Cetyl-myristoleate is a naturally ring waxy alcohol. It was accidentally discovered during the 1970’s by a chemist named Harry Diehl at the National Institutes of Health in Rockville, Maryland. Diehl had been working for years with a particular strain of white mice that never got arthritis, even when purposely exposed to it. The mice had such a bad reputation among investigators that they carefully avoided using them whenever they wanted to study arthritis.
Diehl was curious about why this type of mouse was so resistant to arthritis. Consequently, he looked for the chemical in the mouse’s body that gave it immunity from the disease. After considerable trial and error, he isolated cetyl-myristoleate. When he injected the substance into mice and rats that were susceptible to arthritis, the compound prevented them from developing this condition. Diehl continued his research with animal studies. He successfully synthesized the compound from beef fat, which worked as effectively as the mouse extract.
The secret might have never gotten out if Diehl himself hadn’t developed severe osteoarthritis. Faced with a future of heavy medication, constant pain, and immobility, he decided to inject himself with some of his cetyl-myristoleate preparation. To his amazement, his pain disappeared almost immediately. The swelling in his joints decreased and his mobility increased dramatically. Without further injections, he continued to improve. In a matter of weeks, he could hardly believe he had ever had arthritis. Furthermore, his arthritis never returned and he had absolutely no side effects.
Following the surprising results of his self experimentation, Diehl applied for and was awarded a U.S. Patent in October 1996, for use of cetyl-myristoleate in the treatment of osteoarthritis.
His physician was so impressed that he urged Diehl to publish his findings. With the doctor’s help, Diehl’s paper was published in the Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences in March 1994. The article caught the attention of a researcher at the San Diego Clinic Immunological Center in California. Physicians there began treating patients with cetyl-myristoleate for a host of autoimmune disorders. They witnessed remarkable results.
Cetyl-myristoleate is a waxy substance derived from the tallow of beef. It is similar in structure and activity to fatty acids. Although we don’t know exactly how cetyl-myristoleate works, it is believed to act on memory T-cells in the immune system; i.e., it may “re-program” them so they do not attack one’s own connective tissues. That is why it is so effective for autoimmune disorders, or those in which the body attacks itself. However, as I discussed above, several disorders that do not necessarily involve joints are rheumatic in nature. All these disorders cause pain, inflammation, and swelling. Cetyl-myristoleate can help relieve all these errant immune responses.
Humberto Siemandi, M.D., Ph.D., the primary research administrator at the Hospital SM in Baja, California, conducted a 32-week multi-center trial with 106 patients. The trial was double-blind, randomized, and placebo-controlled. In other words, patients were randomly assigned to receive any of 3 preparations for 30 days: plain cetyl-myristoleate; cetyl-myristoleate enhanced with glucosamine hydrochloride, sea cucumber, and hydrolyzed cartilage; or a non-reactive compound. Approximately 20% of the patients withdrew from the study because they could not handle the withdrawal from nicotine, caffeine, or alcohol. These substances interfere with the action of cetyl-myristoleate and were not allowed during the trial.
The results strongly suggest that both cetyl-myristoleate alone and cetyl-myristoleate with supporting nutrients may help treat many forms of arthritis-based diseases, including psoriatic arthritis. Most of the patients responded with one treatment course, but a few required a second course to achieve complete and lasting results. Many of the patients included in the trial had long-standing chronic conditions.
L.S. Macklas, Ph.D., conducted a second clinical trial involving 48 subjects. The group represented a cross-section of ethnic and socioeconomic groups, and included 28 female participants between the ages of 33 and 82, and 20 males aged 28 to 74. All patients had either osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. The subjects received two 75mg capsules of cetyl-myristoleate each morning and each evening for 4-6 days for symptoms that were mild to moderately severe. Those with severe to crippling arthritis were given the same number of capsules for 7 days, followed by a 7 day, treatment-free period. A second trial of 5 1/2 days followed. All the patients showed improvement after just 3 days. They continued to improve, even if their condition was mild enough to not require additional capsules.
Cetyl-myristoleate is extremely safe, does not interfere with other nutrients, and even large doses – up to several grams per trial – usually cause no problem. Some patients have reported mild stomach upset. However, this can usually be avoided by taking digestive enzymes with the capsules. Others have reported some fatigue, but this may be due to the abrupt discontinuation of caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol.
For some natural treatments to work, you need to modify your diet. Cetyl-myristoleate can be difficult to absorb, and it is important to avoid foods that might interfere with it. As I mentioned above, you must avoid caffeine, chocolate, alcohol, and nicotine. Additionally, large amounts of competing fats, such as butter, margarine, and oils, should be restricted or eliminated.
Cetyl-myristoleate can help with the following
Ankylosing Spondylitis
Case History: Rick took an aggressive treatment approach for ankylosing spondylitis. His protocol included cetyl-myristoleate, vitamin C, curcumin, lipoic acid, and a low-calorie, high-protein diet. He wrote: “The overall effect was extremely positive — complete remission of all symptoms and indications.” He added that he experienced improvement in five days, and continued toward maximum improvement of 90% in just 10 days. Although many patients have remained symptom-free, some need additional treatments periodically.
Lupus, SLE (Systemic Lupus Erythromatosis) / Risk
Some authors and practitioners believe that cetyl myristoleate may have the ability to normalize hyper-immune responses, thus producing the favorable results in such autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus. However, it seems to function more effectively as a lubricant and an anti-inflammatory.
Sarcoidosis
No scientific clinical studies have ever been done on the effects of CMO when taken by sarcoidosis patients, but a few patients have felt that it was helpful. If there are arthritic symptoms present also it could be worth a try.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
In a small study of patients with severe to crippling rheumatoid arthritis, 4 were unable to walk, and one could not sit in a wheelchair. After 20 days, 5 showed improvement, and 3 were totally free of pain with almost complete return of joint mobility. All but two were totally pain-free and had recovered mobility in their joints. One of the two had abused steroids as an athlete and the other had cirrhosis of the liver.
In those with mild to moderately severe rheumatoid arthritis, after 14 days of treatment, 9 patients reported continuing improvement even though treatment had completed. (Unpublished study)
Osteoarthritis
In a small study of patients with mild to moderately severe osteoarthritis and reactive psoriatic arthritis, rapid improvement occurred in 60 hours, reaching 70-80% overall improvement by the end of 4 days. Half experienced return of mild symptoms in three to five weeks and a second course left them symptom-free, with lasting results.
In severe to crippling osteoarthritis 3 were unable to walk, and the other 11 used canes or walkers. All had pain, inflammation and marked deformity. After 20 days, all but one subject reported 90% improvement. One subject was non-responsive because of liver damage caused by sports-related steroid abuse. (Unpublished study)
Key
| May do some good |
| Likely to help |
| Highly recommended |
Glossary
Arthritis
Inflammation of a joint, usually accompanied by pain, swelling, and stiffness, and resulting from infection, trauma, degenerative changes, metabolic disturbances, or other causes. It occurs in various forms, such as bacterial arthritis, osteoarthritis, or rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis, the most common form, is characterized by a gradual loss of cartilage and often an overgrowth of bone at the joints.
Autoimmune Disease
One of a large group of diseases in which the immune system turns against the body's own cells, tissues and organs, leading to chronic and often deadly conditions. Examples include multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus, Bright's disease and diabetes.
Fatty Acids
Chemical chains of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms that are part of a fat (lipid) and are the major component of triglycerides. Depending on the number and arrangement of these atoms, fatty acids are classified as either saturated, polyunsaturated, or monounsaturated. They are nutritional substances found in nature which include cholesterol, prostaglandins, and stearic, palmitic, linoleic, linolenic, eicosapentanoic (EPA), and decohexanoic acids. Important nutritional lipids include lecithin, choline, gamma-linoleic acid, and inositol.
T-Cell
T cells are lymphocytes that are produced in the bone marrow and mature in the thymus. T cells are responsible for mediating the second branch of the immune system called "cellular immune response." T cells can live for months to years. This lymphocyte population is defined by the presence of a rearranged T-cell receptor.
Immune System
A complex that protects the body from disease organisms and other foreign bodies. The system includes the humoral immune response and the cell-mediated response. The immune system also protects the body from invasion by making local barriers and inflammation.
pH
A measure of an environment's acidity or alkalinity. The more acidic the solution, the lower the pH. For example, a pH of 1 is very acidic; a pH of 7 is neutral; a pH of 14 is very alkaline.
Cartilage
Specialized fibrous connective tissue that forms the skeleton of an embryo and much of the skeleton in an infant. As the child grows, the cartilage becomes bone. In adults, cartilage is present in and around joints and makes up the primary skeletal structure in some parts of the body, such as the ears and the tip of the nose.
Chronic
Usually Chronic illness: Illness extending over a long period of time.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
A long-term, destructive connective tissue disease that results from the body rejecting its own tissue cells (autoimmune reaction).
Milligram
(mg): 1/1,000 of a gram by weight.
Gram
(gm): A metric unit of weight, there being approximately 28 grams in one ounce.
Stomach
A hollow, muscular, J-shaped pouch located in the upper part of the abdomen to the left of the midline. The upper end (fundus) is large and dome-shaped; the area just below the fundus is called the body of the stomach. The fundus and the body are often referred to as the cardiac portion of the stomach. The lower (pyloric) portion curves downward and to the right and includes the antrum and the pylorus. The function of the stomach is to begin digestion by physically breaking down food received from the esophagus. The tissues of the stomach wall are composed of three types of muscle fibers: circular, longitudinal and oblique. These fibers create structural elasticity and contractibility, both of which are needed for digestion. The stomach mucosa contains cells which secrete hydrochloric acid and this in turn activates the other gastric enzymes pepsin and rennin. To protect itself from being destroyed by its own enzymes, the stomach’s mucous lining must constantly regenerate itself.
Enzymes
Specific protein catalysts produced by the cells that are crucial in chemical reactions and in building up or synthesizing most compounds in the body. Each enzyme performs a specific function without itself being consumed. For example, the digestive enzyme amylase acts on carbohydrates in foods to break them down.