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

On the other end of the spectrum, Europe is launching an investigation in charges that the whole H1N1 pandemic scare was a fraud fueled by pharma companies eager to cash in on vaccines and related medical products. That’s kind of hard for me to buy, but film follows:

From the world of nutritional supplementation, it’s probably good to review a statement issued late last year from leading nutritional products trade groups warning that any supplements or non-prescription health products claiming to ward off or “treat” H1N1 is patently misleading and should be pulled off shelves. Totally agree on that one. I’ll continue with my immune balance supplementation, knowing that I’m helping support my general immune health but not insuring anything at all in terms of H1N1 avoidance or refuge from any other disease for that matter. Here’s the statement published in NutraIngredients.com:

Four major US supplement trade associations have issued a joint statement reaffirming an earlier condemnation of companies marketing dietary supplements as treatments for swine flu or H1N1.

They said they were not aware of, “any scientific data supporting the use of dietary supplements to treat the H1N1 virus (popularly known as “swine flu”), and recognize that federal law does not allow dietary supplements to claim to treat any diseases, including H1N1.”

The four groups: The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA); the Natural Products Association (NPA); the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN); the United Natural Products Alliance (UNPA) – along with the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) – condemned dietary supplements marketing in the H1N1 area.

The groups noted that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have issued 147 warning letters since May to companies marketing products

These products include air filters, face masks, shampoos as well as food supplements.

The groups recommended:

* Marketers and retailers of dietary supplements not stock or sell any supplements that are presented as treating or curing H1N1
* Marketers and retailers not to promote any dietary supplement as a cure or treatment for H1N1

Whilst condemning the practice, the groups noted that there are many dietary supplements that, “have much to offer in terms of enhancing general immune function.”

“However, therapies for the treatment of swine flu should only be recommended by qualified healthcare professionals or public health authorities,” they said.

I know I’m not a special case. Tons of others out there have schedules even more frenetic. But you can see that this time of year can send stress levels through the roof.

And that impacts the human immune system at the cell level. And as a recent study shows, stress can pull immune response in two opposite directions; over-reacting killer cells, and under-reacting suppressive cells. I truly think my supplementation is making a difference in helping balance that otherwise discombobulated immune function. If I got a couple more hours sleep at night (for some reason, I can’t hit the sack until the Daily Show and the first half of Conan O’Brien are over), I’m sure my immune function would be even better.  More fruits and vegetables, and less ice cream and Boulevard Pale Ale beer would help too.

The instruction on the video below is useful as well. Enjoy. Or at least, chill out.

Video and image from University of Bath. Click for video at Live Science.

What’s this have to do with immune balance? Well, science is showing that a deluge of immune cells overreacting to a pathogen can contribute to or trigger any number of inflammatory responses in the body. If the orange areas were pollen, let’s say, ideally the green immune attackers would back off and let them pass, thereby avoiding a big inflammatory buildup known as an allergic reaction.

One way to prepare is to do everything possible to get your immune system in balance, so that your killer cells kill when they need to (and kill fast), and your suppressor cells call off the attack dog cells when an aggressive immune response is not needed. Over-reactive immune response may create a lot of problems, from undue inflammation to excess phlegm and other problems.

This link from a chiropractic online publication talks about the benefits of adjustments on the immune system. I’m not a chiropractic aficionado, but I did go to a chiro last year for about 4 months because I was snoring like a bloody outboard motor and my wife was ready to strangle me and stuff me in a closet. The sessions did work, and very well. I basically was snore free. I don’t know about their claims regarding nervous system and immune health and how it pertains to chiropractic, but I have posted some findings here earlier this year on how the nervous system can impact immune balance performance.

A lot of news coverage is revving up, as evidenced in this CNN video below, about the coming storm. I’ll be ready.

• Leukocytes
• Lymphocyte
• Monocytes
• Granulocytes
• B-cells
• Plasma cells
• T-cells
• Helper T-cells
• Killer T-cells
• Suppressor T-cells
• Natural killer cells
• Neutrophils
• Eosinophils
• Basophils
• Phagocytes
• Macrophages

If you really want to get into it, the site goes through a great explanation of other immune systems components, such as the lymph, or lymphatic, system and how it interacts with blood cells, antibodies, bone marrow, hormones and other body systems that contribute to immune defense.  The only thing I didn’t see much content for was the gastrointestinal system’s microflora and how beneficial bacteria in the gut impacts immune health.

But don’t let that stop you. Give it a read. It’s written in plain English and in very understandable style…almost as well as this blog!

While you’re at it, check out this cosmic animation (and music) of a macrophage cell recognizing a pathogen and latching onto it. Wild stuff.

I like its basic approach: Balance. Not just immune balance but balance in how your manage your kids’ health. The clip instructs people not to ignore vaccines and antibiotics –they’re important. But also, don’t try to protect your kid from every microorganism out there. It’s foolish and won’t work anyway. Wash hands, exercise, get good nutrition, all the basics that your mom preached are good things to do now and in the future to help build a high-performance immune system. 

Germ Proof Your Kids (MWV26) from microbeworld on Vimeo.

The general methodology used in the study was very basic: “training” the immune system to not over-react to an allergen when it enters the body. This blog has written ad infinitum about this fundamental illustration of immune balance, but the concept continues to manifest itself in new ways through new findings such as these. In this study, young children with severe peanut allergies were given small amounts of a peanut protein (equivalent to 1/1000th of a peanut) daily over a period of months, with the amount gradually increasing. The kids will still receive this peanut intake for the next couple of years. But eventually, the immune system will be trained to ease off attacking the peanut matter, and alleviate the potentially deadly allergic response that these kids have experienced in the past.

Immune balance holds a lot of promise for this and many other living examples of over-reactive and under-reactive immune systems.

WARNING:  No one should try doing this peanut intake experiment at home with their kids. The Duke research is being conducted under laboratory conditions with precise controls and preparations for potential adverse responses. Just because this involves the good ‘ol peanut does not mean this study is anything that anyone should try on their own.

(Stay with this one — it takes about a minute for the set-up to be explained.)