Biochemical Imbalances in Disease - L. Nicolle, A. Beirne (Singing Dragon, 2010 ) WW

396 Pages·2010·27.07 MB·English

B i o c h e m i c a l
imBalances in
D i s e a s e

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A P r A c t i t i o n e r ’ s H A n d b o o k

B i o c h e m i c a l
imBalances in
D i s e a s e

e d i t e d b y

LorrAine nicoLLe and
Ann Woodriff beirne

f o r e W o r d b y d A v i d s. J o n e s

London and Philadelphia

First published in 2010
by Singing Dragon
an imprint of Jessica Kingsley Publishers
116 Pentonville Road
London N1 9JB, UK
and
400 Market Street, Suite 400
Philadelphia, PA 19106, USA

www.singing-dragon.com

Copyright © Singing Dragon 2010
Foreword © David S. Jones 2010

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Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
A CIP catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN 978 1 84819 033 7
ISBN pdf eBook 978 0 85701 028 5

Printed and bound in the United Kingdom by
MPG Books Group

Contents

Foreword
15
David S. Jones, President of the Institute for Functional Medicine, UK

chapter 1
the Healthcare Futurescape: How Did We Get Here
and Where Are We Going?
18
Lorraine Nicolle, Thames Valley University, UK and Ann Woodriff Beirne,
complementary therapist, Australia

1. Some key shapers of medicine
19

1.1 Hippocrates, Galen and humorism
19

1.2 The nineteenth century medical revolution
20

1.3 The twentieth century
26

2. Homeostasis and allostasis
30

2.1 Homeostasis
30

2.2 Allostasis
31

3. Functional medicine (FM)
33
3.1 The adoption and usage of the FM model among UK
nutritional therapists
33

4. The chapters
34

chapter 2
Gastro-Intestinal Imbalances
38

Part 1 The gastro-intestinal tract – Use and abuse
38
Laurence Trueman, University of Worcester, UK and Justine Bold,
University of Worcester, UK

1. Gastro-intestinal imbalances and disease
38

2. Physiological imbalances of the human digestive system
39

2.1 Oral cavity and oesophagus
39

2.2 The stomach
40

2.3 The small intestine
43

2.4 The colon
45

3. Microflora supplementation and the human gut
47

4. Diagnostic testing
50

Part 2 Functional disorders of the gastro-intestinal tract
51
Justine Bold

5. Functional gastro-intestinal tract disorders
51

5.1 Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
51

5.2 Functional abdominal pain (FAP)
56

5.3 Functional bloating (FB)
56

5.4 Functional constipation (FC)
56

chapter 3
Compromised Detoxification
65
Angelette Müller, Thames Valley University, UK and Christabelle Yeoh,
Breakspear Medical Group, UK

1. Introduction
65

2. Sources and routes of entry of toxins
66

3. Biochemical pathways of detoxification
67

3.1 Phase I (biotransformation)
67

3.2 Phase II (conjugation)
68

3.3 Phase III (transporters)
68

3.4 Metallothioneins
69

4. Factors affecting detoxification processes
70

5. The impact of toxins on nutrients
70

6. Clinical assessment of detoxification capacity and the body

burden of toxins
72

6.1 Tests to consider
72

6.2 Functional tests
73

6.3 Genetic tests of detoxification capacity
75

6.4 Assessment of toxic exposure or load
76

7. The detoxification programme
79

7.1 New and/or exacerbated symptoms during detoxification
79

7.2 Considerations for the detoxification programme
80

8. The dietary management of detoxification
80

8.1 Aims of a dietary detoxification programme
80

8.2 Protein
81

8.3 Carbohydrates
82

8.4 Fats
83

8.5 Dairy
84

8.6 Herbs and spices
85

8.7 Fasting and dietary restriction
85

8.8 Food preparation
86

9. Lifestyle interventions
86

9.1 Exercise
86

9.2 Sauna
87

9.3 Hydrotherapy
87

10. Supplement treatment regimes
87

11. Chelation therapy
90
11.1 Contraindications of chelating drugs
90

12. Other considerations for successful detoxification
91

13. Compromised detoxification and chronic disease
91
13.1 Examples of common conditions and compromised

detoxification
92

13.2 Some possible mechanisms
92

14. Conclusion
94

chapter 4
Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid (PUFA) Imbalances
101

Part 1 The health effects of imbalances in PUFA status and metabolism
101
Lorraine Nicolle and Ada Hallam, nutritional therapist, USA

1. What are essential fatty acids?
101

2. EFA metabolism and eicosanoid synthesis
102

3. Changes in dietary fat intake over time
102

3.1 The n-6:n-3 FA ratio
103
3.2 Trans fats
104

4. Signs and symptoms of PUFA deficiency
105

5. A closer look at some of PUFAs’ mechanisms
106

5.1 The role of eicosanoids
106

5.2 Cellular signalling and transcription
109

5.3 Membrane structure and organisation
110

6. PUFA modulation of some specific disease processes
110

6.1 Cardiovascular disease (CVD)
110

6.2 Insulin resistance, obesity and metabolic syndrome
113

6.3 Cancer
113

6.4 Multiple sclerosis (MS)
115

6.5 Other chronic inflammatory disorders
116

7. General recommendations and therapeutic considerations
117

7.1 Patient testing
117

7.2 General dietary recommendations
118

7.3 Supplementation
121

8. Conclusion
122

Part 2 PUFAs in the brain
128
Smita Hanciles, NHS, UK and Zeller Pimlott, Thames Valley University, UK

9. PUFAs in the brain
128
9.1 The role of fatty acids in brain development and

function
128

9.2 PUFAs in ADHD, dyslexia and dyspraxia
130

9.3 The role of PUFAs in depression
131

9.4 PUFAs and schizophrenia
132

9.5 Cognition, behaviour and mood in the general

population
133

9.6 Conclusion
135

chapter 5
the Metabolic syndrome: Insulin Resistance,
Dysglycaemia and Dyslipidaemia
138
T. Michael Culp, The Natural Health and Wellness Centre, UK

1. Imbalances of affluence
138

1.1 Feast or famine
139

1.2 Xenohormesis
139

2. Physiological responses to food intake
140

2.1 Glycaemic index and glycaemic load
140

2.2 Insulin resistance and blood sugar control
141

3. Consequences of dysglycaemia
141

3.1 Diabetes and more
141

3.2 Dyslipidaemia
142

3.3 Hyperinsulinaemia and heart disease/CAD
142

3.4 Insulin’s effects on IGF-1 and other hormones
143

4. Metabolic syndrome – contributory factors to consider
145

4.1 The ‘chicken and egg’ conundrum
145

4.2 Insulin and oxidative stress
146

4.3 High risk carbohydrates
147

5. Preventing and reversing insulin resistance and metabolic

syndrome
148

5.1 The role of physical activity
149

5.2 The roles of calorie restriction and sirtuins
150

5.3. The role of diet and nutrients
152

6. Specific functional nutrient deficiencies and metabolic

syndrome
159

6.1 Magnesium
159

6.2 Chromium
160

6.3 Herbal medicines and phytochemicals
162

7. Are drugs better?
164

8. Summary of prevention and treatment recommendations
164

8.1 Dr Culp’s rules for healthy living
164

chapter 6
Compromised thyroid and Adrenal Function
174
Jane Nodder, University of Westminster, UK

Part 1 The Thyroid Gland
174

1. Thyroid function
174

1.1 The thyroid gland
175

2. Imbalances in thyroid function
177

2.1 Hyperthyroidism or thyrotoxicosis
178

2.2 Hypothyroidism or myxoedema
179

3. Diagnosis of thyroid function problems
181

3.1 Blood tests for thyroid dysfunction
182

3.2 Radioactive iodine uptake (RIU)
186

3.3 Urine hormone assays for thyroid function
186

3.4 Functional tests
186

4. Conventional treatment approaches for thyroid conditions 187

4.1 Hyperthyroidism
188

4.2 Hypothyroidism
188

4.3 Subclinical (mild) hypothyroidism
188

4.4 Combination treatment
188