by Summer Agudio,
Cardio-Pulmonary Specialist, and
Natasha Savage

Summer Agudio

So what exactly are endorphins?

We once thought that we knew all about endorphins.    They are just something that make you happy, right?  Being good friends for a number of years, Natasha and I got to know each other’s health problems -- which seemed to be totally unrelated.  I (Summer) had persistent back pain that I had since I was nine, and Natasha was known for her chronic moodiness.  Being a medical professional and working at LIDTKE Technologies, I learned that endorphins help relieve pain, and I learned more about the entire therapeutic range of endorphins and that they benefit your reaction to stress, learning, memory, mood, hormone levels, and sexual health.  Even moodiness.

These naturally occurring chemicals that are found only in your body and nowhere in your diet, actually come in several forms and, molecule-for-molecule, can be anywhere from eighteen to five-hundred times as powerful as some of the strongest prescription pain-relievers.  And, they are non-addictive!

It is almost staggering how prevalent painkiller addictions have become in our society.  No matter how successful we may be, we are all vulnerable to these addictions because we all have so much in common biochemically.  It is terrifying just how fast addictions can take hold of a person’s life.

Our study of the problem has identified at least two distinct pathways to addiction.  The first, as described in detail by Julia Ross, author of the best seller, The Mood Cure, is the path followed by the addicted person who simply does not produce enough natural pain-relievers in his or her own body.  Born this way, they lead a life wracked with persistent pain.  Anyone under this kind of pressure would eventually break down and use whatever they can get their hands on.

As Julia states in chapter 13: “Whether it’s chocolate, alcohol, marijuana, tobacco, codeine, Vicodin, heroin, or methadone you’re using, your preexisting biochemical inability to tolerate pain and discomfort is where your need for these drugs most likely started.  Chapter 6, ‘Too Sensitive to Life’s Pain?,’ is all about the endorphins, your natural painkillers – the ones that your painkilling drugs work by over stimulating…  At our clinic [Recovery Systems, Mill Valley, Calif.], we have worked with many clients who, needing release from physical and/or emotional pain, became addicted to alcohol or drugs.”

The second pathway to addiction typically is through an accident or injury.  It can be something as simple as a recreational injury playing your favorite sport.  Responding to your knitted brow and grimaces, your doctor obliges by prescribing a pain killer to tide you through the next few weeks.  Two months later, though, you notice that not only have you not weaned yourself off the drug, but your dose has increased… even though the original injury may have healed.  The very drug that was supposed to carry you through a temporary challenge has silently entrapped you using your own genetically-determined biochemistry.  As a result, your pain levels continue to increase, and by the end of a year your life revolves around your continuing access to the drug.

How common is this picture?  Current figures are not easy to come by, but in 1998 alone, 1.6 million individuals were using prescription-type pain-killers for reasons outside of medical need.  This is roughly three times the level during the 1980’s.  Teenage users increased six-fold in the 1990’s.

Whether a person is addicted or not, the first, and most obvious benefit of endorphins has to do with their ability to decrease common pain... whether you are suffering from back or dental pain, menstrual cramps, or just common aches.

Endorphins have also been shown to help enhance and prolong the pain-relieving benefits of acupuncture and chiropractic.  If you have trouble imagining how elevated endorphin levels feel, you probably have heard of or experienced the so-called “runner's high”-- a feeling of euphoria that some long-distance runners live for.  This can be explained by the mood-enhancing benefits of endorphins

The one thing that surprised us the most, though, as explained by Julia Ross, is the fact that endorphins can also help with cravings.  By every measure, Americans are prone to overweight and a myriad of addictions, so we can almost all use a little help with that!  When the body lacks endorphins, cravings may arise for foods or drugs that briefly elevate natural, soothing endorphins. Once the temporary spikes of endorphins begin to wear off, though, withdrawal symptoms may occur.  In fact, research suggests that chemical dependency may result from chemicals that suppress your body's own production of endorphins. In such cases, withdrawal may be a long and difficult process if endorphins do not spontaneously return to normal levels.

Given the potential benefits of endorphins, the obvious question becomes:  How can you safely raise your endorphin levels?  Well, here is where we get into the technical aspect… The answer lies in how your body breaks down endorphins.  Some of your immune cells contain endorphins.  In fact, your body's natural response to injuries includes a rapid migration of these endorphin-containing immune cells to the site of the injury.  Upon arrival, your immune cells then release these endorphins, helping to relieve pain.

After a time, though, the endorphins begin to decline because of an enzyme called Carboxypeptidase A, which breaks down endorphins.  Although Carboxypeptidase A serves a biological purpose, obviously there are times when we need higher levels of endorphins… sometimes simply to function.  The good news is that the key ingredient in EndorphiGen actually inhibits Carboxypeptidase A.  In other words, because Carboxypeptidase A breaks down the endorphins that your body manufactures, EndorphiGen may help to maintain higher levels of soothing endorphins by turning off Carboxypeptidase A.

While the best way to find out about a product is to try it yourself, the testimonials we routinely hear from customers back up the science.

Let me share may own personal story:

I will never forget the day my back first started to hurt.  I was nine years old, sitting in the front seat of my mom’s car between her and my step-dad.  My head felt very heavy, and it was hard to hold my head up.  I was later told I had scoliosis.  Seems simple enough, but little did I know that was just the start of my back pain.  After two years of chiropractor appointments three times a week, and talk of surgery and back braces, my mom stepped in and said enough!  Going to the chiropractor only made my back pain worse, and the doctor that I went to thought that it would be best if I limited my activities.  I couldn't participate in sports, swim or even run.  For two years, I was robbed of being a child.

      When I was younger, I didn't really notice my back pain.  Now that I am much older, and four car accidents later, I noticed the pain daily.  I could not sit or stand for long periods of time.  I am the WORST person to sit next to in a movie theatre because I squirm and move around so much.

I started taking EndorphiGen in April of 2006.  After just four days, I realized that I was no longer sitting or standing with my arm across my lower back to support it and ease the pain.  For me, this was huge!  After about a week I was no longer waking up feeling stiff.  Not only did my back pain decrease, my PMS symptoms decreased as well.  I no longer have crazy roller-coaster mood swings.  I stopped crying for no reason at all, and my cramps are not nearly as bad.

Another benefit that surprised me is the fact that endorphins seem to accelerate muscle repair.  After spending time one weekend jumping up and down on the trampoline, my muscles ached the next day, but the problem was gone in only a couple of days.  My boyfriend, on the other hand, who normally recovers very well, but who does not use EndorphiGen, still had muscle aches and pains several days later.

Whether to elevate your mood, relieve pain or reduce cravings, I hope you give EndorphiGen a try!  LIDTKE is happy to offer a money-back guarantee on all of our products, so if any of these symptoms sounds familiar, please give
EndorphiGen a try!

When taken as directed, a 20-day supply is just $29.99.  Purchase the twin-pack and receive a 40-day supply for just $49.99.  You save $10!

PKU patients may wish to check with their doctor.