RE: Multiple Sclerosis: A Chronic Mycotoxicosis

July 23, 2003

Thanks, Larry for this information. I have been on a low carb diet

off and on over the past few years. I have noticed a general

increase in my ms symptoms when I eat lots of bread and pasta, and

also sugar. I feel much better when I eliminate these foods from my

diet. It is interesting to read about the connection here.

--- In low dose naltrexone , " LarryGC " <larrygc@s...>

wrote:

>

> ----- Original Message -----

> From: Martha Burton

> LarryGC

> Sent: Tuesday, July 22, 2003 16:30

> Subject: one more thing

>

> This is from last Saturday's issue of the newsletter at

mercola.com. It ties ms to the fungi that is found on wheat, corn and

peanuts. The theory possibly explains why ms happens to people who

grew up in the Grain Belt. The article needs to be spread to the

folks at the forum. Would you please pass it on? Thanks.

>

> Multiple Sclerosis: A Chronic Mycotoxicosis?

> by Holland, MD

>

> (Dr. Dave Holland is the co-author, with Doug Kaufmann, of the

new book, " The Fungus Link, Volume 2. " Inside this follow-up to their

book " The Fungus Link, " you'll not only learn about the dangers of

antibiotics. You'll also learn about the ins and outs of natural and

prescriptive antifungals. Additionally, Doug and Dave share with you

the role fungi and their mycotoxins play in what are unfortunately

everyday diseases such as prostatitis, ear-nose-throat disorders,

weight problems (including obesity and anorexia), autoimmune

diseases, hormonal disorders, neurologic diseases, hair loss, and eye

problems.

>

> To order either of these books, call 972-772-0990, M-F 8:00 AM to

5:00 PM Central, or go to causesandcures.com .)

>

> The National Multiple Sclerosis Society, one of several non-profit

organizations dealing with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) research funding

and patient assistance, raised almost $74 million dollars in the

fiscal year 2001. It spent $64 million, of which $54.8 million went

toward program expenses, and $6.6 million was directed at fundraising

efforts. Two million goes toward administrative costs. The CEO alone

makes over $300,000. (1)

>

> Still, in the 57 years of the society's existence, no cause for MS

has been assigned. I use the word " assigned " and not " found, " because

I believe a cause has already been found. In our book, " The Fungus

Link, Volume 2, " Doug Kaufmann and I discuss the role of fungal

toxins, called mycotoxins, in the etiology of MS. The evidence

brought forth by various scientists over the years and compiled in a

small section of this book is quite compelling. It is so compelling

that, at this point, I believe scientists will be forced into a

position of proving that mycotoxins are NOT the cause of MS, a task

at which, I believe, they shall not succeed.

>

> MS is characterized by destruction of the protective sheath- called

the myelin sheath- around nerves in the brain and the spinal cord. As

a result, the transmission of nerve impulses to other nerves,

muscles, and vital organs is interrupted. This impaired nerve

function translates into symptoms such as difficulty in walking,

abnormal, " pins and needles " sensations throughout the body; pain and

loss of vision due to inflammation of the optic nerve, tremors,

incoordination, paralysis, and impaired thinking and memory (2). In

addition, muscle wasting, bladder dysfunction, fatigue, osteoporosis,

and a host of other problems may develop either directly or

indirectly due to this nerve damage.

>

> Although there is a genetic predisposition toward MS, as proven in

studies of twins, only a third of those that are genetically

susceptible will get MS, indicating there is still an outside factor

involved (3). MS is more common in those born and raised above the

37th parallel (a line extending from Newport News, VA to Santa Cruz,

CA); however, if a person moves to an area of low risk (i.e. below

the 40th parallel) prior to adolescence, they assume the lower risk

of their new location. These last points support the idea of an

environmental exposure link to the disease.

>

> If outside causes are to blame, then Oppenheim, an early 1900's

researcher, was the closest in his assertion that MS is caused by an

environmental toxin. Other researchers of his day thought that there

was a defect in the blood vessels or in the glial tissues. Pierre

Marie, in the late 1800's, felt that MS was caused by an infectious

agent. However, despite all of the " infection " theories that have

been tested over the past 150 plus years, not one- whether bacteria,

virus, Chlamydia or scrapie-like agent- has proven to be the culprit.

>

> So, let's apply what we already know about MS and see if we truly

know the cause of MS or not. Mycotoxins are chemicals made by fungi.

They are found in grains that have been contaminated with fungi and

mold. Some mycotoxins are used for medicinal purposes. Antibiotics,

such as penicillin and the cephalosporin drugs, are fungal

metabolites- they are mycotoxins. Alcohol is a mycotoxin. Aflatoxin,

the most carcinogenic substance on earth, is a mycotoxin. The most

commonly contaminated crops are peanuts, corn, and wheat.

>

> Often, other foods such as barley, apples, sorghum and rye can be

contaminated as well. Some mycotoxins are produced in our body by the

yeast in our intestines or vaginal tract. In one study, 3 women

severely symptomatic for vaginal candidiasis were found to have

vaginal fluid samples with significant levels of a mycotoxin called

gliotoxin (4). From our environment, we can be exposed to mycotoxins

through countless routes: ingestion, inhalation, skin contact, etc.

The question is, once inside the body, can these mycotoxins damage

nerves? Let's answer that question now.

>

> We already know that, in MS, there is a loss of molecules called

sphingolipids from the white matter in the central nervous system

(5). What is not well known is the fact that mycotoxins can actually

disrupt sphingolipid biosynthesis (6). Specifically, gliotoxin, as we

mentioned above, on a slightly larger scale can induce nerve cell

death (apoptosis).

>

> Gliotoxin is a heat stable chemical made by Aspergillus, Candida,

and other species of fungi. (7). Not coincidentally, scientists have

recovered a heat stable toxin from the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of

MS patients. In this particular study, they took the CSF from MS

patients, heat-treated it to destroy any infectious germs, and then

exposed it to nerve cells in a laboratory culture. What happened? The

nerve cells died! They called this heat-stable toxin " gliotoxin. "

>

> The source of gliotoxin appears to be, again, primarily from the

yeast and fungi within the human body. As such, gliotoxin is less

important as an agricultural scourge than are other mycotoxins such

as fumonisins, made by Fusarium and Aspergillus fungi, and the

penetrim D toxin made by Penicillium crustosum. Fumonisins are a

group of mycotoxins that happen to be neurotoxic as well as

carcinogenic. They are " universally present in corn and corn-based

products. " (8). Penitrem mycotoxins are found in things such as moldy

apple products. Penetrem D can cause tremors, convulsions, limb

weakness, and ataxis (unsteady gait), " not unlike the symptoms

observed in MS. " (9).

>

> As there are different classes of MS (chronic progressive,

relapsing-remitting, etc.) it may very well be that the different

classes are being caused by different classes of mycotoxins. In

addition, the regional differences in the prevalence of MS might be

explained by the particular agricultural products that dominate the

most affected areas. For example, the part of America that lies above

the 37th parallel also happens to encompass the cornbelt. Remember

that corn is universally contaminated with mycotoxins (7). This area

is also represented by much of the wheat belt. Is this just a

coincidence, or good evidence of an environmental exposure risk

factor?

>

> Let's talk about some of the latest treatments for MS. Dr. Mercola

has already stated in a previous article that most MS drugs are a

waste of money (10). The new buzz on the town, however, is that

statin drugs (cholesterol-lowering drugs) have proven effective in

slowing the progression of MS (11-13). Their effectiveness should not

surprise us, in light of the fungal/mycotoxin theory, when we also

learn that statin drugs are antifungal (14).

>

> Dr. Mercola has also mentioned in previous articles that Vitamin D

as well as plain old sunlight can reduce mortality from and

positively influence the immune system in MS (15,16). Other

researchers have explained that the reason why these work is, once

again, Vitamin D, whether taken in the form of a cod liver oil

supplement or made naturally by our body from sunlight exposure, is

anti-mycotoxin (14).

>

> Finally, let's talk about diet again. Last year a German researcher

claimed that eating smoked sausage in childhood was responsible for

causing multiple sclerosis later in life. (16). Dr. A.V. Costantini,

retired head of the World Health Organization's collaborating center

for mycotoxins in food, helps us out here by explaining that smoked

and aged meats are often contaminated with mycotoxins (18). Thus the

cause of MS, according to these and other researchers, is right in

our food.

>

> In another of Dr. Mercola's articles, he talked about how starving

mice with an MS-like condition resulted in fewer symptoms and

decreased progression of the illness (19). Why does starvation work?

In our humbled opinion, it could be as simple as: the fewer foods

taken in, the fewer mycotoxins that enter the body. You see, if we

are following the standard, food pyramid, grain based American diet,

we are consuming on average from 0.15 to 0.5mg of aflatoxin per day

(8). Aflatoxin is the only regulated mycotoxin in America, so what

level of exposure we have to the other, known mycotoxins in our diet

that we've discussed is a guess, at best. So starvation diets not

only deprive us of calories. They also " deprive " us of disease-

causing, carcinogenic mycotoxins.

>

> If indeed mycotoxins cause MS, then there are a number of steps one

must take to minimize exposure to fungi and their mycotoxins. We just

finished talking about diet. Since mycotoxins are commonly found in

grain foods (7,8), then it would be wise to minimize grains in our

diet. Doug Kaufmann outlines his Initial Phase diet in our book, The

Fungus Link, Volume 2. As well, Dr. Mercola has published his book,

The No-Grain Diet , which offers equally valuable information.

Secondly, we should minimize our exposure to antibiotics.

>

> Antibiotics are, for the most part, derived from fungi and are

therefore classified as mycotoxins. If we've taken lots of

antibiotics in the past, we should attempt to correct the damage done

by these by taking a good probiotic supplement. Lastly, if we have

any obvious signs of fungal infection in our body, and to us, simply

having MS might qualify as an obvious sign, it might behoove us to

take natural or prescriptive antifungals for a period of time.

Remember that gliotoxin can be made by fungi and yeast that are

already in the body, not necessarily by fungi that reside in

contaminated foods.

>

> Doug and I hope that we've given you some insight to

this " mysterious " disease of MS. It seems, according to the research

we've pointed to, that the cause for this disease is right before our

eyes. Now, we just need to apply this knowledge. Future research

should be directed at treating the disease as if it were caused by

fungi and their devastating mycotoxins.

>

> --------------------------------------------------------------------

------------

July 23, 2003

Personally I thought the article was really terrible. Assertion after assertion, with little or no facts to back things up. This reads *nothing* like the LDN website, which makes a reasonable argued case and backs it up with a load of sensibly presented anecdotal data. This itself is hardly conclusive, but based on that, we've all made a leap of faith and indeed are having great results.

This paper just makes one wild assumption after another. In fact, you can pinpoint a precise paragraph where I really though "what!?!". It's this one:

In another of Dr. Mercola’s articles, he talked about how starving mice with an MS-like condition resulted in fewer symptoms and decreased progression of the illness (19). Why does starvation work? In our humbled opinion, it could be as simple as: the fewer foods taken in, the fewer mycotoxins that enter the body.

This is all guesswork!!! What follows does not backup the case, it's simple speculation. "In our humbled opinion". Come on, we need more than that! Then they end with this:

Doug and I hope that we’ve given you some insight to this “mysterious” disease of MS. It seems, according to the research we’ve pointed to, that the cause for this disease is right before our eyes.

Again, sheer rubbish. The word "mysterious" is used as though they've just solved the disease. They simply have not, they've made a load of wild guesses and think that they MIGHT be correct. The cause for the disease is very much not right before our eyes. A bunch of tenuous speculation is all that's right before my eyes.

Sorry to sound like a neuro being asked about LDN (grin) - but I have a solid scientific background and need more than this awful article to become convinced. I hope you all avoid going to their website and SPENDING MONEY ON THEIR PRODUCTS. This is what this articule ultimately leads to.

Sorry, but this is nothing like LDN. Don't get me wrong, there MAY be something to this. I'm AM on a very strict diet myself to try and control my MS, but this article would NEVER have convinced me to go on one.

I'd like to leave you all with a laugh, and a final quote from the article.

Finally, let’s talk about diet again. Last year a German researcher claimed that eating smoked sausage in childhood was responsible for causing multiple sclerosis later in life.

LOL!!!!! In future, I'd rather not see articles which preceed with "to order any of these books...". Please.

Matt

-----Original Message

-----Original Message-----From: LarryGC [mailto:larrygc@...] Sent: 22 July 2003 21:59LDN group; Spotlight_LDN; MSWatchersSubject: [low dose naltrexone] Multiple Sclerosis: A Chronic Mycotoxicosis

----- Original Message ----- From: Martha Burton

LarryGC

Sent: Tuesday, July 22, 2003 16:30

Subject: one more thing

This is from last Saturday's issue of the newsletter at mercola.com. It ties ms to the fungi that is found on wheat, corn and peanuts. The theory possibly explains why ms happens to people who grew up in the Grain Belt. The article needs to be spread to the folks at the forum. Would you please pass it on? Thanks.Multiple Sclerosis: A Chronic Mycotoxicosis? by Holland, MD

(Dr. Dave Holland is the co-author, with Doug Kaufmann, of the new book, "The Fungus Link, Volume 2." Inside this follow-up to their book “The Fungus Link,” you'll not only learn about the dangers of antibiotics. You'll also learn about the ins and outs of natural and prescriptive antifungals. Additionally, Doug and Dave share with you the role fungi and their mycotoxins play in what are unfortunately everyday diseases such as prostatitis, ear-nose-throat disorders, weight problems (including obesity and anorexia), autoimmune diseases, hormonal disorders, neurologic diseases, hair loss, and eye problems.

To order either of these books, call 972-772-0990, M-F 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Central, or go to causesandcures.com .)

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society, one of several non-profit organizations dealing with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) research funding and patient assistance, raised almost $74 million dollars in the fiscal year 2001. It spent $64 million, of which $54.8 million went toward program expenses, and $6.6 million was directed at fundraising efforts. Two million goes toward administrative costs. The CEO alone makes over $300,000. (1)

Still, in the 57 years of the society’s existence, no cause for MS has been assigned. I use the word “assigned” and not “found,” because I believe a cause has already been found. In our book, “The Fungus Link, Volume 2,” Doug Kaufmann and I discuss the role of fungal toxins, called mycotoxins, in the etiology of MS. The evidence brought forth by various scientists over the years and compiled in a small section of this book is quite compelling. It is so compelling that, at this point, I believe scientists will be forced into a position of proving that mycotoxins are NOT the cause of MS, a task at which, I believe, they shall not succeed.

MS is characterized by destruction of the protective sheath- called the myelin sheath- around nerves in the brain and the spinal cord. As a result, the transmission of nerve impulses to other nerves, muscles, and vital organs is interrupted. This impaired nerve function translates into symptoms such as difficulty in walking, abnormal, “pins and needles” sensations throughout the body; pain and loss of vision due to inflammation of the optic nerve, tremors, incoordination, paralysis, and impaired thinking and memory (2). In addition, muscle wasting, bladder dysfunction, fatigue, osteoporosis, and a host of other problems may develop either directly or indirectly due to this nerve damage.

Although there is a genetic predisposition toward MS, as proven in studies of twins, only a third of those that are genetically susceptible will get MS, indicating there is still an outside factor involved (3). MS is more common in those born and raised above the 37th parallel (a line extending from Newport News, VA to Santa Cruz, CA); however, if a person moves to an area of low risk (i.e. below the 40th parallel) prior to adolescence, they assume the lower risk of their new location. These last points support the idea of an environmental exposure link to the disease.

If outside causes are to blame, then Oppenheim, an early 1900’s researcher, was the closest in his assertion that MS is caused by an environmental toxin. Other researchers of his day thought that there was a defect in the blood vessels or in the glial tissues. Pierre Marie, in the late 1800’s, felt that MS was caused by an infectious agent. However, despite all of the “infection” theories that have been tested over the past 150 plus years, not one- whether bacteria, virus, Chlamydia or scrapie-like agent- has proven to be the culprit.

So, let’s apply what we already know about MS and see if we truly know the cause of MS or not. Mycotoxins are chemicals made by fungi. They are found in grains that have been contaminated with fungi and mold. Some mycotoxins are used for medicinal purposes. Antibiotics, such as penicillin and the cephalosporin drugs, are fungal metabolites- they are mycotoxins. Alcohol is a mycotoxin. Aflatoxin, the most carcinogenic substance on earth, is a mycotoxin. The most commonly contaminated crops are peanuts, corn, and wheat.

Often, other foods such as barley, apples, sorghum and rye can be contaminated as well. Some mycotoxins are produced in our body by the yeast in our intestines or vaginal tract. In one study, 3 women severely symptomatic for vaginal candidiasis were found to have vaginal fluid samples with significant levels of a mycotoxin called gliotoxin (4). From our environment, we can be exposed to mycotoxins through countless routes: ingestion, inhalation, skin contact, etc. The question is, once inside the body, can these mycotoxins damage nerves? Let’s answer that question now.

We already know that, in MS, there is a loss of molecules called sphingolipids from the white matter in the central nervous system (5). What is not well known is the fact that mycotoxins can actually disrupt sphingolipid biosynthesis (6). Specifically, gliotoxin, as we mentioned above, on a slightly larger scale can induce nerve cell death (apoptosis).

Gliotoxin is a heat stable chemical made by Aspergillus, Candida, and other species of fungi. (7). Not coincidentally, scientists have recovered a heat stable toxin from the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of MS patients. In this particular study, they took the CSF from MS patients, heat-treated it to destroy any infectious germs, and then exposed it to nerve cells in a laboratory culture. What happened? The nerve cells died! They called this heat-stable toxin “gliotoxin.”

The source of gliotoxin appears to be, again, primarily from the yeast and fungi within the human body. As such, gliotoxin is less important as an agricultural scourge than are other mycotoxins such as fumonisins, made by Fusarium and Aspergillus fungi, and the penetrim D toxin made by Penicillium crustosum. Fumonisins are a group of mycotoxins that happen to be neurotoxic as well as carcinogenic. They are “universally present in corn and corn-based products.” (8). Penitrem mycotoxins are found in things such as moldy apple products. Penetrem D can cause tremors, convulsions, limb weakness, and ataxis (unsteady gait), “not unlike the symptoms observed in MS.” (9).

As there are different classes of MS (chronic progressive, relapsing-remitting, etc.) it may very well be that the different classes are being caused by different classes of mycotoxins. In addition, the regional differences in the prevalence of MS might be explained by the particular agricultural products that dominate the most affected areas. For example, the part of America that lies above the 37th parallel also happens to encompass the cornbelt. Remember that corn is universally contaminated with mycotoxins (7). This area is also represented by much of the wheat belt. Is this just a coincidence, or good evidence of an environmental exposure risk factor?

Let’s talk about some of the latest treatments for MS. Dr. Mercola has already stated in a previous article that most MS drugs are a waste of money (10). The new buzz on the town, however, is that statin drugs (cholesterol-lowering drugs) have proven effective in slowing the progression of MS (11-13). Their effectiveness should not surprise us, in light of the fungal/mycotoxin theory, when we also learn that statin drugs are antifungal (14).

Dr. Mercola has also mentioned in previous articles that Vitamin D as well as plain old sunlight can reduce mortality from and positively influence the immune system in MS (15,16). Other researchers have explained that the reason why these work is, once again, Vitamin D, whether taken in the form of a cod liver oil supplement or made naturally by our body from sunlight exposure, is anti-mycotoxin (14).

Finally, let’s talk about diet again. Last year a German researcher claimed that eating smoked sausage in childhood was responsible for causing multiple sclerosis later in life. (16). Dr. A.V. Costantini, retired head of the World Health Organization’s collaborating center for mycotoxins in food, helps us out here by explaining that smoked and aged meats are often contaminated with mycotoxins (18). Thus the cause of MS, according to these and other researchers, is right in our food.

In another of Dr. Mercola’s articles, he talked about how starving mice with an MS-like condition resulted in fewer symptoms and decreased progression of the illness (19). Why does starvation work? In our humbled opinion, it could be as simple as: the fewer foods taken in, the fewer mycotoxins that enter the body. You see, if we are following the standard, food pyramid, grain based American diet, we are consuming on average from 0.15 to 0.5mg of aflatoxin per day (8). Aflatoxin is the only regulated mycotoxin in America, so what level of exposure we have to the other, known mycotoxins in our diet that we’ve discussed is a guess, at best. So starvation diets not only deprive us of calories. They also “deprive” us of disease-causing, carcinogenic mycotoxins.

If indeed mycotoxins cause MS, then there are a number of steps one must take to minimize exposure to fungi and their mycotoxins. We just finished talking about diet. Since mycotoxins are commonly found in grain foods (7,8), then it would be wise to minimize grains in our diet. Doug Kaufmann outlines his Initial Phase diet in our book, The Fungus Link, Volume 2. As well, Dr. Mercola has published his book, The No-Grain Diet , which offers equally valuable information. Secondly, we should minimize our exposure to antibiotics.

Antibiotics are, for the most part, derived from fungi and are therefore classified as mycotoxins. If we’ve taken lots of antibiotics in the past, we should attempt to correct the damage done by these by taking a good probiotic supplement. Lastly, if we have any obvious signs of fungal infection in our body, and to us, simply having MS might qualify as an obvious sign, it might behoove us to take natural or prescriptive antifungals for a period of time. Remember that gliotoxin can be made by fungi and yeast that are already in the body, not necessarily by fungi that reside in contaminated foods.

Doug and I hope that we’ve given you some insight to this “mysterious” disease of MS. It seems, according to the research we’ve pointed to, that the cause for this disease is right before our eyes. Now, we just need to apply this knowledge. Future research should be directed at treating the disease as if it were caused by fungi and their devastating mycotoxins.

July 23, 2003

like I was told when I first was dx'd, MS is a charlatan's dream come

true, since there is no known cause, no cure (so many may seem to work as

remission occurs), and open to wide speculation and frustration.

That's why we must always stick to the facts, what works for us personally

and makes sense logically/scientifically. An animal model where they

" create an MS-like condition " is NOT MS! I know about animal models, I was

involved in research back in the 80's. Sometimes it makes sense, sometimes

not. Elaine DeLack's group has concluded after much research that MS is

not an attack by one's immune system (although the immune system gets

involved due to the illness). Rather it is an immunoddeficiency disease,

due to a lack of critical biochemicals by the MS patient. This is the same

theory Bihari subscribes to. Therefore, using drugs to suppress the immune

system is just a bad idea. Whatever the cause, the immune system is out of

balance and needs to be brought back into balance. Using drugs that cause

more problems is not the answer. LDN helps correct immune functioning by

stimulating endocryn production. Hopefully this is enough, but if not

there may be other things we'll find out we must do.

On Wed, 23 Jul 2003, Matt Dixon wrote:

> Personally I thought the article was really terrible. Assertion after

> assertion, with little or no facts to back things up. This reads

> *nothing* like the LDN website, which makes a reasonable argued case and

> backs it up with a load of sensibly presented anecdotal data. This

> itself is hardly conclusive, but based on that, we've all made a leap of

> faith and indeed are having great results.

>

> This paper just makes one wild assumption after another. In fact, you

> can pinpoint a precise paragraph where I really though " what!?! " . It's

> this one:

>

> In another of Dr. Mercola's articles, he talked about how starving mice

> with an MS-like condition resulted in fewer symptoms and decreased

> progression of the illness (19). Why does starvation work? In our

> humbled opinion, it could be as simple as: the fewer foods taken in, the

> fewer mycotoxins that enter the body.

>

> This is all guesswork!!! What follows does not backup the case, it's

> simple speculation. " In our humbled opinion " . Come on, we need more

> than that! Then they end with this:

>

> Doug and I hope that we've given you some insight to this " mysterious "

> disease of MS. It seems, according to the research we've pointed to,

> that the cause for this disease is right before our eyes.

>

> Again, sheer rubbish. The word " mysterious " is used as though they've

> just solved the disease. They simply have not, they've made a load of

> wild guesses and think that they MIGHT be correct. The cause for the

> disease is very much not right before our eyes. A bunch of tenuous

> speculation is all that's right before my eyes.

>

> Sorry to sound like a neuro being asked about LDN (grin) - but I have a

> solid scientific background and need more than this awful article to

> become convinced. I hope you all avoid going to their website and

> SPENDING MONEY ON THEIR PRODUCTS. This is what this articule ultimately

> leads to.

>

> Sorry, but this is nothing like LDN. Don't get me wrong, there MAY be

> something to this. I'm AM on a very strict diet myself to try and

> control my MS, but this article would NEVER have convinced me to go on

> one.

>

> I'd like to leave you all with a laugh, and a final quote from the

> article.

>

> Finally, let's talk about diet again. Last year a German researcher

> claimed that eating smoked sausage in childhood was responsible for

> causing multiple sclerosis later in life.

>

> LOL!!!!! In future, I'd rather not see articles which preceed with " to

> order any of these books... " . Please.

>

> Matt

>

> -----Original Message

>

> -----Original Message-----

> From: LarryGC [mailto:larrygc@...]

> Sent: 22 July 2003 21:59

> LDN group; Spotlight_LDN; MSWatchers

> Subject: [low dose naltrexone] Multiple Sclerosis: A Chronic Mycotoxicosis

>

> ----- Original Message -----

> From: Martha <mailto:mburtonakod@...> Burton

> LarryGC <mailto:larrygc@...>

> Sent: Tuesday, July 22, 2003 16:30

> Subject: one more thing

>

> This is from last Saturday's issue of the newsletter at mercola.com. It

> ties ms to the fungi that is found on wheat, corn and peanuts. The

> theory possibly explains why ms happens to people who grew up in the

> Grain Belt. The article needs to be spread to the folks at the

> forum. Would you please pass it on? Thanks.

>

> Multiple Sclerosis: A Chronic Mycotoxicosis?

>

> by Holland, MD

>

> (Dr. Dave Holland is the co-author, with Doug Kaufmann, of the new book,

> " The Fungus Link, Volume 2. " Inside this follow-up to their book " The

> Fungus Link, " you'll not only learn about the dangers of antibiotics.

> You'll also learn about the ins and outs of natural and prescriptive

> antifungals. Additionally, Doug and Dave share with you the role fungi

> and their mycotoxins play in what are unfortunately everyday diseases

> such as prostatitis, ear-nose-throat disorders, weight problems

> (including obesity and anorexia), autoimmune diseases, hormonal

> disorders, neurologic diseases, hair loss, and eye problems.

>

> To order either of these books, call 972-772-0990, M-F 8:00 AM to 5:00

> PM Central, or go to causesandcures.com <http://www.causesandcures.com/>

> .)

>

> The National Multiple Sclerosis Society, one of several non-profit

> organizations dealing with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) research funding and

> patient assistance, raised almost $74 million dollars in the fiscal year

> 2001. It spent $64 million, of which $54.8 million went toward program

> expenses, and $6.6 million was directed at fundraising efforts. Two

> million goes toward administrative costs. The CEO alone makes over

> $300,000. (1)

>

> Still, in the 57 years of the society's existence, no cause for MS has

> been assigned. I use the word " assigned " and not " found, " because I

> believe a cause has already been found. In our book, " The Fungus Link,

> Volume 2, " Doug Kaufmann and I discuss the role of fungal toxins, called

> mycotoxins, in the etiology of MS. The evidence brought forth by various

> scientists over the years and compiled in a small section of this book

> is quite compelling. It is so compelling that, at this point, I believe

> scientists will be forced into a position of proving that mycotoxins are

> NOT the cause of MS, a task at which, I believe, they shall not succeed.

>

> MS is characterized by destruction of the protective sheath- called the

> myelin sheath- around nerves in the brain and the spinal cord. As a

> result, the transmission of nerve impulses to other nerves, muscles, and

> vital organs is interrupted. This impaired nerve function translates

> into symptoms such as difficulty in walking, abnormal, " pins and

> needles " sensations throughout the body; pain and loss of vision due to

> inflammation of the optic nerve, tremors, incoordination, paralysis, and

> impaired thinking and memory (2). In addition, muscle wasting, bladder

> dysfunction, fatigue, osteoporosis, and a host of other problems may

> develop either directly or indirectly due to this nerve damage.

>

> Although there is a genetic predisposition toward MS, as proven in

> studies of twins, only a third of those that are genetically susceptible

> will get MS, indicating there is still an outside factor involved (3).

> MS is more common in those born and raised above the 37th parallel (a

> line extending from Newport News, VA to Santa Cruz, CA); however, if a

> person moves to an area of low risk (i.e. below the 40th parallel) prior

> to adolescence, they assume the lower risk of their new location. These

> last points support the idea of an environmental exposure link to the

> disease.

>

> If outside causes are to blame, then Oppenheim, an early 1900's

> researcher, was the closest in his assertion that MS is caused by an

> environmental toxin. Other researchers of his day thought that there was

> a defect in the blood vessels or in the glial tissues. Pierre Marie, in

> the late 1800's, felt that MS was caused by an infectious agent.

> However, despite all of the " infection " theories that have been tested

> over the past 150 plus years, not one- whether bacteria, virus,

> Chlamydia or scrapie-like agent- has proven to be the culprit.

>

> So, let's apply what we already know about MS and see if we truly know

> the cause of MS or not. Mycotoxins are chemicals made by fungi. They are

> found in grains that have been contaminated with fungi and mold. Some

> mycotoxins are used for medicinal purposes. Antibiotics, such as

> penicillin and the cephalosporin drugs, are fungal metabolites- they are

> mycotoxins. Alcohol is a mycotoxin. Aflatoxin, the most carcinogenic

> substance on earth, is a mycotoxin. The most commonly contaminated crops

> are peanuts, corn, and wheat.

>

> Often, other foods such as barley, apples, sorghum and rye can be

> contaminated as well. Some mycotoxins are produced in our body by the

> yeast in our intestines or vaginal tract. In one study, 3 women severely

> symptomatic for vaginal candidiasis were found to have vaginal fluid

> samples with significant levels of a mycotoxin called gliotoxin (4).

> >From our environment, we can be exposed to mycotoxins through countless

> routes: ingestion, inhalation, skin contact, etc. The question is, once

> inside the body, can these mycotoxins damage nerves? Let's answer that

> question now.

>

> We already know that, in MS, there is a loss of molecules called

> sphingolipids from the white matter in the central nervous system (5).

> What is not well known is the fact that mycotoxins can actually disrupt

> sphingolipid biosynthesis (6). Specifically, gliotoxin, as we mentioned

> above, on a slightly larger scale can induce nerve cell death

> (apoptosis).

>

> Gliotoxin is a heat stable chemical made by Aspergillus, Candida, and

> other species of fungi. (7). Not coincidentally, scientists have

> recovered a heat stable toxin from the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of MS

> patients. In this particular study, they took the CSF from MS patients,

> heat-treated it to destroy any infectious germs, and then exposed it to

> nerve cells in a laboratory culture. What happened? The nerve cells

> died! They called this heat-stable toxin " gliotoxin. "

>

> The source of gliotoxin appears to be, again, primarily from the yeast

> and fungi within the human body. As such, gliotoxin is less important as

> an agricultural scourge than are other mycotoxins such as fumonisins,

> made by Fusarium and Aspergillus fungi, and the penetrim D toxin made by

> Penicillium crustosum. Fumonisins are a group of mycotoxins that happen

> to be neurotoxic as well as carcinogenic. They are " universally present

> in corn and corn-based products. " (8). Penitrem mycotoxins are found in

> things such as moldy apple products. Penetrem D can cause tremors,

> convulsions, limb weakness, and ataxis (unsteady gait), " not unlike the

> symptoms observed in MS. " (9).

>

> As there are different classes of MS (chronic progressive,

> relapsing-remitting, etc.) it may very well be that the different

> classes are being caused by different classes of mycotoxins. In

> addition, the regional differences in the prevalence of MS might be

> explained by the particular agricultural products that dominate the most

> affected areas. For example, the part of America that lies above the

> 37th parallel also happens to encompass the cornbelt. Remember that corn

> is universally contaminated with mycotoxins (7). This area is also

> represented by much of the wheat belt. Is this just a coincidence, or

> good evidence of an environmental exposure risk factor?

>

> Let's talk about some of the latest treatments for MS. Dr. Mercola has

> already stated in a previous article that most MS drugs are a waste of

> money (10). The new buzz on the town, however, is that statin drugs

> (cholesterol-lowering drugs) have proven effective in slowing the

> progression of MS (11-13). Their effectiveness should not surprise us,

> in light of the fungal/mycotoxin theory, when we also learn that statin

> drugs are antifungal (14).

>

> Dr. Mercola has also mentioned in previous articles that Vitamin D as

> well as plain old sunlight can reduce mortality from and positively

> influence the immune system in MS (15,16). Other researchers have

> explained that the reason why these work is, once again, Vitamin D,

> whether taken in the form of a cod liver oil supplement or made

> naturally by our body from sunlight exposure, is anti-mycotoxin (14).

>

> Finally, let's talk about diet again. Last year a German researcher

> claimed that eating smoked sausage in childhood was responsible for

> causing multiple sclerosis later in life. (16). Dr. A.V. Costantini,

> retired head of the World Health Organization's collaborating center for

> mycotoxins in food, helps us out here by explaining that smoked and aged

> meats are often contaminated with mycotoxins (18). Thus the cause of MS,

> according to these and other researchers, is right in our food.

>

> In another of Dr. Mercola's articles, he talked about how starving mice

> with an MS-like condition resulted in fewer symptoms and decreased

> progression of the illness (19). Why does starvation work? In our

> humbled opinion, it could be as simple as: the fewer foods taken in, the

> fewer mycotoxins that enter the body. You see, if we are following the

> standard, food pyramid, grain based American diet, we are consuming on

> average from 0.15 to 0.5mg of aflatoxin per day (8). Aflatoxin is the

> only regulated mycotoxin in America, so what level of exposure we have

> to the other, known mycotoxins in our diet that we've discussed is a

> guess, at best. So starvation diets not only deprive us of calories.

> They also " deprive " us of disease-causing, carcinogenic mycotoxins.

>

> If indeed mycotoxins cause MS, then there are a number of steps one must

> take to minimize exposure to fungi and their mycotoxins. We just

> finished talking about diet. Since mycotoxins are commonly found in

> grain foods (7,8), then it would be wise to minimize grains in our diet.

> Doug Kaufmann outlines his Initial Phase diet in our book, The Fungus

> Link, Volume 2. As well, Dr. Mercola has published his book, The

> No-Grain Diet

> <http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0525947337/optimalwellnessc> ,

> which offers equally valuable information. Secondly, we should minimize

> our exposure to antibiotics.

>

> Antibiotics are, for the most part, derived from fungi and are therefore

> classified as mycotoxins. If we've taken lots of antibiotics in the

> past, we should attempt to correct the damage done by these by taking a

> good probiotic supplement. Lastly, if we have any obvious signs of

> fungal infection in our body, and to us, simply having MS might qualify

> as an obvious sign, it might behoove us to take natural or prescriptive

> antifungals for a period of time. Remember that gliotoxin can be made by

> fungi and yeast that are already in the body, not necessarily by fungi

> that reside in contaminated foods.

>

> Doug and I hope that we've given you some insight to this " mysterious "

> disease of MS. It seems, according to the research we've pointed to,

> that the cause for this disease is right before our eyes. Now, we just

> need to apply this knowledge. Future research should be directed at

> treating the disease as if it were caused by fungi and their devastating

> mycotoxins.

>

> _____

>

July 23, 2003

I totally agree .

It seems to me that LDN is one of those rare gems that really does work.

One of the main hints at the time was that no one wanted any money! Add

that to the fairly overwhelming anecdotal evidence and we're onto a

winner

-----Original Message-----

From: G. Harding [mailto:philh@...]

Sent: 23 July 2003 11:50

Matt Dixon

Cc: 'LDN group'; 'Spotlight_LDN'

Subject: RE: [low dose naltrexone] Multiple Sclerosis: A Chronic

Mycotoxicosis

like I was told when I first was dx'd, MS is a charlatan's dream come

true, since there is no known cause, no cure (so many may seem to work

as remission occurs), and open to wide speculation and frustration.

That's why we must always stick to the facts, what works for us

personally and makes sense logically/scientifically. An animal model

where they " create an MS-like condition " is NOT MS! I know about animal

models, I was involved in research back in the 80's. Sometimes it makes

sense, sometimes not. Elaine DeLack's group has concluded after much

research that MS is not an attack by one's immune system (although the

immune system gets involved due to the illness). Rather it is an

immunoddeficiency disease, due to a lack of critical biochemicals by the

MS patient. This is the same theory Bihari subscribes to. Therefore,

using drugs to suppress the immune system is just a bad idea. Whatever

the cause, the immune system is out of balance and needs to be brought

back into balance. Using drugs that cause more problems is not the

answer. LDN helps correct immune functioning by stimulating endocryn

production. Hopefully this is enough, but if not there may be other

things we'll find out we must do.

On Wed, 23 Jul 2003, Matt Dixon wrote:

> Personally I thought the article was really terrible. Assertion after

> assertion, with little or no facts to back things up. This reads

> *nothing* like the LDN website, which makes a reasonable argued case

> and backs it up with a load of sensibly presented anecdotal data.

> This itself is hardly conclusive, but based on that, we've all made a

> leap of faith and indeed are having great results.

>

> This paper just makes one wild assumption after another. In fact, you

> can pinpoint a precise paragraph where I really though " what!?! " .

> It's this one:

>

> In another of Dr. Mercola's articles, he talked about how starving

> mice with an MS-like condition resulted in fewer symptoms and

> decreased progression of the illness (19). Why does starvation work?

> In our humbled opinion, it could be as simple as: the fewer foods

> taken in, the fewer mycotoxins that enter the body.

>

> This is all guesswork!!! What follows does not backup the case, it's

> simple speculation. " In our humbled opinion " . Come on, we need more

> than that! Then they end with this:

>

> Doug and I hope that we've given you some insight to this " mysterious "

> disease of MS. It seems, according to the research we've pointed to,

> that the cause for this disease is right before our eyes.

>

> Again, sheer rubbish. The word " mysterious " is used as though they've

> just solved the disease. They simply have not, they've made a load of

> wild guesses and think that they MIGHT be correct. The cause for the

> disease is very much not right before our eyes. A bunch of tenuous

> speculation is all that's right before my eyes.

>

> Sorry to sound like a neuro being asked about LDN (grin) - but I have

> a solid scientific background and need more than this awful article to

> become convinced. I hope you all avoid going to their website and

> SPENDING MONEY ON THEIR PRODUCTS. This is what this articule

> ultimately leads to.

>

> Sorry, but this is nothing like LDN. Don't get me wrong, there MAY be

> something to this. I'm AM on a very strict diet myself to try and

> control my MS, but this article would NEVER have convinced me to go on

> one.

>

> I'd like to leave you all with a laugh, and a final quote from the

> article.

>

> Finally, let's talk about diet again. Last year a German researcher

> claimed that eating smoked sausage in childhood was responsible for

> causing multiple sclerosis later in life.

>

> LOL!!!!! In future, I'd rather not see articles which preceed with

> " to order any of these books... " . Please.

>

> Matt

>

> -----Original Message

>

> -----Original Message-----

> From: LarryGC [mailto:larrygc@...]

> Sent: 22 July 2003 21:59

> LDN group; Spotlight_LDN; MSWatchers

> Subject: [low dose naltrexone] Multiple Sclerosis: A Chronic

> Mycotoxicosis

>

> ----- Original Message -----

> From: Martha <mailto:mburtonakod@...> Burton

> LarryGC <mailto:larrygc@...>

> Sent: Tuesday, July 22, 2003 16:30

> Subject: one more thing

>

> This is from last Saturday's issue of the newsletter at mercola.com.

> It ties ms to the fungi that is found on wheat, corn and peanuts. The

> theory possibly explains why ms happens to people who grew up in the

> Grain Belt. The article needs to be spread to the folks at the

> forum. Would you please pass it on? Thanks.

>

> Multiple Sclerosis: A Chronic Mycotoxicosis?

>

> by Holland, MD

>

> (Dr. Dave Holland is the co-author, with Doug Kaufmann, of the new

> book, " The Fungus Link, Volume 2. " Inside this follow-up to their book

> " The Fungus Link, " you'll not only learn about the dangers of

> antibiotics. You'll also learn about the ins and outs of natural and

> prescriptive antifungals. Additionally, Doug and Dave share with you

> the role fungi and their mycotoxins play in what are unfortunately

> everyday diseases such as prostatitis, ear-nose-throat disorders,

> weight problems (including obesity and anorexia), autoimmune diseases,

> hormonal disorders, neurologic diseases, hair loss, and eye problems.

>

> To order either of these books, call 972-772-0990, M-F 8:00 AM to 5:00

> PM Central, or go to causesandcures.com

> <http://www.causesandcures.com/>

> .)

>

> The National Multiple Sclerosis Society, one of several non-profit

> organizations dealing with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) research funding

> and patient assistance, raised almost $74 million dollars in the

> fiscal year 2001. It spent $64 million, of which $54.8 million went

> toward program expenses, and $6.6 million was directed at fundraising

> efforts. Two million goes toward administrative costs. The CEO alone

> makes over $300,000. (1)

>

> Still, in the 57 years of the society's existence, no cause for MS has

> been assigned. I use the word " assigned " and not " found, " because I

> believe a cause has already been found. In our book, " The Fungus Link,

> Volume 2, " Doug Kaufmann and I discuss the role of fungal toxins,

> called mycotoxins, in the etiology of MS. The evidence brought forth

> by various scientists over the years and compiled in a small section

> of this book is quite compelling. It is so compelling that, at this

> point, I believe scientists will be forced into a position of proving

> that mycotoxins are NOT the cause of MS, a task at which, I believe,

> they shall not succeed.

>

> MS is characterized by destruction of the protective sheath- called

> the myelin sheath- around nerves in the brain and the spinal cord. As

> a result, the transmission of nerve impulses to other nerves, muscles,

> and vital organs is interrupted. This impaired nerve function

> translates into symptoms such as difficulty in walking, abnormal,

> " pins and needles " sensations throughout the body; pain and loss of

> vision due to inflammation of the optic nerve, tremors,

> incoordination, paralysis, and impaired thinking and memory (2). In

> addition, muscle wasting, bladder dysfunction, fatigue, osteoporosis,

> and a host of other problems may develop either directly or indirectly

> due to this nerve damage.

>

> Although there is a genetic predisposition toward MS, as proven in

> studies of twins, only a third of those that are genetically

> susceptible will get MS, indicating there is still an outside factor

> involved (3). MS is more common in those born and raised above the

> 37th parallel (a line extending from Newport News, VA to Santa Cruz,

> CA); however, if a person moves to an area of low risk (i.e. below the

> 40th parallel) prior to adolescence, they assume the lower risk of

> their new location. These last points support the idea of an

> environmental exposure link to the disease.

>

> If outside causes are to blame, then Oppenheim, an early 1900's

> researcher, was the closest in his assertion that MS is caused by an

> environmental toxin. Other researchers of his day thought that there

> was a defect in the blood vessels or in the glial tissues. Pierre

> Marie, in the late 1800's, felt that MS was caused by an infectious

> agent. However, despite all of the " infection " theories that have been

> tested over the past 150 plus years, not one- whether bacteria, virus,

> Chlamydia or scrapie-like agent- has proven to be the culprit.

>

> So, let's apply what we already know about MS and see if we truly know

> the cause of MS or not. Mycotoxins are chemicals made by fungi. They

> are found in grains that have been contaminated with fungi and mold.

> Some mycotoxins are used for medicinal purposes. Antibiotics, such as

> penicillin and the cephalosporin drugs, are fungal metabolites- they

> are mycotoxins. Alcohol is a mycotoxin. Aflatoxin, the most

> carcinogenic substance on earth, is a mycotoxin. The most commonly

> contaminated crops are peanuts, corn, and wheat.

>

> Often, other foods such as barley, apples, sorghum and rye can be

> contaminated as well. Some mycotoxins are produced in our body by the

> yeast in our intestines or vaginal tract. In one study, 3 women

> severely symptomatic for vaginal candidiasis were found to have

> vaginal fluid samples with significant levels of a mycotoxin called

> gliotoxin (4).

> >From our environment, we can be exposed to mycotoxins through

> >countless

> routes: ingestion, inhalation, skin contact, etc. The question is,

> once inside the body, can these mycotoxins damage nerves? Let's answer

> that question now.

>

> We already know that, in MS, there is a loss of molecules called

> sphingolipids from the white matter in the central nervous system (5).

> What is not well known is the fact that mycotoxins can actually

> disrupt sphingolipid biosynthesis (6). Specifically, gliotoxin, as we

> mentioned above, on a slightly larger scale can induce nerve cell

> death (apoptosis).

>

> Gliotoxin is a heat stable chemical made by Aspergillus, Candida, and

> other species of fungi. (7). Not coincidentally, scientists have

> recovered a heat stable toxin from the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of MS

> patients. In this particular study, they took the CSF from MS

> patients, heat-treated it to destroy any infectious germs, and then

> exposed it to nerve cells in a laboratory culture. What happened? The

> nerve cells died! They called this heat-stable toxin " gliotoxin. "

>

> The source of gliotoxin appears to be, again, primarily from the yeast

> and fungi within the human body. As such, gliotoxin is less important

> as an agricultural scourge than are other mycotoxins such as

> fumonisins, made by Fusarium and Aspergillus fungi, and the penetrim D

> toxin made by Penicillium crustosum. Fumonisins are a group of

> mycotoxins that happen to be neurotoxic as well as carcinogenic. They

> are " universally present in corn and corn-based products. " (8).

> Penitrem mycotoxins are found in things such as moldy apple products.

> Penetrem D can cause tremors, convulsions, limb weakness, and ataxis

> (unsteady gait), " not unlike the symptoms observed in MS. " (9).

>

> As there are different classes of MS (chronic progressive,

> relapsing-remitting, etc.) it may very well be that the different

> classes are being caused by different classes of mycotoxins. In

> addition, the regional differences in the prevalence of MS might be

> explained by the particular agricultural products that dominate the

> most affected areas. For example, the part of America that lies above

> the 37th parallel also happens to encompass the cornbelt. Remember

> that corn is universally contaminated with mycotoxins (7). This area

> is also represented by much of the wheat belt. Is this just a

> coincidence, or good evidence of an environmental exposure risk

> factor?

>

> Let's talk about some of the latest treatments for MS. Dr. Mercola has

> already stated in a previous article that most MS drugs are a waste of

> money (10). The new buzz on the town, however, is that statin drugs

> (cholesterol-lowering drugs) have proven effective in slowing the

> progression of MS (11-13). Their effectiveness should not surprise us,

> in light of the fungal/mycotoxin theory, when we also learn that

> statin drugs are antifungal (14).

>

> Dr. Mercola has also mentioned in previous articles that Vitamin D as

> well as plain old sunlight can reduce mortality from and positively

> influence the immune system in MS (15,16). Other researchers have

> explained that the reason why these work is, once again, Vitamin D,

> whether taken in the form of a cod liver oil supplement or made

> naturally by our body from sunlight exposure, is anti-mycotoxin (14).

>

> Finally, let's talk about diet again. Last year a German researcher

> claimed that eating smoked sausage in childhood was responsible for

> causing multiple sclerosis later in life. (16). Dr. A.V. Costantini,

> retired head of the World Health Organization's collaborating center

> for mycotoxins in food, helps us out here by explaining that smoked

> and aged meats are often contaminated with mycotoxins (18). Thus the

> cause of MS, according to these and other researchers, is right in our

> food.

>

> In another of Dr. Mercola's articles, he talked about how starving

> mice with an MS-like condition resulted in fewer symptoms and

> decreased progression of the illness (19). Why does starvation work?

> In our humbled opinion, it could be as simple as: the fewer foods

> taken in, the fewer mycotoxins that enter the body. You see, if we are

> following the standard, food pyramid, grain based American diet, we

> are consuming on average from 0.15 to 0.5mg of aflatoxin per day (8).

> Aflatoxin is the only regulated mycotoxin in America, so what level of

> exposure we have to the other, known mycotoxins in our diet that we've

> discussed is a guess, at best. So starvation diets not only deprive us

> of calories. They also " deprive " us of disease-causing, carcinogenic

> mycotoxins.

>

> If indeed mycotoxins cause MS, then there are a number of steps one

> must take to minimize exposure to fungi and their mycotoxins. We just

> finished talking about diet. Since mycotoxins are commonly found in

> grain foods (7,8), then it would be wise to minimize grains in our

> diet. Doug Kaufmann outlines his Initial Phase diet in our book, The

> Fungus Link, Volume 2. As well, Dr. Mercola has published his book,

> The No-Grain Diet

> <http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0525947337/optimalwellnessc>

> , which offers equally valuable information. Secondly, we should

> minimize our exposure to antibiotics.

>

> Antibiotics are, for the most part, derived from fungi and are

> therefore classified as mycotoxins. If we've taken lots of antibiotics

> in the past, we should attempt to correct the damage done by these by

> taking a good probiotic supplement. Lastly, if we have any obvious

> signs of fungal infection in our body, and to us, simply having MS

> might qualify as an obvious sign, it might behoove us to take natural

> or prescriptive antifungals for a period of time. Remember that

> gliotoxin can be made by fungi and yeast that are already in the body,

> not necessarily by fungi that reside in contaminated foods.

>

> Doug and I hope that we've given you some insight to this " mysterious "

> disease of MS. It seems, according to the research we've pointed to,

> that the cause for this disease is right before our eyes. Now, we just

> need to apply this knowledge. Future research should be directed at

> treating the disease as if it were caused by fungi and their

> devastating mycotoxins.

>

> _____

>

July 23, 2003

Guy,

Of course, you're right, we can't deal with absolutes with our MS. It's not understood how we get it, why we get it, or what the mechanism behind it is.

But, this doesn't mean we can't recognise faulty information when we see it. If we didn't we'd all be buying loads of con-job products, such as sea silver. We're a desperate bunch, none of us wants to get worse - we know what this disease can do to us.

There were perhaps a few good points scattered around the article, but here were also a few things in this article that really stood out to me as "bad science". There wasn't even any attempt to back up most of the conclusions made.

What has one guy who thinks eating smoked sausage caused his MS got to do with anything? Are there others who make the same claim? Are there others who ate that sausage who did NOT get MS? What has the random inclusion of a guys opinion on sausage got to do with the paragraph before or after? The fact that smoked food contains these mycotoxins doesn't make the case of some guy who says sausage caused his MS any more relevent.

The article just seems to make weird statements to me, offering little or no backup to pretty much any of them. Sentances seem to be related, but on further examination, one statement has little to do with the preceeding statement.

The final leap is "our humbled opinion, it could be as simple as: the fewer foods taken in, the fewer mycotoxins that enter the body". It's just an opinion, and while it may seem that the rest of the article backs up this opinion, it really doesn't.

Personally, I think diet does have a part to play in controlling MS. But I wouldn't ever have become convinced of that fact by reading this article! As I said, I'm a trained scientist, and am a confirmed sceptic. However, there's more than enough information out there to convince me LDN works - there is certainly not enough to convince me this is the cause of our MS. Of course we have to buy a book to find out more....

All just my opinion of course :) Take care y'all

Matt.

-----Original Message-----From: Guy Du Monte [mailto:blueswede06@...] Sent: 23 July 2003 15:45Matt DixonCc: low dose naltrexone ; spotlight_ldn Subject: RE: [low dose naltrexone] Multiple Sclerosis: A Chronic Mycotoxicosis

Matt,

In my experiences with MS, there is little fact to back up anything. The more I learn about MS, the less I know. Is there any hard factual info about MS???? Even my neuro admits that little FACT is really known about MS. At least someone is exploring different avenues, and possible causes. As per my neuro, all info about LDN is purely anectdotal, no proof. After 3 months on LDN, I have all the proof I need.

At least someone is looking, trying?????

Good luck, god bless and keep postin, Guy

July 23, 2003

Matt...good reminders that we need to be critical thinkers when it

comes to ms-related information. Was curious about which diet you've

taken to? I eat a reduced carb diet myself...wheast-free, dairy-free

and sugar-free. Terry

> Guy,

>

> Of course, you're right, we can't deal with absolutes with our MS.

It's

> not understood how we get it, why we get it, or what the mechanism

> behind it is.

>

> But, this doesn't mean we can't recognise faulty information when

we see

> it. If we didn't we'd all be buying loads of con-job products,

such as

> sea silver.

July 23, 2003

Matt, I think that while we use something like LDN as a palliative, we

need to remain open-minded and curious about the possible cause(s) of

our " big adventure, " and not get too caught up with brief references

to smoked sausage. I'm not a trained scientist--more of a dog with a

bone who believes the fungal theory has validity: it would explain why

people with a genetic predispositon growing up in the Grain Belt are

prone to ms, why folks on a wheat-free diet have symptomatic

improvement, and why a high rate of MS'ers have candidiasis. Since

you're not inclined to buy the book, the bibilography to the

newsletter article is available at mercola.com, issue #447. The

referenced articles are " scientific " and might be more to your liking

than the newsletter article, which was a synopsis and not intended to

convince anyone. Have fun and avoid peanut butter--Martha

> Personally I thought the article was really terrible. Assertion after

> assertion, with little or no facts to back things up. This reads

> *nothing* like the LDN website, which makes a reasonable argued case and

> backs it up with a load of sensibly presented anecdotal data. This

> itself is hardly conclusive, but based on that, we've all made a leap of

> faith and indeed are having great results.

>

> This paper just makes one wild assumption after another. In fact, you

> can pinpoint a precise paragraph where I really though " what!?! " . It's

> this one:

>

> In another of Dr. Mercola's articles, he talked about how starving mice

> with an MS-like condition resulted in fewer symptoms and decreased

> progression of the illness (19). Why does starvation work? In our

> humbled opinion, it could be as simple as: the fewer foods taken in, the

> fewer mycotoxins that enter the body.

>

> This is all guesswork!!! What follows does not backup the case, it's

> simple speculation. " In our humbled opinion " . Come on, we need more

> than that! Then they end with this:

>

> Doug and I hope that we've given you some insight to this " mysterious "

> disease of MS. It seems, according to the research we've pointed to,

> that the cause for this disease is right before our eyes.

>

> Again, sheer rubbish. Th

e word " mysterious " is used as though they've

> just solved the disease. They simply have not, they've made a load of

> wild guesses and think that they MIGHT be correct. The cause for the

> disease is very much not right before our eyes. A bunch of tenuous

> speculation is all that's right before my eyes.

>

> Sorry to sound like a neuro being asked about LDN (grin) - but I have a

> solid scientific background and need more than this awful article to

> become convinced. I hope you all avoid going to their website and

> SPENDING MONEY ON THEIR PRODUCTS. This is what this articule ultimately

> leads to.

>

> Sorry, but this is nothing like LDN. Don't get me wrong, there MAY be

> something to this. I'm AM on a very strict diet myself to try and

> control my MS, but this article would NEVER have convinced me to go on

> one.

>

> I'd like to leave you all with a laugh, and a final quote from the

> article.

>

> Finally, let's talk about diet again. Last year a German researcher

> claimed that eating smoked sausage in childhood was responsible for

> causing multiple sclerosis later in life.

>

> LOL!!!!! In future, I'd rather not see articles which preceed with " to

> order any of these books... " . Please.

>

> Matt

>

> -----Original Message

>

> -----Original Message-----

> From: LarryGC [mailto:larrygc@s...]

> Sent: 22 July 2003 21:59

> LDN group; Spotlight_LDN; MSWatchers

> Subject: [low dose naltrexone] Multiple Sclerosis: A Chronic Mycotoxicosis

>

> ----- Original Message -----

> From: Martha <mailto:mburtonakod@e...> Burton

> LarryGC <mailto:larrygc@s...>