Larry Powers won the Mr. America competition in 1962 with a huge Hulk-type frame. But 13 years ago, Larry developed all the signs and symptoms of Parkinson's disease and the diagnosis confirmed it. Larry received the usual medicines and recently had completed eight years of Sinemet, only to experience gradual worsening, typical of PD's progressive course. He was spending a fair amount of time in a wheelchair and, at one point, needed assistance to eat. Then he heard about Lyme and it's connection to Parkinson's.

Knowing the available tests might convince everyone (but him) that he was negative, even while he might be positive, Larry decided to treat himself without testing. Since he couldn't get antibiotics without a prescription, he decided to try a new variety of a herb he had heard about. Within three weeks, he was out of his wheelchair and fishing....

Cowden's full program consists of a diet appropriate for the blood type (according to Dr. D'Adamo), dry brush message daily for detoxification, laughter, positive affirmations, magnesium, enzymes and pH balancing - all in the first two weeks. There was a significant improvement with just that. The samento was withheld until the third week, when the subjects were deemed strong enough to withstand the possible Herxheimer (die-off) reaction.

The product name is Prima Uña de Gato (Samento). It's a form of cat's claw from the Peruvian jungle that's superior to typical forms. The beneficial effects of most cat's claw preparations are blunted by the content of TOA (tetracyclic oxindole alkaloids), which inhibit the real active agents, called POA (pentacyclic oxindole alkaloids). The latter, more favorable compounds are known to modulate and up-regulate the immune system. Many commercially available cat's claw preparations contain up to 80 percent TOA. As little as one percent TOA can reduce POA effectiveness up to...