Is Parkinson's an anandamide deficiency?

[ofonorow]

First, I must say that it is such a shame the eDOC removed his informative postings from the Parkinson's! topic.

John Coleman is an Australian naturopath who suffered stage 4 Parkinson's, and was able to eliminate his symptoms and has counseled thousands of Parkinson's patients. Coleman says there is "no cure" for Parkinson's, but each case has a specific etiology that, if understood, can be used to address symptoms with diet/food changes, supplements, detox, exercise, and perhaps medical intervention (if there are pathogens involved), etc.

Colemen has written at least three books on Parkinson's, including RETHINKING PARKINSON where the following material on Anandamide appears. Medical dogma today is that symptoms of Parkinson's are caused by a lack of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Anandamide wasn't discovered until 1992. This hormone seems to control "motor skills" and other functions that if failing would create symptoms of Parkinson's.

Biochemical evidence suggests that anandamide is involved in creating and breaking short-term neural connections. Moreover, anandamide is synthesized in areas of the brain that are important for memory, higher thought processes and control of movement. With the modest evidence available to date, it seems obvious that production of anandamide is a very important for our health. Much of the evidence so far indicates that it is at least as important as dopamine and serotonin in regulating brain function. It seems to be involved in our movements, memory, sleep, eating, pain control and learning. These are all areas that challenge many of us when diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

To my knowledge, Coleman does not suggest that most people diagnosed with Parkinson's have an anadamide deficiency, that idea occurred to me because most of the "therapies" he presents for Parkinson's induce the body to make more Anadamide. e.g., exercise, including dancing, laughing, etc. The book was written in 2019. I was able to find a company that sells the hormone/neurotransmitter anandamide, and while I don't know if the molecule survives digestion intact. I have ordered the product to see how my wife reacts to anadamide.

Strenuous exercise seems to be key to the body's production of anadamide.

A 2004 study of twenty-four college students who ran or bicycled for 40 minutes at 76 per cent of their maximum heart rate showed an 80 per cent increase in anandamide immediately following exercise. The athletes also reported feelings of relaxation, regulated mood and increased appetite.9

Here is the entire section on anadamide.

Anandamide “The Bliss Hormone”

Anandamide is a neurotransmitter (not really a hormone) found in human organs, especially the brain. It is nicknamed the bliss hormone as it was originally postulated to be the natural substance mimicked by THC (Δ9-tetrahyrocannabinol), the principle psychoactive ingredient in cannabis (marijuana). THC locks onto cannabinoid receptors first discovered in 1988. THC does not occur naturally in the body, and our body does not create receptors for substances it doesn’t produce, so scientists were certain that some sort of endogenous (made in the body) substance was produced to occupy the receptors sites locked onto by cannabis.

Israeli scientist Raphael Mechoulam discovered anandamide (more properly named arachidonoylethanolamine or AEA) in 1992. Anandamide connects with CB1 cannabinoid receptors found in the brain and nervous system, and CB2 receptors found throughout the rest of the body. The difference is quite important as anandamide plays various roles in our health. The CB2 receptors are involved in the health of our immune system, while the CB1 receptors seem to be concerned with a variety of tasks including memory, eating behaviour, sleep and pain relief. They also seem to influence the neural generation of motivation and pleasure.

Anandamide is critical in the early development of babies in the uterus (while THC from cannabis may cause disruption or abortion of pregnancy). We learn to remember new knowledge or carry out new activities by creating new connections between neurons. The more we use each connection – that is, practice the memory or activity – the stronger that connection becomes. If we stop using that connection, it becomes weak and may break. This has profound implications in recovery and we will explore it further in a later chapter.

Biochemical evidence suggests that anandamide is involved in creating and breaking short-term neural connections. Moreover, anandamide is synthesised in areas of the brain that are important for memory, higher thought processes and control of movement. With the modest evidence available to date, it seems obvious that production of anandamide is a very important for our health. Much of the evidence so far indicates that it is at least as important as dopamine and serotonin in regulating brain function. It seems to be involved in our movements, memory, sleep, eating, pain control and learning. These are all areas that challenge many of us when diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

Incidentally, there is at least one study showing that anandamide inhibits the proliferation of human breast cancer cells in vitro, so all women could benefit from increased anandamide.

Finding more anandamide

There is scant Western-scientific evidence on improving production of anandamide in our brain and there is little available from our food. However, we have seen very significant increases in anandamide in the blood of long-distance runners during the “runner’s high”. This state of being among long-distance runners is fascinating as it treads a fine line between the benefits of meditation and the danger of over-stressing our body.8

A 2004 study of twenty-four college students who ran or bicycled for 40 minutes at 76 per cent of their maximum heart rate showed an 80 per cent increase in anandamide immediately following exercise. The athletes also reported feelings of relaxation, regulated mood and increased appetite.9

Our clinical experience indicates that meditation (relaxation) brings the same benefits of regulated mood and better appetite, plus improved physical performance, so it seems that we can increase anandamide production through meditation. Laughter can produce the same effects, and we know that thinking/speaking lovingly about ourselves increases production of anandamide, dopamine and serotonin. We also now know that appropriate exercise regimens will increase anandamide production. What we are seeing here is a picture of circular dependence. We need anandamide to assist in the reversal of our symptoms and eventual recovery. We can produce more anandamide with exercise and this will help us relax, meditate, eat better, feel better about ourselves and move more freely.

But … when we meditate, we produce more anandamide, so we can exercise better, eat better, feel better about ourselves, relax more and laugh more freely. And … when we laugh, we produce more anandamide, so we can feel better about ourselves, exercise better, eat better, meditate more easily and look at life more joyfully. And … when we think lovingly of ourselves, we produce more anandamide,

Coleman, John C. Rethinking Parkinson's Disease: The definitive guide to the known causes of Parkinson's disease and proven reversal strategies (p. 190). Hybrid Publishers. Kindle Edition.

[dick]

I read this article thoroughly and ordered the book. I am a Vietnam Vet with exposure to Agent Orange. I have peripheral neuropathy and the beginning signs of Parkinson's Disease. The VA is fighting me against my claim. I will follow up with any improvement that I may have. I have also ordered ashwagandha, which is in the anandamide you ordered. The ashwagandha is cheaper! I am 81 and can't follow the workout required to produce anandamide naturally. They say that PTSD (which I have) and Parkinson's are Dopamine deficiencies.

[ofonorow]

Thanks Dick for contributing. And thank you for your service. We look forward to your report and hope for the best.

I am a little confused and maybe you found out something I didn't know!

I have also ordered ashwagandha, which is in the anandamide you ordered. The ashwagandha is cheaper!

Ashwagandha has many health benefits, but while it may be in the product I ordered, the anadamide is what fits into the brain receptors. If you found that Ashwagandha helps the body make anadamide, or some other connection, please let me know!

New knowledge you may want to research is the mushroom Lion's Main. There are several good youtube videos on the scientific findings that this mushroom helps rejuvenate brain/nerve stem cells. Such stem cells would be necessary to repair these slow growing (nerve) cells. A person I work with also has neuropathy and she is going to try NOW Foods brand Lion's Main supplements (2 grams daily) to see if it reduces her pain.

I have learned from reading Anthony William (Medical Medium) that the brain has a invariant requirement for glucose. (There is no equivalent requirement for fats.) Not only does glucose power brain cells, it also "cools" the brain which is operates like an electrical device. PTSD is likely caused by a lack of glucose in the diet, probably exacerbated by the latest diet fads, e.g., Keto, which discourage carbohydrates. The best way to find out if glucose can help your PTSD is to start eating a wide variety of organic fruits. I never deprive my wife of sweets. Unlike many Parkinson's patients, she is calm, and never prone to anger or stress.

She also never had tremors, which I know personally believe is due to her high daily vitamin C intake.

BTW, our company just came out with a new heart product, Cardio-C XM, that features glucose and is designed to be added to low-sugar fruit smoothies. A win-win.

[ofonorow]

Dick, thank you for bringing to my attention the fact that some companies are selling products with the name Anandamide which contain various herbs - no anandamide.?!

Very deceptive. Remember those companies and avoid them!

I still have not received the product yet, so I won't be certain until I see the supplement facts, but this is the Anandamide product I ordered:

https://tessmed.com/anaquell/

Tesseract’s revolutionary AnaQuell™ contains Anandamide and L-Citrulline to effectively support a healthy response to stress, mild anxiety, mood changes, and trauma.*

Anandamide is the body’s own naturally-occurring endocannabinoid neurotransmitter and is often referred to as the “bliss molecule” because of its significant positive effects on mental well-being and happiness.* As is the case with cannabidiol (CBD), Anandamide, via cannabinoid receptor activation, has been shown to have an inhibitory effect on mild anxiety (not to be confused with general anxiety disorder).* The amino acid L-citrulline is the natural precursor of L-arginine, a substrate necessary for nitric oxide production. Citrulline can improve blood flow and nutrient delivery to the brain and can beneficially impact the body’s response to stress and mild anxiety.*

[dick]

Before I post my initial report, I must make you aware of a simple product that helps with the tremors.
I have tremors and have to have help with my feeding. I wear a bib at dinnertime and my wife has to chop my food very finely so I can eat with a spoon. The tremors are so bad that I spill a lot of food. Sometimes I have to use two hands to eat with.
On Fathers Day, my kids got me a weighted glove to help with tremors. I wore it to eat with and to my surprise I could feel the tremors trying to shake but the weight kept them down! I only spilled one drop of food! I was wearing the weights when we went to the store and when I was walking, I started to stumble, the weighted hand flew away from the stumble and I regained my balance! I didn't know such a device was available! Maybe your wife could benefit from this device!

[ofonorow]

Dick, thanks for that report and I am sorry to hear you are suffering tremors. Do you have a link to that product or something similar?

Fortunately, although my wife matches almost all the symptoms discussed in John Coleman's RETHINKING PARKINSON'S, except she has never had tremors. My pet theory is that the lack of tremor may be because of all the vitamin C she (and I) take. If the vitamin C was protective of that part of the brain dying that leads to tremors, I have no idea whether high vitamin C can help resolve existing tremor, but it is worth a try. Let us know.

BTW, so I received the AnaCell (anandamide) product, and the label does not specifically state that the product contains the neurotransmitter. Instead, it has a "proprietary anandamide complex" based in oil, and when I asked the company whether the product contained anandamide, they did not respond. My wife has not be responsive to the product, as she seems to have been to Lion's Main mushroom, and nicotine!

Dick, if you haven't seen a lot of older information, there are studies on nicotine (nicotine patches) for Parkinson's. Main Stream Media news alerted friends who alerted me, and after research described in these posts, that nicotine is NOT addictive, and has important antiviral and other functions,

https://vitamincfoundation.com/forum/vi ... ine#p62978

https://vitamincfoundation.com/forum/vi ... ine#p63482

I and my wife have started wearing half a 21 mg nicotine patch daily. The results w/r to my wife's mental state have been remarkably beneficial and when we forget a day, she digresses quickly.

[dick]

First of all, here is the link for the wrist weights for PD tremors:

Amazon.com : parkinsons wrist weights for hand tremors

I have been studying natural health for about 30+ years. It is only in the last six years that I have really gotten into the nitty gritty of natural health. I have only studied Orthomolecular Medicine recently because of my fight with the VA and wanting to be healthy while I’m alive! I follow the Pauling Protocol and take five grams of vitamin C a day. In your book, you give the protocol; Dose (therapeutic), consistency and length of time. Because of short term memory problems, I usually fail at consistency.

Doctor Ardis is a big supporter of nicotine. He wears a 3mg patch daily.

I have exposure to Agent Orange and DDT. This may be the difference in the tremors. The VA is out to prove that I am not suffering from PD, because this means more benefits!

I am currently writing a book for senior citizens to help keep them healthy through their “Golden Years.” Every book seams to be narrow minded and skip important points. My book will be connecting the dots for all the missing points!

PS: My computer keeps kicking me offline when I engage with natural health websites!

[dick]

This is my first response to John C. Coleman’s book Rethinking Parkinson’s Disease. He has short chapters and he broke them into three sections. I will break my response into at least three parts. I agree with his point that PD is a dopamine deficiency.

I am a Vietnam Vet and have PTSD, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease and currently showing severe PD effects. For this reason I wish to include Dr. Bruce Fife’s book “Stop Alzheimer’s Now.” In this book he shows the relation between these three and some other diseases.

First a little background on me. Fifteen years ago, I was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease by a specialist. I was told that I had ten years to live. This woke me up! I was out to beat this rap! I was a natural medicine believer and was going to prove this doctor wrong! Needless to say I did just that!

Seven years ago, I was finally diagnosed with PTSD from the VA. They wanted to give me pills and with the first prescription, I had extreme problems that are still with me today. The VA is unhappy with me because I refuse the pills.

Three years ago, the VA sent me to a neurosurgeon to check me out with my symptoms. They want to do everything they can to prove I don’t have PD. The surgeon said I needed to replace two vertebrae in my neck with a “cage.” I had an 80% chance of living through this operation and would never be the same! This doctor said that if I didn’t get this operation, I would be a paraplegic within a year! Needless to say, this didn’t happen. The VA is very unhappy with me!

I show various signs of PD: Tremors, slow unstable walking, some loss of taste & smell, balance issues, loss of facial expression, shuffling when I walk. Freezing when trying to walk in an open room, sleep dis-regulation and more.

I have been using the method John Coleman says to do because PD is caused by many different problem areas. I also have been using Dr. Fife’s methods with coconut oil, as he is the authority on coconut oil.

I started using different methods to help my health over three years ago. I worked on my cardiovascular system first since the blood carries the nutrients to all parts of the body. I use L-Arginine to produce nitric oxide to dilate my blood vessels and lower my BP. I also use the Pauling protocol and take five grams of vitamin C per day. I weened myself off of BP meds by using these methods.

Ten years ago, I had wet age related macular degeneration. I had kemo shots in my right eye to dry the blood up and laser shots to tie up the broken blood vessels. This worked but I was almost blind in my right eye. I started taking two tablespoons of coconut oil with my coffee every morning. Remember, dose, consistency and a period of time (Linus Pauling). After four months, my right eye was as good as my left eye! I couldn’t believe it, but accepted it! Not only that, but my head appeared clear for the first time in years! I became a believer!

I also teach water aerobics every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday! Aerobics is a way to produce Dopamine! It works! You should see how happy everyone is after WA!

This is the end of my first installment.

[ofonorow]

Great! You are my new hero.

You don't write like someone diagnosed with Alzheimer's.

The coconut oil is not an isolated recommendation, and you'll note that it is also highly recommended by Coleman, right? I remember him mentioning that you cannot simply empty it down the drain, but must throw it away in the garbage or it will clog your drain pipes. We look forward to hearing more!

But some of your symptoms remind me of the mRNA (pseudo-vax) symptoms, e.g. loss of smell. Study the nicotine recommendations, at this forum and elsewhere. The most amazing thing (other than nicotine is NOT addictive) is the effect it has, almost instantly on my wife's mental capacity. Like an on/off switch, and when you start to understand WHY it negates so many symptoms, especially those associated with the fake-Vax (snake venoms!) I think you may find nicotine surprisingly effective.

So much so that I wish I had Pauling's training as a chemist. I suspect that nicotine *IS* part of the vitamin B3 family, and that its effect negating what the "medical evil doers" have been up to since the NAZIs, has made it "persona non grata." As Dr. Ardis seems to have discovered, nicotine is a universal antidote.

[ofonorow]

So Dick, while we anxiously await your next post, especially your personal coconut oil protocol, I went through John Coleman's PARKINSON'S book and below are all the places he mentions coconut oil.

You also said that you personally think that PARKINSON'S is a dopamine "problem." This is, of course, accepted medical dogma, because the levadopa (carbidopa) drug of choice is a dopamine replacement/simulator. Let me play devil's advocate.

Coleman mentions that every person he knows that has reversed their Parkinson's does not drink coffee. My wife and I stopped drinking coffee probably more than a year ago, based on the warnings in the Medical Medium books about caffeine, esp. after I learned that caffeine interacts with dopamine (stimulates its release) , it made sense to stop coffee/caffeine.

Maybe her benefit was too gradual, but I really did not notice much change in her condition from making this sacrifice. I did learn how to wean coffee cold turkey - without the headache using a Pure Labs DOPAPLUS formulation - which bears out what the Medical Medium says is the problem with caffeine This substance stimulates the brain by forcing a dopamine release. When you stop caffeine/coffee, the dopamine release stops, creating a shortage of dopamine, leading to the crushing headache.

At least one symptom of the lack of dopamine is a crushing headache. A symptom that can be eliminated by taking the natural form of L-Dopa.

So if Dopamine is the only or primary problem, why don't Parkinson's patients suffer crushing headaches?

Anadamide wasn't discovered until 1992, long after most of the research on Parkinson's and dopamine has been conducted. As I mentioned at the start of this topic, I am impressed that most of the modalities Coleman has found effective in reversing the symptoms of Parkinson's also are known to stimulate the body's own production of the "bliss hormone" anandamide. Activities that are very hard for the average Parkinson's patient to do. Chicken-and-the-Egg.

The point is probably moot, since as far as I can tell, there are no companies marketing the anadamide molecule as a nutritional supplement (or even a drug.) There is a faint glimmer of hope. Lifewave's David Schmidt might be able to develop a photo-therapy patch that can stimulate the body to produce more of its own anadamide, however, if the problem really is that cells that would normally do this job have been killed, you may need stem cells, that create new brain cells that make this neurotransmitter.

I should also point out that the Medical Medium doesn't really classify Parkinson's as a single disease or condition, but as with almost all neurological brain conditions, MM places the root cause as the build-up of toxic metals in the brain. So no matter what metals/alloys are currently present in the brain, or how many brain cells are killed when fat in the bloodstream oxidizes (sparks with) these metals, creating a large area of dead brain cells, the problem is the metals.

How can we use this knowledge? We can understand a fundamental reason why the Medical Medium recommends such a low amount of fat in the diet. Even if you have a build-up of heavy metals in the brain, without the lipids present to oxidize these metals, there would be much less brain cell death. Conversely, if you were able to detox these metals from the brain, fat in the blood would not be harmful, at least w/r to Dementia, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

The Medical Medium source does recommend a specific Heavy Metal Detox Smoothie, which they say works, is gentle and is supposed to be taken every day. There are a few subtleties, e.g. the Cliantro has to be fresh in order for this important component of the Detox to reach the brain. My wife has been doing the HMDS for more than a year, but not as regularly, maybe once a week. Lately, we have started doing them daily. I can tell she still have heavy metals in the brain, but that is another story.

Back to coconut oil from Coleman's book

Oils: Use coconut oil for cooking with high heat, and/or extra virgin olive oil for low to moderate heat (less than 1800C) and/or for dressings.

Wild-caught oily fish, such as salmon, trevally, mackerel, sardines, trout and herring are also excellent sources of protein and provide the benefits of anti-inflammatory oils as well. There is a legitimate concern about mercury pollution in some fish, and a much greater concern about the treatment of farmed fish. Realistically, there is probably not one unpolluted fish on earth today. In fact, I doubt there is any unpolluted food available. Our job, as patients and practitioners, is to find the sources of the least polluted foods, and strengthen our innate immune and elimination systems to cope with unavoidable toxins. If we purchase with care, we can find good quality oily fish with minimal pollution that will be of benefit to our health. Organically farmed chicken is a pleasant change of flavour and texture, while organic red meat (especially young meat like lamb and veal) provides protein, iron and a number of other nutrients. When cooking protein foods, especially fish, chicken and red meat, we must avoid the Western society habit of barbequed “burnt sacrifice”. Charred or burnt meat and oxidised fats are bad. They exacerbate inflammation and carcinogenic processes (causing cancer). Cook gently on a hot plate, in a pan, or roast, bake or stew. Eggs can be fried in olive or coconut oil at low to medium heat, poached, boiled, scrambled or made into omelettes. I have learned to “froach” my eggs – break the eggs into a pan over low heat with a tiny amount of oil, add a teaspoon of water, pop on a lid and let the eggs fry/steam lightly. With this method, I produce “fried” eggs with cooked but soft whites and lovely runny yolks.

Coleman, John C. Rethinking Parkinson's Disease: The definitive guide to the known causes of Parkinson's disease and proven reversal strategies (pp. 123-124). Hybrid Publishers. Kindle Edition.

2.  Standard dietary information in the Western world is usually generated by Western allopathic medically trained professionals who have not been exposed to the high-quality medical research showing the errors in established dietary advice. WAM-trained professionals I have spoken to are unaware of medical research showing the inflammatory nature of grains, the increased risk of Parkinson’s disease and other chronic disorders with the consumption of animal dairy products, or the benefits of good fats like eggs, avocado and coconut oil. 3.  

Oil pulling. To oil pull, slowly swish your choice of unrefined, high-quality organic oil in your mouth (similar to the way you would use a mouthwash only slower) for five to twenty minutes. The process attracts and removes bacteria, toxins and parasites that live in your mouth or lymph system, and also pulls congestion and mucus from your throat and loosens up your sinuses. With the help of your saliva, toxins and microbes bind with the oil, ready to be disposed of. Pulling also helps re-mineralise your teeth and strengthen your gums by thoroughly cleansing the area.

Coconut oil is probably the best to use because it has antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and enzymatic properties. This provides the added benefit of killing unwanted bacteria that may be residing in the mouth, while leaving behind healthy probiotic strains.

To start, scoop half to one full teaspoon of coconut oil into the mouth; if it’s cold, allow the oil to melt. Now push, swirl, and pull the oil between your teeth, around your gums, and allow it to touch every part of your mouth except your throat. You don’t want the oil getting in contact with your throat because it’s now carrying toxic material. No gargling! Stay calm, practice deep breathing through your nose, move quietly through other morning duties. Make this a morning ritual several times each week and enjoy the feeling of cleansing and the relaxation with the absence of talking. Or use bath time to oil pull – multitasking at its best. Some oil pull while showering but, remember, coconut oil must be disposed of in the trash not down the drain. Once your time of oil pulling is over, spit into the trash, but never the sink — the oil could solidify and clog your drain. Now rinse your mouth out with clean water two or three times. Finally, drink a glass of water and relax. You should be feeling fresh and rejuvenated. As an added bonus, coconut oil pulling may help remineralise your teeth while removing plaque.

Moisturize (if necessary) with pure coconut oil; add a drop of very pure essential oil (lavender, frankincense, German chamomile, tea tree, geranium, rosemary, peppermint, lemon, neroli, rose, myrrh, patchouli, tangerine, cypress) chosen for your personal skin needs. There is lots of information available on what oils are best for different skin needs. Choose essential oils that are at least 99.9 per cent pure and, if possible, made in your country or continent. Use just one or two drops of essential oil and/or five or six drops of water-miscible vitamin E in 30-50 mL pure coconut oil, massage into your skin and allow that to stay overnight.

Coleman, John C. Rethinking Parkinson's Disease: The definitive guide to the known causes of Parkinson's disease and proven reversal strategies (p. 294). Hybrid Publishers. Kindle Edition.

[GWS]

Great thread! Very Informative!

[ofonorow]

Australian Parkinson's author John Coleman passes the Medical Medium "smell test." He, Jerry Tennent, David chmidt, and LInus Pauling for that matter, seem to have an intuition for the truth and an ability to focus on good science, cut through dogma, and ignore fad. For example, the Medical Medium advises against dairy products, as strongly does Dr. Coleman. They have different stated rationale, Coleman is convinced we haven't had enough evolutionary time to properly digest dairy products and eating dairy causes inflammation.

They both recommend stopping caffeine (coffee) and they both recommend against Alkaline water as per this quote from Coleman's rethinking Parkinson's.

Alkaline water is touted as a solution for many illnesses and, if not a complete solution, a priority adjunctive therapy. Alkaline water is proposed to solve metabolic acidosis, chronic inflammation, digestive dysregulation and dehydration, amongst many other claims.1 The principle put forward is that, if we drink water with a pH of 8-9, we will reduce acidosis and improve all the other matters mentioned above. However, this just does not make sense. We require a pH of 1-2 in our stomach for efficient digestion of protein and solid foods. This very low pH also assists in maintaining a tight seal at the pyloric sphincter (the top sphincter where food enters the stomach). When we drink alkaline water, we raise the pH of our stomach and, incidentally, lower the pH of the water consumed. Our stomach pH gradually rises to above 4, at which stage we stop digesting proteins and solid food efficiently and the pyloric sphincter begins to leak, creating symptoms of reflux. Far from resolving metabolic acidosis, this digestive dysregulation actually exacerbates acidosis. Drinking water is vital to life and health. However, “natural water” (water from springs, streams and rain in pristine areas) tends to have a pH of 6.5 (slightly acid) to 7.5 (slightly alkaline). Whenever possible, we should drink water within this pH range.

This is some more from later in the book about the neurotransmitter anandamide.

Anandamide or marijuana? Anandamide is a neurotransmitter (not really a hormone at all) found in human organs, especially the brain. It is nicknamed “the bliss hormone”, as it was originally postulated to be the natural substance mimicked by THC (Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol), the principal psychoactive ingredient in cannabis (marijuana). THC locks onto the cannabinoid receptors first discovered in 1988. THC does not occur naturally in the body, and our body does not create receptors for substances it doesn’t produce. Scientists were certain that some sort of endogenous (made in the body) substance was produced to occupy the receptors sites locked onto by cannabis.

Israeli scientist, Raphael Mechoulam, discovered anandamide (more properly named arachidonoylethanolamine or AEA) in 1992. Anandamide connects with CB1 cannabinoid receptors found in the brain and nervous system, and CB2 receptors found throughout the rest of the body. The difference is quite important, as anandamide plays various roles in our health. The CB2 receptors are involved in the health of our immune system, while the CB1 receptors seem to be concerned with a variety of tasks including memory, eating behaviour, sleep and pain relief. They also seem to influence the neural generation of motivation and pleasure.

Anandamide is critical in the early development of babies in the uterus (while THC from cannabis may cause disruption or abortion of pregnancy). We learn to remember new knowledge or carry out new activities by creating new connections between neurons. The more we use each connection – that is, practice the memory or activity – the stronger that connection becomes. If we stop using that connection, it becomes weak and may break. This has profound implications in recovery and we will explore it further in other chapters.

Biochemical evidence suggests that anandamide is involved in creating and breaking short-term neural connections. Moreover, anandamide is synthesised in areas of the brain that are important for memory, higher thought processes and control of movement. Strategies to increase endogenous production of anandamide will bring long-term benefits similar to the short-term relief obtained from THC or CBD.

We always have choices when we treat diagnosed disorders. If we wish to mitigate symptoms and live comfortably for a while longer without thought to recovery, we can choose treatments like medical marijuana and CBD oil. However, if we wish to recover and live life without symptoms or treatments, we must seek the causes of our symptoms and reverse those. There is current (2019) research into the application of other cannabinoids (there are over 30) in the treatment of diagnosed Parkinson’s disease. The hope is that these cannabinoids will provide some of the benefits of THC and CBD without the adverse effects or dependency properties. It will be some years before we see the results of this research.

If eDOC gets this far, more on light (D3) (and I may have already posted the quote elsewhere).

Light therapy (phototherapy):

There is a great deal written about bright light therapy in various forms, and many claims of benefits in a wide range of illness conditions. Light, especially sunlight, plays a very important role in promoting health and wellbeing. Seasonal affective disorder is well known, especially in areas far from the equator where seasonal light variations are more extreme, and light therapy (phototherapy) can be very helpful in resolving this. Ideal sun exposure is around fifteen minutes per day during the morning while exposing 90 per cent of our body. This produces sufficient vitamin D, serotonin, melatonin and other neurotransmitters for our needs. Of course, it is very rare to find people with sufficient time and courage to sunbathe almost nude in the early morning.

More often, I see people who have been discouraged from sun exposure by cancer authorities who say that we must shun the sun because of the fear of melanoma.5 Of course, we must avoid exposure during the hottest hours of the day and avoid sunburn at all times. However, the fear of sun exposure created by anti-cancer campaigns (as opposed to sensible education strategies) has led to an increase in a number of sun-deficiency syndromes, including osteoporosis and mood disorders. Many sunscreens also contain chemicals that are either carcinogenic or neurotoxic, or both. Light, in sunlight frequencies, affects production of serotonin, melatonin and, indirectly, a number of other neurotransmitters, hormones and enzymes. This, in turn, affects production of ATP, our energy “packages”.

When we are deprived of sunlight – either because we live in areas with long, dark winters, or we are confined indoors for some reason (perhaps working long hours in a windowless office, or our home is an apartment with difficult access and little natural light) – chemical changes may present as depression, fatigue, loss of motivation, withdrawal from social interaction or even increased symptoms of illness. These are circumstances in which it is important to take action and increase light exposure. The first choice, of course, is to increase natural sun exposure when that is possible. If this cannot be achieved, an appropriate “light box” or mechanism can be usefully applied to substitute for the sun (albeit incompletely). Light therapy for the above circumstances and symptoms has been shown to be successful and helpful.

However, light therapy, as a treatment for Parkinson’s disease, can only reduce some symptoms, and will not slow or reverse the illness process. A number of claims have been made in journals and learned publications that phototherapy will reverse the Parkinson’s disease process and may represent a “cure”. This is simply not the case. Used as directed, phototherapy may relieve some symptoms related to serotonin and melatonin production, and that may be helpful as part of an overall package of recovery strategies, but will not cure or permanently “fix” your health. Light boxes/mechanisms are, occasionally, available on loan from hospitals or universities that have an interest in this therapy. However, those available at retail are often quite expensive to achieve the light frequencies and lumen output required. If you are handy in the workshop, there are details online for making efficient light boxes/mechanisms for a fraction of the purchase cost. Light therapy may help you if you are unable to achieve appropriate sun exposure, but will not cure or fix your health.

Rigorous detox/saunas:

Removing toxins from our body is very important (see Chapter 25). We are constantly bombarded with toxic chemicals used for a variety of useful and not-so-useful purposes and may have inherited a toxic load from our parents. Add to this our lifestyle choices that may include foods that are harmful, recreational chemicals (alcohol, nicotine, others), pharmaceuticals for minor ills, household toxins and inadvertent exposure to cleaning and agrochemicals, and there is no doubt that our toxic load may inhibit our recovery. However, we must temper necessity with caution.

Removing toxins quickly and rigorously may exacerbate symptoms or even make us more ill. Many toxins are locked in cells where they inhibit cell function and create or exacerbate symptoms, but do so at a moderate and steady rate. If we quickly extract those toxins from cells and dump them into our bloodstream for processing by our liver, our elimination systems may not be able to cope, and we may feel as if we are being poisoned all over again. We have a number of elimination pathways – bowels, bladder, skin, respiration – and these are served by organs and systems such as liver, lymph, fascia and blood circulation. All these systems and support systems must be efficiently supported and improved to effectively remove toxins. We must also remember that diagnosis with Parkinson’s disease implies significant inefficiency and sensitivity of many body systems, including elimination.

Rigorous liver detox protocols may overstress other systems. Aggressive herbal detox protocols may create more illness symptoms and discourage patients from moving towards wellness. Assertive chelation therapies may present a number of adverse effects that discourage wellness. Saunas (direct heat, far infrared and near infrared) can be a useful part of a thorough detoxification protocol, but only if used cautiously. The heat of saunas encourages sweating, which is one way for our body to eliminate toxins, especially when bowel and bladder are less than fully functional. However, excessive heat can adversely affect fascia, which is an important part of our elimination system. In fact, fascia plays a critical role in health, being the largest organ in our body (larger than the skin, for instance), and is intimately involved in blood and lymph circulation, hydration, temperature control, movement (giving lubrication and supporting posture), immune support and inflammation.

If fascia is overheated, it becomes “sticky”, inhibiting many of its functions and exacerbating illness. When saunas are part of a detox protocol, they should be used for ten to fifteen minutes only and immediately followed by a COLD shower (not lukewarm or tepid, but cold) to help fascia recover its jelly-like state.6 All detox and sauna protocols must be created with the fragility of the patient and complexity of the illness process in mind. Gentle and long-term works better than short and aggressive.

In the next section of his book, Coleman warns against the groups that claim they can control or reverse Parkinson's with specific combinations of amino acids. I think he is right that this approach simply creates dependencies, as does the main prescription drug levadopa.

[dick]

I am sorry for being so late for this response. I have been asked to lead a march for making people aware of veteran and first responders suicides. It is called 22 for 22. Everyday 22 veterans and first responders commit suicide! We are to walk 22 miles on September 21st for this event. I cannot walk, so they are allowing me to ride my trike! I started training for this event and wouldn’t you know it, I severely over trained! I wrote a chapter in my upcoming book called “Heart Rate Training for Seniors.” I didn’t follow my own advice! My tremors were very severe for a couple of weeks!

I will cover John Colemans and your discussion about coconut oil. First, he was talking about oil pulling for dental health. Dr. Fife says to use two to four tablespoons of coconut oil for pulling and yes, spit it into the trash can after use. I made toothpaste with coconut oil that works as well. This is in Dr. Fife’s book so I didn’t come up with the idea. I use one tablespoon of coconut oil with one tablespoon of baking soda plus one or two drops of clove essential oil to make my toothpaste. This lasts quite a while and works wonders for my gums and teeth! I have many root canals and this kills the bacteria that is deep down at the root of the tooth. I also made this toothpaste using spearmint essential oil to use as a breath freshener. One other use of coconut oil is add vitamin E liquid to the coconut oil and use as suntan lotion.

The issue with hydrogen peroxide is that it is very caustic straight up. I solved this simply by adding it to Lysterine. Lysterine has hydrogen peroxide in it as one of the ingredients, but it’s too small of an amount. I mix hydrogen peroxide to it at about twenty percent and this solves the harshness issue!

Back to the book. I agree that PD is not a single issue problem. I put this in my opening article. John Coleman also says that chemical exposure could be part of the problem. I was exposed to Agent Orange in Vietnam. When we went on guard duty, we sprayed at least one full can of DDT on the station and waited outside until the air cleared, then we spent the rest of the night in this contaminated space! The guard stations were sand bagged stations that also housed many deadly bugs such as scorpions!

I also said that I have diminished taste and smell. The VA says I have long covid. If you look up the symptoms of PD, you will find that these also listed as symptoms! PD is also listed as a side effect of Agent Orange!

I have severe PTSD as diagnosed by the VA. I was also said by a neurologist that I have Alzheimer's Disease and definitely show all the signs of PD. I know they are related and like I said in my opening article, I will attack these different issues by each part and report my progress on this page.

[ofonorow]

Let us know how the nicotine patch (for Long COVID symptoms) and more glucose (for the PTSD) helps or hurts you.

[dick]

I have to give up on this site! I just had a stroke! (joke) I am on blood thinners and aspirin. I guess it is a part of my over doing it. It’s making me think about taking it serious! I’m violating your second rule for taking vitamins “Consistency.” Since I was so good, I didn’t have to follow the rules. Anyway, back to the main topic of discussion.

This is my second response to anadamine for PD. As I said before, I agree there are multiple factors that cause PD. This is the approach that I have started taking toward my own recovery. I work mainly with senior citizens and all my studies have been in this area. I also use Dr. Bruce Fife’s book “Stop Alzheimer’s Now” as a resource for these discussions.

Senior citizens are of special concern to me because of all the problems I have had since reaching sixty years of age. I wanted to help them avoid all these pitfalls! Remember, I am now eighty-one years of age! Most seniors begin their downward decline at about thirty years of age. I started noticing decline at sixty because I was physically active all my life. Senior citizens also grew up with the mentality of “One disease, one pill.” It is hard to convince them about other, natural ways to help.

I more than likely have a form of PD that is associated with Alzheimer’s called PD with dementia. My symptoms include: tremors, stiffness of limbs, slowness of movement, loss of balance, shuffling walk, speaking difficulties, swallowing difficulties, expressionless face, stooped walk, some loss of taste and smell and sleeping difficulties. One morning I woke up and didn’t know who I was and what was I supposed to be doing! This lasted about a month. From day one, it gradually wore off and I gained full ability to function normally!

Again, I agree with John Coleman that PD is caused by various factors and that has been my strategy to overcome this! He states that stress, poor food choices and outside chemicals are major factors to consider. Combat veterans and first responders meet all these issues. Stress for a prolong period of time causes the brain to be in “Fight or Flight” syndrome forever. Environmental toxins such as Agent Orange, DDT & Glyphosate cause problems for your immune system. Senior citizens eat like they were teenagers and gain excessive weight. Not only that but they eat too much sugar, which weakens the immune system. Vaccines can be considered environmental toxins as they weaken the immune system also!

I eat a modified diet, it’s not a particular diet but one that like. I use My Fitness Pal to measure my intake of my major food groups. I eat fifty grams of carbohydrates each day, I eat sixty or more grams of fat each day, I eat protein according to how active I am, forty to one hundred grams each day. I eat no added sugar only that which occurs naturally in the foods that I eat. I eat no highly process foods.

I use no vaccines. Since the covid crisis I absolutely use no more vaccines. I also believe that vaccines do more harm than good. I told them this at the VA and it had a disastrous effect, I only say this because John Coleman says it could lead to other symptoms of and weaken the immune system. I agree!