Immunity Health News

A study last year out of the University of British Columbia shows that babies exposed to at least one antibiotic are twice as likely as those unexposed to develop asthma in childhood. It also concludes that for each additional course taken during the first year of life the overall chance of developing asthma increased by 16 per cent.

More about antibiotics in infants.

In a related study, children who grew up with dogs in the home were less likely to develop asthma, possibly because the increased number of microbes the dog brings in helps to prime the child’s immune system.

More about dogs and asthma.

I just happened to be eating from a small bag of jalapeno peppers — I asked the sandwich artist to put them on the side — when I came across this press release for a new product that infuses extracts of hot peppers into a nasal rinse.

These nasal rinses, also called neti pots, which are used to improve sinus health and allergy symptoms, have had a recent surge in popularity due to a televised demonstration on Oprah. (Look for the video link half way down the page.)

I can’t comment on the effectiveness of this product, but if it’s anything like the handful of jalapenos I just finished off…let’s just say I’m breathing free right now!

Well, we’re always on the lookout for that magical combination of just the right diet to make us live to 100. Here is just such a list, courtesy of realmuscleonline.com:

1. Garlic — for sulfur compounds which block enzymes that allow bad bacteria to take over otherwise healthy tissue.

2. Eggs — for zinc and iron (as well as protein and B vitamins) which are important for healthy immune function.

3. Mushrooms — which help in the production of white blood cells.

4. Green tea — full of those wonderful antioxidants and flavanoids.

5. Tomatoes — for vitamin C, beta carotene and folate.

In short, one omelet a day with a side of green tea ought to keep your engine running!

I came across this press release this morning — thinly veiled as news, as is often the case — for a “Wellness Index Test”. This test purports to measure isoprostanes, the byproducts of free radicals, in your system. This is ostensibly to check if your antioxidants are doing their job.

What arouses my suspcion is that if — or rather, when — the test indicates high levels of free radicals in your system, the very company that markets the test, and performs the testing,

“has an easy, verifiable solution: MeridiumXN(TM), an antioxidant antidote to metabolic stress.”

I would probably have more confidence in the test if it were somehow independent of the “solution”.

Did I mention you have to mail them your urine? The post office wanted me to remind you to be sure the lid is tight.

Scientists have long known that immune responses differ between men and women, which is why they tend to use male animals in their research (in case female hormones complicate the study data).

But new research has shown in mice exposed to ozone a greater susceptibility to infection among females than males.

“If we could extrapolate what we found to the human population, it would mean women with lung infections may be at higher risk for negative outcomes if they are exposed to high amounts of air pollution, and in particular, ozone,” said Joanna Floros, Ph.D., Penn State College of Medicine professor of cellular and molecular physiology, pediatrics and obstetrics and gynecology, and the lead investigator on the study.

Read the whole article.

The evidence for and against echinacea’s effectiveness has probably left many consumers wondering whom to believe.

Now a new study, published Sunday in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases, is reporting that yes, echinacea does in fact boost the immune system to prevent and fight colds.

“We showed that patients who took echinacea could decrease the risk of developing a cold by 58 percent as well as decrease the duration of a cold by over a day and half,” said Dr. Craig Coleman of the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy.

And it is apparently even more effective when taken with Vitamin C.
Read the whole article.

Rose hips may provide an effective treatment for Rheumatoid arthritis, according to recent research.

Severely affected patients already being treated with conventional drugs experienced significant improvement after taking capsules of rose-hip powder for six months, a pilot study showed. More.

At the same time, research was presented at the Annual European Congress of Rheumatology in Barcelona, Spain, suggesting that alcohol reduced the chances of developing R.a.:

The benefits were seen when a person drank three servings of alcohol a week and when there was [sic] ten units a week there was even more protection. More.

In ages past, one type of mead was made with rosehips. That might save you having to organize two drinks! here’s the recipe from beertown.org:

Rose Hip Mead, served at AHA Conference Herb and Spice Beer

Ingredients: for 3 gallons:*12 lb. Orange Blossom Honey*2 gallons spring water*1 T Dry malt extract*15 gm white wine yeast*3 lb dried rose hips in secondary*

Instructions: Heat must to 150F for 20 minutes. Chill. Pitch yeast. Ferment. Transfer to secondary on top of rose hips. rack to tertiary and top up. When clear, rack and bottle. Share with friends.

Here’s what is going out on just about every major newswire this morning:

Makers of vitamins, herbs and other dietary supplements taken by millions of Americans must meet new government standards to show the products are free of contamination and contain exactly what the label says, U.S. health officials said on Friday.

The full article of this particular version can be found here.

This is good news for consumers, who have sometimes had to contend with bogus ingredients from knock-off supplement producers.

But these regulations don’t come into effect until 2010, and the dietary supplement producers

“…will have significant latitude to determine what quality control measures are appropriate, and limited resources will limit FDA’s ability to follow up on complaints,”

according to Sen. Richard Durbin, an Illinois Democrat.

Furthermore, these regulations still will not ensure that the supplements are either safe or effective. And as other websites are starting to point out, the FDA will only be investigating high-risk companies, and that only every five-to-ten years.

So will it help? Perhaps. At least it is a beginning point for more stringent assurances for consumers.

Earlier, I had linked to a blog outlining the 29 healthiest foods, but only Part I was available then.

Now you can read Part II and Part III

Apparently some of the foods are no longer available — the list has been amended to 26!

While women still the main purchasers of supplemental and nutriceutical products, men are increasingly turning to supplements as well, and not just for the good old “protein shakes” of the past.

Watch the video.