In 1976, before much attention was being
paid to the various theories of aging and of
"degenerative" diseases, a medical Doctor who
was also a biochemist wrote a book called
"Dr. Frank's No-Aging Diet". His
theory that damaged DNA was an important factor
in health and aging may in turn have owed something to research
done by Dr. Max Odens in 1973. This study
(which was actually undertaken to test some theories
about cancer) produced the startling result of
not only improving the health of the lucky rats
in it, but also of more than doubling their life
span.
(Odens, M. Prolongation of the
life span in rats. J American Geriatrics Soc,
1973, XXI: 450-451.)
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Both these researchers were
studying the effects of RNA DNA (Nucleic
Acid) supplementation on health. |
Dr,
Frank claimed many spectacular results for many
health conditions with his
Nucleic Acid therapy, and recommended a diet
high in the following foods:
•
Four days per week—one can of small sardines.
• Fish on the other three days.
• Calves' liver once a week
• Lentils, peas, lima beans, or soybeans.
• Asparagus, radishes, onions, scallions,
mushrooms, spinach, cauliflower, or celery.
• Seven glasses of fluid per day—4 of water, 2
milk, and 1 vegetable
Vitamin Research Products Dr. Ward Dean has an
excellent detailed piece on this subject here.
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Replacing RNA/DNA (Nucleic
Acids) through diet and supplementation is
certainly one way to go, but preventing damage
to nucleic acids and providing them with their
necessary "building blocks" is also important.
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Those of us who
have been in the health field for many years
have suspected right from the beginning that there
is a connection between the increasing number
of toxins in our food and environment, and the
escalation of disease.
Over time, this suspicion
has grown to certainty, but supporting research has
been hard to come by. Most holistic research on
the connection between diet and disease has
focused on the role of nutritional factors in
preventing disease: what happened in the body to
bring about the disease state has generally been
of lesser interest.
However. there is
clear evidence
that
pathways in the body are affected by the
overwhelming onslaught of toxins and that this
contributes to the breakdown of health.
There is a a wealth of scientific and
biochemical evidence that is outside the scope
of this piece, but there are two
major pathways involved in eliminating
of toxins from the body : methylation and
sulfation.
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The first important thing to know is that many
nutrients function in the body as
methyl donors,
i.e. supporters of the production of methyl
groups.
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Among these are
SAM-e, Choline, Methionine, TMG, DMG, MSM, folic acid, B6 and B12. The Standard
American Diet is generally deficient in these,
particularly the B vitamins which are found
chiefly in unprocessed foods, fruits and
vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are
plentifully supplied with many factors such as
phenols and cyanidins, which have beneficial and
protective effects (absent pesticides,
fungicides, herbicides and other possible -cides) .
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Next, it is important to realize that the
exchange of methyl groups is a method used by
many molecules in the body to regulate their
function.
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Methyl groups play a critical role in
controlling genes involved in prenatal and
postnatal development.
Research into DNA
synthesis strongly suggests that the presence of
sufficient methyl groups keeps genes inactive,
while low levels can switch gene transcription
on.
A
deficiency of methyl groups may lower the
threshold for carcinogenesis.
The presence of
sufficient amounts of methyl groups is also key
to controlling levels of homocysteine in the
body, high levels of which are implicated in
heart disease, as well as such neuro-degenerative
problems as MS and Parkinson's. This is because
methyl groups are essential both for proper
nerve transmission, and for the formation and
maintenance of the myelin sheath that covers and
protects nerve cells.
Wikipedia describes DNA Methylation
The heavy metals cadmium, mercury and lead
steal methyl groups from the body.
Cadmium
enters our systems from many unsuspected
sources, such as plastic wrappers on our foods,
olive oil bought in galvanized cans, ice trays
and even cola drinks.
Mercury is present in such
diverse things as air conditioner filters,
tattooing inks, lawn pesticides and fabric
softeners. Lead is the best known culprit of
these three for its presence in paint, but did you know it can also be
found in some foil wrapped chocolates, some
Italian wines, and cigarette smoke?
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Heavy metals all
react with oxygen, and this is the final event
that closes the harmful circle.
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Antioxidants are
the nutrients which quench free radicals in our
body. Free radicals are the end result of almost
anything involving oxygen, therefore heavy
metals rob our bodies of antioxidants. Dr.
Lester Packer, the guru of oxygen metabolism,
compares a free radical to a hot potato: imagine
yourself standing in a circle, passing a hot
potato from hand to hand. As long as it keeps
moving, nobody gets hurt. But when there is no
one to pass it to, someone gets burned. Its the
same with free radicals: the heavy metals and
the oxygen molecules are moving an unpaired
electron around, and if there is nowhere for it
go, it will damage any membrane or cell it comes
into contact with. As long as antioxidants such
as C, E, Alpha Lipoic Acid and ultimately,
Glutathione, are available for the rogue
electron to be handed off to, the body is safe. These nutrients
rely heavily on a good diet for adequate
supply, and again, the Standard American Diet
supplies only very inadequate amounts.
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Methylation is half of the equation, there
is also Sulfation. |
It is interesting to look back in
history, and acknowledge the instinctive wisdom
that led to the establishment of Spas in places
that had waters high in sulfur, and also Dr. Hahnemann's inspired realization that made
sulfur one of the founding remedies of
homeopathy: what he called one of the great "polycrests",
meaning a remedy that has a great number of
health applications, with particular
application for skin problems.
These days, we do
not have to rely on instinct to learn what
various substances can do for us, and the role
of sulfur is now comprehensively tracked: it is
the sixth most abundant element in our body,
with strong metabolic parallels to oxygen, yet
arguably its most important job is to make many
of the toxins we are exposed to water soluble,
so that they can be excreted from the body.
In
these highly polluted times, the demands this
places on sulfur stores means that often sulfur
compounds are less available for important
metabolic functions. Among these,
- sulfur is
needed to assist the body's use of thyroid
hormones,
- to excrete the water soluble
metabolites of deconjugated hormones (estrogens
circulate almost exclusively as sulfate esters,
as does DHEA), and
- to support gallbladder
function: low sulfur is something one should
always consider where gallbladder disease is
present.
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There is an interesting connection here:
I have always made gallbladder sufferers aware
of Dr. Jonathan Wright's advise,
which is that in a high number
of patients food allergies are at the root of
the problem. Of his patients, 93% were allergic
to eggs, 64% to pork, and 52% to onions. ( He
lists 15 other food allergens as common
culprits, to include milk, tomatoes, and
medications. ) The connection lies in the fact
that for the past 4 years or so, I have been
following with interest the research into a food
supplement called Methylsulfonylmethane - or MSM
for short . It seems that it is extremely
helpful in all allergic response to
environmental allergies, with users reporting
substantial to complete relief from such
symptoms as respiratory congestion, itching and
mucoid discharge. Even more significant is that
it lessens intolerances to food and medications.
One sheet I received (admittedly from a company
promoting sales of MSM!) stated unequivocally
that it ameliorates gastrointestinal symptoms
such as diarrhea, constipation, nausea,
hyperacidity and brings "dramatic relief". These
features underscore the allergy/gallbladder
connection, and make sulfur something anyone
with problems along these lines should consider.
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However, this is not all for the importance of
sulfur.
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A little
understood health problem is disturbance of the
acid/alkaline balance of the body, or its pH
level. A little background may be in order.
Water is considered neutral at a pH of 7.
Anything under that is increasingly acid,
anything over - increasingly alkaline. The human
body is designed to operate at a pH of between
6.0 and 6.8.( I am not speaking of blood pH
here, which is regulated strictly by the body,
but of saliva and urinary pH). Disturbances in this balance on the
acid side of the ledger result in such problems
as arthritis, migraines, insomnia, water
retention, muscle cramps and parasitic
infections.
Interestingly, people who are highly
acidic tend to sigh frequently, have low blood
pressure, burning in the mouth, sensitive gums
and bumps on the tongue. ( This may provide a
clue to your position on the scale, but an easy
way to find out for sure is to purchase pH
strips, and check your urine.)
When I add that
adrenal exhaustion (often caused by stress) and
a diet high in sugars, animal products and dairy
foods are two of the major causes of acidity,
you will realize that this is a widespread
problem. Add to this that the cells of the body
rigorously protect their pH level, and that this
level regulates the exchange of nutrients within
the cell as well as the unloading of toxins -
you can see that maintaining proper pH levels is
one of the key elements of homeostasis in the
human body.
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Sulfur is an important buffer,
helping to maintain body pH at acceptable
readings.
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Dr. Frank was very insistent in his book that
nucleic acids need to be taken when the body's
pH is only slightly acid: his concern was a
possible rise in uric acid, but rememberalso that the cells function more
efficiently -in other words, make more effective
use of materials presented to them - when they
are maintained in the correct pH range.
See my article on pH balance for more information.
Sulfur is a key component of important amino
acids (methionine and cysteine, important for
detoxification of the blood, and taurine, which
acts as a "dock" for sulfur), and of the
antioxidant glutathione. It is also important
for the construction of collagen, and therefore
for joint support, and for healthy skin and
hair. It is widely found in foods, but
unfortunately is also highly susceptible to
destruction by heat: the cabbage family, garlic
& onions, meats, soybeans and eggs, fish and
beans - all have rich supplies of sulfur - but
who eats them raw?
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Keeping tabs on
one's pH can help indicate whether sulfur levels
are optimal, and as you can see, this is a very
important aspect of
cell maintenance |
First, improve your diet - and on the principle
of keeping your powder dry - it might not hurt
to take MSM as a supplement, too. I add a
little of the powdered form to my morning power
drink.
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So there we have it:
a diet low in the nutrients necessary to provide
high levels of antioxidants, sulfur and methyl groups
+
surroundings high in toxins that deplete those
substances
= disease and rapid aging.
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A simple and
elegant equation with a solution we can take
steps to apply in order to protect against the
diseases that often come with aging, and also to
possibly stave off the terminal event of our
lives a little longer:
- eat better, because
the right foods are the foundation of health,
- take supplements
where necessary to ensure optimal supplies,
- become knowledgeable about
common sources of toxins so that you can avoid
them,
- protect
yourself against toxins, and take the time to
detoxify yourself
regularly.
Long life to us all, and may we enjoy it to
the very end.
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Keywords:
rna dna, nucleic acids, dr. benjamin frank,
dr. max odens, sulfur pH, sulfur msm allergies, sulfur msm
digestion, sulfur detoxification, sulfur
taurine connection, the vitamin lady writes
about cellular health, gallbladder
allergies sulfur, cellular heath |
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