 Source: Nature's
Impact ; 09/30/1998
Cetyl-myristoleate: Remarkable relief from pain and
inflammation By Zimmerman, Marcia
Cetyl-myristoleate: Remarkable relief from pain and inflammation
A lot of us are hurting!
Thirty-eight million Americans suffer from some form of connective tissue disease,
encompassing 100 specific disorders of the joints, muscles, ligaments, and tendons. The
most common are rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, gout, fibromyalgia, carpal tunnel
syndrome, ankylosing spondylitis, and various types of back pain. These are all considered
"rheumatic" conditions. However, others that do not involve the joints are also
considered rheumatic: lupus erythematosus, Crohn's disease, Sjogren's syndrome, and
polymyalgia rheumatica.
The costs are staggering
Treating rheumatic disorders costs an astounding $65 billion each year, according to
the 1992 National Health Interview Survey. The distribution of costs among the disorders
is uneven. The Massachusetts Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) estimates costs are
four times greater for rheumatoid arthritis than for osteoarthritis, which is much more
common. Treatment for a rheumatoid arthritis patient runs $2,162 per year, while
osteoarthritis treatment costs $543. Most of the costs are for prescription drugs.
Is the treatment worse than the illness?
Current drug treatment for arthritis is potent and has numerous side effects. Since all
rheumatic disorders involve pain and inflammation, treatment strategy is usually geared to
reducing pain first, then delaying treatment for inflammation as long as possible. That is
because these conditions never heal and treatment must be continued throughout life.
Besides that, significant side effects are associated with even the most innocuous
remedies, such as aspirin or acetaminophen.
Nevertheless, arthritis sufferers experience so much discomfort that they are often
willing to suffer the consequences of pain relief. What are these consequences?
Acetaminophen can cause liver damage, and aspirin can cause extreme irritation to the
stomach. Occurrence of side effects depends on how much is taken, over what period of
time, and an individual's susceptibility to problems.
Other treatments for advanced arthritis involve the anti-cancer drug methotrexate,
corticosteroids, and cyclosporin. Corticosteroids (prednisone) cause severe side effects.
Cyclosporin, a neurotoxin, can diminish cognitive function and nerve responsiveness.
Methotrexate has been found to suppress bone marrow function and cause severe liver damage
in some cases. Folic acid and vitamin B(12) supplements help guard against these side
effects, yet physicians often specifically prohibit their use.
Wouldn't it be exciting if there were a treatment for rheumatic conditions that was
effective, could heal the condition, cost very little, and came from natural sources?
The promise of cetyl-myristoleate
Cetyl-myristoleate is a naturally ring waxy alcohol. It was accidentally
discovered during the 1970's by a chemist named Harry Diehl at the National Institutes of
Health in Rockville, Maryland. Diehl had been working for years with a particular strain
of white mice that never got arthritis, even when purposely exposed to it. The mice had
such a bad reputation among investigators that they carefully avoided using them whenever
they wanted to study arthritis.
Diehl was curious about why this type of mouse was so resistant to arthritis.
Consequently, he looked for the chemical in the mouse's body that gave it immunity from
the disease. After considerable trial and error, he isolated cetyl-myristoleate.
When he injected the substance into mice and rats that were susceptible to arthritis, the
compound prevented them from developing this condition.
Diehl continued his research with animal studies. He successfully synthesized the
compound from beef fat, which worked as effectively as the mouse extract. He was awarded a
U.S. Patent (#4,049,824) September 20, 1977, for his discovery.
Dramatic results
The secret might have never gotten out if Diehl himself hadn't developed severe
osteoarthritis. Faced with a future of heavy medication, constant pain, and immobility, he
decided to inject himself with some of his cetyl-myristoleate
preparation. To his amazement, his pain disappeared almost immediately. The swelling in
his joints decreased and his mobility increased dramatically. Without further injections,
he continued to improve. In a matter of weeks, he could hardly believe he had ever had
arthritis. Furthermore, his arthritis never returned and he had absolutely no side
effects.
Following the surprising results of his self experimentation, Diehl applied for and was
awarded U.S. Patent (#5,569,676) in October 29, 1996, for use of cetyl-myristoleate
in the treatment of osteoarthritis.
The word gets out
His physician was so impressed that he urged Diehl to publish his findings. With the
doctor's help, Diehl's paper was published in the Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences in
March 1994. The article caught the attention of a researcher at the San Diego Clinic
Immunological Center in California. Physicians there began treating patients with cetyl-myristoleate for a host of autoimmune disorders. They
witnessed remarkable results.
The evidence
Humberto Siemandi, M.D., Ph.D., the primary research administrator at the Hospital SM
in Baja, California, conducted a 32-week multi-center trial with 106 patients. The trial
was double-blind, randomized, and placebo-controlled. In other words, patients were
randomly assigned to receive any of three preparations for 30 days: plain cetyl-myristoleate;
cetyl-myristoleate enhanced with glucosamine hydrochloride, sea cucumber,
and hydrolyzed cartilage; or a non-reactive compound. Approximately 20-percent of the
patients withdrew from the study because they could not handle the withdrawal from
nicotine, caffeine, or alcohol. These substances interfere with the action of cetyl-myristoleate
and were not allowed during the trial.
The results strongly suggest that both cetyl-myristoleate alone and cetyl-myristoleate with supporting nutrients may help treat
many forms of arthritis-based diseases, including psoriatic arthritis. Most of the
patients responded with one treatment course, but a few required a second course to
achieve complete and lasting results. Many of the patients included in the trial had
long-standing chronic conditions.
L.S. Macklas, Ph.D., conducted a second clinical trial involving 48 subjects. The group
represented a cross-section of ethnic and socioeconomic groups, and included 28 female
participants between the ages of 33 and 82, and 20 males aged 28 to 74. All patients had
either osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. The subjects received two 75-mg capsules of
cetyl-myristoleate each morning and each evening for four
to six days for symptoms that were mild-to-moderately severe. Those with
severe-to-crippling arthritis were given the same number of capsules for seven days,
followed by a seven-day, treatment-free period. A second trial of five-and-a-half days
followed. All the patients showed improvement after just three days. They continued to
improve, even if their condition was mild enough to not require additional capsules (see
table on page 32).
Personal stories
Many anecdotal reports of cetyl-myristoleate's
effectiveness have come across my desk. They come from physicians who have been impressed
with the results their patients have received. Among them are patients like Anna: She not
only experienced continued relief for her arthritis, but her asthma also improved. Another
patient named Luke was suffering from emphysema as well as rheumatoid arthritis. Both
conditions improved after he took two courses of treatment with cetyl-myristoleate.
Rick took an aggressive treatment for ankylosing spondylitis. His protocol included cetyl-myristoleate,
vitamin C, curcumin, lipoic acid, and a low-calorie, high-protein diet. He wrote in a
consumer response questionnaire: "The overall effect was extremely positive --
complete remission of all symptoms and indications." He added that he experienced
improvement in five days, and continued toward maximum improvement of 90 percent in just
10 days. Rick is monitoring his status now and checking for recurrence. Although many
patients have remained symptom-free, some need additional treatments periodically.
Safety
Cetyl-myristoleate is extremely safe, does not
interfere with other nutrients, and even large doses -- up to several grams per trial --
usually cause no problem. Some patients have reported mild stomach upset. However, this
can usually be avoided by taking digestive enzymes with the capsules. Others have reported
some fatigue, but this may be due to the abrupt discontinuation of caffeine, nicotine, and
alcohol.
What exactly is cetyl-myristoleate?
Cetyl-myristoleate is a waxy substance derived from the tallow of beef.
It is similar in structure and activity to fatty acids. Although we don't know exactly how
cetyl-myristoleate works, it is believed to act on memory
T-cells in the immune system; i.e., it may "re-program" them so they do not
attack one's own connective tissues. That is why it is so effective for autoimmune
disorders, or those in which the body attacks itself. However, as I discussed above,
several disorders that do not necessarily involve joints are rheumatic in nature. All
these disorders cause pain, inflammation, and swelling. Cetyl-myristoleate
can help relieve all these errant immune responses.
Dietary changes
You guessed it! For a natural treatment to work, you need to modify your diet. Cetyl-myristoleate can be difficult to absorb, and it is
important to avoid foods that might interfere with it. As I mentioned above, you must
avoid caffeine, chocolate, alcohol, and nicotine. Additionally, large amounts of competing
fats, such as butter, margarine, and oils, should be restricted or eliminated.
At this time, cetyl-myristoleate is not widely
available in health or natural food stores.
Conditions that cetyl-myristoleate may benefit
Rheumatoid arthritis
Emphysema
Osteoarthritis
Lupus erythematosus
Gout
Crohn's disease
Fibromyalgia
Sjogren's syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Polymyalgia rheumatica
Ankylosing spondylitis
Back pain
STUDY RESULTS - Cetyl-myristoleate
Group 1
Mild to moderately severe osteoarthritis and reactive psoriatic arthritis.
- Rapid improvement in 60 hours, reaching 70% - 80%; overall improvement by the end of
four days.
- Half experienced return of mild symptoms in three to five weeks.
- Second treatment left them symptom-free, as they remain.
Group 2
Severe to crippling rheumatoid arthritis.
- Initially, four were unable to walk, and one could not sit in a wheelchair.
- After 20 days, five showed improvement, and three were totally free of pain with
almost complete return of joint mobility.
- All but two were totally pain-free and had recovered mobility in their joints. One of
the two had abused steroids as an athlete and the other had cirrhosis of the liver.
Group 3
Mild to moderately severe rheumatoid arthritis.
- After 14 days, nine patients reported continuing improvement even though treatment
was finished.
Group 4
Severe to crippling osteoarthritis.
- Initially, three were unable to walk, and the other 11 used canes or walkers.
- All had pain, inflammation and marked deformity.
- After 20 days, all but one subject reported 90% improvement.
- One subject was non-responsive because of liver damage caused by sports-related
steroid abuse.
L.S. Macklas, Ph.D. CMOTM (cerasomal-cis-9-cetylmynstoleate): study on dose
effectiveness and patient response. Unpublished study.
Drawbacks of anti-arthritis drugs
- Acetaminophen can cause liver damage.
- Aspirin can cause extreme irritation to the stomach.
Methotrexate, an anti-cancer drug, may suppress bone marrow function and cause severe
liver damage.
- Corticosteroids are powerful anti-inflammatory drugs. Side effects include fluid
retention, loss of muscle mass, impaired wound healing, and menstrual irregularities.
- Cyclosporin, a neurotoxin, can diminish cognitive function and nerve responsiveness |
