Welcome to the fifteenth edition
of the Alchemist Lab newsletter.
This is a big subject and I will briefly discuss different cleanse programs that are useful in Hepatitis C, then discuss one in depth. First of all to cleanse starts with lowering your exposure to toxins and this includes toxic emotional situations. There are a million and one different detox programs, but he ones that I find most valuable to people with chronic hepatitis are:
Gallstone cleanses which are most suitable when there is difficulty with the digestion, inability to digest fats, feeling lousy or gaseous after eating. There are many variants, but they primarily consist of eating lightly for a week or so while drinking lots of apple juice. Apple juice has malic acid which softens gallstones. If one is sugar sensitive you can simply take malic acid in capsule form. Then one flushes them out with various concoctions including olive oil, epsom salts, magnesium citrate etc. The supplements that Alchemist Lab carries that makes this kind of fast more effective are l-ornithine l-aspartate and chanca piedra, which translate as break stone. Andreas Moritz has authored an entire book on this type of cleanse. Here is a link on where to buy his book. http://www.rawlife.com/store/product.php?productid=17786&cat=366&page=2
Intestinal cleansing there are many different approaches. The one we use in our clinic is called Arise & Shine. In a nutshell it consists of eating a very restricted diet, while doing shakes of psyllium and bentonite clay. Psyllium is a non-irritating bulking agent, while bentonite helps pull old fecal matter of the intestinal walls. A variety of herbs are also taken that are both laxative as well as nutritive. Probiotics are also taken to re-establish intestinal flora, which is valuable as an anti-viral for HCV. Here’s the link to that company www.ariseandshine.com. This is a great cleanse to lose weight on, especially fat off the waist and hips and it makes the skin real soft.
Heavy metals have a very pro-inflammatory effect on the liver and liver enzymes, just like excess iron does. Again there are many different compounds that chelate heavy metals. My favorites are raw dairy if it is well tolerated, chlorella, and acetyl glutathione. Many different chelation programs including DMSA tend to make people feel poorly as they move metals around. EDTA which is a popular chelating agent very effectively will lower iron as well as heavy metals, though I don’t favor it with hepatitis patients as it can drop platelet levels. Chlorella and glutathiones tend to be slow and gradual and they also bolster energy levels. I think of them as the tortoise approach that will patiently lessen the toxic load. Again chelating heavy metals will drop liver enzymes if there is a significant body burden. The most accurate test is a DMSA push, where you take a strong dose of DMSA and then measure how much comes out in your urine. However I like to start patients with a hair analysis as it is cheap ($46) and covers a lot of ground, including mineral scores as well as heavy metals. You can call 877-454-4372 to request a hair analysis.
The Detox Protocol that I us most frequently targets petro-chemicals, solvents, pesticides,. It is one of the mainstays of our treatment for neurological issues as well as lyme disease. I will often give it prior to the start of more aggressive heavy metal protocols. I like it for those who have had poor reactions to interferon and will often give it before starting on hepatitis c regimens. Meth, cocaine, ecstasy are all very toxic substances and are indications for its use. This is a protocol that is very well designed and usually people simply feeling better while on it.
Detox Protocol
NADH: 1 Tablet 15 minutes before breakfast.
For fatigue associated with toxicity.
Chanca Piedra 2/3 capsules before meals twice daily.
or
Lidan Pian 5 tablets before meals twice daily.
Chanca Piedra & Lidan both boost production of bile by the liver. Toxins are gathered in the liver and secreted in the bile. Bile is then stored in the gall bladder. Bile is pumped through the sphincter of oddi from the gall bladder when we eat fats where it helps to emulsify and digest fats in the small intestine. Then typically it is reabsorbed in the ileum, the last section of the small intestine, and recycled back to the liver. Different detox systems will often use products that will either bind with bile and prevent reabsorption or ones that spur the production of bile. This breaks the recycling of toxins.
Membrane Complex 2 caps twice daily before meals
Phosphatidyl Choline 2 caps twice daily before meals.
These are phospholipids that constitute cellular membranes. Current research shows that toxins jam into cell membranes impairing their function, as well as spinning off odd-shaped fatty acids that viruses can use to replicate. Using an abundance of phospholipids allows the cells to slough off toxin laden cell membranes and make new ones. The liver has more diverse functions than any other organ contains more cellular organelles each of which requires cellular membranes. The healthier the cell membrane the more the cell is protected from viral invasion.
For neurological issues we can also use:
Phosphatidyl Serine 2 caps twice daily before meals
KNO Krill Oil 2 caps twice daily before meals
Phosphatidyl serine helps nerves heal. It also balances the effect of cortisol, which is a stress hormone on the brain. Research shows that prolonged stress damages the memory banks of the brain. Very useful for peripheral neuropathy as well as getting to the root of herpes infection. Krill oil has a very unique lipid structure as it allows this tiny shrimp-like creature to survive in the freezing water of the Antarctic Ocean. Krill has omega 3’s integrated with phospolipids in its structure. It is also a fabulous anti-oxidant and hepatitis c is a disease where oxidative stress damages the liver.
Acetyl Glutathione 3 - 6 caps every day or every other day, at anytime. Glutathione is the body’s premier anti-oxidant. Having enough glutathione upregulates the body’s ability to detox many poisons. For people who are chemically sensitive this is the main medicine that we use. Glutathione is also the main anti-oxidant found in liver cells. It provides the anti-oxidant protection for red blood cells, allowing red blood cells a longer lifespan and building blood counts.
R+Lipoic 2 twice daily anytime. R+Lipoic we use if there is specific solvent, paint, or pesticide exposure. We also use it if people cannot afford the acetyl glutathione. Remember that many drugs like cocaine are processed with solvent bases.
Please call 877-454-HEPC for any products not listed on our website.
http://www.alchemistlab.com/productlisting.htm
05/17/2009
Clinic phone on MWF 415-454-6901
Fax #s 415-488-1323 or 415-454-4162
steven@alchemistlab.com
Steven Finkbine L.Ac
May 17th, 2009
