Why do we get sick after vaccination or medication?
August 15, 2011
By Cynthia A. Janak
http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/janak/110815
For the last several months I have been trying to
answer this question. I have been reading a lot of research papers, etc. to find
out my latest why?
First, a review of what led me to research this topic. Back in December of 2009
I was given an antibiotic that I was allergic to and had a reaction. Not a
severe reaction but a reaction none the less. It caused me to have swelling in
my feet and hands making it next to impossible to do normal everyday things. I
had pain in my tendons which made it difficult to get in and out of a sitting
position. It also gave me odd sensations in my legs which caused me to have to
sleep with them elevated or I did not sleep, etc. The doctors wanted to give me
medications and told me I would probably have to be on the rest of my life. That
was not an option for me so I started to do my own research into why this
happened to me when I was active, healthy and strong. Here are my findings to
date.
What I am going to give you is what I have found on various websites of
reputable sources. This is for your information only and not meant to diagnose
any illnesses or issues you may have. I will summarize at the end.
Initially, I found out that Glutathione synthetase deficiency is associated with
Rheumatoid Arthritis because that is what the doctors told me I had. Then I
found that many diseases and auto-immune diseases were also associated with this
deficiency. This peeked my interest.
Here are some quotes from a small portion of the studies I read. It is pretty
dry reading but please read on.
"In a previous study, we showed that decreased intracellular levels of the
antioxidant glutathione (GSH) are associated with hyper responsiveness of SF T
cells in RA (18). Interestingly, decreased GSH levels within T cells have been
shown to be accompanied by diminished Ca2+ responses (29). "
[1]
" Subjects with diagnoses of arthritis, diabetes, or heart disease (as assessed
by physicians) had at least marginally significant lower glutathione levels than
those who were disease free. " "The general hypothesis of the research is that
higher glutathione levels are associated with better overall health."
[2]
Here is one where they were talking about hemolytic anemia. This was a flag to
me because I had spoken with one mother of a Gardasil Girl and she asked me
about anemia because her daughter was diagnosed with that after the
vaccinations.
"Two different clinical syndromes are associated with glutathione synthetase
deficiency, one presenting with helolytic anemia and 5-oxoprolinuria, the other
with isolated hemolysis."
[3]
I started to look at what else is associated with Glutathione Synthetase
Deficiency. This is what I found.
HIV infection
"Glutathione (GSH) deficiency is common in HIV-infected individuals and is
associated with impaired T cell function and impaired survival." "NAC [N-acetylcysteine]
treatment for 8 weeks safely replenishes whole blood GSH and T cell GSH in
HIV-infected individuals. Thus, NAC offers useful adjunct therapy to increase
protection against oxidative stress, improve immune system function and increase
detoxification of acetaminophen and other drugs. These findings suggest that NAC
therapy could be valuable in other clinical situations in which GSH deficiency
or oxidative stress plays a role in disease pathology, e.g. rheumatoid
arthritis, Parkinson's disease, hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, septic shock and
diabetes." [4]
Hold on one second here. This study references acetaminophen. This is Tylenol ®
and other pain relievers. I never knew that your body needs to detoxify after
taking an over the counter pain reliever or any drugs.
In the last quote it also names many more diseases that this deficiency is
associated with. Does this mean that if you boost your glutathione levels as
reported in these studies you can be healthier? It seems so.
"Glutathione deficiency contributes to oxidative stress, which plays a role in
aging and the pathogenesis of many diseases (including kwashiorkor, seizure,
Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, liver disease, cystic fibrosis, sickle
cell anemia, HIV, AIDS, cancer, heart attack, stroke, and diabetes). New
knowledge of the nutritional regulation of GSH metabolism is critical for the
development of effective strategies to improve health and to treat these
diseases. " [5]
But it gets better. Check this study out.
Brain Damage
"Glutathione deficiency induced in newborn rats by giving buthionine sulfoximine,
... led to markedly decreased cerebral cortex glutathione levels and striking
enlargement and degeneration of the mitochondria". ."..it may be concluded that
a major effect of GSH deficiency is mitochondrial damage." "In Fig. 2b, a
section of the cerebral cortex of a BSO [L-buthionine-sulfoximine] — treated
animal, fewer mitochondria appear, and the mitochondria present are strikingly
enlarged as compared with the normal mitochondria shown in the control section.
[a] The internal structure of the mitochondria is apparently destroyed. That the
mitochondria are increased to at least several times the size of normal cerebral
cortex mitochondria is especially notable."
[6]
(Captions from pictures — Mitochondrial damage in cerebral cortex of
newborn rats after BSO administration. The rats were given saline (a), BSO (b),)
(6)
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)/ Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Encephalopathy (M.E.)
"In addition to these findings there is also strong evidence of abnormalities of
detoxification in ME/CFS.
Glutathione, the body's most powerful
antioxidant, is consistently found to be low (14, 15). Glutathione may
become depleted due to chronic exposure to high levels of toxins. This could
potentially be as a result of exposure to toxins in the air or from chemicals of
gut origin in the presence of gut dysbiosis. Overactivation of the immune system
also depletes glutathione so this may come as a knock on effect from immune
system abnormalities. What is certain is that low glutathione leads to fatigue
and muscle weakness and pain due to its role in energy metabolism. Low
glutathione also results in oxidative stress, meaning that highly reactive
oxygen molecules are not neutralized and are thus free to roam the body damaging
cells and interfering with potentially any body system."
[7]
Parkinson's Disease
"Glutathione (GSH) is an important soluble antioxidant present at high
concentrations in the brain (Dringen
et al. 2000). Postmortem study has shown that there was a 40% decrease in
reduced form of glutathione (GSH) in SN of PD patients (Sian
et al. 1994). In addition, it was proposed that GSH depletion is the first
indicator of oxidative stress during PD process (Bharath
et al. 2002)."
[8]
Is there a cure for Cancer I think they have found it. Check out what I found on
this website. I figured it was easier to read than all the other studies that I
found.
Therapeutic
"A large cancer trial sponsored by Project Euroscan described the many positive
effects of GSH as a cancer prevention agent — reviewing potential uses against
lung, breast, bowel, and skin cancers.
They outlined the actual mechanisms by which GSH exerts these effects.
One of glutathione's effects upon our immune system is to control and balance
the growth of T-cell lymphocytes (white blood cell), thereby strengthening the
immune system.
Glaxo Welcome Research and Development scientists showed that high GSH levels
act against tumors by elevating TNF. In the laboratory they halted tumor growth
in more than one third of mice injected with cancer cells.
University of Utah researchers had similar success in suppressing tumor growth
by raising GSH to stimulate IL2 — a promoter of white blood cell activity.
Commenting on the anti-tumor function of GSH, Dr. Alan Pressman, in 'The GSH
Phenomenon,' explains, "If your antioxidant levels are high, your immune system
will function optimally — and destroy the renegade cells quickly."
However, if your GSH levels are low, because free radical oxidants are being
formed faster than anti -oxidant systems can fight — cancerous cells may not be
detected.
This unchecked cell forms into a mass (tumor) that develops its own blood
supply. [9]
There you have it. Glutathione is associated with cancer prevention.
There is a lot more that I found. To summarize what I have here is that many
diseases have a link with glutathione deficiency. Also, many diseases have the
similar symptoms but in my opinion to varying degrees.
NOTES:
[1] Defective TCR-Mediated Signaling in Synovial T Cells in
Rheumatoid Arthritis, The journal of Immunology, 1997, 159: 2973-2978.
[2] Glutathione and Morbidity in community-based sample of
elderly, J Clin Epidemiol, Vol. 47, No.9, pp.1021-1026, 1994
[3] Biochemical Heterogeneity in Glutathione Synthetase
Deficiency, J. Clin. Invest. © The American Society for Clinical Investigation,
Inc. 0021-9738/78/0601–1417
[4] N-acetylcysteine replenishes glutathione in HIV infection,
European Journal of Clinical investigation (2000) 30, 915-929
[5] Glutathione Metabolism and Its Implications for Health, ©
2004 The American Society for Nutritional Sciences, J. Nutr. 134: 489-492, March
2004
[6] Glutathione deficiency leads to mitochondrial damage tin
brain, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, Vol. 88, pp. 1913-1917, March 1991,
Biochemistry
[7] Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)/Myalgic Encephalopathy (M.E.),
The Environmental Illness Resource,
http://www.ei-resource.org/illness-information/environmental-illnesses/chronic-fatigue-syndrome-cfs-myalgic-encephalopathy-me/
[8] Altered glutathione homeostasis in animals prenatally
exposed to lipopolysaccharide, Neurochem Int. 2007, March; 50(4): 671-680.
[9] The American Healthcare Foundation,
http://www.americanhealthcarefoundation.org/colon-cancer-md/GSH.cfm
© Cynthia A. Janak