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Greetings! I hope you had a great, restful weekend.
I continue to receive requests for information about vitamins and
herbs to strengthen the immune system. There's a considerable amount
of research evidence that substantiates the important role certain
nutrients play in regulating our immune system.
I've taken vitamins, minerals and herbal supplements for almost 30
years, and they have had a very positive impact on my health and
well-being. I learned the importance of vitamin supplementation
from my father, and nothing about them during medical school.
Hopefully that situation is changing.
This is the first of two posts regarding the role vitamins, mineral
and herbs play in maintaining a healthy immune system.
Also, I'm including a very exciting research study about the impact
certain fruit have on destroying the influenza virus.
In my next blog, I will discuss the recent media report suggesting
alternative therapies don't work, and any benefit gained from using
them is due to the placebo effect.
Your's in good health!
Dr. Elaine R. Ferguson
The Immune System
Our immune system is an amazing creation of components that work
together to stop disease, infections and foreign substances. A
healthy immune system, can determine "self" or foreign objects as,
"non-self." A functioning immune system identifies invading organisms
as "non-self" and immediately establishes process to destroy them.
If the immune system is depressed, it does not have the capacity to
halt the infecting organisms, and they cause infection.
Our immune system has two primary ways to protect our body, known as
natural immunity and acquired immunity. When an infecting virus,
bacteria or fungus enters, natural immunity is the first reaction to
it. It depends upon the physical obstructions and certain white
blood cells to halt the entry of invading organisms.
Antibodies, a form of protein molecules, are formed in response to
particular proteins on the surface of the invaders, known as acquired
immunity. This response requires a few days for the body to recognize
and produce antibodies. After an antibody is created for a certain
invader, our immune system responds much faster and more efficiently
the next time the invader enters the body.
We spend billions of dollars each and every year on cold and flu
remedies that don't support the immune system, and primarily suppress
symptoms.
Over the counter medications do suppress cold symptoms, the infection
doesn't end until our immune can destroy the infecting germs in
sufficient numbers. A healthy immune system is key not only to
recovery from viral infections, but also prevents the infection from
occurring in the first place.
When the immune system functions is in functioning well, we are much
less likely to be infected by the seemingly endless strains of viruses
and bacteria we are exposed to on a daily basis.
I believe we should take prospective action to bolster their immune
systems. This means reducing negative psychological stress; following
a physician-approved, moderate, long-term exercise program; and
following a diet and consuming nutrients that have been shown to
enhance the immune response and promote health.
Vitamin D
As noted in my earlier blog, Vitamin D deficiency, caused by
dramatically decreased sunshine exposure during the winter months i
is probably the most significant factor for cold and flu season to
occur during the fall and winter mothers.
During a viral infection, the body can draw on vitamin D stored in
the body to supply the increased needs of the immune system. The
withdrawn supplies of vitamin D are quickly replenished with 4,000
to 10,000 IU/day doses for a few days. Due to biochemical
individuality, we recommend vitamin D blood testing as a routine part
of a yearly physical exam.
Vitamin D stimulates the production of protein molecules that
effectively destroy viruses, bacteria and fungi. It regulates genes
that create these proteins and other infection fighting chemical
messengers in our immune system.
These known anti-viral properties have been directly linked with
fighting influenza in a recent scientific review. Multiple research
studies, and the accumulating body of clinical evidence now
demonstrate that vitamin D is a critical regulator of immune system
responses. The most dramatic evidence is a recent double-blind trial
proving that vitamin D prevents cancers, supported by two recent
epidemiological studies. Vitamin D has been part of a supplement
combination proven effective against HIV in a recent double-blind trial.
I truly believe that the discovery of Vitamin D's ability to create
bacteria, fungus and virus destroying proteins, as well as its ability
to regulate more than 30,000 genes, will one day, hopefully soon in
the near future be recognized as one of the most significant medical
discoveries of the last 50 if not 100 years. The public health
impact is significant. Taking Vitamin D supplements (D3 in particular)
could have a beneficial effect on the health of literally millions in
the US and billions globally.
I want to share with you research based information that will help
you and your health care practitioner to make wise choices. I'm not
selling or recommending supplements, but sharing research based,
scientific information. Do not use this as a substitute for the advice you receive from your health care provider.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C has been historically viewed as the vitamin that
prevents scurvy. Vitamin C is probably the most popular vitamin
used by people with colds and the flu. It is a powerful anti-oxidant,
and like vitamin D, it's deficiency is linked to numerous chronic
diseases including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, hypertension,
and asthma. Vitamin C is critical in humans, because our bodies
lack an enzyme to create it, food must provide it.
It is essential to humans, because of its antioxidant properties,
and it's role on as a cofactor in many chemical processes. It has
been viewed as an immune system booster owing to its ability to
strengthen vital components of the human immune system.
For example, vitamin C has been shown to boost antimicrobial and
natural killer cell activities, and to increase the production of
white blood cells. In its role as a water-soluble antioxidant,
vitamin C protects cells against reactive oxygen species generated
during the respiratory burst (cellular energy production) and in the
inflammatory response.
A large body of research shows that high doses of vitamin C prevent
common colds and reduce a cold's severity and duration. It was also
investigated to treat and reduce the symptoms of influenza with high
doses, and found to be effective at very high doses.
Extremely high amounts of vitamin C, between 20,000 and 100,000 mg/day,
are indeed tolerated well by the body, when we are experiencing a viral
infection. These large daily amounts are best taken divided up into
as many doses per day as possible, beginning immediately at the first
sign of a viral infection. To achieve maximum effect it is necessary
to maintain high concentrations of vitamin C in the body. Large,
very frequent oral intake of vitamin C can maintain much higher
blood plasma concentrations of vitamin C than is generally believed.
The first physician to aggressively use Vitamin C to cure diseases
was Frederick R. Klenner, beginning back in the early 1940's. Dr.
Klenner consistently cured chicken pox, measles, mumps, tetanus and
polio with huge doses of the vitamin. He reported his findings at
major medical meetings, and in a medical journal. His research was
overlooked, due to ongoing development of the polio virus at the time.
From 1943 through 1947 Dr. Klenner reported successful treatment of 41
more cases of viral pneumonia using massive doses of vitamin C.
Dr. Klenner used massive doses of Vitamin C for over forty years of
family practice. He wrote numerous medical papers on the topic. A
complete list of them is in the Clinical Guide to the Use of Vitamin
C, edited by Lendon H. Smith, M.D., Life Sciences Press, Tacoma, WA
(1988).
In July, 1949, The Treatment of Poliomyelitis and Other Virus Diseases
with Vitamin C by Dr. Klenner, was reported in the Southern Medicine
& Surgery, July, 1949 "The treatment employed [in the poliomyelitis
epidemic in North Carolina in 1948, 60 cases was vitamin C in massive
doses, given like any other antibiotic every two to four hours. The
initial dose was 1000 to 2 grams, depending on the child's age.
Children up to four years received the injections intramuscularly .
For patients treated in the home the dose schedule was 2000 mg. by
needle every six hours, supplemented by 1000 to 2000 mg. every two
hours by mouth, dissolved in fruit juice. All patients were clinically
well after 72 hours. Where spinal taps were performed, it was the
rule to find a reversion of the fluid to normal after the second day
of treatment.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is another powerful antioxidant that can help stimulate
the immune system and fight influenza infection, in both human and
animals. Animal studies have also demonstrated when Vitamin E is
taken with other antioxidants, oxidative damage to the cells,
caused by the virus, is reduced.
Both human and animal studies have shown that vitamin E, a powerful
antioxidant, can help fight influenza infection by boosting the
immune system (Animal studies have shown that vitamin E, in conjunction
with other antioxidants, can help protect against the flu by reducing
the oxidative damage associated with the virus. Vitamin E was shown
to reduce the level of viral activity in the lungs of middle-aged mice
after exposure to influenza. And Vitamin E also demonstrate a
protective antioxidant effect on the lungs of mice.
In another study researchers sought to determine the preventive
effect of vitamin E and vitamin C, alone and in combination, on the
damage caused by influenza virus infection. They found when mice
were given Vitamin C and Vitamin E, had the greatest preventive
effect, compared to the vitamins being given singularly.
Selenium and Zinc. A combination supplement containing selenium and
zinc can reduce the severity of flu infection:
In one study, seniors who received an experimental formula of zinc,
selenium, fermentable oligosaccharides (a kind of sugar that enhances
beneficial bacteria), and structured triacylglycerides for 183 days
showed signs of enhanced immune function and had fewer days of upper
respiratory symptoms.
A 2-year supplementation program of vitamins and micronutrients
showed that selenium and zinc significantly reduced infections in
elderly residents of nursing homes and enhanced the immune response
of the residents to influenza vaccination.
Mice that are deficient in selenium are more susceptible to influenza
infection. In selenium-deficient mice,
levels of inflammation is stronger and the immune response is weaker
than in mice that have an adequate level of selenium. Moreover, the
genome of viruses in selenium-deficient mice shifts toward more
virulent, resistant strains
Zinc has also been studied extensively for its ability to inhibit
the viruses (such as the rhinovirus) that cause the common cold.
Zinc supplementation in the presence of various diseases have been
found to be beneficial. Therapeutic response to zinc supplementation
has been found in children with diarrhea, chronic Hepatitis C, acute
lower respiratory tract infection and others. Zinc supplementation
is also effective in decreasing the rates of infection in patients
with Sickle Cell Disease, seniors citizens, tuberculosis, pneumonia,
and decreasing the incidence of influenza. Supplementing with zinc
has been used to treat and prevent many conditions.
Fruits May Hold The Key To Combating the Flu
An exciting new study conducted by a team of researchers at the
University of Alabama at Birmingham suggest the weak link for all
strains of the flu (influenza) may be anti-oxidants found in plants.
The study is scheduled to be published in the Federation of American
Societies for Experimental Biology demonstrates the chemicals found
in fruits such including strawberries, apples and grapes might hold
the key in preventing the influenza virus from severely damaging the
lungs.
"The recent outbreak of H1N1 influenza and the rapid spread of this
strain across the world highlights the need to better understand how
this virus damages the lungs and to find new treatments," study
co-author Sadis Matalon said in a statement. "Additionally, our
research shows that anti-oxidants may prove beneficial in the
treatment of flu."
The researchers demonstrated the influenza virus damages lung cells
through certain proteins which attack the cells lining the lung's
surface, known as epithelial cells. This M2 protein causes risk of
pneumonia and other pulmonary conditions through interrupting the
cells' fluid removing capacities.
"Although vaccines will remain the first line of intervention against
the flu for a long time to come, this study opens the door for
entirely new treatments geared toward stopping the virus after you're
sick," Dr. Gerald Weissmann, editor in chief of the FASEB Journal
said, "and as Thanksgiving approaches, this discovery is another
reason to drink red wine to your health."
Disclaimer
The statements contained herein have not been evaluated by the FDA.
The information discussed herein are not intended to diagnose, cure,
prevent or treat any disease.
The material provided on this site is for educational purposes only
and any recommendations are not intended to replace the advice of
your physician. The vitamins and minerals mentioned are not intended
to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. You are encouraged to
seek advice from a competent medical professional regarding the
applicability of any information contained herein.
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Dr. Elaine's Holistic Health News Report is published twice a week. It's goal is to provide pertinent research based information on a wide variety of health issues. The newsletter explores nutrition, mind/body health and medicine, alternative therapies including Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda, wellness, health promotion, and much, much more.
The information included is not intended to replace regular medical treatment. Consult with your doctor or health care practitioner regarding your health.
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