Tag: Vitamin D

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Nutritional Impact on Immunity and COVID – 19

Although statistics show that people over the age of 65 have an increased risk of contracting COVID-19 and dying from complications due to underlying conditions, it appears that it has more to do with nutritional status than age alone. It’s true that the older we get, the more nutritional deficiencies we may have, primarily because of poor dietary choices throughout life.

Unfortunately, nutrition is often overlooked in favor of pharmaceuticals and other medical interventions. But diet plays a critical role in fortifying the immune system and in helping the body fight off and overcome infections such as COVID-19.

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There’s No Substitute for Sunlight: The Essential Influence of Nature’s Sunshine Vitamin on Health

The distribution of community outbreaks of the current global pandemic shows seasonal patterns associated with latitude, temperature, and humidity, which is similar to the behavior of seasonal viral respiratory tract infections.[1]

The seasonality of many viral infections is associated with a lack of sunlight, which results in low 25(OH)D concentrations and an uptick in diseases such as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection.[2],[3],[4] While it’s obvious that winter in temperate climates interferes with sufficient exposure to ultra violet rays, the rainy season in tropical climates also results in low UVB exposure.

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Don’t Fear A Fever: The Importance of Working With, Not Against the Immune System in Warding Off Infection

A fever can actually benefit a sick person, and both traditional healthcare practitioners and now even modern researchers have attributed tendencies to over-treat to “fever phobia”–a fear that fever is harmful, which likely originated after the introduction of anti-fever drugs like Tylenol.

Fever is a protective adaptive response that should be allowed to run its course under most circumstances. This approach has been supported by several recent randomized controlled trials.1

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A Clinician’s Perspective on the Use of ‘Antioxidant’ Dietary Supplements During Chemotherapy: Exploring the ‘Body of Evidence’ in Favor of Supporting the Health of Breast Cancer Patients

Commentary on the Widely Disseminated Article entitled “Dietary Supplement Use During Chemotherapy and Survival Outcomes of Patients with Breast Cancer Enrolled in a Cooperative Group Clinical Trial (SWOG SO221)” Published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, December 2019

The DELCaP study, recently published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology evaluating the use of dietary supplements during chemotherapy, has alarmed many patients and raised troubling questions for health practitioners.

The purpose of the study was to evaluate associations between ‘antioxidant’ supplement use and breast cancer outcomes in light of the widespread use of supplements during cancer therapies and the ongoing debate over concerns that antioxidants could reduce the cytotoxic effects of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by chemotherapy agents. The authors claim that the use of dietary supplements before and during chemotherapy is associated with an increased risk of recurrence and, to a lesser extent, death.1 

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Natural Strategies to Maximize Thyroid Function (Part 2 of 3)

In my post last week, I introduced the topic of thyroid health and the many misconceptions that the medical profession has about diagnosing and treating thyroid disease. In general, thyroid problems are under diagnosed because the standard blood tests used to evaluate function are woefully inadequate. At the same time, an underactive thyroid is often over treated with thyroid replacement hormones—which frequently cause even greater dysfunction. In my experience, a much more effective approach is to focus on the factors that underlie the dysfunction, providing the support needed to restore balance and function to an endocrine system that has gone awry.

Unfortunately, conventional “modern” medicine insists on viewing the thyroid as an independent entity, and treats any dysfunction by addressing only the thyroid. But in fact, the thyroid sits at the epicenter of the endocrine system and oversees the critical job of regulating the body’s metabolism. Although the thyroid gland weighs less than one ounce, the hormones it produces affect virtually every cell in the body.

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Vitalist Philosophy and Perspective on Vaccinations and The Importance of Natural Immunity

In the case of a serious life-threatening disease, such as polio, my opinion is to vaccinate.  The risk-to-benefit ratio is clear—get the vaccine and not polio! However, with less dangerous viruses, such as the measles, and with effective tools for supporting recovery within the botanical toolbox, I believe in NOT vaccinating against these illnesses. The result is betterment of the long-term vitality of the ‘Life Force,’ and specifically the health of the immune system. Recovering from a non-life threatening virus helps our immune system to become stronger. The long-term effects of vaccination against all childhood diseases is that our immune system gets no training and is therefore not prepared to fight off invading microorganisms. Illnesses like measles and chicken pox are not life threatening except in very rare cases. Choosing to effectively deal with an acute adverse reaction to a disease that is not life threatening and does not impose a high risk of long-term damage, should one be exposed, vs. mandated exposure to risks from vaccines in general is a debate that should not be taken lightly. The environment one lives and works in, lifestyle practices, as well as frequency of travel and avoidance of those with medical conditions of compromised immunity if unvaccinated or exposed to a contagious disease, must all be carefully weighed. Above all, I believe people should be given all of the information they need to make an informed decision when it comes to vaccinations.

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