Health
For All
Note
on Modern Health Care System
The
Objective of Health for All in Kerala could only be achieved through
an appropriate life style and health support system based on boosting
the immunity of human body. Immunity is a comprehensive natural
phenomena in which the whole body is resistant to all or any disease,
whether accidental, pathogenic or degenerative while immunisation is
an isolated intervention for different diseases at different
occassions and intervels. Human body has every capability to sustain
and maintain a healthy life on its own, provided all the necessary
inputs are available and conducive environment maintained. It has the
ability to heal the wounds, fractures and damages in whatever part of
the body it is, deactivate the externally inflicted pathogens,
toxins, poisons and radiation, deal with the degenerative deseases as
well.
Necessary
inputs and conditions include pure air, water, balanced diet,
adequate exercise, healthy social life for entertainment, enough rest
and health care support system. A conducive and natural environment
is the first and foremost pre condition for ensuring the availability
of all these inputs in adequate measure. The importance of pure air
and water need no elaboration. These are assured only through a clean
and healthy environment. So also exercise, social life and rest.
Exercise is to be ensured through day to day manual labour or in
absence sports, games and yoga. Social life ensures the food for the
mind, the entertainment and emotional well being. Rest ensures
recoupment of health and energy spent in labour and exercise. These
items are not being elaborated.
For
the purpose of brevity, this note is limited to balanced diet and
healh care support system that is required for healthy life and well
being of the society. The other aspects, air and water (part of
ecosystem), exercise, entertainment, rest, community life etc (part
of social life) are to be addressed separately.
The
staple food shall consists of Carbohydrate, Protein and Fat.
Metabolic activities taking place in different organs in the human
body is capable of converting any of these three into other forms in
short supply. But healthy metabolic activity demands certain other
category of food items, though not in quantities equal to the above
three. They are Vitamins, Anti-Oxidents, Enzymes, Amino Acids and
minerals.
Some
Vitamins like C and E are anti-oxidents as well, while others are
not. There are a good lot of anti-oxidents that can take up the
anti-oxident functions of Vitamin C. But there are a good lot of
other functions that are exclusively handled by Vitamin C, like
collagen building from Cholesterol, strengthening the immune system
through a host of interventions etc. Each and every Vitamin,
anti-oxident, enzyme, amino acid and minerals are important. But some
among them are more important.
A
balanced diet shall consist of all the above ingradients in proper
measure. This is where, the present day life style adversely impact
the health and well being of mankind. Metabolic activities ensured,
supported and aided by the above host of nutrients constitute the sum
total of immunity of the human body, which can be achieved only
through a well balanced inputs right from pure air, water, diet,
exercise, rest, entertainment and social life.
Balanced
Food
The
quantity of food required is determined by the amount of labour or
exercise undertaken by the individual on an average over a period.
This shall change according to changes in life style, personal
choices, preferences and labour etc. Dietitians are there as part of
the modern health care support system who is well versed in detailing
the food intake of different items to meet the daily requirement.
But, at present, the Dietitians are just an insignificant appendage
to the profit hungry drug corporate driven distorted health care
system. This shall change and a scientific and experimentally proven
health care practices shall prevail.
Nutrients
The
quantity of other nutrients (protocol) to support or stimulate immune
functions for those with normal health and with life style disorders
and deficiencies shall be evolved through the existing understanding,
experimented and tested through scientific and proven methodology
adopted by modern medicine.
Health
Care Support System
A
logical strategy for fighting usual degenerative and pathogenic
diseases and conditions created by accidents, ingestion of toxins,
poisons and radiation shall be evolved and protocols improved through
experiments and clinical study with adequate dosage and testing.
Methodology adopted shall be the time tested, scientifically designed
experimentation, study and tests, and not hearsay or individual
experience. Randomised double blind, placebo-controlled study is the
scientifically proved methodology for this. If any theory or thesis
is found or held to be not amenable to this methodology, the
proponents of such theory or thesis shall come up with methodology
suitable for the experimentation and testing, but shall be
scientifically designed. This shall be applicable for all except
extreme cases, where critical care or operation is required to save
the life. Finally, those cases which are beyond the control of the
new health care system system adopting and employing only
scientifically proven protocols, may be put under palliative care,
using and applying which ever methods and protocols are there,
evolved or existing, scientific first, then historic or conventional.
In
this respect, the suggestions made by KSSP is welcome to start with.
The welcome part of those recommendations are that it is meant to
save the modern health care system from the strangle hold of
corporate profit driven illogic drug and health care industry. But
those recommendations shall be supplemented through indepth
considerations and study into the details of health care system as a
whole to arrive at a modern, scientifically proven, pro-people
oriented health care support system as well.
This
part of the note attempt to go into few such details on health care
support system to begin with.
The
“ORTHOMOLECULAR MEDICINE” is a latest addition to the many
streams of modern medicine. It is the advanced form of “NUTRITIONAL
MEDICINE”.
"TEXT
BOOK ON NUTRITIONAL MEDICINE” (Melvyn R. Werbach, MD, with Jeffrey
Moss, D.D.S., C.N.S., C.C.N. is an authoritative text in this
respect.
Degenerative
Diseases.
(This
part is prepared in English as it consists of texts elaborately
quoted from US medical literature. Only scientifically proven and
tested protocols only are accepted. But they are not adequate. Still
more are to be scientifically experimented and tested for which the
drug pharma driven system will not come forward. Naturally, the
people oriented state shall step in or society shall develop more
scientific mentality and tools to do on its own.)
With
regard to a logical strategy for fighting degenerative diseases, Dr.
Thomas Levy, MD, JD of USA, in his famous book PRIMAL PANACEA (page
86) says :
“The
pill-for-every-ill, lessen-the-symptoms-untill-the-patient-dies
protocol promoted by medical establishment unshamedly admits defeat
from the start. Instead of prevention or cure, we are given a
handful of prescriptions for expensive maintenance drugs. These
non-nutritive, foreign substances supply their own toxic,
disease-promoting effects. It is time for a better approach to
medicine. The fact that the causes and promoters of degenerative
disease are directly tied to oxidative stress is well-established. It
logically follows that these diseases can be more effectively treated
and often prevented by maintaining sufficient anti-oxidant levels
throughout the body.”
Dr.
Thomas Levy is being quoted as follows.
Primal
Role of Vit C
“Vitamin
C is not only a universal antimicrobial and the ultimate antidote, it
is also a particularly important antioxidant. That is because vitamin
C …
-
Has double antioxidation power – it can donate not just one, but two electrons per molecule
-
Is the safest antioxidant – no toxic effects even at very high dosage levels
-
Provides universal protection due to universal access – unlike some antioxidants, it can protect the brain because it can cross the blood-brain barrier
-
Can “recharge” (reduce) previousy “spent” (oxidised) antioxidants – including those synthesised by the body.”
The
book narrates proof of vitamin C’s power against
-
Viral infections (for which there is virtually no treatment in modern medicine other than immunisation) such as Herpes, AIDS,
-
Non-Viral infections, like Diphtheria, Sysentery, Leprosy, Malara, Pertussis, Pneumonia, Pseudomonas Infections, Rheumatic Fever, Staph Infections, Strep Infections, Tetanus, Trichinosis, Tubrculosis, Typhoid Fever,
-
Heart related problems like atherosclerosis, Hypertension, Diabetes; Degenerative diseases, Ostoporosis, Arthritis, Alzheimer’s Disease etc.
-
Cancer
-
Toxins,
-
Poisons,
-
Radiation and
-
Oxidative stress of all kinds.
The
book narrates the conflict of interest between the pharma corporates
for whom profit is more important than people and the society. This
is the reason why natural immunity of human body and the possibility
of boosting it through nutrition supplements are ignored.
"Pharmaceutical
companies reap profits that would make anyone, including oil
companies, jealous. That’s because they enjoy a monopoly that is
unique to the drug industry. Here is how it works :
-
Find a natural substance that provides health benefits
-
Chemically alter the substance so that it can qualify for a patent (This is because natural substances canot be patented – and often it is this altering process that makes drugs toxic)
-
Patent the new drug and get it approved by the FDA
-
Create demand by advertising your new drug to doctors and patients
-
Charge whatever price yu feel the market will bear because no one else can sell the newly patented drug for a ful 20 years.
“What
do all toxins and infections have in common ?
The
answer is as simple as it is elegant :
All
infections and al toxins cause their damage by increasing oxidatie
stress.
No
EXCEPTIONS ! There is not a single infection (viral, bacterial or
other), or a single toxin, which does not generate substances known
as “reactive oxygen species (ROS)”
“Many
ROS are free radicals, which are highly unstable molecules containing
one or more npaired electrons, causing them to always seek additional
electrons. The addition of electrons “quenches” the free radical,
causing it to become much more stable. Biochemical reactions nearly
always seek to increase the chemical stability of the reacting
molecules.
ROS
can only do one thing (and they do it well), and that is damage
biological molecules by the process of “oxidation”(the process of
a substance losing electrons)…….. Once biomolecule is oxidised,
its ability to do its job is compromised or eliminated completely,
until it is chemicaly reduced (the reverse of oxidation) and thereby
restred to its normal structure. So, the more oxidation (the process
of a substance gaining electrons, or having them restored) or
“oxidative stress” is present in the tissues, the more abnormal
that tissue will become over time.
All
toxins are pro-oxidants, meaning they oxidise (or cause to be
oxidised by ROS they generate) biomolecules, taking away enough of
their electrons to impair or completely prevent their normal
function.
All
anti-oxidants reduce previously oxidised biomolecules, restoring
electron content to the normal state, or they prevent normal
biomolecules from becoming oxidised in the first place. When enough
oxidised biomolecules are reduced ack to their normal state, the
tissue (or cell) involved can nce again resume its normal functions.
“In
short :
-
Electrons are the fuel of life. The “combustion” of this fuel is simply the flow (exchang) of electrons by biomolecules
-
All excess oxidative stress causes electron depletion and inhibits optimal electron flow
-
All toxic effects are caused by excess oxidative stress.
There
is no other way the toxins can be toxic beyond the impairment of
electron supply and flow in the biomolecules of the affected
tissues.”
“And
this is precisely why properly-dosed vitamin C, before the point of
irreversible tissue damage, will neutralise the toxicity of any toxin
exposure or poisoning encountered. It doesnot matter what chemical
structure or molecular type the toxin is. Big, small, water-soluble,
fat-soluble, ionic, neutral – it doesn’t matter.” Ofcourse, it
is the molecular structure of the toxin that determines its other
known characterstics, which defer from substance to substance.
Whatever it be, any clinical poisoning or toxin exposure can be
rapidly remedied by getting enough vitamin C (and other anti-oxidants
as well).
“Now,
What about infections ?
In
order to cure infections, an agent is needed to neutralize ongoing
oxidative stress, repair oxidised molecultes, and kill the pathogens,
or at least render them more susceptible to eradication by a healthy
immune system. Vitamin C does all of these things.
Nearly
all pathogens require large amounts of iron to thrive and multiply.
Many effective antibiotics are actually iron chelators, removing
readily accessible iron from the environment of the pathogens,
slowing or stopping the growth, and then allowing the immune system
to kick in and finish the job.
Much
of this iron inside the pathogens is in an unbound, or reactive
state. This prsence of large amounts of reactive iron effectively
places a bullseye on these microbes. Vitain C helps load the arrows
into the bow, as will be described below.
Iron
facilitate not only the growth of pathogens but also their death
Iron
is essential for life and is an essential requirement for death of
cells. Even the healthiest body or organism needs many cells to die
on demand during the course of normal overall growth or ust for the
maintenance of healthy state. Otherwise, a body would have no precise
physical form or recognisable shape. A variatio of the same mechanism
that causes physiologically required cell death can also cause the
death of a pathogen. It all depends upon the interrelationships among
a few important factors, that define fenton reaction which involves
transfer of an electron from ferrous ion (Fe2+) to hydrogen peroxide,
generating a free radical known as the hydroxyl radical, which is the
most toxic substance known to science and is used to ensure
programmed cell death. Atlease, with regards to this Fenton reaction,
the cell destined for programmed cell death and the rapidly dividing
pathogen are very similar. Whenever the Fenton reaction is
sufficiently activated by the presence of enough hydrogen peroxide
and enough ferrous ions, cell (or pathogens) death will inevitably
result.
How
Does Vitamin C Fit into All of This ?
The
role vitamin C in stimulating the Fenon reaction, also very well
documented, occurs because the available unbound, or free, iron
normally present inside the cell or pathogen is ferrid ion (Fe3++).
Ferric ion doesnot have an electron to donate to hydrogen peroxide,
and no generation of hydroxyl radical occurs when nly it ad hydrogen
peroxide are present. However, when vitamin C gets together with
ferric ions, it readily converts (reduces) th fe3+ to Fe2+ by the
donation of an electron. The electron is then passed along to the
hydrogen peroxide – producing the super-oxidising hydroxy radical.
Note : it is still an antioxidant role (electron donation) by vitamin
C that ultimatey results in a very pro-oxidant effect. It is just a
matter of location and concentration of the vitamin C, along with
presence of enough ferric ions and hydrogen peroxide. (This phenomena
is quoted for assailing vitamin C damaging biomolecules, causing
genetic damage or even promote the growth of cancer, in certain
expermental situations, in many studies.)
Tin
doses of vitamin C, in the presence of enough ferric ion and hydrogen
peroxide, will always result in the production of the hydroxyl
radical and result in a great deal of oxidative stress. However,
large doses of vitamin C, thanks to the masterful design of Mother
Nature, will always result in a net antioxidant, never a pro-oxidant,
effect in the tissues. Even when a small part of the vitamin C
(milligrams) might be stimuating the Fenton reaction, the rest of the
vitamin C (grams) “mops up” the oxidative stress generated very
readily.
Even
though excess oxidative stress is always undesirable and highly
toxic, lesser amounts of it are absolutely necessary for the
physiology of the cell to function normally. Non-lethal amounts of
intracellular oxidative stress often perform signaling functions :
turning different enzymes and biochemical pathways on or off, as well
as the reading of genes and the production of the molecules for which
they are coded. As with much else in nature, things are rarely just
on or off, black or white. Shades of gray make biology what it is.
To
recap , nearly all pathogens contain large amounts of iron and a
significant amount of this iron is in the unbound reactive state.
When vitamin C is administered to individuals with infections, the
vitamin C entrs the pathogens, converts the ferric ion to a ferrous
ion, and the ferrous ion proceeds to break down the hydrogen peroxide
present in the cell. Then, the resulting hydroxyl radicals literally
oxidise the pathogen to death.
Thus
here is a cure for most of the pathogenic diseases without any known
side effects. That too a food supplement.
In
case of cancer, again, the same Fenton reaction is utilised for the
cure by high dose vitamin C therapy. But, the organisation of
components in the cells and details are different. They are left to
the qualified medical professionals of modern medicine to learn and
practise.
To
conclude :
20
ways vitamin C boosts the immune system :
-
Vitamin C enhances production of interferons. They are an important part of the body’s immune system
-
Vitamin C enhances the function of phagocytes (a type of white blood cells)
-
Vitamin C selectively concentrates in white blood cells, in some cases as much as 80 times higher than the level in plasma, enabling delivery of vitamin C to the sites of infection by their migration.
-
Vitamin C enhances the cell-mediated immune response (Other being anti-body mediated immune response)
-
Vitamin C enhances cytokine production by white blood cells, promoting the immune respnse
-
Vitamin C inhibits various forms of t-lymphocyte death to bolster the cell mediated immune response
-
Vitamin C enhances nitric oxide production by phagocytes enabling them to kill pathogens
-
Vitamin C enhances T-lymphocyte proliferation
-
Vitamin C enhances B-lymphocye proliferation to strengthen anti-body mediated immune system in case of re-introduction of the same pathogen
-
Vitamin C inhibits neuraminidase production by the pathogens to make the mucus trapping effective, yet another natural defense line
-
Vitamin C enhances antibody production and complements their activity
-
Vitamin C enhances natural kller cell activity of small lymphocytes that kills tumor cells by directly attacking them
-
Vitamin C enhances prostaglandin formation (Hormone that control a variety of physiologic proess including regulation of T-lymphocyte function)
-
Vitamin C enhances cyclc GMP levels in lymphocytes (GMP plays central role in regulation of difference physiologic responses including modulatio of immune responses, normal cell reproduction and differentiation, controls the action of many hormones and it appears to mediate the relaxation of smooth muscle
-
Vitamin C enhances localised generation of and/or interaction with hydrogen peroxide killing microorganisms and dissolving the protective capsules of some bacteria such as pneumococci.
-
Vitamin C detoxifies histamine, supporting local immune factors
-
Vitamin C neutralises oxidative stress. Infections produce free radicals locally that further promote the infective process.
-
Vitamin C improves and enhances the immune response achieved with vaccination
-
Vitamin C enhances the muucolytic effect. This property helps liquefy thick scretions, increasing immune access to infection.
-
Vitamin C may make bacterial membranes more permeable to some antibiotics.
The
most important role of vitamin C is collagen synthesis. Collagen
comprises about 25% to 35% of the total protein conent in the body.
Its strong connective, elongated fibrils are found in skin,
ligaments, tendons, cartlage, bone, blood vessels, the intestines and
the discs betweeen spinal vertebrae, cornea and muscle tissue. 19
types are identified. Type 1 accounts for about 90%.
Other
roles of Vitamin C are :
Basement
membrane synthesised
Facilitates
wound healing
carnitine
synthesis
Neurotransmitter
synthesised
Promotes
Calcium incorporation into bone tissue
Natural
antihistamine
(To
be completed and linked to the discussion. Notes on other nutrients
to follow.)
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