Donna’s Blog

The more I learn about diet and the immune system –and hear from thousands of patients — the more I’m convinced that food really is medicine. More and more studies are linking a healthy diet to a better chance of doing well with autoimmune disease. Recent studies show that when immigrants from South Asian countries move to Western countries and begin to eat processed food diets, they show an increase of autoimmune diseases such as Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis. Likewise, research has shown that when people with diseases like Crohn’s and rheumatoid arthritis switch to what experts call an anti-inflammatory diet — largely a diet based on whole, natural foods — their symptoms improve. And yet more research shows that boys and girls on a similar whole foods diet were at a lower risk for developing Crohn’s disease, while those on a highly processed Western diet were at a higher risk.

Such an Anti-Autoimmune Diet focuses on lamb, chicken and turkey; fish with low mercury content such as flounder or tilapia; hormone-free eggs; vegetables; fresh fruits; and gluten free grains.  What have your experiences been with diet and recovery?  I’d love to hear.

Hi all. Welcome to my website readers and to my Amazon readers, who are now able to access my blog on Amazon.com. I’d love to hear from you.

Since The Autoimmune Epidemic came out I’ve heard from key scientists from around the country who wanted to make me aware of additional groundbreaking studies on the effects of environmental chemicals and pollutants on the immune system (in addition to the dozens I discuss in my book).

As with global warming, the evidence continues to steadily, quietly mount that as we toxify our environment we are toxifying ourselves. As we leave a carbon imprint on the world around us we leave an indelible chemical imprint within. Here are some recent findings on what top scientists are uncovering about the toll that chemical imprint is taking on our human health:

John Peterson Myers, Ph.D., chief scientist at Environmental Health Sciences, and co-author of the classic book Our Stolen Future , has a fascinating — and disturbing — paper on low dose exposures and their effect on the human immune system:

http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/sciencebackground/2007/2007-0415nmdrc.html

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Meanwhile, a recent international meeting of the Japanese Society of Allerology also focused on low level exposures to chemicals heightening immune system sensitivity and responses. Several papers — both of which describe heightened immune system reactivity far beneath levels of contaminants currently considered toxic — attracted a lot of attention:

http://www.ourstolenfuture.org/NewScience/oncompounds/phthalates/2006/2006-1010takanoetal.html

http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/newscience/2007/2007-0401naritaetal.html

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Dr. Joachim Mutter, MD, wrote to tell me about studies on mercury triggering autoimmune disease and writes:

“(a) In animal studies, mercury was found to trigger, accelerate, and exacerbate autoimmune diseases such as lupus-like syndromes (Via 2003)
(b) Higher incidence of diabetes among mercury poisoned individuals (Uchino 1995)
(c) Autoimmune development of Multiple Sclerosis can be provoked by mercury and other metals (Stejskal 1999b)

Constant low-dose mercury exposure, as is typical with amalgam bearers, has been considered as a cause for certain autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, or systemic lupus erythematosis (SLE), by many authors (Bartova et al., 2003; Berlin, 2003; Hultmann et al., 1994, 1998; Pollard et al., 2001; Prochazkova et al., 2004; Stejskal and Stejskal, 1999; Stejskal et al., 1999; Sterzl et al., 1999; Via et al., 2003; Sterzl et al., 2006).”

…and he says,

“These effects can occur with exposure below acceptable safety limits (Kazantzis, 2002)”

Here’s a trick on how to quickly read the above studies for yourself — and do your own research. You can look at these studies by going to Pubmed — via the U.S. National Library of Medicine at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/ – and input the author + date + mercury in the following format (for example):

Bartova[Author] AND 2003[Publication Date] + Mercury

The study will appear if it’s still in the databanks (older studies may not be). This way, you can do a bit of your own research and read the original abstracts of many of these papers on mercury and the immune system and see what you think.
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Meanwhile, Dr. Arlene Blum, MD, is working on helping the public to better understand the health consequences of flame retardants. You can learn more at:

http://greensciencepolicy.org

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And one upcoming study, not yet published by a group of researchers from around the country, shows what may turn out to be the most startling news of all. While current tests to determine levels of chemicals and pollutants are done by analyzing blood, urine and hair, scientists are finding that the levels of toxins are significantly higher when they test for these toxins in our fat.

This isn’t really surprising since it’s in our fat that we store toxins. What is surprising is the tests these scientists have done which show that levels of PCBs and chlorinated pesticides found in our fat are, on average, one hundred times higher than what shows up in our bloodstreams and urine.

Blood chilling indeed.

Please also check out my website at donnajacksonnakazawa.com for more information about the factors that are combining in our 21st Century life and causing our immune systems to be overtaxed.

Let me know what you think of the gathering evidence that we’re outpacing our evolutionary ability to keep adapting to so many chemicals and pollutants in our world.

If you’re reading this blog on Amazon.com, welcome! I hope you enjoy reading my postings about the latest news from The Autoimmune Epidemic — which include some of the most recent findings on the causes and cures for this growing health crisis. Take a moment and let me hear from you!

I’ve just been reading a fascinating new book called The MS Recovery Diet by Ann Sawyer and Judith Bachrach. In their book, Ann and Judith talk about a specific diet that has helped many patients with MS to recover. To find out more about the diet and how it works, I asked Ann to answer a few questions for us.Q. What is the MS Diet?
A. The main principle of the diet is that food (also illness, stress, fatigue) activates the immune cells that start the cascade of events that lead to MS symptoms. Food doesn’t cause the disease as such, but fuels the disease process after it manifests. This can be stopped by not eating those foods which overactivate the immune system and, just as important, by eating foods that help the body repair, restore and recover.

The first step is to stop eating the trigger foods that activate the disease process. Reduce intake of saturated fats, most importantly animal and dairy fats. Keep to less than 15 grams per day- and sugar in great quantities. There are five food groups to which people with MS are found to be most often sensitive. These are gluten containing grains and wheat, dairy, eggs, legumes and yeast. Each person has a unique food sensitivity profile, which can include foods not among the usual suspects. Digestive tract health is crucial so use caution or cease to use: tobacco, caffeine, NSAIDS (aspirin, Tylenol), antibiotics, antacids and alcohol as they can be damaging to the digestive system.

It is very important to be well nourished with nutrient dense foods. The following will help to heal the digestive system (leaky gut) and speed recovery: lean protein, vegetables/fruits, foods rich in antioxidants, raw foods for enzyme support and probiotics. Drink plenty of water; get sunshine (vitamin D) and exercise. As time goes on you can reclaim movement, sensations, your cognitive abilities, and full energy.

Q. What would a typical day’s food choices look like for breakfast, lunch and dinner?
A. Dinner can be a chicken or fish, steamed vegetables, a salad and potatoes. Lunch might be a salad with some protein and roasted root vegetables such as turnips, parsnips or rutabaga, or other fillers (sweet potato, taro root or celery root). Breakfast reflects the greatest change from the usual diet. Breakfast can be soup, leftovers from dinner, baked sweet potato, along with some protein like turkey bacon.

Q. How can the diet be implemented simply?
A. The fastest and most effective way, for the first several months, is to stop eating the five usual suspects as well as limit saturated fat and sugars as described above.

The initial healing will have its ups and downs. The return of your ability to do more will happen step by step at first and setbacks happen easily due to stress and fatigue, or if you come down with a virus. Don’t be discouraged. Keep following the diet. When subtle changes in symptoms can be discerned and you feel better, you can begin testing foods to see if they are triggers for you. As you continue to progress, you will refine and individualize the diet for your healing. Begin to exercise more as your healing becomes more solid and permanent.

For the best healing make sure you eat enough nutrient dense foods with an emphasis on protein and vegetables. Keep stress to a minimum. Remember that sleep and rest are treatments. When you have a return of energy or abilities, don’t overdo it. You still need to use your body’s energy to continue to heal.

Q. For whom will it work?
A. A good research study has never been funded to explore all the aspects of this dietary treatment, so we don’t know for sure. However the recovery diet seems to work for everyone who really follows and works with it. How quickly improvements are seen is highly variable. The road is bumpy, but if you stick with it and listen to your body, you will heal and recover. It takes time, persistence, patience and determination.