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Posts tagged ‘glutathione’

Super Bugs: No Problem! Supercharge Your Immune System!

Ebola, AIDS, MRSA, Vancomycin-resistant Pseudomonas, chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium (cause of Malaria). These are just a few of the super bugs that we could all possibly encounter in our world that’s rapidly getting smaller every day due to air travel. In recent times when sea travel was the main mode of transportation, people who were still asymptomatic would usually show signs and symptoms before they arrive at their destination. In today’s world of faster air travel, people infected may not show signs and symptoms until they arrive somewhere. This can cause the rapid spread/transmission of communicable diseases. This is especially true in a stressed-out, nutritionally-deficient, and unhealthy population.

What is the traditional answer to this issue? I think that we all know the answer to that. Suffice it to say, this reactionary approach (the race to find cures) doesn’t work well because these bugs are smarter than we think. By the time so-called cures are available, they’ve already mutated to a form that’s resistant to the “cure”. That’s one of the reasons why we have MRSA and Vancomycin-resistant Pesudomonas, among many others.

There is no one to blame for this scenario. Health care practitioners (by indiscriminate use) and patients (by insisting that they be given a medication) alike are responsible for the proliferation of super bugs.

What then can we do about it? I would say that we adopt what the traditional Chinese medicine practitioners did in earlier times. A doctor at the time would only get paid or compensated when their clients are healthy. If their clients get sick, the doctors don’t get paid. It does make a lot of sense to do this. This preventive approach would save billions of dollars in health care.

What are the things we can do to fortify our immune system? Let’s start with the basics before we even discuss specifics. Having a healthy diet, adequate water intake, enough exposure to sunlight and the earth’s electromagnetic energy, rest, exercise, good relationships and stress reduction all go a long way in building our immune defenses.

There are ways to strengthen the immune system with the use of dietary supplements. Here are just a few examples;

mixed carotenoids (natural vitamin A)- good for the mucous membranes (respiratory and intestinal tract protection)

vitamin C complex (natural vitamin C with bioflavonoids)- traditionally used to boost the immune system against infections and tumors but also good for formation of collagen, along with L-lysine and L-proline

vitamin D3- studies show that it could protect against the flu (low levels of exposure to sunlight during the winter months make one vulnerable to the flu) and against certain forms of cancer

selenium- one of the co-factors in the formation of glutathione, which is abundant in the spleen and lymphocytes, both involved in immune system health

zinc- has antimicrobial properties and also good for prostate health in men

manganese- helps in the production of SOD, one of the antioxidants endogenously produced in our bodies

probiotics- an essential nutrient especially if one has taken antibiotics in the past, helps prevent bacterial and fungal overgrowth in the intestine

clove- has the highest ORAC (antioxidant levels) level among all natural substances, has antimicrobial properties as well

thyme- its constituent thymol has antifungal properties

lemon- has d-limonene which has anti-carcinogenic properties, has anti-viral properties as well (along with other citrus oils)

cinnamon- has antibacterial properties, also regulates blood sugar

rosemary- antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory

oregano- antimicrobial

chlorella and spirulina- immune stimulants

raspberries- rich in ellagic acid, which has anti-carcinogenic properties

apricots- rich in vitamin B 17, also has anti-carcinogenic properties

wolfberries- also stimulates release of HGH from the pituitary

broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables- lowers xenoestrogens, cleanses liver

frankincense- helps repair DNA

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Written

on December 1, 2010

Body Talk

Experiencing symptoms that are uncomfortable or dragging you down? Maybe it’s time to listen to your body talk. Symptoms are actually our buddies, alerting us that something in our lives is out of sync or out of balance. Sure, treating symptoms help. However, treating the root cause/causes of symptoms or illness makes more sense in the long run. For instance, treating headaches with tylenol may help but headaches are not due to a tylenol deficiency. By the way, tylenol could deplete the body of the antioxidant molecule called glutathione, which actually protects the liver, among other things. It has been promoted as a very safe drug until recent years when massive recalls of the product have taken place because of serious side effects. Anyway, headaches could be due to various factors such as dehydration, muscle tension, stress and other things. Find the cause and address it. Doesn’t that make sense? We just need to use our common sense and listen to our bodies instead of being brainwashed to think that there’s a pill for every uncomfortable physical or emotional symptom we experience. A good example of an emotional symptom is SAD, short for “social anxiety disorder”, meaning being extremely uncomfortable in social situations. In other words, being bashful or shy. Now, when has that been a medical disorder? Not too long ago. There are more normal emotional states that are being “medicalized” but I won’t even go there. Check this link however!

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Common Sense, News

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No More Shopping….

Thin plastic shopping bags

Image via Wikipedia

…in plastic bags, that is. In an interesting article on AOL News, it stated that California may be the first state in the nation to totally ban plastic bags. San Francisco enacted a decree banning plastic bags a couple of years ago. Anyway, it’s about time that plastic bags are banned altogether because as environmentalists and anti-littering advocates say, they are unnecessary, unsightly and dangerous to wildlife. More importantly, plastic gives off chemicals that act as hormone-disruptors in the body, otherwise known as xenoestrogens. We are seeing a lot of hormonal imbalances as early as the pre-teen years because of the environmental toxins that are all around us. Thank goodness, people are now becoming more aware of how the environment influences our planetary and personal health. The use of paper bags however, may not be the best solution. It takes 14 million trees to create 10 billion paper bags, according to the article. The solution is to use recyclable bags or better yet, a Y3 tote bag (or your favorite designer bag) when shopping. Fortunately, there are different ways to detoxify the body of the harmful chemicals that come from plastic. Among these include the use of an infra-red sauna and if this is not available in your area, make sure that you do sweat regularly (through exercise, using a sweat lodge, dry sauna or steam bath). Another way to detox the body of xenoestrogens is through the intake of cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, kale, brussel sprouts, cauliflower or my favorite, bok choy. This can be accomplished through supplements such as Calcium D-glucarate or glutathione as well.

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Environment, News, Tips

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Vitamin D

Okay, vitamin D has been so much in the news lately. And for good reason! However, we’re not just seeing a deficiency in vitamin D but also deficiencies in B vitamins as well, minerals (like magnesium and potassium), essential fatty acids and antioxidants like glutathione. What could be the reason behind these deficiencies? Besides our depleted soils, the refining of our food causes these problems. And then, there’s a small but significant fraction of the population who have malabsorption issues. As far as vitamin D is concerned, it’s our lack of exposure to the sun’s rays that’s causing this deficiency. We normally don’t see it in people living in the tropics but as the use of sun block (that are petroleum-based) gets marketed heavily (and people there use skin whitening agents!), we will see more deficiency states in those areas. Vitamin D, besides being good for your teeth and bones is an immune modulator. Research shows that is can actually protect against certain forms of cancer! To see if you have optimal levels, have your levels checked (OH-vitamin D) pronto!

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News

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