Cetyl Myristoleate
-- A Unique Natural Compound Valuable in Arthritis Conditions
Introduction
Arthritis is a disease of
epidemic proportions, but it has been around for so many centuries that it is considered
by most people as a part of growing old or a consequence of physical injury. Arthritis is
in fact a far more complex disease than is generally known. For instance, Dorland's
Medical Dictionary describes 27 different types of arthritis, and that does not include
such diverse conditions as systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, fibromyalgia, and
numerous other conditions which some authorities consider to be types of arthritis.(1) One
authority states that there are approximately 100 causes for arthritis.(2)
Arthritis is thought to
affect more than 50 million Americans, and is generally accepted to be the leading cause
of movement limitation and disability. It deserves and receives a great deal of research
and medical attention. There are hundreds of drugs, procedures, and medical aids and
devices directed at coping with the many manifestations of the disease. Given this degree
of complexity, certainly no one agent alone could ever be expected to manage or cure
"arthritis" in its entirety. New agents take their place in the spectrum and
make a contribution. Now there is a relatively new discovery of a natural substance, cetyl myristoleate, which shows promise of making a
great contribution in non-infective types of arthritis.
Cetyl myristoleate was discovered and isolated by one person, working alone, on
a quest to find a cure for arthritis. Harry W. Diehl, while employed by the National
Institute of Arthritis, Metabolism, and Digestive Diseases, specialized in sugar
chemistry. He used his chemical knowledge and research instincts to great advantage,
identifying and characterizing over 500 compounds, several of which were patented by the
National Institutes of Health (NIH). His most significant discovery before cetyl
myristoleate was a method of synthesizing 2-deoxydextroribose, a sugar
used in the preparation of oral polio vaccine by Dr. Jonas Salk.(3)
Diehl's interest in
discovering a way to help victims of arthritis began over 40 years ago when his friend and
next door neighbor, a carpenter, developed severe rheumatoid arthritis. His condition
deteriorated over time until he became disabled. The neighbor had a family to support, but
his arthritis made that impossible. Diehl is a deeply religious man whose feelings
overwhelmed him as his friend's condition worsened. Harry thought, "Here I am working
at the National Institutes of Health, and I have never seen anything that was good for
curing arthritis"(4) He decided to establish a laboratory in his home and embark on a
search for something to relieve the pain and disability of his neighbor and the millions
of people who suffer from arthritis. Unfortunately, he was too late to help the neighbor,
but Diehl's research did lead to the discovery of cetyl myristoleate, which may someday be hailed as one of the significant
nutritional discoveries of the 20th century.
The Quest
As a researcher, Diehl knew
that finding a cure for arthritis first meant inducing the disease experimentally in
research animals. He started with mice, and quickly realized that he was unable to induce
arthritis in them. Diehl said he tried every way he could to give those mice arthritis,
but they just would not get it. Then, he contacted a researcher in California who wrote to
him, "If you or anyone else can give mice arthritis, I want to know about it, because
mice are 100% immune to arthritis."(5) At that moment, Diehl's research instincts
told him that what he wanted was already somewhere in those mice.
It was a long, tedious job,
working on his own in his spare time, but Diehl finally found the factor -- cetyl myristoleate -- that protected mice from
arthritis. As Diehl said, "It didn't come on a silver platter to me, but after years
of chemical sleuthing and just old-fashioned chemical cooking, I found it!" On thin
layer chromatography of methylene chloride extract from macerated mice, Diehl noticed a
mysterious compound, which was subsequently identified as cetyl myristoleate. As Diehl was to prove, cetyl myristoleate circulates in the blood of mice and makes them immune to
arthritis.
Cetyl myristoleate is now known to exist in sperm whale oil and in a small
gland in the male beaver. At this time no other sources in nature are known to contain cetyl myristoleate. While the first amounts of cetyl myristoleate for experimentation were extracted
from mice, Diehl quickly developed a method for making cetyl myristoleate in the lab by the esterification of myristoleic acid.
Chemistry of Cetyl
Myristoleate
Cetyl myristoleate, an oil, is the hexadecyl ester of the unsaturated fatty
acid cis-9-tetradecenoic acid. The common name for the acid is myristeleic acid.
Myristoleic acid is found commonly in fish oils, whale oils, dairy butter, and kombo
butter. The chemical formula for cetyl myristoleate
is (Z)-ROCO(CH(2))(7)CH=CH(CH(2))(3)CH(3). < >Cetyl myristoleate was unrecorded in chemical literature until Diehl's
discovery was reported. The current Merck Index of Chemicals does not list cetyl
myristoleate. A search of Chemical Abstracts lists Diehl's method of
extracting cetyl myristoleate from mice but
contains no reference to cetyl myristoleate prior
to his 1977 patent.
Experimentation with Cetyl
Myristoleate
To test his theory that
mice are immune to arthritis because of cetyl myristoleate,
Diehl began to experiment on laboratory rats. This research was reported in an article
written in conjunction with one of his colleagues at NIH in the Journal of Pharmaceutical
Sciences.(6) In summary, this paper reports that ten normal mice were injected in the tail
with Freund's Adjuvant (heat-killed desiccated Mycobacterium butyricum) to which rats and
certain other rodents are susceptible. In a period of 10-20 days, no noticeable swelling
developed in the legs or paws. Mice in a second group were injected in the left hind paw.
Again, after 10-20 days, no swelling was detected as determined by comparison of the
measurements of paws at the time of injection.
Then, a group of rats was
injected with cetyl myristoleate, and 48 hours
later, they were given the arthritis-inducing Freund's adjuvant. A control group of rats
was given Freund's adjuvant only. Both groups of rats were observed for a total of 58 days
with respect to weight change, hind and front leg swelling, and general well-being. All
rats receiving only Freund's adjuvant developed severe swelling of the front and hind
legs, lagged in weight gain, and were lethargic and morbid. Those receiving cetyl myristoleate before receiving Freund's adjuvant
grew an average of 5.7 times as much as the control group and had little if any evidence
of swelling or other symptoms of polyarthritis.
The authors concluded that
it was apparent that cetyl myristoleate gave
virtually complete protection against adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats. Furthermore, a
1:1 mixture of cetyl myristoleate and a homologue,
cetyl oleate, gave results not significantly different from
administering cetyl myristoleate alone.
A Hiatus
Diehl patented his
discovery in 1977, receiving a use patent for rheumatoid arthritis. He then sought
pharmaceutical companies to conduct human trials with cetyl myristoleate, but none were interested in his discovery. Perhaps the lack
of interest was because cetyl myristoleate was a
natural substance and could not be granted a product patent, or maybe because drug
companies know they will have to run through 25,000 to 35,000 substances before they find
one that makes it to market. Diehl had made a major nutritional discovery, and no one was
interested! Being a scientist, not a marketing expert, Diehl let his discovery lay dormant
for about 15 years.
As Diehl got older, he
began to experience some osteoarthritis in his hands, his knees, and his heels. His family
physician tried the usual regimen of cortisone and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
without much effect on the course of the disease. Finally his physician told Harry he
could not have any more cortisone. "So," Diehl said, "I thought about my
discovery, and I decided to make a batch and use it on myself." He did, and
successfully cured himself of his osteoarthritis.
Many of his family members
and friends became aware of the relief Diehl got from his discovery, and they wanted to
try it too. Time after time, people with both rheumatoid and osteoarthritis received
astounding relief with cetyl myristoleate. Before
long, family members and friends grew into customers, and cetyl myristoleate appeared on the market as a dietary supplement in 1991.
Clinical Observations and
Usage of Cetyl Myristoleate
In common with many other
natural substances and drugs, the exact mechanism of cetyl
myristoleate's physiologic activity is unclear. As a fatty acid ester, it appears to have
the same characteristics as the essential fatty acids, linoleic and alpha linolenic acids,
except stronger and longer lasting. These fatty acids are referred to as "essential
fatty acids" because the human body cannot make them and we must ingest them in our
diets. These EFA's truly are essential to normal cell structure and body function and
function as components of nerve cells, cell membranes, and hormone-like substances known
as prostaglandins. Many of the beneficial effects of a diet rich in plant foods is a
result of the low levels of saturated fat and the relatively higher levels of EFA's. While
a diet high in saturated fat has been linked to many chronic diseases, a diet low in
saturated fat but high in EFA's prevents these very same diseases.(7) The use of EFA's
over an extended period of time has been shown to decrease the pain, inflammation, and
limitation of motion of arthritis.(8)
The difference between the
activity of EFA's and cetyl myristoleate is that
the quantity required and the period of time over which EFA's are taken are markedly
longer. Cetyl myristoleate is taken in a one month
course of about 13 grams, while EFA's must be taken over extended periods, sometimes many
years, and intake varies widely from hundreds to thousands of grams. Cetyl
myristoleate seems to have properties in common with EFA's, but it
acts faster and lasts longer.
Because EFA's are necessary
for normal functioning of all tissue, it is not surprising that the list of symptoms of
EFA deficiency is a long one. In chronic inflammatory processes, the supply of EFA's is
depleted. Cetyl myristoleate appears to have the
ability to correct the imbalance created by chronic inflammation. Like EFA's, maybe cetyl myristoleate turns off the fires of chronic
inflammation by serving as a mediator of prostaglandin formation and metabolism.
Venous blood from the
gastrointestinal tract is carried to the liver via the portal vein. With the exception of
intestinal chylomicrons that enter the lymphatics, all absorbed products pass initially
through the liver, and in most instances are extracted or modified before passage into
systemic circulation.(9) Since all fatty acids enter systemic circulation through the
liver, an oil like cetyl myristoleate would begin
its systemic circulation from the liver also. It is speculated that cetyl
myristoleate stimulates the production of immunoglobulins and series 1
and 3 prostaglandins, which could be one explanation for why cetyl myristoleate has such potent effect in auto-immune and inflammatory
conditions.
Cases
Here are some cases
involving the use of cetyl myristoleate from the
author's practice.
Leona -- She is a 64 year
old mother of five who has been developing degenerative changes in her fingers over the
last 15 years. She plays the piano frequently and had to reduce the amount of playing time
as a result of the arthritis pain in her fingers. ANA titers have been mildly elevated
over the years and rheumatoid disease has been diagnosed in several of her ancestors and
one sibling. Leona's other medical problems are mild hypertension and chronic sacrolumbar
pain which appears to be attributable both to sciatic damage sustained in a water skiing
accident 24 years ago and Shunerman's disease as teenager. Demonstrating both rheumatoid
and osteoarthritis changes in her fingers, she has a mild nodular deformity at the
terminal joints of the 3rd and 4th fingers on the left hand and fusiform swelling in the
medial and distal joints of most of her fingers. Her thumbs were intermittently painful
and swollen. She first took cetyl myristoleate in
mid-January, 1997. There is now increased range of motion in all of the finger joints and
visible reduction of the rheumatoid-like swelling. The nodular deformities have not
changed noticeably. Her back problems demonstrated no improvement. Her sedimentation rate
has run from 15 to 35, and is currently 16, with her ANA <1:360. Leona is now able to
play the piano all she wants to without pain or swelling of her fingers.
Joyce -- She is a 42 year
old mother of three and a court reporter in good general health, suffering only from
moderate hayfever in the spring. Recently Joyce developed a generalized stiffness and
soreness in her fingers, which was worse on her right hand. The condition became so bad
over a couple of weeks that she began making numerous mistakes in her court reporting and
her speed was significantly reduced. She was diagnosed with tenosynovitis. Joyce shows no
deformities of her hands associated with arthritis. She began a course of cetyl
myristoleate during the last week of February and finished the last
week of March, 1997. She reports complete restoration of her dexterity with return of her
normal accuracy and speed, along with elimination of the associated pain.
Bob -- He is a 67 year-old
retired politician who suffered lumbar and pelvic fractures in WWII when his jeep struck a
land mine. Over the years, these injuries produced increasing pain, which seriously
affected routine daily activities like getting out of bed in the morning and his ability
to play golf. X-rays demonstrate degenerative arthritic changes in the lumbar
articulations and the right sacroiliac joint. At 6 feet tall and 185 pounds, he is
otherwise in good health. Bob has been using anti-inflammatory drugs for over 20 years,
including Voltaren, ibuprofen, Tylenol, and aspirin. He took a one-half course of 7.6
grams of cetyl myristoleate in September, 1996. He
experienced moderately severe inflammation (breakthrough pain) on day two which lasted for
three days. On the 4th day, the pain began to subside and was completely gone by the 5th
day. He has been virtually pain-free since and is very happy with the increased comfort
with which he can begin each day. He can now comfortably walk the golf course whereas
before he was limited to a golf cart. In February, 1997, he perceived a slight return of
his low back pain and decided to take another one-half course. He experienced no
breakthrough pain this time and is currently pain-free. He has not taken any other
medication for his back pain since taking cetyl myristoleate
initially.
Virginia -- She is an 85
year-old lady who still works part-time at the family-owned business and cares for her
husband who has cancer. Virginia was diagnosed ten years ago with diabetes, and elevated
triglycerides and cholesterol. Overweight all her life, she is now stable at 265 pounds.
She suffers from long-standing osteoarthritis in her knees and ankles, for which she was
placed on cetyl myristoleate. No other agents have
been used by her for arthritis except for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, both OTC
and prescription. After about 7.6 grams of cetyl myristoleate,
she was able to walk without limping or experiencing significant pain. About three months
following the initial course, some pain returned, but she has retained what she estimates
to be 50% improvement. She also has gallstones and a recurrent problem with gout, both of
which have been symptomless since her cetyl myristoleate
course. She evidently did not receive enough cetyl myristoleate
for her body weight and will be given another course of 13.25 grams.
Rose -- Rose is a 46 year
old mother of four who works as a legal secretary. She was diagnosed five years ago as
having an atypical form of multiple sclerosis. She had MRI exams of the skull and spinal
cord, which demonstrated several areas of non-specific degenerative changes in the brain
with several "bright spots" in the cervical spinal cord. She had periodic visual
aberrations as well as constant fatigue and fibromyalgia-like pains focused in her
trapezius (bilaterally), and in her upper arms and legs below the knees. She also
complained of burning sensations in her hands and feet. All of the symptoms worsened with
elevated stress. There was no sign of pernicious anemia or diabetes. She was receiving
chiropractic therapy. Joyce was started on numerous naturopathic therapies in March, 1996
without significant benefit over an eight month period. In November, 1996, she started on cetyl myristoleate and indicated that she felt more
fatigued for the first three days but that the pain in her upper back and extremities was
completely gone. She further reported that the tingling/burning sensation in her feet and
hands was also gone. Rose felt this was the most striking aspect of the treatment as those
areas were the ones most constantly affected. This improvement lasted until she had to
travel out of state to tend to her mother who was diagnosed with a rapidly advancing
malignancy. Over the next three weeks, her symptoms began to reappear. After the death of
her mother, she returned home in as bad shape as before first taking cetyl
myristoleate. She decided that she wanted to take another half course
of cetyl myristoleate, which completely
duplicated the relief from the initial dosage with the exception that she feels slightly
less relief from her tendencies to fatigue than she did after the first course. Rose will
be taking another half course to see if she can improve her stamina.
J.P. -- He is a 60 year old
male who has been a farmer his entire life. Diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis 15 years
ago, he has been on various pharmacologic protocols during that time. The most recent
includes Plaquenil, methotrexate, and prednisone, with daily non-steroidal
anti-inflammatory drug dosing. J.P. has fusiform swelling involving most of the joints of
his fingers and moderate ulnar deviation of both hands. He suffered severe pain most of
the time which limited the labor he could perform. He began cetyl myristoleate during the last week of February, 1997, at which time he
terminated his methotrexate and Plaquenil (not recommended except in consultation with a
qualified physician). He has also reduced his prednisone from 15 milligrams per day to 5
mg, but he still maintains his NSAID dosing on a daily basis. J.P. experienced a mild
increase in pain during the first four days of taking cetyl myristoleate, but since then he has been pain free and the swelling in
his hands is reducing. J.P. will be monitored over the next month to determine his
stability, with checking of his serum parameters by an MD. If he continues to remain
symptom-free, his steroid and NSAID therapies will be terminated. J.P. does not smoke, eat
chocolate, nor drink alcohol or caffeinated beverages. He was advised at the onset of his cetyl myristoleate dosage to avoid sugar. He is
also taking Glucosaplex (a mix of glucosamines) and Lyprinol (fatty acid extract of green
lipped mussel) as an additional natural anti-inflammatory agent.
Since the days of
Paracelsus, physicians have been combining therapeutic agents for synergistic effects, or
to achieve potentiation of several compounds. As powerful a nutrient as it is, the effects
of cetyl myristoleate can be helped by combining
it with other natural substances. Two or three grams daily of omega-3 fish oil or two
tablespoonfulls of flaxseed oil during the month-long course of cetyl
myristoleate can help its effects. This should be accompanied by
300-500 mg of Vitamin E daily. A minimum of 1,500 mg of glucosamine sulfate should be
taken daily for at least three months to assist in rebuilding cartilage damaged by
degenerative arthritis. In severe cases, three to six grams of glucosamine daily for one
month and reduced to 1,500 mg daily for three months has been found to be very effective.
Afterwards, a daily maintenance of 500 mg of glucosamine should be used for healthy
cartilage. If stomach upset occurs, glucosamine should be taken with meals.
Clinical experience has
shown that glucosamine sulfate is far superior when compared to cartilage extracts, such
as sea cucumber, hydrolyzed bovine cartilage, and shark cartilage. This is due to the
increased absorption and utilization of glucosamine sulfate compared to these sources of
chrondroitin sulfates, which are very large molecules and difficult to digest. Animal and
human studies have shown up to 98% absorption of glucosamine,(10,11) compared to only 8%
absorption of chrondroitin sulfate.(12)
One of the reasons that
glucosamine sulfate is more effective in rebuilding cartilage when compared to other
sources of glucosamine, including the N-acetyl and hydrochloride forms, is that it
provides bioavailable dietary sulfur. Sulfur helps provide the protein links necessary for
cartilage matrix repair. Another source of sulfur is methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), which
has been used historically to treat a wide variety of conditions including allergies,
emphysema, arthritis, gastrointestinal upset, and some vascular conditions. MSM is a
metabolite of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) and provides many similar good effects. MSM is
found in most natural unprocessed foods. Because of its volatility, MSM is lost when fresh
food is cooked, processed, or stored. The richest source of MSM is mother's milk;
consequently, very few nursing infants are deficient in dietary sulfur.
As with any oil, cetyl myristoleate requires lipase to be digested.
Lipases are pancreatic enzymes that play a key role in the digestion of fats and fat
soluble vitamins. If lipase is absent or deficient, cetyl myristoleate will be poorly absorbed, if at all. As many arthritis
patients are of the age when lipase production decreases, approximately 100 mg of lipase
enzyme should be taken with each cetyl myristoleate
capsule. In addition to taking lipase, cholecystectomy patients will need lecithin or ox
bile extract to assure absorption.
Diet can play a role in
optimizing the benefits of cetyl myristoleate.
Carbonated cola beverages and citrus juices may block the absorption of cetyl
myristoleate and should be avoided on the days cetyl
myristoleate is taken. Sugar intake should be minimized when taking cetyl myristoleate, and adding refined sugar to
liquids like coffee and tea should be avoided altogether. Alcohol and caffeine intake
should be very limited or eliminated altogether while combating arthritis and chronic
inflammatory conditions.
Reported Results
Both osteoarthritis and
rheumatoid arthritis sufferers report striking improvement with cetyl
myristoleate. Numerous private correspondence describes decreased
stiffness and pain, and increased flexibility and range of motion with cetyl
myristoleate. Swelling and redness is reduced in rheumatoid
arthritis. Writers describe other health benefits, including positive effect of cetyl myristoleate on emphysema, hepatitis,
hypertension, diabetes, eczema, psoriasis, colds, allergies, low back pain, and headaches.
These reported improvements in general health status are not surprising since each of
these conditions could be associated with deficiency in the balance of EFA's.
Like everything else, cetyl myristoleate does not work 100% of the time.
Failure to work can be associated with failure to follow the dietary recommendations;
failure to use lipase in conjunction with each capsule of cetyl myristoleate; failure to take a sufficient amount of cetyl
myristoleate; failure of the liver to uptake and respond to the cetyl myristoleate; and, misdiagnosis in which the
condition is not really an arthritis-type condition.
Dosage
Cetyl myristoleate is taken in a one month course. A total dose of 12 to 15
grams appears to be indicated. This is usually enough for most people, but for
osteoarthritis sufferers, the dose appears to be related to the number of sites in which
cartilage has worn away. For example, a patient with osteoarthritis of the knees could
expect 10 to 15 grams to be sufficient in most cases, while a patient with osteoarthritis
of 5 or 6 spinal discs, both hips, and both knees may require an additional 5 to 10 grams,
or even a full second course. Some of the patients treated by the author would likely have
benefited even more from their cetyl myristoleate
usage with the larger doses now recommended.
Contraindications and
Toxicity
With the tens of thousands
of people who have taken cetyl myristoleate
there have been no confirmed reports of adverse side effects. In common with fish oils, it
may produce some mild burping in some people which passes within an hour. There have been
no reported interactions with other medications or natural substances, and other
substances (except those mentioned above as diet considerations) do not interfere with cetyl myristoleate.
While teratogenicity of cetyl myristoleate is probably the same as for
EFA's, as a safety matter cetyl myristoleate
should not be used by pregnant or lactating women until studies of cetyl
myristoleate's effects on fetuses and infants have been done. As with any substance being
added to the diet of anyone with asthma or a history of severe allergic reactions, caution
is advised and cetyl myristoleate should be used
in these cases under the direct supervision of a health care professional.
Toxicity studies have been
performed on cetyl myristoleate and the lack of
toxicity is evident. Test results deemed cetyl myristoleate
a non-toxic material in accordance with Federal regulations. Mega-doses were given to test
animals with no ill effects. Necropsy of test animals showed no ill effects on their
internal organs).(13) The LD50 of cetyl myristoleate
was not established, but it can be presumed to far exceed 10 grams per kilogram of body
weight.
Correspondence:
Dr. Charles L. Cochran
226 Lake Court
Aptos, California 95003 USA
Dr. Raymond Dent
RR 1, Box 169
Lymington Road
Limmerick, Maine 04048 USA
References
(1.) Dorland's Medical
Dictionary, 25th Ed.
(2.) Shils, Olson, and
Shike. Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease. Lea & Febigen, 1994. Philadelphia, PA.
p. 1480
(3.) Diehl, H. W. and
Fletcher, H. G., A
Simplified Preparation of
2-Deoxy-D-ribose Based on Treatment of a-D-Glucose Monohydrate with Solid Calcium
Hydroxide, Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Vol. 78, No. 2, Dec. 1958
(4.) Wright, M.D., J., and
Gaby, M.D., A, Nutrition and Healing, August, 1996, Vol.3, Issue 8, paraphrase from page
5.
(5.) Private correspondence
to H. W. Diehl, Rockville, Md. from Dr. Fay Wood, Univ. of Cal., Berkeley, 1969
(6.) Diehl, H. W. and May,
E. L., Cetyl Myristoleate Isolated from Swiss
Albino Mice: An Apparent Protective Agent against Adjuvant Arthritis in Rats. Jour. of
Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vol. 83, No. 3, Mar, 94 pp296-299.
(7.) Murray, M. T.
Encyclopedia of Nutritional Supplements, Prima Publishing, Rocklin, CA 1996 p. 237
(8.) Sobel, D. and Klein,
A. C.. Arthritis: What Works. St. Martins Press, New York, NY. pp. 221-225
(9.) Shils, Olson, and
Shike. Ibid. pg. 550.
(10.) Setnikar, I., et al.,
Pharmacokinetics of glucosamine in man. Arztneim Forsch 43 (10), 1109-1113, 1993
(11.) Setnikar, I., et al.,
Pharmacokinetics of glucosamine in the dog and man. Arztneim Forsch 36(4), 729-735, 1986.
(12.) Morrison, M.,
Therapeutic applications of chrondroitin-4-sulfate, appraisal of biologic properties.
Folia Angiol 25, 225-232, 1977.
(13.) Leberco Testing,
Inc., Jan. 22, 1996, private correspondence to EHP Products, Inc. |
