John was becoming more and more frustated by the fact that he could not even lift his infant son due to the severe pain it caused him. Walking up stairs was an insurmountable task and even brushing his teeth had become difficult. John, diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis when he was 32, could barely walk due to the debilitating pain in his hips. Holding a coffee cup or the pressure of his son on his lap was intolerable. At first John went to the doctor thinking he had damaged his knee and ankle joints from training for a short marathon. The doctor assured him he was too young to have arthritis and agreed that nutritional deficiencies and overtraining were the cause of his problems. Soon the pain moved to other joints in John's body. At that point John sought a second opinion and blood tests confirmed he had rheumatoid arthritis. Visits to the rheumatologist resulted in drug medication that left John with stomach upsets and little relief from the relentless pain. He was also afraid of the long-term side effects that the pharmacist had warned him about. John started to think he soon might not be able to walk. He and his wife were expecting their first baby and they had planned for him to work at home and care for their child while his wife went to work. These plans would not be fulfilled because John could barely perform minor daily tasks. What is Rheumatoid Arthritis? Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease whereby the body's own defense system malfunctions and destroys healthy tissue. Instead of the body's immune system attacking only bacteria, viruses and parasites, the synovial membranes, which aid movement of joints are also attacked causing inflammation, cartilage and bone destruction, and eventually joint deformities. Typical medical treatments include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, D-penicillamine, gold salts, antimalarials and corticosteroids. Non of which alter the progression of RA. Hope from Africa Ten months passed and John slipped into depression. The pain was just too much to endure. Fortunately, a friend from South Africa arrived for a visit. Upon seeing his friend in such a terrible condition he called a professor he knew at the University of Stellenbosch Medical School in South Africa. He knew they were studying plant substances that were having a positive effect on auto-immune disorders of which rheumatoid arthritis is one. A special product called Moducare was sent by courier and John began treatment several days later. John read the research papers that accompanied the Moducare and began taking it three times a day on an empty stomach. The first week the pain in his ankles became worse than before. John and his friend called the professor in South Africa who advised to persist with the treatment. By the end of the second week the pain subsided and by the third week John was no longer stiff in the morning and everyday activities became easier. What is this miracle treatment that John used? Plant sterols and sterolins are the active ingrediant, they were isolated in 1922. Hundreds of reserch studies have been performed to examine their properties. These phytochemicals occur naturally in all plants. Seeds and nuts are the richest source of sterols and sterolins. The food manufacturing industry destroys the sterols and sterolins in seed and nut oils when they process them into margarines, cooking oils and other foods. Sterols and sterolins in their natural state are attached to plant fibers, making them difficult to be digested and absorbed (especially by the elderly or those with compromised immune systems or digestive problems). Our diets generally do not include enough fresh fruits and vegetables to provide adequate sterols and sterolins to enhance the immune system. Moducare provides optimal levels of sterols and sterolins to ensure that you are always protected. Safety studies involving 25,000 clinical trial volunteers have shown that sterols and sterolins are without side effects and are non-toxic. Professor Bouic and his research team have proved sterols and sterolins promote the functions of the TH1, CD4 cells as well as decrease the release of TNF-alpha and IL6. sterols and sterolins decrease the inflammatory response in rheumatic diseases while helping to control the B cell activity or antibody production. Moducare has been researched as an immune system enhancer for tuberculosis, psoriasis, allergies especially asthma, cervical cancer, immune depression and marathon runners. Soon the results of a double-blind placebo controlled study involving rheumatoid arthritis will be completed and reported in this magazine (Healthy Living Guide). After three months, John is feeling better than he did before he was diagnosed with RA. He can lift and play with his son and he is thinking about running marathons again.
Reprinted with permission from Healthy Living Guide, Sept./Oct. 1998