Hi
I hope you are having a good week. Thanks for being a subscriber. I appreciate hearing from you so let me know if you have any questions or topics that I can talk about in future newsletters or send me your own personal story. My email is contact@sjogrenssyndromeinfo.com
Here is your Sjogren's Syndrome Info Newsletter for this week.
In this newsletter you will find:
A personal diagnosis story
Tips for reducing joint pain
Health Benefits of Omega-9 Fatty Acids
Recipe: cashew nut butter
Latest Research
Giving Us Hope: New insights on sex differences and Long Covid
The Sun and Sjogren's
Thank you for your personal diagnosis story, Sam Rose:
It was a joint effort by my optician and my dentist. My dentist asked if I had Sjogren's as my teeth were pretty bad.
In the same month, I had gone to Specsavers to get my dry eyes checked out. They gave me eye drops but when they didn't work, the optician told me that we needed to find out the cause of the dry eyes and not just treat the symptoms.
I only had raised ANA and CRP in my blood tests. But I was referred to an eye specialist who said I had zero tear production. I was also referred to an immunologist who said I had Sjogren's despite not having the antibodies.
I didn't feel anything, to be honest. Well, not until I started on Plaquenil and that gave me my life back. Because I didn't realise how sick I felt until I went on that.
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Tips for reducing joint pain recommended by people with Sjogren's:
- Soluble Vit C and magnesium
- A good diet
- Omega 3,6,9 & a gluten-free diet.
- Lots of rest, when you have pain and inflammation.
- Methotrexate
- Avoiding wheat and potatoes
- Low Dose Naltrexone.
- Castor oil treatment of inflamed/painful joints (for hands and feet, small joints).
- CBD oil
- Curcumin (turmeric)
- Low sugar diet
- Heated water pool therapy
- A healthy diet including fish oil, omega 3 fatty acids
- Multivitamins.
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Health Benefits of Omega-9 Fatty Acids from University Health News
The benefits of omega-9s fatty acids are wide-ranging:
- Increases “good” HDL cholesterol levels and decreases “bad” LDL cholesterol levels. This helps eliminate plaque buildup in the arteries, which causes heart attacks and strokes.
- Reduces insulin resistance in people with diabetes.
- Increases energy and enhances mood.
- Improves memory performance in people with Alzheimer’s disease.
- Boosts the immune system.
Sources of Omega-9s
The two primary sources of omega-9 fatty acids are oleic acid and erucic acid. These can be found in foods and supplements. For example, oleic acid is the main component of olive oil, and erucic acid can be found in sunflower seeds.
Other foods rich in omega 9 fatty acids include:
- Avocados and avocado oil
- Almonds and almond oil
- Pecans
- Cashews
- Hazelnuts
- Rapeseed
- Mustard seed
- Olives
- Macadamia nuts
One or two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil per day provide enough oleic acid for adults. However, this dosage should be divided up throughout the day.
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Recipe: Many people with Sjogren's find eating nuts challenging so to get their benefits you can use a small amount in smoothies or make nut butter.
Cashew nut butter, or any nut butter, is simple to make if you have a food processor. Use roasted nuts for the best taste. Making nut butter can be taxing on your food processor, so make sure to take breaks. This is when you can scrape down the sides of the food processor.
Some people like an oilier consistency so they add coconut oil. The ratio is 3 cups roasted, salted cashews (450g) to 2 Tablespoons of coconut oil or olive oil. The oil is added slowly while the food processor is blending the nuts. Some people add a teaspoon of cinnamon for a sweeter flavor.
It will last 3 to 4 months in the fridge.
Besides a spread on toast use it on your chia pudding or oatmeal.
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Latest Research
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Giving Us Hope: While we may not understand the complexities of the research it is comforting to know that it is being done.
New Insights are arising about sex differences in Sjogren's and why more women have it than men. Sjogren's is the most female-predominant systemic autoimmune disease. Prior studies had suggested that this might result from Toll receptors 7 and 8 located on the X chromosome.
Data presented at ACR 2021 by Shaw and colleagues extended previous studies about escape from X chromosome inactivation and the female predominance in autoimmune disease by showing that all mesenchymal stromal cells from women with SJD had skewed expression of X-linked genes that escaped X-chromosome inactivation.
Patients with Sjogren's exhibit a mechanism of X-chromosome escape that might serve as a new way to explain the female bias by perhaps altering hormone-activated genes, Toll-like receptors, or maybe an entirely new class of immune-active genes.
Long Covid: A substantial proportion of young, previously healthy COVID-19 patients have long-term fatigue, cognitive changes, and diminished quality of life. The mechanisms of this brain fog remain unclear, but involvement of the cholinergic pathways has been proposed. Other mutations (generally in loci encoding cytokines) have been reported to predispose patients to prolonged postinfectious fatigue. Chronic fatigue and brain fog are important symptoms in patients with SS, a disorder characterized by its cholinergic pathway involvement. The "epidemic" of these symptoms after COVID-19 may provide insight into their pathogenesis in SS.
Robert Fox, MD; Alan N. Baer, MD
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The Sun & Sjögren’s
Sjögren’s patients need to be cautious about their time in the sun. Ultraviolet radiation emitted from the sun and other light sources (such as some fluorescent lights) can alter immune function and lead to an autoimmune response in the body and skin.
In response to the sun, Sjögren’s patients can experience skin rashes, ocular sensitivity, pain, and disease flares. Tips include:
- Read sunscreen labels and look for the words “broad-spectrum,” which protects from both UVA & UVB light. Note that the SPF ratings refer only to UVB rays.
- Use plenty of sunscreen with a higher number of SPF. Most people only use about 1/3 the recommended amount of sunscreen. This reduces the benefit of the SPF rating.
- Remember to reapply sunscreen because water, humidity, and sweating decrease sunscreen effectiveness.
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AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE: I'm an affiliate for some products and as such receive a small percentage of the profits, at no extra cost to the purchaser. This is how I help fund the work I do for this newsletter. Thank you for any purchases you make.
Please follow my Facebook page called Sjogren's blog where you can also join in the conversation and ask questions and help others by sharing your experiences.
Please keep in mind I am not a medical professional, but a person with SS with a background in research, and the information in this newsletter does not replace the advice of a doctor.
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Sincerely searching for better health,
contact@sjogrenssyndromeinfo.com
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