Entry for August 29, 2007

Woke up with a vibration…

A week with the high doses of insitol and choline and although there was a huge difference in the beginning, I haven’t noticed any more improvements lately. Originally I thought it had an effect on the vibration. Now I’m not so sure?

Today the cold hands returned around lunchtime and it would come and go without any effect from my supplements. By late afternoon there was something that I did notice…

I can feel something like a pimple in the roof of mouth. The canker sores have returned and this time I’m glad because I know exactly what the problem is and why it is happening.

I don’t recall that I’ve ever mentioned the canker sores in my blog in the past because it was happening before I started to document everything and at the time, I didn’t realize it was a symptom of a vitamin deficiency. There was so many other things going on that I didn’t mention it.

It really makes sense that I would still have a niacin deficiency because I was taking it for months and then stopped thinking I’d taken it long enough and didn’t need it anymore. The low level of phosphorus was the reason for the deficiency in the first place and I needed to address that first.

I’ve taken niacin on and off since I started taking the phosphorus on Aug 1st and didn’t notice a difference but this time, I’ll try it for longer.

Entry for August 27, 2007

Just before going to bed, I wanted to review my blog to read the entries regarding the zinc. I came across an entry I did when I suspected high sugar intake was the cause of my problems. I couldn’t believe it. Right there in front of my eyes were Choline and Inositol. I’m not sure how I missed that? Maybe because I didn’t know what they were? God I can’t believe I missed that! I feel like I’m so thorough at everything I do.

Entry for January 07, 2007

Vitamin/Minerals (Factors that inhibit absorption) : Excessive Sugar

Vitamin B (complex), Vitamin B-2 (riboflavin), Vitamin B-5 (Pantothenic Acid), Niacin (nicotinic acid), Chromium, Choline, Copper, Inositol, Phosphorus, Potassium and Magnesium.

Entry for August 24, 2007

Every morning for the longest time, whenever I woke up, I’d have tired, itchy eyes and usually it went away slowly throughout the morning. I always thought it was because I was tired and I was tired all the time. For the past two days since taking choline and inositol, my eyes feel like new in the mornings. It’s such a big obvious difference.

I don’t think it was riboflavin causing the dry itchy eyes of late that disappeared when I took B vitamins. Turns out that choline and inositol are included in my B complex supplement.

So now with the idea of a potassium deficiency, I grab three bananas on the way into work.

Entry for August 23, 2007

Yesterday was another great day and I can really feel a difference with these new vitamins. Especially with my eyes so I think it’s the inositol that is responsible for that.

Inositol plays an important part in the health of cell membranes especially the specialized cells in the brain, bone marrow, eyes and intestines.

No vibration and no cold hands during the day either… so I think that’s the choline working.

Choline assists in controlling your weight as well as cholesterol levels, keeping cell membranes healthy and in preventing gallstones. It is also most useful in the maintenance of the nervous system, assisting memory and learning, and may help to fight infections, including hepatitis and AIDS.

Because the candida supplements are working this time round my assumption is that the minerals that I’ve been fighting with for the past months are now getting somewhat balanced.

For breakfast I had Raisin Bran, tuna sandwich for lunch, one apple and two pears for snacks. The success against the candida and the recent improvements, I’m started to feel like I’m really making some progress.

I meet by wife at her parents house and we pick up my daughter and head home. The same routine it’s been for almost a year now. We get home around 7:00 PM and as I enter the house I feel a weird pain in my upper left chest. It’s a pain I’ve had before but not since I discovered magnesium. I was panicked because I’ve been doing so well lately. I don’t go anywhere without my homeopathic magnesium so luckily I took some right away. And because I was home, I could take one 250 mg of magnesium. The pain disappeared and I was somewhat confused as to what had happened. I sat down for a bit and had a glass of water.

When I was settled, I wanted to check my iris in the mirror to see if I could see anything in the area of the heart and it looked normal. Checking my iris in the mirror is actually something I do now almost on a weekly basis. I bought a little flashlight and carry it around with me.

So why the chest pain? I’m not really sure…

Entry for August 22, 2007

No vibration this morning.

Today I’ll split things up a little differently. Here’s today’s dosage:

300 mg Calcium/Magnesium 3x
50 mg Zinc 2x
250 mg Inositol 3x
250 mg Choline 3x
100 mg Phosphorus 2x
Caprylic Acid 3x

Entry for August 21, 2007

Woke up with the vibration but today was a great day and it felt like I had more energy than usual. The stuff I’m taking for the candida is working this time around. When I think back, it’s almost hard to believe how bad it actually was a year ago.

I managed to pick up 250 mg of inositol and 500 mg of choline at the health food store. I take one each with my lunch and my the early afternoon, I can feel the effects. Hard to explain..it just feels different but in a nice way…and no cold hands all day.

Found some suggestions for dosage:

Inositol

Description: 500 mg/2x/day. Improves nerve function; taken with choline and biotin, some have found improvements in HIV-induced neuropathy at doses of 1000-4000 mg/day;

Choline

Description: 1000 mg/2x/day choline citrate. Improves nerve and immune function. May help reverse neuropathy, both peripheral and autonomic; higher doses may be needed, up to 1000-3000 mg of phosphatidylcholine, 3 times per day;

Biotin

Description: 10-15 mg/day. Normally produced by intestinal bacteria which are destroyed in anyone on antibiotics. Not much in food so supplementation necessary. Helps prevent candida problems. Helps metabolize fatty acids, and thus is critical for fat digestion; also necessary for amino acid metabolism. Biotin deficiency can cause dementia; shown in kidney dialysis patients on biotin-free restricted diets; such neurological problems reversed with a couple of months of biotin supps. May also help reverse neuropathy, both peripheral (cause of numbness and pain in feet, legs, hands, arms) and autonomic (contributor or cause of impotency and digestive problems). For neuropathy, works best when used in doses of 15-20 mg/day (15,000-20,000 mcg) and in combination with choline, inositol, B6, B12, and thiamine.

Entry for August 20, 2007

While doing some researching tonight I stumbled upon an article that makes a lot of sense for me and it’s something I’ve missed although I know I’ve reviewed it in the past. It plays a role in hair loss and calming the nervous system. Can also be helpful in cases high copper. I’ve also noticed that I can’t remember things as clearly as I used to. Recalling what I did yesterday is sometimes a problem for me. I’m not forgetful, I just can’t remember things with any detail.

I like what I’m reading!!

Inositol: A Necessary Nutrient

Inositol is recognized as part of the B-Complex vitamins. It works closely with Choline as one of the primary components of the cell membrane. The human body contains more inositol than any other vitamin except Niacin. It is found in large quantities in the spinal cord nerves, the brain, and the cerebral spinal fluid. It is also needed for growth and survival of cells in bone marrow, eye membranes, and the intestines. It also encourages hair growth and can help prevent baldness.

Like Choline, Inositol helps to move fat out of the liver, and helps prevent serious liver disorders, as well as disorder involving high cholesterol. Serotonin and acetylcholine, two neurotransmitters, both depend upon Inositol, and it supplementation therefore can assist in the reduction of depression and panic attacks. Loss of Inositol from nerve cells is the primary reason for Diabetic neuropathy, so Inositol supplementation can assist in improving this condition. Phytic acid, the plant source of Inositol, has been shown to have anticancer properties, which may be one reason why a high-fiber diet protects against many cancers.

Inositol also has a prominent calming effect on the central nervous system, so it is sometimes helpful to those with insomnia. Studies on brain waves have shown that it has an effect similar to that of Librium or Valium. It can gradually lower blood pressure, and can be helpful in cases of schizophrenia, hypoglycemia, and those with high serum copper and low serum zinc levels.

Because it stimulates muscles of the alimentary canal, Inositol is helpful in cases of constipation. It can also induce labor contractions in pregnant women.

Most sources state that Inositol is not essential in the human diet. If it is a fundamental ingredient of cell membranes and is necessary for proper nerve, brain, and muscle function, how can it NOT be essential? Cell function is impaired when inositol is not present. Perhaps it is seen as not necessary in the diet because it can be synthesized by the intestinal flora. The action of the intestinal bacteria liberates inositol from phytic acid, which is found in citrus fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds and legumes. The same kind of statement is made in reference to the amino acids. The ones which the body manufactures are considered “non-essential” amino acids. But I believe this is incorrect terminology. All the amino acids ARE essential to bodily functions, it’s just that some are made by the body, so we don’t have to concentrate on how much we eat. That doesn’t mean they aren’t essential to the body’s functioning, and so the same is true of inositol.

However, just because the body can manufacture a certain nutrient doesn’t mean that it necessarily provides all that is needed in every circumstance. In certain disease states, certain nutrients may be required in greater quantities than the body can produce, which is why it is also found in foods. My belief is, if it’s found in food, then we need to consume it, otherwise why would it be there?

Daily dosages include:

As a general rule, if you have none of the specific problems listed in this article, it is generally thought that the dosage of Inositol should be the same as that of Choline daily.

For liver support – 100 to 500 milligrams daily
For depression or panic attacks – 12 grams
For diabetes, 1,000 to 2,000 milligrams
For blood pressure – one gram in the morning and one gram at night.

Entry for July 16, 2007

Had an unusually strong vibration last night when I went to bed and had the vibration again this morning… wtf? I did drink a lot of milk yesterday which was the only real change to my diet. Too much calcium? Not sure? I also started eating All Bran for breakfast but I don’t think that would have an impact? Very weird.

I also had eggs and cucumber for dinner and both are a good source of choline.

Let’s see what happens today…

Entry for July 15, 2007

Discovered this today about choline and phosphatidylserine. When I went into a health food store back in January looking for Phosphorus I was given something called Phosphatidylserine or “Ps-100” for short. I was miffed at the time because it wasn’t phosphorus so I googled and read about how it used for the brain and I wasn’t really interested. Now I discover that phosphatidylserine is very linked to choline and Lecithin so this time round…I’m very interested!

So although it wasn’t phosphorus, it was a very important link to choline which of course is linked to phosphorus.

How Do You Improve Your Memory?

Wouldn’t it be nice if our brain was like a computer? Just load the programs in and all the information would be there whenever it was needed. The fact is that our brain is a computer much better than any you can buy in stores.

Dr. Wilder Penfield, a well known Canadian neurosurgeon, discovered that all of our memories are recorded by the brain; our problem is that we don’t practise retrieving this information and the memories are lost. We have to work on memory retrieval because it takes no effort to forget things. Another difference is that the brain is a living computer which requires optimal nutrition if we want it to work its best. One of the first computer phrases I remember learning was “garbage in, garbage out.” This means that if you program your computer with garbage programs, then you should expect the information coming out to be garbage. Well, the same applies to your brain; if you feed it garbage, then you can expect the memory information to be garbage.

The brain also needs physical exercise and mental exercise if we wish to increase the power of memory. Many research studies have shown that mental activity keeps the brain healthy and increases the strength of your memory. These activities include learning new things, keeping active in social interaction, and doing puzzles or other games which stimulate thought.

As we age, it is normal to have changes in memory but, just as with every other organ of the body, the brain can have its capacity to function rapidly diminished through poor nutrition. We do have the option of adopting good health habits as outlined in this article and actually improving brain function and memory.

Two major physiological changes seen in the brain with age and associated memory loss are the following: first, there is a decrease in the ability of the nerves to exchange information between each other because of a decrease in neural synapse. A neural synapse is like a tiny spark which occurs between nerves when information is transferred. If the nutritional material is not present, then the spark will not occur or will be diminished. The second sign of an aging brain is a decrease in blood going to the brain and circulating through it, which is an action known as cerebrovascular disease.

The brain requires a large amount of energy to work properly as well as a good circulatory system to provide glucose, oxygen and nutrients. The brain also has a protective membrane called the blood-brain barrier which is designed to deny access to substances which may be harmful to the brain. If this blood-brain barrier and the arteries which supply the brain are blocked by a buildup of cholesterol and triglycerides, then the brain suffers. A good example of how sensitive the brain is to nutritional changes can be seen by looking at the symptoms of hypoglycemia, which is defined as a decreased amount of glucose available to the brain. The symptoms are as follows: fatigue, light headedness, headache, irritability, depression, anxiety, confusion, mental disturbance, and insomnia.

Ginkgo Biloba
One of the most studied herbal remedies, Ginkgo Biloba has been through 40 double-blind studies on its effectiveness. Ginkgo Biloba is a registered drug in Germany and France for the treatment of cerebrovascular disease which causes the restriction of blood flow which in turn leads to cerebral deterioration and memory loss. These medical studies showed that Ginkgo Biloba was specifically indicated for increasing cerebrovascular circulation and that it caused a reversal in brain deterioration. Studies show that increased vascular flow occurred within 6 to 8 weeks and that improvement continued for up to 24 weeks. With increased vascular flow, previous problems of short term memory loss, lack of concentration and headaches improved.

Lecithin
Lecithin is the best known of the phosphatides and is essential for normal brain function. Lecithin also contains choline which is used by the body to produce the neurotransmitter acetylcholine – one of the chemicals which allow for the neural synapse to communicate information. Failure to produce these chemicals results in poor memory. Another function of choline is to increase the strength of the neural cell membrane and thus the health of the brain and nerve cells. Lecithin is also known as a lipotropic factor; this means that it is used for the transport of fatty material through the blood stream and liver. Without lipotropic factors, the blood vessels and liver become clogged with fat which prevents the formation of choline while decreasing circulation to the brain.

Phosphatidyl Serine
This substance is another very important nutrient for maintaining healthy brain cells because it also helps to produce choline. Decreased blood serum levels of Phosphatidyl Serine in elderly patients have been linked to impaired memory function and depression. The body can produce choline from Phosphatidyl Serine which is then transformed by the body into acetylcholine which is a very important neurotransmitter and improves communication between the nerves. Very good results have been shown in scientific research when Phosphatidyl Serine was used to treat depression, impaired memory and your mood. As previously discussed, Phosphatidyl Serine is also responsible for maintaining healthy brain and nerve cells, and the chemicals that maintain neural synapse. Antioxidants are also essential for helping the body protect itself from free radical damage which will lead to neural degeneration.

Closing Thoughts
Adopting the above recommendations to improve the brain and thus memory is an important step, but there are certain things that you should avoid. The first is heavy use of alcohol because brain deterioration is well documented in alcoholics. Secondly, avoid contact with aluminum and lead such as can be found in, respectively, aluminum cookware and paint. Lead has a long history of causing neural deterioration. Although the cause of Alzheimer’s Disease is not yet known, a common link in Alzheimer patients is a high level of aluminum found in the brain. Thirdly, low blood sugar levels such as those found in hypoglycemia cause starvation of the brain because it requires large amounts of energy from glucose in order to work. This starvation of the brain will lead to poor memory. The use of barbiturates and psychotropic drugs will also cause brain deterioration. People who suffer from either Diabetes Mellitus or Hypothyroidism should also take steps to prevent deterioration of memory through proper nutrition.

By Dr. Daryl Robert Bourke, DC ND

Entry for July 15, 2007

Day one: The treatment with phosphorus was a success. The cold hands that I’ve had all week didn’t happen once today. Didn’t get the weird nerve feelings in my head either.

With the added research from this weekend, I’ve discovered that phosphorus plays a role in the creation of lecithin and I found my bottle half full from the last time I tried it. Lecithin contains a B vitamin called Choline. Here’s what I found:

Choline

Although choline is not by strict definition a vitamin, it is an essential nutrient. Despite the fact that humans can synthesize it in small amounts, choline must be consumed in the diet to maintain health. The majority of the body’s choline is found in specialized fat molecules known as phospholipids, the most common of which is called phosphatidylcholine or lecithin.

Support of Nervous System Activity

Choline is a key component of acetylcholine, a messenger molecule found in the nervous system. Acetylcholine, also called a neurotrasmitter since it carries messages from and to nerves, is the body’s primary chemical means of sending messages between nerves and muscles. Because of its role in nerve-muscle function, choline (supplemented in the form of lecithin, or phosphatidylcholine), has been used experimentally to help improve neuromuscular function in Alzheimer’s disease.

Entry for January 07, 2007

Just had a quick look regarding vitamins and minerals that are destroyed by sugar intake. and I was not too familiar with Choline and Inositol. Choline seems to be really important for the nerves and a deficiency can cause nerve degeneration.

Here’s what I found:

What it does in the body: Fat metabolism. Choline is involved in fat metabolism and in the transport of fats from the liver.

Cell membranes: Choline is a component of cell membranes and plays a role in the transmission of signals inside cells. Myelin, the insulating sheath around the nerves, and platelet activating factor contain choline.

Neurotransmitters: Choline accelerates the synthesis and release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which is involved in many nerve and brain functions. Dietary intake of choline seems to affect body levels of acetylcholine.

Absorption: Choline may be absorbed better in the form of lecithin.

Deficiency: Choline deficiency symptoms in humans include fatty liver and liver damage. These symptoms have been demonstrated only recently in humans fed choline- deficient diets. This means that choline fulfills one of the criteria for being an essential nutrient. Patients on long-term parenteral nutrition who are not given choline develop fatty infiltration of the liver and other signs of dysfunction. This condition can be improved, and possibly prevented, with choline supplementation.

Choline deficiency in animals also leads to nerve degeneration, senile dementia, high blood cholesterol, and liver cancer – possibly by affecting cell signaling or by generating free radicals and DNA alterations.

Nervous system disorders: Uptake of circulating choline into the brain decreases with age. Choline is important for nerve structure and function; and this change may contribute to the type of dementia in which cholinergic nerves are lost.

Sources: Good sources of choline in the form of lecithin include eggs, organ meats, lean meat, brewer’s yeast, legumes such as soybeans, grains, and nuts. It is found in green leafy vegetables as free choline.

I was taking lecithin a while back but I didn’t find any difference or improvement. Looks like I’ll be adding it again.

Entry for July 03, 2006

Lecithin

Perhaps the most interesting new findings on lecithin concern its connection with the functioning of the brain and nervous system.

Besides being an important factor in controlling cholesterol levels and aiding coronary health, lecithin is involved in a myriad of body functions. Every cell of your body contains lecithin. Lecithin is responsible for maintaining the surface tension of the cell membrane. It therefore controls what goes in and out of each cell, allowing nutrients in, or wastes out. Without enough lecithin, the cell wall hardens, thus not allowing enough nutrients in or wastes out. This means premature aging of cells. The surface tension of the cell maintained by lecithin is also responsible for transmitting nerve impulses and messages through or from the cell.

Perhaps the most interesting new findings on lecithin concern its connection with the functioning of the brain and nervous system. A key factor in proper brain and nerve transmissions is the presence of cellular substance called acetylcholine.

Until as recently as six years ago, medical researchers were using choline chloride to help their patients who suffered from these insidious brain disorders to produce more acetylcholine in their bodies. However, in 1977, Dr. Richard Wurtinan and his colleagues at Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that lecithin (which contains phosphatidyl choline) increased serum choline levels more than three times as much as the previously used choline chloride and kept those levels raised more than three times as long. This meant that researchers had found a way to significantly raise acetylcholine levels in their patients since acetylcholine production in the brain was dependent on serum choline levels.

Dr. Wartman’s research further astounded the medical community by showing that choline was taken up directly by the brain and used almost at once to help the brain make acetylcholine. This meant that the amount of lecithin (phosphatidyl choline) furnished by each meal could have a direct and almost immediate effect on the efficiency of the brain. Researchers found this so surprising because it had long been believed that the so called blood/brain barrier shielded the brain from such direct influences by nutrients and substances that are excessive or lacking in the day-to-day diet. Only a few substances such as alcohol or powerful drugs were thought to be able to cross this barrier.

Additional Findings on Lecithin’s Interaction in the Body

Without sufficient lecithin, your body cannot utilize the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. By adding an adequate amount of lecithin to your diet, you could improve your digestion and utilization of these vitamins by 100% or more if your diet is now deficient in lecithin.

When a person exercises regularly to improve their muscle tone, the amount of lecithin contained in the muscles increases. This increase in muscle lecithin is in part responsible for the greater endurance of the muscle.

Cirrhosis of the liver is no longer a disease of the heavy drinker only. Being the body’s waster disposal plant, many toxic materials, like food additives, preservatives, insecticides, growth hormones, etc., all pass through the liver. Lecithin and good general nutrition readily reverses liver damage.

W.S. Hartroff, M.D., Ph.D., reported in the American Journal of Public Health that the lack of choline was found to head infants toward high blood pressure. Furthermore, it has been found that a choline deficiency induced tendency to high blood pressure can not be reversed. Interestingly enough, human milk contains lecithin while cow’s milk does not.