Ozone: A New Medical Drug PDF
Preview Ozone: A New Medical Drug
Ozone a new Medical Drug Velio Bocci OZONE A New Medical Drug OZONE A New Medical Drug by Velio Bocci MedicalDoctor,SpecialistinRespiratoryDiseases and Haematology and Emeritus Professor of Physiology at the University of Siena, Siena, Italy A C.I.P. Catalogue record for this book is available from the Library of Congress. ISBN 1-4020-3139-4 (HB) ISBN 1-4020-3140-8 (e-book) Published by Springer, P.O. Box 17, 3300 AA Dordrecht, The Netherlands. Sold and distributed in North, Central and South America by Springer, 101 Philip Drive, Norwell, MA 02061, U.S.A. In all other countries, sold and distributed by Springer, P.O. Box 322, 3300 AHDordrecht, The Netherlands. Printed on acid-free paper springeronline.com All Rights Reserved ©2005 Springer No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording or otherwise, without written permission from the Publisher, with the exception of any material supplied specifically for the purpose of being entered and executed on a computer system, for exclusive use by the purchaser of the work. Printed in the Netherlands. This book is dedicated to all patients with the wish to regain their health with or without oxygen-ozonetherapy PREFACE Is there any reason to write a third book on the topic of oxygen-ozone therapy? The first was written four years ago for italian physicians, who, for some time, had complained about the lack of precise ozone informations. Then it became unavoidable to write a book for english-speaking people and it took a couple of years because i considered worth it while to examine the problem in details with attention to basic findings, so that it could also be useful to scientists and clinicians. The book was briefly reviewed in the new york academy of sciences magazine ( 1-2, 2003, 14) and was awarded the “Tramezzi” prize in Rome, October 2003. However the book had not been as successful as i had hoped because, particularly american scientists remained sceptical and disinterested. However a letter from prof. L.Packer was encouraging saying: “there is growing evidence that oxidants like many ros including ozone provide a mild oxidant stress which under certain circumstances actually induce the formation of phase 1 and phase 2 enzymes, strengthening the antioxidant defence system through an adaptation process. Thus it would be rational that a mild treatment with ozone stimulates the antioxidant defence system. So i think some of your ideas have a foundation in current scientific work.” Indeed i have several reasons to believe that one of the most important pedestals of ozonetherapy is based on the induction of oxidative stress proteins. In Chapter 34 of my previous book (2002), I emphasized the usefulness of biooxidative therapies in poor-countries, where a billion people have no other medical resources but world health authorities, particularly WHO had remained disinterested in this approach. It is depressing to realize how useful proposals remain unheard of and how much time and work are requested before their implementation. However, the worst disappointment has been on reading a few letters of distinguished American scientists in the field of free-radicals, who were and remained biased towards ozonetherapy. Actually several scientists, who surely received the book did not even bother to answer. Someone, who, by reading his papers, I judged to be very clever, politely wrote me that, although the book presented some interesting aspects, it could not convince him because the ruling dogma in the USA is that “ozone is toxic and should not be used in medicine”. Although several others were not so naïve to say such a thing, it was clear that the book had failed to remove the prejudice from their heads. vii viii On the other hand, I received a few positive responses from clinicians, who appreciated my effort in creating a rational scheme able to clarify how ozone acts and why toxicity could be avoided. Several practitioners confessed to be disinterested in the biochemical aspects because they hardly had the time to read the practical part. On the whole these remarks taught me that much more work was needed before reversing the antagonism, for correcting the problem of charlatans and objectively establish the pros and cons of ozonetherapy. During the last three years, personal experience has convinced me that a judicious use of ozone can be very useful in some diseases when orthodox medicine has no further resources and patients are abandoned to their fate. For them ozone is more valuable than gold because, at least for some, it can restore hope and health. I feel I am a lucky man because towards the end of my academic life, in 1988, by mere accident, I stumbled on the ozone problem that although quite controversial, is a real trove. I believe so because ozone, like oxygen, is such a basic molecule able to activate a great number of vital processes. It depresses me to think that ozone, the cheapest drug on earth, is today either badly or minimally used because orthodox medicine refuses to evaluate it and Health Authorities are antagonistic or negligent. Both are responsible for leaving millions of people suffering and dying. I must not get discouraged and continue to work and hope that ozonetherapy will eventually benefit many people. I cannot hide my dream of organizing and gratuitously working in a large clinic with enthusiastic collaborators able to evaluate the full relevance of ozonetherapy. There are many philanthropists helping the development of arts, science and sport and one day we may be lucky to find someone who believes and values this approach. In conclusion what are the aims of this book? This has been specifically written for physicians, who want to learn and then perform a correct ozonetherapy. Moreover, by using a plain scientific language, the book should be useful for the layman, who must receive the most objective information avoiding any undue hype. In comparison with the former book, I will strive to be clear without omitting the basic concepts that are essential to understand how ozone works without causing deleterious effects. I will refrain from adding chemical formulae and complex diagrams because I have been told that they are somewhat irritating or useless for inexpert people. I would be enthusiastic to help and collaborate with clinical researchers if they are genuinely interested in evaluating the validity of ozone-therapy. The greatest effort will be dedicated to clarify in which diseases ozonetherapy has been proved to be really useful and in others where the efficacy remains uncertain. Because mass media and popular books often tend to elicit unrealistic hopes, it appears necessary that the reader is precisely informed on the best available options provided by orthodox ix medicine and, if necessary, by ozonetherapy that, in any case, remains a complementary approach or the last resort. For the sake of brevity and minimal competence, I will not suggest other important complementary approaches unless scientific data have proven their value. Velio Bocci ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS It has taken some time to have this book ready because I wanted to fully update results of both orthodox and ozone therapies. I would like to thank many collaborators who, throughout the years, have helped me in studying the biological and therapeutic effects of ozone. Although I tried to do my best in writing the book, I apologise for the poor style and probably some mistakes although the manuscript has undergone the linguistic revision. I am very grateful to Dr. Carlo Aldinucci for the enormous help in typing the bibliography and the skill in preparing the manuscript for printing. I thank all Authors and Publishers for kindly allowing to publish a few diagrams and to report some unpublished data. I gratefully acknowledge a small support given by Healthzone Clinics Public Ltd. Co., UK. I am grateful to Mr. Peter Butler, Publishing Manager Springer Science for the enthusiastic support of the project. Finally I am deeply grateful to my wife Helen and to my children Erica and Roberto for being always very patient with me and my work. xi FOREWORD In 2002, Prof. Bocci published a book entitled “Oxygen-Ozone Therapy. A critical evaluation” with ample scientific data based largely on his experiments indicating the usefulness and atoxicity of ozone therapy in some diseases. However the book contained too many details and it was difficult to read for the busy physician and even more for the layman. He has now written a new version that is shorter and concise. Nonetheless the mechanisms of action of ozone, which are essential for understanding how ozone acts through a number of messengers, are clearly explained in a scientific but plain language. The clinical part has been greatly extended and includes new pathologies as well as diseases previously considered but now amplified with new data. The book is primarily intended for ozone-therapists, who want to refine techniques, expand treatment modalities and solve problems, but will be equally useful for physicians interested in this approach. However it can also be read by the layman, to provide further insight into this aspect of complementary medicine. The book gives a complete view of this approach including practical aspects of routes of administration and the possibility of simple self-medication. Against the prejudice that ozone is toxic, the accurate description of side effects reveals that they are of minimal relevance and it is even more surprising that ozone therapy yields a feeling of wellness in the majority of patients. This is a crucial point that has been clearly explained by defining the therapeutic range within which ozone is a very useful drug. It is interesting to learn that ozone can slowly induce an increase of antioxidant defences that is a unique property most important for correcting the chronic oxidative stress plaguing atherosclerosis, diabetes, viral infections and cancer. I have been impressed by the enthusiasm for this therapy that comes to light on reading the book. Velio told me that he has submitted himself all possible methods of ozone administration and has also performed many experiments. From his results and the often incredible improvements observed in very ill patients, he has the firm conviction that ozone therapy is not a placebo! Jokingly, he also assured me that he is the living proof of ozone therapy atoxicity. Ozone never finishes surprising us by its versatility recently shown by delivering therapeutic activity in Orthopaedics and Dentistry. I am xiii
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