This is such a big subject. And, in fact, I feel we should have posted countless more research articles over these past years because we have come accross so many. The truth is Boaz and I are not experts on this subject. We too need to read even more deeply to completely understand. But, what we do know and can share with you is that there is much more to all of this than meets the eye. In Classical Chinese medicine (you can find more explanation on this in my dissertation), there is something called Compensation. Compensation is when the body manufactures material substances such as phelgm, fibroids, cysts, etc... in response to the body's inflammation in a given area or system. Cholesterol is one such example of this. Cholesterol is the body's attempt to cool off a heat process that is occuring in order to prevent damage to tissues and organs. So, it is actually protecting you. As inflammation is reduced over time, the cholesterol follows by also redducing. We have seen this repeatedly over the years. Furthermore--the Western paradigm is also looking at these numbers differently now-doing more testing to differentiate a very in depth breakdown of the cholesterol. I have had two doctors in the last year NOT want to administer medication to two of my patients with numbers high into the 300s and 400s after examining their breakdown in this manner! Yes, you read that correctly. Even I was surprised. So, I think we are all learning. As always, we welcome any articles you find that will help us further this understanding and we will post.

Dr.M

Yes, this is EXACTLY what I am saying and the word inflammation is encompassing, of course, the microbe overload, because that is what causes it-and is what I am describing in my dissertation-low-grade microbial translocation-the escalation of the low-grade infiltration of the microbes from the small intestine into the lymph. Whereas, this happens within a tiny ebb and flow cycle in normal health, with those having these kinds of issues, it escalates. That is the essence. Diet alone is not enough, but, diet in conjunction with supplements is-even with the broken down methylation cycle, which, I beleive probably at least 80% of my patients have. Which is something I am contemplating testing for in the future (before and after) with all of my patients to demonstrate the cycles of detoxification changes in response to these types of protocols. I welcome you sending in the research because I do think it it relevant. Many and most times in the Chinese paradigm the language is very different and so, no, these things are not directly spoken of. But applying the concepts to it paradigm can fasciliate and broader ability to treat. Does that makes sense? but, I believe that is true with most aspects of medicine and health and was a major point in my dissertation as well--acknowleding the Western side and then applying it into the Chinese paradigm. So we are saying the same thing exactly.

I welcome the dialogue. I think that most people have not read my dissertation, or maybe dont understand what I have written. If you can imagine a kind of loop between the small intestine, the lymph, blood, and organs-it's like "one". You cant treat one without the other being affected. But, there are different things you can do to treat the whole. And, treating the lymph, something I am talking about to exhaustion is a fundamental part. So, when we are saying the GUT, it is all of this. 80% of the immune system is in the GUT which is AKA lymph. This is why we use herbs and supplements in the way we do to move and balance the cycle betwwen these aspects of the body. In Chapter 3 of my dissertation, I am explaining all the different aspects of the breakdown. The breakdown does start in the small intestine within the area of the peyers patches and infiltrates the lymph. This is the beginning and then it goes from there. Once this is set into motion altering and expanding the ebb and flow of the tides, the damn eventually breaks and the inflammatory process is set free. It spreads throughou the body and this is why people having IC almost always have other chronic inflammatory conditions such as fibromyalgia, vulvadynia, migraines, CFS, etc...All also considered forms of Compensation as described in my dissertation. certain types of medicines taken in patient histories may greatly and adversely effect the body's Compensation and Latency (AKA biofilms encompassing this terminology) making the unraveling process quite tedious. I will end here for this moment.

Thank you for your insight as well Christina. I agree. I love the conversation, and frankly, have missed it over the last three years as things seemed to have changed among my on line community of patients-a small part of the whole community itself. I look forward to more. If anyone wants to suggest a new topic, please do. I will be opening another myself later this week.