Pygn

Pycnogenol

Free RadicaIs in HIV Progression Pycnogenol Reverses their Effects

A Preliminary Report by: Mark Konlee, April 9 1994

The following article is a preliminary report on "free radicals" and the use of Pycnogenol (pronounced pycnogenol), to eliminate their disastrous effects on the membranes of living cells. This article will be incorporated into HIV Treatment News, Report No. 6, when it is published in May 1994. Dr. Lamar Rosquist says free radicals contribute to over 60 dis-eases or health related symptoms. Three HIV+ per-sons have used Pycnogenol since March 20th, 1994, and in a very short time span have reported an incredibly wide range of health related benefits. Pycnogenol, a flavinoid extracted from the Maritime Pine tree, has now entered the spotlight as possibly being one of the most promising treatments for HIV -related symptoms ever discovered It has led to a new theory that free radicals may play a major role in HIV progression.

Free Radicals Detected, But not Treated in HIV

For several years, medical researchers have re-ported that in HIV progression there is a consider-able amount of free radicals being formed and that these free radicals are accelerating the aging process. While it has been observed that free radicals are be-ing abundantly produced, there has been little or no research on how free radicals affect HIV progression, HIV related symptoms and other immune related dis-orders like chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). Also, no standard treatment is being offered today for the problems caused by free radicals overload? It has also been a mystery as to the mechanism of how the virus or viruses that causes AIDS can bring on so many symptoms and illness. It is highly probable that free radicals play a major role in the progression of AIDS. For some time, scientists have only been able to de-tect small amounts of the HIV virus in the body of those who have progressed to develop AIDS. The virus has been called "intelligent" and the whole dis-ease process has been called "mysterious." EFFECTS OF FREE RADICALS

The following are a list of symptoms and condi-tions that are believed caused in part or in whole by excess free radicals in the body. They include:

1. Damage to cell membranes leading to cell destruction.

2. Damage to the DNA of cells causing pre cancerous conditions in some persons.

3. Chronic fatigue.

4. Sleep disorders and disturbed sleep patterns.

5. Inflammation of the large intestines leading to malabsorption of nutrients.

6. Aging of the skin with wrinkles and loss of elasticity due to destruction of collagen.

7. Inflammatory reactions that produce histamines.

8. Increased inflammatory Prostaglandins

9. Susceptibility to bruise easily indicating weak capillaries and a weakening of the veins and arteries.

10. Neurological damage in some persons.

A NEW THEORY THAT MAY SOLVE THE MYSTERY OF HIV PROGRESSION

What I am proposing here is a new medical hy-pothesis that may solve the mystery. It is this: HIV, by its unique molecular structure, produces large amounts of free radicals through a chain reaction process is the free radicals that do most or the cellular damage that causes AIDS rather than the damage being done to individual cells by the virus itself. If this theory, which has yet to be proven, turns out to be correct, the mystery of how HIV causes AIDS will have been solved. Free Radicals may have a major role to play in gastrointestinal problems in AIDS, including colon inflammation, malabsorption syndrome and wasting syndrome.

WHAT ARE FREE RADICALS?

Most scientific publications refer to free radicals as reactive oxygen compounds that have an unpaired electron in their outer ring. That is to say they are missing an electron-Two free radicals that have been identified are Super oxide and hydroxyl. Hydroxyl is (OH-) and is very reactive. When it reacts with a cell membrane, it can cause severe damage by setting off a chain reaction that produces more free radicals. Antioxidants, (oxygen modulators), protect cell mem-branes from free radicals and are believed to destroy free radicals by feeding them electrons which changes their chemical structure into more stable compounds like H2O2 that actually enhance the oxidation pro-cess. For example, two OH- hydroxyl free radicals) that absorb electrons will join together to form H202 (hydrogen peroxide), which is far less reactive. At the IBOM convention Dallas, TX on 3/25/94, H202 and ozone were shown to increase P02 levels and increase ATP production in the cells by up to 40%. In other words, some anti-oxidants convert free radicals into oxidative by-products and produce energy in the cells. In this way, anti-oxidants enhance the oxida-tion process and stop the damage caused by free radi-cals. Free radicals are unstable electron deficient oxy-gen molecules. They can react with cell membranes and destroy them. Anti-oxidants, which I believe is a misnomer, since they are really oxygen modulators, cause the oxidative reactions to occur in the Mitochrondia of the cells instead of in places where they do damage to the cells (i.e.. the membranes). There is disagreement among the experts as to whether or not oxygen itself is a free radical. I am of the opinion that oxygen, what we breathe (02) is not a free radical, since it is not electron deficient and it is required for the life of the cell and for the produc-tion of both heat and energy in the body. Oxygen is one of several ingredients required for the mitochrondia in our cells to produce ~ - Adenos-ine Tri-Phosphate. Ozone is not a Free Radical since it has excess electrons to give up. It reacts with body fluids to produce ozonides, which are not electron deficient. Hydrogen peroxide is a Free Radical, but is on the bottom of the scale as far as causing damage to the cell membranes. This is because it is a natural part of the life cycle and most cells have the protec-tive benefits of the enzyme, catalase. Super Oxide radicals, considered the most damaging of all, are destroyed or converted into usable oxygen by S.O.D. (Super Oxide Dismutase). Note: Manganese is a trace mineral that is used in the pro-duction of S.O.D.

Free Radical Scavengers

Nutrients that are anti-oxidants and free radical Scavengers like Pycnogenol, Beta-Carotene, Vitamin C, E and Selenium and other naturally occurring flavinoids (i.e. Citrus rinds) that protect cell mem-branes from free radicals may stop the destructive effects of HIV progression and reverse the causes of immune deficiency syndrome. There are ample amounts of clinical studies that show the protective effects of Beta-Carotene and Vitamin A in the pre-vention of cancer in AIDS, Beta-Carotene has shown an ability to either stabilize T cell counts or increase them in most persons. When positive results from Beta-Carotene have been lacking, I believe that this has been due to a malabsorption problem in the G.I. tract. For this reason, not all Free Radical Scaven-gers are equal in effectiveness. Pycnogenol is a flavinoid called "proanthocyanidin" and is easily assimilated when taken orally, even in persons with severe malabsorption problems, and is the only flavinoid that is known to cross the blood-brain barrier. It is extracted from the bark of the Maritime Pine trees, which grows in the coastal region of southern France. Richard Psalter, Ph.D., in his book The New Super antioxidant says that Pycnogenol is the most potent free radical antagonist known to medical science and is a Vitamin C potentiator. Be-cause of its ease of assimilation, Pycnogenol is effec-tive when other free radical antagonists are only mar- THE PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF THREE HIV + PERSONS USING PYCNOGENOL. Persons taking Pycnogenol will need less Vitamin C to attain the same effects.

THE PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF THREE HIV+ PERSONS USING PYCNOGENOL

Jim accompanied me on my trip to Dallas, TX on March 21, 1994. I was on my way to attend the IBOM conference in Dallas on March 24-27. From Dallas, Tim planned to take a bus to Houston to see Dr. Patricia Salvato M.D. of the Houston Immunological insti-tute. He was going to get blood work on B cell and Natural killer cell function. In 1989 and in 1992, Jim's test results at the Houston Immunological Institute showed zero B cells and zero Natural Killer (NK) cells. B cell and NK cell test are not available in Wisconsin. T4 cells were at 221, (Wisconsin) in Jan. 1994. As we were traveling, I told Tim about a cassette tape on Pycnogenol made by Dr. Lamar Rosquist, who about his experiences and those of his patients who used it. The wide range of anecdotal benefits reported were almost too much to describe in words. I decided to try Pycnogenol because of report: on the tape that it was effective against psoriasis. I had a patch of psoriasis on my elbows and knees that had been there for 30 years, I though I'd give it a try. I did notice an improvement in my psoriasis after us-ing Pycnogenol for about 2 weeks. I would say about a 30% improvement. I also noticed I had more en-ergy. I asked Tim to try Pycnogenol to see what effects it would have on him, as I did not know of any other HIV+ person using this product. He listened to the one-hour tape and was impressed as I was with what we heard. In a nutshell, here are some of the conditions that Pycnogenol was reported effective against on this tape: Prostrate problems, circulatory problems, brain fog (confusion), asthma, lung cancer, shortness of breath, fatigue, and cuts and wounds that are slow healing. Dr. Rosquist claimed that the most effective re-sults were obtained when it was taken according to the following formula: 20 mg per day per 20 lbs. of body weight. In other words, if you weighed 160 lbs., you would take 160 mg daily. If you weighed 100 lbs., you would take 100 mg daily. On the first day of the trip, Jim took 80mg of Pycnogenol twice. About 1/2 hour after taking the first set of pills, Jim asked me to pull over to a gas station so he could use the Rest room. When he re-turned to the car, he said his "urine looked very dark brown and was cloudy." He said it had never looked like this before. I told him this was a good sign it means that the Pycnogenol was removing toxins and free radicals from his blood. He soon became very thirsty, which he said was unusual "I usually do not drink much liquids. Right now, I feel I could drink 2 or 3 glasses of juice." We stopped for water and juices. Within another half hour, the same cycle repeated and He had a powerful urge to urinate, so we stopped by a wayside. Later that day, Jim took his second dose of Pycnogenol and the same pattern repeated itself. First a powerful urge to urinate followed by a strong thirst for liquids. By evening, we had reached Tennessee. It was there that he commented that he hadn't felt tired all day. Usually, I have to take a nap every after-noon. Tonight I feel wide awake. I have more en-ergy than usual." The following morning after Tim awoke, he remarked that he had had a good night's sleep. "This is unusual," he said, "I usually have trouble sleeping when I go on trips. Even when I am at home, l usually wakeup every 2 or 3 hours. I haven't had this good a nights sleep in 2 years." On the second day of our trip, the pattern repeated itself. About 30 minutes after Jim took the Pycnogenol, I had to make an emergency stop so he could find a rest room and Jim was drinking liquids and juices all day. I noticed that the Pycnogenol had a similar effect on me, although not as pronounced. On the second day, his urine became more clear and was no longer brown and cloudy. Jim again remarked how good he felt and how much more energy he had. Af-ter the second night, Jim again said he slept sound and woke up feeling very rested. By the third day, Jim and I agreed that the Pycnogenol had done 4 things. It had increased thirst for liquids, increased urination increased energy lev-els and helped him get a good nights sleep. When he reached Houston, Jim planed to visit a friend, Mike, who is a long-term AIDS survivor and is now very ill. Jim said: "Mike has 8 T4 cells, has Lymphoma, and is very fatigued most of the time. He says he spends most of the day in bed." I told Jim to take another bottle of Pycnogenol I had brought along and to give it to Mike. Ask him to try it. I told Jim of my theory that I thought KS and Lymphoma were caused by Free Radicals. If this theory is true, Pycnogenol should reverse these conditions. On the evening of March 27th, Tim returned to Dallas where I picked him up at the Greyhound Bus station. I told him that I had learned a lot about Bio--oxidative therapy at the 3 day conference and had two cassette tapes with me from presentations made at the convention by Dr. Shallenberger M.D. and Dr. Douglass M.D. on Ozone Therapy and Photopheresis. Dr. Shallenberger listed 18 benefits from Ozone therapy. Note: Many of the details of what I learned will be published in Report No.6, which I hope to have ready sometime in May (94). On the way back to Milwaukee, Jim told me what happened in Houston. He said that Dr. Salivate would fax the initial results of the B cell tests and NK cell test functions on Wednesday, March 3O. We were both anxious to find out if any B cell functions and NK cell functions had been restored. Both had been totally inactive for the past 5 years.

Mike: "I can't believe how much energy I have"

How is Mike doing? Did he try the Pycnogenol? Jim: "Yes, he did. Let me tell you what happened. First of all, all I said to Mike was that I was taking this Pycnogenol and that I felt better. I suggested he try it. He started on Pycnogenol on Friday afternoon, shortly after I arrived. About half an hour later, he had to go to the bathroom and urinate. I didn't tell him what effect this would have on him. I just observed. He took two doses of about 80 mg each. He did drink a lot of liquids and went to the bathroom frequently to urinate. This went on all day Saturday. He always went back to bed and apologized for be-ing so tired. The big surprise came Sunday morning. After he woke up, he remarked about how good he felt and how much energy he had. He said: " I had a good nights sleep last night. I can't believe how much energy I have. I haven't had this much energy in many months." By noon, Jim had to leave to go back to Dallas.

Jim reports on 12 health related benefits of using Pycnogenol

On the way hack to Milwaukee, Jim and I dis-cussed in detail all the changes he noticed in himself in the past ten days taking Pycnogenol. To make a long story short, I will summarize the following 12 specific changes Jim noticed. They are: 1. Increased thirst for liquids and frequent urination 2. Fatigue reduced - energy levels up. 3. Normal sleep patterns restored for the first time in 2 years - no more interrupted sleep. 4. Thinking was more clear: 5. Lymph nodes were no longer sore. 6. Stool diameter increased in size, indicating an anti-inflammatory effect on the large intestines. 7. Stools floated for the first time and were normal color. 8. Shortness of breath was gone. 9. Histamine production that caused a reflux reaction in his stomach stopped. He no longer needed to take H2 blockers. 1O. Stomach gas stopped. 11.A sinus infection that had started at the beginning of the trip had cleared up without the need for using antibiotics. 12. He felt lighter on his feet while walking.

Jim was so excited about Pycnogenol that he said at one point "I think Pycnogenol will cure me. I am considering abandoning everything else and just us-ing Pycnogenol. I have never taken a supplement or any medication in the past 5 years that has so many benefits and in such a short period of time." I said to Jim: "I am very excited about this product also, but it is too early to determine that it will cure AIDS. We need to get more people to try it and report back to us on what it does for them." As we drove along, I remarked to Jim that I thought my eyesight had improved. On the second day of the trip, I said to Jim: " I can't believe how far I can see and how clear everything is. In the past two days, my eyesight has improved 100%. Could it be the Pycnogenol"? I remarked that Dr. Passwater said in his book that Pycnogenol improves visual acuity. Be-fore I left for Dallas, I had obtained a set of prescription glasses. The ophthalmologist who examined me told me my vision was about 20/45 in each eye. I told Jim that I knew that before I was examined by him, as I had an eye chart and that my vision was somewhere between 20/40 and 20/50. "When I get back to Mil-waukee, I am going to test my eyes again with the let-ter chart I have. I really believe my eyesight has im-proved 100%."

THE FAX FROM HOUSTON Some B Cell and NK cell activity reported for the first time in 5 years. HHV-6 disappears. On Tuesday afternoon, the day we returned, a fax came through from Houston on the B cell and NK cell test results. For the first time in 5 years, it showed some B cell activity. The test results were 11 on the B cells. It also showed great activity in metabolic pathway that was a precursor for the development of Natu-ral Killer cells. We were excited about these test results -since Jim has had zero B cell and zero NK cell Function since 1989. Jim had been doing ozone in a Sauna bag since Sept. 1993 and for the past month had done Ozone rectal insufflation. Jim credits the ozone with improving the quality of his Fife and keeping infections as bay. ln Jan-, 1994, his T4 counts were at 221, down from 292 in Oct., 1993. When he started on Ozone, they were 237. On April 4,1994, Dr. Salvato called from Houston to give him the second set of test results. She said his T4's were at 202, down slightly from Jan. She said his CD3': were normal and his T8's were now extremely high, although she didn't cite a number. However, there were two surprises: Some Natural Killers were found, although in small number, and the DNA Amplification test show zero presence far HHV6, both variant A and B. Jim had showed the presence of both of HRV-6 in 1989 and in 199~. Dr. Salvato said: "I have never known HHV-6 to completely disappear in any of my AIDS and CFS patients all be itself." She asked Jim to arrange to have his physician get antibody tests for both strains of the HHV-6 to see if he had very high levels, which might explain the disappearance of the HHV-6 virus. It is my opinion that if the antibody tests for HHV-6 show little or no activity, then the ozone treatments Jim used for the past 6 months would account for the disappearance of the virus. Both Tim and I are convinced that his taking of Pycnogenol for five days before the last blood test was responsible for the acti-vated B cell and NK cell functions. It is my prelimi-nary opinion that in cases where there is zero B cell and NK activity, ozone therapy alone will not lead to increases inT4 counts. It is also my opinion that where Ozone therapy has resulted in large increases in T4 counts, that there already has been some B cell and NK activity present. Jim believes that a necessary pre-requisite to increase T4 counts is to first find some way to restart B cell and NK cell activity. We are hopeful that the Pycnogenol is activating the B cell and NK cell functions, which we think will then lead to a rapid rise in the T4's.

Mike: "I woke up and felt I was cured"

On April ~, I talked to Mike W. from Houston-He told me he was on the Pycnogenol and doing very well. He said his energy level was way up and that he was sleeping very soundly. He said: "Before taking Pycnogenol, I would wake up every 2 hours or so. Since taking it, I have been sleeping soundly all night." He further added: "On Wednesday morning this past week, I woke up and felt I was cured...I feel like the worst of my trials and tribulations are over.... I would say that Pycnogenol has now risen in my mind to the top of the list as the most important supple-ment I should take." In the third case where Pycnogenol was used Jim's friend, Mike D., in Milwaukee, was not expected to live longer than a few more weeks. Mike D. has been fighting AIDS for 10 years. He was bedridden with a swollen left leg, due to internal KS, and needs assis-tance to even walk. For months, he has complained he has been unable to get any sleep and has had a multiplicity of problems including yeast overgrowth and extremely itchy skin. Shortly after Jim returned to Milwaukee, he suggested that Mike try the Pycnogenol and he agreed to do so. He started on 80 mgs twice a day, 1 mg per pound of body weight. He immediately found himself going to the bathroom and urinating every half-hour or so. He became thirsty and drank a lot of liquids. After three days, he told Jim he was "feeling better" and that the swelling in his leg was starting to go down. A few days later, Jim told me that Mike was now sleeping very soundly. Considering the severity of his condition, that he experienced relief from symptoms- in the first three days after using Pycnogenol is remarkable. On a personal note, I tested my eyesight with an eye chart on Saturday, April 2,1994, after being on Pycnogenol for just 3 weeks. My vision has improved from 20/45 to 20/25! I no longer need my prescrip-tion glasses. In a cassette tape prepared by Dr. Lamar Rosquist, he tells of anecdotal cases where Pycnogenol has helped the following conditions: skin problems, chronic fatigue, visual problems, hay fever, allergies, asthma, arthritis, prostatitis, seizures, neuropathy, lung cancer, tumors, alzheimers, parkinsons, mental confusion, dementia, edema, kidney problems, shortness of breath, varicose veins, strokes and depression. Note: Keep Hope Alive has no way to verify these claimed benefits. The wide list of benefits claimed seems unbelievable. Yet, three weeks ago, I would not have believed that Pycnogenol would have im-proved my eyesight to the extent that it has. We must keep an open mind. Dr. Lamar Rosquist was very in-sistent that you must take a saturation dosage of Pycnogenol to experience its miraculous benefits.

A Word on Dosages

Anyone can start off with the maximum dose. However, some persons may need to start at a lower dose than the 1 mg. per day per pound of body weight formula. Because this product is so powerful it may set off a healing crisis in some parts of the body that could temporarily increase pain in some persons. If this happens, I suggest you start off with 20 mg the day and increase by 20 mg per day until you reach the 1 mg per day per pound of body weight (i.e. if you weigh 100 lbs., you need 100 mg daily. If you weigh 160 lbs., you need 160 mg daily). 94. Report No. 6 will include a substantial amount of new information on Ozone Therapy, Photopheresis(UV light therapy) and H202 therapy, which I ob-tained from attending the IBOM (International Bio-Oxidative Medicine) convention in Dallas, Texas in March 94. The conference was attended by over 150 physicians from around the world. On one note, in the 6th edition of the ACD, I rated I.V. ozone as more effective than Autohemotherapy. Based on new information I obtained at the conference, the consensus is that both treatments are equally effective. Dr. Shallenberger, who has used I.V. ozone for some time, says he now prefers to use the Autohemotherapy method developed in Germany. The procedures where video taped at the conference.

Not all Pycnogenol is Created Equal

The excipients, flow agents, and binders used in preparing Pycnogenol tablets make all the difference in how it is absorbed by the body. Many companies use low quality cellulose to hold the tablets together, and excipients that make the Pycnogenol practically non-absorbable. Many of the other brands available in the U.S. test only 10 or 12% bio-available, and none of the other brands are over 30% bio-available. Our company worked with Horphag International to develop a formulation that enhances rather than detracts from the body's ability to absorb the Pycnogenol. Each 20 mg tablet is 95% bio-available! The difference is felt by people trying our Pycnogenol after trying other brands.

These Web Pages where constructed from various health and other publications on Nutrition. The sole purpose is to provide information and is not considered to be medical advice. No medical claims are being made by Dr.H. Edward Elrod, or The Elrod Clinic.

More on Pycnogenol Order Pycnogenol HOME