• take in more alcohol than usual?
• don’t drink enough water?
• don’t eat real healthy?
• don’t get enough sleep?
• go running about outside in dry, cold weather?

Well,  besides putting on a few extra pounds and maybe exposing yourself to a bout of winter crud, one casualty could be your skin. Particularly dry, undernourished skin. And what’s the risk of unhealthy skin?  How about weakened immune function!?!

Skin is one of the primary immune defenses you have.  The New Zealand Dermatological Society has a good summary of how problem skin can impact immune function:

“The immune system develops in the first six months of life. There is a generally an equilibrium of the two main types of T Helper lymphocytes (small white blood cells), TH-1 and TH-2. In atopic dermatitis there is often an imbalance, with far more TH-2 cells and their associated chemical messengers (cytokines). In some children there are also high levels of the antibody immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies and eosinophils (the white blood cells associated with allergy).

The loss of skin barrier function means that:

• Water is lost
• Irritants may penetrate (soap, detergent, solvents, dirt etc.)
• Allergens may penetrate it (pollens, dust-mite antigens, microbes)”

Another great little summary about immune function is here at this baby health site. Even though it focuses on immune health and skin from a baby’s perspective, I think the rules work well for adults, too.

So taking care of skin–good nutrition, proper hydration, etc.– can make an impact on overall immune health.  This holiday, put your skin in the game.

]]> http://www.balancedimmunehealth.com/2011/12/keep-your-skin-and-your-immune-health-in-the-game/feed/ 0 http://www.balancedimmunehealth.com/2011/12/immune-balance-may-work-right-into-the-teeth-of-the-problem/ http://www.balancedimmunehealth.com/2011/12/immune-balance-may-work-right-into-the-teeth-of-the-problem/#comments Fri, 09 Dec 2011 19:12:21 +0000 Craig Maltby, Editor http://www.balancedimmunehealth.com/?p=3424 Holiday time is approaching and the sugary snacks are popping out. Hello tooth decay, right? Well, turns out that may not be the biggest dental problem we need to watch out for.  Periodontitis is one of the most common causes of tooth loss worldwide. An estimated 53 million American adults have the condition, approximately 2 out of every 10 adults, at a total annual healthcare expenditure of more than $14 billion.

Thing is, some new research is showing that the bacteria triggering periodontitis are behaving in amazingly complex and diabolical ways. We know those microscopic critters were pretty cunning. Now, a study is showing that bacteria taking up residence in the gum lining are working in deceptive ways never before observed. They’re almost as shrewd and vile as the Desperate Housewives.

Apparently, they work in two ways: they trick immune cells that are coming to wipe them out to attack other benign cells instead. And, they also alter immune cells in the tooth/gum gap so that a hospitable “living environment” is created, allowing the nasties to multiply nearly unabated. It’s truly brilliant.

So what about immune balance in all of this? My theory is that, in addition to always implementing proper dental care, a healthy, balanced immune system may, repeat MAY, limit the ability of that crafty bacterium to do its thing. Immune balance means suppressing immune response when appropriate to prevent health problems resulting from over-aggressive immune attacks that can actually harm healthy cells and tissues. It also means bringing on the antibody attackers when they are truly needed, seeking and destroying the bad guys with overwhelming force. Perhaps that aggressive end of immune balance would find those periodontal bacteria and work ‘em over before they can work their evil magic. Just a thought.

Treg cell. Courtesy Davidson College and NIH.

This means vigorously attacking antigens (germs, viruses) that can be harmful if allowed to proliferate when they enter the body. It also means staying at rest if harmless substances (pollen, dust, certain food or air-borne materials) enter the body. This balance, ultimately, means better day-to-day health, with reduced symptom duration and severity.  Certain health conditions arise when immune response is too weak, or needlessly aggressive.

Recently, a study at the University of North Carolina has uncovered a “switch” in certain immune cells. This switch, called GATA-3, turns off or turns on the “attack” function in immune cells known at Tregs (Foxp3-expressing regulatory T cells).  The GATA-3 appears to steer the Tregs, helping determine if they will go full bore in attacking cells they sense as invaders, or stay mute and not engage a perceived enemy. This is important because imbalanced response among the Tregs can lead to attacks upon friendly, healthy cells. Tregs going haywire on good cells can results in inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, respiratory diseases in the lungs, or autoimmune conditions such as diabetes and  Crohn’s disease.

Being able to understand how the GATA-3 works in Treg cells may help scientists develop better therapies that can treat these conditions. If you know the molecular basis for GATA-3 commanding Treg cells the way they do–to either attack or stand down–you’ll have a better understanding of how to possibly modulate those cells to perform consistently in a balanced fashion. That would be an enormous breakthrough that could impact nearly every health condition, including heart disease, brain function, you name it.

But, as is the story with cutting-edge research, practical applications for this discovery are decades away, I’m sure.

But what about the converse? Can working to naturally improve immune function result in beneficial weight loss? It’s hard to say. But there may be some correlations. Take diet and exercise, for example. Both are important for immune health. Exercise can aid with production of antibodies and T-cells to fight infection. Research is also suggesting moderate exercise for immune health support. Extreme exercise can, at least temporarily, weaken immune function.

Healthy diet can influence gut microbiota–the balance of healthy bacteria in the digestive system. And sleep. Always important for immune health and stress reduction, which impacts immune health, too. Stress reduction can also impact release of “stress hormones” in the gut, which can contribute to mid-section girth and weight gain. One outlyer I’ve found, though, is the concept of colon cleansing for weight loss. The concept is that a colon cleanse will rid the intestinal tract of toxins that can inhibit healthy weight loss. Problem is, colon cleanses may also take out beneficial bacteria as well, leading to questionable health results, to say the least.

While I’ve not found any sizable clincial study showing a direct correlation between improved immune function and healthy levels of weight loss, to me, it appears to be a circular sequence. Many of the things that go into healthy weight loss…better nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress reduction…can contribute to a healthier, balanced immune system as well. And vice versa.

• The London Daily Mail Online has a story about research showing the immune health benefits of going on vacation (or holiday, as they say in Europe) wane two weeks after returning to work. That’s kind of a bummer. I was thinking vacation refreshes you for months, maybe even until your next vacation. The story also mentions the propensity to actually get sick when you go on vacation. “… in some cases, the immune system may be left out of kilter when the stress of the working day is suddenly taken away.”
• A new health community called Care2 (actually it’s not that new…I just stumbled upon it) has many groups formed around various health conditions and interests, such as stress. It also features some informative articles, such as a recent piece on antibiotic resistant bacteria, and the need to maintain a naturally healthy immune function, include pre- and probiotic food intake, to lower risk of bacteria-driven problems in the gut resulting from good/bad bacterial imbalance.
• A dental journal article goes into some detail on how immune health can influence periodontal disease formation and vice versa. I’ve written here about the “healthy mouth, healthy body” concept, that poor dental health can lead to other health problems, and all are connected by healthy immune function.
• A PR piece appearing in the  San Francisco Chronicle online talks about new acupuncture methods that may help alleviate seasonal allergy symptoms.  Allergies, of course, are an over-reaction of the immune system. “Acupuncture offers a relaxing, natural alternative that refreshes us, without the side effects of pills,” says a source in the story. Hmmmm. The same might be said of EpiCor, only without the needles.

High pollen counts will be with me for quite a while, as summer tassling season and fall harvest season follows after June.

My EpiCor regimen that I’ve been doing now for 3.5 years continues to deliver, at least in my opinion. And there is new published science showing EpiCor starts engaging immune cells in as little as one hour after ingestion. Within that hour, serum antioxidant levels start increasing. Within two hours, NK cells (natural killer cells) are ramped up. Two to three weeks beyond that, salivary IgA  levels (antibodies that are bacteria and virus attackers) increase, and serum IgE levels–associated with allergic/asthmatic reactions–flatten. (That’s the balancing that’s happening).

Here’s a link to the science explaining all this.

Kind of amazing stuff.

Imagine a world years from now where life expectancy declines dramatically, and huge portions of health care dollars are spent fighting infections. That’s the scenario painted by Megan McArdle, writer for The Atlantic, in her recent piece, “How Super Bugs Will Affect Our Health Care Costs.”

The charts pictured here were in the story as well, and shows the percentage increase in antibiotic-resistant infections in the U.S. over the past 30 years. The lower chart shows in the decrease in new antibiotics coming onto the market in roughly the same time period. As the writer states, you do NOT want to see those trends moving away from each other.

As doctors prescribe fewer antibiotics to try to slow down resistant strains of germs, that means less revenue potential for pharma companies, which means fewer investment dollars directed to antibiotics.

McArdle presents a list of essential medical procedures performed today because effective antibiotics are available. Without effective antibiotics, the picture gets grim.

Write McArdle:  ”The superbugs have not only gotten bad fast–from “not really an issue” in 1980 to a major problem today–but they seem to be getting badder faster, as they merrily borrow resistance-conferring genes from each other.  Researchers now say they’re seeing resistance show up in the lab, before they even put the stuff into people.”

Stay healthy, people. Stay healthy.

Bad viruses, bad!in the middle of summer. Cold sores are caused be a recurring virus.

The thing is, since my wife has been taking EpiCor, the cold sores have nearly become extinct. We can’t remember the last time she had one. Researchers have long known that the HSV-1 virus that fuels cold sores is very adept at hiding from immune cells.

Could the simple balancing of immune response — which includes activating aggressive immune response when something is detected — be an answer? I’m not a researcher, and certainly EpiCor does not have specific cold sore or HSV-1 research supporting it. It does have research showing EpiCor  activates NK cells and sIgA immune antibodies when ingested. Just wondering….

“In people with a genetic predisposition for allergies, ‘certain proteins from pollens, called allergens, can induce the immune system to produce a specific type of antibody called IgE antibody,’ says (Anthony)Fauci, (director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md.).

“IgE antibodies attach to the surface of various immune cells, such as mast cells in the nose and mouth and the lining of the bronchial tubes, says (David) Rosenstreich (director of the division of allergy and immunology in the department of medicine at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, N.Y.). When exposed to pollens, an interaction with the IgE antibodies occurs and leads to a release of histamine and other substances from the cells. That causes symptoms such as mucous production, runny nose, sneezing and itchy eyes.”

You might be interested in knowing that human trials with EpiCor have shown EpiCor’s immune balancing characteristics include the ability to suppress levels of histamine-activating serum IgE.  This may be one reason EpiCor, taken as a year-round nutritional supplement,  has repeatedly shown the ability to reduce severity and duration of allergy symptoms.

See this link for more detail:

EpiCor Science – Summary of Human Clinical Trials on EpiCor R11-03-2009-1

Triclosan: and EDC-classified molecule

Don’t forget that acronym: EDC. It stands for “endocrine disrupting compound.” A new University of Michigan study suggests that exposure to an EDC substance called triclosan, found in antibacterial soaps and other products like diaper bags and toothpaste, may be linked to higher instances of allergies among young people age 18 and under.

The endocrine system is the hormone production center for the body. Hormones can be a significant modulator of immune cell activity.

The author of the study had this summarizing statement about exposure to triclosan: “The triclosan findings in the younger age groups may support the ‘hygiene hypothesis,’ which maintains living in very clean and hygienic environments may impact our exposure to micro-organisms that are beneficial for development of the immune system,” said Allison Aiello, associate professor at the U-M School of Public Health and principal investigator on the study.

Keep in mind, this study is simply an analysis of data collected from 2003 to 2006. It was not a direct intervention study where participant were given a compound and compared to a placebo group. The evidence for EDCs and immune function is still being debated and far from settled.