31 for 21: It's A Marathon...

Two very common questions that come up when families just start TNI are "What results will we see?" and "We haven't seen any dramatic results yet, so what do we do?"

Several years ago, Dr. Leichtman said we need to look at TNI as a marathon, not a sprint. In other words, it's what it does in the long run that we're really going for, not just what it does on the short term.

And that is so true!

Through research we know that there are very commonly many nutrient deficiencies, high levels of certain nutrients, gene over-expressions, protein over-expressions, oxidative stress, and the list goes on. Most (if not all) of these problems are present at a very young age. Oxidative stress has been found in-utero. The earlier these problems can be addressed with nutritional help, the less damage they can do to the child's body, brain & development. The later these problems are addressed, the more damage that has been done. And the harder it is to reverse that damage.

Not every person is going to see dramatic changes and results from Nutrivene or some kind of TNI when they start their child on it. Some will see dramatic changes, like we did. But even if someone doesn't see dramatic changes, TNI is still helping that child. We cannot necessarily see all the biochemical pathways that don't work right in the body of someone with Trisomy 21. Or, the metabolic problems that are going on inside of their bodies. So, by giving TNI, we can help stop, slow and change the imbalances and problems. Even if we don't outwardly see the changes.

For an easy example, over time oxidative stress can lead to Alzheimer's disease, cancer, apoptosis (cell death), mental retardation, and more. So, by giving antioxidants to people with Down syndrome from an early age, we can help prevent, or at least greatly stall or reduce the amount of problems caused by oxidative stress.

And, that is why TNI is so important in people with DS, whether dramatic results are seen right away or not.

I heard of one family who had their child on TNI when he was little. They saw no visible results from it, so they stopped giving it. When he was older, they decided to try a TNI supplement again and they saw visible changes from it. It just really makes me wonder, what he would be like today had they not stopped TNI.

So, with all that, look at giving Nutrivene-D (or any TNI) as a marathon, not a sprint.