Incurable autoimmune disorders can be treated successfully with functional medicine

Thursday, December 19, 2013 by: Michelle Goldstein
Tags: autoimmune disorders, functional medicine, alternative treatments

(NaturalNews) Autoimmune disorders are defined as conditions in which the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue. There are more than 80 types of auto-immune disorders including multiple sclerosis (MS), rheumatoid arthritis, type I diabetes, lupus and inflammatory bowel disease. The American Autoimmune Related Disease Association estimates that 50 million Americans suffer from an autoimmune disorder, with increasing prevalence. Allopathic physicians treat many of these illnesses with powerful immune-suppressing drugs and consider them to be incurable, chronic and often progressive diseases. The goal of their treatment is to suppress symptoms of the diseases, since the underlying causes are considered to be unknown.

To the contrary, innovative holistic health practitioners approach autoimmune disorders as treatable, in which hidden underlying causes are addressed. They also use approaches that improve the immune system, allowing for remarkable recoveries. Treatments include use of low-dose naltrexone (LDN), reduction of metal toxicity, correcting nutritional deficiencies and addressing underlying infections. Infections can include parasites, bacteria, viruses and fungi. These approaches share the underlying premise that the immune system has been overloaded with toxins and nutritional deficiencies, causing an overwhelmed immune system or immune system dysfunction.

Low-dose naltrexone is effective in treating auto-immune disorders

In 1985, Dr. Bernard Bihardi began treating patients who had HIV, cancer and autoimmune disorders with LDN, which is an inexpensive medication that has already been approved for use in higher doses to treat drug addiction. Bihardi has reported tremendous success in hundreds of patients, including over 400 MS patients.

LDN halts autoimmune disorders and other diseases by increasing levels of endorphins produced at night. Endorphins in turn have been shown to stimulate and improve the immune system.

A study reported in 2007 in the American Journal of Gastroenterology and completed at the prestigious Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine reported LDN therapy to be safe and effective for patients with Crohn's disease. The Journal of AIDS and HIV Research reported an October 2011 study demonstrating the successful use of LDN in treating HIV/AIDS patients. Other research on LDN effectiveness can be seen here: http://www.lowdosenaltrexone.org.

Treating multiple sclerosis with detoxification and diet

Multiple sclerosis is a serious autoimmune disease that is often progressive and extremely disabling. Ann Boroch, in Healing Multiple Sclerosis, discusses her successful treatment of herself and hundreds of patients by focusing on dietary changes and treating the hidden infectious cause of the disease, Candida albicans overgrowth. She reports that her dietary program for eliminating the fungus Candida will also destroy parasites, viruses and bacteria which can promote the disease. Eliminating heavy metals and reducing stress are other essential components of her recovery program.

The Specific Carbohydrate Diet and GAPS program for inflammatory bowel disease

Elaine Gottschall's Breaking the Vicious Cycle details a dietary program which eliminates grains and certain dairy products in an effort to reverse inflammatory bowel disease. This protocol has been effective for thousands of individuals. Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, author of Gut and Psychology Syndrome, outlines a strong nutrient-dense dietary program based on the Specific Carbohydrate diet but also includes heavy metal detoxification protocols using juicing.

Conclusions

Conventional medicine treats autoimmune disorders as incurable diseases requiring a lifetime of strong immune-suppressing prescription medications. Alternative practitioners view autoimmune disorders as an overwhelmed immune system caused by toxicity and nutritional deficiencies. The holistic approaches to many of these "immune system dysfunctions" include increasing the functioning of the immune system, eliminating infectious agents, decreasing metal toxicity and following a specific nutrient-dense diet which includes targeted nutritional supplements.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

http://www.aarda.org

http://www.lowdosenaltrexone.org

http://www.lowdosenaltrexone.org

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

http://science.naturalnews.com

Boroch, Ann. (2007). Healing Multiple Sclerosis. Los Angeles, CA: Quintessential Healing, Inc. Publishing.

Campbell-Mcbride, Natasha. (2009). Gut and Psychology Syndrome. Amershan, Buckinghamshire: Halstan Printing Group.

Gottschall, Elaine. (2007). Breaking the Vicious Cycle; Intestinal Health Through Diet. Baltimore, Ontario: Kirkton Press.

About the author:
Michelle is a mental health therapist who incorporates holistic approaches into her counseling practice. She has 25 years of experience successfully counseling individuals, couples and families.

Michelle became passionate about holistic health, healing and politics, after immersing herself into the world of alternative medicine looking for answers to a family member's health crisis. Beginning in 2008, Michelle learned that many standard health care recommendations, which she had long trusted, actually contribute to causing disease.

Michelle's health articles can be found at the following sites:

http://holistichealthtogo.com/

http://www.michellegoldsteinmsw.com/

https://twitter.com/holistictogo

https://www.facebook.com/goldsteinhealth