From a member of our international sup****t group of women harmed by
breast implants:
www.BreastimplantAwareness.org/
As many of us silicone victims have discovered, we're dealing with
systemic inflammation - no wonder we get ill, anxious, and depressed -
that doctors think we're being overdramatic is frustrating, to say the
least. Here's some related information:
Vaccines, Depression and Neurodegeneration After Age 50
By Russell L. Blaylock, M.D., CCN
It has been estimated that 14.8 million Americans suffer from major
depressive disorder and of this number 6 million are elderly. If we
include anxiety disorders, which commonly accompany depression, the
number jumps to 40 million adults. At a cost of $44 billon dollars a
year just for care of the seniors, this impacts the national budget as
well.
Depression later in life tends to last longer and be more severe than
at younger ages. It is also associated with a high rate of suicide.
Previously, it was thought that major depression was secondary to a
deficiency in certain neurotransmitters in the brain, particularly the
monoamines, which include s*****onin, norepinephrine and dopamine.
While alterations in these im****tant mood-related neurotransmitters is
found with major depression, growing evidence indicates that the
primary culprit is low-grade, chronic brain inflammation.
In addition, we now know that inflammatory cytokines can lower
s*****onin significantly and for long periods by a number of different
mechanisms.
MSG and Depression
Researchers have also discovered that most people with major
depressive disease (MDD) have higher levels of the neurotransmitter
glutamate in their spinal fluid (CSF) and blood plasma. This is the
same glutamate found as a food additive-for example, MSG (monosodium
glutamate), hydrolyzed proteins, calcium or sodium casienate, soy
protein isolate, vegetable protein concentrate or isolate, etc.
Much of the free glutamate in the brain of depressed people comes from
within, that is it escapes from special cells within the brain itself
(microglia and astrocytes). Free glutamate, that is, existing outside
the neurons, is very toxic to brain connections and brain cells
themselves -- mainly by a process called excitotoxicity.
This connection between high brain glutamate levels and major
depression was discovered quite by accident, when researchers observed
that the anesthetic drug ketamine could relieve depression for a
prolonged period. Ketamine is a powerful blocking drug for a class of
glutamate receptors (NMDA receptors).
For quite some time it was known that depression could cause a loss of
neurons in the hippocampus of the brain-the area most im****tant for
recent memory (declarative memory or working memory), the form of
memory most affected in Alzheimer's disease.
This shrinkage of the brain usually occurred with long-term
depression, yet it was shown, using sophisticated testing, that even
without brain shrinkage, memory could be adversely affected. Some
antidepressants could not only reverse the memory loss but could
reverse the shrinkage as well.
The implication was that the elevated brain glutamate, via
excitotoxicity, was destroying brain connections and later killing
brain cells in the hippocampus and that the antidepressants were
lowering brain glutamate levels. Subsequent studies have confirmed
that drugs that block excitotoxicity also reduce depression and that
some antidepressants reduce brain glutamate levels.
The Link Between Elevated Brain Glutamate and Inflammation
A tremendous amount of research has now demonstrated the link between
chronic low-level brain inflammation, elevated brain glutamate levels
and major depression. We know that as we age, the level of
inflammatory immune cytokines increase (such as interleukin-1ß (IL-1),
IL-6 and TNF-a). That is, the level of inflammation in our body
increases, with high levels being seen at the extremes of life -- the
80s and 90s.
This progressive elevation in the body's inflammation increases our
risk of a number of inflammation-linked diseases, such as cancer,
arthritis, muscle weakness, fatigue, sleep disturbances, memory loss
and confusion. People with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease have
even higher levels of these inflammatory cytokines -- much higher.
When inflammatory chemicals are elevated in the brain it makes brain
cells more vulnerable to a number of toxins, many of which are in the
environment. One study demonstrated, using a series of sophisticated
techniques, that if brain cells were exposed to low levels of a
pesticide there was little toxicity seen and that if you exposed these
same brain cells to an immune stimulant alone, little damage occurred.
But if you first exposed the brain cells to the immune stimulant, the
same low dose of pesticide could destroy a great number of brain
cells.
The im****tance of this observation was that the vaccine made the brain
cells hypersensitive to the toxin so that even in concentrations that
normally would do not cause harm, could wiped out most of the neurons.
One of the strongest connections between an environmental toxin
(pesticides) and a neurological disorder is with Parkinson's disease.
The reason it is more common in the elderly is that they have the
highest levels of inflammatory cytokines. This also explains the high
incidence of Alzheimer's disease, which reaches incidences of 50%
after age 80.
The link to depression was also serendipitous
Doctors using immune cytokines to treat patients with cancer or
hepatitis found that one third of the patients developed major
depressive illness within days of the treatment and that it resolved
only when the treatment was terminated. Other studies, in which
inflammatory cytokine levels were measured in people with major
depressive illness, also found most had high levels of these
inflammatory chemicals.
To their surprise, they found that many of the antidepressant
medications commonly used lowered inflammatory cytokines levels and
that patients who failed to respond had the highest level of the
cytokines.
So, how is this linked to excitotoxicity?
Neuroscientists have known for some time that inflammatory cytokines
cause the brain to release higher levels of glutamate -- the more
intense the inflammation, the higher the brain glutamate level. The
highest levels are found in the prefrontal lobes and limbic system,
the areas most related to mood control. MSG also increases brain
inflammation.
Vaccination and Brain Inflammation
A great number of studies have shown that when you vaccinate an
animal, the body's inflammatory cytokines not only increase
dramatically, but so do the brain's inflammatory chemicals. The brain
has its own immune system that is intimately connected to the body's
immune system. The main immune cell in the brain is called a
microglia. Normally, these brain cells are lying throughout the brain
in a resting state (called ramified).
Once activated, they can move around, traveling between brain cells
like amoeba (called amoeboid microglia).
In the resting state, they release chemicals that sup****t the growth
and protection of brain cells and their connections (dendrites and
synapses). But when activated, they secrete a number of very harmful
chemicals, including inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, complement,
free radicals, lipid peroxidation products, and two excitotoxins --
glutamate and quinolinic acid.
In essence, these brain immune cells are out to kill invaders, since
the body's immune system sent an emergency message that an invasion
had occurred. With most infections, this phase of activation last no
more than a few days to two weeks, during which time the immune system
successfully kills off the invaders.
Once that is accomplished, the immune system shuts down to allow
things to cool off and the brain to repair what damage was done by its
own immune system.
What researchers knew was that during this period of activation,
people generally feel bad and that what they experience closely
resembles depression -- a condition called "sickness behavior". Most
of us have experience this when suffering from a viral illness -- such
things as restlessness, irritability, a need to get away from people,
trouble sleeping, fatigue and difficulty thinking.
Studies have shown that there are two phases to this "sickness
behavior"; one in which we have the flu-like symptoms and a later
onset of depression-like symptoms that can last awhile. They have also
shown that all of these symptoms are due to high levels of
inflammatory cytokines in the brain, which come from activated
microglia.
A number of studies have also shown that after age 50, people have
exaggerated and prolonged "sickness behavior", much more so than
younger people. This is one of the reasons why many elderly hang onto
flu symptoms for months after exposure.
There is also another immune phenomenon that plays a major role in
vaccine-related brain injury. Researchers discovered that when you
vaccinate an animal, the brain microglia immune cells turn on
partially (called priming), that is, they are in a state of high
readiness. If the immune system is activated again soon after (days,
weeks to months), these microglia explode into action secreting levels
of their destructive chemicals far higher than normal. This
overreaction can be very destructive and make you feel very depressed.
Stimulating your immune system with a vaccine is far different than
contracting an infectious illness naturally. Vaccines are made of two
components -- the agent you wish to vaccinate against -- for example,
the measles virus; and an immune system booster called an immune
adjuvant.
These adjuvants are composed of such things as aluminum compounds,
MSG, lipid compounds and even mercury. Their job is to make the immune
system react as intensely as possible and for as long as possible.
Studies have shown that these adjuvants, from a single vaccine, can
cause immune overactivation for as long as two years. This means that
the brain microglia remain active as well, continuously pouring out
destructive chemicals. In fact, one study found that a single
injection of an immune activating substance could cause brain immune
overactivation for over a year. This is very destructive.
Flu Vaccines and an Expanding Vaccine Schedule for the Elderly
Public health authorities and physician societies are in an all out
campaign to have every elderly person vaccinated every year with the
flu vaccine as well as a growing number of newer vaccines. When I was
practicing neurosurgery, the hospitals had an automatic written order
on all older patients' charts mandating a flu vaccine, unless it was
countermanded by the physician, which I always did.
Now, they are giving the shots in malls, tents and every available
site they can muster. And worse still, using lies and scare tactics to
frighten the elderly into getting the shots (such as the bold lie that
36,000 elderly die of the flu every year).
As you age, your immune system, including that special immune system
in your brain, releases significantly more inflammatory immune
cytokines than when you were younger. This serves to prime the
microglia, as discussed. So, when you get your first flu shot your
microglia overreact and does so for a very long period -- perhaps
years.
Many elderly re****t that the flu shot gave them the flu. Proponents of
vaccines, retort with a condescending laugh; that it is impossible
because the flu vaccine contains killed flu viruses. In truth, what
these people are re****ting is a prolonged, intense "sickness behavior"
response to the vaccine. To the body, it is worse than getting the
flu.
Remember, no one is recording the number of elderly who die after
getting the flu shot, especially if they die months later, which can
happen with sickness behavior, especially if they have a preexisting
chronic illness or are infirm.
The Shocking Truth
With the elderly already having increased inflammatory cytokine levels
both systemically and in their brain, stimulating these primed
microglia so that a chronic overstimulation of the brain's immune
system is triggered, will not only increase their risk of developing
one of the neurodegenerative diseases, but will also substantially
increase their risk of developing major depression. Remember, this
also increases their risk of suicide, and even homicide, dramatically.
Anxiety is a major problem with depression, and vaccinations will
greatly worsen the condition. In fact, vaccination, especially
multiple vaccinations, will maintain the brain in a state of
inflammation that will be self-perpetuating, because the excess
release of glutamate in the brain, as well as glutamate in the diet,
will further enhance microglial activation and excitotoxicity.
Those who are prone to developing one of the neurodegenerative
diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease or Parkinson's disease will be
at a drastically increased risk as we have seen experimentally when
even animals exposed to subtoxic concentrations of environmental
toxins and vaccinated develop neurologic worsening.
Most people use pesticides in their home, and studies have shown that
the concentrations in homes are sufficient to trigger Parkinson's
disease in susceptible people. Vaccinations, as these studies have
shown, will greatly increase that risk. Most doctors are completely
unaware of this im****tant research.
You must keep in mind that "health authorities" urge the elderly to
get the flu vaccine each and every year. This will keep the microglia
in a primed and even activated state continuously. Recently,
neurologists announced that the incidence of neurodegenerative disease
had been grossly underestimated and that neurological diseases of
aging were increasing at a frightening rate. They have no explanation.
Over the last three decades the number of elderly receiving yearly flu
vaccines has risen from 20% before 1980 to over 60% today.
If this were not depressing enough, now the public health authorities
and medical specialty societies are adding a whole new set of vaccines
for those above 50 years of age, including the pneumococcal and
meningiococcal vaccines. What is being completely ignored by the
promoters of these vaccines is the effect of multiple doses of immune
adjuvant that accompany each of these vaccines.
Let's say you see your doctor and he talks you into getting the flu
vaccine, the pneumococcal and meningiococcal vaccine all during the
same office visit. That way, he can save you extra office visits. What
your doctor ignores is that he is giving you three doses of powerful
immune adjuvant all in one sitting, which means that your body and
brain are assaulted by a massive dose of powerful immune activators,
which have been proven to activate the brain's immune system to
dangerous levels, even when given as a single dose.
Proof of this mechanism exists not only in animal studies, but in
humans as well.
Mercury and Aluminum
There are other ways that vaccines can cause havoc in the brain. Most
vaccines contain aluminum compounds. A multitude of studies have shown
that aluminum, especially if combined with fluoride, is a powerful
brain toxin and that it ac***ulates in the brain. With each vaccine
injection, a dose of aluminum is given. These yearly aluminum
inoculations ac***ulate not only at the site of the injection, but
travel to the brain, where it enters neurons and glial cells
(astrocytes and microglia).
A number of studies have shown that aluminum can activate microglia
and do so for long periods. This means that the aluminum in your
vaccination is priming your microglia to overreact. The next vaccine
acts to trigger the enhanced inflammatory reaction and release of the
excitotoxins, glutamate and quinolinic acid.
You must also appreciate that any infection, stroke, head injury or
other toxin exposure will also magnify this inflammatory brain
reaction initially triggered by your vaccines. Studies have now
indicated that the more one's immune system is activated the more like
he or she will suffer from one of the neurodegenerative diseases.
Mercury is also a powerful activator of brain microglia and can do so
in extremely low concentrations -- in nanomolar amounts. Because of
its numerous reactions with sulfhydral compounds in the body (which
are ubiquitous), mercury can poison a number of enzymes, both
systemically and in the brain. Of special concern is the ability of
mercury, especially ethylmercury (the kind found in vaccines called
thimerosal) to inhibit the regulation of brain glutamate levels. (It
does this by inhibiting the glutamate transfer proteins that control
the removal of glutamate from outside the neuron, where it does its
harm.)
In essence, mercury, in the concentrations being injected with
vaccines, triggers excitotoxicity, increases brain free radicals and
lipid peroxidation products, inhibits critical brain enzymes, inhibits
antioxidant enzymes and impairs DNA repair ability. The flu vaccine
contains enough mercury to do all of these things. You must keep in
mind that each flu vaccine adds to the mercury supplied by your last
vaccine -- that is, it is progressively ac***ulating in your brain.
In addition, the aluminum in the vaccines also primes microglia, and
when combined with mercury is infinitively more toxic to the brain.
Now, if this is not enough, we also have to consider the contamination
of vaccines with foreign viruses and viral components. Studies have
shown that this is not a rare occurrence, with up to 60% of vaccines
being contaminated in one study of several major manufactured
vaccines.
When confronted with this fact, vaccine proponents just shrug their
shoulders and say -- "We don't think these things are harmful."
Yet, the studies say otherwise.
It has been found that insertion of viral fragments, not even the
whole virus, is sufficient to trigger the brain's microglial system
and subsequent excitotoxicity, leading to progressive brain
degeneration. This is accepted to be the mechanism by which the HIV
virus causes dementia in a great number of AIDS victims. Fragments of
the virus (gp140 and Tat) are engulfed by the microglia and this
triggers chronic brain inflammation and excitotoxicity. The herpes
virus and measles virus can do the same thing.
Danger of Live Virus Vaccines
A number of studies have shown that live viruses used in vaccines can
enter the brain and reside there for a lifetime. One such study, in
which autopsied elderly were examined for the presence of the measles
virus, found that 20% of the brains had live measles viruses and 45%
of other organs were infected. These viruses were highly mutated,
meaning that they could be just as potent as other measles viruses,
but could be even more virulent.
Worse, is that in most cases they cause a smoldering destruction of
tissues without the obvious symptoms of infection, which has been
shown in a number of studies.
Live virus vaccines are made using a process to attenuate the
pathogenic or disease-causing virus by passing it through a series of
cultures. The problem is that the reverse can also happen within the
body. A number of studies have shown that when we produce free
radicals in our body (and we produce tons of such radicals over a
lifetime), it mutates the viruses residing in our tissues. This is
what was found in the autopsy study I referred to above.
Likewise, these viruses can trigger brain inflammation and
degeneration, which has been shown in a number of studies -- that is,
there exist a chronic degeneration of the brain over years or decades.
Because it is so far separated from the time of the original vaccine,
physicians just attribute it to old age or heredity. Anything but the
vaccines.
Virologists are also concerned that such mutated live viruses can also
infect other people, leading to outbreaks of disease totally
unsuspected by health authorities.
Conclusion
Current recommendations by the CDC for adult vaccinations include a
total of 14 separate inoculations with infectious agents and powerful
immune adjuvants. To be fair, some of these are for special medical
risks and conditions, such as high-risk behaviors, illegal drug use
and HIV infected individuals.
If we eliminate these, women will be exposed to 10 inoculations and
men 7, should they follow CDC guidelines, which doctors follow.
According to CDC recommendations, multiple vaccinations for a single
disease are separated by no more than 4 weeks, which is close enough
together to produce priming and subsequent hyperactivation of brain
microglia. We have seen that this can trigger a smoldering process of
brain inflammation and excitotoxicity that can not only result in
depression, anxiety and high suicide rates, but can increase one's
risk of developing one of the neurodegenerative diseases as well.
We have also seen that in many cases a person will be injected with
several vaccines during a single office visit and that this means
their body is exposed to a very large dose of immune adjuvant.
Compelling studies, using many animal species as well as humans, have
shown that this overactivates brain inflammatory mechanism that can
last for years.
In addition, several additives to vaccines, such as mercury and
aluminum, are powerful brain toxins that are known to ac***ulate in
the brain over years and can trigger brain inflammatory/excitotoxic
mechanisms. Vaccine contaminants, such as bacteria, mycoplasma and
viral fragments can also produce prolonged brain inflammation and
neurodegeneration.
Because the elderly already have high levels of inflammatory
cytokines, they are at a special risk. The very young (babies and
small children) are at a high risk because their brains are undergoing
the most rapid development at the very time they receive the greatest
number of vaccinations -- the first two years of life. In fact, they
receive 22 vaccines during the first year of life, one of which
contains a full pediatric dose of mercury.
Like adults, they receive many inoculations (up to 9 inoculations) in
one office visit. This is insane and in my estimation, criminal.
Nasal flu vaccines are even worse, because they introduce a live virus
into the nasal passages, which can then travel along the olfactory
nerves, which leads to the very part of the brain first and most
severely affected by Alzheimer's disease. A number of studies have
shown that viruses and bacteria can pass along this route to the
brain.
In fact, in one study scientists sprayed a bacterium into the nose of
mice and observed a rapid development of Alzheimer's type plaques in
the mouse's brain.
So What Should Older People Do?
First, studies have shown that the primary cause of immune deficiency
in the elderly is purely dietary. The carotenoids, such as
beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, canthaxanthin, lutein and lycopene
significantly enhance the immunity of the elderly. Zinc, magnesium and
selenium are also essential. One should also avoid omega-6 oils (the
vegetable oils: corn, safflower, sunflower, canola, soybean and peanut
oils), since they greatly enhance inflammation and depress immunity.
The EPA component of fish oils (omega-3 oils) is also a powerful
immune suppressant. DHA is not.
A healthy immune system means that you can fight infections
efficiently and rapidly.
Regular exercise, such as brisk walking or weight exercises three to
five times a week also boost immunity, while extreme exercise
suppresses immunity. Sugar and refined carbohydrates also suppress
immunity and inflame the brain. Exercise protects the brain from aging
effects and from degeneration.
Adequate sleep is also vital to both brain health and good immune
function.
Pubic health officials and spokesmen for the major medical societies
are lying to the public concerning vaccine safety. We now possess
sufficient information from a great number of studies to halt this
disastrous vaccine policy. We are facing a medial disaster in this
country, which is already well on its way.
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