Dear Colleagues
I hope you are well. This month is the academic part of a paper I am working on with the clinical results coming next month. Some of this is repeated from earlier papers (the solanine and methylxanthine parts), so you may choose to skip through those sections.
Food Toxin Survey
This is a two part survey. The purpose of part one is to see on a more or less random group of 50 patients how often we would get a positive muscle test on the following substances: alpha-solanine, gliadin, casein, lactose, at least one of the 4 methylxanthines (caffeine, paraxanthine, theobromine and theophylline). A positive test consisted of either a “weakening” of a strong indicator muscle or a strong indicator muscle becoming “hypertonic” (spindle cell approximation does not “turn it off”). We also checked to see how often the positive test was negated by takesumi (carbonized bamboo which is an effective toxin, chemical, and metal chelator).
Part 2 will use a different group of 50 patients (some overlap) and see how testing some of these food toxins biomagnetically compared to testing the foods themselves both biomagnetically and orally. We will also discuss some clinical observations and results.
We will first review some information on these “toxins”.
ALPHA SOLANINE
Alpha solanine is classified as a neuro-toxin. The members of the plant family that contain alpha-solanine that might practically affect us (much of this family is not consumed by humans) are tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, peppers (all except black pepper), paprika, tobacco, gogi berries and ashwagandha. The amount of solanine present in the above foods varies tremendously depending on growing conditions, time harvested, storage conditions, cooking techniques, etc.
Solanines are not water soluble, are not destroyed by cooking and are not broken down inside the body but must be excreted as alpha-solanine. Different people have different degrees of sensitivity to them, and different efficiencies in being able to excrete them. How or in what way they will affect you will be a matter of genetics, as well as lifestyle and nutritional status. If you test positive for this problem, the probability is very high that at least one of your parents will have the same condition. The average daily intake of alpha-solanine is approximately 13mg and the average daily excretion is 5% the first day and 1-2% daily thereafter with a half-life of about 1-2 months.
Considering that is for one day’s dose, it is estimated that the average body burden is at least 50mg. It can be much higher in people who consume large amounts of these foods on a daily basis. There has been no definite established “safe” or “toxic” level of solanine consumption because of the variations in individual sensitivity and capability to excrete this chemical. Alpha-solanine is stored in most organs (with a special affinity for the thyroid gland) as well as most soft tissue including skeletal muscle. kljj
Most “foods” that contain alpha-solanine also contain at least 5 other neurotoxins including atropine and nicotine. Acute solanine poisoning can happen from ingesting green or sprouted potatoes or green tomatoes with symptoms including cramps, nausea, diarrhea, headache, dizziness and sleepiness. In severe cases, partial paralysis and coma can result.
Solanine acts as an acetyl cholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor (similar to Malathion, Parathion and other “nerve gases”), allowing acetylcholine to build up in the synapses. Ach is a chemical neurotransmitter that is released from a pre-synaptic neuron and attaches to a receptor site on a post-synaptic neuron resulting in transmission of a nerve impulse. AChE is the enzyme that breaks down ACh resulting in the subsequent detachment of this neurotransmitter from the post-synaptic neuron. However, solanine inhibits AChE, which effectively results in continued attachment of ACh to the post-synaptic neuron and a disruption of normal nerve impulse transmission. For a more thorough discussion with references, please refer to our paper Solanine Toxicity Syndrome (on our website and in the 2010 ICAK collected papers, as well as the references cited in that paper). As with all other “food toxins” discussed in this paper, testing with alpha solanine via applied kinesiology yields many more positive tests than testing with the food itself. We have found that avoidance (based on a positive alpha-solanine test) yields many positive clinical outcomes and as a result have come to prefer this method of testing.
METHYLXANTHINES CAFFEINE, PARAXANTHINE, THEOBROMINE AND THEOPHYLLINE
Caffeine is the most consumed, socially-acceptable stimulant in the world. Approximately 90% of adults in the world consume caffeine in their daily diet. More than 150 million people in the US drink coffee on a regular basis, averaging 2 cups a day, which is the equivalent of 280 mg/day of caffeine.
Caffeine, as well as theobromine, paraxanthine and theophylline, are part of the methylxanthine family and can be labeled as psychoactive stimulants. These substances in varying amounts and complexes are found in coffee, tea, chocolate, cola, yerba mate and guarana.
Coffee contains caffeine and theophylline, but no theobromine, while tea and chocolate are higher in theobromine. Tea actually contains more caffeine then coffee, but since it is brewed weaker, the average cup of tea has less than the average cup of coffee.
Caffeine Biochemistry and Pharmocokinetics Caffeine is metabolized in phase 1 liver detoxification by the cytochrome P450 oxidase enzyme system (the 1A2 isozyme) into the following compounds with approximate percentages: paraxanthine (84%), theobromine (12%) and theophylline (4%).
Caffeine is readily absorbed in the GI tract after oral administration. It’s bioavailability is almost 100% through oral administration. The average half life of caffeine is 5 hours, with a range of 3-7 hours. Defects in the CYP1A2 enzyme can be associated with impaired caffeine metabolism and a prolonged half life. There are also genetic polymorphisms in the CYP1A2 pathway that could explain some of the varying effects of caffeine on different individuals. For example, a study of 120 healthy volunteers found that CYP1A2 activity, gender, and smoking influenced whether or not individuals experiences toxic effects of caffeine. Females and nonsmokers who had experienced toxic effects of caffeine were found to have lower CYP1A2 activity compared to females and nonsmokers who did not experience toxicity symptoms.
Once it is absorbed through the GI tract, and enters the bloodstream, caffeine’s main effects occur through its action as an antagonist of adenosine receptors (blocks adenosine receptors) in the central and peripheral nervous systems. The caffeine molecule is structurally similar to adenosine, and binds to adenosine receptors on the surface of cells without activating them (thus, acting through an antagonist mechanism of action at the adenosine receptor site). Therefore, caffeine acts as a competitive inhibitor. This results in stimulation of excitatory neurotransmitters.
Symptoms associated with too much caffeine (too much ingested or impaired breakdown of it) include: headache, anxiety (including generalized anxiety disorder), depression, panic attacks, tremors, insomnia, nervousness, irritability, muscle twitching and GERD. Both acute and chronic ingestion of caffeine influences mood and cognition. In addition, heavy coffee (>2 cups/day) intake may trigger coronary and arrhythmic events in susceptible individuals. Finally, it has been shown that excess caffeine consumption (>200 mg/day) during pregnancy may increase the risk of miscarriage.
Theobromine
While theobromine and caffeine are similar, theobromine is weaker in both its inhibition of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases and its antagonism of adenosine receptors. Therefore, it can be postulated that theobromine may have a lesser, but still significant, impact on the human central nervous system. While theobromine is not as addictive as caffeine, it has been cited as possibly contributing to chocolate addiction.
Theophylline
In susceptible individuals, theophylline can cause nausea, diarrhea, increase in heart rate, arrhythmias, and CNS excitation with resultant headaches, insomnia, irritability, dizziness and lightheadedness.
Paraxanthine
Paraxanthine is not produced by plants and is only observed as a metabolite of caffeine in animals. After caffeine intake, approximately 84% of the original compound is demethylated at the 3-position to yield paraxanthine, making paraxanthine the chief metabolite of caffeine.
For a more complete discussion with references, see our 2010 ICAK paper or view our website paper Methylxanthine Toxicity Syndrome. http://www.michaellebowitzdc.com/html/Methylxanthine.html
GLUTEN/GLIADIN
One of the most common food allergens is gluten. Sensitivity to gluten can cause a wide range of symptoms that can affect almost any organ system. While most would think primarily of Celiac Disease and symptom manifestations in the gastrointestinal tract, the nervous system is actually the most commonly affected system outside of the gastrointestinal tract and is often involved in sensitive individuals. Some of the symptoms/diagnoses that can be involved with gluten sensitivity include: headaches, behavior changes, seizures, muscle cramps, neuropathy, malnutrition, fatigue, malaise, depression, chronic digestive problems (abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation, IBS, difficulty gaining/losing weight, reflux, nausea, vomiting, etc.), apthous ulcers, Sjogren’s Syndrome, osteoporosis, infertility, miscarriage, thyroid disorders, schizophrenia, autism and dermatitis herpetiformis. If gluten sensitivity is found, it is necessary to avoid all gluten containing grains, including: barley, rye, oats (unless certified gluten-free), wheat and spelt. Oats do not contain gluten but do contain a similar prolamine and many gluten sensitive people cannot tolerate oats. You may want to have them avoid oats in the beginning and then after a few weeks add them in (certified gluten free types) and then check them with applied kinesiology and look for symptomatic changes.
There are a few proposed mechanisms involving how gluten can affect various organ systems. One theory involves a peptidase enzyme called DPP4. If there is a failure or insufficiency of DPP4, the body cannot efficiently break down the proteins in gluten. DPP4 activity can be low or absent for several reasons including: effects of toxins such as mercury, hypochlorhydria (HCl is needed to activate enzyme), poor pancreatic function, or zinc deficiency (zinc is also needed to turn on these enzymes). A poorly functioning DPP4 enzyme results in an undigested fragment of protein from gluten. The immune system can be fooled by a sort of molecular mimicry as the undigested protein fragment can be mistaken for a virus. As a result of this, antibodies are aimed at the protein and can cause damage to tissues in an autoimmune type of reaction. Another mechanism by which gluten can cause problems involves the theory that the undigested gluten peptide can resemble an opiate-like molecule called a gluteomorphin that can alter brain chemistry. Gluteomorphins can cause cognitive symptoms as they can act like opiods in the body. These undigested peptides can be found in the urine of some individuals with autism and schizophrenia.
Interestingly enough, applied kinesiology testing for gluten yields a very high percentage of false negatives as we will present at the end of this study. Gluten is composed of a combination of glutenins and gliadins and testing with gliadin yields positive tests much more frequently than does testing gluten. We know these are not false positives due to the clinical symptom picture change on avoidance and as a result use gliadin for our testing.
CASEIN AND LACTOSE
Casein is the predominant phosphoprotein that accounts for nearly 80% of proteins in cow milk. There is casein in the milk of other species- goat, sheep etc. of a slightly different nature but the sensitivity can carry over in many sensitive people so when this test is positive we avoid all dairy products of all species (many people react to supposedly casein free foods like ghee so we avoid these too). Like gluten, casein sensitivity can also cause symptoms in just about any organ system. Specifically, casein sensitivity can contribute to: ear infections, sinus conditions, asthma, eczema, headaches, arthritis, chronic digestive problems, rhinitis, hay fever, depression, mood swings, ADHD, bedwetting and eczema. Similar to how gluten derived peptides cause trouble if the DPP4 enzyme is not sufficient, casein derived peptides can also cause problems when this enzyme does not break it down properly. Undigested casein peptides can pass into the bloodstream and provoke similar autoimmune type reactions as well as mimic opiates (called “caseomorphins”) just like gluten. Besides having a casein sensitivity, an individual can have a lactose intolerance in which only the gastrointestinal tract is involved (whereas with a casein sensitivity, any organ system can be involved). The main symptoms of lactose intolerance can include bloating, gas, diarrhea, and even vomiting. If this is the case, it is much simpler to address as the patient can simply use lactose free milk or take a lactase enzyme when consuming dairy products. Remember, lactase enzyme may be a fungal derivative and not well tolerated.
OVALBUMIN
Ovalbumin is the major protein in egg (comprising approximately 54% of egg protein). Just like all the others in this paper, just testing egg yields many false negatives and ovalbumin is the preferred test. In sensitive people, ovalbumin can cause villous atrophy, depletion of mucosal oligosaccharidases, impaired absorption of xylose, and depressed serum complement levels. Asthma has also been reported as have most other common symptoms of food intolerance. There have been documented cases of nephropathy that have reversed with egg avoidance.
ZEIN
Zein is a class of prolamine protein found in corn. It is also known as corn gluten and even though it too is a prolamine, zein is not chemically identical to wheat and other glutens and will respond differently in the body. As you will see in our statistics, zein will test positive much more than corn with applied kinesiology and is the preferred method of testing. Symptoms associated with corn sensitivity have included headaches, asthma, facial inflammation, rashes, hives, most gastro-intestinal symptoms, fatigue, joint pains and sinus congestion.
Observations
From the clinical testing results and improvement in patients as you will see below, we feel this (testing with the isolated food fragment) is a very significant way to test for these sensitivities. There may be other additions in the future- soy and rice come to mind as possible substances where isolated protein fragments may need to be tested. For now we have been sticking with these vials, as the diets involved can be quite challenging for the average patient. Most patients with long term chronic symptoms have been willing to give it a trial period of a month or two. As stated in previous papers, these are typically not the type of sensitivities for which we can do a desensitization technique and re-introduce the food quickly. Our hypothesis is that by helping the patient become dysbiosis free and avoiding these foods, we will have significant restoration of gastro-intestinal integrity making the person more immune to dysbiotic microbes in the future and allowing them to re-introduce some if not many of these foods. When trying to answer the question which came first- the dysbiosis or the food toxin intolerances, it can go in either direction and for optimal results both should be comprehensively addressed.
Next month we will present the results of the testing surveys.
The substances in this article are available as a “Food Toxin” Test Tit from AK Test Kits 1-888-323-0625 or 1-970-257-0311.