World Class Cyclist Fights Liver Disease in Race for Life

[Guest guest]

My brother sent me this article. He is always encouraging me to use natural remedies for my PSC... but my doctors disagree. This articles was extremely interesting. I am sure most of you have already seen it, but for those who have not I hope it inspires you!

Liver Health:

World Class Cyclist Fights Liver Disease in Race for Life

By VRP Staff

For the last several years, Norm Hoffman has appeared in the pages of the VRP catalog. A Professor of Health Education at Bakersfield College in California, Hoffman is one of the nation’s best cyclists in his age group, setting three national and world records, and winning the U.S. Cycling Federation 40K National Championships not once, but four times.

Norm is the model senior athlete. Recently however, a new twist has been revealed. Norm suffers from primary sclerosing cholangitis, or PSC, the same ailment that Hall of Fame football star Walter Payton is battling.With PSC, the bile ducts located in the liver become damaged, causing scar tissue and a narrowing of the ducts themselves. The excreted bile is directed back into the liver, leading to cirrhosis. The liver essentially loses its ability to cleanse itself, causing sufferers to die from complications of the disease.I’ve been hesitant to disclose this condition because of my reputation for being so healthy, Hoffman wrote in a recent letter to VRP President Rob . He added that he didn’t want to say anything until he had done everything

… to stop the effects of this irreversible condition.So do we have a 58-year-old perfect physical specimen or a man facing certain death? In a way, both. Hoffman was diagnosed with PSC in 1993, and was told by his doctor that he may live five years if he didn’t undergo a liver transplant. Yet, here he is six years later, in such good health that he can’t even get on the liver transplant list. This summer, he will be training for the Furnace Creek 508, a grueling 510-mile bike race held every October near Death Valley. It’s a four-man relay that will have him riding with members of the same team that won the Race Across America. Last summer, he had the fastest time among all cyclists in the 112-mile bike leg of the Vineman Ironman race in Santa , California, one of the largest triathlons in the country. Hoffman and his teammates competed in the relay portion of the event.This certainly doesn’t appear to be the lifestyle of

someone who is fatally ill. What’s the story?Research and discipline. Norm’s approach has been intelligent because he’s analyzed the disease and formulated effective treatments through common sense, says Dr. Ed Fisher, a retired Bakersfield surgeon and friend. He canvassed the world’s medical literature, collected all known facts about the disease, read the case studies and devised a plan of management. He did exactly what a doctor would do.Hoffman points out, Nobody is more concerned about your health than you. If you can read, inquire and think, you’ll quickly know more about your disorder than most doctors. What he learned is that the disease is rare: only 100 cases were reported prior to 1980. It appears to be genetically inherited, too. Norm’s dad died of liver cancer and was always taking antacid and complaining of digestive problems.Diet was one of the first considerations. In one of his e-mails to Walter

Payton, he explained, When you eat fats, it sends a signal to the liver to secrete bile to help emulsify the fats you are ingesting. People with PSC need to eat foods low in fat to reduce bile production so it won’t back up in constricted ducts and damage the liver. We also need a moderate amount of lean protein like turkey and chicken breast, non-fat milk, yogurt, etc., to help rebuild damaged liver cells. Remember to stay well-hydrated. Drink enough water so that your urine is clear. A reasonable eating plan for us PSCers would be 65-20-15 or 70-15-15: 70% carbohydrates, 15% proteins and 15% or less fat.Exercise is key, too. While learning about his disease, Hoffman continued to ride his bike, lift weights and work in the garden. Regular exercise helps ensure good circulation, which in turn expedites the flow of bile and other metabolites that build up in the liver – partly from every day living and partly from PSC.He has also

devised a supplement program targeting his condition. In a recent e-mail he described it as follows: My entire PSC, Health, Athletic Performance Program is based on an anti-aging paradigm or model that Ive set up for myself with the theory that those with younger biological systems have less disease, stronger immune systems, better athletic performances, etc. With this in mind, Ive taken steps to address the most common theories of aging: the neuroendocrine, free radical and genetic aspects of aging. My goal is to create the biological homeostasis of an optimally functioning 30-year-old by increasing my hormone levels with the intake of DHEA, pregnenolone, androstenedione and melatonin as well as employing the following nutritional strategies.Extend Core: To ensure an adequate intake of the necessary vitamins and minerals to sustain maximum health by taking three Extend Core capsules per day.Vitamins C and

E: Because research has indicated enhanced longevity and increased disease prevention with higher-than-RDA doses of these important core vitamins, I’ve added extra.PABA & Malate Complex: I take PABA because it has been proven to be useful for the treatment of scleroderma, lupus and other diseases that may share the same etiology as PSC. I take VRP’s Malate Complex for the same reasons, including possible benefits for fibromyalgia.HepatoGen: I take three to six capsules of HepatoGen daily because it contains well-documented, liver-enhancing ingredients, antioxidants and anti-inflammatories, including Silymarin, turmeric and green tea extracts.Additional Antioxidants: There is evidence in every disease process that free radicals create damage and antioxidants play a special role in quenching the action of these damaging substances. As a result I take Grape Seed

Extract, N-Acetyl Cysteine and Lipoic Acid, which have also been shown to provide benefits for liver disease.Anti-Inflammatories: Any ailment with the suffix, itis, indicates an inflammation of. Because I have primary sclerosing cholangitis, I take a plethora of known anti-inflammatory agents to stem the flare-ups of cholangitis that can visit a person with PSC.UniZyme: Contains Bromelain, Papain, Trypsin, Chymotrypsin, Rutin, and Pancreatin proteolytic enzymes.Ginger Extract: Doubles as a nausea-reducing agent.Propolis Extract: Also has anti-bacterial functions, which is beneficial because bad bacteria is one of the main causes of cholangitis.Ethyl EPA: A documented anti-inflammatory.BioPro: I use Bio Pro to promote proper digestion. 70% of people with PSC have some form of Irritable Bowel Disorder,

mostly UC (ulcerative colitis).I also take the prescription drug Actigall (ursodeoxycholic acid) and generic aspirin.Im doing great, although I get nervous when my supplies of VRP supplements run low. Im grateful for the quality control and scientific input that goes into the development of VRP products.The results of Hoffman’s regimen are self-evident. His critical liver function test values (LFTs) are in the normal range and his non-critical LFTs are just slightly high. Shortly after being diagnosed, he suffered from fatigue, jaundice and bouts of cholangitis with fever and severe chills. It’s been over a year since his last episode of cholangitis, but he knows very well he isn’t cured – he’s just managing his disease well.Nonetheless, he remains a world-class athlete and despite PSC, he is healthier than many who are disease-free. He hasn’t missed a day of school due to PSC and plans to continue

teaching.I encourage anyone who contracts a disease to do their own research and find out as much as they can, he advises. Make sure to get your diagnosis checked by a few doctors and take control of your life!

[Guest guest]

>

> My brother sent me this article.  He is always encouraging me to use

natural remedies for my PSC... but my doctors disagree. This articles

was extremely interesting.  I am sure most of you have already seen

it, but for those who have not I hope it inspires you!

That article is ten years old. Norm Hoffman was an active member of

this group before he was killed in a car accident on March 14, 2001.

Norm was indeed an inspiration for all of us.

http://www.vrp.com/articles.aspx?ProdID=art510&zTYPE=2

[Guest guest]

>

> My brother sent me this article.  He is always encouraging me to use

natural remedies for my PSC... but my doctors disagree. This articles

was extremely interesting.  I am sure most of you have already seen

it, but for those who have not I hope it inspires you!

That article is ten years old. Norm Hoffman was an active member of

this group before he was killed in a car accident on March 14, 2001.

Norm was indeed an inspiration for all of us.

http://www.vrp.com/articles.aspx?ProdID=art510&zTYPE=2