The flu fighters in your food-eating healthy

wsj online

The human body doesn't have to be starving to suffer from malnutrition. Studies show that obesity, in addition to its other health risks, may also make people more susceptible to infections like the flu. A diet heavy on processed and fast foods may be low in the vitamins and minerals important for health. And diets that are high in saturated fat appear to actually depress the body's immune response, increasing the risk of infections. Dr. Beck says studies of mice show that only 4% of lean animals infected with the flu virus die. That compares with a death rate of between 40% and 60% in obese mice infected with the virus. And after a small study showed that obese people vaccinated for the flu didn't mount a strong immune response, the University of North Carolina is expanding its trials to compare vaccination response rates in lean and obese people.

[edit on 25-11-2009 by Seiko]

Quite an interesting write up from an msm outlet. After all the talk of only drugs curing disease it's good to hear some rational thought on nutrition's role in the bodies upkeep.

Perhaps a better understanding of this can lead to healthier people who don't need drugs to fight off disease.

Pumpkins

"For holiday treats, you can't go wrong with pumpkins," says Dina Aronson, MS, RD, a nutrition consultant and author based in New Jersey. "Pumpkin is very high in antioxidants, potassium, and vitamin A, and quite low in sugar--only about 2 grams in a whole cup--and naturally low in sodium." "In particular, it contains the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, important for eye health."

Anti oxidants found in pumpkins. Nature has a great way of timing these things out. I'll do more looking around, but seasonal eating makes sense. It's time science got on board.

ultrawellness center

A good guide to healthier eating to help stave off the seasonal problems.

# Vitamin D3: Adequate vitamin D status is critical for optimal immune function and this cannot be achieved without supplementation during the winter months. It is best to get your levels of 25 OH vitamin D checked for accurate dosing. The ideal blood level is 50-75 ng/dl. Many need 5,000 IU or more of vitamin D3 a day in the winter. Start with 2,000 IU for adults, 1,000 IU for children. # Buffered Vitamin C: The role of vitamin C in supporting the immune system has long been known. Take 500-1,000mg through out the day with meals and snacks. # Zinc citrate: You can take an additional supplement or consume more foods high in this powerful immune supporting nutrient. Oysters and pumpkin seeds are the best food sources. # Probiotics: A healthy gut flora supports a healthy gut, a major barrier against pathogens and integral to the immune system. Look for brands that offer several species of good bacteria and contain at least 5-10 billion organisms per capsule.

This is just a quick quote, read the whole article and tips for a better understanding. If you scroll down there are other tips for other health effects.

Nice one , I just cant wait til we have Codex pushed down on us.
I've heard it contains laws and or rules that GMO foods is illegal and there are added alot of important vitamines and minerals.

It is a natural solution to disease, Dr.'s and PhD's say it all the time : eat healthy food and you'll just do fine.

And with Laws prohibiting people to tell eachother about the healing effects of healthy foods isnt exactly helping the cause...



Now, this one I wonder about :

Avoid simple sugars as much as possible! This includes those sweet treats and desserts but also the white flour and refined grain products that turn into sugar quickly. Studies have shown that refined sugars can suppress your immune system for hours after ingested.

Since Flu (Swine that is ) started picking up just a few weeks ago, and I kept reading that one of the major problems are with the Immune Responce to the Virus, and I have been thinking Maybe I should find out what I should have in the house just incase it should struck my family.

Do you think a good amount of refined sugger could do the trick, or will the sugger it self cause problems ?

[edit on 25/11/2009 by ChemBreather]

You know, I love seeing articles like this, and at the same time, I hate them. They take the most basic things we should be doing, wrap them in technical terms and voodoo, and hope people find it more palettable.

When t comes down to disease and infection, there is a surefire method everyone can do that will prevent or cure most bugs and infections out there.

Want to know what it is? This mystical cure all?

1 - Eat Right - Get your veggies and fruit and some meat.
2 - Exercise regularly - Even a 20 minute brisk walk a day counts!
3 - Sleep well - 8 hours, on a somewhat regular schedule
4 - Showers, not baths - All you do is sit in dirty water.
5 - Air Dry - Get out of the shower, towel off the excess moisture, and give yourself 5 minutes to air dry, and dry your feet well. This does wonders all around.
6 - Herbs, vitamins and such for temporary supplementation - supplements are just that, supplement yourself temporarily, don't use them as a daily crutch.

I've been studying and practicing herbalism and natural medicine for over 20 years, and in all my time, this is the magic bullet I have found.

reply to post by ChemBreather


I think it might be a language problem chembreather but you're misunderstanding the tolls sugar takes on your immune system. High intakes of sugar can lower the response of white blood cells. This includes foods that metabolize into sugars.

Unless you're talking about being already infected and trying to stop a cytokine storm. Id that is the case I'd say using sugar would be the wrong path because it would increase the metabolism. A sugar rush would be the wrong way to go about it imho.

I mentioned in another thread, and I guess I should repeat it here since you've brought it up (I think).

turmeric root fluwiki

Perhaps this is what you're looking for.

reply to post by CoffinFeeder

You know, I love seeing articles like this, and at the same time, I hate them. They take the most basic things we should be doing, wrap them in technical terms and voodoo, and hope people find it more palettable.

I understand your point, but anytime science gets on board with nutrition I have to applaud it.

Food and nutrition in disease management

Have you seen this book?

The point on this thread is not to promote this as some miracle cure, it's to get people to understand that healthy eating is the best way. As you're a nutritionist, I'd love to hear more from you.

If we can educate people to make the decisions about health and diet before they're reduced to pharmaceuticals to treat disease, this thread will be worth it.

[edit on 25-11-2009 by Seiko]

Originally posted by Seiko
reply to post by ChemBreather

 

I think it might be a language problem chembreather but you're misunderstanding the tolls sugar takes on your immune system. High intakes of sugar can lower the response of white blood cells. This includes foods that metabolize into sugars.

Unless you're talking about being already infected and trying to stop a cytokine storm. Id that is the case I'd say using sugar would be the wrong path because it would increase the metabolism. A sugar rush would be the wrong way to go about it imho.

I mentioned in another thread, and I guess I should repeat it here since you've brought it up (I think).

turmeric root fluwiki

Perhaps this is what you're looking for.

Thnkas for link, and I am not sure what you say here.
Is high metabolism bad when you are sick or have the flu?

Ind if the cytokin storm is what kills you do to the overload of the immune responce, it would make sence to dampen the numbers of white blood cells ?? Keep them from bursting the lungs so you dont bleed into them and drown.. Just asking cause this is a real soup, so to speak..

reply to post by ChemBreather


I think you're confused between weakening the immune system and trying to prevent a cytokine storm.

High sugar intakes suppresses the immunity and helps the spread of bacteria and free radicals. You want to avoid the imbalance sugars cause on your system. Throwing the blood chemistry into a fit is not the answer imo.

Find natural foods that fight the cytokine storm, if you do get infected. Eat garlic and onions. Eat foods high in vitamin e.

The best prevention is to avoid getting sick.

Having a healthy immune system and being prepared to fight off diseases as they strike is important. We'll start with the basic step here in healthy eating, and that is maintaining a consistent intestinal flora.

probiotics efefct metabolism

The research is the first to look in detail at how probiotics change the biochemistry of bugs known as gut microbes, which live in the gut and which play an important part in a person's metabolic makeup. Different people have different types of gut microbes inside them and abnormalities in some types have recently been linked to diseases such as diabetes and obesity.

probiotics and flu

An even more promising link between probiotics and improved immune response was published in early 2009 in Postgraduate Medicine. This study found that GanedenBC30, a trademarked name for the patented Bacillus coagulans strain, increased immune response after exposure to both adenovirus and influenza A. Swine flu is a variant of influenza A. Some popular brands that have this strain are Sustenex, Digestive Advantage, and Twin Labs Super Probiotic. Obviously, probiotics cannot treat or cure influenza, including swine flu. However, certain strains have been shown to help fight off certain viruses, including influenza A. The evidence is very compelling that probiotics improve the immune system, and can only help in the struggle to avoid illness or diminish its duration.

probiotics help people taking antibiotics

The Einstein scientists reviewed the medical literature and found seven, high-quality studies in which probiotics were administered to people. The researchers concluded that the studies support the use of probiotics for avoiding diarrhea resulting from antibiotic use or from gastrointestinal viral or bacterial infections. In addition, the probiotics used in these studies were found to rarely cause adverse effects, even in children. "With the level of evidence that probiotics work and the large safety margins for them, we see no good reason not to prescribe probiotics when prescribing antibiotics," says Dr. Benjamin Kligler, a co-author of the study and associate professor of clinical family and social medicine at Einstein.

Even when you find yourself sick, adding probiotics to your food intake is still a good idea. Healthy eating starts at the stomach, so remember this when planning for the seasons.

Should you find yourself sick with an infection, probiotics and also acidipholous can help. If you are taking anti biotics these two links may be of interest to you.

probiotics can help alleviate

Probiotic Drinks Can Help Reduce Diarrhea Associated With Antibiotics, Study Finds

The patients were split at random into two groups. One was given a commercially available probiotic yoghurt drink while the other received a longlife, sterile milkshake. Neither group knew which drink they received. Drinks were given twice a day, within 48 hours of the people starting antibiotic therapy and continued for one week after the antibiotics were stopped. The people were also contacted for follow up four weeks later. Nursing staff monitored bowel movements and when there was evidence of diarrhea, samples were taken for analysis. Of the 113 patients who were able to be contacted for follow-up, results showed the group taking probiotic drinks fared much better. Only 12% of those people developed antibiotic-associated diarrhea, compared to 34% of the other group. Of the probiotic group of patients, none developed C. difficile associated diarrhea, compared to 17% of people in the other group

acidipholous

Effect of Lactobacillus acidophilus on antibiotic-associated gastrointestinal morbidity: a prospective randomized trial.

Concomitant therapy of L. acidophilus with amoxicillin/clavulanate was associated with a significant decrease in patient complaints of gastrointestinal side effects and yeast superinfection. Almost all patients (89%) reported resolution of infection during the course of therapy. We believe that use of L. acidophilus is warranted in patients on broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy with gastrointestinal complaints.

May you find this information helpful.