Boost your Immune System with these Natural Immune System Supplements.
Posted by admin on Oct 22, 2009
If you’ve ever spent any serious time investigating the mysterious world of anti aging you no doubt would have come across the theory that aging is itself just a disease. Admittedly, a very complicated and multi faceted disease but a disease never the less!
The theory goes that an overall improvement in health throughout the centuries has increased life expectancy from a very short lifespan of about 20 to 30 years (just long enough to allow for procreation) to roughly, at least in the Western hemisphere, approximately 70 years. Because, in terms of human development, most of the progress with regard to life expectancy has occurred over the last hundred years the argument goes that aging couldn’t have evolved genetically else how is it possible we can expect to live much longer today!
The fact is, vaccines, antibiotics, clean water and other major developments mean we can all live longer and much healthier lives than our ancestors. Imagine the possibilities of curing the cancers, diabetes and heart diseases of this world! Will we not see another leap in the average life expectancy?
Well the answer is probably yes but that doesn’t mean we won’t be challenged by a whole new breed of diseases. The point is, that if our longevity is a direct consequence of our ability (or not) to fight disease then shouldn’t we be doing all we can to prevent it?
One sure method is to boost your immune system, the supreme killer of infectious diseases and tumour cells. By building up the immune system we keep disease at bay and as a direct consequence increase our chances of living longer.
Boost your immune system
But what exactly is the immune system? Simply put, the immune system is a defense mechanism built from a complex set of organs, white blood cells and specialized molecules to hunt down and destroy viruses, bacteria, microbes and parasites that if left unchecked would do untold damage to the body. Capable of making more than 100 billion types of antibodies, you only have to consider what happens when an organism dies to appreciate the power of the immune system!
The immune system is obviously something we need to consistently build up if we don’t want to suffer the ravages of time!
How to Strengthen the Immune System
When considering how to strengthen the immune system, what better place to start than our diet? It is a known fact that in parts of the world where healthy, nutritious foods are in short supply, people frequently suffer poor immune systems. The lack of even one vital nutrient can cause problems with the immune system and many studies have shown this to be true. In one such study, researchers at Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, showed that a lack of vitamin B6 caused the disease fighting white blood cell count to plummet. When the people involved in the study were allowed to eat foods rich in B6 their white blood cell count was soon restored.
In another study in Newfoundland, Canada, scientists found that people who consumed the most of a variety of nutrients including beta-carotene, Vitamin E and C produced greater numbers of immune cells. The increased levels of anti-oxidants found in these types of diet provide an an added advantage because all cells including those belonging to the immune system are protected from free radical attack.
Researchers from the University of Arizona in Tucson found that beta-carotene (good sources are carrots, sweet potatoes and spinach) is highly important for producing virus killing lymphocytes and helps significantly boost immunity.
Both vitamin C and vitamin E help boost the immune system in their own unique way. Vitamin C (good sources are citrus fruits, cantaloupe, brussel sprouts, broccoli and radishes) is used to produce interferon, a protein that helps destroy viruses and may help to increase levels of a compound shown to keep the immune system strong called glutathione (more on this later). The body uses Vitamin E (good sources are vegetable cooking oils, wheat germ and sunflower seeds) to produce an immune protein called interleukin-2. Interleukin-2 has been shown to fight everything from bacteria and viruses to cancer cells.
It should be clear that eating the right foods is important to maintaining a strong immune system. But, equally important is making sure we eat less of the wrong foods. A high fat diet, typical of a diet based on processed food contributes to aging the immune system. This may be because the production of cell damaging free radicals increases. There is scientific evidence to show that reduction of fat intake results in an increase of immune cell activity. In fact, for every percentage decrease in fat consumption there is a similar increase in immune cell activity.
How else can we help the immune System?
Even though the food you eat should probably be your main consideration when discussing how to boost your immune system, there are other factors we should be aware of. The immune system can actually be split into two parts, the non specific and the specific.
The Non Specific Immune System
The non specific part of the immune system attacks just about everything it comes into contact with. For example, your skin is a barrier against all sorts of bacteria. It secretes sweat and oil to prevents the growth of harmful bacteria. This gives us yet another reason why exercise is so good for us. Sweat and oil are acidic, so what better way to raise acidity levels than a vigorous workout!
Our modern inclination for processed foods is one reason we have forgotten how to chew. Saliva not only helps digestion but it also contains an important enzyme that destroys bacteria. Failing to chew properly makes more work for the stomach, another key component of the non specific immune system.
One vital component of the non specific immune system is our nose. It’s unfortunate but many people have forgotten how to breath and air is often taken in via the mouth. This spells trouble in a couple of ways. The nose ensures warm humidified air enters the lungs. It is the main organ for filtering out particles during inhalation and it provides a first line of defense for the immune system by bringing the inhaled air into contact with mucous-coated membranes containing immunoglobulin A (IgA). But, there is another important reason behind why we should be breathing through the nose. A key to anti aging is lies in the nasal pharynx. It is a rich source of nitric oxide and the flow of air through the nose allows it to pass into the body causing dilation of the arteries allowing blood to flow more freely. Good circulation is essential for young looking skin and a lack of nitric oxide causes premature aging.
The Specific Immune System
The specific part of the immune system is extremely selective in nature. Depending on the type of invader, it triggers specific antibodies designed to kill only that invader. Once it has defeated a germ it remembers how to kill it, should it experience it again.
A diet rich in plant foods with plenty of nutrients is the best way to make sure this part of the immune system does its work effectively. However, more recent discoveries regarding the immune system have shown how supplementation can help.
For example, getting enough Vitamin E in our diets to meet the recommended daily value is extremely difficult from foods alone. One reason some Doctors recommend taking Vitamin E supplements!
Clinical studies and complementary laboratory experiments have also shown that aging is associated with a progressive decrease in plasma cysteine and intracellular glutathione concentrations. This decrease leads to age-related oxidative stress.
Glutathione, is an important immune system compound and research over the past quarter century has shown that the limiting factor for our body’s ability to make glutathione, is the availability of cysteine in our diet. Although, you can eat cysteine in pill and powder form it does little to raise glutathione levels. This is because the cysteine is oxidised in the digestive system and never makes it to the cells that need it. The development of IMMUNOCAL by Dr. Gustavo Bounous has ensured that cysteine can be delivered to our cells to produce the glutathione we need. Healthy sources of cysteine are red peppers, garlic, onions, broccoli, brussel sprouts, oats, granola and wheat germ. Find out more about the full range of Immunotec products here.
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Anti-Aging Secrets Advice from Nature
Posted by admin on Mar 1, 2009
According to the "China Study" (one of the best books on nutrition I have ever read) a diet high in animal protein increases our chances of getting Cancer and subsequently developing into full blown cancer! A high level of protein increases certain enzyme activity allowing highly toxic carcinogens to metabolize and attack cell DNA.
If the mutated cell multiplies before the cell has had chance to repair itself the daughter cells inherit the mutation and cancer is initiated. But it doesn’t end there! If high levels of animal protein are continually consumed the cancer can grow unchecked.
It turns out that by simply lowering intake of animal protein to below the levels we consider necessary for normal growth, we significantly lower the chances of the cancer growing any further!
Interestingly, the same observations were not made when protein was derived from plants even if the levels were considered high!
The protein used during the testing carried out in the "China Study" was casein, a protein largely derived from cows milk. Just think for a moment how many products, processed or not, are made with cows milk?
There is some important anti-aging secrets advice we can learn from nature when it comes to our consumption of cows milk. We are the only mammals that drink milk beyond the weaning age and no other mammal drinks the milk of another mammal! Cows milk was designed for calves and they have four stomachs - we have one. Nature shows us it’s wrong yet because of general misconception, marketing hype and strong beliefs regarding calcium etc, we still consume it. Milk and dairy products might in fact be the worse way to get the calcium we need. Since the second world war our consumption of dairy products has risen considerably but then again so has the high rate of Oesteoporosis (brittle bones). Why would this be? In China where very few dairy products are consumed they have amongst the lowest rates of Oesteoporosis in the world.
Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, especially the dark green vegetables like spinach, kale and broccoli to get all the calcium you need. Also, according to a study at the University of Bern in Switzerland, eating only one gram of onion a day is enough to strengthen your entire skeleton.
Milk is not the only white product we shouldn’t really consume. Refined sugar, flour and salt all contribute to poor health. How often does nature provide something that has been exposed to the sun and is white on the outside? This should be a warning to us. Not only are these refined products unnatural, their introduction into our general diet through processed foods has desensitized our taste and smell to the point a lot of people think fruit and vegetables boring. When refined sugar was introduced into the American diet on a large scale, by way of a boost to energy levels during the working day, it was just the first nail in the coffin. Ever since, more and more nutritionally empty foods have become part of the average diet and we’re suffering because of it. Emotional binge eating is an entirely human phenomena and the white stuff is mainly responsible. If only people were aware that a few weeks of eating plant food would completely reverse their idea of health and emotional well-being from the inside out!
Fruits and vegetables contain, to a large extent, the vitamins, minerals and fiber for our dietary needs. The colors in fruits and vegetables are derived from the chemicals known as antioxidants - the natural enemies of free radicals. This is significant because animals do not produce their own antioxidants, however, we do sometimes generate free radicals. The bright colors of fruits and vegetables were designed to attract us to them and when consumed we get to use the antioxidants as defense against the free radicals. Nature is truly wise!
Fruits and vegetables are also high in water - the type of water ideally suited for your body. This particular form of water helps vital live nutrients reach our cells but also helps flush waste from the system. If you are concerned about what you might be drinking from the tap, then there can’t be any water more natural than that found in freshly juiced fruits and vegetables.
Juicing is in fact a great way to turbo boost your health. It is a quick way of getting all the nutrients and high quality water into your body. Drinking mineral water and supplementing your diet with vitamins is nothing compared to the fresh juice you can readily extract from fruits and vegetables. The truth is you can’t ignore the anti-aging secrets advice given to you by nature!
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A Calorie Restriction Diet and Longevity
Posted by admin on Jan 22, 2009
Calorie Restriction Vs Exercise
Studies have shown that people who practice calorie restriction for extended periods hold back the signs of aging when compared to people on other types of diet. This includes people who might have a high calorie intake but because of extreme exercise regimes have very little body fat.
Lean Machine - Really?
Leanness alone does not seem to be the answer to an increased lifespan. Experiments have shown that lab rats on restricted calorie diets live longer than those on a normal diet. This is interesting because to a point it shows that nutrition is more important than calorie intake. Rats on a normal diet, although don’t gain weight seem to be somehow less efficient than those that are calorie restricted. The calories in question are of course not the so called ‘empty calories’ indicative of the junk foods we are all so familiar with. Imagine being calorie restricted on a diet of pure sugar or fat. Life would be short either way!
Evidence in the Heart
It has been shown that highly nutritional low calorie diets reverse the signs of aging in the heart. Those who practice calorie restriction tend to have a lower level of the thyroid hormone called T3 in their blood. This particular hormone has been linked with metabolism, body temperature and the production of free radicals. All properties that have been linked with aging and the damage to cellular structure.
Why Weight Loss Slows
Scientists have known for many years that calorie restriction slows the metabolic rate. This is actually a defensive mechanism of the body, going into survival mode, in an attempt to fight against weight loss. Great if you want to stave off age but not so good when you are trying to lose weight.
Consider the Nutrients
It is clear then, that a calorie restriction diet is beneficial for those of us trying to live longer. It is one of the true health secrets to longevity. What we must consider though, is the nutritional content of our food. There is little point in restricting calories by consuming processed or fast foods. Only natural/organic products will give us the nutrients we need for longevity. Our cells are built on the nutrients we consume. You really can’t have your cake and eat it too!
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If Wine contains most Anti-Oxidants then didn’t Bilbo know it!
Posted by admin on Dec 31, 2008
In Lord of the Rings Bilbo and family regularly downed a beer or two but for those special occasions, like the time Bilbo was turning 111, the preference was for wine. In fact, he and Gandalf shared some of his best vintage not long before he did his disappearing act. I wonder though, would the other Hobbits have drunk more wine if they knew that in the humble grape was hidden a little known anti aging secret that most would be happy to throw away!?
A Glass of Red Wine is Ok
A lot of people are aware of the benefits that come from drinking a glass of red wine. In countries like France where wine is invariably present at the dinner table the rate of heart disease is a good 50% less than the US. Statistics though, can be misleading! Although the figures should be treated with a degree of error (there are many other factors of lifestyle to consider) not many would argue against red wine being a significant contributing factor.
Not only does red wine lower the risk of heart attacks but reduces the clogging of arteries and lowers the risk of strokes.
Of course drinking red wine is somewhat of a double edged sword, especially when you drink too much. Alcohol in larger quantities is not good for the aging process especially when it comes to the brain. What we really need is grapes in their natural form to side step the negative aspects of drinking wine. However, to get similar benefits from drinking red grape juice you need to drink 3 times as much.
Turning grapes into a beverage is probably not the best way to help us live longer. A powerful anti aging secret of the grape is in the very seeds we tend to discard because of their bitterness!
Great Grape Seeds -Helping reduce Blood Pressure
The seeds of grapes have been shown to contain very powerful anti-oxidants. These special anti-oxidants help to slow aging of the brain and increase mental capacity. Importantly, the special anti-oxidants present in the seeds have also been shown to shrink Tumors. The special substance in the seeds is called proanthocyanidins. Many times stronger at fighting free radicals than Vitamin C or Vitamin E, Proanthocyanidins can help fight infections in much the same way as an antibiotic. So, if wine does contain most antioxidants the best are probably in the seeds.
The good news is that you can buy grape seed extract as a supplement. Even better you can use grape seed oil in your cooking. It can be used as a replacement for your regular oil and is pretty versatile as it has a very high smoke point.
If you still rather get the benefits from red wine, Proanthocyanidins have been found to be present at higher concentrations in wines from areas of southwestern France and Sardinia both of which have been associated with increased longevity in their local populations. I wonder how the wines of the Shire compared?
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