HealthBeat News

Category: Family Health

  • The Japanese Gift That Keeps On Giving – Radioactive Fallout From Fukushima

    The Japanese Gift That Keeps On Giving – Fukushima

     

    By Nurse Mark

     

    All is well – remain calm! Don’t worry – be happy! The crisis is over – there’s nothing to be concerned about.

    Such is the going “line” from our government sources such as the U.S. EPA which monitored radiation levels until June and then stopped – er, I should say, “returned to routine RadNet operations.”

    Even the Mainstream Media has, for the most part, shunned any additional reporting about the ongoing mess that the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster has become. Reporting has been sparse, and articles that have made it into print have tended to “disappear” quickly, being replaced promptly by more titillating stories about the shenanigans of Wall Street protesters and the foibles of Republican presidential hopefuls.

    Recent news stories about long term cancer risk from Fukushima fallout caused little stir, received little airtime, and went away quickly.

    An research paper published in the Journal of the European Geosciences Union indicates that some 79% of the initial fallout went into the Pacific ocean – with 2% of it continuing on to North America and Europe. Most Mainstream Media outlets that reported on this did so from the angle of “Whew! What good luck – it all went into the ocean!” without bothering to ask the obvious: We got 2% of how much?

    Think about it: 2% of a dollar isn’t much money – but 2% of a million dollars… well, that’s a whole different ballgame!

    This research paper, engagingly titled “Xenon-133 and caesium-137 releases into the atmosphere from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant: determination of the source term, atmospheric dispersion, and deposition” can be found here: http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/11/28319/2011/acpd-11-28319-2011.html

    A few have looked at the disaster a little more critically – this article in Forbes Magazine is one: Harm from Fukushima Radiation: A Matter Of Perspective

    And then there are some less mainstream reporters who have more alarming information to share with us – EnviroReporter.com is a website created by Michael Collins where he regularly updates readers with articles and videos graphically describing worrisome radiation levels being found all across the U.S. He presents video documentation of radiation findings in Los Angeles air and rain, Grand Canyon Rain, Japanese vegetable juice, and more.

    Since it is obvious that barring any further surprises the worst of the immediate fallout has passed and we are now enjoying a much gentler, but very long-term fallout and contamination of our environment from Fukushima our personal health focus must shift from the concern of immediately protecting our thyroid glands from radioactive iodine fallout to a longer-term strategy of protecting ourselves from the low levels of radioactive contamination that are certain to assail us for years to come.

    Immediate first aid for thyroid in the event of nuclear emergency is of course Potassium Iodide supplementation – we have written about it before, and even our government agrees.

    Longer term thyroid protection comes from maintaining iodine levels at “sufficiency” – this can be achieved with Iodoral and measured with Iodine Testing.

    Radioactive iodine is not the only contaminant to be concerned about though – radioactive cesium and other isotopes are being found and we must be prepared to protect ourselves from these dangers as well.

    Modifilan was reportedly developed in Russia by scientists at the State Rehabilitation Institute, where victims of the Chernobyl nuclear catastrophe underwent treatment. It is helpful in Detoxifying the body from heavy metals, radioactive elements, free radicals and toxins. It is also an excellent source of organic iodine.

    Modifilan would be an excellent addition to the daily health regimen of anyone with potential for exposure to low-level radioactive fallout.

  • Putting Poison On Your Plate

    Do You Serve This Dangerous Food To Your Family With Each Meal?

     

    10 Dangers of Carbohydrates

     

    By Dr. Myatt

     

    The old US Food Pyramid advised us to eat 5-10 servings per day of carbohydrates, and the new “MyPlate” suggests about 30% grains (very high carbohydrate), 30% vegetables (also often high carbohydrate) and 20% fruits (very high carbohydrate).

    Unfortunately, high carbohydrate diets are one of the primary causes of our current overweight/obesity epidemic.

    More than 66% of adult Americans are overweight and 33% of these are obese. Diets high in carbohydrates (grains, beans, root vegetables, sugary fruits— anything that quickly turns into sugar in the blood stream) are making Americans some of the fattest people on Earth.

    Here are 10 reasons why carbohydrates — “carbs” — are so dangerous.

     

    I.) Carbohydrates are not “essential” and high consumption displaces necessary nutrients. “Essential” means that a certain food is absolutely required by the body (like gas or diesel fuel is for a car), but is not manufactured by the body and so must be consumed in the diet.

    Have you ever heard of an “essential fatty acid”? (EFA)

    Right – Some types of fats — Omega 6’s and Omega 3’s — are absolutely required by the body.

    Have you heard of “essential amino acids”?

    Right again – Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. There are 8 amino acids that are “essential.” Without them, muscles, hormones and the heart (a muscle) cease to function properly. Muscles have a high protein requirement.

    Have you ever heard of an “essential carbohydrate”?

    I hope not, because there’s no such thing!

    Of the three calorie containing molecules — proteins, fats and carbohydrates — only certain fats and proteins are “essential.” When the diet is high in carbohydrates, it is often deficient in the necessary essential fats and proteins.

    Deficiencies of essential fats and proteins causes all manner of diseases, from mood disorders (neurotransmitters are made from essential fats and proteins) to muscle weakness (muscles have a high protein requirement), hormone imbalances, heart disease and premature aging.

    II.) Carbs cause overweight.

    What do we feed cows to fatten them up quickly? Carbohydrates, especially corn. “Corn fed beef” is wonderful — loaded with marbled fat. Cows don’t eat meat, so obviously the much-vilified eggs, butter and meat aren’t what is putting weight on these animals.

    And pigs? Although pigs are omnivores (like humans, they’ll eat most anything), they are fed carbohydrates including corn, soybeans and barley for maximum weight gain. A piglet can go from 60 pounds to 250 pounds in 3 months on a diet high in carbohydrates.

    III.) Carbs cause adult-onset diabetes and “syndrome X” (pre diabetes).

    Fats and proteins have very little effect on blood sugar. Carbs have a BIG effect on blood sugar, causing rapid spike in glucose followed by a rapid rise in insulin.

    In the near-absence of carbohydrates, nearly all “type II diabetics” will fully recover from this “disease” in under three months. (I put type II diabetes in parenthesis because I don’t consider it a disease so much as a dietary imbalance. When the diet is corrected, the diabetes goes away).

    IV.) Carbs cause high blood pressure and congestive heart failure.

    Look at the name of this molecule: carbo – “hydrate.” Hydrate means to combine with water. Each molecule of carbohydrate draws eight molecules of water to itself. This means that carbs cause water retention.

    Many cases of high blood pressure are caused by simple water retention. This is why one of the first drugs given for blood pressure is a diuretic — something that makes you urinate and hence, eliminate fluid.

    Congestive heart failure is caused by the body retaining too much water and literally “water logging” the heart, impeding it’s ability to beat. Eliminate the carbs and water retention goes away and blood pressure drops — often dramatically — in as little as a week.

    V.) Carbohydrates harbor deadly fungus and yeasts.

    Yeasts and fungus (which are really different forms of the same organism) feed on sugar. Many carbohydrate foods have a high propensity to become infected with fungus. What’s the danger of mold or fungus? Plenty! Please read Fungus, Yeasts and Molds: Hidden Cause of Many “Unexplained” Diseases.

    VI.) Carbohydrates cause nutrient deficiencies.

    Carbs require B complex vitamins for their utilization in the body. Unfortunately, it is the B vitamins that are removed during the processing of grains. Because refined grains are low in B vitamins and yet require high amounts of B vitamins for their utilization, they lead to B complex vitamin deficiencies.

    Problems associated with B vitamin deficiencies include depression, memory loss, heart disease, insomnia, cataracts, atherosclerosis, fatigue, muscle cramps, allergies and GI symptoms to name just a few.

    VII.) Carbs suppress the immune system.

    The immune system requires protein and certain fats to function normally. Sugar suppresses the immune system.

    Remember, carbohydrates turn into sugar in the body and just three ounces of sugar in any form  will suppress the activity of white blood cells for up to 5 hours. (Can you say “fruit juice” or “soda pop” or “sports drink”? It’s not just that bowl of “Sugar-Frosted Chocolate Bombs” or waffles and syrup that your kids had for breakfast!)

    VIII.) Many carbohydrate-containing foods are allergens.

    Although a person can be allergic to any type of protein or carbohydrate, grains and beans are some of the most allergenic of all foods.

    Subtle allergies to grains and carbs can cause GI problems (“tear up” and inflame the gut) and result in increased intestinal permeability, where toxins are allowed to leak into the bloodstream from the colon.

    IX.) Carbohydrates fuel cancer cells.

    Cancer cells use glucose — blood sugar — as their “food.” Unlike normal cells, they are not equipped to burn ketones (the product of fat breakdown) for fuel.

    Carbs suppress the immune system, making a person more susceptible to cancer. Then, the high blood sugar provides fuel for the cancer, like throwing gasoline on a fire. If you want to avoid cancer, limit your intake of carbohydrates.

    Want proof? Read Dr. Myatt’s medical white paper “Dietary Ketosis In The Treatment Of Solid Tissue Malignancy” – but be warned – this fully-referenced scientific paper is written for doctors and may be difficult for some lay people to absorb and understand.

    X.) Carbs are addictive.

    When you eat carbs, your blood sugar rapidly rises. You get a temporary “high” when your blood sugar is high. Next, a blast of insulin from the pancreas causes a precipitous drop in blood sugar. At this point, feelings of weakness, fatigue, shakiness and even anxiety set in. In order to feel good again, a person will “self medicate” by eating another blast of carbs.

    This vicious cycle is exactly what happens to drug addicts, who must continue to have repeated “fixes” of their drug in order to feel good. No such addiction occurs with fats and proteins.

    When a person is addicted to carbs, they repeatedly eat them. This results in overweight or obesity, decreased immunity, increased risk of diabetes, cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure and depression to name just a few.

    Isn’t it time you “got hip” and switched to a luxurious, low carbohydrate, high-health diet?

    Lose weight and reclaim health fast with the Super Fast Diet!

  • Does Your Family Drink These Poisons?

     

    Does Your Family Drink These Poisons?

     

    By Dr. Dana Myatt

     

    Soda pop is slop. File this under “more good reasons to avoid soda pop.”

     

    Tooth decay, overweight, diabetes and osteoporosis are the lesser problems associated with soda pop consumption.

    But there is an even more sinister side to America’s favorite beverage.

    Benzene, a highly toxic compound that can cause liver cirrhosis, Parkinson’s disease and accelerated aging — is found in many sodas.

    In my opinion, soda pop is one of the most harmful beverages a person can drink. Let’s review the evidence.

    Each 12-ounce can of soda pop contains between 10 and 12 teaspoons of sugar. The increase in soda pop consumption parallels our current epidemic of obesity, overweight and diabetes.

    Soda pop rots teeth, but it is not the sugar alone that causes this. The acidity of soda pop combined with high sugar levels form a tooth-destroying combination.

    Phosphates in soda pop, combined with the fact that soda often replaces calcium-containing drinks like milk, are associated with an increased risk of bone loss.

    And these are the “lesser problems” that soda causes:

    Most soda contains the chemical preservative sodium benzoate. Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is another common additive. When sodium benzoate and ascorbic acid interact, the highly toxic chemical benzene is formed. Benzene is an aggressive carcinogen, even in minute amounts. Any drink which contains both sodium benzoate and ascorbic acid can contain benzene.

    But now there is more evidence which suggests that sodium benzoate by itself can cause DNA damage. Research from Sheffield University in Britain shows that sodium benzoate, a common preservative in soda pop, pickles, sauces, and many other “food stuffs” has the ability to shut off vital parts of DNA known as the “mitochondria.”

    Mitochondria are the “power stations” inside the cell. According to lead researcher Piper, “These chemicals have the ability to cause severe damage to DNA in the mitochondria to the point that they totally inactivate it: They knock it out altogether.”

    When the mitochondria are damaged, the cell begins to malfunction in a serious way. Conditions such as Parkinson’s, cirrhosis of the liver, and accelerated aging, can be linked to this type of cellular damage.

    Here’s the bottom line. We have no idea how many of these “harmless” artificial ingredients and chemical preservatives in our food can cause disease. Short-term effects are studied in the lab but long-term effects are unknown until the public acts as “guinea pigs” by consuming these chemicals for many years.

    To protect yourself, just avoid soda pop, period. Eat more “real” (unprocessed) food. Look for “sodium benzoate” on food labels and when you see it (as they say on those old TV “Cop Shows”), set the drink down and back away slowly, and no one gets hurt.

     

    Product Acid
    (Low Number=BAD)

    Sugar per 12 oz
    Pure Water 7.00 (neutral)

    0.0
    Barq’s 4.61

    10.7 tsp.
    Diet Coke 3.39

    0.0
    Mountain Dew 3.22

    11.0 tsp.
    Gatorade 2.95

    3.3 tsp
    Coke Classic 2.63

    9.3 tsp.
    Pepsi 2.49

    9.8 tsp.
    Sprite 3.42

    9.0
    Diet 7-Up 3.67

    0.0
    Diet Dr. Pepper 3.41

    0.0
    Surge 3.02

    10.0
    Gatorade 2.95

    3.3
    Hawaiian Fruit Punch 2.82

    10.2
    Orange Minute Maid 2.80

    11.2
    Dr. Pepper 2.92

    9.5
    BATTERY ACID 1.00

    0.0
    Source:
    Minnesota Dental Association *

    The threshold pH for enamel dissolution is 5.5 (and lower)

    		  

     

    Nurse Mark Adds:

    You may be interested to know that our mighty, ever-vigilant, and ever-protective FDA (which we think really stands for “Fleece and Dope Americans”) sets no limits to benzene in any beverages sold in America except bottled water – this according to the FDA’s own website! Unbelievable, but true – the FDA is happy to let the soda pop industry “develop guidance” that it claims will “minimize” (not eliminate, just “minimize“) benzene in it’s products.

    Most (if not all) of the so-called “Sports Drinks” and “Energy Drinks” – especially those labeled as “Diet” and containing artificial sweeteners – are little more than a chemical soup of potential carcinogens and neurotoxins.

    Many of our patients have told us that one of the most difficult things that they have had to do in order to restore their health was to give up their favorite soda pop or other flavored drink. Dr. Myatt searched high and low to find a satisfying and healthy replacement and discovered a product called ZipFizz. This is a powdered drink mixture packaged in tough, convenient little single-serving tubes that add easily to a standard size bottle of water. ZipFizz is an excellent, healthy alternative to sugary sodas and “sports drinks” – perfect to take to work or the office for a healthy break or to send to school with the kids – stop allowing them to poison themselves with tooth-rotting, bone-leaching, cancer-causing junky soft drinks!

    References:

    1.) Relation between consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks and childhood obesity: a prospective, observational analysis. Lancet 2001;357:505–8.
    2.) Soft drink consumption among US children and adolescents: nutritional consequences. J Am Diet Assoc 1999;99:436–41.
    3.) Carbonated beverages, dietary calcium, the dietary calcium/phosphorus ratio, and bone fractures in girls and boys. J Adolescent Health 1994;15:210–5.
    4.) Consumption of soft drinks with phosphoric acid as a risk factor for the development of hypocalcemia in children: a case-control study. J Pediatr 1995;126:940–2.
    5.) Phosphates and caries. Lancet 1968;i:1431.[letter]
    6.) Beverage ingredients can form carcinogen. Consum Rep. 2006 Oct;71(10):7.
    7.) Benzene in beverages. FDA Consum. 2006 Sep-Oct;40(5):9-10.  http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2006/506_benzene.htm
    8.) Caution: Some soft drinks may seriously harm your health: Expert links additive to cell damage. The Independent, Sunday, 27 May 2007

  • Dr. Myatt Promises No Flu For You This Winter – GUARANTEED!

     

    Big Pharma’s annual Flu Vaccine advertising campaign is once again in full swing –  with all the usual parties being trotted out to shill for the continuing profit picture of the Big Guys.

     

    Unfortunately for Big Pharma it doesn’t seem to be working as well this year as it has in the past and they are even resorting to giving the stuff away for free. Perhaps Americans are becoming wise to these vaccination scams – or maybe just getting jaded and tired of the annual bleating about the dangers of not being seasonally injected and tired of the ongoing sky-is-falling warnings from those who would legislate vaccines-for-all.

     

    Here are a random selection of recent headlines:

     

      • Flu vaccine: It’s not too late to help prevent seasonal illness

      • FDA rejects new needleless flu shots

      • 300,000 doses of flu vaccine Preflucel withdrawn in alert over side-effects‎

      • Flu Shots Not As Effective As Previously Thought

      • Protect yourself and loved ones by getting flu shot

      • Flu Shots Less Effective for the Obese

      • Would You Like a Flu Shot With Your Order? Free Drive-Thru Flu Shots a Hit in Kansas City

      • FDA warns against needleless flu shots

      • Baxter issues precautionary recall of flu vaccine

      • It’s No Guarantee, But You Should Get the Flu Shot Anyway

      • Flu Shot Only 59 Percent Effective, Analysis Finds

         

        So… let me see if I have this right: It’s not too late (hurry! hurry! hurry! calls the carnival barker), but don’t get one of the no-needle shots – and be sure it isn’t one of the recalled ones… And even though some big medical journals are reporting that the darned things don’t really work all that well anyway I really must protect myself and my loved ones – unless they are overweight, in which case the shots are even less effective… But hey, maybe I can get my shot at the drive-through when I go to get my daily junk-food fix. Oops! that isn’t one of the recalled shots is it? Oh, well, who worries? Maybe I should just take a chance – no guarantees that it will work though, and no guarantees that I won’t have some nasty side effects either…

         

        Whew! Is there anybody out there who makes sense on this subject?

         

        Sure there is – read what Dr. Myatt has to say about the flu…

         

        Flu Vaccinations: A Shot in The Dark?

         

        By Dr. Dana Myatt

         

        When I was 8, one of my friend’s dad died suddenly, at the ripe old age of 35, of the flu. Not cancer, not a heart attack, not a car wreck — the flu.

        One day he was sick in bed with fever, chills, and headache. The next day he saw the family doctor who prescribed an antibiotic (which is worthless for the flu). He had an anaphylactic reaction (severe allergic reaction) to the antibiotic and died that same day. Even at the tender age of 8, it just didn’t seem right for someone to die of such a “garden variety” illness. But he did, and people still do.

        As old-fashioned a disease as “the flu” (influenza) is, 24.7 million people in the US contract the flu each year and over 100,000 of these cases require hospitalization. An average of 41,400 people die from complications of the flu in the US alone every year. Notice I said “complications.” People don’t die of the flu directly. They die of pneumonia or other “flu-related” diseases.1, 2 But don’t expect a flu shot to protect you. That’s because the effectiveness of the “flu shot” is in serious question.

        Why The Flu Vaccine is a Bust

        The flu is caused by over 200 different viruses and infective agents; colds are caused by over 700 viruses. Vaccinations against the flu protect against only THREE influenza A and B — that’s right — three of the 200 known A & B viruses, and A and B influenza viruses comprise only a small fraction of all causes of the flu.

         


        Influenza vaccines are designed to protect against 3 Influenza viruses A & B         (solid pink piece of the pie graph). Graph courtesy of the British Medical Journal.

        So, the flu vaccine protects from only a small percentage of the known causes of flu and flu vaccines may be effective as little as 39% (some studies show 0%) of the time in healthy adults.3 According to the FDA, “The shot doesn’t do as well at preventing flu in older adults and people with certain medical problems.” 4

        Great. Flu vaccines only protect against a small number of viruses, are effective 39% or less of the time and work even less well in people who need it most, the elderly and immune-weakened folks. I’d say the flu vaccine is a real shot in the dark. Worse than ineffective or benign, the influenza vaccine is still preserved with thimerosol (mercury), a known neurotoxin. (Mercury-free vaccines exist but you won’t get it unless you specifically request it).

        Of course, the flu isn’t the only malady we are more susceptible to in Winter months. Plain ol’ colds and sinus and respiratory infections also increase in the Winter, not because of cold temperatures directly but because viruses spread more easily in cold, dry air.5

        If the thought of getting sick, or possibly really sick, this Winter doesn’t inspire you, and if feel like I do —- totally underwhelmed by the effectiveness of the flu vaccine — what can you do?

        Fortunately, Mother Nature has more immune-boosting strategies than modern medicine will EVER think of. Here are 4 simple, proven recommendations for keeping yourself “bullet proof” against not only the flu, but colds, sinus infections, pneumonia and all manner of Winter-time maladies.

        How to Make Yourself Flu-Proof:  “Winterize” Your Immune System in Four Easy Steps

        1.) Eat an Immune-Boosting Diet. The two major dietary causes of immune suppression are sugar intake and food allergies.

        I.) Dietary sugar. Sugar suppresses the activity of white blood cells (neutrophils) — an important part of the immune system — for up to 5 hours.  Even fruit juice contains enough sugar to cause this immune-suppressing effect. Sugars which cause immune suppression include glucose, fructose, sucrose, honey, and orange juice.6,7,8 Although original studies showed an immune suppressing effect at 100 grams of sugar other studies have shown that even much lower intakes of dietary sugar have immune suppressing effects. 9,10. The USDA and the Center for Science in Public Interest (CSPI) agree that 40 grams of sugar is an acceptable daily limit.

        Imagine a “healthy” (not!) day of eating that can actually keep immunity suppressed for the entire day.

        Breakfast: glass of orange juice (1 cup has 21 grams of sugar), oatmeal with raisins (2 TBS. has 20 grams of sugar), 1 tsp. of sugar (4 grams of sugar) and lowfat milk (1 cup has 13 grams of sugar). That’s a whopping 58 grams of sugar just for breakfast! Expect a suppressed immune system for the next 5 hours.

        Snack: Nonfat fruit-variety yogurt (1 cup has 47 grams of sugar) Immune suppression for up to 5 hours.

        Lunch: Subway Chicken Teriyaki Sanwich (6 grams of sugar) with 2 oz. fat-free French dressing (12 grams sugar) and 1 oatmeal raisin cookie for desert (16 grams of sugar) [32 grams total].  Immune system still suppressed from breakfast and snack.

        Dinner: green salad with 2 TBS. fat-free french dressing (6 grams), 1 serving Weight Watcher’s chicken enchiladas (33 grams) with 2 TBS fat-free yogurt topping (2 grams) [41 grams total] Immune suppression until bedtime.

        Dessert: 1/2 cup Breyer’s no sugar added vanilla ice cream (only 4 grams), but it’s the “cherry” on the immune-suppression-day cake!

        There you have it. “A day in the life” of someone who thinks they are eating fairly well, with more than enough sugar to cause all-day immune suppression. Notice that fruit juice and flavored yogurt are major offenders. Avoiding sugar is the most important dietary step you can take to strengthen your immune system. Period. II.) Food allergies. Food allergies weaken the immune system. White blood cells and other aspects of immunity get “distracted” taking care of internal annoyances (allergens) instead of protecting against outside “bugs” like the flu virus. Check out the symptoms of food allergy to see if this might be a problem for you. Check Food Allergy Symptoms Here

        2.) Practice simple home and hygiene techniques.

        I.) Wash your hands frequently. Flu and cold viruses can survive on surfaces, including hands, for hours. Every time you touch a doorknob or anything touched by another, you can pick up a virus. And don’t rub your eyes or face, thereby transmitting the virus to yourself from unwashed hands.

        II.) Cover your mouth and nose — preferably with a tissue — when you sneeze or cough. Remember, flu and cold viruses are transmitted primarily through airborne droplets.

        III.) Take the day off! If you’re suffering from a cold, do co-workers and friends a favor and quarantine yourself at home until you’re no longer sneezing and hacking. Of course, if you’ve got a bona fide case of the flu, you WILL be taking the day off. Flu symptoms are almost always severe enough to cause prostration.

        IV.) Keep your house humid. Indoor fountains (even the little table-top varieties), humidifiers and live plants all help keep indoor Winter air moist. Viruses spread more slowly in higher humidity because airborne water droplets “grab” the viruses and pull them out of circulation. In dry air, viruses are left to float around from one sneezing, coughing host to another.5

        3.) Strengthen your immune system with supplements.

        I.) Take an optimal potency vitamin/mineral supplement every day. If you only take one supplement to strengthen your immune system, it should be a good multiple formula. Studies have shown that seniors who take a multiple have stronger immune systems and are less likely to get a respiratory tract infection or the flu.11,12,13  A deficiency of any single vitamin, mineral or trace mineral can lead to weakened immunity. 12-23

        Improved nutritional status by supplementation can also improve the body’s response to vaccinations. 24

        Notice I said optimal potency, not “minimal.” Studies have also shown that a one-per-day formula does virtually nothing to improve immunity. That’s because you can’t fit enough nutrients into one tablet or capsule to do anything but prevent severe deficiency diseases (like just enough vitamin C to prevent scurvy but not enough to strengthen the immune system). In the nutritional industry, we call that “pixie dust.” An optimal-potency multi vitamin will require at least 6 caps per day (in divided doses). My Maxi Multi recommendation is 9 caps per day, which also includes a full dose of calcium and magnesium (which take up a lot of space in a capsule).

        Here are the nutrients of particular immune-enhancing importance, and they should all be found in a good multiple nutrient formula.

        * vitamin C – people with daily intakes of 500-1,000mg per day are less likely to catch colds, respiratory tract infections and pneumonia. Vitamin C also shortens the duration and severity of these infections.25-29,45

        * vitamin E – 200IU or more per day reduces the rate of common colds and upper respiratory tract infections 30,31 and increases resistance to influenza in seniors.18, 32-35,44

        * beta carotene – seniors with a high plasma beta-carotene concentration have a lower occurrence of acute respiratory infections.36

        * vitamin A – needed to maintain normal “barrier” function of skin and mucous membranes, thereby preventing entry of viruses. Normal levels improve immunity and disease resistance.14,23,29,37-38

        * vitamin D – Improves immunity and may enhance response to vaccinations.14,23,37,39

        * zinc – normal zinc status lowers the risk of pneumonia by nearly 50% 40 and decreases the incidence, duration and severity of upper respiratory infections and pneumonia.18,38,41,45 Improved zinc status also enhances the body’s response to vaccinations.11,29

        * selenium – Decreases the risk of respiratory tract infections. Improved selenium status also enhances the body’s response to vaccinations.11,18,35,42-43

        If you are not getting these target doses in your multiple vitamin, then add them separately OR switch to a better multiple vitamin/mineral formula. You can take a lot of “separate stuff” to achieve immune-boosting “target doses” of nutrients, but why would you want to work that hard?

        SHAMELESS PITCH HERE: my own Maxi Multi’s contain target doses of all these immune-boosting nutrients. Check to see how your multiple stacks up: Optimal Doses of Vitamins and Minerals for Good Health (scroll to the vitamin and mineral charts toward the bottom of the page)

        II.) Supplement with additional immune-boosting herbs. For additional protection, add an immune-enhancing formula throughout the colder months (recommended Nov.-April). There are literally hundreds of herbs that can be used to strengthen the immune system. Some work better — and some work MUCH better — than others. I’ve put together my own formula of the most “tried and true” (and proven) immune enhancing herbs including Echinacea, astragalus, medicinal mushrooms (Maitake, Shiitake, Reishi), Ligustrum, Goldenseal and Garlic. Learn more about my Immune Support formula here: http://www.drmyattswellnessclub.com/immunesupport.htm

         

        I Guarantee You Won’t Get The Flu This Winter

         

        I’m so confident that Immune Support formula, when used in combination with an optimal potency multiple like Maxi Multi, will help you avoid the flu that I offer a “guaranteed no flu this Winter” money-back guarantee. How confident is that?! Did your local doctor promise if you got a flu shot you wouldn’t get the flu or your money back? (Hahahaha….)

        >>> See my “No Flu for You” Guarantee here <<<

        And for Goodness sakes, don’t wait until you feel fever and chills coming on to start taking supplements or eating better (although even late in the game, studies show you can shorten the severity and duration of a winter infection). Prevention is surer and safer than cure, and looks to me to be surer and safer than the flu vaccine, too!

        In Health,

        Dr. Myatt

        References

        1.) J. Dushoff, J. Plotkin, Cc Viboud, D. Earn, L. Simonsen. Mortality due to Influenza in the United States—An Annualized Regression Approach Using Multiple-Cause Mortality Data. American Journal of Epidemiology 2006 163(2):181-187
        2.) Molinari NA, Ortega-Sanchez IR, Messonnier ML, Thompson WW, Wortley PM, Weintraub E, Bridges CB. The annual impact of seasonal influenza in the US: measuring disease burden and costs. Vaccine. 2007 Jun 28;25(27):5086-96. Epub 2007 Apr 20.
        3.) Demicheli V, Rivetti D, Deeks JJ, Jefferson TO. Vaccines for preventing influenza in healthy adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2004;3: CD001269.
        4.) The Flu. US Food and Drug Administration Fact Sheet, Aug. 2005.
        5.) Lowen AC, Mubareka S, Steel J, Palese P (2007) Influenza Virus Transmission Is Dependent on Relative Humidity and Temperature. PLoS Pathog 3(10): e151. doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.0030151
        6.) Sanchez A, et al. Role of sugars in human neutrophilic phagocytosis. Am J Clin Nutr 1973; 26: 1180-84
        7.) Van Oss CJ. Influence of glucose levels on the in vitro phagocytosis of bacteria by human neutrophils. Infect Immun. 1971 Jul;4(1):54-9.
        8.) Ringsdorf WM jr, Cheraskin E and Ramsey RR jr. Sucrose, Neutrophilic Phagocytosis, and Resistance to Disease. Dent Surv 1976; 52 (12): 46-48
        9.) Sanchez A, et al. Role of sugars in human neutrophilic phagocytosis. Am J Clin Nutr 1973; 26: 1180-84
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      • Is There A Natural First Aid Kit?

        We often receive questions from folks who want to know what they should have on hand as part of a natural “first aid kit.” This is in addition to the standard bandaids, dressings, zinc ointment, peroxide, and other wound and boo-boo care items. Here are some recommendations that Dr. Myatt recently sent to one of her “Inner Circle” patients – please follow the links to a more in-depth description of each item in this list.

        Dr. Myatt recommends that everyone have these items on hand in order to help ward off cooties and other problems at the pass.

        And some condition specifics:

        For anyone with a history of chronic/recurrent sinusitis – be SURE to have goldenseal, Inspirol, bromelain, nasosympatico essential oil blend or pure essential oil of lavendar or tea tree

        With a history of urinary tract infection: have D-mannose on hand.

        Anyone with a history of heart problems: bromelain, magnesium glycinate, cayenne/lobelia tincture