(Excerpts from “Beating Arthritis and Beating Osteoporosis” by Dr. Rex E. Newnham.) 

There are more than 100 of these variations and we will only consider the most common types. Because of the many factors that can bring on arthritis it is obvious that arthritis is a disease of the whole body, and not just a joint disease. It can show up as joint problems and headaches, allergic symptoms and bone problems. 

RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS 

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is called an auto-immune disease, because it attacks the body tissue in and around certain joints to cause swelling and pain. Doctors do not know why one part of the body should attack another part of the body, hence the name auto-immune; it is assumed to be an automatic response, possibly caused by an allergy. In RA the synovial membrane (or joint capsule) is affected and then there can be general degeneration of the joint and deformity. This disease is much more common in women, but after some years it will often develop into osteo-arthritis. RA generally just attacks the smaller joints of hands, fingers, etc. It can cause serious deterioration to the cartilage around the joint. There are other theories as to the cause of RA, and one of these was put forward by Prof. Wyburn-Mason who was able to see and identify certain amoebae that parasited the joints (1). Certain common minerals in the blood, such as boron, can control these parasites. Others blame allergies. Allergies mean that certain things act as a poison to upset or damage some tissue or other. There are a number of blood tests that will confirm a diagnosis of RA. RA is generally associated with other bodily symptoms such as general malaise, fatigue and muscle pains. There are often nerve problems and blood disorders associated with RA. 

Some RA is certainly due to an infection by an amoeba or other parasite. Some doctors will say there is a virus, but in this case the term virus is just a medical term that means ‘I don’t really know’. Some foods can act as an allergen to cause RA. Some meats contain many parasites, particularly pig meat and some of these parasites can get into the body to cause RA. We all have macrophages circulating in the blood, and their work is to identify any foreign cells in the body. Then killer lymphocytes are called in to attack the foreigner. These can be bacteria or amoebae or still smaller cells such as a true virus. Some of these invading cells seem to take shelter in the synovial membrane around a joint, possibly because there is no direct blood supply to the synovium and then many doctors will say that the body’s own lymphocytes are attacking our own tissues. And they call it auto-immune disease. The Jews in Palestine have less than 1% with arthritis of all sorts, and very little RA. They do not eat pig meat and this is an indication that the parasites in pig are dangerous. Europeans eat more pig meat than any other race and this is probably the reason for so much RA. Some researchers say that meat does aggravate arthritis, but none of them have ever sorted out the different kinds of meat. Other sources of infection can be mosquitos or other insects, especially those found in the tropics. If a person feels they picked up their RA while visiting the tropics then they were probably bitten by something that injected a parasite into them. 

Patients with RA also feel tired, exhausted and irritable which indicates that RA is a disease of the whole body and not just a disease of the joints. They often have night sweats and have a slightly higher than normal temperature. Some RA victims also have problems with their eyes, heart, nerves, kidneys and lungs which all seem to be infected by the same whole body disease. RA can start suddenly, just overnight, or it can take weeks to develop, and this all fits the theory that some sort of parasitic infection has caused the problem. These can be introduced a little and often. Or there can be a massive invasion of parasite after, say, a feed of poorly cooked sausage. RA is often worse in the fingers and feet, the joints that are used most of all. If the knees are badly affected do not put a pillow under them at night, as then they may become bent permanently and this is bad. 

Many doctors will say that RA cannot be cured and can only be treated by drugs that relieve pain and reduce fever and inflammation. They will use aspirin or a similar non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug but these have side effects and can cause stomach ulcers and internal bleeding and death. Others will use corticosteroids which are very powerful anti-inflammatory drugs, but they also have powerful side effects affecting the stomach, heart and bone adversely. They can also cause skin problems and cause the face to swell. These often have to be taken for the rest of one’s life, so they say. Some doctors want to have surgery to affected joints, but that does not attack the disease that affects the whole body. 

Over the last 20 years a number of RA patients have used the mineral boron, now found in certain tablets in England. These patients will often experience a Herxheimer reaction which is a worsening of the problem after a week or so, but then when they continue with the tablets they will be relieved of all pain and inflammation. This is because the boron will kill the parasites in the body and then when the dead parasites are still floating around the blood we can feel worse than ever. But when the white blood cells can get rid of all the dead parasites, one can feel well again.

OSTEO ARTHRITIS 

Osteo arthritis (OA) is a wearing away of the joints, generally in joints that have done the most work, or that have been damaged. OA is the commonest type of arthritis and occurs more often in men than in women. The cartilage, or tough fibrous matter around the joint, just wears away and then the bone rubs on bone and there is pain and permanent damage is caused to the joint. In the early stages the cartilages just lose their elasticity. Healthy joints have a covering of cartilage over all articulating surfaces. These are the surfaces that rub together. This will severely cripple a man and cause accidents, when sudden twinges of pain make the man let go of something suddenly. This causes accidents at work and much time is lost through sickness. X-rays are normally used to confirm OA and to determine the extent of joint damage. 

When some part of the body seems to wear out there is probably a deficiency in some essential nutrient. As we grow older we tend not to eat the tough fibrous foods such as meat gristle, or the cores of apples and pears; we like the soft easy to chew foods. But gristly meat contains the makings of cartilage, and if we reject it then we can become short of good cartilage-making food. Glucosamine is a recently made supplement that contains the makings of cartilage and it has helped repair some worn cartilages. It is the weight bearing joints of knees and hips that are the first affected, and an accident can also bring on OA as it can damage the joints. 

Many doctors will say that OA is for life and some will want to put in an artificial joint at great expense. Drugs can relieve pain but can do nothing to cure OA. Reduction of weight can often make OA easier to bear. The mineral boron will help to join together some of the components of cartilage and so will overcome this disease. Dogs and horses will develop OA and the boron tablets will correct their arthritis. 

JUVENILE ARTHRITIS or STILL’S DISEASE 

Juvenile arthritis or Still’s Disease is similar to RA but it occurs in young children, even in infants. It often involves the spleen, lymph and even the heart. This disease is becoming more common, but it responds quickly to mineral treatment. Young children will generally get quite better in less than two weeks. In recent years there are many more cases of juvenile arthritis than there used to be, so the cause of the disease is becoming more common especially in some developing countries such as Jamaica and Mauritius where the soil boron levels are very low. In America 20-30% of those who are given the rubella vaccine develop arthritis within four weeks of the vaccination, so the stress of the vaccination is a factor. A vitamin C supplement given before and after vaccination will help to relieve any stress and will obviate many vaccine caused sicknesses. Yet not all children succumb so we must look to the diet. A vaccine will affect the immune system and can interfere with normal immune function. A child may have a parasite that is being controlled by normal macrophages, but when a vaccine causes the immune system to react to that vaccine then there are not enough cells to deal with the parasite and so the child feels feverish and the joints can swell to give pain. Minerals such as boron are normally present in a good diet, but if that is not good enough there can be a deficiency so that normal cells are not able to fight the parasite and juvenile arthritis develops.
Another cause can be mineral deficient food. When a child develops ‘growing pains’, and cannot sleep, it is time that something was done to help that child. Plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables is the best way to give this help. A supplement containing magnesium, calcium and boron will help these children in two or three weeks, and then all is right providing the diet is improved. Otherwise the child is often given a dozen or more aspirin tablets a day to relieve the pain, or it may be given cortisone. Drugs like these do not indicate a good future for the unfortunate child. But a better diet, with well grown food can only do the child good. They will probably need the mineral supplement so as to get over the problem, but should not need it after 3 or 4 weeks. If still on breast milk the mother should take the mineral supplement. 

The very fact that young children get this disease is a proof that the claims by the medical profession are wrong when they say that RA is the result of an auto-immune factor that happens when we grow older. It has nothing to do with growing old but has much to do with mineral deficiencies in the diet. The auto-immune idea is a cover-up when they really have no clue as to what causes RA or juvenile arthritis. 

RHEUMATIC FEVER 

Rheumatic fever generally affects children and affects mostly the large joints, but only one or two are affected at the same time. It can move from joint to joint. It generally starts as a throat infection which is followed by a fever and the joints become hot and swollen. The arthritic symptoms only last for a few weeks, but many of the victims of this disease later develop heart trouble. It also causes a skin rash with lumps over the skin. It is most common in the undeveloped countries. It is caused by a parasite of unknown type and is a whole body disease.

PYORRHEA 

Pyorrhea is a loosening of the teeth with swollen gums. It is really arthritis of the joint between the tooth and the jaw. There are mouthwashes available that contain boron, and the boron is very quickly assimilated through the mucous membranes of the mouth. In Australia it is possible to purchase these mouthwashes freely, but one is not allowed to buy the boron tablet that has the same effect. The authorities do not seem to have realized the close connection between pyorrhea and the other forms of arthritis. 

OSTEOPOROSIS 

Osteoporosis is a decalcification of the bones. Women after menopause tend to lose 50 to 150 milligrams a day of calcium from their bones. When one considers this and calculates the loss over 40 or 50 years, the woman has lost most of her calcium, so it is no wonder that very old women are often hunchbacked and shrunken. If a woman loses 100mg of calcium a day, that is a gram in 10 days or 36 grams in a year. It is 360 grams in 10 years or 1080 grams in 30 years. As the average body burden of calcium is only 1100g, our life span is often reduced after osteoporosis has progressed for many years. 

Men do not normally start losing this calcium until about 70 years of age. There are considerable variations due to diet. People suffering with this complaint tend to have brittle bones that break easily. They spend months in hospital while recovering. Sometimes it is considered too difficult to teach old Mrs. So-and-so to walk again, so she is kept in bed until she dies. The sex hormones are reduced in osteoporosis, and some doctors give hormone replacement therapy that can lead to certain cancers. Most women over 70, or maybe 60, will break a bone if they fall, often it is a wrist or a hip or an elbow. Recently an 84 year old woman was playing golf when she fell down a bank 20 feet high and it sloped at 45 degrees. Her husband picked her up at the bottom and then she finished the game of golf. She had been taking a maintenance dose of my tablets for 10 or 12 years and her bones were good and strong thanks to the boron. 

Some men and women, especially in so-called primitive cultures, live to a good old age without osteoporosis; so we must look to what happens in our civilized societies. Our diets have changed very much over recent years, and this has changed the calcium balance in the blood. Blood must have some calcium and if there is not enough, then it is taken from the body’s store of calcium, which is the bony skeleton. Phosphorous is also very important in both blood and bone. Here is the big factor: some of our food requires additional phosphorous, which must be taken from the bones; this in turn releases calcium that is lost in the urine. The trace mineral boron will help the calcium to get into the bones to give strength. 

Sugar is the biggest offender here, as it lacks minerals, so it has to take phosphorous from the bones for its metabolism. 150 years ago the average consumption of sugar was 5 pounds per person per year while today it is 140 pounds per person per year. White flour and white bread is also an offender. Caffeine in tea and coffee also require phosphorous, thus releasing calcium. Some people have been persuaded to take calcium tablets, but these are generally calcium carbonate, which does little good. The carbonate requires acid in the stomach, but older people are often short of this stomach acid so they cannot dissolve the calcium carbonate. We must try to retain both the calcium and the phosphorous in our bones, and that means that we must eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, the same as healthy cows and sheep. These give both calcium and phosphorous in the right proportion for good health, as well as boron. But older people are well advised to take a boron supplement. 

SPONDYLITIS 

Spondylitis is arthritis of the spine, and in ankylosing spondylitis there is a considerable restriction of movement. It is a loss of calcium in the vertebrae. The cartilages or intervertebral discs often become degenerate. It affects the larger joints of the body and sometimes hips and knees are affected. It generally starts at the bottom of the spine and works upwards. Young men are those mostly affected. The inflammation affects the outside of the joint capsule where the tendons join to the bone and in time part of the capsule can become bony so that in bad cases two or more vertebrae are joined together, and then the spine becomes quite rigid. This condition generally responds well to boron therapy. 

Spondylitis is unknown among African Negroes but is common among American Indians, so it may be genetic, or it may more likely depend on the environment or food. Ankylosing spondylitis is the third most common form of arthritis, after RA and OA. It is worse after rest and better after exercise, so it is wise to exercise as much as possible as this will delay or prevent stiffening of the spine. Conventional medicine cannot help except with painkillers but my tablets with its boron does help. 

GOUT or GOUTY ARTHRITIS 

Gout or gouty arthritis is a joint disease in which uric acid, a breakdown product of protein, seems to concentrate in some joints, particularly the big toe because it is the lowest part of the body. Other joints that are affected are the ankles, knees, wrists, elbows and fingers. The gouty person should change his diet so as to reduce protein, alcohol or sugar intake, whichever is out of balance. He also need a boron supplement that will help to build up his bones. The New Zealand Maoris did not know about gout when on their traditional diet of fish, fruit and vegetables, but they soon developed gout when they started on the white man’s diet of beef, lamb, sweets and dairy products. This proves that diet is the key factor in gout. 

Gout affects far more men than women, generally middle-aged men. These men are often overweight and have high blood pressure, a sign that the blood vessels are becoming constricted. Gout does tend to run in families, but this is because family members tend to eat the same food, high in protein. This may cause damage to the kidneys so that they do not remove all the uric acid from the body. Sometimes prescribed drugs will inhibit the excretion of uric acid and will promote an attack of gout. These are diuretic drugs such as Thiazide and some of the anti-cancer drugs which will also promote gout. 

SKELETAL FLUOROSIS 

Skeletal fluorosis is the unseen counterpart of dental fluorosis, which occurs when people have been taking in too much fluoride. Some parts of India and Africa have from 2 to 5 parts per million (ppm) fluoride in their drinking water, and they have developed endemic skeletal fluorosis, which is a very severe type of arthritis. They cannot work normally and can barely stand up; some can only stand with their backs parallel to the ground. This can be overcome by avoiding fluoride in water.

Some civilized countries have introduced fluoride at 1ppm to the drinking water in the hope that it would alleviate dental caries. There is much uncertainty as to any possible favourable results, but people who have been drinking this water for twenty or more years often develop dental fluorosis. This is a mottling of the teeth which is due to an unevenness in the density of the enamel. It can be unsightly as it is easily seen. But at the same time, one can develop skeletal fluorosis that cannot be seen. It means that the outer layer of bone, which is the hard and dense layer, is of uneven density so it becomes brittle and can break easily. Doctors were never taught about this and tend to ignore it, just calling the condition arthritis.

Because of this we do well to try to avoid fluoride in the drinking water. Water filters of the reverse osmosis type will remove the fluoride, or most of it. Fluoride is a by-product of the aluminium industry and it is very toxic and so is very difficult to dispose of legally. Somebody suggested a method of disposing of it by diluting it with much water, to a level that was no longer toxic. But when swallowed even at the rate of 1 ppm, it tends to accumulate in the body so that after many years we have too much in our bodies and the bones become brittle and are more liable to fracture.

POLYMYALGIA RHEUMATICA

Polymyalgia Rheumatica is really a muscular problem in which the muscles of the hips, shoulders and neck become sore and stiff. It is often worse early in the morning, but it can get worse as the day progresses. The normal treatment is the giving of steroids, but these have dangerous side effects. Extra magnesium is often a very good remedy that will correct this. A selenium supplement will also help most muscle problems. Magnesium chloride is particularly useful here. 

PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS 

Psoriatic arthritis can affect any joint in the body but it often only affects a few close together joints. The type of arthritis which accompanies the itching and red skin, can be of any type. RA or OS are the commonest. There are powerful drugs that are supposed to control both problems but their side effects make them undesirable. My tablets will help both the skins and the joints. Skin problems generally need extra zinc and the joints need extra boron, and both of these are contained in my tablets. This is a disease of the whole body and is generally just a deficiency of the minerals concerned.

SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSIS 

Systemic lupus erythematosis is a severe a disabling disease affecting more women than men. It is often brought on by certain drugs and can be alleviated by overcoming allergies or by adding boron to the diet. There is generally a red butterfly like rash across the face. It can affect any joint and will damage the tissues considerably. The allergies may be in food or may be environmental, such as gas or new carpets or an outgassing from new timber.

References

(1)Wyburn-Mason R, The Causation of Rheumatoid Disease and Many Human Cancers. Iji Publishing Co, Tokyo, 1978.