|
GLUTAMINE
Glutamine supplements, normally in the form of 500 milligram
tablets, are readily available in health food stores. AIDS patients are
known to be very deficient in glutamine. In a Harvard study7 of
HIV-seropositive individuals who were largely asymptomatic, glutamine
serum levels were found to be very depressed, even though they showed
no sign of AIDS. Despite the fact that a subgroup was given 20 grams
(20,000 milligrams, that is 5 teaspoons) of glutamine daily in small
doses over 24 hours for one month, glutamine blood levels remained
depressed. Patients8 were then given 40 grams of glutamine per day, an
amount usually reserved for bone-marrow transplant patients fighting
off infection.
Pressman and Buff9 probably provided the best advice on the therapeutic use of glutamine as a supplement when they wrote:
"Glutamine may also help treat serious diarrhea caused by AIDS or
by other intestinal problems such as ulcerative colitis. Fairly large
doses of glutamine, as high as 40,000 milligrams, may be
needed. The glutamine improves the absorption of water through the
colon, which helps relieve the diarrhea. Dosages that high should be
taken under supervision, and only by those with diarrhea caused by a
serious medical problem. Don’t treat minor diarrhea from indigestion or
a 24-hour stomach virus with glutamine."
As Shabert and Ehrlich10 point out:
"There are very specific instances in which giving glutamine to a
sick individual would not be indicated. Individuals who have severe
cirrhosis of the liver, Reye’s syndrome, or another metabolic disorder
that can lead to an accumulation of ammonia in the blood are at an
increased risk for encephalopathy or coma. The basic problem is an
inability to clear the body of excess nitrogen, which is converted to
ammonia and ultimately causes brain swelling and brain-cell death. When
the liver is severely damaged or when hepatic coma is imminent,
glutamine is not effective and would cause only further damage to the
brain."
CYSTEINE
Cysteine supplements have been used for many years by orthomolecular
physicians to treat diseases as diverse as stroke, manic depression,
asthma, and schizophrenic psychosis. Cysteine, however, is a poorly
absorbed amino acid and has to be given in fairly large doses. To quote
Braverman and Pfeiffer5:
"When we determine that cysteine supplementation is necessary, we
usually begin with a dose of 500 mg/day. (Starting with a larger amount
can lead to indigestion). Gradually, we may increase the dose to 3 or 4
g per day. Meanwhile, we keep an eye on serum cystine values. We find
that, as cystine levels return to normal, low plasma levels of zinc,
folic acid and taurine also return to normal. Some researchers have
used as much as 7 g per day of cysteine. It should be noted that
extremely high doses of cysteine, probably greater than 7 g daily, can
be harmful. Patients with cystinuria, an hereditary disorder
characterized by excretion of large amounts of cystine and other amino
acids in the urine, are at increased risk of forming cystine
gallstones. We would suggest a limit of 500 mg of cysteine twice per
day except under medical supervision. Vitamin C may prevent cysteine
toxicity."
Indeed cysteine should always be taken with high dose vitamin C and
vitamins B1, B6, and E which improve its efficacy9. Other recommended
supplements are magnesium and zinc, deficiencies of which are
detrimental to glutathione metabolism. In magnesium deficiency, for
example, one of the enzymes that is required in glutatione synthesis,
gamma glutamyl transpeptidase, is lowered. Zinc and magnesium
supplements, therefore, may enhance glutathione synthesis under
specific conditions5. However, it is known that diabetics should avoid
cysteine supplementation because it can block the effects of insulin by
altering its chemical structure. That is, cysteine breaks some S-S
cross-link bonds, changing insulin’s molecular shape. Some
orthomolecular physicians prefer to describe N-acetyl-cysteine for the
treatment of AIDS. This is because AIDS patients usually have digestive
absorption problems. It is easier for them to take N-acetyl-cysteine
than either cysteine or glutathione. Physicians treating AIDS patients
generally recommend fairly high daily doses of N-acetyl-cysteine, in
the range of 1,800 to 2,400 milligrams, taken at regular intervals, in
three or four divided doses9.
TRYPTOPHAN
Tryptophan is the least abundant essential amino acid in foods.
Deficiencies of it are known to be linked with a wide range of health
problems including Hartnup’s disease, pellagra, depression,
hypertension, anorexia, insomnia, and overly aggressive behaviour.
Tryptophan supplements of up to 3 grams daily have been used also to
control intractable pain. This amino acid is used by the body for the
biosynthesis of niacin, serotonin, and various proteins. As a result,
deficiencies of tryptophan, seen in individuals who are
HIV-seropositive, seem to result in a variety of symptoms including
those associated with pellagra; namely dermatitis, diarrhea, and
dementia5,11
L-tryptophan is the most desirable supplement form since all other
metabolites of tryptophan, with the exception of niacin, have
significant side effects. Braverman and Pfeiffer5 explain that:
"Infusions of tryptophan can raise serum tryptophan six to ten
times in normal persons without apparent side effects. Oral loading (4
grams) to normal controls can increase plasma levels up to four times
normal within two hours. Twelve grams daily to manic patients can
maintain plasma levels at three times normal."
They further describe giving seven patients 2 grams of tryptophan
daily for 6 weeks. Their plasma tryptophan levels were by then nearly
double those of a control group of 96 patients.
Unlike selenium, cysteine, and glutamine, tryptophan is not readily
available in health food stores. In the fall of 1989, the FDA recalled
all L-tryptophan, stating it caused the rare and deadly condition
Eosinophilia-Myalgia Syndrome (EMS)12. On March 22, 1990 the FDA
completely banned the public sale of L-tryptophan.
The truth appears to be that one faulty batch of tryptophan
probably caused the death of 37 people, and permanently disabled 1,500
more. It is clear, however, that this was due not to the amino acid
itself but to a contaminant in it, produced as a result of the use of
genetically engineered bacteria in its production13. Banning the sale
of tryptophan, because of the world’s first genetic engineering
disaster, was like banning the sale of whiskey because of deaths due to
a bad batch of moonshine. However, it is still possible to buy
5-Hydroxy Tryptophan (5-HTP), derived from the seeds of Griffonia
simplicifolia, a medicinal plant traditionally used in Ghana, Cameroon,
and Côte d’Ivoire14. This supplement should not be taken by anyone
using SSRI (serotonin reuptake) or MAO (monoamine oxidase) inhibitor
prescription medications15. 5-Hydroxy Tryptophan is formed by the
addition of a hydroxyl group (OH) to tryptophan, by the enzyme
tryptophan hydroxylase and is the intermediate in the natural synthesis
of tryptophan to serotonin16. In addition, another tryptophan
metabolite, niacin, is available in any health food store. It should
also be recalled that there are 400 milligrams of tryptophan in a cup
of wheat germ, while low fat cottage cheese contains 300 milligrams per
cup. There are also some 600 milligrams of tryptophan in a pound of
turkey or chicken. In most countries, if not available in health food
stores, tryptophan can be prescribed by a physician. Indeed, it is
strongly suggested that anyone attempting to reverse selenium,
cysteine, glutamine, and tryptophan deficiencies caused by HIV
infection should do so under the supervision of an orthomolecular
(nutritional) physician. (Editor's note: I do not maintain a database
of such physicians. I recommend an internet search.)
More information, including cited references, is available at:
http://www.nexusmagazine.com/articles/aids.selenium.html
http://www.nexusmagazine.com/articles/aids.selenium2.html
http://www.hdfoster.com/WhatReallyCausesAIDS.pdf
http://www.lookforhelp.com
REFERENCES
1. Foster, H.D. (2002). What Really Causes AIDS. Victoria: Trafford Publishing.
2. Foster, H.D. (2004). How HIV-1 causes AIDS: Implications for prevention and treatment. Medical Hypotheses, 62, 549-553.
3. Shamberger, R., and Willis, C. (1980). Journal of the National
Cancer Institute, 44, 931. Cited by Passwater, R.A. (1980). Selenium as
food and medicine. New Canaan, CT: Keats, p.18.
4. Shamberger, R. and Willis, C. (1971). CRC critical reviews in
clinical laboratory sciences, 211-221. Cited by Passwater, op.cit.,
pp.21-22.
5. Braverman, E.R. (with Pfeiffer, C.C.)(1987). The healing
nutrients within: Facts, findings and new research on amino acids. New
Canaan: Keats Publishing.
6. Taylor, E.W. (1997). Selenium and viral diseases: Facts and hypotheses. Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine, 12(4), 227-239.
7. Young, L.C., Gatzen, C., Wilmore, K., and Wilmore, D.W. (1992).
Glutamine (Gln) supplementation fails to increase plasma Gln levels in
asymptomatic HIV+ individuals. Journal of the American Medical
Association, 92 (Suppl), A-88.
8. Robinson, M.K., Hong, R.W., and Wilmore, D.W. (1992).
Glutathione deficiency and HIV infection. Letter to the editor, The
Lancet, 339, 1603-1604.
9. Pressman, A.H. (with Buff, S.)(1997). The GSH phenomenon:
Nature’s most powerful oxidant and healing agent glutathione. New York:
St. Martin’s Press, p. 135.
10. Shabert, J., and Ehrlich, N. (1994). The ultimate nutrient
glutamine: The essential nonessential amino acid. Garden City Park, NY:
Avery Publishing Group, p.46.
11. Fuchs, D., Moller, A.A., Reibnegger, G., Stockle, E., Werner,
E.R., and Wachter, H. (1990). Decreased serum tryptophan in patients
with HIV-1 infection correlates with increased serum neopterin with
neurologic/psychiatric symptoms. Journal of Acquired Immunodeficiency
Syndrome, 3(9), 873-876.
12. Manders, D.W. (1995). The FDA ban of L-tryptophan: Politics,
profits and Prozac. Science Policy, 26(2). Reprinted on Cognitive
Enhancement Research Institute website: http://www.ceri.com/trypto.htm .
13. Boyens, I. (1999). The skeleton in the GMO closet: Did genetic
engineering cause the tryptophan-EMS disaster of 1989? From Unnatural
harvest: How corporate science is secretly altering our food. Toronto:
Doubleday Canada. (See http://www.aquarianonline.com/Eco/UnnaturalHarvest.html)
14. People and Plants Online. Medicinal Plant Use in Africa. (http://www/rbgkew.org.uk/peopleplants/wp1/africa1.htm)
15. http://www/painstresscenter.com/5htp.html .
16. http://store.yahoo.com/vitanet/5htp60capsules.html .
Reprinted from the book FIRE YOUR DOCTOR, copyright 2004 and prior
years by Andrew Saul, 23 Greenridge Crescent, Hamlin, NY 14464 USA
Andrew Saul, PhD
 |
Subscribe to this comment's feed