Replied By Vivienne (Paia, HI) on 12/05/2008

I wrote to Ted at Earth Clinic recently... Here's what I wrote and his reply:-

Please could you possibly help me? I developed Lymphedema after having lymph nodes removed from my pelvis in 1989. I massage daily and wear support hose during the day and special low stretch bandages at night. My left leg is 30% larger than my right, the swelling is mostly from the knee to buttock area and pubic mound, there is also minimal edema in my right ankle. The swelling results in cellulitus once every 6 weeks or so, which is why I take the 7-Keto DHEA to boost my immune system, it has not completely stopped the cellulitis, but makes it much less severe.

For the swelling I take:
Horse Chestnut 300 mg 2 x day
Rutin 500 mg 1 x day
Triple Chlorophyll 60 mg 1 x day
Alfalfa 2000 mg x 2 day
Vit C 1000 mg x 1 day
7-Keto DHEA 100 mg 3 x day

Since reading the earth clinic site, I am now also taking ACV 2 tbsp., 2 x day, VCO 1 tbsp., 2 x day, Blackstrap Molasses 1 tbsp., 2 x day and a Cayenne & Garlic capsule 1 g garlic/500mg Caynne. But I have not been doing this long enough to see a result.

Ted's reply:
I am personally against removal of any organs because the resultant effects are often more severe down the road. In any event the removal of lymph node could have been avoided if potassium citrate, camphor, and sodium bicarbonate were supplemented or perhaps the use of castor oil hot packs (with camphor added) to assist lymphatics clearance. Quite often high protein diets, high heavy metals, thick plasma (where clotting sometimes occur), excessive virus, vitamin C sodium ascorbate and bacteria buildup are common ones that clogs the lymphatic system. I agree bandages is useful also as is raising legs higher may help a little.

Anyway even with such removal, there might be some lymph nodes leftover but is obstructed or the veins has to overtake the missing lymphatic system. In this case, a removal of lymphatics will result in excessive fluids along the veins, called venous insufficiency, where excessive fluids accumulate. When this happens, pine bark extract is often used as a supplement to reduce this issue.

While it is true that DHEA does indeed help reduce the cellulite, some people prefer DHEA, or other people prefer 7 Keto DHEA. It all depends on the result. Some people have low hormones of the other and DHEA would work well there. However, some has sufficient hormones with exception of DHEA, so 7 keto DHEA will work for him.

There are other cellulite reducing supplements besides DHEA, although DHEA is best known, but I have found quite a few of the others, namely taurine, l-carnosine (500 mg x 3)are the best ones I know of, along with chromium supplements. Most chromium, if they are water soluble worked fairly well, I used chromium chloride to save costs compared to chromium picolinate for example. The dose of taurine is taken 30 minutes to an hour before every meals, such as 2000 mg. This will prevent negative reactions between sugar and proteins, which result in cellulite. Chromium further lowers blood sugar spikes and the common dose I used to get result is about 1000 mcg, chewed, or powdered, dissolved in a glass of water.

It should be noted that in event the blood becomes too thick, the ability for the blood to flow back through tehe veins is obstructed. This is true for high fat products, sugar, and acid forming foods. The diet is replaced with high enzyme foods, such as raw vegetarians and enzyme supplements taken three times a day. In this case, EDTA is important, but I prefer a much lower dose of EDTA, in the form of disodium EDTA as means of reducing blood obstruction and lower the blood thickness so if the blood is a bit more watery, the ability of blood flow and plasma is not hampered. EDTA also removes certain free heavy metals that tends to cause the blood to be thicker. It is also true of high fats, high sugar, high fructose, and high protein diets. However certain amino acid is useful such as carnosine and taurine.

Estrogen is the major problem causing cellulite, and perhaps natural progesterone cream will keep the ratios of progesterone: estrogen in check, such as applying on the area might also help.

Some vitamin E is also useful in reducing blood thickness that prevents blood clotting as is also true that magnesium is antagonistic to calcium and may also help. The other supplements that also reduce some cellulite is the alpha lipoic acid, taken along with food to prevent stomach upset. It also helps if plenty of water is taken to further reduce this problem.

Chlorophyll tends to give the body more blood, so its a matter of debate whether that helps or not. However, chlorella is a heavy metal chelator and may reduce obstruction by further helping the circulation. Fluid retention is the other thing that caused it, so diuretic products may further help if taken in moderation such as green tea. Some other things that reduce kidney obstruction from uric acid, or if body is a little high in uric acid may lead further to swollen legs. In this case a very low dose of lithium citrate or lithium carbonate such as 5 mg may help the body rid of excess fluids. Some additional taking of potassium citrate (technical name is tripotassium citrate) taken at 1/4 teaspoon plus 1/2 teaspoon of sodium carbonate may help normalized bowel movements, especially the potassium and if more frequently it is taken, the stool becomes more fluid, thus reducing the fluid retention that way.

The major enemy in the cause of fluid retention has always been the chlorinated water. It works by increasing the blood pressure, due to its effect on the body to cause metabolic acidosis. It works like this, whenever there is a free chlorine in the blood that comes through taking shower, the free chlorine dissociates to react with the free hydrogen that is involved in the NAD to NADH, to form HCl, or hydrochloric acid deep within the mitochrondria involved in the Krebs cycle. So this reduces the mitochrondrial activity. I suspect the same reaction to also occur in presence of Fluoride. This doesnt happen with iodine because it's a required mineral. This also explains why legs are swollen or the body becomes much more swollen after swimming in highly chlorinated water as well as being fluoridated from the public water supply.

This also explains why people feel much weaker after the shower. It's the effect of chlorine interfering with the mitochrondria that helps with our energy level. If energy level is low, the ability of the body to maintain normal fluids is not possible, so the body becomes highly retentive with fluids. Therefore chlorine and fluoridated toothpaste has to be removed. Any thing that disturbs the neuroendocrine system, includes hydrocarbons, and aspartame. Aspartame in presence of body's enzyme converts into a free methanol alcohol so that's avoided, because further oxidation it becomes formaldehyde and results in fluid imbalance from destruction of the neural centers responsible for equilibrium of body fluids -its the line of communications that tells each organs what to do becomes impaired in presence of them.

In any event, I think disodium EDTA, at 25 mg x 3 mixed with plenty of water (maybe taken for a couple of days, out of a week such as 3 or 4 days), and taking plenty of enzyme supplements taken three times a day before every meal should help most the circulation, Enzymes help digest obstructions and foreign pathogens which tends to cause the clogging of the lymph node, while prevention cellulite formation is helped mostly with taurine, DHEA, alpha lipoic acid.

Certain dietary changes to more vegetarian less protein, but taking some amino acid supplements instead, less fat, less sugar, and less exposure to fluoride, aspartame and chlorine should generally help the most. Diuretics such as green tea, lithium citrate for example are helpful in reducing fluid retention, but lithium further removes excess uric acid that obstructs normal kidney functions too.

Water suana, without chlorine, and hence sodium thiosulfate dechlorinator, one size rice grain of the crystals mixed in a liter of water may also help reduce fluid retention. Initially the sodium thiosulfate will cause watery stool, but once the body get used to it after usually three days, it will further neutralize the negative effects of chlorinated water from showers.

Apple cider vinegar should add some baking soda, such as 2 tablespoons of apple cider viengar plus 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda in 1 glass of water for example. The body tends to swell when eating mushrooms of any kind, including reishi mushrooms as well as many yeast fermented product, such as yogurt. This includes wheat products too in swelling but whole rye and millet won't generally cause swelling. Antibiotics promote swelling because of the mycotoxins, since mycotoxins and antibiotics are produced from fungus.

Ted

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