[AGL] Fw: Old miracle drug--oatmeal cookies ala Gerry

Wed Nov 1 17:13:07 EST 2006

Love the poem, Gerry.
  Frances

Gerry <mesmo at gilanet.com> wrote:
      Dr. Mesmo's tip of the day:
  There are many ways to consume oats. Probably the most popular in the green zone is in the form of granola. Chances are the oats in granola came from a healthy source. But you can't make this assumption about any box of oat cereal you find on the shelves of the Piggly Wiggly, or for Cherrios. Health food stores carry good oats in bulk and in various forms, most of them processed. But to get all the oat has to offer, soak the whole kernels for a few days, pouring off and drinking the water. Then grind up the softened kernels in a food processor with a cup of soaked dried fruit. The resulting dough is spread on cookie sheets and dried slowly at temperatures below 114D. What you get is an oat cookie that still has all the nutrition of the original kernels, nothing sacrificed to processing and overheating. The dough is also a good place to dump surplus zucchini, eggplant, etc.

  I gather wild (stinging) nettles, an excellent source of vitamin B widely used in herbal tonics (but not in any male formulas that I know of). There are two large groves a short hike from my house, attractive colonies. I often add them (flaked dry leaves) to soups. Herbalists often tincture them in alcohol which is a better preservative than baggies. At any rate, always wear gloves when handling and don't breathe the dust or you might have an Ewie reaction. But not everyone finds them loathsome even though they do itch like hell if you get careless. 

  Livin' up on the Gila
  I'm in love with the native plants.
  Since everyone of them will either
  Stick or sting or stone you,
  I'll admit it's an odd romance...
  G

    ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Bill Irwin 
  To: survivors' reminiscences about Austin Ghetto Daze in the 60s 
  Sent: Wednesday, November 01, 2006 12:11 PM
  Subject: Re: [AGL] Fw: Old miracle drug--I'll check if WF has it...

  Frances:
  You raise some interesting questions.  I don't know how much is in oat meal really but not that much I would think.  Epidemiological studies do show that people that eat just oat meal do have some very modest improvements.  The beta glucan that I take is actually made from the cell walls of a nutrional yeast, the yeast that we call bakers yeast so it wouldn't contain any oat meal antigens.  Eating cranberry concentrate could give you a food allergy just like eating an other food could give you an allergy.  If you do take any herbal remedies you do have to read the label.  One time I had an anaphylactic reaction to some plant in the garden and I am pretty sure it was stinging nettles.  I had to be rushed to the hospital and thought I was going to die before I got there.  A quick shot  from the doc and I was instantly cured but it was so scary I never want to go there again.  Many herbal medicines have stinging nettles as an ingredient, especially in "men's health"
 concoctions.  So read the label carefully for possible food allergies.  The wife developed a pretty good case of hives one time by pigging out on a combination of mangos and crabs at the same time, both highly allergenic foods.  Individually, she can still eat either one in modest amounts with no problem - go figure.  Generally food allergies show up as hives just as you described, not a critical condition but a warning that your body has a problem with that food.

  Beta glucan is available in stores but here in Hilo only one health food store out of 3 had it so I say it is not widely available here.  In Austin you probably will not have any problem finding it.  Or a good tool for comparison shopping on the net is this One > http://www.healthpricer.com/index.jsp

  Suggest that you start with a modest dose about 200 mg.  After a month or two with no problems maybe try 300 mg.  Try and keep it in that range unless you need surgery or develop a serious condition.  I have read maybe 70 abstracts and papers on the subject and no cases of side effects were reported in any of them.  I think this is a very safe product.
  Aloha,
  Ewie

    ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Frances Morey 
  To: survivors' reminiscences about Austin Ghetto Daze in the 60s 
  Sent: Tuesday, October 31, 2006 10:41 PM
  Subject: Re: [AGL] Fw: Old miracle drug--I'll check if WF has it...

  Bill,
  This is all very interesting. So how many mg's of the neutraceutical do you suppose are in a bowl of oatmeal. How does that amount complare to the supplement? I had a patient who lived to be 93 who ate a large bowl of oatmeal every morning. [I prefer Cheerios.] 
  However, I one time developed an allergy to cranberry by consuming cranberry pills as a food supplement. I had red pinhead size spots all over my legs. The doctor decided that it was the cranberry supplement capsules in which each contain the chemicals of a pound of cranberries. I had been inadvertantly o-deing on cranberry. I quit using it and the spots went away. Now, when I consume as little as a half cup of cranberry juice the red spots come back. By using the super concentrated supplements I apparently had set up an allergy to that food product, according to my doctor.
  The discription of the biochemical processes attributed to beta glucan seemed probable enough but I remain somewhat skeptical of anything "not available in stores."  My dad used to declare that we shouldn't buy anything seen on tv that is not available in stores. He maintained that if it were a worthy product the stores would have it. An actual bricks and mortar store is also there if you want to return it.
  Frances

Bill Irwin <billi at aloha.net> wrote:
          Note: I am fowarding this on to your list Mike because I think it is some thing everyone should know about.  Also, I think Wayne should be taking this and I would be interested in hearing what Gerry would have to say about this.

  The upcoming memorial to Billy Jim makes me think that some things can be done to protect against cancer.  With this thought in mind I would like to introduce to the ghetto folks a nutraceutical that can do much to enhance the immune system and to protect us against cancer and a host of other problems.  You may not have heard of it before as knowledge of its benefits is not that old and it is not that available in the stores.  That substance is Beta Glucan.  It is found in oat meal and is responsible for all the advertising proclaiming the healthful aspects of oats which is all true.  It is also found in other foods but in lesser amounts.  It is also found in abundance in the Japanese Maitake mushrooms which have been used to prevent and treat cancer for a long time.  The beta glucan you buy in health food stores has three major sources - extracted from oats, extracted from the Maitake mushroom, or made from the breakdown of the cell walls of a nutritional yeast.  As far
 as I can tell they are all about the same.  This nutraceutical has so many health benefits that I think everyone should know about it and be taking it for their own health and protection against cancer and other infections.  So I am going to give the complete low-down on beta glucan and why you should be using it.
  This is important so pay attention.  The reading list is difficult but worth the effort.
  Beta glucan is a polysaccharide (long chain sugar) molecule with important branches at certain positions.  You may see it labeled as Beta-1,3/1,6 -D-Glucan - meaning it has branches at the 1,3 position and the 1,6 position.  It plays a very critical role in the immune system.  Macrophages, the white blood cells that go around the body and attacks germs, cancers, and foreign antigens, they can destroy cancer cells and eat them for breakfast, same for germs.  Macrophages have attachment sites on the outside of the cells for beta glucans.  The more beta glucan that attaches to the macrophages the more aggressive they become in attacking cancers and germs.  They also produce more tumor necrosis factor, TNF, which is a compound that can kill cancer cells.  They also produce more Interleukin-2 which activates and stimulates the growth of immune cells, most importantly T-Cells, but also Natural Killer Cells , both of which are capable of destroying cancer cells directly. 
 Macrophages are some of the first white blood cells to appear at the site of a physical wound as part of their job is to also eat up dead cell tissues and catch germs that enter the wound.  Beta glucan is probably the best stimulant of the immune system that you could find.  Some other cells have attachment points for beta glucan, most notably dermal fibroblast cells which do much of the work in making new skin - more on this later.
  For a good paper on immune system deficiencies, their causes, symptoms, what can be done about it and the use of beta glucan see this reference - http://www.immunocorp.com/ca/research.pdf   A lot of good information and you should read it, moderately difficult.  It makes the case for immune system repair.
  Much is made of the use of beta glucan to treat cancer.  Countless studies have been made and all say that beta glucan is an aid to cancer treatment.  The use of mushrooms to treat cancer has long been known in Asia.  Here is a good paper on the use of mushroom beta glucans to treat cancer - http://www.thorne.com/altmedrev/fulltext/cancer5-1.html  Beta glucan when taken in conjunction with chemo agents enhance the effects of chemo and reduce its bad effects.  It's 1+1= 2.5 or more and you get less sick from the chemo.  Numerous case histories also show where beta glucan cured the cancer and in most every case the cancer was slown down.  Works best with chemo but can work on a daily basis to prevent the rise of cancer cells at a very early stage.  Here is a report on the use of mushroom extracts to treat cancer patients with many case histories - http://www.thorne.com/pdf/journal/7-3/maitake_md_fraction.pdf
  Another good paper is this one on the use of mushroom beta glucans to treat cancer and also discusses beta glucan to treat diabetes, hypertension, cholesterol, and a few other conditions.  http://www.thorne.com/pdf/journal/6-1/maitake_mxtract.pdf
  You have seen countless ads on TV about how farmer John's oat cereal is the cereal for healthy hearts. It will reduce cholesterol, and blood pressure which is all true. Farmer John didn't tell you that you would have to eat 2 or 3 bowls three times a day to get a therapeutic dose to treat a condition, but as a preventative measure it is a good place to start.  Many studies have been made and they all show that beta glucan from oat meal will lower cholesterol and blood pressure over time.  The reductions are not great but for many people it could mean the difference between a problem and being OK.  If you need significant improvements quickly due to a health threat the pharmaceutical will give stronger action but with more side effects.  The higher the beta glucan content the bigger the improvement.  See the links below for references to hypertension and cholesterol studies that have been done.
  If you have type 2 diabetes beta glucan may be of some help.  Several studies have been made on the effect of beta glucan on this type of diabetes and they all show that you can expect a decline in blood sugar and blood insulin.  I am not an expert in diabetes but I would think that this might be of some help in reducing symptoms and long term side effects of type 2 diabetes.  The same effect of lowering blood sugar and insulin also works on people who have normal sugar metabolism meaning that it may help people that are in danger of developing type 2 diabetes.  This is not a cure of diabetes, only a help in dealing with the problem.  See the reference links below for results of these experiments.
  In other promising studies beta glucan was given to patients that were to have high risk abdominal surgeries to see if it could prevent later complications.  Patients who received beta glucan treatment prior to surgeries have fewer infections, less server infections, and fewer post operative complications resulting in shorter stays in intensive care units.  One study reported a 39% decrease in infections and deaths in patients who received beta glucan.  These results are supported in studies where rats given beta glucan and then had experimental wounds and surgeries had faster wound healing, the wounds developed higher tensile strength earlier, and in many case prevented infections in rats.  The treated rats had a much higher survival rate and fewer complications.  If you are going to have a major surgery you should start taking beta glucan about a week before surgery and continue until full recovery.  I can't help to think that Clark Santos might still be here if he had
 been taking this supplement prior to his emergency room trip. Once again, see the references below.
  One of the more interesting aspects of beta glucan is its activity in regenerating skin.  It can stimulate dermal fibroblasts to make more collagen which will make skin a little thicker and help to erase fine lines and wrinkles.  Numerous studies have shown that beta glucan can improve wound healing, make the wound healing process stronger and faster.  Thicker skin and fewer wrinkles sounds like something that the older ghetto residents might be interested in.  It was also of some interest to the cosmetics industry and they did a scientific study of the question and found that beta glucan applied to the skin can penetrate the skin and stimulate the fibroblast to make more collagen and the result is improved skin condition with fewer wrinkles.  Their study has microscopic proof of its action and data to support the claim to improved condition.  Their study was based on a 8 week treatment with beta glucan so it is not a quick fix.
  International Federation of Societies of Cosmetic Chemists report: http://www.ceapro.com/pdfs/ifscc.pdf
  Oat (1,4; 1,3) beta-glucan is a natural active ingredient offering significant performance enhancing properties for personal care applications. Our studies have shown that the molecule, despite its considerable molecular weight, is able to enter the stratum corneum and epidermis and penetrate deep into the dermis. The observed effects of beta-glucan on tissue restructuring and wrinkle reduction are most likely effects mediated by fibroblast stimulation and collagen deposition in the dermis. These unique properties make oat beta-glucan a promising and effective ingredient for cosmetics.
  I have been taking it for about 2 months and have noticed an improvement in my skin similar to the cosmetics industry report.  I also credit it with curing a skin condition that I had.  It seems to me that oral intake has the same skin improvement effects and does all the other good things that beta glucan can do so I think that is the best route.  Some cosmetic products are already appearing on the market with beta glucan.  Or, maybe you can have your lover massage you every night with hot oat meal.
  In summary:
  WHAT CAN BETA GLUCAN DO FOR YOU

  Strengthen your immune system by filling attachment points on macrophages thereby making them more aggressive

  Enables your immune system to better kill cancer cells

  Enables your immune system to better kill germs

  Slows the growth of cancers and in a few exceptional cases has cured cancers

  Works with chemo to make it stronger and reduces side effects from chemo

  Will give modest reductions in cholesterol

  Will give modest reductions in hypertension

  Type 2 diabetics may have lower glucose and insulin levels

  Surgery patients have fewer deaths, infection, and complications

  All wounds heal faster, better, and stronger

  Reduces fine lines in skin

  Makes your skin look younger
  Now, can anybody find some negative in this list?  What we are talking about is some extract from oat meal.  Oat meal is not a dangerous substance, I did not see any report on side effects in the many reports I have read on this substance.  You need less than a 1/2 gram of this oat concentrate a day to get most of these protective effects, much more if you are headed to the operating room or have active cancer.

  About the dosage:  For maintenance from 200-400 mg a day.  I am taking 200 a day but think I could use a little more so I plan on going to 300 mg a day.  For pre-operative protection take 1500 mg a day for a week before, then 500mg a day until you feel that you recovered completely from the surgery, then back to maintenance dose.  For active cancer 1500 mg or more plus a complete set nutraceuticals aimed at fighting cancer, there are several good books on this subject.  Vitamin D is involved with beta glucan and the immune system so you need to be sure you have enough - take 400-800 IU depending on your diet and how much time you spend in the sun.

  Why I am writing this letter:  I am tired of hearing about  Billy Jim, Clark Santos, Jaxon, just to name a few of the recent ones, who could have had their lives extended or maybe even found cures if they only had known about this simple substance.  Now I have passed the information on to all of you and you can no longer plead ignorance.  Please take care of yourself dear folk.
  Aloha,
  Ewie
  ******************************
  The references:   These are mostly in the form of abstracts which are difficult to read as the whole research project is condensed in one paragraph.  Generally the first sentence or two has the theses and the last sentence the results and a lot of big words in between.

  Hypertension
  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=7956987&dopt=Abstract
  lowered cholesterol and LDL but not HDL

  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11978262&dopt=Citation
  RESULTS: The oat cereal (cereal enriched with beta glucan - 5.52%) group experienced a 7.5 mm Hg reduction in SBP (P &lt.01) and a 5.5 mm Hg reduction in DBP (P &lt.02), while there was virtually no change in either SBP or DBP in the control group. In the oat cereal group, a trend was observed for a lower total insulin response to a glucose load, suggesting improved insulin sensitivity. However, this could not be confirmed using estimates from the Bergman Minimal Model, perhaps because of our small sample size. The oats group experienced a significant reduction in both total cholesterol (9%) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (14%). CONCLUSIONS: The addition of oat cereals to the normal diet of patients with hypertension significantly reduces both SBP and DBP. Soluble fiber-rich whole oats may be an effective dietary therapy in the prevention and adjunct treatment of hypertension.

  http://intl.jacn.org/cgi/content/abstract/16/1/46
  Effect of beta-glucan level in oat fiber extracts on blood lipids in men and women
   Total cholesterol levels after the higher beta-glucan extract diet were significantly lower than those after the low beta-glucan diet. CONCLUSIONS: Beneficial reduction of cholesterol was obtained with modest amounts of oat extract incorporated into the diet. A significant dose response due to beta-glucan concentration in the oat extract was observed in total cholesterol levels. 

  Diabetes
  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=8033532&dopt=Citation
   A diet rich in beta-glucan may therefore be of benefit in the regulation of postprandial plasma glucose levels in subjects with Type 2 diabetes.

  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=8948386&dopt=Citation
  Oat bran concentrate bread products improve long-term control of diabetes: a pilot study.  CONCLUSIONS: The well-accepted oat bran concentrate bread products improved glycemic, insulinemic, and lipidemic responses.

  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11874441&dopt=Citation
  Effects of a water-soluble extract of maitake mushroom on circulating glucose/insulin concentrations in KK mice.  CONCLUSIONS: FXM, a natural extract obtained from maitake mushroom, favourably influences glucose/insulin metabolism in insulin-resistant KK mice. The lowering of both circulating glucose and insulin concentrations suggests that FXM works primarily by enhancing peripheral insulin sensitivity.

  Cancer
  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10851301&dopt=Citation
   A bioactive beta-glucan from the Maitake mushroom has a cytotoxic effect, presumably through oxidative stress, on prostatic cancer cells in vitro, leading to apoptosis.

  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=8575861&dopt=Citation
   In the established tumor model, beta glucan + BsAb reduced the incidence of s.c. tumors as compared with control, with BsAb alone and with beta glucan alone. It also prolonged survival of tumor-bearing mice compared with control, BsAb alone and beta glucan alone. We conclude that T cells can be activated in vivo by beta glucan and retargeted with F(ab')2 BsAb.

  Surgery
  http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1234447
   PGG-glucan is safe and appears to be effective in the further reduction of the morbidity and cost of major surgery.

  http://archsurg.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/134/9/977
  Conclusion  Perioperative administration of PGG-glucan reduced serious postoperative infections or death by 39% after high-risk noncolorectal operations.

  http://www.springerlink.com/content/egx2ddc85e7fj98t/
    Inguinal hernia repair with beta glucan-coated mesh: results at two-year follow up - hernia repair with beta-glucan coated mesh has a low recurrence rate. Incidence of chronic pain is low. The situation is in relationship with a lightweight and smooth mesh of polypropylene and the role of oat beta glucan optimizing the healing and inclusion of the mesh into the tissues.

  Wound healing
  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=9012425&dopt=Citation
  These data indicate that macrophage modulation with glucan phosphate will increase tensile strength in experimental colon and skin wounds. In addition, we observed a positive correlation between glucan phosphate treatment, wound tensile strength, and collagen biosynthesis.

Skin
  http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/links/doi/10.1046/j.1524-475X.2002.10804.x/abs/
  Glucan stimulates human dermal fibroblast collagen biosynthesis through a nuclear factor-1 dependent mechanism

  Protection against infection:

  http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1574-695X.2000.tb01420.x
  The data demonstrate that SSG administered systemically protects against pneumococcal infection in mice.

  http://www.springerlink.com/content/k35n277mq8680340/
    Conclusions  In this rat model of intra-abdominal sepsis -glucan treatment partially protected against secondary lung injury, decreased lung hemorrhages, and lung neutrophilia. These results suggest that -glucan protects against sepsis-associated lung damage.

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