Last winter, my son was diagnosed with asthma after the first 3-4 wheezing episodes that began in November, 2010. he was three years old and in pre-school. he was out of school more than he went that winter. we couldn't get ahead of the coughing and he suffered terribly; coughing when he laughed, slept, and with any active play. despite our alternative holistic mindset, we needed to give him oral steroids many times over the months and useing the nebulizer became part of our daily routine. i resisted giving him a daily steroid inhaler and by the end of May he was fine...
Until November 2011. like a title wave, my son got a cold and started coughing and wheezing once again. three episodes in three weeks. three rounds of oral steroids. i asked my pediatrician for the inahaler. i couldn't have another winter like the last, nor could he! i poured over the internet, learned about childhood asthma, inflamation, steroids that reduce inflamation and glutathione that ALSO reduces inflamation. i stumbled upon the Immunocal product and researched it. i was desperate to try SOMETHING natural and it made sense to me to try THAT.
I did. and my son, now 5, has NOT had one wheezing asthmatic episode since december, when he started taking the Immunocal. with a cold or allergies his cough came back, but not uncontrollably. i have been able to get ahead of it every time! yes, with using the nebulizer and inhaler at times, but very infrequently and only to wipe out the cough, which it does every time.
He needed this immune boost. i am very grateful to have found this product that has really given my son back a life to play and explore and laugh and run like a healthy child should be able to.
Anti-aging
Medicine… what a term! Believe it or not, there are physicians who believe
this is a term that represents a questionable area of practice with equally
questionable outcomes! To these individuals, I pose the questions - “What was
the average age span of an American at the turn of the twentieth century?”
(ANSWER: 46 years old) “What was the average longevity for an American male in
1967?” (ANSWER: 68 years of age) “What is it today?” (ANSWER: Pushing 80!)
The point I
make is that we have been practicing anti-aging medicine as long as we have been
practicing medicine itself! It's just that in the last few decades, there have
been extraordinary efforts looking into the actual mechanisms which cause us to
age and into how to slow this process down. At Immunotec, this has become a
major focus of our work.
For over ten years, the scientific community has
recognized Immunocal as a key product in the field of immune system support.
Now, to meet the health needs of a maturing population, the scientists at
Immunotec have enriched this industry-standard bonded cysteine supplement and
developed Immunocal Platinum. What is it about the “Platinum” formulation that
takes this a step further? Let's look at the science.
The major impact on
your health that Immunocal bestows is by providing the building blocks or
“precursors” for your cells to be able to make glutathione. This is a technology
that we continue to refine. Both Immunocal and Immunocal Platinum represent the
only patented protein proven to do this. In the development of Immunocal
Platinum, we have looked very carefully both at the biochemistry of protein
metabolism and at potential components of whey sub-fractions that relate to
aging. Two separate formulations have been added.
Cytokine Modulating
Proteins (CMP™) represent the next generation of whey protein subfractions.
Cytokines are proteins that are used to coordinate the body's immune response to
infectious agents and help manage normal cellular growth. Through proprietary
isolation technology, we are now able to enrich Immunocal to a new level of
immune support, providing available exclusively in Immunocal Platinum. These
components play roles in repairing cell damage, promoting healthy cell
differentiation and growth, and inhibiting abnormal cell growth. For those
scientists out there looking to spend a night or two on the Internet, CMP™also
acts by raising TGF-beta2 and by providing additional Lactoferrin, inhibiting
the growth of disease-causing microorganisms.
RMF is an exclusive
development from Immunotec's research and development team that balances the
action of Immunocal for prolonged use. The challenge of neutralizing the
potential increase in acid production in individuals ingesting high amounts of
protein has been successfully resolved with the Redox Modulating Formula. RMF
helps maintain strong bones by preventing calcium loss, provides increased
energy and more effective weight maintenance by modulating insulin, and improves
mood, energy, well-being, alertness, concentration, and clarity. All that, in
the convenience of a pouch!
Immunocal Platinum provides a triple action
for your immune health - raising glutathione represents Defensive immunity, the
cytokine modulating proteins representing Reparative Immunity. Attention to the
proper acid-base balance helps lead to Sustained Immunity.
Trying to read
this article might have made you feel five years older, but Immunocal Platinum
will make you feel light-years younger!
CMP is a trademark of Glanbia
PLC ® Registered trademark of Immunotec Research
Ltd.
Hi everyone .. I just had this great cancer
testimonial passed on to us by our Pharmacist Alan Ogden .. thanks for sharing
Alan
If anyone else out there has positive stories like this to share
with everyone please forward them on to us and we would be happy and excited to
email them out to the group
Have a great day Everyone! Carl and
Sandi
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi
Alan-
I thought I would pass this e-mail on to you regarding my sister.
I have told a number of people here in Winnipeg about her progress over the
past few months ( I also told Dr. Gutman about her when he was in Winnipeg a
couple of months ago), but also thought you might like to know this story.
When my sister first told me her diagnosis September 15th,
we were both crying on the phone. Although she never listened to me before
about anything “healthy”, I asked her to “TRUST ME, PLEASE, AND START TAKING
IMMUNOCAL RIGHT AWAY.” She said she would.
I sent Mabel over with boxes
of the Platinum, and had her explain what it does, and Mabel gave her all kinds
of information as well. I was with her in November when the oncologist told
her that she had inoperable, terminal pancreatic cancer and said that she would
have 6-9 months without chemo, and a year to maybe 2 years if she underwent
chemo. She said her cancer was inoperable because it had spread to her liver
and surrounding tissues. ( Well, she had an MRI in January and they couldn’t see
any cancer on her liver.) I should add, that she is also drinking alkaline
water. I know that there is controversy over alkaline water, but I have spoken
with a couple of cancer clinics in the U.S. that use alternative treatments and
they said that I was on the right track, as they do the same.
I was
sending an update to an associate in South Dakota, so wrote the following
letter.
Marjorie Stevens
Subject: Re: IMMUNOCAL and Cancer
Hi
June-
I just thought I would give you an update on my sister who was
diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer last September. I know I gave you
some of the details before, but thought you might be interested in her continued
progress.
It is really quite astounding how she is feeling and the
blood test results just keep getting better and better. You may remember that
her blood markers for cancer last fall were 21,000, with normal blood markers
being between 0-34. As the months have gone by, those blood markers have just
continued to go down, and 2 days ago, her blood test showed they were now at
312. (a month ago they were 377)
She was taking 16-8 painkillers a day
last fall because of the severe pain in her back. The doctor told her that
eventually the painkillers may not be enough and that she could come in for
shots or another stronger oral painkiller.
Well, she has been cutting
back on her own for the last few months from 4 pills every four hours (16-18
pills a day) to taking only 4 pills a day…2 in the morning, 1 in the afternoon,
and one before she goes to bed. However, she is not taking them to keep away
any pain because she is not feeling any pain, which is NOT what was predicted at
all. She will continue to cut back to see if she can get away with not taking
any.
In the beginning, she was taking 2 packs of IMMUNOCAL a day, but
because she now is a believer that it IS the IMMUNOCAL that is keeping her
immune system strong, she now takes 4 packs a day and has noticed even more
energy and improvement in her health. When she gets the chemo, her white blood
cells do go down, because after all, it a poison they are giving her. But, 2
weeks go by and her white blood cells and back up again.
She has now
gained 17 pounds back, and is able to eat everything. She is constantly on the
go, it seems, and rarely needs to nap. Before, she was resting most of the
day.
Another side effect of chemo is peripheral neuropathy, which is
tingling and pain in the extremities, and not being able to touch anything cold.
They say that this in ongoing and will get worse as time goes on with receiving
chemo, but for my sister, she gets a little bit of the neuropathy for a couple
of days following chemo, and then it goes away. The doctor always asks her
about it, and appears very bewildered that she doesn’t have any after a couple
of days.
They are also baffled that she is still able to receive chemo
after all these months, because usually after a couple of months, your body
simply cannot take any more poison. They pointed out in the beginning, because
I was there in the room hearing all this, that there is no cure, but the chemo
would keep it at bay and perhaps give her a few more months, maybe a year of
life.
On this past Wednesday, she received her 12th chemo treatment.
The nurses are amazed at how much better she looks and at the blood test
results. I told her to take 5 packs of IMMUNOCAL immediately following the
chemo to see if that would shorten the neuropathy and it appears that it has
shortened it.
If I had not learned about IMMUNOCAL 3 ½ years ago, I
truly believe that my sister would not be alive today. She was
so very sick last summer, fall, and even in January. Seeing her now, she still
needs to gain more weight, but she is feeling so good, and is feeling so
positive.
Because I am so close to my sister, I am seeing firsthand
the results of IMMUNOCAL, and how GLUTATHIONE is absolutely essential to keep
the immune system strong. I can only hope that her story will help others.
That is what this is all about, and I want to pass it along to others. Her
story is by no means the only story, but it is an amazing one. We can only
hope and pray that a year from now, she will be better than ever. She also
knows that she will be taking this for the rest of her life.
Glutathione – the undiscovered “natural drug” Patricia A.L. Kongshavn,
Ph.D
A recent press release by CBS highlighted the need for a
“universal or all-purpose drug” able to combat whatever germ or toxic
chemical released by hostile forces. In general, the idea would be to bolster
the defenses we already possess, in particular the immune system, to fight
against infections and cancer. CBS made brief mention of two
substances, cysteine and glutathione, that deserve much
greater attention.
Glutathione is a key substance found in every cell
in our body and may be thought of as a “naturally occurring universal
drug” – and one without adverse side effects! It is the cell’s most
important antioxidant, neutralizing “free radicals” that would otherwise
damage or destroy the cells. The body produces free radicals during
metabolism. Under any form of stress, such as chemical toxicity or
bacterial infections, the body generates many more free radicals. If
glutathione is in short supply, these free radicals can overwhelm the cell.
Exposure to radiation from sunlight or other sources also results in
increasing highly reactive free radicals that likewise our bodies need to
neutralize.
Glutathione is also the main detoxifying agent in
the body. It converts damaging chemical substances (toxins) into harmless
products that the body eliminates. Such chemicals include
cancer-producing substances, heavy metals, herbicides, pesticides, smoke
and other pollutants. Thus, glutathione provides important protection against
many environmental hazards. The liver is particularly rich in glutathione
for this purpose.
The immune system is our main defense
against infection. Once again, glutathione plays a vital role, enabling
the immune system to function optimally, which it cannot do when glutathione
is deficient. For example, the cells of the immune system (lymphocytes)
cannot multiply as much, cannot produce as many antibodies, and cannot
kill unwanted cells like cancer cells or those infected with a virus.
Glutathione deficiency also adversely affects other systems and organs such
as the lungs, the nervous system, and the intestinal tract. It is on
record that there are many medical disorders associated with glutathione
deficiency. These include AIDS and cancer wasting, some intestinal
disorders, lung diseases, over-trained athletes syndrome and trauma.
Furthermore, as we age, glutathione levels decrease which no doubt explains,
in part, an older person’s lowered resistance to disease.
Glutathione
is a very small protein made inside the cells from three amino acids obtained
ultimately from our food or supplementation. One of these amino acids,
cysteine, gives the glutathione its antioxidant and detoxifying properties.
This amino acid is relatively rare in foodstuffs and this can lead
to glutathione deficiency, even in healthy people. For example, one study
demonstrated that, by feeding a cysteine enriched food product, glutathione
values increased by 35.5% in the lymphocytes of normal young adults
(Lands).
It is well documented that glutathione sold as a dietary
supplement is mostly destroyed during digestion and therefore is of little
use. Cysteine itself is toxic and suffers the same fate unless
chemically modified. Practitioners use N-acetyl cysteine as a supplement,
but it has certain unpleasant side effects, even in moderate doses. Thus, the
best source for cysteine supplementation is from cysteine-rich foodstuffs.
It is normally present in food as the stable form, cystine (2 molecules of
cysteine linked together). Our bodies digest, absorb and carry cystine to
the cells where they convert it into cysteine. Since heat or mechanical
stress, etc, easily split cystine into cysteine (where digestion destroys
it), raw unprocessed foods or special food supplements high in bioactive
cysteine (cystine) provide the best source of this vital amino
acid.
Sixty years ago, Florey and Fleming revolutionized the medical
treatment of infection with the discovery of antibiotics that act against a
broad range of bacteria. Glutathione, a “natural drug”, perhaps in
the same way could provide a significant contribution towards defending
ourselves against the growing number of diverse biological and chemical
hazards facing our society today.
Glutathione – the body’s master antioxidant and
detoxifier
Glutathione(glue the tie on) is a tripeptide made up of 3
amino acids .. glycine, cysteine and glutamic acid .. all indications point
to cysteine as being the limiting factor for intracellular glutathione
production .. there is no glutathione in Immunocal but there is cysteine in
its bioactive form called cystine .. Immunocal delivers cystine into the body
which is then broken down into cysteine in the cell .. this allows the cell to
produce a greater supply of glutathione
Quote:
No other
antioxidant is as important to overall health as glutathione. It is the
regenerator of immune cells and the most valuable detoxifying agent in the
body. Low levels are associated with early aging and even death.
The
Immune System Cure, Lorna R. Vanderhaeghe & Patrick J.D. Bouic,
Ph.D.
Here's
another great testimonial being sharerd with us .. I would just like to say
that we truly appreciate anyone who is willing to share these with everyone as
it will surely help build the belief factor with Immunocal and help many people
who can't decide on whether they should or they shouldn't .. I know there are
phenominal stories out there to be told because I hear of them endlessly but
unless people are willing to put them in writing and share them with everyone
they will just become forgotten stories .. I would like to thank Delvia for
sharing this
Hello!
I too have a story to
share regarding how Immunocal has been helping my father deal with his
pancreatic cancer as well.
At the age of 77 my father was
diagnosed with pancreatic (inoperable) cancer. He too was given 3-6 months left
to live. We have always been believers of homeopathic supplements to enhance and
help in the healing of medical issues.
We strongly believe in the East
meets West remedies, as such my father began his chemo
treatment.
Doctors didn’t think he would tolerate it as he was
an elderly man, nevertheless a friend introduced me to Immunocal and from the
moment I heard of it I began giving it to my father. It has now been 2 ½ years
and my father continues on chemotherapy. His pancreatic cancer has not spread to
any other organ as all were expecting.
His physicians
especially his oncologist were advised of Immunocal as I wanted them to be aware
of what we were giving him along with his chemo. The Dr. looked at the package
and shrugged and said sure, it’s like giving him MILK!
The Dr,
now says- whatever you’re doing, keep doing it! They have no explanation as to
how and why my father’s cancer has not spread and quite simply why he is still
alive!
We do, I know it’s the Immunocal that has helped
maintain his cancer at bay, allowed him to tolerate the chemo for all this time
and hopefully for a while longer!
It’s well known that glutathione
is important for the normal functioning of the eye. Some of the earliest
studies with GSH focused on its role in preventing cataracts, and GSH is
relatively well known among ophthalmologists. Specialists in ear, nose and
throat (ENT) and in dentistry have only recently become aware of the role of
glutathione in the diseases they treat. Given the critical roles of GSH as the
body’s most important naturally occurring antioxidant, its ability to detoxify
substances encountered in the environment and its immune-sustaining abilities,
glutathione research is now finally picking up in these fields as
well.
OPHTHALMOLOGY CATARACTS Cataract is a clouding
(opacification) that takes place in the lens of the eye. It is the leading
cause of morbidity and functional impairment among the elderly and leads to more
than one million operations per year in the United States.
The lens of
the eye is composed of deceptively simple tissue. This completely transparent
part of the eye has the job of focusing light on the retina, which it does by
changing shape to adjust its focal length. Scientists believe that any damage
to the lens, no matter how small, contributes to opacification. This usually
results from physical injury, repeated exposure to ionizing radiation (such as
sunlight) or any of a host of different illnesses. Over time the damage
accumulates and the lens begins to cloud.
Oxidative stress plays a role
in the aging of the lens, so antioxidants are an important defense against
cataracts. The researcher M.A. Babizhaev in Russia measured the breakdown
products of lipid peroxidation as cataracts developed. He found that as the
cataract worsened, oxidative stress increased. An Italian team at the
University of Bari went a step further and demonstrated that in people with
cataracts the loss of GSH paralleled the increase in oxidative breakdown
products.
It is known that cataract in humans usually shows significant,
extensive oxidation of lens proteins. With this in mind, researchers
experimented on cataracts by stimulating them with various chemicals. They
showed that cataract formation could be delayed or prevented by elevated GSH
levels. Clearly, the key defense in the lens against oxidation is
glutathione.
The legendary GSH expert, Alton Meister and a team at
Cornell University in New York, used the drug BSO to deplete glutathione levels
in the eyes of laboratory animals. The animals subsequently developed
cataracts. Meister’s team was then able to prevent cataract formation by
reestablishing glutathione levels with GSH-monoester and suggested that this
strategy may be effective in delaying cataract formation.
Diabetics are
more prone to cataract than non-diabetics. E. Altomare’s team in Italy measured
glutathione status in the lenses of four groups of patients: diabetics with and
without cataracts and non-diabetics with and without cataracts. As expected,
both cataract groups showed impaired glutathione defenses, but the diabetic
groups fared worse in all cases.
CASE STUDY Edgar loved to paint.
Now retired, he could pursue this hobby fulltime if he so pleased. Over the
previous few years, his wife had commented that the color in his landscapes was
too loud. At first he did not believe he had changed his techniques, but a
side-by-side comparison with earlier works proved him wrong. Still, he felt the
colors in previous paintings were “weak”. A routine check revealed cataracts.
One eye required surgery, the other was “not yet ripe”. After surgery he
eventually recovered excellent vision, but post-operative complications left him
hesitant about having the same treatment on the other eye. His wife did some
homework, learning about glutathione and cataracts. She started him on
Immunocal. One year later, his ophthalmologist was baffled by the unusual
observation that the cataract was less dense.
MACULAR
DEGENERATION Macular degeneration is a progressive loss of sight due to
breakdown of the macula – the portion of the retina responsible for fine vision.
Age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) is a leading cause of visual loss in
people over 65. Although susceptibility to this disease may be predominantly
genetic, contributing factors such as smoking and atherosclerosis can make it
worse. This disease is thought to result from the cumulative damage of free
radicals primarily released by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) sunlight, but other
sources of oxidative stress may play a role.
Because elderly people
generally have low GSH levels, they are predisposed to oxidative damage.
Researchers have shown that low GSH levels go along with poor eye health in
ARMD patients compared to normal control groups. Experiments have been
conducted to test glutathione’s antioxidant function in the whole body and in
the eyes of patients suffering from macular degeneration. S.M. Cohen and his
team at the University of California (Davis) found significantly altered GSH
activity in blood samples of macular degeneration patients. It appears that
high GSH levels correspond to healthy eyes and suggests a possible role for GSH
in the protection against or delay of this disease.
GLAUCOMA Glaucoma
is a serious condition in which fluid pressure within the eye rises. A certain
amount of pressure is necessary to maintain the shape of the eyeball. Too much
pressure compresses and obstructs the small blood vessels within the eye. This
damages the surrounding areas, most importantly the optic nerve. Glaucoma is
one of the leading causes of visual loss.
It becomes more common as we
age, runs in certain families, and is often seen in conjunction with diabetes,
hypertension (high blood pressure) and severe myopia (nearsightedness).
Traditional therapy aims to relieve the pressure in the eye either surgically
or with drugs.
The Russians A.I. Bunin, A.A. Filina and V.P. Erichev
measured GSH levels in the eyes of hundreds of patients undergoing surgery for
all sorts of reasons. The lowest GSH levels were found among cataracts patients
and in patients with open angle glaucoma. They noticed this fall even at the
earliest stages of the disease and suggested that reestablished glutathione
levels would help prevent or delay this process, and used the nutritional
supplement lipoic acid to do so.
A Harvard University group investigated
different GSH-related compounds to increase the outflow of fluid from the eye
and reduce pressure within it. In combination with the topical
form of ethacrynic acid (a diuretic) they found that cysteine, glutathione and
N-acetylcysteine all benefited eye pressure and even lessened the side effects
of the drug.
EAR, NOSE & THROAT GLUTATHIONE IN THE UPPER
RESPIRATORY TRACT The nose, mouth and throat make up the upper respiratory
tract. All the food we eat, fluids we drink and air we breathe pass through it.
The importance of GSH in the lower respiratory tract (lungs) is well known.
Since the upper tract is our front-line contact with the external environment,
it seems fitting that glutathione would protect us here against xenobiotics
(infections and toxins).
The respiratory tract is lined with a fluid made
up of a complicated mixture of biochemicals and cells of the immune system,
called the respiratory tract lining fluid (RTLF). Glutathione is the main
antioxidant in this fluid and provides our initial defense against inhaled
toxins. Institutions like the Inhalation and Toxicology Research Institute in
Albuquerque, New Mexico started researching the role of antioxidant enzyme
activities in RTLF in the early 1990’s. More recent work at the University of
California (Davis) elaborates further on the role of antioxidants in this
fluid.
This research project is only one of several focusing on the
importance of glutathione in the respiratory tract lining fluids, where it
protects us from xenobiotics and infection. In severe or prolonged illnesses,
these GSH levels may become depleted and enable the disease to progress and
cause further complications. Furthermore, N.S. Krishna and his team at the
University of Kentucky showed that this glutathione defense system weakens with
aging, and more quickly in men than women.
B. Testa and M. Mesolella from
the Institute of Otolaryngology, University of Naples, used a GSH nasal aerosol
spray in their studies. Statistics from the experiments show that this
treatment significantly improved nasal obstruction, rhinorrhea (runny nose) and
ear fullness. The lining of the nose is one of few human tissues that readily
absorb glutathione. Most other tissue can only use the glutathione it
manufactures for itself from GSH precursors.
SINUSITIS Infection or
inflammation of the sinus cavities in the bones of the face is one of the most
common reasons people go to the doctor. As many as 50 million Americans are
affected each year. The most common causes of sinusitis include bacterial or
viral infection, allergies and impaired mucus flow. Most treatments are
designed to either destroy the infection or improve drainage of mucus from the
sinuses. The sinus cavities are near the front of the head, behind the
forehead, nose region and cheeks.
Physicians have long used the drug NAC
for the treatment of disorders involving thickened lung secretions (cystic
fibrosis, chronic bronchitis). It is now being used for upper airway problems
such as sinusitis. NAC breaks down mucus and raises glutathione levels at the
same time. American, French, Italian, Korean and Scandinavian research teams
have all studied the efficacy of NAC and other antioxidants in the treatment of
sinusitis.
The Amsterdam group led by G.J. Westerveld showed the
glutathione levels fall during chronic sinusitis. They concluded that this drop
is part of a generally decreased antioxidant defense, which subsequently worsens
the disorder.
EAR INFECTION Infection of the middle ear is an
extremely common cause of illness, especially among children. It is caused
mostly by a combination of fluid buildup in the middle ear and infection. The
triggering event often is a viral infection, but the site is commonly
superinfected (one infection on top of another) by bacteria.
Treatment for many years was with antibiotics, but doctors are increasingly
reluctant to over-prescribe these drugs nowadays, especially for ear infection.
Decongestants can help drain fluid from the middle ear, through the Eustachian
canal and into the throat.
More and more evidence shows that free
radicals play a large part in the development of inflammation leading to
middle-ear infections. Studies examining GSH levels in these tissues show that
they fluctuate according to how infected or inflamed the site is. Scientists
have examined the effects of both ways of raising glutathione levels – topical and ingested, and have found both to
be effective ways to address oxidative stress in these tissues.
Patients
with middle-ear infections are sometimes treated by placing tubes through the
eardrum to drain accumulated fluid and prevent subsequent infection. This does
the job but has its downside. In response to this intrusion by a foreign object
the body sets up an inflammatory process. The procedure also encourages a high
oxygen state in the middle ear. Both of these factors lead to free radical and
oxyradicals formation, causing changes in the cells lining the middle ear that
lead to scarring and fibrosis. T. Ovesen and his team of ENT researchers at the
Aarhus University in Denmark instilled liquid NAC through these small tubes.
The drug reduced inflammation and prevented the long-term scarring that
normally follows this condition.
DEAFNESS AND HEARING LOSS Almost 30
million North Americans experience sufficient hearing loss to interfere with
their ability to converse. This is almost one person in ten. One percent of
our population cannot hear at all and is considered deaf. Almost a third of
individuals over the age of 65 have some form of hearing loss and this figure
increases with age.
There are many causes of impaired hearing, all of
which broadly fit into two categories: conductive hearing loss caused by a
mechanical problem in the middle ear or external ear canal and sensorineural
hearing loss, a problem of the inner ear or auditory nerve. In the latter
category the problem may be sensory – in the cochlea, the essential organ of
hearing – or neural – affecting the auditory nerve itself. Causes of hearing
loss include physical trauma, exposure to repeated loud noise, infection, tumors
and malignancies, obstruction of the ear canal, genetic defects, toxins and
drugs, various neurological diseases and the aging process in
general.
NOISE EXPOSURE Exposure to noise accounts for about one third
of all hearing loss cases. It’s particularly unfortunate because most cases are
avoidable. All it takes is appropriate caution. Teenagers often enjoy and are
fed damaging levels of noise. Preventive aids such as earplugs can help. So
can turning down the volume.
People working in noisy environments and
those with noisy hobbies all risk their hearing. Most of us have experienced
that buzzing, ringing or hissing in our ears after leaving a concert or
construction site. Hearing is sometimes diminished temporarily. This can last
minutes or days and is generally followed by a return to normal. This is a
‘temporary threshold shift’ and is caused by injury to the sensitive hair cells
in the cochlea – the spiral shaped organ in the middle ear. Severe, repeated or
prolonged exposure to excessive noise can destroy these neurological hair cells
and lead to permanent hearing damage.
Interestingly enough, the cochlea
can be trained to withstand greater noise levels and suffer less damage. This
is known as ‘sound conditioning’ or ‘toughening’. Priming the ear to low level
noise before the higher levels seems to protect from hearing loss. Researchers
at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York examined the biochemical
changes found in sound conditioning. They saw that certain enzymes which raise
GSH levels or keep glutathione in a reduced (non-oxidized) state were stimulated
by low noise exposure. This suggests that whatever protects or increases the
glutathione system in the cochlea also protects against noise-induced hearing
loss.
Other studies in the area of glutathione and noise exposure lend
support to this model. A team at the Kresge Hearing Research Institute at the
University of Michigan chemically depleted glutathione levels using the drug
BSO, with the result that noise-induced hearing loss was more profound. The
same team went on to raise GSH levels with OTC, with the result that hearing
loss was minimized.
Dr. Denis McBride, from the Office of Naval Research
in Arlington, Virginia, found that delivering antioxidants directly to the
cochlea through a small tube could prevent permanent damage following noise
exposure. This treatment must be delivered within six hours of exposure. Other
researcher suggest that workers with prolonged noise exposure would gain
long-term benefits from elevated glutathione levels.
HEARING LOSS INDUCED
BY DRUGS OR TOXINS Exposure to all sorts of pharmaceutical chemicals may lead
to sensorineural hearing loss. They include high doses of aspirin, several
different antibiotics, a number of diuretics (high blood pressure medication),
quinine, and several chemotherapy agents.
One of these chemotherapy drugs
is cisplatin. It is a common cancer treatment that can also damage auditory
neurons (hearing nerve cells). Researchers have shown that this damage is
caused by free radicals in the tissue. Studies lowering GSH levels show
increased damage, those raising GSH decreased the damage. It seems that raising
glutathione levels could protect patients from both the hearing and the kidney
damage that may result from this treatment.
Similar studies have been
conducted in relation to aminoglycoside antibiotics (gentamycin, kanamycin,
amikacin, others) and loop diuretics (lasix, furosemide, ethacrynic acid,
others). Research teams from the USA (University of Michigan, Southern Illinois
University), Japan (Hiroshima General Hospital), and Germany (Universitats HNO)
all found that substances used to raise glutathione activity have a protective
effect against the hearing loss than can be provoked by these drugs. Dr. C.P.
Maruzi from the Houston Medical Center even suggests that deafness following
acute meningitis may be caused by free radicals in the inflamed tissue, and that
antioxidants preventing lipid peroxidation in the auditory nerve would protect
the patient.
DENTISTRY A fact little known by doctors but common
knowledge to dentists is that dental and periodontal (gum) disease is the most
common illness in America. Even more importantly, periodontal disease has
recently been linked to more serious systemic diseases that may be encouraged by
poor oral hygiene. Robert Genco, editor-in-chief of the Journal of
Periodontology has said, “It seems clear that gum disease, far from being just a
oral health problem, actually represents a significant health risk to millions
of people.”
It goes beyond unsightly smiles and bad breath. The
infections and toxins harbored in the mouth have been linked with heart disease,
stroke, bacteremia, prosthetic device infection, diabetes, pulmonary disease,
impairment of fetal growth and other systemic disease. Dr. Charles Mayo,
founder of the Mayo Clinic is purported to have said, “preventive dentistry can
extend your life expectancy 10 years.”
One of the most impressive of all
studies is the Veteran Administration’s Normative Aging Study in Boston. They
followed the medical history of over one thousand outwardly healthy men,
starting in the 1960’s. Those who started out with any sign of gum disease
suffered about twice the death rate – mostly from cardiovascular disease – than
those with healthy gums. At a recent conference on the subject, Dr. Raul
Garcia, one of the researchers, stated, “Gum disease kills. Floss or
die!”
Many links have been made between the infective and inflammatory
processes of periodontitis and the generation of free radicals. Research is
required to see whether elevated glutathione levels will combat the formation of
free radicals and bolster the immune system’s defenses. Immunotec Research has
developed a toothpaste with glutathione precursors. Direct application to these
tissues may combat the disease.
CONCLUSION Scientists studying the eye
have long recognized the critical importance of glutathione as an ocular
antioxidant. Practical applications are now available for the prevention and
treatment of disorders like cataract and macular degeneration.
GSH has a
triple role in the upper respiratory tract. Its ability to suppress free
radical formation, detoxify environmental xenobiotics and reinforce the immune
system gives us a tool against airway irritation from pollution, sinusitis,
otitis and other infections and inflammations of our ears, nose and throat.
Having long utilized NAC in pulmonary disease, the medical profession is now
pursuing its use in ear nose and throat diseases. An interesting clinical
application of elevated GSH is the treatment and prevention of noise-induced
hearing loss as well as that caused by certain ototoxic drugs.
The
importance of dentistry in total health care is only recently being fully
acknowledged. Periodontal disease has been identified as a risk factor for
heart disease, stroke and other systemic disease. Enhanced glutathione levels
should be part of a good oral hygiene program.
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