article

August 3, 2001

Great article! Loved it!

March 19, 2005

That was quite the article from what I was able to read of it( too

lenghy for me to read the whole thing). My father had alzheimers (

diagnosed 2 years ago) and three of my sisters and one brother also

have fibro. I wonder if this means we are guarenteed to get

alzheimers as well?

> Not sure if anyone has read this...very interesting read. I would

love to hear your opinions. It is very long.

>

> Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome,

> Alzheimer's Disease: Probable Causes and Treatment

>

> " Chronic Fatigue Syndrome might represent early or evolving

Alzheimer's disease. " The words (an opinion of a medical doctor in a

medical journal I was reading) leaped off the page. Is chronic

fatigue syndrome (and fibromyalgia that nearly always goes with it),

evolving Alzheimer's disease in young people? Could there be a

connection between fibromyalgia (FM)/chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)

and Alzheimer's disease (AD)?

>

> I offer the following as a testable hypothesis to be considered. It

is speculative but not without evidence. The primary thesis, if

correct, may be life saving. I have reviewed more than a hundred

articles on chronic/chronic fatigue syndrome. What follows is one of

few attempts to explain the cause of these new and mystifying

diseases. Most articles say the cause is unknown and many say FM/CFS

is incurable. I believe both statements are wrong.

>

> What is Fibromyalgia And Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?

>

> CFS is also referred to as chronic fatigue immune deficiency

syndrome (CFIDS). Seven times as many women are afflicted as men.

Both seem to be new diseases. We had neither disease 50 years ago. If

FM/CFS did exist, they were not identified or named. The words are

not even in the dictionary unless you have the latest edition. Now,

the diseases are epidemic. According to the American College of

Rheumatology, fibromyalgia affects 3 to 6 million Americans. Still

many doctors debate whether there is such a disease because there are

no widely recognized medical tests to identify either FM or CFS. They

are identified only by symptoms. A good argument could be made for

the claim that we have created FM/CFS by naming them. It is

reassuring for patients if we put a name on their symptoms even if we

don't know the cause or what to do for them. Even if FM/CFS are just

old diseases with new names, what follows still applies as to the

possible cause and treatment.

>

> What is Alzheimer's Disease?

>

> The following paragraph comes from the Internet website, WebMD.

(1) " Alzheimer's disease is a degenerative disease of the brain from

which there is no recovery. Slowly and inexorably, the disease

attacks nerve cells in all parts of the cortex of the brain.... About

half of the people in nursing homes and almost half of all people

over 85 have Alzheimer's disease. It is now the fourth leading cause

of death in adults. Almost 2 million Americans have Alzheimer's

disease, and unless effective methods for prevention and treatment

are developed, it will reach epidemic proportions by the middle of

the next century, afflicting over 8 million people. " (Italics added.)

>

> Hypothesis: Possible Cause of Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue, and

Alzheimer's

>

> In the medical clinic where I have worked for 13 years, we have

seen more than a thousand patients with FM and CFS symptoms. When

admitted to the clinic, every patient is required to fill out a

Symptom Checklist that includes 169 symptoms. In addition to

the " Hurt all over " and " Tired all the time " symptoms, almost all

FM/CFS patients also check: " Difficulty concentrating, " " Trouble

thinking clearly, " " Indecisive, " " Confusion, " " Memory

disturbance, " " Learning disability. " If this isn't " early or evolving

Alzheimer's disease, " many of the symptoms are the same. Alzheimer's

disease and FM/CFS could be related and have a common cause.

>

> As I thought about the possibility of fibromyalgia and chronic

fatigue syndrome being " Alzheimer's disease in young people, " the

thought came to me, The cause could be aluminum from soft drinks in

aluminum cans and aluminum from anti-perspirants. " These are two of

the dramatic life style differences between people today and 50 years

ago. (Deodorants are ok. The problem is with the aluminum anti-

perspirant included in nearly all deodorants, which stops

perspiration.)

>

> In the 1980's, aluminum (AL) was suspected to be one of the causes

of Alzheimer's disease when aluminum of higher than normal amounts

was found by autopsy in the brains of people who had died from

Alzheimer's disease. To test the theory, animals were given large

doses of aluminum in different forms. The experimental injection of

aluminum into animals did cause neurofibrillary tangles in the brain

but they were different than the neurofibrillary tangles seen in the

brain of AD patients; therefore, the theory was discounted and

abandoned. Although it is widely recognized that aluminum is a

neurologic toxin, most experts today believe the excessive aluminum

in the brain of AD patients is the effect of the disease and not the

cause, or they believe the aluminum was not measured properly. The

claim that aluminum causes Alzheimer's disease is called an " urban

legend " on the Internet (see reference #13). In Scientific American,

an Alzheimer specialist answering the question, " Is Alzheimer's

disease related to aluminum exposure? " called it a " myth. " (2)

Ironically, in explaining how the myth got started, the doctor still

presents evidence linking aluminum to AD.

>

> Other scientists have published new research in peer review

scientific journals, that still support the belief that aluminum may

be one of the causes of Alzheimer's disease. The challenge is to

discover or prove what makes the aluminum deposit in the brain.

Theories have been proposed and compelling evidence offered to

explain the mechanism of why and how aluminum deposits form in the

brain.

>

> To understand my theory of how aluminum, from soft drinks and anti-

perspirants, may be one of the causes of both AD and FM/CFS, one

needs to learn about the function of the skin. We usually think of

the skin as just something that holds us together, but the skin is a

very complex organ that performs an astounding number of functions.

It is the largest organ in the body. Within a single square inch of

skin are approximately 19 million cells, including 650 sweat glands,

100 sebum or oil glands, 65 hair follicles, 19,000 sensory cells and

as much as 13 feet of microscopic blood vessels. The skin helps

regulate blood pressure, protects us from heat and cold, and also

protects the body from harmful bacteria. The skin absorbs oxygen and

gives off carbon dioxide, manufactures vitamin D and a myriad of

complex chemicals to protect and keep us well.

>

> The skin is also an organ of elimination through

perspiration/respiration. The four organs of elimination are the

bowels, kidneys, lungs, and skin. If we understand the elimination

function of the skin, the very word " anti-perspirant " should give us

concern. Would we take into our body or use anything called " anti-

bowel movement " to prevent elimination because our feces smells bad?

Would we take or use anything called " anti-urination " to keep us from

voiding because the smell of urine is unpleasant? Last of all, would

we take or use anything called " anti-breathing " to prevent bad

breath? Using an anti-perspirant makes as much sense! Remember,

deodorant is not the suspected culprit. The anti-perspirant

(aluminum) that is added to almost all deodorants is the problem. I

believe if you put anti-perspirant on your entire body, thereby

stopping the respiration/perspiration elimination functions of the

skin, you would get ill in a short time. You wouldn't need to wait

for FM/CFS or AD to develop.

>

> It is true that the amount of toxins eliminated by the skin is

small compared to the other organs of elimination. Still, it seems

the importance of the elimination/respiration functions of the skin

has never been adequately investigated. Just as the kidneys cannot do

the job of the bowels or lungs, the other organs of elimination

cannot replace or do what the skin does.

>

> A reason for saying that an anti-perspirant on the entire body

would make you ill comes from the Bond motion picture, Gold

Finger. Many patients have told me that the gold paint on the body of

the actor, could only be left on for a short time because to leave

the paint on for more than an hour or two would cause death; the

cause of death being blockage of the respiration/elimination

functions of the skin or a type of suffocation. The skin takes in

oxygen and gives off carbon dioxide much like the lungs.

>

> The function of perspiration is not only to cool us but also to

eliminate toxic elements from the body, mostly from under the arms.

The smell is evidence of that fact. When the elimination of those

toxic elements (though the amounts are small) is stopped by the

absorption of aluminum in anti-perspirants along with aluminum from

other sources, the result, I believe, is chronic/chronic fatigue

syndrome. Any other mineral, chemical, or stone that claims to stop

perspiration would also be harmful because toxins would not be

eliminated. It is OK to use a deodorant but if it says " anti-

perspirant " it should be discarded.

>

> If perspiration gives you a bad odor, you should get down on your

knees and thank god that your skin has eliminated the toxins that

cause the smell. Incidentally, it is an observable fact that

vegetarians have less body odor than heavy meat eaters. Many times in

China, where they eat very little meat, I have been on the worlds

most crowded buses and never noticed offensive body odors. This is

even more unusual than it seems, because most of the Chinese in

Beijing have no shower or tub. Virtually all of the apartments in

that great city, have only a wash basin. I got back to San Francisco

and a man had such a strong body odor that I couldn't even stand to

be in the same terminal with him. You could smell him 100 feet away.

>

> Fifty years ago, before the discovery that aluminum would stop

perspiration, women wore a plastic shield and/or a pad under their

arms to protect their clothes and powder or cornstarch to absorb the

sweat, plus fragrances to cover up the smell. We didn't have anti-

perspirants and it seemed no one had fatigue and/or unrelenting pain

(which was not arthritic) in their entire body severe enough to

render them completely non-functional.

>

> In the " olden days " some 50 years ago, there were no soft drinks in

aluminum cans. Soft drinks came only in returnable, refillable glass

bottles or in a frosted glass mug from the local A & W fast food drive-

in. (I know this as a fact because as a boy I made my spending money

by finding the beer and soft drink bottles that had been discarded

and taking them back to the store for the deposit.) Other than a few

people who were addicted to Coca Cola from glass bottles, there was

not the widespread every day use of soft drinks and the apparent

addiction to soft drinks that we see today in almost all teenagers

and young people - the FM/CFS generation. (See: Confession of a Soft

Drink on this web site.)

>

> Before anti-perspirants, my father, who was a smoker, had a big

white circle from perspiration under the arm of all his shirts. The

material under the arms where he sweat would rot away, ruining the

shirt. Perspiration is the way my father eliminated the nicotine and

other harmful substances from the cigarettes he smoked. You could

smell the cigarettes when mother washed his shirts. I think the smell

was not just from the smoke in his clothes, but also from the toxins

that were eliminated by the perspiration under his arms. The average

life expectancy of a male smoker is 72 years. If father had used anti-

perspirants, the toxins from the cigarettes he smoked would not have

been eliminated and I don't believe he would have lived to be 79

years old.

>

> Do people get FM/CFS symptoms who do not use anti-perspirants? The

answer is Yes. The same symptoms can be caused by dehydration and/or

lack of essential minerals which is much easier to correct.

(See: " Healing Pain " and " Pain Healed Immediately " on this web site.)

In most patients the symptoms described are a combination of the two.

Do all people who use anti-perspirants get FM/CFS. The answer is No.

It is a question of how effectively the body can eliminate the

aluminum it takes in.

>

> Health food people have told us for fifty years not to use aluminum

cookware, not to use baking powder that contains aluminum, and more

recently, not to use antacids containing aluminum, or consume soft

drinks from aluminum cans. I believe the amount of aluminum that goes

into the tissues from such sources is minimal compared to giving

yourself a big dose under the arms every morning - a dose that is

absorbed directly into the muscles, ligaments, and tendons - the

fibrous tissues in the body where fibromyalgia is manifest. Most of

the aluminum that is consumed orally is eliminated. You may absorb

and retain as much aluminum from one application of an anti-

perspirant as you would from using aluminum cookware for a lifetime.

>

> Confirming Scientific Research and Evidence

>

> Aluminum is the third most common element on the earth's crust so

small amounts of aluminum may be in the water we drink and in the

food we eat. It is impossible to totally eliminate all aluminum from

the diet. Because of that fact, people have always developed

Alzheimer's disease in contrast to FM/CFS which I believe are new

diseases. There are studies to indicate that the incidence of AD

increases with the amount of aluminum in the water supply. Alum

(potassium aluminum sulfate) is added to most culinary drinking water

systems as a clearing agent. (3) The World Health Organization

recommends that the amount of aluminum present in drinking water be

below 200 micrograms per liter.

>

> A 1996 study by D.R.C. McLachlan et al. found there was a

correlation between the level of aluminum present in the drinking

water and the number of diagnosed Alzheimer's cases. (4) This study

concluded that between 15,180 and 26,910 of the estimated 66,000 to

117,000 cases of AD might have been prevented if the aluminum

concentration in the municipal water supply had been kept below 100

micrograms per liter.

>

> A year 2000 study from France that followed 2,700 individuals for

an 8-year period showed that a concentration of aluminum in drinking

water above 0.1 milligrams/liter may be a risk factor for dementia

and Alzheimer's disease. (5)

>

> Aluminum cookware releases excessive aluminum when tomatoes or high

acid foods are cooked in it. Aluminum cookware that is stained comes

out shiny clean after cooking tomatoes. The acid from the tomatoes

dissolves the aluminum which can then be ingested. The same thing

occurs with soft drinks (from aluminum cans) which are all highly

acidic. Dragen, et al. measured the aluminum content in a variety of

beverages. (6) They found that cola drinks in cans contained 16 times

as much aluminum as their local tap water. Non-cola soft drinks in

aluminum cans contained 23 times as much aluminum. The leakage of

aluminum into soft drinks in aluminum cans increased with the level

of the acidity of the soft drink. Beer is also highly acidic and now

comes in aluminum cans. In the past beer came only in glass bottles.

>

> A MUST READ Internet article by B. Grant, Ph.D., presents a

compelling theory of what makes aluminum deposit in the brain of

people with Alzheimer's disease. (7) In another article, Dr. Grant

states the following, " Aluminum is strongly bound to oxygen unless it

is dissolved in a strong acid.... Aluminum oxide is basically inert,

so when ingested will pass through the digestive system intact unless

the digestive system is acidic from over consumption of acid-forming

foods such as fats and proteins, with possibly some contribution from

highly processed carbohydrates. " (8)

>

> Diet can be changed, heredity can not. Dr. Grant believes that diet

may affect AD as much as heredity. " Possibly increasing the

consumption of calcium supplements when eating acid-forming foods

might reduce the absorption of aluminum. A better solution may be to

include fewer acid-forming and more alkaline-forming foods in the

diet. " Dietary Links to Alzheimer's Disease, a complete,

comprehensive scientific article by Dr. Grant is available on the

internet. (9) This is vital, paradigm, breakthrough research that

everyone concerned with Alzheimer's disease and/or FM/CFS should know

about because some of the causes of both diseases may be the same!

>

> Some environmental factors of AD are noted in a WebMD article.

(10) " The disease is rare in West Africa, but African-Americans have

four times the risk as white Americans... A study of Japanese men,

however, showed that their risk increased if they emigrated to

America. " Dietary changes could explain the difference.

>

> In the research cited by Dr. Grant, it was found that other metals

and elements in the brain of autopsied Alzheimer patients were higher

than normal, in addition to aluminum. They were: Silver, (Ag), Cobalt

(Co), Iron (Fe), Mercury (Hg), Scandium (Sc), and Sodium, Mercury

being the highest of all. The alkali metals: Cesium (Cs), Potassium

(K), Rubidium (Rb), were lower than normal.

>

> Dr. Grants summary reads as follows: " There is strong evidence that

the incidence and prevalence of AD is affected by diet, with high

risk factors found to include alcohol, fat, refined carbohydrates,

salt, and total caloric consumption, and preventative factors found

to include antioxidants, essential trace minerals, estrogen for post-

menopausal women, fish and fish oil, and anti-inflammatory

therapeutic agents.... Thus, healthy diets should be considered the

first line of defense against both the development and progression of

AD, as well as all other chronic degenerative diseases. The finding

that the highest correlation between diet and AD incidence and

prevalence is found 3-5 years before the study period suggests that

diet modifications late in life can still affect the risk of

developing AD. " (Dr Grant is a good scientist who knows the

difference between correlation and causation. In his more

comprehensive study cited, Grant addresses all of the elements

necessary to affirm causation.)

>

> M. Tamari, Ph.D., lists 23 diseases linked to aluminum

toxicity including Alzheimer's, pain, weakness, fatigue, and aching

muscles. (11) (Sounds like a description of FM/CFS.) Tamari reports

that people whose diets are " deficient in calcium and/or zinc will

absorb more aluminum than well fed subjects " and that " antagonistic

elements, like zinc and calcium, will replace aluminum. " In

conclusion he states, " By ingesting food rich in the deficient

element, or by using food supplements, the unwanted toxic elements

may be 'replaced' by antagonistic nutritional elements. " A zinc

deficiency may cause aluminum to deposit in the brain but excessive

amounts of zinc may promote formation of amyloid plaques in the brain

which is characteristic of AD. Too little or too much zinc could

contribute to AD. Fluoride is also an antagonistic element of

aluminum but is not recommended because of its toxicity.

>

> Because of numerous articles and a book advocating malic acid to

chelate aluminum from the body for the treatment of FM, I performed a

Med-Line search on malic acid and aluminum. The search brought up 10

studies published between 1966 and 1999. A 1993 study by Domingo et

al. was the most pertinent.(12) Eight groups of mice were given in

their drinking water eight different acids commonly found in the

human diet. After one month the mice were killed and the amount of

aluminum was measured in the bone and four major organs. The acids

actually caused aluminum (from the water they drank and from the food

they ate) to deposit in the bones and organs of the body, including

the brain, instead of chelating the aluminum out!

>

> Because of the importance of the Domingo study, I submit the entire

abstract:

>

> " The influence of some frequent dietary constituents on

gastrointestinal absorption of aluminum from drinking water and diet

was investigated in mice. Eight groups of male mice received lactic

(57.6 mg/kg/day), tartaric (96 mg/kg/day), gluconic (125.4

mg/kg/day), malic (85.8 mg/kg/day), succinic (75.6 mg/kg/day),

ascorbic (112.6 mg/kg/day), citric (124 mg/kg/day), and oxalic (80.6

mg/kg/day) acids in the drinking water for one month. At the end of

this period, animals were killed and aluminum concentrations in

liver, spleen, kidney, brain, and bone were determined. All the

dietary constituents significantly increased the aluminum levels in

bone, whereas brain aluminum concentrations were also raised by the

intake of lactic, gluconic, malic, citric, and oxalic acids. The

levels of aluminum found in spleen were significantly increased by

gluconic and ascorbic acids, whereas gluconic and oxalic acids also

raised the concentrations of aluminum found in kidneys. Because of

the wide presence and consumption of the above dietary constituents,

in order to prevent aluminum accumulation and toxicity we suggest a

drastic limitation of human exposure to aluminum. " (Italics added.)

This should include, of all things, not giving yourself a big dose

under the arms every morning.

>

> Malic acid, all of the acids used in the above study, amino acids

from meat, fats, and protein may cause aluminum (that may otherwise

pass through the body) to deposit in the bone, organs, and brain.

Alkaline drinking water, essential minerals (including calcium,

magnesium, potassium), and alkaline-forming foods (see list at end of

this article) may keep this from happening.

>

> It has also been discovered that low doses of fluoride (the

equivalent of 1.0 ppm, the " optimal " dose added to drinking water to

prevent cavities in the teeth) may cause aluminum to deposit in the

brain. Brain Research, a peer review medical journal, reported in

1998 that the amount of aluminum deposited in the brain of low dose

fluoride treated rats was double that of the controls!(13) Fluoride

(antagonistic to AL) made the aluminum bio-available to cross the

blood-brain barrier.

>

> Aluminum from all sources can be substantial. Studies conducted by

the US Food and Drug Administration estimate that the average adult

American consumes 20 to 40 mg of aluminum per day; 90 percent from

FDA-approved food additives found in baked goods, desserts, and

cheeses. Up to 5,000 mg of aluminum a day may come from medicines,

including antacids and buffered aspirin. Individuals on antacid

therapy may consume up to 3,000 mg of aluminum per day and do so for

many years. Checking on over-the-counter drugs today, I found that

buffered aspirin and antacids that once contained aluminum no longer

do so. Did the above FDA study change that? Mylanta and Maalox now

use much safer magnesium and calcium carbonate instead of aluminum.

>

> There is enough new and old evidence in scientific journals which

link aluminum to AD that we should reconsider aluminum as one of the

possible causes Alzheimer's disease. Just because the neurofibrillary

tangles induced in animals were not the same as the neurofibrillary

tangles seen in the brains of AD patients, or the fact that people

with low AL intake still get AD, or that the aluminum in the brain

was not measured properly, is not justification to abandon the

theory.

>

> A new study led by North Carolina State University offers great

promise for treatment. Researchers found that aluminum levels in the

brains of laboratory mice decreased by 80 percent after the mice were

given supplemental doses of a protein called peptide YY. The sharp

drop in aluminum levels occurred after injecting the mice with the

protein supplements for just three days. (14)

>

> Testing the Hypothesis:

>

> I have primarily cited studies that acknowledge a possible

connection between aluminum and AD. That debate about aluminum

causing AD (believed by most to be disproved so long ago that it's

not even worth considering) will go on and on. (15) The hypothesis

that aluminum may cause FM/CFS is testable short term.

>

> Those who say anti-perspirants couldn't possibly be harmful can

(all science aside) find out for themselves by putting an anti-

perspirant on their entire body for a few days. They won't have to

wait for double-blind, crossover, placebo controlled studies or

publication of research in peer-review scientific journals.

>

> There is no experimental evidence that aluminum in anti-perspirants

is one of the causes of FM/CFS. I present my theory here only as a

hypothesis to be considered. We don't need to guess how the deodorant

companies, soft drink manufactures, and fluoride proponents will

respond. Those with FM/CFS can try the suggestions below and find out

for themselves. It will cost nothing. I have nothing to sell.

Experience has shown that avoiding aluminum may help FM/CFS within

weeks.

>

> I now conclude with the question that started this all, " Is

fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, Alzheimer's disease in

young people? And could there be a connection between FM/CFS and AD?

If I am correct about aluminum being one of the causes of both

diseases, the consequences are staggering. We would expect to see, as

the anti-perspirant/soft drink/fluoride in the drinking water (and

almost all tooth paste) generation ages, an epidemic of Alzheimer's

like the world has never known. It not only portends terrible things

to come but conversely offers hope of preventing one of the most

tragic of all diseases (AD) and sparing others from the disabling

effects of FM/CFS.

>

> If I am wrong, there are still plenty of reasons to avoid aluminum.

As far as I know, no one has ever presented evidence that aluminum in

any amount is good for the health of trees, plants, animals, or

humans. Most just say that aluminum in small amounts does no harm. NO

ONE EVEN ARGUES THAT ALUMINUM, in any amount, IS BENEFICIAL.

Innumerable articles and studies claim aluminum is or may be harmful

to the body.

>

> If you believe that aluminum could be one of the causes of FM/CFS

or don't want to take a chance, the take home message is: You may be

able to prevent and/or reverse the effects of fibromyalgia, chronic

fatigue syndrome, Alzheimer's disease and other degenerative diseases

by doing the following:

>

> 1. DON'T USE ANTI-PERSPIRANTS. A deodorant that is not also an anti-

perspirant is OK, if you can find one.

>

> 2. DON'T DRINK SOFT DRINKS FROM ALUMINUM CANS. Better still, don't

drink them at all. Fruit Juice, beer, tomatoes and tomato juice from

aluminum cans should also be avoided.

>

> 3. DON'T USE ANTACIDS WITH ALUMINUM. Individuals on antacid therapy

may consume up to 3,000 mg of aluminum per day.

>

> 4. DON'T USE HAND LOTIONS CONTAINING ALUMINUM. Read the labels.

Most of them do.

>

> 5. DON'T USE BAKING POWDER CONTAINING ALUMINUM, or eat foods cooked

with such baking powder. Virtually all commercially baked products,

except for bread that uses yeast as a leavening, are baked using

baking powder that contains aluminum. The two common brands of baking

powder in your grocery store both contain aluminum. You can

buy " Rumford Baking Powder " in the health food store that does not

have aluminum.

>

> 5. DON'T DRINK YOUR TAP WATER unless the chlorine has been removed

and the aluminum level is below 200 micrograms per liter or even 100

micrograms per liter. Aluminum is added to most municipal drinking

water systems as a clearing agent. Remember, the World Health

Organization recommends that the amount of aluminum present in

drinking water be below 200 micrograms per liter. McLachlan estimates

that, " Between 15,180 and 26,910 of the estimated 66,000 to 117,000

cases of Alzheimer's might have been prevented if the aluminum

concentration in the municipal water supply had been kept below 100

micrograms per liter. "

>

> 6. DON'T DRINK FLUORIDATED WATER OR USE FLUORIDE TOOTH PASTE.

Fluoride is an antagonist of aluminum and will replace aluminum.

Fluoridated water, in the recommended amount to prevent cavities,

doubled the amount of aluminum deposited in the brain of rats.

>

> 7. DON'T USE BUFFERED ASPIRIN (if it contains aluminum) OR OTHER

MEDICATIONS THAT CONTAIN ALUMINUM. The best buffer for aspirin is ½

teaspoon of baking soda which is highly alkaline. Completely dissolve

an uncoated aspirin and the baking soda in a glass of water before

taking. See: Inflammation Worse than Cholesterol by the author for

the only way to take aspirin.

>

> 8. MALIC ACID TO TREAT FM/CFS MAY CAUSE THE ALUMINUM TO DEPOSIT IN

THE BRAIN. There are dozens of Internet sites and a book that

recommend malic acid to treat fibromyalgia. Experimental evidence has

shown that it may be helpful - but if it takes aluminum out of the

muscle tissue and deposits it in the organs and brain, is it worth

the relief it gives?

>

> 9. In addition to aluminum, ALCOHOL, FAT, REFINED CARBOHYDRATES

(SUGAR), AND TABLE SALT (that pours when it rains) ARE HIGH RISK

FACTORS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE. They may also be

risk factors for FM/CFS.

>

> 10. In addition to not using anti-perspirants the single most

important thing you can do is DRINK ONLY IONIZED ALKALINE WATER. (See

Conclusion below for the way to do this.)

>

> List of Alkaline and Acid Forming Foods (16)

>

> Since it would be impossible to remember the acidity or alkalinity

of all foods, we will list here some common foods, the best and worst

in each category. For Aluminum detoxification, remember: Most

Alkaline is best. (Foods on the left of the chart are the best

becoming less and less desirable as you move to the right.) Most Acid

is least desirable.

>

> Food

> Category

> Most

> Alkaline

> More

> Alkaline

> Low

> Alkaline

> Low

> Acid

> More

> Acid

> Most

> Acid

>

> Spice

> Sea salt

> Pepper

>

> Table salt

>

> Drinks

> Most

> mineral

> water,

> Ionized

> water

>

> Filtered

> water,

> Most

> spring

> water

> Reverse

> osmoses

> water,

> Distilled

> water

> Coffee,

> Soft

> drinks,

> Beer,

> Alcoholic

> beverages

>

> Sugar

> Honey

> Molasses

>

> Molasses

>

> Honey

>

> Sugar,

> Jam, Jelly,

> Cocoa,

>

> Vinegar

>

> Soy sauce

> Apple

> cider

> vinegar

>

> White

> vinegar

>

> Dairy,

>

> Eggs

>

> Human

> breast

> milk,

> Duck

> eggs,

> Quail

> eggs

> Cow milk

> Cream,

> Butter,

> Yogurt,

> Aged cheese,

> Chicken

> eggs

> New

> Cheese

> Ice

> Cream,

> Pudding,

> Processed

> cheese

>

> Grain

>

> Oats,

> Wild rice

> Wheat,

> White rice

> Corn,

> Rye

> Barley

>

> Vegetable

> Onions,

> Yams,

> Sweet

> potatoes,

> Lentils

> Asparagus,

> Garlic,

> Broccoli

> Potatoes,

> Cauliflower,

> Cabbage,

> Squash,

> Lettuce

> Tomatoes,

> Split peas,

> Beans

> Carrots,

> Green pea,

> Snow pea

> Soybeans

>

> Fruit

> Lime,

> Nectarine,

> Raspberry,

> Water-

> melon,

> Tangerine,

> Pineapple

> Grapefruit,

> Cantaloupe,

> Olive,

> Mango,

> Avocado,

> Apple,

> Peach

> Orange,

> Banana,

> Apricot,

> Blueberry,

> Strawberry,

> Grapes

> Coconut,

> Guava,

> Dry fruit,

> Dates,

> Figs,

> Plum,

> Prune,

> Cranberry

>

> Nuts

>

> Cashews

> Chestnuts

> Almonds

> Pine nuts

> Peanuts,

> Pecans

> Walnuts,

> Brazil nuts

>

> Meat,

> Fried

> Food

>

> Fish,

> Venison,

> Elk, Lamb,

> Mutton,

> Turkey,

> Shell fish

> Chicken,

> Pork,

> Veal

> Fried

> Food,

> Beef,

> Pheasant,

> Lobster

>

> Our hypothetical BEST MEAL EVER would be: Cold water fish (salmon,

halibut, cod, trout) or venison, baked with olive oil, seasoned with

sea salt, pepper, and fresh lime juice; baked yams seasoned with real

butter and sea salt; mineral water or milk as a beverage. (Stirring a

teaspoon of Grandmas' Molasses into a glass of milk makes it even

better. Try it you'll love it. It is a wonderful substitute for

chocolate milk and tastes almost as good.) Dessert could be fresh

nectarines, raspberries, watermelon, tangerine, or pineapple with

cultured yogurt.

>

> The hypothetical WORST MEAL would be: Fried beef (hamburger or

steak) with a slice of processed cheese, white bread or bun with

margarine; french fries; caffeinated soft drink or beer; chocolate

ice cream and a chocolate brownie with walnuts for desert; coffee

with sugar; and a cigarette to finish the meal (or you) off.

>

> Conclusion

>

> Trace amounts of aluminum is found in grains, vegetables, and

fruit, naturally taken up from the soil. Almost all culinary water

systems add aluminum to the water supply as a clearing agent, and no

filter I know of will remove aluminum without removing vital trace

minerals (necessary for the life of every cell). We cannot totally

eliminate aluminum from our diet. We cannot eat only alkaline foods.

But we can drink only alkaline water.

>

> Water ionizers made in Japan and Korea are available that

electrically separate the water coming from the faucet into alkaline

water and acid water. Alkaline water comes out of one hose and acid

water comes out of the other. You cook with and drink the alkaline

water and use the acid water on your plants. Your plants love the

acid water, and drinking only alkaline water is one of the best

things you can do for your health. Water ionizers also filter the

water which takes out the chlorine. Some brands also run the water

through ultra violet light which kills infectious microorganisms. The

ultra violet light feature adds to the cost and may not be necessary

if your water is chlorinated.

>

> Having a water ionizer and drinking only filtered alkaline water is

not only one of the best ways to suppress FM/CFS and prevent

Alzheimer's, but it is one of the best things you can do to slow or

delay the aging process. (For a full treatise on the subject of

aging, I highly recommend a superb little book titled Reverse Aging

by Sang Y. Whang. See also: The Cause of All Degenerative Disease by

the author.)

>

> Using Peptide YY (when we can get it), avoiding sources of

aluminum, avoiding acid foods, eating alkaline foods, and drinking

only alkaline water would be the ultimate thing to do. This may not

eliminate all Alzheimer's disease (some people are genetically more

susceptible than others), but it will do no harm. It could eliminate

Fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue syndrome and it could dramatically

reduce the number of people who are afflicted by Alzheimer's disease.

>

> Blessings on you, reader, if you have gotten this far. If this

hasn't given you something to be paranoid about, nothing will.

Overreacting could be detrimental. It's not just the bad stuff we eat

that is harmful but " what eats us. " Eating more alkaline foods and

fewer acid foods to keep aluminum from depositing in our tissues is

important, but not as important as avoiding the sources of aluminum

and drinking alkaline water. May neither acid ran, anti-perspirants,

aluminum, Alzheimer's or paranoia befall you. Be good and you will be

happy.

>

> Note: The following article is posted with permission of the

author. It is vital information for anyone that has had a loved one

who is suffering with Alzheimer's disease:

>

> Personal Stories: My Father's Mind

> By Bland, Nutritional Biochemist and Chair of the Institute

for Functional Medicine, in Gig Harbor, Washington

>

> My father always said the worst part of getting old would be to

lose his mind. His was an exceedingly good one. After a lifetime of

working as an aerospace engineer, he retired at 70 and almost

immediately decided to go to school to learn computer programming-

just because he wanted to see how it was done. Two years later, he

graduated number one in his class. He was just like that: smart

enough to be able to follow through on his curiosity.

>

> Soon after, though, he became vague and started demonstrating signs

of dementia-misplacing things, losing his sense of direction.

Finally, one day he couldn't even remember how to turn on the

computer. Before calling his doctor, I did extensive research into

dementia and spoke with the head of neurology at Columbia School of

Medicine, in New York, who had published papers in the 1980s showing

a link between B-12 deficiency and dementia. So I suggested to the

doctor that he give my father injections of B-12.. He balked-he

hadn't seen the studies-but I kept pushing, and he finally relented.

>

> Four days after starting the injections, my father walked, fully

dressed, into the room where my mother was reading and asked, " Do you

want to go for a drive? " She was stunned. Here was a man who could

barely get out of bed, much less dress himself and think of what he

wanted to do. In another few weeks' time, my father was back at his

computer doing the things he liked to do. He has since passed away,

but from the time he started taking B-12, he had ten high-quality

years of life.

>

> (There is a possibility that sublingual Vitamin B-12, available in

your health food store, may be equally beneficial. For more

information on Vitamin B-12 and Alzheimer's disease, see:

http://www.apa.org/releases/cognitivesupport_article.pdf )

>

> End notes:

>

> 1. What is Alzheimer's disease? For the full article see:

http://my.webmd.com/content/article/1680.50324

>

> 2. Scientific American

http://www.sciam.com/askexpert/medicine/medicine22.html

>

> 3. Re: The Alum added to drinking water issue see:

http://www.awwa.org/govtaff/aluminpa.htm

>

> 4. McLachlan D.R, et al. Risk for neuropathologically confirmed

Alzheimers disease and residual aluminum in municipal drinking water

employing weighted residential histories. Neurology. 46 (1996): 401-

405

>

> 5. American Journal of Epidemiology 2000;152:59-66

>

> 6. Dragen JM , Dickeson JE, Tynan, PF. et al. Aluminum beverage

cans as a dietary source of aluminum. Med J Aust 1992; 156: 604-5

>

> 7. Grant WB, Alzheimer's, Acid Rain, and Aluminum, on this Website -

Alzheimer's Disease Breakthrough

>

> 8. Grant WB Aluminum Accumulates in Body with High Acid Diet.

Townsend Letter for Doctors 1999 June p.92,

>

> 9. Grant WB, Dietary Links to Alzheimer's Disease,

http://www.mc.uky.edu/adreview/Vol2/Grant/Grant.htm#top

>

> 10. Environmental factors linked to AD.

http://my.webmd.com/content/article/1680.50324

>

> 11. Tameri, M. Aluminum - Toxicity and Prevention. Townsend

Letter for Doctors & Patients Feb/Mar 1999 pp. 98-100

>

> 12. Domingo JL; Gomez M; DJ; Llobet JM; Corbella J Effect

of various dietary constituents on gastrointestinal absorption of

aluminum from drinking water and diet. Res Commun Chem Pathol

Pharmacol, 1993 Mar, 79:3, 377-80

>

> 13. Verner JA, et al. Chronic administration of aluminum fluoride

to rats in drinking water: alterations in neuronal and

cerebrovascular integrity. Brain Research, vol. 784:1998

>

> 14. Peptide YY Reduces Brain Aluminum.

http://www.mercola.com/2000/aug/6/peptide_aluminum.htm

>

> 15. For a delightful, nostalgic article that reviews the history of

claims that aluminum may be harmful and shows how long the health

aspects of aluminum have been debated see:

http://www.snopes2.com/movies/actors/valentin.htm This web page gives

quaint tales from the past including the once popular claim that

Rudolph Valentino died from eating food cooked in aluminum cookware.

The web page would put what I have written, the research of those I

have cited, along with all other claims that aluminum may be harmful

in the realm of an " Urban Legend. " The site has a link to a

Scientific American article in which an Alzheimer specialist declares

that the idea that aluminum may be one of the causes of Alzheimer's

disease is a " myth. " I plead guilty to perpetuating the urban legend

and the myth.

>

> 16. A chart entitled FOOD AND CHEMICAL EFFECTS ON ACID/ALKALINE

BODY CHEMICAL BALANCE is available from ELISA/ACT Biotechnologies, 14

Pigeon Hill Drive, STE 300, Sterling, VA 20165.

March 19, 2005