Last year, Married With Children and Dead to You actress Christina Applegate revealed she has multiple sclerosis.
Unfortunately, I’m never surprised to hear news like this. Autoimmune diseases like MS have become an epidemic in the United States – affecting more Americans than heart disease, diabetes, and cancer combined.
Worldwide, more than 316 million people have a diagnosed autoimmune condition. In addition to MS, these diseases include:
- Type 1 diabetes
- Hashimoto’s thyroid disease
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Lupus
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Psoriasis/psoriatic arthritis
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Celiac disease
Sadly, most doctors remain convinced that autoimmune diseases are the result of “bad genes.”
But you don’t get MS or any autoimmune disease because of your family genes.
Research is finally beginning to back up what I’ve been telling my patients for years…that the skyrocketing increase in autoimmune diseases is linked to inflammation caused by an unnatural diet of grains, starches, and other refined carbohydrates.
These foods cause toxins to flood your bloodstream, triggering chronic inflammation.
Soon, your stressed-out immune system can no longer fight off these invaders. Instead, it turns on itself. And before long you end up with an autoimmune disease and a long list of debilitating symptoms…like fatigue, abdominal pain, digestive issues, depression, joint pain, trouble concentrating, and hair loss.
To make matters worse, it can take almost five years just to get an autoimmune disease diagnosis. That’s years of unnecessary suffering.
And even if you do get diagnosed, the “cures” are often worse than the disease. Big Pharma’s corticosteroid drugs try to beat an out-of-control immune system into submission.
The drugs used to treat symptoms are no better. They have terrible side effects. At best, you experience nausea, headaches, and weight gain.
At worse, you face an increased risk of cancer and life-threatening infections.
The truth is, there’s a better way to treat
multiple sclerosis – and other autoimmune diseases. I’m talking about hyperbaric oxygen therapy or HBOT.HBOT is simply breathing in 100% oxygen under higher pressure than we normally do. And it works by healing inflammation. Let me explain…
When your immune system functions properly, inflammation is your body’s response to injuries and infections. Normally, your immune response is quick and your body goes back to normal. But, with autoimmune diseases, the inflammation never goes away. It becomes the new normal.
These inflamed areas block the flow of oxygen. That slows down the healing process.
However, HBOT saturates your body’s fluids and tissues with oxygen. It floods your cells with it. And the high pressure in the HBOT chamber also stimulates the growth of new capillaries to restore circulation. That’s just what you need to fight an autoimmune disease like multiple sclerosis.
Numerous studies show that restoring oxygen can help prevent permanent MS damage. HBOT can also slow down – and even reverse – the progression of the disease.
In one study, 40 patients with advanced MS were divided into two groups. One group received pure oxygen at higher pressure. The other group received a placebo. At the end of 20 treatments, 12 of the 17 HBOT patients had improved symptoms. Only one patient in the placebo group improved.1
Another study published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry showed HBOT significantly preserved muscle coordination in MS patients.2
Unfortunately, studies like these are often ignored in the U.S., while doctors in the rest of the world are using HBOT every day. In the U.K. alone more than 12,000 MS patients are being treated with HBOT.
In a large British study, researchers followed 703 MS patients for years. All of these patients had been told there was no treatment. Then they were given 20 sessions of HBOT.
After four weeks, up to 77% of their symptoms improved.3
The patients returned for treatments as needed. After 13 years, 23% of the remaining patients had no further decline. And an incredible 7% had improved their condition.
I’ve successfully used HBOT therapy at the Sears Institute for Anti-Aging Medicine for years. If you would like more information about this therapy, please contact my staff at 561-784-7852.
2 More Ways To Boost Oxygen And Fight Inflammation
HBOT is the best way to lower inflammation and boost your immune system. But there are other ways to increase your oxygen intake. Here are two I recommend:
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- Practice deep breathing. This is a surefire way to get the healing benefits of oxygen. It can be done sitting or lying down. Just place your hands on your belly and feel it expand as you inhale. Then, expand your breath into your sides starting with 5 minutes a day and work up to 15 minutes. In no time at all, you’ll be boosting your oxygen throughout the day without even thinking.
- Try supplementing with Cordyceps sinensis: Research shows this medicinal mushroom has the power to “turn on” genes that increase oxygen delivery to cells. In one study, researchers found that cordyceps sinensis boosted cellular oxygen absorption by up to 40%.4 Some cordyceps supplements combine different species, so it’s important to look for a supplement that says cordyceps sinensis. I recommend up to 1 gram twice per day by capsule.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD, CNS
References:
1. Fischer BH, Marks M, Reich T. “Hyperbaric-oxygen treatment of multiple sclerosis: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study.” N Engl J Med 1983;308:181- 186.
2. Barnes, MP et al. “Hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the treatment of multiple sclerosis.” J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 1987;50(11):1402-6.
3. Neubauer R. What You Never Knew about Multiple Sclerosis and Hyperbaric Oxygen. Accessed July 7, 2017.
4. Lou Y, et al. “Cardiovascular pharmacological studies of ethanol extracts of Cordyceps mycelia and Cordyceps fermentation solution.” Chinese Traditional and Herbal Drugs 1986;17(5):17-21,209-213.