http://www.spasmodictorticollis.org/index.cfm

Why Shouldn't We Who Spasm Eat Sugar, Refined Carbohydrates,
Chocolate or Drink Coffee

(Ed. Note: We appreciate the following articles and hope they "may"
be of help to you; however, some statements made in them may not have
been fully evaluated in clinical studies. Almost all health food
stores will use the word "may" when selling their products. Good
luck).

WHY SHOULDN'T WE WHO SPASM EAT SUGAR, REFINED CARBOHYDRATES,
CHOCOLATE, OR DRINK COFFEE?

These foods increase adrenaline. We already have too much adrenaline
surging from our adrenal glands through our system when we are having
spasms. Being calm and relaxed helps us spasm less, right? There are
even more reasons than maintaining that precious relaxed feeling not
to eat sugar, refined carbohydrates, chocolate, (now I'm REALLY
meddling, right?), or drink caffeinated beverages.

Let's address sugar first, and its effects on those of us with
Spasmodic Torticollis.

Eating sugar significantly lowers our immune system white cell
defenders (lymphocytes) in the blood for a period of time. What if we
encounter a bad bacteria or virus during that time when our immune
system is lowered? Most people would just get a viral or bacterial
infection, which is bad enough. Many - maybe all - ST'r probably have
an autoimmune disorder that is involved with a virus or bacteria.

This information comes from various sources. The main source I have
read is Vijendra Singh, Ph.D. Dr Singh has been researching
neurological disorders for about 25 years and believes that the main
component in nervous system disease is autoimmunity, which is a
misguided immune response to the body's own organs. I will quote from
Swedo and Kiessling, "It is possible that (the) single process of
antineuronal antibody-mediated neuro-immunologic dysfunction could
result in some patients in such diverse symptomatology as CHOREA,
TICS, OR OTHER ABNORMAL MOVEMENTS (emphasis mine), hyperactivity and
obsessions and compulsions. A strong genetic component is thought to
be involved in OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), TS (Tourette
Syndrome), and tics, but what is inherited might be an inability of
the immune system to distinguish between neural tissue and certain
components in the cell membrane of group A beta-hemolytic
streptococcus".

In other words, the genetically (or otherwise) susceptible person's
immune system can't tell the difference between its own brain tissue
and the most common of the strep bacteria, so that it, (the immune
system) attacks the strep bacteria AND the brain. Some people have
told me that their Essential Tremor started after a strep infection.

I also personally know three people who said their Spasmodic
Torticollis started after suffering a herpes viral infection. There
are many members of the herpes viral family, and most all of us carry
at least one of them hiding in our nervous system. Have you ever had
chicken pox? If so, then you carry that herpes virus. And that is
only one member of the herpes viral family. So we need to be
concerned about avoiding both viral and bacterial infections if we
have Spasmodic Torticollis.

I need to mention here that in my very close genetic family, there
was a case of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). (This was my
brother, who committed suicide in 1974). OCD is now pretty much
accepted by researchers as being an autoimmune disorder involved with
strep. (Back in the 1960's, the doctors gave my brother the new
drugs, 50 shock treatments, and a shallow pre-frontal lobotomy, and
blamed my parents for his illness - which was totally not true. That
was a very cruel time for all concerned).

Another close relative has an extremely light case of Tourette
Syndrome, since age 5 (age 43 now). Some cases of Tourette Syndrome
are now pretty much accepted by researchers as being caused by strep.
(Susan Swedo, MD is one of these researchers). My Spasmodic
Torticollis started out as Essential Tremor and evolved (I am not
certain I can say it really got worse) into Spasmodic Torticollis. I
have read two figures about the number of people who have Essential
Tremor who also have Dystonia; one source said 24% and another source
said 48%. I have also talked with a few people who have Spasmodic
Torticollis, who have tic disorders and/or OCD in their families.

My point here is that WE NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO ANYTHING WE CAN
LEARN ABOUT OTHER NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT ARE
INVOLVED WITH THE BRAIN STEM AND BASLA GANGLIA, SO THAT WE MIGHT BE
ABLE TO LEARN SOMETHING FROM THAT INFORMATION THAT WILL HELP OUR
SPASMODIC TORTICOLLIS EITHER REDUCE OR NOT GET WORSE AND HELP PREVENT
ITS EXPRESSION IN THE LIVES OF OUR FAMILY MEMBERS.

Sugar feeds bacteria, viruses, fungi, and cancer cells. So! - Let's
do all we can to avoid bacterial, viral, and fungal infections.

Let's go back to some specifics on why ST'rs should avoid sugar as
much as possible:

Sugar can raise adrenaline levels (ST'rs don't need more of this!)

Sugar can contribute to a weakened defense against bacterial, viral,
fungal infections and all kinds of cancer.

Sugar can cause colon cancer, with an increased risk in women

Sugar can increase the risk of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis

Sugar can cause a raw, inflamed intestinal tract in persons with
gastric or duodenal ulcers.

Sugar can cause constipation

Sugar increases bacterial fermentation in the colon.

These last five are important to ST'rs because the immune system is
not just in various bodily organs. There are immune cell receptors in
the gut, and there are immune cell receptors in the brain. One doctor
said, "There are gut cells in the brain and brain cells in the gut".
(Remember that Spasmodic Torticollis may well be an autoimmune
disorder, as discussed above). Colon health, and immune system
health, are very important to brain health!

Sugar can cause candidiasis (yeast infection - yeast is a fungus.
(Let's try to avoid ALL infections).

Sugar can exacerbate the symptoms of multiple sclerosis (tremors are
often involved in MS).

Sugar can cause food allergies (allergies are often involved in
neurological disorders as well as many other disorders).

Sugar can impair the structure of DNA (this is our genetic material,
and it is important to keep it from deteriorating as much as
possible).

Sugar can cause free radical formation in the bloodstream (free
radicals can damage brain cells in probably all neurological
disorders).

Sugar lowers the enzyme function in our bodies/brains (virtually no
biochemical reactions take place without enzymes as catalysts).

Sugar can cause loss of tissue elasticity and function (don't we need
our muscles to be more elastic and less tight?)

Sugar can cause an alteration in brain waves, which can alter the
mind's ability to think clearly.

Sugar can cause depression.

Sugar can cause hormonal imbalance (hormones help regulate most
everything).

Sugar increases the risk of Alzheimer Disease.

The above is a listing of some of sugar's metabolic consequences from
a variety of medical journals and other scientific publications. (Dr.
Merola published these and other negative effects from sugar on the
Internet. The words in parentheses are my own contribution).

REFINED CARBOHYDRATES (WHITE FLOUR):

Unlike whole grains, which break down slowly in the digestive system,
refined grains flood into the bloodstream as glucose. This overly
stresses our entire bodies. And, of course, our brains and nervous
systems are part of our bodies. (It took philosophers and modern
medicine a long, long time to learn this truth!)

Refined carbohydrates and simple sugars also destroy valuable
minerals. Certain minerals - especially magnesium - are especially
important to ST'rs.

CAFFEINE:

Besides the adrenaline surge caffeine causes that overly stimulates
our nervous system, it too, destroys minerals we need.

CHOCOLATE:

Besides the stimulants in chocolate, it carries another problem for
ST'rs (and many other people). Chocolate (as well as nuts and carob)
are high in the amino acid l'arginine. Arginine has important
benefits, but it counteracts the amino acid lysine. L-lysine helps
keep herpes viruses at bay, so that hidden herpes viruses don't
express into overt illness (such as shingles). Whenever I eat nuts,
carob, or succumb occasionally to chocolate, I take a 500 mg. l-
lysine capsule (along with vitamin B6- in the better absorbed
pyridoxyl-5-phosphate form) to counteract the high arginine content
in those foods.

To conclude: So much of getting and feeling as well as possible is a
do-it-yourself project, by living a really healthy lifestyle. This is
true for all of us even though we are all biochemically individual.
There are two parts to living a healthy lifestyle: 1) KNOWING WHAT IS
HEALTHFUL: ( I have spent the past 30 years working on this), and 2)
DOING WHAT IS HEALTHFUL: That is a personal and continuous challenge
for all of us, including me. The choice of doing or not doing
healthful things (and avoiding the unhealthful things) is a choice
that belongs to each one of us. Let's all work on living a really
healthy lifestyle. And, we need to remember, a journey of a thousand
miles begins with one step.

Doris Jane Gilbrech, CN (certified Nutritionist)

e-mail - banjo412@aol.com