THE MAURICE CZARNIAK STORY.
FOOD and the HUMAN BODY
My adventure in life began in the kitchen I was fascinated with food, at an early age, but did not realize how it would ultimately affect my life, until I finished my pharmacy degree.
It was upon my mother’s insistence that I develop a skin cream that would treat her dishpan-ravaged hands.
Being the smart fresh graduate, I simply put together all different products to provide her with a poly preparation approach. This was met with scorn and abuse, and quite frankly she was not interested, she wanted a fresh approach, one that would ensure the natural regeneration of the skin to its normal healthy state.
The challenge was to create a topical preparation preferably a cream incorporating fresh avian egg. It seemed that my German grandmother, an experienced hair dresser, had such a formula that not only regenerated skin, but hair as well. Unfortunately my grandmother was deceased and her formula went with her.
I could only rely upon my intuition and powers of observation to create this extraordinary product.
After two years of experimentation, a product called HEALFAS was born, simply put it was a combination of fresh avian egg, nut oils, sugars and essential fatty acids in a specially designed base that allowed complete expression of all of its ingredients, especially the foods which were the active ingredients that breathed life into an otherwise DEAD formula.
The final product was in essence a food, and with all of its qualities the name HEALFAS was derived from combining English and Latin, Heal from English and Fas from Latin, the latter meaning natural laws pertaining to, healing in this case, but not forced or influenced Healing but Natural Healing, and so, the letters N.M.F. were added, these stood for natural, mending factors.
Healfas NMF a natural source of regeneration.
At last my mother was happy however I did not realize how joyful I had made her. Being a very curious woman she experimented with the product on all sorts of “accidents”, cuts, abrasions, burns, wrinkles, fingernail growth, various infections, hair conditioning etc. and found it to be absolutely brilliant.
I dismissed all of these claims, because I considered them nothing more than the ramblings of a very proud and supportive mother.
Some years later I found myself in business in a Coastal town called Yanchep some 60 minutes by car, north of Perth, famous for its crayfish fishing industry and the Atlantis Marine Park.
Once again at the insistence of my mother, I designed a simple label for the product and started to sell it from my pharmacy.
The locals embraced the product warmly, and the glowing unsolicited testimonials flowed freely.
Stories of the resolution of dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, nappy rash, cold sores, shingles, diabetic ulcers, burns (to about partial 2nd degree), sunburn, accelerated fingernail growth, accelerated hair growth in women and animals (dogs, horses, cats), and even control of certain skin cancers, were delivered on a weekly if not daily basis.
The Sunday Times newspaper, ran a small article on the discovery and a local TV station also broadcast a segment on one of its current affair programs which highlighted Healfas NMF beneficial effects on burns and stretch marks.
I could no longer act as the bumbling absent-minded inventor I had to make an effort to understand what I had discovered but I already knew that:
- The product supplied complete topical nutrition.
- The product penetrated to deeper tissues, this being deduced by its ability to stimulate hair and nail growth and also reverse rheumatoid arthritis in the hands of one elderly male.
- The product interacted with normal skin physiology and possessed a unique carrier mechanism.
All of the above were supported by anecdotal evidence and the simple experiments I performed on myself and willing family members, for example, I incorporated several different blood lowering drugs into Healfas NMF applied the final product to the inside of my arm and watched my blood pressure fall quite dramatically which was unrelated to resting. One test that I did not like very much was when I applied Insulin incorporated into Healfas NMF and measured my blood sugar level, I became hypoglycemic within the hour with symptoms that included tachycardia, hyperventilation, pallor and a feeling of being sick, Six ice creams later and a little honey and I was better, however I still felt the after effects the following day. Strange that pharmaceutical companies and research Universities spend millions of dollars investigating novel delivery systems and yet the answer has been sitting under their noses all along all that was needed was for someone to put the jigsaw puzzle pieces together.
Besides the above it was my duty to come up with the correct explanations, especially in the light that the formulation accelerated regeneration and prevented scar tissue formulation.
The influence that nutrition has on wound healing was brilliantly dealt with in articles presented and written by Bruno (1979) and Schuman (1979) during a symposium on wound healing.
They both shared the idea that malnourished patients and their bodily tissues were neither immune-competent nor hormonal competent. Wound healing progressed very slowly, incompletely and resulted in abnormal regeneration with greater than normal scar tissue formation.
The approach that they took to remedy this situation was via the systemic route of delivering all essential nutrients. The topical application of nutrients to dermal injuries was never considered. Idson found that it was possible to achieve higher local concentrations of vitamins in the skin by topical application than by oral dosage. This included vitamins A, D2, E and panthenol.
As a consequence skin conditions such as Keratosis, Ichthyosis, Wrinkles, Connective tissue loss, Stretch marks, would benefit from the topical application of these substances
It was further found that essential fatty acids, protein hydrolysates also had a beneficial influence on skin physiology and traumatized states such as, Eczema, Psoriasis, Dermatitis, however penetration of the skin was limited by molecular size and other physiochemical properties. (, Johnsen & Chiostri 1978, Johnsen 1984, Prottey 1977, Takehara 1983)
The problems with all of these approaches was that people were dealing with chemically altered substances rather than with natural unaltered raw ingredients and that in the majority the research was performed by companies seeking profits rather than honest long lasting benefits for the consumers.
There were no commercially available products that considered satisfying the complete nutritional requirements of the skin before HEALFAS NMF even now this is still the case.
Centuries ago European peasants did use certain food combinations for topical use, but these had a very short shelf life, due to lack of preservatives.
The Healfas formula supplies everything that the skin requires and more to remain healthy and capable of quick regeneration, with almost no lag time to commence regeneration and healing time reduced by as much as 50%.
The first signs that this was occurring is how quickly the inflammatory phase subsided after application of the product. This is important for inflammation is the first step in the healing process and usually lasts 3 to 4 days. Ref (c)
The purpose of inflammation is to elicit cellular migration, blood flow and nutrition to the area. The healing process is classified into 3 phases Defensive, Reconstructive and Regenerative the last may take up to 2 years after the trauma has occurred.
The rapid reduction in inflammation is via a biofeedback mechanism, which says all building blocks necessary are present please cease supply.
Because the product is made from fresh dairy food and nut oils, it not only contains the entire spectrum of nutrients necessary for new life, but it also contains genetic material namely RNA and DNA, plus various hormones, enzymes, growth factors and cholesterol.
Each of these contribute in a beneficial way to the healing process, cholesterol deserves more mention as do sulfur containing amino acids.
Cholesterol although much maligned for its “dirty role” in “causing“cardiovascular disease is in reality, a very beneficial natural substance.
It is only man’s skeptical and destructive attitudes that prevent a proper understanding of its importance.
Poulletier de La Salle discovered cholesterol in 1770 in gallstones, since then it has been identified in practically all-living organisms, animal and vegetable and microscopic. It is present in bacteria, blue green algae and fungi, human skin and sebum are rich in cholesterol.
It has been found in the Gulf of Mexico sea- water and it is hypothesized that the formation of various compounds found in crude petroleum are from cholesterol.
Commercial sources include lanolin alcoholics (which explains why wool workers have beautiful skin on their hands and forearms through such contact) animal fats, fish oils and spinal cords (nerve tissue is high in content and expectant woman should not reduce their cholesterol intake during pregnancy, as this may lead to imperfect nerve formation and dysfunction in the fetus).
In a human weighing 65 kilo there is approximately 210 grams of cholesterol, the largest single amount being in the skin. Cholesterol is an important physiological component of all cells. It is bound to the proteins of the external membranes, it is a necessary growth factor in cells, and it is a precursor to steroid hormones, in the adrenal, ovary, testes. It is present in fingernails and in the enamel of teeth and it increases the vitamin D3 content of the skin.
As an ingredient in topical products, it serves as a skin protectant and treatment of certain skin disorders by simply replenishing itself.
The incorporation of 1% of cholesterol into olive oil increases the absorption of olive oil by the skin cholesterol has been used in hair tonics to stimulate hair growth. This is also the case with white soft paraffin, which normally sits on the skin surface. By adding cholesterol its penetration is increased by 33%, and overcomes problems such as interference with surface cooling and inhibition of perspiration.
Cholesterol is an especially active compound that can eliminate polymerization of light and therefore possess sun filtering qualities and it also prevents an induced erythema of the skin.
Cholesterol is found in situ in the skin oily skins contain high concentrations of it. Exposure to the sun slows its formation; interference with its synthesis produces dryness and chapping of the skin.
The lipid film of normal skin dermis is derived from the epidermis and sebaceous glands.
A certain zone within the horny layer of the skin known as the “barrier” is said to be responsible for inhibiting diffusion of water. The power of this barrier to retain water is primarily due to lipids that contain up to 90% cholesterol.
The composition of human skin lipids changes from birth to puberty. Cholesterol concentration is low at 5 days of age, increasing to a maximum between 4 – 8 years of age, (one argues that at this time, the skin is at its most beautiful, and the between 10 –15-years it decreases to adult levels. In aged skin there is a dramatic drop in skin cholesterol content, it is also very low in balding men and women, in psoriasis, and very low levels are thought to be associated with skin cancer formation.
Cholesterol in combination with Lecithin, Linoleic Acid and Alcohol, it has been claimed, promotes the healing of Burns, stimulates Hair growth and inhibits the growth of Herpes Virus.
The dermal “barrier” also contains amino acids, but most of these are essential, that is they must be obtained from dietary sources as the body does not synthesize these. These include Phenylalanine, Valine, Threonine, Tryptophan, Isoleucine, methionine, Lysine and Leucine. In addition, Histidine and Arginine are required by children.
Arginine is required for proper repair in the physically traumatized adult. It is a hot item in the food supplement market place, for its appeal has been fueled by its ability to burn fat while building muscle by virtue of its unique stimulating effect upon growth hormone which in turn influences the synthesis of proteins in mice and humans. Arginine has been found to stimulate the immune system and produce highly activated white cells, it has also demonstrated a significant anti tumors effect in laboratory animals.
Cysteine, methionine and taurine, all sulfur containing amino acids, inactivate free radicals thus protecting and preserving cells. In diets supplemented with these, the life span of the animal is increased, by the above mechanism and via a participation in DNA repair and anti-carcinogenic effect.
Cysteine in combination with pantothenic acid produced very positive effects on patients suffering with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Applied topically cysteine increased the rate of quality healing by up to 50%, in conditions such as grazes, varicose ulcers, diabetic ulcers, burns, psoriasis, lichen simplex and also in the formation and maturation of collagen. Similar results are also seen from other sulfur containing amino acids.
Methionine and taurine are important regulators in various nervous and muscle systems, in terms of growth and maintenance.
The simple occlusion of the skin (this is putting some sort of impervious covering over it) not only raises the water content of the stratum corneum but also the rate of penetration of lypophilic (fat loving, water-hating) drugs. No reasonable explanation has been offered for this phenomenon.
Soaps and detergents, surfactants (shampoos) influence trans-dermal substance penetration by acting on the barrier found within the stratum corneum making it permeable to water and water solutes including themselves.
Hence when one looks at complex shampoo formulas not only is the consumer cleaning their hair and scalp but allowing the penetration of the constituents, which to some people may prove harmful.
However it appears that a limitation may be the molecular weight of the substance. Molecular weights of about 500 seem to be the upper limit.
A second explanation for the contribution of surfactants to penetration is provided by Rieger (1988). They suggest that the adjuvant surfactant molecule modifies junctions between cells. By interacting with the junctions protein surface, it becomes less hydrophilic, the gaps enlarge with an associated increase in hydrophilic channels; this allows large MW molecules to proceed through.
The penetration enhances such as propylene glycol, glycerine, dimethyl sulphoxide, and ethanol (alcohol) also modify the nature of the stratum corneum membrane, even to a permanent extent.
Other biological factors benefit that skin hydration, also play a role in substance penetration and absorption; these include disease states both dermal and systemic, cutaneous blood flow, skin biochemistry and cutaneous bio-transformations.
By now the picture of how important food is to us is slowly developing. But the magic of it can only be obtained by marrying the correct foods together in order to obtain the very best results. This is precisely what had happened with my experimentation. What also happened is that it raised my conscious awareness of the relationship between food and humans beyond that of simply placing it down our gullets, because in our gullet is not in our body and the human skin is not as impervious as I or anyone of us had previously thought.
The part of the body’s “inside” is really “outside” – the alimentary canal which leads from mouth to anus. (Dixon 1986)
The function of this long tube with its various specialized regions is to digest incoming food. Digestion being the process of breaking food down into simpler substances that can be assimilated as sources of energy and building materials for the body’s maintenance and growth.
But what if the food is already broken down and what if it is now topically applied, on the very outside. What can we expect to see? In the case of Healfas NMF, as all of the anecdotal evidence suggests the complete care of the body’s largest organ, namely the skin and all its appendages, namely hair, nails and associated glands, whether they are intact or damaged.
Why because in the process of preparing the product from fresh produce, the mechanical process of incorporating fresh eggs with the other ingredients, ruptures the membranes surrounding the yolk, leading to activation of its enzymes and breakdown of large molecules into smaller constituents, which are very readily assimilated.
But can we expect a deeper effect? The answer again is yes, the answer is very complex and may not be limited to that contained in the literature on cholesterol and its influence on skin penetration of various substances.
Because Healfas encouraged fingernail and hair growth, it was correct to assume that it was doing this at the deep germinal layers of the skin. Also because it had such a profound effect on rheumatoid arthritis, to the point that the gentleman concerned, Mr. Marshall, could do away with his medication and play the piano again, it therefore hinted that it possessed extraordinary qualities.
Besides the influence of complete nutrition and the presence of cholesterol, other answers lay in both the yolk and white of the egg. Both were used in leather manufacture to facilitate the penetration of lipids into animal hides. It was not only the lipids of the yolk that achieved this, but proteins in the white as well. The ability of the product was not limited to itself because of its effect on deeper tissues, I decided to investigate the trans-dermal carrier mechanism and see what it would transport. Over a short period of time I conducted several experiments upon myself and willing family members in which I used certain drugs mixed into Healfas NMF such as insulin and anti-hypertensive drugs. The anti-hypertensive combination caused a lowering in blood pressure, and the insulin combination dramatically lowered the blood sugar levels. All of this I have previously mentioned above.
- Rieger, J. Riviere and J. Faucer published a series of papers on skin penetration and the various factors that influence it. Penetration may proceed transcellularly, i.e. through cells, intercellularly, i.e. paracellularly or between cells or through so-called shunts, i.e. holes in the membrane such as sweat ducts and hairs.
Penetration of substances is somehow related to the ethanol/water distribution coefficient and to their ability to ‘escape’ from the vehicle into and ultimately through the stratum corneum membrane (the outer membrance of the skin). This type of passive diffusion is also dependent on the molecular weight or shape of the penetrant, and its polarity.
There exists a series of mysterious substances, emulsifiers, solubilizers and penetration enhancers that materially increase transmembrane diffusion. These include DMSO (dimethyl sulfoxide) ethylene diamine, propylene glycol and glycerine.
Hydration of the skin also plays a major role in the rate of penetrationas does the removal of the stratum corneum by techniques such as peeling agents, abrasion or blistering which results in enhanced compound penetration with a return to normal flux when the stratum corneum has regenerated.
People with dermatologic disorders, such as eczema, which results in thicker skin, have decreased absorption. In contrast, absorption through psoriatic skin (psoriasis disease) or that with ichthyosis it is enhanced.
In diabetes, the structure of the epidermal basement membrane is altered so that diffusion out of cutaneous capillaries is enhanced and this alters the absorption of compounds.
The blood flowing through the skin is dependent upon ambient temperature. When this exceeds body temperature, cutaneous blood flow increases and with it substance penetration. A threefold increase in methyl salicylate absorption was seen in humans exposed to high temperatures or those who underwent strenuous exercise.
Increased blood flow is certainly a major factor, but increased skin hydration or sweating also has contributed as previously mentioned.
Once a substance has penetrated into the skin, it may enter the circulation unaltered or be metabolized due to epidermal biotransformation. (both phase I and II metabolic pathways have been identified).
It depends upon the nature of the substance, the inherent activity of epidermal enzymes, and their anatomical location within the epidermis.
All of the work on skin penetration primarily looks at the effect of synthetic chemicals, I have not been able to find any work done on food besides that by me. However, this is only true in the scientific sense and not in the cultural or anecdotal sense.
We are now finding that more information is coming to light with respect to the topical application of fresh foods for the treatment of certain dermal conditions and for beauty purposes. I refer to books such as Heinemann’s Encyclopedia of Fruits and Vegetables; in there you will read about applying cabbage leaves for the relief of arthritic pain, banana skin for the removal of plantar warts, the use of honey in burns, ulcers and gout, and grated potatoes in the treatment of inflammation, to mention a few.
Needless to say I have continued to research Healfas NMF with a view to understanding it more fully. Certainly whatever is added to it is magnified in its effect. This is both good and bad. For substances that are irritant these must be reduced in concentration, whereas those that are not achieve even greater results.
This has led to a careful consideration of the preservative system. Healfas NMF does not incorporate any sensitizing preservative, for experience has shown that incorporation of this may produce allergic reactions. The system only uses the gentlest available.
Furthermore incorporation of other foods has led to a magnification of specific applications. For example, in the quest to find the ultimate beauty products, I have incorporated fresh fruits, such as strawberries, peaches, avocados, cucumbers and additives such as chocolate, various essential oils and culinary spices to preserve and enhance beauty irrespective of age or sex; such romantic names as Roses and Chocolate intensive wrinkle treatment, Lemon and Olive Oil Cleanser, Rice and Almond scrub, Champagne Toner, Apricot Avocado and Honey Mask, Lady Rosa’s Nourishing Cream, Creme D’Universale and Hot Passion are just some examples.
The formulation incorporating strawberries and fresh dairy cream, demonstrated a remarkably accelerated ability to resolve burns in one quarter of the normal time. This is in keeping with the ancient cultural use of applying mashed strawberries to burns of varying severity.
The use of chocolate in association with dairy cream resulted in a formulation that reduced the severity of superficial capillaries, improved appearance of wrinkles by 50% but most importantly resolved skin cancers because of the high levels of essential fatty acids found in chocolate.
Finally the incorporation of culinary spices and essential oils produced perhaps the world’s finest cellulite treatment, the results of which can be seen at www.cellfre.com there you will find testimonial letters and a unbiased television video report of the remarkable product and how well it works. How Cellfre came about, is an interesting story in itself. By now you may gather that I am preoccupied with finding the truth behind things and that is what fundamentally drives me in everything that I do. Some years ago I had a retail pharmacy in Manning Western Australia and next to it was a cellulite clinic that literally attempted to beat the cellulite off women many of whom sought medical help for their bruises. Some of the women approached me to develop an efficient cellulite cream that was gentle and effective. The answers I believed lay in nature and the approach I took was to thoroughly investigate essential oils and the cultural use of culinary herbs in keeping women attractive and slim.
With respect to essential oils it soon became apparent that many cellulite treatments failed because the oils could not penetrate the skin to exert their effect coupled with the fact that many took as long as four to six hours to achieve this and by then the women would have either showered or toweled off the excess product. The Healfas NMF formula was the simple solution to this technical problem. I also discovered that Mexican and Indian herbs and spices were the best to keeping the fat off and I carefully selected a handful of these after much deliberation and research, developed a unique specialized yet simple extraction process and incorporated them into the final product with outstanding results much to the delight of customers with one side effect, that being, it dramatically improved the ladies libido and sexual response. I also learnt that the biggest enemy of cellulite is estrogen women are therefore advised to avoid estrogen rich foods and liquids such as beer, which derives its content from the hops that are used to brew it. This also partially explains the origins of the beer belly and why men’s fertility is dropping
There is also an amusing anecdote with respect to the creation of Ovaderm Massage Cream or Quelfas A as it was initially known. Once again the origin of the name was from the Latin and English, the meaning being natural laws pertaining to quelling or making things quiet in this case arthritis and muscular aches and pains. It was at the insistence of a rather colorful Italian woman who wanted a effective topical treatment for her arthritic condition because everything that she had tried was largely ineffective. The simple incorporation of methyl salicylate, menthol and camphor into the Healfas NMF formula delivered the results but what was interesting is how well it worked in horses. Over a number of years I trialed the product with eight different horse trainers and we found that Quelfas A reduced healing time, inflammation and swelling and generally improved the mobility and strength of the joint.
What is important is that horses cannot lie, either a product works or it does not
Is there a downside to the raised awareness that the skin is more absorptive than previously thought? From the application of food, the answer is no, except for people who are unfortunately allergic to certain foods the vast majority benefit to varying extents depending upon their health status and nutritional status. What about synthetic substances, in this case the answer would have to be yes.
As previously described the very act of washing and beautifying our bodies, using soaps, detergents and various beauty products causes a change in the absorption by the skin, so that it is manipulated, and with that irritant or toxic substances are absorbed to a greater extent, so that disease states of a local or systemic nature may occur.
The first to be seen is that of decreased irritation leading to the precipitation of more serious conditions such as eczema, dermatitis and or psoriasis.
I made the statement that even beauty products can cause problems. Why, because the constitutional makeup of creams and lotions contains a surfactant-detergent system that influences the absorbability of the skin.
In 1990, it was reported that the major prestigious cosmetic companies had to withdraw many of their cream and lotion products. Why, because they contained a substance, urocamic acid, which was included to improve the smoothness of the skin but ended up promoting the formation of cancers instead.
The cosmetic companies are constantly on the hunt for ingredients that gives them the edge over others, however in the process the final product becomes questionable in its ability to do anything for the skin and more importantly questionable in safety. The FDA is constantly monitoring ingredients for safety.
There is no doubt that synthetic products will never approach the safety of effectiveness of the natural product.
My journey into this sphere of learning has inspired me to prepare the best natural products for the benefit of the consumers’ health and beauty of the body’s largest organ, namely the skin. But it goes beyond that because many of the products that I now create are for specific purposes such as arthritis, hair growth, the reduction of varicose veins and even libido. Once again through the insistence of a personal friend I have ventured into the world of garlic and I have formulated a light activated alcoholic extract of this God given herb that has a profound influence on one’s general well being besides being the ultimate natural anti-infective. The extract shows a profound synergy with the vitamin B group of vitamins thus enhancing its abilities when taken together at the same time. A separate synergy is seen with extracts of ginseng and ginger which has created a product that both enhances neurological function and appears to retard if not reverse neurological degenerative diseases in the handful of people who have used the product.
I am deeply thankful to pharmacy for giving me the technical ability to create such extraordinary products and I realize that all answers lie in Nature but one needs to be divorced from the pursuit of money and fame if Nature is to yield her profound knowledge.
Bibliography
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Dixon, B.(Ed.), Health and the Human Body, Perseus Press, Sydney, 1986, pp 113 – 132.
Faucher, J.A., “Sorption of Organic Compounds by Human Skin”, Cosmetics and Toiletries, Vol 92, April 1977, pp 61- 62.
Idson, B, “Vitamins in Emolliency and Moisturizing Preparations”, Cosmetics and Toiletries, Vol. 93, March 1978, pp 77-79.
Johnsen, V.L., & Chiostri, R.F., “Protein Hydrolysates as Moisturizers”, Cosmetics and Toiletries, Vol. 93, March 1978, pp 83 – 84.
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Riviere, J.E., “Biological Factors in Absorption and Permeation”, ”, Cosmetics and Toiletries, Vol. 105, October 1990, pp 85 – 93.
Schumann, D, “Preoperative Measures to Promote Wound Healing”, Nursing Clinics of North America, Vol. 14 No.4, December 1979, pp 683 – 699.
Takehara, M, “Recent Applications of Amino Acids for Cosmetics: Interactions and Synergistic Effects of Amino Acids”, Cosmetics and Toiletries, Vol. 98, July 1983, pp 51 – 56.