Autoinflammatory diseases are a relatively new category of diseases that are different from autoimmune diseases. However, autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases share common characteristics in that both groups of disorders result from the immune system attacking the body’s own tissues, and also result in increased inflammation. This overview contains general information on the immune system, and provides brief descriptions of some of the more common autoinflammatory diseases.
When your body is attacked — perhaps by a virus or other germs — your immune system defends you. It sees and kills the germs that might hurt you.
But when the system doesn’t work right, this process can cause harm. Immune cells can mistake your body’s own cells as invaders and attack them. This friendly fire can affect almost any part of the body. It can sometimes affect many parts of the body at once. This is called autoimmunity (meaning self-immunity).
The part of the immune system that orchestrates all of this develops as a person grows, and is known as the acquired immune system. It remembers foreign antigens, or proteins, so that it can fight them if they come back. It employs white blood cells called lymphocytes.
But the body also has an innate (inborn) immune system which is more primitive. It employs types of white blood cells called granulocytes and monocytes to destroy harmful substances. In autoinflammatory diseases, this innate immune system causes inflammation for unknown reasons. It reacts, even though it has never encountered autoantibodies or antigens in the body.
Autoinflammatory disorders are characterized by intense episodes of inflammation that result in such symptoms as fever, rash, or joint swelling. These diseases also carry the risk of amyloidosis, a potentially fatal build up of a blood protein in vital organs.
People with Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF) suffer from recurring bouts of fever, most commonly with severe abdominal pain due to inflammation of the abdominal cavity (peritonitis). Attacks can also include arthritis (painful, swollen joints), chest pain from inflammation of the lung cavity (pleurisy), and skin rashes.
FMF usually begins in childhood and occurs most commonly in people of Jewish, Armenian, Arab, and Turkish backgrounds living in the United States and abroad. As many as 1 in 200 people in these populations have the disease, and as many as 1 in 5 to 1 in 7 carry a mutated FMF gene. The gene holds the code for making a protein known as pyrin. The pyrin protein, named from the Greek word for fire, bears a strong resemblance to several proteins found in the nucleus of cells. Some of these proteins are known to regulate inflammation. Usually a person must inherit two mutated copies of the gene — one from each parent — in order to get FMF. However, recent studies have shown that under some circumstances, one copy is enough to cause disease.
Resource: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
Information Clearinghouse National Institutes of Health
Inflammation
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Inflammation
The Nopalea Loading Phase
TriVitas Weekly Wellness Report
by Brazos Minshew, TriVita Chief Science Officer
You can not put out a forest fire with a single pail of water. Likewise, you can not break the cycle of inflammation with a single serving of Nopalea.
We need to meet the level of inflammation in our body with an equivalent force of anti-inflammatory Betalains from Nopalea. We must quench inflammation with a Nopalea Loading Phase (NLP).
The cycle of inflammation
Inflammation in your body is like a campfire, when properly contained it is useful for warming your body and cooking your food. However, when even a single ember escapes the hearth and remains unquenched, it can smolder and spread until it burns down an entire forest!
The cycle of inflammation begins with injury or trauma, toxins or poisons, deficiency or stress. When inflammation inflammation is controlled and balanced, it facilitates,
Repair of the injury.
Elimination of the toxins and poisons.
Relief for many forms of deficiency and stress. For example, controlled and balanced inflammation relieves blood and oxygen deficiency in areas of poor circulation.
Runaway inflammation persists long after the cause has been removed. It continues to smolder and spread until something breaks the cycle. With fire, usually a little water will quench an ember before it causes a forest fire. With runaway inflammation in our body, we need anti-inflammatory nutrients that will remove the cause as well as the effect of inflammation.
However, the same amount of water that quenches a single ember will not douse the flames of a forest fire. The same level of anti-inflammatory nutrients that will balance daily trauma, toxins, deficiency and stress will not put out the fire of runaway inflammation.
The Nopalea Loading Phase
We are a people on fire, we typically have runaway inflammation raging in one or more places of our bodies. We suffer from this because so many of our health problems stem from this very condition. And if our inflamed condition is greater in size and intensity, the greater our response will have to be in order to put out the fire.
That makes sense, right? I mean, if you have a forest fire of inflammation you can not put it out with a single pail of water. The same is true with our health, If we have been suffering from major inflammation over a long period of time, we need a REALLY SIGNIFICANT RESPONSE to put out the fire.
We need a Nopalea Loading Phase.
The Betalains in Nopalea are anti-inflammatory - as such, they put out the fire of inflammation. But how much Nopalea do you need? That depends, How big is the fire you are trying to put out?
For maintenance, the label suggests drinking 1 to 3 ounces a day, this amount is needed every day just to fight the inflammatory effects of our diet, air and water pollution, and even everyday stress. But you need to take more in the beginning to break the cycle of inflammation. Here is how the Nopalea Loading Phase works,
1. Pre-Evaluation, Before taking Nopalea for the first time, record your level of pain and rate the discomfort you feel. Also, look at things you may not readily associate with inflammation. For example, how well are you sleeping? Write it all down.
2. Complete the Loading Phase, Drink 3 to 6 ounces of chilled Nopalea every day for 30 days.
3. Post-Evaluation, After 30 days, assess how you feel in comparison to before you started the Loading Phase. Most people find a significant difference and I'm sure you will too.
Keep following the Loading Phase directions until the cycle of inflammation is extinguished in your body. Remember, only YOU know how much Nopalea you will need or how LONG you will need to continue the Loading Phase. Trust your intuition.
If you think you need more - take more.
If you think you need to continue the Loading Phase beyond 30 days - then keep doing it.
Trust your instinct because only you can tell when the cycle of inflammation in your body is broken.
Restoring balance
Nutrient deficiencies create inflammation. That is why it makes enormous sense to take a full serving of Healthy Foundation nutrients to support our bodies firefighting efforts. Furthermore, each of the 10 Essentials for Health and Wellness is also anti-inflammatory in nature. So if we fail to abide by these timeless, natural laws, we could very well be fanning the fires of the inflammatory problems we are ultimately trying to overcome. It is important to remember that once you have subdued the flames of runaway inflammation, you need to follow Nopaleas maintenance regimen to help prevent any smoldering inflammatory embers from re-igniting again.
Take Control of Your Health
Follow the Nopalea Loading Phase, Drink 3 to 6 ounces of chilled Nopalea daily for 30 days. But also consider,
Drinking a greater amount each day if you feel that your body needs it
Extending the Loading Phase beyond 30 days if you feel it will help
Take your Healthy Foundation nutrients every day
Practice the 10 Essentials for greater wellness
Above information provided by TriVita Inc.
Click here now > to learn how others are reducing there runaway inflammation and pain
The above information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent disease. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.
Inflammation
Taking the Flame Out of Inflammation
TriVitas Weekly Wellness Report
by Brazos Minshew, TriVita Chief Science Officer
We usually describe the process of inflammation like a series of dominos all set up and ready for something to tip over the first domino and start the chain reaction. The first one tips over the second one, which tips over the third one and so on. This is called the domino effect. Clever people can set up these dominos in an amazing array of complicated designs.
Inflammation is a process much like that. A single event may trigger a domino effect of inflammatory reactions. While many of the reactions are fairly predictable, many others are not. They seem to involve amazingly complicated patterns unique to the individual. Still, all inflammation exhibits five basic signs caused by four basic triggers.
Signs of inflammation
With tissue injury, inflammation is part of the healing process,
1. Redness: An injured area needs an increased supply of nutrients and proteins carried in the blood. So, blood supply increases and the tissue turns red (Latin rubor).
2. Swelling: The injured area is bathed in healing proteins and substances to control bleeding, as well as an increased supply of plasma for transport of waste. This causes the injured area to swell (Latin tumor).
3. Pain: The injured area needs to be protected. We instinctively guard an injury because we feel or anticipate pain (Latin dolor).
4. Heat: The damaged tissue now becomes weakened and so it is susceptible to infection. White blood cells rush to the area and defend the fragile cells from microbes. A sign that this is working is heat or fever in the damaged area (Latin calor).
5. Loss of Function: This process is accompanied by a reduction in function of the injured area until it is healed (Latin functio laesa).
The dominoes fall in the same predictable pattern if the injury is a sprained ankle or heart attack! No matter what triggers the
inflammation , the process is the same.
Inflammation triggers
Inflammation is the response to four basic triggers, trauma, toxins, deficiency and stress. All four of these triggers cause tissue injury. Our body responds to injury with inflammation.
Trauma
We usually think of trauma as a direct injury that causes pain and distress. However, a sedentary lifestyle is also a serious cause of trauma. Why? Because our body was made to move! The more we move, the more we are able to move - and the more we want to move. The less we move, the less we are able to move. Our muscles and other tissues shorten and atrophy. Then, any movement causes injury. So, the less we move, the less we want to move.
Toxins
Toxicity causes cells to rupture in the same way that a needle causes a balloon to pop. Is there any doubt that we live in a toxic world? An article in National Geographic estimated that humans create 700,000 tons of pollution and waste every day! Between these exotoxins (toxins created outside our body), and endotoxins (toxins created inside our body), we are bathed in inflammation-producing poison every moment of every day. Any successful strategy for reducing inflammation must address the level of toxins we face.
Deficiency
Deficiencies also cause inflammation. For example, an omega-3 essential fatty acid (EFA) deficiency leaves the cell walls weak and unable to function normally. Again, cells are like balloons. If the balloon membrane is too thin, even a normal amount of air will make it pop. If the cell wall is too thin because of an omega-3 EFA deficiency, even normal cell activity will cause the cell to pop and trigger the domino effect of inflammation. Similarly, deficiency of other nutrients can have a catastrophic effect on cells within your body. (A deficiency in oxygen, water, sleep and circulation can also trigger inflammation.)
Stress
Emotional distress is also a cause of inflammation. When we appraise a situation to be stressful, our brain releases chemicals called catecholamines that trigger the release of many inflammatory processes. For example, stress causes the release of insulin a pro-inflammatory hormone. Too much stress over too long a period of time will cause insulin resistance (IR), which is associated with obesity. Other stress-related chemicals reduce circulation to our digestive and reproductive systems and trigger inflammation from blood deficiency. Stress is a serious cause of inflammation!
First steps
We are made with the ability to respond to trauma, toxins, deficiency and stress with inflammation. Therefore, inflammation is not the enemy; however, runaway inflammation is definitely our enemy! Stop the domino effect of runaway inflammation before it starts by learning and living the 10 Essentials for Health and Wellness.
Reduce basic nutrient deficiencies through our Healthy Foundation program.
Help reduce the effect of harmful toxins with Nopalea.
Ease the disturbances caused by emotional distress with anti-stress adaptogens.
A word about Nopalea
Once runaway inflammation is triggered it follows an amazingly intricate course leading to catastrophe. It is as if tens of thousands of dominoes are falling in an extremely complex design. Many of the steps are known to medical science, but many are not. One thing we know and have known for thousands of years: stop the runaway inflammation and health will always improve! So, no matter what the condition is that is causing distress, reducing excess inflammation will always improve the way we feel.
Betalains in Nopalea are anti-inflammatory nutrients. They help your body do what it does best: repair with controlled inflammation while dousing the flames of runaway inflammation. So, we can say with confidence that if runaway inflammation is the problem, reducing that inflammation is part of the solution. Address the root causes of runaway inflammation by following the 10 Essentials, and taking Healthy Aging nutrients, adaptogens and Nopalea!
Take Control of Your Health
Eat 5, 7 or 9 servings of fruit and vegetables each day. Include a rainbow of colors, including leafy green vegetables.
Supplement appropriately,
Healthy Foundation to fill deficiency
Nopalea to put out the fire and drain toxins
Adaptogen 10 Plus to help counteract damage caused by stress
Sleep peacefully every night and enjoy activity every day
Above information provided by TriVita Inc.
Click here now > to learn how others are reducing there runaway inflammation and pain
The above information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent disease. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.
Inflammation
Toxins - A Major Source of Inflammation
Have you ever walked down the cleaning aisle at the supermarket? What was your experience? I hate it! In fact, I completely avoid that aisle. If I need something, I hold my breath, quickly get what I need and beat a hasty retreat from that toxic soup.
The soaps, bleaches, softeners and fragrances in the cleaning aisle are all in sealed containers. Yet, they still give off an overwhelming, nauseating stench that may make a person sick for hours. What happens when we bring those containers home? They continue to give off toxins. Only now, the containers are open and the process happens 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Our toxic environment
In North America we are inundated with toxins every moment of every day. Pollution in our air, water and food challenges our ability to detoxify and adapt. Worse still, the place we think of as a haven from stress our home is likely the most toxic environment we face in our daily routines. Toxins released from household chemicals, fabric, carpet, fragrances and pesticides seep into our body in tiny amounts even as we sleep.
Toxic waste, like barnacles on the hull of a ship, drags us down. It slows the efficiency of our mitochondria (the energy-producing engines inside our cells). Noxious chemicals create fatigue, headaches, digestive disturbances and moodiness. Eventually, toxins become the focus for inflammation.
Inflammation
Your body uses acute inflammation to try to neutralize toxicity. Think of your reaction to a bee sting: redness, swelling, heat and pain. This is not caused by the toxins in the bee venom. It is the reaction of your body as it tries to eliminate the toxicity,
Redness is the increase in blood supply to bring in immune system antibodies and remove the neutralized venom.
Swelling is the lymphatic fluid that dilutes the concentrated poison while providing proteins for repair of the tissue damaged by the toxins.
Heat comes from immune system activity as it battles the invading contaminant.
Pain causes us to guard that area from further damage.
Chronic inflammation occurs when the toxins are not completely removed from an area. A good example of this may be found in simple lawn chemicals, like fertilizers and pesticides. Certain fertilizers are potassium-based. Potassium is important for human health. When we are exposed to these fertilizers, our cells may accept the potassium along with the toxic attachments. Your immune system will constantly attack these contaminated cells until it destroys them. Clusters of diseases like Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis have been linked to these fertilizers.
Home sweet home isolate and insulate
Neutralizing toxins in the body begins with isolating ourselves from chemical exposure. We must be diligent if we are to protect our family from toxic overload. Chemicals should be stored out of the living area in a place that is well-ventilated. This is especially true if there are children in the home, as developing brains are up to 10 times more likely to suffer damage from toxins than an adult nervous system.
Insulating ourselves against toxic exposure is equally important. Two nutrient classes shine when it comes to protection from pollution,
Essential fatty acids Many of the toxins we face are fat-soluble. We need clean fats in abundance to displace toxic fats in our brain, liver and other regions of our body.
Antioxidants -- Antioxidants neutralize toxins and Betalain antioxidants found in Nopal figs have two added benefits over standard antioxidants,
Betalains drain away the toxin from an affected area
Betalains shore up the cell membrane to help promote healing.
Betalains turn out to be our best tool in combating the causes of inflammation: toxins, stress, injury and nutrient deficiency. Use this excellent tool liberally to help you resist the increasing onslaught of toxins both inside and outside of our home sweet home!
Take Control of Your Health
Breathe deeply
Remove toxins from your living area
Use HEPA filters for cleaner air
Drink pure water
Granular carbon filters remove many toxins
Ultraviolet light kills many pathogens
Mineralized, alkaline water displaces poisons
Eat nutritiously
Select organic foods
Pre-soak fruits and vegetables
Focus on high-antioxidant fruits and vegetables
Supplement with Nopalea
Betalains help your body neutralize toxins
Betalains help your body drain away toxic waste
Betalains help your body repair tissue damaged by toxins
Supplement with OmegaPrime at least two capsules per day helps you resist fat-soluble toxins.
Above information provided by TriVita Inc.
Click here now > to learn how others are reducing inflammation and pain
The above information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent disease. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.
Inflammation
Inflammation Hot Spots
TriVitas Weekly Wellness Report
by Brazos Minshew, TriVita Chief Science Officer
The process of inflammation starts with injury, toxicity, deficiency or emotional distress. One particular deficiency that causes inflammation is a genetic deficiency called MTHFR. This deficiency is relatively common - perhaps the most common genetic deficiency in North America. It is related to the way we manufacture proteins. A sign that we have MTHFR deficiency is elevated homocysteine.
MTHFR deficiency creates pools of homocysteine that ignite inflammation like bonfires in specific tissues of your body. The strategies for reducing this inflammation depend greatly on where the bonfire starts. And, like many forest fires, inflammation often features multiple fronts that require different strategies for quelling its flames.
Burning brain
The delicate tissues of the brain are common victims of inflammation from an MTHFR deficiency. Elevated homocysteine feeds the fire that melts fragile neurons. Movement disorders like Parkinsons disease and dementias such as Alzheimers disease are associated with elevated homocysteine. Further, inflammation in the brain associated with MTHFR and elevated homocysteine are also implicated in autism, ADD/ADHD, bipolar depression and schizophrenia.
MTHFR deficiency is addressed by increasing folates in the diet. Folates describe a B vitamin from foliage - leafy green vegetables. Actually, all fruits and vegetables contain some folate. Eating the optimum amount of folate can go a long way to filling the deficiency associated with MTHFR and elevated homocysteine. Remember, the optimum number of servings for fruits and vegetables is,
5 servings for children
7 servings for women
9 servings for men
Make sure you eat vegetables of every color - eat a rainbow!
Supplements such as HCY Guard provide nutrients that help re-methylate homocysteine in the presence of this MTHFR deficiency. Inflammation is normalized by the anti-inflammatory Betalains found in Nopalea. Essential fatty acids and EFA supplements such as OmegaPrime serve as primary building blocks for a healthy brain. Also, Omega-3 EFA, Betalains and ECGC polyphenols in Energy Now! serve to help the body protect DNA strands and create stem cells that are needed to repair delicate, fragile brain tissues.
Burning bones
Bones are living tissue. Osteoblast cells lay down a matrix of collagen proteins and build minerals around it. Collagen provides tensile strength for the bones and minerals provide compression strength for the bones. Homocysteine shatters this matrix and melts the collagen in your bones (and elsewhere), resulting in brittle bones. Further, without collagen, minerals cannot form and the bones become porous. The end result is often osteoporosis.
Folates and plant hormones such as Vitamin K found in leafy green vegetables help reduce the impact of MTHFR deficiency and increase the opportunity for osteoblasts to make healthy bone. Healthy bones also require significant amounts of Vitamin D. Sunshine is the best source of Vitamin D, however, in North America it is not always possible to get enough healthy sun exposure to meet our Vitamin D needs. Supplements such as Bone Growth Factor and VitaCal-Mag D can help give us the nutrients we need for healthy bones. HCY Guard can help the body reduce inflammatory homocysteine and Betalains from Nopalea can help reduce the impact of inflammation.
Burning blood
MTHFR deficiency was discovered when scientists began searching for the reasons why heart disease and stroke seemed to cluster in certain families. It was discovered that these families shared a genetic deficiency that required far more folate than their diet provided. Folate deficiency depletes Vitamin B-12 and compounds the homocysteine problem. Homocysteine ignites LDL (bad) cholesterol in the bloodstream and creates the inflammation at the root of cardiovascular disease, heart attacks and stroke.
A high folate diet focusing on leafy green vegetables can fill this deficiency. Supplements such as HCY Guard, Nopalea and OmegaPrime can help the body ease the fire in the delicate tissues lining the blood vessels. According to the VISP study (Vitamin Intervention for Stroke Prevention) this comprehensive strategy can fill the deficiency created by MTHFR, put out the fire fueled by homocysteine, and reduce the likelihood of heart attack and stroke.
Conclusion
Inflammation hot spots build fires around your body in places like your brain, your bones and your heart.
1. A high folate diet can fill the deficiency that causes these body bonfires.
2. Safe daily sun exposure along with exercise and peaceful sleep can help build a solid foundation for wellness.
3. Appropriate supplementation can help satisfy the needs created by MTHFR while putting out the fires of inflammation and creating vigorous cells for health today and a healthier tomorrow.
Take Control of Your Health
Eat 5, 7 or 9 servings of fruit and vegetables
o Eat a rainbow -- include leafy green vegetables (see Dietary Sources of Folate below)
Supplement appropriately,
o HCY Guard to help reduce inflammatory homocysteine
o Nopalea to put out the fire
o OmegaPrime for a healthy brain and heart
o Bone Growth Factor for healthy bones
Sleep peacefully every night and enjoy activity every day
Above information provided by TriVita Inc.
Click here now > to learn how others are reducing there runaway inflammation and pain
The above information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent disease. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.
Inflammation
Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis
TriVitas Weekly Wellness Report
by Brazos Minshew, TriVita Chief Science Officer
I received this question from a Member: I have psoriasis. Recently, I have noticed swelling and pain around my joints. My doctor says this is psoriatic arthritis. Can you tell me more about this disorder?
What is psoriasis?
Psoriasis is a chronic, inflammatory skin disease. It may be triggered by a number of different conditions such as infection or allergy. Underlying the development of psoriasis is a confused immune system. An autoimmune condition such as psoriasis begins when your immune system attacks healthy cells as if they were diseased.
Many things may cause this confusion. Stress is a primary trigger. Other triggers may include injury (with psoriasis beginning at the site of trauma), nutrient deficiency -- especially of essential fatty acids -- and toxins such as sugar, alcohol and allergens.
Progress of inflammation
There are three basic steps in the inflammation process:
1. Antecedent - The first step is called an antecedent. An antecedent is like a predisposition to something; for example when a person is prone to a condition because of heredity or environment.
2. Trigger - The second step in the inflammation process is the trigger. This may be injury, stress, deficiencies or toxins.
3. Release of mediators - The third step in the inflammation process is the release of inflammatory mediators like histamines. Histamines are stored in cells called mast cells. These mast cells are like balloons filled with acid that pop and release their poison. Deficiency weakens the walls of these balloons, and trauma, toxins and stress pop the balloons. Histamines are released and inflammation results.
Runaway inflammation and psoriatic arthritis
Mast cells populate our skin. They are also abundant in our joints. They line our airways and digestive tracts. Runaway inflammation occurs when so much histamine is released by one cell that it triggers other mast cells and causes them to pop and release their histamine (this is why sunburn may cause sinus inflammation). This histamine then triggers other cells and more histamine is released, perpetuating the cycle.
Inflammation from psoriasis will eventually inflame the joints. Toxic levels of histamine from the skin will trigger mast cells in joints to release their histamines. Again, trauma, toxins, deficiencies and stress can cause this runaway inflammation.
What to do
Stress
Deep breathing is an excellent remedy for stress. Adaptogens are as well.
Nutrient deficiencies
One of the most common deficiencies for people with psoriasis is an essential fatty acids (good fats) deficiency. Taking one to six grams of OmegaPrime daily can give you therapeutic levels of essential fatty acids. Another common deficiency in people with psoriasis is Vitamin D. We normally get enough Vitamin D from sunshine. Be sure to expose at least 40 percent of your skin to early morning or late evening sunshine. Never let yourself get sunburned.
Histamine
For reducing histamines, very few nutrients compare with Vitamin C and Vitamin B-12. Vitamin B-12 as found in our Super Sublingual B-12 reduces histamines by hindering them from being formed in the first place. Vitamin C acts like a body-wide antihistamine. Find out how much Vitamin C your body can use by calibrating your levels with the Vitamin C flush.
Joint inflammation
If inflammation has already reached your joints, you can help reduce inflammation and protect your joints with TriVita's Joint Complex. The combination of glucosamine and chondroitin with anti-inflammatory nutrients like boron offer more joint protection than even some NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs).
When one part of our body is sick, our whole body suffers. So, it is no surprise that the same imbalanced immune system that attacks our skin may attack our joints, sinuses, lungs and intestines. Teach your immune system to work smarter, not harder, by applying the 10 Essentials for Health and Wellness and supplying the nutrients needed for healthy skin and joints.
Take Control of Your Health
Reduce stress and toxins for skin health
Increase Essential Fatty Acids
Safely increase sunshine
Use Vitamin B-12 and Vitamin C to help your body reduce histamine
Apply the 10 Essentials for lifetime wellness
Above information provided by TriVita Inc.
Click here now > to learn how others are reducing inflammation and pain
The above information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent disease. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.
Inflammation
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Do you have pain, numbness or tingling in your hand (especially the Index finger and thumb)? Does the pain or numbness get worse when you use your hand a lot? Have you lost your grip?
You may have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome!
What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome? How did I get it? How can I make it go away?
What is it?
Your hand is held together by tough ligaments that do not stretch very much at all. The ligaments between the base of your thumb and little finger form a tunnel of sorts that nerves and blood vessels go through. When all is well, this is an ingenious design that protects delicate nerves and gives you full use of your hand without pain.
How did I get it?
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is usually caused by constant, repetitive motion that results in inflammation . This is worse in women and people who have experienced an injury to their hand. It is also worse in people with arthritis, diabetes and people who are obese.
Aside from these triggers, let me tell you of my experience with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. People tend to have two things in common when they experience this disorder, a B vitamin deficiency (B-6 and B-12) and a serious problem in their neck.
All imbalances in the human body classically come from four causes, injury, toxicity, deficiency and stress. With this in mind, it makes sense that such a painful disorder could be triggered by such a simple cause. Of course, life is never quite that simple. With Carpal Tunnel there may also be toxicity generated by a hormone imbalance, smoking, excessive drinking or other chemical imbalance. But in the end, all of the people with Carpal Tunnel that I have ever seen also suffer from a nutrient deficiency and neck injury. (Nerve-healthy nutrients can be found in TriVitas Nerve Formula).
How can I make it go away?
The first step in any successful program must be accurate assessment of the condition. See a doctor for a proper diagnosis. Several really scary conditions masquerade as simple Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (and even simple Carpal Tunnel is not so simple!).
Begin with conservative care for your wrist and your neck as directed by a competent healthcare provider. If your neck is causing the problem, by all means address the cause! Supplement with Sublingual Vitamin B-12 and B-6 to keep the levels of B vitamins at their peak. If you are using TriVita products, use original Sublingual B-12 as it has more Vitamin B-6 in it than Super B does.
If surgery is needed to relieve your trapped nerves, find the best surgeon available. Follow their instructions closely. Most people recover completely from this condition by reducing inflammation at the nerve, preventing re-injury and addressing the cause.
Above information provided by TriVita Inc.
Visit here and read how others are learning to reduce their pain
Inflammation
Autoimmune Disease
Autoimmune liver disease panel
An autoimmune liver disease panel is a series of tests performed when autoimmune liver disease is suspected. An autoimmune liver disease means that the body's immune system attacks the liver.
These tests include,
Anti-liver/kidney microsomal antibodies
Anti-mitochondrial antibodies
Anti-nuclear antibodies
Anti-smooth muscle antibodies
Occasionally, the panel may also include additional tests. Certain immune protein levels in the blood are also checked.
How the Test is Performed
Blood is typically drawn from a vein, usually from the inside of the elbow or the back of the hand. The site is cleaned with germ-killing medicine (antiseptic). The health care provider wraps an elastic band around the upper arm to apply pressure to the area and make the vein swell with blood.
Next, the health care provider gently inserts a needle into the vein. The blood collects into an airtight vial or tube attached to the needle. The elastic band is removed from your arm. Once the blood has been collected, the needle is removed, and the puncture site is covered to stop any bleeding.
In infants or young children, a sharp tool called a lancet may be used to puncture the skin and make it bleed. The blood collects into a small glass tube called a pipette, or onto a slide or test strip. A bandage may be placed over the area if there is any bleeding.
The blood sample is sent to the laboratory for testing.
How to Prepare for the Test
No special preparation is necessary for this test.
How the Test Will Feel
When the needle is inserted to draw blood, some people feel pain, while others feel only a prick or stinging sensation. Afterward, there may be some throbbing.
Why the Test is Performed
Autoimmune disorders , in which cells from the immune system attack tissues or organs, are one possible cause of liver disease. The most common autoimmune liver diseases are autoimmune hepatitis and primary biliary cirrhosis.
This group of tests helps your health care provider diagnose liver disease.
Normal Results
Protein levels,
The normal range for protein levels in the blood will change with each laboratory. Please check with your health care provider for the normal ranges in your particular laboratory.
Antibodies
Negative results on all antibodies are normal.
Note- Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Talk to your doctor about the meaning of your specific test results.
What Abnormal Results Mean
Blood tests for autoimmune diseases are not completely accurate. They can have false negative results (you have the disease, but the test is negative) and false positive results (you do not have the disease, but the test is positive).
A weakly positive or low titer positive test for autoimmune disease is often not due to any disease.
A positive test on the panel may indicate autoimmune hepatitis or other autoimmune liver disease.
If the test is positive mostly for anti-mitochondrial antibodies, there is a high probability of primary biliary cirrhosis.
If the immune proteins are high and albumin is low, you may have liver cirrhosis or chronic active hepatitis.
Risks
Veins and arteries vary in size from one patient to another and from one side of the body to the other. Obtaining a blood sample from some people may be more difficult than from others.
Other risks associated with having blood drawn are slight but may include,
Excessive bleeding
Fainting or feeling light-headed
Hematoma (blood accumulating under the skin)
Infection (a slight risk any time the skin is broken)
Resource-MedlinePlus MedlinePlus A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
From the National Institutes of HealthNational Institutes of Health
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Inflammation
Reduce Pain from the Inside Out
Where does it hurt? This is often the first question caregivers ask. (A caregiver may be a doctor or nurse, a friend or mommy!) We ask becau, people often -- though not always -- tell us where it hurts because they are searching for a solution to their pain.
Why we hurt
Pain is a messenger system designed to tell us that something is wrong. As my grandfather used to say, If your hand hurts, take it off the hot stove! Pain is often designed to trigger a withdrawal response. We withdraw from pain because the pain tells us that we are being injured. This interpretation of pain may seem overly simplistic, especially in our world, where it is not always easy to take your hand off the hot stove, so to speak.
There are a number of different pain sensations. The feeling may seem sharp (superficial pain receptors) or dull (deeper pain receptors). It may seem to throb with your heartbeat or be constant. It may be fixed in one location or migratory -- moving around from place to place. The main distinction of pain basically boils down to acute pain versus chronic pain.
Acute pain begins to go away as soon as you remove the trigger. Take your hand off the hot stove, repair the broken tooth or drink pure water to rehydrate the dehydrated brain and acute pain goes away. The message of pain has been received, interpreted and the corrective action taken.
Chronic pain persists after the cause has been removed or because the cause is itself a chronic condition. It is often related to inflammation in the tissues of your body, or inflammation in the nervous system, or both. We used to have a saying to help us define inflammation, rubor, tumor, calor and dolor. These four Latin words mean redness, swelling, heat and pain.
Your brain eventually interprets the signals in a way that motivates you to confront the cause of pain. Interestingly, the brain doesn't feel pain, it merely interprets the nerve and chemical signals as painful.
Understanding the signals
It is important for us to understand why we hurt so that we can take the proper action. The four basic pain triggers are,
1. Trauma or injury
2. Toxins or poisons
3. Emotional distress
4. Deficiency
As mentioned above, an example of a deficiency that causes pain may be a water deficiency (dehydration) causing a headache. Another extremely common form of painful dehydration is osteoarthritis (OA). In OA the soft tissue of the joint capsule loses water and withers. This may be due to a number of causes, including simply not drinking enough water. More often, joint dehydration associated with OA occurs because there are not enough minerals to hold the water in its proper place and quantity.
An example of toxins creating pain may be the way toxins from inside your intestines trigger rheumatoid arthritis and many other autoimmune disorders. Typically, a toxin from inside your system escapes into the bloodstream and relocates to the soft tissue of your organs or around your joints. Your immune system attacks both the toxins and the soft tissues. In an attempt to remove the toxin or poison, your system may destroy the tissue in which the toxin resides.
Pain caused by toxins frequently responds to Nopalea, as the Betalains in Nopalea are both anti-inflammatory and anti-toxin. These two actions help your immune system work smarter, not harder and, ultimately, help you do what you do best: heal. This often results in reduced levels of chronic pain.
The lesson of pain
Dedicated physicians spend decades learning the antecedents, triggers and inflammatory pathways associated with acute and chronic pain. There is simply no way to address all of the particulars of pain in our Wellness Reports; however it is my sincere wish that this report gives you a little more insight into the possible causes -- and solutions -- for acute and chronic pain.
Take Control of Your Health
Practice deep breathing 20 minutes or more daily
Drink pure water -- 1/2 ounce per pound of body weight
Sleep peacefully to reduce pain signals and heal
Eat nutritiously, including appropriate supplements
Exercise daily according to your abilities -- get professional help with an exercise program tailored to your needs and abilities
Select a support team
Above information provided by TriVita Inc.
Click here now > to learn how others are reducing inflammation and pain
The above information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent disease. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.
Inflammation
Headache Pain? Inflammation and fat could be to blame
What is the connection between migraine headaches, inflammation, and body fat?
By Dr. Joshua A. Tobin
I am a neurologist, which means that I diagnose and treat disorders of the brain, spinal cord, nerves and sometimes muscles. Since the brain is the body part that recognizes pain, much of my practice involves treatment of painful conditions, such as headaches.
Inflammation is the bodys attempt to remove harmful stimuli and initiate healing. Inflammation is an extremely important process because without it, our bodies could not fight infection, and our wounds would not heal. For example, if my immune system could not cause inflammation in my foot, my foot sprain would never heal, and I would be stuck using crutches for the rest of my life!
However, too much inflammation is harmful. Inappropriate inflammation is a major contributing factor to many Western diseases, such as heart attacks, strokes and also to headaches.
Migraines
Migraine is a specific type of headache that afflicts 12 percent of all Americans. Its hallmarks are a moderate to severe throbbing pain on one side of the head that is worse with physical activity, lasts for hours to days, and is associated with nausea, vomiting, or light and noise sensitivity.
Medications often used for migraines include NSAIDS, or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and corticosteroids.
Estrogen has many effects, one of which is suppression of the immune system. Women are more likely to have migraines around the time of menstruation, when their estrogen levels are low, and are less likely to have migraines when they are pregnant, when their estrogen levels are high.
An important change that takes place during a migraine is called neurogenic inflammation, which is the swelling of the blood vessels of the brain, possibly with leakage of bloodstream proteins into brain tissue. Many successful migraine treatments work by counteracting this blood vessel swelling, including caffeine, a group of medications called the triptans, and another group of medications called ergots.
Cytokines are small proteins that most cells in the body produce to communicate with other nearby cells. One cytokine that triggers blood vessel swelling in neurogenic inflammation is called CGRP (calcitonin G-related peptide). CGRP also stimulates the production and release of more inflammatory cytokines with names such as TNFa (tumor necrosis factor-alpha), IL-1b (interleukin 1-beta), and IL-6 (interleukin-6) from special white blood cells called lymphocytes. While the names of all these cytokines can seem a little technical, just remember that theyre all small proteins that allow communication between nearby cells.
Scientists gave TNFa to volunteers, who subsequently developed headaches. In another study, an anti-inflammatory cytokine called IL-10 (interleukin-10) decreased pain levels in volunteers. Studies have shown increased levels of the proteins TNFa, IL-1b, and IL-6 in the blood draining away from the head in the first few hours after a migraine attack.
A potential new class of migraine medications works by preventing CGRP from signaling the blood vessels to dilate. These CGRP receptor antagonists are still in development.
While neurogenic inflammation is a localized process of the brains blood vessels, migraine might also involve systemic inflammation, or inflammation of the rest of the body. Two studies found that migraine sufferers had elevated levels of many inflammatory molecules in their blood both during headaches (TNFa, IL-1b, and IL-10), and perhaps more importantly, even in between headaches (TNF-a and IL-1).
Headaches, inflammation, well-being and fat
Simply put, headaches make us feel lousy. Migraine sufferers especially tend to feel tired and achy. Inflammation relates to these feelings. When scientists studied the blood of volunteers who felt tired, irritable, achy, feverish and who could not concentrate, they found that a particular group of white blood cells called mononucleocytes produced more IL-1 and IL-6 in these afflicted volunteers than in other volunteers who felt good.
If you have migraines, your fat may have something to do with your headaches, possibly because your fat cells secrete an anti-inflammatory protein (cytokine) called adiponectin. Interestingly, the less body fat you have, the more adiponectin your fat cells produce. In other words, thin people have high adiponectin levels, and overweight people have low adiponectin levels. Adiponectin protects against diabetes, high cholesterol and atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).
Two important types of dietary fat are the omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids. In general, omega-6 fatty acids promote inflammation, and omega-3 fatty acids oppose inflammation. While your body does need some omega-6 fatty acids, the typical Western diet contains up to 30 times too much. Therefore, decreasing dietary fat intake is normally expected to reduce the amount of inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids.
Does this mean that people can cure their headaches by losing body fat? We dont know for sure, but we do know that obese people with headaches are more likely to find their headaches worsening. If you have headaches, you may want to ask your doctor if decreasing your fat intake or altering the types of fat you consume is worthwhile.
Above information provided by TriVita Inc.
Click here now > to learn how others are reducing inflammation and pain
The above information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent disease. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.
Autoimmune Disease
Help Reduce Symptoms of Autoimmune Disorders
TriVitas Weekly Wellness Report
by Brazos Minshew, TriVita Chief Science Officer
Your immune system is designed to protect you from infections, toxins and even stressful situations. Knowing this makes it very difficult to diagnose autoimmune conditions - conditions where the human immune system begins to attack normal, healthy cells. What are common conditions of autoimmunity? How can the symptoms of these conditions be reduced?
What are autoimmune disorders?
Autoimmune conditions are so common that practically everyone knows someone with one: Rheumatoid Arthritis, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Lupus, Diabetes and Multiple Sclerosis. About 75 percent of all autoimmune conditions occur in women. These diseases are common during childbearing years. Men also get autoimmune disorders - about as frequently as young girls and older women do.
They begin when some trigger sends the immune system into battle. After vanquishing the enemy, the immune system begins to attack any tissue that even looks like the enemy. You see, the immune system is extraordinarily accurate in identifying invaders. However, during an epidemic or raging infection, the immune system reduces the number of proteins needed for identification, thereby making it harder to identify the enemy. Now, any cell that shares even a few identifying characteristics as the invader will be killed.
Multiple Sclerosis
One of the most common triggers for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is the herpes virus, HHV-6. This is a very common virus. In people with MS, the immune system fails to identify the herpes virus as distinct from normal, healthy nerve tissues. The immune cells attack the virus and then your nerves. The virus protects itself by becoming dormant - waiting to catch the immune system off guard - until it can breed again. Your nerves are never dormant; they bear the full attack of your immune system.
Herpes viruses are notoriously hard to destroy. Your immune system may respond to an infection by over-reacting, creating enough specific antibodies to kill the virus, plus enough non-specific antibodies to kill anything that looks like the virus. The problem is that a protein chain on the outside of your nerves looks similar to a protein chain on the outside of the virus. Your immune system may begin to rip holes in the nerves trying to tear away the misidentified protein. This can lead to the debilitating symptoms that characterize MS, including numbness or tingling in the extremities, muscle weakness, poor coordination and even paralysis.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
We usually think of white blood cells when we think about the immune system. White cells are certainly a prominent part of the immune system. Less obvious are immune system proteins that communicate between white blood cells called interleukins. Interleukins (Il) tell your body how to react in harmony with the immune system to give it the best opportunity for success. For instance, white blood cells and lymphocytes may battle a sinus infection. The interleukin Il-6 triggers you to sneeze and makes your nose and eyes flood with water.
In Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), another herpes family virus often triggers the production of interleukin-1. Il-1 is responsible for all the flu-like symptoms people experience with CFS. For instance, if we inject Il-1 into a normal, healthy person, they immediately get a low grade fever and aches and pains over their entire body; they get tired and sleepy and they have gastric distress. These are symptoms, not of an active virus, but of an overactive immune system. This is why CFS is generally classified as an autoimmune disorder.
Reducing the symptoms of autoimmune disorders
Autoimmune disorders are all different, but they have basic similarities,
Autoimmune disorders can improve with a balanced diet and rest.
Autoimmune disorders can improve with stress reduction.
Almost all autoimmune disorders respond to Vitamin B-12 and Essential Fatty Acid (EFA) supplements.
Vitamin B-12 is used to repair the holes in your nerves caused by your immune system. The cell outside your nerve, called a Schwann cell, patchesthe holes with B-12, similar to the way a road crew uses asphalt to repair potholes in the road.
EFAs make the immune system work smarter, not harder. They help the identification process discriminate better because many of the identification proteins are coded in fat. If you have an abundance of healthy EFA you will identify good, healthy body tissues from invaders. Further, EFA helps to reduce inflammation.
EFA can benefit women of childbearing age somewhat more than other women or men. That's because women of childbearing age make more hormones than men or young girls or older women. Good hormones are made from good EFA. An abundance of EFA helps make good hormones which help protect against autoimmune disorders.
Take Control of Your Health
Get your rest: Get at least 7 1/2 to 9 hours of sleep every night.
Avoid the push-crash cycle: Set a pace that you can maintain on your worst days and don't try to catch up by overdoing it on days you feel less bad.This can start a vicious push-crashcycle that can be very discouraging. Budget your energy!
Reduce stress: Deep breathing reduces stress. Three deep breaths can break the cycle of tension. Ten minutes of deep breathing cuts stress hormones in half. Twenty minutes of deep breathing restores hormone balance and gives you deeper sleep to restore your mind and body.
Plan a balanced diet: Be sure to include lean proteins, whole grains and of course, plenty of fruits and vegetables.
Exercise within your limitations, Work with your health care provider to develop a program that works for you.
Above information provided by TriVita Inc.
Click here now > to learn how others are reducing inflammation and pain
The above information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent disease. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.
Inflammation
Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis
TriVitas Weekly Wellness Report
by Brazos Minshew, TriVita Chief Science Officer
I received this question from a Member: I have psoriasis. Recently, I have noticed swelling and pain around my joints. My doctor says this is psoriatic arthritis. Can you tell me more about this disorder?
What is psoriasis?
Psoriasis is a chronic, inflammatory skin disease. It may be triggered by a number of different conditions such as infection or allergy. Underlying the development of psoriasis is a confused immune system. An autoimmune condition such as psoriasis begins when your immune system attacks healthy cells as if they were diseased.
Many things may cause this confusion. Stress is a primary trigger. Other triggers may include injury (with psoriasis beginning at the site of trauma), nutrient deficiency -- especially of essential fatty acids -- and toxins such as sugar, alcohol and allergens.
Progress of inflammation
There are three basic steps in the inflammation process:
1. Antecedent - The first step is called an antecedent. An antecedent is like a predisposition to something; for example when a person is prone to a condition because of heredity or environment.
2. Trigger - The second step in the inflammation process is the trigger. This may be injury, stress, deficiencies or toxins.
3. Release of mediators - The third step in the inflammation process is the release of inflammatory mediators like histamines. Histamines are stored in cells called mast cells. These mast cells are like balloons filled with acid that pop and release their poison. Deficiency weakens the walls of these balloons, and trauma, toxins and stress pop the balloons. Histamines are released and inflammation results.
Runaway inflammation and psoriatic arthritis
Mast cells populate our skin. They are also abundant in our joints. They line our airways and digestive tracts. Runaway inflammation occurs when so much histamine is released by one cell that it triggers other mast cells and causes them to pop and release their histamine (this is why sunburn may cause sinus inflammation). This histamine then triggers other cells and more histamine is released, perpetuating the cycle.
Inflammation from psoriasis will eventually inflame the joints. Toxic levels of histamine from the skin will trigger mast cells in joints to release their histamines. Again, trauma, toxins, deficiencies and stress can cause this runaway inflammation.
What to do
Stress
Deep breathing is an excellent remedy for stress. Adaptogens are as well.
Nutrient deficiencies
One of the most common deficiencies for people with psoriasis is an essential fatty acids (good fats) deficiency. Taking one to six grams of OmegaPrime daily can give you therapeutic levels of essential fatty acids. Another common deficiency in people with psoriasis is Vitamin D. We normally get enough Vitamin D from sunshine. Be sure to expose at least 40 percent of your skin to early morning or late evening sunshine. Never let yourself get sunburned.
Histamine
For reducing histamines, very few nutrients compare with Vitamin C and Vitamin B-12. Vitamin B-12 as found in our Super Sublingual B-12 reduces histamines by hindering them from being formed in the first place. Vitamin C acts like a body-wide antihistamine. Find out how much Vitamin C your body can use by calibrating your levels with the Vitamin C flush.
Joint inflammation
If inflammation has already reached your joints, you can help reduce inflammation and protect your joints with TriVita's Joint Complex. The combination of glucosamine and chondroitin with anti-inflammatory nutrients like boron offer more joint protection than even some NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs).
When one part of our body is sick, our whole body suffers. So, it is no surprise that the same imbalanced immune system that attacks our skin may attack our joints, sinuses, lungs and intestines. Teach your immune system to work smarter, not harder, by applying the 10 Essentials for Health and Wellness and supplying the nutrients needed for healthy skin and joints.
Take Control of Your Health
Reduce stress and toxins for skin health
Increase Essential Fatty Acids
Safely increase sunshine
Use Vitamin B-12 and Vitamin C to help your body reduce histamine
Apply the 10 Essentials for lifetime wellness
Above information provided by TriVita Inc.
Click here now > to learn how others are reducing inflammation and pain
The above information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent disease. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.
Autoimmune Disease
What is Stiff-Person Syndrome?
Stiff-person syndrome (SPS) is a rare neurological disorder with features of an autoimmune disease. SPS is characterized by fluctuating muscle rigidity in the trunk and limbs and a heightened sensitivity to stimuli such as noise, touch, and emotional distress, which can set off muscle spasms. Abnormal postures, often hunched over and stiffened, are characteristic of the disorder. People with SPS can be too disabled to walk or move, or they are afraid to leave the house because street noises, such as the sound of a horn, can trigger spasms and falls. SPS affects twice as many women as men. It is frequently associated with other autoimmune diseases such as diabetes, thyroiditis, vitiligo, and pernicious anemia.
Scientists dont yet understand what causes SPS, but research indicates that it is the result of an autoimmune response gone awry in the brain and spinal cord. The disorder is often misdiagnosed as Parkinsons disease, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, psychosomatic illness, or anxiety and phobia. A definitive diagnosis can be made with a blood test that measures the level of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) antibodies in the blood. People with SPS have elevated levels of GAD, an antibody that works against an enzyme involved in the synthesis of an important neurotransmitter in the brain.
Is there any treatment?
People with SPS respond to high doses of diazepam and several anti-convulsants, gabapentin and tiagabine. A recent study funded by the NINDS demonstrated the effectiveness of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) treatment in reducing stiffness and lowering sensitivity to noise, touch, and stress in people with SPS.
What is the prognosis?
Treatment with IVIg, anti-anxiety drugs, muscle relaxants, anti-convulsants, and pain relievers will improve the symptoms of SPS, but will not cure the disorder. Most individuals with SPS have frequent falls and because they lack the normal defensive reflexes, injuries can be severe. With appropriate treatment, the symptoms are usually well controlled.
What research is being done?
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) conducts research related to SPS in its laboratories at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and also supports additional research through grants to major medical institutions across the country. A study using the drug rituximab proved ineffective in treating individuals with the disorder. Current research is focused on understanding the cause of the disease and the role of the anti-GAD antibodies.
Resource- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
National Institutes of Health
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Autoimmune Disease
Inflammation
Cells energy factories linked to damaging inflammation
Scientists have discovered that molecules called reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by the energy factories, or mitochondria, in cells, may play a role in a rare inherited disorder in which uncontrolled inflammation damages the bodys tissues. Their research in human and mouse cells suggests that blocking these molecules could reduce inflammation in TNF receptor-associated periodic syndrome (TRAPS) and possibly other inflammatory diseases.
The work, published online in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, was supported by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, a component of the National Institutes of Health.
TRAPS is one of a recently identified family of conditions referred to as autoinflammatory disorders, which are marked by unexplained inflammation. As discovered by Dr. Daniel Kastners research group in 1999, TRAPS is caused by mutations in the gene coding for TNF receptor 1 (TNFR1), which binds tumor necrosis factor (TNF). TNF is a key inflammatory molecule in the bodys response to infection, as well as in a number of common rheumatic diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis. In people with TRAPS, TNF-mediated inflammation causes recurrent fevers, abdominal pain and skin rash. If not controlled, inflammation can lead to amyloidosis, a buildup of inflammatory proteins that can result in organ damage.
While blocking TNF with agents called TNF-inhibitors relieves symptoms for some patients, others continue to have symptoms, says Richard Siegel, M.D., Ph.D., NIAMS autoimmunity branch chief and acting clinical director. Some go on to develop amyloidosis despite treatment.
The inadequacy of anti-TNF treatment in these patients led Dr. Siegel and his colleagues to look at ROS. ROS are chemically reactive molecules containing oxygen that have been implicated in a variety of conditions, including cancer and atherosclerosis. For some time, ROS have been known to play a role in protection against infection. It has also been shown that they can contribute to signaling pathways that lead to inflammation.
Using cells from patients with TRAPS and mice genetically altered to have mutations identical to those in TRAPS, the researchers found that the mutant cells produced elevated levels of ROS, and that blocking ROS significantly decreased the abnormally elevated inflammation in the cells.
In addition, working in collaboration with the laboratory of Dr. Michael Sack in the NIHs National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Dr. Siegel and his team identified mitochondria as the source of ROS leading to inflammatory responses. Mitochondria provide energy for cells through a series of biochemical reactions that result in the generation of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), a key energy source; ROS are routinely generated as a byproduct of these reactions. In the cells of patients with TRAPS, however, the researchers found that mitochondria generate elevated levels of ROS. Blocking mitochondrial ROS in those cells reversed the inflammation.
Another crucial finding was that mitochondrial ROS play a role in inflammatory responses in normal cells, suggesting that this phenomenon also underlies normal inflammatory responses to some extent.
Overall, I think the important idea is that there is a healthy balance of ROS in the cells, says Ariel Bulua, an M.D. Ph.D. student in the NIAMS Autoimmunity Branch and the studys lead author. While there are some beneficial roles of ROS, when they are over produced, they can cause damage.
The researchers say blocking excessive ROS with antioxidants may be a way to reduce the inflammation in patients with TRAPS that is not controlled by TNF inhibitors alone. However, the efficacy of antioxidants in TRAPS will have to be studied in controlled clinical trials. Although drugs that work in cells and mice do not always translate into humans, these studies provide a new avenue for future investigation, says Dr. Siegel.
Perhaps more importantly, he says this approach may lead to improved therapies for a wide range of inflammatory diseases not just TRAPS. This is like a test case on a very defined set of patients,he says. If you get a big effect clinically, I think you could try other groups of patients.
Resource from National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
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Autoimmune Disease
Are chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia autoimmune diseases?
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia (FM) are not autoimmune diseases. But they often have symptoms of some autoimmune disease, like being tired all the time and pain.
CFS can cause you to be very tired, have trouble concentrating, feel weak, and have muscle pain. Symptoms of CFS come and go. The cause of CFS is not known.
FM is a disorder in which pain or tenderness is felt in multiple places all over the body. These tender points are located on the neck, shoulders, back, hips, arms, and legs and are painful when pressure is applied to them. Other symptoms include fatigue, trouble sleeping, and morning stiffness.
FM mainly occurs in women of childbearing age. But children, the elderly, and men are sometimes can also get it. The cause is not known.
How do I find out if I have an autoimmune disease?
Getting a diagnosis can be a long and stressful process. Although each autoimmune disease is unique, many share some of the same symptoms. And many symptoms of autoimmune diseases are the same for other types of health problems too. This makes it hard for doctors to find out if you really have an autoimmune disease, and which one it might be. But if you are having symptoms that bother you, its important to find the cause. Dont give up if youre not getting any answers. You can take these steps to help find out the cause of your symptoms,
Write down a complete family health history that includes extended family and share it with your doctor.
Record any symptoms you have, even if they seem unrelated, and share it with your doctor.
See a specialist who has experience dealing with your most major symptom. For instance, if you have symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease, start with a gastroenterologist. Ask your regular doctor, friends, and others for suggestions.
Get a second, third, or fourth opinion if need be. If your doctor doesnt take your symptoms seriously or tells you they are stress-related or in your head, see another doctor.
What types of doctors treat autoimmune diseases?
Juggling your health care needs among many doctors and specialists can be hard. But specialists, along with your main doctor, may be helpful in managing some symptoms of your autoimmune disease. If you see a specialist, make sure you have a supportive main doctor to help you. Often, your family doctor may help you coordinate care if you need to see one or more specialists. Here are some specialists who treat autoimmune diseases,
Nephrologist. A doctor who treats kidney problems, such as inflamed kidneys caused by lupus. Kidneys are organs that clean the blood and produce urine.
Rheumatologist. A doctor who treats arthritis and other rheumatic diseases, such as scleroderma and lupus.
Endocrinologist. A doctor who treats gland and hormone problems, such as diabetes and thyroid disease.
Neurologist. A doctor who treats nerve problems, such as multiple sclerosis and myasthenia gravis.
Hematologist. A doctor who treats diseases that affect blood, such as some forms of anemia.
Gastroenterologist. A doctor who treats problems with the digestive system, such as inflammatory bowel disease.
Dermatologist. A doctor who treats diseases that affect the skin, hair, and nails, such as psoriasis and lupus.
Physical therapist. A health care worker who uses proper types of physical activity to help patients with stiffness, weakness, and restricted body movement.
Occupational therapist. A health care worker who can find ways to make activities of daily living easier for you, despite your pain and other health problems. This could be teaching you new ways of doing things or how to use special devices. Or suggesting changes to make in your home or workplace.
Speech therapist. A health care worker who can help people with speech problems from illness such as multiple sclerosis.
Audiologist. A health care worker who can help people with hearing problems, including inner ear damage from autoimmune diseases.
Vocational therapist. A health care worker who offers job training for people who cannot do their current jobs because of their illness or other health problems. You can find this type of person through both public and private agencies.
Counselor for emotional support. A health care worker who is specially trained to help you to find ways to cope with your illness. You can work through your feelings of anger, fear, denial, and frustration.
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Autoimmune Disease
Autoimmune Disease
Women and Autoimmune Diseases
Autoimmune diseases are the third most common category of disease in the United States after cancer and heart disease, they affect approximately 5 percent - 8 percent of the population or 1422 million persons. Autoimmune diseases can affect virtually every site in the body, including the endocrine system, connective tissue, gastrointestinal tract, heart, skin, and kidneys. At least 15 diseases are known to be the direct result of an autoimmune response, while circumstantial evidence implicates > 80 conditions with autoimmunity.
In several instances, such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and myocarditis, the autoimmune disease can be induced experimentally by administering self-antigen in the presence of adjuvant (collagen, myelin basic protein, and cardiac myosin, respectively). An important unifying theme in autoimmune diseases is a high prevalence in women. Conservative estimates indicate that 6.7 million or 78.8 percent of the persons with autoimmune diseases are women.
Soon after autoimmune diseases were first recognized more than a century ago, researchers began to associate them with viral and bacterial infections. Autoimmune diseases tend to cluster in families and in individuals (a person with one autoimmune disease is more likely to get another), which indicates that common mechanisms are involved in disease susceptibility. Studies of the prevalence of autoimmune disease in monozygotic twins show that genetic as well as environmental factors (such as infection) are necessary for the disease to develop. Genetic factors are important in the development of autoimmune disease, since such diseases develop in certain strains of mice (systemic lupus erythematosus or lupus in MRL mice) without any apparent infectious environmental trigger.
However, a body of circumstantial evidence links diabetes, multiple sclerosis, myocarditis, and many other autoimmune diseases with preceding infections. More often, many different microorganisms have been associated with a single autoimmune disease, which indicates that more than one infectious agent can induce the same disease through similar mechanisms. Since infections generally occur well before the onset of symptoms of autoimmune disease, clinically linking a specific causative agent to a particular autoimmune disease is difficult. This difficulty raises the question of whether autoimmune diseases really can be attributed to infections.
Resource,
Emerging Infectious Diseases Journal
National Center for Infectious Diseases
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Autoimmune Disease
Autoimmune Disease
Are Autoimmune Diseases Caused by Infections?
To address the question of whether autoimmune diseases can be induced by infections, first autoimmunity needs to be defined. Autoimmune disease occurs when a response against a self antigen(s) involving T cells, B cells, or autoantibodies induces injury systemically or against a particular organ. Understanding of autoimmune diseases is hindered by the fact that some level of autoimmunity, in the form of naturally occurring autoantibodies and self reactive T and B cells, is present in all normal persons . Thus, on a proportional basis, developing autoimmune disease is the relatively uncommon consequence of a common autoimmune response. Although an autoimmune response occurs in most persons, clinically relevant autoimmune disease develops only in susceptible persons.
Given those circumstances, how can infections induce autoimmune disease? A mechanism often called on to explain the association of infection with autoimmune disease is molecular mimicry,that is, antigens (or more properly epitopes) of the microorganism closely resemble self antigens. The induction of an immune response to the microbial antigen thus results in cross reaction with self antigens and induction of autoimmunity. Although epitope specific cross reactivity between microbes and self tissues has been shown in some animal models, molecular mimicry has not been clearly demonstrated to occur in human diseases. Another possibility is that microorganisms expose self antigens to the immune system by directly damaging tissues during an active infection. This mechanism has been referred to as the bystander effect . However, whether pathogens mimic self antigens, release sequestered self antigens, or both, is difficult to determine.
In addition to antigen specific mechanisms, nonspecific mechanisms could also lead to autoimmunity after infection. Activation of the innate immune system is essential for a protective adaptive immune response to develop and vaccines that lack intrinsic activation of innate immunity (subunit vaccines) require microbial adjuvants to be immunogenic. Historically, adjuvants are considered to stimulate immune responses nonspecifically. A renewed understanding of the critical role of innate immunity in influencing the development of an adaptive immune response has led researchers to a better understanding of the adjuvant effect. Although innate immune cells do not respond to specific antigenic epitopes on pathogens, they do produce restricted responses to particular classes of pathogens through pattern recognition receptors (PRR), such as Toll like receptors (TLR).
Interaction of the microorganism component of adjuvants with PRR on innate immune cells results in activation of antigen presenting cells and upregulation of molecules essential for antigen presentation, such as major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II and B7, as well as production of proinflammatory cytokines. This activation of PRR by the microbial components of adjuvants stimulates the immune response in a manner similar to pathogens such as bacteria or viruses. The pathogen specific innate immune response is not the same as the nonspecific activation that occurs after mechanical tissue damage, such as during surgery. During mechanical injury, self antigens and cytokines are released without consistently stimulating pathogen specific responses.
Autoimmune disease rarely develops and usually resolves spontaneously, as seen in postcommissurotomy syndrome (or postcardiotomy syndrome). Adjuvants (usually bacterial), Mycobacterium in complete Freunds adjuvant) activate the innate immune response in the same pathogen specific manner when administered with self antigen this process results in organ specific autoimmune disease in animal models. Adjuvant alone (without self antigen) does not usually result in autoimmune disease, and microorganisms likely provide not only the adjuvant effect to stimulate the immune response but also the damage necessary to make self antigens available to the immune system, resulting in autoimmune disease.
To determine whether infection can lead to autoimmune disease, direct evidence the ability to transfer autoimmune disease), indirect evidence the ability to reproduce autoimmune disease in animal models), and circumstantial evidence the association of autoantibodies with disease in appropriate clinical settings) should be considered. The best evidence so far that infections can induce autoimmune diseases comes from animal models. In most animal models of autoimmunity, including myocarditis, disease has been transferred to naïve animals with autoimmune cells (splenocytes or T cells), autoantibodies, or both, which provides compelling evidence that infections induce autoimmune diseases by immune mediated mechanisms.
Resource,
Emerging Infectious Diseases Journal
National Center for Infectious Diseases
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Autoimmune Disease
Autoimmune Disease
Your bodys immune system protects you from disease and infection. But if you have an autoimmune disease, your immune system attacks healthy cells in your body by mistake. Autoimmune diseases can affect many parts of the body. These diseases tend to run in families. Women particularly African American, Hispanic American, and Native American women - have a higher risk for some autoimmune diseases.
There are more than 80 types of autoimmune diseases, and some have similar symptoms. This makes it hard for your health care provider to know if you really have one of these diseases, and if so, which one. Getting diagnosed can be frustrating and stressful. In many people, the first symptoms are being tired, muscle aches and low fever.
The diseases may also have flare-ups, when they get worse, and remissions, when they all but disappear. The diseases do not usually go away, but symptoms can be treated.
Resource, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
Autoimmune Disease
The above information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent disease. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.
Autoimmune Disease
Inflammation and Autoimmune Diseases
We are a people on fire!
Less than a hundred years ago the common health challenges we faced were infections. With the discovery of pathogenic bacteria and the advent of proper hygiene, death from these problems became less common. Inflammation has become the new epicenter of disease, disability and death.
Inflammation and the immune system
Our immune system uses heat to destroy invading bacteria. A specialized cell called a macrophage douses the invader with inflammatory enzymes (like acids) and the heat generated in this battle destroys the invading bacteria.
Sometimes our own healthy cells become the focus for disease. This often happens because of toxic exposure. When we eat, drink or breathe a toxin, or if it is absorbed through our skin, our detoxification system works to remove it before the poison can compromise our health. Unfortunately, many of today's poisons are simply too strong and they overwhelm our detoxification system and enter healthy cells. These cells now become the target of disease, infection and inflammation. Our immune system must treat them as hostile and use heat to destroy them.
Autoimmune diseases arise when our immune system becomes so overworked that it can no longer tell the difference between healthy cells and sick cells. It attacks all cells of a particular type equally. This body system is never able to heal and chronic inflammation sets in.
The weakest link
A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. You are only as healthy as your weakest body system. How robust you are depends mostly on lifestyle choices, somewhat on your environment and a little on your genetics.
When a toxin overwhelms your detoxification process it will likely settle in your weakest system. The immune system melts these polluted cells in an effort to save healthy cells. This is acute inflammation. With chronic toxicity comes the opportunity for chronic inflammation. In the case of chronic inflammation, the immune system attacks any sick cell as well as any healthy cell that looks like the sick one. If the immune system attacks connective tissue we say a person has lupus. If it attacks the beta cells of the pancreas we say they have type 1 diabetes. If it attacks the joints we say they have rheumatoid arthritis.
These are only a few of the more than 200 autoimmune diseases. Yet they all share one common attribute: inflammation.
Putting the fire out
Inflammation arises because of
Toxins
Injuries
Emotional distress
Nutrient deficiency
We simply must reduce our toxic exposure to reduce the chances of developing an autoimmune disorder. And we must also develop emotional coping strategies and have all of the nutrients we need in our body in the right quantity -- every moment of every day. These are the first steps to reducing inflammation.
We can directly douse the fire with anti-inflammatory Betalains such as those found in TriVita's Nopalea. A Betalain is a protein-antioxidant complex found in certain plants grown in hot climates. The hotter the climate, the more Betalains the plant needs to survive and the more we can benefit.
Nutrient strategies
According to most authorities, everyone needs to be taking a multiple vitamin and mineral supplement every day. This is even more important for people trying to tame their immune system in an autoimmune flare-up. We also need to eat foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and take Omega EFA supplements. These fats not only reduce inflammation but they also make your immune system work smarter, not harder. Antioxidants are critical to putting out the fire of. Betalain "protein-antioxidants" are extremely powerful anti-inflammatory nutrients. Finally, Vitamin B-12 and adaptogens form a bulwark against the blues and physical stress.
We are a nation on fire. This is at the heart of the near epidemic of autoimmune disorders we are facing. Strategies of nutrients and nurturing will help us fight inflammation and help us with what we do best: heal!
Take Control of Your Health
Remove household cleaners from your living space
Keep clear of chemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides
Select certified organic foods when possible
Take a multiple vitamin/mineral supplement
Eat foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids
Salmon, tuna, herring and other fatty fish
Walnuts (especially English walnuts
Take an Omega EFA supplement
Help your body reduce inflammation with Betalains found in Nopalea
Protect yourself from emotional distress with B-12 and adaptogens
Resource - TriVita Inc.
Click here now > to learn how others are reducing inflammation
The above information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent disease. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.
Autoimmune Disease
Autoimmune diseases can affect almost any part of the body, including the heart, brain, nerves, muscles, skin, eyes, joints, lungs, kidneys, glands, the digestive tract, and blood vessels.
The classic sign of an autoimmune disease is inflammation, which can cause redness, heat, pain, and swelling. How an autoimmune disease affects you depends on what part of the body is targeted. If the disease affects the joints, as in rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis, you might have joint pain, stiffness, and loss of function.
If it affects the thyroid, as in Graves disease and thyroiditis, it might cause tiredness, weight gain, and muscle aches. If it attacks the skin, as it does in scleroderma/systemic sclerosis, vitiligo, and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), it can cause rashes, blisters, and color changes.
Many autoimmune diseases do not restrict themselves to one part of the body. For example, SLE can affect the skin, joints, kidneys, heart, nerves, blood vessels, and more. Rarely, rheumatoid arthritis can affect your heart, blood vessels, and lungs, in addition to the joint problems it typically causes.
No one is sure what causes autoimmune diseases. In most cases, a combination of factors is probably at work. For example, you might have a genetic tendency to develop a disease.
Resource- National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
Autoimmune Disease
Autoimmune Disease
Understanding Autoimmune Diseases
When an intruder invades your body like a cold virus or bacteria on a thorn that pricks your skin your immune system protects you. It tries to identify, kill, and eliminate the invaders that might hurt you. But sometimes problems with your immune system cause it to mistake your bodys own healthy cells as invaders and then repeatedly attack them. This is called an autoimmune disease. (Autoimmune means immunity against the self.)
The Immune System
Your immune system is the network of cells and tissues throughout your body that work together to defend you from invasion and infection. You can think of it as having two parts: the innate and the acquired immune systems.
The more primitive innate (or inborn) immune system activates white blood cells to destroy invaders. The innate system alerts the body to danger when it senses the presence of parts that are often found in many viruses or bacteria. The acquired (or adaptive) immune system develops as a person grows. It remembers different invaders so that it can fight them better if they come back. When the immune system is working properly, foreign invaders (antigens) provoke the body to produce proteins called antibodies and specific types of white blood cells that help in defense. The antibodies attach to the invaders so that they can be recognized and destroyed.
Autoimmune diseases refer to problems with the acquired immune systems reactions. In an autoimmune reaction, antibodies, or immune cells, attach to the bodys own healthy tissues by mistake, signaling the body to attack them.
Resource- National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
Autoimmune Disease
Autoimmune Disease
Our bodies have an immune system that protects us from disease and infection. But if you have an autoimmune disease, your immune system attacks itself by mistake, and you can get sick. Autoimmune diseases can affect connective tissue in your body. (Connective tissue binds together body tissues and organs.) Autoimmune disease can affect many parts of your body, such as your kidneys, nerves, muscles, endocrine system, and digestive system. (Your endocrine system directs your bodys hormones and other chemicals.)
Most autoimmune diseases occur in women, and most often during their childbearing years. Some of these diseases occur more in African American, American Indian, and Latina women than in White women. Some common autoimmune diseases are Hashi-motos thyroiditis, Graves disease, lupus, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis.
These diseases tend to run in families. Your genes, along with the way your immune system responds to certain triggers or things in the environment, affect your chances of getting one of these diseases. If you think you may have an autoimmune disease, ask your family members if they have had symptoms like yours. Although there is no cure for autoimmune diseases, you can treat your symptoms and feel better.
How common are autoimmune diseases?
Overall, autoimmune diseases are common, affecting more than 23.5 million Americans. They are a leading cause of death and disability. Yet some autoimmune diseases are rare, while others, such as Hashimotos disease, affect many people.
How do I find out if I have an autoimmune disease?
Getting a diagnosis can be a long and stressful process. Although each autoimmune disease is unique, many share some of the same symptoms. And many symptoms of autoimmune diseases are the same for other types of health problems too. This makes it hard for doctors to find out if you really have an autoimmune disease, and which one it might be. But if you are having symptoms that bother you, its important to find the cause. Dont give up if youre not getting any answers.
You can take these steps to help find out the cause of your symptoms,
Write down a complete family health history that includes extended family and share it with your doctor.
Record any symptoms you have, even if they seem unrelated, and share it with your doctor.
See a specialist who has experience dealing with your most major symptom. For instance, if you have symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease, start with a gastroenterologist. Ask your regular doctor, friends, and others for suggestions.
Get a second, third, or fourth opinion if need be. If your doctor doesnt take your symptoms seriously or tells you they are stress-related or in your head, see another doctor.
Autoimmune Disease
Introducing New Word Press Blog Autoimmune Disease
The goal of this blog is to help you identify what type of autoimmune disease you may be suffering from and to offer you information that may help you find some peace of mind.
For Immediate Release
The body parts that are affected depend on the type of autoimmune disease. There are more than 80 known types. In this blog we will take look at many of these known autoimmune diseases.
Autoimmune diseases arise from an overactive immune response of the body against substances and tissues normally present in the body. In other words, the body actually attacks its own cells. The immune system mistakes some part of the body as a pathogen and attacks it.
Overall, autoimmune diseases are common, affecting more than 23.5 million Americans. They are a leading cause of death and disability. Yet some autoimmune diseases are rare, while others, such as Hashimotos disease, affect many people.
The classic sign of an autoimmune disease is inflammation, which can cause redness, heat, pain, and swelling. How an autoimmune disease affects you depends on what part of the body is targeted.
Click here now > to learn how others are reducing inflammation
New Word Press Blog located here > Autoimmune Disease
Resources- National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
TriVita Inc. - the Office on Women's Health in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health
at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The above information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent disease. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.