Health Search Nutritional Factors
A wide variety of vitamins and minerals are involved in muscle activity, partly in energy production and partly in the synthesis of proteins and neurotransmitters.
The main B-vitamins are essential for energy production in the muscles and some improvement in myasthenia gravis has been reported with B-complex supplementation so that, for instance, less of the enzyme-blocking drug was required.
A majore improvemnt is seen with Vitamin D3 supplements, in one case complete remission was seen with high doses.
In experiments with separately administered vitamins B1, B2, B6, C, E, pantothenic acid and choline (as from lecithin) were reported to be beneficial in myasthenia gravis.Conversely, myasthenia gravis like symptoms could be produced in monkeys and humans by making them deficient in the vitamins B1, B6 and pantothenic acid.
During World War 2 myasthenia gravis developed in prisoners of war in Singapore, which was attributed to malnutrition. A high-vitamin nutritious diet with plenty of yeast and liver soon restored these patients to normal. In Europe were reports of almost an epidemic of myasthenia gravis following the war. Also other myasthenia gravis cases have been reported with more or less permanent remissions as long as a highly nutritious diet was used.
In addition to the general effect on energy production and protein synthesis, several vitamins have been shown to have a specific relationship with myasthenia gravis
Vitamin B1, working together with manganese, is the key vitamin for the synthesis of acetylcholine in the nerve endings. A lack of this vitamin, therefore, can cause a reduced signal from nerves to muscles and, with this, muscle weakness and other neurological complications. Vitamin B1 also helps acetylcholine to bind to receptors. It also has a significant role in nerve excitation and enhances the effects of acetylcholine. Furthermore, with low vitamin B1 levels lactic acid accumulates in the muscles and causes fatigue, deficiency can also lead to nerve degeneration.
Vitamin B2 is important for tissue respiration, for the storage of glycogen in muscles and liver as well as for the metabolism of glycine, an amino acid linked with myasthenia gravis. A deficiency lowers the resistance to stress. Vitamin B6 is essential for the synthesis of neurotransmitters and receptors.
Pantothenic acid supplies the acetyl part in the synthesis of acetylcholine. It opposes the effects of substances that are known to block receptors. Pantothenic acid is the anti-stress vitamin, most important for healthy adrenal glands, which are especially weak with myasthenia gravis
Vitamin C is another anti-stress vitamin. It is essential for collagen synthesis. Collagen is the connective tissue between muscle cells, cementing them together. Vitamin C is involved with the use of glycogen in muscles, with muscle contractions and exercise tolerance. It affects muscle metabolism and the functioning of muscle membranes. Together with folic acid it is involved with the synthesis of neurotransmitters and steroid hormones. It has a mild anticholinesterase activity and this enhances the action of the reduced amount of acetylcholine that finds a receptor. A study on 2000 smokers revealed that their vitamin C blood levels were 40% lower than those of non-smokers. Myasthenia gravis patients reported increased muscle weakness after smoking.
Vitamin B12 and folic acid are required for the synthesis of choline before forming acetylcholine. Vitamin A is needed for the immune system, to produce steroid hormones and to protect the thymus and adrenal glands from the effects of stress. Vitamin A deficient rats developed weakness of the head and leg muscles. The importance of the stress-protective vitamins can be seen in the observation that myasthenia gravis frequently develops during or after a period of intense stress.
Vitamin E is important to protect cell membranes from damage through oxidation and peroxidation, while a deficiency causes changes in muscle protein with swelling and fragmentation of individual muscle fibres, leading to muscle weakness, dystrophy and paralysis. It is directly involved with the energy metabolism of muscles, deficiency causes increased amounts of muscle protein to break down and be expelled with the urine as it happens in myasthenia gravis
Vitamin E deficient chicks have been shown to develop serious abnormalities of the central nervous system. In other animals large amounts of 'old-age' pigment (lipofuscin) accumulates in the nerve cells. The development and function of all endocrine glands depends on it. The pituitary gland has an exceptionally high content of vitamin E, 15 times higher than in other parts of the body, while in the adrenal glands it is almost 6 times higher.
Babies have a high requirement for vitamin K, otherwise the development of glands, nervous system and muscle structures will be weak or faulty. Breast milk has about 10 - 20 times more vitamin E than cows' milk and colostrum even much higher levels. It is similar with vitamin C and various other essential nutrients.The importance of vitamin E in myasthenia gravis can be seen in a case report were the initial use of other vitamins improved the condition somewhat, but only after the addition of vitamin E did all symptoms of the disease disappear.
In a study using rabbits with experimentally induced myasthenia gravis more animals survived with high-dose vitamins B1, C and E than in the unsupplemented group. These same vitamins in mega-doses (very high amounts) were successfully used for myasthenia gravis patients as stated in several published reports. However, I found that on a high-quality diet only a moderate amount of vitamin-mineral supplements was required for permanent remission. A patient who recovered on a raw food diet with only minimal supplementation initially persisted with double vision but overcame this with a hot castor oil pack over the forehead and eyes.
While magnesium is an essential mineral and activates many enzymes, a large dose of a magnesium supplement acts as a muscle relaxant and causes myasthenia gravis patients to deteriorate.
Another problem is caused by the enzyme-poison fluoride. A well-controlled patient was reported to wake up with extreme weakness one morning. It was later learned that the water supply had been fluoridated for the first time during the preceding day.
Another patient, after being symptom-free for years, developed extreme weakness on two separate occasions during a glucose tolerance test. The same happened after a breakfast with much sugar.
Three patients in intensive care failed to respond to any myasthenia gravis drug treatment. However, they improved greatly on nutritional therapy. Whenever placebos were given instead of vitamins their conditions deteriorated again.
Vitamin D & intravenous immune globulin, makes a differnce !