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Donna Jackson Nakazawa
Donna Jackson Nakazawa is a nationally acclaimed researcher, writer and public speaker on health and family issues. She is the author of the upcoming book, The Autoimmune Society: An Emerging Epidemic of Bodies Gone Haywire in a World out of Balance (Touchstone/Simon and Schuster, February 2008), an investigation into the reasons behind today’s alarming rise in rates of autoimmune diseases (multiple sclerosis, lupus, type 1 diabetes, thyroiditis, and dozens of other immune mediated diseases) in industrialized countries around the world. In her book, Ms. Nakazawa details how our modern lifestyles and chemical-laden environment have created the “perfect storm” — the ripest possible conditions — for today’s autoimmune epidemic to take hold. She is also the author of Does Anybody Else Look Like Me? A Parent’s Guide to Raising Multiracial Children (Perseus, 2003, hardcover). Publishers Weekly praised Nakazawa for having “skillfully combined anecdotal research with a strong knowledge of childhood and educational development philosophy to provide this useful guide for raising multiracial children in a color- and race-conscious world.”
March 27, 2008 at 11:03 am
Your book “AUTOIMMUNE EPICEMIC” is quite good, problem in most cases is that many physicians don’t recognize immune system problems, and under estimate their effect.
A person is quite fortunate if it is recognized early on. It took over four years for me.
R.L.
March 30, 2008 at 4:34 pm
I was fortunate that I was dignosed with APS and SLE in just a matter of days in February of 1999. I was unfortunate in that a stroke precipitated the hospitalization that led to the diagnosis.
Up to that time ( age 52) I had been completely healthy.
Subsequently I retired after 30 years of teaching.
I have received excellent care from a number of physicians and the worst symptom I have from the disease(s) is debilitating fatigue which sorely limits my activities . In addition,the stroke weakened the left side of my body, but with physical therapy I was able to recover mobility although I must walk with a cane.Though I felt myself relatively well informed about the diseases, I am finding Ms Nakazawa’s book fascinating to the extent that it answers a number of questions I still had about the diseases and suggests some possible causes which I have found medical personnel reluctant to address.
I will definitely recommend the book to many friends, some of whom also have autoimmune diseases.
December 16, 2008 at 7:02 am
I would like to share this with you…in case it might help you in your research..
I am not a Doctor, but I know what I see, and I am convinced that the Root Cause of all Auto-immune disease is the excessive intake of nutrient-inhibitors such as Oxalic and Phytic acids and estrogen type substances such as are found in Soy, that are being added to our food chain in excess……I have come to this conclusion by reading a lot of the published works and animal research reports..… Soy is known to contain Nutrient Inhibitors, which leads to nutrient disruptions when taken in excess. And since soy is saturating our food chain, and the animal feed, I think it is likely that this could be the Auto-immune disease culprit, since animals are coming down with auto-immune diseases such as Mad Cow and deer wasting disease and bird flu…But it is possible that there are other nutrient inhibitors, also…
My theory is that the excessive oxalic and phytic acids along with the estrogen like properties that are components of Soy, is creating a blockage in the nutrient delivery system to the cells, leading to “Cell Starvation” which stimulate the internal Feedback Systems.. When these internal Feedback systems detect a deficiency in the cell nutrients, they instantly, instigate powerfully responses, and start making adjustments and correction attempts, if they are unable to achieve a correction due to accumulated damage and continued exposure, they will activate a Stress Response called, the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS).. The oxalic and phytic acids are known calcium inhibitors, that create insoluble calcium salts… These acids do not register as invaders in the body, so they move into the internal environment where they create insoluble calcium salts and saturate the interstitial fluid, here they become stuck because it is hard for the cells to utilize these insoluble calcium salts, so they end up becoming a blockage in the nutrient delivery pathway.. When the interstitial fluid becomes saturated with calcium salts, this inhibits (nullifying) the Parathyroid Hormone (PTH).. When the (PTH) becomes inhibited this disrupts the Internal Negative Feedback system (PTH/ Calcitonin) which regulates the Calcium / Phosphate balance, which leads to a disruption in the Homestasis… When the PTH is inhibited the Phosphates become excessive because it is not triggered for excretion, and the Vit. D is not activated to absorb Calcium, and the osteoclast becomes inhibited… As the Phosphates rise this causes precipitation of calcium salt deposits in the Bone which enhances the saturation of salts leading to a perpetual inhibiting of the PTH… The oxalic acid and phytic acid and excessive phosphates then create insoluble Iron Complexes… The excessive estrogen substances, in the Soy, disrupts the Vit. E, because estrogen and E are antagonistic.. Deficient Vit. E leads to impaired iron absorption, also leading to the iodine and thyroxin disruptions.… These disruptions in the delivery of the nutrients to the Cells, instigates the powerful responses from the internal negative feedback systems…
Bone Diseases:
Insufficient PTH leads to inhibited osteoclast, this creates a disruption in the Bone Formation Process (Bone Diseases), by causing an imbalance in the osteoclast and the osteoblast…
Heart Disease:
When the heart pump muscle does not have sufficient Calcium Ions, due to the nutrient blockage, then the contractions are inefficient at pumping the blood, and this triggers the Low Blood Pressure Negative Feedback System… This System’s correction attempts are eerily similar to the disruptions the medical community is treating as high blood pressure in heart disease…The internal systems would detect a low blood pressure and the lack of the nutrients getting to the cells disrupting the performance of their metabolic functions, so the low blood pressure neg. feedback system, and the first stage of shock would be activated and stimulate their hormone release… The (GAS) stage in the Stress Response would allow the conditions of the internal environment to be reset, so the blood pressure could go abnormally high … When the balance cannot be restored due to blockage damage already done and continued exposure, then symptoms begin to manifest… These symptoms then alert the Medical community.. They run their test and find these new settings, which are the correction attempts by the internal systems, and view them as abnormal and label them as Auto-Immune disease and began to try to bring them down to a more normal setting.. But they never treat the original cause which is “Cell Starvation” brought on by the blockage in nutrient delivery, caused by the nutrient inhibitors.. The Research community could easily prove this theory by performing complete “Cell Nutrient Test” on patients, but a regular “nutrient of the blood” test would be misleading, because the blockage is not in the blood it is in the nutrient delivery system to the cells….The second stages of the shock phase are being played out very slowly by dying patients of auto-immune disease, until they finally deplete their ATP supply and then death occurs, which is the third stage of Shock… Dying by the nutrient blockage is a long drawn out process, and cannot be diagnosed as quick as the normal Shock symptoms, due to the fact you are dying from a slow accumulation process …
Diabetes:
When the iron is insoluble and cannot delivery enough oxygen to the “Cellular Respiration Electron Transport Chain” then the process becomes blocked and metabolism of ATP becomes hindered…
When the internal systems detect that the ATP is getting too scarce, then the glucose is locked out of most other cells to preserve the glucose as fuel for the neurons…When ATPs are not being metabolized, then the body’s temperature drops and the metabolic water becomes deficient… Lack of metabolic water activates the “Thirst” center…The Glucose in the blood becomes so excessive, that the transport maximum threshold is passed causing excessive urine…The excessive glucose concentration has an osmotic effect, that causes endothelial cells to shrink and pull apart opening up gaps, this causes increased permeability of the endothelial-capsular membrane…This leads to proteinuria, (Nephrotic syndrome), causing the loss of albumin, which leads to high blood levels of cholesterol, phospholipids and triglycerides…The “Cell Starvation” does not allow the satiety center to be satisfied, thus hunger is always triggered…
So I believe that Diabetes is the disruption in the utilization of the Iron, caused by the nutrient inhibitors, which leads to a deficiency of Oxygen that creates a disruption in the metabolism of ATP…. And the excessive glucose is the internal system’s correction attempt, resetting the glucose levels to provide the fuel to make the ATP, but all the Glucose in the world will not fix the problem until the nutrient inhibitors blockage is addressed..
MS, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Stem Cell Disruptions:
These diseases I believe are caused by the lack of Oxygen caused by the nutrient Inhibitors, which leads to a deficiency in the Lysosomes, which cause them to become fragile rupture and burst releasing their nerve cell destroying enzymes, destroying neurons and neuroglia… These nerve cells are vital in the brain and nerve repair processes … When these nerve cells are deficient the processes in the : the Blood Brain Barrier is breached , the myelin sheath is disrupted, the dopamine neuron can become deficient, and the nerves in the brain cannot be regenerated properly, and the chemical reactions that take places in the Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) are disrupted, and stem cells are destroyed…And a lack of Iron disrupts the proper functioning of the Red Nuclei, which is located in the motor sensor pathway..
Arthritis:
Abnormally functioning lysosomes erode the cartilages of the joint cavities, and are suspected of playing some role in arthritis…The nutrient inhibitors estrogenic, oxalic and phytic acid and excess phosphates, leads to insoluble iron and complexes and high acidity, disrupt the availability of oxygen, resulting in disrupted lysosomes….
Cancer:
When the cells are starving, the cell reacts as if thou, a virus has attacked its metabolism mechanism, and the cell will destroy itself when it sees it is going to die, in the process it sends out a nutritional immunity response, that makes the surrounding cells stop absorbing nutrients such as iron and zinc, in order to create a less than favorable environment for the virus, thus protecting these other cells from the virus.. The dying cells trigger an inflammatory response, which activates the neutrophil ( white blood cell).. And excessive vigorous and prolonged neutrophil activity can cause normal human tissues to become cancerous…
Aids:
If the Stress Response is prolonged then the feedback system that is responsible for turning the Immune system on and off is disrupted… In the Resistance Reaction phase of the Stress Response, there can be long-term release of Cortisol… Cortisol suppresses further production of IL-1.. When the Cell Starvation is not corrected, then the goal of the immune response is never accomplished and the Stress remains, and so, the negative feedback system that keeps the immune response in check, is disrupted… Even though the helper T-cells may be available and idling , if their co-stimulator, the IL-1, is deficient, they can not be activated and put in gear to function.. … When the IL-1 is suppressed and deficient, then the whole immune response is broken… Even though the system is turned-on, it cannot function properly, and it cannot be turned off..…
Myasthenia Gravis:
{I believe Myasthenia is simply a deficient supply of Ca2+ ions in the transmission at the synapses process.. I believe these nutrient inhibitors has caused the access to sufficient Ca2+ to become so deficient that there is not enough of an increase of Ca2+ inside the presynaptic neuron to trigger the exocytosis of synaptic vesicles…Disrupting it’s merger with the plasma membrane, where it should release the neurotransmitter molecules into the synaptic cleft, to diffuse and bind to the neurotransmitter receptors in the postsynaptic membrane… Ca2+ is a necessary component for this process to function properly}..
God the Creator, did give us these “internal specialist”, the negative feedback systems, so it just stands to reason, they are going to be highly accurate and very precise… If given the proper respect, even though they are highly complex, interconnected mechanisms, they are quiet simplistic in their functions…
Disruptions in Ions and Dietary fats…
Oxalic acid toxicity in sheep create a fatal ion imbalance…
So I feel if humans consume excessive oxalic and phytic acids, eventually they will accumulate enough also to disrupt the balance of their ions…
Over time a big enough accumulation of these nutrient inhibitors, leads to a disruption in the ability to utilize electrolytes… If electrolyte concentration becomes altered, this allows the acid-base balance to become disrupted.. Both altered electrolyte concentrations and ph disruptions creates a hostile environment for Proteins…The Proteins become denatured and loss their 3-dimensional shapes, and become incapable of performing their physiological roles, due to disruptions of their active sites… An acidic environment breaks the fragile hydrogen bonds … When the cell nutrients decline, and the lack of Ca2+ ions in the heart muscle causes the body to detect the low blood pressure and nutrient starvation, the negative feedback system for low blood pressure and the first stage of the shock response, “compensated (no progressive) shock , are instantly activated… Over long term the Aldosterone released in these responses, begin to create major Ion disruptions…And over time the General Adaptation Syndrome is activated in the shock response to allow the internal environment to be reset….This reset blood pressure disrupts the filtration process… The higher blood pressure raises the hydrostatic pressure, causing the capillary walls to become more permeable… Thus the larger proteins can be pushed through the capillary walls and out of their normal position …. This creates the Nephrotic Syndrome, proteinuria…As the large protein, Albumin, is depleted from the blood, the “Blood Colloid Osmotic Pressure” decreases and this results in Edema and Hyperlipidemia… Hyperlipidemia is high blood levels of cholesterol, phospholipids and triglycerides…. High blood levels of cholesterol contributes to the fatty plaque formation seen in Atherosclerosis …
As the proteins become denatured due to the altered electrolyte concentration, the Hemoglobin becomes unable to bind and transport oxygen , this feeds the disruption in the Cellular Respiration Electron Transport chain, that leads to excessive H+, and when the blood ph becomes too acidic, this totally destroys the structures for this function to take place… Thus the problem becomes perpetual, leading to more hydrogen bonds breaking …. So I think this would have an effect on the Saturated fat balance, since the carbon atom is saturated with hydrogen atoms by only single covalent bonds……
I just thought you might find this information of interest…I have been fighting a very debilitating muscle disease for the last 5 years and I had maintained a soy free diet, I thought but I just found out the Extra Virgin Olive Oil I had strictly adhered to, has been falsely mislabeled, in fact it is 10% olive oil and 90% Soybean oil, devastation is an understatement on how I feel….
Thank you for your time.
Co
I have a detailed theory on the disrupted Osmotic Pressure leading to the disruption in the chemical reactions and the Cell communication, that I have almost completed if you would be interested in that I would be glad to send it when I get it completed, just let me know…
February 23, 2009 at 1:15 am
Hi Donna!
I am SO happy I found this site! If your ears are ringing it’s because I have been singing your praises on my blog!
Your “Ill in a day’s work” article for More magazine’s February 2009 issue is PHENOMENAL!!! I cannot say enough about it. I’ve written on my blog about it! I posted my first vlog (video) entry and even held up your magazine and just plain raved about the article.
Having numerous chronic illnesses, many of which are autoimmune conditions… I LOVED your thorough article!
The first chronic illness to hit me was endometriosis, at age 13. I’m 40 now. So I have dealt with endo for 27 years.
In that time, I’ve participated in local (in person) endo support groups since 1992 (after my diagnosis, which took TEN years from onset of symptoms). I started an endo group, as a volunteer support group leader, in my current community in 2001. I started my blog last June.
My career went up in smoke several years back. I was far too sick to function.
I have heard hundreds of women’s stories… Not just with endometriosis but with others illnesses (many connected in studies to endo)… For example, fibromyalgia, IBS, interstitial cystitis, Reynaud’s Disease, multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS)… [I have all of the above diagnoses... and other conditions].
My blog is about chronic illnesses. Mariela Azcuy of Meredith Corp. has emailed me publicizing your chronic illness article after seeing my blog.
Since then, I have organized a letter-writing campaign to find a way to get endometriosis featured in the national media. It affects 89 MILLION women and girls. It can affect careers, marriages, fertility, severe chronic pain… It has a huge impact on patients and their families.
I have had 7 surgeries for endo. I have too many other illnesses to count at 1:40 am when I should be asleep…
I just want to thank you for your More article so much!!! I literally held up the magazine in my vlog post on 2/16 on my blog… and asked people to buy it for YOUR article.
I would be honored if you’d take a moment to check out my blog post *about your article*!
I don’t normally post links in blog comments and I’m NOT trying to be spammy but I’m listing the specific link that will route you to the More magazine post with your article:
http://endendoat.blogspot.com/2009/02/jeannes-endo-blog-how-more-magazines.html
If you read the blog comments section, you’ll see where I talked about the fact that I would “jump up and down” if we in the endo patient community were fortunate enough to have a writer well-educated about chronic illness (such as you) write a feature on endo!
Endo affects 89 MILLION women & girls. That’s more than breast cancer!
I would be deeply honored if you’d read/view my blog entry from 2/16 about your article.
THANK YOU (!!!) from the bottom of my heart for that More article! Looks like I need to add your book to my very large reading list. There are never enough hours in the day for me to read my mountain of books.
Take care and I’d be thrilled and honored if you check out my blog.
Also you can email me directly at:
endendo [at] frontiernet [dot] net
I just wrote it out to minimize spam. I learned awhile back that the Google robots and such find online posted email address but this helps. Just remove the spaces, replace [at] with the @ sign, and replace [dot] with a period… and delete the spaces.
I very much look forward to connecting with you!
Jeanne
February 23, 2009 at 2:37 am
Donna,
I just posted a tribute to you on my blog!! It’s a brand new blog post.
Jeanne
February 23, 2009 at 8:59 am
Donna,
I have also written to Mariela Azcuy. We need in-depth coverage about endometriosis in the print media, and with March being Endometriosis Awareness Month – there’s no better time.
Thank you for the wonderful coverage you did on chronic illness. But we need more on endo.
February 25, 2009 at 5:16 am
Thank you for the article in Moore Magazine about invisible chronic illness. It was as if I was reading my life story. I worked for more that twenty five years in chronic pain.
I felt totally alone. I knew that if my employer learned how sick I was, that I would loose my job. When the chronic fatigue became debilitating, I had to retire. I would start getting ready for work and three hours later, I would still be getting dressed. What once took me thirty minutes to do was now taking over three hours. It was a frightening time in my life.
I learned of your blog through Jeanne’s Endo blog. Jeanne works, seemingly, tirelessly to get the truth about endometriosis to the masses. I was not surprised when I arrived on your blog to see her appealing to you to write an article about endo. I beseech you to please take the suggestion into consideration.
There are so many women suffering and receiving bogus information. It does not have to be this way. We need legitimate information in main stream media. Ms. Nakazawa you can be so instrumental in making that happen.
My mother, my sister and I were treated for endo. At that time, I could find nothing about it. I had not even heard the term. Thirty five years later, we are still searching for the truth.
February 25, 2009 at 8:09 am
Donna,
I have heard from numerous women who intend to stop by here and post a comment. I see a few of them have already stopped by.
The only reason you’re not seeing more comments here from endometriosis patients itching to get accurate information featured about endo in the media is that many of them are struggling with the very issues that your article “Ill in a day’s work” talked about… working hard to balance work and personal life while managing a chronic illness (or several chronic illnesses, for many of these women).
Many women are simply too sick, busy, and exhausted to get everything done as quickly as they’d like.
I expect you’ll be seeing more comments posted here in the coming days because I have heard from women who very much want endometrosis facts covered in the media… and intend to stop by here.
I thank you again for the wonderful article in More magazine. It has touched many hearts!! Many women have been contacting Mariela Azcuy as well.
So she may have more letters that what I’ve been copied on but I have several letters that women sent to her, pleading for endometriosis coverage.
Thank you so much!
Jeanne
February 25, 2009 at 7:04 pm
Donna,
Jeanne (above) has sent me over. What a great blog. Thank you for raising awareness.
April 9, 2009 at 3:15 pm
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