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Did you know that pathogenic microorganisms behave very differently when grouped together?

Organisms like candida albicans have evolved to create protective structures around their colonies.

These are called biofilms, and they are the #1 reason why fungal infections can be so difficult to treat.

Biofilms are a protective grid (a polysaccharide matrix) which the candida cells use to attach to your intestinal walls and to hide from your immune system and any antifungal treatments.

Hidden safely away from what would usually kill them, the candida cells are able to convert into their pathogenic, fungal form.

It's this fungal form that is most likely to spread to other parts of the body.

Why Are Biofilms A Problem?

Researchers have looked at the effectiveness of prescription antifungals against candida biofilms.

These prescription antifungals are initially effective against candida, but as the biofilm develops and adapts they become less and less effective.

In one study, the Candida albicans “were highly resistant” to antifungal treatments after 72 hours of biofilm development.

Other studies refer to “a near-total resistance to antifungal agents by biofilm-associated Candida.”

Biofilms are resilient and difficult to treat. That's why your Candida treatment needs to take them into account.

How To Treat Candida Biofilms?

There is no single treatment to break through Candida biofilms. However, a combination of diet and antifungals can be an effective solution.

Diet is so important for one very simple reason: studies show that Candida biofilms are composed of 32% glucose.

In other words, Candida albicans needs sugar not only to grow and reproduce, but also to create the biofilm that protects it from your immune system.

If you're eating too many sugars (especially added sugars), you're giving the Candida exactly what it needs.

Antifungals are really important too. A selection of natural antifungals can weaken the biofilms and prevent them from adapting to a single treatment.

I recommend using at least two antifungals, and preferably more.

If you choose to use a single antifungal, or rotate your antifungals, you give candida albicans the chance to adapt and survive. If you use multiple antifungals, you're giving it nowhere to hide.

The natural antifungals that I recommend include caprylic acid, oregano leaf extract, garlic extract, undecylenic acid, and more.

 

 

 

What is Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy (CIPN)?   How to get relief

Cancer treatment drugs are called chemotherapy. Chemotherapy drugs are toxic chemicals (poisons) that attack fast growing cells (rapidly dividing cells). The theory behind using these toxins is that it will destroy the fast growing cancer cells before it does too much damage to normal cells.

Hair is a quickly dividing, fast growing cell and this is the reason that hair loss is a common side effect of chemotherapy.

Bone marrow produces fast growing cells. Normally, when blood cells wear out in the body, they are replaced by new ones from the bone marrow. When the chemotherapy drugs damage these fast growing cells, it can cause a low blood count, which can result in other side effects such as fatigue, headaches, and chills. It is sometimes even necessary to do a blood transfusion.

Nerve damage from chemotherapy drugs

"Chemo-induced peripheral neuropathy can be a disabling side effect of cancer treatment. It’s caused by some of the chemo drugs used to treat cancer."

From the website of the American Cancer Society

Chemotherapy is hardest on the nervous system due to the fact that nerve cells are more sensitive than other cells.

The nervous system transmits information between the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and the rest of the body. It is designed to transmit feeling such as touch and temperature. It delivers messages from sight; it delivers messages to the muscles to get them to move.

Because nerve cells are more sensitive to these toxins then other cells, they are often affected and can be damaged easily. This may also be the reason for cognitive problems following chemotherapy, also known as "chemo fog" or "chemo-brain".

After exposure to the chemotherapy drugs, the cells that responsible for producing myelin, the fatty substance that helps insulate and protect nerve conducting fibers, can become damaged.

Nervous system changes in chemotherapy patients can develop months or years after treatment. The onset of these symptoms is variable. Some drugs may cause symptoms during or immediately after the first dose, and some have a delayed onset of symptoms, up to several weeks, months, or even years after the last dose.

The severity of these symptoms is related to the amount of chemotherapy drug given. The higher or more frequent the dose of the drug the greater the chance that it will damage the coverings of the nerve and cause nerve damage (neuropathy).

Additionally, someone with pre-existing neuropathy (no matter what the cause) may be at risk for more severe and long-lasting neuropathy.

Symptoms of Post Chemotherapy Neuropathy

Chemo (chemotherapy drugs) travels through the whole body, thus can damage different nerves. Symptoms tend to start farthest away from the head, but move in closer over time.

Chemotherapy drugs often strip the coverings from the nerves, damaging the nerves, particularly those of the hands, feet, arms and legs.

Loss of feeling in the hands and feet can make it hard to pick up small objects and cause clumsiness and difficulty walking. Some people with nerve damage first notice a "pins and needles" feeling, not unlike when an arm or leg "falls asleep". Foot nerve damage after chemo is very common which results in stabbing pain and numbness.

As motor nerves are the most sensitive to toxins, this nerve damage may make you feel clumsy and cause difficulty in daily activities such as opening jars, fastening buttons, or even squeezing toothpaste tubes. Loss of balance and coordination is also due to this damage.

Per the American Cancer Society, "Chemo-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is caused by the chemotherapy drugs used in cancer treatment." (Neuropathy is also sometimes called paraesthesia or even myalgia.)

"The symptoms or signs of CIPN depend mostly on which nerves are involved. The most common symptoms are:

pain

burning

tingling (or a "pins and needles" feeling)

muscle shrinkage

weakness

balance problems

trouble with tripping and stumbling while walking

loss of feeling (numbness)

decreased or no reflexes

increased sensitivity to temperature (usually cold) or pressure, so that things hurt more than usual

constipation

trouble passing urine

blood pressure changes

trouble swallowing"

"CIPN often affects both sides of the body the same way; for example, the toes of both feet. It can cause severe pain and can affect your ability to do everyday things like walk, write, button your shirt, or pick up a coin. If it gets very bad it can cause very serious problems like changes in your heart rate, trouble breathing, paralysis, or organ failure"

This is the reason that medical doctors have to keep close watch over their patients when receiving chemotherapy.

Are these long-term side effects of chemotherapy?

When a person develops neuropathy due to chemotherapy, the oncologist will prescribe drugs to cover up the symptoms and the patient will get a pamphlet entitled “Living with Neuropathy”. There is hope that it will get better after the chemo is finished. However, quite often, the damaged cell will continue to deteriorate and the symptoms will get worse. The only way to correctly manage this chronic neuropathy is to address the real causes, not the symptoms.

Is CIPN permanent? Can this be Reversed?

There are many different treatments for Neuropathy. Making sure that anything might be contributing to the neuropathy needs to be addressed.

You can learn more about Neuropathy

Treatments for Chemotherapy Induced Neuropathy

CIPN Treatments - most have to do with pain management

You've probably read or heard about lots of different remedies for the relief of the symptoms of nerve damage (neuropathy).

You just need to search on the internet under neuropathy to get pages and pages of recommended remedies. The search will reveal many different view points about what will help you get relief. I've talked to many people who have tried remedy after remedy. You can go to Neuropathy Treatments to get the pros and cons.

There are many herbs that attempt to cover up the symptoms and there are many drugs that try to cover up the symptoms.

There are many different anti-oxidants and formulas that will bring some relief. I know the things that will help - essential fatty acids, vitamin c, combination of acetyl l-carnitine and alpha-lipoic acid - etc. etc.

The real cause of all these problems, however, is the unhealthy nerves.

Restoring Health to the Nerves*

We always recommend that you take the approach of building health, and nerves are no different.

The Healthier your nerves are, the less the symptoms of nerve damage you will feel.

Nerves need to be healthy to function properly.

Pros: Healthy sensory nerves mean that they are not painful. Healthy nerves mean that they communicate and don't send wrong signals such as burning, hot and cold, tingling when there is no reason for it. Healthy motor nerves mean that they relay messages from the brain to the muscle so that they move correctly without weakness.

The body needs specific nutrients (vitamins) to be able to build healthy nerves. Getting bio-available special forms of B1 and B12 along with the other Bs that activate them, will promote and support healthy nerves.

Cons: It may not give immediate relief as the vitamins are working at a cellular level, it may take longer, but it does address the actual problem and builds healthy nerves.

Find out what is needed to restore health to the nerves.

(For temporary relief while building healthy nerves, go to Pain Relief Formula)

Natural Treatment & Building Healthy Nerves:

The body needs the correct tools to restore health and build healthy nerves. These tools are specific nutrition (vitamins).

What are they? Read here Restoring Health to the Nerves

*Studies & Research on Nerve Health

STILL HAVE QUESTIONS? CALL 818 252-1038 OR EMAIL AND GET YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

 

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Don't Forget the MCVitamins Health Blog

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Do You Like Salt in Your Food?

I can observe nutritional deficiencies by what a person chooses to eat. One of the easiest ones is observing whether a person likes salty foods and does he like to add salt to his food.

What does this mean? A deficiency of salt? No, it indicates that your adrenal glands are not functioning as well as they should. It is commonly called adrenal fatigue or adrenal exhaustion.

What are some other symptoms of adrenal fatigue besides salt cravings – increased PMS symptoms, lack of energy, muscle weakness, fluid retention mild constipation alternating with diarrhea – there are many others, including the tendency to get the flu (as the adrenals are a major factor in your immune system). There is also a feeling of being less able to handle stress, mild depression and absent-mindedness.

The adrenal glands are two small glands that sit over the kidneys. (Kidneys=renal; ad=above). They are responsible for secreting over 50 different hormones. They are responsible for the regulation of the mineral metabolism (sodium, potassium, chloride), water balance, metabolism (utilization and distribution of carbohydrates, protein, and fat), allergic and immune reactions (such as hypersensitivity, allergies, and autoimmune diseases), and production of the male and female hormones (progesterone, testosterone, estrogens, DHEA, etc.).

You may have been experiencing this condition for years. Although there is increasing physician awareness, many are not familiar with adrenal fatigue as a distinct syndrome. Because of this lack of knowledge, patients suffer because they are not properly diagnosed or treated.

The onset of adrenal fatigue and exhaustion can occur because of financial pressures, infections, emotional stress, smoking, drugs, poor eating habits, sugar and white flour products, unemployment and several other stressors. Stressors are something that create either physical or mental stress.

After experiencing many of these events over a long period of time, the adrenal glands tend to produce less cortical, the body’s master stress hormone. The main role in the body is to enable us to handle stress and maintain our immune systems. The adrenal gland’s struggle to meet the need for high amounts of cortical production eventually leading to the adrenal fatigue.

Another symptom is that some people feel tired in the morning, feeling better at noon and then have a lull at about 2-4 PM. They tend to feel better at 6PM and feel they work better at night. Sometimes they are exhausted at 9PM and in bed by 11 PM.

It is hard to test for a true diagnosis of adrenal fatigue. Sometimes you have to test the adrenals and the thyroid because they work together as does all the glands.

It is important for patients to eat regular meals, chew food well, and eat by 10 AM and again for lunch. Patients should look to avoid any hydrogenated fats, caffeine, chocolate, white carbohydrates (flour sugar, etc) and junk foods. Diets should have a heavy emphasis on vegetables and protein. Sea salt should be used instead of refined table salt.

Supplementation is also an important component.

For more information see Adrenal Fatigue

 

 

 

 

Benefits of a Long Walk for Anxiety and Depression
By Dr. Eric Berg

 

There are a lot of health benefits to long walks - circulation, oxygen to the brain, energy, joints, blood sugar, etc. etc. etc.

Find out what it does Long Walks