Grouppe Kurosawa Quality Of Life Blog

Sad News

Dear Bloggers,

It is with a sad heart that I let you know of Steve's passing on Sunday, August 2nd. His illness was far worse than even he imagined and he just couldn't recover. He and the doctors fought hard, but his liver and kidneys refused to respond to treatment. He died quietly in his sleep. At this point the reality hasn't set in and I expect him to call any minute with some silly Internet question. So I thank you in advance for giving our family a little time.

You can see a list of Steve's credentials in the About Me section of any of the blogs. What you may not know was his love of nature, cooking, organic gardening, and his family. This slideshow is a tribute to my big brother, the Steve I knew.

Thank you all for your support over the years.

Love, Carole

Glutamine Promotes Weight Loss While Inhibiting Most of the Biochemical Pathways Associated with Type 2 Diabetes

One of my clients with breast cancer has been taking 70 grams of glutamine as part of the therapeutic protocol. She weights over 200 pounds and has diabetes. In the last two months, she has lost 25 pounds without changing her diet or level of activity. So I checked into the role glutamine may play in weight loss.

The following study has left me speechless. It shows that oral glutamine supplementation promotes the loss of fat tissue while reversing most of the symptoms of type 2 diabetes. The abstract speaks for itself.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/queryd.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=17604977&itool=pubmed_docsum

I have read this study over and over again. The clinical implications of this research are enormous. A single amino acid, glutamine, taken in bulk is capable of promoting the loss of fat cell mass while changing tissue sensitivies to insulin.

Remember the low carbohydrate diets? The basic premise is simple. If sugar levels decline, insulin will not be released from the pancreas. This will interfere with the metabolism of fat cells, thereby reducing their size. Voila...weight loss.

High levels of blood glucose in the presence of insulin promotes fat storage. So, we would like to block insulin signaling on fat cells. However, we do not want to block insulin signaling in muscle or liver cells.

Bulk glutamine appears to accomplish all these goals. In diabetes, the liver becomes increasing insensitive to insulin signaling. The body interprets this as a lack of sufficient blood glucose although in reality there is already too much glucose in the blood. The lack of liver sensitivity to insulin promotes gluconeogenesis, the production of more glucose in the liver. This adds to already hyperelevated levels of glucose in the blood.

Muscle is the major consumer of glucose in the body. In diabetes, muscle becomes increasingly insensitive to insulin signaling. This causes muscle fatigue and breakdown, while promoting a further increase in glucose in the blood. If muscle cannot utilize glucose, the glucose literally has no where else to go but into fat tissue. It is a vicious cycle.

Bulk glutamine reverses ALL these biochemical defects. Depending on body weight, the daily dose of glutamine in juice is 40-70 grams per day. An inexpensive bulk source of glutamine can be found in the supplement supplier file on our home page.

Stay tuned...

Grouppe Kurosawa, Medicine in the Public Interest

http://www.grouppekurosawa.com

Low Level Inflammation and Obesity. Part One

It has been known for over ten years that low level inflammation, as detected by C-reactive protein levels in the blood, was associated with obesity and diabetes. Yet, the origin of this inflammation was never completely clear.

In the last five years, an increasing number of studies have shown that obesity is associated with the migration of macrophages into adipose (fat) tissues. These macrophages secrete immune hormones, such as TNF, IL-6, which promote both the development of pre-adiposites into mature adipose cells, and induce insulin resistance.

The following three research articles can be read online. The first artlcle is a nice review of this topic with some great color diagrams.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/queryd.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=14679172&itool=pubmed_docsum

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/queryd.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=14679176&itool=pubmed_Abstract

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/queryd.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=14679177&itool=pubmed_Abstract

What does insulin resistance and macrophage mediated inflammation have to do with obesity? And can this insulin resistance and inflammation be reversed by anti-inflammatory agents? These are important questions that will be addressed in the next series of essays.

Stay tuned...

Grouppe Kurosawa, Medicine in the Public Interest

http://www.grouppekurosawa.com

Note from the webmaster

Hi Bloggers,

I've had a few problems with the group mailing system on our email server today. Without realizing it I sent some of you your password updates from a mailbox other than webmaster@. If you did not receive a note from me today, please check your bulk/spam mail for caresmail@yahoo.com That's me, and the email is the new password for the blog starting Monday 7.28.08.

If you did not receive atleast one email about the updates, contact me at webmaster@grouppekurosawa.net.

Thanks,
Carole

News of the Day

Carole is changing the password for this blog in the next few days. If your subscription is not up to date, your access to the blog will be cut off.

I have a few more topics to cover in the Natural Medicine blog, but most of my efforts will now be directed to the QOL blog. I will begin with a series on the relationship between inflammation and obesity. This is a complicated topic, but its exciting because it gives us unexpected options on how to lose weight.

I will also be posting information on the treatment of skin diseases and general dry skin. I have a registered trademark on a product called SkinAlive. It completely rebuilds the barrier function of the skin. No other product can do this. I will tell you how to make it in your home. You will have to purchase the ingredients from me, but that is MUCH less expensive than purchasing the commercial product.

I have written a book on topical treatments for pain relief, promoting hair growth and retarding the development of herpes lesions. I was going to publish 3 additional books on promoting sexual arousal, promoting weight loss, and improving the health of skin. I have decided NOT to write these books. Instead, the information will be posted to this blog. Publishing a book and getting publicity has turned out to be a pain in the ass.

How do you get the press interested in books promoting sexual arousal or weight loss? You don't. They aren't interested. And I don't have the money to do infomercials.

Onward.

Steve

Protecting Your Liver Against Alcohol Induced Inflammatory Damage

The following study is fairly profound in its implications.

Chronic alcohol abuse causes an inflammatory response in the liver. Unless controlled, this inflammation results in cirrhosis and eventually liver cancer.

The following study shows that zinc supplements completely control the liver inflammation caused by chronic daily feeding of alcohol to mice.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/queryd.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=18375824&itool=pubmed_docsum

After six months of daily alcohol exposure, the mice were give oral doses of zinc sulfate, a soluble form of zinc. The effects were dramatic.

Alcohol induces oxidative stress which increases the synthesis and release of proinflammatory hormones such as TNF, tumor necrosis factor, and its receptor TNF-R1. It also increases the synthesis and release of FAS ligand and its receptor FAS. These hormones cause apoptosis (programmed cell death) and necrosis in liver cells. When zinc is administered with the alcohol, the expression of these receptors is down regulated. I knew that zinc was anti-inflammatory, but I had NO idea that it this anti-inflammatory. In researching this topic, I found that a protein called A20 is a natural inhibitor of NF-kappaB, the genetic factor that promotes the synthesis of almost all inflammatory genes. This protein binds 7 zinc molecules which are responsible for its activity.

The daily dose is 50 mgs of elemental zinc. If you have a zinc capsule that contains 220 mgs of product, such as zinc sulfate, 45-50 mgs will be zinc. I capsule a day and you don't have to stop drinking. The bottle should tell you how much actual zinc is in each capsule.

Stay tuned...

Grouppe Kurosawa, Medicine in the Public Interest

http://www.grouppekurosawa.com

The Reversal of Hair Greying

Years ago one of our clients reported that her hair was growing back thicker and turning brown from its previous color grey. She was taking 50 mgs of melatonin at night per day.

In previous essays, we have shown that melatonin does indeed promote hair growth. But hair growth and the greying process are not related. There are MANY people who have thick stocks of grey hair. In high concentrations, melatonin is an anti-oxidant. In the case of our client, the anti-oxidant properties of melatonin were responsible for the changes in her hair color.

The free radical (reactive oxygen) theory of aging is now well established. As we age, our ability to neutralize oxidative stress reactions declines. The increase in free radicals damages cellular membranes, DNA and every other molecule in the cell. Everyone has heard the story of someone who "turned grey overnight". This is due to stress.

Melanocytes are cells that produce melanin, the pigment which gives color to both our skin and hair. As we age, the accumulation of free oxygen radicals increase leading to apoptosis or programmed cell death in melanocytes. In the absence of melanin producing cells, hair color will turn grey.

Many factors contribute to oxidative stress damage in the hair follicle. They include inflammation, UV light, cigarette smoke, psychological stress, chemicals and genetic defects.

It makes perfect sense that the free radical theory of graying exactly parallels the free radical theory of aging.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/queryd.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16723385&itool=pubmed_docsum

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/queryd.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15030325&itool=pubmed_docsum

In previous essays, we have recommended topical melatonin as a treatment for hair loss. I suspect that the levels of melatonin recommended are not sufficient to inhibit oxidative stress induced hair graying.

We have two options.

First, you can orally ingest anti-oxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin E, NAC (n-acetylcysteine), and ALA (alpha lipoic acid). As long as you do not have cancer/leukemia, take as many anti-oxidants as you can stand.

Second, purchase acorbyl palmitate. This is a fat soluble form of vitamin C that readily enters all cells of the body. It is used commercially as an anti-oxidant for vegetable oils. This vitamin MUST be dissolved in an oil. Any oil will do. Open a 500 mg capsule and dump the contents into a small amount of oil. Rub thoroughly into the hair follicles. My recommendation is to conduct this application at night before bed. If you are worried about staining your pillow, wear a plastic hair cover. Wash it out the next morning in the shower.

Stay tuned...

Grouppe Kurosawa, Medicine in the Public Interest

http://www.grouppekurosawa.com

Sexual Arousal and Obesity Book

I am writing another IF YOU CAN COOK book on sexual arousal and obesity. They are linked.

As usual, you will get a free PDF file on the book.

In the interim, I am going to begin posting essays on obesity to this site. This first essay will be on the amazing anti-obesity properties of vitamin D.

We will discuss two different aspects of obesity control. First, the metabolism of fat. Second, the apoptosis of pre- and differentiated fat cells. If you want to keep weight off, kill some of your fat cells.

Stay tuned...

Grouppe Kurosawa, Medicine in the Public Interest

http://www.grouppekurosawa.com

New Book

My new book, If You Can Cook, You Can Make Powerful Topical Remedies for Hair Loss, Pain, and Herpes Infections is now being published. It will be available in May on its own web site and on Amazon.com. It is not being sold in book stores.

The members of QOL can have a free PDF copy of this book. This will allow you to hyperlink to all the relevant scientific references.

If interested, send me an email at smartin@grouppekurosawa.net and I will email you the file.

Access to the website for this book (Ifyoucancook.com) and others in this series is by subscription only. The QOL members will get free access to this site. This site is designed to attract feedback from users of these protocols. That should be fun.

Thanks for your support.

Stay tuned...

Steve

Important New Subscription Information

Hi Folks, this is a subscription message from Steve and Carole.

In the past, we used Blogger for our subscription blog. When people subscribed, PayPal automatically deducted $35 from your account each quarter. Unfortunately, the old Blogger software was a nighmare so we changed to TypePad. Since the TypePad software is on their computer, PayPal can no longer manage the subscriptions. There are no automatic deductions any longer.

When you subscribe to the blog, you are actually subscribing to the discussion group. Once subscribed, the actual passwords for the blog are listed in one of the top forums. As of today, this password will change every month.

We do not expect you to remember your subscription dates. I can't even remember the date of Labor Day.

TypePad keeps track of your subscription dates. When the three month subscription expires, its cuts off access to the discussion group.

If you are denied access to the blog, its means your subscription expired. At this point you have to resubscribe to regain access to the discussion group. The discussion group, and only the discussion group, contains the newly changing passwords.

DO NOT contact the webmaster if you are denied access to the blog. She does not have time to answer, literally, 50 emails of complaint. Your subscription has expired and you will not have access to the new passwords unless you resubscribe to the discussion group. Since we cannot automate this process with PayPal, this is the only way we can handle subscription renewals.

My new book If You Can Cook, You Can Make Powerful Topical Remedies for Hair Loss, Pain and Herpes Infections will be published in about two weeks. This book will be sold on its own website, designed by our wonderful Mouse Thea, and Amazon.com. It will be available in May. This book discusses Grouppe Kurosawa extensively. After a worldwide press release, we expect the number of new subscribers to the blog to increase by a minimum of ten fold. This is good news, BUT the process has to be completely automated.

I will repost this essay every two weeks from now on. 

If you haven't paid your $35 in the last three months, you might want to renew your subscription now.

Stay tuned...

Grouppe Kurosawa, Medicine in the Public Interest

http://www.grouppekurosawa.com