A particularly progressive and debilitating condition, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS is a particularly aggressive condition. While doctors normally don’t give very positive prognoses to individuals diagnosed with the disease, natural treatments can sometimes improve the quality of life for individuals with the condition.
Vitamins and supplements including vitamin C, vitamin B complex, and vitamin E are a few natural remedies that people often add as an adjunct treatment to a traditional approach.
What Is ALS?
ALS also called Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a disease that targets the central nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. The condition causes the slow demise of these cells which typically leads to diminished physical and mental functioning as the specific cells involved in the condition are the motor neurons.
While the progression of the condition varies slightly for different individuals, ALS causes the gradual disabling of anyone affected. Over time, common tasks including walking, speaking, eating, swallowing, and even breathing become difficult for individuals.
How is Lou Gehrig’s Disease Usually Treated?
An ALS diagnosis can be very scary for anyone, but the good news is there are often a variety of treatment options provided. While some of the “typical” treatments for the disease are more invasive, many involve holistic practices.
Physical and occupational therapy are common, as is speech therapy. Additionally, many individuals are provided with supportive devices and equipment to help them cope with everyday tasks more easily. Other more aggressive treatments include medication, feeding tubes, and breathing devices; however, these options are generally for more developed cases of the condition.
Natural Remedies for ALS
A balanced approach can sometimes be helpful – one that utilizes traditional treatments paired with natural supplements to support overall health. That being said, a few of the most effective natural treatment supports include vitamin C, vitamin B complex, and vitamin E.
1. Vitamin C
As ALS affects the functioning of the entire body, vitamin C is a particularly important treatment support. Vitamin C helps strengthen the immune system as well as the connective tissue in the body to prevent deterioration.
2. B Complex
Vitamin B complex is a combination of the essential B vitamins. This complex helps support energy levels as well as muscle and nerve function.
3. Vitamin E
Vitamin E is another important supplement as it helps support muscle and nerve function as well. Taken as a daily supplement, vitamin E also helps prevent deterioration of muscle function.
While nutritional supplements are an important support to ALS treatment, a variety of other natural treatments help as well.
Ted's Remedies for ALS
The genius health contributor Ted from Bangkok used to write extensively about various remedies ALS before his stroke in 2015. Here are a number of them, excerpted from our site ted.earthclinic.com.
06/22/2011: "Most people with ALS have some sort of virus and it is the virus and its treatment of virus that I have seen helped the most, some are already living a normal life. The best thing is to look at the viral cause in particular adenovirus, echovirus, enterovirus as the cause, it often occurs in case of your mother, a sinus condition, or a tooth infection or a throat to effect a front temporal cognitive impairment, But I think is more related to Herpes Simplex virus. My patients it has more to do with surgery where surgical equipment is infected with virus and genetic susceptibility. There is no literature on the treatment and researchers disagree on the cause and its treatment, but mine is rather simple and usually works, at the very least is to contain the virus. There is literature available on its treatment using just threonine, but they are missing the lysine. There is literature on treatment is BCAA, and the number of death is increased because again they are missing lysine.
It is best to begin research in this area on adenovirus, echovirus and Herpes simplex virus and other viruses in relation to ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease. You can find this rather easily on Google if you know what you are looking for, but you will never find it by typing just ALS. Why are researchers always bark on the wrong tree is rather simple: to get funding you have to please the investors. And investors is to make money not getting the cure. It I have one pill that can cure kidney disease but one pill you have to take for the rest of your life to contain the kidney disease, rest assure the investors will take a look at the second options because it brings steady income. So as a researcher (I was a researcher myself) you have to options 1) Get the funding that pleases the investor and get yourself on news or 2) be very poor and find the truth on your own money and get no publicity. Most people would choose 1) very few will go 2), but I do. Think of it this way: what happens if YOU get it then what will happen?" Source
6/11/2011: "The basic remedy for ALS is 1/2 teaspoon of lysine, 1/2 teaspoon of threonine, 1/4 teaspoon of glutamine. It is taken every hour for four hours, and in evening you do that for at least 3-4 days. Thereafter, you shall concentrate one getting the immune system, such as beta glucan to the remedy taken twice a day 1/4 teaspoon and vitamin C 1/4 teaspoon ascorbic acid. The development of neural growth is the use centella asiatica. There are several remedies posted on ALS, in greater detail on Earth Clinic. But try to concentrate on the basic remedy for first few days to self contained the virus. Thereafter you can continue with the remedy for 4 doses plus one to three at night for the lysine, etc. That depends on your budget mostly. There is a long list of supplements I give to my clients, each with differing needs but this is the basic protocol. For example I might add some more antiviral remedy, such as andrographis paniculta, or perhaps test for possible mycoplasma infections such as doxycycline for a couple of days, are some of the examples. Then there is rebuilding of neural growth such as hydergine and piracetam, 2 mig and 800 mg, respectively. There is a possibility that you can use snake grass (clinacanthus nutans lindau) also incorporated in the remedy. Do the basic remedy first and you can continue thereafter with some other additions depending on his needs." Source
12/27/2014: "Unknown to most doctors the body can regain the ability to breathe if NAC and taurine are given consistently for at least 3 weeks to one month. But this is needed for the long term for most ALS patients. The amount to take is usually 1,000 mg 4 times a day for both NAC and taurine. Lithium to prevent the adenovirus from growing maybe 2.5 mg before sleep. Will extend lifespan. Should strengthen immune system with beta glucan."
10/07/2014: "There is a lot of things you can do. The most important is the mucus and toxins. N acetyl cysteine 4000 mg 6 times a day and taurine 1000 mg 4 times a day. This will remove toxins. Methylene blue 0.1% 20 drops morning lunch and dinner. Adenovirus can be protected with poly lysine 1000 mg 3 times a day to kill it. Ted" Source
10/25/2014: Apple cider vinegar or distilled vinegar is applied topically to the lower neck area or lower base of the skull. This is fast acting antiviral to kill adenovirus in the nervous system and zinc gluconate. For his muscles the needs BCAA or branched chain amino acid in addition to NAC or N acetyl cysteine and taurine. At 1/2 teaspoon each twice a day and BCAA and lysine at 1/2 teaspoon each 3 time a day. Ted" Source
06/16/2014: Everyone with breathing problems has mucus issue whether on the amino acid or not. I always give two things NAC 1000 mg four times a day and drink a small amount of hyaluronic acid .5 grams to 500 cc water mix with sea salt 5 grams also. The small amount tsken each time is 50 to 100 cc of this to help loosen up mucus. Lithium and potassium iodide are two additional ones essential. At 1 to 2.5 mg lithium chloride and maybe some potassium iodide to prevent a deficiency ftom lithium use. I went much further in developing a protocol for ALS but because clamp down by authorities on me and attacked by local newspaper I decided to contribute less to earthclinic. Mucin or mucus is important for gut health and is important for protection of intestinal barrier or you get constipated and further deterioration of ALS. So you must address the mucus with NAC and hyaluronic acid to help breakdown in lung as a result of thiocyanite deficiency that kill pathogens in the lung." Source
05/13/2013: "You forgot the two most important supplements to control virus-caused ALS: zinc and lithium. The zinc is ideally zinc acetate or zinc chloride, given in frequent doses: 5 mg x 6. Lithium is 5 mg given at night in the form of lithium carbonate. I know more than I mentioned in the post as there are things that are specific to four different types of ALS, but this is the general ALS treatment. Lugol's Iodine has also been proven helpful." Source
12/5/2012: "A simple remedy includes two steps, we need to get rid of the virus first, otherwise the ALS will spread. So keep his blood sugar below 90 mg/dL, as a simple virus requires simple sugar, by trying to maintain a blood sugar below 90 mg/dL, the virus is starved of sugar. The mean for blood sugar in ALS situation is 75 to 90 mg/dL, to prevent the spread, just like forest fire, you have to limit their spread by starving them of the fuel they need. The lysine will lower the blood sugar so I would take 1/2 teaspoon of lysine every hour for 4 hours at least. The threonine is the other one that can be mixed, too. More men are afflicted with Lou Gehrig's Disease than women because the male needs zinc for their sperm and is found typically deficient in men. That's why the ratio is a bit more on the male side and that's why zinc acetate is needed to prevent the overgrowth of ALS.
In my treatment of ALS, getting them to live as long as they want is no problem, they can live as long as they want, my problem is trying to reverse the ALS symptoms, which is a big problem. The one thing that has helped the most is always pregnenolone 50 mg, DHEA (12.5 mg women 25 mg for men), and melatonin (at night 5 mg is the average dose I see that works fine). Keep it simple first, then you can add the other things later after you have contained the fire." Source
12/10/2012: Ted from Bangkok, Thailand replies: "You take lysine as long as possible, for one month or more to limit the virus. Under no circumstances should he be allowed to take any sweets, as simple viruses and bacteria require simple sugars. Fructose, glucose, sucrose (sugar), but also fruits, honey and wheat are forbidden. It is commonly caused by an adenovirus, but it could be other viruses. Pregnenolone and progesterone help neural recovery."
11/30/2011: "The remedy would significantly delay the progression of Lou Gehrig's Disease. As far as remedies are concerned, you won't generally die from it.
The sources of Lou Gehrig's disease I found were mostly from the hospital. So people often get it in the hospital mostly via invasive surgery and other medical procedures. I had a client of mine stabilized and recovering until he needed a minor surgery for an unrelated condition and it got terribly worse once out of hospital and he had to be stabilized again. No hospitals today use any UV light bulbs, which kill viruses. They were replaced with alcohol gels, which kill bacteria but never viruses. That is the major change and is resulting in deaths from virus related diseases such as Lou Gehrig's. Now I don't have the equipment as do hospitals but these can be easily eradicated, but politics is what is preventing the hospitals and administrators from doing the right thing.
The key remedies initially are lysine and threonine, then later glutamine, and zinc is really to stop the progression more than anything else. But that won't work with eventual recovery or reversal, that needs a lot more work.
If you can afford what's mentioned, then the schedule will be:
- 1000 mg lysine every hour for 4 hours in the morning and evening
- 500 or 750 mg of Threonine every hour for four hours in the morning and evening
The above is usually done for three days, in order to reduce cost (cost is a major consideration in my clients), it is given at every hour for 4 hours in the morning and maybe, every hour for 3 hours in the evening.
The above will stop the progression, but piracetam and hydergine are not major parts of the remedy, they are just to help neural growth somewhat, but mostly certain types of neural growth, and it may not be motor neurons that is needed, The above remedy is to kill the adenovirus, but these are tough to kill and you may need other remedies, zinc acetate is one, but their eventual accumulation will lead to vomiting if given in excess of 1 month. And glutamine must be given, to help muscle recovery, and that can be given in the 4th day or 5th day, at 1000 mg x 4. And for further recovery is BCAA (branched chain amino acid) is needed after the second week, which is needed 1000 x 4. The homocysteine is critical to maintain blood homocysteine near optimum such as 6 or 7, most people have higher, and may be lowered quite easily with TMG or Trimethylglycine (the regular kind without the HCl). It is taken at 1/2 teaspoon twice a day.
Now Lou Gehrig's sufferers may have breathing problems and lowered lung capacity if you measure it, and this may be increased to twice the amount by vitamin D2 20,000 iu taken every other day, with magnesium chloride usually 8 drops before meals twice a day.
These are the most important ones I know of initially anyway, but there are problems you need to be aware of, such as mucus issue is serious for Lou Gehrig's which get clogged. We must give more than the required, as it has also antiviral properties, such as 1/8 teaspoon every hour for 4 hours, in the evening, and morning maybe just one dose. These developed around the lungs, but also appear in the intestines as soft form mucus or hard form (mucoid plaque you hear about in detox clinics). The cause is not detox per se, it is a lack of cysteine, the preferred form is N acetylcysteine. This will prevent obstruction of breathing passages. The zinc is ideally between 10 mg to 50 mg for only a month, thereafter just maybe once a week.
For cancer, you must be also aware that blood sugar is the issue, and the three important supplements to really get the sugar levels down are vanadium, chromium and lecithin, and MSM. Vanadium, maybe vanadium sulfate 10 mg, chromium polynicotinate 1 to 2 mg, and lecithin granulated (never softgel) 1000 mg, and MSM, maybe 1000 x 4. Once blood sugar is between 80 to 90 mg/dL, then the Lou Gehrig disease and cancer won't spread. That's a 97% probability (within) one year, so that's a good one. No sugar, no sweet fruits is the major theme in treating cancer. The vitamins necessary for weakness are vitamin B 50 and vitamin C, and maybe vitamin E 200 iu. minimum." Source
09/28/2011: "Muscle twitches are alleviated with magnesium chloride 60 to 70% and the rest water, and given 10 drops x 3 times a day before meals or on an empty stomach. Potassium citrate is given once a day at 1/4 teaspoon 30 minutes after meals, and taurine is given at 1/2 teaspoon once a day. B complex B50 is given once a day for 5 days. This should be enough to help absorption. The ALS itself I believe is adenoviruses, and they appear in a majority of ALS cases. These need to be killed with zinc acetate 15 mg once a day, Lysine monohydrate hydrochloride, given hourly in morning for 4 hours and the same in the evening for at least 3 days. Thereafter, (to save money), is given 4 doses in morning and one dose in the evening before sleep, threonine is given the same as the lysine and is responsible for your immune system.
ALS people are very sensitive to high homocysteine, as it is a neurotoxin, so any addition of any neurotoxin is deadly, e.g. monosodium glutamate, excitotoxins aspartame, etc. Therefore we might give trimethylglycine (betaine) depending on conditions, there are two forms betaine and betaine hydrochloride. The regular betaine is not acidic, so I usually give that, but if his mouth is watery and cannot swallow saliva, it is a sign of low stomach acid, and we give betaine hydrochloride, the usual remedy is given before eating (so they can digest the food with sufficient acid) at 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon three times a day before meals. Selenium may be low in most ALS patients and therefore is given at 200 mcg x 2 times a day." Source
Read more posts from Ted here.
Continue reading below for additional information from Earth Clinic readers.