Massage and its numerous benefits on body and mind

Good health and well-being depend on a complex interplay between the physical side of the individual and the spiritual, mental, emotional side. Touch therapy has the power to impact every aspect of the individual and treat the whole person.

 

Massage therapy is one of the oldest healthcare practices known. It is an ancient discipline whose history dates back to the 2350 AC in Babylon. Egyptians are documented as the first people practicing massage of the feet and hands (2300 AC). Chinese documents 200 AC talk about the development of a type of medical treatment that includes methods known now under the name of "massage". This Chinese system of treatment included techniques of pressure along the body's meridians in order to release blocked energy, cause of physical discomfort. The rebalance of energy flow would release tension and restore function of organs and muscles in the body. Now a similar approach is used in other manipulative practices such as Japanese shiatsu. Independently Thai people developed yoga massage at the time of Buddha, using a similar concept of pressure on energy channels that they called ‘sen’. They also added stretches and torsions to help release tightness and allow the energy of the body to flow better. Indians have integrated massage with yoga to create a system of exercise and massage for the maintenance of health, vitality and spirituality of the individual. 

Some of the old documents speak of ancient treatments of medical conditions, such as paralysis, fever etc., through breathing exercises and massage of the soft tissue of the patient. Massage has been integrated in medical practice for thousands of years, first in the oriental world and then in the West.

In the West, Hippocrates, the Greek 'father of medicine', preferred to use techniques of body treatment (anartipsis) and natural medicines to surgery. Other Greek doctors used massage techniques to treat injured warriors. Greeks and Romans commonly used gymnasiums and baths where they practiced massage for health of both body and mind.

After the Dark Ages, it was only in 1500 -1600 that ‘massage therapy’ as a discipline started taking shape in France and Germany, for treatment of damaged or broken joints and bones and after surgical operations. Swedish massage was born in Sweden at the end of the eighteenth century, and developed to alleviate or solve pain due to abnormal conditions through the influences on joint movements. The Swedish massage was introduced into the United States in the mid-nineteenth century. In Europe, various disciplines and practices from around the world, Indian, Chinese, Swedish and Danish (lymphatic massage) were used as therapy from the '60s - '70s.

Massage practiced today uses many different techniques developed and specialized through the course of 5000 years of history and experience in medicine and care of the body and mind.

Massage has the ability to restore the structural balance of the body and at the same time help to relieve stress and promote emotional, mental and spiritual wellbeing of the individual.

Among the numerous benefits of massage, the most well known obvious is the effect on the structure of the body. Sport massage prepares for better performance and aid recovery from fatigue or trauma. A regular massage can also improve recovery from powerful training sessions and promotes an optimal function of the muscular-skeletal system. Coaches, athletes and health personnel are aware of the effects of massage on the muscular-skeletal system, like reduced muscle tension, increased range of joint motion and general flexibility. Improved blood flow delivers oxygen and nutrients to knotted areas and is key to helping muscles eliminate waste products, such as lactic acid, that may collect in muscles from spasms causing pain. Other immediate benefits largely recognized are the improvement of circulation of blood, lymph, interstitial fluids as well as energy.

These and more effects of massage have been proven by thousands of scientific research works. The effects have been revealed not only on the muscular system, blood and lymph circulation but also on the hormonal and nervous systems. 

Changes in the parasympathetic system (part of the autonomic or involuntary nervous system, measured by heart rate, blood pressure and heart rate variability) and hormonal levels (measured by cortisol levels) following massage result in a relaxation response, reduction in anxiety and improvement in mood state.

The levels of endorphins hormones (hormones of pleasure), oxytocin (the hormone of sociality), dopamine, serotonin, adrenaline and cortisol are influenced by various massage techniques. Single applications of massage therapy were shown in certain studies to reduce anxiety, blood pressure, and heart rate, but negative mood, pain, and cortisol level were affected only with multiple applications. Reductions of anxiety and depression during a course of treatment (frequent repetitive treatments) appeared to be the most effective results of massage, similar in magnitude to those of psychotherapy.

Massage has also shown positive impact on psychological conditions like schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, bulimia and anorexia, trauma. According to some eminent psychotherapists the body can resolve emotional traumas and shocks if it is assisted through touch therapy in releasing its patterns of chronic tensions and blocked emotion.

Other measured effects of massage are promotion of deeper and easier breathing, relief of tension-related headaches and eyestrain, reduction of the formation of scar tissue following injuries, enhancement of health and nourishment of skin, improvement of posture by changing tension patterns, increased awareness of the mind-body connection and improved mental awareness (especially of own body parts) and alertness generally. Clinical positive results from massage include improvement of pulmonary function in young asthma patients, reduction of psychoemotional distress in individuals who suffer from chronic inflammatory bowel disease, improvement of motor development in premature infants, and enhancement of immune system functioning.
 
Touch used with sensitivity by the therapist allows him/her to receive useful information via the hands about the individual's body, the location of muscle tension and other soft tissue problems.

Touch is also a form of communication and sensitive touch can convey a sense of caring, enhancing the individual's sense of self and well being and reduce feelings of anxiety, depression and social isolation.

Tactile stimulation is essential in all phases of life and deprivation of touch leads to reductions in the level of hormonal substances necessary for health and wellbeing. 

From the moment of birth the individual needs to receive positive experience of touch if we want to have her/him develop and maintain high levels of health and well being in his/her life. Increased handling of infants has shown to increase oxygenation of growing brain cells and the size of the brain; the rate at which these brain cells degenerate and die is double when infants are neglected, thus impeding their development. The area most affected is the hippocampus, center of many emotions. New born babies gain many effects from massage, such as greater weigh gain, increased motor activity, improved alertness, better sleep patterns, reduction of stress behaviors, enhance response to social stimulation among others.

Massage in the elderly helps delay the loss of sensitivity in the skin and the neuroactivity related to it. It also gives reassurance and sense of belonging. 

Frequency of massage sessions can vary widely. If a person is receiving massage for a specific problem, frequency can vary based on the condition, though it usually will be once a week. Some people incorporate massage into their regular personal health and fitness program, receiving massage on a regular basis, varying from once a week to once a month.


References:
Caasanelia L., Stelfox D 2010. Foudnations of massage, 3rd ed. Elsevier Australia
Moyer, Christopher A.; Rounds, James; Hannum, James W. 2004 A Meta-Analysis of Massage Therapy Research. Psychological Bulletin, Vol 130(1), 3-18. doi: 10.1037/0033-2909.130.1.3

Pornratshanee Weerapong, Gregory S. Kolt 2005 The Mechanisms of Massage and Effects on Performance, Muscle Recovery and Injury Prevention Sports Medicine , Volume 35, Issue 3, pp 235-256
http://www.answers.com/topic/massage-therapy-2#ixzz372UkqVAV

http://www.spineuniverse.com/treatments/physical-therapy/massage-therapy-helps-ease-neck-back-pain

Can stress mess up our body?

Stress has become a word used colloquially in many circumstances of minor or major complaints. An annoying person is a ‘stress’, work is ‘stressing’, the weather can be ‘stressful’ etc. It is a common saying but it is all also anatomically true; all these are real stresses, or better, stressors. The use of the word stress in biology and medicine is precise and indicates a ‘response to any threat to life or wellbeing’ (therefore the pressure at work would be a threat and the persistent rain another one). 

Stress can be brought on by either physical strain (the stressor): a long run, exposure to toxins or environmental poisons, heat or cold; or by emotional strain: a divorce, a move, a marriage, bereavement, academic pressure, loosing a job, deadlines at work, etc. The physical and physiological reaction is identical in the two cases. Stressors of both types elicit a sequence of reactions by the body, which is called the “stress response” or “fight-or-flight response”. We learned this type of reaction when humans had to face attacks from ferocious predators or had to survive in face of extreme conditions (life in a cave, hunting in a jungle). Although most humans don’t face such threat anymore, the reaction to modern life stressors (traffic jams, playing a rugby match – or sometimes just watching it!-, buying a house) has remained the same. 

The fight-or-flight response is initiated by nerve impulses from the hypothalamus (a part of the brain that controls most involuntary responses like body temperature, hunger, fatigue, attachment behaviors etc.); such nerve commands reach the adrenals (glands that sit on the kidneys) directly, stimulating release of adrenaline and noradrenaline, which increase heart rate, blood pressure and breathing rate: they get the body ready to fight or to run. Impulses from the hypothalamus reach also the endocrine (hormonal) system, via the hypothalamus-pituitary tract, to stimulate the pituitary gland (or hypophysis) and the adrenals again. The adrenal glands, stimulated both by the nervous system and by hormones, release cortisol (the major stress hormone), which, along with the growth hormone released by the pituitary gland, stimulates catabolism or production of glucose, aminoacids and fatty acids from fat stores and proteins to provide the necessary energy for movement (fight or run), repair or defense. The pituitary gland also promotes the secretion of thyroid hormones T3 and T4 that increase use of glucose as well, while the insulin response (insulin is the hormone needed to store glucose inside the cell) is shut down so that increased sugar can remain in the blood ready for energy need. Pancreatic release of insulin is thus depressed.

All these reactions aim to put the body in action with increased breathing, increased heart rate, increased muscular contraction needed for the fight or for the flight in front of the threatening predator or office boss or running competitors. At the same time the activity of the digestive, urinary and reproductive systems, quite useless in those situations, is depressed.  

Stress in moderation is not harmful and can be necessary as an incentive in some actions (positive stress or eustress), like getting ready to win a match.

However, when stress is prolonged, repetitive and not dealt with, it can become harmful and lead to diseases: constant stress in fact brings hormonal changes in the body, lowers the immune functions and can lead to many diseases including auto-immune diseases. It is the individual response to stress that can make a difference between a healthy happy life and a miserable life threatened by chronic illness.  This is because it is not the type of stressor that initiates a response but the “perception” of such a stressor by the individual. The perception of an experience determines how we feel when it is happening and how our bodies will be affected (Martino, 2011). What is terribly difficult to endure for one person can be easily managed without consequences by someone else. 

Since constant or repetitive stress can have adverse effects on the body, in order to avoid stress-induced illnesses one should become more relaxed about life and always try to see issues in perspective. Since avoiding stress is rare or impossible, it is important for all to apply measures to release the tension: deep breathing, relaxation techniques, massages, cardiac coherence etc.  

 

How does stress cause disease? Stress has impact on the nervous system, the immune system and the hormonal system. In an emergency situation immediate responses from these systems are needed, but in an unnatural prolonged state of stress they harm the individual. A physical or psychological stress affects the functioning of cells and can have long-lasting influences on physiology and behavior. 

- Impact on the nervous system: prolonged or repetitive stress can lead to physical changes in the brain, such as shrinking of the amygdala (center of emotions, decision making, memory) or the hippocampus (memory). Learning, memory and behavior are thus affected. 

- Impact on the immune system: it is well accepted and understood how a psychological stress is directly correlated to the prevalence of diseases such as infections. The immune cells have receptors for the hormones released during the stress response by the adrenal glands, the pituitary gland and the autonomic nervous system: cortisol, adenocorticotropic hormone, endorphins, noradrenalin, growth hormones, prolactin all influence the immune system. This explains the mechanism of the direct effect of stress on the immune system functioning. Cortisol triggers an increased “innate immune response” represented by high inflammation, a high allergic response, an increase in viral infections and a higher cancer risk. These are responses that you do not wish on a long term. (As a comparison, therapeutic cortisol (cortisone) instead lowers inflammation and suppresses immune and allergic reactions).

- Hormonal system: a continuous stress or a frequent presence of even smaller stresses drain the adrenal glands from which the main stress hormone, cortisol, is released. Prolonged stress can also lower the level of sex hormones like oestrogens and testosterone. Pancreatic production of insulin is interrupted and this, on the long run, can lead to diabetes type 2.

As many as 80% of all major illnesses have been related to stress as a contributor.

Chronic stress, especially through the high level of cortisol released, causes wasting of muscles, suppression of immune system (by cortisol, which suppresses part of the immune system), generation of auto-immune diseases (like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple-sclerosis), cancer, hyperlipidemia (high fat content in  the blood and wrong types of fats), atherosclerosis, increase of cholesterol, hypertension, hyperglycemia, diabetes mellitus, abdominal obesity (metabolic syndrome), osteoporosis, mood-behavioral changes, ulceration of GI tract (peptic ulcer, liver damage, irritable bowel syndrome, and ulcerative colitis and Chron’s disease, which are precursors of colorectal cancer), insomnia, anxiety, depression.  

Stress is a significant factor also in the birth of certain psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety. 

Anxiety is one of the most serious emotional manifestations of stress and is caused by expectations of anything that threatens a person’s body, job, loved ones, values. It occurs in situations perceived as uncontrollable or unavoidable, but that are not really so. It is a state of inner apprehension, often accompanied by nervous behavior, like pacing back and forth, foot tapping, teeth grinding etc.  Anxiety can also be a response to a past mismanaged stress.

Symptoms of stress are high blood pressure, neck-ache, backache, muscles tension, muscle twitching, being unable to sit still or relax, fatigue, insomnia, lack of concentration, teeth grinding, nail biting, suppressed anger, feeling unloved, lack of self-esteem, low sex drive, irritability, tearfulness, loss of appetite or overeating, constant anxiety, frequent infections, allergies, blood sugar disturbances appearing with irritability and sugar cravings.

As many as 77% of people in Western countries complain of stress, and many are related to work. Many young people (younger than 18 years of age) are affected by stress. Some people are stressed but they are not aware of it, but the consumption of their teeth for example is testimony of it. Alert!

Stress also causes body mineral changes: it causes sodium retention, which in turn increases blood pressure. Adrenalin also causes a loss of Mg, Ca (from the bones), K and P. Also, during stress, nutrients are not efficiently absorbed. A nutrient deficiency is thus created with deleterious consequences for many organs. Many of the diseases related to stress are not due to stress alone but to the loss of nutrients: vit C, K, P, B and minerals.

Some people are more at risk of chronic stress depending on their genetic pattern but also on their innate and acquired inability to face challenges and respond properly to increased demands from work, financial issues, surgery or illnesses, society, pollution (noise, atmospheric, toxins), allergies, etc. Nutrient deficiencies from other causes, like improper nutrition, ex lack of B vitamins or Mg, make an individual more at risk of succumbing to chronic stress. Age, gender, social status, social support, religious/spiritual beliefs, personality traits, self-esteem, past experiences are all factors contributing to such susceptibility.

Again, there are many tools that help in learning to managing and coping with repetitive stress: regular exercise, both moderate low-intensity aerobic exercise to boost immunity (too much exercise increases inflammation) and physical practice that balances the immune system reactions and boost an antibody response (suppressed in stress condition): walking, jogging, biking, yoga, tai chi, chi gong; relaxation, breathing practice, like cardiac coherence or pranayama (yoga breathing exercises), meditation and massage are all useful tools that should be relied upon on a regular basis to improve the reaction to stressors.

 Stress: "The best care for the body is a quiet mind". Napoleon.

Bibliography

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Other observed effects of vaccines...Vaccines Part IV

HB vaccine in babies and developmental disabilities and arthritis: (i) the HB virus is primarily transmitted through sexual contact with an infected person or by injections with contaminated material (drug using) and poses no risk to infants unless the mother is a carrier. Studies on boys between 0–9 years who received a complete triple series of HB vaccine were found to have more developmental disabilities, and those aged 3–17 years who received HB vaccination during the first month had a 3-times greater risk of ASD than unvaccinated boys. HB has also been linked to several types of arthritis.

Vaccines and diabetes: There is also a suggestion and well established evidence that vaccines create appearance of diabetes in children. Immune stimulation would lead to destruction of pancreas cells producing insulin.

Vaccines and cancer: a type of virus called Simian (SV40) that once was exclusive to monkeys, began showing up in human polio vaccines in 1960. "Because SV40 was not discovered until 1960, no one was aware in the 1950s that polio vaccine could be contaminated," the Center for Disease Ccontrol website explained.

“Soon after its discovery in 1960, SV40 was identified in polio vaccine. It was found in the injected form of the vaccine (IPV). The existing polio vaccine stocks were used until 1963," in the U.S., UK, Australia and the former Soviet Union. The Soviet polio vaccine may even have been contaminated after 1963 - possibly up to the early 1980s, "The vaccine was almost certainly used throughout the Soviet bloc and probably exported to China, Japan and several countries in Africa. That means hundreds of millions could have been exposed to SV40 after 1963," the CDC report said.

Some studies have found SV40 in certain forms of cancer in humans, such as tumors located in the lungs, brain and bone tumors and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Flu vaccines and myopathies. One of the most common ones, Fluval, has a notice it the packaging stating: "There have been no controlled trials adequately demonstrating a decrease in influenza disease after vaccination with Flulaval," and "Safety and effectiveness of Flulaval have not been established in pregnant women, nursing mothers or children", or "Flulaval has not been evaluated for carcinogenic or mutagenic potential, or for impairment of fertility."
Cases of inflammatory myopathies, also associated with interstitial lung disease, followed the vaccinations of at least H1N1 plus the seasonal trivalent influenza.
 
What about mercury and vaccines? Mercury in the form of Thimerosal (or Thiomersal), an organic mercury compound used as a preservative in vaccines, has been retracted (almost) completely for fears of causes of neural damage.  “In 1999 it was agreed that thimerosal should be reduced or eliminated in vaccines as a precautionary measure. Today, all routinely recommended pediatric vaccines in the US contain no thimerosal or only trace amounts”(RxList 2014), however some formulations of the inactivated influenza vaccine for children that are older than two years do contain Thimerosal. 

References;
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Agmon-Levin, N, GRV Hughes and Y Shoenfeld 2012. The spectrum of ASIA: 'Autoimmune (Auto-inflammatory) Syndrome induced by Adjuvants Lupus 21: 118

Barthelow Classen J,  Classen JB 2014. Review of Vaccine Induced Immune Overload and the Resulting Epidemics of Type 1 Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome, Emphasis on Explaining the Recent Accelerations in the Risk of Prediabetes and other Immune Mediated Diseases, J Mol Genet Med S1:02

Belmonte, M., Greg Allen, Andrea Beckel-Mitchener, Lisa M. Boulanger, Ruth A. Carper, and Sara J. Webb 2004 (Autism and Abnormal Development of Brain Connectivity. The Journal of Neuroscience, 20 October 2004, 24(42): 9228-9231

Bernsen RM, Nagelkerke NJ, Thijs C, van der Wouden JC. 2008 Reported pertussis infection and risk of atopy in 8- to 12-yr-old vaccinated and non-vaccinated children. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 19(1): 46-52.

Biasi D, Carletto A, Caramaschi P, Frigo A, Pacor ML, Bezzi D, Bambara LM. 1994. Rheumatological manifestations following hepatitis B vaccination. A report of 2 clinical cases (article in Italian). Recenti Prog Med 85:438-440.

Biasi D, De Sandre G, Bambara LM, Carletto A, Caramaschi P, Zanoni G, Tridente G. 1993 A new case of reactive arthritis after hepatitis B vaccination. Clin Exp Rheumatol 11:215.

Couette, M., Marie-Françoise Boisse, Patrick Maison, Pierre Brugieres, Pierre Cesaro, Xavier Chevalier, Romain K. Gherardi, Anne-Catherine Bachoud-Levi, François-Jérôme Authier 2009 Long-term persistence of vaccine-derived aluminum hydroxide is associated with chronic cognitive dysfunction, Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry 103, 1571–1578

Europan Hospital, 2012. Silicone gel breast implants and connective tissue and autoimmune disease risk , http://www.european-hospital.com/en/article/9384-Silicone_gel_breast_implants_and_connective_tissue_and_autoimmune_disease_risk.html

Exley C, Siesjo¨ P, Erikssson H. The immunobiology of aluminium adjuvants: how do they really work? Trends Immunol. 2010; 31:103–9.

Finielz P, Lam-Kam-Sang LF. 1998 Systemic lupus erythematosus and thrombocytopenic purpura in two members of the same family. Nephrol Dial Transplant 13:2420-2421.

Fisher SG, Weber L, Carbone M. 1999 Cancer risk associated with simian virus 40 contaminated polio vaccine. Anticancer Res. 19(3B):2173-80.

Gherardi RK and FJ Authier 2012 Macrophagic myofasciitis: characterization and  pathophysiology, Lupus 21: 184

Gross K. Combe C, Kruger K, Schattenkirschner M. 1995 Arthritis after hepatitis B vaccination. Report of three cases. Scand J Rheumatol 24:50-52.

Guiseriz J. 1996 Systemic lupus erythematosus following hepatitis B vaccine. Nephron, 74:441.

Haschulla E, Houvenagel E, Mingui A, Vincent G, Laine A. 1990. Reactive arthritis after hepatitis B vaccination. J Rheumatol 17:1250-1251.

Hertz-Picciotto, I., Hye-Youn Park, Miroslav Dostal, Anton Kocan, Tomas Trnovec and Radim Sram 2008. Prenatal Exposures to Persistent and Non-Persistent Organic Compounds and Effects on Immune System Development, Basic & Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology, 102, 146–154

http://www.naturalnews.com/041593_CDC_polio_vaccine_SV40_cancer_virus.html#ixzz339Istadx

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Israeli E, Agmon-Levin N, Blank M, Shoenfeld Y. 2009 Adjuvants and autoimmunity.
Kawahara M (2005) Effects of aluminum on the nervous system and its possible link with neurodegenerative diseases. J Alzheimers Dis 8: 171-182.

Khan, Z. Christophe Combadière, François-Jérôme Authier, Valérie Itier, François Lux,
Christopher Exley, Meriem Mahrouf-Yorgov, Xavier Decrouy, Philippe Moretto, Olivier Tillement, Romain K Gherardi† and Josette Cadusseau 2013 Slow CCL2-dependent translocation of biopersistent particles from muscle to brain, BMC Medicine 11:99


Kawahara M, Kato-Negishi M 2011 Link between Aluminum and the Pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s Disease: The Integration of the Aluminum and Amyloid Cascade Hypotheses. Int J Alzheimers Dis 276-393.

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Kool M, Soullié T, van Nimwegen M, Willart MA, Muskens F, Jung S, Hoogsteden HC, Hammad H, Lambrecht BN: Alum adjuvant boosts adaptive immunity by inducing uric acid and activating inflammatory dendritic cells. J Exp Med 2008, 205:869–882.

Luján, L., Marta Pérez, Eider Salazar, Neila Álvarez, Marina Gimeno, Pedro Pinczowski, Silvia Irusta, Jesús Santamaría, et al. 2013 Autoimmune/autoinflammatory syndrome induced by adjuvants (ASIA syndrome) in commercial Immunologic Research, 55,1-3, 2013
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On Al-vaccine: Vaccines in young people and Al toxicity - Part III

Is autism an autoimmune reaction to Al? Autism and related disorders of the autism group (Autism Spectrum Disorders, ASD) are disorders of the development of the nervous system characterized by a dysfunctional immune function and impairments in social skills, speech and cognition. In North America there has been a steep increase in the prevalence of autism by 2000% since the early 1990s. During the same time, the number of vaccinations recommended prior to school increased from 10 to more than 20 in 2010. But this is not a cause-effect measured relationship, just an observation.

However, recent results suggest that Al administered to preschool children at various ages through vaccination is cause of the rising prevalence of ASD, with highest correlation at 3–4 months of age, as there is evidence of the toxicology of Al adjuvants considering them as contributors to the rising prevalence of neurobehavioral disorders.
 
Scientists believe that the inflammatory processes and immune dysfunction associated with autism can be the result of exposure to toxic metals (lead and mercury but especially Al) found in vaccines. Also, Al causes changes in nervous cell membrane proteins that have a double role in the immune system and in developmental plasticity: changes in these proteins can lead to neurodevelopmental defects. 
At this period in the life of the baby, important steps of brain development as well as many behavioral systems, including sleep, temperature regulation, respiration and brain wave patterns, form. The relationship between immune and nervous system starts during embryological  development. It is therefore plausible that disruptions of critical events during the development could play a role in neurobehavioral disorders like autism.

Vaccinating young children. During the sensitive period of development (including after birth) the brain is extremely vulnerable to toxic insults. Moreover, the blood brain barrier (BBB), a membrane protecting the brain from substances carried by the blood, is incomplete and more permeable. Immune stresses, like those provoked by vaccines- regardless of adjuvants-, can lead to permanent detrimental alterations of nervous and immune system functions, as was discussed for adults, but most probably more seriously in young people due to the delicate period of life.

In many Western countries, by the time children are 4–6 years old, they will have received a total of 23–32 vaccines many with Al adjuvants. Safety tests for vaccines have often not included appropriate toxicity studies because they are not viewed as toxic.  Usually, when done , tests are run on short-term period (weeks, months) while most autoimmune responses happen years after the shots. However, if a few vaccines administered to adults can result in syndromes and diseases, maybe one could suggest that the pediatric plans should receive more experimental proofs of their safety. As an example of Al toxicity in babies, exposure to 20 μg/kg (for a 6 months old 8 kg child = 160 μg) of Al for 10 days is sufficient to cause neurodevelopmental delays. As comparison, the diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (first shot at 2 months of age) alone contains between 170 and 625 μg of Al.

It is very possible that repeated and closely-spaced administration of vaccines with Al as adjuvant from 0 to 12 months would increase the risk of chronic brain inflammation along with developmental disorders of the nervous system.

Al toxicity for all: Effects of Al intoxication on the nervous system include: disruption of synaptic activity, reshaping of proteins, promotion of oxidant stress, increased permeability of the blood–brain barrier.  Al causes death of neurons and glial cells, affects the neurotransmitter content in neurons, influences emotional reactivity and impairs various brain functions related to learning and memory.

It is true that humans are exposed to many sources of Al and Al can be absorbed with food. However, only 0.25% of Al ingested is absorbed, while injected Al (like in vaccines) may be completely absorbed over time and bypass the protective barrier of the gastrointestinal tract entering the lymphatic and blood system, i.e. it will probably require a lower dose to produce a toxic response.

Aluminum toxicity shows other several pathologic effects such as post-dialysis encephalopathy (an Alzheimer’s-like disorder shown in some patients undertaking dialysis including symptoms like speech abnormalities, memory loss, impaired concentration, behavioral changes, epileptic seizures and coma), degenerative brain disorders, osteomalacia (weakening of the bones), cholestasis (blocking of bile flow), ototoxicity (ear disease), different forms of anemia, disturbed erythropoiesis (formation of blood cells) and inhibition of macrophage and leukocyte defensive mechanisms.

Al was found in amyloid ‘‘plaques’’ and protein ‘‘tangles’’, the  brain lesions typical of Alzheimer’s disorder,  one of the most common neurodegenerative disorders causing dementia in more than 24 million people worldwide.

Other toxic molecular mechanism of some metals, like aluminum, cadmium, lead and mercury: they may metabolically interact with the key role of essential body metals (e.g., Cr, Zn, Mn, Fe, Mo, Cu); for example, lead interacts with calcium in the nervous system and alters neurocognitive learning skills in the early stages of the child development, or cadmium and Al interact with calcium in the skeletal tissues to produce osteomalacia (bone pain, ribs, hips and vertebrae fractures) and muscle weakness. Moreover, Al binds to DNA and RNA, influencing the expression of genes essential for brain functions. Al also binds to ATP, the energy molecule of the body, and can influence energy metabolism.

References:
Agmon-Levin N, Paz Z, Israeli E, Shoenfeld Y. 2009 Vaccines and autoimmunity. Nat

Agmon-Levin, N, GRV Hughes and Y Shoenfeld 2012. The spectrum of ASIA: 'Autoimmune (Auto-inflammatory) Syndrome induced by Adjuvants Lupus 21: 118

Barthelow Classen J,  Classen JB Review of Vaccine Induced Immune Overload and the Resulting Epidemics ofType 1 Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome, Emphasis on Explaining the Recent Accelerations in the Risk of Prediabetes and other Immune Mediated Diseases, J Mol Genet Med 2014, S1:02

Belmonte, M., Greg Allen, Andrea Beckel-Mitchener, Lisa M. Boulanger, Ruth A. Carper, and Sara J. Webb 2004 (Autism and Abnormal Development of Brain Connectivity. The Journal of Neuroscience, 20 October 2004, 24(42): 9228-9231

Bernsen RM, Nagelkerke NJ, Thijs C, van der Wouden JC. 2008 Reported pertussis infection and risk of atopy in 8- to 12-yr-old vaccinated and non-vaccinated children. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 19(1): 46-52.

Biasi D, Carletto A, Caramaschi P, Frigo A, Pacor ML, Bezzi D, Bambara LM. Rheumatological manifestations following hepatitis B vaccination. 1994. A report of 2 clinical cases (article in Italian). Recenti Prog Med 85:438-440.

Biasi D, De Sandre G, Bambara LM, Carletto A, Caramaschi P, Zanoni G, Tridente G. 1993 A new case of reactive arthritis after hepatitis B vaccination. Clin Exp Rheumatol 11:215.

Couette, M., Marie-Françoise Boisse, Patrick Maison, Pierre Brugieres, Pierre Cesaro, Xavier Chevalier, Romain K. Gherardi, Anne-Catherine Bachoud-Levi, François-Jérôme Authier 2009 Long-term persistence of vaccine-derived aluminum hydroxide is associated with chronic cognitive dysfunction, Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry 103, 1571–1578

Europan Hospital, 2012. Silicone gel breast implants and connective tissue and autoimmune disease risk , http://www.european-hospital.com/en/article/9384-Silicone_gel_breast_implants_and_connective_tissue_and_autoimmune_disease_risk.html

Exley C, Siesjo¨ P, Erikssson H. The immunobiology of aluminium adjuvants: how do they really work? Trends Immunol. 2010; 31:103–9.

Finielz P, Lam-Kam-Sang LF. 1998 Systemic lupus erythematosus and thrombocytopenic purpura in two members of the same family. Nephrol Dial Transplant 13:2420-2421.

Fisher SG, Weber L, Carbone M. 1999 Cancer risk associated with simian virus 40 contaminated polio vaccine. Anticancer Res. 19(3B):2173-80.

Gherardi RK and FJ Authier 2012 Macrophagic myofasciitis: characterization and  pathophysiology, Lupus 21: 184

Gross K. Combe C, Kruger K, Schattenkirschner M. 1995 Arthritis after hepatitis B vaccination. Report of three cases. Scand J Rheumatol 24:50-52.

Guiseriz J. 1996 Systemic lupus erythematosus following hepatitis B vaccine. Nephron, 74:441.

Haschulla E, Houvenagel E, Mingui A, Vincent G, Laine A. 1990. Reactive arthritis after hepatitis B vaccination. J Rheumatol 17:1250-1251.


Hertz-Picciotto, I., Hye-Youn Park, Miroslav Dostal, Anton Kocan, Tomas Trnovec and Radim Sram 2008 Prenatal Exposures to Persistent and Non-Persistent Organic Compounds and Effects on Immune System Development, Basic & Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology, 102, 146–154

http://www.naturalnews.com/041593_CDC_polio_vaccine_SV40_cancer_virus.html#ixzz339Istadx

Hurwitz EL, Morgenstern H. 2000 Effects of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis or tetanus vaccination on allergies and allergy-related respiratory symptoms among children and adolescents in the United States. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 23(2):81-90.

Israeli E, Agmon-Levin N, Blank M, Shoenfeld Y. 2009 Adjuvants and autoimmunity.
Kawahara M (2005) Effects of aluminum on the nervous system and its possible link with neurodegenerative diseases. J Alzheimers Dis 8: 171-182.

Khan, Z. Christophe Combadière, François-Jérôme Authier, Valérie Itier, François Lux,
Christopher Exley, Meriem Mahrouf-Yorgov, Xavier Decrouy, Philippe Moretto, Olivier Tillement, Romain K Gherardi† and Josette Cadusseau 2013 Slow CCL2-dependent translocation of biopersistent particles from muscle to brain, BMC Medicine 11:99

Kawahara M, Kato-Negishi M (2011) Link between Aluminum and the Pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s Disease: The Integration of the Aluminum and Amyloid Cascade Hypotheses. Int J Alzheimers Dis 2011: 276393.

Kelly H. 2006. Evidence for a causal association between oral polio vaccine and transverse myelitis: A case history and review of the Literature. J Paediatr Child Health., 42(4):155-9.

Kool M, Soullié T, van Nimwegen M, Willart MA, Muskens F, Jung S, Hoogsteden HC, Hammad H, Lambrecht BN: Alum adjuvant boosts adaptive immunity by inducing uric acid and activating inflammatory dendritic cells. J Exp Med 2008, 205:869–882.

Luján, L., Marta Pérez, Eider Salazar, Neila Álvarez, Marina Gimeno, Pedro Pinczowski, Silvia Irusta, Jesús Santamaría, et al. 2013 Autoimmune/autoinflammatory syndrome induced by adjuvants (ASIA syndrome) in commercial Immunologic Research, 55,1-3, 

Masahiro Kawahara and Midori Kato-Negishi 2011 Link between Aluminum and the Pathogenesis of Alzheimer's Disease: The Integration of the Aluminum and Amyloid Cascade Hypotheses Int J Alzheimers Dis.

Melendez, L., Diana dos Santos, Luna Polido, Mariel Lopes Mendes, Silvia Sella, Luiz Querino Caldas and Emmanoel Silva-Filho, 2013, Aluminium and Other Metals May Pose a Risk to Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Biochemical and Behavioural Impairments Clin Exp Pharmacol, 3:1

Meroni, PL 2011. Autoimmune or auto-inflammatory syndrome induced by adjuvants (ASIA): Old truths and a new syndrome? Journal of Autoimmunity 36
Rev Rheumatol 5:648e52.

Orbach H1, Tanay A. 2009 Vaccines as a trigger for myopathies. Lupus. 18(13):1213-6.

Rodella LF, Ricci F, Borsani E, Stacchiotti A, Foglio E, et al. (2008) Aluminium exposure induces Alzheimer’s disease-like histopathological alterations in mouse brain. Histol Histopathol 23: 433-439.

Exley, C., Louise Swarbrick, Rhomain K. Gherardi, Francois-Jérôme Authier 2008 A role for the body burden of aluminium in vaccine-associated macrophagic myofasciitis and chronic fatigue syndrome. Medical Hypothesis

Rogerson SJ. Nye FJ. 1990 Hepatitis B vaccine associated with erythema nodosum and polyarthritis. BMJ 301:345.
RxList, the internet Drug Index, 2014, http://www.rxlist.com/flulaval-drug.htm

Shaw CA, Petrik MSJ: Aluminum hydroxide injections lead to motor deficits and motor neuron degeneration. J Inorg Biochem 2009, 103:1555–1562.

Shaw, CA, Tomljenovic, L. Aluminium in the central nervous system (CNS): toxicity in humans and animals, vaccine adjuvants, and autoimmunity. Immunol. Res.

Shaw, C.A., Y. Li, L. Tomljenovic 2013. Administration of aluminium to neonatal mice in vaccine-relevant amounts is associated with adverse long term neurological outcomes. Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry 

Shoenfeld Y, Agmon-Levin N. 2011 'ASIA' - autoimmune/inflammatory syndrome induced by adjuvants. J Autoimmun. 36(1):4-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jaut.2010.07.003.

Shoenfeld, Y, Agmon Levine, N 2011 ASIA: A New Way to Put the Puzzle Together,The Rheumatologist

Tomljenovic, L., Shaw, C.A. 2011 Do aluminium vaccine adjuvants contribute to the rising prevalence of autism?. Jouranl of Inorganic Biocemistry, 105, 1489-1499

Tudela P, Marti S, Bonanl J. 1992 Systemic lupus erythematosus and vaccination against hepatitis B. Nephron 62:236.

Yokel RA, Allen DD, Meyer JJ (1994) Studies of aluminum neurobehavioral toxicity in the intact mammal. Cell Mol Neurobiol 14: 791-808.

Wikipedia 2014, Thiomersal, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thiomersal


 

Safety of Al as adjuvant questioned in humans and animals

Part II

In the previous post we discussed the relations between vaccines with Al as adjuvant and diseases. Such relations include those of simple co-appearance – vaccine and disease happen in the same individual but one does not necessarily cause the other-, and causation, - i.e. the vaccine causes the disease. Such reactions to vaccines are considered quite rare and not impinging on the general safety of vaccines. 

The problems with vaccine-derived Al include the facts that: 1. Al can persist in the body for a long time after vaccination (up to years for Macrophagic Myofasciitis - described further down), 2. Al can trigger immunologic diseases and 3. Al can make its way into the CNS where it can drive further dangerous immuno-inflammatory and excitotoxic processes (! here could be the link between Al-vaccine and autoimmune reaction, neurogedeneration and behavioral dysfunctions).

1. Al is engulfed into macrophages (immune system white blood cells) and can remain there for a long time and transported inside them throughout the organism.

2. Al can trigger immune responses, in predisposed people. For an adjuvant disease to develop, genetic susceptibilities or co-exposure to other environmental factors are needed. Therefore, adjuvant effect appears in subjects who are genetically susceptible OR in those who are subject to another trigger, such as in co-exposure to more than one adjuvant (or repetitive vaccines). These individuals show an adverse reaction to Al-vaccines and it seems that for these people aluminium acts as an antigen –an intruder to be fought against. Several receivers of vaccines (as many as 1% of all vaccinated people) retain a memory of exposure to aluminium from, for example, childhood vaccination, and show delayed hyper-sensitivity (a form of allergy) to subsequent exposures: i.e. these recipients are sensitized to aluminium. This hyper-sensitivity together with an aluminium overload through repetitive vaccination can lead to an adverse reaction: the immune system fights against the antigen Al contained in the vaccine as well as against all significant body stores of it, an autoimmune reaction.

3. Al has been found in CNS and it is now clear that it can cross the protective blood-brain barrier causing neurological damages. Alum is potentially highly neurotoxic, but it is used at such concentrations that are considered by the industry and regulatory agencies an acceptable compromise between acting as adjuvant and being toxic. The potential toxicity of alum depends by its capacity to remain localized at injection points or dispersing and accumulating in distant tissues. Al is present as aggregates of minuscule (nano-sized, 1/1,000,000 mm) particles in the vaccines and these minuscule particles were believed to remain at the shot site and outside o the cell membranes. However some cells of the immune system take up these alum particles and transport them to distant sites through the lymphatic system and into blood, spleen, and can even penetrate the brain, although at a very low rate in normal conditions. However, continuous doses of Al may become dangerously unsafe, especially in case of overimmunization or of an immature or altered blood brain barrier, like the one of babies or aging people.

While scientists and doctors have known about the property of aluminium of facilitating the immune response for at least 80 years, they still do not fully understand the mechanism of this functioning! The challenge would seem to try to balance the Al facilitating effect with the risk of it remaining in the organism and triggering an inflammatory reaction, the fighting response of the immune system. Some scientists believe that a subject’s sensitivity to Al should probably be detected before submitting him/her to a vaccine containing Al. Or else, less dangerous adjuvants could be experimented. 

Similar to the case of Al, a causative relationship between an adjuvant (but not from a vaccine) and a particular group of symptoms has been reported for a completely different scenario. A significant link has been documented frequently in recent years between breast implants and a collection of conditions, some of which are autoimmune reactions: systemic sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, impaired cognition, depression, dry eyes, dry mouth, skin abnormalities, paresthesia, swollen and tender axillary glands, unexplained fever, hair loss, headache and morning stiffness. The term “the adjuvant disease” or siliconosis was given in the early 1990s to these silicone-induced autoimmune phenomena.

ASIA, a new syndrome1? The manifestations of post-vaccination reactions and siliconosis are now recognized by scientists to be similar to other recently described conditions called Gulf War Syndrome (GWS) and Macrophagic Myofasciitis syndrome (MMF). GWS showed up in veterans of Gulf War presenting similar symptoms as discussed above: fatigue, muscle pain, cognitive problems, memory problems, neurological problems, rashes and diarrhea. During the Gulf War, the vaccination plan included the anthrax vaccine, administered in a six-shot regimen and adjuvated by aluminium hydroxide and squalene.
MMF presents with a lesion containing aluminium salts at the site of an intramuscular injection, and with systemic symptoms of muscle and joint pain which are the effects of an inflammatory reaction to alum from 3 months to 10 years after injection.
Thus 2 years ago, these four conditions, post- vaccinations autoimmune reactions, siliconosis, GWS and MMF, carrying common systemic symptoms were linked to the exposure to an adjuvant and defined by a group of researchers under the same umbrella of ASIA, Autoimmune or auto-inflammatory Syndrome Induced by Adjuvants.

The mechanisms by which ASIA symptoms are triggered are unknown, however the adjuvant (Al in the case of vaccines, GWS and MMF) is researched as the possible culprit. 

Aluminum is the most widely distributed metal in our environment plus it is the most common adjuvant used in human and animal vaccine. A suggestion to this link is given by animal (mice, fish, sheep) studies and observations in which chronic exposure to aluminum is associated with behavioral, neuropathological and neurochemical changes.

Al is widely used in animal vaccines. In veterinary applications the safety of alum as an adjuvant is being questioned at present: a new syndrome was recently described affecting up to 50–70% of farmed sheep flocks and up to 100% of animals within a flock or salmons in a farm. The symptoms are severe neurobehavioural impacts like restlessness, compulsive wool biting, weakness, muscle tremors, loss of response to stimuli, tetraplegia, diseases of the liver and peritoneum, circulatory disease and kidney disease, stupor, coma and death. Scientists believe that these reactions depend on the persistence of Al in the central nervous system AND on the chronic hyperstimulation of the immune system which would facilitate the production of autoantibodies (antibodies against own healthy cells) leading to autoimmune disease. A similar explanation to the hypersensitivity reactions of certain humans.
--------------------------
1 A syndrome is defined as “a collection of signs and symptoms that often occur together in the same individuals. Its characteristics may be induced by a number of different primary causes that give rise to the same clinical manifestations”.


References:
Agmon-Levin N, Paz Z, Israeli E, Shoenfeld Y. 2009 Vaccines and autoimmunity. Nat

Agmon-Levin, N, GRV Hughes and Y Shoenfeld 2012. The spectrum of ASIA: 'Autoimmune (Auto-inflammatory) Syndrome induced by Adjuvants Lupus 21: 118

Barthelow Classen J,  Classen JB 2014 Review of Vaccine Induced Immune Overload and the Resulting Epidemics ofType 1 Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome, Emphasis on Explaining the Recent Accelerations in the Risk of Prediabetes and other Immune Mediated Diseases, J Mol Genet Med S1:02

Belmonte, M., Greg Allen, Andrea Beckel-Mitchener, Lisa M. Boulanger, Ruth A. Carper, and Sara J. Webb 2004 (Autism and Abnormal Development of Brain Connectivity. The Journal of Neuroscience, 20 October 2004, 24(42): 9228-9231

Bernsen RM, Nagelkerke NJ, Thijs C, van der Wouden JC. 2008 Reported pertussis infection and risk of atopy in 8- to 12-yr-old vaccinated and non-vaccinated children. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 19(1): 46-52.

Biasi D, Carletto A, Caramaschi P, Frigo A, Pacor ML, Bezzi D, Bambara LM. Rheumatological manifestations following hepatitis B vaccination. 1994. A report of 2 clinical cases (article in Italian). Recenti Prog Med 85:438-440.

Biasi D, De Sandre G, Bambara LM, Carletto A, Caramaschi P, Zanoni G, Tridente G. 1993 A new case of reactive arthritis after hepatitis B vaccination. Clin Exp Rheumatol 11:215.
Shaw, C.A., Y. Li, L. Tomljenovic 2013. Administration of aluminium to neonatal mice in vaccine-relevant amounts is associated with adverse long term neurological outcomes. Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry

Couette, M., Marie-Françoise Boisse, Patrick Maison, Pierre Brugieres, Pierre Cesaro, Xavier Chevalier, Romain K. Gherardi, Anne-Catherine Bachoud-Levi, François-Jérôme Authier 2009 Long-term persistence of vaccine-derived aluminum hydroxide is associated with chronic cognitive dysfunction, Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry 103, 1571–1578

Europan Hospital, 2012. Silicone gel breast implants and connective tissue and autoimmune disease risk , http://www.european-hospital.com/en/article/9384-Silicone_gel_breast_implants_and_connective_tissue_and_autoimmune_disease_risk.html

Exley C, Siesjo P, Erikssson H. 2010 The immunobiology of aluminium adjuvants: how do they really work? Trends Immunol. 31:103–9.

Finielz P, Lam-Kam-Sang LF. 1998 Systemic lupus erythematosus and thrombocytopenic purpura in two members of the same family. Nephrol Dial Transplant 13:2420-2421.

Fisher SG, Weber L, Carbone M. 1999 Cancer risk associated with simian virus 40 contaminated polio vaccine. Anticancer Res. 19(3B):2173-80.

Gherardi RK and FJ Authier 2012 Macrophagic myofasciitis: characterization and  pathophysiology, Lupus 21: 184

Gross K. Combe C, Kruger K, Schattenkirschner M. 1995 Arthritis after hepatitis B vaccination. Report of three cases. Scand J Rheumatol 24:50-52.

Guiseriz J. 1996 Systemic lupus erythematosus following hepatitis B vaccine. Nephron, 74:441.

Haschulla E, Houvenagel E, Mingui A, Vincent G, Laine A. 1990. Reactive arthritis after hepatitis B vaccination. J Rheumatol 17:1250-1251.

Hertz-Picciotto, I., Hye-Youn Park, Miroslav Dostal, Anton Kocan, Tomas Trnovec and Radim Sram 2008 Prenatal Exposures to Persistent and Non-Persistent Organic Compounds and Effects on Immune System Development, Basic & Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology, 102, 146–154

http://www.naturalnews.com/041593_CDC_polio_vaccine_SV40_cancer_virus.html#ixzz339Istadx

Hurwitz EL, Morgenstern H. 2000 Effects of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis or tetanus vaccination on allergies and allergy-related respiratory symptoms among children and adolescents in the United States. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 23(2):81-90.

Israeli E, Agmon-Levin N, Blank M, Shoenfeld Y. 2009 Adjuvants and autoimmunity.
Kawahara M (2005) Effects of aluminum on the nervous system and its possible link with neurodegenerative diseases. J Alzheimers Dis 8: 171-182.

Khan, Z. Christophe Combadière, François-Jérôme Authier, Valérie Itier, François Lux,
Christopher Exley, Meriem Mahrouf-Yorgov, Xavier Decrouy, Philippe Moretto, Olivier Tillement, Romain K Gherardi† and Josette Cadusseau 2013 Slow CCL2-dependent translocation of biopersistent particles from muscle to brain, BMC Medicine 11:99

Kawahara M, Kato-Negishi M (2011) Link between Aluminum and the Pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s Disease: The Integration of the Aluminum and Amyloid Cascade Hypotheses. Int J Alzheimers Dis 2011: 276393.

Kelly H. 2006. Evidence for a causal association between oral polio vaccine and transverse myelitis: A case history and review of the Literature. J Paediatr Child Health., 42(4):155-9.

Kool M, Soullié T, van Nimwegen M, Willart MA, Muskens F, Jung S, Hoogsteden HC, Hammad H, Lambrecht BN: Alum adjuvant boosts adaptive immunity by inducing uric acid and activating inflammatory dendritic cells. J Exp Med 2008, 205:869–882.

Luján, L., Marta Pérez, Eider Salazar, Neila Álvarez, Marina Gimeno, Pedro Pinczowski, Silvia Irusta, Jesús Santamaría, et al. 2013 Autoimmune/autoinflammatory syndrome induced by adjuvants (ASIA syndrome) in commercial Immunologic Research, 55,1-3, 2013
Lupus 18:1217e25

Masahiro Kawahara and Midori Kato-Negishi 2011 Link between Aluminum and the Pathogenesis of Alzheimer's Disease: The Integration of the Aluminum and Amyloid Cascade Hypotheses Int J Alzheimers Dis.

Melendez, L., Diana dos Santos, Luna Polido, Mariel Lopes Mendes, Silvia Sella, Luiz Querino Caldas and Emmanoel Silva-Filho, 2013, Aluminium and Other Metals May Pose a Risk to Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Biochemical and Behavioural Impairments Clin Exp Pharmacol, 3:1

Meroni, PL 2011. Autoimmune or auto-inflammatory syndrome induced by adjuvants (ASIA): Old truths and a new syndrome? Journal of Autoimmunity 36
Rev Rheumatol 5:648e52.

Orbach H1, Tanay A. 2009 Vaccines as a trigger for myopathies. Lupus. 18(13):1213-6.

Rodella LF, Ricci F, Borsani E, Stacchiotti A, Foglio E, et al. (2008) Aluminium exposure induces Alzheimer’s disease-like histopathological alterations in mouse brain. Histol Histopathol 23: 433-439.

Exley, C., Louise Swarbrick, Rhomain K. Gherardi, Francois-Jérôme Authier 2008 A role for the body burden of aluminium in vaccine-associated macrophagic myofasciitis and chronic fatigue syndrome. Medical Hypothesis

Rogerson SJ. Nye FJ. 1990 Hepatitis B vaccine associated with erythema nodosum and polyarthritis. BMJ 301:345.
RxList, the internet Drug Index, 2014, http://www.rxlist.com/flulaval-drug.htm

Shaw CA, Petrik MSJ 2009 Aluminum hydroxide injections lead to motor deficits and motor neuron degeneration. J Inorg Biochem, 103:1555–1562.

Shaw, CA, Tomljenovic, L. Aluminium in the central nervous system (CNS): toxicity in humans and animals, vaccine adjuvants, and autoimmunity. Immunol. Res.

Shoenfeld Y, Agmon-Levin N. 2011 'ASIA' - autoimmune/inflammatory syndrome induced by adjuvants. J Autoimmun. 36(1):4-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jaut.2010.07.003.

Shoenfeld, Y, Agmon Levine, N 2011 ASIA: A New Way to Put the Puzzle Together,The Rheumatologist

Tomljenovic, L., Shaw, C.A. 2011 Do aluminium vaccine adjuvants contribute to the rising prevalence of autism?. Jouranl of Inorganic Biocemistry, 105, 1489-1499

Tudela P, Marti S, Bonanl J. 1992 Systemic lupus erythematosus and vaccination against hepatitis B. Nephron 62:236.

Yokel RA, Allen DD, Meyer JJ (1994) Studies of aluminum neurobehavioral toxicity in the intact mammal. Cell Mol Neurobiol 14: 791-808.

Wikipedia 2014, Thiomersal, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thiomersal

Vaccines and immunity and nervous system. Explained links...

After a complex research on previous studies and lots of reading of scientific papers, here it is, the focus of this ‘recent research of research’ of mine:

Impact of vaccines on immunity (or body defense system) and the nervous system. 

This story will come in chapters, it's long BUT it is very interesting. I was quite shocked to find SO many studies published in peer review journals confirming the link between vaccines and disesases...both in adults and in children.

What is the relationship between an increasing number of vaccinations and the appearance of several otherwise unexplained diseases of our times, like: 1. autoimmune or autoinflammatory diseases such as Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Multiple Sclerosis, or 2. neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), or 3. behavioral-emotional diseases like Autism? 
All such syndromes or diseases have been increasing in the past 2 generations, however this observation is difficult to measure in an absolute manner since diagnosis has also improved – but not only: for example, neurodegenerative diseases: a study estimated that in 2006, 0.40% of the world population (26.6 million) were affected by AD, and that this rate would triple by 2050; behavioral diseases, 6.7 in 1000 children had autism in 2000 and 14.7 in 1000 children in 2010; autoimmune diseases: altogether … 1 in 20 people in Western countries have an autoimmune disease!

When I came to learn about the tight connection between nervous and immune system in both development and functioning, many things became clear or plausible. The immune system develops – and later works - tightly with the nervous system. The two interact extensively via cytokines, messenger molecules produced by cells of the immune system, and neuropeptides, messengers produced by the nervous systems: cytokines are recognized by nervous system glial cells, and neuropeptides are recognized by immune cells. Some cytokines not only control the development of the nervous system but also help in its protection and regeneration. There is a constant talk between the two systems.
 
The immune system pervades our organism by interacting with the nervous system and endocrine system, and checking everywhere for the presence of invaders or dead or malfunctioning cells to be eliminated. It permeates every component of our body with its cells and messengers.

The immune system is our protector from harmful stimuli, like pathogens, damaged cells, irritants, etc. Inflammation is the number one response of the immune system to fight any attack from inside or outside. Examples of inflammation are: a bruise from a fall or an infection, which are characterized by redness, warmth, pain, swelling.  

Autoimmune and autoinflammatory reactions and diseases are the results of an improper functioning of the immune system, in which the immune cells mistakenly fight against their own organism. The body attacks and destroys itself. Such is the case of multiple sclerosis (MS), in which the myelin sheath of neurons is destroyed, or of systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), in which skin, joints, kidneys and brain get attacked.

Neurodegenerative diseases, like AD, Parkinson’s and ALS (Amyotyroiphic lateral sclerosis or motoneuron disease), are caused by loss of structure and function of the nervous system. There are commonalities among them, like strange conglomerates of proteins and nervous cells death.

Behavioral-emotional diseases affect behavior and emotion: included are ADHD, schizophrenia, bipolar, and sometimes AD.

All such diseases, like all diseases in general, have a genetic AND an environmental component. Your chances to get one of these (or any other) disease depends on your DNA make-up as well as on the external conditions: life style, where you live, diet, what you do, your exposure to toxins, amount and type of physical exercise etc. Which means that, IF you have the genes for a disease, you do not NECESSARILY get it, if you avoid certain environmental triggers.

What is the common factor between autoimmune or autoinflammatory diseases, neurodegenerative diseases and behavioral diseases? There is a theory and many proven correlations that adjuvants used in medicine (vaccination, implants) could cause these conditions.

Adjuvants are pharmacological agents that modify the effect of another agent. Immunologic adjuvants are substances that are used in the delivery of a vaccine to make it more long-lasting and effective. Such adjuvants interact with cells in the immune system to make it more reactive in the defense towards antigens = toxic molecules or organisms (ex. bacteria or viruses that are delivered through the vaccine to prepare the system of defense in face of a real invasion). Adjuvants also provide antigen transport to the lymph nodes, where cells of the immune systems can be produced in high number to fight specifically that antigen; thus such adjuvants provide a longer exposure of pathogens to the immune system and a more robust response. In doing so, they enable the decrease of the amount of antigen needed and thereby the production of a larger number of vaccines (!). The most common immunological adjuvant is alum or hydrated potassium aluminium sulfate, used in vaccines since 1927. Silicon is also considered an adjuvant when used in breast implants.

Adjuvants and autoimmune diseases? Formerly, adjuvants were thought to be harmless, but studies of animal models and human reactions to vaccines demonstrated the ability of some of them to cause autoimmunity and autoimmune diseases in some patients.
 
Vaccines are important achievements of modern medicine and are commonly and safely inoculated to human and animals worldwide. However, sometimes, vaccines can induce the appearances of autoantibodies, inflammatory conditions and autoimmune diseases: arthritis, neuronal damage, fatigue, encephalitis and vasculitis have been frequently described in association to vaccines. A similar association has been proven between silicon in implants and other autoimmune reactions. The factors with the adjuvant activity (infectious agents and alum in vaccines and silicon in breast implants) are the link to the immune-mediated diseases. Such association has been observed in both in animals (where tests could be run and causation proven) and in humans.

Causation versus correlation: Such association between vaccines, or other environmental factors, with immune-mediated diseases have been shown in numerous studies, however it is almost impossible to prove a cause-and-effect relationship. They just happen to appear in conjunction.

However, in some (many!) cases this causation has been scientifically proven and in few cases the causation is now accepted by the medical community and the decision makers: in 1976 an outbreak of Guillain-Barré syndrome (a dysfunction of the peripheral nervous system causing paralysis and eventually death) followed vaccination with the “swine flu” vaccine. After complete acceptance of this causation link, warnings of possible side effects as GB syndrome are still notified on labels in present flu-vaccines packages. Similar causal relationship (i.e. the vaccine caused the disease) have been accepted for:

Oral Polio Vaccine: transverse myelitis (inflammation of the spinal cord and sensory and motor loss and paralysis), inflammatory myopathies
Diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis Vaccine (DTP): arthritis, inflammatory myopathies
Diphtheria with scarlet fever vaccine: inflammatory myopathies
Pertussis Vaccine: allergic disorders (asthma, hay fever, food allergy),
Smallpox Vaccine: inflammatory myopathies,
Measles-mumps-rubella Vaccine (MMR): arthritis, autoimmune thrombocytopenia
Tuberculosis bacillus Calmette-Guérin Vaccine: inflammatory myopathies
Tetanus Vaccine:  inflammatory myopathies
Human Papilloma virus Vaccine: SLE
Hepstein Barr Vaccine: SLE
Hepatitis B Vaccine: arthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, SLE, inflammatory myopathies
Influenza vaccine: polymyalgia rheumatic, SLE, Rheumatoid arthritis
H1N1 Vaccine: inflammatory myopathies, sometimes associated with interstitial lung disease

The list goes on. The more I search the more I find scientific published research on the relations between vaccines an autoimmune diseases. There are probably as many works stating the opposite. But here you go, up to you to juice out a truth. If there is a risk….why running it? Especially, why taking it for your child?
 
…next on breast implants and auto-immune diseases, ASIA syndrome, autism, children vaccination....




This text is to be taken as information, always refer to your medical doctor for questions. Learn to be informed before conseting on your or your child's health.

Ginger root, anti inflammatory and many more

The power of ginger: anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic, liver depurator, fighting colic and nausea, improving blood circulation and immune system.
 
Yummi Ginger tea, to drink in the morning before breakfast or after meals as a digestive:

Cut 1 cm of fresh gingerroot, peel, slice thinly and chop as small as possible, add to 1.5 cups of water, with 2 cardamom berries (or 1 tsp of cardamom powder), 1 tsp of coriander power or berries and 1 tsp of fennel seeds, bring to a boil, then simmer for 10-15 minutes. Let it cool to warm temperature and then add 1 tsp of freshly squeezed lemon juice and a tsp of honey. Enjoy