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[Introduction | Cetyl Myristoleate | The CMO Quest | CMO Chemistry] [Experimentation | A Hiatus | CMO Cures: Diehl's Arthritis] [Clinical Observations and CMO Usage | Cases] [Optimizing the Effects of CMO | Reported Results | Dosage] [Contraindications and Toxicity | References] Cetyl Myristoleate - A Unique Natural Compound Valuable in Arthritis Conditions A
Sponsored Article Arthritis is a
disease of epidemic proportions, but it has been around for so many
centuries that it is considered by most people as a part of growing old or
a consequence of physical injury. Arthritis is in fact a far more complex
disease than is generally known. For instance, Dorland's Medical
Dictionary describes 27 different types of arthritis, and that does not
include such diverse conditions as systemic lupus erythematosus,
scleroderma, fibromyalgia, and numerous other conditions which some
authorities consider to be types of arthritis.1
One authority states that there are approximately 100 causes for
arthritis. Arthritis is thought
to affect more than 50 million Americans, and is generally accepted to be
the leading cause of movement limitation and disability. Arthritis
deserves and receives a great deal of research and medical attention.
There are hundreds of drugs, procedures, and medical aids and devices
directed at coping with the many manifestations of arthritis. Given this
degree of complexity, certainly no one agent alone could ever be expected
to manage or cure "arthritis" in its entirety. New agents take
their place in the spectrum and make a contribution. Now there is a
relatively new discovery of a natural substance, cetyl myristoleate (CMO),
which shows promise of making a great contribution in non-infective types
of arthritis. Cetyl myristoleate
was discovered and isolated by one person, working alone, on a quest to
find a cure for arthritis. Harry W. Diehl, while employed by the National
Institute of Arthritis, Metabolism, and Digestive Diseases, specialized in
sugar chemistry. He used his chemical knowledge and research instincts to
great advantage, identifying and characterizing over 500 compounds,
several of which were patented by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
His most significant discovery before cetyl myristoleate was a method of
synthesizing 2-deoxydextroribose, a sugar used in the preparation of oral
polio vaccine by Dr. Jonas Salk. Diehl's interest in
discovering a way to help victims of arthritis began over 40 years ago
when his friend and next-door neighbor, a carpenter, developed severe
rheumatoid arthritis. His condition deteriorated over time until he became
disabled. The neighbor had a family to support, but his arthritis made
that impossible. Diehl is a deeply religious man whose feelings
overwhelmed him as his friend's condition worsened. Harry thought,
"Here I am working at the National Institutes of Health, and I have
never seen anything that was good for curing arthritis."4
He decided to establish a laboratory in his home and embark on a search
for something to relieve the pain and disability of his neighbor and the
millions of people who suffer from arthritis. Unfortunately, he was too
late to help the neighbor, but Diehl's research did lead to the discovery
of cetyl myristoleate, which may someday be hailed as one of the
significant nutritional discoveries of the 20th century. As a researcher,
Diehl knew that finding a cure for arthritis first meant inducing
arthritis experimentally in research animals. He started with mice, and
quickly realized that he was unable to induce arthritis in them. Diehl
said he tried every way he could to give those mice arthritis, but they
just would not get it. Then, he contacted a researcher in California who
wrote to him, "If you or anyone else can give mice arthritis, I want
to know about it, because mice are 100% immune to arthritis."5
At that moment, Diehl's research instincts told him that what he wanted
was already somewhere in those mice. It was a long,
tedious job, working on his own in his spare time, but Diehl finally found
the factor - cetyl myristoleate - that protected mice from arthritis. As
Diehl said, "CMO didn't come on a silver platter to me, but after
years of chemical sleuthing and just old-fashioned chemical cooking, I
found it!" On thin layer chromatography of methylene chloride extract
from macerated mice, Diehl noticed a mysterious compound, which was
subsequently identified as cetyl myristoleate. As Diehl was to prove,
cetyl myristoleate circulates in the blood of mice and makes them immune
to arthritis. Cetyl myristoleate is now known to exist in sperm whale oil and in a small gland in the male beaver. At this time no other sources in nature are known to contain cetyl myristoleate. While the first amounts of cetyl myristoleate for experimentation were extracted from mice, Diehl quickly developed a method for making cetyl myristoleate in the lab by the esterification of myristoleic acid. Cetyl myristoleate, an oil, is the hexadecyl ester of the unsaturated fatty acid cis-9-tetradecenoic acid. The common name for the acid is myristoleic acid. Myristoleic acid is found commonly in fish oils, whale oils, dairy butter, and kombo butter. The chemical formula for cetyl myristoleate is (Z)-ROCO(CH2)7CH=CH(CH2)3CH3. Cetyl myristoleate was unrecorded in chemical literature until Diehl's discovery was reported. The current Merck Index of Chemicals does not list cetyl myristoleate. A search of Chemical Abstracts lists Diehl's method of extracting cetyl myristoleate from mice but contains no reference to cetyl myristoleate prior to his 1977 patent. To test his theory
that mice are immune to arthritis because of cetyl myristoleate, Diehl
began to experiment on laboratory rats. This research was reported in an
article written in conjunction with one of his colleagues at NIH in the
Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences.6 In
summary, this paper reports that ten normal mice were injected in the tail
with Freund's Adjuvant (heat-killed desiccated Mycobacterium butyricum) to
which rats and certain other rodents are susceptible. In a period of 10-20
days, no noticeable swelling developed in the legs or paws. Mice in a
second group were injected in the left hind paw. Again, after 10-20 days,
no swelling was detected as determined by comparison of the measurements
of paws at the time of injection. Diehl patented his discovery in 1977, receiving a use patent for rheumatoid arthritis. He then sought pharmaceutical companies to conduct human trials with cetyl myristoleate, but none were interested in his discovery. Perhaps the lack of interest was because cetyl myristoleate was a natural substance and could not be granted a product patent, or maybe because drug companies know they will have to run through 25,000 to 35,000 substances before they find one that makes it to market. Diehl had made a major nutritional discovery, and no one was interested! Being a scientist, not a marketing expert, Diehl let his discovery lay dormant for about 15 years. Cetyl
Myristoleate Cures: Diehl's Arthritis As Diehl got older,
he began to experience some osteoarthritis in his hands, his knees, and
his heels. His family physician tried the usual regimen of cortisone and
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs without much effect on the course of
the disease. Finally his physician told Harry he could not have any more
cortisone. "So," Diehl said, "I thought about my discovery,
and I decided to make a batch and use it on myself." He did, and
successfully cured himself of his osteoarthritis. Clinical
Observations and CMO Usage In common with many
other natural substances and drugs, the exact mechanism of cetyl
myristoleate's physiologic activity is unclear. As a fatty acid ester, it
appears to have the same characteristics as the essential fatty acids,
linoleic and alpha linolenic acids, except stronger and longer lasting.
These fatty acids are referred to as "essential fatty acids"
because the human body cannot make them and we must ingest them in our
diets. These EFA's truly are essential to normal cell structure and body
function and function as components of nerve cells, cell membranes, and
hormone-like substances known as prostaglandins. Many of the beneficial
effects of a diet rich in plant foods is a result of the low levels of
saturated fat and the relatively higher levels of EFA's. While a diet high
in saturated fat has been linked to many chronic diseases, a diet low in
saturated fat but high in EFA's prevents these very same diseases.7
The use of EFA's over an extended period of time has been shown to
decrease the pain, inflammation, and limitation of motion of arthritis. The difference
between the activity of EFA's and cetyl myristoleate is that the quantity
required and the period of time over which EFA's are taken are markedly
longer. Cetyl myristoleate is taken in a one month course of about 13
grams, while EFA's must be taken over extended periods, sometimes many
years, and intake varies widely from hundreds to thousands of grams. Cetyl
myristoleate seems to have properties in common with EFA's, but it acts
faster and lasts longer. Because EFA's are
necessary for normal functioning of all tissue, it is not surprising that
the list of symptoms of EFA deficiency is a long one. In chronic
inflammatory processes, the supply of EFA's is depleted. Cetyl
myristoleate appears to have the ability to correct the imbalance created
by chronic inflammation. Like EFA's, maybe cetyl myristoleate turns off
the fires of chronic inflammation by serving as a mediator of
prostaglandin formation and metabolism. Venous blood from the gastrointestinal tract is carried to the liver via the portal vein. With the exception of intestinal chylomicrons that enter the lymphatics, all absorbed products pass initially through the liver, and in most instances are extracted or modified before passage into systemic circulation.9 Since all fatty acids enter systemic circulation through the liver, an oil like cetyl myristoleate would begin its systemic circulation from the liver also. It is speculated that cetyl myristoleate stimulates the production of immunoglobulins and series 1 and 3 prostaglandins, which could be one explanation for why cetyl myristoleate has such potent effect in autoimmune and inflammatory conditions. Here are some cases
involving the use of cetyl myristoleate from the author's practice. Leona
- She is a 64-year-old mother of five who has been developing degenerative
changes in her fingers over the last 15 years. She plays the piano
frequently and had to reduce the amount of playing time as a result of the
arthritis pain in her fingers. ANA titers have been mildly elevated over
the years and rheumatoid disease has been diagnosed in several of her
ancestors and one sibling. Leona's other medical problems are mild
hypertension and chronic sacro-lumbar pain which appears to be
attributable both to sciatic damage sustained in a water skiing accident
24 years ago and Shunerman's disease as teenager. Demonstrating both
rheumatoid and osteoarthritis changes in her fingers, she has a mild
nodular deformity at the terminal joints of the 3rd and 4th fingers on the
left hand and fusiform swelling in the medial and distal joints of most of
her fingers. Her thumbs were intermittently painful and swollen. She first
took cetyl myristoleate in mid-January, 1997. There is now increased range
of motion in all of the finger joints and visible reduction of the
rheumatoid-like swelling. The nodular deformities have not changed
noticeably. Her back problems demonstrated no improvement. Her
sedimentation rate has run from 15 to 35, and is currently 16, with her
ANA <1:360. Leona is now able to play the piano all she wants to
without pain or swelling of her fingers. Joyce
- She is a 42-year-old mother of three and a court reporter in good
general health, suffering only from moderate hayfever in the spring.
Recently Joyce developed a generalized stiffness and soreness in her
fingers, which was worse on her right hand. The condition became so bad
over a couple of weeks that she began making numerous mistakes in her
court reporting and her speed was significantly reduced. She was diagnosed
with tenosynovitis. Joyce shows no deformities of her hands associated
with arthritis. She began a course of cetyl myristoleate during the last
week of February and finished the last week of March 1997. She reports
complete restoration of her dexterity with return of her normal accuracy
and speed, along with elimination of the associated pain. Bob - He is a 67
year-old retired politician who suffered lumbar and pelvic fractures in
WWII when his jeep struck a land mine. Over the years, these injuries
produced increasing pain, which seriously affected routine daily
activities like getting out of bed in the morning and his ability to play
golf. X-rays demonstrate degenerative arthritic changes in the lumbar
articulations and the right sacroiliac joint. At 6 feet tall and 185
pounds, he is otherwise in good health. Bob has been using
anti-inflammatory drugs for over 20 years, including Voltaren, ibuprofen,
Tylenol, and aspirin. He took a one-half course of 7.6 grams of cetyl
myristoleate in September 1996. He experienced moderately severe
inflammation (breakthrough pain) on day two which lasted for three days.
On the 4th day, the pain began to subside and was completely gone by the
5th day. He has been virtually pain-free since and is very happy with the
increased comfort with which he can begin each day. He can now comfortably
walk the golf course whereas before he was limited to a golf cart. In
February 1997, he perceived a slight return of his low back pain and
decided to take another one-half course. He experienced no breakthrough
pain this time and is currently pain-free. He has not taken any other
medication for his back pain since taking cetyl myristoleate initially. Virginia - She is an
85 year-old lady who still works part-time at the family-owned business
and cares for her husband who has cancer. Virginia was diagnosed ten years
ago with diabetes, and elevated triglycerides and cholesterol. Overweight
all her life, she is now stable at 265 pounds. She suffers from
long-standing osteoarthritis in her knees and ankles, for which she was
placed on cetyl myristoleate. No other agents have been used by her for
arthritis except for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, both OTC and
prescription. After about 7.6 grams of cetyl myristoleate, she was able to
walk without limping or experiencing significant pain. About three months
following the initial course, some pain returned, but she has retained
what she estimates to be 50% improvement. She also has gallstones and a
recurrent problem with gout, both of which have been symptom less since
her cetyl myristoleate course. She evidently did not receive enough cetyl
myristoleate for her body weight and will be given another course of 13.25
grams. Rose - Rose is a 46
year old mother of four who works as a legal secretary. She was diagnosed
five years ago as having an atypical form of multiple sclerosis. She had
MRI exams of the skull and spinal cord, which demonstrated several areas
of non-specific degenerative changes in the brain with several
"bright spots" in the cervical spinal cord. She had periodic
visual aberrations as well as constant fatigue and fibromyalgia-like pains
focused in her trapezius (bilaterally), and in her upper arms and legs
below the knees. She also complained of burning sensations in her hands
and feet. All of the symptoms worsened with elevated stress. There was no
sign of pernicious anemia or diabetes. She was receiving chiropractic
therapy. Joyce was started on numerous naturopathic therapies in March
1996 without significant benefit over an eight-month period. In November
1996, she started on cetyl myristoleate and indicated that she felt more
fatigued for the first three days but that the pain in her upper back and
extremities was completely gone. She further reported that the
tingling/burning sensation in her feet and hands was also gone. Rose felt
this was the most striking aspect of the treatment as those areas were the
ones most constantly affected. This improvement lasted until she had to
travel out of state to tend to her mother who was diagnosed with a rapidly
advancing malignancy. Over the next three weeks, her symptoms began to
reappear. After the death of her mother, she returned home in as bad shape
as before first taking cetyl myristoleate. She decided that she wanted to
take another half course of cetyl myristoleate, which completely
duplicated the relief from the initial dosage with the exception that she
feels slightly less relief from her tendencies to fatigue than she did
after the first course. Rose will be taking another half course to see if
she can improve her stamina. J.P. - He is a 60 year old male who has been a farmer his entire life. Diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis 15 years ago, he has been on various pharmacologic protocols during that time. The most recent includes Plaquenil, methotrexate, and prednisone, with daily non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug dosing. J.P. has fusiform swelling involving most of the joints of his fingers and moderate ulnar deviation of both hands. He suffered severe pain most of the time which limited the labor he could perform. He began cetyl myristoleate during the last week of February 1997, at which time he terminated his methotrexate and Plaquenil (not recommended except in consultation with a qualified physician). He has also reduced his prednisone from 15 milligrams per day to 5 mg, but he still maintains his NSAID dosing on a daily basis. J.P. experienced a mild increase in pain during the first four days of taking cetyl myristoleate, but since then he has been pain free and the swelling in his hands is reducing. J.P. will be monitored over the next month to determine his stability, with checking of his serum parameters by an MD. If he continues to remain symptom-free, his steroid and NSAID therapies will be terminated. J.P. does not smoke, eat chocolate, nor drink alcohol or caffeinated beverages. He was advised at the onset of his cetyl myristoleate dosage to avoid sugar. He is also taking Glucosaplex (a mix of glucosamines) and Lyprinol (fatty acid extract of green lipped mussel) as an additional natural anti-inflammatory agent. Optimizing
the Effects of Cetyl Myristoleate Since the days of
Paracelsus, physicians have been combining therapeutic agents for
synergistic effects, or to achieve potentiation of several compounds. As
powerful a nutrient as it is, the effects of cetyl myristoleate can be
helped by combining it with other natural substances. Two or three grams
daily of omega-3 fish oil or two tablespoons full of flaxseed oil during
the month-long course of cetyl myristoleate can help its effects. This
should be accompanied by 300-500 mg of Vitamin E daily. A minimum of 1,500
mg of glucosamine sulfate should be taken daily for at least three months
to assist in rebuilding cartilage damaged by degenerative arthritis. In
severe cases, three to six grams of glucosamine daily for one month and
reduced to 1,500 mg daily for three months has been found to be very
effective. Afterwards, a daily maintenance of 500 mg of glucosamine should
be used for healthy cartilage. If stomach upset occurs, glucosamine should
be taken with meals. Clinical experience
has shown that glucosamine sulfate is far superior when compared to
cartilage extracts, such as sea cucumber, hydrolyzed bovine cartilage, and
shark cartilage. This is due to the increased absorption and utilization
of glucosamine sulfate compared to these sources of chondroitin sulfates,
which are very large molecules and difficult to digest. Animal and human
studies have shown up to 98% absorption of glucosamine,10,11
compared to only 8% absorption of chondroitin sulfate. One of the reasons
that glucosamine sulfate is more effective in rebuilding cartilage when
compared to other sources of glucosamine, including the N-acetyl and
hydrochloride forms, is that it provides bioavailable dietary sulfur.
Sulfur helps provide the protein links necessary for cartilage matrix
repair. Another source of sulfur is Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), which has
been used historically to treat a wide variety of conditions including
allergies, emphysema, arthritis, gastrointestinal upset, and some vascular
conditions. MSM is a metabolite of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) and provides
many similar good effects. MSM is found in most natural unprocessed foods.
Because of its volatility, MSM is lost when fresh food is cooked,
processed, or stored. The richest source of MSM is mother's milk;
consequently, very few nursing infants are deficient in dietary sulfur. Both osteoarthritis
and rheumatoid arthritis sufferers report striking improvement with cetyl
myristoleate. Numerous private correspondence describes decreased
stiffness and pain, and increased flexibility and range of motion with
cetyl myristoleate. Swelling and redness is reduced in rheumatoid
arthritis. Writers describe other health benefits, including positive
effect of cetyl myristoleate on emphysema, hepatitis, hypertension,
diabetes, eczema, psoriasis, colds, allergies, low back pain, and
headaches. These reported improvements in general health status are not
surprising since each of these conditions could be associated with
deficiency in the balance of EFA's.
Cetyl myristoleate is taken in a one-month course. A total dose of 12 to 15 grams appears to be indicated. This is usually enough for most people, but for osteoarthritis sufferers, the dose appears to be related to the number of sites in which cartilage has worn away. For example, a patient with osteoarthritis of the knees could expect 10 to 15 grams to be sufficient in most cases, while a patient with osteoarthritis of 5 or 6 spinal discs, both hips, and both knees may require an additional 5 to 10 grams, or even a full second course. Some of the patients treated by the author would likely have benefited even more from their cetyl myristoleate usage with the larger doses now recommended. Contraindications
and Toxicity With the tens of
thousands of people who have taken cetyl myristoleate there have been no
confirmed reports of adverse side effects. In common with fish oils, it
may produce some mild burping in some people which passes within an hour.
There have been no reported interactions with other medications or natural
substances, and other substances (except those mentioned above as diet
considerations) do not interfere with cetyl myristoleate. While teratogenicity
of cetyl myristoleate is probably the same as for EFA's, as a safety
matter cetyl myristoleate should not be used by pregnant or lactating
women until studies of cetyl myristoleate's effects on fetuses and infants
have been done. As with any substance being added to the diet of anyone
with asthma or a history of severe allergic reactions, caution is advised
and cetyl myristoleate should be used in these cases under the direct
supervision of a health care professional.
Reprinted with exclusive permission by Natrol, Inc. |
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