Ascorbic Acid: ���Its Fundamental Importance …���

The Glucose Ascorbate Antagonism Theory���From work by John T A Ely, PhD, Col US Air Force ret.

43rd Annual Orthomolecular Medicine Today 25 April 2014

Presented by John Thoreson, BA

The Primary Mantra •  “The rate limiting factor of immune system

function is intracellular ascorbate.”

•  If true, this is a most basic underlying principle for maintaining and restoring health … especially in the face of our mutation!

•  Underlying corollary to the mantra is the Glucose Ascorbate Antagonism Theory (GAA)

The Key to the Mantra •  In a normal human leukocyte the intracellular levels of AA are

maintained via an insulin mediated active transport system at nearly 50 times the surrounding serum levels

•  When needed (i.e. stress, disease, trauma, etc.) the rate of synthesis of converting glucose into AA – in all mammals not mutated (like humans) – increases 10 to 100 times

•  This increased amount of AA in circulation now via this uptake pathway results in an elevation in the intracellular levels of AA and a significant increase in immune system function and integrity

•  Intracellular ascorbate is monotonically related to driving the HMP shunt – to produce ribose (among other things) needed to make rna when rapid mitosis, high rate of metabolic activity and synthesis are needed

Key to the corollary - GAA

•  The GAA is critical as when glucose levels are even modestly elevated over normal, given its ancient sisterhood with AA, glucose will outcompete AA for uptake into the leukocytes

•  Leaving the immune system unable to adequately rally to the challenges presented

It is as simple as …

Nothing is as easy or simple as we would wish it to be, yet if we had to know it make it work?

A Brief History of Discovery

Cosmic Rays & Human Health: In the 1970’s Ely proposed a latitudinal relationship between cosmic radiation and human cancers (low latitude low incidence – & vice versa)

The further from the equator the greater the mutagenic effect of background cosmic radiation

A bit of context and perspective: The Solar System

Ely’s work bench in the design phase of his Cosmic Ray Detector For Satellite

High-energy Cosmic Ray Experiment as Part of this Satellite

Energies Required for Cosmic Ray Secondaries to Reach the Earth’s Surface

Green = 15 GeV Red = 0.12 GeV

The trouble with Theories •  There were anomalies in the cancer data – very disturbing for a

physicist (data supported theory pretty much … yet anomalies violated his expectation)

•  Mid-latitude countries with higher than predicted cancer rates

•  From WHO data - high sugar consumption in these countries

•  What does sugar have to do with Cancer?

•  Non-mutated mammals able to convert glucose into ascorbate (… then what does ascorbate have to do with cancer?) From this and other papers published on leukocytes in the 1970’s he deduced the GAA … and hence the primary mantra

For Instance: ���Sugar Intake and Breast Cancer Death Rates

How Basic is Basic? … how beautiful is green •  CO2 and H2O – Totally Oxidized

•  Nature at its conservative best – the magic of the porphyrin ring

•  Reduces, Restores – reload these spent atoms/molecules with sunlight energy

•  Oxidized C & Oxidized H become CHO … sugar … YEAA SUGAR!!!

Porphine, Heme and Chlorophyll

Porphine

Production of Glucose By Photosynthesis in Plants Leads to Ascorbic Acid

Ascorbic Acid Galactose

Adapted from: Nutritional Sciences: From Fundamentals to Food By Michelle McGuire, Kathy Beerman (2012)

Production of Ascorbic Acid in Plants and Mammals

Biosynthesis of Ascorbic Acid in Rat Liver

Derived from Kustermann, et al., 1998

To our benefit and loss, alas we are mutated. “Solution has its problems” JTA Ely

There will be consequences •  Our liver enzyme L-gluonolactone oxidase isn’t so active

•  Leukocytes require high AA levels to drive the HMS to supply adequate H2O2 and ribose for effective phagocytosis and mitosis

•  In even modest BG elevations (over 130 mg/dL) BG so outnumber AA as to competitively inhibit insulin-mediated active transport of AA into cells – resulting in low intracellular levels, low HMS, cell dysfunction, etc – this is the glucose ‘antagonism’ of AA

•  The GAA theory gives rise naturally to Aggressive Glycemic Control diet and concurrent supplementation with AA

•  Ignore this at our own peril … leading to untold morbidity, mortality, great cost, and suffering.

Aging: Predictions of a New Perspective on Old Data���Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine: 2002 pg.939-942 Ely, Krone

•  Compared our 4,000 mammal relatives ratio of Life Expectancy to Age of First Estrus: R = LE/AFE

•  Most relatives have an R value of ~25

•  Humans … 8

•  Can we live better longer? We shall C!

Car Story: Ely related to Pauling in

1973 this theoretical reason why the clinical

trials of vitamin C against colds and cancer may

have failed because the high blood sugar in the

affluent nations.

My mission in May of 1990: If this is true, and the answer so basic and reasonable –

why does it remain so unacted upon? Change, although stressful can be good

John Ely worked relentlessly throughout his life to solve the problems of our shared human

dilemma. A fundamental appreciation of the role of Ascorbate in health & immune integrity is just

one of his contributions. Thank you all for being here.