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Showing posts with label Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Show all posts

Jun 16, 2010

Vitamin & Exercise Therapy for Emphysema

Apart from the importance of diet in our general health and well-being, research is now confirming that specific nutrients and dietary practices are very much associated with Emphysema. For instance, the alveoli cannot function properly without sufficient vitamin A, C, folic acid or protein. (1) In 1952, a London doctor, Max Odens, began a long term study into chronic brochitis and emphysema with 17 of his patients aged between 48 and 67. In addition to their medical treatment, Dr Odens gave his patients vitamin A supplements and found that, as a result, they improved (2) A lack of vitamin A in babies has also been shown to be related to increased susceptibility to bronchial infections(3).
There have been reports of Russian researchers using vitamin B15 to help treat emphysema (4). Vitamin E has also been used in America by Dr Carl Pfeiffer to help treat emphysema() and in one study conducted at John Hopkins Hospital patients suffering from emphysema were actually seen to improve with supplementation of vitamin E. (5)
All mucous-forming foods such as dairy foods, chocolates, refined white flour bread , cakes, and white sugar are considered by naturopaths to be best avoided for all respiratory conditions and especially emphysema. This is because excess mucous only serves to further aggravate the condition.
There is no doubt that diet is closely associated with the functioning of the immune system and it would therefore be important for all patients suffering with emphysema to seek nutritional counselling to help prevent bronchial infections. There are, of course, other lifestyle factors such as posture (see chiropractic) and exercise which should be reviewed.

Exercise & Emphysema

Dr Harry Bass, former head of the Pulmonary Division of the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston, USA conducted studies with daily exercise using a stationary bicycle and found that this not only largely arrested the progress of emphysema and chronic bronchitis but it also brought about "enormous improvement in these chronic conditions. Dr Bass detailed the progress of one group of his patients for five years and found that, not only could they walk and enjoy physical pursuits and hobbies when they had originally not even been able to walk from one end of the house to the other, but that they were all using oxygen more efficiently. (6)
NB. Please note that it is particularly important to seek the advice of your physician before attempting any exercise regime.
(1) Adelle Davis Let's Get Well (Unwin) 1975
(2) Vitalsoffe (1967)
(3) Janet Pleshette - Health on Your Plate (Hamlyn) p. 254
(4) Dr Carl Pfeiffer Prevention magazine 1981
(5) H M Nitowsky et al Bulletin of John Hopkins Hospital 98, 361, 1956
(6) Reported in The Practical Encyclopedia of Natural Healing by Mark Bricklin p166


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Vitamin & Exercise Therapy for Emphysema

Apart from the importance of diet in our general health and well-being, research is now confirming that specific nutrients and dietary practices are very much associated with Emphysema. For instance, the alveoli cannot function properly without sufficient vitamin A, C, folic acid or protein. (1) In 1952, a London doctor, Max Odens, began a long term study into chronic brochitis and emphysema with 17 of his patients aged between 48 and 67. In addition to their medical treatment, Dr Odens gave his patients vitamin A supplements and found that, as a result, they improved (2) A lack of vitamin A in babies has also been shown to be related to increased susceptibility to bronchial infections(3).