__________________
Sybille
“Think highly of yourself
because the world takes you
at your own estimate.”

When writing the above observation, I noted that no replies were forthcoming. Of course, this was not my intention as I am interested in furthering my education when it comes to holistic medicine working in conjunction with the medical profession. Therefore, I am inviting anyone familiar with the natural healing art to share their expertise when it comes to building red blood count prior to any surgical intervention. Whether professionals or someone who has been able to find success using natural "healing" through trial and error and found a measure of success. All information will be most appreciated.

__________________
Sybille
“Think highly of yourself
because the world takes you
at your own estimate.”

GSH or Glutathione is the newest kid on the block in the blood boosting arsenal. You cannot take GSH. The body will not absorb it in the gut. You can take supplements that boost glutathione (GSH) though. I think you will find that Gogi juice, wheat grass and others all do this as a side effect.

However, the lungs do absorb glutathione for some reason. They also absorb the supplement too which is why the second of the two is in a medicine we use. Incidentally, in early use, years ago, and at about 10K per month, a 82 year old stage four lung cancer patient was treated with the natural version of the stuff. She did die, 12 years later at 94.

Now for the disclaimer thing. I am a distributor for two of the products produced in North America. In PA, the nurse practice act (laws governing how nurses practice nursing) does not allow us to profit from anything we promote in the treatment of our patients. If your a patient of mine or ever have been, you can not purchase any products from me, ever. Please note: I do not spend a lot of time selling it nor do I make very much money. Mostly it pays for me to be able to help friends and family.

There is a company in Germany which produces a similar product and soon will be one in Japan. Numerous people sell them. One can be prescribed and is used in many hospitals. More on this in a bit.

Blood building...

Of the over 100K studies on GSH, although not directly studied for some reason, many of the lab results showed increase blood counts in anemic patients.

Ancecdotally, my father in law was anemic prior to his back surgery and post op came out with a Hgb of 16 (not exactly ideal since it was too high). However, he healed so fast and infection free, it left everyone asking what was going on. We only had him on supplements for 30 days prior to surgery.

It does much more. In all, maybe 27 to 40 things. There are three main ones.

Antioxidant...the bodies natural internal antioxidant. (any other antioxidant will only work as good as what ever you GSH levels are according to the studies.

Immune booster...the master immunity in both blood and cells. The recent Nobel Prize winner studied and spoke about using one of the two to successfully treat Aids over a decade ago. Rather interesting story as it is just now making the news.

Detoxifier...It detoxifies everything, almost. Acetaminophen poisoning is treated by boosting your GSH. Lead, mercury and many others. Acetaminophen, often contraindicated for bloodless, is the arch enemy of GSH>

Some hospitals use to prevent complications related to chemo and radiation treatment.

But, and this is really big. It is one of the only holistic / natural/ complimentary treatments that is in the Physicians Desk Reference. The other has a key ingredient listed in the PDR but has other co-factors included to make it more potent.

It is medicare approved although in my state it is only approved for tube feedings and babies.

In Canada, one product is advertised to decrease pressure wounds (bed sores) in weeks not months.

I have used it off label (topically with vitamin e oil) and it helped a finger cut about as wide and deep as the width as a hack saw blade (well that's what cut me) heal with virtually no scar. On calling the doctors at McGill who studied and know the product, they told me that they have a topical cream originally created for burn patients, now sold as a cosmetic medicine.

There are two versions. One is expensive (but cheaper than EPO) and one is about half the price of the first.

The first is all natural. The second is chemical.

The first boosts your GSH by 30% per packet. The second, the chemical along with the co-factors increases it by 200%.

The first can be used with Chemo, radiation, and numerous other meds with no side effects. The chemical one has numerous contraindications like chemo, radiation, stomach ulcers and gentamicin to name a few.

Both are contraindicated for organ transplant patients although there is not any science to say if it would help or not.

You can learn more about it on The Glutathione Disease Cure, Health Wellness, Anti-aging, Natural Cure Resource

It is rather fascinating. With over 100K studies and several books out on it, this only touches the surface.

BTW... as to the 15 pediatric aids patients treated over 10 years ago. 10 have been pronounced aids free. Not cured, just aids free. Cancer patients typically do not need blood or EPO and do not lose their hair. It has recently been studied for treating chronic muscle wasting and found effective.

It helps ADHD, Chronic Fatigue, Allergies, fibromyalgia to name a few of many. Although unintuitive (how can one thing treat so many things), GSH is in every cell in our body. So every disease that affects the cells that have GSH in them could be treated by increasing GSH.


Best Wishes and good health to you.

I just found a Swiss product supposedly chemically exactly the same as the natural one mentioned above. They claim to be studying it for building blood. Seems it builds all aspects of blood, including albumin and platelets.

This means it is available in most of the world.

However, I have a skeptical side to me. So first, checking to see if my old Orthopod employer was listed on the web as a control, the test started. He is from a podunk town with a 54 bed hospital. Yep, he is there.

Then I checked the docs listed as having written testimonials. Well, curious findings....

Here are the testimonials...the Doc's initials...and the findings....(note this is a similar product to the natural one mentioned in the previous post. Also, they were edited to prevent duplicate content concerns for this web site)

... nutritional support in combination with treatment shows increased Hgb levels and patients show immediate response in their energy levels. Dr. M, M.D. (He does not seem to exist on the web)

...the bioactive (non-denatured) whey protein isolate ... for its immune system support and nutritional value.
G. N. Ph.D. (Not found on the web)

... in treatment of our immune compromised patients ...very impressed with the results. And ... increased immune support and hemoglobin levels which are constantly seen in our patients lab results.
Dr. J M, M.D. (Two docs by this name, no indication of which)

I have found ... particularly helpful in treating anemia's and the stabilization of the immune system.
Dr. R. W, N.D., D.C., P.C.m (There is a real doc with complete with name and alphabet soup behind it)


So, if we cannot totally trust the testimonials (hey, Im not even sure), then check out the science.

What is interesting is the claim of blood boosting properties. As said before, there are no direct studies showing this. The results of the studies demonstrate that it works this way.


Here are the studies about boosting glutathione. The titles speak volumes!

Ames, B. N., Shigenaga, M. K. & Hagen, T. M. (1993). Oxidants, antioxidants, and the degenerative diseases of aging. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90: 7915-7922.

Baruchel, S, Viav, G., Olivier. R., Bounous, G., Wainberg, M. (1996). Nutraceutical modulation of GSH with a humanized native milk serum protein isolate, Immunocal: Application AIDS and cancer is oxidative stress and redox regulation: Cellular signaling, AIDS, cancer and other diseases. Symposium, Institute Pasteur

Bjorck, L., Rosen, C., Marshall, V., and Reiter B. (1975). Antibacterial Activity of the Lactoperoxidase System in Milk Against Pseudomonads and Other Gram-Negative Bacteria, Appl. Microbiol., 30, 199.

Bounous, G., and P. Gold. (1991). The biological activity of un-denatured whey proteins: role of glutathione. Clin. Invest Med.; 14:296-309

DeLeve LD, Kaplowitz N. (1991). Glutathione metabolism and its role in hepatotoxicity. Pharmacol Ther Dec; 52(3):287-305. Review.

Droege, W., E. Holm. (1997). Role of Cysteine and glutathione in HIV infection and other diseases associated with muscle wasting and immunological dysfunction. [Review] [91 refs.]. FASEBJ 1997, 11:1077-1089. (A newer study in 2007 with similar findings was released in Jan 08)

Droege, W., HP Eck, S. Mihm, D. Galter. (1994). Abnormal redox regulations in HIV infection and other immunodeficiency diseases. In: Oxidative Stress, cell activation and viral infection. C. Pasquier et al. (eds..). Birkauser Verlag, Basel, Switzerland, 285

Gutman, J. Schettini, S. (1998). The ultimate GSH handbook. Montreal: Gutman and Schettini Enr.

Harmsen, M.C., et al. (1995). Antiviral effects of plasma and milk proteins: lactoferrin shows potent activity against both human immunodeficiency virus and human cytomegalovirus replication in vitro. J. Infec. Dis. 172, 380-388.

Kawakami, H. et al. (1993). Effect of lactoferrin on iron solubility under neutral conditions. Biosci. Biotech. Biochem. 57(8), 1376-1377.

Kawasaki et al. (1993). Inhibition of kappa-casein glycomacropeptide and lactoferrin of influenza virus hemagglutination. Biosci Biotech Biochem 57 (7), 1214-1215.

Lomaestro BM, Malone M. (1995). Glutathione in health and disease: pharmacotherapeutic issues. Annals Pharmacotherapy; 29:1263-73

Marchetti et al. (1998). Metal complexes of bovine lactoferrin inhibit in vitro replication of Herpes simplex virus type 1 and 2. BioMetals 11, 89-94.

Marx, J.J.M., and van Asbeck, B.S. (1996). Use of iron chelators in preventing hydroxyl radical damage: Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome as an experimental model for the pathophysiology and treatment of oxygen-radical-mediated tissue damage. Acta Hematology. 95, 49-62.

Meister, A. (1984). New aspects of glutathione biochemistry and transport selective alteration of glutathione metabolism. Nutr Rev 42: 397-410

Meister, A. (1994). The antioxidant effects of glutathione ascorbic acid. In: Oxidative stress, Cell Activation and Viral Infection. C. Pasquier et al. (eds..) Birkauser Verlag Basel, Switzerland 101-111

Noelle, RJ, DA Lawrence. (1981). Determination of glutathione in lymphocytes and possible association of redox state and proliferative capacity of lymphocytes. Biochem. J. 198:571-579

Reiter, B. (1985). The biological significance of the non-immunoglobulin protective proteins in milk. Developments in Dairy Chemistry, 3, 281-336.

Renner, E. (Ed.), (1989). Micronutrients in milk and milk-based food products. 1-70, 134-138, 275-276.

Samaranayake et al. (1997). The antifungal effect of lactoferrin and lysozyme on Candida krusei and Candida albicans, APMIS 105, 875-883.

Sanchez L., Calvo M., Brock, J.H. (1992). "Biological role of lactoferrin", Archives of Disease in Childhood, 67, 657-661.

Superti et al. (1997). Antirotaviral activity of milk proteins: lactoferrin prevents rotavirus infection in the enterocyte-like cell line HT-29, Med Microbiol Immunol 186, 83-91.

Yamauchi, K. Biologically functional proteins of milk and peptides derived from milk proteins, 75th Annual Session of the IDF, Tokyo, Oct. 1991.

Yi, M. et al. (1997). Hepatitis C virus envelope proteins bind lactoferrin. J. Virol. 71 (8), 5997-6002.

Dr Wulf Droege and colleagues were the first to discover (in 1989) that HIV-infected patients have abnormally low cysteine and glutathione levels.

In 1994, Dr Luc Montagnier (2008 Nobel Prize winner) drew attention to the natural product (in the previous post) above to the 10th International AIDS Conference.

In 1989 Montagnier, Oliver and Pasquier in a paper noted the the implications of cellular glutathione depletion in a number of degenerative disease states including Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, arteriosclerosis, cataracts, cystic fibrosis, malnutrition, aging, AIDS, and cancer.

To my knowledge, these studies and papers all used one the first two forms of cysteine mentioned in the previous post. I have not yet found a study actually using the third product. Anyone can make claims on the web.

Note: Regarding the Swiss product, the FDA did slap their hands in 2002 about making curative claims and threatened to shut them down. This is of interest because it shows how hard it is to promote and market a product in the world we live in, even if it has curative properties.

Sorry about such a long post.

Wow! I am impressed with all the information you have managed to share. I found it most interesting and really appreciate the effort you have taken to do this. Will check out some of it. I have a coworker, my boss actually, whose husband is dying from lung cancer, though looking at him, you wouldn't think this to be so. He really looks healthy. I sent her your initial information. Who knows.

__________________
Sybille
“Think highly of yourself
because the world takes you
at your own estimate.”

__________________
Sybille
“Think highly of yourself
because the world takes you
at your own estimate.”

Thank you for the info on wheat grass juice. I am a chronic iron deficient anemia patient with hereditary co-pro porphyria and secondary varigate.I rely on iron infusions since I have not been able to assimilate iron pills,or homeopathic or drops or liquid or pharmacutical iron. I am going to try the wheat grass and see if it will help. Thanks Sherry

I do hope the wheatgrass does help you. You sound like one strong woman to have to put up with what you are going through. I shall be thinking about you.

__________________
Sybille
“Think highly of yourself
because the world takes you
at your own estimate.”

Dear Sherry,

Thanks for your reply. It got me to thinking of zinc.

Zinc

Zinc may just be one of the things to add to our arsenal of natural ways to boost blood.

It is common practice to give oral iron to correct iron deficiency anemia. The challenge is that it induces oxidative stress to the mucosal cells, resulting in it messing up your gut so that it does an even worse job of absorbing iron.

This is probably why you need IV iron. Any alternative way to get it, such as wheatgrass or peanut butter and black strap molasses will add phytochemical that could help it be more easily absorbed. The more easily absorbed, the more you store.

Remember the TIBC. Total Iron binding capacity is the more important lab and not iron levels in the blood. The goal is to build the store house up.

Here is something else to think about. Zinc, which would be thought to inhibit absorption of Iron, actually helps protect the gut cells by a couple of mechanisms. The first is metallothionein (MT), one of a family of cysteine-rich, low molecular weight metal binding proteins.

This in turn (I think) causes the next benefit, because the cystine is used by the cells to produce glutathione. Zinc just happens to be a glutathione co-factor. So you boost your glutathione and you boost your bodies ability to fight oxidative stress caused by the iron. The iron uptake is increased. More iron, more blood.

Studies show that glutathione also boosts all of your blood counts as well as albumin, (although I have not found a study specifically looking at blood boosting).


A protective role for zinc on intestinal peroxidat...[Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2004] - PubMed Result

This metallothionein also, like glutathione, protects you from radiation induced cancer. This means it is a really good thing. Actually it is the glutathione that provides the greater radiation protection along with the metallothionein.

This is why some radiation therapies for cancer co-administer cysteine, that thing in the MT and needed to make glutathione. The result is no hair loss and less damage to good cells.

Another thing, a lack of zinc was one way to tell if babies (I was a high tech pediatric nurse) are really sick. This relates to the C reactive protein thing.

In a mice study, it was proposed that zinc could rescue and prevent a chemically induced diabetes resulting form reactive oxygen species (ROS)(the oxidants we take antioxidants for, you can think of them as the cellular version of rust).

So digging a bit further, this came up...

“Concurrent administration of iron and zinc corrects iron and zinc deficiency, and also reduces the intestinal oxidative damage associated with iron supplementation.” However, note that this was in rats.

Concurrent repletion of iron and zinc reduces inte...[World J Gastroenterol. 2007] - PubMed Result

So if you want to avoid blood transfusions for your Wistar-Kyoto rat, make sure and feed it iron and zinc prior to surgery.

For us, it indeed looks like zinc should be on the list of alternative ways to boost our blood.

Oh yea, look ma, no sore throat for over a decade since they invented zinc lozenges. They have been clinically proven to reduce the duration of a cold too.

How much. Do not exceed the directions or what ever your doctor says or you could get a bit nauseated.

I have found your post to be quite informative. Although I knew of the vast importance zinc plays in our health, as a means of addressing anemia, I had no clue. Thank you for that information. It really does make sense.

__________________
Sybille
“Think highly of yourself
because the world takes you
at your own estimate.”