Digestive Wellness: Strengthen the Immune System and Prevent Disease Through Healthy Digestion, Fourth Edition (156 page)

Increase antioxidants.
The best food sources include fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Fresh vegetable and green juice is a concentrated source. Using green powders such as spirulina, blue-green algae, wheatgrass juice extract, or mixtures of powdered “reds” or “greens” can also give quite an antioxidant kick. Think about taking several grams or more daily of mineral ascorbates (vitamin C). Consider adding 200 to 1,000 IU of vitamin E. Vitamin E can also be used topically on skin to soothe and soften it. Consider selenium at 200 mcg daily. Taurine has antioxidant properties; take 1,000 to 2,000 mg daily. Try N-acetyl cysteine or whey protein to boost glutathione levels; take 500 to 1,000 mg N-acetyl cysteine daily. Consider taking antioxidant supplements. You can often check to see if you are doing enough by how much symptom relief you are getting and also by checking your first morning urinary pH. (See
Chapter 17
.)

Detoxify.
A liver function panel can determine whether your phase one and phase two liver detoxification pathways are working normally. Because the risk of scleroderma increases with solvent exposure, a liver detoxification program may be of significant benefit. In the few people I’ve worked with who have scleroderma, this has proven to be an effective starting point.

Try DHEA.
DHEA is an adrenal hormone that has been found to be beneficial for people with scleroderma, especially in perimenopausal women. Because
DHEA is a hormone, I recommend that you first have a free DHEA/cortisol saliva test to determine if you actually need supplementation and to monitor your dosage levels. Dosages will vary, depending on your personal needs.

Take a multivitamin with minerals.
Poor diet, loss of movement in the digestive tract, loss of elasticity of the organs, infections, and medications all contribute to the malabsorption of nutrients. Selenium and vitamin C deficiencies are common in people with scleroderma. At least 20 nutrients are essential for formation of bone and cartilage, so it’s important to find a supplement that supports these needs. Look for a supplement that contains 10,000 IU vitamin A, 800 to 1,000 mg calcium, 400 to 500 mg magnesium, 400 IU vitamin E, at least 250 mg vitamin C, 50 mg vitamin B
₆
, 15 to 50 mg zinc, 5 to 10 mg manganese, 12 mg copper, and 200 mcg selenium in addition to other nutrients. Follow the dosage on the bottle to get nutrients in appropriate amounts.

Take vitamin C.
Vitamin C is vital for formation of cartilage and collagen, which is a fibrous protein that forms strong connective tissue necessary for bone strength. Vitamin C also plays an important role in immune response, helping protect us from disease-producing microbes. It also inhibits formation of inflammatory prostaglandins, helping to reduce pain, inflammation, and swelling. If you have candidiasis or bacterial overgrowth, vitamin C can boost your body’s ability to defend itself. Vitamin C is also an antioxidant, needed to counter free radical formation noted in sclerotic conditions. Take 1 to 3 grams daily in an ascorbate or Ester-C. For best results, do the vitamin C flush. (See
Chapter 18
.)

Try gamma-linolenic acid (GLA).
One gram of evening primrose oil was given to four women with scleroderma three times daily for one year. They experienced a reduction in pain, with improved skin texture and healing of sores; red patches on skin due to broken capillaries were much improved. The researchers suggest that 6 grams daily may be of greater benefit. Take 3 to 6 grams of evening primrose oil, borage oil, or flaxseed oil daily.

Follow suggestions for GERD if it is present.
See
Chapter 20
.

Try nattokinase.
I have not seen research on this, but it makes sense to me. Protein-digesting enzymes taken on an empty stomach can help to break down fibrous tissues throughout the body. Nattokinase works to help break down blood clots, so I would probably begin with that. You could eat natto, a traditional Japanese food with an unusual flavor, at 2 to 15 ounces daily. Or you can purchase nattokinase in capsules. Products differ, so use as directed.

Sjögren’s syndrome is an autoimmune disease in which moisture-producing glands are destroyed by white blood cells. Typically the first signs of Sjögren’s syndrome are dry eyes and dry mouth. However, virtually all organs can be affected. More than 4 million people have Sjögren’s in the United States. Ninety percent are women. Half of people with Sjögren’s syndrome will have a second autoimmune disease, and it is often connected with rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, or scleroderma. Primary Sjögren’s syndrome is when it occurs without other autoimmune illnesses; secondary Sjögren’s is when you also have a second autoimmune disease. Like all autoimmune diseases, it can take on many forms and can flare up and improve.

Current medical treatments are aimed at symptom relief. People are told to chew gum, use artificial tears, and use bile stimulants to increase saliva production. Steroid and other immunosuppressive medications are also used. I suggest that you look further. Several people with Sjögren’s syndrome whom I have worked with have benefited from dietary changes, supplements, and exploration of the DIGIN model.

There is a high incidence of digestive distress in people with Sjögren’s. They are more likely to have irritable bowel syndrome and delayed gastric emptying. If you have Sjögren’s, you are more likely to develop oral candidiasis. H. pylori infection
has been associated with Sjögren’s syndrome, but studies have not consistently confirmed that the incidence is really higher than in the general population.

People with Sjögren’s have a high prevalence of allergies to drugs (46 percent) and more skin contact allergies. Maria Liden and colleagues report that 20 percent of people with Sjögren’s who also have the DQ1 gene type have mucosal inflammation when challenged with rectal gluten even though they don’t have celiac disease. Dr. Liden labels them as gluten sensitive with a possible risk of developing celiac disease. Inflammation was measured by increases in nitric oxide and mucosal granules from neutrophils.