The universal panacea | By Teresa F Mendes

In Greek mythology, Panacea (or Panacea in Latin) was the goddess of healing. The term “panacea” is also widely used to mean remedy for all ills. Is there really a cure for all ills?

Panacea, granddaughter of Apollo, the God of medicine, her father Aesculapius and her sister Hygia, goddess of health, cleanliness and sanity, appeared as witnesses to the oath that all doctors are proud to take at graduation, which everyone knows as the Hippocratic Oath: “I swear, by Apollo, physician, by Aesculapius, Hygia and Panacea and by all the gods and goddesses, whom I call as my witnesses, I swear to fulfill, according to my power and my reason, the promise that follows : […]”

However, many centuries later, the oath changed its form, updating the content, for the first time in the Declaration of Geneva (1948), and now reads as follows:

"Eu, solenemente, juro consagrar minha vida a serviço da Humanidade. Darei como reconhecimento a meus mestres, meu respeito e minha gratidão. Praticarei a minha profissão com consciência e dignidade. A saúde dos meus pacientes será a minha primeira preocupação. Respeitarei os segredos a mim confiados. Manterei, a todo custo, no máximo possível, a honra e a tradição da profissão médica. Meus colegas serão meus irmãos. Não permitirei que conceções religiosas, nacionais, raciais, partidárias ou sociais intervenham entre meu dever e meus pacientes. Manterei o mais alto respeito pela vida humana, desde sua conceção. Mesmo sob ameaça, não usarei meu conhecimento médico em princípios contrários às leis da natureza. Faço estas promessas, solene e livremente, pela minha própria honra."

Yes sir, solemn it is. But, thinking about it, I would add as a corollary a quote from Linus Pauling (Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1954, Specialist in Vitamin C),

The best Medicine of all is to teach people not to need it.

(the translation of the original phrase into English by Google misses a lot, or perhaps it just makes people run away from the truth, replacing the word Medicine with Remédio, which in Portuguese is not the same thing).

Returning to Panacea. What, then, would be the remedy for all ills?

It could be the Sun, but it would be very unfair to the Eskimos. It could be Iodine, yes, Iodine, a chemical element belonging to the halogen family, since its lack causes babies to be born with cretinism, and when supplemented to future mothers, from the beginning of pregnancy, it brings into the world children with Intelligence Coefficient , significantly and statistically higher, when measured at two years of age.

Or it could be Vitamin C… (imagine me now, smiling, rubbing my hands).

Let’s start with two premises. Two premises to defend a thesis. In science, the premises are assumptions, which are assumed to be true, and the thesis will be the working hypothesis, or the conclusion. If the premises are correct, the hypothesis is logically true, that is, it will resist all possible attempts to refute it.

1. Our genes have been with us for many millions of years, and better than us, they know what they are doing, thanks to mechanisms that we call Evolution and through which we are here today. (we will return to this topic later)
2. All diseases begin with an excess of inflammation, caused by any internal or external agent, that exceeds our ability to reverse it.

In biochemical terms, we can describe this second premise with the following equivalent statement: what causes all diseases, without exception, is an excess of oxidation in our biomolecules, which prevents them from functioning normally.

Changing it down, oxidation is when a molecule loses an electron, going from a reduced state to an oxidized state. This applies to any molecule, DNA, protein, lipid, enzyme. When this molecule loses one or more electrons, one of the two either partially loses or completely loses its function. Oxidized molecule? It’s no use anymore!

Now: there are lots of agents that oxidize biomolecules – they are called toxins. Pro-oxidants, free radicals, ROS (i.e. Reactive Oxigen Species), poison, are all synonyms of toxin and, therefore, enemies of our health. Whatever form they appear in, they cause toxicity and then any secondary disease evolves, through oxidation, in any type of tissue, whether inside or outside the cells.

Therapy, that is, medicine, therefore, is to be able to give electrons to these oxidized biomolecules, and the resources we have to do so will determine our ability to stop the progression or even reverse the disease. Ultimately, if we catch them at an early stage we can even reverse chronic diseases, whatever they may be.

In short, a toxin is a pro-oxidant agent; an antioxidant is a reducing agent. A toxin takes away electrons; an antioxidant donates electrons.

And here is the Thesis: although there are many antioxidants out there, Vitamin C is the best (obviously!). Ready?

Firstly, because it is a small, water-soluble molecule that moves easily and reaches everywhere;

Secondly because it is a molecule structurally very similar to glucose, and we all know that all our cells want glucose and Vitamin C can enter cells through the same mechanism used by glucose;

Thirdly, because each molecule of Vitamin C can give two electrons and not just one, which doubles its effectiveness;

And fourthly, because when a Vitamin C molecule loses an electron, it can remain indefinitely in this intermediate state, where it can give up the second electron, or recover the first and this give-and-take induces micro electrical currents, which allows Vitamin C to exchange trillions of times per second, which determines how effectively you can replenish etc-etc-etc Etc-etc.

You already understand, right? I don’t need to explain much more, do I?

Sorry, but I can’t resist. For those who, with some logic, would point to Vitamin E as the best candidate for Universal Panacea, I have to say that, yes, Vitamin E, fat-soluble, is the best antioxidant for the cells’ lipid membranes, guaranteeing the physical integrity of all cells in our body. It’s no small feat. But in this meritorious and final fight, Vitamin E, which only has one electron to give, oxidizes and becomes inactive. And behold, if fortuitously, by chance, our water-soluble Vitamin C passes by, always circulating where it is needed, and comes across Vitamin E in that lamentable state, Vitamin C offers one of its two electrons, regenerating it. the. Voila!

(Does anyone, like my dear biochemistry professor at FCUL (Ruy Pinto), suggest Glutathione? I’m sorry, professor, the reasoning is the same).

Moral of the story: What, if any, is the universal Panacea? The answer, at least for me, is obvious – Vitamin C. What’s the secret? It must be available beforehand. Does it also heal afterwards? Maybe, probably not, it depends on the damage, but it always helps. Which disease applies to? All.

A disease is worse, the more Vitamin C it takes to cure it.said Linus Pauling. (Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1954, Specialist in Vitamin C).

[ForthosewhowanttoknowmoreIrecommendThomasELevy’sbook:“CuringtheIncurable”)See[ParaquemquisersabermaisrecomendoolivrodeThomasELevy:“CuringtheIncurable”) Ver

(continues next week)

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