Vitamin D Supplementation Cuts Your Flu Risk by 50%!

A new article from Dr. Mercola points out another excellent benefit of Vitamin D supplementation!

The Vitamin Which Can Cut Your Flu Risk Nearly in Half

“According to the findings from a 2010 study that didn’t get any widespread attention, vitamin D is a highly effective way to avoid influenza.

In fact, children taking low doses of Vitamin D3 were shown to be 42 percent less likely to come down with the flu.

The randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study included 430 children aged 6-15, who were followed between December 2008 and March 2009.

Half were given 1,200 IU’s of vitamin D3 daily, while the other half received a placebo.

Influenza strains were determined through lab testing of nose and throat swabs.

Eighteen of the children taking vitamin D contracted influenza Type A, compared to 31 children in the placebo group.

Type B influenza rates were unaffected by vitamin D use, however, the illness resulting from Type B influenza strains is typically milder than Type A.

Considering the fact that influenza was reduced by 42 percent at a dose of just 1,200 IU’s a day, it’s possible that even better results might be obtained with higher dosages—depending on just how deficient you are to begin with, of course, because it’s not really the dosage that matters; it’s the amount of vitamin D in your blood.

Is Vitamin D Deficiency a Cause of Influenza?

Dr. John Cannell, founder of the Vitamin D Council, was one of the first to introduce the idea that vitamin D deficiency may actually be an underlying cause of influenza, which would help explain its apparent benefits as a flu-fighter. His hypothesis was published in the journal Epidemiology and Infection in 2006, which was followed up with another study published in the Virology Journal in 2008.

Dr. Cannell’s hypothesis received further support and confirmation when, in the following year, the largest and most nationally representative study of its kind to date discovered that people with the lowest blood vitamin D levels reported having significantly more recent colds or cases of the flu.

In conclusion, lead author Dr. Adit Ginde stated:

‘The findings of our study support an important role for vitamin D in prevention of common respiratory infections, such as colds and the flu. Individuals with common lung diseases, such as asthma or emphysema, may be particularly susceptible to respiratory infections from vitamin D deficiency.’

The evidence supporting Dr. Cannell’s hypothesis of influenza as a symptom of vitamin D deficiency is so compelling that I, for one, believe optimizing your vitamin D levels is one of the absolute best flu-prevention strategies available to date. But that’s not to say it’s the only factor. Your overall immune function cannot be ignored, and when it comes to maintaining optimal immune function, your diet becomes sacrosanct.”

The Benefits of Coconut Oil!

Coconut OilAh, the benefits of just good, natural foods! They can’t be beat! This is why I encourage you to get all the information that you can on the benefits of natural, healthy foods!

Coconut Oil Health Benefits

“There is no better source of saturated fat than coconut oil. Unlike other saturated fats, it contains medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA’s). Other sources of saturated fat contain long-chain fatty acids. Some of the benefits of consuming MCFA’s include weight loss, decreased risk of heart disease and lower LDL cholesterol levels. One outstanding benefit of consuming medium chain fatty acids is increased metabolism and energy through immediate burning of the fat. Long chain fatty acids found in other sources of saturated fat, store the fat around the thighs, buttocks and waist.

There is a great deal of controversy regarding the health benefits of coconut oil because of its high saturated fat content. To add to the controversy, fifty years ago food manufacturers began hydrogenating coconut oil to increase shelf life and raise its melting point. Hydrogenation involves heating fats to a very high temperature which causes oxidation and the formation of trans-fatty acids.

Trans-fatty acids have been associated with several of the leading health problems today. Health authorities recommend avoiding coconut oils that contain trans-fatty acids known to raise LDL cholesterol, lower HDL cholesterol and increase the risk of heart disease. They are also linked to diabetes, obesity, cancer, atherosclerosis, bone and tendons problems, birth defects, difficulties in lactation and irregular thyroid function.

To satisfy the public outcry for healthier oils manufacturers produced vegetable oils. The problem with nearly all vegetable oils available today is that they are also hydrogenated and contain trans-fatty acids. Another problem with consuming vegetable oils is that because they are found in so many foods today, they are causing an imbalance between omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids in the body. Vegetable oils are extremely high in omega 6, but do not contain omega 3. Omega 6/omega 3 imbalance is known to cause degenerative conditions in the body and premature aging.

Many health conscious individuals who are aware of the harmful effects of hydrogenated oils have switched to oils such as olive oil. Unfortunately, even olive oil begins to oxidize and release free radicals when heated. The only oil that doesn’t oxidize at high temperatures is coconut oil.

It isn’t difficult to find coconut oil that has not been hydrogenated, but health authorities claim that saturated fat, which is abundant in coconut oil, is another reason to avoid it. Saturated fat is believed to promote unhealthy cholesterol levels. Research has shown that this is not the case. It is true that saturate fat raises LDL cholesterol levels, but unlike trans-fatty acids, it also raises HDL cholesterol levels, which helps to maintain a healthy balance between HDL and LDL cholesterol levels. Studies have found that nations that regularly consume saturated fat are among the healthiest nations in the world.

Saturated fat is a necessary component of a healthy body. It makes up about fifty percent of cell membranes. Calcium utilization by the bones requires the presence of saturated fat. Studies have found that saturated fat has the ability to lower lipoprotein, a substance that contributes to heart disease. Palmatic acid found in coconut oil has proven to be good for the heart. Saturated fat helps protect the liver from toxins, and is necessary for the proper utilization and retention of omega 3 fatty acids in body tissue. Caprylic acid, another saturated fatty acid has anti-fungal properties which helps combat candida.

There is no better source of saturated fat than coconut oil. Unlike other saturated fats, it contains medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA’s). Other sources of saturated fat contain long-chain fatty acids. Some of the benefits of consuming MCFA’s include weight loss, decreased risk of heart disease and lower LDL cholesterol levels. One outstanding benefit of consuming medium chain fatty acids is increased metabolism and energy through immediate burning of the fat. Long chain fatty acids found in other sources of saturated fat, store the fat around the thighs, buttocks and waist.

Coconut oil has many health applications. It can be used for detoxification, treatment for sore throats, colds, dandruff, fungal infections and various skin conditions, digestive disorders, viruses and diabetes. It can also be used as a topical cream for cuts and scrapes, as a makeup remover, a lip balm or a hair conditioner.

There are several types of coconut oil available. The best type to use is organic, raw, extra virgin coconut oil, which is unrefined, cold or expeller-pressed, unbleached and unrefined and not deodorized or hydrogenated. Once the oil has been refined the chemical structure is changed and no longer has the same health benefits. Coconut oil has many uses in the kitchen. It is the perfect for baking, cooking or stir-frying. It can also be added to salads or cereals such as oatmeal.”

Traditional Naturopath Podcast #54

The Traditional Naturopath Podcast – 54 – (12/03/11)
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Show Notes:
Antibiotics come with side effects, the effort by ‘Big Pharma’ to stop the use of herbs and supplements, your daily coffee habit protects against cancer and other diseases, and Green Tea supplements prove to be MUCH better than a flu vaccine!

Green Tea Better Against Flu Than Vaccine?

Green TeaSupplementation can be a powerful force against disease. And, recent evidence gives additional evidence for the benefit that Green Tea supplementation can be against the flu.

Green tea supplements prevent flu better than vaccination

“(NaturalNews) Flu season is now in full swing and seasonal vaccinations are being pushed from every corner. Nonetheless, a recent clinical trial showed that green tea-based supplements reduced the risk of flu by 75%. This is far better than the 60% risk reduction recently reported in the Lancet for vaccinations. Given that green tea provides a host of other health benefits and none of the risks of injections, it would appear to be a far superior alternative to vaccination.

Green Tea: Natural Antiviral and Immune Enhancer

For many years it has been known that green tea polyphenols actively suppress many bacterial, fungal and viral species. On the virus front, green tea suppresses the adenovirus, Epstein-Barr, herpes simplex, HIV-1 and influenza viruses. EGCG, one of the main polyphenols in green tea, is mainly responsible for this suppression. Specifically, ECGC binds to the hemagglutinin of the influenza virus, which blocks it from attaching to (and infecting) target receptor cells. EGCG also alters the virus cell membrane, which further inhibits its ability to infect other cells. Another important component of green tea is the amino acid L-theanine, which has been shown to activate human gamma-delta-T lymphocytes to proliferate and make interferon-gamma, a potent antimicrobial cytokine. These lymphocytes are considered to be the body’s first line of defence against infection. Green tea therefore offers a two-pronged protection from the flu which vaccination simply cannot match. But for final proof, we need clinical trials.

Green Tea Lowers Flu Risk: Early Clinical Evidence

One early trial using green tea against the flu involved gargling three times daily with a weak solution of green tea (50 mg of catechins per cup, of which 60% was EGCG). The theory was that since the throat was a major infection site of influenza, gargling could stop the flu virus there. The theory was right: 1.3% of garglers contracted the flu vs. 10% of the control group. In another more sophisticated trial on 97 healthy adults, a proprietary blend of theanine and green tea polyphenols (apparently worth about 10 cups of green tea per day, but exact amounts were not disclosed) was used for three months during flu season. This trial was randomized, double-blind and placebo controlled. The supplement takers experienced 32% less illnesses and 35% fewer ‘symptom days.’ However, participants were included in the statistical analysis even if their compliance (actually taking the green tea pills) was only 70%.

Latest Clinical Trial Provides Stunning Results: 75% Less Illness

More recently, a better controlled trial was performed on 198 health care workers. This was randomized, double-blind and placebo controlled: the gold standard in clinical trials. The treatment group was each given a daily dose of 378 mg green tea catechins (containing 270 mg EGCG) and 210 mg of theanine from November 2009 to April 2010. The compliance rate in this trial was better: 93% took their pills according to plan. Those taking the green tea experienced 75% less clinically defined flu infection and this was statistically significant (P=0.022). But not all observed sicknesses were bona fide flu. When laboratory tests were used to confirm real influenza infection, it showed that green tea provided a stunning 83% reduction in flu risk, however this was not statistically significant (P=0.112) due to the small number of actual flu cases.

This latest trial shows that green tea supplements easily outperform flu vaccination for preventing illness. This may be a shocker to most people’s vaccine-indoctrinated mind-set, but for those who already study, understand and practice the principles of natural health, it’s really no surprise at all.”

More Coffee News

Coffee LoveThere has been a lot of good news for coffee drinkers of late… and this one is no exception! Coffee can be protective against cancer? Another reason to raise your mug and salute your morning brew!

Coffee Emerges As Protective Against Cancer And Other Diseases

“Starbucks fans around the world can rejoice that their tipple gets the thumbs up yet again. Already shown to protect against a number of diseases, a recent study in the Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, shows coffee drinkers who consumer more than four cups a day with a 25% lower risk of Endometrial Cancer. It is thought that the antioxidant properties in coffee may be a part of the mechanism.

Edward Giovannucci, M.D., Sc.D., professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, and a senior researcher on the study, said coffee is starting to be proven as a protective agent in cancers that are linked to obesity, estrogen and insulin.

‘Coffee has already been shown to be protective against diabetes due to its effect on insulin … So we hypothesized that we’d see a reduction in some cancers as well.’

Giovannucci, and his colleagues, including Youjin Je, a doctoral candidate in his lab, looked at endometrial cancer cases in nearly 70,000 women who enrolled in the Nurse’s Health Study. Over 26 years they documented 672 cases of endometrial cancer. More than four cups of coffee was linked with a 25% decrease in risk, while two to three cups had a 7% lower risk.

The results seemed to hold true for decaf as well, with a 22% reduction for more than two cups per day.

Giovannucci said he’d like to see further research on the effects of coffee on cancer, because in this and similar studies, coffee intake is self-selected and not randomized.”

The Effort to Stop the Use of Supplements by “Big Pharma”

There are forces at work trying to take away your right to use vitamins and herbs. Think about it. Anything that “completes” with the drug industry is a direct competitor of that industry… it makes financial sense for them to “take out” the competition!

Dietary supplements are fast becoming an endangered species

“(NaturalNews) First the powers that be create a problem to get a reaction that gives them the green light to produce a solution to satisfy their ulterior motives. The problem, whether true or not, is presented through the media to also condition the public for accepting their desired solution.

A perfect example of this strategy has occurred as a backdrop for accepting the elimination of vitamins and supplements, which may occur sooner than you think.

The messages put through the media

Big Pharma front groups and FDA press releases are readily accepted by the main stream media (MSM) without investigation. They’re easy content fillers for lazy journalism. Besides, Big Pharma puts a lot of advertising money into the MSM. So what MSM hack is going to fuss over the accuracy of any Big Pharma or FDA press releases?

Most of the MSM’s public is cowed by the medical mafia’s powerful priesthood. So they’ll accept almost anything from the medical mafia as gospel.

If it’s in newspapers, magazines, and on TV; If it’s from the religion of mainstream medicine; If it’s also being repeated often without a whimper registering on the MSM from the other side of the issue, then it must be true. You can fool most of the people all the time.

A recent series of reports and press releases based on twisted studies, lies, and excerpts from reports taken out of context falsely publicized the dangers of vitamins and supplements. Though this negative propaganda campaign reached a boiling point over the last few months, it had been simmering for years.

Where the media lies are taking us

Remember: problem, reaction, solution. The problem of vitamins is a total lie. The reaction doesn’t have to be dramatic. The MSM’s shrill headlines have enough raving reactions. This is sufficient conditioning for the public’s accepting the solution of FDA control over vitamins. After all, the FDA is a cardinal among the medical mafia’s priesthood.

Unfortunately, the vitamin industry is headed for serious problems that will affect us all. The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994 is endangered yet again. Passed in 1994 as a result of a huge outcry from supplement consumers and health freedom advocates, this bill protected supplements from the FDA enough to allow supplements to be continued with marketing.

But apathy and indifference have set in over the past decade. It appears there are too many new battle fronts for health freedom, smothered by even more health agency and congressional corruption since that celebrated victory with The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994.

Perhaps the DSHEA victory put everyone to sleep. As in don’t worry, the ‘DSHEA protects our rights to use supplements as we wish.’ Unfortunately, now it’s looking bleaker than ever. The FDA has propagandized the nation and owns Congressional representatives enough to stonewall them and carry out their plan to completely bypass the 1994 DSHEA by the end of 2011.”

We have to fight back, and be vigilant against this effort to take away our freedoms!

Antibiotics Come With Side Effects

I have said before that powerful antibiotics can cause issues with your health. Even allopathic doctors are stressing the need to cut back on “casual” antibiotic use. “Antibiotic” can be be broken down into the root words “anti,” meaning “against,” and “bio,” meaning “life.” Antibiotics are designed to kill germs, bacteria, etc. but they also kill good bacteria, like intestinal flora. Now, it appears people taking antibiotics for acne, are at risk for sore throats.

Antibiotics For Acne Linked To Sore Throat

“According to a study published Online First by Archives of Dermatology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals, taking oral antibiotics to treat acne seems to be linked to reported symptoms of pharyngitis (sore throat).

The investigators explain:

‘Many inconsistent concerns have been voiced about the safety of long-term use of antibiotics. Because of the high prevalence of acne and the frequent use of antibiotics to control acne, individuals undergoing therapy to treat their acne are an ideal group in which to study the effects of long-term antibiotic use.’

David J. Margolis, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues with the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, carried out two concurrent investigations (a cross-sectional investigation and a longitudinal study) in order to analyze the connection between antibiotics for acne treatment and pharyngitis.

In addition they attempted to find an association between oral antibiotics and colonization rates of group A streptococcus (GAS; form of bacteria responsible for most cases of streptococcal illness) since prior investigations demonstrated higher rates of GAS to be associated with oral antibiotics.

In both investigations, participants included college students. Participants were swabbed for culture, had a visual examination for acne and were asked to fill out a self-administered survey form.

In the cross-section investigation, they discovered that:

  • In the past 30 days, 10 out of 15 participants receiving oral antibiotics for acne treatment reported an episode of pharyngitis.
  • 47 of 130 participants who had acne but did not take oral antibiotics reported an episode of pharyngitis in the last 30 days.
  • 82 (32.7%) of 251 participants not receiving oral antibiotics reported an episode of pharyngitis in the previous month.
  • 3 out of 145 participants with acne (2.1%) were discovered to be colonized with GAS, although none of the 3 students were taking oral antibiotics.

358 females and 218 males were enrolled in the longitudinal investigation; 96 (16.6%) received topical antibiotics for acne and 36 (6.2%) received oral antibiotics for acne treatment during the investigation. They discovered there was a strong connection with oral antibiotic use with a health care assessment for pharyngitis. Of participants receiving oral antibiotics, 11.3% reported pharyngitis versus 3.3% of participants who did not take oral antibiotics.

Furthermore, no link to pharyngitis was reported for participants who used topical antibiotics for acne treatment, they discovered that less that 1% of students were colonized by GAS, suggesting that it is not connected with pharyngitis.”

Traditional Naturopath Podcast #53

The Traditional Naturopath Podcast – 53 – (11/19/11)
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Show Notes:
The unique nutritional properties of Mushrooms, an example: Why Government control of health issues is a recipe for failure: the EU declares water un-healthy! Orthomolecular doses of B vitamins halves the rate of brain srinkage in older people with MCI.

Orthomolecular Nutrition and Dementia

Reuters news service has reported that a study at Oxford University has determined that orthomolecular doses of B vitamins can cut in half the rate of brain srinkage in older people with memory problems. Scientists from Oxford University said their two-year clinical trial was the largest to date into the effect of B vitamins on so-called “mild cognitive impairment” – a major risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.

“This is a very dramatic and striking result. It’s much more than we could have predicted,” said David Smith of Oxford’s department of pharmacology, who co-led the trial.

“It is our hope that this simple and safe treatment will delay development of Alzheimer’s in many people who suffer from mild memory problems.”

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) affects around 16 percent of people aged over 70 worldwide and is characterized by slight problems with memory loss, language or other mental functions.

The pills used during the study contained around 300 times the recommended daily intake of B12, four times daily advised folate levels and 15 times the recommended amount of B6.

These “mega-doses” of vitamins are similar to what Dr. Linus Pauling termed “orthomolecular nutrition” with regard to massive does of vitamin C for prevention of heart problems.

Smith and his colleagues conducted a two-year trial with 168 volunteers with MCI who were given either a vitamin pill containing very high doses of folic acid, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12, or a placebo dummy pill.

These B vitamins are known to control levels of an amino acid called homocysteine in the blood, and high blood levels of homocysteine are linked to an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

While further study is needed, this is a promising development in orthomolecular nutrition.

An Example: Why Government Control of Health Issues Is a Recipe for Failure

You know that I am all about personal freedom when it comes to healthcare. I stand for YOU being able to determine what is best for YOUR personal health. When a government (any government) steps in and says that they know best, it is always going to end badly! Governmental dictates are subject to lobbyists, and other political pressures, that usually mean that whatever they end up saying makes NO sense. Here’s a PERFECT example from the European Union (EU.) They have determined that, legally, water can no longer be considered a “cure” for dehydration! Say what?!?

EU SAYS WATER IS NOT HEALTHY

“THE EU was ridiculed last night after it took three years to issue a new rule that water cannot be sold as healthy.

In a scarcely believable ­ruling, a panel of experts threw out a claim that regular water consumption is the best way to rehydrate the body.

The bizarre diktat from Brussels has far-reaching implications for member states, including Britain, as no water sold in the EU can now claim to protect against dehydration.

Any producer breaching the order, signed by European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, faces being jailed for up to two years. It took the 21 scientists on the panel three years of analysis into the link between water and dehydration to come to their extraordinary conclusion.

Last night the decision of the European Food Safety Authority’s panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies was labelled ‘beyond parody.’ Ukip’s deputy leader Paul Nuttall, who sits on the European Parliament’s Public Health Committee, said: ‘I had to read this four or five times before I believed it.’

‘It is a perfect example of what the EU does best and makes the bendy banana law look positively sane.’

Conservative MEP Roger Helmer said: ‘The euro is burning, the EU is falling apart and yet here they are, highly paid, highly pensioned officials trying to deny us the right to say what is patently true.’

‘If ever there were an episode which demonstrates the folly of the great European project then this is it.’

A spokesman for the Department of Health said: ‘Of course water hydrates. While we support the EU in preventing false claims about commercial products, we need to exercise common sense as far as possible.’

German professors Dr. Moritz Hagenmeyer and Dr. Andreas Hahn, of the Institute for Food Science and Human Nutrition at Hanover Leibniz University, applied for approval for the seemingly uncontentious claim that ‘regular consumption of significant amounts of water can reduce the risk of development of dehydration.’ However, bureaucrats refused to back them.

After a meeting in Italy a delegation of scientists concluded that reduced water content in the body was a symptom of dehydration rather than a risk factor that drinking water could control. Now their verdict has been turned into a regulation that will become UK law by December 6 and is bound to send shockwaves through the soft drinks industry.”

When I first heard this announced on the radio news on the way to work, I thought it was a joke. But no, “serious” politicians and bureaucrats ruled that water was not an aid to dehydration. Can you imagine warning labels to that effect on bottled water? How long will it be before the uS government does the same thing? The bottom line? Do not trust a politician or bureaucrat with YOUR health!

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