| WRITTEN BY MICHAEL TENNANT |
| THURSDAY, 21 JULY 2011 10:10 |
 SEEN ANY WALNUTS IN YOUR MEDICINE CABINET LATELY?
According to the Food and Drug Administration, that is precisely where you should find them. Because Diamond Foods made truthful claims about the health benefits of consuming walnuts that the FDA didn’t approve, it sent the company a letter declaring, “Your walnut products are drugs” — and “new drugs” at that — and, therefore, “they may not legally be marketed … in the United States without an approved new drug application.” The agency even threatened Diamond with “seizure” if it failed to comply.
Diamond’s transgression was to make “financial investments to educate the public and supply them with walnuts,” as William Faloon of Life Extension magazine put it. On its website and packaging, the company stated that the omega-3 fatty acids found in walnuts have been shown to have certain health benefits, including reduced risk of heart disease and some types of cancer. These claims, Faloon notes, are well supported by scientific research: “Life Extension has published 57 articles that describe the health benefits of walnuts”; and “The US National Library of Medicine database contains no fewer than 35 peer-reviewed published papers supporting a claim that ingesting walnuts improves vascular health and may reduce heart attack risk.” This evidence was apparently not good enough for the FDA, which told Diamond that its walnuts were “misbranded” because the “product bears health claims that are not authorized by the FDA.” The FDA’s letter continues: “We have determined that your walnut products are promoted for conditions that cause them to be drugs because these products are intended for use in the prevention, mitigation, and treatment of disease.” Furthermore, the products are also “misbranded” because they “are offered for conditions that are not amenable to self-diagnosis and treatment by individuals who are not medical practitioners; therefore, adequate directions for use cannot be written so that a layperson can use these drugs safely for their intended purposes.” Who knew you had to have directions to eat walnuts? “The FDA’s language,” Faloon writes, “resembles that of an out-of-control police state where tyranny [reigns] over rationality.” He adds: This kind of bureaucratic tyranny sends a strong signal to the food industry not to innovate in a way that informs the public about foods that protect against disease. While consumers increasingly reach for healthier dietary choices, the federal government wants to deny food companies the ability to convey findings from scientific studies about their products. Walnuts aren’t the only food whose health benefits the FDA has tried to suppress. Producers of pomegranate juice and green tea, among others, have felt the bureaucrats’ wrath whenever they have suggested that their products are good for people. Meanwhile, Faloon points out, foods that have little to no redeeming value are advertised endlessly, often with dubious health claims attached. For example, Frito-Lay is permitted to make all kinds of claims about its fat-laden, fried products, including that Lay’s potato chips are “heart healthy.” Faloon concludes that “the FDA obviously does not want the public to discover that they can reduce their risk of age-related disease by consuming healthy foods. They prefer consumers only learn about mass-marketed garbage foods that shorten life span by increasing degenerative disease risk.” Faloon thinks he knows why this is the case. First, by stifling competition from makers of more healthful alternatives, junk food manufacturers, who he says “heavily lobb[y]” the federal government for favorable treatment, will rake in ever greater profits. Second, by making it less likely that Americans will consume healthful foods, big pharmaceutical companies and medical device manufacturers stand to gain by selling more “expensive cardiac drugs, stents, and coronary bypass procedures” to those made ill by their diets. But people are starting to fight back against the FDA’s tactics. “The makers of pomegranate juice, for example, have sued the FTC for censoring their First Amendment right to communicate scientific information to the public,” Faloon reports. Congress is also getting into the act with a bill, the Free Speech About Science Act (H.R. 1364), that, Faloon writes, “protects basic free speech rights, ends censorship of science, and enables the natural health products community to share peer-reviewed scientific findings with the public.” Of course, if the Constitution were being followed as intended, none of this would be necessary. The FDA would not exist; but if it did, as a creation of Congress it would have no power to censor any speech whatsoever. If companies are making false claims about their products, the market will quickly punish them for it, and genuine fraud can be handled through the courts. In the absence of a government agency supposedly guaranteeing the safety of their food and drugs and the truthfulness of producers’ claims, consumers would become more discerning, as indeed they already are becoming despite the FDA’s attempts to prevent the dissemination of scientific research. Besides, as Faloon observed, “If anyone still thinks that federal agencies like the FDA protect the public, this proclamation that healthy foods are illegal drugs exposes the government’s sordid charade.” Well, there you have it! Here’s to your health!
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Tag Archives: Food supplements
Cellular Vitality
Your body is only as healthy and energetic as its cells. Feed them well and feel your best ever.
This article is of paramount importance to your health. I encourage you to receive the product information included here with an open mind and with disengaged “spam filters.” I use the highest grade of wholefood supplements and herbs in my professional coaching service. What I offer here is primarily intended to benefit the health of my blog readers. I am most thankful for the honest income I receive from any sales, but not as much as for the grateful response I receive form clients who benefit from the supplements I recommend and they are compliant in taking as recommended. Their price merely reflects their benchmark quality and unwavering effectiveness.
That said . . . it is not very often that a nutritional product comes on board that simply supports the health and vitality of the basic unit of our physical anatomy — the cell. We’ve just finished a series of articles detailing the amazing micro-machinery and micro-chemistry of the human cell. (Click on picture to enlarge it). If you are just coming online with my blog, you’ll want to visit these articles in the archives and be entertained while learning about the intricate and incredible life of your body’s cells.
Must-see video clips: Click here for a 3-minute ABC special report on the inner life of the cell. For a full 8-minute show with music click here. And don’t miss viewing David Bolinsky’s 10-minute Fantastic Voyage Inside the Cell. It is very well done and quite entertaining.
Cellular Vitality is the name of a gluten-free wholefood supplement made by Standard Process Labs. It is a complex, synergistic blend of B vitamins, bromelain, mushroom, berry seeds, CoQ10, ginseng, and ribonucleic acid (RNA). These ingredients offer the opportunity to support the body as a whole, with emphasis on our cellular processes specifically. ($40/90 caps)
Cellular Vitality contains:
- American ginseng, which acts as a body tonic for the byproducts of stress
- B vitamins, to fuel cells and participate in numerous body processes that contribute to normal function
- Berry seeds, which contain phytochemicals, like anthocyanidins and tannins, that aid cells during the normal wear and tear of everyday function
- Bromelain, an enzyme complex from pineapple stems and juice that modulates the body’s natural inflammatory response when taken between meals
- Coenzyme Q10, an enzyme that is essential for creation of energy within the mitochondria of cells, and that helps protect cells from free radicals
- Cordyceps sinensis, a mushroom powder long prized in Traditional Chinese Medicine with a variety of bioactive compounds that contribute to fatigue management and blood sugar support
- Ribonucleic acid (RNA), compounds that can be broken apart as cells to create energy or manufacture protein†
- Proprietary Blend: 1,240 mg Multi-fruit Seed Powder [Ruby grape seed, blueberry seed, cranberry seed, red raspberry seed, black raspberry seed, and pomegranate seed], ribonucleic acid, mushroom powder (Cordyceps sinensis), bromelain, and American ginseng (root)
- Other Ingredients: Quinoa sprouts, cellulose, maltodextrin, and calcium stearate.
Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a story unto itself. Let me tell you about the benefits of this vitally essential molecule. RNA is the memory chip in the brain . . . literally. It is generated in the brain when there is interest. It actually records the information, like the tape in a tape recorder or a silicon chip in a computer, and files it away for future recall. If there is no interest in what is being seen or heard, then no RNA is generated . . . and that’s why we don’t remember things we are not interested in; also why we can recall information that piqued our interest. I think that’s amazing. Any wonder why a elderly person who has lost interest in life itself experiences a decline in memory? If we don’t use it we lose it, and there’s a biological and biochemical reason for loss of memory that can be addressed . . . with lifestyle changes as well as nutritional supplementation.
RNA serves other purposes in the body, such as in the process of protein synthesis. It conveys the pattern for cellular replication from the DNA. Watch the video clip and be duly impressed by the miracle of life going on inside each of your 100 trillion cells. You’ll want to make sure you are doing all you can to help your cells do their job.
Parkinson’s disease is a sure sign of RNA deficiency. Supplementing with RNA is absolutely vital to address this neurotransmitter disorder, which is simply a symptom of inadequate brain-cell regeneration. We now know that brain cells do regenerate themselves. They just take longer to do so than other body cells.
In the video clip you saw a computer model of how protein is manufactured in every cell. Protein is the building block of every tissue in your body. Now you can appreciate how vital it is to keep your cells healthy and happy. Cellular Vitality will help you nourish your body cells so they can continue into your elder years to provide you with the protein building blocks to sustain tissue regeneration and the energy to get up each morning and engage life to the fullest.
A word about proteins. As you saw in the video clip, these building blocks of the cells and tissues of the body are assembled within the cells by their micro-machinery. Each protein molecule is composed of what are called “amino acids.” These are the pieces that make up proteins. Now, they are already assembled to make up animal proteins that we take into our bodies when we consume meat. Therefore, they have to be dis-assembled in the digestive tract before they can be taken up into the blood stream and used by the cells to re-assemble them into protein strands for our bodies. Hydrochloric acid is what the stomach parietal cells secrete to break down meat tissue.
That takes work and energy, which is part of the reason why we feel sleepy after eating a meal containing animal protein, especially beef. It takes a lot of energy, for instance, just to make 2.5 pH hydrochloric acid from near neutral to slightly alkaline body fluids. And you don’t want to dilute those stomach digestive acids by eating or drinking sweets with your meat meals. Simply drink water, preferably at room temperature and with a squeeze of lemon. Lighter proteins, such as fish, eggs, and dairy are more easily broken down.
Now, don’t over heat proteins, such as eggs, as heat toughens proteins. Soft-boiled, poached or scrambled lightly in a little olive oil and butter is a healthful way to prepare eggs. If you like fried eggs, try over-easy or over-medium in a little olive oil and butter. I mix a little butter in my olive oil to facilitate fat metabolism . . . and, of course, butter adds flavor!!! You haven’t had great scrambled eggs until you’ve scrambled them in a generous amount of real butter . . . not margarine. Stay away from margarine which is hydroginated vegetable oil and therefore rancid. Rancid oils, such as in stale nuts and oils exposed to light and air, destroy tissue cells upon contact. Not good! Better for your health to just toss them out and use fresh nuts and non-hydroginated oils.
We really should never cook meat in a microwave as it alters the molecular proteins in the meat. Microwaving is okay for warming but not for cooking foods, as it takes only a few seconds to heat up most foods in a microwave oven.
About olive oil: I read recently that Pure Olive Oil has a longer shelf life than Virgin or Extra-virgin. It’s best for cooking as it doesn’t have as much of the raw materials that can easily oxidize as are in less-processed oils. Virgin and extra virgin oils are more fragile and need to be kept in dark, air-tight containers. It’s best to purchase them in smaller bottles even though you’ll pay more. Think of your health first. You don’t want to slaughter those precious little cells that are hard at work keeping you healthfully in form.
Now, in vegetables and legumes, amino acids are not so tightly assembled and are therefore more readily available to protein manufacturing in our body’s cells. Supplementing amino acids in your diet is also a viable option. Protefood by Standard Process ($27/90 caps) would be a smart choice, as it contains all of the amino acids required to build protein. It’s my product of choice for clients with hypoglycemia as it checks sugar craving and supports the adrenal glands.
Fresh nuts, especially almonds, are a great source of amino acids. Soak the almonds overnight in water to soften them and to activate their natural enzymes for easier digestion and assimilation. Always chew nuts thoroughly to break down the meat and to mix in the digestive enzyme Pepsin, which activates hydrochloric acid in the stomach for protein digestion.
“Water, water everywhere but not a drop to drink!”
Let us not leave this consideration of the health and vitality of the cell without mentioning water. Cells need water, both inside and outside. They need pure, clean water that is easily consumed. Acidity and toxins in tissue fluids around the cells cause them to close their intake pores and eventually die from thirst and starvation. Poor quality of water can lead to fluid retention as the body attempts to dilute the acid with more water.
AC Carbamide is a wonderful product which Dr. Royal Lee, founder of Standard Process Labs in Palmyra, Wisconsin, formulated. It actually neutralizes uric acid in the body fluids and joints and makes the cells more permeable to the flow of water in and out of the tissues. I highly recommend it, especially for problems with gouty arthritis and fluid retention. And with CoQ10 for kidney and heart energy, you have a couple of team players working for you. AC Carbamide is a great anti-inflammatory as it addresses a common cause of inflammation: acidity of body fluids. ($18/90 caps)
Add 2 ounces of ASEA to your daily regimen and you have a comprehensive program for cell health and vitality. Cells are happiest when they are able to communicate with the rest of the body. Redox signaling molecules, now available in supplement form with ASEA, assures inter-cellular communication.
Well, that will do it for this post. Plenty here to ingest and process (pun intended). I trust this article proves helpful to you in your health and wellness care. Until my next post, then . . .
My best to your health and healing,
Dr. Tony Palombo
For more detailed information on products mentioned in my blogs, Google Standard Process or click here.
To order products and for information about dosages, simply drop me an email at tpal70@gmail.com, or call me at 337-802-5510.
Visit my second blog: Healing Tones
The Healing Process: Series Summary Finale
THE ROLE OF THE REDOX SIGNALING MOLECULES
We have been considering the healing process in a series of articles, reviewing atomic physicist Dr. Gary Samuelson’s booklet The Science of Healing Revealed. This final installation in the series will rap up our summary of the series and review the role of the Redox Signaling Molecules in the healing process. Enjoy!
Cleaning Up the Mess
Let us take a look once more at the cell’s clean-up crew and how important they are to the healing process. These special enzymes (proteases and antioxidants) are made to rip apart the molecules that make up the micro machinery, messengers and reactive molecules of the cell and recycle their pieces. Without them, garbage would build up everywhere inside and outside of the cells and the cells would soon die. Besides, the homeostatic balancing act in the cell absolutely depends on them. The cell is constantly manufacturing new molecules and requires a crew to take the old ones apart in order to maintain this balance.
The clean-up crew also has the job of cleaning up all of the “toxins” (left-over proteins) after the immune system or programmed suicide has kilted invaders or dysfunctional cells. In this sense, they form an essential part of the immune system also.
Regeneration of Lost Tissues
After the damage has been cleaned up and the oxidative stress condition has been corrected by eliminating the excess oxidants, there is still the job of replacing the cells that have been lost. You get the mental picture of many rows of ordered cells with holes and large gaps in them where cells have died and been cleaned up. The reconstruction is done by the cells that are surrounding the holes and gaps. Since cells are constantly sending messages back and forth between neighbors, they notice when one of their neighbors is missing. After the emergency distress condition is over in the neighborhood, the intercellular communication channels are reinforced and the holes become obvious to the neighboring cells. The cells are also free to divide and reproduce again.
At that point, the healthy neighboring cells start to divide in order to fill in the gaps, reconstructing new tissues as they go. If ample blood supply is not available for the new cells, they send out distress messengers that will cause new blood vessels to grow to supply them. The job is done when each of the cells is surrounded by their regular group of neighbors. This same simple reconstruction condition also applies to growing tubular blood vessels that supply the cells, the ring of leading cells will continue to divide and build the vessel until it encounters another blood vessel to link into.
Oxidants Play Central Roles as Messengers
How interesting it is when we can trace all of the complex mysteries of the healing process back to a simple set of rules that each of the cells follow. How interesting it is to discover the huge and important role that oxidants and antioxidants have in this healing process. When damage occurs, the oxidants become the red flags that mark out where and how much damage has been done. What would happen if the oxidants were not there to flag the damage?
Toxins, radiation, infections, cuts, scrapes, bruises, oxygen starvation and any other form of damage would go undetected and neglected without oxidants. Healing would be Impossible. It is this continual balance between the production of oxidants and reductants and their eventual elimination by the antioxidants that allows the cells to react to the damage. It is the response to the resulting imbalance of oxidants (or oxidative stress) that allows the cells and tissues to respond and heal themselves.This is the new picture emerging from the biosciences on healing.”
This completes our series on the Healing Process. I trust you have a better understanding of and a deeper appreciating for the healing process and the essential role the Redox Signaling Molecules play in it. Enough, anyway, to motivate you toward ordering a couple of bottles of ASEA and keep a supply on hand throughout the year. Just 2 oz a day, served up in a glass container (not metal or plastic) and taken on an empty stomach, will supply your body-cells with ample signaling molecules throughout the day. Click HERE to place your order.
I want to thank you for your business and for following my blog. We’re off to Colorado for three weeks vacation. This will give you a chance to catch up with articles you haven’t had time to read or finish yet. I apologize for their length, but I wanted to be as thorough and comprehensive as possible. I’ll be back with a new post shortly. Until then,
My best to you, your health and your healing,
Dr. Tony Palombo
Visit my second web blog for a meditation on Your Sacred Heart and Attunement with Sacred Sound
The Healing Process: Role of the Immune System, Part 1 page 2
DISEASE AN INSIDE JOB, AS IS HEALING
We saw how Dr. Royal Lee discovered protomorphogens in our last post. In this post we will look at some of the other important players at the turn of the 20th Century who pioneered health-based healthcare as opposed to traditional medicine’s disease-based healthcare.
At the same time Dr. Royal Lee was developing his theory of protomorphogens, Antoine Bechamp (1816-1908), a French Biologist, was working on a similar theory using a different name for these nuclear mineral proteins. In Dr. Sharon Rabb‘s words:
Antoine Bechamp was the most notable of scientists working along the same lines as Dr. Lee. Bechamp was a contemporary (and adversary) of Louis Pasteur. Bechamp’s theory, later confirmed by other scientists, was that “disease” is not produced primarily by invading bacteria but is actually perpetuated in an unhealthy, unbalanced body by the body’s own cells. The cells themselves produce pathogens like bacteria, fungi, and viruses instead of normal healthy cells. The theory also stated that all chronic and infectious illnesses have a microbial component not currently recognized by orthodox medicine. “Non-self” pathogens may provide a template for illness, but healthy individuals do not succumb. The existing toxic internal environment allows the disease to manifest. One does not really “catch” a cold — a cold is produced due to an imbalanced, toxic and malnourished environment. (underscores mine)
Bechamp saw what he termed “mycrozymas” in the protoplasm of living cells and considered them to be the fundamental unit of living tissue (Lee’s PMGs). Bechamp disputed the “germ theory” and stated that the cause of disease was internal dysfunction not an external invasion. Invading pathogens could only cause illness in an unhealthy body by acting as a template to dividing cells. Pasteur, near the end of his life, confirmed Bechamp’s theories; however, traditional medicine was already firmly entrenched in the “germ theory” model. (underscore mine)
This is unbelievable but very typical behavior on the part of medicine and the drug industry who can’t wait for the final results of extremely costly research to get a pill out on the market to enhance their bottom line. Yet they do it notoriously and repeatedly with half-baked research and premature conclusions, which too many times results in deadly side effects and recall of the medicine.
As a side note, but very pertinent to how we got pointed in the wrong direction, here’s a telling piece of history from the introduction of R.B. Pearson’s book THE DREAM AND LIE OF LOUIS PASTEUR:
Bechamp was one of France’s most prominent and active researchers and biologists. He taught in universities and medical schools, and published widely on cell biology, disease, botany and related subjects. His would probably be a household name today if it wasn’t for the activities of one Louis Pasteur, whom history has treated very kindly indeed, considering his fake science, his tendency to steal ideas (mainly from Bechamp), falsify experimental data, and in general make claims which had no basis in fact.
I’m not running off at the mouth by saying the above. It’s all quite well documented – Bechamp and Pasteur were both members of the French Academy of Sciences, and the papers they submitted, and their correspondance, both to each other and to other people, were all recorded. Even their verbal exchanges survive in the minutes of the meetings.
To cut a long story short, and it is a long story, Pasteur basically dug up the germ theory of disease and put his name on it. It wasn’t a new idea, although he claimed to have “discovered” germs all the same. The concept had actually been outlined by other people many years before, but of course, the whole idea is wrong anyway, so it hardly matters who thought of it first. In a few years, the germ theory of disease will be out there with the flat earth theory where it belongs. . . . Another good book is Pasteur Exposed, written by Ethel Hume and first published in 1923, which goes into all the details of exactly how Bechamp’s ideas were twisted beyond recognition by Pasteur. None of this would matter a toss, of course, except for the minor point that western chemistry-based medicine is built on a foundation of unquestioning “Pasteurism”. (underscore mine)
At the same time, Dr. Royal Rife (1888 – 1971), pathologist and bacteriologist, was developing the first 100% sure cure for cancer in the 1920’s. Here’s a piece of his story as told by Dr. Sharon Rabb:
Royal Rife, a friend of Dr. Lee, believed as did Bechamp in the theory of pleomorphism — the ability of a microorganism to change form in a living system. In other words, bacteria could change into a fungus or virus or vice versa. He also believed that the human body could produce these microorganisms instead of normal healthy cells. Rife invented a very powerful light microscope where he could see them “pleomorph”. He also invented a machine called the Rife machine which produced sound frequencies that “burst” specific microorganisms. He was able to see these pathogens, find the “resonant frequency” of the specific organism and produce the sound frequency–thus causing the organism (and it only) to self destruct. Rife used this machine to “terminate” cancer cells in infected individuals in the middle 1900’s. Several books have been written by Barry Lyons about Rife’s story, including The Cancer Cure that Worked. Rife was discredited and was finally run out of the country, a destitute man.
His lab and all of his equipment was burned to the ground by the medical society in Southern California. His work was not to resurface again until the late 1990’s, thanks to the viral capacity of the internet to spread the word before anybody could stop it. Rife machines are available and being used today in private homes and in alternative healthcare centers everywhere. For a full ten minute account of Dr. Rife’s story, click on this YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AysfKyl8O9k&feature=related or copy and paste it in your web browser. To view a picture of Royal Rife and his amazing electron Universal Microscope, along with another rendition of his story, click this link: http://www.rense.com/general31/rife.htm.
Another maverick scientist who agreed with the concept of pleomorphism was Gaston Naessens (1924). He developed the somatoscope in the late 1940s with a resolution of 150 angstroms. With the use of this scope, he identified the PMG (or somatid, or mycrozyma) and actually observed various microbes change forms to other pathogens. He clearly demonstrated the 16 stages of the “somatid cycle,” thus affirming that disease is not an issue of external invasion but an issue of weakened immune capacity. (The 16 stages show how single cells can “pleomorph” or change into other different microorganisms.)
To recap what went before and close this chapter. . .
“. . . Dr. Lee refined the theories of Bechamp, Rife, Naessens and others and put them to practical use in formulating protomorphogens for virtually every tissue type. These PMGs have the potential to rebuild every organ and gland in the body. . . . By providing the genetic material through the PMG, the body is able to “jump-start” the healing process and use the blueprints to reprogram healthy cell division.” (Dr. Sharon Rabb)
For help with your particular health issue and to order supplements with protomorphogens, call me for a personal consultation at my office (337) 497-1850, or my cell phone (337) 802-5510. Consultations range from $45 (20 min) to $65 (40 min) and are payable by credit card.
Join me next week as we tell the stories of the major actors in the immune system and the role of the redox signaling molecule in immune response. Thank you for following my blog. I trust you find the articles interesting, informative and entertaining. Your comments are most welcome as I love hearing from my readers. Until my next post,
Here’s to your health and healing,
Dr. Anthony Palombo
Email: tpal70@gmail.com Website:HealingandAttunement.com
The Healing Process: Role of the Immune System – Part I
PROTOMORPHOGENS
Here’s where our consideration of the Healing Process takes a turn away from the orthodox medical model and indoctrination and toward a more accurate understanding of the disease process : what causes it, where does it begin and how can it best be reversed by supporting the healing and re-building processes of the body.
Let us start with a recap of what we think we know about disease. Following Louis Pasteur’s “outside-in” thinking, medical science took off and developed on the basis of the theory that disease was brought into the body from the outside. The “germ theory” gained popularity and soon we were developing antibiotics (literally, anti-life) to kill germs and pathogens of all kinds. We were given soaps, sprays and gels to sanitize ourselves and prevent the invasion of and contamination by these invaders. And if we did get invaded, then we used antibiotics to “fight infection,” the body’s own natural way of dealing with harmful bacteria and viruses. We even started “pasteurizing” our milk in an endeavor to kill the germs, only to kill the natural enzymes needed to digest the milk in the process. Our blessed parents brought us up on whole milk we got from our cows and we gave our immune systems a good education on how to deal with sore throats (strep), boils (staph) and other symptoms of bacteria-fighting in our bodies, and we’re better off for it today. The end result of all this waring against germs has been the adaptation of viruses and other pathogens to our powerful antibiotics and the appearance of super viruses and bacteria that are immune to our antibiotics, which has medical scientists deeply concerned.
Shortly after the time when Louis Pasteur (1822-1895) was selling his theory to medicine and the general public, another theory was put forward by Dr. Royal Lee and a scientist by the name of Antoine Bechamp. Other important players in this arena were the renowned Dr. Royal Rife and Gaston Naessen, whose stories we will visit in my post next week.
Born the same year Louis Pasteur passed away, Dr. Royal Lee (1895-1967), a dentist who believed and proved conclusively that the health of the teeth was directly proportionate to and reflected the health of the body, developed and worked with a nutritional approach to the reversal of disease and the restoration of health. His “Protomorphogen” discovery helped us turn the corner in our search for the real cause of disease and a natural solution to the cure of disease and to healing. Today he is honored as the “Father of Natural Vitamins.” His line of wholefood nutritional supplements and his legacy are kept alive and well-preserved by Standard Process Laboratories in Palmyra, Wisconsin.
In his own words:
“One of the biggest tragedies of human civilization is the precedence of chemical therapy over nutrition. It’s the substitution of artificial therapy over natural, of poisons over food, in which we are feeding people poisons trying to correct the reactions of starvation. You all know how ridiculous that it. But you all know how widely it’s being done.” Dr. Royal Lee, 1935
In a nutshell, here is the theory: There are mineral protein essences secreted by the cells that carry the blueprint for cellular regulation and growth. These “protomorphogens,” as Dr. Lee called them, help grow new and healthy cells and even help repair and rebuild cells that are damaged. By enhancing the integrity of the body cells, invading pathogens (bacteria and viruses) are kept at bay. They only attack sick and weak cells. In Dr. Lee’s own words:
A protomorphogen is a cell secretion given off by all living cells at all times in minute amounts that promotes the synthesis of protein for cell repair and cell maintenance on the outside of the cell wall, after which it is absorbed by the cell. Protomorphogens are chromosome end products, made in the cell nucleus, probably the agents by which the basic functions of the chromosome are exercised. All living proteins carry a protomorphogen component by which the protein is made specific in nature, specific in causing organic reactions, specific in function, specific in its ability to act as an antigen in provoking immune reactions. All antigens may be antigenic by reason of accompanying protomorphogens, in some cases instead of being attached to a protein molecule, the protomorphogen may be attached to a lipoid or polysaccharide aggregate. When a protein has been separated from a protomorphogen, it is said to be denatured and is no longer fully capable of antigenic action; that is, cannot create an antibody specific to it in the circumstance of its injection into an animal blood stream.
Since no cell can grow or maintain itself unless protomorphogens, as secreted by itself, are available in the pericellular [outside and around the cell] fluids, it is obvious that here we have the possible biological growth regulator. Suppose that the immune-body producing mechanism, heretofore looked upon only as a defense against invading organisms (cells) from the outside, were to be found to exert the same controlling action on every organ and cell of the body, we would have the answer to the long-sought questions of why animal organs and living creatures in general were able to regulate their cell growth exactly according to a well-ordered plan.
We find, on investigation, that there is just such a reaction of the immune body producing mechanism (the reticuloendothelial system) and it has been described under the general designation of “Natural Tissue Antibody” (NTA).
IN CONCLUSION
Protomorphogens are in reality mineral chains whose sequencing determine the amino acid (protein) structure of individual cell types. In living tissues these minerals are organically bound and accompanied by enzymes. . . .
. . . Dr. Lee refined the theories of Bechamp, Rife, Naessens and others and put them to practical use in formulating protomorphogens for virtually every tissue type. These PMGs have the potential to rebuild every organ and gland in the body. The concentration gradient both inside and outside the cell regulate this growth. The “health” of the cell regulates both the concentration gradient and “health” of the protomorphogen. The concentration and health of the protomorphogen also regulates the immune system in forming natural tissue antibodies (NTA). If an excess of PMGs accumulate outside the cell, normal cell division stops and an excess of autoimmune factor (NTA) can cause damage to the cell. The PMGs in living systems are “wrapped” in lipoid layers because of their potential toxicity to a living system. This is called “hypersensitivity” in immunological terms. The lipoid “wrapping” can be either incomplete or damaged in disease or malnutrition states.
Because of hypersensitivity, Lee chose not to use human genetic material in formulating his supplements – but rather to use animal tissue which would be taken orally. The PMGs are processed to be absorbed through the GI tract intact. The animal kingdom is removed from the human so that hypersensitivity is not a large issue. By providing the genetic material through the PMG, the body is able to “jump-start” the healing process and use the blueprints to reprogram healthy cell division (underscore mine). Dr. Lee believed that every disease produced an autoimmune component which through the process of inflammation prevented normal cell division and caused most of the damage. This fact is being recognized by the medical profession more frequently in various illnesses.
Protomorphogens (PMGs) have two major functions: Control healthy cell growth and Regulate immunity
Our own PMGs inhibit cell division. However, when taken orally in pill form (from other mammals), PMGs stimulate normal cell division and reduce the autoimmune component by reducing excessive amounts of the natural tissue antibodies. They stimulate the organ to regenerate new healthy tissue by supplying the blueprints or by “jump starting” the organ to manufacture more of its own PMG.
PMGs are taken from specific organs of other mammals. In supplying extracts of the specific organ to the organ that is diseased, we can influence the local nutrient environment of those particular cells. This increases the activity of the tissue which then increases the secretion of PMGs so that the net effect is the concentration of PMG is balanced. The tissue of the organ begins to grow and regenerate normal healthy cells and thus helps to reestablish normal growth patterns with control. . . .
. . . The theory of protomorphogens is fundamentally what stem cell research is about.
For product information and to start benefiting from protomorphogen supplementation, simply contact me by email at tpal70@gmail.com.
See you next week for another installation on the role of the Immune System in the Healing Process. We will talk about other important players at the turn of the 20th Century who pioneered health-based healthcare as opposed to disease-based medicine.
To your health,
Dr. Anthony Palombo
Email: tpal70@gmail.com
Website: HealingandAttunement.com
The Healing Process: Role of the Redox Signaling Molecule
Redox Regulation of the Healing Process – New Science
We have come to the crux of our considerations around the Healing Process. In this post we will see exactly how the healing process works and what players are involved. Again, Dr. Gary Samuelson will tell the story in his own easy-to-read words. We will start with two video clips: one of the process called “Covalent Bonding” and the other on how free radicals and antioxidants work in order to help us better understand how “free radicals” (oxidants) do their damage and how the antioxidants neutralize and disarm them by a simple exchange of electrons between “oxidants” (electron donors ) and “reductants” (electron acceptors). At the end of the day, restoration of balance is the goal of the healing process, as we shall see, and the “villains” of the free radicals turn out to be essential players in the process of maintaining homeostasis. This, I promise, will be a fascinating read. Enjoy! (Newcomers to my blog would enjoy reading the previous posts in this series on The Healing Process for background information.)
Video clips: Covalent Bonding (4:32), Free Radicals vs Antioxidants (4:30)
Redox Regulation of the Healing Processes-New Science
Emerging science from the past five years has solidly established that the chemical balance of small reactive redox messengers is essential to the healing process and the regulation of the immune system. These small reactive “redox” molecules participate in the same homeostatic balancing act that is used to balance the proper amount of the various proteins inside the cell (as we already have discussed). These “redox” messengers are constantly being produced, mostly by the mitochondria in the cells, and then constantly being eliminated at the same rate by a variety of protective enzymes (generally called “antioxidants“) that are strategically stationed inside and outside of the cells.
Let us more closely examine these reactive “redox” messengers for a minute. They are made from simple rearrangements of the atoms in H20, NaGI and N2 and are put together by special molecular complexes in the cell. Some examples of redox signaling molecules are H202, H02, HOCI and NO. About half of the redox messengers can be categorized as “oxidants” and the other half, in fairness, can be categorized as “reductants.” “Reductants” is a contrived nickname, the official name being energetic “electron acceptors.” Oxidants, incidentally, can also be referred to as energetic “electron donors” in the same sense.
Not much is said about “Reductants” in the literature. In fact this nickname was just fashioned to be able to talk about this group of electron acceptors in this booklet. The basic concept, however, is very familiar to chemists and physicists. The laws of conservation of charge, mass and energy dictate that every time an oxidant is made from a neutral solution, a reductant or combination of reductants must concurrently be made to counterbalance it. The electron acceptors must balance out the electron donors. The ability of the resulting molecules to oxidize or reduce the molecules in their environment is referred to as the “redox” potential, a key player and motivator for all of the chemical reactions that take place in nature.
The name “redox” itself comes from the ability of these messengers to “REDuce” and/or “OXidize” molecules in their environment. Reduction and oxidation are chemical terms that relate to the potential that the molecules have to “give away” (oxidize) or “accept” (reduce) electrons to and from other molecules in their environment. As mentioned, all chemical reactions taking place in the cell depend on this redox potential in order to happen. Redox messengers have the ability to change the redox potential of their environment, thereby altering the chemical reactions that take place. Strong reductants and oxidants can both be harmful and destructive to the cell if they are allowed to wander around at will.
The oxidants, in particular, have made a really bad name for themselves; several of them are free radicals that have high energy, unpaired electrons that will blow apart whatever they come into contact with (like tiny molecular cannons). Oxidants will damage DNA, blow holes in cellular membranes, destroy important proteins, etc. The reductants are also hazardous, they will grab electrons away from molecules (with the ferocity of small molecular sharks), thereby causing destruction. To be perfectly clear, reductants are not antioxidants. Reductants are simply the chemical counterparts of oxidants (much like acids and bases). Antioxidants, on the other hand, are a class of much larger organic molecules produced by genetic coding that act as catalysts capable of facilitating the reverse chemical processes needed to ultimately “untie” and neutralize both the oxidants and the reductants. Antioxidant cycles require both oxidants and reductants in order to work correctly.
Let us focus on the antioxidants for a minute. The antioxidants were historically considered as the heroes of the cell because they broke down the harmful oxidants by pulling them in and neutralizing them together with reductants, leaving just common harmless sea-water molecules in their wake. Over an antioxidant cycle (some of which are complex multi-step processes) the oxidants and reductants are neutralized [view clip], however the antioxidant itself remains unchanged, ready to do it all over again to the next set of oxidants and reductants. The antioxidant in this sense is a catalyst that speeds up the neutralization of oxidants with reductants and yet of itself remains unchanged. You can think of an antioxidant as a black box: reactive and potentially dangerous oxidants and reductants go into the box and harmless neutral sea-water molecules come out.
Ironically, the oxidants (that historically have been thought to be the villains) are now seen as central players to the healthy function of the cells. We have recently learned that we would not be able to live without either the reactive oxidants or the reductants. The truth be told, these tiny reactive molecules play an absolutely essential messenger role in our cells and tissues [my underscore]. The most critical aspect of healthy redox-messenger balance is in that the oxidants and reductants must be produced and eliminated in perfectly-balanced and equal portions. As long as there are equal portions of oxidants and reductants in the interior or exterior of the cell, the antioxidants can readily neutralize them both as fast as they are created. As discussed, the antioxidants need equal portions of oxidants and reductants in order to function, in the case of Glutathione (an abundant antioxidant made in our cells). The large mouth of the relatively huge antioxidant molecule lures in a reductant (that is electron hungry) and then lures in an oxidant (that has an energetic electron to donate) and then pulls them both together into the “active site” in the middle. At the active site, the reductant and oxidant are combined together, neutralizing them both. The resulting harmless molecules float away. The antioxidant is then free to do it all again. If there is an ample supply of reductants and oxidants in the neighborhood, one antioxidant molecule can typically neutralize tens of millions of oxidant molecules every second, as measured in the lab. [Emphasis and underscores mine]
This was a eye-opener for me when I first read it, and I believe it is crucial to a better understanding of homeostasis. There are no “good” and “bad” players in this microcosm of the biological universe that comprises our bodies. There’s only “appropriate” and “inappropriate” based on place and timing, balance and imbalance. To quote a poet friend and colleague, “Nothing is wrong. Everything matters.”
The antioxidants are purposefully manufactured, sent to and positioned around the areas of the cell, such as the nucleus, that are vulnerable to oxidative damage. As equal portions of oxidants and reductants approach these protected areas, the antioxidants standing guard around these areas pull them in and neutralize them both. The antioxidants are thus able to keep these potentially harmful reactive molecules away from protected areas and corral and use them for their own best purposes. Consequently, the immune system uses large amounts of such oxidants, along with strong demolition enzymes, as its weapon of choice against harmful invading bacteria and viruses. The foreign invaders do not even stand a chance against these potent weapons. After the invaders have been torn apart and destroyed by the enzymes and oxidants, the surrounding antioxidants standing guard and other enzymes clean up the mess, toxins and hazards.
THE HEALING PROCESS DESCRIBED
The key to understanding how this redox balancing process helps the body heal itself comes when considering what happens when the cells become damaged or defective for some reason or another. There are thousands of different processes with thousands of different proteins taking place everywhere inside the cell. When something is not working right, how does the cell detect the damage? The answer lies in the fact that as the normal homeostatic balance that exists in healthy cells is disturbed, somewhere in the cell there is either a build-up or deficiency of the normal quantity of proteins. There is a high probability that this
growing imbalance will at some point make the metabolism of sugars less efficient. When this happens, the redox-messenger production in the mitochondria becomes unbalanced, producing many more oxidants than reductants or vice versa. In other words, the damage will ultimately manifest itself as a build–up of oxidants or reductants. This condition is called “oxidative stress” and is a real phenomenon seen (under the microscope) to occur in almost all defective or stressed cells (in both animals and plants).
An imbalance in the redox messengers, usually manifesting itself as oxidative stress, sends a clear signal that damage has occurred somewhere and that the cell is defective. The excess oxidants are not balanced by reductants and cannot be effectively neutralized by antioxidants. These oxidants end up causing even more damage to other parts of the cell. This clear signal for help causes the DNA to code for the “fix–it crew” and cytokine messengers that are sent out to alert the immune system. If this imbalance (oxidative stress condition) is not corrected by the attempts of the fix–it crew, the oxidants continue to build up. Then after about two hours, the fatally damaged cell starts a “programmed cell suicide” cascade (apoptosis) that will end up with the cell killing and dismantling itself. This is not a bad thing. Normal healthy neighboring cells will then be able to divide in order to fill in the vacancy. On the microscopic scale, this is essentially the healing process. [my underscore]
The oxidative stress condition in a stressed or damaged cell also causes the DNA to code for messengers to be sent to neighboring cells, advising them of its condition. Redox messengers can also be used as these intercellular messengers. If the damaged cell, such as those found in tumors, is not able to kill itself, then its neighboring healthy cells will send back “death domain” messengers as well as distress messengers to the immune system that will either cause the damaged cell to die or to be attacked by the immune system. This system is regularly used to detect and destroy practically all of the damaged and dysfunctional cells in the body. Remember, it only takes one undetected dysfunctional cell, out of the trillions that are successfully detected and killed, to start seeding an abnormal growth.”
This brings our series to a turning point. The posts that will follow will look at the role of the immune system in healing and how this system is activated by the Redox Signaling Molecules. View this video clip to prepare for the next consideration.
Clip: The Healing Revolution – the Science Behind ASEA.
To your health and healing,
Dr. Tony Palombo
For information on ordering ASEA, click here.
The Healing Process: The Cell, Part 3 Communication
The Signaling Messengers
We’ve been entertained and edified by the inner life of the cell — how it’s “micro machinery” makes protein molecules from amino acids in the ribosomes and produces its own energy (ATP) in the mitochondria. We will now move on to learn how these inner parts of the cells communicate with one another, as well as how the cells communicate among themselves and with the various systems of the body. Again, I will call upon Dr. Gary Samuelson to help tell the story from his booklet The Science of Healing Revealed – New Insights into Redox Signaling.
Looking at the simple molecular keys that control the kinase fuel gates that energize the machinery in the living cell gives us a first glimpse at a very important class of molecules and proteins that act as messengers that are sent off to make sure specific things happen or do not happen. As can be imagined, these signaling messengers serve a very important role in the working of the cells. They send signals between the machinery in the cell that determines how the cell’s machinery operates and responds to the normal changes in its environment as well as drastic alarms like threats, damage, lack of oxygen, changes in temperature, the arrival of a nerve signal, etc. They can also be sent as long distance messengers to send signals between cells and tissues, as well as general messengers released into the blood and lymph that affect the working of whole systems throughout the entire body, like adrenaline for example. A few of these are listed below. The rest of this booklet, however, is focused on the emerging science that explains, in part, how signaling messengers do what they do and the processes that keeps them controlled and balanced when the body is healthy.
Redox messengers – Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and Reduced SpeCies (RS) — The smallest and most fundamental universal signaling molecules in the body are the simple but extremely important reactive molecules that are formed from combinations of the atoms (Na, CI, H, 0, N) readily found in the salt water bath that fills the inside of the cells (cytosol). All of life’s players mentioned so far float around in this bath and can be surrounded by a balanced mixture of these reactive molecules…. “
Dr. Samuelson lists a few of these reactive molecules, such as Superoxide, Hydrogen Peroxide, Hypochiorous Acid, Nitric Oxide, only four of some 20 of them. Then there are these players:
Charged metal ions – Their movement alone makes the electric current that carries signals along our nerves and muscles. They also play signaling roles in hundreds of different life processes. Three examples or these are the Calcium ion (Ca2+), the Potassium ion (K+) and Sodium ion (Na+).
Cytokines – The messengers that activate and regulate the immune system, controlling inflammation, white blood cell movement and natural cell death; Interleukins (regulate immune cells); Interferons (identify invaders,viruses).
Then there are the Endocrine messengers that control and regulate digestion, metabolism and organ function: Adrenaline, Insulin, Gastrin. And the Hormone messengers that determine tissue growth and reproductive function: Testosterone, Estrogen and Progesterone.
Another group of fascinating players in the life of the cell are what are called the “Transcription Factors.“ These messengers cause the DNA inside the nucleus to call for increased production or reduction of certain specific proteins: NF-kappaB calls for inflammation; NRF2 calls for antioxidants; and TNF calls for tumor death.
Enzymes – the “break-it-down clean-it-up and recycle-it crew.”
There are enzymes in the cell that are assigned to the clean-up and recycling crew. They speed up the elimination of the cell’s “garbage,” breaking down the unneeded or excess molecules into smaller useful components. Without these enzymes we would quickly die from the accumulation of excessive and possibly harmful unneeded molecules inside the cells. They also protect the cells by breaking down toxins that come in from the outside environment.
In a very real sense, these enzymes are more than just the garbage disposal crew, they form an indispensable part of the system that maintains the chemical balance needed to sustain all of the life-critical processes that take place inside the cells. In the cell, molecules (large and small) are constantly in the process of being built up from smaller pieces and then torn back down into smaller pieces again.
Antioxiants – “The clean-up crew that is placed strategically in the cell, like guardians, to break down and eliminate the oxidants that would otherwise accumulate and cause damage.” They are: Glutathione Peroxldase (GPx) that breaks down various oxidants (free radicals), Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) that breaks down superoxides, and Catalase that breaks down hydrogen peroxide.
Proteases– The large protein break-it-down crew, used as digestive enzymes to break down food and used by cells to break down unneeded or defective proteins. They are Trypsin, Chyotrypsin and Pepsinogen.
Other “Staff Members” are: Collagen, Cholesterol, Glucose, Triglycerides, Prostaglandin, Quinine, Oleic Acid, Cocaine, Caffeine, Levidopa, and Histamine.
As we can see, there are many and varied types of “actors” playing various and sundry roles to make life possible in our bodies so that we can live and serve in this earthly plane of existence. It’s helpful to have them placed in a context the way Dr. Samuelson does in his booklet.
In my next post we will learn how all these actors work together via the signaling messengers, whose crucial role it is to keep all the actors in touch with one another and all the systems of the body well-informed on what’s going on with each part and within the whole body. Then we will be prepared to study and learn the important role chemical balance plays in the healing process, and how the body keeps everything balanced. Until then, if you haven’t viewed it already, take the time now to enjoy David Bolinsky’s “Fantastic Voyage Inside the Cell” (10 min).
My best to your health and healing,
Dr. Tony Palombo
The Healing Process: Chemical Balance
CHEMICAL BALANCE AND HEALING
I trust you are enjoying these articles exploring the the anatomy and physiology of the cell in the context of The Healing Process.Now that we know how the cells make protein and generate their own energy (ATP), let’s look at what role chemical balance plays in the Healing Process. Dr. Gary Samuelson explains it in layman’s language in his booklet The Science of Healing Revealed – New Insights into Redox Signaling.
The Chemical Balance-How the Body Keeps it all Balanced
Once a protein messenger has delivered its message, it does not “live” very much longer to continue sending more messages. The cells manufacture enzymes (protease “break-down crews”) that quickly disassemble the messenger proteins and recycle their parts (Amino Acids). Thus an adrenaline “burst” lasts only as long as it takes for the protease crews to break down the excess adrenaline in the blood; after which the normal adrenaline balance in the blood is restored. In the body, the phrase, “kill the messenger,” takes on a whole new meaning.
This process of continuous production and subsequent elimination of molecules is not restricted only to the messenger proteins. A careful chemical balance is maintained for hundreds of thousands of types of molecules in every cell that depends on a stable condition where the rate at which the molecules are being produced is the same as the rate that they are taken apart elsewhere. This kind of a balance is called a homeostatic balance. The secret behind almost all biological processes lies in how the body works to maintain this balance.
When the homeostatic balance inside any cell is disturbed, there is either a build-up or a depletion of certain types of molecules. This growing unbalanced condition triggers the cell to respond. If there is a deficiency of a certain type of molecule, the cell can respond by increasing production of this molecule. If there is an excess amount of a certain molecule, it can increase the production of the enzymes that break down this molecule, thus helping to eliminate the excess. The cell can also take a more complex course of action and send out messengers that will help correct a possible problem, or it can even signal for a series of more complex processes that will help the cell adjust to adverse conditions. If the action is successful, then the normal balance will be restored and all is well.
One example of this balancing act is “blood sugar” levels. If the blood sugar level goes up, then the pancreatic beta cells respond by producing more insulin. These insulin messengers speedup the sugar metabolism machinery in the body, causing it to burn some sugar and store the rest as fat. As the blood sugar level decreases, the rate of insulin production also decreases. The elevated amount of insulin in the blood triggers the production of the insulin clean-up crew enzymes. The blood insulin level will eventually go back to normal levels as the excess insulin broken down and removed by these enzymes.
It is interesting to note that if too much sugar is placed in the blood all at once (due to eating easily digestible carbohydrates and sugars, such as white breads and candy bars), the pancreatic beta cells are stressed to work extra hard and they end up producing too much insulin. Since the gross excess of insulin takes a while to clean up, it often happens that too much of the blood sugar is processed and blood sugar levels drop well below normal. This deficiency in blood sugar triggers the production of “hunger” messengers. If this cycle is continued, [and consumption of sugar and carbohydrates is how one alleviates one’s sugar cravings], it may cause obesity and may also lead to over stressing and killing the pancreatic beta cells that produce insulin, causing diabetes (insulin dependent Type I). The body is not built to handle too much blood sugar all at once.
Type II diabetes occurs when the receptor sites of the cells for insulin messengers become saturated, creating the condition of “insulin resistance.” The only way to free up the insulin receptor sites is to stop the production of insulin by fasting from insulin spiking carbohydrates and sugars completely for 30 days, then ease back on a moderate intake of such foods as white rice, white bread, candy, sugar, Irish potatoes, pasta, bananas and other sweet fruit (plums, prunes and blueberries are okay). Refined carbohydrates the body can do without altogether as they simply do more harm than good. Click here for proof this works.
The key to health is to make sure the cells have the raw materials they need to maintain a healthy chemical balance in the machinery that keeps them alive. If the cells are healthy, consequently the whole body is in good health. Good health then lies in being able to sustain a healthy chemical balance.
Of course, it is not possible to maintain perfect health all of the time. Eventually, some of the cells that make up the body will be damaged by injuries, infections, age, the sun, radiation, cold, heat, external toxins and even physical exertion. In fact, the cells in the body are undergoing damage all of the time; thus the body has developed methods to heal itself and thereby restore and maintain healthy balance throughout the whole organism.
Our next consideration will be “Redox Regulation of the Healing Process — New Science.” Enjoy this video clip on covalent bonding before leaving my blog which will help you understand the chemistry involved in free-radical damaging to healthy cells and the process by which they are neutralized by antioxidants. Until next week, then, my best. . .
to your health and healing,
Dr. Tony Palombo
The Healing Process: The Cell, Part 2 Energy
ENERGY! Where does it come from?
We’ve seen how the cell makes protein molecules. The names of some of these proteins are familiar to us, such as adrenaline, testosterone, estrogen, insulin, cholesterol, dopamine, triglycerides, ATP. Others are not so familiar, such as collagen, the connective tissue used through the body to hold tissues together. Then there are countless other proteins found in bones, muscles and hair. Many do not have names but only numbers for identifying them. Some are coded as catalyst and messengers to set in motion various events and processes, such as caffeine and “signaling messengers,” to which I’ll dedicate several blog posts later on.
But before we get too much further into our thematic consideration of the healing process, let’s look at where the cell gets its energy to power its complex machinery. I’ll call on Dr. Gary Samuelson again to help tell the story as he tells it so well in his booklet, The Science of Healing Revealed . . . New insights into Redox Signaling.
First, let’s view a couple of video clips: Powering the Cell: Mitochondria (2 min) Powerhouses of the Cell (1 min) [Note: video clips are best viewed in full screen mode and using headphones. To return to the blog, exit full screen mode and then click on the BACK arrow up top left on the screen.]
(Or simply view these embeded videos, although one of them does not have a full screen mode option.)
After viewing these computer animated models of the life and inner workings of the cell, is there any doubt there is a God governing intelligent unfoldment of creation? Watching these inner “micro machines” of the cell move about in buoyant salty fluid with such grace and certainty, demonstrates the nature of what we’ve come to call the “subtle energy” of life. Life is in no hurry. Why should it be? It is in control of the entire universe, and that’s not going anywhere, has no agenda to accomplish within a “deadline.” Nor does it use “power or might” to accomplish its work. “By my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts” are the eternal miracles of life accomplished. The subtle energy that empowers our cells is our very lifeline – and “subtle energy work,” such as attunement and sacred sound healing, is the “wave of the future” in the field of health and healing, as well a lifestyle, simply because it supports the healing process and doesn’t “intervene” with or impose upon the innate wisdom of the body.
Now, on with our lesson for the day . . . .
THE FUEL REFINERS
Almost all of the machinery inside the cell is adapted to use only one type of fuel, namely ATP, providing, providing 95% of the energy necessary to keep this machinery and thus the whole body working. The cell’s fuel, ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) has three high-energy phosphate molecules on one end. They are put together by the burning of simple sugars with oxygen from the blood in a process that is called the “metabolism” of sugar. ATP itself is built up while passing through a complex protein called ATPsynthase. . . . Most of the ATPsynthase is embedded in the wall of the main energy powerhouse in the cell, the mitochondria. It is in the mitochondria where most of the ATP fuel is manufactured. The ATPsynthase in the mitochondria produces the vast majority of the cell’s fuel, in the form of ATP.
Video clips: ATP Synthesis (1:12), The Krebs Cycle (0:27)
The mitochondria are interesting objects by themselves, they have their own circular DNA, called “mtDNA,” and behave much like bacteria, they divide and reproduce themselves and manufacture some of their own proteins, but they are always under the control of the nucleus; something like domesticated, energy-producing “cattle” of the cell. There are anywhere from 10 to 5000 mitochondria in each cell, often comprising up to 50% of the total cell‘s inner volume. Consequently, the mitochondria also consume the lion‘s share of the cellular oxygen in exchange for the ATP fuel they produce.
The importance of ATP cannot be over emphasized; every time your muscles move or a thought runs through your brain, every time you sweat or salivate or look at something, billions upon billions of ATP molecules are being consumed in order to power the process. The chemical reactions powering your cells are blurringly fast on the molecular scale. Most of the complex reactions take place in less than one millionth of a second.
THE FUEL STATION ATTENDANTS:
Just like the gas pedal 0n your car, most of the molecular micro machines inside your cells have “throttles,” called kinases, that control how fast the ATP fuel is consumed by these machines and consequently how fast these little machines operate. ATP is expensive to produce and thus is carefully conserved and used to fuel the most important processes of the cell first. This ATP fuel is also carefully regulated so that no part of the cell receives more than its fair share and ensures that the fuel goes to the place where it is most needed. A few examples of the actual
protein regulators that determine how much ATP fuel is used and where it is used are listed next. The keys to these kinase fuel gateways are determined by a variety of different molecules that are floating around in the neighborhood as well as the presence of oxidants and reductants that will be explained in following chapters.Pyruvate-Kinase — surprisingly, some of these tiny molecular kinase molecules, like Pyruvate Kinase, actually look like throttle valves that, when activated, physically open up a passage to let the ATP through.
cAMP and cGMP are a few of the hundreds of messenger “keys” that unlock the “fuel gates” (Kinases) on the molecular machines so that they can accept the fuel (ATP) that they need to work. These messengers are often released by signals coming from the outside of the cell and regularly unlock the gates that regulate sugar intake and smooth muscle control of the blood vessel dilation. cGMP, for example, helps open up blood flow and is one of the active ingredients in the popular drug, Viagra.
Ck2a Kinase with IP3 — some kinase gates, especially gates that let through certain metal ions used in muscle control and rapid signaling, are controlled by small molecules like IP3 that hold the fuel gate closed or open.
Video clip: Glycolysis and Cellular Respiration (3 min 17 sec). This is a look at the practical, rubber-meets-the-road application of all we’ve just considered.
Aren’t these YouTube video clips entertaining, as well as educational?! I just love them . . . and I am so thankful to their various creators for making them so freely available on the Web.
I don’t know about you, but I am totally blown away by the biological immensity and complexity of the cell’s anatomy and physiology. And we’ve only been looking at a single cell’s internal activities. Multiply what you’ve seen by 100,000,000,000 cells . . . that’s one-hundred-trillion! It’s mind-boggling . . . for me anyway. It definitely makes me more aware of the miracle that life is, and it engenders in me a profound sense of respect for the cells of my body and a desire to offer them as much help as I can to make their work easier – such help as eating wholesome foods and taking nutritional supplements and herbs when needed with an attitude of blessing them all, as well as eliminating as many toxins from my life as possible, and doing moderate exercise daily, if only a twenty to thirty minute walk outdoors where fresh air is available and nature’s beauty abounds.
But even more important, I help my cells by maintaining a internal climate of peace and joy, because I know they feel what’s going on inside my heart, as well as the vibrations of my thoughts. I will think of these beautiful cells every time a negative thought creeps into my head, a resentful or complaining attitude wants to take root in my heart, or an ill spirit comes along to vex my soul. In the words of the Psalmist, “Let me dwell in the secret place of the Most High, and abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” Let me love unconditionally myself, my neighbor, my world. Let there be peace in my house of being.
Tune in to my next installation in this series of articles exploring the nature of The Healing Process for a consideration of “The Signaling Messengers” and the critical roles they play in maintaining chemical balance (homeostasis) in the body and implementing its healing process.
I will also be sharing a very significant scientific breakthrough and its application via innovative technology: The Redox Signaling Molecule. I look forward to it because it will represent the “golden nugget” of this series on the healing process.
I’ll leave you to the enjoyment once again of David Bolinsky’s entertaining presentation of the “Fantastic Voyage inside the cell.” (10 min)
My best to your health and healing,
Dr. Tony Palombo
The Healing Process:The Cell, Part 1 Protein Synthesis
BASIC CONCEPTS
We’ve been considering the role of the cell in facilitating the healing process, sharing some of Dr. Gary Samuelson’s booklet The Science of Healing Revealed – New Insights into Redox Signaling. In this post we will look at the basic concept of the cell’s function in manufacturing protein molecules, the fundamental building blocks of our anatomy.
(Note: This post contains several video clips for your visual aid and entertainment. They are best viewed in full screen mode and with headphones. After viewing a clip, click the full screen option again to exit full screen mode, then click on the BACK arrow at the top left hand corner of the screen to return to the blog.)
We’ll start with this beautiful video clip of The Inner Life of the Cell (8 min). Brief ABC Report (3 min). If you have the time, enjoy David Bolinsky’s entertaining Fantastic Voyage inside the cell (10 min.)
An Overview of How Healthy Cells Work
All life processes take place inside of our cells. In the simplest definition, a cell is a tiny bag filled with salt water and organic chemicals. The bag itself is made out of a bi-lipid [phospholipid] membrane (3 thin sheet that has waterproof layers on both sides and a thin layer of fat [cholesterol] in between).
Note the need for cholesterol in the cell structure, not at all the “bad” thing medicine and pharma would have us believe. Balance and ratio, as in all things, is the primary factor.
View clip Anatomy of a cell (3:38)
All of the materials that the cell needs to maintain life must be passed through this membrane into the inside of the cell and also all of the unneeded garbage that is generated inside tile cell needs to be passed back out through this membrane to the outside of the cell. The cell manufactures certain portals or gateways, called receptors and co-receptors, that are embedded in the cell membrane to let the materials in and out and to pass chemical messages from the outside to the inside of the cell and vice versa. Everything that affects the cell must be able either to pass through these portals or to diffuse through the membrane. (4:40)
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In the middle of each cell there is another smaller double bag (made from two bi-lipid membranes) that contains the nucleus and DNA. The DNA [Deoxyibonucleic Acid] has encoded instructions on how and when to build the proteins that the cell uses. A DNA strand is made out of two molecular spines twisted into a double helix. Between the spines there can be found only four distinct types of molecules called nucleotides (labeled A,T,C,G) which are arranged in sequenced groups like rungs on a ladder. Groups of three of these rungs are called “codons” (A-T-G1 for example).
The exact sequence of these codons in the DNA strand determines the specific order in which amino acids are chained together (called polypeptide chains) in order to form proteins, thousands and thousands of different varieties. Most of the cell’s machinery and inner structure is formed out of the proteins manufactured from these genetic instructions. One exception to this rule is the formation of an organelle called the Mitochondrion. The Mitochondria (plural) contain their own DNA (called mtDNA) formed in circular strands and they divide and reproduce inside the cell much like bacteria divide, but are controlled and regulated by protein messengers from the nucleus. The Mitochondria’s primary job is to efficiently produce the fuel (ATP) that energizes the micro machines inside the cell that carry out the life processes. There are anywhere from 10 to 5000 Mitochondria in a typical cell, taking up to 50% of the cell’s volume.
YouTube video clips: DNA and RNA (1:45) Protein Synthesis (3:30) Transcription: From DNA to Flesh and Blood (4 min)
In theory, the DNA sequences of instructions (genes) inside any given cell in your body are entirely identical to the DNA sequences (genes) that are in every other cell (with the exception of the reproductive cells). Lately researchers have cloned whole animals by placing the DNA from a single skin cell inside an empty egg cell. The egg cell starts to divide and form a complete organism. The DNA package Inside every ceil in the animal has all of the instructions necessary to form a whole new animal. This begs the question: If the DNA in every cell is identical, then how does there come to be so many different varieties of cells and tissues, brain cells, bone cells, skin cells, liver cells, etc.? The answer to this question is found in the understanding that the individual cells do not act alone they are grouped and bound together into tissues.
The genes activated in the individual cells depend largely on messengers sent back and forth from their neighbors and are specific to where the cells are located in the body. After a while, the chemical (protein) messages sent from the surrounding cells activate the genes that determine the behavior of all the cells that collectively form similar tissue. So in a real sense, the cellular function is determined by the environment in which it lives. Cells, in this sense, “become what they eat.” [Underscore mine]
Cellular differentiation and “stem cells.”
The ability of a cell to change its form and function depending on the protein messengers surrounding it is called “cellular differentiation.” A cell gains its identity (brain, muscle, liver, etc.) from the messengers it finds around it and/or builds inside it. A recent triumph in science came when “stem cells” were discovered. These cells can take the form of any cell they come into contact with (they are undifferentiated cells). If you want to grow new brain cells, for example, then all that is required is to place stem cells in the brain. They will soon transform into new brain cells that fit flawlessly into their new environment as they are programmed to become new brain cells by their neighboring cells. This also happens if they are placed in the liver, heart, etc., the stem cells ultimately become similar to the cells that surround them. It is an interesting fact that the cells in your body can also genetically shift due to the intake of nutrients that you eat. What you eat can literally change the form and genetic function of your cells. There have been experiments with identical twins in mice, both having exactly the same DNA, that were fed different diets. One mouse grew shiny brown fur and was skinny. The other grew light gold fur and was fat and sickly. The only difference between the two mice was in what they ate.”
This point is one to give pause for deep consideration, so I will end this post with it. It is this kernel of truth that emerged out of the fascinating work of world renown Cellular Biologist, Dr. Bruce Lipton. Click on his name below when you have 35 minutes to relax and listen to this brilliant man as he tells his story of how he violated the central dogma that is the pillar of modern biomedicine. This dogma is the concept, formulated by Francis Crick, co-founder along with Jim Watson of the DNA double helix molecule, that the flow of information in biology goes from DNA to RNA to protein, and since you body is made of protein, and protein is coded by the DNA in the cell, which carries your genetic heritage and fingerprint, your behavior is controlled by your genes, and you are a victim of your heredity past. This is not the truth of the matter, but I’ll let Dr. Lipton tell his own story and leave you to your listening and learning pleasure . . . and with this prophetic pearl from Albert Einstein, who wrote: “The field is the sole governing agency of the particle.”
To your health and healing,
Dr. Tony Palombo
Video of Dr. Bruce Lipton (35 min.)
HealingTones.org 