Recent studies by Dr. Maes, a Belgium researcher, suggest that ME/CFS patients’ immune systems are not functioning properly. Dr. Maes, a well-known researcher specializing in depression is a relative newcomer to the chronic fatigue syndrome research field, but he’s made up ground fast; he’s quickly become one of our most active researchers.
Dr. Maes has found evidence suggesting that the important pathogen killing machines, T-cells, are having trouble activating themselves. This problem appeared to be correlated with decreased levels of the antioxidant zinc, an important T-cell co-factor. Low levels of antioxidants suggest that increased oxidative (i.e. oxidant/free radicals) stress in ME/CFS patients have damaged their anti-oxidant systems.
Personal Note – Zinc is rarely discussed in connection with ME/CFS but zinc solution was the first substance that I, after 10 years of no results from anything, first reacted favorably to.
Where is this oxidative stress coming from? Much oxidative stress (free radical damage) is a by-product of inflammation and the fatty acid levels of Dr. Maes patients suggested increased inflammation was indeed present. Where do these fatty acids come from? They appear to come from damaged cellular membranes.
Dr. Maes found evidence that the immune systems had mounted an attack against these damaged bits of cellular membranes. The fact that the degree of cellular damage was correlated with symptom severity suggested oxidative stress is an important factor in this disease.
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Dr. Klimas tied this together with viral activity by noting that some researchers believe the membrane damage Maes found is caused by viral activity. We started out with evidence of increased immune activation and Maes has now outlined two immune stimulants: damaged bits of cellular membranes that the immune system attacks and the viruses themselves.
We can start to build a scenario; viruses attack and damage cell membranes releasing factors that increase immune activation and cause further inflammation (i.e. oxidative stress). This increased oxidative stress depletes the antioxidant system leading to reduced zinc levels, which in turn impairs T-cell activation. Impaired T-cell activation results in greater viral activity and the cycle continues.
http://dfwcfids.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2328&Itemid=754
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Da Håkon Lie fylte 103 år nylig, mente han at en kopp med blåbær hver dag bidro til hans høye alder. Blåbær inneholder som kjent godt med antioxidanter.
Kanskje Nav skulle innføre grunnstønad også for antioksidant-diett for de med ME/CFS, tilsvarende grunnstønaden for cøliaki?
Som kjent er mange uføretrygdede nær fattigdomsgrensen, noe som resulterer i at de må prioritere bort de mer kostbare antioksidant grønnsaker, bær/frukt (en pakke frossen blåbær ca. 250 gr. kostet nærmere 50 kroner i frysedisken hos Rimi) og ender opp på billigmat som både er usunn og fet.
Det er ingen tvil om at en kopp blåbær om dagen er bra. Om det er antioksidantene alene, eller andre egenskaper som fargestoffene i blåbærene som er så bra, er det vel ingen som vet helt sikkerhet. Det er jo andre bær som har like høyt innhold eller høyere innhold av antioksidanter enn blåbær, som solbær og aronia.
God ide med en sånn stønad.
Nei, de som har minst i trygt har jo ikke mulighet til å unne seg riktige og helsebringende mat, noe staten må ta som sitt ansvar så lenge de ikke, tross lovnader, ikke greier å gjøre å avskaffe fattigdommen i verdens rikeste land.
Det var dyrt. Når jeg har kjøpt blåbær har det kostet 19,90,- eller 29,90 for 400g Prisen vil uansett variere etter hvor mye bær det er i sesongene.
God helg Viktor!