MS: Linking Hormones, Diet, Blood Flow, EBV, Myelin Sheath

[vesta]

I closed my previous blog titled « Birth Control Pill Increases MS Risk » November 6, 2017 thus :

I am writing this MSCureEnigmas site to encourage MSers to find better ways (like my 6 steps to MS health) to enhance their health than to take marginally effective drugs which increase the risk of stroke and migraines (among other things.) Also, to recognize the vascular connection in MS.  Finally, to seek ways to  minimize the deleterious effects of Birth Control Pills which apparently double the synthesis of inflammatory C-Reactive Proteins. Would diet correct that danger?   

My answer ? Yes, I believe a correct diet can go a long way to overcoming that fatality (which needn’t be a fatality.) This is the same diet which led to my first MS healing 1984 through 1992. So what links these factors – Birth Control Pills, Diet, Blood Flow, EBV (Mononucleosis), Myelin Sheath ?

Answer : C-Reactive Protein.

Birth Control Pills double the synthesis of C-Reactive Protein (CRP) which is a non specific marker for inflammation. That is to say, a high incidence of CRP indicates inflammation somewhere in the body without indicating where.

There is next to nothing on the internet research linking MS to C Reactive Protein, and what exists is contradictory. One MD asserts that there is no link. Another site states :

https://overcomingms.org/forum/viewtopi ... =10&t=6093
« C-reactive protein (CRP) is often one of the blood tests done as part of the "screening" tests done during MS diagnosis. It tends to be a marker of significant inflammation, and usually done in conjunction with Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR), which is also another inflammatory marker ».

Apparently one study revealed a definite upsurge of CRP during a relapse which was reduced by taking Interferon B. « cheerleader » of ThisisMS offers convincing evidence of the link through her husband Jeff Beal’s blood analysis at the time of his MS diagnosis which was reduced to nothing through his « endothelium health » MS treatment. Another study reveals an ongoing high level of CRP in MS Progression. So there is much to be done on this subject.

Research has been done linking high CRP levels to heart attacks and strokes. Since I am working on the theory that MS is essentially a vascular disorder, this research becomes relevant.

www.webmd.com › Stroke › News
« April 7, 2003 - High blood levels of a substance known as C-reactive protein, or CRP, may increase the risk of stroke by nearly 400%...
Researchers say CRP may block blood flow in the brain -- leading to a stroke -- by stimulating the formation of cholesterol plaque on the interior walls of blood vessels. » 
C-Reactive Protein’s is also thought to damage the vein’s walls (endothelium) and cause blood clots . The focus of the following study concerns primarily heart attacks, but for our purposes we will assume that C-reactive protein impacts the entire vascular system, veins incuded. See Quote below.
« NEWS | January 9, 2003
https://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/publish/n ... sroom/2601
UC DAVIS STUDY IDENTIFIES C-REACTIVE PROTEIN AS CAUSE OF BLOOD CLOT FORMATION 
(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) —
« a new study by UC Davis physicians is the first to conclusively link C-reactive proteins (CRP) to formation of blood clots, a major cause of heart attacks, strokes and other vascular disease... athttp://www.circulationaha.org…
Ishwarlal Jialal, professor of pathology and director of the Laboratory for Atherosclerosis and Metabolic Research at UC Davis School of Medicine and Medical Center.
The study demonstrates that CRP causes cells in the arteries, known as human aortic endothelial cells, to produce higher levels of an enzyme that inhibits the breakdown of clots. The enzyme, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) is also a strong risk marker for heart disease, especially in diabetics. The study used a variety of techniques to convincingly show how CRP activates PAI-1 in aortic cells, causing lesions in the arteries that ultimately lead to formation of plaque and blood clots.
The study underscores the need to use CRP screening to more accurately assess at-risk populations, according to Jialal, who is the Robert E. Stowell Endowed Chair in Experimental Pathology…
High CRP levels can occur in otherwise healthy individuals, according to the study. Patients with high levels of CRP can reduce risk by losing weight, exercising on a regular basis, stopping cigarette smoking, or taking statin drugs, Jialal added…
The new study adds to the findings of another landmark study on CRP by Jialal's team at UC Davis that showed CRP actually damages the blood vessel wall by blocking a critical "protector" protein and inhibiting nitric oxide.
"Interestingly, the new study indicates that activation of PAI-1 was unrelated to the nitric oxide inhibition identified in the earlier study," said Jialal. "This indicates that CRP has multiple, independent effects that cause heart disease."… »

MY CONCLUSION : C-Reactive Protein damages vascular walls, may lead to blood clots and stroke as well as obstructed, stenosed veins draining the brain i.e. CCSVI MS. (That last isn’t part of the above study, but logic suggests it.)

RETHINKING INFLAMMATION FOR MS :
Dietary treatment for MS recommends non-inflammatory foods. I always assumed the rational for that is to reduce the myelin inflammation of an auto-immune MS attack. Maybe Not So.
Maybe the first step is to reduce incidence of C Reactive Protein in the blood to facilitate blood flow and overcome vascular pathology. Let’s say one drop of blood leaking into the central nervous system can trigger myelin damage/inflammation. The only auto-immune factor here would be one’s own blood attacking the myelin sheath. Again, it’s a vascular problem, CCSVI in shorthand.
Basically, recommended MS Diets follow the same rules as those aimed at lowering C-Reactive Protein.
For example :
Inflammatory foods to avoid include (Olivia Tarantino May 3, 2016)
1.Sugar 2. Vegetable Oil 3. Fried Food 4. Refined Flour 5. Dairy 6. Artificial Sweeteners 7. Artificial Additives 8. Saturated Fats 9. Grain Fed Meat (beef, chicken, pork) gffss10. Processed Meat 11. Glutens 12. Alcohol 13. Trans fat foods 14. Fast Food

WIKIPEDIA
« General guidelines for a healthy diet include:
▪ Fruits and vegetables
▪ More fish, less meat
▪ "Good" oils, such as olive oil and canola oil
▪ Antioxidants
▪ Antioxidants are nutrients and other substances that protect cells in the body from the damage caused by "oxygen free radicals" (molecules that seek to become oxidized, a process that harms body tissues and has been linked to many diseases including stroke, heart disease, and cancer).  Antioxidants are found naturally in food but are also available as dietary supplements (antioxidates found in food work far better than pill supplements)
▪ Important antioxidants include:
▪ Vitamins A, C, E and beta-carotene (found in carrots)
▪ Lycopene  (found in tomatoes)
▪ Flavonoids  (found in ginkgo biloba, black cherries, blackberries, bilberries and blueberries)
▪ Quericetin  (a specialized flavonoid found in apples, onions, tea and red wine)
▪ Coenzyme Q10 (a vitamin-like substance found in soy, whole grains, mackerel, and chicken) »

Dr. Terry Wahls is well known for having recovered from PPMS through diet/supplements/electrical muscle stimulation.
See Wahls Protocol. https://www.webmd.com ›
« The diet is a version of the Paleolithic (Paleo) diet. That's based on the idea that humans should eat more like our ancient ancestors and avoid the foods we started eating in the past several hundred years, like wheat and processed foods.
On the Wahls Protocol, you eat lots of:
• Meat and fish
• Vegetables, especially green, leafy ones
• Brightly colored fruit, like berries
• Fat from animal and plant sources, especially omega-3 fatty acids
But you don't eat:
• Dairy products and eggs
• Grains (including wheat, rice, and oatmeal)
• Legumes (beans and lentils)
• Nightshade vegetables, which include tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes, and peppers
• Sugar »
BEST MS HEALING PROTOCOL : Matt Embry’s site http://www.mshope.com - Diet, Supplements, CCSVI, Exercise.
In my opinion MS researchers/therapists are focusing on the wrong mechanism. They are treating the myelin inflammation which comes AFTER – IN RESPONSE TO -the initial wound – the damaged vascular system.
The aim of MS treatment should be to reduce incidence of C Reactive Protein AND facilitate blood/Cerebro-spinal-fluid circulation.
See general rules for reducing C Reactive Protein here. http://www.oprah.com/health/how-to-lowe ... z4zFmOxlEY
1. Anti-Inflammatory Diet
2. Exercise
3. Lose Weight
4. Quit Smoking
5. De-Stress and get enough Sleep
6. Multi-vitamins
7. Magnesium
8. Vit D
9. Vit C
10. Fish Oil Supplements EPA/DHA
11. Curcumin (Termeric)
12. Omega 7
Isn’t that basically the protocol for treating MS ? Beyond Diet, CCSVI MS requires extra attention to be paid to obstructed venous outflow from the brain and fluid circulation throughout the CNS.
Consider another interesting link between C-Reactive Protein (CRP) and MS. CRP is synthesized in the liver. THE LIVER. All MSers have been struck by Mononucleosis which is caused by the Epstein Barr Virus (EBV). EBV injures the liver. (I had hepatitus with Mononucleosis at age 9.) So here we can link EBV, the LIVER, C- Reactive Protein, vascular pathology, and ultimately CCSVI MS.
So, we arrive at even more confirmation of the necessity of proper diet in MS healing in order to :
1. Reduce C Reactive Protein to facilitate blood circulation and overcome venous pathology. (Focus – Endothelium, inner layer of vein)
2. Reduce Cellular Inflammation to prevent muscle cramps/spasms and thereby facilitate fluid circulation. (Focus, smooth muscle layer of vein – Autonomic Nervous System.)
Point number 2 is discussed in my August 23, 2017 blog post… « cellular inflammation (toxicity) leads to calcium release, followed by  muscle contraction which leads to poor CNS fluid circulation (blood, CSF) and a MS attack…
  
Dr. Owiesy’s work provided the vital missing factor in my understanding of what is happening in my body.  He administers dexamethasone/lidocaine/thiamine in the area around the Internal Jugular Vein to overcome spasms in the vein’s smooth muscle which can obstruct blood flow.  He is treating the ANS autonomic nervous system. 
 
Consider DR. Arata’S TRANSVASCULAR AUTONOMIC MODULATION (CCSVI plus massage) Dr. Arata’s work on CCSVI complements Dr. Owiesy’s approach, viewed from a differenct perspective.  He, too, refers to the ANS which runs from the spine up the IJV (for example) towards the brain.  He believes angioplasty to the internal jugular veins acts upon the autonomic nervous system as well.  https://multiplesclerosisnewstoday.com/ ... -patients/
 « Drs. Arata and Sternberg conclude that the combination of balloon angioplasty of anatomically normal veins coupled with external compression during dilation of these veins can improve indicators of ANS dysfunction » end of quote from Aug 23, 2017 blog post

CONCLUSION :
Diet is critical to many diseases, particularly « auto-immune ». However, areas of vulnerability differ. For MSers it’s the vascular system linked to the central nervous system that matters. Diet impacts production of C-Reactive Protein (CRP) which in turn impacts the endothelium of the vascular system. Secondly, proper diet acts to reduce cellular inflammation thereby preventing spasms in the veins’ smooth muscle layer. It follows that for MSers proper diet facilitates blood/cerebrospinal fluid circulation. For those without a serious veinous obstruction, diet/supplements alone may suffice to heal

I clearly need to revise/update my paper to incorporate these new insights.

Previously published on my site MSCureEnigmas.net

www.mscureenigmas.net/

Regards, Vesta

[frodo]

Thanks for the update!!! And I will take a look at your site as soon as I can.