Candida and Chronic Fatigue

And now a synopsis/overview of the work of Dr. Majid Ali from his books "The Canary and Chronic Fatigue", "The Butterfly and Life Span Nutrition", and "Ghoraa and Limbic Exercise", published by Life Span Press, 95 East Main Street, Denville, New Jersey 07834. telephone (201) 586-9191.

It can all be summed up rather simply (although it is not simple): Chronic fatigue, in the words of Dr. Ali, "is the chronic absence of energy. Energy is an enzyme function. It follows that chronic fatigue is a failure on energy enzymes.... It's a state of accelerated oxidant molecular injury.... Oxidation is a loss of electrons. The normal oxidative pathways are relentlessly overdriven by allergic triggers, chemical sensitivities, designer killer molecules in our antibiotics and pesticides, oxidants in pollutants, metabolic roller coasters of sugar and neurotransmitters and the powerful oxidant molecules of stress. Potassium and magnesium leak out of the cells and calcium leaks into the cells." Dr. Ali explains NADPH, cellular energy, and the potassium-sodium pump, as well as hormones and balancing thyroid..

He states clearly that he has never seen a patient with chronic fatigue who could not be unequivocally proven to be allergic with sensitive and specific micro-elisa tests for IgE antibodies. He is convinced that allergic genetic makeup sets people up for chronic fatigue. "Cumulative oxidant injury caused by allergic triggers, extensive antibiotic therapies, drug abuse for mere symptom suppression, viral and bacterial infections, chemical exposure...". He cites "studies that show common genetic patterns between chronic fatiguers and patients who suffer from a host of autoimmune disorders such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, pemphigus vulgaris, IgA and gold nephropathies (kidney diseases)...". He also refers to hyperactivity, and mood swings.

He describes deformities of the red cell membrane upon examining red blood cells of patients with a high-resolution, phase-contrast microscope. He also observed loss of plasticity of cell walls in up to 80% of cells. "These changes were most marked in patients who suffered from acute and chronic food, mold and pollen allergy reactions."

He definitely does not agree with the "mind over matter" attempt at healing, but rather what he calls "energy-over-mind strategy" that "gives far superior clinical results". Because "oxidant injury disrupts patterns of electromagnetic energy in muscles" he proposes" long-term training in slow, sustained breathing patterns with prolonged unforced expiration". He refers to this as limbic breathing, and incorporates it into exercise that he insists be easy, slow, non-goal oriented, without measurements and equipment-- free and easy, either walking, swimming, bicycling, running in place, protected from weather, at least initially, but always extending the slowing of breathing-- inhaling, holding, exhaling.

This leads to the more meditative state -- the limbic non-thinking state where healing can take place. As one attains this, spirituality becomes a part of the body-mind-spiritual healing process, with freedom from desire to control, freedom from anger, freedom from fear.

"Every time I see a young woman or man who has rheumatoid arthritis, or ulcerative colitis, or vasculitis, or asthma, or hives, he is allergic." He stresses this throughout the book. "Antigen immunotherapy for chronic fatigue sufferers should be an integral part of long-term strategy for restoring damaged energy enzymes."

He says, in essence, that all bets are off when it comes to recommended nutrition by drug oriented physicians and standard nutritionists. He also says that the prevailing concepts of nutritional deficiencies are irrelevant to chronic fatigue. He administers 15 grams of Vitamin C intravenously to some of his patients. And often all the major supplements are administered intravenously until they can be handled orally. Nutritionally he deals with three core aspects: "Optimal choices in the kitchen, oral nutrient and herbal protocols, intravenous nutrient protocols when deemed necessary.

The first thing he deals with is the bowel ecology. He avoids drugs, but occasionally will prescribe Nystatin or Diflucan very short term if absolutely essential. "The metabolic individuality of a person is a central issue...food allergy, food intolerance, deficiencies of digestive enzymes, and nutritional deficiencies." He also stresses that an optimal state of hydration is essential.

He offers detailed explanations about the importance of magnesium, and its many functions. He covers the subject of toxic metals, that are known enzyme poisons --aluminum, mercury, lead, cadmium, nickel, arsenic, and, in his view, finds aluminum overload a far more important threat to human biology than lead or mercury, and finds his chronic fatigue patients far more exposed to aluminum in their environment.

He describes and explains how EDTA Chelation Therapy reduces the body of toxic metals and rehabilitates enzymes and removes excess calcium from within the cells.

In addition to discussing antibodies to candida species and other types of yeasts, he also finds cephalosporium, alternaria, and aspergillus.

He likes neural therapy, widely practiced in Europe, for non-toxic clinical relief of pain.

Dr. Ali prefers the electrodermal method of testing for food allergies and intolerances, rather than blood tests, but among the blood tests available, he does not like the RAST, but prefers the ELISA.

Dr. Ali tells us that lettuce is in the same family as ragweed, which is among the most allergenic weeds in the United States. There is a high degree of cross reactivity between lettuce and ragweed, so he recommends that people with food and hay-fever type allergy cut down on lettuce.... So to summarize: "Food choices in the kitchen, oral nutrient therapy, intravenous nutrient therapy if necessary, environmental control, environmental therapy, diagnosis and management of allergies, self-regulation and slow-sustained exercise." And in his book "The Ghoraa and Limbic Exercise" he has diagrams of specific limbic exercises.