THE SURPRISING TRUTH ABOUT AMYLOIDS, OXALATES, SULFUR, AND STRESS
Are They Secretly Worsening Your Autoimmune Condition?
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Autoimmune Condition?
The prevalence of autoimmune diseases are on the rise. The United States healthcare system spends an estimated amount of $100 billion on autoimmune disorders annually (Roberts & Erdei, 2020). Even by conservative estimates, autoimmune disorders impact approximately 15-20 million people, and almost one in every 14 U.S. citizens live with an autoimmune condition. It is likely that many more go undiagnosed (Roberts & Erdei, 2020). To understand why a disease that was once considered a rarity has reached epidemic proportions, the underlying influences of this multifactorial epidemic must be considered. The Cochrane Method® examines autoimmunity through the lens of genetic expression, pathogenic reactivation and stress response. Stress, in many cases, is the firestarter for this cascade of disruptions.
Autoimmunity is an immune state in which the body’s own cells are recognized as a threat by the immune system, and are subsequently attacked. Through the lens of The Cochrane Method®, states of autoimmunity may stem from stress, physical trauma, environmental impacts including food, or pathogenic loads, such as viruses, parasites, bacteria or mold. Many overlook that the common dietary components of sulfur, oxalates, and amyloid compounds may contribute to states of autoimmunity. These components modulate the stress response and contribute to the reactivation of pathogenic loads which may induce genetic expressions and symptomatology of autoimmune disease.
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The Stress Response
The Cochrane Method identifies the stress response as a firestarter; it is the origin point from which a host of downstream complications can arise with nuanced repercussions for the immune system. The stress response is modulated by the hypothalamic-pituitary axis (HPA axis) and sympathetic nervous system where the release of stress hormones may trigger states of autoimmunity and exacerbate the symptoms associated with autoimmune diseases (Morey et al., 2015). When stress hormones such as epinephrine, norepinephrine, corticotropin-releasing hormone, adrenocorticotropic hormone and cortisol are released, they diminish the efficacy of the immune response.
Studies have also linked stress to systemic
inflammation, a key marker in autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis (Ilchmann-Diounou et al., 2020).
Exposure to stress may modify DNA methylation which has a profound effect on gene expression (Saunderson, 2016; Vidrascu at al., 2019). For example, epinephrine may stimulate virulent gene expression in the gastrointestinal tract leading to possible infection (Liao et al., 2015; Moreira et al., 2016). The hormone further enables certain harmful bacteria to overgrow in our gut and rapidly produce biofilm that colonizes on gastrointestinal cell walls (Cambronel et al., 2019).
This self-perpetuating cycle is made up of three components: stress response, genetic expression, and the reactivation of pathogens. When the stress response is initiated, a waterfall effect ensues. Stress hormones can reactivate virulent gene expression, and an increase in the pathogenic load results in gut dysbiosis and openings in the tight junctions of the gut. Fungal imbalances — and stress hormones — feed biofilm in the gut, and the resultant dysbiosis renders the body less capable of digesting and metabolizing sulfur, oxalates, and amyloids, which further feed the biofilm and increase levels of epinephrine.
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Gut Dysbiosis
It is no coincidence that several autoimmune diseases are specifically linked to gut dysbiosis. Increased intestinal permeability through gut dysbiosis has been linked to Type I diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, celiac disease and multiple sclerosis (Kinashi et al., 2021). Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), one of the most common autoimmune conditions, stems from the chronic inflammation of part or all of the gastrointestinal system. Research has shown that in cases of IBD, histamine receptor expression becomes dysregulated and disrupts the function of toll-like receptors on harmful bacteria in the gut (Smolinska et al., 2016).
An inability to distinguish between foreign and familiar is at the core of autoimmunity. Because over 70% of our immune system lives in the gut, immune function is particularly sensitive to the presence of pathogenic imbalances in the GI system and the genetic expressions they incur (Vighi et al., 2008).
Chief among the common fungal and yeast imbalances that contribute to and thrive in states of gut dysbiosis is Candida albicans. Candida overgrowth could be
linked to an immune response, (Cavalheiro et al., 2018). Mast cells (immunocytes) may also exacerbate inflammation and support candida overgrowth (Lopes et al., 2015). This process may initiate mast cell degranulation, releasing excess histamine into the body, which further degrades GI health by creating openings in the tight junctions of the gut (Zhang et al., 2016).
Another significant but often overlooked factor in cases of gut dysbiosis is Hydrogen Sulfide gas (H2S). H2S plays a role in regulating gut inflammation and motility, oxidative stress, ulcer healing, apoptosis, vascular tone and hormone secretion. Imbalances in H2S due to gut dysbiosis may lead to Crohn’s, IBS, IBD, ulcerative colitis, obesity and sepsis. Stress, diet or infection can trigger these imbalances — for instance, meat consumption and a diet high in sulfur could exacerbate H2S in the gut, particularly if an individual has genetic predispositions that impair sulfur metabolism. (Singh et al., 2015)
Along with sulfur, oxalates are another dietary disruptor that may intensify states of autoimmunity. Gut dysbiosis that opens up the tight junctions of the gut may induce the increased absorption of oxalates. Excess absorption of oxalates that cannot be properly excreted as waste from the body may lead to impaired immune system response, kidney stone formation, chronic kidney disease or cardiovascular complications (Sharma et al., 2020). Oxalate metabolism impairment may also exacerbate the activation of inflammatory pathways in the body, creating an environment that further supports an autoimmune response (Ermer et al., 2016)
Sulfur and oxalates are not the only concern when addressing gut dysbiosis and its links to autoimmunity. There is the matter of amyloids, which are misfolded protein structures that often contribute to immune disruption. Amyloid accumulation may be found in domestically raised and slaughtered cattle, especially in chickens that have received vaccinations or other treatments (Ibi et al., 2015; Tojo et al., 2005). Cooking, freezing, thawing and the use of disinfectants may not be enough to kill amyloids in the tissues of these animals prior to consumption (Greger, 2008). Furthermore, these exogenous amyloids have demonstrated the potential to significantly strengthen biofilms.
The gut microbiota has the capacity to release amyloids and lipopolysaccharides (LPS), which may be linked to a plethora of inflammatory mechanisms. Dietary changes, food additives, excessive use of probiotics and uses of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are all
factors that may contribute to gut dysbiosis, leading to pathogenic release of amyloids and LPS. Bacteria in the gut microbiota that release amyloids may increase pathogenic colonization due to the formation and aggregation of biofilm in the gut (Pistollato et al., 2016). Individuals who are most susceptible to amyloid-induced autoimmunity are generally those with a weakened stomach lining. Because the cells of the intestinal lining replicate every three to five days, amyloid-producing pathogens are provided with a fertile environment, using the abundance of dead cells to create stronger biofilms (Gallo et al., 2015).
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Viral Reactivation
Viruses of the Herpesviridae family may also have a significant impact on autoimmune conditions. High cytomegalovirus (CMV) viral loads could be associated with lupus, HIV, heart disease and cancer, while the Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) could be linked to multiple sclerosis, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and autoimmune thyroid disease such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (dos Santos Nunes et al., 2017; Michaelis et al., 2009; Wang et al., 2017). In particular, EBV modifies the way our immune system responds to infection and is often present in individuals suffering from Hashimoto’s (Dittfield et al., 2016). It is important to note that the viral load of EBV, even when latent, remains relatively the same throughout its life in hosts, and elevated cortisol and epinephrine could reactivate EBV (Coskun et al., 2009). For example, EBV remains latent in approximately 90% of people infected (Coskun et al., 2009). This is because external stress signals the body to release stress hormones that could dysregulate the immune system and certain genes to support the reactivation of EBV in the body. Studies have shown that cortisol and epinephrine may also modulate genetic expression for the Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV).
Addressing Autoimmunity
In summary, stress hormones promote the reactivation of pathogenic loads, affect genetic expression, degrade gut health and could lead to a state of dysbiosis. As previously stated, gut dysbiosis reduces the body’s ability to regulate immune activity and to metabolize potential dietary disruptors like sulfur, oxalates and amyloids. The result is a fertile breeding ground for autoimmune dysfunction, wherein genes, pathogens and stress combine to open the body to disease.
A combination of factors may explain why autoimmunity is more common today than it was twenty years ago, and stress may be one of the primary underlying influences. The stressors of our modern lives, from financial burdens to certain social pressures, are compounded by the stressors on our plates. An already stressed system has been further taxed where the multiple stressors of the pandemic have contributed to a firestorm of autoimmunity.
Our food supply has become degraded and distorted beyond recognition like native cells in autoimmune diseases. Factory farming practices, widespread use of herbicides and endocrine disruptors in the water supply, and the billions of pounds of glyphosate sprayed on U.S. crops each year all make it harder to digest sulfur, oxalates, and proteins. As a result, people following a Standard American Diet exist in a state of critical nutritional stress compounded by the Standard American Lifestyle, with its constant stressors combined with the recent pandemic.
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