Hypoglycemia, protein deficiency and the process of repairing protein damaged spinal tissue

Dr. Brice E. Vickery
©2007 SuperNutrient Corporation

Hypoglycemia is a blood sugar disorder in which the amount of sugar (glucose) in the bloodstream available for energy drops below 60mg per deciliter. Cells of the skeletal muscle, heart, and brain rely heavily on a readily available and balanced supply of this fuel in order to produce the energy needed for many basic functions. It is well known that diet is important in the control of hypoglycemia. Adrenal fatigue, nutrient deficiencies, and yeast metabolites all affect blood sugar and there is much information available about how the diet can be controlled in order to help a badly unbalanced secretory system regulate the blood sugars. What is not well known is the important role of protein in this whole system. Three things are core essentials for proper blood sugar regulation: a healthy nervous system, a healthy secretory system and properly functioning proteins dealing with sugar uptake and release from the cells. Research shows that degradation of spinal disk material will adversely affect the nervous system.¹ In the 1980’s Dr. Brice Vickery, using applied kinesiology and electro-acupuncture  found that 9 out of 10 people had some degree of diskal degeneration in their spines. He also found that when the system was able to assimilate proper levels of protein and sulfur, the degeneration stopped and the disks were able to heal. If the spinal disks are degrading or damaged, the nervous system will not function optimally. This is relevant because blood glucose levels are monitored by glucose sensing neurons in the autonomic nervous system, which is also involved in pancreatic and adrenal secretions.²

When blood sugar levels fall, the nervous system responds by signaling the adrenals to release epinephrine (adrenaline), growth hormone, and cortisol, while lowering the pancreatic secretions of insulin. The nervous system is closely tied in with the system that secretes these chemicals.³ If the nervous system is compromised by spinal disk damage, then these secretions may well be out of balance.

One pathway for glucose uptake from the blood by the cell is the insulin pathway. When a person eats a meal containing carbohydrates their blood sugar rises and the pancreas secretes insulin to signal the cells to take the excess out of the blood. A hypoglycemic person will produce too much insulin, dropping the blood sugars to an unhealthy level. When the sugars drop the adrenals are signaled to secrete cortisol, which raises blood sugar. Once again, the hypoglycemic will produce too much cortisol. Researchers suspect this overproduction of cortisol mimics the symptoms related to low blood sugar. ⁴

There is also a certain protein, AMPK, that researchers suspect may also be an important part of the body’s blood sugar metabolism regulation. The AMPK apparently senses low levels of energy molecules(ATP) within the cells and activates processes such as glucose manufactured by the liver and cellular glucose uptake by glucose transporter proteins (GLUT4) within the cell.⁵

An AMPK related protein is an enzyme made up of a total of 661 amino acids, 325 of which are the essential amino acids (those that can only be gotten from the diet).⁶ Studies also show that amino acids enhance the activation of AMPK. ⁷

GLUT4 is the protein responsible for taking the sugar out of the blood and making it available to the cell for energy production.⁸This protein is made up of 509 amino acids, 268 of which are essential.⁹

The protein ENSA is expressed in muscle, brain, and pancreas tissue and plays an important role in the release of insulin from the pancreas. It contains 117 amino acids, 48 of which are essential.¹⁰

The cytochrome P450 protein is necessary for the synthesis of cortisol. A fragment contains 230 amino acids, 113 are essentials.¹¹

These important proteins involved in blood sugar metabolism range between 41 and 52 percent essential amino acids (EAA). EAAs can only be gotten from the diet, so if we are not completely digesting our food, it is very likely that we are not able to manufacture adequate amounts of these proteins. If we are not completely digesting our food it is also likely that we are not able to manufacture adequate amounts of the pancreatic enzymes needed to digest protein.

Using the Voll method of testing, Dr. Vickery discovered that all his patients with spinal disk degeneration were also deficient in protein, regardless of how much dietary protein they consumed. Nervous system stimulation of the pancreas plays a major role in pancreatic secretion of digestive enzymes and Vickery supposed the problem to be an insufficiency in the pancreatic production of these enzymes.¹² He came up with a blend of essential amino acids (Platinum Essential Amino Acids Plus) to allow the pancreas to boost its enzyme production. When his patients took this blend, subsequent testing showed that they were no longer protein deficient and problems such as degenerating spinal disks and other systemic ailments cleared up. Vickery saw a real connection between systemic protein deficiency and systemic malfunction.

Because of this discovery Vickery tested all his patients for protein deficiency and spinal disk degeneration. He found both conditions in 100% of patients with hypoglycemia.

Spinal disk material as well as repair proteins in the system are also made up of protein. If the disks cannot repair themselves the central nervous system and secretory systems will be affected. If not enough digestive enzymes are produced, protein cannot be completely broken down into amino acids. If there are not enough essential amino acids available for sugar metabolism proteins, it makes sense that blood sugar disorders would develop.

It is well documented that protein deficiency will cause illness.¹³ Many doctors in the US use Dr. Vickery’s patented blend of essential amino acids with sulfur to battle protein deficiency in their patients. Platinum Plus has also recently been approved by the Finnish National Agency for Medicines as safe and effective. Dr. Vickery’s Hypoglycemia package contains Platinum Plus and the supporting nutrients to help bring blood sugar regulation back to normal.

References:

¹

Micheal Furman MD, “Spinal Stenosis and Neurogenic Claudication.” E–Medicine, July 21, 2004.

²

Rory McCrimmon et al., “Potential role for AMP–activated protein kinase in hypoglycemia sensing in the ventromedial hypothalamus” Diabetes, August, 2004.

³

Robert Hoffman M.D., “Hypoglycemia”, eMedicine.com, 2004.

⁴

Richard Podell M.D., “Hypoglycemia’s Hormonal Origins”, Nutrition Science News, April, 2004.

⁵

Lee G. Fryer et al, “Activation of Glucose Transport by AMP–Activated Protein Kinase via stimulation of Nitric Oxide Synthase” Diabetes, December, 2000.

⁶

AMPK–related protein kinase 5. Entry Name — ARK5 Human. NiceProt View of Swiss–Prot,Release 40, October 2001.

⁷

Kimball SR, Siegfried BA, Jefferson LS. “Glucagon Represses Signaling through the Mammalian Target of Rapamycin in Rat Liver by Activating AMP–activated Protein Kinase.” J Biol Chem. 2004 Dec 24;279(52):54103–9. Epub 2004 Oct 19.

⁸

D Dimitrakoudis, M Vranic and A Klip, “Effects of hyperglycemia on glucose transporters of the muscle: use of the renal glucose reabsorption inhibitor phlorizin to control glycemia.” Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, Vol 3, 1078–1091, 1992.

⁹

Protein P14672. Entry Name GTR4_Human. NiceProt View of Swiss–Prot. Realease 14, April 1990.

¹⁰

Protein 043768. Entry name ENSA_Human. NiceProt View of Swiss–Prot. Release 41, February 2003.

¹¹

Protein P08686. Entry name CPS1_Human. Niceprot View of Swiss–Prot. Release 06, January 1988.

¹²

E. Niebergall–Roth, M. V. Singer, “Central and Peripheral Neural Control of Pancreatic Exocrine Secretion.” Department of Medicine II, University Hospital of Heidelberg at Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany, October 18, 2001.

¹³

Charles B. Simone M.D Cancer and Nutrition: A Ten Point Plan to Reduce Your Risk of Getting Cancer, Avery Publishing Group, 1992