Page 52 - Spring2010

do well to avoid capsaicin in general. They actu- were injected with capsaicin.
ally use capsaicin in animal studies to stimulate Capsaicin depletes substance P. Although this study was reported as
something very much like an asthma attack. showing a beneficial role for capsaicin, the proper conclusion is that cap-
Substance P is released from the terminals saicin is likely horrible for diabetics and their blood sugar control. I have
of specific sensory nerves. It is found in the witnessed firsthand the negative impact of consuming peppers on blood
brain and spinal cord and is associated with sugar control in some of my diabetic patients (the ones who keep diet and
inflammatory processes and pain—it acts as blood glucose logs).
a neurotransmitter to carry pain signals to the Capsaicin receptors have been found in arthritic joints. When they
nervous system. Capsaicin makes your nerves inject capsaicin into mouse knee joints, it reduces blood flow. That’s a bad
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release almost all the substance P they have, and thing. Blood is what heals us. When neonatal rats were given capsaicin,
researchers have therefore suggested that drugs their immune markers were depressed for ninety days.
containing capsaicin can help reduce pain. For In humans, increased consumption of peppers is associated with an
example, there is an over-the-counter cream increase risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma and stomach cancer. Research-
containing capsaicin that is promoted to help ers found seventeen times (!) the risk of stomach cancer in people who
deplete substance P from local nerve endings self-rated themselves as high consumers of peppers. In people who had
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and relieve pain. tissue biopsies of colon polyps, dysplasia and adenocarcinoma, research-
However, inducing massive releases of sub- ers couldn’t find any substance P in those biopsies. Where would it have
stance P on a regular basis is like taking speed gone? What they found was the presence of capsaicin receptors instead. 17
until your adrenals run out of adrenaline; it
leads to a chronic local or systemic depletion of TREATMENT
substance P. Substance P is necessary for proper How do you find out whether nightshades are causing your medical
healing. The brain gets a signal from substance P problems? For many, no relief comes until the diet is totally clear of all
telling it that something is hurt and needs to be these nightshades for at least six weeks. Many people notice an improve-
fixed. So when you have diabetics using capsaicin ment in their pain; sometimes it goes away completely.
cream for their neuropathy, they feel better—the If the person has strictly avoided the nightshades for six weeks, yet still
pain signal is gone—but they are inhibiting the doesn’t believe their pain has decreased, I suggest that they do a “night-
healing process. shade party day”: salsa and eggs for breakfast, tomato and eggplant for
A recent study looked at the use of capsaicin lunch, potatoes for dinner—just have it all, and have a lot. Eat as much as
in insulin-dependent diabetic rats. The standard you can in one day and then watch for symptoms over the next two days.
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explanation for type 1 diabetes is malfunction Often there is a delayed onset reaction—there is for me.
and death of the insulin-producing islet cells in But the real question is, why are some people more sensitive than
the pancreas. Another theory holds that malfunc- others? Nutrient deficiencies certainly come into play. For example, if
tion of the pain nerves surrounding cells in the you don’t have enough magnesium, you will be more prone to calcinosis.
pancreas can cause type 1 diabetes. Researchers Deficiency in vitamin D may exacerbate the problem. The speed at which
have found that the islet cells in diabetics are one’s liver and kidneys detoxify these compounds plays a huge role, and
surrounded by large numbers of pain nerves that this is dependent both on genetics and nutrition.
signal to the brain that pancreatic tissue is dam- A key nutrient is vitamin K —Dr. Price’s famous Activator X. I love
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aged. When the researchers injected Substance this study on vitamin K : The Effect of Vitamin K on Experimental Cal-
2
2
P into the rats, the islet cells began producing cinosis. They gave rats calcinosis by giving them way too much vitamin
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insulin normally almost immediately. They also D . D tends to cause calcinosis anyway. What did they find? A high dose
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2
produced insulin for about a month when they of vitamin K suppressed experimental calcification of soft tissues induced
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WHAT ABOUT PEPPER?
Peppercorns are not the same as peppers; they are not members of the nightshade family. Peppercorns do not
contain poisonous alkaloids. Fresh ground pepper is the best; pre-ground pepper is not good for you. It doesn’t taste
very good and you’ll notice you have to use a lot more of it. Once the peppercorns are cracked open, the protective and
flavorful essential oils begin to evaporate. This allows a type of aspergillus mold to grow, which then produces aflatoxin.
You may be familiar with aflatoxin already, as it is very toxic to the liver and is the same toxin that occurs with peanuts.
If you don’t eat peanuts for this reason, you would not want to use pre-ground pepper either. Freshly ground pepper
helps with digestion—pre-ground pepper does not.
52 Wise Traditions SPRING 2010