The Holistic Pharmacist

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Receiving news of the death of a friend, family member, or loved one in a hospital, is tragic and devastating. Often times, we may think of it as an inevitable consequence of unfortunate circumstances. Whether or not we pray to God, we rest our hopes on the shoulders of the medical team. Fortunately, recent evidence has surfaced that we MAY be able to help reduce the risk of the MOST common cause of death in hospitals: sepsis.

Sepsis occurs when a bacteria, virus, or parasite causes infection, enters the blood, and the body mounts an uncontrolled inflammatory response. Having a weak immune system puts you at most risk, which includes: being very young or old, having diabetes or cancer, or experiencing major trauma or burns. The blood pressure can drop drastically, and blood clots can occur leading to organ failure. So what can be done about this?

Today, I’m going to share the 3 things based on not only a 2017 study that was able to reduce mortality by 87% in sepsis patients, but also based on Dr. Paul Marik’s expertise, who has successfully treated over 700 patients with sepsis at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in Norfolk, VA using this protocol:

1.Hydrocortisone: Does this name sound familiar? It’s sold over the counter as an ointment to treat rashes or eczema. It’s a medication, which is basically synthetic cortisone–a hormone produced by our adrenal glands when our body is under stress. It helps reduce inflammation, and hence, its utility during sepsis.

Dosage: 50 mg every six hours for seven days or until ICU discharge, followed by a taper over three days.

2. Vitamin C: A study revealed that critically ill sepsis patients had low plasma vitamin C levels, with up to one-third having vitamin C deficiency. It is an important antioxidant, which is gobbled up quickly during the inflammation caused by sepsis.

Dosage: 1.5 grams (administered as an infusion over 30-60 minutes) every six hours for four days or until ICU discharge.

3. Thiamine: Also called vitamin B1, it’s commonly found in multivitamin and b-complex supplements. Sepsis patients can have thiamine deficiency, and it’s also gobbled up quickly. It can also help reduce the build up of lactic acid in the the blood.

Dosage: 200 mg every 12 hours for four days or until ICU discharge

In conclusion, the synergy and dose of these 3 therapies together have averted hospital death in many cases. It’s good to keep this protocol in mind, if one of your friends, family members, a loved one, or even yourself—ever develops the unfortunate state of sepsis. The early signs of sepsis include:

• Fever
• Hypothermia (low body temperature)
• Fast Heart Rate
• Fast Breathing
• Confusion
• Swelling
• High Blood Sugar

If one is suffering from a weak immune system, then I highly suggest a Hair Mineral Analysis to help balance the adrenal glands, to give the body the specific nutrients it needs.

Thank you for reading.

*All information in this article is for educational purposes only. It is not for the diagnosis, treatment, prescription or cure of any disease or health conditions.

References

1.Faloon, William. “Sepsis: Is There Now a Cure?” Life Extension p.7-13. September 2018.

2.Sepsis Alliance. “Sepsis Fact Sheet.”https://www.sepsis.org/downloads/2016_sepsis_facts_media.pdf.

3.Marik, E. Paul. “Hydrocortisone, Vitamin C, and Thiamine for the Treatment of Severe Sepsis and Septic Shock.” Chest Journal. June 2017 Volume 151, Issue 6, Page 1229-1238.

4. Mallat, Jihad. “Do not forget give thiamine to your septic shock patient!” Journal of Thoracic Disease. June 2016. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4885988/

Drinking 8-10 oz. of carrot juice everyday is excellent for overall health, and works well with Nutritional Balancing via Hair Mineral Analysis. One must drink it at least 15 minutes before meals, or 3 hours after eating a meal. You can have it in the following ways:

• Juicing organic carrots at home (best)
• Buying freshly made carrot juice at a store
  
• Buying a brand that is pasteurized such as Bolthouse
  

The top 5 benefits of drinking carrot juice include:

1. Helping the Heart: Cholesterol is something most of us have heard of, and LDL is the specific “bad cholesterol” that the doctor tests for when they draw our blood. When LDL builds up in our blood, it can “harden our arteries” (atherosclerosis), and increase the chance of a heart attack or stroke. When LDL is “damaged” or oxidized, you’re even more likely to get a heart attack.

Fortunately, carrot juice is a good antioxidant that can partially block the oxidation of LDL! 

2. Helping the Immune System: Everyone wants to avoid catching a cold or flu, and not just in the winter months. Carrot juice can be one of many tools that can help boost your immune system.

3. Helping the DNA: Cancer occurs when there is an overgrowth of cells in the body, as a result of DNA becoming damaged or mutated. Carrot juice can help reduce the damage that would otherwise occur in our DNA during our lifetime.

4. Decent Plant-Source of Calcium:  1 cup of carrot juice can give 40 mg of calcium. Although the amount is low compared to a cup of yogurt (up to 450 mg), the calcium in carrots gets absorbed just as well as dairy. There are other plant foods that are a higher source of calcium (spinach), but aren’t absorbed as well.

5. Excellent Source of Beta-Carotene:  When most of us think of beta-carotene, we think of carrots. In fact, it is beta-carotene that gives carrots it’s orange color. Beta-carotene gets converted to the preformed Vitamin A called retinol, which our body converts to the active form to utilize for the health of our eyes, immune system, and skin.

So how much Vitamin A do we need daily? Most adults need about 3,000 IU of retinol, or 18,000 IU of beta-carotene per day. When you drink a cup of carrot juice you get about 33,000 IU of beta-carotene, which is almost double the amount of Vitamin A you need! However, this “extra” beta-carotene is actually an added bonus, since about half the population have a gene variant that DECREASES our ability to convert beta-carotene to retinol from 30-70%.

*All information in this article is for educational purposes only. It is not for the diagnosis, treatment, prescription or cure of any disease or health conditions.

References

1.http://drlwilson.com/articles/CARROT%20JUICE.HTM

2.https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminA-HealthProfessional/

3.https://www.geneticlifehacks.com/beta-carotene-conversion-to-vitamin-a/

4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3259297/

5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3192732/

6.https://www.omicsonline.org/biotechnologically-modified-carrots-calcium-absorption-relative-to-milk-jbb.1000006.php?aid=701

7. https://www.dairynutrition.ca/nutrients-in-milk-products/calcium/calcium-and-bioavailability

8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14520020

9.http://www.lifeextension.com/Vitamins-Supplements/itemLC817472/Oxidized-LDL