Limit you salt intake to avoid heart disease, stroke

There is a direct link between consuming high levels of salt and increased risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease, a new review suggests.

It's known that eating a lot of salt increases the risk of high blood pressure, but a direct relationship between salt consumption and heart disease has been less clear.

Wednesday's online issue of the British Medical Journal, European researchers analyzed 13 studies on the links between salt, cardiovascular disease and stroke. The studies involved more than 170,000 people from six countries, including the United States, Scotland and Japan, who were followed for 3½ to 19 years.

Over that time, there were nearly 11,000 vascular "events."

The study suggests cutting the average daily salt intake by five grams — about a teaspoon — would reduce stroke incidence by 23 per cent and cardiovascular disease by 17 per cent. That would, in turn, avert 1.25 million fatal and non-fatal strokes and almost three million vascular events worldwide each year, the researchers said.

"These results support the role of a substantial population reduction in salt intake for the prevention of cardiovascular disease," the study's authors concluded.

Voluntary reductions slow
While a voluntary approach is preferred by many governments, regulations have advantages — such as sometimes being the most efficient, effective and cost-effective way of achieving public health targets, they noted.

The World Health Organization recommends people consume five grams of salt each day. But most adults in the West typically consume more than 10 grams per day.

"We have seen reductions in the salt content of several food items, due to the collaboration between governments, public health bodies and sectors of the industry on a voluntary basis," said Prof. Francesco Cappuccio, head of the WHO Collaboration Centre at Warwick Medical School in Coventry, England.

"However, the progress towards the recommended targets has been slow," he added in a release.

Processed, tinned and fast foods all tend to be high in salt. Even bread and breakfast cereals can contain large amounts of salt, the journal's editors said.

The recommended intake in Canada of sodium is 1,500 milligrams a day for people between the ages of nine and 50. Most adults consume far more than the recommended amount of sodium — a little more than 3,000 milligrams on average.

In September, both the Canadian Medical Association Journal and the Ottawa-based Centre for Science in the Public Interest called on Health Canada to take immediate action to reduce the amount sodium that Canadians consume.

source: cbc

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Pregnancy Protein May Ease Breast Cancer

Researchers Say Early Research on Protein Called AFP Could Lead to Treatments

New research could help explain how pregnancy protects against breast cancer, and the findings may one day lead to a novel way to treat the disease.

Investigators from the University of Albany linked the pregnancy protein alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) to slowed growth of breast cancer in rats exposed to pregnancy hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, or human chorionic gonadotropin.

These hormones were shown by the researchers to induce AFP during pregnancy.

They have also been shown to inhibit breast cancer growth in earlier rat studies, although estrogen and progesterone are known to fuel the growth of breast cancer in humans.

Study researcher Herbert Jacobson, PhD, who has been studying AFP in rats for more than two decades, strongly believes the protein is responsible for the pregnancy-related reduction in breast cancer risk.

"Twenty-five years ago I deduced that this must be the agent responsible for lowering breast cancer risk in women who have been pregnant," he tells WebMD. "And the research we have done since then supports this hypothesis."

AFP and Breast Cancer
Pregnancy, especially before the age of 30, is known to lower a woman’s lifetime risk for developing breast cancer, and having more than one child is also protective.

Alpha-fetoprotein is made by the fetus, and measurement of the protein during pregnancy can help screen for birth defects.

Very high AFP levels, for example, suggest the presence of neural tube defects or an abdominal wall defect known as omphalocele, and very low levels are suggestive of Down syndrome.

The protein is usually undetectable in the blood of healthy men and healthy women who aren’t pregnant. In these groups, elevated AFP levels suggest the presence of certain cancers.

In their new study, which appears in the December issue of Cancer Prevention Research, Jacobson and colleagues treated cancer-exposed rats that were not pregnant with estrogen, estrogen plus progesterone, or human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG).

As has been seen in previous studies, all three treatments were associated with a reduction in breast cancers in the high-risk rats.

All three of the hormone treatments were also associated with elevated AFP levels and AFP was found to directly inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells grown in lab cultures.

"Hormones in pregnancy, such as estrogen, all induce AFP, which directly inhibits the growth of breast cancer," Jacobson says in a news release.

Second Opinion
But cancer specialist Powel Brown, MD, PhD, says the research does not prove this is the case.

Brown chairs the clinical cancer prevention department at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and he serves as an editorial board member for Cancer Prevention Research.

He called the latest findings promising but preliminary in a statement released Tuesday.

"The researchers have not directly demonstrated the cancer preventive activity of AFP," he said, adding that the hormone treatment appeared to prevent or delay tumors in only 30% to 50% of the rats in the study.

"This study is promising and suggests that additional animal studies need to be done before translation to humans," he says.

Jacobson says AFP in its natural form is not appropriate for use in humans, but the research team has identified eight of the hundreds of amino acids in the protein that might be.

The researchers hope to win approval for early human studies of a modified version of AFP, which they call AFPep.

source: webmd

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Fighting Global Warming Can Cut Cancer, Strokes

Cutting the greenhouse gases blamed for global warming can be a boon to human health by reducing deaths from cancer, strokes and heart disease, The Lancet journal said.

Walking and cycling more, driving less, switching to cleaner-burning stoves in developing countries and reducing meat and dairy consumption are among the easiest ways people can lower the output of carbon dioxide and methane gases that also curb the global disease burden, the studies said today.

The improvement to health from fighting climate change can offset some of the costs of switching to cleaner technologies that burn less fossil fuels, The Lancet said. The studies show tailoring the fight against global warming can maximize health benefits, U.K. Health Secretary Andy Burnham said.

“Climate change can seem a distant, impersonal threat: In fact, the associated costs to health are a very real and present danger,” Burnham said in an e-mailed statement. “We need well- designed climate-change policies that drive health benefits.”

The five studies in The Lancet examined policies to reduce emissions from households, transport, electricity generation and agriculture in both developed and developing countries.

In India, a 10-year program to introduce 150 million low- emission stoves would lower by one-sixth the chronic respiratory and heart disease cases in adults and incidences of breathing disorders in children under 5 there, one of the studies said.

Transport policies in London to boost cycling and walking could cut heart disease and strokes by as much as a fifth by 2030 as well as reduce breast cancer up to 13 percent, dementia by 8 percent and depression by 5 percent, another study said.

Reducing dairy and meat consumption could also benefit human health and the climate, according to The Lancet. Livestock farming is responsible for the bulk of agricultural emissions because of the methane gas that cows, sheep and pigs emit.

Reducing adult consumption of saturated fats by 30 percent would reduce heart disease by 15 percent in the U.K. and by 16 percent in Sao Paulo, the researchers said, according to the journal.

source: bloomberg

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Now high cholesterol too common in kids

A growing body of evidence suggests the beginnings of heart disease can start early. Yes, even young children may have high cholesterol.

This may not come as much of a surprise. After all, hot dogs, ice cream, pizza and candy are preferred by more children than salad, broccoli and salmon.

Our sedentary ways have resulted in nearly one-third of children being overweight or obese. The growth in high cholesterol in children is a disturbing trend, but it can often be corrected.

Whether caused by family history, poor nutrition or lack of exercise, high cholesterol is something to take seriously. Studies suggest a build up of plaque in the arteries begins in childhood. This cholesterol overload that starts in childhood places children at increased risk of heart disease during early and middle adulthood, much sooner than what would be expected.

Although the most common reasons for high cholesterol are poor diet, being overweight and not getting enough exercise, some apparently healthy children inherit high cholesterol levels from their parents. Even active children may have high cholesterol.

It is recommended that children with a family history of high cholesterol or of early heart disease should have a complete cholesterol profile as young as age 2. A family history of early heart disease includes any children with a parent, grandparent, sibling, aunt or uncle with high cholesterol or who has suffered a cardiac event before the age of 55.

Children with a family history of high cholesterol may have no symptoms or signs of their condition and often do not fit the profile of someone who is at risk. Usually, they have a normal weight and a healthy lifestyle and diet. In addition to a family history of high cholesterol, they usually have a family history of early heart disease.

The only way to know for certain whether a child has high cholesterol is by performing a complete cholesterol profile after overnight fasting.

If the child's cholesterol is high, modifications to diet and increased physical activity are the first-line treatments. Cholesterol levels in children who are overweight or obese usually respond well to diet and lifestyle modifications.

Statin therapy, which are drugs to reduce cholesterol, are an option but it is a lifetime commitment. Over years of study, statins have been found to be safe and effective, even for children as young as 8.

Statins should not be used indiscriminately. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends their use if a child, usually older than age 10 in a boy and after start of menses in a girl, continues to have high cholesterol after 6-12 months of diet and lifestyle changes. The cutoff levels for considering a statin medication are if the child has an LDL level, the "bad cholesterol," over 190 mg/dL with no other risk factors for heart disease or an LDL of 160 mg/dL plus two risk factors for heart disease, such as a family history, obesity, sedentary lifestyle or high blood pressure. An ideal LDL target is 130 mg/dL or less.

Lifestyle changes to manage high cholesterol in children can do more than help offset heart disease as they become adults. Healthy habits started young, like regular exercise and healthy eating, can have lasting benefits throughout life.

source: courierpostonline

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New Mammography Guidelines Could Have Dengerous Effects for American Women

On November 16th, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), an independent panel of doctors and scientists that make recommendations to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, announced a change to their mammography screening guidelines.

The new guidelines recommended several changes but the most controversial change was that screening mammograms be taken every 2 years for women age 50-74 versus their old guidelines which recommended screening mammograms every 1-2 years starting at age 40.

Within hours of the release of the controversial guidelines, many parties including Hologic reiterated their position and commented in the press that they are not in support of these new guidelines. The position of three organizations stands out.

In a press release, The American Cancer Society reiterated their position of continuing to recommend annual screening using mammography and clinical breast examination for all women beginning at age 40. The ACS release noted that "Our experts make this recommendation having reviewed virtually all the same data reviewed by the USPSTF, but also additional data that the USPSTF did not consider... the lifesaving benefits of screening outweigh any potential harms."

Carol H. Lee, M.D., chair of the American College of Radiology Breast Imaging Commission speaking for the ACR said that "If cost-cutting U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) mammography recommendations are adopted as policy, two decades of decline in breast cancer mortality could be reversed and countless American women may die needlessly from breast cancer each year."

Dr. Lee went on to say that "These unfounded USPSTF recommendations ignore the valid scientific data and place a great many women at risk of dying unnecessarily from a disease that we have made significant headway against over the past 20 years. Mammography is not a perfect test, but it has unquestionably been shown to save lives -- including in women aged 40-49. These new recommendations seem to reflect a conscious decision to ration care. If Medicare and private insurers adopt these incredibly flawed USPSTF recommendations as a rationale for refusing women coverage of these life-saving exams, it could have deadly effects for American women."

Additionally, Kathleen Sebelius, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services withheld support for the Taskforce's recommendations. "There is no question that the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommendations have caused a great deal of confusion and worry among women and their families across this country. I want to address that confusion head on. The U.S. Preventive Task Force is an outside independent panel of doctors and scientists who make recommendations. They do not set federal policy and they don't determine what services are covered by the federal government."

"There has been debate in this country for years about the age at which routine screening mammograms should begin, and how often they should be given." Secretary Sebelius said. "The Task Force has presented some new evidence for consideration but our policies remain unchanged. Indeed, I would be very surprised if any private insurance company changed its mammography coverage."

The complex health issues facing women today deserve and demand the singular dedication of a passionate company committed to doing everything in its power to help women live longer, stronger, healthier lives. Hologic is proud of the difference we have made in women's lives for nearly 25 years and recognize the responsibility that our leadership position brings.

Our focus and concentration on breast cancer is unparalleled. No other major healthcare company devotes a higher percentage of its resources to the development and deployment of screening, diagnostic and therapeutic technologies to meet the diverse challenges of this disease. As a result, radiologists, breast surgeons, radiation oncologists, and related healthcare professionals alike have come to rely on our continued advancements in digital mammography, biopsy technologies, and radiation-focused breast conservation therapy and through our philanthropy, many women are receiving mammograms for the first time in their lives.

source: dotmed

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Endometrial Ablation Has Prevented Over 1 Million Hysterectomies

It is estimated that each year 500,000 to 740,000 hysterectomies are performed in the United States. The reasons range from excessive menstrual bleeding or patient perceived heavy periods to fibroids or cancer. Research suggests that hysterectomy may lead to sexual problems, incontinence, and a slight loss of physical strength as well as leaving patients feeling as though they are incomplete as a woman.

Recent headlines regarding robotic hysterectomies and other minimally invasive procedures have refocused attention on the number of hysterectomies performed each year and has reintroduced the question as to whether these procedures are truly necessary. In addition to the side effects suffered by patients, hysterectomies are costly for the healthcare system.

Historically, approximately one-third of all hysterectomies - or 200,000 annually - have been done to relieve patient-perceived excessive menstrual bleeding. Problem periods are characterized by heavy, prolonged bleeding and symptoms range from chronic fatigue and anemia to embarrassing accidents and restricted activity. This condition affects more than ten million women in the U.S.

In the past, women with heavy periods were typically offered treatments ranging from drug therapy to hysterectomy. However, for women with problem periods caused by benign reasons (i.e. hormonal changes, genetic bleeding disorders, etc.), these treatments often prove ineffective (hormone therapy is effective less than 50 percent of the time) or unnecessarily invasive. There is also a significant portion of women contraindicated for hormone therapy as well as those who cannot tolerate its side effects (i.e. headaches, weight gain and nausea).

Today, physicians have safe, effective and fast alternatives for women who have completed their families and no longer want to suffer from uncomfortable symptoms and lifestyle restrictions that accompany heavy periods. Since its introduction in 2001, the NovaSure System, a 90 second endometrial ablation procedure has become the gold standard treatment for excessive menstrual bleeding. In fact, just this summer I preformed the one millionth NovaSure procedure on my patient, Yvette.

I began using the device in my practice eight years ago because I was seeing many women who were suffering unnecessarily from problem periods. Many women that suffer from heavy periods don’t recognize their symptoms may be a result of a known and treatable condition (clinical term is menorrhagia); others are too embarrassed to discuss the problem with friends, family or even their physicians.

My patient, Yvette is a mother of two and she began experiencing heavy and prolonged menstrual periods about a year ago. Yvette first told her primary care physician about her problem periods around the time of her fortieth birthday. It was at that time that her menstrual periods where getting heavier and heavier and she almost missed out on her birthday celebration. Yvette’s physician first tried changing her birth control prescription, but that provided Yvette with no relief. Due to Yvette’s increasing fear that she’d have an accident in public or be forced to miss another celebration, her primary care physician referred her to me to discuss alternative options. It was then that I met Yvette and suggested she have the NovaSure endometrial ablation procedure. NovaSure effectively treated Yvette's symptoms in a matter of minutes, allowed her to avoid hysterectomy and helped her to regain the confidence that living with problem periods took away from her.

If you have heavy periods that prevent you from doing the things you love, talk to your gynecologist––fast, easy treatment options are available and can quite literally change your life. The NovaSure System, the most widely used endometrial ablation technique, is a 90-second outpatient procedure that can be performed in the office or the ambulatory center at the hospital at any time during a woman’s cycle. Just like Yvette, most of my NovaSure patients have returned to work a few days after the procedure, whereas, a hysterectomy often requires recovery time of up to two months. I estimate that 95 percent of the women I have treated with NovaSure had successful outcomes with very little time taken out of their lives.

Dr. Scott Schade is a Board-certified Obstetrician/Gynecologist practicing at Rockwood Clinic in Spokane, Washington. For more information on treatment options for heavy periods, please contact Dr. Scott Schade at 509.838.2531 or visit www.novasure.com.

Signs that you might have heavy periods:

* Your period lasts for more than seven days;
* You use twenty or more sanitary napkins or tampons in a single day during your period;
* You have to change your sanitary napkin or tampon approximately every hour or less;
* You’re forced to make changes to your lifestyle in order to accommodate for your period;
* You’ve had to miss work or social activities because of your period;
* You experience spotting or bleeding between menstrual periods;

Written by By Dr. Scott Schade

SOURCE: emaxhealth

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Tips to ensure you stay healthy on Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving means enjoying family and friends while eating more food than you do any other day of the year. But keeping it safe and healthy means following some basic food tips.

The first step is to handle all the food safely and that means thawing the turkey correctly. It might be too late to thaw it in the refrigerator since it takes about 24 hours for every five pounds, so try the cold water technique.

Wrap the turkey; submerge it in cold water that you change every 30 minutes. It takes 30 minutes per pound to do it this way. For more detailed instructions, you can go to the USDA's Web site, it's full of safety and cooking tips to help make sure you do it right.

One very helpful tip they offer is to make sure you don't cook anything inside the turkey. That means removing the giblets after thawing the turkey and cooking them and the stuffing on their own.

But when it comes to the turkey itself, those little pop-out timers they come with usually aren't enough to make sure it's cooked to the right temperature, so use a standard meat thermometer inside the thigh or thickest part of the breast. When that gets to 165 degrees, you can be assured the rest of the turkey is the right temperature.

And of course, then come the leftovers. If you store turkey meat in the refrigerator eat it within three to four days. If you want to store it longer, freeze it.

And if you're on a diet and worried about slipping a little, that will probably happen. The thing to remember is that it's OK to eat plenty this one day, but then get right back on your normal plan. Also, try this little tip. Use smaller plates, nine inches, and you'll notice everyone eating less.

source: 9news

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CDC Alert: Holiday trips could bring more swine flu (H1N1)

ATLANTA — Let us give thanks — and pass the Purell.

Your family might be sharing more than turkey and pumpkin pie this Thanksgiving. Swine flu may also be on the table — and at crowded airports and shopping malls.

Just as the pandemic seems to be waning around the country, some health officials are worried that holiday gatherings could lead to more infections. So the government has launched a new travel-health campaign.

"It's important to remember the things that everybody can do to stay healthy," said Dr. Beth Bell of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Thanksgiving is typically followed by at least a modest bump in early seasonal flu cases, according to reports from the past few years. But this, of course, is not a typical year. Swine flu is a new virus that accounts for nearly all flu cases right now.

Despite weeks of declining infections, health officials are staying vigilant. The federal government is putting up posters in airports, seaports and border crossings in time for Thanksgiving. The campaign also includes advertisements with slogans such as "Stop, Wash & Go."

The CDC urges people to travel only if they are well, get vaccinated against swine and seasonal flu, wash their hands often, and cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or sleeve.

Some 33 million Americans are expected to hit the nation's highways over the Thanksgiving holiday, a slight increase from last year. About 2.3 million more will travel by airplane.

The elbow-to-elbow conditions expected on many flights may pose more of an infection threat than a runny-nosed tike at the other end of a Thanksgiving dinner table. One CDC official even suggested asking that a sick passenger be moved to another part of a plane.

But that's not likely to happen on a crowded airliner or bus, and it isn't much of a solution anyway, said a few people waiting at Atlanta's downtown Greyhound station on Tuesday morning.

"That's just putting it next to somebody else," said Judd Nelson, 39, waiting to start a two-day bus trip to Phoenix.

Nelson had not been vaccinated against swine flu, and he did not have any hand sanitizer. He was resigned to his fate if someone with swine flu happens to be aboard his bus.

"The way I look at it is, if I get it, I'm going to get it no matter what," he said.

Swine flu has sickened an estimated 22 million Americans, hospitalized about 98,000 and killed 4,000 since it was first identified last April. It is similar to seasonal flu but poses a much bigger threat to children and young adults.

Usually, seasonal flu is just getting going in late November, and holiday get-togethers allow illness to jump from small pockets to other parts of the country. Swine flu, in contrast, has been widespread for months.

"It's not like we expect to see a bunch of infected people going to uninfected cities and towns," said Andrew Pekosz, a flu expert at Johns Hopkins University.

The swine flu pandemic hit in two waves: first in the spring, then a larger wave that started in the late summer.

For the past three weeks, fewer states have been reporting widespread cases. School closings have dropped to the point that there were none on Monday — the first time that's happened since late August — though there were six on Tuesday, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

But there are still plenty of ill people — as many as during the peak of many regular flu seasons, CDC officials say.

Indeed, disease trackers are quick to say that flu is unpredictable. A variety of things could happen, including a third wave or a mutation that could make the virus more deadly or less susceptible to medicines.

"We really don't know what the trajectory is going to be," said Bell, a CDC epidemiologist who has been a leader in the agency's swine flu response.

Seasonal flu usually emerges at this time of year, but some experts think swine flu will muscle aside the seasonal viruses. That probably will not be known until next month, said Dr. Richard Whitley, an infectious diseases specialist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

At New York's Pennsylvania Station, Katie Almroth was waiting to board a train Tuesday with her 11-month-old daughter Anna, who's been vaccinated for seasonal flu but not for swine flu. They were headed to Harrisburg, Pa., to visit relatives for Thanksgiving.

The 33-year-old nurse from Jersey City, N.J., said she was not worried about traveling during the swine flu pandemic, but felt more comfortable on a train than an airplane with her daughter.

"I must admit I did bring little wipes along," said Almroth, showing the antiseptic wipes she had tossed in her bag with small bottles of hand sanitizer.

source: yahoo, cdc.gov

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Sweet Potato Casserole Contains Important Health Benefits

Sweet potato casserole is a traditional side dish for many on Thanksgiving. If you leave out the sugar, butter and sticky marshmallows, the essential ingredient -- the sweet potato -- is one of the most nutrient dense vegetables available.

Go ahead and enjoy an ultra sugary sweet potato casserole for the holidays, but continue to enjoy the nutritional benefits of the sweet potatoes year round without marshmallows.

There are many benefits to eating sweet potatoes. Not only do they taste delicious, they are packed with proteins and are a quite simply a fabulous source of good nutrition.

Sweet potatoes are excellent sources of plant proteins with very low calories. Unlike other starchy root vegetables, it is very low in sugar, and in fact is a good blood sugar regulator.

As an anti-oxidant: Sweet potatoes have been found to contain a high amount of anti-oxidant, making it suitable in combating inflammatory problems like asthma, arthritis, gout, etc.

Diabetes: This fibrous root is suitable for diabetics' consumption as it is a very good blood sugar regulator, helps to stabilize and lower insulin resistance.

Digestive tract, healthy: The significant amount of dietary fiber, especially when eaten with the skin, helps to promote a healthy digestive tract, relieving constipation and also helps prevent colon cancer.

Emphysema: Smokers and people who inhale second-hand smoke should regularly consume foods high in vitamin A as smoke has been found to induce vitamin A deficiency, causing a host of other health problems to the lungs.

Fetal Development: The high folate content is important and necessary for healthy fetal cell and tissue development.

Immune System: Regular consumption of sweet potatoes strengthens the body's immune system and develop resistance to infection.

Heart diseases: Consumption of this high potassium root helps to prevent heart attack and stroke. It helps maintain fluid and electrolyte balance in the body cells, as well as normal heart function and blood pressure.

Muscle Cramps: A deficiency in potassium can cause muscular cramps and greater susceptibility to injury. Make sweet potatoes a regular part of your diet if you exercise a lot, both for an energy boost and to prevent cramps and injuries.

Stress: When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, causing the body potassium levels to be reduced. By snacking on the potassium-packed sweet potato, it helps to rebalance the vital mineral, and helps normalize the heartbeat. This in turn sends oxygen to the brain and regulates the body's water balance.

Sweet potatoes can be prepared in ways similar to making standard white potatoes. The skin contains the most nutrition so try not to peel off the skin, just scrub it with a vegetable brush. Steam it, bake it ... just make it.

Enjoy a sweet potato casserole for Thanksgiving and then add the health benefits of this wonder vegetable to your standard diet -- without the extra sugar.

source: whfoods, wikipedia

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Top 12 Foods For Healthy Immune Sysytem

Eating a diet rich in the following foods will be far better for your health than loading up on handfuls of supplements, or worse yet, falling victim to vaccines that expose you to health risks far worse than influenza.

Below, I have outlined what I consider to be the absolute best foods you can eat to prepare yourself for the season, although the list is certainly not exhaustive.

1. Unpasteurized Grass-Fed Organic Milk

Raw organic milk from grass-fed cows contains beneficial bacteria that prime your immune system and can reduce allergies. It is an outstanding source of vitamins, especially vitamin A, zinc, and enzymes. Raw organic milk is not associated with any of the health problems of pasteurized milk such as rheumatoid arthritis, skin rashes, diarrhea and cramps.

Raw milk also contains beneficial fats that will help your immune system.

Although raw milk availability is limited in the US depending on where you live, you can locate the source closest to you at RealMilk.com.

Whey Protein

Even if you don’t have access to raw grass-fed milk, you can use a high-quality whey protein that comes from grass-fed cows to receive much of the same health benefits.

The protein in milk is whey protein. Whey is the liquid that separates from the curd during the production of cheese. When the liquid dries into powdered whey, the nutrients become concentrated, and it can be packaged and used in that form.

Whey protein can help you fight off colds and flu because it contains beta-glucans and immunoglobulins, which protect your immune system and support your body’s natural detoxification processes.

2. Fermented Foods

If you are serious about boosting your immunity, then adding traditionally fermented foods is essential.

One of the most healthful fermented foods is kefir. Kefir is an ancient cultured, enzyme-rich food full of friendly microorganisms that balance your “inner ecosystem” and strengthen immunity. Besides kefir, other good fermented foods include natto, kimchee, miso, tempeh, pickles, sauerkraut, yoghurt (watch for sugar), and olives.

Friendly bacteria have a powerful, beneficial effect on your gut’s immune system, your first line defense against pathogens, and aid in the production of antibodies.

3. Raw Organic Eggs From Free-Range Chickens

Before you wrinkle up your nose, raw eggs are an inexpensive and amazing source of high-quality nutrients that many people are deficient in, especially high-quality protein and fat. I am a proponent of raw eggs because they have been so helpful to my own health.

As long as you have a good source for fresh, organic raw eggs, you need not worry about salmonella. To find free-range pasture farms, try your local health food store, or go to http://www.eatwild.com or http://www.localharvest.com.

4. Grass-Fed Beef or Organ Meats

Grass-Fed beef comes from cows that eat what they were meant to eat—grasses, not corn or grains. This results in far greater health benefits for you the environment[i].

Grass-fed beef is very high in vitamins A and E, omega-3 fatty acids, beta carotene, zinc and CLA. CLA (conjugated linoleic acid, a fatty acid) is three to five times higher in grass-fed animals than grain-fed animals and is an immune system enhancer.

Don’t confuse “organic” with grass-fed, since many organically raised cows are still fed organic corn, which you don’t want. However, most grass-fed cows are raised organically. And if you can find organic AND grass-fed, that’s ideal.

5. Coconuts and Coconut Oil

Besides being excellent for your thyroid and your metabolism, coconut oil is rich in lauric acid, which converts in your body to monolaurin. Monolaurin is the actual compound found in breast milk that strengthens a baby’s immunity.

A great deal of research has been done establishing the ability of lauric acid to enhance immunity. This medium-chain fatty acid (MCFA) actually disrupts the lipid membranes of offending organisms.

When selecting coconuts and coconut oil, make sure you choose organic ones that are unrefined, unbleached, made without heat processing or chemicals, and non-GMO.

6. Locally Grown Organic Vegetables Appropriate for Your Nutritional Type

When it comes to fighting off pathogens, you simply can’t do any better than eating a variety of fresh, organic and preferably raw vegetables for the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and enzymes they contain. However, the amount and type of vegetables you should eat daily will depend on your nutritional type.

Make sure the veggies you choose are fresh. The nutrient value drops to practically zero once a fruit or vegetable is canned. For example, take a look at the ORAC value of peaches.

ORAC Values

ORAC stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity, and an ORAC unit or ORAC “score” is a standardized method of measuring the antioxidant capacity of different foods and supplements. The higher the ORAC score, the more effective a food is at neutralizing free radicals. The less free radicals you have, the healthier you will be.

Back to peaches.

A raw, fresh peach has an ORAC score of 1,814. A can of peaches in heavy syrup has an ORAC score of 436, meaning that more than 75 percent of the antioxidants are lost in the canning process.

You can check the ORAC score for many different things at www.oracvalues.com. The higher the score, the better. Please be aware, though, that the total antioxidant capacity of a food alone does not determine its health benefit, which depends on how it is absorbed and utilized by your body. ORAC score is a useful guide, but it is only part of the picture.

7. Blueberries and Raspberries

Blueberries and raspberries rate very high in antioxidant capacity (ORAC of 6,520), compared to other fruits and vegetables. Wild blueberries in particular are potent immune boosters. They contain powerful phytochemicals, such as anthocyanin, which is the pigment that gives blueberries their color. And they are lower in sugar than many other fruits.

8. Mushrooms

Mushrooms strengthen your immune system because they are rich in protein, fiber, vitamin C, B vitamins, calcium and other minerals, and even vitamin D -- one of the only foods that can provide you with this essential immune strengthener.

Mushrooms make up a large part of the fabric of the earth. According to Paul Stamets, one of the world’s leading authorities on the health benefits of mushrooms, one cubic inch of soil can contain eight miles of mycelium.[ii]

Mushrooms also contain powerful compounds called beta glucans, which have been long known for their immune enhancing properties. The beta glucans in medicinal mushrooms (especially Reishi, Shiitake and Maitake) are notable for their ability to activate/modulate the immune system.

Beta glucan[iii] enhances immunity through a variety of mechanisms, many of which are similar to those of echinacea or astragalus root. For example, it binds to macrophages and other scavenger white blood cells, activating their anti-infection activities.[iv] Numerous studies support this.

9. Chlorella

As foods go, chlorella is nearly perfect.

Chlorella is a single-cell freshwater algae that acts as an efficient detoxification agent by binding to toxins, such as mercury, and carries them out of your system. It is the chlorophyll in chlorella that makes it so powerful. Chlorophyll helps you process more oxygen, cleanses your blood and promotes the growth and repair of your tissues.

For a full review of all the benefits of this superfood, go to my chlorella page.

10. Propolis

Propolis is a bee resin and one of the most broad-spectrum antimicrobial compounds in the world, if not the broadest spectrum, according to master herbalist Donnie Yance. Propolis is also the richest source of caffeic acid and apigenin, two very important phenolic compounds that aid in immune response.

11. Teas

The two best types of tea for fending off microinvaders are Matcha green tea and tulsi tea.

Green Tea and Matcha

Matcha is the most nutrient-rich green tea and comes in the form of a stone-ground powder, completely unfermented. The best Matcha comes from Japan and has up to seventeen times the antioxidants of wild blueberries, and seven times more than dark chocolate.

Green teas are rich in polyphenols, in the form of natural chemicals called catechins. The most powerful catechin in tea is epigallocatechin (EGCG), which was found in one study to be 25 to 100 times more potent than antioxidant vitamins C and E. And Matcha is more than 100 times as potent in EGCG as regular brewed green tea.

Tulsi

Tulsi tea, coming from the holy basil herb, has been used for thousands of years in the Ayurvedic medicine of India. Not only is this tea loaded with antioxidants, but it has multiple positive health benefits, including supporting your immune health, memory, heart health and vision.

12. Herbs and Spices

Herbs and spices are at the top of the list of high ORAC value foods on planet Earth[v]. There are simply too many good ones to summarize here! So I will simply highlight a few that deserve special mention.

Garlic

Garlic, although not at the top of the ORAC chart (5,346), is incredibly beneficial to your immune system because it offers a triple-whammy: it’s antibacterial, antiviral and anti-fungal. You should be eating garlic every day. One of the best things about garlic is that bacteria, viruses, and yeast build up no resistance to it, unlike with synthetic antibiotics.

For optimal benefits, garlic should be fresh since the active ingredient is destroyed within one hour of smashing the garlic cloves. In other words, garlic capsules are basically useless.

Garlic contains allicin, a chemical that is anticarcinogenic. It also has been shown to lower LDL, lower total cholesterol, lower blood pressure, reduce your risk of blood clots and stroke, lower homocysteine, and even prevent insect bites -- including mosquitoes and ticks.

Herbs and Spice and Everything Nice

Immunity from common infections involves not only preventing pathogens from taking hold, but also moderating the immune response to invading pathogens.

Complications arise when you experience an over-response to the infection, which is why H1N1 is taking its toll on healthy young adults. Their bodies are over responding -- something called a “cytokine storm.” It’s basically a severe inflammatory response.[vi]

One wonderful thing about plants (and herbs especially) is that they don’t all stimulate the immune system—some modulate it, or act as a buffer.

Here are some of the best herbs and spices for building a strong immune system that functions correctly:

Honeysuckle and chrysanthemum: good antivirals
Artemisia: antimalarial
Andrographis, aka “King of Bitters”: antiviral, and helps modulate inflammatory response[vii]
Licorice: buffers the inflammatory response by increasing steroid output by the adrenal glands; a good buffer if your immune system is over responding to the flu.
Turmeric: ORAC score of 159,277; general immune system booster due to its high antioxidant capacity, and an anticancer agent as well; turneric is 5 to 8 times stronger than vitamins C and E, and even strong enough to scavenge the hydroxyl radical, which is considered by some to be the most reactive of all oxidants
Black Pepper: Increases the bioavailability of just about all other foods--herbs and other things
Oregano: ORAC 13,970; active agent is rosmarinic acid, a strong antioxidant; one tablespoon of oregano has the antioxidant capacity of one medium apple
Cinnamon: ORAC 267,536; powerful antimicrobial agent—found to kill E. coli and many other bacteria; also has antiinflammatory compounds
Cloves: THE BIG ORAC GRAND PRIZE WINNER AT 314,446, highest of all foods tested! Contains eugenol; its mild anaesthetic benefits are useful for toothaches and sore throats; good antiinflammatory[viii]

Finally, I recently had a fascinating interview with herbalist Donnie Yance, who shared his basic remedy for flu, should you come down with one.

Make this special tea from a combination of herbs that synergistically cause your body to sweat -- which is very desirable if you want to eradicate a virus from your system. And then drink it hot and often:

1. Elderflower (this has been used for hundreds of years for flu)

2. Boneset (eupatorium)

3. Yarrow

4. Linden

5. Peppermint

6. Ginger

By incorporating some of these fantastic foods, you’ll not only evade the circulating viruses but improve your overall health and longevity at the same



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