oxidative stress + multiple sclerosis

Worldwide, more than 2.3 million people have received a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis. A recently completed prevalence study, funded by the National MS Society, has estimated that nearly one million people in the United States, over the age of 18, are living with the diagnosis of MS. Nearly one million! 

What Is Multiple Sclerosis?

Multiple Sclerosis is a chronic, unpredictable disease of the Central Nervous System (CNS), which is made up of the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. It is thought to be an immune-mediated disorder, in which the immune system incorrectly attacks healthy tissue in the CNS. It’s as if the immune system goes completely haywire.

In Multiple Sclerosis, damage in the central nervous system (CNS) interferes with the transmission of nerve signals between the brain and spinal cord and other parts of the body. 

MS happens when your immune system attacks a fatty material called myelin, which wraps around your nerve fibers to protect them. Without this outer shell, your nerves become damaged. Scar tissue may form. This is known as demyelination. The damage means your brain can’t send signals through your body correctly.

Most people are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, although children and older adults may develop it. MS is at least two to three times more common in women than in men, suggesting that hormones may play a significant role in determining susceptibility to MS.

Symptoms of MS are unpredictable and vary in type and severity from one person to another and in the same person over time. Symptoms may disappear or remit completely, or they may persist and may worsen over time.

The most common symptoms of MS include fatigue, numbness, and tingling, blurred vision, double vision, weakness, poor coordination, imbalance, pain, depression, and problems with memory and concentration. There are more …too many to list here.

 

 

So …What Causes Multiple Sclerosis? Is There A Way To Avoid It?

Ongoing research shows that there could be many factors to consider …from your genes, to where you live, to the air you breathe.

According to the folks at WebMD, “MS is more likely to affect people who live in certain places and belong to specific ethnic groups. It’s especially common in cooler climates like Scotland, Scandinavia, and throughout northern Europe — places that are farther from the equator. People who live close to the equator are least likely to get it. In the U.S., it affects white people more than other racial groups.

If you move from a place where MS is rare to a place where it’s common before you’re a teenager, you’ll also be more likely to get it. This suggests that something about the place you live before puberty raises your odds of getting MS. It could be the amount of sunlight in a day. There’s evidence that vitamin D, which your body makes when it’s exposed to sunlight, helps protect you from immune-related diseases.

Are you a smoker? Then you’re also more likely to get MS. And you’ll probably have a worse case that progresses faster than cases for nonsmokers. Quitting can slow the disease down, though, whether you do it before or after you’re diagnosed.”

When you look at all of those contributing factors and consider that so much of it is out of our control, it can be frightening and frustrating. Don’t despair …there is a ray of hope out there. A HUGE ray of hope!

 

 

The Obvious Link Between Oxidative Stress & Multiple Sclerosis

Although doctors don’t fully understand what causes Multiple Sclerosis, there are promising studies being conducted around the world demonstrating Oxidative Stress as a biomarker for Multiple Sclerosis and the disease progression. These studies are showing success at stopping and reversing the damage done by the demyelination caused by Oxidative Stress. Known for years as an instigator of inflammation, Oxidative Stress is also considered to be neurodegenerative. Recent observations confirm the fact that Oxidative Stress is also an important factor associated with the demyelination process always present in MS. 

For those not familiar with Oxidative Stress, it is caused by an imbalance in free radicals that damage the nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids in the body. This is what creates inflammation. The byproduct of this action creates markers for Oxidative Stress.

Understanding the role of Oxidative Stress in MS appears to be vital, particularly for those patients with the Relapsing-Remitting type of MS. Multiple Sclerosis is generally divided into three types: Relapsing-Remitting (RRMS), Secondary Progressive (SPMS), and Primary Progressive (PPMS). Permanent nerve damage has been found to be the root of PPMS and SPMS. But the recent studies are showing that inflammation is the key instigator for relapses in RRMS, which includes about 85% of those diagnosed with the disease.

Activating The NRF2 Pathway

This nerve damage was thought to be permanent, but studies are now showing that Oxidative Stress can be halted by activating the Nrf2 pathway in the human body.

The Nrf2 pathway is a powerful protein found in every cell throughout the body. It regulates the antioxidant stress defense.

Looking at Oxidative Stresss at each stage of MS is a key element in understanding how the disease progresses. Oxidative Stress markers can predict high disability in MS and are associated with different aspects of disease progression.

Researchers say that activating one’s own self-defense mechanisms such as the Nrf2 pathway, the body can fight free radicals and slow down the damage caused by MS.

When Nrf2 is activated, it produces antioxidant enzymes such as Catalase, Glutathione, and Superoxide Dismutase (SOD). These antioxidant enzymes are powerful enough to neutralize many free radicals. Studies show that activated Nrf2 successfully slowed down the rate of demyelination. By activating it, researchers say that remyelination can occur. When remyelination occurs, the progression and disability from MS can be slowed down or even reversed. That bears repeating.

When remyelination occurs, the progression and disability from MS can be slowed down or even reversed.

New Disease-Modifying Drugs Designed To Treat MS Target Oxidative Stress Pathways

Before we proceed, let’s be clear. I’m not here to promote pharmaceutical drugs. They are at times beneficial. Maybe not so much in this case. Just give me a moment of your time and be sure to read this through to the end. Please.

One of the three oral medications approved by the FDA to be a first-line treatment to slow down the progression of the disease is manufactured by Biogen. Tecfidera (Dimethyl Fumarate) is specifically approved for adults with RRMS. Dimethyl Fumarate is a drug that activates the nuclear factor-like2 (Nrf2) pathway. Tecfidera lowered MS relapses and lesions on the brain as well as worsening of the disability compared to the placebo group. Dimethyl Fumarate reduced the percentage of patients who experienced relapses 44% to 53% as measured by the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). Biogen Idec MA, Cambridge, Mass., has been assigned a patent (8,399,514)  for the “treatment for multiple sclerosis.” Sounds great, right? Hold on for one second….

Let’s talk about the warnings and possible side effects associated with this drug, as provided by the drug manufacturer.

Important Information:

Before taking and while you take Tecfidera, tell your doctor if you have or have had a low white blood cell counts or an infection.

Tecfidera may cause a serious viral infection of the brain that can lead to disability or death. Call your doctor right away if you have any change in your mental state, decreased vision, weakness on one side of your body, or problems with speech or walking. These symptoms may start gradually and get worse quickly.

Other drugs may interact with Tecfidera, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines.

Tecfidera Side Effects:

Get emergency medical help if you have any signs of an allergic reaction to Tecfidera: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Symptoms may start gradually and get worse quickly. Call your doctor right away if you have:

• any change in your mental state;

• decreased vision;

• weakness on one side of your body;

• problems with speech or walking.

• fever, pain when swallowing, cold or flu symptoms;

• severe redness or feelings of warmth, tingling, itching, or burning; 

• liver problems – loss of appetite, upper stomach pain (right side), tiredness, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).

 

Common Tecfidera Side Effects May Include:

• stomach pain, indigestion;

• nausea, vomiting, diarrhea;

• rash, itching;

• flushing (warmth, redness, or tingly feeling).

 

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.

One more thing. The estimated cash price for an annual supply of Tecfidera is $62,000.00.

 

 

The Little Yellow Pill – The Better Choice

Let’s talk about the benefits of “biohacking” through your Nrf2 pathway. The Little Yellow Pill is a patented botanical blend of extracts from five plants …Turmeric, Bacopa, Ashwagandha, Green Tea & Milk Thistle. The individual ingredients used in making this natural Nrf2 pathway activator, if taken on their own, would not provide the potent synergistic effect of activating with the Little Yellow Pill. Pretty amazing, right? All natural. No side effects. No scary warnings.

One Little Yellow Pill per day – just one – will enable your body to produce its own antioxidant enzymes. Those enzymes can defeat one million free radicals per second, in every cell of your body, 24/7. No other antioxidant supplement can match what this activator can do……not even close!!! 

✅ The Little Yellow Pill reduces oxidative stress by 40% in just 30 days.

✅ The Little Yellow Pill significantly reduces cellular stress.

✅ The Little Yellow Pill produces enzymes capable of neutralizing more than 1,000,000 free radicals per second.

✅ The Little Yellow Pill aids in the upregulation of survival genes.

✅ The Little Yellow Pill helps the body repair and rejuvenate its own cells.

✅ The Little Yellow Pill helps the body detoxify genes, keeping the master blueprint of the cell’s function intact.

Follow this link to Nrf2 News & Reviews to learn more about the Nrf2 pathway and the importance of activation. As a result of his research, Dr. David Perlmutter, MD claims that… 

“A better approach to fighting free radicals is to use the body’s own self defense mechanism. When Nrf2 is activated in the nucleus, it turns on the production of antioxidant enzymes such as Catalase, Glutathione and Superoxide Dismutase (SOD). These antioxidant enzymes are powerful enough to neutralize up to one million free radicals per second, every second. This one to one million ratio proves to be a far more effective approach in combating aging and disease. 

The Nrf2 protein remains dormant in a cell until it is activated by a Nrf2 activator. The challenge is to determine what activates Nrf2 to take advantage of the one to one million free radical neutralization mentioned above?”

This Nrf2 Synergizer is by far the most powerful and highest quality all natural activator available. On the planet. And did I mention already that it is all natural? With no negative side effects? 

I am not claiming that the Little Yellow Pill will cure, treat, prevent, or mitigate disease. However, I am here to claim that this is the only supplement that is proven in clinical studies to help the body repair and rejuvenate its own cells and detoxify genes, keeping the master blueprint of the cell’s function intact. Validated by 25 peer-reviewed studies, conducted at some of the world’s most respected research institutions, to include:

• Ohio State University
• LSU
• Washington State University
• University of Colorado Denver
• Virginia Commonwealth University
• Colorado State University
• Texas Tech University
• Harvard University

 

In conclusion, I would like to share a glimpse into what my daughter, Kim, has experienced with Nrf2 Activation.

Kim was diagnosed with RRMS seven years ago …not long after her 39th birthday. She has had her share of relapses with the inevitable steroid treatments. Her neurologist has tried many different drug protocols through the years, one of which was a drug similar to Tecfidera where the Nrf2 pathway is targeted for activation. Kim proclaimed that she felt her best while on that medication but before long she had to stop taking it. She was informed that her bloodwork indicated that she was at an extremely high risk of contracting the viral infection of the brain that she had been warned about. She was switched to a different MS medication along with prescriptions for pain meds to help her deal with the discomfort associated with the nerve pain.

Fast forward several years to November of 2018. Kim decided to ‘take the leap’ and give the Little Yellow Pill a try. Her improvement has been slow and steady. Within the first month, we all noticed at family gatherings that Kim seemed more energized and animated. She was definitely becoming more engaged in our ’round the table’ discussions. She would normally feel fatigued and be ready to leave long before the rest of the group …but we now noticed that she was hangin’ in with all of us! These observations were pretty major, we thought. But the best was yet to come.

In March of 2019, after just 4 months on the Little Yellow Pill, Kim decided that she was ready to stop taking her pain meds!!! I get totally emotional just thinking about how profound this decision was. Especially when you consider that these drugs can be addictive. So my daughter marched herself into her neurologist’s office and proclaimed that she wanted to get off of those pain killers. Her doctor was more than happy to help her with a schedule so that she could safely wean herself off of the pills. She has now completed that process and has been feeling well ever since. She can now look to her future with hope for a good quality of life. And she plans to take that Little Yellow Pill forever. She is so grateful for it.

I’d say that’s a Nrf2 Activation success story. With no worries. No life-threatening side-effects. 

It’s simply mind-boggling that we have this tool available to all of us. To take control of our own body and heal from within. Are you ready to activate your Nrf2 pathway?

 

Contact me for more information on transforming your body. 

rosestelmach@yahoo.com