Good news for sicklers

SICKLE CELL disease (SCD) is an inherited disease in which haemoglobin, the oxygen carrying pigment found in our red blood cells, is abnormal.

Haemoglobin is the substance that makes your blood red. About 10 per cent of Jamaicans have the sickle cell gene. Normal red blood cells, with normal haemoglobin, are disk shaped and flexible, able to squeeze through the smallest blood vessels in the body.

On the other hand, the red blood cells in SCD, because of their abnormal sickle or crescent shape, can block small blood vessels and prevent the flow of blood. This reduces the oxygen supply to tissues, may damage many organs and cause severe pain, in what doctors call 'painful crises'. While normal red blood cells live for about 120 days, the abnormal sickle cells die after only 10 to 20 days, resulting in chronic anaemia. Other common problems include lung and breathing difficulties, chronic leg ulcers, strokes, loss of vision and an increased susceptibility to infections.

Sickle-cell anaemia (SCA) and its many variants like sickle-cell trait are genetic disorders referred to as haemoglobinopathies and cannot be 'cured' in the conventional sense. However, modern medical research clearly demonstrates that lifestyle changes like good nutrition and supplements can significantly improve some of the challenges of this disorder.

This can mean a lessening in the severity of anaemia, a decrease in infections and pain plus improvements in the healing of leg ulcers and the general health of those with this illness.

A new science called epigenetics has demonstrated that we are not helpless victims of our genes. Even though you may be born with a particular genetic disorder, those genes may or may not express themselves depending on many factors like nutrition, stress or even our thoughts and beliefs.

In short, epigenetics explains that there are ways that our environment, physical and mental, can influence the way our genes behave, even the sickle cell gene. For those interested in a deeper look at epigenetics, I strongly suggest reading The Biology of Belief by Dr Bruce Lipton.

Nutrition and sickle cell disease

Although sufferers of SCD are often led to believe that they can eat anything, I have found that a healthy diet emphasising lots of water, fresh fruit and vegetables along with enough healthy protein is most valuable for sicklers.

I also suggest supplementing with a programme called cellular nutrition along with additional supplements to provide further special benefits. Optimal hydration is essential: drink one half ounce of water per pound of your body weight daily and eat lots of water-rich foods (seven or more servings of fresh fruit and vegetables daily).

Fish oil

The red cell membranes are made up mostly of fatty substances. Eating unhealthy fats like trans fats and saturated fats make the cell membranes more rigid and unhealthy and increases the tendency for the red cells to rupture and die. Supplementing with fish oils and eating healthy oils and fats may decrease the frequency of problems like severe painful episodes. I recommend three grams daily of a high-quality omega 3 fatty acids supplement. In times of added stress or crisis, one may double this dosage.

Vitamin D

Several medical studies report that up to 65 to 100 per cent of SCA patients are vitamin D deficient. Chronic bone pain was particularly common among sicklers who were vitamin D deficient.

I strongly recommend that individuals with SCA supplement with high doses of vitamin D (at least 10000 iu daily), in addition to daily sunbaths, to optimise their vitamin D status. As SCA affects people with pigmented skin, it is important to remember that the darker your skin the more sun exposure you need to make vitamin D.

Vitamin E

An important nutrient for sicklers is vitamin E, a fat-soluble antioxidant that protects the membranes of red blood cells against free radicals. A deficiency in vitamin E makes red cells more susceptible to free radical damage and may increase the risk of sickle cell symptoms. I recommend that sickle cell sufferers take 800 to 1200 IU of high quality natural vitamin E daily.

Herbal supplements

Dehydration of the sickle cells worsens the damage to the cells and may increase the complications of the disease Research at the Philadelphia Biomedical Research Institute (PBRI) in the United States examined the effects of green tea and garlic extracts on the dehydration of sickle cells and found an antioxidant in green tea extract that almost completely prevented sickle cell dehydration. The garlic extract reduced cellular dehydration by 30 per cent.

Researchers found that garlic, the amino acid arginine, Pycnogenol, green tea extract, black tea extract, and vitamin E improved the strength of the membranes in sickle cells. Ginseng, ginkgo biloba, and coenzyme Q10 also helps. I have found other herbal antioxidants like schizandra and rosemary useful in SCD.

Multivitamins

Another study at the PBRI found that a combination of several supplements in high doses greatly reduced symptoms of sickle-cell anaemia. Over six months, patients supplemented with six grams of vitamin C, 1,200 IU of vitamin E, six grams of garlic extract and one mg of folic acid.

Meanwhile, the twins of those patients who also had SCD took only the folic acid. Those taking the multiple supplements had only one-third the number of painful sickle-cell episodes and felt much more energetic than the other group. Zinc and copper may help to accelerate the healing of leg ulcers associated with SCA. Iron supplements are not usually needed in this kind of anaemia

Folic acid and Vitamin B12

People with sickle-cell anaemia have elevated blood levels of a substance called homocysteine, a marker for coronary artery disease, inflammation and circulatory disorders. Research at the University of Alabama, Birmingham, showed that this elevation of homocysteine in SCA patients responded to a combination of folic acid, vitamin B12 and B complex vitamins, but not to just folic acid as is usually prescribed for these individuals.

Detoxify the mind

Our genes are also influenced by our thoughts and emotions. It is very important to learn to manage stress in a healthy manner particularly in individuals with a chronic disorder like SCA. Do not buy into the 'doom and gloom' attitude that commonly accompanies this illness. Many patients with the condition live long, productive, satisfying lives. Cultivate a positive mental attitude and practise healthy 'self talk'.

My take-away message to SCA patients is simple: Yes, you have an inherited disorder, but there is a lot that you can do with a healthy diet, the appropriate nutritional supplements and a positive mindset to prevent and control the problems associated with SCD.

Email Dr Tony Vendryes at tonyvendryes@gmail.com or listen to 'An Ounce of Prevention' on POWER 106FM on Fridays at 8 p.m. His new book 'An Ounce of Prevention, Especially for Women' is available locally and on the Internet.