 either prostaglandins (PG) or thromboxane is formed from synthases that yield prostacyclin (PGI
2) and PGE2 or thromboxane A2. PGE1,
PGI2, and PGE2 are vasodilators, anti-inflammatory, and platelet deaggregators, while throm -
boxane A2 acts as a vasoconstrictor, inflammatory, and platelet aggregator. DMSO is reported
to block thromboxane A2 and promote the release of PGE1, PGI2, and PGE2 either directly or
via cAMP stimulation.150 Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO) in Trauma and Disease
Vascular constriction and platelet clumping can be antagonized if PGI2 is released
from endothelial cells in the microvasculature.104 PGI2 appears to do this by stimu -
lating adenylate cyclase in many tissues including peripheral neurons leading to an
increase in cAMP levels in platelets.108 An increase in PGI2 synthesis or availability
at the vessel wall would have a positive and direct effect on cerebral ischemia by antagonizing platelet aggregation and vasoconstriction ( Figure 8.2).
DMSO also has a direct effect on platelet cAMP levels. It increases cAMP pre -
sumably by inhibiting phosphodiesterase (PDE)
109,110 although an indirect action
on PG12-induced elevation of platelet cAMP by DMSO can also be considered
(Figure 8.2).
Research has revealed that of the 60 different platelet isoforms described in mam -
malian species, platelets are known to possess three main PDEs: PDE2, PDE3, and
PDE5.111,112 Despite many studies carried out in the past four decades examining the
role of DMSO in PG synthesis, it remains unclear which of these PDEs DMSO tar -
gets for the inhibition of platelet aggregation.
Platelet function is, to a large extent, dependent on PDEs, because their inhi -
bition can dampen platelet aggregation by increasing cAMP and cyclic guano -
sine 3 ′-5′-monophosphate (cGMP), an action that limits the levels of intracellular
nucleotides.113
Cyclic AMP is a powerful platelet deaggregator, and evidence exists that DMSO
can increase the levels of cAMP in various biological preparations108,110,114,115
(Figure 8.2). Increasing cAMP by DMSO suggests that DMSO can manipulate signal
transduction mediated by second messenger molecules such as cAMP. This means that the inhibition of platelet signal transduction by DMSO may suppress platelet acti -
vation regardless of the initial stimulus.
111 The mechanism that would allow DMSO
to directly inhibit platelet-activating second messengers like cAMP and cGMP is by its interaction with intracellular signalling pathways. In addition, DMSO may act indirectly on the endothelium-derived PGI
2, which is known to increase intracellular
platelet cAMP through the activation of membrane adenylate cyclase, a process that begins when PGI
2 binds to its receptors on the platelet surface.111
The role of DMSO in PG biosynthesis remains partly theoretical, but a number of
intriguing findings lend support to the specific actions by DMSO on PG activity and their catalytic enzymes ( Figure 8.2).
For example, studies have reported that DMSO can increase the synthesis of PGE
1,
a moderate vasodilator.71,72 PGE1 can reduce platelet aggregation by increasing cAMP
levels, and this PG also inhibits the calcium-induced release of noradrenaline in nerve terminals, an effect that may antagonize vasoconstriction following tissue trauma with the resulting effect of preventing cerebral blood flow reduction
116 (Figure 8.2).
An increase in PGI2 synthesis or availability at the vessel wall would have a posi -
tive and direct effect on ischemia by antagonizing platelet aggregation and vasocon -
striction, thus allowing better blood perfusion of the hypoperfused tissue. DMSO may also antagonize the synthesis or release of thromboxane A
2117,118 and thus indi -
rectly counteract platelet aggregation and vasoconstriction. The presence of TXA2 in
blood will cause strong vasoconstriction and platelet aggregation, while the forma -
tion of PGF2α will also negatively affect the vascular and platelet systems, but the
reaction will not be as severe as with TXA2.111151 DMSO in Basic Neuroprotection
Theoretical considerations to explain platelet deaggregation by DMSO appears to
involve PG synthesis in the brain.118
One study has shown evidence that DMSO has the ability to block the prothrom -
botic release of thromboxane A2.119 Although the exact mechanism of DMSO’s
blocking action of thromboxane A2 to reduce platelet aggregation has not been clari -
fied, it may possibly mimic the action of hydralazine or dipyridamole since DMSO
shares a number of similar biochemical features with these agents, specifically their increase of cAMP levels.
109,118
The actions of DMSO on the biosynthesis of specific PGs may have clinical appli -
cation not only in cerebral ischemia secondary to traumatic brain injury but also in conditions where inflammatory cytokines, platelet aggregation, and vasospasm result from disease and physical injury.
DMSO is reported to exert protective activity on tissue factor expression in human
endothelial cells in response to TNF- α or thrombin exposure.
120
TISSUE FACTOR
The best known function of tissue factor is its role in blood coagulation. Blood coag -
ulation begins when a mammalian vessel is damaged and reacts by beginning a coagulation cascade in order to preserve the integrity of the circulation. The coagu -
lation cascade can also be generated by mediators of the inflammatory response, such as cytokines. The coagulation cascade leads to clot formation by the exposure of flowing blood to tissue factor, also called thromboplastin.
Tissue factor is the cellular receptor and cofactor for factor VII and binds both
factors VII and VIIa.
121 Tissue factor is the high-affinity receptor for factors VII and
Vlla and is the cofactor necessary for the catalytic function of factor VIIa.122 As tis -
sue factor binds factor VIIa, it activates Factor IX and Factor X, a process that results in fibrin formation.
123 Fibrin is the building block of the hemostatic plug.
Tissue factor is a key protein in the activation of coagulation and thrombus for -
mation and has been associated with acute coronary syndromes, myocardial infarc -
tion,121 and microvascular perfusion defects following focal cerebral ischemia.124
Electron microscopic evidence has shown the presence of fibrin in cerebral
microvessels derived from degranulated platelets and poymorphonuclear leukocytes following middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion.
125 The use of antitissue factor
agents as DMSO has been shown to be, may be, clinically useful to prevent the coagulation cascade that can lead to microvascular plugs following the ischemic process related to blunt brain trauma and stroke.
It has been reported that DMSO has an effect on blocking Na
+ and Ca+ entry
into cells.50,51 Since substantial Na+ and Ca+ entry into myocytes typically occurs
after cardiac arrhythmias and myocardial infarction, DMSO administration may prevent this inward cellular ion flux while preserving K
+ outflux from cardiac tis -
sue. The mechanisms exerted by DMSO on Na+ and Ca+ channels need to be fur -
ther investigated in mammalian models of ischemic injury since the results of such studies could produce an extremely useful and relatively safe agent for a variety of cardiac and brain ischemic disorders affected by changes involving these cations (Figure  8.3). Drugs that block abnormal Na
+ entry into damaged brain cells have 152 Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO) in Trauma and Disease
been shown to exhibit strong, neuroprotective activity in animal models of brain
ischemia and hypoxia, and a number of clinical trials are now in progress to test these class of drugs when cerebral ischemia is present.
126–128 Curiously, DMSO is not
presently being considered for such clinical testing.
DMSO given at clinical doses has been reported to suppress in a relatively rapid
(minutes) and reversible manner excessive calcium influx into cells and channel-opening of the ionotropic receptor channels NMDA and AMPA, which are known to be activated by glutamate during oxidative or metabolic stress
54 (Figure 8.3). This
excitotoxic  process by glutamate leads to electrophysiological responses and calcium
influx into brain cells when activated is blocked by DMSO, resulting in the protec-tion of hippocampal neurons against deadly pathway.
54
Although the mechanism responsible for DMSO’s suppression of glutamate exci -
totoxicity is unclear, two possible explanations may be relevant. First, it is shown that
Voltage-sensitive
Ca+ channel AMPA
receptor
Na+
Depo lariza tion
Nerve ending
Dimethyl sulf oxide mole cular ta rgetsNa+Na+ ATP
Cell deat hExcessive
K+Ca+ ATPaseCa+
Na+Ca+Vesicular


 Cord Injuries
1.
 De la Torre, J.C; J.W. Surgeon; P.K. Hill; and T. Khan. “DMSO in the
treatment of brain infection: basic considerations,”
Arterial Air Embolism and
Acute Stroke
 (eds. J.M. Hallenbeck and L.J. Greenbaum), Undersea Medical
Society Report No. 11–15–77:138–161, 1977.
2.
 De la Torre, J.C., and P.K. Hill, “Ultrastructural studies on formation of edema
and its treatment following experimental brain infarction in monkeys,”
Dynamics of Brain Edema
 (eds. H. Pappius and W. Feindel), Berlin: Springer,
1976, pp. 306–314.
3.
 De la Torre, J.C., and J.W. Surgeon. “Dexamethasone and DMSO in
experimental transorbital cerebral infarction,”
Stroke
, 7:577–583, 1976.
4.
 Deutsch, E. “Beeinflussung de blutgerinnung durch DMSO und kombinationen
mit heparin,” DMSO
Symposium, Vienna
, Berlin: Saladruck, 1966, p. 144.
5.
 White, R.P. “Prostaglandin F2 Alpha and experimental cerebral vasospasm in
dogs,”
Pharmacologist
, 13:292, 1972.
6.
 Weeks, J.R. “The prostaglandins: biologically active lipids with implications in
circulatory physiology,”
Circ. Res.
, 24:1223–1229, 1969.
7.
 LaHann, T.R., and A. Horita. “Effects of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) on
prostaglandin synthetase,”
Proc. West. Pharmacol. Soc.
, 18:81–82, 1975.
8.
 Coceani, F. “Prostaglandins and the central nervous system,”
Arch. Intern.
Med.
, 133:119–129, 1974.
9.
 Bergstrom, S. “Prostaglandins: members of a new hormonal system,”
Science
,
157:382–391, 1967.
10.
 Dujovny, M.; P.J. Barrionuevo; R.K. Laha; S. De Castro; and J.C. Maroon.
“Experimental middle cerebral artery microsurgical embolectomy,”
Surg.
Forum
, 37:495–596, 1976.
11.
 Dujovny, M.; P.J. Barrionuevo; R.D. Laha; G. Solis; J. Maroon; and R.H.
Hellstrom. “The role of DMSO and methylprednisolone in canine middle
cerebral artery microsurgical embolectomy,”
Stroke
, 8:6–7, 1977.
12.
 De la
Torre, Surgeon, Hill, and Kahn, op. cit.
13.
 Kajihara, K.; H. Kawanaga; J.C. de la Torre; and S. Mullan. “Dimethyl
sulfoxide in the treatment of experimental acute spinal cord injury,”
Surgical
Neurology
, 1:16–22, 1973.
14.
 De la Torre, J.C.; D.W. Rowed; H.M. Kawanaga; and S. Mullan. “Dimethyl
sulfoxide in the treatment of experimental brain compression,” J.
Neurosurg.
,
38:345–354, March 1973.15.
 Schmeck, H.M., Jr. “Scientists seek to test controversial solvent on disease of
muscles,”
The New York Times
, January 15, 1981, p. A21.
16.
 Marshall, L.F.; P.E. Camp; and S.A. Bowers. “Dimethyl sulfoxide for the
treatment of intracranial hypertension: a preliminary trial,”
Neurosurgery
,
14(6):659–663, June 1984.
17.
 Zingerman, L.I. “Dimexide (dimethyl sulfoxide) in the treatment of multiple
sclerosis,”
Zhurnal Neuropatologii I Psikhiatrii Imeni S. S. Korsakova
,
84(9):1330–1333, 1984.
Chapter 10
DMSO Therapy for Mental Disabilities
1.
 Gesell, A.
Developmental Diagnosis
, New York: Paul Hoeber, 1946.
2.
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N.Y. Acad. Sci.
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1982.
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Smart Nutrients.
 Garden City Park, N.Y.: Avery
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Chapter 11
The DMSO-Cancer Connection
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3.
 Unpublished treatise by Thomas D. Rogers, Northwestern State University,
“Light and electron microscope studies of the chemotherapeutic effect of a
combination of dimethyl sulfoxide and hematoxylon on a transplantable
lymphosarcoma,” January 1979.Chapter 12
Infectious Diseases Respond to DMSO
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 “Antiviral drug, DMSO teamed
against shingles,”
Drug Topics
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1971.
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Vestnik Khirurgii Imeni


 by  evil spirits. If a member of the tribe falls ill, the shaman (the “medicine” man or woman) is expected to intercede with the spirit world to bring about a cure. Shamans often enter the spiritual realm with the aid of hallucinogenic plants or fungi, such as ayahuasca (Banisteriopsis caapi, p. 176), taken  by Amazonian shamans, or fly agaric (Amanita muscaria), taken by traditional healers of the Siberian steppes.  At the same time, the shaman provides medical treatment
for the physical needs of the patient—putting salves and compresses on wounds, boiling up decoctions and barks
for internal treatment, stimulating sweating for fevers, and so
Mistletoe, which the Druids called “golden bough,” had a central place in their
shamanistic religious and healing ceremonies. The Druids had a well-developed knowledge of medicinal plants.
US_018-027_Early_Origins_To_The_19_Century.indd   18 26/02/16   4:42 pm19 Early Origins t O th E 19th C Entury
on. Such treatment is based on a wealth of acutely observed
plant lore and knowledge, handed down in an oral tradition
from generation to generation.
The Development of Medicinal Lore
It is generally recognized that our ancestors had a wide range
of medicinal plants at their disposal, and that they likewise
possessed a profound understanding of plants’ healing powers.
In fact, up until the 20th century, every village and rural
community had a wealth of herbal folklore. Tried and tested
local plants were picked for a range of common health
problems and taken as teas, applied as lotions, or even mixed
with lard and rubbed in as an ointment.
 But what were the origins of this herbal expertise? There
are no definitive answers. Clearly, acute observation coupled
with trial and error has played a predominant role. Human
societies have had many thousands of years to observe the
effects—both good and bad—of eating a particular root,
leaf, or berry. Watching the behavior of animals after they
have eaten or rubbed against certain plants has also added
to medicinal lore. If one watches sheep or cattle, they almost
unerringly steer a path past poisonous plants such as ragwort (Senecio jacobaea ) or oleander ( Nerium oleander ). Over and
above such close observation, some people have speculated
that human beings, like grazing animals, have an instinct that
recognizes poisonous as opposed to medicinal plants.
Ancient Civilizations
As civilizations grew from 3000 bce
onward in Egypt, the Middle East,
India, and China, so the use of
herbs became more sophisticated,
and the first written accounts of
medicinal plants were made. The
Egyptian Ebers papyrus of c. 1500
bce is the earliest surviving
example. It lists dozens of
medicinal plants, their uses, and
related spells and incantations. The
herbs include myrrh ( Commiphora molmol, p. 85), castor oil
(Ricinus communis, p. 262), and garlic ( Allium sativum, p. 59).
 In India, the Vedas, epic poems written c. 1500 bce, also
contain rich material on the herbal lore of that time. The
Vedas  were followed in about 400 bce by the Charaka Samhita,
written by the physician Charaka. This medical treatise
includes details of around 350 herbal medicines. Among
them are visnaga ( Ammi visnaga, p. 62), an herb of Middle
Eastern origin that has recently proven effective in the
treatment of asthma, and gotu kola ( Centella asiatica, p. 76),
which has long been used to treat leprosy.
Medicine Breaks from its
Mystical Origins
By about 500 bce in developed
cultures, medicine began to separate
from the magical and spiritual
world. Hippocrates (460–377 bce),
the Greek “father of medicine,”
considered illness to be a natural
rather than a supernatural
phenomenon, and he felt that
medicine should be given without
ritual ceremonies or magic.
 In the earliest Chinese medical
text, the Yellow Emperor’s Classic of
Internal Medicine  written in the 1st
century bce, the emphasis on rational
medicine is equally clear: “In treating
illness, it is necessary to examine
the entire context, scrutinize the Shiva, the Hindu god who oversees health, is traditionally thought to live under the bael tree,
an important medicinal plant in India.
The bump  in the right cheek of this
Peruvian figurine may represent
coca, taken in that country to
increase endurance.Castor oil plant
has been used
medicinally for
about 4000 years.
US_018-027_Early_Origins_To_The_19_Century.indd   19 26/02/16   4:42 pm
20
The developmen T of herbal medicinesymptoms, observe the emotions and attitudes. If one
insists on the presence of ghosts and spirits one cannot  speak of therapeutics.”
Foundation of Major Herbal Traditions
300 bce–600 ce
Trade between Europe, the Middle East, India, and Asia was
already well under way by the 2nd century bce, and trade routes became established for many medicinal and culinary herbs. Cloves (Eugenia caryophyllata, p. 97), for example, which are native to the Philippines and the Molucca Islands near New Guinea, were imported into China in the 3rd century bce, and first arrived in Egypt around 176 ce. As the centuries passed, the popularity of cloves grew, and by the 8th century ce, their strong aromatic flavor and powerfully antiseptic and analgesic properties were familiar throughout most of Europe.
 As trade and interest in
herbal medicines and spices flourished, various writers tried to make systematic records of plants with a known medicinal action and record their properties. In China, the Divine
Husbandman’s Classic
(Shen’nong Bencaojing), written in the 1st century ce, has 364 entries, of which 252 are herbal medicines, including bupleurum ( Bupleurum
chinense, p. 72), coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara,
p. 278), and gan cao ( Glycyrrhiza uralensis). This Daoist text
laid the foundations for the continuous development
and refinement of Chinese herbal medicine up to the
present day. In Europe, a 1st-century ce Greek physician named Dioscorides wrote the first European herbal, De Materia Medica. His intention was to produce an accurate and authoritative work on herbal medicines, and in this he was dramatically successful. Among the many plants mentioned are juniper (Juniperus communis, p. 224), elm (Ulmus carpinifolia), peony (Paeonia officinalis, p. 243), and burdock (Arctium lappa, p. 65). The text, listing about 600 herbs in all, was to have
an astonishing influence on Western medicine, being the principal reference used in Europe until the 17th century.
It was translated into languages as varied as Anglo-Saxon, Persian, and Hebrew. In 512 ce, De Materia Medica became the first herbal to feature pictures of the plants discussed. Made for Juliana Arnicia, the daughter of the Roman emperor Flavius Avicius Olybrius, it contained nearly 400 full-page color illustrations. Galen (131–200 ce), physician to the Roman emperor
Marcus Aurelius, had an equally profound influence on the development of herbal medicine. Galen drew inspiration from Hippocrates and based his theories on the “theory  of the four humors” (see p. 32). His ideas shaped and, some would say, distorted medical practice for the next 1,400 years. In India and in China, elaborate medical systems somewhat resembling the theory of the four humors developed (see
pp. 36–38 and pp. 40–41 respectively) that have endured to the present day. Though European, Indian, and Chinese systems differ
widely, they all consider that imbalance within the constituent elements of the body is the cause of illness, and that the aim of the healer is to restore balance, often with the aid of herbal remedies.
Folk Healing in the Middle Ages
The theories of Galenic, Ayurvedic (Indian), and Chinese traditional medicine, however, would have meant practically nothing to most of the world’s population. As is still the case today for some indigenous peoples who have little access
to conventional medicines, in the past most villages and communities relied on the services of local “wise” men and women for medical treatment. These healers were almost certainly ignorant of the conventions of scholastic medicine, yet through apprenticeship and practice in treating illness, attending childbirth, and making use of locally growing herbs as a natural pharmacy, they developed a high level of practical medical knowledge. Galen’s “four humors,” which he believed
made up the human constitution.Frontispiece decoration for the first illustrated herbal, Dioscorides’ De Materia Medica, produced in Constantinople in 512 ce.
US_018-027_Early_Origins_To


 it is now common.chronic disease. For example, noni leaves are used
to treat boils and stomach ulcers and, chewed,
are applied as a poultice to relieve inflammation.
In Hawaii, traditional healers have long used noni in
order to promote recovery from bouts of
serious illness.
Medicinal Actions & Uses  Since the late
1990s, word of noni’s reputed medicinal benefits
has spread and noni is being presented as a
medicinal food with an astonishing variety of
potential uses. These include treating obesity,
diabetes, cancer, pain, lowered immunity, high blood
pressure, heart disease, and depression. With lists
like this, many people are justifiably skeptical about
noni’s value as a medicinal food. Nonetheless, noni
fruit and juice is highly unlikely to do harm and may
well prove useful in treating chronic illness, including
pain, inflammatory disorders, heart and circulatory
problems, and cancer. Traditionally, juice from
the fruit is used as a mouthwash and gargle for
infections in the mouth and throat. Noni juice is
probably best drunk on an empty stomach.
Research  The limited research into noni suggests
that it may support immune function and be useful
in treating chronic inflammation. A 2012 review
of noni research concluded that the fruit “may
have a small degree of anticancer activity.” One
theory advanced is that noni contains appreciable
levels of proxeronine, which the body needs to
produce xeronine. This alkaloid appears to enable
cells throughout the body to counter inflammation,
promote healing, and support cellular regulation. In
times of stress or infection, the body’s need for
xeronine increases, and many people are thought
to lack sufficient proxeronine to maintain adequate
xeronine levels.and premature ejaculation in men, and is
taken by both sexes to aid fertility. Morinda is
employed in various other conditions, notably
in the treatment of menstrual disorders.
Researchers are investigating the root for its
potential to prevent bone loss and help in
treating osteoporosis.
Morus alba (Moraceae)
White Mulberry,
Sang Y e (Chinese)
Description  Deciduous tree growing to about
49 ft (15 m). Has toothed leaves, flowers in catkins,
and white berries.
Habitat & Cultivation  White mulberry
is native to China. It is grown worldwide as a
garden ornamental. The leaves are gathered in
late autumn, the twigs in early summer, and the
berries when ripe in summer. The root is dug up
in winter.
Parts Used  Leaves, twigs, fruit, root bark.
Constituents  The leaves contain flavonoids,
anthocyanins, and artocapin. The flavonoids are
antioxidant. The fruit contains the vitamins A, B1,
B2, and C.Miner’s lettuce  may have
been spread around the
world by itinerant miners.
Medicinal Actions & Uses
Apart from its value as a vegetable,
miner’s lettuce, like its relative purslane
(Portulaca oleracea, p. 255), may also be
taken as an invigorating spring tonic and
an effective diuretic.
Morinda citrifolia (Rubiaceae)
Noni,
Indian Mulberry
Description  Shrub or small tree, growing to
26 ft (8 m), with 4-angled stems, and elliptical to oval
leaves to 14 in (35 cm) long. Large creamy-white
flowers produce a fruit resembling a breadfruit,
about 43⁄4 in (12 cm) long, green turning yellow to
white, with a pungent, very unpleasant odor.
Habitat & Cultivation  Originally native only
to Southeast Asia, noni has spread to India in the
west and across the Pacific to eastern Polynesia and
Hawaii. It prefers volcanic soils in coastal areas
and lowland forests up to about 1,300 ft (400 m)
above sea level, and until recently was infrequently
cultivated. The fruit is gathered when ripe; other
parts of the tree are picked as required.
Parts Used  Fruit and juice, leaves, bark.
Constituents  Noni fruit contains polysaccharides,
coumarins, iridoids, flavonoids and alkaloids.
No active compounds unique to noni have
been identified.
History & Folklore  Different parts of the
plant have been used in Polynesia for at least 2,000
years, chiefly to counter infection and to treat Morinda officinalis (Rubiaceae)
Morinda,
Ba Ji Tian (Chinese)
Description  Deciduous plant with white
flowers and a root that yields a yellow dye.
Habitat & Cultivation  Morinda is native
to China. It is cultivated in Guangdong, Guangxi,
and Fujian provinces. The root is unearthed in
early spring.
Part Used  Root.
Constituents  Morinda contains anthraquinones,
terpenoids, and polysaccharides.
History & Folklore  The earliest written record
of morinda’s use is in the Divine Husbandman’s Classic
(Shen’nong Bencaojing ) of the 1st century ce.
Medicinal Actions & Uses  Pungent and
sweet-tasting, morinda root is an important tonic
herb within traditional Chinese medicine. It has
hormonal and antidepressant properties. As a
sexual tonic, it is commonly used to treat impotence White mulberry  is grown
to feed silkworms.Berry
History & Folklore  White mulberry has
been cultivated for over 5,000 years for its leaves
(sang ye ), the preferred food of the silkworm. The
silkworm’s feces are used in Chinese medicine to
treat vomiting.
Medicinal Actions & Uses  White mulberry
leaves are expectorant, encouraging the loosening
and coughing up of phlegm, and are prescribed in
China as a treatment for coughs. The leaves are
also taken to treat fever, sore and inflamed eyes,
sore throats, headaches, dizziness and vertigo.
US_224-245_Jasmine_Harmala.indd   237 26/02/16   12:47 pm
238Murraya koenigiiOther medicinal plantsThe fruit juice is cleansing and tonic, and has often
been used as a gargle and mouthwash. The root bark may be used for toothache, and it is considered laxative. An extract of the leaves has been given by injection for elephantiasis. The twigs are used to combat excess fluid retention and joint pain. The fruit is taken to prevent premature graying of the hair, and to treat dizziness, ringing in the ears, blurred vision, and insomnia.
Related Species  The black mulberry (M. nigra),
native to Iran, is cultivated for its sweet, deep  red fruit.
Murraya koenigii (Rutaceae)
Curry Tree
Description  Aromatic deciduous shrub or tree
growing to 20 ft (6 m). Has strongly scented leaves, clusters of small, fragrant white flowers, and pink  to black berries.
Habitat & Cultivation  Curry tree
is native to subtropical forests in much of
southern Asia. It is widely cultivated in India
for its leaves.
Parts Used  Leaves, berries.
Constituents  Curry tree contains over
20 alkaloids, a glycoside (koenigin), volatile oil,  and tannins.
History & Folklore  Curry tree, also known as
curry patta, is a common flavoring in Indian food.
Medicinal Actions & Uses  Curry tree leaves
increase digestive secretions and relieve nausea, indigestion, and vomiting. They are also used to treat diarrhea and dysentery. Curry tree aids healing, for example in gastric ulcers, and the leaves are applied as a poultice on wounds and burns. It helps to stabilize blood-sugar levels and is useful for type 2 diabetes.
Related Species  The very bitter leaves
of cosmetic bark (M. paniculata) are taken
to treat stomach ache, dysentery, toothache,
and bruises.History & Folklore  Settlers in North America
extolled the medicinal benefits of bayberry. A 1737 account stated that the plants “expel wind and ease all manner of pains proceeding from cold, therefore are good in colic, palsies, convulsions, epilepsies, and many other disorders.” The root bark was listed in the U.S. National Formulary from 1916 to 1936.
Medicinal Actions & Uses Bayberry is used
to increase circulation, stimulate perspiration, and keep bacterial infections in check. Colds, flu, coughs, and sore throats benefit from treatment with this herb. It helps to strengthen resistance to infection and to tighten and dry mucous membranes. An infusion is helpful for spongy gums, and a gargle is used for sore throats. Bayberry’s astringency is beneficial for irritable bowel syndrome and mucous colitis. An infusion can help treat excess vaginal discharge. A paste of the powdered root bark may be used externally on ulcers and sores.
Caution  Do not take in pregnancy.immature and then allowed to ripen. The leaves  are gathered as required.
Parts Used  Fruit, leaves, root


 must be put in order to the end that the embryo
may have a clean, wholesome, and well balanced habitat during its intra-uterine existence.
This does not mean that the uterus alone must be made acceptable for the evolution of the new
life, but that the whole body of the mother must be made ready. For unless there is systemic
preparedness, there can be no local readiness.
We observe that the general metabolism of the pregnant mother is accelerated; glands that have
been all but dormant awake to renewed activity, and, if the way of life of the mother is at all
wholesome, her health improves. Symptoms from which she has long suffered often clear up and
she appears well again. The nausea and vomiting are merely parts of this general renovating
program.
142The toxemic woman is declared to be unfit for the new being. The toxins that have been retained
and stored in the organism until its chemistry is profoundly altered must be removed. This calls for
a radical eliminating process; it demands a temporary cessation of eating.
There is rebellion in the stomach; it rejects food. The liver speeds up its excretory function.
Much bile is regurgitated into the stomach and is vomited. There may even develop a psychic
revulsion to food, so determined is the organism to have its way and to clean house. If we can once
understand that nature is trying to provide a clean house in which to evolve the new life, we can
understand the need to cooperate in the work and not to throw monkey wrenches into the vital
machinery.
The suppression of vomiting by the administration of drugs, always of doubtful efficacy, seems
only to make matters worse and to prolong the period of nausea and vomiting. The woman who
clings to the outworn idea that she needs plenty of “good nourishing food” and persists in eating in
spite of her repugnance to food, even to the sight, odor or thought of it, only adds to her discomfort
and prolongs her suffering.
The physician, called to care for a case of morning sickness, tries
everything, seeking to satisfy
the patient’s demand for relief from symptoms, until the nausea and vomiting come to a
spontaneous end, but he fails to do her any real good.
It has been said that all this discomfort and annoyance constitute a rather rude, impolite and
unpleasant way of asking a woman to stop eating. But it is more than just a command to cease
eating; it is a process of purification. It is a means of freeing the body of accumulated toxin. The
ignorant will eat in spite of the evident demand that no food be eaten, but nature gains her point in
the end; she simply throws the food back. Breakfast, noon meal or dinner, it is unwanted.
When the pregnant woman feels the first faint beginning of nausea and vomiting, she should
voluntarily cease eating at once. Neither she nor the child will be hurt by ceasing to eat. A
prolonged fast might injure the baby, but a few days of abstinence in the early days of pregnancy,
such as the woman with morning sickness will have to undergo, will help her.
She should go to bed and keep warm. She should throw off any fears she may have and poise her
mind. No drugs should be taken. My experience has shown that three to ten days are enough to
enable the body to put its house in order and there is no more nausea and vomiting throughout the
remainder of the pregnancy.
A period of light feeding of fruits and uncooked vegetables should follow the fast for a few days
before the normal diet is resumed. By normal diet I certainly do not mean the conventional diet.
Pregnant women tend to eat too much. They overeat on proteins. They need the very best of
proteins, but not in large quantities. Their greatest need, however, is for fruits and green non-
starchy vegetables.
In ordinary cases of morning sickness three to four days of fasting are sufficient to restore
comfort and enable the woman to eat without distress. I have had one case that required eleven
days for comfort and digestive ability to return.
There may be severe cases that will require a longer time than this; I have simply never had
such cases. But I never had a patient fail to become comfortable in a few days. There can be no
reason to abstain from fasting under such conditions and at such times. Indeed, what is to be gained
from eating when there is nausea, no desire for food, and when it is known that the food will be
ejected as soon as eaten? Fasting is the only logical procedure under such conditions.
143One Closing Word
What I have said here, in sum, is that the body has wisdom in its very cells, and can heal itself, if
we will give it the chance to heal. The fast is one way of cleansing the physical self, of giving rest
to the body’s organs, often overtaxed by our own wrong living and wrong eating and over-activity.
I have said that there is wisdom in the fast, in rest, in quiet, in right living and right eating and
right thinking; wisdom in recognizing the toxic effect of over-eating, over-tension, drinking;
wisdom, indeed, in avoiding all the various poisons that so many of us put into ourselves, into our
minds and our actions.
There are no medical dogmas in this book, nor is the fast itself cited as a
cure
 for anything. It is
only a way of rest whereby the body—this complex and tremendous organism—will have a chance
to perform its self-restoration to health and well-being, without strain or interruption, in quiet and
peace and healing calm.
144Index
Abortions,
164
Abstinence,
63
Acids of decomposition,
115
Adolescents,
140–141
,
148–149
Adrenal gland,
126
Age and aging,
72–77
cause,
72–75
chicken heart,
74
classifications,
72–73
delayed
73–77
rate,
73
time and aging
74
Air, fresh,
80
Alcohol,
33
,
55
,
110
,
125
,
147
,
149
,
154
,
157
as medication,
41
Allergy,
122–124
Alvarez, Walter C.,
97
,
138
,
139–140
,
146
American Journal of Clinical Medicine
,
96
Amino Acids,
68
,
69
,
110
Amoebic dysentery,
137
Anabolism (See Metabolism)
Anemia,
29
,
95
,
118
Angina pectoris,
127–128
Animals, fasting in,
18
,
27–28
,
29
,
64
,
75
,
78
bears,
27
,
28
birds,
18
cats,
18
cattle,
27
,
30
dogs,
18
,
27
,
64
,
91
fur seal bull,
27
horses,
27
insects,
75
pig,
78
rabbits, sand,
18
,
27
salamanders,
30
salmon,
27
spiders,
18
starfish,
30
weasel,
27
wolves,
27
145Ankylosis,
107
,
109
Antibiotics,
139–140
,
149
Apoplexy
of cells,
116
Appendicitis,
46
Appetite,
32
,
34
,
63
Appetizer,
81
Arthritis,
109
,
111
,
112
after-care,
108
ankylosis (See Ankylosis)
builds slowly,
109
cause,
110
fasting in,
112
palliation harmful,
111
rest/exercise,
112
secondary causes,
111
supervision of fast,
112
varieties of,
109
,
111
Arteriosclerosis,
151
Asphyxiation of cells,
116
Aspirin,
108
,
112
Assimilation and Elimination,
37–38
,
80
continuous process,
37
variable emphasis,
38
,
46
Asthma,
19
,
94
,
104–105
,
106
bronchial,
19
,
104
cardiac,
104
care and cause,
105–106
predisposition,
105
renal,
104
Autolysis,
29
,
37
,
162
,
163
Autonomy, an,
39
Autopsy,
100
Bargen, J. A.,
140
Baths and Bathing,
142
,
143
,
150
duration,
61
purpose,
61
sponge,
61
sweat,
62
temperature of water,
61
Benign Tumors (See Tumors)
Berg, Ragnar,
28
,
39
146Beriberi
29
Bile,
57
,
114
,
157
,
166
Biopsy,
162
Bloating,
65
Blood Pressure,
23
,
125
,
126
,
129
Bloom, Walter Lyon,


 quick-
growing, the opposite conditions for evolving a large, long-learning
brain.
Sharing the mechanistic bias of biology, nutritionists have
popularized the subject of protein by stressing the simplicity
whereby the body picks its own requirements of amino acids from
the welter of proteins eaten, implying that it does not matter what
the source of protein happens to be as long as all the amino acids are
provided in abundance; that eating other animals is the best way of
meeting this seems evident to su ch a mentality. But in the last
decade, the barely believable complexity of protein chemistry has
become apparent. There are a host of nitrogenous substances
accompanying proteins which tag on to amino acid digestion and
reassembly, thereby becoming a part  of the body's chemistry. Only
very minute amounts of such substances are involved, but their
effects can be out of all proportion to their amounts. They can in
fact act as drugs and hormones, and impinge upon those all-
controlling submicroscopi c wonders, the genes. Because of the far greater complexity of the proteins in animals
than in plants, such accessory n itrogenous substances are much
more abundant in animal foods than in plant foods. In fact, they
barely occur at all in fruits, while  present to some extent in a few
foods of vegetable origin, such as yeast and chocolate. It has
recently been discovered that vitamin C helps in the metabolism and
removal of these substances from the tissues, so that the importance
of vitamin C in brain function is understood.
The pieces begin to fit in a most interesting way, for not only
would fruits offer a minimum of potentially disturbing products of
protein metabolism, but they would ensure that the brain is
protected from the minor amounts that must arise on the most
perfect diet. Since vitamin C cannot be stored in the tissues, nothing
less than a daily abundance of fruits  will meet the needs of a brain-
evolving creature such as man. In  fact, nature made no attempt to
store the vitamin, as it made none to manufacture the vitamin in the
human body, in order to make quite  sure that human beings would
gorge on fruits daily. Combined with the already mentioned
advantage of providing a concentrated source of energy, with a
minimum bulk, this makes fruits the essential condition of
humanization. Had the earth not evolved flowers and fruits in that
breath-taking splendour of the Cret aceous, humanization could not
have taken place some one hundred  and fifty million years later.
Because science has done nothing to encourage one to sense the
unity of nature, such a feat of prevision seems incredible. But if
nature is a whole, then it must fo llow that earlier stages prepare for
the later ones, as in a living organism. One can conclude, with hope
revived, that these many thousands of millions of years of evolution
from Stardust to mammals, had a de finite developmental end in
view—us. No doubt the cosmologists are right in assuming that life
evolves into being in endless planets. But one can be reasonably
assured that unless such planets bring forth flowers and fruits,
among many other requirements,  humanization would not be
possible, and so a mind, able to sense the beauty and harmony of
Creation, would be ruled out.

6. The Life-Giving Seeds

So important have fruits been to body and mind, that the quality and
quantity of other nutritio nal essentials in an optional human diet are
likely to be determined by the manner in which they fit into this
fruitarian scheme. This has been hi nted to be the case with protein.
It is a well-known principle that deficiencies in one part of a
plant are made up in another. In the case of fruits, the deficiencies
of the soft, sugar-soaked part are compensated for in the seeds.
While the pulp of fruits contains  very little protein, the seeds
contain between 8 and 22 per cent. The nut is of course a fruit seed,
the almond being the seed of a beautiful member of the apple
family. Seeds and nuts also compensate for mineral and vitamin
deficiencies of fruits. For instance, the pulp and the juice have very
little of the B vitamins, and calcium, while seeds and nuts are rich in
these essentials. In the fruit as a whol e therefore, nature has offered
a well balanced food.
Another example of such complementation is that between
seeds and nuts, on the one hand, and leaves and shoots on the other.
While many seeds and nuts have not much lysine, and methionine,
amino acids indispensable for th e manufacture of protein in the
body, green glowing leaves are full of them. Thus cereals by
themselves, or with fruits, may be inadequate, but with green shoots
they provide all the amino acids required, an example which insists
that requirements be considered as a whole, as one should all things.
Separate analyses are useful and interesting, but one should always
sense their part in a thoroughly integrated scheme of nature; nothing
properly exists in isolation.
Most fruits have diminutive seeds, and nuts are not
overabundant. The primates are communal animals, and a more
plentiful supplement was indispen sable. While some primates, like
the gorilla, specialized in leaves, the human line took to the grasses,
which produce seeds in abundance. Together with tender shoots,
their ideal complement, the grasses, ancestors of the cereals, were
most probably the inducement to living on the ground. As grasses
are not to be found in the tropical forests, the home of the other
higher primates, one must suppose that the human line, like the
chimpanzee, had become ground- living under quite different
conditions.
In the Miocene, some sixty million years ago, the Himalayas
had barely begun their stupendous rise from the bed of a gigantic
ocean once stretching from the Atlan tic to the Pacific. The rising
land must have produced many lakes—the Black Sea, the Caspian
and the Mediterranean are such survivors—and gently sloping,
well-watered valleys in which flowers prospered. Conditions
possibly not very different persist to this day in the flower- and
fruit-filled valleys south of the Central Asian Plateau. Conditions
were also ideal for the grasses. In the more temperate regions, these
were relatively short growing, enabling especially adapted trees—the typical temperate tree flora a nd especially the fruit trees, which
are well suited to a grassy environment—to grow interspersed with
grass, producing orchard- and park-like conditions.
The Miocene saw the rise of that great family of grass eaters,
the herbivora. Their virtual defencelessness indicates that these
were also benevolent times, when beasts of prey were few. These
are better adapted to the jungles of the tropics, and the tall grasses of
the tropical savannas. The carnivora cannot persist long in a
chase—the nature of their diet hinders long sustained effort—so that
they must surprise their prey and kill quickly and surely, conditions
not met in the short grass lands of the semi-tropical and temperate
regions.
In all probability, it is these c onditions which persisted,into the
Pliocene, which lured the hominid ancestors to become ground-
living, thus isolating themselves from the other primates which
followed the retreating tropical vegetation as the world climate
became colder as the Miocene passed into th e Pliocene. The popular
notion that our ancestors took to the ground in order to prey on
game is nonsensical. Man is not equipped as a natural hunter; in
every hunting community, he has to learn the skills of hunting the
hard way. That human beings have lived as intermittent hunters
since the onset of the Ice Ages do es not alter the fact that their
bodies remain totally unadapted to this way of life. Man's gait and
posture, the remarkable co-ordination of hand and eye, the entire
digestive and metabolic equipment, point to a native plant food-
gatherer, an activity calling for communal co-operation and
participation which is at the heart of socializing drives.
From the first therefore, the abundant seeds of the grasses
probably formed an intrinsic part of man's diet. In many parts of the
world to this day, handfuls of grass seeds can be easily collected by
sieving the spathes through the fi ngers. Such seeds have the further
advantage that they will keep; they can be eaten raw, or ground into
flour and made into porridge, pancakes, biscuits, chappatis and the
endless varieties of flour usage found all over the world. With the
ending of the Ice Ages some ten thousand years ago, it was
inevitable that mankind should set about selecting the most
congenial of the grasses, so bringing into being the cereals, closer to
the nuts in size, and virtually identical in composition.
It is this ideal human diet of fruits, shoots and seeds which
enabled the evolution of society, for its concentration made much
time available for social activities. In bringing about a reduction in
the length and size of the alimentary tract, it enabled man also to eat
other foods, far from his ideal, in order to survive during the Ice
Ages. In a mind-bearing creature, such a departure from the ideal is
likely to have had the most disturbing effects on the mind. In


, fresh or frozen
Cinnamon
Citric acid
Coconut, fresh or dried (shredded) without any additives
Coconut milk
Coconut oil
Coffee, weak and freshly made, not instant
Collard greens
Colby cheese
Courgette
Coriander, fresh or dried
Cucumber
Dates, fresh or dried without any additives (not soaked in syrup)
Dill, fresh or dried
Duck, fresh or frozen
Edam cheese
Eggplant (aubergine)
Eggs, fresh
Filberts
Fish, fresh or frozen, canned in its juice or oil
Game, fresh or frozen
Garlic
Ghee, home-made
Gin, occasionally
Ginger root, fresh
Goose, fresh or frozen
Gorgonzola cheese
Gouda cheese
Grapefruit
Grapes
Havarti cheese
Hazelnuts
Herbal teas
Herbs, fresh or dried without additives
Honey, natural
fuices freshly pressed from permitted fruit and vegetables
Kale
Kiwi fruit Kumquats
Lamb, fresh or frozen
Lemons
Lentils
Lettuce, all kinds
Lima beans (dried and fresh)
Limburger cheese
Limes
Mangoes
Meats, fresh or frozen
Melons
Monterey (lack) cheese
Muenster cheese
Mushrooms
Mustard seeds, pure powder and gourmet types without any non-allowed
ingredients
Nectarines
Nut flour or ground nuts (usually ground blanched almonds)
Nutmeg
Nuts, all kinds freshly shelled, not roasted, salted or coated
Olive oil, virgin cold-pressed
Olives preserved without sugar or any other non-allowed ingredients
Onions
Oranges
Papayas
Parmesan cheese
Parsley
Peaches
Peanut butter, without additives
Peanuts, fresh or roasted in their shells
Pears
Peas, dried split and fresh green
Pecans
Peppers (green, yellow, red and orange)
Pheasant, fresh or frozen
Pickles, without sugar or any other non-allowed ingredients
Pigeon, fresh or frozen
Pineapples, fresh
Pork, fresh or frozen Port du Salut cheese
Poultry, fresh or frozen
Prunes, dried without any additives or in their own juice
Pumpkin
Quail, fresh or frozen
Raisins
Rhubarb
Roquefort cheese
Romano cheese
Satsumas
Scotch, occasionally
Shellfish, fresh or frozen
Spices, single and pure without any additives
Spinach
Squash (summer and winter)
Stilton cheese
String beans
Swiss cheese
Tangerines
Tea, weak freshly made, not instant
Tomato puree, pure without any additives apart from salt
Tomato juice, without any additives apart from salt
Tomatoes
Turkey, fresh or frozen
TUrnips
Ugly fruit
Uncreamed cottage cheese (dry curd)
Vinegar (cider or white); make sure there is no allergy
Vodka, very occasionally
Walnuts
Watercress
Wine dry: red or white
Yoghurt, home-made
Zucchini Foods to avoid
Acesulphame
Acidophilus milk
Agar-agar
Agave syrup
Algae
Aloe Vera
Amaranth
Apple juice
Arrowroot
Aspartame
Astragalus
Baked beans
Baker's yeast
Baking power and raising agents of all kind
Balsamic vinegar
Barley
Bean flour and sprouts
Bee pollen
Beer
Bhindior okra
Bicarbonate of soda
Bitter Gourd
Black eye beans
Bologna
Bouillon cubes or granules
Brandy
Buckwheat
Bulgur
Burdock root
Butter beans
Buttermilk
Canellini beans
Canned vegetables and fruit
Carob
Carrageenan
Cellulose gum
Cereals, including all breakfast cereals Cheeses, processed and cheese spreads
Chestnut flour
Chevre cheese
Chewing gum
Chickpeas
Chickoryroot
Chocolate
Cocoa powder
Coffee, instant and coffee substitutes
Cooking oils
Cordials
Corn
Cornstarch
Corn syrup
Cottage cheese
Cottonseed
Cous-cous
Cream
Cream of Tartar
Cream cheese
Dextrose
Drinks, soft
Faba beans
Feta cheese
Fish, preserved, smoked, salted, breaded and canned with sauces
Flour, made out of grains
FOS (fructooligosaccharides)
Fructose
Fruit, canned or preserved
Garbanzo beans
Gjetost cheese
Grains, all
Gruyere cheese
Ham
Hot dogs
Ice-cream, commercial
Jams
Jellies
Jerusalem artichoke Ketchup, commercially available
Lactose
Liqueurs
Margarines and butter replacements
Meats, processed, preserved, smoked and salted
Millet
Milk from any animal, soy, rice, canned coconut milk
Milk, dried
Molasses
Mozzarella cheese
Mungbeans
Neufchatel cheese
Nutra-sweet (aspartame)
Nuts, salted, roasted and coated
Oats
Okra
Parsnips
Pasta, of any kind
Pectin
Postum
Potato white
Potato sweet
Primost cheese
Quinoa
Rice
Ricotta cheese
Rye
Saccharin
Sago
Sausages, commercially available
Seaweed
Semolina
Sherry
Soda soft drinks
Sour cream commercial
Soy
Spelt
Starch
Sugar or sucrose of any kind Tapioca
Tea, instant
Triticale
Turkey loaf
Vegetables, canned or preserved
Wheat
Wheat germ
Whey, powder or liquid
Yams
Yoghurt, commercial 3. RECIPES
1. Condiments
Ketchup
Guacamole
Mayonnaise
Salsa
Aubergine dip
Basic liver pate
2. Salads
Beetroot salad
Tuna salad
Salad with cabbage and apple
Salad with tomatoes and cucumber
Russian salad
Carrot salad
3. Soups
How to make a meat stock:
Lamb, pork, beef or game stock
Chicken stock
Fish stock
The basic soup recipe
A spring nettle soup
Russian Borsch
Fish soup
Meatball soup
The beautiful winter squash soup
Meat jelly 4. Fats for cooking
Ghee
Goose or duck fat
Pork, lamb or beef fat
Coconut oil
5. Main dishes
An Italian meat casserole
Stuffed peppers
Meatballs
Meat cutlets
Fish cutlets
Swedish Gravlax - the best way to eat fresh salmon
Baked beans or French Cassoulet
Casserole with turkey legs
Liver pudding
Liver in a clay pot
Quick liver recipe
6. Vegetables
Sauerkraut
A nice way to cook cabbage
Quick vegetable risotto
Cauliflower "potatoes"
Baked vegetables
7. Baking at home
The basic bread/cake/muffin recipe
Pizza
8. Desserts
Baked apples
Creme-caramel
Apple crumble
Apple pie
Winter squash cake
Cake Pinocchio
Peanut butter pie
Russian custard Birthday cake
Ice-cream
Fresh coconut
Coconut sweets
9. Egg-free recipes
Egg-free bread/cake/muffin mixture
Egg-free banana muffins
Egg-free Easter Eggs
Egg-free crackers/biscuits
Egg-free fruit dessert
Egg-free apple pie
Egg-free cookies (biscuits)
10. Beverages
Nut/seed milk
Coconut milk
Ginger tea
Freshly pressed juices
Fruit smoothies
11. Yoghurt and crfeme fraiche
You can find many more recipes in Elaine GottschalTs book "Breaking the
Vicious Cycle" and on the following sites on the Internet:
www.scdiet.org
www.breakingtheviciouscycle.com
www.geocities.com
www.pecanbread.com
www.uclbs.org I. Condiments
Most fresh salads can be dressed with olive oil and fresh lemon juice. When
home-made yoghurt is well tolerated it can also be used as a salad dressing.
Ketchup
2 cups tomato juice
2-3 tablespoons white vinegar
honey to taste
bay leaf (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
Mix all the ingredients except the honey and simmer on the stove until
thick, stirring often to prevent sticking. When almost the desired thickness,
add honey to taste and complete cooking. Ladle into sterilised jars and seal
immediately or place in small containers and freeze.
(Recipe courtesy of Elaine Gottschall)
Guacamole
2 ripe avocados
juice ofi orange
l clove of crushed garlic
small amount of water
In the food processor blend together all the ingredients. Reduce the
amount of garlic, if the guacamole is too hot. Use as a dip for vegetables
and a spread for home-made bread.
Mayonnaise
i whole egg
i cup olive oil or slightly more
i tablespoon


cessive loss of gastric juices or other secretions containing chloride may cause
hypochloremic metabolic alkalosis or excessive chloride retention. Ingesting it may lead to
hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis.
Elevated serum chloride levels (hyperchloremia) can come on from severe dehydration,
complete renal shutdown, head injury (which produces neurogenic hyperventilation), and
primary aldosteroism. Manifestations consist of stupor, rapid and deep breathing, and weakness
that leads to coma.
A situation of low chloride levels in the blood (hypochloremia) is associated with reduced
blood sodium and potassium levels coming from prolonged vomiting, gastric suctioning,
intestinal fistula, chronic renal failure, or Addison’s disease. Congestive heart failure, or edema
resulting in excess extracellular fluid, can cause dilutional hypochloremia. The indications are
hypertonicity of muscles, tetany, and depressed respirations.
The Lactic Dehydrogenase (LDH) Laboratory Test
The laboratory test for lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) is a measurement of five specific
isoenzymes which catalyze the reversible conversion of pyruvic acid present in all muscles of the
body into lactic acid. Many common diseases—myocardial infarction (MI), pulmonary infarction,
anemias, liver disease, kidney disease, erythrocytic damage, and others—cause elevations in total
lactic dehydrogenase, and the LDH laboratory test is useful for dif ferentiating between them.
The five identified isoenzymes in lactic dehydrogenase are LDH1 and LDH2 appearing in the
heart, red blood cells, and kidneys; LDH3 in the lungs; and LDH4 and LDH5 in the liver and the
skeletal muscles. Testing for these enzymes is especially appropriate for the delayed measurement
of creatine phosphokinase (CPK) associated with MI and for monitoring patient response to some
forms of chemotherapy. Total LDH levels normally range from 48 to 115 U/L. Normal distribution
of the five isoenzymes is as follows:
Copyright © Charlotte Gerson, 2007.  All rights reserved.
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www.thegersonway.com LDH1: 17.5% to 28.3% of total
 LDH2: 30.4% to 36.4% of total
 LDH3: 19.2% to 24.8% of total
 LDH4:   9.6% to 15.6% of total
 LDH5:   5.5% to 12.7% of total
Since a vast number of illnesses involve the enzymes of LDH, this laboratory test for lactic
dehydrogenase is broadly employed for establishing diagnoses.
The Aspartate Transaminase/Serum
GLUTAMIC -OXALOACETIC  TRANSAMINASE  (AST /SGOT) L ABORATORY  TEST
The laboratory blood examination for aspartate transaminase and serum glutamic-oxaloacetic
(AST/SGOT) is a measurement of specific amino acid residues left behind by nitrogenous portions
of the metabolized amino acids. Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) is found in the cytoplasm
and mitochondria of many tissue cells, primarily in the liver, heart, skeletal muscles, kidneys,
pancreas, and red blood cells.
AST is released into blood serum in proportion to cellular damage, and its detection (together
with creatine phosphokinase and lactate dehydrogenase) indicates myocardial infarction. The test
also helps in the diagnosis of acute liver disease. It monitors patient progress in healing. AST
adult serum levels range from 8 to 20 OIL. Normal values for infants are four times higher.
Maximum elevations of AST are associated with viral hepatitis, severe skeletal muscle trauma,
extensive surgery, drug-induced liver injury, and passive liver congestion. Levels ranging from
10 to 20 times normal may indicate severe MI, severe infectious mononucleosis, and alcoholic
cirrhosis. Moderate-to-high levels ranging from 5 to 10 times normal indicate Duchenne muscular
dystrophy, dermatomyositis, and chronic hepatitis, along with prodromal and resolving stages of
diseases. Low-to-moderate levels of 2 to 5 times normal may show hemolytic anemia, metastatic
liver tumors, acute pancreatitis, pulmonary emboli, alcohol withdrawal syndrome, fatty liver, and
the first stages of biliary duct obstruction.
The Serum Bilirubin Laboratory Test
The laboratory test for serum bilirubin, the main product of hemoglobin catabolism, is a
measurement of bile pigment which indicates the state of health of the liver and gallbladder. After
being formed in the reticuloendothelial cells, bilirubin is bound to albumin and then transported
to the liver, where it’s conjugated with glucuronic acid to form bilirubin glucuronide and bilirubin
diglticuronide. These two compounds are then excreted in bile. Measurement of indirect or
prehepatic (unconjugated) bilirubin helps to evalute hepatobiliary and erythropoietic functions.
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www.thegersonway.comThe serum bilirubin laboratory test showing elevated levels often indicates liver damage in
which the parenchymal cells can no longer conjugate bilirubin with glucuronide. Then indirect
bilirubin reenters the bloodstream. Also, an elevated reading alerts the health professional to the
possibility of severe hemolytic anemia. This test aids in the differential diagnosis of jaundice,
biliary obstruction, and dangerous levels of unconjugated bilirubin.
Normally in an adult, indirect serum bilirubin measures 11 mg/dL or less; direct serum
bilirubin of less than 0.5 mg/dL). Neonates have total serum bilirubin ranging from 1 to 12
mg/dL; if elevated to 20 mg/dL (for them, it indicates neonatal hepatic immaturity or congenital
enzyme deficiencies. An exchange blood transfusion may then be required.
If readings of bilirubin are elevated for adults, the test advises about the possibility of
autoimmunity or transfusion reaction, hemolytic or pernicious anemia or hemorrhage, and
hepatocellular dysfunction perhaps from viral hepatitis. Needless to say, elevated levels of
direct conjugated bilirubin usually show biliary obstruction with overflows into the bloodstream.
Intrahepatic biliary obstruction may come from viral hepatitis, cirrhosis, or chlorpromazine
reaction. Extrahepatic obstruction may come from gallstones, gallbladder cancer, pancreatic
cancer, or bile duct disease.
The Serum Gamma-Glutamyl
Transpeptidase (GGT) Laboratory Test
The laboratory test for serum gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) is a measurement of
obstructive jaundice in neoplastic liver disease, and it’s also useful for the detection of excessive
alcohol consumption. The GGT enzyme is sensitive to drug use and detects alcohol ingestion;
therefore, it’s used to  determine compliance with alcoholism treatment. It also helps in the
diagnosis of obstructive jaundice and liver cancer.
The normal range for GGT varies with age in males but not in females. For men ages 18 to
50 it varies between 10 and 39 U/L. Older than that, males show a GGT  range from 10 to 48 U/
L. The normal range in women is 6 to 29 U/L. Elevation signals a cholestatic liver process.
Note: The immune-stimulating effect of the Gerson Therapy frequently causes a rise in GGT
blood levels.
The Acid Phosphatase Laboratory Test
The laboratory test for acid phosphatase is a measurement of the prostatic and erythrocytic
isoenzymes to detect cancer. Active at a pH of 5, the two phosphatase enzymes appear in the liver,
spleen, red blood cells, bone marrow, platelets, and prostate gland.
Successful treatment for prostate cancer decreases acid phosphatase levels. Its normal values
range from 0 to 1.1 Bodansky units/mL; 1 to 4 King Armstrong units/mL; 0.13 to 0.63 Bessey-
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This material may not be reproduced in any medium, print or electronic without prior written permission from the author.Page 184Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comLowery-Brock units/mL; and 0 to 6 U/L in SI units. Normal range of radioimmunoassay results
is 0 to 4.0 ng/mL.
An elevated prostatic acid phosphatase test indicates Paget’s disease, Gaucher


.
2
.
Take 50mg of iodine/iodide (Iodoral®) with a glass of water.
3
.
Collect 24-hour urine. Include the first morning sample at the end of the 24-hour collection.
4
.
Send a sample of the 24-hour urine for evaluation of iodine status.
The principle behind using the iodine-loading test has been well established. If the body was saturated with iodine, one would
expect that most of the 50mg of iodine ingested for the loading test would be excreted. If, on the other hand, there was an iodine
deficiency present, then more of the iodine would be absorbed.
Research has shown that a 90% excretion (or 45mg of iodine) of a 50mg iodine-loading test would indicate an iodine-
sufficient state. Levels below 90% (or <45mg) would indicate an iodine-deficient state. In this case, iodine supplementation can
begin and retesting can be performed in the future. To find out more about iodine testing, I refer the reader to FFP Labs or
Hakala Labs (see Appendix).
Once an iodine-deficient state is determined, iodine supplementation can be implemented. I recommend using a combination
of iodine and iodide. This can be found in liquid or tablet form. The Appendix will provide you more information on how to find
an iodine supplement.
Chapter 1
 established that iodine concentrates in all of the trillions of cells in the body. Not only does it concentrate in the
thyroid and breasts, it also accumulates in the prostate, salivary glands, skin, intestines, and all the red and white blood cells
throughout the body. Proper iodine supplementation needs to address all of these issues. Approximately 12mg of iodine has been
established as the optimal daily dose of iodine/iodide for the breast and thyroid gland. However, this may not be adequate to
address the needs of the rest of the body.
Also, due to the contact with so many goitrogenic substances such as bromide, fluoride, and chlorine, the daily iodine
requirements may be elevated for some. Depending on the iodine status of the body, my experience has shown that the RDA for
iodine–150μg/day–is inadequate not only for the thyroid gland, but for the rest of the body as well.
We live in a toxic society, and are continually exposed to
increasing amounts of goitrogens in our environment. The increased
toxic load and goitrogen exposure will necessitate an increased ingestion of iodine. Although the dose should be individualized,
my experience has shown that the dose can vary from 12-50mg/day for most adults. This is the daily dose that Dr. Guy Abraham,
my mentor on iodine, recommended. Some may need higher doses, particularly those with cancer or disease of the thyroid,
ovaries, uterus, breast, and prostate. This higher iodine dose can easily be followed by periodically checking an iodine-loading
test. A proper history and physical exam can also help guide dosing of iodine.
If using Lugol’s solution, keep in mind that 2 drops provides 12.5mg of a combination of iodine and iodide.
IS IODINE SAFE DURING PREGNANCY?
The World Health Organization claims that iodine deficiency is the world’s greatest single cause of preventable mental
retardation. In the United States, iodine levels have fallen over 50% during the last 40 years.
16
 Recent studies show that nearly
60% of U.S. women of childbearing age are deficient in iodine.
17

Chapter 2
 reviewed the reasons why iodine levels are falling.
The consequences of iodine deficiency during pregnancy are severe. For the fetus, iodine deficiency can result in neurologic
deficiencies and a lowered IQ. The worst case scenario
is death. Iodine deficiency during pregnancy has been associated with
other illnesses in neonates and children including cretinism, dwarfism, depression, and ADHD. Researchers have shown thatneonatal mortality declines over 50% when iodine deficiency is rectified. It is important to ensure that a woman has adequate
iodine intake before she becomes pregnant.
Researchers at the University of Texas have reported their concern about iodine deficiency during pregnancy. “I think it is
quite likely we’ve had subtle neurological deficiencies in babies born in the U.S. (to mothers with iodine deficiencies),” claimed
one scientist.
18
 The same researchers have called on the U.S. government to boost Americans’ iodine intake.
Japanese women are estimated to ingest a minimum of 12mg of iodine per day—nearly 100x the RDA for iodine in the U.S.
This amount of iodine has not resulted in widespread reports of problems to Japanese newborn babies. In fact, the Japanese have
a much lower infant mortality rate as compared to the U.S.
It is vital to ensure that women of childbearing age ingest sufficient amounts of iodine. How much iodine is this? No one truly
knows the answer. Proper testing and monitoring of iodine levels can help answer this question.
However, since Japanese women ingest a minimum of 12mg of iodine/day without reports of adverse effects, this may be a
starting dose for women of childbearing age. My experience
has shown this dose to be extremely safe. If you are pregnant, I do
not suggest adding iodine to your regimen without consulting your doctor. Remember, the best results with any therapy will be
obtained by working with an iodine-knowledgeable healthcare practitioner.
SALIVA/SERUM IODIDE LEVELS
When iodine is taken orally, it is absorbed into the bloodstream. Iodine is transported into the target cells of the body by an
energy-dependent process. One atom of iodine is transported into the cells and two atoms of sodium are transported out of cells
via the sodium/iodide symporter (NIS).
19

20
 Recently a second mechanism for transport of iodine into the cells has been
observed—the chloride/iodide transporter known as pendrin.
21
Iodine may be absorbed through the intestines resulting in an elevated serum level of iodine, but the target cells are unable to
uptake the iodine. This can occur if the NIS and/or the pendrin transporter systems are damaged. Certain goitrogens, such as
bromide, can bind to the NIS causing damage to the transport system. The end result of this damage would be iodine deficiency
in the target cell. Dr. Abraham and I reported a case history of my nurse, Denise, who had a transport defect of iodine.
22
Upon taking iodine orally, the iodine is absorbed in the intestine. As serum levels of iodine increase, iodine is transported
into
the target cells via the NIS or pendrin. One way to determine if the transport mechanism for iodine is working is by measuring the
saliva/serum iodide ratio. If the transport mechanisms for iodine are properly functioning, the saliva levels of iodine will
significantly increase relative to the serum. A saliva/serum iodide level has been used in neonates to diagnose a congenital iodide
symporter defect.
23
We (Drs. Abraham, Brownstein, and Flechas) have been evaluating saliva/serum iodide levels in a series of patients. Initial
results show that the normal saliva/serum iodide level is approximately 42. That means that when iodine is being properly
transported into the cells, the salivary fluid should have 42 times the iodine level that is found in the serum. If the saliva/serum
levels are low, especially less than 20, a thorough search for a reason for the poor transport of iodine must be undertaken.
Goitrogens can bind to and damage the NIS and result in a lowered amount of iodine being transported into the target cell.
24
Examples of these goitrogens include: fluoride, perchlorate, bromine, and thiocyanate (from cigarette smoke). In the near-future,
saliva/serum iodine levels will be used to diagnose an iodine transport defect.
Bob, a 42-year-old accountant, had been taking 12.5mg of iodine/iodide for two years. Bob could not tell a difference
upon taking the iodine. Although he generally felt well, he complained
of being fatigued. His initial salivary/serum level
was low at 9.3. Bob’s testing also showed that his serum bromide levels were elevated—147mg/L (normal <5mg/L). I
increased Bob’s iodine dosage to 50mg/day. Immediately, he felt a boost in his energy. “I thought I was feeling pretty
good until I increased the iodine. Then I really felt good. After work I wasn’t so exhausted,” he said. Bob’s follow-up
testing showed that his salivary/serum iodide levels improved to a healthier 48.6 and his bromine level fell to 28.7mg/L.
Bromine is a toxic halide that has no known therapeutic value in the human body. Bromine, being part of the halide family
(along with iodine and fluoride) can not only compete and bind to the iodine receptors in the body, it can also damage the NIS
and block the target cells’ ability to absorb iodine. Due to our increasing exposure to the toxic halogens (i.e., bromine and
fluor


	is	just	as
capable	of	correlating	events	across	time	and	space	as	the	Zero	Point	Field	is.
In	this	story	father	and	son	remained	joined	across	the	gap	between	birth
and	death.	They	unconsciously	recognized	each	other,	they	carried	out	a
common	purpose,	and	they	worked	out	karma	together—all	these	things
defied	death.	At	the	same	time	their	physical	bodies,	their	private	memories,
and	their	sense	of	identity	were	transient—these	didn’t	survive	death.	Nature
is	built	from	the	same	intricate	relationships.	The	oxygen	atoms	locked	in	a
water	molecule	or	in	your	brain	are	still	themselves,	but	they	have	learned	to
relate	in	a	totally	new	way,	making	it	seem	as	if	each	separate	atom	has
vanished—that	is	to	say,	died.	I	can’t	emphasize	enough	that	if	science	cannotexplain	the	emergence	of	wetness	from	dryness,	it	cannot	explain	the
emergence	of	consciousness	in	the	brain.	True	creative	leaps	are	always
inexplicable	and	therefore	miraculous.
The	Source	of	Everything
What	science	should	do	is	hold	the	miracle	under	a	microscope	to	get	closer
to	where	creation	occurs.	There	are	faint	physical	traces	to	be	followed	down
to	a	very	subtle	level.	It	has	long	been	known	that	the	brain,	and	the	body	as	a
whole,	is	surrounded	by	a	very	weak	electromagnetic	field.	With	the	proper
photographic	emulsion,	this	field	can	be	seen	to	glow;	the	minuscule	electric
charge	given	off	by
neurons
	as	they	fire	is	also	measurable.	If	being	conscious
creates	an	energy	field,	can	an	energy	field	display	consciousness?	You	would
think	that	since	the	brain	depends	on	electrical	signals,	it	would	be	affected	by
the	murky	soup	of	radio,	television,	microwave,	and	many	other
electromagnetic	emissions	that	surround	us.	Apparently	this	isn’t	true.
Parapsychology	researchers	have	gone	so	far	as	to	isolate	subjects	with
psychic	abilities	in	Faraday	cages	that	block	all	electromagnetic	energy
without	altering	their	abilities	to	see	at	a	distance	or	exhibit	other	psychic
phenomena.	The	case	of	“remote	viewing”	is	especially	intriguing	because	so
much	credible	work	has	been	done	in	this	field.
Many	experiments	have	been	conducted	in	remote	viewing,	commonly
called	clairvoyance,	but	one	of	the	most	notable	took	place	at	Stanford
University,	where	scientists	built	a	machine	called	a	SQUID,	or
superconducting	quantum	interference	device.	It’s	enough	for	us	to	know	that
this	device,	which	measures	the	activity	of	subatomic	particles,	specifically
quarks,	is	very	well	shielded	from	all	outside	magnetic	forces.	This	shielding
begins	with	layers	of	copper	and	aluminum,	but	to	fully	ensure	that	no	outside
force	can	affect	the	mechanism,	exotic	metals	wrap	the	inner	core.
In	1972	a	SQUID	was	installed	in	the	basement	of	a	laboratory	at
Stanford,	apparently	doing	nothing	except	tracing	out	the	same	hill-and-valley
S-curve	on	a	length	of	graph	paper.	This	curve	represented	the	constant
magnetic	field	of	the	Earth;	if	a	quark	passed	through	the	field	the	machine
would	register	it	with	changes	in	the	pattern	being	drawn.	A	young	laser
physicist	named	Hal	Puthoff	(later	to	become	a	noted	quantum	theorist)
decided	that	aside	from	its	main	use,	the	SQUID	would	make	a	perfect	test	of
psychic	powers.	Very	few	people,	including	the	scientists	at	Sanford,	knew
the	inner	workings	of	the	machine.
A	letter	Puthoff	wrote	in	search	of	a	psychic	who	would	take	up	the
challenge	drew	a	response	from	Ingo	Swann,	a	New	York	artist
with
	psychic
abilities.	Swann	was	flown	to	California	without	being	told	in	advance	about
either	the	test	or	the	SQUID.	When	he	first	saw	it,	he	seemed	a	bit	put	off.	Buthe	agreed	to	“look”	inside	the	machine,	and	as	he	did,	the	S-curve	on	the
graph	paper	changed	pattern—something	it	almost	never	did—only	to	go
back	to	its	normal	functioning	as	soon	as	Swann	stopped	paying	attention	to
it.
A	startled	Puthoff	asked	him	to	repeat	this,	so	for	forty-five	seconds
Swann	concentrated	upon	seeing	the	inside	of	the	machine,	and	for	exactly
that	interval	the	recording	device	drew	a	new	pattern,	a	long	plateau	on	the
paper	instead	of	hills	and	valleys.	Swann	then	drew	a	sketch	of	what	he	saw
as	the	inner	workings	of	the	SQUID,	and	when	these	were	checked	with	an
expert,	they	perfectly	matched	the	actual	construction.	Swann	was	vague
about	how	he	had	changed	the	magnetic	input	that	the	machine	was	built	to
measure.	It	turned	out	that	if	he	merely	thought	about	the	SQUID,	not	trying
to	change	it	at	all,	the	recording	device	showed	alterations	in	the	surrounding
magnetic	field.
P
EOPLE	WHO	ARE
	skeptical	of	psychic	abilities	ignore	countless	studies
demonstrating	that	ordinary	thought	can	actually	affect	the	world.	This	is
particularly	important	if	mind	is	a	field.
I	once	participated	in	a	controlled
experiment	in	which	a	subject	sitting	in	an	isolated	room	(the	sender)	would
intermittently	look	at	a	visual	image,	while	I	(the	receiver)	would	press	a
button	every	time	I	sensed	that	this	was	happening.	My	accuracy,	like	most
people’s,	was	far	above	average.	(The	British	biologist	Rupert	Sheldrake,	who
more	than	anyone	has	tried	to	explain	how	mind	extends	beyond	the	body,	has
done	similar	experiments.	He	has	tested,	for	example,	whether	we	can
actually	sense	when	someone	is	staring	at	us	behind	our	backs.	Those
experiments	have	shown	a	greater	than	random	outcome	as	well.)
In	a	long	series	of	experiments	in	the	Sixties,	an	FBI	expert	named	Cleve
Backster	hooked	plants	up	to	polygraphs,	knowing	that	lie	detectors	work	by
measuring	changes	of	moisture	on	the	skin	surface.	In	his	own	words,	here’s
what	happened	next.
Then	at	thirteen	minutes,	fifty-five	seconds	chart	time,	the
imagery	entered	my	mind	of	burning	the	leaf	I	was	testing.	I
didn’t	verbalize,	I	didn’t	touch	the	plant,	I	didn’t	touch	the
equipment.	The	only	new	thing	that	could	have	been	a	stimulus
for	the	plant	was	the	mental	image.	Yet	the	plant	went	wild.
The	pen	jumped	right	off	the	top	of	the	chart.
This	first	startling	observation	in	February	1966	led	to	a	host	of	follow-
ups	as	Backster	measured	responses	to	cigarette	smoke,	negative	thoughts,
and	strong	emotions;	it	turned	out	that	houseplants	register	how	people	feel
around	them.	The	most	remarkable	finding,	perhaps,	was	that	if	Backsterhooked	up	a	pair	of	plants	and	injured	one	plant	in	a	separate	room,	the	other
plant	registered	the	same	disturbance	in	electrical	activity	as	if	it	had	been
injured	itself.	The	polygraph	needle	jumped	even	though	the	two	plants	had
no


 space.
Continue the process of expansion until you visualize inhaling air from
the whole room and exhaling it into the whole room. If you are sitting by an
open window, continue expanding, seeing air coming to you from the
neighborhood, then the city, the countryside, never stopping until you
visualize the planet giving you air with each in-breath and receiving the air
back with each out-breath. (If your room doesn’ t have an open window or
any windows at all, visualize an open window.)
A variation on this exercise is to visualize the expansion of light instead
of air. Direct your attention to your heart. Visualize a dot of white light
there. With each in-breath and out-breath, see the dot pulsate, gradually
expanding, the same way you expanded the air going in and out of you.
Watch the pulsing light fill your body, then expand to fill the room, theneighborhood, and the city, until you can see pulsations of light coming to
you in all directions without limit. These two exercises get you in touch
with the infinite field that is your essence.
FRIDAY
Last Stop for Karma
Begin by silently repeating today’ s theme:
I allow the light to ﬁnd me.
I allow the light to ﬁnd me.
Every person has a double fate. We are destined to be embedded in
maya —the scheme of magical lies driven by karma. That is our first fate.
But we are also destined to live in the light. Both fates are necessary. Karma
keeps the universe going, like a cosmic machine with an infinite number of
moving parts, perfectly meshing together. Anything that requires moving
parts, connections, and cause and effect comes under the purvie w of karma.
The moving parts can be the chemicals rushing in and out of every cell; the
connections can be the molecula r bonds that keep these chemica ls intact. At
a subtler level, the moving parts can be your thoughts; the connections are
the story you weave from these thoughts.
Out of habit, most people divide their karma along the lines of pleasure
and pain; good karma makes life pleasant, while bad karma brings
discomfort and suffering. But the real issue is karma itself. If you achieved
a life of perfect pleasure without a hint of suffering, you would still be
trapped inside the web of magical lies.
The second fate solves this dilemma. Karma no longer touches you
when you live in the light. No other living creature (as far as we know) can
consciously step out of the karmic machine. Unique on Earth, Homo
sapiens can defy biological programming. If everyone knew this fact, Yoga
would be the path chosen by all of humanity. There would be differentmotivations for this choice. The experience of bliss would entice some
people; others would be drawn by the lure of freedom or the end of pain and
suffering. These are obviously very desirable things, so why isn’t Yoga
central to everyone’ s life?
The most basic answer is that no one told us we had a second fate—the
web of magical lies is the only reality we have ever experienced. A spider ’s
web is gossamer ; it snares its prey by being sticky. The web of magical lies
has its own kind of stickiness. It is convincing. If you are convin ced that the
reality delivered  by the five senses is real, you will be stuck for life. Yet,
somehow, Yoga arose over the centuries as proof that getting  stuck isn’t
inevitable.
The discovery that you can escape, win your freedom, and live in the
light is personal —it is repeated one person at a time. Religion can sweep up
masses of humankind in a vision  of the divine, but Yoga isn’t like that. You
alone can go inside; you alone can experience the light; you alone can make
higher consciou sness your life’s goal. When you do, karma has reached its
last stop. The cosmic machinery, including the machinery of the body, will
keep churning. Nothing can stop it, short of the death of the universe, and
even that event might begin another cosmic cycle.
What karma is doing won’ t be your concern, however. You view it from
a place that is timeless, unchanging, unborn, undying, and whole. This
place can’t be reached by karmic  means. That is, you can’t go anywhere, do
anything, or think up a scheme to get there. If karma could bring you into
the light, why hasn’t it? Because that’s not karma’ s purpose. You arrive at
the light by realizing that it exists. Notice that the word realize  has real
inside it. To realize that you can be free of your karma, you must see the
reality beyond the web of magical lies.
Pratyahara  is the final turning inward that reveals everything. This is
why it is considered a breakthrough. Your inner experiences all lead here,
like all roads leading to Rome and all compasses showing true north. Each
glimpse of the light points you in the right direction. We humans are
designed to respond to love, compassion, truth, beauty, and the other
qualities of the light. The karmic machinery is powerful, but it cannot standup to the light; we instinctively  prefer bliss to pleasure. The experience of
love can overturn a whole life.
The great Benga li poet Rabindranath Tagore phrased it perfectly: “Love
is the only reality, and it is not a mere sentiment. It is the ultimate truth that
lies at the heart of creation.” In the end, the light chooses you, instead of the
other way aroun d. Its appeal draws you closer and closer to your source.
However, in pratyahara, there are vestiges of actions you can take that
respond to the light.
HOW TO LET THE LIGHT CHOOS E YOU
Notice any glimpse of the light you experience.
Rest in the experience, letting it soak in.
Value these glimpses and feel grateful for them.
Sustain the light by devoting yourself to being conscious.
These steps aren’t an agenda or a program. They are an attitude you
take once you realize that you have a chance to escape your karma and the
whole karmic machinery. To put it simply, having reached the threshold, it
takes only the tiniest step to cross it.
Exercise
There is no effort involved to live in the light. If you have the right
attitude, the light seeks you out and becomes the place you want to be. A
little practice in adopting the right attitude is helpful, however. Sit quietly
with your eyes closed, and let your mind go to a moment when you
glimpsed the light. This could be a moment of love, truth, beauty,
compassion, or blissfulness. Don’ t force your recollection. Once you have
the intention, a memory will come to you. Sit easily, take a few deep
breaths, and allow an image to arise.
Once it does, the memory will be very pleasant, but it will also tend to
fade. While it is with you, rest in the feeling that surrounds it. Perhaps you
envision seeing your child takin g her first step or a beautiful sunset or anact of kindness that touched your heart. Remain with the feeling and quietly
express your gratitude for it. Say to yourself, “Nothing is more real than
this.”
Let the warmth of the memor y touch you the way the experience
touched you. Sit quietly for a moment or two, breathing deeply before you
get up and resume your day.
OceanofPDF.comWEEK 6
THE POWER OF ATTENTION
(Limbs of Yoga: Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi)THIS PART OF THE JOURNEY
Once you live in the light completely, the journey to find your true self
comes to an end. But, from another perspective, life has just begun. The
entire condition of separation is over, and new horizons open up.
In separation, you faced every  day with either/or choices. The twin
motivations of desire and fear were ever-present; if you made a wrong
choice, things could easily spin out of control. At the very least, everyone’ s
life was overshadowed by the unpredictable arrival of pain and suf fering.
The last three limbs of Yoga are devoted to the ideal life that becomes
possible once you have found your true self. I will treat all three limbs,
known as dharana, dhyana, and samadhi, as one, because they are
intimately joined. Taken together, they provide a map of life in wholeness.
Each limb offers a necessary element if you want to find unity instead of
separation.
Dharana enables you to pay attention so sharply that anything
can be known.
Dhyana enables you to transcend all obstacles to experience
higher consciousness.
Samadhi enables you to reach deeper and deeper levels of
awareness.
At first glance, this trinity sounds abstract and otherworldly. In
everyday life we don’t think in such terms, being occupied with a constant
stream of thoughts, feelings, sensations, and desires. You don’t need to
understand the workings of pure awareness. But the light is nothing but
pure awareness and being able to navigate it opens the possibility of
miracles, as we’ll see in this final week.
MONDAYThe Source
Begin by silently repeating today’ s theme:
My life springs from pure awareness.
My


 and allergies still are not improving, it may be that your body needs more time to ad just,
so keep up the program for another month.

And if after this time your asthma/allergies are still showing no significant signs of improvement, and you know you have stu ck
rigidly to the program, then feel free to give up, and I will admit failure in your case. I am extremely con fident this will never
happen to anybody with asthma, hay fever and who is allergic to the house dust mite. But maybe, I'll be proved wrong.

When you have relieved  yourself of your asthma and allergies and you begin to reduce your dosage of seeds, do it g radually over
the course of a few weeks. And if at any stage you feel any symptoms coming back then lift your dose a little higher again an d stay
at this level for a while. It is all about letting your body find its own level of comfort once the bulk/all o f the symptoms are gone,
and your body is receiving regular amounts of vitamin B17, as is required.

You may even find that the bulk (85 -90%) of your asthma and allergy symptoms disappear within a month or two, but that it takes
another six to twelve mont hs to rid yourself of the remainder.

This program is obviously for life, because you need B17 regularly in your diet. However, because there are so many products
with vitamin B17 in them you can add more B17 foods into your diet at a later date and reduce  your main dependency on apricot
seeds. That is obviously your choice. Cooking shouldn't really deplete any of the beans and vegetables mentioned in chapter 2  of
their B17 content.

Chapter 4. - Healing With Honey

This is a good time for me to talk a lit tle about the benefits of raw unprocessed honey. The healing effects of honey have been
know for millennia, but in our day and age the majority seem to have lost sight of this old wisdom.

Honey contains various vitamins, minerals, enzymes and more. In its  natural form, without any of the goodness filtered out
through processing, honey has been known for its beneficial effects in helping to cure allergies and asthma as well.

I take my honey (often on toast) with an extra sprinkling of bee -pollen too, which enhances its nutritional and healing properties.
Honeycomb is excellent as well. It has been said, that a person can live off honey and water alone! Infact John the Baptist w as
supposed to have lived purely off honey and locusts for food in the wilde rness. Anyway I wouldn't go trying this out yourself, but
I'm trying to force home the point here, raw unprocessed honey is packed full of nutrients!

Honey is not the major component of this program, as you will be aware by now. However, I believe it is a  hugely beneficial
natural food stuff to eat on a regular basis. I thoroughly recommend it. If you go out looking for honey, buy it raw and
unprocessed, as close to nature as possible. You can either take a few teaspoons of raw unprocessed honey daily (hop efully with
added bee -pollen), or you can use it to cook with.

However, if you begin taking honey and bee -pollen in your diet it may take a few days or so for your body to adjust. Do not worry
if you notice a slight worsening of your asthma/allergy sympt oms once you start taking honey, your body should naturally adjust. I
would suggest that if you do decide to take honey that you spend a couple of weeks on the B17 program first. This should allo w
the benefits to begin coming through and will encourage you  to stick to the program.

If after finishing the program you do start to use raw natural honey, you can always raise your intake of seeds a little for the first
few days until your body gets used to the honey. To be honest though, you probably won't have any problems at all, I'm just being
over cautious. Once you begin taking raw natural honey on a regular basis you are likely to notice raised energy levels, incr eased
mental sharpness and enhanced benefits against asthma and allergies; and quite possibly o ther benefits too.

Chapter 5. - A Few Pointers

I also advocate drinking plenty of water, six to eight medium to large glasses per day. People within western society often b ecome
partially dehydrated without even realising it. And they wonder why they ge t sluggish, perhaps a little dizzy or they feel a
headache coming on, and feel stomach pains too. Alcohol, and caffeine based stimulant drinks will increase your body's need f or
water. Less water in your system means your body cannot function as well, and reduces the body's ability to hydrate cells and get
rid of toxins and histamines.

It is up to you, in consultation with your doctor, when, and to what degree you decide to reduce your dependency on mainstrea m
medicines. I think you'll tend to reach a stag e on this program where you just feel ready to start reducing your need for mainstream
drugs. And gradually, step -by-step you should find your dependency decreases, and that your confidence in nature's remedies
grows larger and larger. I suggest you don't rush the process, just take it easy and gently.

What you are likely to find once you've been on the vitamin B17 program for a week or two is that when you have an asthma
attack the severity is reduced. If you sit quietly for ten to fifteen minutes followi ng an attack the inflammation of the airways tends
to dissipate quite naturally. Obviously you may feel uneasy about not using an inhaler/other medication in such an instance, in
which case use your medication.

As you progress through the program, you sh ould notice your asthma attacks/wheezing fits becoming less severe, and happening
with less frequency. Your body will also find it easier to return to normal following any breathing difficulties.

A similar scenario should also hold true for coughing/sneez ing fits, a runny nose, and itchy eyes and so on. For hay fever in
particular, I recommend increasing the content of raw unprocessed honey in your diet.

To be able to breathe normally again, after years of suffering from daily asthma and wheezing attacks  is an unbelievable feeling. I
know, because I've lived that experience. The feeling of freedom is immense. Is you suffer from asthma; the major goal of thi s
program is to get you to feel this freedom too. For allergy sufferers the same, free of your frust rating symptoms.

If you stick to the vitamin B17 program as laid out, I am convinced you should see a very substantial improvement in your
ailments. For asthma suffers I look for no less than an end to asthma attacks.
The vitamin B17 program should eithe r put an end to your asthma/allergy problems, or alleviate the majority of them within just a
couple of months, or sooner. Adding in some honey treatment will raise your chances of great success.

Chapter 6. - Children With Asthma And Allergies

Asthma ha s boomed within the childhood population. This should be seen as an incredibly serious concern to society. The
problem, as I see it, in its basic premise is the same as it is for adults. Children too are suffering the same dietary defic iency. After
all, th ey are simply mini versions of you and me.

So what we need to do is firstly and foremost look at ways of getting vitamin B17 back into your child's diet. And secondly w e
could do with backing this up by incorporating, yes you guessed it, raw unprocessed honey (and bee -pollen if possible) in their diet
too.

I do not have a specific program for helping children. There would be many difficulties involved with trying to get children to eat
apricot seeds, as any parent will appreciate, so we'll forget that on e.

There is an easy way though, as you've probably already guessed. Use apricot seeds when you are preparing meals and
cookies/cakes. When you make a coffee and walnut cake, perhaps make a coffee and chopped apricot seed cake instead. Or you
could put cho pped apricot seeds into salads.

Apricot seeds can be easy ground with a pestle  and mortar. And in ground form can be added to just about anything. You can add
the equivalent of a quarter to half an apricot seed to a cookie, or half to three quarters of a seed per normal slice of cake. Or place
half or a full apricot seed worth, ground up, and mixed in with your child's spaghetti bolognaise, or any meal, and so forth.

You can try adding around one quarter to one half a seed to your child's diet to begin wi th and then increase the amount as you see
fit over a number of weeks, up to one, two or even three seeds in ground form daily. Use your own judgement as a
parent/guardian; according to their age, the severity of their condition and how often they need to use their medication. Don't force
or rush anything. Just take your time, and see how your child progresses over the course of two or three months as you build more
vitamin B17 into their daily diet.

You may be amazed, as you should find that your childre n benefit just as much as you do!

Chapter