Replied by Bessie (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) on 10/06/2010
Hi Maria - I receive a number of alternative health newsletters and one, Care2, had an article about enzymes ("Enzyme Improves Asthma, Allergies, Arthritis, and More", September 30/10). Here's a quote: "Serrapeptase is primarily used to treat respiratory conditions, including: asthma, sinusitis, bronchitis, tuberculosis, allergies, and in conditions of the lungs involving excess mucus. "
You will find more information if you Google "asbestosis serrapeptase" but, of course, most of the sites are selling the enzyme so you need to read between the lines. However, since it was proven to help reduce inflammation, it might make a difference (and there were testimonials from people who had suffered from emphysema and asbestosis). Best of luck to you and your father.Replied by Tom (Regina, Sk) on 10/07/2010
Maria:
I can perhaps give you some general ideas, with a few specifics thrown in. The lung surfactant quantity secreted is critical to the health of the lung liming.
It turns out that one key component of the surfactant is a high palmitic acid content PC (phosphatidylcholine):
Biophysically-important constituents of surfactant include dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC), a mix of other saturated and unsaturated phospholipids, and three surfactant proteins (SP)-A, SP-B, and SP-C. A fourth apoprotein, SP-D, does not participate in surfactant biophysics but contributes to pulmonary host defense. Severe disease results if lung surfactant is deficient or inactivated. Surfactant deficiency causes the respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in premature infants, and surfactant dysfunction is an important contributor to clinical acute lung injury (ALI) and the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) that affect patients of all ages. One approach to treating diseases of surfactant deficiency and dysfunction is to administer exogenous surfactants by tracheal or bronchoscopic instillation...
The good news here is that the above can be found present in very good quantities in plain LECITHIN! That is found in some quantity in eggs, but can be had as a supplement, made from soy (preferably non-GM soy to avoid possible allergens)
Now for other things shown to work, at least in lab rats:
Vit C E group treated with 75 mg/kg/day vit C 20mg/kg/day vit E. Hexavalent chromium caused marked alveolar thickening associated with fibroblasts and myofibroblasts proliferation and collagen production in interstitial tissue leading to pulmonary fibrosis. Administration of vitamins C and E reduced the fibrotic damage in lung tissue. The combination of vit E and C had more pronounced effect. Note these were quite high dosages of C & E, even by supplement standards. A 100 kg man would be taking 7500 mg= 7. 5g per day C, & 2000 mg E per day. Also, the E dose is given in mg, NOT IU, but suffice to say that they're close enough to be considered the same (different conversion factor depending on if synthetic E or natural, or also which E isomer it is (alpha, beta, gamma, delta))
Here is a site with a table showing most table oils and butter, and their fatty acid content %, including palmitic acid.
Supposedly, some of those asbestos particles get "calcified" in the lungs, but some should be able to be worked out to the surface and expelled, just as a skin sliver not too deep will be as the dermis grows out!
The cells in the lungs constantly renew themselves, explains Dr Keith Prowse, vice-president of the British Lung Foundation. However, the lungs contain different cells that renew at different rates. The alveoli or air sac cells - needed for the exchange of oxygen and gases - deep in the lungs have a steady progress of regeneration that takes about a year. Meanwhile, the cells on the lung's surface have to renew every two or three weeks. 'These are the lungs' first line of defence, so have to be able to renew quickly, ' says Dr Prowse.
EC: Tom,
None of the links you provided worked for some reason, so we had to delete them. Sorry!
