INFLAMMATION PART 8 THE MAILLARD REACTION

INFLAMMATION PART 8

THE MAILLARD REACTION

Why do diabetics age faster than non-diabetics? Well Billy, pull up a chair and I’ll tell you why. Wait, grab that (medical) pot pie out of the oven and bring it over here before you sit down. OK Billy, here’s how it works: the normal state of the diabetic patient is one of high oxidative stress due to hyperglycemia causing glycosylation (binding of glucose to important bio-molecules) of proteins, and phospholipids. Basically it’s the same process you see when a chef sears a piece of wild salmon with garlic and rosemary creating a spectacular crust. (This is where scratch and sniff technology would work well). This glycosylation, sans the rosemary and garlic, in technical terms is called the Maillard Reaction. It makes your foods taste groovy-it’s also the foundation of making a great reduction as you brown meat and vegetables then deglaze with wine or excitotoxin free broth. The materials that happen to taste so good are called advanced glycation end products or AGE’s. They taste great but similar to the numerous, tasty, carcinogens that emanate from high-heat BBQ, they are quite bad for you unfortunately. Any high heat cooking produces AGE’s so most fast foods, frozen dinners, and anything commercially prepared are rich in them.

This is the exact same process that occurs in your body when it is exposed to excessive amounts of blood sugar (or fructose). In theory every time you eat something that raises your blood sugar glycosylation occurs throughout the body. This is what happens in the diabetic’s blood vessels for example. After AGE’s are formed they can permanently bind to collagen within the arteries, and many other places-in fact any protein molecule is fair game. The human body is teeming with proteins. These AGE’s, once formed, are stable and virtually irreversible. AGE’s generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) with consequent increased vessel oxidative damage causing endothelial activation once again. This increases the endothelium’s ability to trap and oxidize sdLDL. Excessive blood glucose and fructose can oxidize sdLDL while floating around in your blood.

With AGE’s another deadly dysergy occurs by creating a new super-sticky, super-atherogenic, AGE-LDL particle. Furthermore, AGE’s lead to the oxidation of LDL directly: oxLDL stimulates an immune response, a thrombogenic response and ROS. Like nano-rabbits AGE’s also spawn more AGE’s:

AGE’s stiffen proteins…combine with receptors to trigger massive inflammation which we now understand to be the root cause of chronic disease and even of aging itself. And in a highly destructive cycle, both inflammation and oxidative stress accelerate formation of new AGE’s, which further damages tissues.^[1]

The process described above, by any other name, is called accelerated aging. Are you starting to get a feel for how different risk factors feed on or promote each other’s toxic effects-all at the same root level? Luckily you can measure this increased inflammation in diabetics, and other at risk-patients by ordering a simple chemical test- the high sensitivity C reactive protein (hsCRP) or the new investigational marker LP PLA2. If inflammation is present it’s seen as an increase in hsCRP and increases in the biomarker LP PLA2.

START THE NONSENSE, SELL YOUR PILLS

In spite of the fact that there are dozens of risk factors for endothelial activation and hence heart disease, cholesterol (LDL) has been singled out and held responsible as the sole cause. That’s only because Big Pharma stumbled on a patentable drug that can lower LDL cholesterol. The reason why LDL cholesterol is called “bad” cholesterol is because the medical Elites have made it so. They oversimplified a complex, immunovascular disease by assigning one cause and one cure. Even more fascinating is how virtually every doctor in the country is in agreement with this ridiculous notion. Apparently, most of the doctors in America are content to be “educated” by their drug salesman. As seen above one (in a previous posting) of the transgressions was claiming that a correlation exists between simple, LDL cholesterol and heart disease where no such correlation exists. Therefore, contradictions show up everywhere, people with high LDL cholesterol that live less inflammatory lives (for example the Swiss) do not have heart attacks while many with therapeutic LDL levels that have terrible lifestyles (for example Dick Cheney or anyone like him), still surprise their cardiologist by infarcting when they aren’t supposed to. It’s their bad lifestyle that keeps their endothelium dysfunctional and wide open for disease which has nothing to do with their cholesterol level but everything to do with their oxidative state. It supplies an unremitting inflammatory stimulus to the endothelium while oxidizing whatever LDL still remains after statin poisoning.

The corporate response is a statin to reduce LDL. This however, is like going fishing with a hand grenade: you end up with more dead things than you want. In statin therapy everything dependent on cholesterol for its structural base is killed off or reduced. For example: more good LDL is lowered than bad LDL; CoQ10 takes a mighty hit-nobody cares; the manufacture of vitamin D3 grinds to a halt while all sex hormones and all stress hormones are stunted. All of this just to lower LDL based on junk science. Sadly, I have mentioned elsewhere the disturbing notion that statins may preferentially reduce the good LDL (pattern A) leaving more oxLDL in the patient’s serum while doing diddly for your poor inflamed endothelium. Even more importantly the mevalonic acid pathway, which statins inhibit, generates isoprenoids. Isoprenoids are essential for several vital biological processes including CELL DIVISION. Yes, you need mevalonic acid and its products for proper DNA replication and cell division, and tissue regeneration. This helps to explain the possible mechanism of how statins induce cancers which numerous studies have verified the cancer inducing properties of statins.

Any fool should be able to see through this charade. At least once you know the real facts. To effectively treat this condition you need antioxidants not statins. Even the studies on statins show conclusively that the real business of preventing heart attacks comes from the statins pleiotropic effects which are anti-inflammatory and may explain their weak ability to prevent heart attacks and strokes (serum cholesterol is not a risk factor in stroke but inflammation is) in selected populations. The blowback from this medication however is orders of magnitude greater in terms of adverse drug effects than the small decrease in heart attack risk which only occurs in secondary prevention in men in a narrow age group (basically the under 50 yo group). In fact, a 2% reduction in cardiac risk is about the best absolute risk reduction a statin can do when we evaluate large populations taking a statin. Yet, as we all know everyone and their mother is on a statin now. This isn’t healthcare it’s a scam. All this accomplished was creating a new class of sick patients like those suffering from heart failure due to chronic CoQ10 depletion from statins.

Diet is the most potent agent we have in fighting heart disease, and many other diseases. Plus the use of better, more potent, anti-inflammatory supplements are a superior way to treat heart disease. In particular there are potent materials available over the counter (OTC) for preventing the formation of AGE’s as well as a host of other items directed at various branches of the inflammatory cascade. This is why it is imperative to keep your freedom of choice in selecting supplements. Each year our wonderful, paid off, “elected representatives” (think Dick Durbin from Ill.) try to remove vitamins, supplements, and minerals from the shelves by trying to pass the Codex Alimentarius or other restrictive measures.

The Codex-designed to eliminate competition with Big Pharma- will remove all of our herbs, vitamins and supplements or reduce them to homeopathic concentrations. As I mentioned to you before without supplements we are dead-in-the-water. If you think I am full of hot air note that they already passed some version of Codex in Europe. If you wish to stay sick, die crippled and debilitated go ahead and ignore your duty to harass your congressman and senators. Or become proactive by reminding them of what you want and that you vote! On this issue I am as serious as a heart attack and it may come down to that.

ATHEROSCLEROSIS IS THE UNDERLYING CAUSE FOR 50% OF ALL MORTALITIES.^[2]

That’s a pretty sobering statement and it’s a poor testament to how bad things have become. Blood vessel inflammation is directly responsible for half of all mortalities! It means that endothelial dysfunction is a driving force for a hundred diseases. Yet, the endothelial organ has never come up in discussions of heart or any other disease. It’s off the table because it contradicts the LDL cholesterol fable. Let’s face it if statins were as great as your doctor thinks they are then why is everyone still so sick? Why is the incidence of CHD rising?

PROGNOSIS

By following the recommendations of the American Heart Association, CHD remains a slowly progressive, degenerative, disease with the expected outcome of multiple invasive procedures, numerous heart attacks, gradual pump failure, perhaps a stroke or two added in, with death waiting around the corner as you languish in a nursing home demented, probably from your statin, for the last two years of your life. Bankrupted and suicidal is how they will leave you. That’s our version of medical care. Most people still think that once diagnosed with coronary artery disease your course will be just like the above description, and for most people it will be exactly that.

HEART DISEASE IS NOT UNSTOPPABLE

It is not a death sentence. It is not unstoppable and always progressive. It is not a disease of aging. It is a lifestyle created ailment. If caught early enough it is a reversible, curable disease. If you follow the simple steps I outline you will transform your heart disease prognosis to one without the ravages of inflammatory progression and its frightening conclusions. Simultaneously, you will significantly reduce your chances of developing senility, stroke and many cancers. Furthermore, you will start to feel like you haven’t felt in decades. In fact, you probably don’t even know that you are capable of feeling so alive until you adopt my powerful suggestions, and finally start to become well.

The human body was meant to shine and it will once you heal your endothelium. There is no mystery here we are simply following what Nature intended. This may seem revolutionary but it’s only because of the way science works. It usually takes 15-20 years for a discovery in bench science to percolate down to the white frocked crowd. Sorry but I don’t have time to wait that long. Unless you know a fast adapter (FA)-i.e., a doctor that can take the basic science, learn its lessons today, and apply it in real time-you won’t stand a chance. Unfortunately most community doctors are simple Doc’s in the Box (DIB’s) not FA’s.

I’m a fast adapter if I hadn’t been I would be dead by now-no question about it. I know where to look, what sources to read, and how to use it so you don’t have to wait 20 years. The science tells us that oxLDL is very atherogenic whereas native LDL is harmless. If your DIB disagrees then he doesn’t understand the pathophysiology. In the end you need both endothelial damage and oxidized LDL for the generation of atherosclerosis. Both are prevented from forming by cleaning up your diet and using antioxidants.

Cholesterol by itself is good for you, it is what your body does with its lipoprotein LDL, and the environment it’s subjected to, that can affect your health. That’s determined partly by your genetic makeup, and more importantly by what you eat, your inflammatory and antioxidant status, how fat you are, your mental state, and your fitness status. In other words it’s your lifestyle that either kills you or cures you. I think if you really examine that statement you will see that it is self-evident. Every day we witness the ravages of a particularly bad way of living or the beauty of one who ages gracefully and takes care of oneself.

I approach wellness with the feeling that everything we do physically: whether to take a cab or walk; from what we choose to eat: fresh, colorful, organic fruits, grass-fed beef, bone broth soups or Popeye’s fried chicken and curly fries; to how we play: cocaine & tobacco vs. red wine, pomegranate juice, & Green & Blacks Maya Gold dark chocolate, can affect our endothelium, and our (LDL) oxidation status. This is the real starting point for our discussion on how to keep ourselves strong, vigorous, blissful, and disease free.

My goal is to develop a lifestyle that attenuates the oxidative milieu within the body and a state which favors a healthy endothelium without suffering from a boring, bland diet.

The good news is that it is not only possible to attain this goal but it is as easy as being hit by a school bus, and more fun than cross-dressing for Halloween. That is precisely what I expand on in other chapters. Earlier I identified all of the common and emerging risk factors for heart disease not just the single cause the AHA identifies called high cholesterol. In fact, once you understand everything I cover regarding cardiovascular risk you will not even need to check a standard cholesterol panel because you’ll know what a pile of nonsense it is to do so.

Don’t worry I have an entire section devoted to lab work that walks you through the tests you’ll need. Once you put everything into practice you will not only be healing your endothelium, and everything that goes with it but you will also be putting out another fire. The other fire is microglial activation, or better known as brain inflammation. It is one of the big three that I discuss in detail elsewhere as part of the Three Amigos of Inflammation.

Cheers!

[1] Kara Michaels. Halt Sugar-Induced Cell Aging. (Life Extension January Volume 18 number one. 2012) 60. (from the original article Obrenovich ME Vit B1 blocks damage caused by hyperglycemia. Sci Aging Knowledge Environ. 2003 Mar 12; 2003 (10): PE6)

[2] Lusis AJ Department of Medicine, Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles 90095, USA Atherosclerosis. Nature. 2000 Sep 14;407(6801):233-41.

(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11001066?dopt=Abstract) 12/15/2011

Tags: AGE formation, AGE's, Glycosylation, Maillard Reaction

Category: Inflammation, PREVENTIVE MEDICINE