Hi Mark,

I notice greatly increased secondary porphyriai [1] symptoms with members of the cabbage (brassica) family. Studies suggest that they increase cytochrome p450 activity. Here's one study:

Brassica vegetables increase and apiaceous vegetables decrease cytochrome P450 1A2 activity in humans: changes in caffeine metabolite ratios in response to controlled vegetable diets. [5]

 

More info:

http://www.gpnotebook.co.uk/simplepage.cfm?ID=-1019936698 [6]

 

From the American Porphyria Foundation site [7]:

"Many drugs that make porphyria worse do so by increasing the synthesis of hemei [8] and its precursors in the liver. When the liver in a patient with acute porphyria is induced to make more heme, the genetic block in the pathway (the heme biosynthetic pathway) becomes exaggerated and heme precursors accumulate. Heme made in the liver is used mostly to make certain enzymes found in the cytochrome P450 (a metabolic pathway). Therefore, when a drug causes the liver to make more cytochrome P450 enzymes, it induces the liver to make more heme precursors, and then an exacerbation of a genetic porphyria can follow."

 

Here's a good list of members of the Brassica family:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cruciferous_vegetables [9]

 

Mustard used to always set me off, pre-CAPi [10], with terrible rosaceai [11] flushing, headaches, etc. I assumed it was some sort of vasoactive amine in mustards that caused this. Now I'm wondering if this reaction was due to a large increase in porphyrins...

Hope this helps.   Hang in there...

 

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Treatment for Rosaceai [11]

• CAPi [10]:  01/06 - 07/07
• High-Dose Vit D3, NACi [12] & FIRi [13] Sauna Only:  07/07 - 11/08
• Intermittent CAP, High-Dose Vit D3:  11/08 - Present

Apiaceous vegetables eg. anise, dill, fennel, caraway, carrot, parsley,celery,parsnip,celeriac. Includes the use of their seeds too. (I had to look this up to find out what this family included!)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apiaceae
[14]
Shame that broccoli is a brassica - I love them all, although I have to say that I have not noticed any bad effects from occasionally eating them. But fortunately I do love parsnips although they are best after the first frosts, rather than now.

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Progressive MSi [15] dx2006. LDNi [16] & CAPi [10]: Wheldon version. All supps. Doxyi [3] 200mg. Zithi [17] 250mg. Metroi [18] 400mg.Pulses #10/16...I can because I think I can.

Brocolli does it for me

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CPNi [2] pcri [19] and antibody positive , treating MSi [15], CFSi [20], TMJ, trigeminal neuralgia, IBSi [21] neutropenia, pus found in facial bone, Doxyi [3] 100x2,Doxy 200x2 zithro 250x1 alternate days. Metroi [18] pulses each month.