Lion’s Mane is fabulous for a wide range of nervous system issues from preventing or helping treat Alzheimers and Parkinsons, to helping crushed nerves heal faster, to treating mild depression and anxiety. We use it in our herpes protocol to heal nerve endings and to prevent the viruses from inhabiting the nervous system. It is used in MS for helping the myelination of nerves. It is also being given in high dose immediately after strokes.

There is much research going on about its utility in treating cancer, especially cancers of the GI tract. There was an interesting study out of Korea that isolated two new compounds from Lion’s Mane as well as studying 5 other compounds and found that 2 were valuable in cancer treatment, Hericerin and Hericerin A. The Latin name for Lion’s Mane is Herium Erinaceum.

Lion’s Mane has a number of lesser known uses which include lowering blood sugar by improving insulin sensitivity. It improves lipid metabolism and has an antibacterial action in the gut (including against h. pylori). It is protective for the gut lining and is used for ulcers. It also has an anti-inflammatory capacity and is used for Crohn’s and Colitis, as well as Irritable Bowel Syndrom (IBS). Many of the cancers that it is most used for include GI cancers including colon, stomach, and liver.

Lion’s Mane also lowers triglycerides and improves fat metabolism. It upregulates immune function and has antioxidant properties. It deals very effectively with Metabolic Syndrome which is characterized by high glucose and cholesterol, weight gain, and lethargy.

The post Lion’s Mane first appeared on Alchemist Lab.

Many websites including this one sell products, services & information.  Where do you go for unbiased research?  PubMed it is a joint enterprise from the National Institutes of Health and the National Library.  It is a free service that catalogues medical research with no commentary or analysis of the findings.  Many of the abstracts that summarize the research can be a bit technical, but still it the first place to go.

For example in my next blog post about Lion’s Mane — I will go to PubMed and type in “Lion’s Mane” — there are 44 different studies that reference Lion’s Mane:

Best matches for lion’s mane:

Chemistry, Nutrition, and Health-Promoting Properties of Hericium erinaceus (Lion’s Mane) Mushroom Fruiting Bodies and Mycelia and Their Bioactive Compounds. Friedman M et al. J Agric Food Chem. (2015)

Isolation and identification of aromatic compounds in Lion’s Mane Mushroom and their anticancer activities. Li W et al. Food Chem. (2015)

Neuroregenerative potential of lion’s mane mushroom, Hericium erinaceus (Bull.: Fr.) Pers. (higher Basidiomycetes), in the treatment of peripheral nerve injury (review). Wong KH et al. Int J Med Mushrooms. (2012)

Search results

Items: 1 to 20 of 44

Since I primarily use Lion’s Mane for its neuroregenerative properties I quickly see what research is applicable to my blog post, though I will look through the other studies to broaden my knowledge, including the research on its use in cancer.

Here is one of the abstracts that is useful to my writing project:

Lion’s Mane, Hericium erinaceus and Tiger Milk, Lignosus rhinocerotis (Higher Basidiomycetes) Medicinal Mushrooms Stimulate Neurite Outgrowth in Dissociated Cells of Brain, Spinal Cord, and Retina: An In Vitro Study.

Samberkar S¹, Gandhi S², Naidu M¹, Wong KH¹, Raman J², Sabaratnam V².

Abstract

Neurodegenerative disease is defined as a deterioration of the nervous system in the intellectual and cognitive capabilities. Statistics show that more than 80-90 million individuals age 65 and above in 2050 may be affected by neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Studies have shown that out of 2000 different types of edible and/or medicinal mushrooms, only a few countable mushrooms have been selected until now for neurohealth activity. Hericium erinaceus is one of the well-established medicinal mushrooms for neuronal health. It has been documented for its regenerative capability in peripheral nerve …

In better known items such as Ubiquinol, CoQH-CF (the reduced form of Co-Q10) there are 1862 references when I type it in just “Ubiquinol,” so then I get specific and type in “Ubiquinol congestive heart failure” — at that point I get just 11 studies of which half are spot on.

So next time you want to research something on the internet and you want information you can count on PubMed — it is one thing that our government does well.

— Dr. Steven Finkbine

The post Researching Medicines first appeared on Alchemist Lab.

PubMed which catalogues medical research from around the world has 38 entries for papaya related studies, though some are multi herb research studies. What is typical in these entries is that there are many observed qualities of papaya leaf — “the precise cellular mechanism is unclear.” No one seems to know yet, how exactly papaya leaf extract works. 

Some of its phytochemical profile is revealed — yielding Papain, Carpaine, Lycopene, Sinigrin, Caricin, Acetogenins, and Vitamins A & C. We have only seen one report that directly links acetogenins with the ability to modulate the production of ATP. Otherwise in reading through the studies I don’t see any direct understanding between constituents and its most important actions.

So what are the qualities of this medicine tree? Foremost is that it can raise platelet levels. This quality has been shown in numerous parts of the world.

It can kill pathogenic organisms of a wide variety. It has widespread use in the treatment of dengue fever, parasitic infections, and malaria. Studies have shown utility against fungal and bacterial infections. There are anecdotal reports of its use against HCV.

In studies it shows significant inhibitory action on tumor cell lines. There are many reports of its reversal of advanced cancers, though no studies that document this ability.

Other qualities include protection of both liver and kidneys from toxicity. This is an amazing juxtaposition of qualities having it so strongly anti-infective, yet healing of the internal organs at the same time.

Parts of the papaya are used extensively in treating skin conditions, including ulcers & burns.

Papaya Leaf Extract has a hypoglycemic effect on blood sugar, and more important shows an ability to regenerate the islets cells of the pancreas.

We are just beginning to use this product on our patients and will update you on this exciting new product!

— Doctor Steven Finkbine

The post Papaya Leaf Extract first appeared on Alchemist Lab.

This is especially critical as people with HCV have on average higher rates of alcohol consumption than the general population.

Research shows an increased rate of cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and mortality in HCV infected patients who drink alcohol. Even moderate alcohol consumption raises this risk. Dr. Zobair Younossi tracked almost 9000 patients for over 13 years. Heavy drinkers with HCV were 5 times more likely to have died during that time period than non-infected heavy drinkers.

Alcohol is metabolized by an enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase which convers ethanol to acetaldehyde and hydrogen. High levels of hydrogen leads to fatty liver among other issues.  Acetaldehyde which is toxic is then broken down by the microsomal ethanol oxidizing system MEOS. This process generates free radicals, causing oxidative stress.

Alcohol consumption also raises free iron levels in people with hepatitis compounding oxidative stress. Hepatitis C itself generates high levels of oxidative stress. This mechanism is a cellular reaction to the presence of the virus. The lysosomes generate reactive oxygen species ROS, in an attempt to kill the virus. The lysosomes are organelles found within the cells that are likened to the cellular chemical factories.

It is critical to increase antioxidants for those who drink alcohol and have Hepatitis C. Our recommended antioxidants are Acetyl Glutathione, R+ Lipoic Acid, Milk Thistle (Siliphos), Curcumin (Meriva-SR), and Selenium. We also give both Calcium and Lithium Orotate to quiet the lysosome production of ROS. These stabilized lysosome membranes quelling activity.

Alcohol consumption correlates with increased viral load in some studies. Drinking increases the activity of a the protein nuclear factor kappa B. Nuclear factor kappa B in turn causes HCV to replicate. Alcohol also an inhibitory affect on the immune system, which in turn allows HCV to proliferate.

The post Alcohol & Hepatitis C first appeared on Alchemist Lab.

The post Vinpocetine first appeared on Alchemist Lab.

The treatment most often used is Lactulose. Lactulose does effectively lower ammonia levels in many patients. Lactulose is a synthetic non-digestible sugar that speeds transit time in the gut. It does this by increasing the water content and volume of the stools. This softens the stool making it much easier to pass. Side effects tend to be diarrhea, nausea, and gas. Patients also complain about the “sickening sweet taste”. We’ve never seen an allergic reactions to it in any of our clients. The worst the we have witnessed is loss of  control of the bowels leading to an embarrassing accident.

Our first line treatment is L-Ornithine L-Aspartate or LOLA. The two primary metabolic processes that the liver, and lesser extent the kidney, employ to clear ammonia are the urea cycle and glutamine synthesis. The urea cycle, which is also called the ornithine cycle makes urea out of ammonia. Ornithine carries nitrogen and carbon atoms in this process.

Other important compounds in the urea cycle are L-Citruline, L-Arginine, Aspartate, and NADH. Taking any of these compounds can also upregulate ammonia detoxification, if their levels are deficient. We at Alchemist Lab, have tried a number of ornithine compounds, but have found that ornithine aspartate the only product effective for ammonia reduction.

In glutamine synthesis, ornithine is converted to A-Ketoglutarate and serves as a carbon source for this metabolic pathway. LOLA also improves glutamine synthesis is both skeletal muscles and in the brain. Unfortunately when the skeletal muscles detoxify ammonia it leads to a wasting process. This process is not fully understood at this point, though we at Alchemist Lab give LOLA, as well as L-Arginine, and Orotates for patients in this condition. When Hepatitis patients come in with large bellies from ascites and stick thin arms and legs, they have end stage liver failure.

Diet plays a critical role in glutamine synthesis, as an acid environment inhibits it. This is another important reason to eat more vegetables and less meat and grains with advanced liver disease. Glutamine synthesis works better in neutral or alkaline environments. B-6 is an important nutrient in GS as well.

LOLA is getting increased attention in medical studies from around the world, with positive results. The website PubMed is run (very effectively) jointly by the NIH and the National Library. It catalogues medical research from around the world. PubMed is also a free service. For L-Ornithine L-Aspartate it has 81 entries:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=l-ornithine%20l-aspartate

The post Treating High Ammonia first appeared on Alchemist Lab.

What is the safest painkiller to take when one has liver disease?

In terms of Over the Counter (OTC) medications the correct answer is none of the above in advanced liver conditions.

These medications break down into three main ingredients — aspirin, ibuprofen, and acetaminophen. Of the three acetaminophen (Tylenol) is the most dangerous. Acetaminophen overdose is the leading cause of acute liver failure in America. The cause is a reactive metabolite which binds to proteins leading to mitochondrial dysfunction and nuclear DNA fragmentation and ultimately to cell death. Tylenol has the potential toxicity to damage healthy livers, and is even more of a risk to people with liver disease.

Acetaminophen is a common ingredient in many pain relieving medications including Oxycodone, Lortab, Vicodin, Percocet, Nyquil, Anacin 3. It can also be abbreviated on the back of labels as APAP. Many people take its ubiquity as a sign of safeness, which is a mistake.

Both aspirin and ibuprofen are more of a danger in progressed liver cases as they can both lead to increased bleeding, which is a cause of sudden death in liver patients. Ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil, Nuprin), as well as aspirin both inhibit platelet aggregation, though aspirin has a longer lasting inhibition of platelets than ibuprofen. Platelets are the best single marker of the progression of liver disease in Hepatitis C patients (see my dissertation).

The liver has enormous blood flow. If you go to the store and look at liver from a cow it is completely vascularized, it is maroon colored and soft. When the liver gets fibrotic, it gets to be a more orange color and harder. In humans to compensate for reduced blood flow through the liver, the body creates a network of alternative blood vessels called varices. These varices have more of a tendency to bleed than regular blood vessels, and are a major cause of sudden hemorrhage in liver patients.

To sum up, liver patients with portal hypertension, varices, low platelets, or high clotting time should not take either ibuprofen or aspirin, though aspirin has a longer, lasting impact than ibuprofen.  Acetaminophen is far more toxic to the liver than the other choices.

Next blog we will look at alternatives to conventional pain relievers. One hint is that not all of these compounds turn out to be liver friendly as well.

— Dr. Steven Finkbine

The post Painkillers and the Liver first appeared on Alchemist Lab.

We’ve had 4 patients enrolled in studies and all 4 have been undetectable after only 2 weeks of treatment. One of our patients started with a 12.8 million viral load, after 1 week of this drug plus interferon/ribavirin her viral load was 21, on week 2 it was undetectable. The second patient who has decompensated cirrhosis also cleared the virus in one week on a combination of GS-7977, GS-7976, and ribavirin. The doctors that are funneling patients into these studies have in both San Francisco and Florida told patients that this drug is clearing every patient they have watched go through these trials.

GS-7977 is a nucleotide analog. Nucleotides joined together make RNA & DNA,  basic building blocks of life. A nucleotide analog is similar enough to the nucleotides for viruses to incorporate into its strands, but then terminates these daisy chains of life. Typically these drugs do impact bone marrow.

Isomers are molecules with the same chemistry, but different structures. GS-7977 has a brother drug GS-7976. They both convert to the same active triphosphate once in liver cells. GS-7977 is getting more attention as it is easier to manufacture. Studies with the GS-7976 have been terminated as it caused a rise in liver enzymes.

Different arms that included the PSI-7976 were stopped at different junctures. For the patients who had only 4 weeks of therapy, HCV mounted a comeback. Though the patients whose study arm was discontinued after 8 weeks were still clear after re-testing.

A recent study of Genotype 1 non-responders to interferon/ribavirin has been a setback as all 8 of the patients cleared the virus using GS-7977 and ribavirin for 12 weeks, but 6 of the 8 relapsed. This is the hardest group of HCV patients to treat. Trials using GS-7977 as a monotherapy also faced a higher incident of HCV returning. A new round of studies is trying to find the ideal length of time as well as finding the ideal pairing for GS-7977 to prevent patients from relapsing.

PSI-7977 is the first drug that we at Alchemist Lab have ever recommended. For patients without health insurance or riches we recommend enrolling in the next round of studies as when the GS-7977 hits the market the company is going to have charge a high price just to recoup its investment.

The post Drug Development first appeared on Alchemist Lab.

Astaxanthin came to my attention as historically I have treated RLS (restless leg syndrome) with high dose krill oil, or by having my patients eat salmon three times a week. I started musing on why salmon and krill worked for this neurological condition and other beneficial marine supplements did not, and connected that both have a pinkish/orange coloring. This is what led me to take a close look at astaxanthin.

Astaxanthin is a powerful antioxidant, having a property similar to lipoic acid in having the ability to cross both the blood-brain barrier as well as the blood-retinal barrier. It is thought of as a universal antioxidant, being able to reach every cell of the body.

Astaxanthin has many specific uses in the body. My initial use of it was for neurological conditions including restless leg syndrome.  I now routinely use it to help people feel more solid, when they are overly stressed, which has wide applicability in our culture.

Dr. Nicholas Perricone, one of the leading anti-aging experts, recommends it for reducing wrinkles and age spots, and giving the skin a healthy, beautiful glow. Many users of astaxanthin report that they can spend more time in the sun without burning than before.

Athletes have discovered Astaxanthin for its ability to increase endurance through its beneficial effect on the mitochondria. The mitochondria are the energy powerhouses of our cells. It also reduces lactic acid, allowing your muscles to recover more quickly after intense workouts.

Researchers have found that Astaxanthin has a liver protective effect when giving it while feeding rats carbon tetrachloride. It also boosted both glutathione and superoxide dismutaste (SOD) levels in these studies, by helping recycle these important antioxidants.

Astaxanthin is a powerful anti-inflammatory. It is used for many types of joint, muscle, and connective tissue pain. It has wide applicability being used for everything from arthritis to tennis elbow.

Astaxanthin frankly has too many uses to go into detail here, but some of its effects include to modulate the immune system, normalize blood pressure, for gum disease, to help prevent heart attacks, treat diabetes, prostate problems, eye conditions. This is a very important and inexpensive supplement and at our clinic, we are just beginning to give it to patients for a wide variety of complaints, besides neurologic conditions where it is very valuable.

The post Astaxanthin first appeared on Alchemist Lab.

Proanthocyanidins are potent free radical scavengers which relax blood vessels, improving blood flow.  They suppress production of a protein emdothelin-1 that constricts blood vessels.  They also reduce capillary fragility.  In TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) one of the factors that contributes to both liver and cardiovascular damage is a concept called Stagnant Blood, where blood flow is inhibited.  POA’s  normalizes platelet adhesion helping blood flow.  In TCM these compounds can be classified as Vitalizing Blood or clearing Stagnant Blood.

Clinically we use Blueberry Extract for a wide variety of vision problems as it improves the light gathering capability of the eye.  Bilberry jam which is closely to the blueberry was given to the RAF (Royal Air Force) pilots to improve their night vision in World War II.  In TCM we would say that Blueberry Extract Brightens the Eyes.  Blueberry Extract also can lower blood sugar, which helps the eyes tremendously in cases of diabetic retinopathy.  This illustrates the unique properties of Blueberry Extract as it can help this condition by blood flow to the eyes, lowering blood sugar, as well as a direct action on the eyes themselves.

Blueberries have some similarities to cranberries and this extract is useful for urinary infections, by reducing the ability of bacteria to adhere to the wall of the bladder. The astringent nature with its tannin content is also very helpful in cases of diarrhea.

Blueberry Extract is a potent inhibitor of HCV RNA expression.  The Japanese researchers believe the mechanism of action is due to the POA’s binding with proteins that are necessary for viral replication.

A very interesting question is whether proanthocyanidins from different sources vary in antiviral strength.  There are many examples of high POA herbs and foods used as antivirals both historically as well as in current research.  One of the factors that the Japanese looked at in their research on HCV is that the proanthocyanidins with a polymerization of between 8 – 9 showed the most inhibitory power.  Polymerization is the number of repeat units in a molecular chain, which alters the characteristics of that substance.  The mDP of the proanthocyandinis from Blueberry Extract was a 7.7, which matches closely with the sweet spot for antiviral strength against HCV.

Obviously there is much research left to do to answer the question of comparing POA compounds..  Previously we have included Grape Seed Extract which is a very high POA product in our REM+.  Pycnogenol is a potent POA medicine derived from a Maritime Pine Tree which we used in early days of Hepatitis and HIV treatments, though it is far more expensive than Blueberry Leaf Extracts or Grape Seed Extracts which are both inexpensive starting points.

Another aspect of the Japanese research is that the purified fraction showed a 63 fold increase in inhibitory activity compared with the initial extract.  At this point the Alternative Medicine Blueberry Extract is the most potent on the market determined by percentage of proanthocynadidins.  This last batch with a minimum of 45% actually tested out at 54%.

Here are the Japanese researchers in their own translated words:

Study Title: Proanthocyanidin from blueberry leaves suppresses expression of subgenomic hepatitis C virus RNA.

Study Abstract: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major cause of chronic liver disease such as chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. While searching for new natural anti-HCV agents in agricultural products, we found a potent inhibitor of HCV RNA expression in extracts of blueberry leaves when examined in an HCV subgenomic replicon cell culture system. This activity was observed in a methanol extract fraction of blueberry leaves and was purified by repeated fractionations in reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The final purified fraction showed a 63-fold increase in specific activity compared with the initial methanol extracts and was composed only of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Liquid chromatography/mass-ion trap-time of flight analysis and butanol-HCl hydrolysis analysis of the purified fraction revealed that the blueberry leaf-derived inhibitor was proanthocyanidin. Furthermore, structural analysis using acid thiolysis indicated that the mean degree of polymerization of the purified proanthocyanidin was 7.7, consisting predominantly of epicatechin. Proanthocyanidin with a polymerization degree of 8 to 9 showed the greatest potency at inhibiting the expression of subgenomic HCV RNA. Purified proanthocyanidin showed dose-dependent inhibition of expression of the neomycin-resistant gene and the NS-3 protein gene in the HCV subgenome in replicon cells. While characterizing the mechanism by which proanthocyanidin inhibited HCV subgenome expression, we found that heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A2/B1 showed affinity to blueberry leaf-derived proanthocyanidin and was indispensable for HCV subgenome expression in replicon cells. These data suggest that proanthocyanidin isolated from blueberry leaves may have potential usefulness as an anti-HCV compound by inhibiting viral replication.

From press release:

A chemical found in blueberry leaves has shown a strong effect in blocking the replication of the Hepatitis C virus, opening up a new avenue for treating chronic HCV infections, which affect 200 million people worldwide and can eventually lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer.

Among the areas of especially high Hepatitis C incidence is the Miyazaki prefecture of southern Japan, a trend that led Hiroaki Kataoka and colleagues at the University of Miyazaki and elsewhere in Japan on a search for better treatment options. Currently, there is no vaccine for HCV, and though a combination drug regimen can clear HCV infection, this treatment is only about 60% effective on average and poses risks of severe side effects.

Kataoka and colleagues believed that since HCV is localized in the liver and can take 20 years or more to develop into disease, a dietary supplement might help slow or stop disease progression. So they screened nearly 300 different agricultural products for potential compounds that suppress HCV replication and uncovered a strong candidate in the leaves of rabbit-eye blueberry (native to the southeastern US).

They purified the compound and identified it as proanthocyandin (a polyphenol similar to the beneficial chemicals found in grapes and wine). While proanthocyandin can be harmful, Kataoka and colleagues noted its effective concentration against HCV was 100 times less than the toxic threshold, and similar chemicals are found in many edible plants, suggesting it should be safe as a dietary supplement. In the meantime, the researchers now hope to explore the detailed mechanisms of how this chemical stops HCV replication.

The post Blueberry Extract as HCV Antiviral first appeared on Alchemist Lab.