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**** Bump ****

I have noticed some questions in the threads and this is a good thread

Haven't been posting on here much, but researchers are learning more about the endothelium and how damage can be reversed thru lifestyle and diet changes.

Interesting report on CNN regarding endothelial dysfunction and heart disease. Bill Clinton had open heart surgery, and leg veins were used to replace failed arteries. One of the veins stenosed, and he needed a stent. He asked his docs how he could avoid further restenosis and angioplasty, and they advised him to watch his endothelial health. C reactive protein levels are the key. High numbers indicate endothelial dysfunction. But there are ways to reduce this.

Here is Sanjay Gupta interviewing President Clinton

http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/08/18/bi ... index.html

Full interview and reports from the researchers on CNN this weekend.
cheer

For those with stenosed veins, hypercoagulation and problems related to CCSVI procedures that can't be addressed by further interventions, please read the information on this thread. It's about how nitric oxide can keep blood flowing, open tight vessels and improve circulation....it is being used for heart patients, through Dr. Cooke's Cardiovascular Cure research.
Here is the official program, as it stands now---
http://www.ccsvi.org/index.php/helping- ... ial-health

hope it helps--
cheer

Beetroot is an excellent source of Nitric oxide. The stuff I buy is pickled - any views?

I am waiting for my order of beetroot juice powder. You put a teaspoon under your tongue until your saliva is active then you start swallowing (I have a big glass of water). I enjoy beets but find that to consume the amount needed to be beneficial is just too much beet for me.

Beets are a great source of NO. We use them in our green juice with kale. The Hubbard Foundation has been discussing beets on their blog.
http://hubbardfoundation.blogspot.com/2 ... ealth.html
Beet juice has been shown to increase cerebral blood flow and oxygenation in those w/Alzheimers
Here's why,

In plain language, if your blood vessels have trouble expanding or contracting to handle changes in blood flow, you might need some nitric oxide in your blood stream from vegetable juices, vegetables, and fruit. And if you have thick blood that clots too easily, beet juice may have anti-clotting, called anti-platelet properties.

Beets are one vegetable among many such as lettuce, spinach, and most green, leafy vegetables high in nitrates. Dietary nitrates help to increase the amount of nitric oxide in the body. Nitric oxide (NO) helps blood vessels relax, lowering blood pressure. Nitric oxide (NO) has anti-inflammatory activity as well inhibits blood clot formation somewhat.

http://www.examiner.com/nutrition-in-sa ... d-pressure
cheer

I happen to be married to a guy that is very much against supplements. I think they can be beneficial. He requested that I stop taking LDN and vitamin D even though I don't get in the sun much to make vitamin D. He said he had read something on the internet about gthe dangers of vitamin d supplementation being dangerous if uou get tooo much. Was taking whole food grown selemium and chromium and he said those were toxic metals and that I needed to stop taking them. I'll admit I've tried my share of different supplements. I think some have been helpful and others haven't. I think I would do well to supplement with calcium, zinc, vit B complex, vitamin D, vitamin E, a good mineral complex and other things that may be helpful.

Coach,

Get him to look into Candida, you may not know you have it, I didnt, but it causes vitamin deficiency. At the moment I do take zinc, multi vits, codliver oil, primrose oil and acidophillus that replace the good bacteria in your stomach that to me is the important one as it is why Candida/candidiasis fungus develops in the system.

I think I had it for years and it had invaded my whole system, I think it may have invaded my blood or muscle, because after I have any treatment like acupuncture or chiropractic adjustment I can guarantee I start wasting fungus debris that up til then must have been trapped.

If you both want any info on it I can give it to you, oh and also it recommends you stay on the diet for months, I havent just for up to 12 weeks, I like my sisters home cooked Sunday dinners too much mmmmmn..

Coach,

Your husband is right too much supplement can cause diarrhea. I chose 3 to kill off fungus, garlic I know was one of them. Anyway I started to take potassium because you had to abstain from bananas, but caused me a problem, so I took the plunge and started to eat bananas again, problem solved.

I had to use my own judgement, I was on my lonesome on this one, but hey! I'm glad i did it.

I didnt stick to all the rules either, I did what worked for me.

coach wrote:I happen to be married to a guy that is very much against supplements. I think they can be beneficial. He requested that I stop taking LDN and vitamin D even though I don't get in the sun much to make vitamin D. He said he had read something on the internet about gthe dangers of vitamin d supplementation being dangerous if uou get tooo much. Was taking whole food grown selemium and chromium and he said those were toxic metals and that I needed to stop taking them. I'll admit I've tried my share of different supplements. I think some have been helpful and others haven't. I think I would do well to supplement with calcium, zinc, vit B complex, vitamin D, vitamin E, a good mineral complex and other things that may be helpful.

Hi Coach--the best thing to do is get your serum levels tested. Ask your doc for vitamin D3, B12, zinc, mg and a complete blood panel. That way, your doctor can make the specific recommendations based on your results, and your husband will feel more comfortable with any nutritional support you take. If you don't have a GP that will do this, a naturopathic doctor will do the bloodwork and make good supplement recommendations.

We have Jeff's serum levels tested every 6 months, and make adjustments based on that. I know Jimmy has great info on optimal levels on the links below her name on her posts. There are ways to get vitamins and nutrients from food, but there is a place for supplementation. Maybe include your hubby and he can get his levels tested too? Then it can be a family affair
cheer

i missed this earlier - whoops!

i strongly second cheer's list of tests. gets rid of the 'dangers of toxicity' argument when you see a bunch of low numbers.

also serum magnesium and c reactive protein levels are inversely correlated.

'signature' links below fyi pay close attention to the optimal levels as compared to the 'normal' range - don't let a testing doc say you're fine, that your levels are normal. not good enough!

good luck

Wanted to bump this thread for new folks.
Jeff's now 6 years after his MS diagnosis, and for whatever reasons or combination of reasons, he's still stable with no MS progression.
We do not take this for granted. Every day is a gift.

This program I put together to help him (with much assistance from posters on this site, like Jimmylegs, Gibbs, Cure, Dim, and NHE)--is diet, lifestyle and supplements. He still follows it, eats a whole food, mainly plant based Mediterranean diet, exercises everyday, has reduced stress, and takes supplements like vitamin D, omega 3, EGCG, quercetin/bromelain, and essential minerals. (Thanks, JL!!!)
He also has remained on copaxone, which never gave him many problems, aside from site reactions at times.
His fatigue, spasms, heat intolerence and cog fog were greatly reduced after venoplasty to correct his jugular flow.
The inflammatory serum markers which presented at his first flare have never returned.
His gray matter atrophy at diagnosis is now reversed, and his thalamus, brain stem and third ventricle are all "normal."

I still believe our modern lifestyle is contributing to higher levels of oxidative stress, depleting our bodies and weakening the endothelium, leaving us vulnerable to many illnesses. Many factors contribute to this state- including processed food, less time outdoors in the sun, more stress, less physical exercise, more toxins in our air and water....etc, etc.

But hopefully some of this injury to the endothelium can be reversed. Here's the program, based on the research of cardiovascular/endothelial expert Dr. John Cooke--

http://www.ccsvi.org/index.php/helping- ... ial-health

hope it might help others,
cheer (aka A.C., the aging cheerleader!)

no probs cheer glad jeff is doing well!

And.... a bump at seven years past diagnosis.
Continued health for Jeff, no MS progression, no new lesions, reversal of gray matter atrophy on MRI. Jogging, skiing, working full days.
We're hearing more about the endothelium and multiple sclerosis
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24416810
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24228622

Here's the program:
http://www.ccsvi.org/index.php/helping- ... ial-health

Here are new, specific posts on how endothelial health is created by:
aerobic exercise
http://ccsviinms.blogspot.com/2013/11/a ... otion.html
"good" cholesterol and whole foods
http://ccsviinms.blogspot.com/2013/11/g ... brain.html
UV Rays
http://ccsviinms.blogspot.com/2014/04/m ... mptom.html
http://ccsviinms.blogspot.com/2013/06/p ... -june.html

hope this can help someone else,
cheer

I have no argument with what has been written but could I add that L-Arginine will help with this condition greatly. If you have endothelial dysfunction you will be making a lot of inducible nitric oxide synthase and much less endothelial nitric oxide synthase. You want eNOS not too much iNOS.
At its root, we make asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) rather than the symmetric form. This happens in the kidney/renal system. Anything that counteracts ADMA and boosts the symmetric form is a good idea. It's not the whole story but it will make a difference.

Regards