Physicians' concerns about the Marshall Protocol

Over the years, physicians have voiced various concerns about the Marshall ProtocolA curative medical treatment for chronic inflammatory disease. Based on the Marshall Pathogenesis., concerns ranging from the safety of higher doses of olmesartan (Benicar)Medication taken regularly by patients on the Marshall Protocol for its ability to activate the Vitamin D Receptor. to concerns about long-term antibiotic use. The Autoimmunity Research FoundationNon-profit foundation dedicated to exploring a pathogenesis and therapy for chronic disease. has assembled articles, well-grounded in scientific research, which address these concerns.

Patients on the Marshall Protocol (MP) take olmesartan (Benicar)–a drug whose actions are fully known–every four to six hours. A substantial body of research supports the use of olmesartanMedication taken regularly by patients on the Marshall Protocol for its ability to activate the Vitamin D Receptor. Also known by the trade name Benicar. as a part of a curative therapy for chronic disease.

1. “Higher than typical doses of olmesartan are unsafe.” Ample research supports the fact that olmesartan is one of the safest and has the most gentle side effects profiles of almost any drug on the market. Read more →
2. “Off-label use of medications is unsafe.” The United States FDA has issued clear Policy Guidance on off-label prescriptions, clearly stating that it is up to the physician's individual judgment to decide whether an off-label drug should be used. Read more →
3. “Using a hypotensive for patients with low blood pressure is unsafe.” Olmesartan is a weak hypotensive, reducing diastolic pressure by no more than 12 mm Hg in the dosages suggested by the Marshall Protocol guidelines. The NIH has created no medical standards that define low blood pressure, or a range in which low blood pressure is considered dangerous. Symptoms which appear to be caused by hypotension–dizziness, fatigue, lightheadedness–are a result of the disease process and have been shown to resolve as the inflammationThe complex biological response of vascular tissues to harmful stimuli such as pathogens or damaged cells. It is a protective attempt by the organism to remove the injurious stimuli as well as initiate the healing process for the tissue. resolves, no matter the number of the blood pressure. Read more →

1. “Long-term antibiotic therapy is dangerous and will lead to development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.” In the the 40 years since the release of minocyclineBacteriostatic antibiotic used by Marshall Protocol patients., the primary MP antibiotic, no significant species have been shown to be resistant to it. Minocycline is also one of the few antibiotics that remains active against the bacterial species Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), despite the fact that it has been prescribed for decades. Read more →

Patients on the MP abstain from consumption of vitamin D. Although the secosteroid may currently enjoy a positive reputation in the media, molecular research shows that taking vitamin D exacerbates inflammatory disease.

1. “Avoiding consumption of vitamin D leads to rickets.” – The majority of cases of rickets occurs among children in developing countries who suffer from severe malnutrition. The disease is cited as a primary reason for consuming vitamin D regularly, even though research has demonstrated that rickets is not caused by vitamin D deficiency, but by hypophosphatemia. Read more →
2. “Avoiding consumption of vitamin D leads to depression or seasonal affective disorder.” – Light exposure does nothing to resolve an underlying disease state and can actually delay progress for MP patients. MP patients who have completed the treatment have been able to attest to the fact that sunshine is not necessary for good health or happiness. Read more →
3. “Avoiding consumption of vitamin D leads to cancer.” – A variety of studies has suggested that vitamin D protects against cancer. This seemingly intuitive proposition is supported by neither epidemiological nor molecular evidence. In fact, the very opposite is true. Read more →
4. “Avoiding consumption of vitamin D leads to osteoporosis.” – While it is conventional wisdom that vitamin D supplementation reverses osteopenia and osteoporosis, a growing body of evidence, both molecular and epidemiological, shows this is not the case. Instead, current research has demonstrated that osteoporosis and osteopenia are often the direct result of infection with the Th1 pathogens, a metagenomic microbiotaThe community of bacterial pathogens including those in an intracellular and biofilm state which cause chronic disease., which produce inflammatory cytokinesAny of various protein molecules secreted by cells of the immune system that serve to regulate the immune system. and inactivate the Vitamin D ReceptorA nuclear receptor located throughout the body that plays a key role in the innate immune response.. Read more →

1. “Marshall Protocol patients are forced to wear special NoIR sunglassesSpecial sunglasses worn by Marshall Protocol patients to block light.–even when they do not need to.” – Only those MP patients who are photosensitiveAbnormal sensitivity to sunlight and bright lights. Also referred to as "sun flare" or "light flare." must wear sunglasses. Those who aren't photosensitive (after seeing how the treatment affects them) don't need to wear sunglasses. Read more →
2. “Latitude studies show that disease is reduced by light exposure.” – Recent studies have compared rates of certain major cancers–most notably breast, colorectal and prostate cancer–to rates of sunlight exposure. This group of research has the liability of being wildly inconsistent. The choice to publish research on a specific latitude gradient may be a better proxy for a researcher's bias. Read more →

1. “A temporary increase in symptoms or laboratory values means the treatment is not working.” – Immunopathology is an increase in one's present symptoms of Th1 inflammationThe complex biological response of vascular tissues to harmful stimuli such as pathogens or damaged cells. It is a protective attempt by the organism to remove the injurious stimuli as well as initiate the healing process for the tissue. or a return of previous Th1 inflammatory symptoms, that is caused by cytokines and endotoxins being released from dying bacteria. Immunopathology is a necessary part of recovery. The amount of immunopathologyA temporary increase in disease symptoms experienced by Marshall Protocol patients that results from the release of cytokines and endotoxins as disease-causing bacteria are killed. a patient experiences on the Marshall Protocol (MP) is correlated with disease severity. Patients who are less sick will have comparatively less strong immunopathology. Read more →

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