Nutrition Study Results
In 2018 Tx Genetic Research recruited 20 individuals to confidentially participate in a study of Tx Genetic's mucosa-building nutritional formula in accordance with NIH certification regarding protecting human research participants. Individuals were recruited according to the following criteria, which were established through an intake questionnaire:
1. They reported recurring or chronic symptoms of dysfunction of the respiratory, gastrointestinal or urogenital tracts, skin, joints or metabolizing organs, or...
2. They reported recurring or chronic symptoms usually associated with salicylate-phenol toxicity, or...
3. They reported recurring or chronic symptoms of systemic discomfort after eating fruits & vegetables, and...
4. They did not report current work in an industrial setting and did not report current exposure to high amounts of industrial pollutants.
Participants took daily doses of the nutritional supplement and followed a low salicylate-phenol-quinone diet for 120 days. An oral absorption method of administration was used to avoid stomach acid destruction of nutrients. Of the 20 individuals, participation outcomes were:
1. Two individuals did not complete the study. One individual completed the study and did not have a full exome genetic test.
2. Seventeen individuals provided permission to access a previous genetic test or had a genetic test purchased for them. Ten individuals has full exome analyses; seven had partial analyses.
3. Four individuals of Family A were siblings, two individuals of Family B were siblings, and two individuals of Family C were mother-daughter. With the exception of one member of Family C, all family participants took the nutritional supplement. All family member participants had full or partial genetic tests available.
4. Five of the 17 individuals with genetic tests did not take the nutrition formula and functioned as controls. Three of these five individuals reported worsened symptoms. Two individuals did not report any change in function.
Of the 12 individuals who completed the nutrition study, 11 of whom had genetic tests, study outcomes were:
1. Maximum benefit from the nutritional supplement required adjustments in dosing of essential ingredients up or down to increase mucosa tissue repair and decrease salicylate-phenol-quinone toxicity, and also to avoid negative nutrient side effects, which varied depending upon an individual's health issues, genetic heritage and lifestyle choices (e.g. eating and drinking habits).
2. Improved mucosa tissue function and decreased salicylate-phenol-quinone toxicity were sustained with continued application of the nutritional supplement and maintaining the diet in some capacity after the study period usually at a lower level of dosing than that required to achieve initial healing benefit. Some participants required continued supplementation at full dose. The sustaining level of dosing was unique to each individual, depending upon an individual's health issues, genetic heritage and lifestyle choices.
It was noted that some symptoms started to return within one week to one month after stopping the supplement for some participants, while benefit for others continued longer. More research is necessary to assess why this would be so.
3. Reported significant improvements in health included:
a. Near elimination of bladder pain and dysfunction and return to normal function.
b. Near elimination of chronic lung cough and return to normal breathing.
c. Near elimination of hemorrhoid bleeding and return to normal bowel movements.
d. 50% improvement in thyroid function for two participants diagnosed with Hashimoto's thyroiditis, both verified by laboratory testing.
e. Decrease in the frequency, duration and intensity of migraines.
f. Near elimination of joint pain.
g. Decrease in extended bleeding time.
h. Increase in skin health and wound healing.
i. Elimination of symptoms of depression or anxiety.
j. Elimination of symptoms of fatigue and brain fog.
k. Increase in perceived tissue healing rate and decrease in physical discomfort after surgery or injury.
4. Other than reported increases in tissue healing and physical comfort after surgery by two individuals, these two individuals, plus a third, did not report any other benefits associated with the nutritional supplement or the diet on a day-to-day basis. Two of those individuals do not have more than one clinically-reported pathogenic variants associated with connective tissue disorders or with conjugation or detoxification enzymes. One individual did not have a genetic test.
5. Of the remaining nine participants, seven participants reported symptoms of toxicity, from as low as six to as high as 20 from a total list of 25 symptoms. The average number of symptoms reported was 15. Two of the nine participants had reported symptoms of tissue degradation without reported symptoms of toxicity, suggesting it is possible to develop disjunctive mucosa without exacerbation by inadequately biotransformed food chemicals. This does not rule out the possibility of tissue damage from the over-consumption of damaging chemicals that overwhelm normative conjugation and detoxification processes (e.g. alcohol, chlorinated water, pesticides, etc).
6. The details of the genetic profiles of the eleven participants and five controls is still being tabulated. The following initial observations are subject to further analysis and verification.
Participants reporting symptoms associated with loose connective tissue dysfunction, salicylate-phenol-quinone [aromatic hydrocarbon] toxicity and difficulty eating fruits and vegetables appear to possess a suite of common clinically-reported pathogenic variants, creating a multifactorial health condition.
a. Deficiency in essential nutrients or biochemical substrates necessary for the biosynthesis of loose connective tissue, and/or...
b. Degradation of loose connective tissue from connective tissue disorder, and/or...
c. Degradation of loose connective tissue from inflammation, and/or...
d. Loose connective tissue degradation from aromatic hydrocarbon intolerance due to inadequate conjugation and/or detoxification, and/or...
e. Deficiency in biochemical co-factors necessary for the metabolism of fruits and vegetables.
As expected, participants also reported additional symptoms consistent with the dysfunction of a particular variant separate from that variant's impact on loose connective tissue. The symptoms varied from very mild to quite severe, depending upon the variant involved and its degree of activation. Factors affecting activation include the influence of other genes, other variants and environmental exposure (chemical pollutants, burnt hydrocarbon particulates) and health-impacting events (as examples, infections, infestations, drug-induced damage, childbirth).
Initial Conclusion: This research suggests that degradation of epithelial mucosa loose connective tissue, creating a condition of disjunctive mucosa, may be of three types.
Type 1 would be the manifestation of disjunction due to the presence of a single or combination of the first three possibilities listed above: deficiency in essential nutrients or biochemical substrates and/or degradation of connective tissue directly and/or degradation from inflammation. Type 2 would include additional tissue damage from aromatic hydrocarbons (e.g. salicylate) and/or indirectly from increased oxidation. Type 3 would include further tissue damage from mitochondrial oxidation.
This is a relevant distinction to make clinically because a number of fruit and vegetable chemicals have anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidation properties at high doses, which may be helpful for some individuals at controlling certain symptoms or conditions. However, these chemicals could potentially exacerbate loose connective tissue damage for individuals with failures of conjugation and detoxification enzymes. A careful clinical assessment would be most effectively helped by genetic testing.
Further examination of the genetic data may suggest additional factors. Researchers are requested to replicate this study.
Helen C. Harrison, M.A., Robert L. Backstrand, M.A.
NIH Certification #2229443. Summary as of 6/26/2019
