Adrenal Dysfunction

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[MagnesiumForLife] Adrenal Dysfunction

Date:

Fri, 18 Aug 2006 12:38:23 EDT

From:

surpriseshan2@...

Reply-To:

MagnesiumForLife

To:

mcs-canada

Adrenal

Dysfunction

http://www.drkaslow.com/html/adrenal_insufficiency.html

The

adrenal glands are small but very powerful glands that sit atop each of

your kidneys located in the middle of your back. They are really two

separate organs combined into one location - the outer portion acalled

the adrenal cortex and the inner portion called the adrenal medulla. The

focus of this text is on the adrenal cortex.

The cortex serves primarily a hormonal function - among the main

functions of the adrenal cortex are the regulation of the mineral

metabolism (sodium, potassium, chloride), water balance, metabolism

(utilization and distribution of carbohydrates, protein, and fat),

allergic and immune reactions (such as hypersensitivity, allergies, and

autoimmune diseases), and production of the male and female hormones

(progesterone, testosterone, estrogens, DHEA, etc.).

Some of the signs of adrenal insufficiency are often similar to

those found in persons who are hypoglycemic.

These chief complaints listed in order of prominence are:

- Inability to concentrate

- Excessive fatigue

- Nervousness & irritability

- Mental depression

- Apprehensions

- Excessive weakness

- Lightheadedness

- Faintness and fainting

- Insomnia

Patients with low adrenal cortex function may have hypoglycemia (or

disturbed carbohydrate metabolism) although not all hypoglycemic

patients have low adrenal function. A low flat glucose tolerance

curve obtained from an oral glucose tolerance test suggests

hypoadrenocorticism but can also reflect reactive hypoglycemia, some

form of allergy, gouty or rheumatoid arthritis, or schizophrenia.

When patients receive support for their adrenal cortex (such as with

Adrenal Cortex Extract injections), they often report improvements in

arthritis, pain in shoulders and back muscles, allergies, premenstrual

problems, headache, migraine, ringing of the ears, tension, depression,

suicidal thoughts, nervousness, apprehensions, noticeable heart action

(palpitations), gastrointestinal problems, heat exhaustion, and an

inability in handling stress.

The following physical findings suggest low adrenal function.

- Skin thin and dry or scaly, pigmentation of temples, red

palms or fingertips, and cold clammy palms.

- Deep Tendon Reflexes are exaggerated.

- Lymph Gland inflammation of the neck (swelling, pain, or

tenderness).

- Blood Pressure is usually low, and drops upon standing

(105/60) and then elevated to (120 or 130/70 or 80) on reclining

(postural or orthostatic hypotension). This change from low to

higher when lying down may be the reason why many patients find it

difficult to fall asleep. It is conducive to falling asleep to lie

in a semi-reclining position for 15 or 20 minutes. Another way to

describe postural hypotension is that there may be a sudden drop in

blood pressure to below normal upon suddenly arising from bed, or from

standing still, causing temporary darkening of vision, dizziness,

light-headedness, faintness, or fainting.

- Body Conformation is of the thin muscle-type (this is called

asthenic habitus). The typical person is also tall with an angular

appearance but a shorter person may have what we call "signs of

tallness" - a moderately long neck, an index finger longer than the 4th

(ring) finger, and a 2nd toe longer than the big toe. There are long

arms and legs, and the arm span is greater than the height.

- Hair is sparse on the body but there is usually a full head

of fine and abundant hair. The typical person is blond and blue eyed,

or red headed. A tall, thin blonde with skin allergies can be diagnosed

immediately.

- Dentition shows crowded lower teeth with a high palatal arch

(roof of mouth).

- Pain and tenderness over adrenal area of mid-back when pressure

is applied (called Rogoff's sign).

- Urination is either very frequent in small amounts or

infrequent in large amounts. This person usually does not do well in

the heat or in the summer, particularly in conditions of high

temperature, high humidity, and low barometric pressure.

- Scanty perspiration (except under arms or hands and feet).

This person may be a "salt loser" (the tendency is to lose salt and to

retain potassium). The urine and perspiration of the salt loser is

saltier than normal and there is consequently a greater salt

concentration on the skin. Animals are attracted to the salt on the

skin, and often the low adrenal patient will be a favorite of animals

to lick.

- Ankle and/or Finger Swelling. Tintera, M.D. was an early

pioneer in recognizing and treating adrenal insufficiency. He wrote

that salt is a diuretic and that hypoadrenocortics (patients

with low adrenal cortex function) retain fluid because the body is

trying to hold onto the salt. When enough salt is consumed, the body

takes what it needs and excretes the rest. If the ankle edema is due to

insufficient salt, the edema will usually disappear in three days after

taking adequate salt. If it does not disappear in five to six days,

potassium may also be needed. Vitamin B6 is also helpful for edema not

only because it has a diuretic effect but also supports the adrenal

cortex.

The Importance of Salt

For the person with depleted adrenals sunbathing on the beach can have

devastating results. The salt loser that attempts to function on low

salt does not understand why he feels faint, or is suddenly unable to

function in the heat, or he feels his mind is cloudy and his energy

gone. He may become very weak, tired, and depressed. Salt is needed for

the electrical function of the heartbeat, to make hydrochloric acid in

the stomach, and for the fluid around the cells. Sodium is the

principal fluid outside of the cell (extra-cellular fluid) and as a

result affects the proper function of all cells. The nerve cells of the

brain, and consequently all of our emotions, are affected by the salt

levels. Adding enough sodium chloride (salt) to the diet may be all

that is needed for some patients.

Even other types of conditions, like kidney disease, need "some" salt

and should have a moderate amount. According to H. Ahrens,

Ph.D. of the USDA and an Associate Professor of Nutrition at the

University of land, salt use does not cause hypertension as is

frequently claimed. There should be no salt restrictions during

pregnancy and no diuretic use. If there is edema in pregnancy, extra

salt brings about diuresis. It can be a serious mistake for an

individual to avoid salt for no apparent reason. For any loss of body

fluids - excessive perspiration or urination, vomiting or diarrhea -

the lost salt must be replaced. A person with undiagnosed adrenal

dysfunction (who is therefore a salt loser) on a salt restricted diet

may be slowly deteriorating as the result.

There appears to be no food that naturally contains more sodium than

potassium and therefore salt must be added to the diet. This is why

Gandhi led the revolution in India. Salt is essential to life. In

's Disease, where there is a complete non-function (atrophy) of

the adrenal cortex, patient’s can suffer from prostration, die from

excess perspiration or a diet high in potassium or low in sodium.

To find the amount of salt you need, gradually increase your

salt intake until you find the amount you feel best on - usually 2 to

10 grams or roughly 1/2 teaspoonful to 1 tablespoonful. After

determining the amount, try to cut back and see if that is just as

effective. The addition of a small amount of sugar actually helps

you absorb salt. In fact this is the basis for many popular

electrolyte replacement products like GatoradeÃ’ . Some individuals may

also need potassium.

Some may suggest using sea salt, but in the larger amounts that

hypoadrenocortics need, you may overdose on trace minerals. The

name trace minerals means one needs only a trace amount. The main

minerals and electrolytes such as calcium, magnesium, sodium,

potassium, phosphorus, iron, iodine, and zinc are needed in larger

amounts on a regular basis. Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt is

plain sodium chloride without additives. When dissolved in water, it

results in a clear solution indicating no additives.

Adrenal Steroids

The adrenals have a close connection with the sex glands, the ovaries

and testes. The adrenal cortex produces about 25% of the estrogenic

hormones in women and 65% of the androgenic hormones in the man. The

inability of the adrenals to produce the additional sex hormones may

result in the flat chested female or the sparse chest-haired male. In

patients in their thirties or older may also have an absence of hair on

the lower two-thirds of the legs, which is not due to being worn off by

the trousers as is supposed.

There can be a great variation possible among the large numbers of

adrenal steroids, causing a person's individual physical

characteristics to vary widely from the typical. These variations

may bring on precocious sexual development in boys and girls. They also

cause changes in adults in psychological makeup and direction of sexual

desire, or can actually produce feminism in men and masculinity in

women. This of course does not have anything to do with sexual

orientation.

Hypoadrenocorticism rarely exists without involvement of other glands

and organs. The liver must detoxify each and every substance in the

body. This includes not only medications and drugs, but also hormones

produced by your own body. Thus the effectiveness of the adrenal in

part depends on the efficiency of the liver. The laboratory

tests commonly called "liver function tests" in fact do not tell how

the liver is functioning but rather only tell if the liver is inflamed

or injured.

Stress and the Adrenals

It is absolutely necessary to remove the dietary stress,

sugars, excess or processed starches, caffeine, alcohol, stimulant

drugs, and as much nicotine as possible. To rejuvenate the adrenal

cortex extra vitamin C, salt, and fat - both saturated and unsaturated

is needed. Avoiding animal fats, as seems to be the popular thing

to do, is avoiding the kind of fat adrenal hormones, estrogens and

androgens are made from. The adrenals contain more vitamin C and

cholesterol than any tissue in the body. Avoid or reduce excessive

heat, cold, overwork, lack of sleep, arguments, diseases, and the like.

Oxygen is necessary for the utilization of glucose by the body, and

proper breathing must be practiced. Rest periods and relaxation is

necessary with a bedtime no later than 11 p.m.

A discussion on stress should include recognition of Dr. Hans Selye.

His classic work on stress (The Stress of Life, McGraw- Hill

Book Co., N.Y.) and his many other publications report "that our

various internal organs, especially the endocrine glands and the

nervous system, help to adjust us to the constant changes which occur

in and around us. He calls this adjustment the General Adaptation

Syndrome. Selye concluded that the adrenals were the body's prime

reactors to stress. He stated that the adrenals "…are the only

organs that do not shrink under stress; they thrive and enlarge. If you

remove them, and subject an animal to stress it can't live. But if

you remove them, and then inject extract of cattle adrenals (cortex),

stress resistance will vary in direct proportion to the amount of the

injection, and even be put back to normal." Likewise a person's stress

resistance will vary with the competence of his adrenals, but continually

stressing the adrenals finally depletes them.

As with all chronic conditions, there are three things that must be

addressed in order to be successful:

- Give the body the nourishment it needs to heal itself. In this case,

vitamins C, B5, and B6, salt, and select minerals are often required.

More specific nutritional support is usually necessary at least in the

initial treatment phase.

-Avoid those things or activities that will make you worse.

Stress, sugar, and caffeine top the list.

-Detoxify or de-infect something that needs to be removed from

the body in order to heal. Hypoglycemia, as is the case in many

patients, often is associated with yeast overgrowth from excess

sugar intake. Successful management of adrenal conditions is among the

most satisfying result a doctor will see. I have had alot of experience

in helping people rejuvenate themselves through hormonal balancing.

--

Ilanit Tof - Signature

Ilanit

Ms Ilanit Tof

B.A. (Psychophysiology/Psychology)

Advanced Diploma Healing with Wholefoods

PhD Holistic Nutrition (candidate)

Little Tree Oriental Healing Arts

Helping you grow to new heights of wellbeing

with Oriental Traditions and Modern Nutrition

ilanit@...

www.littletree.com.au