The Autoimmune Epidemic
 

I am currently reading "The Autoimmune Epidemic" by Donna Jackson Nakazawa.

This is a great book to open your eyes to the causes of autoimmune disorders like MG.

Here is a interview with her with some great info: http://www.endfatigue.com/health_art..._epidemic.html

I am going to paste a quote from this interview I thought was helpful:

"There are a number of choices we can make in everyday life to cut back on our toxic exposures to help empty the barrel. These include:

1. Eat anti-inflammatory foods. According to nutritionists the following foods have anti-inflammatory properties that help to quiet down autoimmune activity. Range-fed beef, lamb, chicken, and turkey; fish with low mercury content such as flounder or talapia; hormone-free eggs; all vegetables (avoiding eggplant and tomatoes which have inflammatory properites); all fresh fruits; unsweetened yogurt; whole-grain breads from alternative nongluten grains; brown rice; beans; nuts, seeds, and sprouts; olive, flaxseed, and sesame oils; and seasonings such as rosemary, thyme and oregano.

2. Avoid processed foods. Consumption of highly preserved bread products, cereals, snacks, and preserved meats and other foods—which are usually full of chemicals, preservatives, and additives—are correlated with rising rates of autoimmune disease in industrialized countries around the world.

3. Choose organic. As you shop for healthy foods, buy organic. Pesticides have been shown in both lab studies of animals and occupational studies of people to be "autogens," or chemicals that can play a role in triggering autoimmunity. Remember to also wash all fruits and vegetables well before you eat them to avoid food-borne illnesses—which can cause or worsen some autoimmune diseases.

4. Consider supplements. Ask your doctor if you could benefit from supplementation with antioxidants, essential fatty acids, Vitamin D, probiotics or glucosamine—all shown in wide-scale studies of patients to be beneficial in curbing the damage of autoimmune disease.

5. Understand the stress connection. Pick up a "stress-relief" habit—daily meditation, a brisk morning walk, yoga—and stick with it. Better yet, do all three. Stress suppresses the immune system's healthy cellular communication and can worsen disease.

6. Clean green. Using non-chemical cleaning products helps to limit the number of "autogens" we come into contact with each day. Since manufacturers of household cleaners are not required to list toxic ingredients on their product labels, it's prudent to replace chemical-based cleaning agents with natural alternatives.

7. Think before you pink. Our skin is the largest organ of the body—and remarkably porous and adept at absorbing toxins. Cosmetic products are full of a disturbing number of chemicals including parabens and phthalates (both known endocrine disruptors). Avoid dark hair dyes, which are linked to higher rates of autoimmune disease, and nail polishes containing phthalates, formaldehyde and tolulene. Look for organic products made by corporations that have joined the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, or visit www.thinkbeforeyoupink.org for a list of companies that produce products that are paraben and phthalate-free.

8. Wash your hands! Wash your hands routinely and thoroughly throughout the day to help avoid viruses and bacterial infections, both of which can play a role in triggering autoimmune disease. One trick: wash your hands for as long as it takes to mentally hum your ABC's—that's the twenty seconds recommended by the Centers for Disease Control.

9. Make environmentally sound, common-sense choices. Each time you think about purchasing a new item or product, ask yourself whether using it will cause you to be exposed to more harmful chemicals. For instance, drive a few extra blocks (in your hybrid) to use organic dry cleaners; buy wooden toys rather than plastic ones for your children; avoid installing new carpets (which are loaded with flame retardants). If you know that a product is loaded with chemicals—whether it's the trichlorethylene in most dry cleaning or the bisphenol A (BPA) in your plastic water and baby bottles—find an alternative.

10. Relax and find the joy in every day. As you make healthy decisions, avoid living in a state of fear about every potential trigger that might surround you. How optimistically you perceive the world around you also impacts your stress level and your well-being. "

Hey Desert,

I have this book too- it's great!

There's a part that talks about a new treatment that can cure type 1 Diabetes- by targerting only the cells that are 'against self.' I was so excited to read that part- but it'll take 10-years or so for it to be available. Seems like they could use it for any autoimmune disease maybe.

Did you come across the clusters of autoimmunity that were occuring in some of the towns? It sickened me that the people weren't protected from the toxins- it was as if they didn't matter because they are poor.

Nicky

I felt terrible about the people effected by those superfund sites. My previous career was all about cleaning up the environment, I miss my old job sometimes. I helped remove and cleanup a lot of toxic soil and other hazardous waste, it made me feel good every day when I went to work. At the same time, I didn't realize how badly these chemicals were effecting the people that lived near the contaminated sites.

I tried out the EPA website mentioned in the book to look up chemicals in the places I have lived... http://www.epa.gov/emefdata/em4ef.home No superfund sites nearby in my current home, but where I lived previously there are a few. It is terrible what humans have done/are doing to our environment. I wish I could do more to help.

Cautions
 

While the recommendations in the book are all OK for living a healthy life, the fact remains that we do not know what causes autoimmune diseases. I suspect that I developed MG after an acute exposure to a chlorinated solvent at work. I can think it but I can not prove it. A series of general recommendations is fine but the lack of scientific backup can make patients subject to quack "cures"

Yes, avoid exposure to environmental stressors, but be cautious. I know of someone very intelligent who spent almost $10,000 on supplements for cancer despite warnings from me (a scientist). The supplement company was latter exposed as a scam. Even caution is using organic foods is warranted. Some foods, it doesn't matter if it is organic others yes there is a difference. Do research on any changes in your life.

Bill

Bill - well said. I totally agree with you.

Take bottled water...wasn't it proven that some brands were simply bottled tap water at an outrageous price? That, plus the plastic will still be on this earth long after man has ceased to exist!!

I believe that 'Marketing' and 'Messaging' has parted many folks from their hard earned dollars - especially sad when the product turns out not to be beneficial to either people, planet, or both!

Sue

Bill,

I just wanted to clarify that this book offers no cures to autoimmune diseases, just collected information.

Although the complete cause of autoimmune diseases is unknown, there are KNOWN contributors such as heavy metals and specific chemicals (found in many household cleaners, pesticides and even food preservatives).

I can see the most likely cause of me getting MG...During the month previous I had:
1-Some old mercury fillings removed (mercury exposure)
2-An exposure to pesticides sprayed around a house that made me get dizzy and weak and I had to go home sick.
3-A very stressful situation in my life for the previous 4 years which probably weakened my immune system.
4-I got really really sick with something like a really bad case of the flu....One week later I had MG
5-I already have chemical allergies (which makes it more likely for me to get another autoimmune disease) which now I realize started a few months after I had some other mercury fillings removed. I looked up the dates for doctor visit receipts to verify.

My exposures described above are common with people who get autoimmune diseases.

I have been researching the subject of this book since I got MG and that is why I decided to read it.

Also I have been aware that overexposure to some chemicals cause certain autoimmune disorders in some people since I was in college. I studied this stuff in college and worked with hazardous chemicals for 10 years - this is not new or unknown information. I guess I never really thought that I would be one of the people that get an exposure related disease that I read about in the chemical safety books...and here I am with MG.

I want to help prevent my kids from getting the same problem I have since I may be genetically more susceptable...so I do want to be sure to limit our exposure to these chemicals unnessesarily. I think the list offered by this book was a good suggestion to minimize symptoms or to avoid getting the disease in the first place but is not a "quack cure".

I agree to use caution with supplements, research before you take them...and any supplements that cost $10,000 probably aren't worth it unless it was prescribed by your doctor.

I thought someone here might benefit by knowing about this book just in case they want to learn more.

what drug was your flu treated with?
 

I like you question everything now?
Perhaps should have looked after my health earlier but like us all work takes priority until its too late.:hug:

Desert,

After I had a wisdom tooth removed a couple of years back, I noticed that my tongue took forever to not be paralyzed anymore and I noticed some additional problems. I was convinced that the numerous mercury fillings I have somehow got compromised during the removal and maybe 'leaked' into my system.

I asked my dentist if he thought that removing them would help. He said that removing them is usually more dangerous than leaving them in as this will definately result in leaking. He said that he doesn't believe that mercury fillings cause illness, but taking them out sure can. He said that he can take them out if I want, plus he'll make more money, but he doesn't believe in it, so I didn't do it.

How many fillings did you have removed, and what made you decide to have them remove at that time?

I lived in an infested apartment for a year prior to getting really sick. By infested, I mean there were mice and roaches:eek: The building wasn't maintained at all- there were people with drug/alcohol abuse problems sleeping in the staircase, poop in the staircase and garbage disposal (which I never entered due to it seeming like the scene from a horror film)...I had complained numerous times to the health depot., but it took forever for them to process my complaint. Anyway, I sprayed my apartment myself many times with insect-repellant, and I felt extremely ill afterwards- dizzy, weak, foggy-brained...

I definately think that there's truth to the chemical-angle, especially in light of the case studies in that book....The fact that that many people developed at least one autoimmune disease (and many developed multiple) in one small town is unheard of...But I do agree that there are many things that can set-off the system in susceptable people- but what makes them even susceptable in the first place? Like why are minority women more likely to get Lupus than white women, and why do white women get it too, albeit, less often?

There's a place in Ontario called Sarnia and many Aboriginal women are getting Lupus and other autoimmune diseases, and Mesothelioma is much more common there...Well, there are multiple chemical plants there that manufactures plastics and such...The ratio of female to male births is 2:1...male conceptions often miscarry...

http://www.environmentaldefence.ca/t...rniaAdults.htm

Chemicals definately affect us, but it's hard to quanitify it sometimes, but the above is a blatant, in-your-face demonstration of how chemicals affect our health...

I think that we all sorta have this intuitive sense of knowing what may have triggered our illnesses, though- not very scientific, but striking in its similarity to other people's experiences nonetheless...

Still thinking that Dursban sprinkled liberally THROUGHOUT my school triggered my MG. AND, the clean-up with a wet-mop, NOT a broom (like recommended by the manufacturer), ONLY made the problem worse.

I need to get this book.

Susan, Your intent was clear. :) There are no concrete answers out there, however, it's important to be aware of both what could harm us and help us.

I'm more concerned with how I can get through each day than what put me here in this medical h-e-double hockey sticks hole. I do take sensible supplements, eat well and all that other stuff. And I honestly believe that it helps make the difference between my feeling just okay every day or feeling good enough to do something.

For me, the goal is about increasing my health and, therefore, increasing my quality of life.

No one should blindly do anything . . . including taking supplements, prescription drugs, a doctor's advice . . .

Annie