Glutamania - Update on Glutamine from the PWA Health Group

Alternative Treatment Information Sheets from DAAIR

NAC, Glutamine, and Alpha Lipoic Acid by Lark Lands
Note, by John S. James: Lark Lands, Ph.D., a well-known health educator and consultant, is the author of POSITIVELY WELL: LIVING WITH HIV AS A CHRONIC, MANAGEABLE SURVIVABLE DISEASE, an 800-page book which will be published later this year. AIDS TREATMENT NEWS published her article "Neuropathy: Nutrient Therapies," in issue #250, July 5, 1996.

Two issues ago, AIDS TREATMENT NEWS described the results of a clinical trial of n-acetylcysteine ("Stanford NAC Study: Glutathione Level Predicts Survival," issue #266, March 7, 1997). Dr. Lands believes that NAC may work better if combined with other supplements, especially glutamine, alpha lipoic acid, and vitamin C, within a healthy overall diet. We did not mention these supplements in our earlier article, as they were not used in the study we were reporting. Instead we interviewed Dr. Lands, who gave us permission to reprint material from her book. (added 5/15/97)

Nutrition for Life
An excellent booklet on Nutrition and HIV from the Nutrition Access Project of The Healing Well. (added 5/15/97)

Garlic for Cryptosporidiosis?
Results of a trial of garlic for the treatment of cryptosporidiosis have been announced. Cryptosporidiosis is an infection of the gut caused by a parasite called cryptosporidium, the main symptom is prolonged diarrhea which leads to weight loss. The trial was conducted by a community-based research organization called the AIDS ReSearch Alliance in California. The trial used a garlic concentrate called Allicin, which is available in the US in 30 mg glass vials that are imported from China. In this study, 30 mg of Allicin was mixed with 90cc of distilled water. This mixture was taken twice daily by participants.

Twenty people enrolled in the study. The only major side effect, as expected, was a strong garlic smell and taste. This side effect was a problem for about a third of the participants and led at least one person to drop out of the study. After six weeks, there were sixteen people remaining in the study. Ten of these people had less diarrhea and fewer watery stools, and had stable or increased body weight. The most significant finding of the study was that, in four out of eight people who chose to remain on the study for longer than eight weeks, stool tests have been repeatedly negative for the cryptosporidium parasite. The average T4 cell count of people in this study was less than 30, and most had tried and failed the standard cryptosporidiosis treatment, Humatin. Clearance of cryptosporidium has not been reported before in people with T4 cell counts this low.

AIDS ReSearch Alliance is planning a larger, phase II study of Allicin for the treatment of cryptosporidiosis. The AIDS ReSearch Alliance can be reached at (310) 358-2423 for more information.

Bastyr University AIDS Research Center
The AIDS Research Center in Seattle is conducting a nationwide observational study. Anyone who uses alternative medicine as part of their treatment plan can participate. The Web site includes information about what is required of participants, confidentiality and contacts.

Yoga for people living with HIV and AIDS
The Yoga Group, Inc. A group based in Denver, Colorado with free classes for people living with HIV and AIDS. The Web site includes information about yoga positions, articles, and contacts for other classes around the world.

acupuncture
Acupuncture is a branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). As a result of thousands of years of observation and experimentation it was discovered that in all types of diseases, both physical and mental, certain points on the body become tender. These points, known as acupuncture points, flow through channels in the body called meridians. Each major organ of the body (such as the heart, lungs, or small intestine) lies on a meridian. According to the principles of acupuncture these channels allow energy (called Qi or Chi by the Chinese) to flow smoothly throughout the body, otherwise the organs which lie on these meridians may not function properly. Extremely thin, solid needles are inserted into the acupuncture points to normalize and redirect energy flow when there is a problem, creating a healing impact. Herbology, massage, diet, and exercise techniques are also part of TCM.

Research has demonstrated acupuncture's role in reducing fever, increasing antibody production, and increasing the body's overall resistance to disease. French researchers in the late 1970s demonstrated the ability of acupuncture to affect T and B-lymphocytes. The most well known effects of acupuncture are its ability to lessen pain and produce a calmer state of mind, two effects which are most likely related to its ability to increase the production of endorphins. Endorphins are a substance which the body produces to help regulate the immune system, especially in response to forms of stress such as a viral infection. They trigger transmitters which affect the spinal cord and brain, lessening the pain.

As a practitioner in the field of TCM and acupuncture for over a decade, I have observed the positive impact which acupuncture can have. I have worked for the past nine years with many HIV+ individuals who have responded well to acupuncture, either with or without western medical treatments. Acupuncture can help to alleviate the side effects of toxic chemotherapeutic agents.

From an article by Jackie Haught, D.Ac., Dipl.Ac. (NCAA). More information on acupuncture, as well as referrals, can be found on Acupuncture.com. An excellent article appears in the September 1, 1995 issue of AIDS Treatment News.

Cat's claw
Uncaria tomentosa is an herb that grows wild in the highlands of the Peruvian Amazon. It has been used for hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years by the native Ashanica Indians for treatment of a wide range of health problems associated with the immune and digestive systems.

Ongoing research suggests that Uncaria tomentosa may be benficial in the treatment of cancer, arthritis, bursitis, rheumatism, genital herpes and herpes zoster, allergies, ulcers, systemic candidiasis, PMS and irregularities of the female cycle, environmental toxin poisoning, numerous bowel and intestinal disorders, organic depression, and those infected with HIV.

Dr. Brent W. Davis, DC, who has been working with Uncaria tomentosa for a number of years, has referred to this herb as "The Opener of the Way" because of its remarkable ability to cleanse the entire intestinal tract and help patients suffering from many different stomach and bowel disorders including: Chrohn's disease, diverticulitis, leaky bowel syndrome, colitis, hemorrhoids, fistulas, gastritis, ulcers, parasites and intestinal flora imbalance. In its healing ability and benfit to the immune system, Uncaria tomentosa appears to have so many therapeutic applications that it far surpasses such well known herbs as Pau d'Arco, Echinacea, Golden Seal, Astragalus and Siberian Ginseng, as well as Reishi and Shitake mushrooms, and other natural products such as Citrus Seed Extract, Caprylic Acid and Shark Cartilage.

This information is from from an article dated May 1994 in The Townsend Letter for Doctors.

garlic
Garlic (Allium staivium), a member of the lily family, has been used for medicinal purposes from as early on as 3,000 BC. Allicin, a sulfur containing compound in garlic, is believed to be primarily responsible for most of the suggested benefits of garlic - along with the unique odor. Claims of garlic's effectiveness against AIDS-related OIs are based on test-tube studies that showed garlic was an anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal agent. There have been no studies as yet that have looked at garlic closely for its uses with immunomodulation.

Toxicity with garlic usage occurs when too much raw garlic is ingested. The high sulfur content can cause dermatitis; and colitis occurs by an overkill of the normal flora in the gut. In high doses, garlic also may inhibit blood clotting and interfere with proper thyroid function.

From Treatment Issues Special Winter Issue 93/94

Five people with cryptosprodiosis have already finished a small, uncontrolled trial of allicin, an oil derived from garlic, conducted by Search Alliance, a community-based research organization in Los Angeles. Participants received once a day a 5 ml solution that contained 2 ml of allicin and 3 ml of water. All five experienced a decrease in cryptosporidiosis symptoms. Five more people are still in the study and further enrollment is expected.

From CPS InfoPak Spring 1995. Read more about garlic on the misc.health.aids pages.

SPV-30
SPV-30 is a natural herb product extracted from an evergreen tree and presently being used to reverse the declining level of CD4 lymphocytes in people with asymptomatic HIV.

SPV-30 has been proven to be non-toxic and non-mutagenic. Studies of SPV-30 are being established in major US cities. Participants receive six months of free product in exchange for lab results every two months. For more information or to enroll in a study in your area, call David Stokes at (617) 424-9195 or send an e-mail request for info.

A small phase I study in France demonstrated significant rises in CD4 cell counts in participants. However, all participants had more than 250 CD4 cells and no viral load measurements were taken. Sally Cooper at the PWA Health Group in New York City was concerned at the possibility of an IL-2 type situation where stimulation of CD4 population without antiviral activity may actually increase viral load. The company that makes the product are, according to Sally, seemingly well intentioned but a little naive about HIV pathogenesis. SPV-30 can also now be bought from pharmacies in the city as a nutritional supplement.

See also the Clinical Trials page on Treatments for HIV.

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