Natural Health and Herbal Remedies Blog

One of the most important things we doctors can evalaute in the blood is protein. The enzyme systems that keep the body running depend on protein. And the immune system cells, like all cells, can’t exist without protein.

“But, Dr. Fox,” some patients protest, “didn’t you say that the average person gets too much protein?” Yes, I do feel that most of us take in plenty of protein. Still, protein malnutrition is seen in hospitalized patients, those with colitis, cancer, pancreatitis, chronic illnesses, in alcoholics, persons on fad diets, people taking drugs and others. Protein calorie malnutririon (PCM) is more common than one would think it would be in the Western world. Unfortunatly, it’s an often overlooked medical-nutritional problem.

Twenty-five to 50 percent of all adults admitted to a hospital for medical or surgical reasons develop signs of PCM within two weeks after admission. I have seen many patients living on nothing but intravenous solutions of five percent glucose in water for a week, ten days, or many weeks.

PCM can occur even where there is plenty of food to eat. There may be excessive food, but it is of limited variety and very low in protein. Years ago a 35-year-old woman was referred to me by another doctor. She complained of weakness and had anemia. Taking her personal and medical history, I learned that this mother of three small children was extremely poor. She and her children ate lots of potatoes—fried, boiled, baked, mashed— and some white rice. Potatoes are good for you, but a diet of mostly potatoes is unhealthy. She and her children were overweight: full, but malnourished. With plenty of calories to eat, but not enough protein, the woman and her children wound up with PCM.

Elderly people who eat only a few different foods, mostly from cans or packages, can also run into trouble. It’s wonderful to see how bright and energetic these people become when they are fed correctly.

Thus, as part of the Immuno-Nutritional series of blood tests, I look at three proteins in the blood: retinol-binding protein, transferin and albumin.

Both retinol-binding protein and transferin are sensitive indicators of a person’s protein status, because they’re rapid-turnover proteins. This means that the body quickly manufactures and destroys the proteins, so a shortage of building blocks (amino acids) will affect these proteins sooner than it will longer-lived proteins. These two proteins provide a biochemical indication of poor nutrition before the clinical signs are evident.

I also look at the serum albumin, even though this is a relatively “long-lived” protein that takes longer to be affected by a nutritional deficit. It’s part of my standard laboratory panel, however, so it’s a readily available figure. It has been shown that low-serum albumin in hospitalized patients has been associated with longer hospital stays and sicker patients. A low-serum albumin not accounted for in other disease states, such as liver or kidney failure, is associated with a lowered immune response. Albumin is lowered in infections and often with cancer.

Results: …

Retinol-binding protein 3.0-6.0 mg/dl

Transferin 200-400 mg/dl

Albumin 3.5-5.0 gm/dl (I like to see it between 4.5 and 5.5 gm/dl.)

*226\80\8*

read comments (0)

Years ago, when Nobel prize winner Dr. Linus Pauling announced that vitamin C has a beneficial effect on the immune system, I was unimpressed. Like many other medical doctors, I had little faith in vitamins. But as I studied vitamin C and saw the effects it had on patients, I became convinced that vitamin C is necessary for good immune-system functioning. Some years ago, when I met Dr. Pauling, I was pleased to tell him that he had helped me see the power of vitamin C. More importantly, his work increased my awareness of the health-giving properties of vitamins and minerals in general.

There is a genetic disorder called Chediak-Higashi disease, which is highlighted by a marked lowering of resistance to bacterial infections. Patients who have this disease suffer from recurrent tissue abcesses, sinusitis and pneumonia, all of which are difficult to treat, and the disease is often fatal. Their white blood cell count drops, and the killing power of the cells is reduced. This is a dangerous sign, because the white blood cells bear the brunt of defending the body against disease. Vitamin C has corrected the problem in many patients studied, and it therefore serves as a model for the use of nutrients in helping the immune system to function effectively.

Vitamin C also improves the mobility of white blood cells. Using a video camera and screen hooked up to a microscope, I have seen sluggish white blood cells taken from patients with recurrent infections. After giving these people an injection of vitamin C, I put a fresh sample of their blood under the microscope and watch as the previously “lazy” white blood cells move about energetically.

Vitamin C has been used to speed up recoverv from pneumonia, mononucleosis, hepatitis and almost all viral infections, including AIDS. Studies are underway to evaluate vitamin C as an interferon-releasing agent. (A natural substance produced by your lymphocytes, interferon is involved in the battle against virus and cancer.) Vitamin C stimulates T- and B-cells, as well as the giant “cell eaters” (macrophages) which gobble up and destroy bacteria, viruses, fungi and other disease-causing antigens. In addition, vitamin C is an antioxidant and scavenger of free radicals. (Oxidation of molecules in your body is analogous to the rusting of a piece of iron. See vitamin E, below, for more information on free radicals.)

*213\80\8*

read comments (0)

LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS, SYSTEMIC: an inflammatory disease of connective tissue, occurring mostly in young women. Believed to be an autoimmune disease. May progress over a long period of time and may ultimately lead to death in some cases.

Signs and Symptoms: fever and malaise, which can progress insidiously over a period of years; joint pains; joint swelling may occur; allergic-like skin eruptions or various skin rashes; a “butterfly” rash on the face; loss of hair; redness of the palms; spontaneous bruises may occur; pleurisy; chest pains; pericarditis (inflammation of the sac surrounding the heart); endocarditis (inflammation of the inner lining of the heart); swelling of the lymph glands; symptoms of small strokes (transient weakness or paralysis of extremities, momentarily forgetfulness, etc.); patients may have depression, epileptic convulsions, dementia, confusion and many other symptoms.

*200\80\8*

read comments (0)

Another example of immune-system cooperation is interleukin. Macrophages produce a substance called interleukin-I (IL-I), which leads to an increase in T-cells. The T-cells then manufacture interleukin-II (IL-2), which helps get the B-cells producing antibodies.

Interleukin-II has recently been hailed as an amazing breakthrough in the war against canceV. It seems that the immune systems of some cancer patients don’t fully mobilize to fight the cancer. For what ever reason, the antigen (cancer) doesn’t elicit a full immune response; the immune system doesn’t seem to pay proper attention to the problem. New studies have described how scientists took blood from these cancer patients, separated out the lymphocytes and mixed them with interleukin-II. The lymphocyte/interleukin complexes were injected back into the bloodstream, and the rejuvenated lymphocytes were better able to attack the cancer.

*186\80\8*

read comments (0)