Balanced Immune Health

My local paper ran a HUGE story today warning that more than half the schools in the state (Iowa) ranked in the top half of schools nationwide located in areas with high toxic air levels. God, that sounds like Chernobyl is right next door. The real kicker, buried deep in the story, is this:

“The federal database used for the study, called the Toxics Release Inventory, has been known to include some errors and omissions, and is not subject to extensive quality control.  Even before the study was released publicly today, company officials at Fawn Engineering Corp. in Clive reported that the emissions data they submitted in 2005 to state and federal authorities was inaccurate. Those emissions, which were used in the USA Today study, showed higher-than-accepted readings of a toxic lung irritant that could affect the health of teachers and students at more than 40 Des Moines-area schools. Plant representative Jamie Badger said the information was simply recorded in the wrong category, and should have been included in the company’s inventory of solid waste. The company actually discarded the waste, which was wrongly reported as air emissions.”

The data “modeling” at the heart of this story makes for a confusing piece, and it is poorly reported. But, in an effort to sell newspapers–especially in this crummy media business environment–drama and anxiety must be created.

Air quality can, indeed, impact respiratory health and overall immune health, no doubt, and we should do all we reasonably can to reduce carbon and toxin emissions.  But, let’s keep things real, folks.

Filed under: Allergies, Balanced Immune Health, Immune Balance, Immune System, Media, Pollution, Research | Comments (2)

(Editor’s Note: Dieting happens. Especially after the holidays. While taking off excess weight is a good thing, doing it the right way…or the wrong way…can have a lasting impact on immune health. Larry Robinson, Ph.D., Vice President of Scientific Affairs at Embria Health Sciences, manufacturer of immune balance ingredient EpiCor, answers a few questions on how losing weight and immune system health are connected. )

What is important to know about the immune system when thinking about dieting?

First, if weight loss is too rapid, there can be a temporary compromising of the immune system, so slow and steady is better. Second, a variety of vitamins and minerals can affect immune function, so it is important to ensure that a sufficient level of these are in the diet, either naturally of via supplementation

In what ways might dieting compromise the immune system?

There have been studies that show that a gradual loss of weight and maintaining that weight are good for the immune system. However, yo-yo dieting (repeatedly losing and regaining weight) may have a lasting negative impact on immune function.

How do you diet with the least impact on the immune system?

The scientific research at the moment suggests that slow steady weight loss, good nutrition, maintenance of the lower weight and regular exercise are the keys to maintaining a healthy immune system

Moderate exercise and maintaining a reasonable level of fitness has been shown to improve immune function. The mechanisms are not yet clear, but the effects are well established.

What is new in research on the immune system that people might not be aware of?

There are a huge number of studies of the immune system being carried out at the moment, many of them sorting out small details of what happens in the immune response and how. To me, one of the more interesting areas is that of the interactions between the innate (non-specific and rapid) and adaptive (slower and specific) immune systems. It used to be considered that the innate system was the poor cousin of the immune response, but many studies now have demonstrated its importance, and the essential interactions of the two systems in defending the body.

Filed under: Balanced Immune Health, EpiCor, Immune Balance, Immune System, Nutrition, Research, Sports/Exercise | Comments (2)

Never get a free makeover at a mall. But laugh at others who do. And keep your immune cells in check.

Filed under: Balanced Immune Health, Humor, Immune Balance, Immune System | Leave a comment

I was a sitting with a couple friends at a college football game last weekend. One had a teenage daughter who recently had back surgery and required 6 days to recover at University of Iowa Hospitals. ”Guess how much her hospital bill was” my friend said (and this was not including the bill for the actual surgery). Our other friend, a banking executive, guessed $30,000. I guessed $102,000.

We were both too low. The answer was $104,000. My guess, which was obviously real close, was based on a simple statistic I read a while back stating that the average bill for a one-night hospital stay in the U.S. is $17,000. At the time, I thought maybe I had read that wrong, or that this figure from more expensive health care regions, such as metro New York or Southern Cal.  But no. That frighteningly high figure pertains to fly-over country as well. Throw in the surgeon’s bill of $40,000 and you can see why many who are uninsured face bankruptcy if they have a serious medical problem.

But here’s the real kicker. A Washington Post news story this week quotes a number of U.S. health care executives on the inefficiency of the American health care industry, including one who says that half of the U.S.’ $2.3 trillion in annual expenditures for health care are wasted dollars that could be saved. This goes beyond bureaucracy, fraud and arena sky boxes for hosptial CEOs.  A major point emphasized in the story is that billions of dollars could be saved if we shifted medical focus from disease management to wellness and prevention.

One report I came upon several months ago estimated that $22 billion in lost productivity is sacrificed each year due to workplace absenteeism from colds and flu. Imagine if immune systems far and wide were in balance and operating at optimal efficiency. Research has shown immune balance attained through supplementation significantly lessened severity, duration and instances of cold and flu. A nice dent could be made in that enormous health care tab.

Filed under: Balanced Immune Health, EpiCor, Flu, Immune Balance, Immune System, Research, Workplace | Leave a comment

Can this help someone's immune health?

There’s a cozy little tree-lined place in cyberhealth world called Iowa Avenue.  It really doesn’t have anything to do with Iowa (the front-page photo looks like it may be a beach in La Jolla). The founder of the site just liked the sound of name.

I’m a member of Iowa Avenue, and I recently threw out a question to the IA community: “What is THE absolute best stress reducer/outlook improver? I’m interested in this, of course, because stress and physical illness go hand in hand. Reduce one, and you reduce risk for the other.  Of course, if you are on an immune-balance nutritional supplement regimen, you’re likely reducing the chance of physical ailment even when stressed.

The answers I got ranged from predictable to creative. They’re interesting not because this is a scientifically-valid poll, but because the respondents are people who are very actively immersed in health and wellness. Most are pretty avid exercise and nutrition black belts. Here’s a sample of some answers in descending order starting with most original:

- “Rearranging the furniture in my house. When I find myself at 2 am with all the furniture pushed to the middle of the room, I know I need real changes in my life.”

- “Reading, writing, music, movies, vegetarian diet, family, Prozac ;-)”

- “Walking and Yoga. The first to exercise the body in the most natural way known to man, and the second to chill the mind. I am reminded of an old Roman proverb: Never run when you can walk, never walk when you can stand, never stand when you can sit, never sit when you can lie and never lie!”

- “Walking and taking pictures.”

- “Establishing a routine - regardless of how I feel (ex: make my bed, clean the dishes, etc)”

- “Sex.” (I have to dutifully and accurately report the results).

- “Meditation.”

- “Eating a healthy, vegetarian diet…As soon as I eliminated meats and processed foods, especially wheat, from my diet, I was able to handle life without the usual stress. The same “things” were happening, but it seems as though my consciousness expanded and I became bigger than my problems.”

-”Prayer.”

- “Exercise.”

Hmmmm. I’m surprised no one said “shopping.” And if no one listed “occasional imbibing,” someone’s not being honest. If anyone has something to add to the list, please leave a comment.

Filed under: Balanced Immune Health, EpiCor, Immune Balance, Immune System, Nutrition, Stress, Stress-Related Illness | Comments (5)

This is about your only hope in avoiding airborne contaminants

I was all ready to write today’s post, something about stress-coping techniques. Then I opened my laptop and my editorial plans changed instantly.

As I lifted up my laptop screen, I saw the typical dust, splotches, and other assorted crud that always accumulate on the screen. When it gets too grody, I get some Windex and wipe it down. And then I remembered; I just cleaned my screen a few days ago. Where is this gunk coming from? Answer: the environment.

I work in a modern office environment. My home is 10 years old with a sound furnace and a good filter. And I know I don’t open a can of soda…or a beer…right in front of my computer screen, nor do I sneeze on it.  And I have no pets that sniff and lick the thing when I’m not around. I also did a radon test a couple years ago and got very safe results.

Yet my computer screen is collecting this gunk each day. So, that must mean I’m inhaling this same stuff each day as well. That’s just a bit gnarly. Our indoor air quality may seem fine, but we’re still breathing in particles and pollutants anyway. And, as seen on my laptop screen, that can add up.

A Duke University study  states “it appears that ozone causes the innate immune system to overreact, killing key immune system cells, and possibly making the lungs more susceptible to subsequent invaders, such as bacteria,” according to John Hollingsworth, the lead author.  Some passages from “Emergency Asthma,” a medical text book, also highlight the effects of pollution on immune system cells. And, for everything you might want to know about indoor air quality, here’s an online guide from the EPA.

So, I am convinced that immune balance is essential in helping mitigate the effects of breathing less-than-stellar-quality air over the long term. I know one thing; besides continuing my EpiCor regimen, I’m gonna put in a new furnace filter tonight. My furnace guy told me I need to replace the filter each month. Of course, I blow that off and get around to it every 3 or 4 months. No more.

Filed under: Allergies, Bacteria, Bacterial Environments, Balanced Immune Health, EpiCor, Gut Health, Immune Balance, Pollution | Leave a comment

Well, it seems appropriate on this Thanksgiving eve that we direct you to some research showing that being grateful and having a constant sense of thankfulness can impact…you got it…your immune health.

A Kent State researcher has summed up his research showing that expressive writing featuring thoughts of gratitude can mentally and physically affect a person’s well being.  Other observations from researchers at UC Davis and Univ. of Utah reflect similar findings.

So be thankful for all you have, or even for what little you have that still keeps you in the game.  Your health will be better for it.

(Editor’s note:  I don’t want to get too zany on Thanksgiving, so Thursdays with Munnie will return next week.)

Filed under: Balanced Immune Health, Immune Balance, Immune System, Research, Stress | Comments (4)

(Editor’s Note: I put the question to Balanced Immune Health Contributing Editor Dr. Edward Wallace: How does immune balance fit into the concept of homeopathic medicine? Here are his thoughts.)

Homeopathy is a unique system of healing, based on what is known as the ‘Law of Similars’. This is taken to mean that a homeopathic medicine is given to a person requiring treatment utilizing a substance which, when given to a healthy person in a larger dose, may produce symptoms similar to those for which the person is being treated. Homeopathy, like all truly natural approaches to health care, seeks to stimulate the innate healing power of the individual.  When a correct remedy has been given, the person moves towards their inherent optimal level of general health. He or she begins to feel better and the localized symptoms improve, their strengthened body systems now assuming a more active role in their wellness. The homeopathic remedy does not directly treat any symptom or condition; instead, it merely initiates a process by which the body heals itself.

The concept of ‘immune balance’ is very similar in that it does not imply that to stimulate an immune system will necessarily reduce or remove a symptom or illness. Instead, “balancing” an immune system (some conditions result from over stimulation of an immune function or process) will permit the body to regulate its functions more correctly, resist or respond more appropriately to infection or disease, and thereby allow the body to heal itself. A difference exists however:  homeopathy does not always seek to stimulate or “balance” the immune system. Rather, homeopathic philosophy would argue that a remedy may have differing actions in different people and needs to be individualized based on the way in which a person is responding to their state or condition. The remedy is said to “stimulate” the innate intelligence of the body to create physiologic change re-establishing homeostasis or balance within the body. This homeostasis may or may not involve the immune system directly.

Filed under: Balanced Immune Health, Healing, Immune Balance, Immune System | Comments (2)

Here’s the latest episode in the chronicle of my personal health experience while taking an immune balancing supplement with the EpiCor fermentate ingredient.

Over the weekend (2 days ago) I started getting that “throaty feeling.”  You know, where your throat starts feeling a bit swollen and a little further down, that scratchy, coughy sensation sets in. In the past, I could set my watch to the time when a full-blown bronchial congestion, cough, phlegm fest and possible laryngitis would come crashing through. So far, nothing of the sort. I’ve been drinking a bit more water in the past couple of days, and made sure I got a couple hours extra sleep yesterday and this morning (but I did put up my Christmas lights last night in the nice 60-degree Iowa weather, while listening to my boy Kurt Warner and the Cards lose to Ely Manning and the Giants). I’m now ending the work day, and Operation Scratch is going away. Heck, I might even have a beer tonight.  But not more than one. Alcohol is an irritant to soft tissue (as in a soar throat) and a diuretic, meaning it saps your body of hydration and dries out your system.  You need to retain fluids during the cold season.

So far I’ve overcome this early-warning condition twice this season. Not to mention my allergy experience this year was an absolute success. It was like my hay-fever allergies went away entirely while pollen count in this area was heavy.  

I have a wife and twin daughters. One daughter is taking an EpiCor-containing supplement, and so far she’s doing great. Her twin sister, on the other hand, even with EpiCor, seems to be extra susceptible to the winter crud. She’s had 8 sick days from school this year, complete with 3 or 4 doctor visits and 4 rounds of antibiotics. I’ve since tried having her take a bovine colostrum supplement. Too early to tell yet if it is making a difference, so we’ll wait out the winter and spring and see how it goes. However, she did make it though her latest bout with the crud by sleeping an extra day and needing no doc or prescription. Both my girls are conscientious about their diet and they do pretty well on getting a good amount of sleep.

Filed under: Allergies, Bacteria, Balanced Immune Health, EpiCor, Flu, Germs, Immune Balance, Immune System, Inflammation, My Experience, Nutrition, Prescription Drugs, Seasonal | Comments (1)