Re: Fats & Other Necessary Nutrients to Loretta

[Guest guest]

Loretta,

I've been taking antioxidants now for two and a half year, beta carotene,

methionine, selenium, vitamins C and E, magnesium, grapeseed extract, B-

12, fish oil concentrate, etc. I could provide the full list and specific

amounts if

you're interested.

You also might want to take a look in our " files " section under " Nutrition " , it

will

take you to a list of folders, one entitled " Diet Tips " , that you may be

interested

in. The files are located on the PAI website at yahoo, in case you're getting

your messages sent via digest or as individual messages. You would need to

log into yahoo and go to our website to use the files, photos, links, database,

etc.

If you're interested in the information about the specific antioxidants and

minerals for pancreatitis that are recommeded by the Manchester Royal

Infirmary that I take daily, I'll be happy to post that information, too.

With love, hope and prayers,

Heidi

Heidi H. Griffeth

South Carolina

SC & SE Regional Rep

PAI

Note:

All comments or advice is based on personal experience or opinion, and

should not be substituted for consultation with a medical professional.

[Guest guest]

Heidi,

I take B6, B12, C, A, and E. I have ordered a few other vitamins

and MCT oil. I printed off the information for the nutritional,

however, I would appreciate the list of exact information. I worry

that I may get too much intake or the wrong kind.

Loretta Greer

Tennessee

[Guest guest]

Loretta wrote:

> I take B6, B12, C, A, and E. I have ordered a few other vitamins and MCT=

oil. I printed

off the information for the nutritional, however, I would appreciate the li=

st of exact

information. I worry that I may get too much intake or the wrong kind.

Loretta,

Here is the article about the Manchester Royal Infirmary Pancreatitis Antio=

xidant therapy.

The amounts to take are listed in this article. Do not confuse Vitamin A w=

ith Beta

Carotene. The supplement must be extract from Beta Carotene, not vitamin A=

, which can

be toxic, (A), if taken in too large quantities.

Drug Watch: Antioxidant Therapy for Recurrent Pancreatitis

There is little to offer patients with recurrent pancreatitis in way of tre=

atment. These

patients suffer considerable pain, and about the only measure that will gua=

rantee long-

term pain relief is near-total pancreatectomy - which carries the penalties=

of

malabsorption and brittle diabetes. Though the number of patients with chro=

nic

pancreatitis will be small across the UK, there may be pockets of relativel=

y high

prevalence, largely in deprived areas. These patients will consume signific=

ant amounts of

health service resources - even more if near-total pancreatectomy is carrie=

d out. Any

therapy which can be shown to be effective in chronic pancreatitis will the=

refore have an

impact on healthcare provision.

Causes of pancreatitis

There is accumulating evidence that oxidant stress resulting from an excess=

of pro-

oxidant over antioxidant has a key role in acute oedematous pancreatitis as=

well as painful

exacerbations of chronic disease. Cytokines like platelet activation factor=

(PAF) have also

been shown to be involved with development of the acute disease in animal m=

odels, but it

is likely that the prime insult which triggers pancreatitis is oxidant stre=

ss.

Antioxidant therapy?

From this, it would seem likely that therapy with antioxidants should help =

to prevent

pancreatitis - especially recurrent pancreatitis. A randomised, controlled,=

double-blind,

double dummy, crossover study from the Manchester Royal Infirmary has shown=

this to be

the case. Twenty patients with chronic pancreatitis (8 idiopathic, 7 alcoho=

lic and 5

idiopathic acute) entered the study in which micronutrient antioxidant ther=

apy was

compared with placebo, each for a 20-week period. Patients took six tablets=

of selenium

Ace (Wassen International) and eight tablets of methionine ( Medical L=

td) in divided

doses, giving a daily total of:

600 µg organic selenium

9000 IU beta-carotene

0.54 g vitamin C

270 IU vitamin E

2 g methionine

Results

This was a thorough and detailed study. The bare-bones of the results were =

that while six

patients had an attack while on placebo, not one had an attack while on act=

ive medication.

Pain scores were significantly lower on active treatment than on placebo an=

d at baseline.

The blood concentrations of a free radical 'marker' - the percentage molar =

ratio of 9,11-

linoleic acid to 9,12-linoleic acid - were elevated at baseline and in pati=

ents on placebo,

but was normalised by active treatment.

Benefits and costs

Treatment would entail a maximum cost of about £15 a month (1990 prices), w=

ith

possibly a 50% reduction after six months. This financial outlay is small c=

ompared with the

cost in terms of the mortality, morbidity, narcotic use, malnutrition and b=

rittle diabetes of

near-total pancreatectomy.

Reference:

S Uden et al. Antioxidant therapy for recurrent pancreatitis: placebo contr=

olled trial.

Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics 1990 4: 357-71.

Questions to be Answered

Q: What need is met by this therapy?

A: Treatment of patients with chronic or recurrent acute pancreatitis.

Q: What happens now?

A: Patients are treated with analgesics, or may go on to near-total pancrea=

tectomy

resulting in malabsorption and diabetes.

Q: Is quality improved?

A: Yes - patients on this treatment do not have pain.

Q: What does the treatment cost?

A: Less than £15 per month per patient.

Q: Can cost savings be made?

A: Yes - though not quantified, the cost of treatment with antioxidants is =

likely to be much

less than present treatments.

Advice to Health Authorities and GPFHs

Will increase quality and effectiveness.

May result in reduced costs.

Worth considering in specification.

I hope this helps.

With love, hope and prayers,

Heidi

Heidi H. Griffeth

South Carolina SC & SE Regional Rep

PAI

Note: All comments or advice are based on personal experience or opinion o=

nly, and

shoud not be substitued for professional medical consultation.