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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
  Holistic Health Encyclopedia
Alanine is a non-essential amino acid which your body can make from pyruvate, or the breakdown of DNA or carnosine & anserine. Alanine is an inhibitory neurotransmitter in your brain. Alanine is highly concentrated in muscle & is one of the most important amino acids released by muscle, functioning as a major energy source. It is highly concentrated in meats, wheat germ & cottage cheese.
L-Arginine's most important functions are:
Aspartic Acid:
A lack of carnitine can result in buildup of fat & add to problems of obesity. The first sign of carnitine deficiency is hypoglycemia, which, if unchecked can lead to progressive muscular weakness, muscle disorders, heart tissue damage, increased triglycerides, a breakdown of muscle tissue & irregular muscle function. L-Carnitine can be helpful for:
L-Cysteine is a sulfur containing amino acid which, together with glycine & glutamic acid, forms the all-important antioxidant glutathione. L-Cysteine contributes to the formation of protein in our bodies. It plays a role in energy metabolism, both by being able to convert to glucose & be used as fuel, & by playing a part in the synthesis of fatty acids. It acts in the liver to help detoxify carcinogens & other dangerous chemicals. Cysteine is essential for T-cell proliferation & activation in your immune system. Cysteine is a major component of skin, hair, & fingernails. Studies show that cysteine supplementation can increase hair shaft diameter and hair growth density in some cases of hair loss. Cysteine may be used to:
The two amino acids Dr. Slagle most frequently prescribes in her practice are L-glutamine & L-tyrosine. Though glutamine has multiple functions, as you will see, the benefits she is most often looking to achieve when recommending glutamine are improved mood, focus, concentration & memory, & elevated energy. Glutamine is often depleted in those with chronic yeast overgrowth, the depletion of which is partially responsible for the "brain fog" in those individuals. Glutamine plays a key role in the metabolism, structure & function of the entire gastrointestinal tract. It is the primary energy source for the cells that line your intestines & is essential to keeping them healthy. Potential uses of glutamine:
Glycine, taurine & GABA are the major inhibitory neurotransmitters in your brain. Glycine helps build up glycogen levels (stored glucose in your liver). Glycine helps make DNA, skin proteins, collagen, & phospholipids (which make cell membranes). It also participates in the major energy producing biochemical reaction in your body. Potential uses of glycine:
Histidine has anti-inflammatory properties. It is the only amino acid found to be consistently low in the blood of those with rheumatoid arthritis. It is also low in the lubricating fluid in the joints. Whiskey significantly decreases histidine levels. Rheumatoid arthritis patients should avoid alcohol. Histidine can convert to histamine, which is a major neurotransmitter in your brain & throughout parts of your nervous system. However, histidine intake does not always increase brain histamine, Low brain histamine levels are associated with hyperactivity, mania, paranoia, hallucinations, & abnormal thoughts. Many brain functions of histamine are poorly understood but it is thought to participate in the secretion of 2 hormones, (prolactin & antidiuretic). It is thought to aid temperature regulation & be involved in the control of automatic nerve response in the central nervous system. Vitamin E deficiency will cause the depletion of histidine from muscles. Histidine is involved with the regulation of zinc levels in your body. If zinc is excessive it will lower histidine; if histidine is excessive it will decrease zinc levels. But appropriate levels of histidine enhance zinc levels. Histidine:
Lysine is important in the formation of collagen (the protein that forms the matrix of your bone, cartilage & connective tissue). The conversion of lysine to collagen is controlled by vitamin C. Research indicates lysine supplements enhance the intestinal absorption of calcium & reduce the excretion of calcium in the urine. Ingesting 400-1000 mg of lysine with your calcium supplement can help prevent & treat bone loss. Lysine can convert to carnitine & thus indirectly confer some of the benefits of carnitine. Lysine can break down into acetyl CoA, a critical nutrient in carbohydrate metabolism & the production of energy. Lysine can convert to the amino acid citrulline, which is needed for normal metabolism of protein. Lysine deficiency may result in immunodeficiency. Lysine can help inhibit the multiplication of virus while arginine can stimulate viral multiplication. Low lysine levels have been found in those with depression, chronic virus, asthma, low thyroid function, kidney disease, & Parkinson's. The exact significance is unclear. Some have improved with lysine usage. L-Lysine:
Methionine functions as a sulfur donor to aid in your body's detoxification processes & can convert to other sulfur amino acids; can convert to glutathione, & is a precursor to S-adenosyl methionine. Sunflower seeds are a good source of methionine. Soy is very deficient in methionine. Diets deficient in methionine may result in destructive breakdown & metabolism of protein. Methionine plays a key role in regulating the availability of folic acid. Methionine deficiency makes folic acid unusable & may induce a build up of the unusable folic acid. There is a tendency for allergic (high histamine) persons to be methionine deficient. They may respond favorably to methionine, because it lowers blood histamine levels. Indications for use:
Fifty to seventy-five percent of L-Phenylalanine is converted to L-Tyrosine in your liver so all that applies to tyrosine applies to L-Phenylalanine. The rest of L-Phenylalanine is converted to other products which account for it having some additional effects beyond those of tyrosine. One other product is the neurotransmitter phenylethylamine (PEA) which has Ritalin, amphetamine-like effects, which means it is mentally & physically stimulating. Studies have shown some depressed people have lower levels of PEA. These people will need phenylalanine to help with their depression. Besides producing norepinephrine, dopamine, epinephrine, adrenaline & thyroid, phenylalanine is also a constituent of important brain neuropeptides, somatostatin, vasopressin, melanotropin, ACTH, substance P, encephalin, vasoactive intestinal peptide, angiotensin II, & cholecystokinins. Because of its cholecystokinin effect, PA can have appetite suppressing benefits. After numerous years of prescribing amino acids, Dr. Slagle has come to first prefer the use of tyrosine over PA for treating depression, low thyroid & stress. She has found tyrosine to virtually be without side effects, while PA can produce some agitation or irritability, headache, & can increase blood pressure in those already prone to blood pressure problems. It is also possible some people don't adequately convert PA to tyrosine because she has found more depression in those with a high PA to tyrosine ratio & less depression in those with a 2:1 tyrosine to PA ratio. Tyrosine is one step closer to most desired end products. Dr. Slagle recommends PA be added for those needing extra stimulation, or appetite control. If she prescribes PA, she also gives tyrosine but at a different time of day. Avoid if you have hyperthyroidism, hypertension, or a history of melanoma. Avoid with schizophrenia.
Dr. Slagle has personally taken tyrosine every day since 1973 to treat her own previously existing depression. Since 1973, she has not had 1 day of a low mood. See "The Way Up From Down", Dr. Slagle's book detailing her approach to the natural drug free treatment of stress, low moods & depression. Besides multiple other functions, Dr. Slagle considers tyrosine to be so important because of its ability to convert to the mood elevating neurotransmitters, norepinephrine & dopamine, in your brain. It is well established that depression is caused by a depletion of certain neurotransmitters & the mechanism of action of prescription antidepressant drugs is to make more neurotransmitters available - but sometimes along with drug side effects. Additionally, tyrosine converts to thyroid hormone & to adrenaline which is produced by your adrenal gland in response to stress. Chronic stress can divert tyrosine to excessive adrenaline production resulting in decreased thyroid & norepinephrine levels, unless you have plenty of tyrosine available for all the functions. For tyrosine to properly convert to these substances, or for any amino acid to perform its multiple & almost magical conversions, there must be adequate pyridoxal-5-phosphate (vitamin B6) as well as certain other vitamins & minerals. There are multiple factors leading to depletion of the substances necessary for your brain neurotransmitter production which are detailed in Dr. Slagle's book. Some are excessive stress, sugar, alcohol, recreational drugs, caffeine, long-term junk food, & many prescription medications such as some for hypertension, antibiotics, birth control pills & many others. If you are taking any prescription or over-the-counter medicine be sure to check the Physician's Drug Reference to see if depression is a potential side effect. You would be surprised how often it is! If so, talk to your doctor about a change to a non-depressing drug when possible or try to override that effect by following Dr. Slagle's complete & safe program for the natural treatment of depression. Helpful with:
Lactobacilli are responsible for the production of Vitamin K--which helps blood to clot and helps build strong bones.
Colon health depends on maintaining "friendly" bacteria - such as Lactobacillus acidophilus - in the digestive system. In today's society, the majority of people have an imbalance of intestinal bacteria. The "friendly" bacteria assist in the digestion of proteins, protect the colon from cancer, fight yeast/fungal growth in the digestive tract, reduce blood cholesterol levels, and enhance the absorption of nutrients. Dr. Morton Walker in his book Secrets of Long Life, reports that L. acidophilus has been shown to produce atleast four powerful anti-microbial compounds--including acidolin, acidolphin, lactocidin, and bacteriocin. Each of these compounds has demonstrated remarkable neutralizing effects against serious disease-causing microbes such as campylobacter, listeria, staphylococci--as well as chronic yeast infections, herpes and various flus. See also Probiotics.
See also Probiotics.
It also helps purify the entire colon by eating away encrusted putrafactive materials. And it helps repair the intestinal tract by providing needed enzymes and essential nutrients, as well as adhering and protecting the mucosal lining.
See also Probiotics.
Lactoferrin appears to stimulate immune function in two ways. It activates specific strands of DNA to turn on genes that promote the growth of immune cells and the immune response. Lactoferrin also binds iron in the blood so strongly that bacteria, viruses, fungi and other pathogens, all of which need iron to grow, are inhibited. Incidentally, lactoferrin transports iron to parts of the body that need it while at the same time it makes the iron unavailable to harmful bacteria, etc. Lactoferrin tends to block cancer cell nourishment, having been found effective in treating mesothelioma (a form of lung cancer), solid tumors, and metastasis (the transfer of cancer cells to sites distant from the initial cancer site). Lactoferrin is also a powerful antioxidant and inhibits harmful free-radical production. In early stages of an HIV-infected immune system elevated levels of an immune-depressant called isoferritin are produced; the presence of enough lactoferrin suppresses the harmful isoferritin, allowing the immune system to function normally. Because people who have leukemia, breast cancer, celiac or kidney disease have elevated levels of isoferritin, it may be that lactoferrin can successfully treat such diseases. Lactoferrin also has anti-inflammatory properties and can be helpful in arthritis. Lactoferrin also inhibits blood platelet aggregation (clumping together of blood cells) and may be useful for stroke prevention, etc. Lactoferrin has been shown to increase survival rates of persons suffering from otherwise lethal septic shock while in hospitals by 330%. Lactoferrin is non-toxic and is tolerated well even by nursing infants. At present, lactoferrin is commercially isolated and freeze-dried from cow’s milk and is not identical to human lactoferrin. However, it is close enough to give all the iron-binding and most of the immune system benefits of human lactoferrin.
Lead is a very soft bluish-white metal that has a low melting point of 621 degrees F, is highly malleable, ductile and is a poor conductor of electricity. It is obtained from mining ore, mainly galena, and recovered through a roasting or refining process. Much of the lead in use today is also obtained through recycling. Lead is used in ammunition, construction, plumbing and cable covering. However, its principal application, accounting for approximately 60 percent of total consumption, is in vehicular batteries. A useful attribute of lead is its extreme corrosion resistance. It can be used for containers that hold radioactive materials and such corrosive liquids as sulfuric acid. The metal is also used to dampen noise and as a radiation shield for X-rays. Smaller uses for lead are in ballast, weights, ceramics and crystal glass, tubes and containers, type metal, foil, wire and specialized chemicals.
The leaky gut syndrome is almost always associated with autoimmune disease and reversing autoimmune disease depends on healing the lining of the gastrointestinal tract. Any other treatment is just symptom suppression. An autoimmune disease is defined as one in which the immune system makes antibodies against its own tissues. Diseases in this category include lupus, alopecia areata, rheumatoid arthritis, polymyalgia rheumatica, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, Sjogren's syndrome, vitiligo, thyroiditis, vasculitis, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, urticaria (hives), diabetes and Raynaud's disease. Probiotics sometimes help people who suffer from Leaky Gut Syndrome. [Dr. Stoll] The lining of the intestinal tract is no longer perfectly protecting our inner body from the foreign substances in the outside world. Dr. Stoll has never seen any kind of diet reverse LGS, although it may help in the short run. Only Skilled Relaxation will reverse it in the long run. There are several good articles on the net about this common disorder. Zoltan Rona, M.D., M.Sc. has one here and Dr. Stoll has one here.
Peter D’Adamo, N.D., a Naturopathic physician, continued in his father’s footsteps by observing the relationship between diet, disease and blood type. He found that certain foods containing lectins react with specific blood types. These lectin/blood reactions trigger inflammation.
As a flavoring, this bulb from the lily family of plants has been a favorite the world around and from the beginning of humankind. As a food vegetable in days of old, leeks were traded for gold to feed the builders of pyramids. It is said, too, that American frontiersmen located Indian encampments in the springtime with their noses by following the heavy scent in the air. Chemically, sulfur compounds are basic to these odoriferous bulbs and are responsible for their pungent aroma. Allicin is the particular one identifiable with garlic. Leeks, garlic, and onions are abundant in vitamins, minerals, and volatile oils. The nose, palate, and taste buds, indeed, have an uncontestable love affair with this tasty, fragrant trio.
See also Cancer
[Dr. Christopher] For quick relief, bathe the head or body parts with straight apple cider vinegar, oil of garlic, or black walnut tincture or tea.
Lichen planus is a skin rash that begins as a pinhead-sized eruption most commonly on the wrists and forearms and on the ankles and lower legs. The eruptions are quite itchy and the patient finds it very difficult to keep from scratching them. It is the case that the more they are scratched, the itchier they become. This causes them to get larger. What would otherwise remain as a small lesion gradually increases in size. Each eruption then becomes a rough, scaly, flat patch that varies in size from a pinhead to the diameter of a dime. In the mouth it presents with six types: reticular, papular, plaque-like, erosive, atrophic and bullous. The most common ones are the reticular, that is presented as a white striae bilaterally on the buccal mucosae, and the erosive, presented as ulceration bilaterally both on the buccal mucosae and the lateral sides of the dorsum of the tongue. In the past few years, LP has been linked to chronic liver disease and hepatitis B. In a study of 78 consecutive patients with LP, anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibodies were detected in the sera from 16 patients. Only 2 out of 82 unrelated control-group patients had detectable antibodies. Furthermore, a significant association was observed between HCV and erosive LP. The Country Doctor has an essay about Lichen Planus here .
Licorice root has been known to stimulate the production of digestive fluids and bile to soothe ulcers, intestinal inflammation and support the healthy function of the kidneys, liver and bladder. Sweet tasting Licorice root has also been used in the treatment of depression, chronic fatigue, as well as reducing fevers, and relieving constipation. Licorice root has been used in commercial preparations for several centuries. The 18th century herbalist, Nicholas Culpeper, mentions it as a soothing tea for hoarseness and cough. It also helps loosen bronchial and pulmonary congestion. The mild laxative effect that licorice root possesses makes it a wonderful remedy for colds and flu because it keeps the bowels open and satisfies the appetite for food. The steroidal content has also brought the herb into some prominence for healing and restoring the adrenal glands. About every five hours, the adrenals need some sort of nourishment in order to continue supplying strength to the body. If a meal or some other nourishment is not forthcoming, Licorice can supply the adrenals. The armies of Alexander the Great, mentioned above as carrying Licorice with them on their long marches for allaying thirst, also benefited from this strengthening agent to give them stamina and endurance--a far cry from today's chocolate candy bar, Dr. Christopher noted, which is given to the poor G.I. in the military. Licorice root is one of the best and mildest expectorants we have. It has formed the base for many patented cough medicines. We may safely give it to our children. Used in Europe as a standard support for ulcer sufferers, extracts of licorice are also helpful for promoting adrenal gland function, cleansing the colon, relieving muscle spasms, and even helping allergies. Licorice root also boosts the production of interferon, a blood chemical that fights cancer. Licorice root known to have the following actions:
See also Trace Minerals
 The liver also makes about one quart of bile daily and secretes this into the duodenum for food digestion or stores it in the gallbladder. Without bile salts only about 50% of fat eaten is absorbed for proper metabolism versus 97% absorption with normal bile secretion (those who have had their gallbladder removed process fats poorly for this rea7son). The liver can store a quart of extra blood when there is excess blood volume and supply it to the body when required, such as when a person exercises heavily or has a substantial blood loss. The liver also stores vitamins A, B12, D, E, and K for long times, and ferritin, a liver protein, stores iron by bonding to it and releasing it for the production of red blood cells. Kupffer cells of the liver are macrophages that filter out about 99% of harmful bacteria in blood coming from the intestines before they can otherwise enter the general circulation. The Kupffer cells also destroy worn-out red blood cells. A healthy liver converts beta-carotene (currently hyped in so many articles and advertisements on health) into usable vitamin A. If you have wondered why your skin turns yellow sometimes after days of high-dosage beta-carotene it may be because your liver is doing a poor job of this conversion. These are only a few reasons why you need that reddish-brown 3-pound organ located in the upper right portion of the abdominal cavity and extending 3-4 inches left of the body midline. Actually you can do fairly well with only one-sixth of your liver functioning. If 50% of your liver were surgically removed (or taken by those aliens in their space ships), the liver would normally grow back to full size in something like 3 months. What all this means is that it is often hard to find out if the liver is malfunctioning until the damage is well underway. Liver dysfunction has many causes besides the toxic foods we eat and the use of drugs, most of which tax the liver. Prolonged constipation is one major cause. Diets high in protein (such as meat, gluten, isolated soy protein, etc.) overwork the liver, as do fried foods, excess animal fats, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated vegetable fats (margarine, etc.), roasted nuts, tannic acid in tea, artificial sweeteners, refined sugars, alcohol, tobacco and deficiencies of B vitamins.
As one of the most useful muscle relaxants, lobelia is rich in vitamin A, vitamin C and manganese. It is used as an expectorant, expelling phlegm from the lungs, relieving congestion that is typically related to asthma and bronchitis. Lobelia has also been known to reduce cold and flu symptoms, suppress coughing, and stimulate perspiration, cooling down the body to to help break fevers. Lobelia is considered beneficial for treating mild depression, reducing inflammation and pain, easing muscle tension, and calming the nerves. It also acts as a mild laxative alleviating constipation. Lobelia may be used as a tobacco substitute to help stop smoking. Lobelia is considered a perfect glandular food. [Dr. Schulze] This year, 500,000 people will die from cancer, FAST and PAINFULLY Learn about an herb, lobelia inflata, that can help people stop smoking - after the "patch" and all willpower have failed. This herb is very powerful, and very unpopular. You will not read about it elsewhere. Herbalists and medical officials are convinced it is toxic. They are both wrong. Lobelia is one of the great lifesavers, and it can cause people who have tried and failed, and failed again, to quit smoking for good. Lobelia is not a cure for lung cancer, but it can sure make you want to quit - before the cancer starts growing. Lobelia's a much stronger herb than chaparral. It's one of the strongest herbs. Now Sam, we should mention: the phytochemicals in lobelia are called alkaloids. And alkaloids are one of the strongest plant chemicals of all the thousands of plant chemicals. They're one of the very strongest. And lobelia has 14 known alkaloids. So that makes lobelia one of the strongest plants in the plant world that we know of. One of the most powerful. There's only a few plants that have more alkaloids, and one of them is the opium poppy, where we get morphine and codeine and the other extremely strong alkaloids from. Of course, these are controlled by the government. Medical people have decided to have a war against lobelia and people have been hassled for manufacturing formulas with it, even though technically, it's legal in America. Herbalists are afraid to touch it because they might get slammed by a medical group and it's considered an extremely potent, powerful herb. As we've talked before, potent and powerful means that you will feel something when you take it. You can buy Lobelia tincture and tea here .
See also Lobelia
Many people suffer from fingernails that are brittle and crack or chip easily; many times the nails are ridged vertically. More than 90% of people with such fingernails when lab tested have insufficient stomach acid, which leads to poor digestion and absorption of food (one may have low stomach acid without fingernail involvement). The two main nutrients for fingernails appear to be calcium and protein, the assimilation of which is poor when stomach acid is deficient. Low stomach acid is common among the elderly, and even for some in their 20s and 30s. One simple way to get an idea if you have low stomach acid is to take a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar after each meal for a few days and see if it reduces heartburn, burping, bloating and the like--if it does reduce these your stomach acid probably is low, and you could probably benefit from taking betaine hydrochloride at the start of each meal (health food store source; follow directions on bottle, and consider gradually increasing the dose until you get relief, but avoid betaine hydrochloride if you have an ulcer, and don’t take aspirin or other antiinflammatory drugs if you take betaine hydrochloride). On the other hand, if taking the apple cider vinegar after meals tends to give you a burning sensation in the stomach, you probably have sufficient stomach acid.
A person who doesn't panic or fear and has normal body weight could go about 110 days without food. A person could go 15 or 16 days without water, if they have a cool head and think right. But you couldn't go very long without breathing. You can see how important those lungs are. There are four eliminative channels of the body: the bowel, the urinary tract, the skin, and the lungs. It is imperative that we keep them all in working order--free of clogging mucus and sediment. Some people have an inherently weak lung structure and they must work harder to maintain health. These sensitive people need to rebuild the respiratory system with careful adherence to the mucusless diet and the use of herbs. The spinal column may be out of alignment and the 5th thoracic vertebrae being misaligned can contribute to respiratory problems. Any number of spinal adjustments can afford temporary relief but will come "undone" within a matter of hours, days, or weeks unless we follow a proper diet and regime which will rebuild the nerves and muscles going to that vertebrae. We must keep the breath of life flowing deeply and smoothly. Good deep breathing will offset a lot of malfunction in the body through the process of reoxygenation. A shallow breather is usually a sickly person. Breathing is automatic to us. We don't even stop to think about it. From the first breath of air into our lungs as a baby to our last gasp, breathing is taken for granted, although we have forgotten how to breathe properly. Dr. Christopher has a newsletter about lung diseases here .
Women get more breast cancer, but more women die from lung cancer. Men get more prostate cancer, but more men die from lung cancer. Squamous cell carcinoma is a common form of lung cancer, accounting for approximately one-third of all cases of bronchogenic carcinomas. Unlike adenocarcinoma, it is strongly linked with a history of cigarette smoking. Its histogenesis may be related to chronic inflammation and injury of the bronchial epithelium, which leads to replacement of the normal ciliated columnar epithelium by a squamous epithelium. This transformation from a glandular epithelium to squamous epithelium is known as squamous metaplasia. Histological and cytological studies have revealed a series of changes that occur over many years and represent a morphologic progression to bronchogenic carcinoma. Early changes include a loss of the ciliated columnar epithelium, basal cell hyperplasia, and the formation of a low columnar epithelium without cilia. These changes are followed by a squamous metaplasia. As cellular atypia develops and advances there is progression through mild, moderate and severe dysplasia to carcinoma in situ. Carcinoma in situ has no metastatic potential. However, once carcinoma in situ penetrates the basement membrane to involve the lamina propria, it is invasive carcinoma and capable of widespread dissemination. These progressive changes are similar to those that proceed the development of squamous cell carcinoma in the uterine cervix. This progressive sequence would suggest that it would be possible to detect abnormalities that are linked to bronchogenic carcinoma. However, unlike the cervix, there is no convenient test, like the Papanicolaou smear, to monitor this progression. Nor is it possible to identify with certainty which lesions will progress to carcinoma. Read Dr. Schulze's Essay "This herb can help a friend or loved one stop smoking - and SAVE THEIR LIFE!" here.
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