I realize I’ve spent little time considering the inflammation aspect of MS. I’ll need to make some minor changes in my papers, which is OK because this is a work in progress, a work on understanding how to heal myself. First step, what aggravates my condition?
Maybe 10 days ago I began to have “symptoms”. I enjoyed an aperitif (red Martini) which triggered the disagreeable muscle wrap around my left calf/ foot. The next day I walked across the church plaza in intense heat to encounter a disagreeable person who upset me greatly. Maybe another aperitif. So the muscle wrap phenomena developed around both lower legs. And my nervous system seemed to falter in disparate areas. I’ve mostly recovered now, but I need to fully recognize what happened.
First, the alcohol. I like an occasional glass of wine or champagne or an aperitif, but the truth is alcohol has always bothered me. I think it must enter directly into the blood stream to “attack” exposed nerves. If a single drop of blood causes brain lesions, it stands to reason that over the years my nervous system has been damaged and easily aggravated. And the aggravation can only increase the body tension which causes the blood “reflux” into the Central Nervous System (brain/spine). So this is another aspect of the POSITIVE FEEDBACK LOOP. As the blood refluxes breach the Blood Brain Barrier, the nerves are exposed. If the exposed nerves are aggravated by alcohol in the bloodstream (for example), the nerves “misfire” causing the muscles to seize up which increases body tension triggering in turn more blood refluxes not to mention possible spinal obstructions of cerebro-spinal fluid. Thus is described an entire positive feedback response which I believe leads to MS progression.
So anything which acts as a toxin injected into my blood circulation will aggravate my poor damaged nervous system. Alcohol being one. (Heat made things worse.) Anything I’m allergic to being another. Allopathic medications, food additives like the neurotoxin aspartame, foods or substances known to cause inflammation. Having MS has made me extremely sensitive to food and environmental pollution.
MS is believed to be an auto-immune inflammatory disease. If everyone says so, it must be true. Except maybe it isn’t. I won’t even bother to quote some typical explanations because they are all variations on the same theme. As an example consult:
patient.info/health/multiple-sclerosis-leaflet
After describing the disease process, the author writes
“Something may trigger the immune system to act in this way.”
Something? Basically, other than those who accept the vascular connection, no one seems to know what this something is. Yes, one writes about the breach in the blood brain barrier, but mostly there persists the desire to believe in a virus or gene as the causative factor. “Something” you can isolate and find in a test tube one day, isolate and destroy so that the MSer may emerge cleansed and reborn. Dream on.
This stubborn refusal to ignore the vascular component simply amazes me.
All following quotes come from the CCSVI Alliance www.ccsvi.org/ Basics History and Timeline section.
“Summary
From the very first observations of MS lesions over 150 years ago up to the most current state-of-the-art histological and Magnetic Resonance Imaging and studies, the clear link between MS and the vascular system has been apparent. Recent findings that vascular dysfunction, whatever its cause, may precede both T-cell and B-Cell activation and demyelination advances our understanding of the complex interplay between the immune and vascular components of MS. It is hoped that the groundbreaking research summarized above, research conducted across four continents and over 150 years, will contribute to creative new approaches for managing, ameliorating, and avoiding MS onset and progression.
1839 Cruneilhier, 1863 Rindfleisch/Charcot, 1934-53 Putnam, 1942 Dow and Berglund, 1950 Zimmerman, Netsky, 1963 Fog, 1973-81 Schelling, 1981 Allen et al, 1987 Adams et al “series of experiments in the 1980s which confirmed the fundamental vascular nature of MS plaque development 11”., 1990 Kermode et al “conclusion that perivascular inflammation in MS can occur in the absence of myelin breakdown, and the suggestion that a vascular event is a necessary preliminary to the development of structural damage.” , 1994 Kwon/Prineas “histological studies corroborated that BBB permeability appears prior to demyelination13.”, 1998 Juurlink,2006 “built a compelling case for endothelial breakdown as a key component of BBB breach that is often considered a hallmark of MS.”, 2006, 2009 Zamboni et al, 2008 Ge, Zohrabian/Grossman “ultra-high resolution imaging techniques available to “describe the perivenous relationship of MS lesions”17,2009 McQuaid””
So with all this research, why are we still looking for the “Something” which triggers MS inflammation and subsequent lesions? The “Something” is refluxed venous blood. (In Primary Progressed cases, not known for inflammation, I believe it may be cerebro-spinal fluid obstruction/pressure.)
So then we return to inflammation. OK the refluxed blood injures the nerve tissue which triggers an immune response which means inflammation. Which implies the MSer should do all in her power to diminish the inflammation by eating properly and avoiding toxins. And since the nervous system is progressively damaged/exposed, every effort should be made to avoid aggravating the nerves further.
Let’s look at some research done in Germany.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23865797
“Dietary pattern analysis and biomarkers of low-grade inflammation: a systematic literature review
“The purpose of the present literature review was to investigate and summarize the current evidence on associations between dietary patterns and biomarkers of inflammation, as derived from epidemiological studies…. Studies… found that meat-based or “Western-like” patterns tended to be positively associated with biomarkers of inflammation, predominantly C-reactive protein, while vegetable- and fruit-based or “healthy” patterns tended to be inversely associated…”
So as a simple first step, to reduce inflammation, this means I should eat anti-inflammation foods. For example www.everydayhealth.com/.../anti-inflammatory-foods-for-multiple
8 Anti-inflammation foods.
1. Fatty fish provides Omega 3
2. Fruits and Vegetables – antioxidants
3. Turmeric (curcumin) 1 tsp per day. This I will definitely do and give to my husband as well because it is suggested to prevent alzheimers disease as well.
4. Ginger anti-neuroinflammatory
5. Hass Avocado. Unsaturated fat and anti-oxidant. Very interesting study indicates that 2 oz of avocado will override the negative inflammatory impact of a hamburger
6. Plant based oils – olive, canola, soybean, flaxseed (avoid corn or sunflower oils which contain omega 6)
7. Ground Flaxseeds omega 3
8. Walnuts
Another list suggests 10 anti-inflammatory foods, some overlapping the above list. See www.sharecare.com ›
1. Kale
2. Sardines, omega 3, vit D, B12
3. Hulled barley (not pearl)
4. Ginger, Turmeric, Cayenne, Rosemary
5. Berries
6. Walnuts and Almonds (omega 3)
7. Avocado
8. Wild Salmon EPA DHA (2 Omega 3 fatty acids)
9. Tofu
10. Lentils
I already eat some of these and will adjust my diet to increase consumption of “good” nutrients.
An interesting aspect of Avocado is that it can apparently override the negative inflammation inducing aspects of a Hamburger. See www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23196671
"Hass avocado modulates postprandial vascular reactivity and postprandrial inflammatory response to a hamburger meal in healthy volunteers"
Hass avocados are rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (oleic acid) and antioxidants (carotenoids, tocopherols, polyphenols) and are often eaten as a slice in a sandwich containing hamburger or other meats. Hamburger meat forms lipid peroxides during cooking. After ingestion, the stomach functions as a bioreactor generating additional lipid peroxides and this process can be inhibited when antioxidants are ingested together with the meat. The present pilot study was conducted to investigate the postprandial effect of the addition of 68 g of avocado to a hamburger on vasodilation and inflammation… we observed significant vasoconstriction 2 hours following hamburger ingestion…which did not occur when the avocado flesh was ingested together with the burger… These observations are suggestive of beneficial anti-inflammatory and vascular health effects of ingesting added Hass avocado with a hamburger patty.”
(See abstract for the observations.)
Now, the Paleo, Dr.Terry Wahls and Dr. Newbold diets recommend grass fed meat even though it is believed to provoke inflammation. Let’s assume avocado consumption and other anti-inflammatory foods can override any negative effects of red meat which, in my opinion, should be eaten in moderation.
Finally, what foods CAUSE inflammation and should be avoided? See www.eatthis.com/foods-that-cause-inflammation. Sugar, Vegetable oil, Fried Food, Refined flour (Glutens), Dairy, Synthetic Sweeteners, Artificial Additives, Saturated Fats, Grain fed Meats, Processed Meats, Trans Fat Foods, Fast Foods, Alcohol.
Now, for the second factor in my recent crisis.
HEAT
Dr. Michael Flanagan introduced for me the understanding that the brain is kept cooler than the body by circulation of cranial fluids, in particular the blood and cerebrospinal fluid.
See www.upright-health.com/ (Upright-health.com)
“Brain Cooling and the Cranial Veins
The other role some of the emissary veins play is in draining the head and brain during upright posture. In particular, (in the top picture) the ones located toward the back and bottom of the skull, as well as behind the outline of the ear, all drain into the vertebral veins of the spine. The emissary veins that are used to increase drainage capacity of the brain during upright posture empty into the internal and external vertebral veins inside and outside the spine and spinal canal. The vertebral veins thus help to transport heat away from the brain.
Lastly, the most important feature of the brain cooling system is the heat exchanger mechanism used by humans. In this case venous blood that has been cooled by cranial veins of the face and scalp flows through dural sinuses that serve as counter-current heat exchangers that cool incoming arterial blood before it enters the brain.”
It is important to remember that in MSers, it takes twice as long for blood to circulate from the heart through the brain back to the heart as normals. One can therefore understand why MSers are so sensitive to heat, the “coolants” aren’t there to protect the tissue. As the myelin sheath is slowly degraded, and the fluids progressively slowed, heat can only become more dangerous.
I found another excellent explanation of how the brain cools itself by an anonymous writer under the following site.
biology.stackexchange.com/.../how-does-the-brain-cool-itself
The net effect of heat production in the brain and brain cooling keeps the brain cooler than the rest of the body and is achieved by surrounding and bathing the brain with venous blood that has been cooled outside the cranial vault, by bone and fat acting as insulation, by the veins of the face and scalp through conduction, convection, sweat and evaporation and by cooled venous blood flowing through the cavernous and suboccipital cavernous sinuses cooling incoming blood in the internal carotid and vertebral arteries before it enters the brain. The combined effect of the brain cooling system keeps the temperature inside the vault and brain about two to three degrees cooler than the rest of the body. The effect is important enough that some physical anthropologists attribute the extra-large size of the human brain more to its exceptional cooling capacity than to the increase in arterial blood flow that comes with upright posture. Anthropologists refer to human encephalization due to enhanced brain cooling capacity as the "radiator theory". Reference
answered Apr 24 '15 at 4:16 Jayachandran
THIRD FACTOR to my recent “symptoms”.
EMOTIONAL STRESS.
During the summer months we live in the country. Unlike Paris, the social contacts here are very restricted. I was hoping to form a friendship with this woman and am quite disappointed by her insulting behaviour. Over the last 3 or 4 years I’ve tried an amical connection, but to no avail. She finally succeeded in thoroughly offending my husband as well. Her eldest daughter is very sweet and protects her mother. I’m familiar with the dynamic (which may be why I am so sensitive to her unfortunate behaviour.) I believe the mother is mentally ill and that the daughter absorbs the illness into her own body to fall physically ill. In any case, I need to avoid this family to protect my own health. It’s too bad, but facts are facts. And emotional stress leads to body tension which impedes fluid circulation in my brain/spine, leading to “symptoms”.
So, a quick diagnosis of the recent crisis. The alcohol penetrated directly into my unprotected, damaged nervous system. The heat exacerbated the deleterious effect of the alcohol. Poor blood circulation through the head intensified the heat creating a sunstroke-like condition. And the offensive behaviour of the neighbor added insult to injury. So, there you have it.
The weather has cooled down. I’m going to improve my diet. And absolutely avoid even a taste of alcohol until I really have recovered. Even a brut cider bothered me 4 days ago. I guess I should resolve never to touch anything which my nervous system finds toxic if I want to keep walking to the end of my life. And I need to politely avoid people who I find stressful.
Tags: Multiple Sclerosis, MS Inflammation, Sunstroke, blood brain barrier, CCSVI, inflammatory foods, Dr. Michael Flanagan,
Maybe 10 days ago I began to have “symptoms”. I enjoyed an aperitif (red Martini) which triggered the disagreeable muscle wrap around my left calf/ foot. The next day I walked across the church plaza in intense heat to encounter a disagreeable person who upset me greatly. Maybe another aperitif. So the muscle wrap phenomena developed around both lower legs. And my nervous system seemed to falter in disparate areas. I’ve mostly recovered now, but I need to fully recognize what happened.
First, the alcohol. I like an occasional glass of wine or champagne or an aperitif, but the truth is alcohol has always bothered me. I think it must enter directly into the blood stream to “attack” exposed nerves. If a single drop of blood causes brain lesions, it stands to reason that over the years my nervous system has been damaged and easily aggravated. And the aggravation can only increase the body tension which causes the blood “reflux” into the Central Nervous System (brain/spine). So this is another aspect of the POSITIVE FEEDBACK LOOP. As the blood refluxes breach the Blood Brain Barrier, the nerves are exposed. If the exposed nerves are aggravated by alcohol in the bloodstream (for example), the nerves “misfire” causing the muscles to seize up which increases body tension triggering in turn more blood refluxes not to mention possible spinal obstructions of cerebro-spinal fluid. Thus is described an entire positive feedback response which I believe leads to MS progression.
So anything which acts as a toxin injected into my blood circulation will aggravate my poor damaged nervous system. Alcohol being one. (Heat made things worse.) Anything I’m allergic to being another. Allopathic medications, food additives like the neurotoxin aspartame, foods or substances known to cause inflammation. Having MS has made me extremely sensitive to food and environmental pollution.
MS is believed to be an auto-immune inflammatory disease. If everyone says so, it must be true. Except maybe it isn’t. I won’t even bother to quote some typical explanations because they are all variations on the same theme. As an example consult:
patient.info/health/multiple-sclerosis-leaflet
After describing the disease process, the author writes
“Something may trigger the immune system to act in this way.”
Something? Basically, other than those who accept the vascular connection, no one seems to know what this something is. Yes, one writes about the breach in the blood brain barrier, but mostly there persists the desire to believe in a virus or gene as the causative factor. “Something” you can isolate and find in a test tube one day, isolate and destroy so that the MSer may emerge cleansed and reborn. Dream on.
This stubborn refusal to ignore the vascular component simply amazes me.
All following quotes come from the CCSVI Alliance www.ccsvi.org/ Basics History and Timeline section.
“Summary
From the very first observations of MS lesions over 150 years ago up to the most current state-of-the-art histological and Magnetic Resonance Imaging and studies, the clear link between MS and the vascular system has been apparent. Recent findings that vascular dysfunction, whatever its cause, may precede both T-cell and B-Cell activation and demyelination advances our understanding of the complex interplay between the immune and vascular components of MS. It is hoped that the groundbreaking research summarized above, research conducted across four continents and over 150 years, will contribute to creative new approaches for managing, ameliorating, and avoiding MS onset and progression.
1839 Cruneilhier, 1863 Rindfleisch/Charcot, 1934-53 Putnam, 1942 Dow and Berglund, 1950 Zimmerman, Netsky, 1963 Fog, 1973-81 Schelling, 1981 Allen et al, 1987 Adams et al “series of experiments in the 1980s which confirmed the fundamental vascular nature of MS plaque development 11”., 1990 Kermode et al “conclusion that perivascular inflammation in MS can occur in the absence of myelin breakdown, and the suggestion that a vascular event is a necessary preliminary to the development of structural damage.” , 1994 Kwon/Prineas “histological studies corroborated that BBB permeability appears prior to demyelination13.”, 1998 Juurlink,2006 “built a compelling case for endothelial breakdown as a key component of BBB breach that is often considered a hallmark of MS.”, 2006, 2009 Zamboni et al, 2008 Ge, Zohrabian/Grossman “ultra-high resolution imaging techniques available to “describe the perivenous relationship of MS lesions”17,2009 McQuaid””
So with all this research, why are we still looking for the “Something” which triggers MS inflammation and subsequent lesions? The “Something” is refluxed venous blood. (In Primary Progressed cases, not known for inflammation, I believe it may be cerebro-spinal fluid obstruction/pressure.)
So then we return to inflammation. OK the refluxed blood injures the nerve tissue which triggers an immune response which means inflammation. Which implies the MSer should do all in her power to diminish the inflammation by eating properly and avoiding toxins. And since the nervous system is progressively damaged/exposed, every effort should be made to avoid aggravating the nerves further.
Let’s look at some research done in Germany.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23865797
“Dietary pattern analysis and biomarkers of low-grade inflammation: a systematic literature review
“The purpose of the present literature review was to investigate and summarize the current evidence on associations between dietary patterns and biomarkers of inflammation, as derived from epidemiological studies…. Studies… found that meat-based or “Western-like” patterns tended to be positively associated with biomarkers of inflammation, predominantly C-reactive protein, while vegetable- and fruit-based or “healthy” patterns tended to be inversely associated…”
So as a simple first step, to reduce inflammation, this means I should eat anti-inflammation foods. For example www.everydayhealth.com/.../anti-inflammatory-foods-for-multiple
8 Anti-inflammation foods.
1. Fatty fish provides Omega 3
2. Fruits and Vegetables – antioxidants
3. Turmeric (curcumin) 1 tsp per day. This I will definitely do and give to my husband as well because it is suggested to prevent alzheimers disease as well.
4. Ginger anti-neuroinflammatory
5. Hass Avocado. Unsaturated fat and anti-oxidant. Very interesting study indicates that 2 oz of avocado will override the negative inflammatory impact of a hamburger
6. Plant based oils – olive, canola, soybean, flaxseed (avoid corn or sunflower oils which contain omega 6)
7. Ground Flaxseeds omega 3
8. Walnuts
Another list suggests 10 anti-inflammatory foods, some overlapping the above list. See www.sharecare.com ›
1. Kale
2. Sardines, omega 3, vit D, B12
3. Hulled barley (not pearl)
4. Ginger, Turmeric, Cayenne, Rosemary
5. Berries
6. Walnuts and Almonds (omega 3)
7. Avocado
8. Wild Salmon EPA DHA (2 Omega 3 fatty acids)
9. Tofu
10. Lentils
I already eat some of these and will adjust my diet to increase consumption of “good” nutrients.
An interesting aspect of Avocado is that it can apparently override the negative inflammation inducing aspects of a Hamburger. See www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23196671
"Hass avocado modulates postprandial vascular reactivity and postprandrial inflammatory response to a hamburger meal in healthy volunteers"
Hass avocados are rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (oleic acid) and antioxidants (carotenoids, tocopherols, polyphenols) and are often eaten as a slice in a sandwich containing hamburger or other meats. Hamburger meat forms lipid peroxides during cooking. After ingestion, the stomach functions as a bioreactor generating additional lipid peroxides and this process can be inhibited when antioxidants are ingested together with the meat. The present pilot study was conducted to investigate the postprandial effect of the addition of 68 g of avocado to a hamburger on vasodilation and inflammation… we observed significant vasoconstriction 2 hours following hamburger ingestion…which did not occur when the avocado flesh was ingested together with the burger… These observations are suggestive of beneficial anti-inflammatory and vascular health effects of ingesting added Hass avocado with a hamburger patty.”
(See abstract for the observations.)
Now, the Paleo, Dr.Terry Wahls and Dr. Newbold diets recommend grass fed meat even though it is believed to provoke inflammation. Let’s assume avocado consumption and other anti-inflammatory foods can override any negative effects of red meat which, in my opinion, should be eaten in moderation.
Finally, what foods CAUSE inflammation and should be avoided? See www.eatthis.com/foods-that-cause-inflammation. Sugar, Vegetable oil, Fried Food, Refined flour (Glutens), Dairy, Synthetic Sweeteners, Artificial Additives, Saturated Fats, Grain fed Meats, Processed Meats, Trans Fat Foods, Fast Foods, Alcohol.
Now, for the second factor in my recent crisis.
HEAT
Dr. Michael Flanagan introduced for me the understanding that the brain is kept cooler than the body by circulation of cranial fluids, in particular the blood and cerebrospinal fluid.
See www.upright-health.com/ (Upright-health.com)
“Brain Cooling and the Cranial Veins
The other role some of the emissary veins play is in draining the head and brain during upright posture. In particular, (in the top picture) the ones located toward the back and bottom of the skull, as well as behind the outline of the ear, all drain into the vertebral veins of the spine. The emissary veins that are used to increase drainage capacity of the brain during upright posture empty into the internal and external vertebral veins inside and outside the spine and spinal canal. The vertebral veins thus help to transport heat away from the brain.
Lastly, the most important feature of the brain cooling system is the heat exchanger mechanism used by humans. In this case venous blood that has been cooled by cranial veins of the face and scalp flows through dural sinuses that serve as counter-current heat exchangers that cool incoming arterial blood before it enters the brain.”
It is important to remember that in MSers, it takes twice as long for blood to circulate from the heart through the brain back to the heart as normals. One can therefore understand why MSers are so sensitive to heat, the “coolants” aren’t there to protect the tissue. As the myelin sheath is slowly degraded, and the fluids progressively slowed, heat can only become more dangerous.
I found another excellent explanation of how the brain cools itself by an anonymous writer under the following site.
biology.stackexchange.com/.../how-does-the-brain-cool-itself
The net effect of heat production in the brain and brain cooling keeps the brain cooler than the rest of the body and is achieved by surrounding and bathing the brain with venous blood that has been cooled outside the cranial vault, by bone and fat acting as insulation, by the veins of the face and scalp through conduction, convection, sweat and evaporation and by cooled venous blood flowing through the cavernous and suboccipital cavernous sinuses cooling incoming blood in the internal carotid and vertebral arteries before it enters the brain. The combined effect of the brain cooling system keeps the temperature inside the vault and brain about two to three degrees cooler than the rest of the body. The effect is important enough that some physical anthropologists attribute the extra-large size of the human brain more to its exceptional cooling capacity than to the increase in arterial blood flow that comes with upright posture. Anthropologists refer to human encephalization due to enhanced brain cooling capacity as the "radiator theory". Reference
answered Apr 24 '15 at 4:16 Jayachandran
THIRD FACTOR to my recent “symptoms”.
EMOTIONAL STRESS.
During the summer months we live in the country. Unlike Paris, the social contacts here are very restricted. I was hoping to form a friendship with this woman and am quite disappointed by her insulting behaviour. Over the last 3 or 4 years I’ve tried an amical connection, but to no avail. She finally succeeded in thoroughly offending my husband as well. Her eldest daughter is very sweet and protects her mother. I’m familiar with the dynamic (which may be why I am so sensitive to her unfortunate behaviour.) I believe the mother is mentally ill and that the daughter absorbs the illness into her own body to fall physically ill. In any case, I need to avoid this family to protect my own health. It’s too bad, but facts are facts. And emotional stress leads to body tension which impedes fluid circulation in my brain/spine, leading to “symptoms”.
So, a quick diagnosis of the recent crisis. The alcohol penetrated directly into my unprotected, damaged nervous system. The heat exacerbated the deleterious effect of the alcohol. Poor blood circulation through the head intensified the heat creating a sunstroke-like condition. And the offensive behaviour of the neighbor added insult to injury. So, there you have it.
The weather has cooled down. I’m going to improve my diet. And absolutely avoid even a taste of alcohol until I really have recovered. Even a brut cider bothered me 4 days ago. I guess I should resolve never to touch anything which my nervous system finds toxic if I want to keep walking to the end of my life. And I need to politely avoid people who I find stressful.
Tags: Multiple Sclerosis, MS Inflammation, Sunstroke, blood brain barrier, CCSVI, inflammatory foods, Dr. Michael Flanagan,
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