To Suzy re: Co Q10 and SOD
Hi Rich,
I just had another look at your study. The increases in GSH are impressive.
I have been wondering if this treatment would have impact onother antioxidants. It seems someof them are quite specific, for example, coQ10 is fat soluble and important in the mitochondria. Do you feel it's equally important to test and treat that oen , for example.
Also, SOD depends on zinc,copper,manganese so would it be just as important to test its function ?
Suzy
Hi, Suzy.
Yes, this treatment will impact other antioxidants. The multi that is part of the protocol supplies several antioxidants directly. Also, glutathione is at the basis of the body's antioxidant enzyme system and is part of what Prof. Lester Packer has called the "antioxidant network." As such, it recycles some of the other antioxidants, including vitamins C and E. So when the treatment brings glutathione up, it also helps the other antioxidants.
Co Q10 is low in PWCs, and I think the reason is that methylation is required for its synthesis (that's known). As the methylation cycle function is improved, the body should be able to make more Co Q10.
Dr. Myhill does recommend supplementing with Co Q10 if there is mito dysfunction, which I think is present in all PWCs, based on quite a few lab tests I've seen as well as on the biochemical theory associated with my hypothesis for the pathogenesis of CFS. On the other hand, Dr. Cheney is now recommending against supplementing Co Q10. So I guess that's a little controversial at this point. But it should come up automatically when the methylation improves.
There is some controversy over whether downstream deficiencies should be treated initially, or whether only the root issue should be treated, and the body should be allowed to correct the downstream deficiencies more naturally. The logic for the latter is that perhaps the body is set up to lower some of these downstream substances for good reasons, and if they are artificially raised before the root issue is corrected, it could do more harm than good. This is Dr. Cheney's position, and I share some of his thinking on this, though he and I have not yet agreed upon what the root issue is.
Probably Dr. Teitelbaum most epitomizes the other view on this, as he advocates treating a number of downstream issues. He does agree with me that the methylation issue needs to be dealt with, though. I think he sees it as one more thing that should be added to his treatment of the downstream issues.
Dr. Myhill has also added methylation treatment to her protocol. I don't think she and Dr. Howard have accepted my hypothesis that the methylation cycle block and glutathione depletion are what initially cause the mito dysfunction, but they do measure glutathione, and she does treat the methylation cycle as part of her overall protocol.
There are a few other physicians to my knowledge who have added methylation treatment to their protocols, and they have told me that they think it is an important component.
Some PWCs are deficient in the minerals needed by the SOD enzymes. I do think it's a good idea to test for the mineral levels. I think a blood test is best, though Dr. Yasko uses a urine test, I think because she primarily works with small children who have autism, and spot urine tests can be run easily by a parent at home. Dr. Howard at Acumen Lab offers an SOD enzyme activity test, and I think that's a good test, too, although if the activity is O.K., that suggests that the mineral levels are O.K., but if not, you won't know which mineral is deficient. Note that there is no copper in the multi that comes from Amy Yasko, so it will have to be supplemented separately if it is low. She has left it out over concern that it can promote oxidative stress if there is too much. I'm not convinced that this is true, but that was her reasoning for leaving it out.
Best regards,
Rich