Food Toxin Survey
Intro
Part 1 of this paper reviews some of the more common “toxic components of food” we can now screen for with applied kinesiology.
Properties and potential
aberrant reactions are discussed.
Part 2 consists of two surveys. The purpose of the first survey was to see on a more or less random group of 50 patients how often we would get a positive muscle test on the following substances: alpha-solanine, gliadin, casein, lactose, and/or at least one of the 4 methylxanthines (caffeine, paraxanthine, theobromine and theophylline). A positive test consisted of either a “weakening” of a strong indicator muscle or a strong indicator muscle becoming “hypertonic” (spindle cell approximation does not “turn it off”). We also checked to see how often the positive test was negated by takesumi (carbonized bamboo which is an effective toxin, chemical, and metal chelator).
The second survey uses a
different group of 50 patients (some overlap) and compares testing some of
these food toxins biomagnetically with testing the foods themselves both
biomagnetically and orally. We will also discuss some clinical observations and
results.
We will first review some
information on these “toxins”.
ALPHA SOLANINE
Alpha solanine is
classified as a neuro-toxin. The members of the plant family that contain
alpha-solanine that might practically affect us (much of this family is not
consumed by humans) are tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, peppers (all except black
pepper), paprika, tobacco, gogi berries and ashwagandha. The amount of solanine
present in the above foods varies tremendously depending on growing conditions,
time harvested, storage conditions, cooking techniques, etc.
Solanines are not water
soluble, are not destroyed by cooking and are not broken down inside the body
but must be excreted as alpha-solanine. Different people have different degrees
of sensitivity to them, and different efficiencies in being able to excrete
them. How or in what way they will affect you will be a matter of genetics, as
well as lifestyle and nutritional status. If you test positive for this
problem, the probability is very high that at least one of your parents will
have the same condition. The average daily intake of alpha-solanine is
approximately 13mg and the average daily excretion is 5% the first day and 1-2%
daily thereafter with a half-life of about 1-2 months.
Considering that is for
one day’s dose, it is estimated that the average body burden is at least 50mg.
It can be much higher in people who consume large amounts of these foods on a
daily basis. There has been no definite established “safe” or “toxic” level of
solanine consumption because of the variations in individual sensitivity and
capability to excrete this chemical. Alpha-solanine is stored in most organs
(with a special affinity for the thyroid gland) as well as most soft tissue
including skeletal muscle.
Most “foods” that contain
alpha-solanine also contain at least 5 other neurotoxins including atropine and
nicotine. Acute solanine poisoning can happen from ingesting green or sprouted
potatoes or green tomatoes with symptoms including cramps, nausea, diarrhea,
headache, dizziness and sleepiness. In
severe cases, partial paralysis and coma can result.
Solanine acts as an acetyl
cholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor (similar to Malathion, Parathion and other
“nerve gases”), allowing acetylcholine to build up in the synapses. Ach is a
chemical neurotransmitter that is released from a pre-synaptic neuron and
attaches to a receptor site on a post-synaptic neuron resulting in transmission
of a nerve impulse. AChE is the enzyme
that breaks down ACh resulting in the subsequent detachment of this
neurotransmitter from the post-synaptic neuron.
However, solanine inhibits AChE, which effectively results in continued
attachment of ACh to the post-synaptic neuron and a disruption of normal nerve
impulse transmission. For a more thorough discussion with references, please
refer to our paper Solanine Toxicity
Syndrome (on our website and in the
2010 ICAK collected papers, as well as the references cited in that paper). As
with all other “food toxins” discussed in this paper, testing with alpha
solanine via applied kinesiology yields many more positive tests than testing
with the food itself. We have found that avoidance (based on a positive
alpha-solanine test) yields many positive clinical outcomes and as a result we have
come to prefer this method of testing.
METHYLXANTHINES CAFFEINE, PARAXANTHINE, THEOBROMINE AND
THEOPHYLLINE
Caffeine is the most
consumed, socially-acceptable stimulant in the world. Approximately 90% of adults in the world
consume caffeine in their daily diet.
More than 150 million people in the
Caffeine, as well as
theobromine, paraxanthine and theophylline, are part of the methylxanthine
family and can be labeled as psychoactive stimulants.
These substances in varying amounts and complexes are found in coffee, tea,
chocolate, cola, yerba mate and guarana.
Coffee contains caffeine
and theophylline, but no theobromine, while tea and chocolate are higher in
theobromine. Tea actually contains more caffeine then coffee, but since it is
brewed weaker, the average cup of tea has less than the average cup of coffee.
Caffeine Biochemistry and Pharmocokinetics
Caffeine is metabolized in
phase 1 liver detoxification by the cytochrome P450 oxidase enzyme system (the
1A2 isozyme) into the following compounds with approximate percentages:
paraxanthine (84%), theobromine (12%) and theophylline (4%).
Caffeine is readily
absorbed in the GI tract after oral administration. Its bioavailability is
almost 100% through oral administration.
The average half life of caffeine is 5 hours, with a range of 3-7 hours.
Defects in the CYP1A2 enzyme can be associated with impaired caffeine
metabolism and a prolonged half life. There are also genetic polymorphisms in
the CYP1A2 pathway that could explain some of the varying effects of caffeine
on different individuals. For example, a study of 120 healthy volunteers found
that CYP1A2 activity, gender, and smoking influenced whether or not individuals
experiences toxic effects of caffeine.
Females and nonsmokers who had experienced toxic effects of caffeine
were found to have lower CYP1A2 activity compared to females and nonsmokers who
did not experience toxicity symptoms.
Once it is absorbed
through the GI tract, and enters the bloodstream, caffeine’s main effects occur
through its action as an antagonist of adenosine receptors (blocks adenosine
receptors) in the central and peripheral nervous systems. The caffeine molecule
is structurally similar to adenosine, and binds to adenosine receptors on the
surface of cells without activating them (thus, acting through an antagonist
mechanism of action at the adenosine receptor site). Therefore, caffeine acts
as a competitive inhibitor. This results in stimulation of excitatory
neurotransmitters.
Symptoms associated with
too much caffeine (too much ingested or impaired breakdown of it) include:
headache, anxiety (including generalized anxiety disorder), depression, panic
attacks, tremors, insomnia, nervousness, irritability, muscle twitching and
GERD. Both acute and chronic ingestion of caffeine influences mood and
cognition. In addition, heavy coffee (>2 cups/day) intake may trigger
coronary and arrhythmic events in susceptible individuals. Finally, it has been
shown that excess caffeine consumption (>200 mg/day) during pregnancy may
increase the risk of miscarriage.
Theobromine
While theobromine and
caffeine are similar, theobromine is weaker in both its inhibition of cyclic
nucleotide phosphodiesterases and its antagonism of adenosine receptors.
Therefore, it can be postulated that theobromine may have a lesser, but still
significant, impact on the human central nervous system. While theobromine is
not as addictive as caffeine, it has been cited as possibly contributing to
chocolate addiction.
Theophylline
In susceptible
individuals, theophylline can cause nausea, diarrhea, and increase in heart
rate, arrhythmias, and CNS excitation with resultant headaches, insomnia,
irritability, dizziness and lightheadedness.
Paraxanthine
Paraxanthine is not
produced by plants and is only observed as a metabolite of caffeine in
animals. After caffeine intake,
approximately 84% of the original compound is demethylated at the 3-position to
yield paraxanthine, making paraxanthine the chief metabolite of caffeine.
For a more complete
discussion with references, see our 2010 ICAK paper or view our website paper Methylxanthine Toxicity Syndrome.
http://www.michaellebowitzdc.com/html/Methylxanthine.html
GLUTEN/GLIADIN
One of the most common food
allergens is gluten. Sensitivity to gluten can cause a wide range of symptoms
that can affect almost any organ system. While most would think primarily of
Celiac Disease and symptom manifestations in the gastrointestinal tract, the
nervous system is actually the most commonly affected system outside of the
gastrointestinal tract and is often involved in sensitive individuals. Some of the symptoms/diagnoses that can be
involved with gluten sensitivity include: headaches, behavior changes, seizures,
muscle cramps, neuropathy, malnutrition, fatigue, malaise, depression, chronic
digestive problems (abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation, IBS, difficulty
gaining/losing weight, reflux, nausea, vomiting, etc.), apthous ulcers,
Sjogren’s Syndrome, osteoporosis, infertility, miscarriage, thyroid disorders,
schizophrenia, autism and dermatitis herpetiformis. If gluten sensitivity is
found, it is necessary to avoid all gluten containing grains, including:
barley, rye, oats (unless certified gluten-free),
wheat and spelt. Oats do not contain gluten but do contain a similar prolamine
and many gluten sensitive people cannot tolerate oats. You may want to have
them avoid oats in the beginning and then after a few weeks add them in
(certified gluten free types) and then check them with applied kinesiology and
look for symptomatic changes.
There are a few proposed
mechanisms involving how gluten can affect various organ systems. One theory
involves a peptidase enzyme called DPP4. If there is a failure or insufficiency
of DPP4, the body cannot efficiently break down the proteins in gluten. DPP4
activity can be low or absent for several reasons including: effects of toxins
such as mercury, hypochlorhydria (HCl is needed to activate enzyme), poor
pancreatic function, or zinc deficiency (zinc is also needed to turn on these
enzymes). A poorly functioning DPP4 enzyme results in an undigested fragment of
protein from gluten. The immune system can be fooled by a sort of molecular
mimicry as the undigested protein fragment can be mistaken for a virus. As a
result of this, antibodies are aimed at the protein and can cause damage to
tissues in an autoimmune type of reaction.
Another mechanism by which gluten can cause problems involves the theory
that the undigested gluten peptide can resemble an opiate-like molecule called
a gluteomorphin that can alter brain chemistry. Gluteomorphins can cause
cognitive symptoms as they can act like opiods in the body. These undigested
peptides can be found in the urine of some individuals with autism and
schizophrenia.
Interestingly enough, applied kinesiology testing for gluten
yields a very high percentage of false negatives as we will present at the end of this study. Gluten is composed of
a combination of glutenins and gliadins and testing with gliadin yields
positive tests much more frequently than does testing gluten. We know these are
not false positives due to the clinical symptom picture change on avoidance and
as a result use gliadin for our testing.
CASEIN AND LACTOSE
Casein is the predominant phosphoprotein that accounts for nearly 80% of
proteins in cow milk. There is casein in the milk of other
species- goat, sheep etc. of a slightly different nature but the sensitivity
can carry over in many sensitive people so when this test is positive we avoid
all dairy products of all species (many people react to supposedly casein free foods like ghee so
we avoid these too). Like gluten, casein sensitivity can also cause
symptoms in just about any organ system. Specifically, casein sensitivity can
contribute to: ear infections, sinus conditions, asthma, eczema, headaches,
arthritis, chronic digestive problems, rhinitis, hay fever, depression, mood
swings, ADHD, bedwetting and eczema. Similar to how gluten derived peptides cause trouble if the DPP4 enzyme is not sufficient, casein
derived peptides can also cause problems when this enzyme does not break it
down properly. Undigested casein
peptides can pass into the bloodstream and provoke similar autoimmune type
reactions as well as mimic opiates (called “caseomorphins”) just like
gluten. Besides having a casein sensitivity, an individual can have a lactose
intolerance in which only the gastrointestinal tract is involved (whereas with
a casein sensitivity, any organ system can be involved). The main symptoms of
lactose intolerance can include bloating, gas, diarrhea, and even vomiting. If
this is the case, it is much simpler to address as the patient can simply use
lactose free milk or take a lactase enzyme when consuming dairy products.
Remember, lactase enzyme may be a fungal derivative and not well tolerated.
OVALBUMIN
Ovalbumin is the major
protein in egg (comprising approximately 54% of egg protein). Just like all the
others in this paper, just testing egg yields many false negatives and
ovalbumin is the preferred test. In sensitive people, ovalbumin can cause
villous atrophy, depletion of mucosal oligosaccharidases, impaired absorption
of xylose, and depressed serum complement levels. Asthma has also been reported
as have most other common symptoms of food intolerance. There have been
documented cases of nephropathy that have reversed with egg avoidance.
ZEIN
Zein is a class of prolamine
protein found in corn. It
is also known as corn gluten and even though it too is a prolamine, zein is not
chemically identical to wheat and other glutens and will respond differently in
the body. As you will see in our statistics, zein will test positive much more
than corn with applied kinesiology and is the preferred method of testing.
Symptoms associated with corn sensitivity have included headaches, asthma,
facial inflammation, rashes, hives, most gastro-intestinal symptoms, fatigue,
joint pains and sinus congestion.
Observations
From the clinical testing results and improvement in patients as
you will see below, we feel this (testing with the isolated food fragment) is a
very significant way to test for these sensitivities. There may be other
additions in the future- soy and rice come to mind as possible substances where
isolated protein fragments may need to be tested. For now we have been sticking with these vials, as the diets
involved can be quite challenging for the average patient. Most patients with long term chronic symptoms
have been willing to give it a trial period of a month or two. As stated in
previous papers, these are typically not the type of sensitivities for which we
can do a desensitization technique and re-introduce the food quickly. Our
hypothesis is that by helping the patient become dysbiosis free and avoiding
these foods, we will have significant restoration of gastro-intestinal
integrity making the person more immune to dysbiotic microbes in the future and
allowing them to re-introduce some if not many of these foods. When trying to
answer the question which came first- the dysbiosis or the food toxin
intolerances, it can go in either direction and for optimal results both should
be comprehensively addressed.
Food
Surveys
Survey 1
The
purpose of the first survey was to see on a random group of 50 patients how
often they would test positive on various “food toxins”. A positive test was
either a weakening of a “strong” indicator muscle or a “strong” indicator
muscle becoming hypertonic and to see if Takesumi (carbonized bamboo- a popular
generic detoxification product from
Results
are as follows (Fig. 1 and 2):
56% + on
alpha solanine (S) with 65% of these negated by Takesumi
62% + on
methylxanthine (M) with 68% of these negated by Takesumi
66% + on
gliadin (G) with 76% of these negated by Takesumi
54% + on
casein (C) with 56% of these negated by Takesumi
18% + on
lactose (L) with 56% of these negated by Takesumi
Most
people were positive on a combination of various “toxins”. The breakdown is
listed below (Fig.3)
Figure 1 patients “weakening” or becoming “over
facilitated” on the above substances
Figure 2 Per cent of the positive patients
from figure 1 whose test was negated by takesumi
Figure 3 Number of patients positive on
various combinations of substances
+ on all
5- 1:+ on S,M,G,C-10; + on S,M,G,L 3;+ on M,C,L-3;+ on S,G,C-2;+ on S,G,L-1;+
on S,M,G-3;+ on S,M,C-1;+ on S,M-1;+ on S,G-4 ;+ on S,C-1; + on S,L-1;+ on M,G-4;
+ on M,C-3;
+ on G, C-2; + on M only-2; + on G only-3; + on C only-4; + on
none of them-1
Observations
1- The
one person that was positive on all 5 substances (solanine, methyxanthine,
gliadin, casein and lactose) and the 10 people positive on the following 4:
solanine, methyxanthine, gliadin, and casein – are all chronic patients with
significant health problems. These include environmentally ill patients with
migraines—3, chronic GI with recurrent dysbiosis -2, chronic pain/disabled- 1,
rheumatoid arthritis-1, multiple sclerosis-1, pain and depression 1, alopecia and
environmental illness-1, chronic pain not disabled -1. These “food toxin
sensitivities or intolerances” in my opinion are major contributors to their
chronic conditions and if they had been found earlier the patient may have
avoided some of these conditions. Present avoidance of the “toxins” may help
alleviate their symptomatology and allow healing to occur.
2- On
multi-generational families I tested, if both parents were positive on a given
“toxin”, so was child (in almost 100% of cases). If the child was positive, at
least one parent was.
3- Only
two patients were relatively asymptomatic (if you exclude acne and PMS) that
had both positive solanine and gliadin tests, though they were college age and
could easily develop symptoms later.
Survey 2
The
purpose of the second survey was to compare testing foods in 3 different
fashions. We were checking for weakening of a “strong” indicator muscle (we did
not check “hyper facilitation”) when checked in one of three ways:
1- substance placed orally on the tongue
2- same substance placed under the south pole of a magnet over
GV-20
3- “food toxin” vial placed under the south pole of the magnet
over GV-20
4
different categories were tested
1- a
piece of popcorn and the zein vial
2- gluten flour, wheat flour, and the gliadin vial
3- granular coffee, dried green tea and the caffeine and
theobromine vials
4- ground red pepper and the solanine vial
People
were also asked what symptoms they experienced from eating any of these
substances.
Results
on 50 random consecutive patients
Figure
4 2+ on oral testing of corn (4%),
3+ on biomagnetic testing of corn (6%), 17 + on biomagnetic testing of zein
(34%)
Figure 5
5+ on oral testing of whole wheat flour (10%), 4+ on oral testing of
gluten flour (8%), 9+ of biomagnetic testing of whole wheat flour (18%) 8 + on
biomagnetic testing of gluten flour (16%), 26+ on biomagnetic testing of
gliadin (54%)
Figure 6 3+ on oral testing of coffee
(6%), 2+ on oral testing of green tea (4%), 5+ on biomagnetic testing of coffee
(10%), 5+ on biomagnetic testing of
green tea (10%), 31+ on biomagnetic testing of caffeine (62%), 30+ on
biomagnetic testing of theobromine (60%)
Figure 7
4+ on oral testing of red pepper (8%), 7+
on biomagnetic testing of red pepper (14%), 30+ on biomagnetic testing of
solanine (60%)
There was
a fairly close correlation between oral testing of the food with biomagnetic
testing of it, though in each case positive biomagnetic tests outnumbered positive
oral challenges. In almost every case in which the food tested positive orally,
it also tested positive biomagnetically. There were more cases where the
biomagnetic test was positive but the oral test was negative. The most
significant difference was between testing the whole food versus the “food
toxin component”. In all the tests performed there were only two times the whole
food tested positive and the food toxin was negative. Both times were on the
same patient where coffee and tea were positive (positive biomagnetically but
negative orally) but caffeine and theobromine were negative. There were many
times the food toxin was positive while the food was negative, in fact, this
was the case with the vast majority of findings. A little but certainly not all
the difference between whole food and food toxin results could be due to the
fact that I have a well informed patient load and many of them do restrict
their intake of methylxanthines, solanines and gluten to some extent. Perhaps
this decreases the number of positive tests on the food itself but not the
isolated “toxin”, though not to the degree shown in the results. Many of these
patients still eat the foods in limited quantities and report symptoms from
eating the whole foods though they still test negative on them. Often avoidance
for as little as 24 hours can turn a positive whole food test to a negative one
thus accounting for some of the false negatives.
To make
sure the food toxin testing was not just getting false positives we had the
people report back on symptoms they experienced that improved significantly on
avoidance of the related food. The following is what was reported:
1
Patients that had positive solanine tests but negative on the food itself (some
reported by one patient, some by multiple) found alleviation of: headaches,
spitting up (infant when mother avoided it), overall pain level, stiff joints,
fibromyalgia pain, crohns disease, intestinal pain, and ankylosing spondylitis.
Also reported were cessation of acute soft tissue inflammation to the point of
disability, cessation of wrist pain, enhanced ability to play the cello,
cessation of should pain of 7 year duration, and cessation of rectal bleeding.
2-
Patients that had positive gliadin tests but negative on whole wheat and gluten
reported significant decreases in: (some reported by one patient, some by multiple)
fatigue, depression, anxiety, baby
spitting up (if mom ate gluten), exhaustion, acute intestinal pain, 50% less
need for chiropractic adjustments, burning bowels, headaches. Also reported were
cessation of intestinal pain and swelling of 30 year duration, ability to eat
raw food without pain was restored, and being much easier to adjust
(chiropractically).
3-
Patients that had positive caffeine/theobromine tests but negative on the “food”
itself (some reported by one patient, some by multiple) found a decrease in:
insomnia, cervical subluxations, tenseness, throat pain, headaches, moodiness,
anxiety, itching, diarrhea, baby spitting up (if mom had it), nausea, low back pain,
and overall feeling “lousy”. Also
reported were cessation of chronic foot and axilla pain, and a cessation of
thumb pain. One husband thanked me profusely for the change of disposition in
his wife.
4-
Patients that had + zein tests but negative on the food itself (some reported
by one patient, some by multiple) found a decrease in: fatigue, joint pain, stomach
aches, baby spitting up, sacro-iliac pain, headaches, brain fog, and sinus
congestion.
Conclusions
1. Food challenges with
applied kinesiology can yield false negative tests.
2. Using isolated food
substances such as alpha solanine, theobromine, caffeine, theophylline,
paraxanthine, casein, lactose, zein, ovalbumin, and gliadin can yield many more
positive results
3. Eliminating these foods can bring improvement
or elimination of various chronic problems
4. Re-introduction of
the foods without recurrence of symptomatology may or may not be possible
5. Taking takesumi if
the patient will not avoid the positive substance may lessen the negative
effects of ingesting the substance.
Products
1. Food
Toxin Kit from AK Test Kits 1-888-323-0625
2.
Takesumi Supreme 1-800-922-1744