Welcome to Dr. James Wilson's Adrenal Fatigue Blog

Why Dr. Wilson Formulated Adrenal Fatigue Dietary Supplements

I am often asked why I formulated dietary supplements for adrenal fatigue. During my practice, the idea had been on my mind for a number of years. I saw early in my clinical work that most people suffering from adrenal fatigue need more than just lifestyle changes and alterations in their food intake. When the adrenals respond to stress, cell metabolism has to speed up, burning through many times the number of nutrients normally needed. By the time the adrenals reach the state of adrenal fatigue, the cells have used up much of the body’s store of certain nutrients and are in desperate need of new supplies to continue to minimally function, let alone recover. Normally, good quality food is the best source of these nutrients, but once depleted, the adrenals need more than diet alone is likely to provide. I found, clinically, that supplementing with specific concentrated nutrients markedly increased my patients’ ability to strengthen adrenal function and
recover their health.

I began using adrenal extract tablets with my patients with adrenal fatigue and found that they slowly improved over time, but their progress was too slow for my liking, no matter which adrenal concentrate they took. However, by combining concentrated, hormone-free extracts of the glands most involved in the stress response, we were able to achieve much better outcomes than we had using them singly. Applying my knowledge of nutrition, I started adding specific nutrients one at a time, and through trial and error discovered that most people suffering from adrenal fatigue and similar stress related health problems need much more of some nutrients than others. As nutrient after nutrient was added, people began responding and recovering more and more quickly, and then recovering more fully. At first, I treated each person individually, trying to determine their optimum dosage for each nutrient. Over time, though, it became apparent that most people with adrenal fatigue need the same nutrients, only varying in quantity depending upon severity. The more severe the adrenal fatigue, the more of these specific nutrients they needed to sustain themselves, function well and recover fully.

At the time, the dietary supplements on the market that focused on adrenal health lacked the clinical effectiveness I wanted and deemed necessary for my patients. To obtain adequate nutritional support for sustained improvement, it was often necessary for my patients to take 17 to 24 different supplements (60 to 80 tablets or capsules) per day – a regime that became very frustrating for both them and me to manage and maintain. Frequently, I would prescribe a particular supplement but my patient would walk out of the drugstore or health food store with a different one that was on sale or promoted by an employee or another customer. Inconsistencies among different brands in ingredients, potency, quality, raw materials sources, processing methods and other factors that affect clinical effectiveness undermined the reliability of results I was after. I was frustrated in general by the inconsistency of dietary supplements from one bottle to the next of the same product from the same company. Even formulas that appeared to be excellent, from reputable companies, often performed unreliably. In any recovery program, it is important to limit variables to clearly track the program’s effectiveness and make meaningful improvements. To better do this, I soon began carrying supplements in my office as a way of controlling which products my patients were taking and monitoring their compliance with the program by checking their reorder rates. This improved our results, but also made me aware that some companies change their formulas periodically, often without notice, and that my patients’ progress and recovery varied with these changes.

I decided to formulate a single dietary supplement and an herbal supplement specifically to support patients with adrenal fatigue. From my previous years of formulating, I knew that it is not just the individual ingredients, but how they act synergistically that produces the best and most effective supplements. Drawing on this formulating expertise, scientific research and years of clinical experience, I incorporated the ingredients that I found to be most useful for my patients in forms and proportions that enhanced their effectiveness. My goal was to create adrenal fatigue supplements that would work comprehensively in the body, show improved clinical effectiveness, significantly help recovery, and be compatible with a daily program that was easy for patients to consistently maintain.

The resulting supplements were Adrenal Exhaustion Formula and Herbal Adrenal Support Formula®, which I formulated while writing Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome and mention in the book. Through the book I wanted to help people understand the effects of stress on their bodies and adrenal glands, show them how to determine if they were experiencing adrenal fatigue, and provide a comprehensive self-help guide for recovery. By making Adrenal Exhaustion Formula and Herbal Adrenal Support Formula® available in addition to the book, I hoped to optimize the ability of people to fully recover from varying degrees of adrenal fatigue and increase their stress hardiness.  

To make Herbal Adrenal Support Formula®, I drew on scientific research, my years of clinical experience with natural medicine and my formulating skills to combine four high quality, organically grown, adaptogenic herbs that each offer benefits to the stressed body. Taken together two to three times a day and once before bedtime, they help balance functioning of the hypothalamic/pituitary/adrenal (HPA) axis that regulates the stress response and adrenal activity. The result of this balance is an increased inner calmness and steadiness that allows people under stress or with adrenal fatigue to function on a more even keel during the day and sleep more soundly at night.

Unfortunately, just before the book came out in November, 2001, the company that was to manufacture and distribute Adrenal Exhaustion Formula opted out. This was a problem as the book had already gone to press and I could not find another company to handle the supplement. To keep my commitment to with the people who would read and use my book, I decided to produce it myself. After considerable searching, I found a small company willing to manufacture 200 bottles of Adrenal Exhaustion Formula at a time. I placed my first order in the early spring of 2002, paying for it with my personal credit card. I thought most of the 200 bottles would end up sitting on the shelf until the expiry date, and that would be the end of it – but at least I had maintained the integrity of what I said in the book.
 
Surprisingly, Adrenal Exhaustion Formula began to sell. My wife and I have reflected on this and to this day we do not know how that happened. Only a few copies of the book had sold, the shopping cart on the website did not work, and the phone seldom rang, but somehow those first 200 bottles disappeared from the shelf. I ordered 200 more and, low and behold, those sold too, so I ordered 500 more thinking that would be the last order. When I saw that these were selling, I realized that this formula was meeting a real need, and I began to look at what more I could do to create and provide the best products and program that would allow doctors to deal effectively with adrenal fatigue and help the many people who suffered needlessly from it.

I decided to split Adrenal Exhaustion Formula into two supplements: a nutrient formula and a glandular. This would make it easier to adapt to individual requirements. Some people experiencing the effects of stress only need nutritional support, and proper nutritional support will keep them from slipping into adrenal fatigue. Whereas people who have already developed adrenal fatigue would get the most benefit from the glandular extract component of the product plus the nutrient portion. So after those 500 bottles of Adrenal Exhaustion Formula sold, I split it into two products: Adrenal Rebuilder® and Super Adrenal Stress Formula®.

Adrenal Rebuilder® contains concentrated glandular extracts, processed to have their hormones removed, that provide bioavailable building blocks to strengthen structure and vitalize function at a fundamental level in the adrenals, hypothalamus, pituitary and gonads – the main endocrine glands involved in the stress response. The glandular extracts work so deeply that it usually takes several weeks, or even months, to notice their effects, but these effects are profound and form the foundation for lasting results.
 
Super Adrenal Stress Formula® contains specific nutrients required in adrenal hormone production and needed by cells throughout the body to maintain healthy function and recover when under stress. The actions of these nutrients are much quicker to produce effects and people tend to notice a difference within a few days.

By creating two separate supplements out of Adrenal Exhaustion Formula, the quantities of the nutrients and/or glandular extracts could be adjusted more precisely to individual needs. My intention was that when adrenal fatigue was present, doctors could use the Adrenal Rebuilder® to help their patients’ run-down adrenal glands build up strength, sound structure and function along with the Super Adrenal Stress Formula® to supply the nutrients needed for healthy adrenal hormone production. If their patients were under stress but adrenal function was adequate, they could use just Super Adrenal Stress Formula® to replenish the nutrients rapidly used up during stress, thus helping to maintain adrenal function and avoid adrenal fatigue.

I found the two formulas together worked beautifully for adrenal fatigue, and Super Adrenal Stress Formula® soon proved to be a stand-alone supplement that supported people under stress better than anything else I had ever used. Observing their effects, I began to refer to Adrenal Rebuilder® as the “mechanic” and Super Adrenal Stress Formula® as the “accelerator” for the adrenals. While Adrenal Rebuilder® works down in the “engine” repairing and tuning, Super Adrenal Stress Formula® provides the nutrient “fuel” input that speeds up adrenal output. In most cases, taking Super Adrenal Stress Formula® made people feel much more in balance and calm. If they took too much, the B vitamins made some people a little jittery or speedy, but in those cases it was simple to reduce the dose until they felt balanced. People started writing and calling to tell us how much they were benefitting from these two products, and this became the most important reason, to me, for forming a company that could continue and expand this work. I realized that if we did not, there was nowhere else people could get products that worked like these. Since I had seen the suffering of people experiencing stress disorders and adrenal fatigue for many years, I became even more committed to establishing a successful company that would never compromise on quality or effectiveness. I wanted people to be able to always count on us to provide them with products that worked harmoniously with the natural processes of their bodies to maintain and noticeably reinvigorate their health. It was – and is – important to me to help as many people as possible to once again be in balance and know sustainable health, regardless of how long they have experienced the discouragement of struggling alone with adrenal fatigue or related health problems.

As I began looking at what else I could do to support this rapidly growing group of stressed people, I noticed an interesting paradox. The adrenal glands use more vitamin C per cell than any other organ or gland in the body, especially during stress, but people with adrenal fatigue are mildly acidic and vitamin C is acidic in its most common ascorbic acid form. The adrenals do not need more acid, but they do need more vitamin C. So the question was how to resolve this dilemma. I soon realized that if I balanced the pH of the ascorbic acid with minerals needed for adrenal hormone production and the stress response, I could not only balance the pH of the vitamin C supplement but also provide a valuable source of minerals essential to adrenal function. In addition, bioflavonoids could be added to the formula in a 2:1 ratio of ascorbic acid to bioflavonoids that is similar to the ratio found in nature. Bioflavonoids in this ratio almost double the activity of the vitamin C and also have their own wonderful uses in helping modulate stress. This formula provided a unique vitamin C designed for people experiencing stress and/or adrenal fatigue that was pH-balanced, provided needed minerals and the bioflavonoids that enhance and always appear with ascorbic acid in nature. The resulting supplement, Adrenal C Formula®, is the complete stress vitamin C that I mention in the book and has proved to also be a superior vitamin C that can be taken by anyone. People soon began reporting another advantage – it did not burn their stomachs like other vitamin C supplements had. Some said it was the only form of vitamin C they could take, and took it even though they did not have adrenal fatigue. This was welcome, but unexpected.

As I reviewed the supplements, it struck me that both the Super Adrenal Stress Formula® and Adrenal C Formula® contained water soluble vitamins. I knew from my studies in nutrition that when a large amount of water soluble vitamins are consumed at once, the body spills the excess out into the urine and sweat. This elimination happens as a reflex response, often before the cells can absorb as much of these nutrients as they may need. My challenge was to convert both the Adrenal C and Stress Formula into a sustained release format that would make the nutrients more bio-available at the cellular level. After several months of research and collaboration with a new, more knowledgeable manufacturer, we developed an integrated sustained release mechanism that allowed the nutrients to be absorbed gradually over four to five hours and the caplet to retain its sustained release properties even when it was cut into smaller pieces (as some people liked to do). It was more expensive to manufacture and took more work to develop, but was worth it because we now had two products that facilitated better cell saturation for optimal availability and performance.

This completed what we now call the Adrenal Quartet: Adrenal Rebuilder® is the deep acting restorer that provides bioavailable raw material for the glands of stress to build and strengthen their structure and function; Super Adrenal Stress Formula® is the energy controller that provides an optimal balance of sustained release nutrients essential for more energy through better adrenal hormone production and for healthy cellular stress recovery throughout the body; Adrenal C Formula® is the protective antioxidant that provides pH balanced, sustained release vitamin C optimally enhanced by bioflavonoids and minerals needed during stress; and Herbal Adrenal Stress Formula®  is the calm, steady balancer and sleep soother that combines herbs specially selected to help balance the HPA axis, which is central to the stress response and healthy adrenal function.

As I worked with various people taking these supplements, I developed protocols for their combined use that maximizes their therapeutic value, and codified these protocols as my Program for Adrenal Fatigue and Stress. Together these four supplements used according to the guidelines of this program achieved my goal to create adrenal fatigue supplements that would work comprehensively in the body, show improved clinical effectiveness, significantly help recovery, and be compatible with a daily program that was easy for patients to consistently maintain. This program, accompanied by the lifestyle improvements and dietary changes
described in detail in the book, has been the best way I have found to help people with adrenal fatigue – making recovery from adrenal fatigue is not only possible, but probable. The benefits of strong, healthy adrenals include steady energy, sound sleep, responsive immune function, proper hormonal balance, the ability to concentrate, and the ability to handle and rebound from stress.  

For more than 20 years in my practice, I witnessed the impact of helping people recover from adrenal fatigue on many levels. My intention with these formulas was to facilitate my patients’ recovery from adrenal fatigue, and provide a better, easier way for them to receive the highest quality, targeted nutritional support on a deep and effective level. Never did I imagine the demand was such that those original formulas would actually grow into what has now come to be known as the Future Formulations brand of dietary supplements. My desire is to use my knowledge and experience to help others put their health into their own hands – which is why the Future Formulations mission reads, “To help people help themselves to health with doctor designed dietary supplements that enhance the body’s own natural processes for health.” I continue to pursue this mission through educating health care professionals and developing equally unique and effective formulas targeted to areas of health that are currently underserved, such as blood sugar balance and long-term immune enhancement.

Yours in health,

Dr. James L. Wilson

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Morning Cortisol Levels

Medical professionals would do well to look at their fatigued patients in terms of their morning cortisol levels. By allowing their patient’s adrenal glands to function at optimal levels, cortisol levels become normalized, allowing their bodies to more effectively regulate blood sugar levels optimizing not only energy production, but optimizing health and wellness in general. Dr. Wilson, the “stress” doctor and world authority on fatigue, stress and adrenal function actually coined the phrase “adrenal fatigue” in 1998. Dr. Wilson found through his extensive research spanning over 30 years that there is almost no part of the body which is not affected to some degree by cortisol. The following study highlights the importance of salivary cortisol testing correlating with fatigue and appeared in the March 2008 issue of JCEM, Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, one of the four journals published by The Endocrine Society.
 
People who suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) often endure months of persistent fatigue, muscle pain, and impaired memory and concentration. Understanding the physiological changes that accompany CFS, however, has been difficult, but a new study accepted for publication in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM) reveals that abnormally low morning concentrations of the hormone cortisol produced by the adrenal glands, may be correlated with more severe fatigue in CFS patients, especially in women.

"We’re learning more and more about the complexities of the illness that is chronic fatigue syndrome," said William C. Reeves, M.D., with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, and lead author of the study. "This research helps us draw a clearer picture in regards to how CFS affects people, which ultimately will lead to more effective management of patients with CFS."
 
For their study, the researchers screened 19,381 residents of Georgia, selecting 292 people who had CFS, 268 who were considered chronically unwell, and 163 who were considered well to participate. The researchers then measured free cortisol concentrations in saliva, which was collected on regular workdays, immediately upon awaking and 30 minutes and 60 minutes after awakening. The data indicated different profiles of cortisol concentrations over time among the groups, with the CFS group showing an attenuated morning cortisol profile.

Study participants were purposely screened and enrolled from the community, rather than from volunteers identified at a specialty referral clinic. The purpose of this study design was to provide results that would be more generalized to the population suffering from CFS. In this study, women with CFS exhibited significantly lower morning cortisol profiles when compared with well women.
 
This study confirms previous research indicating that CFS is related to an imbalance in the normal interactions among the various systems of the body that work together to manage stress. "People with CFS have reduced overall cortisol output within the first hour after they wake up in the morning, which is actually one of the most stressful times for the body," Dr. Reeves said. "We need further studies to better understand the relationship between morning cortisol levels and functional status of a patient suffering from CFS."

Founded in 1916, The Endocrine Society is the world’s oldest, largest, and most active organization devoted to research on hormones, and the clinical practice of endocrinology. Today, The Endocrine Society’s membership consists of over 14,000 scientists, physicians, educators, nurses and students in more than 80 countries. Together, these members represent all basic, applied, and clinical interests in endocrinology. To learn more about the Society, and the field of endocrinology, visit http://www.endo-society.org.
 
If the Endocrine Society takes salivary cortisol and CFS seriously enough to publish these results in their prestigious journal, why does the medical profession (and particularly the endocrinologists) not take note and finally regard that low morning cortisol is linked with fatigue, with adrenal fatigue to be more precise?

Eric Bakker ND

Sleep Disruptions Can Be Adrenal Fatigue

One major thing I have gained from Dr. Wilson’s vast understanding of the role of hypopthalmic - pituitary - and adrenal function (the HPA axis) is that an excellent night’s sleep is very much the result of a balanced HPA axis. If you suffer from a cortisol imbalance, you will not only have energy disturbances, you will have sleep disturbances! Do you have an issue with sleep? Then please read this article. I know it may seem a bit top heavy on the technical side, but if you slowly go through the material it will make a lot of sense. You can gain a great amount of understanding about stress, insomnia and energy by understanding Dr. Wilson’s work. Here is an excellent article from Dr. Wilson regarding sleep and cortisol.

Eric Bakker ND

Stress and adrenal function affect sleep, particularly the circadian pattern of cortisol secretion by the adrenal glands. Circulating cortisol normally rises and falls throughout the 24 hour daily cycle, and is typically highest at around 8 AM and lowest between midnight and 4 AM. Both high and low nighttime cortisol levels can interrupt sound sleep. Stress normally causes a surge in adrenal hormones like adrenaline and cortisol that increase alertness, making it more difficult to relax into sound sleep – especially when they remain high or rise and fall irregularly through the night. Frequent or constant stress can chronically elevate these hormone levels, resulting in a hypervigilant state incompatible with restful sleep.

If this is the reason for poor sleep, anything that reduces stress and enhances the ability to handle stress may improve sleep. This can include relaxation, breathing and/or meditation techniques, certain yoga postures, healthy lifestyle changes, and stress-relieving life alterations. Refraining from vigorous exercise in the evening and taking time to consciously relax before going to bed may calm the adrenals and help lower cortisol and adrenaline levels.

When the adrenals fatigue, adrenal hormone levels may become low, leading to another possible source of nighttime sleep disruption – low blood sugar. Cortisol plays an important role in maintaining blood sugar (glucose) levels around the clock. Although blood glucose is normally low by the early morning hours, during adrenal fatigue cortisol levels may not stay sufficient to adequately sustain blood glucose. Low glucose signals an internal alarm (glucose is the main fuel for all cells, including brain cells) that disrupts sleep so the person can wake up and refuel.
 
Low nighttime blood glucose can also result from inadequate glycogen reserves in the liver. Cortisol causes these reserves to be broken down into glucose that is then available to the cells. When low cortisol and low glycogen reserves coincide, blood glucose will most likely drop, disrupting sleep. Waking between 1 AM and 3 AM may indicate low blood sugar resulting from inadequate glycogen reserves in the liver, low adrenal function and cortisol, or both. This is often the culprit when panic or anxiety attacks, nightmares, or fitful, restless sleep occur between 1 and 4 AM.
 
If low blood sugar is disrupting sound sleep, supporting healthy adrenal function and dealing with the adrenal fatigue may contribute long term to sound sleep. Also having a healthy snack before bed can help fortify the body’s nighttime energy reserves. The snack should be one or two bites of food that contains protein, unrefined carbohydrate, and high quality fat, such as half a slice of whole grain toast with peanut butter or a slice of cheese on a whole grain cracker. Eating or drinking sugary, refined foods will only aggravate the problem. Sometimes exercising before bed can help, since exercise tends to raise cortisol levels.

Lack of sleep can be a significant body burden that, in itself, can contribute to adrenal fatigue. Every time the wake/sleep cycle is altered, it takes several days to weeks for the body and cortisol levels to adjust. In fact, sleep ranks with diet and regular exercise as an essential component of a healthy life. People on alternating shifts with less than three weeks between shift changes are continually hammering their adrenal glands and may become very susceptible to adrenal fatigue.
 
Chronic lack of sleep is now regarded as a health hazard and has been associated with several possible health consequences. These include lowered immunity with increased susceptibility to infections, impaired glucose tolerance, low morning cortisol levels, and increased carbohydrate cravings. Lack of sleep can also elevate circulating estrogen levels, upset hormonal balance, and slow healing and prolong the recovery period. These are in addition to the decreased alertness and concentration that most people experience when missing an inordinate amount of sleep.

The consensus from research and clinical observation is that it is necessary to sleep an average of eight hours per day. Some people need even more in the beginning phases of recovery from adrenal fatigue. A saliva cortisol test done at night and compared with daytime levels and with the test standards for those times will
help determine if either high or low cortisol may be interfering with sound sleep. If cortisol is a likely culprit, cortisol levels will be significantly higher or lower than normal for those times.

Yours in health,

Dr. James Wilson

Food For Thought – The Holidays & Adrenal Fatigue

If you are recovering from stress and adrenal fatigue and concerned about your food intake and energy as we enter the holiday season, here are some sensible, practical guidelines that have evolved over the past 20+ years of observation. I hope they will make it easy for you to eat in a relaxed manner and keep fat and food consumption at healthy levels without having to become a mathematician to count calories. They are simple guidelines, but if you follow them, they will have a profound, positive effect on your health.

1) Before you begin each meal, settle yourself, quiet your mind and body, take a couple of deep breaths and relax. This helps prepare your body for food by diverting the blood flow into your digestive system from your muscles. It also stimulates the nerves that control digestion, increasing the flow of digestive juices and
activating the muscles of the digestive system. This is an important step, so make sure you take the few moments it takes to do it every time you eat. You can still do this even if you are eating in public, or at a business meeting. Just sit quietly, take a couple of deep breaths, let the air out slowly and let yourself totally relax for those few seconds. No one need know what you are doing. If you cannot do this at the table, go to the washroom where there is more privacy.

2) Chew each bite of food at least 30 times per mouthful. Why? Several reasons. For one, the satiety mechanism for appetite (the sense that makes you feel full) is located in the hypothalamus, a primitive part of the brain. There is a 15-minute delay after your stomach is full before the hypothalamus tells you that you are full. Chewing gives this mechanism a chance to keep up with your present state of fullness.
Another reason for chewing each bite 30 times is that thorough chewing decreases the size of food particles which decreases the burden on your digestive system. This allows for better digestion. Still another reason is that the mere act of chewing helps the body relax and prepare to digest the food you are eating. And finally, people who chew their food thoroughly eat less than people who do not chew well.

3) Eat only until you are satisfied; not until you are completely full. The ancient Chinese doctors had a saying: "The first 70% is for yourself; the last 30% is for the doctor." If you only eat until you are satisfied, you will learn more accurately what your actual dietary needs are. People and animals who slightly under eat tend to live longer and have fewer health problems.

4) Don't force yourself to eat things you don't like just because they are "good for you."

5) Learn to taste and appreciate your food as you are eating.

6) Avoid all you can eat situations unless you have good self-control.

7) Remember, you do not have to clean up your plate.

8) Wait at least 20 minutes after the meals before eating desserts.

9) Have natural desserts such as fruit or dried fruit.

10) Have desserts only one or two times per week.

11) Listen to your body before, during and after every meal.

Eating consciously and providing your body with fresh, wholesome food can produce tremendous long-term benefits to your health, and help reverse the negative effects of stress and adrenal fatigue on your body.

Dr. Wilson’s Criteria for Effective Immune Enhancers

The human immune system is a magnificent and well-coordinated network of cells, organs, glands, and physiological processes. Nearly every cell, organ and tissue in the body is involved either directly or indirectly in the immune process. A portion of this elaborate network of immune defense is functional at birth (innate immunity) and the rest develops as the body interacts with the environment (acquired immunity).

Once the immune response has been suppressed to any significant degree, either by illness or by drugs such as corticosteroids, recovery is challenging and often requires extended time and treatment. Immune suppression adversely affects every system in the body.

As a researcher in immunology and as a practicing physician, I have investigated the science as well as the clinical data for many "immune enhancers." In the process of looking for the best among the many, I developed a set of performance criteria for their consistent evaluation. They are as follows:

1) Capable of deep action - able to make fundamental changes in immunity

2) Capable of sustained action - effectiveness does not dissipate or decrease with continued use over time

3) Produce broad immune stimulation

4) Enhance both humoral and cellular immunity

5) Effective in both acute and chronic conditions

6) Dose dependent

7) Versatile - beneficial for a number of health conditions

8) Safe and effective for all ages

9) Reliable - consistent quality, producing same effects time after time

10) Non-toxic

11) History of use in humans

12) Manufactured with high quality controls

13) Compatible with all medications

14) Easy to use

15) Few or no side effects

16) Improvement evident by both clinical observation and lab results

17) Economical

18) High user compliance

My goal has been to find substances that meet all the above criteria. One of the most promising I could find with a scientific basis for immune enhancement was the use of Lactobacilli cell walls and cell wall fractions. Of the various combinations commercially available, the cell wall fractions of specific strains of Lactobacillus bulgaricus (L. bulgaricus) appear to be the most potent.

The results of studies and historical use of dead L. bulgaricus cell walls and cell wall fractions clearly demonstrates the broad clinical effectiveness of enhancing the body's own defenses. In the presence of the dead L. bulgaricus cell wall fractions, the immune system is stimulated to become more responsive even though these cell wall fractions are harmless and not pathogenic.

Because of both the specific and general beneficial effects of dead L. bulgaricus cell walls and cell wall fractions, they have been shown to be effectively boost immune function in a broad range of acute and chronic clinical conditions. These include many upper and lower respiratory ailments such as bronchitis, pneumonia, tonsillitis, rhinitis, sinusitis, COPD and bronchial asthma, and even infectious conditions that are a result of treatment resistant bacteria or are of viral origin (Pedan '99). No bacterial resistance has developed, nor is it expected to be a factor because this mechanism works by strengthening natural immune responsiveness rather than acting directly on the pathogenic organisms.

Other Factors Contributing to Immunity

No matter how effectively a therapy supports immunity, lifestyle has a decisive influence on the outcome of that therapy. If nutritional intake is not sufficient, or air and water quality is poor, sleep is inadequate or of poor quality, or stress levels are too high, recovery cannot be expected to be either rapid or complete. Taking care of these problems may require dietary and habit change, allergy testing, nutritional supplements, environmental improvements, fitness training and psychological or stress management counseling before more focused therapies can produce the desired results.

As mentioned earlier, every cell, tissue and organ is involved in the immune process. Every factor that contributes to the vitality of the immune system is important to regaining or maintaining good health. As the cold and flu season is upon us, it is important to not only look for the best immune enhancers, but also to take personal responsibility for creating a healthy body to house a strong immune system. 

The Flu Shot & Adrenal Fatigue

Whether or not to get a flu shot is an individual decision, even if you have adrenal fatigue.

My reservation about the HINI flu shot is the same as it is about any other flu shot in any other year. Each flu vaccine only protects against one or two specific strains of influenza. However, there are many viruses and bacteria that make people ill, especially during the winter months. Vaccination against only one or two strains, albeit common or particularly virulent ones, does nothing to protect against the many other causes of flu and respiratory infections. I have had the same question posed to me by my staff and what I told them is that the most important thing you can do to protect yourself from this virus or any other cause of the flu or other upper respiratory ailment is to continually strengthen your immune function. Arm yourself by doing the key things that lead to a strong and responsive immune system:  
 
• Be proactive by regularly using (especially in the months preceding and during cold and flu seasons) the supplements that enhance and build your body’s own natural immune processes over time. 
 
• In addition, take approximately 2,000 mg per day of the best vitamin C you can find (sustained-release, pH balanced, with 1 mg of bioflavonoids for every 2 mg ascorbic acid), and 15 to 30 mg per day of zinc gluconate or picolinate. 
 
• Keep a quick-acting, natural immune booster on hand to help nip things in the bud in case something slips by your immune defenses. 
 
• Adopt an immune-hardy lifestyle by getting eight to nine hours of sleep a night; eating nutritious foods with abundant vegetables, whole grains and some fruits; avoid junk foods and driving yourself with caffeine; and exercise within your tolerance but without exhausting yourself. 
 
It is true that if you are going through adrenal fatigue, you are more vulnerable to respiratory infections. However, the steps listed above combined with proper adrenal support will go a long way toward helping you stay healthy during the winter. If you do get the flu, it will probably be much milder and shorter-lived than had you not taken care of yourself in this way. By continuing to support your adrenals, your recovery should be better, faster and stronger. An important thing to remember during the recovery phase is that once you begin to feel better, not to push yourself. Already this fall I know of two incidences where people with adrenal fatigue got the H1N1 virus, but with continued adrenal support recovered very quickly -- only to over extend themselves too soon, get exhausted and further weaken already challenged adrenals, and then become ill with another virus. Had they taken two more days to rest and recover, or had they also strengthened their immune systems, they would probably both have been fine. 
 
Having a flu shot can give you a false sense of security and lull you into believing you are protected from all flus, when in fact you are only protected from one or two specific pathogens. Taking care of your body and personal responsibility for your health, including preparing for the winter by strengthening your immunity as well as maximizing adrenal support if you have adrenal fatigue, is an important concept to understand.

Yours in health,

Dr. James Wilson 

 

Tracking Hidden Food Allergies and Sensitivities in Adrenal Fatigue

Food sensitivities can affect your life in subtle ways. They can manifest by increasing your fatigue, clouding your judgement, intensifying your anger and other emotional reactions, or just make you feel bad for no apparent reason. Here are some tools to help you learn which foods, drinks or substances are the offending agents -- and how to relieve your body's stress and speed your adrenal recovery time.

Food & Environmental Intolerances Questionnaire

Food and environmental intolerances affect your body's ability to function and can contribute to adrenal fatigue. A “Food & Environmental Intolerances Questionnaire” is available at our website at http://adrenalfatigue.org. It lists common signs and symptoms of food and environmental intolerances. They may or may not show up on allergy tests, but if you have many of these signs and symptoms, your body is likely reacting to one or more substances you are eating, drinking or have been exposed to. Once you determine which substance(s) is bothering you and remove it, you should see improvement, provided that your adrenal glands have the capacity to respond and recover.

Elimination/Provocation Confirmation Test

The elimination/provocation test is an accurate, inexpensive and easy way to confirm suspicions about food sensitivities/allergies. To do this, you simply eliminate the suspect food from your diet completely for at least three weeks and then reintroduce it. The first time you reintroduce the food, beverage or substance, it is best to have only a small amount (one or two mouthfuls). Do not eat or drink anything but water for approximately one hour before and two hours after you consume your test item. Take your pulse sitting quietly before eating the food and every 15 minutes after, for an hour. Record any emotional swings, mood changes, or alterations in mental clarity. Note if your energy level goes up or down. One of the most common reactions found in food allergies/sensitivities is to feel especially good, almost giddy, for 30-45 minutes after you ingest the test item, and then to fall into a real low.

If you still do not notice any detectable difference in your pulse, energy level mental clarity, mood or in any other way physically, mentally or emotionally, you are probably not sensitive to that food or perhaps your are only sensitive to it under certain conditions. If you do notice such changes, you are probably sensitive to that food substance. Eliminate this item completely from your diet.

ELISA IgE Test

Getting an ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay) IgE food allergy test is the best place to start with laboratory tests. The basic panel covers 90-100 foods, and the more comprehensive panels cover about 175 foods including spices, herbs, condiments and uncommon foods. Despite the usefulness of the ELISA tests, there are certain kinds of food reactions that they do not pick up. For these, the Cellular Immune Food Reaction Tests may be more useful.

Cellular Immune Food Reaction Tests

Also known as delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction tests (DTH) or activated cell tests (ACT), these are less common blood tests that can be valuable in detecting subtle or delayed allergies not caught by the ELISA. These tests look at the part of the immune system’s response to food that can be delayed up to three days after eating the food. Such food allergies are seldom discovered by observations and are not picked up by the usual food panels.

Food Allergies, Sensitivities and Adrenal Fatigue

It is hard to say which is more important when you have adrenal fatigue – what to eat or what not to eat! Eating the wrong foods or combination of foods can throw you off for hours and even days, so do not event try to sneak something by; it is just not worth the price you have to pay. Make regaining your health a major priority and do not sacrifice it for the cheap gratification of a favorite, but unhealthy, food or drink. Pick the foods that are recommended for adrenal fatigue and stick with them. The further you deviate from them, the more problems you are likely to have and the more difficult it will be to balance your body chemistry. In order to heal and maintain your health, you need to stack as many things in your favor as possible.

Eliminate All Foods to Which You Are Allergic, Sensitive or Addicted

If you think that a particular food substance interferes in any way with achieving your optimum health, eliminate it immediately. If you suspect, but do not know which foods or beverages you are allergic, sensitive or addicted to, then it is important to find out. The adrenals are extremely important in all allergies, including food allergies and sensitivities. As your adrenal function improves, you will be less prone to allergies and will be able to eat more things. However, for the first three months, do not push the envelope. Completely eliminate all the foods you are sensitive to or suspect you are sensitive or allergic to. The idea is not to see how far you can test the limits; the idea is to get yourself well.

Role of Allergies in Adrenal Function

Most allergies involve the release of histamine and other pro-inflammatory substances (substances that produce inflammation). The adrenal hormone, cortisol, is a strong anti-inflammatory (a substance that reduces inflammation). Your circulating level of cortisol is the key factor in controlling the level of inflammatory reactions in your body. For this reason, your adrenal glands play an important role in mediating the histamine release and inflammatory reactions that produce the symptoms experienced with allergies. It is therefore not surprising that people with food and environmental allergies commonly have weak adrenal function.

• The more histamine that is released, the more cortisol it takes to control the inflammatory response and the harder the adrenals have to work to produce more cortisol.

• The harder the adrenals have to work, the more fatigued they become and the less cortisol they produce, allowing histamine to inflame the tissues more.

• This vicious circle can lead to progressively deeper adrenal fatigue as well as to larger allergic reactions.

• Anything you can do to break this cycle will help your adrenal glands and reduce the effects of allergies.

• Eliminating foods that you are allergic or sensitive to from your diet is one of the best and easiest ways to decrease the demands on your struggling adrenals.

Most symptoms of allergies or food sensitivities are first felt between thirty minutes and three hours after the meal, but some may be delayed as long as two to three days.

Because of the abundance of histamine receptors in your brain, an allergen will often cause a greater reaction in your nervous system than it does anywhere else. Ranging from subtle to profound, these cerebral allergy reactions can include such symptoms as a cloudy head, confusion, sudden awkwardness, loss of consciousness, coma and occasionally death.

Responses to particular foods and drinks vary from person to person but there are some food substances that tend to produce allergies more frequently. The most common food allergens are the proteins in cow's milk, eggs, peanuts, wheat, soy, fish, shellfish, and tree nuts. Sugar is not a common allergen, but it can greatly increase an allergic reaction. If you find yourself feeling odd or experiencing more of the signs and symptoms of adrenal fatigue after eating, think of allergies or food sensitivities.

Allergic reactions also vary in magnitude, even within the same individual. At one a time an allergen may produce only a small response, and at other times be incapacitating. It is important to track down and eliminate these food sensitivities and allergies in order to help you adrenal glands recover. 

The Adrenal Glands & The Flu

Recent media reaction to the "Swine Flu" has caused considerable alarm in many people. It is important to protect the adrenal glands as they are one of the key responders to flu and are important in the body's response and recovery.

The main purpose of your adrenals is to enable your body to deal with stress from every possible source, ranging from injury and disease to work and relationship problems. Your propensity to develop certain kinds of diseases and your ability to respond to chronic illness is influenced significantly by the adrenal glands.

During the severe flu epidemic of 1918 that killed an estimated 50-100 million worldwide, 103 of 126 autopsies revealed that the adrenals had been severely affected. In fact, it was postulated that the reason for death may have been adrenal exhaustion rather than the pathogen itself. In another study from the same epidemic, people taking adrenal extracts fare much better through the course of the disease than those who did not.

This strain of flu has been identified as Influenza type A/H1N1, a mutant combination of swine, bird and human influenza viruses, now believed to have likely originated in humans, not pigs. Although a number of people have died with this flu, type A influenzas more typically run their course without complications and end with a full recovery. This type of flu virus usually only severely affects the weak, the sick, the very young and the very old.

So I strongly advise supporting and strengthening adrenal function and your immune system if adrenal fatigue or other related health concerns are present. Our adrenal fatigue website at http://adrenalfatigue.org/ provides information about what is available to effectively support the adrenals.

Additional Measures

Additional measures that help protect against infectious disease include following the usual precautions of washing hands after handling money or shaking hands, and avoiding people who have the flue or are likely carriers of infection.

If someone in the family has the flu, it is especially important to:

• Wash your hands after contact
• Wash all dishes using chlorine bleach (one tablespoon per gallon) in very hot water or the sanitize cycle on the dish washer
• Use separate towels and keep the sick person away from other family members when at all possible

The most common ways to spread infectious disease, besides sneezing and coughing in close proximity, is through commom:

• Handling of telephone,
• Remote controls,
• Doorknobs, and
• Bathroom sink handles

These should be disinfected daily during this time, especially if they are shared.

When traveling, it can really make a difference to:

• Take along moist sterilizing pads
• Wipe down the above items in the hotel room with the sterilizing pads
• Wear a mask while in flight

Sleep & Adrenal Fatigue

People are becoming more aware of the ravages of stress and how it leaks into every corner of their lives. Of course, increased stress means increased sleep disturbances for many. Less sleep means they experience more stress the day after. This pattern continues in a vicious cycle, making stress and sleep loss in terms of hours and quality intimately interconnected.

If stress has somewhat depleted the adrenal glands, which is often the case, people under stress do not wake feeling rested. Cortisol, an adrenal hormone, is needed to allow that person to wake feeling refreshed and bouncing out of bed in the morning. It is also important to induce an alpha wave, a requirement for the first phase of sleep. If cortisol is low, falling asleep is difficult. Cortisol is also necessary to maintain good blood sugar levels throughout the day and night. If cortisol is low during the day people wake feeling tired and often need coffee, cola and other caffeinated beverages to get going and to keep going during the day. This over consumption of caffeine not only causes blood sugar to rapidly rise and then precipitously fall an hour and a half later, but also tends to interfere with sleep that night. The resulting lack restful sleep creates more stress the next morning and perpetuates the cycle of low cortisol and difficulty sleeping. This low adrenal function is a frequent occurrence in both sleep disturbance and inadequate response to stress. During adrenal fatigue, a condition where the adrenal glands are not able to keep up with the demands placed on them, people often have problems managing their stress and sleeping well.

There can be several reasons for sleeplessness with adrenal fatigue. If you are waking between 1:00 and 3:00 AM, your liver may be lacking the glycogen reserves needed for conversion by the adrenals to keep the blood glucose levels high enough during the night. Blood sugar is normally low during the early morning hours but, if you are experiencing adrenal fatigue, your blood glucose levels may sometimes fall so low that hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) symptoms wake you during the night. This is often the case if you have panic or anxiety attacks, nightmares, or sleep fitfully between 1:00 and 4:00 AM. To help counteract this, have one or two bites of a snack that contains protein, unrefined carbohydrate, and high quality fat before going to bed, such as half a slice of whole grain toast with peanut butter or a slice of cheese on a whole grain cracker.

Both too high and too low nighttime cortisol levels can cause sleep disturbances. To determine if this is a problem for you, simply do a saliva cortisol test at night and compare your night sample levels with your own daytime levels and with the test standards for those times. To do the night test, take a saliva sample at bedtime, another if you wake up during the night and a third when you wake up in the morning. Write the time each sample was taken on the vial and in your notebook on a separate sheet of paper. If cortisol is the culprit, your cortisol levels will be significantly higher or lower than normal for those times. If your nighttime cortisol levels are too low, you may sleep better when you exercise in the evening, before going to bed because exercise tends to raise cortisol levels. If your nighttime cortisol levels are too high, try doing one of the relaxation or meditation exercises to calm you down before going to bed. The specific yoga posture called the alternate leg-pull can be quite helpful in getting to sleep or returning to sleep. This is a basic yoga posture that almost any yoga book or video will describe but an instructor is preferable because there is some subtlety to doing this posture.

Here is a list of some additional things you can do to improve your sleep:

• Above all, go to bed before 10:30 PM and stay in bed until 9:00AM as often as possible, even if it is just on the weekends. It is amazing how restorative sleeping until 9:00 AM is for the adrenals.
• Be sure to get enough physical exercise during the day. Try varying the kinds of exercise you do, their intensity or when you exercise. Many people have told me swimming at night helps them sleep.
• Certain postures in yoga, ta'I chi and qi gong can also be helpful. Check with a teacher of these disciplines to find out which postures or exercises would specifically help you.
• Avoid coffee, caffeine containing beverages and chocolate because they act as stimulants. These can interrupt sleep patterns and increase morning lows. Even if they are consumed early in the day, they can disrupt sleep and make the next morning harder to negotiate.
• Some people are photosensitive and watching television or looking at at computer screen keeps their melatonin from rising and inducing sleep. If you are having difficulty going to sleep and usually are staring at a TV or computer screen late at night, try having an 8:00 PM limit on these visual stimuli.
• If your cortisol levels are low late at night, try exercising in the evening, as exercise raises cortisol levels and may afford you a sound night's sleep.
  
• There are particular nutritional supplements that can be beneficial. Often melatonin (0.3-1.3 mg) taken 30 minutes before bedtime helps establish normal sleep patterns. Calcium citrate (500mg) taken with 50 mg of 5-hydroxytriptophan (5HTP) at night before retiring is also relaxing and helps many people sleep throughout the night. Trace mineral tablets taken at the evening meal also help relax the body. Adrenal extracts taken ½ hour before bedtime often help those with adrenal fatigue fall asleep and remain asleep. If your adrenal fatigue is moderate or severe, try this one first.
• The hypothalamus is very important in regulating sleep. Although accurately testing hypothalamic function is complicated, a simple test you can do yourself is to try takig one to four tablets of hypothalamus extract and 10-40mg of manganese before bedtime and see if your sleep improves. Sometimes the hypothalamus tablets need to be combined with the adrenal extracts to normalize sleep.
  
• There are also several herbs commonly used to promote better sleep such as hops (whole plant), catnip (leaves), valerian (root) and licorice (root). Although not known as a sedative, the herb ashwagandha can help indirectly through its ability to normalize cortisol and sex hormones, both of which can produce sleep disturbances.

If none of these help and your life is being deleteriously affected by lack of or interrupted sleep, check your local area for the location of the nearest sleep center. Several cities around the country have these centers that specialize in helping individuals determine the cause of their sleep disturbances.

Take Short Horizontal Rests During the Day

During the day, you will probably notice that you have particular times when you feel more lethargic, cloudy headed, tired or have other symptoms of adrenal fatigue. Try to schedule your breaks so that when these occur, you can physically lie down for 15-30 minutes. Lying down is much more restorative than sitting for the person with adrenal fatigue.