foods followed by our physiological and psychological addiction to their components is key. Our complex and hectic schedules nearly steer our vehicles to the drive through on the way home. The symptomatic allergy and heartburn medications allow us to continue to eat those foods in the face of signs of clear and present danger. Childhood illnesses that would limit life in the animal kingdom are dispensed with effectively to allow the weaker to survive and procreate, diluting the strength of the gene pool. Likewise, infertility problems that would again limit reproduction have been conquered to allow the afflicted to have offspring. I have to reiterate that these are moral questions to which we have a clear answer. We must save our children and we all deserve the right to bear children. However, the end result is a weakened genetic base that contributes significantly to the spiral.

A similar dilemma is created in the prolongation of life through symptomatic drugs. Advances in the treatment of heart disease and cancer have extended our lives long enough to suffer from a multitude of other diseases. Those that would have died of heart attacks or infections that challenge a weakened immune system go on to experience Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s Disease. This should be no surprise now when we realize that the same thing that drives the former sets us up for the latter. It is back to the idea of whether diabetes causes the conditions that follow it or whether those complications are really caused by the same condition that resulted in diabetes.

Add to this the facilitators (hydrogenated oils, preservatives, dyes, et al), environmental pollutants, lack of exercise, smoking and alcohol consumption, and social stresses and we see the twister that is about to consume our town from miles away. It is an F-5 on the Fujita-Pearson Tornado scale, the likes of which has never graced a Hollywood movie screen. It is moving at us with lightning speed and catastrophic force. How do we get out of its path?

The answer is right on the tip of our forks. We need to slow down in our consumption of the technological meals being put on our plates and go on a diet of common sense. As in many things, we need to step back and look at things through the eyes of a child, seeing the simplicity of our body’s needs and ways rather than always viewing the advanced infrastructure of creations miracles. We should look to the complexity of our bodies for proof of what we now know, not in attempt to change how it operates. We are more perfect and overwhelmingly complicated as any of mans achievements, yet we persist in exploring the boundaries of our internal and external universes while neglecting our fundamental needs. We have been on a mission out of control for years. Its time to set a new course that brings us safely home.

Dogtor J

©2001 DogtorJ.com

Go to the Addendums of “The Answer”…