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Bitter melon (looks like a "wart-y" cucumber; grows on a vine; has a very bitter taste; often used in various Oriental cooking – India, Philippines, China, Japan, etc.) is called "go-ya" in Okinawa, where MS is virtually nonexistent.

@Lyndacarol: ok; I think I know what it is. You suggest to put some in my soup?

zinc-related question: do you have any mild suspicion that your sense of smell or taste is not quite right? how about your overall vision or just night vision? is it all good, or could it be better?

@jimmylegs: sorry I forgot to answer that part - To somehow show me that my cognitive functions may not be as good as I'd like to believe

I am not sure. One think is that I have no envy of eating anything for the moment. Smell; I believe is unchanged. My eyesight is perfect since I had surgery on both eyes to remove cataracts due to a build up from long term use of prednisolone. Of course it could be better since I now have to wear glasses for close reading etc... But it is inherent to that surgery.

Algis, yes, bitter melon ("go-ya" in Okinawa, where it is used very often in the diet – probably every day in some form) is used with eggs, soups, stirfry, even tea; you might just give it a try.

Articles on the Internet say that it contains a plant-form of insulin and, for that reason, is used by many type II diabetics as well.

@lyndacarol: kugua (Chinese: 苦瓜, pinyin: kǔguā, "bitter gourd")

hey there algis. any updates?

@jimmylegs: yes (well...) I stopped he salted biscuits and my muscle pain is gone (?). I keep my daily banana; am taking Zinc as per your suggestion. The soup will be made during this weekend (as Li-Ling have understandingly much things to do) when there is more time. Also the fruits/vegetables market up the street is bringing a truckload of fresh vegetables each Saturday; we will have much choice.

I'll make a followup; thank you for your concerns;

Algis

I am after my regimen's first week. Diarrhea is gone. We're OK so far with the soup; not too bad with tabasco and pepper.

@JimmyLegs: What is the Zn supposed to "change" in symptoms? And the fish's oil?

hey there, i was thinking of the zinc to correct the diarrhea and bloating, so if that is working, fantastic!

when i was zinc deficient i suffered with bloating after eating wheat. also when my levels were really bad i couldn't think straight and my cognition improved when i corrected my levels. my zinc had been so low that i suspect i was hyperammonemic although i didn't make the link until after i was better so no labwork to support the theory.

also my uric acid level shot up towards optimal when i corrected the zinc deficiency. don't know if i felt anything but uric acid is a great antioxidant.

also i had had an open sore that would not heal for years and it cleared right up when i fixed my zinc level.

between stopping your wheat crackers (gluten/zinc drain) and supplementing zinc, your body should be utilizing vitamin d3 better, which would be logical re clearing up the muscle pain. also this is oversimplifying but zinc holds your intestines together (tight junction integrity) so there's a link to preventing ill effects of leaky gut, such as diarrhea.

those are just a few zinc examples (sorry not all symptoms per se, but you get the idea)

fish oil facilitates a lot of different things. i link it mostly to calming inflammation and its effects, and promoting better mood and cognition.

had you noticed anything else changing that you were wondering about?

glad you are getting on with the soup!

@jimmylegs: I cannot say if anything really "changed" but if so; certainly not significantly. I feel great; but I already felt great before ... Now that the diarrhea is gone; I just miss my limbs back and I can restart as a teen
The zinc 'might' upset a bit my stomach but maybe I should take it with some food.

glad you are getting on with the soup!

You're a good friend ...

if the diarrhea is gone, that's one change that you noticed right?

yes please take the zinc with food!

I cant PM you for some reason, as a sensitive and personal issue, I would rather not go public if you get my drift.

Anyways sometimes supplements can cause diarhea, google it.

if the diarrhea is gone, that's one change that you noticed right?

Correct!

Algis

That is s good, I kept worrying about you

@fee002: Thank you for your concern fee Is that me you are trying to PM to? It should work but if not I'll give you my email adrs.

Be well!

Algis