Lyme is all around us but I believe we will help many more if we give up on blaming everything on the tick related introduction of more pathogens than we had the day before we are bit.  It is confusing to people, as too often Lyme tests are inconclusive. So let’s rename the condition LIMES (Lowered Immune Metabolic Encephalopathy Syndrome) or LIMNS (for Neuropathy, as in MS like conditions) or LIMAS (Arthropathy when it is more arthritic in presentation), as these names move us closer to seeing the true picture.

It is sad to turn patients away with these devastating symptoms when the Infectious Disease Association guidelines force us to say it is Lyme. I am certain broadening the approach to Food sensitivities, other Infections, Genetics, Heavy metals and Hormones and Toxins would wind up with better results than the low batting average that is reported from long-term IV antibiotics, which are often reported as low as 33% about which Lyme critics point out is the response rate to placebos. If we focus on my F.I.G.H.T. program and do something to help deal with the obvious issues that can be found in almost anyone in any of these categories, we can be more cost effective and actually help more patients, as they will stop looking just for a doctor that will interpret their test as positive for Lyme.

Realize that everyone today will fail the Mount Sinai School of Medicine $4900 test for toxins. So let’s blame the neurotoxins and endocrine disruptors just like we blame the total body burden of infection, as properly tested everyone will have some Chlamydia or CMV or Coxackie or Candida and so on.

No one will pass the test at Harvard for bone lead levels. They have shown that the level in bone is in equilibrium with most other tissues in the body including the eye so there is a direct correlation with how high lead in bones is and how soon you develop a cataract. So there is no one on earth that does not need some lead out and since Lead makes Mercury as much as 100 times more toxic, who needs tons of tests to know what to do in most of the categories my F.I.G.H.T. program acronym represents.

So would it not be better medicine to offer some oral detoxification for the Heavy metals and the Toxins, with ZeoGold and BIOE’NR-G’Y C, Beyond Fiber, and some organic Greens and some Maca and help people eliminate suspect foods for a time. Before letting the outcome of the patient’s intervention with the doctor pass on the results of unreliable negative lab tests for Lyme, because of immune suppression until some treatment is started for awhile and then the test for Lyme often changes to positive. What a waste to not simply realize we are confronted with an epidemic of autoimmune diseases that has so many different presentations that over 100 conditions are now considered to be autoimmune related. These conditions deserve meaningful intervention and my F.I.G.H.T. program protects patients from Johnny One Note health care providers who focus only on one aspect of my program and thus only help a small percentage of patients.

Let’s broaden our approach and help everyone with empowering knowledge. Everyone we see today needs help to optimize every one of the categories in F.I.G.H.T. If we expand the FIGHT concept we would make F stand for FOCUS on positive thinking not just Food and H for hormones and Heavy metals and then really the G is not just Genetics but also the entire new field of Epigenetics where exposures to BISPHENOL A have led to overnight changes in Gene activation. They are permanent until treated with aggressive methylation support, as with the MSM and TMG found in BIOE’NR-G’Y C and the active forms of Folic Acid found in Beyond B12.

We all remember AIDS is acquired immune deficiency so now I recommend that this new epidemic just be renamed LOWERED IMMUNE METABOLIC ENCEPHALOPATHY SYNDROME or LIMES then we can start to be much more cost effective in improving the health of many who suffer without excess reliance on some lab test for Lyme related infections.

This link to MEDSCAPE may help broaden your knowledge regarding some aspects of this new epidemic. By putting LIMES category into a new AUTOIMMUNE RELATED condition it forces us to broaden our approach beyond antibiotics can help our patients who still will not be covered by insurance but at least they will not be turned away without receiving real help and we will not waste time with medical board fights. Patients will be taught something that I am confident for most will help them improve their health more than getting 6 months of IV antibiotics even if it were fully covered by their insurance company. It is not just an antibiotic deficiency we are encountering; read the book BEYOND ANTIBIOTICS!

It is like the old adage TEACH a man to fish or give him a fish; I prefer the teaching approach. Knowledge of what is really wrong with our health can be empowering but to put everything on one infection or one toxin and ignore leaky gut and food sensitivities, etc I feel  means we provide little long-term meaningful help to patients who deserve a broader understanding of what is really going wrong with their health.

Garry F. Gordon MD,DO,MD(H)
President, Gordon Research Institute
www.gordonresearch.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Case of Ascending Paralysis: the Signs and Symptoms of Tick Paralysis
Menyoli Malafa, MSII; Veronica Tucci, JD, MS IV; Albert Vincent, PhD; Sajeel Chowdhary, MD
Posted: 03/26/2009; American Academy of Emergency Medicine.
2009;16(1):22, 26, 27 © 2009 American Academy of Emergency Medicine
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/589591

Summary
Tick paralysis (TP), a response to the neurotoxic effects of the salivary secretions produced by attached hard ticks (Ixodidae), is a syndrome that mimics a large number of better known neurological disorders. TP is a sporadic, seasonal, rural disorder in which acute ataxia often develops five to six days following a history of walking in grass or low brush, followed by ascending flaccid paralysis. Recognition and timely removal of the tick usually leads to complete resolution of symptoms, whereas continued feeding can lead to respiratory arrest and death. Follow-up includes species determination and patient surveillance for tick-borne infectious disease.

Discussion
TP is a worldwide disease, occurring in Australia, Europe, South Africa and throughout North America. In the United States, most cases occur in the Rocky Mountain states and the Pacific Northwest, including Washington, Montana, Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada, Utah, Colorado and the northern parts of Arizona, New Mexico and California. However, cases have also been reported in central, southern and eastern states, including Texas, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania and New York. In Canada, most cases are encountered in the western part of the country, primarily southern British Columbia.[1,2] More than 60 species of ticks are known to cause paralysis, but only a handful are responsible for most cases. In North America, the disease is associated primarily with six species: Dermacentor andersoni (‘Rocky Mountain wood tick’), D. variabilis (‘American dog tick’), Amblyomma americanum (‘Lone Star tick’), A. maculatum (Gulf Coast tick), Ixodes scapularis (formerly I. dammini, ‘Blacklegged tick’) and I. pacificus (‘Western Black-legged tick’). Peak incidence occurs between April and June when nymphs and mature adults abound in low vegetation and climb upward, questing for their next host by extending their anterior pairs of legs.[1,3,4] Paralysis is a response to a neurotoxin secreted by the salivary glands of the arachnid.[1,5] The biochemistry and pharmacology of the specific paralysis- inducing toxins produced in North American ticks are yet to be fully elucidated, but current evidence points to a mechanism by which the toxins inhibit presynaptic acetylcholine release at the neuromuscular junction.[1,3,6] TP presents more often and more severely in children, suggesting a concentration-dependent relationship between toxin levels and symptom expression.[1,4] Signs and symptoms of TP begin about five to six days after the parasite has attached, when neurotoxin is secreted at its peak levels. These prodromal symptoms include restlessness, irritability, fatigue, nausea, paresthesias and possibly ataxia. Over the next 24-48 hours, the patient develops ascending symmetrical flaccid paralysis and weakness in the lower extremities. Over the course of the next day or two, paralysis and weakness may ascend to involve the trunk, axial and upper limb muscles. Cranial nerves may also become involved in an ascending pattern, resulting in bulbar, facial and/or extraocular paralysis. Patients demonstrate diminished or absent deep tendon and superficial reflexes while, aside from occasional paresthesias, their sensory exam remains normal. Pain and fever are absent. Death ensues following paralysis of the respiratory muscles.[1,5,7,8,9] Atypical presentations reflect variations in the site of tick attachment. There may be ataxia and associated cerebellar deficits without accompanying muscle weakness. The disorder may also present as an isolated facial paralysis without trunk or limb involvement. Another group of atypical presentations is unilateral paralysis and/or weakness, including isolated unilateral facial paralysis.[1,8] Tick paralysis is treated by removal of the tick. Although the site of attachment is most often the head and neck region, the entire body should be scrutinized, including ear canals, nostrils and genitalia. Multiple ticks should be suspected, and all must be removed.[1,4,7,10] Applications of petroleum jelly, nail polish, alcohol, a needle and heat are inappropriate. These measures may result in infection and cause the parasite to salivate or regurgitate more of its bodily fluids.
The tick should be grasped with blunt, angled forceps as close as possible to the skin and to the embedded mouthparts (hypostome). Wearing protective gloves, slowly pull the organism straight outward with a gentle and steady traction, without twisting its body. Do not burst the tick. The hypostome is usually deeply and firmly embedded and should be removed surgically should it come detached. Antiseptic solution is then applied to the wound, and the recovered tick and severed mouthparts may be preserved in 75% ethanol for identification. The patient should be instructed to return in the event of additional illness and educated on protective measures against ticks.
The symptoms of TP, at least those caused by North American species, typically resolve rapidly following removal of all ticks from the patient. Improvement in the condition of the patient subsequent to tick removal is confirmatory for the diagnosis. Species found in some other parts of the world, notably Ixodes holocyclus of Australia, produce a very potent neurotoxin and symptoms may not subside as quickly, even worsening after removal.[5] The prognosis depends on clinical presentation prior to removal. If all ticks were removed prior to the onset of bulbar weakness, the patient often makes a full recovery within the first 24 hours. However, if onset of bulbar symptoms occurs during continued feeding, the likelihood of fatal respiratory paralysis increases to 10%. Therefore, prompt of diagnosis and tick removal are paramount.[1,5,7,8] Because ticks are both vectors and reservoirs for various infectious diseases, it is important to educate the patient about this added risk for possible concurrent illnesses. Table 1 displays the geographical location and infectious diseases associated with North American tick species which are also known to cause TP.[1,8,11,12]

References
1.Cunha BA, editor. Tickborne Infectious Diseases Diagnosis and Management. New York: M. Dekker; 2000.
2.Meier J, White J. Handbook of Clinical Toxicology of Animal Venoms and Poisons. STATE: CRC Press; 1995.
3.CDC. Tick paralysis – Washington. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 1996; 45(16): 325-6.
4.Schmitt N, Bowmer EJ, Gregson JD. Tick paralysis in British Columbia. Can Med Assoc J 1969 Mar 1; 100(9): 417-21.
5.Meriggioli MN, Howard JF, Howard Jr. JF, Harper CM, Harper Jr. CM. Neuromuscular Junction Disorders: Diagnosis and Treatment. STATE: Informa Health Care; 2003.
6.Grattan-Smith PJ, Morris JG, Johnston HM, Yiannikas C, Malik R, Russel R, Ouvrier RA. Clinical and neurophysiological features of tick paralysis. Brain 1997 Nov;120(Pt 11):1975-87.
7.CDC. Tick paralysis – Colorado. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 2006 Sep 1; 55(34): 933-5.
8.Knoop KJ, Stack LB, Storrow AB. Atlas of Emergency Medicine. STATE: McGraw-Hill Professional; 2002.
9.Biller J. Practical Neurology. STATE: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins; 2002.
10.Gammons M, Salam G. Tick removal. Am Fam Physician 2002 Aug 15; 66(4): 646.
11.Winn WC, Kineman EW, Allen SD, Janda WM, Schreckenberger PC,Procop GW, Woods GL. Koneman´s Color Atlas and Textbook of Diagnostic Microbiology. STATE: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins; 2005.
12.Sonenshine DE, Mather TN. Ecological Dynamics of Tick-borne Zoonoses. STATE: Oxford University Press US; 1994.
13.Greenberg BM. Clinical cases in neurology from John Hopkins. Case 2: acute ascending paralysis in a 4-year-old body. MedGenMed 2003 Apr 9; 5(2): 36.

Bisphenol A is found in most plastic food containers today. Not only is it found in plastic containers, but also in the lining of most cans. BPA is essentially a synthetic estrogen that enters the body when one consumes food or beverages out of plastic or plastic-lined containers. This is not only harmful to the male reproductive system, but has been found to also stimulate breast cancer growth in women. Knowing this, it should be of no surprise that the sperm count of the average Western male is on a steady decline as many males are becoming more and more feminine. What most people don’t know is that Bisphenol A was actually considered as the form of estrogen to be used in estrogen pills going back to the 1930s.

Everyone should detox regularly and continually on a daily basis.  Everyone needs my F.I.G.H.T. program! It is not just the Lead and Mercury; it is toxins like Bisphenol A but most people have no idea how they get these toxins!  Bisphenol A is what made all the lean brown Agouti mice turn yellow and become obese and diabetic for all time in Randy Jirtle’s  research (Duke) covered by PBS (Nova) as “Ghost In Your Genes” that causes the epigenetic change overnight.

There is defective methylation to handle all toxins, which is why BIOEN’R-G’Y C comes with Trimethylglycine and Methylsulfonomethane, as a true vitamin C delivery system to help fight this Bisphenol A toxin induced need for more methylation support. So get sublingual Beyond B12 and have methyl cobalamin delivered sublingually instead of having to give B12 IM, as oral B12 is about 1-2 % absorbed and we must help our loved ones and patients F.I.G.H.T. back.

Everyone has 10,000 times more phthalates today than was present just 10 years ago. Watch this video and then watch it again and learn my F.I.G.H.T. program, as you and your patients need to feel as good as I do and I know how toxic you are unless you are using my power drink and zeolite!

Watch this YouTube Video and make your OWN decision…
Bisphenol A (BPA) Contaminating Our Food
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3_cYZKksvI&feature=player_embedded

Garry F. Gordon MD,DO,MD(H)
President, Gordon Research Institute
www.gordonresearch.com

Dr Mark Hyman continues to sound the alarm with useful well organized information that can help us wake our patients up to the clear contributing causes to most poor health. They are suffering from TOXINS in our environment, not a deficiency of some antidepressant, pain medication, and cancer drug or heart medication. We need to wake up before it is too late and learn from Dr Hyman and from my FIGHT program that poor health is multifactorial but always Food sensitivities, Infections, Genetic, Heavy Metals, and Toxins are part of the answer.

Garry F. Gordon MD,DO,MD(H)
President, Gordon Research Institute
www.gordonresearch.com

http://www.ultrawellness.com/blog/ultrawellness-key-5

Your body may be a toxic waste dump.

Worried? You should be …

We are exposed to 6 million pounds of mercury and the 2.5 billion pounds other toxic chemicals each year.

80,000 toxic chemicals have been released into our environment since the dawn of the industrial revolution, and very few have been tested for their long-term impact on human health. And let me tell you, the results aren’t pretty for those that have been tested …
How can we not be affected by this massive amount of poison?

According to the nonprofit organization Environmental Working Group , the average newborn baby has 287 known toxins in his or her umbilical cord blood.

If a newborn is exposed to that many toxins, imagine how many you have been exposed to in your life …

Do you think this may be why so many of us are sick and fat today?

The simple truth is that we are living in a sea of toxins and it is destroying our bodies and brains.

The two most important things you need to know to cure disease, create health, and lose weight are:
1. The role of nutrition in health and disease.

2. The role of toxins and the importance of detoxification in health and disease.
Unfortunately, you probably aren’t going to learn much about them from your doctor. Most physicians today are still hopelessly ignorant in these areas. They were simply never taught about nutrition and detoxification in medical school.

However, there are many things you can do to reduce your toxic exposures and enhance your detoxification. Today I want to share some information your doctor probably won’t focus on in your next visit, even though it is at the very root of your health. I am going to outline a simple 10-step plan you can use to enhance your detoxification.
Enhancing detoxification is the 5th key of the 7 keys to UltraWellness. If you want to lose weight and get healthy, you need to clean up the toxic waste in your body. Today you will learn how.

The Role of Toxins in Health and Disease
The role of toxins and detoxification in health has been largely ignored by medicine.
Thankfully, scientists and practitioners are starting to recognize its importance in health.
I recently spoke about detoxification at the 13th International Symposium on Functional Medicine. The presentation was called Managing Biotransformation: The Metabolic, Genomic, and Detoxification Balance Points. Leading experts from all over the globe came together to present the data on the role of toxins in health and offer suggestions for how we can detoxify.

If you want all the scientific background on detoxification, I recommend reading the proceedings from that meeting. You will find extensive data on the impact toxins have on our health and how critical detoxification is for long-term wellness.

The reality is that many of you probably have symptoms of chronic toxicity but don’t realize that you’re toxic.

The following is a list of the common symptoms of chronic toxicity. If you suffer from any of the following, detoxifying might be critical for you to get healthy and feel good again:
• Fatigue
• Muscle aches
• Joint pain
• Sinus congestion
• Postnasal drip
• Excessive sinus problems
• Headaches
• Bloating
• Gas
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Foul-smelling stools
• Heartburn
• Sleep problems
• Food cravings
• Water retention
• Rashes
• Skin problems
• Eczema
• Psoriasis
• Canker sores
• Acne
• Bad breath
• Premenstrual syndrome
• Other menstrual disorders
• Puffy, dark circles under the eyes
• Difficulty concentrating
• Trouble losing weight

But how do you detoxify? And what does that word even mean? Let’s look a little more closely at what detoxification is.

What are Toxicity and Detoxification?
When you hear the word “detox” you might think drug detox or alcohol detox or wheatgrass enemas. That’s not what I am talking about.

I am referring to the science of how our bodies get rid of waste. If waste builds up, we get sick. And the key is to figure out how to enhance your body’s capacity to detoxify and get rid of waste while minimizing your exposure to toxins.

This is so important, because many diseases of our society are actually related to toxicity.
Here are some of the diseases you may suffer from if you are toxic:
• Parkinson’s disease
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Dementia
• Autism
• Attention deficit disorder
• Depression and other mood disorders
• Insomnia
• Heart disease
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Fibromyalgia
• Cancer
• Autoimmune disease
• Food allergies
• Arthritis
• Digestive diseases like Crohn’s disease, ulcers, and colitis
• Menstrual problems like heavy bleeding, cramps, PMS, menopausal symptoms, mood changes and hot flashes

With so many conditions on that list, it might seem that everyone is toxic.

That may be true to differing degrees …
Problems with detoxification form one of the roots of illness — and signify one of the core systems in the body that must be working well for you to be healthy. If you feel lousy, it’s likely you’re toxic.

It is important to understand why we are toxic and how we can detoxify. I will explain how you can detoxify a little later, but first I want to tell you about where toxins come from and how we are overloaded.

To understand toxicity, you must understand the concept of “total load.” Total load is the total amount of stressors on your system at any one time — it’s like what happens when a glass fills over with water. It takes a certain amount of water to fill the glass and then, after a certain point, you put more in and it overflows.

When our detoxification system is overwhelmed, it gets overloaded. That’s when we start developing symptoms and getting sick, but it may take years of accumulated stress and toxins to get to that point.

Here are some, but not all, of the factors that can contribute to your total toxic load:
• Exposure to heavy metals like mercury and lead, petrochemicals, residues, pesticides, and fertilizers.
• Food allergies, environmental allergies, molds, and toxins from molds.
• Eating a standard American diet.
• Mental, emotional, and spiritual toxins — isolation, loneliness, anger, jealousy, and hostility, all of which translate into toxins in our system.
• Medications can sometimes be toxins. Often we need medications, but the reality is that most of us are overmedicated and use medications to treat problems for which there are better solutions, such as lifestyle and diet.
• Internal toxins — things like bacteria, fungus, and yeast inside our gut as well as hormonal and metabolic toxins that we need to eliminate.

That’s a lot of toxins for our bodies to manage.

You may wonder: Why aren’t we all sick, given this incredible load of toxins? The answer is simple. It is because each of us is genetically and biochemically unique. Some of us are good at getting rid of toxins and waste, and others are not. I am not. That is why I developed chronic fatigue syndrome.

I became overloaded with mercury and couldn’t get rid of it because I am missing a gene for GSTM1 — a critical detoxifying enzyme for mercury. But by learning to support my system and how to detoxify, I was able to cure myself of a seemingly incurable condition.

What I learned is that there are five key steps to optimal detoxification. They are:
1. Identify and Get Rid of Toxins — I listed the primary forms of toxic exposure above. Eliminating them is absolutely essential if you want to rebalance your detox system.
2. Fix Your Gut — Gut imbalances are a key source of toxins for many.
3. Get Moving — This help your blood and lymphatic circulation do its job.
4. Get Your Liver and Detox System Working — If your detoxification system isn’t working properly, this is a serious problem and needs to be addressed. A great place to start is the 10-step approach outlined below.
5. Detox Your Mind, Heart, and Spirit — This is just as important as detoxing your body, and it’s an area few of us ever think about as a source of toxins.

To completely detoxify your body you need to work through each of these steps carefully, and that can take some time. But you can start today by following this simple 10-step plan.

10 Simple Steps to Enhance Detoxification
Proper detoxification is so essential for health that you need to start enhancing your body’s ability to detoxify today. Here is how to do it:
1. Drink Clean — Drink plenty of clean water, at least eight to ten glasses of filtered water a day.
2. Eliminate Properly — Keep your bowels moving, at least once or twice a day. And if you can’t get going, then you need some help. This can include taking two tablespoons of ground flax seeds and taking acidophilus and extra magnesium citrate capsules. If you have any chronic diseases or problems, you have to be careful about taking supplements and should work with your doctor.
3. Eat Clean — You should also eat organic produce and animal products to eliminate the toxins, hormones, and antibiotics in your food.
4. Eat Detoxifying Food — You should eat 8 to 10 servings of colorful fruits and vegetables a day, particularly family of the cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, collards, kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi) and the garlic family (garlic and onions), which help increase sulfur in the body and help detoxification.
5. Minimize Drugs — Avoid stimulants, sedatives, and drugs, such as caffeine and nicotine, and try to reduce alcohol intake.
6. Get Moving — Exercise five days a week with focus on conditioning your cardiovascular system, strengthening exercises, and stretching exercises.
7. Avoid the White Menace — This includes white flour and white sugar.
8. Sweat — Sweat profusely at least three times a week, using a sauna, steam, or a detox bath.
9. Supplement — Take a high-quality multivitamin and mineral supplement.
10. Relax — Relax deeply every day to get your nervous system in a state of calm, rest, and relaxation.

Simply following these steps will help to correct problems caused by toxicity, maximize your body’s own detoxification capacity, and help you safely eliminate toxins stores in your body.

Depending on your symptoms, genetic predispositions and environmental exposures, you may need different levels of nutrients and types of treatment, but this is an excellent way to get started on detoxification today.

Remember, getting rid of toxins and learning how to optimize your detoxification system is essential for creating lifelong vibrant health.

Now I’d like to hear from you …
Why do you think we live in such a toxic world?
Do you think the government should do more to regulate toxins? If so, what kind of legislation should be put in place to protect us?
Have you suffered from toxic exposures? What were they and how did they make you feel?
Do you have any other suggestions for detoxification?

To your good health,
Mark Hyman, M.D.

Excerpt: PHILADELPHIA — For pregnant women, an influenza vaccination leads to bigger babies and infants who are less likely to get the flu, according to three studies presented here.

Experts said the findings — presented at the annual meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America — might help persuade pregnant women reluctant to get a flu shot.

It might also bring the issue to the attention of obstetricians, who typically do not raise the notion of a flu shot with their patients, said William Schaffner, MD, of Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville.

Full article:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/03/AR2010010302110_pf.html

Excerpt:

Of the 84,000 chemicals in commercial use in the United States — from
flame retardants in furniture to household cleaners — nearly 20 percent
are secret, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, their
names and physical properties guarded from consumers and virtually all
public officials under a little-known federal provision.

The policy was designed 33 years ago to protect trade secrets in a
highly competitive industry. But critics — including the Obama
administration — say the secrecy has grown out of control, making it
impossible for regulators to control potential dangers or for consumers
to know which toxic substances they might be exposed to.

At a time of increasing public demand for more information about
chemical exposure, pressure is building on lawmakers to make it more
difficult for manufacturers to cloak their products in secrecy. Congress
is set to rewrite chemical regulations this year for the first time in a
generation.

Cardiac involvement occurring early in Borrelia burgdorferi infection is a clinical manifestation of human Lyme disease. Therefore, two patients with acute complete atrioventricular heart blocks and unexplained recurrent dizziness were studied. Both patients had significantly elevated serum titers of IgM and IgG antibodies to B. burgdorferi. Right ventricular subendocardial biopsies showed dense infiltrates consisting of lymphocytes and plasma cells. Silver staining revealed spirochetes characteristic of B. burgdorferi near and in the infiltrates, between the muscle fibers, and in the endocardium. One patient responded to penicillin; the other did not, necessitating installation of a pacemaker. Thus, permanent heart damage may result from cardiac involvement in Lyme disease.

PMID: 2732509

J Infect Dis. 1989 Jul;160(1):150-3. Links
Demonstration of spirochetes in cardiac biopsies of patients with Lyme disease. de Koning J, Hoogkamp-Korstanje JA, van der Linde MR, Crijns HJ.
Department of Pathology, Laboratory for Public Health, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands.

I cannot say it more succinctly than he has here!  Get IODINE into patients! Lugols is cheap and not that bad tasting even 10 drops. Of course, any breast abnormality on Thermography needs to be painted and the Iodine will all absorb in a few hours and the red color disappears and with it often the lump!

I favor erring on the side of caution. I tend to give most people some iodine for at least awhile, as there is Bromine like PBDE (i.e. flame retardants) in almost every living thing on the planet today, so use my motto and F.I.G.H.T. BACK!!

Garry F. Gordon MD,DO,MD(H)
President, Gordon Research Institute
www.gordonresearch.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Date: 10/8/2009
Are Sea Vegetables the Cure for the Iodine Deficiency Epidemic?
Author: Joseph Pizzorno, ND
Source: Vitamin Retailer Magazine, November 2009
http://www.nhiondemand.com/AskDrJoe/ADJArticle.aspx?id=5&utm_source=Health+Studies+Journal+-+Professional&utm_campaign=e8a8915890-ADJ_SeaVegetables_Oct8th_2009&utm_medium=email

Iodine deficiency epidemic
Although most of us believe we are not deficient in iodine since the fortification of salt with iodine, the fact is most people are deficient and don’t know it. Due to changes in food intake, eating patterns and food production methods, iodine intake has been decreasing in the U.S. since the early 70’s. Even worse, we are exposed to increasing levels of environmental toxins that either block the absorption of iodine or block its actions in the body.
According to the National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES), 24-hour urine levels of iodine have decreased from average levels of 320 mcg/L during 1971-1974 to 165 mcg/L in 2001-2002 – a drop of almost 50%.1,2 NHANES (2003-2004) found a urinary iodine level of <50 mcg/L in 12% of the U.S. population, indicating severe deficiency (<100 mcg/L is indicative of deficiency).3 Iodine levels in the breast milk of nursing mothers in Boston showed that only 47% contained sufficient amounts of iodine to meet infant requirements.4 This dramatic drop in iodine intake is made worse by an increasing level of iodine uptake inhibitors – perchlorate, nitrate, and thiocyanate – in the food supply and environment.

Why has this happened?
Iodized salt is very effective in normalizing iodine intake. The problem is we eat less iodized salt. This has occurred for 2 reasons: first, we’ve all been told to decrease salt intake because excess consumption can elevate blood pressure. However, the more important cause is that almost everyone now eats more processed foods and meals at restaurants—most of these do not use iodized salt! This is made worse by the fact that the iodized salt sold for home use often contains less iodine than stated on the label and two other good sources of iodine, bread and milk products, now contain very little due to changes in how they are produced.
Dairy products used to contain a significant amount of iodine since it was used to disinfect cow udders and dairy processing equipment. Now, however, antibiotics and other methods are used instead. In addition, less iodine is used in feed supplements. With these changes, the average iodine content of U.S. whole cow’s milk had decreased from 602 mcg/L in 1978 to 155 mcg/L in 1990. A 2002 study found as little as 88 mcg/L, less than 15% of those measured in 1978.5 This is worsened by the substitution of soft drinks for milk by children, adolescents and adults so we drink less milk which has less iodine.6,7,8 Another significant source of iodine in the past was bread since iodate-based bread conditioners were used to prolong shelf life. Today, most commercial bakeries are using bromate-based conditioners instead.
Iodized salt may have less than we think because it evaporates over time from salt containers and shakers.9 The rate of evaporation is increased by humidity and heat. In the summer in humid areas of the country, the half life of iodine in salt can be as little as one week! Many in the natural products field use sea salt as a supposed better alternative to regular salt. Unfortunately, it is not iodized.

What happens when iodine levels are too low?
Everyone is aware that iodine is required to produce thyroid hormones, so if levels are too low people suffer hypothyroidism. This is one reason the incidence of clinical and subclinical hypothyroidism affects 10-15% of the population, especially women. Probably more prevalent are the other problems found in people with low to marginal levels of iodine. It is well known that low iodine levels in fetuses and children leads to impaired mental development and research has now shown an increased incidence of fibrocystic breast disease and breast cancer.10,11 Some research has also shown that iodine deficiency may contribute to obesity, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), psychiatric disorders, and fibromyalgia.

Are sea vegetables a good source of iodine?
Although sea vegetables, i.e., seaweed, are common in many traditional diets – especially the Japanese, they are not commonly consumed in the U.S. Most people think of sea vegetables as a food source for iodine. Some are, but many aren’t, and you have to eat more than just a few sprinkles. Also, some may be contaminated with toxic metals.
As the table below shows, the amount of iodine in seaweed varies greatly.12 Just as sea vegetables have a high affinity for iodine, they also have a high affinity for toxic metals such as arsenic, lead, cadmium and mercury.13 So be sure to only use those which are certified organic and preferably with an analysis of iodine and toxic metal content.

Conclusion
Iodine deficiency is a common and growing problem in North America. Fortunately, eating enough of the right kind of seaweed will replenish iodine supplies.

References
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7 Rampersaud GC, Bailey LB, Kauwell GP. National survey beverage consumption data for children and adolescents indicate the need to encourage a shift toward more nutritive beverages. J Am Diet Assoc. Jan2003;103(1):97-100
8 Bleich SN, Wang YC, Wang Y, et al. Increasing consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages among US adults: 1988-1994 to 1999-2004. Am J Clin Nutr. Jan2009;89(1):372-81
9 Dasgupta PK, Liu Y, Dyke JV. Iodine nutrition: iodine content of iodized salt in the United States. Environ Sci Technol. Feb2008;42(4):1315-23 10 Patrick L. Iodine: deficiency and therapeutic considerations. Altern Med Rev. Jun2008;13(2):116-27
11 Aceves C, Anguiano B, Delgado G. Is iodine a gatekeeper of the integrity of the mammary gland? J Mammary Gland Biol Neoplasia. Apr2005;10(2):189-96
12 Teas J, Pino S Critchley A and Braverman LE. Variability of Iodine Content in Common Commercially Available Edible Seaweeds. THYROID 2004;14:836-41
13 van Netten C, Hoption Cann SA, Morley DR, van Netten JP. Elemental and radioactive analysis of commercially available seaweed. Sci Total Environ. Jun2000;255(1-3):169-75 Dr. Joe Pizzorno is the founding president of Bastyr University and editor-in-chief of Integrative Medicine, A Clinician’s Journal. He is the co-author of seven books including the internationally acclaimed Textbook of Natural Medicine and the Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, which has sold over a million copies and been translated into six languages.