Abnormal Hormonal Levels Linked to MS

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Abnormal Hormonal Levels Linked to MS

http://www.mercola.com/2005/feb/5/hormone_levels_ms.htm

From fatigue to numbness to difficulties with movement, speech and memory,

multiple sclerosis (MS) is a devastating disease. Patients suffering from this

health condition experience a relapse-remitting pattern of deterioration

periods followed by partial recovery.

Based on studies, researchers believe a major factor in how MS develops is

abnormal hormone levels. This belief stems in part from the fact the disease

affects twice as many women as it does men, and is significantly less active

during pregnancy.

To gain a deeper understanding of the role hormones play in the development

of MS, researchers analyzed the hormone levels of 25 men and 35 women with

MS, along with 36 people without the disease. Participants with MS were given

magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scans to locate the areas of tissue

damage and inflammation as a result of the disease; women participating in the

study were tested during both phases of their menstrual cycle.

Multiple Findings

* Women with MS had lower levels of the male hormone testosterone

during their monthly cycle, compared to women without the disease.

* More brain tissue damage was found in women with low testosterone

levels.

* Women with MS who had relatively high levels of testosterone were

more likely to show signs of permanent tissue damage, linked with disability --

most likely seen in the remitting stage when tissue is not inflamed.

* There was no difference in testosterone levels between men with or

without the disease.

* Men with MS who had the highest levels of the female hormone

estradiol were discovered to have the highest degree of brain tissue damage.

Though these findings have shed light on the concept of abnormal hormone

levels and the development of MS, further investigation is still required.

_BBC News_ (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4175463.stm) January 17, 2005

_Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry_

(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=pubmed & dopt=Abstr\

act & list_uids=15654051)

February 2005;76(2):272-275

____________________________________

Dr. Mercola's Comment:

MS is both a physically and emotionally trying disease. I used to cringe

when a new MS patient would come to the office as the tools I had ten years ago

were not sufficient to significantly alter the course of the disease.

However, since then I have learned that there are _a number of very effective

natural treatment options for improving MS_

(http://www.mercola.com/2004/feb/14/vitamin_d_ms.htm) and, in many cases,

eliminating it entirely. With these new

tools I welcome MS patients in the practice, as I am confident that the vast

majority can be improved. We have many stories _like Matt who had dramatic

improvement with the regimen_

(http://www.mercola.com/2003/oct/11/ms_success.htm)

.. Like most diseases, the earlier in the course of the illness one starts

the treatment the higher the likelihood of success.

First of all I recommend avoiding nearly all drugs for MS, as they are only

temporary solutions that invariably seem to impair the body's healing

response and worsen the course of the illness over the long term. Additionally,

most

are quite expensive and can cost well over $1000 per month. The following

natural treatments offer a practical alternative to drugs:

One of the simplest and essential first steps is to _have your vitamin D

blood levels checked_

(http://www.mercola.com/2002/feb/23/vitamin_d_deficiency.htm) . VItamin D levels

seem to be low in virtually every autoimmune disease

that I see. It is important to receive adequate amounts of vitamin D, as it

keeps your cell growth and activity in check. When your body is deficient in

this crucial nutrient your cells can go haywire, become overly active or

multiply too quickly.

However, especially during the winter months, getting the optimal amount of

vitamin D from sunlight may be a difficult, if not impossible task (even in

the summer months many people now spend their days indoors and aren't exposed

to the sun). A high-quality cod liver oil is an essential part of the

treatment program for nearly all MS patients, as it is full of beneficial

omega-3

fats and vitamin D, which are both absolutely necessary in the prevention and

treatment of MS.

It is vitally important to monitor your _vitamin D levels_

(http://www.mercola.com/2002/feb/23/vitamin_d_deficiency.htm) on a monthly

basis. Yes, I know

it is a hassle, but you really do want you vitamin D level to be about 50,

and like Goldilocks, you want it not much above that and not much lower.

Animal omega-3 fats like DHA and EPA are essential to resolving this illness

so if you aren't taking cod liver oil because your vitamin D levels are in

the ideal range than you will certainly want to take fish oil. MS is one of

those conditions where high doses are frequently warranted.

When choosing your cod liver oil, be sure to choose a brand that has been

purified of mercury and other toxins, and has the independent laboratory

testing to prove it.

You will also want to make certain that it has more than insignificant

quantities of vitamin E. Most manufacturers put only enough vitamin E to

prevent

the omega-3 fats from being oxidized while in the bottle, but once you swallow

the liquid you will need about 10 times as many vitamin E as most

manufacturers put in their formulas. You could easily compensate for this by

taking

some extra vitamin E, but Carlson cod liver and fish oils are one of the few

brands that put the extra vitamin E in right from the get go. You will likely

find Carlson's cod liver oil in your local health food store. They may even

have some other good brands to recommend to you. If you are unable to locate a

high quality brand locally, for your convenience we do stock _Carlson's cod

liver oil_ (http://www.mercola.com/forms/carlsons.htm) in our store.

Probably the single most important resource for improving MS is finding a

solution for the previous emotional traumas in one's life. In my experience

nearly every MS patient has some unresolved emotional trigger that led to the

MS. that causes their immune system to become impaired and progress to MS.

Clearly, issues related to this event need to be addressed to resolve the

disease. There are many effective tools to address this stress, and nearly all

of

them involve some type of energy psychology. My favorite tool is _Emotional

Freedom Technique (EFT)_ (http://www.mercola.com/forms/eftcourse.htm) , as it

is

simple, highly effective and easy to use.

However, because MS is such a serious health challenge I would not advise

using this tool for MS by yourself, but rather as a supplement to work with a

trained EFT practitioner. I suggest taking a look at _Dr. Carrington's

guidelines on selecting an EFT therapist_

(http://www.eftsupport.com/find_therapist.htm) followed by a list of EFT

practitioners throughout the United States and

world. Many of these therapists even offer a free 15-minute phone session in

which you can ask them questions to see if you connect.

The study that leads that precedes my comment highlights the significance of

hormones in MS. I am absolutely convinced this is also key. It is my

experience though that when one applies the above strategies the hormones tend

to

spontaneously normalize as stress is one of the primary causes of hormone

imbalance.

However, there are a number of different highly effective strategies that

one can use to optimize female and male hormones. That discussion is beyond the

scope of this comment though and we are actually publishing a book later

this year by one of the world's leading endocrinologist, Dr. Thierry Hertoghe

from Belgium, that will provide all those specific details.

Jeff el

10360 Pine Lakes Blvd

North Fort Myers, Fl 33903

http://www.msprotocols.com/