Today I wrote about dealing with inflammation. Just about everyone with Lyme Disease or a co-infection has this problem.  Inflammation can be triggered by a number of things and since Lyme Disease is a disease of opportunity, those people who had a brewing inflammation problem, coupled with Lyme Disease are probably hurting really badly, because Lyme Disease compounds any prior health issue.  The inflammation from Lyme Disease is caused by bacterial lipoproteins (BLPs) and it triggers autoimmunity (in which your own immune system gets revved up and sometimes attacks itself.)

If that weren’t bad enough, I strongly believe many people have serious gut health issues, especially those with Lyme Disease. I’ll cover more in a future newsletter, but for now, know that your gut may be inhabited by pathogens, other than Lyme Disease bacteria. These pathogens can also cause inflammation, and inflammation can travel around in the body, spreading like a disease.

Inflammation is one of the things that you MUST get under control and those who master this have a good chance of recovering fully, so it’s very important to fight back the inflammation.  

One of the best inflammation fighters I used during my Lyme Disease fight, was aloe. It sounds so simple and yet it’s so effective.  When I had Lyme Disease I had terrible inflammation down my spin and around my neck. My skin along my shoulders and down my back was constantly itchy and tingling. This was a sure sign of having an overload of inflammation!  I wanted to give you a heads up on is Aloe, simply because it’s one of the best ways to fight inflammation.

If you can fight it successfully and “put out the fire” a little, it gives your immune system a rest and allows it to focus on the Lyme bacteria itself.

Some people, who haven’t had luck with aloe, do so for two reasons. One, they buy the diluted stuff from the catalogs or stores and Two, they don’t try it long enough. It most definitely has a build up effect, although I’ve heard people who have taken it and had results immediately.

Aloe is a natural inflammation killer. It has a cooling effect and taken internally it provides not only anti-inflammatory but also contains massive amounts of nutrients. Aloe is rich in Vitamins, Minerals, Enzymes, Amino Acids, Glycoproteins and Growth Factors believed to act synergistically to impart Aloe’s powerful benefits.

It has been shown to stimulate the immune system, perhaps because of aloe vera’s ability to nourish individual cells and to facilitate the cell’s waste removal (which is a BIG deal for people who have neurotoxins from die-off of the Lyme bacteria.)

One of its most important nutritional components of aloe juice, the Polysaccharide, has been shown to have anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and even anti-parasitic properties. This means it makes the Lyme Disease quite miserable inside your body.

Many people take aloe because of issues with their gut as it gives them great relief, but I’m here to say that I think it’s a must do for people with Lyme Disease! People with Lyme Disease have so many health issues, it’s pretty awesome to come across a product which can battle the disease and the by products of the disease on multiple fronts.

I could write about aloe all day, but I think you get the point.  Back in 2003, before I knew I had Lyme Disease, I was racing and getting ready for the 2004 Olympics and was introduced to this aloe:

http://www.healthtoheart.com/aloe-vera-juice.htm

It may have been one of those things that helped me perform on such a high level, while being sick!  Then in 2006 I started taking it again because I realized how much I needed it. I’ve been on it every since that time and continue with it just for maintenance.

The aloe here is a super concentrated form and made by some people in Colorado who have been in the aloe business for a VERY LONG TIME. In fact, their aloe is so damn good the FDA tried to shut them down because their aloe cream was being used in hospitals and it was working “miracles” on burn victims. (For those who want their cream or a list of their other products, please email: arden@beatlyme.com) So the FDA had to find something wrong with them and because they had used the names of diseases on their website, they shut them down. And to be certified as ‘FDA approved’ it costs BIG BUCKS. So I’m telling you this just so you’ll know how great this product is.

The Aloe Oil is the only supplement I know of that contains the concentrated oil from an aloe plant.  For people who have serious joint problems from the inflammation, put this on your goodie list.  It can be used to repair damaged tissues also.

http://www.healthtoheart.com/aloe-oil.htm

 
 Expect the Best,

Perry