Home Remedies and Herbs for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (Mad Cow)

Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is also known as mad cow disease. Mad cow disease is a neurological disease that affects the brains of cows. It is transmissible between cows by infected proteins called prions.¹ Humans can also become infected with a type of mad cow disease through the same prion protein. When humans become infected with this protein, the disease is called Creutzfeldt-Jakob (CJD) Disease.²

In humans, the disease causes similar effects as dementia brain diseases, such as Alzheimer’s. It creates tiny holes in the brain causing it to appear sponge-like. This is where the name “spongiform” comes from.^{1 2} While humans can develop Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease in a few different ways, a variant of it is transmissible to humans by eating beef from cattle infected with BSE. When humans become infected, the disease is called variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD).²

In the early 1990’s, an outbreak of “mad cow disease” occurred in the United Kingdom cattle industry. One thousand new cases per week were being reported. There is a correlation between the increase in cattle becoming infected with mad cow disease and an increase in humans becoming infected with vCJD.¹ This infection in humans is extremely rare, with only 1 person per million globally becoming infected with mad cow disease.^{1 2}

What Causes Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (Mad Cow)?

It is believed that the main mad cow disease cause in both cows and in humans (vCJD), is due to an infection from prion proteins. Normal prion proteins are harmless and do not cause infection. However, when the prion proteins become misshapen, they can damage normal human and animal biology. They begin to attack the neurological system, which leads to mad cow disease symptoms.^{1 2}

Although the exact mad cow disease cause is not fully understood, researchers do know that the human version (vCJD) is transmissible by eating beef from cows infected by BSE. Mad cow disease causes in humans is not due to transmission through coughing, sneezing or sexual contact.²

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (Mad Cow) Symptoms

Mad cow disease in humans (vCJD) is a degenerative disease, meaning it gradually worsens over time. Mad cow disease symptoms in humans include:²

• Personality changes
• Anxiety and depression
• Difficulty swallowing and speaking
• Impaired thinking
• Sudden, jerky movements
• Insomnia
• Blurred vision and blindness

As the disease worsens, organs begin to fail and the mental symptoms worsen. Certain natural remedies for mad cow disease and vCJD can help to reduce and manage symptoms, such as anxiety, depression and can help improve cognitive function.

References

1. https://www.cdc.gov/prions/bse/about.html
2. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/creutzfeldt-jakob-disease/