Here’s another measure, especially if you are an employer that provides group health insurance to your employees: reduction in the number of doctor office visits by employees. Specifically visits for cold, flu and upper respiratory tract infections (URTI). That decline in employee doctor visits was the overriding result of a 6-month project undertaken by the City of Ankeny in Iowa.

Ankeny is one of the fastest growing suburban cities in the country and the fastest growing city in Iowa. It’s city administration embraces new approaches and strategies to city management, including employee wellness and health. Last October, the city partnered with Embria Health Sciences, headquartered in Ankeny, to initiate an informal trial of Embria’s EpiCor immune balancing nutritional supplement.  Eighty employees and 18 of their family members volunteered to take a 500-mg daily EpiCor supplement for 6 months.  During that time, the employees were asked to keep records of the any illness symptoms they encountered, and to log any doctor’s office visits for cold, flu or URTI type symptoms.

The results: doctor’s office visits declined by 28 percent over the prior year.

This, of course, is not a clinical trial or even a controlled pilot study. It was simply designed as an observational project to take a broad look at employee health and wellness experiences while taking EpiCor. The results, however, do closely align with results of other more structured, human clinical trials involving EpiCor, using  placebo control and gaining publication in peer-reviewed journals.

You can read more about this Ankeny employee health project here.

• 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.

Embria Health Sciences manufacturing facility

issues who have a difficult time finding relief.  After I give them the goods, I think to myself, “You should have told them that the place where EpiCor is made is right here in the Des Moines area. You can drive over and see it yourself. It’s an immaculate facility. You can eat your breakfast off the floor it’s so clean. And the production process is so efficient and elegantly simple (but sophisticated), it’s hard to imagine anything else that’s made in such a way.

Now, that leads to another thought; how does someone know if the ingredient or supplement they are taking is truly of high quality, safety and purity? Is there a way to surmise that you’re taking something safe and effective beyond simple trust or past experience?

One big way to gauge quality is something called cGMP. That stands for Current Good Manufacturing Practices, an FDA manufacturing rule designed to ensure the public that companies complying with cGMP are producing products with consistent quality and reliable safety that are true to the label claims. In other words, what’s in the bottle is exactly what is listed on the label. Embria  Health Sciences manufactures EpiCor under cGMP standards. Most people might take that for granted, but I don’t.  Worldwide, there are enough sham factories in the supplement..and the pharma…industry that fly under the cGMP radar, you can’t know for sure what you’re getting from these manufacturers. So, never be shy to call or email a supplement company and ask if their facilities, and those they purchase raw materials from, are cGMP compliant.

I use that machine a lot. Too much, probably. So after 4 or 5 cups of coffee, once in while I try something different, like tea. My favorite is green tea with chamomile.

Green Tea

Chamomile (or camomile) is a daisy-like flower used to make the tea, and is the national flower of Russia. Green tea, of course, made from the leaves of camellia sinensis, is purported to have many health benefits. One benefit may be clinically demonstrated reduction of seasonal allergy symptoms. Japanese lab studies have found green tea inhibits certain immune over-responses that trigger allergy symptoms. That’s immune balancing in action. Green tea containing a certain antioxidant (O-methylated catechin) was also shown to reduce allergy symptoms in human subjects compared to placebo.

The only potential issue is green tea does have caffeine. I probably could cut down on that. But, it also apparently has a compound–ECGC–that can increase metabolism without increasing heart rate. Gotta love that.

Chamomile

“I am a singer. And the one thing I’ve dealt with for the last couple years is getting frequent colds. I workout 4 days a week and eat well, but in Cincinnati, you never know what the temp or weather is going to be. So, I read up about EPICOR and started using it. Two months in, and I feel great. With being a musician, and playing out a lot, it keeps me healthy and able to sing night in night out.”

That’s a great example. If you’re making a living playing a instrument or singing, you’re probably performing nights on end. Ryan sounds like he takes pretty good care of himself. But, for many folks, if you’re in a club band, you’re gigging late into the night, probably not eating too healthy, getting substandard amounts of sleep.  Not to mention the stress of wondering whether you’re gonna get paid at the end of the night, or even have work a month from now.

This all can wreak havoc on your immune system, setting up your body to be pretty vulnerable. If I could be living the dream, being a rock star, I’d make sure to give my immune system all the help it can get.

]]> http://www.balancedimmunehealth.com/2011/03/the-singer-from-cincinnati/feed/ 0 http://www.balancedimmunehealth.com/2010/10/epicor-after-2-and-a-half-years/ http://www.balancedimmunehealth.com/2010/10/epicor-after-2-and-a-half-years/#comments Sat, 16 Oct 2010 18:16:12 +0000 Craig Maltby, Editor http://www.balancedimmunehealth.com/?p=2393 I started taking EpiCor every day (500 mg) just over 31 months ago.  I thought it might be a good time to review my experience over that period.  First, I should again disclose some stuff. EpiCor’s parent company, Embria Health Sciences, financially supports this blog. I also take other daily supplements; Vitamin D (1000 mg), lutein ( 6 mg) chromium picolinate (200 mcg), saw palmetto (2oo mg). I don’t have a special diet. I try to keep it balanced. I eat all the food groups, but I also have diet soda regularly, some fast food from time to time, and drink moderate amounts of alcohol.

Also, people should realize this is my experience only. It does not mean anyone else will necessarily experience the same result. Some may. Some may not. Many may. Or many may not. The best source from which to judge EpiCor’s efficacy is the published research.

Cold, flu and sick days. In the past two and half years, I have missed a half day of work because of cold or flu-like symptoms. I was feeling a little crummy one day during the winter crud season and slept through the morning. Drank a lot of water as well during that stretch. I have not received a flu shot during this time, and have not taken any prescription antibiotics. Again, you should not necessarily model your decisions on my experience. Flu shots are a bit controversial, I realize, especially the H1N1 shots. But lots of people get flu shots, and the scientific community, in general, believes there’s a benefit to be had from a shot. So if you and your doc feel it’s a good idea, you should get a flu shot, especially if you are in a higher risk group.

Allergies. I am a life-long allergy sufferer. Primarily spring/summer ragweed and fall harvest allergies. Since taking EpiCor, my allergy symptoms have dissipated significantly. I have quit taking OTC allergy medications.  My nose and eyes can still get a little itchy during seasonal peaks. But nothing like I previously experienced, where I was itching so bad I wanted to tear my face off. I’ll also peel off a few rapid-fire sneezes, but those instance are rare. One or two nights this summer I did allow myself a few nose sprays to sleep better, but that’s been it.  My allergy experience overall has dramatically improved.

So that’s my two-and-a-half year report. I’ll try to remember to do a three-year update this coming February.

• One out of 20 people who are allergic to pollen has oral allergy syndrome, which means the immune system mistakes the compounds in certain foods for pollen proteins, says Sublett. Some foods — such as pears, cherries, peaches, apples, melons and nuts — cause breakouts or itching in the throat or around the mouth.
  
• Also, the average 1,500 square-foot home accumulates about 40 pounds of dust per year and contains about 40 million allergens.  Yeeesh! (Source: Sniffle Solutions).
• People who get allergic symptoms during the winter may be allergic to mold spores. Molds remain outside much longer than pollen, and may be indoors year-round. (Source: About.com, Allergy Fast Facts)
• A Johns Hopkins University study showed that “mite population and allergen levels decreased by 90% or more within a month of replacing mattress and pillow covers and treating bedding. (Source: Achooallergy.com)
• Your gut may be a big cause of sneezing. Upsetting the normal balance of microflora in your stomach and intestines can change your entire immune system, researchers at the University of Michigan Medical School report, intensifying your body’s response to common allergens like pollen or animal dander. According to scientists, our modern diet and increased use of antibiotics may be at fault. Safeguard your health with a diet low in sugar and high in raw fruits and vegetables, especially following treatment with antibiotics. (Source: Woman’s Day)

Then, something got my attention and really woke me up. The radio sports program host said his wife and kids were all home and suffering in allergy misery. The show co-host had to call in sick this morning and miss the show, because he was too debilitated with allergies. The host said that he had heard (from where I don’t know or remember) that our state–Iowa–is at the pollen epicenter of the U.S. right now. We have the highest pollen counts of any state in the country.

I wasn’t able to verify that claim for this post today. I did see that Swisher Iowa, two hours away from me,  had the third highest tree pollen count in the U.S. for April 16 and 17, according to The Weather Channel. Swisher was even up to #2 earlier this spring.

Either way you slice it, it’s shaping up to be a severe allergy season, which we’ve discussed earlier. Some are saying this will be the worst allergy season we’ve seen in a long time, maybe ever. Some of the golfers at the Masters last week were wearing wrap-around sun glasses, not because of the sun, but to keep the pollen out of their eyes.

All I know is I’m slamming my EpiCor daily and using a mild nose spray periodically at night. So far, unlike in past years, I’m feeling great and breathing freely as though I’m living on a chilly mountain peak with no trees in site. I’m convinced my immune system, over the past two-plus years, has attained a balance level that has greatly mitigated my allergy condition. But I’m not in mountain country. I’m in corn country with lots of trees, grass and dust-swept fields waiting for planting. But am I gonna suffer all spring, summer and fall?  Hell no.

Of course, I continue to do what I can to support my immune health…diet, sleep, immune balance supplementation…and hopefully preempt the effects of tree and flower pollen that will appear in a few weeks. Here are some additional tips from a recent CBS News segment. Some of these things I had never heard before…such as taking a shower at night to get the pollen out of your hair. Wow. See what you think.

Watch CBS News Videos Online

So, now its on to the holiday food season. And there’s plenty you can do to give your immune health a fighting chance in helping you survive the aftermath of Black Friday and head into December ready to take on those crud-inducing pathogens. One great immune support asset is food. And fresh from the site Truestar Health is a list of nutrients that can help with immune support. I’ve added a little commentary on how you might work them into your  holiday meals.

Vitamin C. Yes, it’s a good immune nutrient, but science shows overloading with C doesn’t fend off colds and flu. So don’t add two dozen orange slices to every glass of punch. But, some citrus or apples added to salads and deserts wouldn’t be a bad bet.

Vitamin E. The Alpha- (or α-) tocopherol form of Vitamin E is the best for human dietary absorption.  Nuts, seeds and vegetable oils are good food sources of E. So load up the Chex Mix with almonds, cashews, and pecans. And don’t be afraid of olive oil or cannola oil when making those Hanukkah matzo balls.

Omega 3s.  This is the essential fatty acid found in fatty fishes, flax and nuts. Break out that smoked salmon.  Albacore tuna with a little Christmas ginger glaze would also do the job.

And, if you consume alcohol over the holidays (naaahhh, never) red wine might be the better bet. A lof of research shows that alcohol intake hampers immune response. Red wine, however, has been shown to not suppress immune response, at least in mouse studies. It doesn’t necessarily help, but a Univ. of Florida study showed red wine did not suppress production of white blood cells in mice, compared to the same amount of alcohol consumed as ethanol.