Perhaps quite a bit. It may not only be a huge piece of the puzzle regarding my primary illness, but it also could explain why I've been unable to resolve an 8-year long battle with subclinical scurvy (vitamin C deficiency) despite taking 1,000+ mgs of vitamin C a day. The good news is I'll be seeing a specialist next week to determine if there's a connection, so this can be addressed once and for all.
Arsenic...
Arsenic poisoning. I know, sounds like something out of an old play.
Actually, arsenic toxicity, even at low levels, is connected to many different diseases and health conditions, including diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and has even been misdiagnosed as muscular dystrophy.
And when it comes to ME/CFS arsenic can become a problem because it not only suppresses immune function, it inhibits lipoic acid which is an essential co-factor for the mitochondrial enzyme pyruvate dehydrogenase, which has been found to be impaired in patients with ME/CFS in a groundbreaking 2016 study.
The good news is that there are patients who have recovered after they found out that their arsenic levels were high. One such ME/CFS patient was so sick, they thought he had HIV/AIDS, yet he recovered completely and is now living a full life.
...and old Rice...
Elevated levels of arsenic are typically found in contaminated groundwater, and for decades inorganic arsenic was used as a feed additive for chickens, but that was stopped in 2016 after studies showed elevated levels which resulted in public outcry.
But it's still found in elevated levels in rice, depending on cultivation and irrigation methods, as well as fertilizers used in different parts of the world.
WHY MIGHT THIS BE IMPORTANT IN MY CASE: And ever since I tested 'mildly' positive on one of four gluten intolerance tests back in 2007, I've been eating rice or rice-based products on a daily basis, at almost every meal.
...and Scurvy?
I haven't talked about it much, but yes, Uncle Dan has subclinical scurvy -- vitamin C deficiency -- and I've had it for almost 8 years now, despite taking 1,000-1,500mg of vitamin C/day. I have all the symptoms: bleeding gums, loose-ish teeth, weight loss, pain in the muscles and joints, and even the classic 'corkscrew' hairs on my legs.
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| Note the twisted 'corkscrew' hairs on my leg. A classic sign of scurvy. |
Most think of scurvy as a disease of the past, but it's become increasingly common today, mainly because of poor or restricted diets. They're put on vitamin C and their scurvy typically clears up in 2-3 weeks to a month or two. So why hasn't mine?
I discussed this with Paul Jaminet, a man who discovered he had scurvy while battling (and ultimately recovering from) an MS-like illness. He said that vitamin C will become depleted unless it has other specific antioxidants to help recycle it. And because arsenic depletes and/or inhibits these antioxidants, that may explain why I've been unable to resolve the scurvy taking a lot of vitamin C.
Fortunately, thanks to your support, I've found a local specialist with experience using science-based testing and treatments for arsenic and other heavy metal toxicity. I'm looking forward to my first appointment with him next week and will post an update as soon as possible.
Thank you again for helping to make this possible!
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