|
|
Unlike the digestive or cardiovascular systems,
the immune system cannot be pinpointed in a diagram of the human
body. Its components and cells are found everywhere in the
body because it is so important and it must react so quickly to
invaders. Like a defense system of a country or government, the
immune system is set up to keep order and to recognize and
attack enemies, to distinguish between friend and foe, self and
non-self.
The immune system is tremendously complex and
whole books have been written on the subject. This complexity
belies a simple explanation. The immune system is actually a
series of nearly fail-safe systems and backup systems which work
independently or together to varying degrees. Although this
complexity hampers the simplicity of the explanation, it serves
our body wonderfully well.
More than any other system in the body, the
immune system is central to our health and well-being because it
affects every other part of the body. The healthier your immune system is, the better your body can cope with
the toxic burdens it encounters. Conversely, the fewer the toxic
burdens, the more effectively the immune system will work. |
Allergens weaken the immune system and in turn,
a malfunctioning immune system leads to allergies. This vicious
cycle can throw your health into a dangerous tailspin if it’s
not stopped. In a similar cycle, a defective immune system can
allow a fungal infection to take hold, which leads to digestive
difficulties, which leads to allergies, which are a different
type of defective immune response. This collection of symptoms
is sometimes called Toxic Immune System. ~Dr. William Kellas
 |
|
What To Do If You Do Not Want The Flu
If you don’t want to catch every cold and flu
bug your family brings home, then you’ll want to know about a
powerful immune booster that works better than Echinacea or
goldenseal.
Studies show that selenium boosts the
production of glutathione peroxidase, a powerful antioxidant
that stops viruses from making you sick. In one study,
researchers gave selenium-deficient mice a flu virus, and then
compared them to mice with normal selenium levels. The
selenium-deficient mice developed more serious flu symptoms and
were sick three times longer than the mice with normal levels.
In another study, doctors in selenium-deficient areas of China
were able to stop an outbreak of viral diseases by giving
selenium to the local population. |
|
* WHERE CAN YOU GET SELENIUM...?
SEVEN ESSENTIALS
IS RICH IN SELENIUM!
|
|
|
ANOTHER BENEFIT OF
SEVEN ESSENTIALS…
Enhance the Immune System
Studies in the US, Japan and India show that
tocotrienols, like those found in E7, promote T-cell development
and thus enhance the immune system. |
Good Health
Habits Help Stop Germs
Good health habits like covering a cough and
washing your hands can help stop the spread of germs and prevent
respiratory illnesses like the flu. Here are other suggestions
to treat and prevent the flu.
1. Avoid close contact. Avoid contact
with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your
distance from others to protect them from illness. Avoid work,
school and errands.
2. Cover your mouth and nose. When
coughing or sneezing, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue.
It may prevent those around you from getting sick.
3. Avoid touching eyes, nose or mouth.
Germs can spread when we touch something that’s contaminated
with germs, and then touch the eyes, nose or mouth.
4. Clean your hands. Washing your
hands in warm soapy water often will help protect you from
germs.
5. Practice other good health habits.
Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your
stress, drink plenty of fluids and eat nutritious food.
|
 |
 |
Did You Know…?
It is recommend that when you wash your hands
with soap and warm water, that you wash for 15-20 seconds.
That's about the same time it takes to sing the “Happy Birthday”
song twice! |
 |
Department of Human Nutrition Professor
Christine Thomson and colleagues carried out the first-ever
study to look at how much selenium people can obtain from Brazil
nuts and the resulting levels of antioxidant activity in their
blood. Their study has been published in the American Clinical
Journal of Nutrition.
Over a 12-week period, 60 volunteers were
divided into three groups. One group ate two Brazil nuts a day,
another was given a 100 microgram selenium supplement and the
last group was given a placebo daily. At the outset, the
researchers analyzed the volunteers’ blood for selenium
concentrations and the activity of a key antioxidant, known as
glutathione peroxidase (GPx). The body’s production of this
vital cellular antioxidant and other important proteins depends
on how much selenium is available.
After 12 weeks the blood selenium
concentrations of the Brazil nut group increased by 65%, while
GPx activity went up by 14%. In the selenium supplement group
the increase was 60% and 5% respectively. These results indicate
that including a couple of Brazil nuts a day in the diet can
ensure a greatly enhanced selenium status without needing to
fortify other foods or take supplements. |
 |
|
|
M EDICAL
MISTAKES!
“Medical mistakes are the eighth leading cause
of death in America,
ahead of traffic accidents, breast cancer and AIDS.”
~Mary
Wakefield, Center for Health Policy Research & Ethics at George
Mason University
It is a common misconception that in order to
stay healthy, we need to combat illness with drugs and
medications. The modern medical philosophy is that we are so
vulnerable to microorganisms and germs, like viruses and
bacteria, that we need a constant influx of medications in our
bloodstream to preserve our health. Medications do have their
usefulness, but the overuse and abuse of medications can cause
other problems.
Does the problem lie with the doctors who are
making mistakes, or is the problem inherent in a system that
freely prescribes medications for even the most minor of
ailments? Truly, the problem is much deeper. It is rooted
in Western ideology that there is a quick fix for all our health
woes. Fall into the system and you run the risk of becoming one
of the 98,000 who die yearly from medical errors. The most
obvious and most overlooked solution to this dilemma:
Stay out of the medical system
as much as possible!
“The medical system exists to care for
sick
people. We can do things to reduce our chances of getting sick.
By following basic keys for optimal health, we have the greatest
chance of keeping healthy and staying out of the medical
system!”
~Dr.
Nick Campos, D.C.
 |
|
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus
Staph is a common germ. People are often
“colonized” with the germ, meaning they carry the germ but it’s
not currently making them sick. They may spread the germ to
other people and surfaces without even knowing they have it.
Other people can be “infected,” meaning they have the germ and
it is making them sick. It can easily spread to other body parts
or from person to person.
Sometimes the staph germ becomes strong
enough that it cannot be killed by common drugs. One of those
drugs is Methicillin. MRSA stands for Methicillin-Resistant
Staphylococcus Aureus.
MRSA can be found on the skin, in the nose,
the vagina, urine, blood, open sores or boils and other body
liquids like mucus. It can also be found on surfaces like
tables, sinks, beds, etc. It can be spread by touching someone
with the germ, or by touching anything an infected person has
touched.
Because MRSA is easily spread, open sores or
wounds should be covered with a bandage. Hands should be washed
often and thoroughly with soaps that specifically kill germs.
Avoid sharing items like razors or towels to prevent the spread
of MRSA. |
 |
Novel H1N1, earlier referred to as "Swine" Flue, is a new
influenza virus causing illness in people. This new virus was
first detected in people in the United States in April 2009.
This virus is spreading from person-to-person worldwide,
probably in much the same way that regular seasonal influenza
viruses spread.
This virus was originally referred to as Swine
Flu, because laboratory testing showed that many of the genes in
this new virus were very similar to viruses that occur in North
American swine. Further study has shown that this new virus is
very different from what normally circulates in North American
pigs.
The CDC has determined that the novel H1N1 virus
is contagious and does spread from human to human in the same
way that seasonal flu spreads. Flu viruses are mainly spread
from person to person through coughing or sneezing by people
with influenza. Sometimes people may become infected by touching
something – such as a surface or object – with flu viruses on it
and then touching their mouth or nose.
Illness with the H1N1 virus ranges from mild to
severe. While most people who have been sick have recovered
without needing medical treatment, hospitalizations and deaths
from infection with the H1N1 virus have occurred.
In seasonal flu, certain people are at “high
risk” of serious complications. This includes children younger
than five, people 65 years and older, pregnant women, and anyone
with certain chronic medical conditions. About 70% of people who
have been hospitalized with this H1N1 virus have had one or more
medical conditions previously recognized as placing people at
“high risk” of serious seasonal flu-related complications. This
includes pregnancy, diabetes, heart disease, asthma and kidney
disease.
|
|
Sometimes it's not!
Wash
kids' hands and your own frequently, especially;
After
touching pets or garbage
Before and after handling any food
after using the restroom or changing diapers
Always wash hands before eating anything
www.cdc.gov/handhygiene |
|
 |
|
