Luckily, there are things men can do to help lower their odds of being one of them…

As is the case with most disease, diet is an essential component of any prostate cancer prevention plan. Specific foods have been the subject of research on the potential to protect against prostate cancer.

Among them, mushrooms stand out. A study that followed almost 36,500 men for an average of over 13 years revealed that mushrooms could be a game-changer in the fight against prostate cancer.

Now, further research has given us a more detailed glimpse into exactly how mushrooms might affect prostate cancer…

Mushrooms influence the immune system

Researchers at City of Hope sought to determine why taking a white button mushroom supplement shows promise in slowing or even preventing prostate cancer from worsening. Researchers there focused on data from laboratory preclinical studies and a Phase II clinical trial that studied food as medicine.

They found that taking white button mushroom supplements reduces a class of immune cells called myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). These MDSCs have been linked to cancer development and spread.

The researchers discovered that the administration of white button mushroom extract in mice significantly delayed the growth of tumors and extended survival of the mice. It also improved T cell immune response by reducing MDSC levels, meaning it improved the immune system’s ability to kill cancer cells.

The scientists then profiled blood draws from some of the men participating in the Phase II trial. The men were under active surveillance as they took white button mushroom supplements.

After three months of white button mushroom treatment, the researchers found there were fewer tumor-creating MDSCs and more antitumor T and natural killer cells. This suggests white button mushrooms shore up anticancer immune defense and slow cancer growth.

The bottom line: the medicinal use of white button mushrooms appears to reduce the type of cells that weaken the immune system and allow prostate cancer to spread.

Food as medicine: a burgeoning field of research

The researchers are now focusing on whether the reduction in MDSCs is linked with improved clinical outcomes in patients with prostate cancer.

Dr. Xiaoqiang Wang, a City of Hope staff scientist and first author of the study cautions against self-prescribing supplements without seeking professional guidance.

“Some people are buying mushroom products or extract online, but these are not FDA-approved,” Wang says. “That said, it couldn’t hurt if people wanted to add more fresh white button mushrooms to their everyday diet.”

White button mushrooms aren’t the only food City of Hope researchers are investigating for their potential anticancer properties. Others include grape seed extract, pomegranate, blueberries and ripe purple berries called Jamun.

It’s encouraging that a large cancer center such as City of Hope studies these foods for their medicinal properties. The researchers note that the field of integrative oncology is growing in popularity as people become more health-conscious and aware of the benefits of holistic cancer care.

“We’re finding that plant-derived substances may one day be used to support traditional cancer treatment and prevention practices,” says Dr. Shiuan Chen, a professor and chair of the Department of Cancer Biology and Molecular Medicine at Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope and senior author of the mushroom study.

“This study suggests that ‘food as medicine’ treatments could eventually become normal, evidence-based cancer care that is recommended for everyone touched by cancer.”

If you decide to add mushrooms to your diet as a potential prostate cancer preventive, keep in mind that the way you cook them could affect their disease-fighting properties.

Research shows that grilling or microwaving your mushrooms are the best cooking methods for maintaining their health potency, mainly because they will give you more disease-fighting antioxidants.

Sources:

City of Hope researchers discover why taking a mushroom supplement slows or prevents prostate cancer from getting worse — EurekAlert!

Reduction of myeloid-derived suppressor cells in prostate cancer murine models and patients following white button mushroom treatment — Clinical and Translational Medicine

The post The supplement that kept prostate cancer from worsening appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

In the 1950s, cholesterol emerged as a chief player. Later, research revealed that LDL, or “bad” cholesterol, clung to artery walls, contributing to the formation of artery-clogging plaque.

But over the years, research has revealed that cholesterol is just one of many factors that can lead to a heart attack — including diabetes, adipose fat, kidney dysfunction, obesity and lack of exercise, to name just a few.

Then there’s research that uncovers a whole new pathway through which heart disease develops, such as bacteria from the mouth.

Keep that in mind as you read how bacteria, hidden for years in artery plaque, can trigger heart attack, and why this knowledge may make them easier to prevent…

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Infectious processes can trigger heart attack cascade

Scientists from Finland and the United Kingdom have uncovered previously unknown evidence that heart attacks may be triggered by infectious processes, rather than just by cholesterol and other lifestyle factors.

Biofilms are sticky, protective layers that shield bacteria from immune responses and antibiotics. In this recent research, such biofilms have been discovered inside atherosclerotic plaque, where they likely formed over and protected bacteria for years, even decades.

These bacteria can remain dormant for years, but can be activated by external forces, such as a viral infection.

Scientists observed that when this happened, the person’s immune system responded, triggering inflammation, which ruptured arterial plaque and caused blockages that led to heart attack.

“Bacterial involvement in coronary artery disease has long been suspected, but direct and convincing evidence has been lacking. Our study demonstrated the presence of genetic material — DNA — from several oral bacteria inside atherosclerotic plaques,” explains Professor Pekka Karhunen, who led the study.

These findings pave the way for the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies to prevent or treat heart attacks — including, the researchers say, the possibility of preventing coronary artery disease and heart attack by vaccination.

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A missing step for heart protection

As odd as it seems, this isn’t the first time I’ve encountered research linking immune response and inflammation to heart attacks.

In 2020, researchers from Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK) discovered that in approximately 25% of heart attack patients, the trigger was activated immune cells — specifically, T-lymphocytes (T cells).

According to that research, a “misguided adaptive immune response” activated T cells to accumulate on the inner lining of the artery wall, where they damaged the lining and contributed to the formation of a blood clot. Following an inflammation cascade, the plaques erode, resulting in debris in the bloodstream and artery-blocking clots that trigger a heart attack.

That research, like this newest one, was significant for demonstrating that heart attacks can have different pathophysiological origins — including an immune-mediated mechanism.

So, in addition to doing all the right things to promote heart health, it may be time to add “promoting a healthy and balanced immune system” to that long list.

 A balanced immune response activates T cells in a measured response to pathogens without creating so much inflammation that it harms the body’s own tissue.

The opposite of this is what we see in autoimmune conditions, where the immune response becomes overly active and goes rogue. Specific nutrients have been found effective at dialing it back, including one that strengthens the immune system and one that reduces inflammation: Vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids.

Plus, both of those are also known to support heart health. Are you starting to see how it all comes together?

Sources:

Heart attacks may actually be infectious — Science Daily

Viridans Streptococcal Biofilm Evades Immune Detection and Contributes to Inflammation and Rupture of Atherosclerotic Plaques — Journal of the American Heart Association

The post Newly discovered cause of heart attack hides in plaque appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But the truth is that a healthy immune system is a key component of total body health.

That’s because your immune system isn’t only your body’s first-line defense against this season’s germs. It is also vital for launching assaults on serious conditions, like cancer.

However, according to research from NYU Langone Health, there is something that can destroy that cancer-fighting ability.

And it all has to do with how well your blood is flowing…

Double the rate of tumor growth

Peripheral ischemia includes reduced blood flow to the lungs and legs. It typically follows peripheral artery disease and is a manifestation of worsening symptoms that impact blood flow. But that’s not all it does…

The scientists at NYU were able to prove that peripheral ischemia dramatically fueled cancer growth.

In fact, tumors in mice with restricted blood flow grew at double the rate seen in mice with normal flow.

Why? They found that restricted blood flow prematurely ages the bone marrow, where our immune cell warriors are produced.  

In other words, the researchers demonstrated that the immune system is the missing link between poor blood flow and the proliferation of cancer cells.

Increasing cancer-tolerance and decreasing tumor defense

According to scientists, when there is a threat to the body, such as cancer, the immune system typically ramps up inflammation to eliminate the danger and then eases back on the throttle to avoid damaging healthy tissue (think autoimmune issues).

However, when you suffer from circulation problems, the aging of your bone marrow reprograms stem cells to favor the production of “myeloid” immune cells (monocytes, macrophages, neutrophils) that dampen immune responses.

At the same time, these stem cells begin to decrease their production of lymphocyte-like T cells, which help mount strong antitumor responses.

Altogether, this shifts immune cells into a more cancer-tolerant state, weakening the immune system’s ability to fight cancer.

“Our results reveal a direct mechanism by which ischemia drives cancer growth, reprogramming stem cells in ways that resemble aging and promote immune tolerance,” says first author Alexandra Newman, PhD.

“These findings open the door to new strategies in cancer prevention and treatment, like earlier cancer screening for patients with peripheral artery disease and using inflammation-modulating therapies, to counter these effects.”

Increase blood flow to lower cancer risks

All of this means that if you want to cancer-proof your body, you have to start with supporting your blood vessels. Easy ways to do this include:

• Taking omega-3s – People with peripheral artery disease (PAD) have been shown to have lower levels of healthy omega-3s in their bodies, so taking a fish – or preferably krill oil – supplement could help. Omega-3s not only support better blood flow but also have potent anti-inflammatory effects.
• Getting help stretching – Passive stretching, with the help of a partner, can improve blood flow, blood vessel dilation and reduce stiffness.
• Eating beets – Beets are packed with heart-healthy nitrates, which boost the production of nitric oxide (NO) in the lining of your blood vessels, allowing them to dilate or widen. When this happens, your blood can flow more freely.

Additionally, because the scientists believe that inflammation-modulating therapies could be a key approach, be sure to take steps to reduce your overall body inflammation.

My favorite way to do this is by eating an anti-inflammatory diet that would include these foods:

• Tomatoes
• Olive oil
• Green leafy vegetables, like spinach, kale, and collard greens
• Nuts such as almonds and walnuts
• Fatty fish, which includes salmon, mackerel, tuna and sardines
• Fruits such like oranges, strawberries, blueberries and cherries

Skip or strictly limit foods that increase inflammation in your body, such as processed meats, refined carbs, sodas, and packaged snacks.

Staying active is also a good idea, as exercise not only improves blood flow but also has anti-inflammatory effects on your white blood cells.

Sources:

Restricted Blood Flow Speeds Tumor Growth by Aging the Immune System – NYU Langone Health

Foods that fight inflammation – Harvard Health Publishing

An action plan to fight unhealthy inflammation – Harvard Health Publishing

The post Poor blood flow linked to supercharged tumor growth appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

It’s one of the only carotenoids that accumulates in the retina. When taken with the other (lutein), it works to protect your eyes from the harmful free radicals behind macular degeneration.

But there may be a lot more to zeaxanthin than that. In fact, research indicates this plant-derived compound could help protect against one of our most dreaded diseases…

Could zeaxanthin help against cancer?

Building on years of work by the lab of Dr. Jing Chen of the University of Chicago, researchers led by Chen sought to better understand how nutrients influence the immune system.

Zeaxanthin has already demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects. When screening an extensive blood nutrient library, the team identified zeaxanthin as a compound that directly enhances the activity of a certain type of immune cell (CD8+ T cells) that kills tumor cells. CD8+ T cells rely on a structure known as the T cell receptor (TCR) to recognize and destroy abnormal cells.

Upon interacting with cancer cells, the researchers discovered zeaxanthin stabilizes and strengthens the formation of the TCR complex on CD8+ T cells. This, in turn, triggers more robust intracellular signaling that boosts T cell activation, cytokine production and, importantly, tumor-killing ability.

Then, the researchers tested zeaxanthin in mouse models of cancer. Dietary supplementation with zeaxanthin in these mouse models slowed tumor growth. Plus, when combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors — a type of immunotherapy that has transformed cancer treatment in recent years — zeaxanthin significantly enhanced anti-tumor effects compared to immunotherapy alone.

The researchers extended the findings by testing human T cells engineered to recognize specific tumor antigens. They found that treatment with zeaxanthin improved the ability of these cells to kill melanoma, multiple myeloma, and glioblastoma cells in laboratory experiments.

“Our data show that zeaxanthin improves both natural and engineered T-cell responses, which suggests high translational potential for patients undergoing immunotherapies,” Chen says.

To sum up, the researchers discovered in laboratory and mouse studies that zeaxanthin may strengthen the cancer-fighting activity of immune cells as well as boost the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapy.

Chen says the researchers “were surprised” to uncover zeaxanthin’s new function as an immune booster. “Our study shows that a simple dietary nutrient could complement and strengthen advanced cancer treatments like immunotherapy,” he says.

Zeaxanthin’s many benefits and more to come

Clearly, these results are promising. However, the researchers stress that the work is still at an early stage, with most of the findings coming from laboratory and animal studies.

“Our findings open a new field of nutritional immunology that looks at how specific dietary components interact with the immune system at the molecular level,” Chen says. “With more research, we may discover natural compounds that make today’s cancer therapies more effective and accessible.”

Zeaxanthin is naturally found in vegetables like orange peppers, sweet potatoes, spinach and kale. It’s also available in over-the-counter supplements for eye health, with benefits that go far beyond.

It’s inexpensive, widely available and well-tolerated. It also has a known safety profile, which means it can be safely tested as an adjunct (or addition) to cancer therapies.

Although this research is in its early stages, there really are no downsides to adding zeaxanthin-rich foods or a supplement containing zeaxanthin to your diet today. You’ll be protecting your eye health — and potentially giving yourself a boost against cancer as well.

Sources:

Plant-based nutrient can boost immune cells’ ability to fight cancer — Medical Xpress

Zeaxanthin augments CD8⁺ effector T cell function and immunotherapy efficacy — Cell Reports Medicine

The post The eye vitamin joining the fight against cancer appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

It produces several hormones like thymulin and thymosin, which regulate immune cell production. It also synthesizes hormones such as insulin and melatonin.

But its central function is to produce and release powerful immune cells to help fight infection and disease.

Most experts believed, however, that the thymus’ contributions occurred in the womb and didn’t extend into adulthood.

But investigators have found that theory was wrong.

In fact, they believe the thymus may hold the secret to a lifetime of good health, thanks to a specialized kind of cell they hope to harness for future preventative treatments…

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The education of T cells

A team of Australian researchers examined thymus samples donated to the Melbourne Children’s Heart Tissue Bank from heart surgery patients up to 16 years old. They likely chose these samples because the thymus is most active in childhood.

The researchers looked at the role of gamma delta T cells within the gland and found for the first time how the organ produced these cells.

“We have large numbers of these specialized cells in our blood and tissues, which accumulate as we become adults,” says study co-author Dan Pellicci, a professor at the University of Melbourne. “Until our study, it was unclear how these cells develop in the body.

Similar to receiving an elementary, high school and college education, the T cells are trained over three stages and fully form in the thymus, Pellicci says.

“Following this education, the cells are ready to enter the rest of the body and are completely capable of fighting infections,” he adds.

Some previous studies suggested these immune cells were mainly derived in the liver and thymus during fetal development in the womb.

“Many experts assumed that after birth, the thymus played little role in the development of these cells as we age, but we now know this little unsung organ helps the body prepare for a lifetime of good health,” Pellicci says.

The hope is that through understanding their function, these T cells can be manipulated to help prevent cancer and highly infectious diseases such as COVID-19 and tuberculosis.

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The care and feeding of this important gland

It’s clear the thymus gland is a key part of our immune system. Unfortunately, the thymus tends to shrink with age, and by the time we hit the age of 65, it’s pretty much unable to produce any new T cells.

This explains why older people are at higher risk for a lot of diseases like cancer, and why they have a harder time fighting off infections.

The good news is there are a few things you can do to support it:

• Get more antioxidants. One study found that antioxidants — especially vitamin C — can protect the thymus from damaging free radicals and prevent some of that age-related thymus shrinkage.
• Cut down on wheat. Research has shown that a chemical in wheat called wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) contributes to a shrinking thymus.
• Get enough zinc. It’s the most important mineral your thymus needs to stay healthy. Correcting a zinc deficiency can prompt the thymus to grow and start generating T cells again.
• Don’t use artificial sweeteners. Studies have found artificial sweeteners like sucralose shrink the thymus gland in rats.
• Try tapping. It’s not scientifically proven (yet), but tapping your chest over your thymus gland can supposedly stimulate a sluggish immune system. Try tapping the center of your chest, below your collarbone, for 15 to 20 seconds several times per day. Hum as you do it for even better results.

Sources:

Discovery could lead to more treatments to prevent cancer and infectious diseases — ScienceDaily

A three-stage developmental pathway for human Vγ9Vδ2 T cells within the postnatal thymus — Science Immunology

What is the thymus gland? — Medical News Today

The post The little gland that’s key to a lifetime of good health appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

While she’s finally feeling better, she said that she was “surprised how much of a wallop that dang virus still packs.”

The truth is, though, a run-in with Covid-19 might put you out of commission for a week, thanks to the lingering cough, runny nose and sore throat, you may be left with an unexpected side effect.

That’s because research is revealing that suffering even a mild case of Covid-19 can actually age your blood vessels by five years.

Here’s what you need to know…

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Even worse in women

The research from Université Paris Cité, France, delved into the health data of almost 2,400 people from 16 different countries between September 2020 and February 2022. Each person was categorized according to whether they had never had Covid-19, had it recently but were not hospitalized, were hospitalized with it on a general ward or were hospitalized in an intensive care unit.

The researchers then measured each individual’s vascular age. The higher the measurement, the stiffer the blood vessels and the higher the vascular age of a person.

They found that anyone who had ever had Covid-19 were left with stiffer arteries that were aged years beyond their chronological age.

It was an effect that was even worse in women or those who lived with long Covid…

The researchers found that after a mild Covid-19 infection, women’s blood vessels had aged approximately five years. This is equivalent to a 3% increased risk of heart disease for a 60-year-old woman. And the worse the infection, the worse the blood vessel aged.

How the virus ages the blood vessels

According to the scientists, COVID-19’s effects on the vessels (especially in women) could be three-fold:

1. Blood vessel lining – Because the virus acts on specific receptors in the lining of the blood vessels to enter and infect cells, it can cause vascular dysfunction and accelerated vascular aging.
2. Inflammation – They also believe that the inflammation the virus triggers is a factor in the stiffening of blood vessels.
3. Women’s unique response – Additionally, because women’s immune systems mount a more rapid and robust response than men’s, it can lead to increased damage to blood vessels after the initial infection.

However, it’s important to note that Covid-19 isn’t the only virus where this happens…

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Flu ages blood vessels, too

The flu can be just as dangerous to your blood vessels and heart. You may remember that a bout with the flu can lead to a heart attack.

Houston Methodist Hospital points out that “The reason influenza stresses the heart and vascular system so much has to do with the body’s inflammatory response to the infection.”

The white blood cells that your body produces to protect you can also cause what they call “a traffic jam of sorts.” This can cause blood clots and high blood pressure, plaque ruptures in arteries and even scarring and swelling of your heart.

Research from The Texas Heart Institute Journal also states that, “There is mounting evidence in support of a significant role for influenza infection in the development of atherosclerosis (buildup of plaque and stiffening of the arteries) and the triggering of its complications.”

And it lists explicitly the pro-inflammatory and pro-thrombotic (clotting) effects of influenza infection as the cause of blood vessel damage.

Supporting healthy blood vessels

Don’t wait to start taking care of your blood vessels. Maybe you’ve been lucky enough to avoid Covid or the flu, but there’s no guarantee you’ll always be so lucky.

Besides, even factors like air pollution can accelerate the aging, stiffening and the buildup of unwanted plaque in arteries. When you inhale polluted air, your immune system sets off an inflammatory process similar to what happens when the immune system goes into overdrive when faced with a viral infection.

The best ways to support blood vessel health include:

• To support your arteries and douse inflammation, omega-3 fatty acids come out on top. For omega-3s, I stick to krill oil supplements due to their purity and high levels of astaxanthin. You can also get omega-3s in foods like salmon and walnuts.
• Folate is another supplement that’s crucial to the health of the blood vessels. Beans have the most folate. You can also get folate from veggies like asparagus, turnip greens and broccoli.
• Exercise is one of the best non-drug ways to reduce inflammation that can contribute to the aging of your blood vessels. It works by rendering pro-inflammatory molecules powerless.
• And don’t forget vitamin D. Not only can it support the immune system, but it also delivers powerful support for quelling the fires of inflammation.

Sources:

Even mild Covid may leave blood vessels five years older — ScienceDaily

Flu and Heart Disease: The Surprising Connection That Should Convince You to Schedule Your Shot — Houston Methodist

Influenza and Cardiovascular Disease — NIH

COVID-19’s effect on the brain looks like stroke damage — Easy Health Options

The post How viruses prematurely age your blood vessels appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

I’ve written about it often, including how to know if your immune system isn’t working properly, how to slow immune system aging and how inflammation can turn your immune system harmful.

And when it comes to the involvement of blood cells, I’m quite familiar with the immune system’s first line of defense: white blood cells that help fight infection and disease, including “killer T cells” that help fight cancer.

However, there are more kinds of white blood cells than I’d known about. And not all of them are “good guys.”

In fact, some of them support the growth of cancer — but you’re not helpless to take them down…

Just 30 minutes can destroy cancer-causing cells

Tiia Koivula is a doctoral researcher at the University of Turku in Finland. She is the lead author of a study that alerted me to the fact that, while some white blood cells support our immune system and fight disease, just as many are busy promoting disease.

Including cancer.

“The balance of different types of white blood cells determines whether the immune system works to destroy cancer or to support it. If there are more cancer-destroying cells than cancer-promoting cells in the tumor area, the body is more capable of fighting cancer.”

Her study looked at twenty newly diagnosed breast cancer patients who had not yet started treatments.

During the study, these patients pedaled a stationary bicycle for 30 minutes. Three different blood samples were taken: before they started pedaling, during the exercise, and after they’d finished the exercise.

The blood samples showed that cancer-killing cytotoxic T cells and natural killer cells increased the most. On the other hand, the number of cancer-promoting regulatory T cells and myeloid-derived suppressor cells did not change.

The researchers also looked at the proportion of different types of white blood cells relative to the total white blood cell count. The proportion of natural killer cells increased significantly, while the proportion of myeloid-derived suppressor cells decreased.

But you might be wondering: do those new cancer-killing cells stick around?

“In this study, it was seen that the number of almost all white blood cell types decreased back to resting values one hour after the exercise,” says Koivula.

“With the current knowledge, we cannot say where the white blood cells go after the exercise, but in preclinical studies, cancer-destroying cells have been seen to migrate into the tumor area.”

The evidence for cancer-slaying exercise piles up

Exercise fighting cancer? It’s not nearly as farfetched as it seems…

Edith Cowan University showed that men with advanced prostate cancer could increase levels of proteins called myokines by engaging in six months of exercise training. Myokines suppress tumor growth and fight the growth of new cancer cells.

Even better, in a follow-up study of a similar group of men, those same anti-cancer molecules increased in a single bout of vigorous exercise.

But exercise shouldn’t be something we only turn to after a cancer diagnosis…

When researchers in Tel Aviv found high-intensity exercise starves cancer cells of glucose preventing spread or metastasis, they suggested regular exercise could provide permanent cancer protection because it changes the tissue of internal organs to become similar to muscle tissue.

That means exercise will make your organs burn glucose like muscles do leaving less fuel for glucose-loving cancer cells.

And it doesn’t end there…

A team of scientists from The MD Anderson Cancer Center pitted exercise against a genetic cancer predisposition known as Lynch Syndrome — and found it resulted in statistically significant changes in gene expression. That’s epigenetics at work!

So the Finnish study isn’t really that much of a leap.

It’s just the latest in a growing collection of data pointing to the importance of regular exercise to avoid or beat cancer.

Sources:

Already 30 minutes of exercise increases the proportion of tumor-killing white blood cells in blood — Eureka Alert

The effect of exercise and disease status on mobilization of anti-tumorigenic and pro-tumorigenic immune cells in women with breast cancer — Frontiers

The post Boost your cancer-killing white blood cells in 30 minutes appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Most hotels with hot tubs also have saunas, but I prefer the hot, bubbling water of the tub. The combination of heat and water soothes my body and relaxes my mind like nothing else can.

As it turns out, the time I’ve spent in hot tubs has provided me with more than just an hour or so of relaxation. Research shows that the heat of a hot tub or sauna stimulates all sorts of beneficial health effects.

And just in case you’re considering installing one or the other in your home, research also shows that the tub wins out hands down in terms of therapeutic value, especially when it comes to blood pressure and immune system response.

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Hot tubs beat saunas for lasting benefits

Both hot tubs and saunas are great for soothing aching muscles and providing welcome warmth, but hot tubs might offer greater health benefits.

That’s what researchers at the Bowerman Sports Science Center at the University of Oregon found in a study involving ten men and ten women who exercised regularly, ranging in age from 20 to 28 years old.

The researchers monitored their body temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, cardiac output (the amount of blood the heart pumps per minute) and immune cell populations, as well as blood biomarkers of inflammation.

This data was collected before, during, and after subjects soaked in a hot tub and sat in both a dry heat and infrared sauna.

Their findings showed that hot water immersion raised core body temperature more than dry sauna, which in turn caused an increase in blood flow and immune system response.

“We saw that hot water immersion was the most impactful in increasing core body temperature, which is the main stimulus for these subsequent responses,” Atencio said. “Increasing body temperature causes an increase in blood flow, and just the force of blood moving across your vessels is beneficial for your vascular health,” says lead study author Jessica Atencio

Need more good news? They say the benefits can last beyond the minutes spent directly in the hot tub.

This isn’t the first study to imply the benefits of hot water on heart health, either. And how to get them without a hot tub.

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A safe option for those who can’t exercise

“We always say that exercise is the primary nonpharmacological treatment that people should be doing to promote health, but some people can’t or just won’t exercise,” says Atencio. “Heat therapy is good supplementation.”

In other words, for those people who can’t or won’t exercise, time spent in a hot tub can provide some of the same benefits.

But just as with exercise, hot tub time must be done in moderation.

“We want people to be smart and safe about it,” says Prof. Christopher Minson, in whose lab the study was conducted.

“We need to make sure that they are cleared by their physicians or others for heat therapy or for exercise, whether it’s mild to moderate walking or jogging or strength training. Then they’ll be fine to do heat therapy.”

Some general hot tub safety rules:

Always check the temperature before entering the hot tub. The maximum safe temperature for a hot tub is 104°F (40°C).

Limit soaking time to 15-20 minutes, especially at higher temperatures.

Hydrate adequately to prevent dehydration and overheating.

Avoid alcohol and drugs before or during hot tub use, as they can increase the risk of drowning and other accidents.

Shower before and after using the hot tub to remove sweat, dirt, and personal hygiene products.

Sources:

Hot tubs outperform saunas in boosting blood flow and immune power — Science Daily

Comparison of thermoregulatory, cardiovascular, and immune responses to different passive heat therapy modalities — American Journal of Physiology

The post Hot tub time improves blood pressure and immune response appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

They’re also known as “forever chemicals,” and that’s no exaggeration.

PFAS are carbon atoms, surrounded by fluorine atoms. Because carbon plus fluorine is one of the strongest chemical bonds known in nature, they simply never break down.

It’s almost impossible to avoid these chemicals. They’re in your drinking water, non-stick cookware, carpeting — even in your dental floss.

Can’t finish that meal and ask for a takeout box? You’re bringing home toxic chemicals along with your leftovers.  

PFAS have been linked to kidney and testicular cancer, liver damage, thyroid disease, and infertility.

And now, we have proof that these forever chemicals attack the very mechanisms our body uses to protect us from diseases of all kinds: our immune system.

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PFAS attacks important immune system cells

Many epidemiological studies have shown an association between increased PFAS exposure and reduced immune responses in children, even after receiving their routine childhood vaccinations.

Environmental researchers in Germany and Italy teamed up to find out whether PFAS are affecting our adult immune systems as well, and if so, just how they’re doing it.

The team, led by Dr. Gunda Herberth of the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, developed a special immunological measurement method known as multiparameter spectral flow cytometry.

Using this method, they determined that PFAS reduced the activity of two out of five types of immune cells in particular: MAIT cells (mucosa-associated invariant T cells) and T-helper cells. 

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The importance of MAIT and T-cells

Dr. Herberth explains for us in simple terms why these two types of cells are crucial to our wellness, and why their failure spells disease for us.

MAIT cells are found in our mucous membranes, for example, in the mucous in our nose. That means they’re our body’s first line of defense against pathogens.

“If the activity of MAIT cells is restricted,” she explains, it is much easier for pathogens to invade the body.”

T-cells play a different role. They “are involved in the production of antibodies. If they are inhibited by PFAS, it is likely that fewer antibodies are produced — which could explain the reduced immune response to vaccination.”

Looking at things on a deeper level, Dr. Herberth and her team found that genes that normally play a role in T-cell activation were down-regulated after PFAS exposure.

“Our study clearly shows that PFAS reduce the activity of immune cells. If a person is exposed to high levels of PFAS, this is likely to be reflected in their health. For example, through a higher susceptibility to infections.”

How to avoid PFAS in your daily life

So many conditions and diseases can be traced back to a dysregulated immune system, ranging from viruses to cancer.

Although you can’t eliminate PFAS in your world, there are ways to dramatically lower your risk of exposure:

• Drinking water – don’t assume that bottled water will solve the problem. There’s no guarantee that it’s free of PFAS. You can try filtering your tap water. Granular activated carbon absorption filters, ion exchange resin filters and reverse osmosis filters work the best.
• Look for dental floss that’s PFAS-free.
• Check the Environmental Working Group’s recommendations for safe cosmetics at EWG’s Skin Deep®.
• Replace non-stick or Teflon-coated cookware with cast iron pans or ceramic-coated cookware.

And don’t forget to use vitamin D3 to support your immune system. Unlike D2, there’s evidence that vitamin D3 had a “modifying effect” on the immune system that could fortify the body against viral and bacterial diseases.

Sources:

PFAS reduce the activity of immune cells, study suggests — Science Daily

Mixtures of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) reduce the in vitro activation of human T cells and basophils — Chemosphere

Health risks of widely used chemicals may be underestimated — Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

The post The indestructible toxin attacking your immune system appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Sadly, the incidence of the early-onset form of the disease, which occurs in people aged 50 and younger, is expected to rise by more than 140% by 2030.

The good news is that death rates in people diagnosed with colon or rectal cancer have fallen, as screening and treatment have improved. But survivors still have a shorter life expectancy than their peers in the general population.

However, researchers at the Colon and Rectal Cancer Center at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute believe they’ve identified a simple daily activity that not only helps survivors live longer, but potentially even longer than someone who has never had cancer.

Why just survive when you can live longer

Movement is life. Previous research indicated that exercise could increase the lifespans of survivors even in the advanced stages of cancer.

But the Dana-Farber researchers wanted to take it a step further to find out if regular exercise had the power to help colon cancer patients boost their survival rates beyond people who’d never had cancer.

To find out, they delved into the exercise habits — both before and after treatment — of nearly 3,000 colon cancer patients. And the results were clear…

To remain cancer-free, even three years out from treatment, exercise is key.

According to the researchers, the magic number for survival comes down to physical activity, equivalent to walking about an hour a day at a 2- to 3-mile-per-hour pace, at least 6 days a week.

“Those patients not only had a better overall survival if they were more physically active, they actually looked like they had a slightly better overall survival compared to the general population,” says senior researcher, Dr. Jeff Meyerhardt.

In fact, even patients who suffered a cancer recurrence increased their survival chances if they stayed physically active.

Making healthy changes to your cell soup

According to cancer researchers, multiple mechanisms make exercise one of the most potent tools for not only surviving colon cancer but also preventing it in the first place.

Dr. Kathryn Schmitz, an exercise oncology researcher at the University of Pittsburgh, likes to describe the mechanisms this way…

“What you might think of is that all of our cells are bathed in a soup of sorts, and the constituents of that soup change as a result of being more physically active,” she explains.

If you spend most of your time sitting, your immune system suffers, inflammation flares up and your cells can start to change and grow uncontrolled. However, when you get the regular activity your body needs, the fires of inflammation are quenched and your immune system kicks into high gear.

Then, as Dr. Schmitz explains, “The soup in which your cells are bathed is healthier in a way that will tamp down any cancer development or cancer progression.”

In a previous study that linked exercise to reducing the odds of 13 different cancer types, researchers at the National Cancer Institute identified three factors that could be responsible for the cancer-preventing properties of exercise: its ability to reduce hormones like estrogen, its ability to lower insulin levels and its ability to quell inflammation.

So, if you’ve survived colon cancer (or simply want to make sure you do everything possible to prevent it), exercise is a must.

Also, don’t be intimidated by this study’s findings that you need to walk an hour a day, six days a week. Other studies have found that short, high-intensity sessions can also reduce the growth of colon cancer.

Sources:

Survival Rates for Colorectal Cancer — American Cancer Society

How common is colon cancer? — Fight Colorectal Cancer

Key Statistics for Colorectal Cancer — American Cancer Society

Colon cancer survivors who exercise regularly live longer — NPR

The post The habit that helps cancer survivors live like they never had cancer appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

When functioning normally, it efficiently defends against harmful invaders, such as bacteria and viruses. However, there are instances when the immune system becomes overactive or misdirected, leading it to attack healthy tissues and organs.

This misguided attack can result in autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and multiple sclerosis (MS), among others.

Recent research has shed light on a fascinating connection between the brain and the immune system.

Scientists discovered that the brain and spinal cord produce special proteins known as “guardian peptides.” These peptides help regulate the immune response, ensuring that it remains balanced and does not harm the body’s own tissues.

This discovery opens up intriguing possibilities for treatment …

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‘Guardian’ peptides help manage the immune system

There’s a constant conversation between the brain and the immune system to ensure adequate defense against threats while protecting healthy tissue.

Researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis studied this relationship in mice and made significant findings regarding how these guardian peptides interact with the immune system.

According to Dr. Jonathan Kipnis, one of the leading researchers, guardian brain peptides actively monitor the immune system. They help to prevent potentially destructive immune responses by providing signals about threats.

For instance, when an immune cell detects danger, it displays a small protein fragment from that danger on its surface. This fragment serves as a warning to T cells, which evaluate whether the threat is significant enough to warrant an immune attack.

However, guardian peptides come into play to help regulate this process, attracting a subset of T cells that serve to calm down the immune response and prevent it from turning against the body.

The researchers found that in healthy mice, these guardian peptides were abundant and effectively managed the immune responses. However, in mice with multiple sclerosis, these protective proteins were significantly diminished. When the researchers introduced the missing brain-derived peptides into the spinal fluid of mice with MS, something remarkable happened…

It led to an increase in a type of T cell that suppresses immune reactions, resulting in improved motor function and a slowdown in the progression of the disease compared to untreated mice.

This research highlights an important discovery…

“We have found guardian brain peptides that actively engage with the immune system to keep it in check, possibly preventing destructive immune responses,” said Dr. Kipnis.

More research may lead to identifying protein signatures of other neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases that could lead to early diagnosis and potential treatment.

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Support can start with a common denominator

These findings may also provide reason to acknowledge the communication between the brain and another body part linked with autoimmune and neuroinflammatory diseases…

You may have heard of the gut-brain axis, also referred to as the gut-brain-immune axis in the scientific community. The immune system represents a key pathway of communication along this axis with the microbiome implicated in neuroinflammation.

A healthy gut microbiome helps orchestrate this connection and is involved in the production of neurotransmitters and other chemicals, including neuropeptides, that influence the immune system.

An imbalance in the gut microbiome can disrupt communication along the gut-brain axis, leading to the increased neuroinflammation that contributes to MS, Parkinson’s and even Alzheimer’s.

An example came to light in a study that found lactobacillus reuteri triggered lupus in mice and stimulated immune cells to worsen the disease process.

The benefits of probiotics are transmitted via the gut-brain axis. A healthy and balanced gut could support the gut-brain axis and immune response.

Sources:

Healthy brains suppress inappropriate immune responses — EurekAlert!

Endogenous self-peptides guard immune privilege of the central nervous system — Nature

The enteric nervous system is a potential autoimmune target in multiple sclerosis — Acta Neuropathologica

The Role of Gut Microbiota in Neurodegenerative Diseases: Current Insights and Therapeutic Implications — Cureus

Microbiota and gut neuropeptides: a dual action of antimicrobial activity and neuroimmune response — Psychopharmacology

The gut microbiota-immune-brain axis: Therapeutic implications — Cell Reports Medicine

The post The ‘guardians’ that balance immune system response appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Their doctor has likely prescribed it to prevent a second heart attack or ischemic stroke. Both involve blood clots blocking major arteries, and aspirin interferes with the process of clot formation.

However, as often happens in research, scientists have accidentally discovered that the very mechanism that helps aspirin prevent blood from clotting can also stop cancer from spreading.

How aspirin allows T cells to kill cancer

A team of scientists at the University of Cambridge wanted to investigate the process by which cancer metastasizes or spreads.

Specifically, they aimed to gain a deeper understanding of how the immune system responds to metastasis.

While cancer cells in an original tumor often develop the ability to suppress the immune system, lone cancer cells that have spread to other parts of the body are more vulnerable to attacks by T cells, which can recognize and kill metastatic cancer cells.

Working with mice, the researchers discovered a gene that produces a protein called ARHGEF1. They also found that mice who lacked this gene had less metastasis of primary cancers to other parts of their bodies.

They soon discovered why: ARHGEF1 suppresses the T cells that would otherwise normally detect and kill metastasized cancer cells. That’s why mice that did not have the ARHGEF1-producing gene had less metastasis.

Of course, the scientists dug further for a target that could manipulate that action, hoping it would lead them to a potential therapy to reduce the risk of cancer metastasis — and they found it…

They saw that ARHGEF1 is switched on when T cells are exposed to a clotting factor called thromboxane A2 (TXA2). And guess what?

Aspirin reduces the production of TXA2, leading to anti-clotting effects, which is why aspirin is sometimes suggested for the prevention of heart attacks and strokes.

In other words, the research found that aspirin prevents cancers from spreading by decreasing TXA2 and releasing T cells from suppression, allowing them to seek and destroy cancer cells that attempt to spread.

Aspirin as cancer therapy: pros, cons

This discovery holds particular promise for people whose cancer has just begun to spread.

“Most immunotherapies are developed to treat patients with established metastatic cancer, but when cancer first spreads there’s a unique therapeutic window of opportunity when cancer cells are particularly vulnerable to immune attack,” says Professor Rahul Roychoudhuri, the study’s lead author.

“We hope that therapies that target this window of vulnerability will have tremendous scope in preventing recurrence in patients with early cancer at risk of recurrence.”

Previous research has shown that aspirin may also be beneficial for cancer prevention, potentially activating genes that protect against colorectal cancer.

However, it’s important to note that you should never “self-medicate” by taking a daily aspirin without first talking with your doctor.

If you are taking a blood thinner such as Warfarin or Heparin, your doctor will almost certainly advise against adding a daily aspirin to your regimen. That’s because it would increase the anti-coagulant effect on your body and could cause internal bleeding.

A few other things to consider:

• The most recent recommendation from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is for adults 60 years or older not to start daily low-dose aspirin use for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease.
• People with pre-existing kidney disease should avoid aspirin, as it acts like a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). Reduced blood flow to the kidneys can cause further damage.
• Aspirin can irritate the stomach lining and worsen existing stomach ulcers.
• Aspirin may significantly increase the risk of bleeding, including bleeding on the brain and gastrointestinal hemorrhages.

Be safe and talk to your doctor before starting a daily cancer regimen.

Sources:

Scientists discover how aspirin could prevent some cancers from spreading — Eureka Alert

Aspirin prevents metastasis by limiting platelet TXA2 suppression of T cell immunity — Nature

The post Daily aspirin could keep cancer cells from spreading appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

By 2040, just 16 years from now, health experts predict that percentage will rise to 55%.

People with MASLD suffer damage from inflammation and tissue scarring, caused by abnormal accumulation of fat.

That leads to heightened risks for diabetes, cancer (both liver and elsewhere), chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular disease.

Oddly enough, there seems to be a strong connection between sleep quality and higher risk for MASLD — yet another reason to pay attention to your sleep habits.

Here’s what you need to know…

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What’s sleep got to do with your liver?

Previous research using data based on sleep questionnaires has linked liver disease with poor sleep quality.

However, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that more objective measures than sleep questionnaires be used to prove the existence of a link between sleep disruption and MASLD.

So, when researchers at the University of Basel and Basel’s University Center for Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases set out to learn more about the poor sleep-MASLD connection, they used 24/7 actigraphy.

Between 2019 and 2021, they tracked 46 adults who had either MASLD, MASH (a more severe form of MASLD) or cirrhosis of the liver. Sixteen healthy people served as the control group.

Each wore a sensor on the wrist to track gross motor activity, including light exposure, physical activity and body temperature. They also underwent clinical investigation, interviews, follow-ups and kept a sleep diary.

While there was no difference in the length of sleep between the groups, the actigraph data showed that the people with MASLD woke 55% more often at night. And, they lay awake 113% longer after first falling asleep than the healthy control group.

“We concluded from our data that sleep fragmentation plays a role in the pathogenesis of human MASLD,” says corresponding author Dr. Sofia Schaeffer.

But a question remained…

“Whether MASLD cause sleep disorders or vice versa remains unknown,” she added.

“The underlying mechanism presumably involves genetics, environmental factors, and the activation of immune responses — ultimately driven by obesity and metabolic syndrome.”

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The metabolic dysfunction in MSLD linked to poor sleep

Even though the researchers are still not sure whether sleep disruption leads to liver disease, or vice versa, I have a theory about the driving force…

Of the 46 participants in the study, 80% of those with MSLD had hallmark symptoms of metabolic syndrome (MetS), including:

• Higher levels of triglycerides
• High fasting glucose
• High blood insulin levels
• And lower levels of HDL (“good”) cholesterol.

Additionally, they were all obese. A large waist circumference, often part of obesity, is the 5^th symptom associated with MetS.

And guess what has been linked to increasing the risk of MetS? Irregular or variable sleep patterns.

A larger study funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute found that people with greater variations in their bedtimes and hours they slept had a much higher risk of metabolic conditions — specifically, each of the symptoms for MetS.

That makes the sleep link even stronger and makes is clear that if you don’t have MASH or cirrhosis, start now to avoid MASLD by staying clear of the symptoms of MetS and improving sleep quality.

Start with a good diet you can stick to, but add these five easy hacks to keep MetS at bay.

To sleep like a baby, try implementing the bedtime routine of a toddler. And, if you haven’t tried melatonin, consider it. It can help you sleep and support immune function, one of the factors mentioned by Dr. Schaeffer above.

Sources:

Broken sleep a hallmark sign of living with the most common liver disease, scientists find — Eureka Alert

Significant nocturnal wakefulness after sleep onset in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease — Frontiers in Network Physiology

The post Trouble sleeping? It could lead to liver disease appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

While many individuals are preoccupied with protein intake, a significant number are neglecting a vital nutrient — fiber.

Despite its essential role in maintaining overall health, fiber doesn’t receive nearly the attention it deserves.

The Truth About Fiber Intake

According to a comprehensive study on fiber intake, less than 5% of Americans meet the recommended daily intake for dietary fiber. That’s a 95% deficiency rate for a nutrient proven time and time again to reduce the risk of chronic disease.

As a point of contrast, the statistics are almost exactly flipped for protein:  more than 92% of women consume enough protein to meet their estimated average requirements, resulting in an 8% deficiency rate. Many of us consume more than double the protein we need!

The minimum recommended daily intake for fiber is 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men, but the average adult only gets about 15 to 16 grams per day. 

This shortfall, often referred to as the “fiber gap,” has significant health implications.

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Fiber Matters More Than You Think

Fiber is not just about keeping you regular. It’s a key regulator of metabolism, inflammation, appetite, and immune function, that facilitates superior  cardiometabolic outcomes, including:

• Lower all-cause mortality
• Reduced risk of cardiovascular disease
• Improved lipid profiles (lower total and LDL cholesterol)
• Better  blood pressure regulation
• Reduced incidence of type 2 diabetes
• Lower weight 

All from getting more fiber. Oh, and if that’s not enough, you also get decreased risk of colorectal and breast cancer!

The GLP-1 Connection: Fiber and Appetite Regulation

One of the most fascinating insights from current research is fiber’s impact on GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1), a hormone that helps regulate insulin secretion, blood sugar, and satiety.

When we eat fiber, particularly soluble and fermentable types found in foods like oats, flaxseeds, legumes, and berries, it feeds our gut bacteria. In return, these microbes produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that trigger the release of GLP-1. This hormonal cascade slows digestion, curbs appetite, and helps prevent overeating.

This is why so many Step One customers report feeling fuller longer and experiencing fewer cravings. It’s all that whole-food fiber at work, activating a powerful metabolic feedback loop.

By the way, if “GLP-1” seems familiar, it’s because this is the hormone that is delivered by drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound.  And in case you’re wondering why we are injecting artificial GLP-1 into people in the setting of near universal fiber deficiency — instead of first making sure that fiber gap is closed so that GLP-1 levels can go up naturally — welcome to my indignation.

The Fiber Gap and Chronic Disease

Low fiber intake is a public health crisis. It’s directly linked to:

• Obesity and weight gain
• Elevated cholesterol levels
• Hypertension
• Insulin resistance
• Inflammation and oxidative stress

Is it any wonder our society is awash in heart disease, pre-diabetes and diabetes, obesity, and chronic pain? And why are we seeing more colorectal cancer in younger and younger people? While medications can address some of these issues, fiber works upstream, ultimately helping prevent these problems from occurring in the first place.

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Bridging the Gap with Step One Foods

This is exactly why I created Step One Foods. 

Two daily servings of our products deliver at least 10 grams of fiber, using only whole food ingredients like chia seeds, oats, and walnuts. These foods naturally provide the types of fiber (soluble, insoluble, and fermentable) that your body and microbiome need to function optimally.

If the average person is missing about 10 grams of fiber per day, two servings of Step One get you there, closing the fiber gap. All without supplements or drastic diet changes.

Our foods are also backed by clinical data. In a Mayo Clinic-led randomized controlled trial, participants who consumed Step One Foods twice daily saw rapid, significant reductions in LDL cholesterol, providing yet another proof point regarding the health-building properties of our foods.  

It’s Time to Focus on Fiber

We’ve spent decades worrying about fat, carbs, and most recently, protein. But if I could get every patient to focus on one nutrient starting today, it would be fiber.

The science is clear. The benefits are vast. And the solution is simple: eat more real, whole, plant-based foods.

And let Step One help. We’ve done the heavy lifting by creating delicious, clinically supported options that make meeting your fiber goals easy and enjoyable.

Your body will thank you. So will your heart.

The post Focus on protein? The fiber gap matters most appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But should we be worried about this fungus among us? Could the future of humanity be in the hands of a zombifying fungus?

While cordyceps is quite adept at “infecting” specific bugs in a gruesome way — attaching spores that grow tendrils throughout a host’s body and hijacking it to travel and distribute more fungus spores — you should know what it does to humans…

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Cordyceps’ history with (hopefully not the last of) us

There are hundreds of medicinal mushroom species. There are around 600 species of cordyceps alone.

But cordyceps, though commonly referred to as a mushroom, is technically not one…

Because of that parasitic habit of growing on insects, they are considered entomopathogenic fungi. Don’t get hung up on the technicalities, though — cordyceps has a long history with humans as a healing, functional food.

Mushrooms are rich sources of unique health-promoting compounds and have been used in Chinese medicine and other traditional healing systems for thousands of years. Cordyceps is near the top.

One family of carbohydrates found in mushrooms is beta-glucans, which have a particular affinity for immune cells. They stimulate macrophages, lymphocytes, T-cells and Natural Killer cells. They are primarily focused on our innate immunity, the immune system’s first responders.

But mushrooms do more than boost your immunity; they “train” immune cells to respond appropriately to pathogens, toxins, cancerous cells and other dangers. Medicinal mushrooms are unique to this purpose, as they boost immunity and help calm an overactive autoimmune response. This can be pretty helpful when addressing autoimmune conditions.

Cordyceps are specifically reported to enrich the bone marrow. They also have demonstrated anti-tumor activity.

Like reishi, cordyceps support athletic performance, increasing cellular energy production and oxygen utilization. One study found that cordyceps improved endurance in older people.

In addition to boosting mitochondrial function and oxygen utilization, cordyceps help detoxify the body and support the adrenals.

They also promote healthy heart function by reducing LDL (bad cholesterol) and increasing HDL (the good variety).

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Should you be worried about becoming cordyceps spawn?

In a recent Nature paper, Dr. Jim Kronstad, a professor and microbiologist at UBC’s Michael Smith Laboratories, and co-authors, highlight a warming climate as a potential contributor to the spread of harmful fungi like Coccidioides, which causes valley fever, and the current rise of Candida auris, which infects hospitalized patients and is resistant to available antifungal drugs.

The authors also noted the discovery of a new fungus last year, Rhodosporidiobolus fluvialis — in humans — previously found only in soil.

R. fluvialis was discovered in the blood of two unrelated patients with serious underlying health conditions. One patient was a 61-year-old who died in an ICU in Nanjing in 2013. The other patient was an 85-year-old who died in 2016 after being treated in an ICU in Tianjin. The report doesn’t note whether the fungal infection directly contributed to the patients’ deaths or if they just happened to be infected at the time.

These are undoubtedly isolated cases. And so far, cordyceps is keeping its distance from humans.

As Dr. Kronstad says, “Fungi are super important, it’s phenomenal what they’ve done for humans.”

Using Cordyceps

Cordyceps, since they grow like slim tendrils, are often used more efficiently as a powder, which is popularly used in supplements and teas.

You can take the tendrils, referred to as “fruited bodies,” and boil them in water to make cordyceps tea. But just knowing those tendrils fruited out of an insect body is enough to turn me off of that idea.

Sources:

The new season of The Last of Us has a spore-ting chance at realism — Science Daily

The Last of Us Season 2: A Q&A with Dr. Jim Kronstad about fungal infections and climate change — The University of British Columbia

Unusual ways to boost your energy — Easy Health Options

New fungal infection discovered in China — Live Science

The post Cordyceps: Superfood or Brain-hijacking ‘zombie’ fungus appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But the truth is, your immune system does a lot more than fight off viruses and bacteria.

In fact, research has proven that the immune system is involved in preventing depression, decreasing pain sensitivity, reducing fibromyalgia and even helping burn body fat.

Having exceptional immunity has even been tied to exceptional aging.

Yet, we are learning this is still just the tip of the iceberg…

According to a study published in the journal Science, our immune system is even tied to blood sugar control — potentially opening up new approaches for managing conditions like diabetes, obesity and cancer.

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The missing piece of the blood sugar puzzle

For decades, blood sugar regulation was tied primarily to the actions of two hormones produced in the pancreas: insulin and glucagon. While insulin lowers blood sugar by boosting the uptake of glucose into cells, glucagon elevates it by triggering the release of glucose from the liver.

Together, these two processes worked at keeping blood sugar at a healthy balance.

However, scientists at the Immunophysiology Lab at the Champalimaud Foundation suspected there was more to the story and that the immune system could hold the missing piece of the puzzle…

“For example,” says researcher Henrique Veiga-Fernandes, “some immune cells regulate how the body absorbs fat from food, and we’ve recently shown that brain-immune interactions help control fat metabolism and obesity. This got us thinking — could the nervous and immune systems collaborate to regulate other key processes, like blood sugar levels?”

The signal that stabilizes blood sugar

So they set out to test their theory in mice, where they discovered something very interesting…

The team found that mice genetically engineered without an immune cell known as ILC2 couldn’t produce enough glucagon — the hormone that raises blood sugar — and their glucose levels dropped too low.

This allowed the researchers to focus on that immune cell and tag it with a glow-in-the-dark marker so they could observe its function in healthy mice.

What they found was that, after fasting, these cells traveled to the pancreas.

Once there, the cells release cytokines — tiny chemical messengers — that send a signal to pancreatic cells to produce the hormone glucagon. The increase in glucagon then signals the liver to release glucose.

“This shows that immune cells aren’t just battle-hardened soldiers fighting off threats — they also act like emergency responders, stepping in to deliver critical energy supplies and maintain stability in times of need,” explains Veiga-Fernandes.

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Better blood sugar for better overall health

According to the researchers, this finding provides new options for preventing and treating diabetes and obesity (since balanced blood sugar is vital for maintaining a healthy body weight).

And they say it could even be key in cancer research.

That’s because certain cancers, including pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors and liver cancer, grow by taking over the body’s metabolic processes to elevate glucagon production, raising blood sugar.

So, what should you do if you want to keep your immune system running strong to help support blood sugar balance?

First, be sure to exercise.

One study found that compared to inactive adults, older endurance cyclists (some in their 80s) were producing the same level of immune cells called T-cells as adults in their 20s!

T-cells are produced in your thymus, a gland in your chest, which usually shrinks in size into adulthood.

Additionally, be sure to avoid habits that hijack your immune system. These include:

• Over-exercising (While exercise is vital for immune health, moderation is key.)
• Too much alcohol
• Too much sugar
• Too much salt
• Nicotine consumption
• Overexposure to UV rays, both indoors and outdoors

Sources:

Eavesdropping on organs: Immune system controls blood sugar levels — EurekAlert!

6 habits that hijack your immune system — Easy Health Options

Is your immune system causing your depression? — Easy Health Options

The real reason fibromyalgia increases pain sensitivity — Easy Health Options

The surprising way your immune system helps burn fat — Easy Health Options

The post A strange connection: The immune system’s impact on blood sugar appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

You may never realize it’s there unless you’re hit with a food-borne illness that seems to strike out of nowhere.

While you might figure the damp sponge sitting next to your sink is a likely hotbed of bacteria, researchers say there is another spot in our kitchens we should also pay attention to.

Considering how it’s used — you might never suspect germs could flourish there…

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Capable of surviving radiation

According to a study published in Frontiers in Microbiology, “Even the microwave oven in your kitchen is not immune to bacteria.”

Shocked? I was…

You’d think the high heat levels and electromagnetic radiation a microwave emits when in use would kill any germs lurking in its interior.

But how wrong I was!

In fact, after swabbing the insides — including the walls and rotating platter — of microwave ovens, scientists identified over 100 bacterial strains living in them.

DNA analysis of the bacterial colonies found these types living in kitchen microwaves:

• Proteobacteria
• Firmicutes
• Actinobacteria
• Bacteroidetes
• Klebsiella
• Brevundimonas

The first four on this list are types of bacteria commonly found on human skin and surfaces that people touch on a regular basis.

However, the last two, Klebsiella and Brevundimonas, are known to cause food-borne diseases.

According to the researchers, it’s not clear how these bacteria are able to survive in microwave ovens, but somehow, they’ve found a way to adapt to getting “nuked.”

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Cleaning your microwave to kill germs

When asked about the results of the study, microbiologist, Manuel Porcar pointed out that the bacteria found inside the microwaves were the same ones you can expect to find on your countertops, in that kitchen sponge, on your refrigerator door handle or on any surface in your kitchen.

“Some of them are pathogenic, and one must clean the microwave as much as any other kitchen surface,” he advised.

So, as long as you clean it thoroughly, there’s “Nothing to be more worried about than the cleaning of any other part of a kitchen in contact with food,” he added.

To clean your microwave:

1. Put the turntable in the dishwasher or wash it by hand with hot, sudsy water and a non-scratch scrub sponge.
2. Combine one tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice with a cup of water and place in the microwave. Heat mixture for two to five minutes to allow the microwave to fill up with steam and loosen caked-on grime.
3. Wipe down the interior with dish soap and warm water to remove food particles and grease.

To keep bacteria at bay, sanitize your microwave at least once a week, making sure to clean up spills as soon as they happen.

Sources:

More than 100 bacteria species can flourish in microwave ovens – ScienceNews

The post The surprising kitchen appliance that’s a hotbed of bacteria appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

There’s the bone density berry that beats back bone loss…

There’s the one that works for a better brain and blood pressure…

And the berry that improves heart and blood vessel function — in 30 days!

Then there’s the elderberry — best known as a natural flu remedy.

The secret to the elderberry’s anti-viral power lies in its high concentration of anthocyanins, a group of deep red, purple, and blue pigments that give berries their rich colors.

They also contain quite a lot of vitamin C — just one cup accounts for 57% of the recommended daily value.

The anthocyanins in elderberries work to fight free radical damage and boost your immune system in two ways:

• They shield your immune cells so that they can protect you
• They promote white blood cell production to fight off infection

And now a Washington State University-led study says elderberries have powerful benefits for weight management and metabolic health — thanks to those very same anthocyanins…

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Elderberries improve metabolism and burn fat

“Elderberry is an underappreciated berry, commercially and nutritionally,” said corresponding author Patrick Solverson, an assistant professor in the Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine’s Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology. “We’re now starting to recognize its value for human health, and the results are very exciting.”

In a clinical trial published in the journal Nutrients, Prof. Solverson and team found that drinking 12 ounces of elderberry juice daily for a week causes positive changes in the gut microbiome and improves glucose tolerance and fat oxidation.

A group of 18 overweight participants consumed either elderberry juice or a placebo with similar coloring and taste, specially designed by North Carolina State University’s Food Innovation Lab, while maintaining a standardized diet.

Those who drank the elderberry juice saw the following health benefits:

• Improved gut microbiome. There was a significant increase in the amounts of beneficial gut bacteria, including firmicutes and actinobacteria, and decreased amounts of harmful bacteria, such as Bacteroidetes.
• Improved metabolism. There was a reduction in blood glucose levels by an average of 24%, indicating a significantly improved ability to process sugars following carbohydrate consumption. Insulin levels also decreased by 9%.
• Enhanced fat burning. There was a significant increase in fat oxidation, or the breakdown of fatty acids, after a high carbohydrate meal and during exercise.

“Food is medicine, and science is catching up to that popular wisdom,” Prof. Solverson says. “This study contributes to a growing body of evidence that elderberry, which has been used as a folk remedy for centuries, has numerous benefits for metabolic as well as prebiotic health.”

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How to get your elderberries

Elderberries are easily found in various forms: juice, powder (which can be added to tea, smoothies, or oatmeal), lozenges and elderberry tea.

It’s important to note that you shouldn’t eat elderberries whole when raw since they contain the toxic compounds, lectin and cyanide (primarily found in the seeds, stems, and leaves), which can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

You can cook them or buy products with cooked berries instead, including elderberry juice, tea, lozenges, syrup, or powder that can be added to foods like oatmeal.

Because elderberry may stimulate the immune system, it could interfere with medications taken to suppress the immune system. These medications include corticosteroids (prednisone) and medications used to treat autoimmune diseases. People with organ transplants should also avoid elderberry.

Sources:

Elderberry juice shows benefits for weight management, metabolic health — Eureka Alert

A one-week elderberry juice intervention augments the fecal microbiota and suggests improvement in glucose tolerance and fat oxidation in a randomized controlled trial — Nutrients

Elderberry — mtsinai.org

The post The berry that boosts metabolism, burns fat and fights flu appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

In the U.S., the average lifespan for a woman is 5 years longer than that of a man. And the difference is even greater worldwide, where the average lifespan for women exceeds that of men by 7 years.

For as long as science has recognized the difference, scientists have been trying to unravel the reasons. Now, they’ve zeroed in on one of them… a quirk of nature that occurs in some men as they age…

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Losing the “male” chromosome

We all know that the vast majority of women are born with two X chromosomes, while the vast majority of men have one X and one Y chromosome.

However, what is not as widely known is that an estimated 40 percent of men will lose their Y chromosome in a fraction of their cells by the time they reach the age of 70.

This Y chromosome loss primarily occurs in cells that undergo rapid turnover, such as blood cells. It doesn’t happen in male reproductive cells, so men who experience this loss won’t pass it on to their children.

In some studies, researchers have observed that men who lose their Y chromosome are more likely to experience age-associated diseases like Alzheimer’s disease, as well as early death.

This prompted researchers from the University of Virginia School of Medicine (UVA) to look further into the relationship between Y chromosome loss and early death. What they discovered is believed to be the first hard evidence that the loss of the Y chromosome directly causes harmful effects on men’s health.

The impact of Y chromosome loss on the heart

The UVA research team used gene-editing technology to develop a special mouse model, then used those mice to better understand the effects of Y chromosome loss in the blood. Results showed the loss accelerated age-related diseases, made the mice more prone to heart scarring and led to earlier death.

The scientists noted that the results weren’t just driven by inflammation in the mice. Their immune systems underwent a complex series of responses, leading to a process called fibrosis throughout their bodies. And this process is what the researchers believe may accelerate disease development.

The UVA researchers didn’t stop with mice. They also investigated the effects of Y chromosome loss in human men by analyzing data compiled from the UK Biobank, a massive biomedical database. What they found was that Y chromosome loss was associated with cardiovascular disease and heart failure. And as chromosome loss increased, so did the risk of death.

These findings could explain nearly four of the five-year difference in lifespan between U.S. women and men, according to UVA researcher Dr. Kenneth Walsh.

“The years of life lost due to the survival disadvantage of maleness is staggering,” Walsh says. “This new research provides clues as to why men have shorter lifespans than women.”

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Is it possible to combat Y chromosome loss?

Is there anything that can be done to counteract this loss of the Y chromosome? Science hasn’t found that answer yet. But there may be a way to counter its effects on the body.

According to Walsh, men who suffer Y chromosome loss could particularly benefit from an existing drug, pirfenidone, that targets dangerous tissue scarring and could help these men live longer, healthier lives. Pirfenidone is approved to treat a form of lung scarring and is being tested to treat heart failure and chronic kidney disease, two conditions in which tissue scarring occurs.

While Walsh believes men with Y chromosome loss could respond well to this drug, as well as other antifibrotic drugs in development, more research is needed to determine that.

But to administer any of these therapies, healthcare professionals will need to be able to identify men suffering Y chromosome loss. Unfortunately, doctors currently have no easy way to do that.

One of Walsh’s collaborators, Lars Forsberg of Uppsala University in Sweden, has developed an inexpensive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, similar to those used for COVID-19 testing, that can detect Y-chromosome loss. However, this test is largely confined to his and Walsh’s laboratories.

“If interest in this continues and it’s shown to have utility in terms of being prognostic for men’s disease and can lead to personalized therapy, maybe this becomes a routine diagnostic test,” Walsh says.

Is there anything men can do right now?

If you smoke, quit.

Walsh and his team discovered that smokers were especially likely to suffer Y chromosome loss as they age. Combine that with all the other health risks of smoking and the damage it can do to your heart and lungs, and you’re better off without those cigarettes.

Here are 6 proven ways for you to quit smoking this year.

But that may not be all men should do to try to live longer…

While your Y chromosome may not be a modifiable factor immediately in your control, there are plenty of others.

For starters, men have a bad reputation for putting off healthcare — both physical and mental. Instead:

• Pay attention to symptoms and changes and report them to your healthcare provider.
• Don’t skip out on regular checkups.
• Talk with a professional about feelings of depression and anxiety.
• Practice known healthy lifestyle habits, like eating right (more fruits, vegetables and fiber) and getting regular exercise.

Sources:

Loss of Male Sex Chromosome With Age Leads to Earlier Death for Men—UVAHealth

Hematopoietic loss of Y chromosome leads to cardiac fibrosis and heart failure mortality — Science

Why men often die earlier than women — Harvard Health Publishing

The post The one thing men lose with age that could shorten their lifespan appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Much of it hinges on communication between different organs and systems that work together to maintain our health and protect us when we especially need it.

An example we’ve heard a lot about is the gut-brain axis and the vagus nerve that connects them and various organs along the way.

Now, we’re learning about another such crucial “conversation” that happens between the heart, the immune system and the brain to trigger healing when someone’s had a heart attack…

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How and why your body regulates sleep after heart attack

After a heart attack, it makes sense that you’d want to sleep more. However the need for sleep is more than the physical exhaustion of going through a traumatic health event.

As part of the process to heal itself and reduce inflammation, the heart triggers the desire for more sleep through actual changes to the brain, as shown through mouse studies at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai Hospital.

After inducing heart attacks in mice, researchers found a three-fold increase in slow-wave sleep, a deep stage of sleep characterized by slow brain waves and reduced muscle activity. This increase in sleep occurred quickly after the heart attack and lasted one week.

And when they studied the brains of those mice, they discovered that immune cells called monocytes were recruited from the blood to the brain and used a protein called tumor necrosis factor (TNF) to activate neurons in an area of the brain called the thalamus, which caused the increase in sleep.

“This study is the first to demonstrate that the heart regulates sleep during cardiovascular injury by using the immune system to signal to the brain,” says senior author Cameron McAlpine, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine (Cardiology), and Neuroscience, at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Poor sleep increases risk of another heart attack

To further identify the function of increased sleep after a heart attack, the researchers also interrupted the sleep of some of the mice.

The mice with sleep disruption after a heart attack had an increase in heart sympathetic stress responses and inflammation, leading to slower recovery and healing when compared to mice with undisrupted sleep.

The Mt. Sinai researchers also performed human studies, and their findings confirmed what they’d seen in mice.

First, they studied the brains of people a couple of days following a heart attack. They saw an increase in monocytes compared to people without a heart attack or other cardiovascular diseases.

Then, they analyzed the sleep of more than 80 heart attack patients four weeks after heart attack and followed them for 2 years..

The patients were divided into two groups — good sleepers and poor sleepers. The patients who slept poorly in the weeks after their heart attack had twice the risk of another heart attack.

Those who slept well showed significant improvement in heart function. Poor sleepers showed little or no improvement.

Dr. McAlpine and the research team hope that the understanding of sleep in healing post-heart attack can be recognized in intensive care units, where sleep is frequently disrupted

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Develop sleep habits to protect your heart

Well-rested cells can produce antioxidants that fight destructive free radicals. But in sleep-deprived cells, this response fails. The result: dysfunctional cells that easily succumb to cardiovascular disease.

This isn’t a new idea.

For example, a 2018 Duke University study found that people with irregular sleep patterns may be at higher risk for obesity, heart disease, hypertension, and stroke.

So, how do you keep to a sleep schedule when life is busy? How do you ensure you get those 7-8 hours of good sleep you need?

Dr. Jessica Lunsford-Avery of the Duke study has some simple advice: set an alarm for the same time each day. And NO sleeping in on weekends!

This may sound hard to do, but if you stick to it for a few weeks, you may even find yourself waking up without the alarm.

That’s actually a good sign — your body is adjusting to the rhythm you’ve set for it.

Other studies have shown that poor sleep leads to clogged arteries.

Besides setting a regular sleep schedule, here are some other ways to get a better night’s sleep:

Don’t look at computers, smartphones or TV screens an hour before bed. The blue light they emit can hurt your circadian rhythm and your ability to fall asleep.

Get exercise during the day. If you’re physically exhausted, you’re more likely to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.

Expose yourself to natural light in the morning hours. This helps set your circadian rhythm, which controls your sleep.

Don’t drink caffeine or alcohol in the evening. Both interfere with sleep quality.

If you snore a lot or don’t feel rested when you wake up, get tested for sleep apnea. It can significantly hamper your ability to get a good night’s sleep.

If you have insomnia, talk to your doctor about cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI). It’s one of the more effective natural therapies for insomnia and can help you avoid the use of prescription sleep aids.

Sources:

After a heart attack, the heart signals to the brain to increase sleep to promote healing — Eureka Alert

Myocardial infarction augments sleep to limit cardiac inflammation and damage — Nature

It’s not just for kids — even adults appear to benefit from a regular bedtime — Science Daily

The post The sleep trigger that could prevent a 2nd heart attack appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Once infected with HSV, the virus never leaves your system and, when triggered, can cause cold sores, brain inflammation or a dangerous recurring eye condition. HSV infection has also been connected with the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

But researchers are finding out what causes HSV-1 to flare up, which could lead to new ways to prevent these recurrences…

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Gaining a better understanding of the cold sore virus

Researchers at the University of Virginia recently examined exactly how things like stress, illness and overexposure to the sun can trigger unwanted HSV-1 outbreaks.

“Herpes simplex recurrence has long been associated with stress, fever and sunburn,” says researcher Dr. Anna R. Cliffe of UVA’s Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology. “This study sheds light on how all these triggers can lead to herpes simplex-associated disease.”

Once HSV-1 has entered the body, it lays dormant inside neurons until something triggers its reactivation. Cold sores, or fever blisters, are one of the most common signs of HSV reactivation. It can also be reactivated in the eye in a condition called herpes keratitis, which if left untreated can lead to blindness. And in rare cases, HSV-1 reactivation can cause encephalitis, a potentially fatal inflammation of the brain.

While it’s been known that recurrences of HSV-1 can be set off by stress, illness or sunburn, what’s not been clearly understood is exactly what causes the virus to reactivate. Cliffe and her team discovered that when neurons containing HSV-1 were exposed to stimuli that cause “neuronal hyperexcitation,” the virus senses this change and takes the opportunity to reactivate.

Utilizing a model developed using mouse neurons infected with HSV-1, the researchers found the virus takes over the body’s release of a critical immune response to inflammation or stress: the release of the cytokine interleukin 1 beta.

When epithelial cells in the skin and eye experience damage, such as that caused by ultraviolet light, they release interleukin 1 beta. This cytokine then increases excitability in the affected neurons, which then can cause HSV-1 reactivation.

“It is really remarkable that the virus has hijacked this pathway that is part of our body’s immune response,” Cliffe says. “It highlights how some viruses have evolved to take advantage of what should be part of our infection-fighting machinery.”

A more complete picture needed

While the insights help increase understanding of how HSV-1 interacts with neurons and the immune system, the researchers say more study is needed to fully understand the potential factors involved in herpes simplex disease. They note that these factors could vary depending on the virus strain or type of neuron infected, and that it’s still not known if HSV-1 changes how neurons respond to cytokines like interleukin 1 beta.

“A better understanding of what causes HSV to reactivate in response to a stimulus is needed to develop novel therapeutics,” Cliffe says. “Ultimately, what we hope to do is target the latent virus itself and make it unresponsive to stimuli such as interleukin 1 beta.”

Until then, the best defense is not to become infected with HSV-1. Wash your hands frequently and avoid close contact with someone who has a cold sore or thinks they’re about to have a cold sore. Also, do not share their personal items such as towels, razors or eating utensils.

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Easing cold sore flareups

If you already have HSV-1, you can take measures to prevent outbreaks like cold sores. As with most illnesses, it’s important to eat well, exercise and get enough sleep to manage stress and give your body stamina to fight off sickness. In the case of HSV-1, it also helps to protect your face and lips from sun exposure by using sunscreen and wearing a wide-brimmed hat.

When a cold sore does appear, you can prevent spreading HSV-1 by practicing good hygiene. Try not to touch it, and if you do, make sure you wash your hands right away. That will help keep you from spreading it to other parts of your body, or to other people. Also, change your toothbrush and throw out any creams, balms, ointments or makeup you’ve been using on your face or lips.

We’ve written before about natural ways to treat cold sores, including applying licorice root, peppermint oil, vanilla oil or extract, tea tree oil, lemon balm or manuka honey directly to the sore. Aloe vera gel also can help a cold sore heal and in lab studies has shown the potential to fight viruses, including HSV.

Thymoquinone (TQ), one of the active compounds in black cumin seed oil, has been studied for exhibiting antiviral properties. It is considered an immune system modulator, meaning it may help balance an overactive immune response. In one study, TQ was found to inhibit the entry and cell-to-cell spread of HSV-1.

In addition, the essential amino acid lysine has proven in studies to be effective at reducing the severity and duration of cold sores. You can get lysine through supplementation or by eating foods like fish, poultry, legumes and vegetables. Be aware that the amino acid l-arginine can lower levels of lysine, so you may want to avoid foods high in l-arginine if you’re susceptible to cold sores or having frequent flare-ups. L-arginine can be found in chocolate, spinach, nuts and nut butters, lentils and soybeans.

Sources:

Cold Sores: Here’s How Stress, Illness and Even Sunburn Trigger Flareups — UVAHealth

Neuronal hyperexcitability is a DLK-dependent trigger of herpes simplex virus reactivation that can be induced by IL-1 — eLife

Reducing Your Risk of Cold Sores (Herpes Simplex Type 1) — Winchester Hospital

N Vitro And In Silico Evaluation Of Anti-Herpes Simplex Virus Potentials Of Thymoquinone — Research Gate

How to Get Rid of Cold Sores — WebMD

The post What triggers cold sores to flareup? appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

It’s where people travel abroad to receive treatment for various reasons, but the main attraction is the low cost of procedures they’d pay much more for in the U.S. Cosmetic medical tourism is immensely popular for that reason

I’ve heard good and bad things about medical tourism, and though it’s not my cup of tea, another travel-related benefit certainly is…

It’s called travel therapy and it could serve as a groundbreaking anti-aging intervention — no surgery, injections or hospital stay required.

According to researchers from Edith Cowan University, it could be the best way to defy premature aging…

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Slowing the trend toward disorder and death

For the first time, researchers have applied the theory of entropy to tourism and health benefits that could slow aging.

Scientists classify entropy as the general trend of the universe towards death and disorder. In humans, that translates to aging.

“Ageing, as a process, is irreversible. While it can’t be stopped, it can be slowed down,” says lead researcher Fangli Hu.

She and her team believe travel could slow aging by triggering changes that help the body sustain a low-entropy state.

That’s because travel and exposure to new surroundings and relaxing activities positively influence metabolic activities and may also trigger an adaptive immune system response.

That latter part is a big deal because with age, our adaptive immune response declines — along with the atrophy of the thymus, a gland that supplies immune cells when we’re young.

“Put simply, the self-defense system becomes more resilient. Hormones conducive to tissue repair and regeneration may be released and promote the self-healing system’s functioning.

“Leisurely travel activities might help alleviate chronic stress, dampen over-activation of the immune system and encourage normal functioning of the self-defense system. Engaging in recreation potentially releases tension and fatigue in the muscles and joints. This relief helps maintain the body’s metabolic balance and increases the anti-wear-and-tear system’s effectiveness. Organs and tissues can then remain in a low-entropy state.”

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Take a trip to slow aging — or try these anti-aging practices

So if you want a youthful boost, maybe a vacation is just what the doctor ordered! If you’ve been putting it off, you’ve got a great reason to make your plans now.

If travel abroad or to a resort isn’t possible, there are plenty of destinations right here in the U.S. and most likely, even in your home state, that could help you relax and trigger a low-entropy state the researchers mentioned.  

If travel isn’t possible, exercise could kick things into gear. The researchers noted the physical activities of travel such as walking, hiking, climbing or cycling, promote a low-entropy state.

And if you can handle intense exercise, you could also “wake up” your thymus. A couple of years ago, researchers found that 80-year-old endurance cyclists were producing the same level of T-cells as adults in their 20s!

Reducing oxidative damage can also help. Oxidative stress can suppress your T-cell response, which impairs the adaptive immune response. At the same time, reduced oxidative damage at the cellular level means slower biological aging.

The nutrient resveratrol, found in the skin of red grapes, helped spearhead research into anti-aging because of its effects against oxidative stress. Muscadine grapes have high levels of resveratrol and of course, you can find the anti-aging antioxidant in supplement form.

Sources:

Travel could be the best defense against aging — ScienceDaily

The post These scientists say travel could help us defy aging appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

On one hand, that first day of crisp fall air absolutely thrills me…

But on the other hand, almost simultaneously, I begin waking every morning with dark circles under my eyes and raging congestion, followed by a nose that runs like a faucet.

Is it allergies, sinusitis, a cold or what?

In years past, I’d swear off the idea of allergies because I wasn’t sneezing and I didn’t have watery eyes. But after 50 years of it, something finally clicked… everyone doesn’t have the exact same allergy symptoms. And as far as seasonal allergies can go, fall takes the ticket by throwing everything but the kitchen sink at you — including mold!

This year, I’m ready. I’m armed with a full understanding of what’s attacking me — and how to tame it without feeling drugged up…

What the heck is stirring up your fall allergies?

I chose to write about my allergy issues (and how I’ve finally been able to relieve them) because so many other people are in the same boat right now. More than 24 million Americans suffer from seasonal allergies.

Sometimes the symptoms can be confusing because colds are usually making the rounds this time of year as well. However, colds are more apt to present with a runny nose, sore throat and possibly a fever.

If you experience a postnasal drip (which can lead to throat irritation), headache, watery or itchy eyes, ear congestion and mild fatigue, it’s a good bet you suffer from allergies.

But what’s causing it? Well, let me count the ways that fall socks it to us…

Allergic rhinitis: This is typically the culprit when people blame hay fever for their misery. But it’s more likely that your trigger is ragweed — not hay. This plant and its irritants start in mid-August and can wreak havoc until the first freeze.

Lingering warm weather: If unseasonably warm days stick around longer than usual, rhinitis symptoms can last longer, too. And when those warm days include high humidity, you can blame mold spores for that horrible headache. Even a dry, windy day can help circulate these irritants.

Leaves, leaves everywhere: Aren’t the colorful fall leaves just beautiful? Yes, until they fall. First, they can trap moisture… and that means mold. Then, when we start raking, we’re stirring up that mold and agitating pollen. Yikes!

These are just a few of the things causing seasonal allergies… now let’s talk about what you can do to feel better through them…

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My first fall free of allergy symptoms

I stopped reaching for prescription and over-the-counter antihistamines a couple of years ago. Once I learned that most of the active ingredients in them were anticholinergic drugs, I cleared out my medicine cabinet.

That’s because anticholinergics (like diphenhydramine, found in products like Benadryl and Nytol) block the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which is critical to memory function. My colleague Joyce Holman has written about about how anticholinergics can put people at higher risk for developing mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and ultimately, Alzheimer’s disease.

My close family history of Alzheimer’s is too high for me to take that risk. Instead, as with most things health-related, I’ve chosen a natural route to get relief, starting with the golden oil of the Nigella sativa plant’s black seeds.

Black seed oil, as it’s more commonly known around the globe, was found to be an effective treatment for symptoms of allergic rhinitis when you want to avoid the effects of other allergy drugs. In a study of 66 patients, symptoms including nasal congestion, nasal itching, runny nose and sneezing were relieved during the first two weeks of taking it.

Last fall was my first year to try it. It was such a relief to wake every day without having to immediately grab a tissue and run for the medicine cabinet. Instead, before bed each night I took a supplement that contained the cold-pressed golden oil, then one with breakfast the next morning. I’ve never felt better, and it was probably the first fall I lived through without feeling like I was in a medicated fog.

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Other natural allergy symptom relievers

If the natural world can throw allergens at us, is it surprising that the answer to taming those allergens can be found in nature as well? If anyone understands the concept of balance, it’s Mother Nature.

Here are a few more remedies to help make fall your favorite allergy-free season of the year…

Bromelain is an enzyme found in pineapples that helps thin mucus and alleviate swelling in the nose and sinuses. Even though I eat some pineapple every day, to get enough to help with allergies you’d need to supplement. Avoid if you’re on antibiotics, and talk to your doctor about it if you’re on blood thinners.

Quercetin, found in apples, red grapes, onions and teas is a natural decongestant, antihistamine and antioxidant that can stop the release of histamines by your body’s immune system. Supplementing would provide enough to help with allergy symptoms.

Eucalyptus not only smells great but if used in a vaporizer it can really open your sinus passages. You can even add a few drops to a small pot of boiled water and breath in the warm steam, carefully.

Sources:

Allergy Facts — American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology

Four Things You Might Not Know About Fall Allergies — American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology

Herbal treatment of allergic rhinitis: the use of Nigella sativa — The American Journal of Otolaryngology

Natural Remedies for Grass and Ragweed Allergies — Midwest Allergy Relief

The post The golden ticket to a fall free of allergy symptoms appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

From November through February, ticks either go dormant, hide in leftover leaf litter, or stay underground in burrows. And snow doesn’t kill them; instead, it insulates dormant ticks, protecting them through the cold winter months.

So if you plan on spending any time outdoors in the winter, you need to continue to be tick-aware — especially since rates of one tick-borne disease are on the rise….

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The concerning rise of babesiosis

Babesiosis, caused by the Babesia parasite, is sometimes referred to as American malaria because, like malaria, it infects the red blood cells and shares many of the same symptoms. Found mainly in Northeastern and Midwestern states in the U.S., babesiosis is transmitted by black-legged ticks, also known as deer ticks — the same ticks that transmit Lyme disease.

Not all people who contract babesiosis have symptoms; those who do experience flu-like symptoms. The disease can be deadly for older adults and those with certain health conditions, such as a weakened immune system or lack of spleen.

According to a new research at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and Penn State College of Medicine, rates of babesiosis increased an average of 9 percent per year in the U.S. between 2015 and 2022. The majority of cases peaked during the summer months and were reported in the Northeastern U.S.

Researchers suggest changes in factors like temperature, humidity, rainfall and length of season have influenced the population and distribution of ticks as well as the population of animals that serve as hosts. As a result, ticks may be distributed over a wider geographical area.

Does co-infection raise risk of complications?

Researchers say that, of those diagnosed with babesiosis, 42 percent were infected with one or more additional tick-borne diseases, a higher rate than found in previous studies. Roughly 4 out of 10 of those patients were also infected with the bacterium responsible for Lyme disease.

There were no significant differences in complications between the babesiosis-only group and the group with additional tick-borne infections. However, the mortality risk was higher among the babesiosis-only group.

“These findings suggest that clinicians should have a heightened vigilance of co-infection of other tick-borne illness among patients admitted with babesiosis,” says Paddy Ssentongo, infectious disease fellow at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and lead author of the study.

Ssentongo thought the finding that having both babesiosis and Lyme disease wasn’t associated with worse mortality was surprising. “It’s speculated that the concurrent presence of other tick-borne infections in the blood could alter the immune response by possibly ‘boosting’ it to effectively fight infections,” he says.

The difference in outcomes could also be connected to how other tick-borne illnesses are treated, Ssentongo says. The research team found that the co-infection group was more likely to be prescribed doxycycline, which is the first-line antibiotic treatment for Lyme disease, anaplasmosis and ehrlichiosis, According to Ssentongo, this raises the question of whether doxycycline is also effective in treating the Babesia parasite.

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The current treatment regimen for babesiosis depends on how severe the disease is. Treatment typically includes a combination of the antibiotics azithromycin and atovaquone. Severely ill patients also may undergo red blood cell exchange, in which abnormal red blood cells are removed and replaced by healthy ones.

“For patients with babesiosis, we add on doxycycline as we’re investigating whether or not the patient has Lyme disease or other tick-borne diseases, and we’ve seen better outcomes at our medical center with this approach,” Ssentongo says.

He adds that there are reports of other cases of babesiosis that have been successfully treated with doxycycline. However, the researchers say more study is needed to better understand the physiological pathway underlying co-infection and how they might influence treatment protocols.

The best defense is prevention

As Ssentongo emphasizes, the most effective way to treat babesiosis is to not get bitten by a tick in the first place.

Most common infections from tick bites aren’t transmitted immediately. For example, the bacteria that causes Lyme disease takes more than 24 hours to be transmitted.

He advises taking precautions if you live in areas where babesiosis is endemic, especially in the summer months.

“Practice tick-bite prevention practices. Wear long-sleeved shirts and pants and light-colored clothes. Use tick repellant and check for ticks after spending time outdoors.”

If you find a tick, remove it using fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible and pull it upward with steady pressure. If parts of the tick are left in the skin, remove that with tweezers as well and clean the area and your hands with rubbing alcohol. Call your doctor about an examination of the bite.

Sources:

Rates of a tick-borne parasitic disease are on the rise — ScienceDaily

Beyond Human Babesiosis: Prevalence and Association of Babesia Coinfection with Mortality in the United States, 2015–2022: A Retrospective Cohort Study — Open Forum Infectious Diseases

What months are ticks the most active — Terminix

The post Move over Lyme disease: a new tick illness is on the rise appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Of course, now I know that a person’s lifestyle can impact how high or low their cancer odds are stacked — even when there’s a genetic risk factor

But when assessing those risks, we’re learning more about the role bacteria play. For example:

• Most cases of stomach cancer are caused by bacteria.
• A majority of cervical cancers, as well as some genital and oral cancers, are caused by a virus.
• Certain chronic viral infections can lead to liver cancer.

4 Cancer-causing infections

According to the American Association for Cancer Research, cancer-causing infections account for about 13 percent of all cancer cases worldwide.

Here’s what you need to know about four potential cancer-causing infections — and how to beat them back…

Infection #1: Human papillomavirus (HPV)

Of the 200 or so types of HPV, a dozen significantly increase the risk of cervical, genital and oral cancers.

HPV usually goes away on its own. However about ten percent of women with HPV in the cervix will go on to develop a persistent infection. This can cause cells to replicate rapidly. At the same time, it deactivates proteins that suppress tumors.

Most sexually active people will be infected with human papillomavirus at least once in their lives. Using condoms cuts the risk, but vaccination offers the strongest protection. Some research has shown that high levels of specific antioxidants may help prevent the onset of cancer-causing HPV.

The CDC recommends two or three doses of the HPV vaccine starting around age 11 or 12 and through age 26. But older adults can benefit from being vaccinated if they weren’t when they were children.

Also, a yearly Pap smear can save your life. Your doctor can look for abnormalities caused by HPV before they turn into cancer.

Infection #2 and #3: Hepatitis B and C

These viruses lead to cancer by causing inflammation in liver cells. Chronic inflammation leads to scar tissue and cirrhosis, a strong risk factor for liver cancer.

Hepatitis B and C are both spread through contact with infected blood, semen, and other bodily fluids. In practical terms, that means it’s spread through unprotected sex and by sharing infected needles.

There is a highly effective vaccine against Hep B. Having diabetes or living with someone who has Hep B are two major risk factors. Adults with these and other risk factors should be screened and receive the vaccine if they haven’t as a child (infant vaccination for Hep B has been recommended since 1991).

There’s no vaccine for Hep C, but antiviral medications can cure it. But you can go years without even knowing you have the infection.

Infection #4: H. pylori

H. pylori is a very common infection. About three percent of people with H. pylori will develop cancer. Scientists still aren’t sure why this happens.

Bacteria are found in saliva and the plaque on our teeth. This means that the best way to prevent an H. pylori infection is to avoid sharing food utensils, drinking glasses and toothbrushes.

The bacteria is also found in feces. Washing hands well with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before preparing food or eating, as well as after using the bathroom, will kill it.

H. pylori is mainly associated with gastric (stomach) cancer. If you have stomach ulcers, stomach pain or bloody stools, ask your doctor about being tested for the bacteria.

The risk of gastric cancer in people who carry H. pylori bacterium is around 14 percent. But a breakthrough study found that in patients who had both H. pylori, plus one of five genetic variants, the risk of gastric cancer in their lifetime jumped to 45 percent.

Prevention is key, even when genetics are involved

The good news here is that we have weapons at our disposal to greatly reduce our risks for many types of cancer.

Some powerful examples are what’s known as chemopreventive foods and exercise…

A team of scientists from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center described exercise’s impact on cancer as “mind-blowing,” when pitted against a genetic cancer predisposition known as Lynch Syndrome (LS) — which impacts more than a million Americans.

They saw high-intensity interval training (HIIT) increase cancer-fighting cells, improve the immune system’s ability to detect and remove potential cancer cells and make significant changes to gene expression.

That means, no matter what potential avenue cancer could take to affect your health — take control.

Sources:

These Four Common Infections Can Cause Cancer — NY Times

About the AACR Cancer Progress Report — American Association for Cancer Research

The post 4 common infections that spread cancer risks appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

According to Stanford researchers, specific biomolecular shifts occur in our 40s and 60s that explain what’s happening to our bodies to make us feel this way.

In other words, instead of gradually aging year over year, we experience significant age-related changes during two specific times in our lives.

Here’s what’s happening and why — and what you might do to lessen the effects…

How and when your body ages the most

Using years of data from 108 people, as well as blood and other biological samples, researchers were able to identify and follow age-related changes in more than 135,000 different molecules and microbes, for a total of nearly 250 billion distinct data points.

This is how they learned that — in more than 80 percent of the molecules in the human body — major changes happen at two distinct periods of life: your mid-40s and your early 60’s.

Specifically, in our 40s, significant changes occur in the number of molecules available to metabolize alcohol, caffeine and fats (think mid-life belly bulge!) — as well as those related to the development of heart disease.

During this time we also experience a major reduction in molecules that keep our skin and muscles strong and healthy.

Then, when our 60s roll around, changes occur related to carbohydrate and caffeine metabolism, and an increase in inflammatory cytokines that weaken the immune system.

On top of more heart-related changes, kidney function can begin to suffer. No wonder older adults are prone to type 2 diabetes, and heart and kidney disease.

So, if you’ve passed 40 or 60 and feel like your best days are behind you — you’re not the only one. But while science is just now figuring out the mechanics of aging, an unsung hero of the nutritional world could help you “feel like” you’ve turned back the clock…

Combat the ‘aging decades’

Back in the 1970s, the amino acid dimethylglycine, called DMG for short, was used by athletes to give them a performance edge. But DMG turned out to be much more than a performance enhancer…

Doctors began getting feedback from patients that it provided relief for chronic joint pain, restored concentration and focus, got their cholesterol and triglyceride levels back in check — and many other age-related symptoms.

That’s when researchers started digging and backing up these claims. They found…

DMG supports heart health. Research from Clemson University showed that DMG supports the heart and blood vessels by slowing the rate of degeneration and supporting oxygen function.

DMG supports immune health. Research in The Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine showed that DMG acted as an immune modulator, enhancing the immune system’s ability to respond to foreign invaders by boosting the production of T-cells, B-cells and macrophages to guard against infection.

DMG and cognition. Based on testimonies found in The Townsend Letter, alternative health practitioners from all over have shared that DMG boosts brain function including memory, cognition and focus.

Overall, it’s involved in at least 41 different processes in your body and is needed by every single cell. Your body can’t create certain hormones, neurotransmitters or even DNA without it.

I could go on and on about DMG’s potential for relieving inflammation, reducing oxidative damage, supporting detoxification and healthy circulation — and more. But I think by now you get my point: It could be a valuable tool in the fight against the ravages of aging.

DMG is an essential amino acid, meaning our bodies can make it. You have to get it through your diet, from foods like beans, cereal grains, brown rice, pumpkin seeds and liver. But unless you get ample amounts of these foods daily, to get the therapeutic amount your body needs, consider supplementing.

Sources:

Massive biomolecular shifts occur in our 40s and 60s, Stanford Medicine researchers find – EurekAlert!

The post Feel like your body fell apart after 40? Here’s why appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

After all, who wouldn’t want to live longer, healthier and just plain better?

However, it turns out that all this time, we may have been looking for the secret to longevity in the wrong place.

That’s because according to groundbreaking research at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, the fountain of youth may have been inside our own bodies all this time.

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Tweaking T cells to turn back time

So what is the real fountain of youth?

According to the researchers, our very own T cells.

T cells are a type of white blood cells that play a central role in our immune system. And it turns out that they can be turned into what scientists call a “living drug” to halt the ravages of time.

Here’s how it works…

T cells are taken from a patient’s own blood and are then altered in the lab by adding a gene for a receptor (called a chimeric antigen receptor or CAR).

The new CAR T cells are then injected into the body, where they go to work eliminating senescent cells.

Those are cells that have stopped replicating and instead build up in the body causing harmful inflammation that destroys immune health and speeds up aging. In fact, senescent cells are thought to be responsible for many of the diseases we grapple with later in life.

The Cold Spring Harbor researchers found that when CAR T cells were injected into mice, they not only gobbled up senescent cells like Pac-Man, they allowed the mice to live healthier lives.

Mice that were given the altered T cells:

• Maintained a lower body weight
• Benefitted from an improved metabolism
• Had a higher glucose tolerance
• Stayed more active

And all of those benefits came without any of the tissue damage or toxicity you would find with traditional drugs.

“If we give it to aged mice, they rejuvenate. If we give it to young mice, they age slower. No other therapy right now can do this,” said lead researcher, Corina Amor Vegas.

And the researchers say that just a single dose of CAR T cells can have lifelong effects, protecting against issues that come with aging like diabetes and obesity, since the cells are able to persist in the body for long periods.

So it seems as if the fountain of youth might truly be within our reach — at least it could be if the treatment receives FDA approval.

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Send senescent cells packing

Of course, you don’t have to wait for that to happen to start turning back the clock toward a longer, healthier life.

There are ways to support the mechanisms in your body tied to healthier aging — instead of just leaving it to chance — that can make it harder for those senescent cells to steal your youth and vitality, including:

• PQQ – Known as the ‘longevity nutrient’, PQQ lowers the risk of age-related ailments by improving the function of the mitochondria.
• CoQ10 – Without adequate CoQ10, mitochondria can’t function as they should, and aging accelerates. Research has shown CoQ10 is capable of reviving ailing mitochondria to restore lost function and slow aging. Be aware this is the nutrient statins can lower.
• Resveratrol – Found in the skin of grapes and dark chocolate, resveratrol helps rejuvenate senescent cells, turning back the clock so they behave like youthful cells again.
• Grape seed extract – A polyphenol in grape seeds known as procyanidin C1, or PCC1, has been shown to significantly extend both the healthspan and lifespan of old mice by promoting the death of senescent cells.
• Fisetin – This compound found in fruits like strawberries and apples is a senotherapeutic agent. This means fisetin is capable of specifically targeting only the senescent cells in the damaged tissue to help rein in the damage and slow aging.

Sources:

The fountain of youth is … a T cell? – EurekAlert!

The post This ‘living drug’ could be the real fountain of youth appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

And that’s a shame because gardening comes with health benefits beyond growing your own organic food or favorite succulents…

For starters, it’s a great outdoor activity that supports good joint health and reduces stress. Even better, people who are dedicated gardeners get a significant longevity boost from it.

And if your “garden” only consists of houseplants, well, you can thank them for keeping your indoor air clean.

Now, there’s even more evidence of gardening’s positive impact on our health — especially for those like me who live in an urban environment…

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Soil, microbes and your immune system

Research has previously shown us that getting our hands dirty has benefits.

That’s because contact with microbially rich materials derived from nature, like dirt and plants, alters the human microbiota.

In a collaborative study between the University of Helsinki, Natural Resources Institute Finland and Tampere University in Finland, subjects committed to try their hand at urban gardening to see if gardening on a constrained level could still be of benefit.

One group of participants used a growing medium for their plants that had high microbial diversity emulating the forest soil — while the other used a microbially poor peat-based medium that’s widely used, especially when getting plants from a nursery.

The results were amazing. After one month of gardening indoors, the participants who used the forest soil medium experienced an increase in their skin’s bacterial diversity and higher levels of anti-inflammatory molecules in the blood.

But the peat-based medium group? They had none of these benefits.

What this means is that gardening could lead to long-term changes in immune system functioning — but microbes are the key.

“The findings are significant, as urbanization has led to a considerable increase in immune-mediated diseases, such as allergies, asthma and autoimmune diseases, generating high healthcare costs,” says doctoral researcher Mika Saarenpää from the University of Helsinki. “We live too ‘cleanly’ in cities.”

Saarenpää notes that urbanization leads to reduced microbial exposure and changes in the human microbiota. “This is the first time we can demonstrate that meaningful and natural human activity can increase the diversity of the microbiota of healthy adults and, at the same time, contribute to the regulation of the immune system,” he says.

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Urban gardening: Little space, big benefit

Saarenpää says at its best, microbe-mediated immunoregulation can lower the risk of immune-mediated diseases or potentially even reduce their symptoms. Increasing this healthy microbial exposure at the population level could even reduce the healthcare costs and improve people’s quality of life.

“We don’t yet know how long the changes observed in the skin microbiota and anti-inflammatory cytokines persist, but if gardening turns into a hobby, it can be assumed that the regulation of the immune system becomes increasingly continuous,” he adds.

According to Saarenpää, exposing children to nature and microbes is especially important since immune system development is most active in childhood. He recommends introducing plant boxes filled with microbially rich soil at kindergartens, schools and even hospitals, especially those located in densely built urban areas.

To minimize risks associated with urban gardening, he cautions to ensure the skin on your hands is unbroken and avoid inhaling dusty growing media.

So, if you live in an apartment in an urban area like me, what can you do to gain the benefits of gardening?

Beneficial microbial exposure through gardening can be practiced easily at home year-round with minimal space or financial investment.

In the study, participants gardened in regular flower boxes filled with plants like peas, beans, mustards and salads that came from regular shops.

It’s easy to start growing plants indoors, near a window. Then, if you’re lucky enough to have access to a balcony or roof space, or even a tiny plot of a yard, you could move your garden outdoors when the weather warms up.

That way, you’ll gain the benefits of fresh air and sunshine along with the microbial benefits of the garden.

Sources:

1. Urban gardening may improve human health – Research subjects benefitted from microbial exposure that boosts the immune system — EurekAlert!

2. Urban indoor gardening enhances immune regulation and diversifies skin microbiota — A placebo-controlled double-blinded intervention study — Environment International

The post Grow an indoor garden and watch your immune system flourish appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Then, when I entered high school, he took a new job — one that required him to work nights.

Suddenly, he began to gain weight.

While he tried to eat healthy and still focused on getting exercise during the day, his weight continued to go up. He said it seemed that no matter what he did, the pounds were easy to put on and impossible to take off.

Eventually, he was even diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

In his mind, the issue all started with his move to working the night shift.

And as it turns out — he was right.

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Shift work leads to chronic metabolic conditions

A study from scientists at Washington State University and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has found the link that proves that flipping your biological clock on its head by working nights and sleeping days is a recipe for disaster.

Their study used volunteers who were put on simulated night or day shift schedules for three days. Then, after their last shift, each person was asked to stay awake for 24 hours under constant conditions of lighting, temperature, posture and food intake in order to accurately measure their internal biological rhythms.

That measurement was done via blood samples that allowed the researchers to take a deep dive into how shift work affects proteins that are found in the cells of the immune system.

And the results clearly showed why night shift workers are so much more likely to suffer from obesity, diabetes and other chronic metabolic conditions than people who work during the day.

The scientists found that when you work at night, there is nearly a complete reversal in glucose rhythms, which has a significant negative impact on blood glucose regulation.

Additionally, they discovered that processes involved in insulin production and sensitivity, which normally work together to keep glucose levels within a healthy range, were no longer synchronized in night-shift participants.

The researchers say this effect can initially be a healthy response since it’s caused by the regulation of insulin trying to undo the glucose changes triggered by the night shift schedule. However, in the long run, it puts diabetes on the table.

 “What we showed is that we can really see a difference in molecular patterns between volunteers with normal schedules and those with schedules that are misaligned with their biological clock,” said Jason McDermott, a computational scientist and researcher.

The damage is almost immediate

If those results alone weren’t scary enough, the researchers have one more warning for night shift workers everywhere.

The changes seen in the study that can lead to metabolic damage are almost immediate.

In fact, the study shows that these disrupted rhythms related to blood glucose regulation, energy metabolism and inflammation can be seen in as little as three days.

This means that in as little as three days, night shift work can put you on the road to developing a chronic metabolic condition.

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Reducing the risks of shift work

So if you’re stuck doing shift work, is there a way to fight back against these metabolic risks?

Luckily, there are a few options provided by past research.

These include:

• Upping your vitamin D levels – It’s been shown that higher levels of the sunshine vitamin, which could be in short supply in your body if you work at night, are associated with lower numbers on your scale. So be sure to get out in the bright morning sun when you can and take a quality D3 supplement.
• Adding in vitamin E – If you’re already living with obesity or another metabolic syndrome, you could be vitamin E deficient, preventing vitamin D from working its weight loss magic.
• Protecting your vitamin E – Vitamin C has been shown to guard vitamin E against lipid peroxidation. This prevents an antioxidant cascade that leads to inflammation, obesity and metabolic syndrome.
• Switching to stevia – Research has shown that the natural sweetener, stevia, is a natural alternative for treating obesity, hypertension and elevated levels of blood sugar and lipids, all disorders associated with metabolic syndrome. Just be sure to buy 100 percent stevia not mixed with erythritol, as some may be.

Additionally, I recommend checking out the recommendations of my colleague, Joyce Hollman, on how to shift the heart disease, diabetes and stroke risk of shift work to avoid serious health issues.

Sources:

Study shows how night shift work can raise risk of diabetes, obesity — EurekAlert!

The post Why night shift leads to weight gain and diabetes appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

That’s because according to leading dermatologists, relaxing in the sun while sipping margarita could lead to an unexpected skin risk.

Known as phytophotodermatitis, or more commonly, “margarita burn,” this condition is not only similar to poison ivy but it can go so far as to leave your skin blistered.

So before you enjoy your margarita poolside or at the beach, here’s what you need to know to keep your skin safe…

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Margarita burn: a citrusy chemical reaction

Phytophotodermatitis can be thought of as a chemical reaction driven by the combination of citrus and UV exposure.

Chemical compounds, known as furocoumarins or furanocoumarins, in the citrus act as a photosensitizer — which makes your skin more susceptible to the damage the sun’s UV rays are capable of.

This allows UVA exposure to weaken the skin which in turn activates the immune system, making your skin even more sensitive to irritation. The effect is almost allergy-like.

As Raman Madan, MD, a dermatologist with Northwell Health in Glen Cove, New York, explains, “It can happen after patients come in contact with certain plants that can make your skin a little bit more sensitive to the sun. So when the UVA [ultraviolet-A] rays hit the skin, you basically can develop a rash that can look almost like poison ivy on your skin.”

And if you think that you’ll be fine as long as you don’t spend hours basking in the sun, think again.

According to Dr. Madan, the reaction can happen in as little as five minutes. You just might not see the visible effects for 24 to 72 hours.

The good news is that once the rash presents, it usually self-resolves in another two to three days.

However, although phytophotodermatitis can go away on its own, it’s not unusual to seek a doctor’s care, even for mild cases. Treatment for mild conditions includes topical corticosteroids and anti-inflammatories. For more severe cases antibiotics or oral steroids are used.

In addition to citrus plants, other offenders that can cause you to develop a rash when combined with UV exposure are fennel, celery and figs that also produce those furocoumarins.

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An extra level of skin protection

So, if you want to enjoy a margarita or any of the furocoumarin-containing foods, just be sure to enjoy them in the shade.

And if you’d like to take it a step further, why not put the foods in your kitchen that do the exact opposite?

Science has shown several foods provide skin protection from UV rays, rather than sensitizing it. Some of the best include:

#1 – Grapes

Grapes are packed with resveratrol, the antioxidant that launched anti-aging research, thanks to its association with the French Paradox. It’s a powerhouse that can actually make old cells new again.

Even better, study after study has proven that eating grapes and/or taking grape seed extract protects against UV skin damage, increases resistance to sunburn and reduces cellular markers of UV damage.

#2 – Cocoa

Cocoa is not only a tasty treat. It’s packed with powerful flavonols. So it’s no wonder that research has demonstrated that drinking cocoa can help reduce skin sensitivity to UV by 15 percent after six weeks and 25 percent after 12 weeks.

#3 – Green tea

Green tea sourced from unfermented leaves is rich in polyphenols, known as catechins. Scientists have found that applying a topical extract of green teak guards the skin against UVB rays while offering broad-spectrum protection.

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#4 – Sweet potatoes and carrots

Foods rich in beta-carotenes provide high levels of antioxidants, along with vitamin A. Research has shown that supplementing beta-carotene supports the skin’s structure and can provide moderate UV protection.

#5 – Green leafy vegetables

Green leafy vegetables offer their own potent carotenoids, known as lutein and zeaxanthin. This duo guards against skin aging and damage by blocking cell loss and elastin expression in connective tissue cells that have been exposed to UV rays. They’re also found in carrots, pumpkin, grapes and some berries.

#6 – Tomatoes

Tomatoes are that beautiful, juicy red thanks to a pigment known as lycopene. But it does more than just offer a bright color to this fruit. It also has been shown to have sun-protective activity in the skin.

These foods won’t take the place of sensible sun protection practices, like sunscreen, but they could offer an extra layer of protection that goes beyond the moment by fighting the culprit responsible for 90 percent of skin aging — the sun.

Sources:

THE ANTIOXIDANT THAT COMBATS AGING AND MAKES OLD CELLS NEW AGAIN – Easy Health Options

The Unexpected Skin Risk of Summer Margaritas by the Pool – MEDPAGE TODAY

What’s New In Natural Compounds For Photoprotection? — MD Edge Dermatology

The post Margarita burn: The risk to watch for appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

And you probably already know that avoiding triggers that can set off a cascade of worsening symptoms is especially important.

In fact, things like passing by a smoker as you leave a building, days with higher levels of air pollution — and even the summer heat — can make it difficult to manage your condition.

But what you may not know is this: a seemingly unrelated health problem can not only aggravate your symptoms — but actually accelerate the progression of COPD.

And it starts in your mouth…

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Triggering COPD flare-ups

According to research published in the American Society of Microbiology Journals, bad bacteria in your mouth can result in COPD flare-ups by increasing lung inflammation.

Here’s how it works according to the researchers…

It all starts with a bacteria known as Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis). If that sounds familiar, it’s the bacteria that causes periodontitis or gum disease.

And while having the bacteria in your mouth is bad enough — after all, who wants to deal with bleeding, gums, loose teeth and other oral health problems — P. gingivalis doesn’t just stay in your mouth.

In fact, previously it’s been linked to lots of illnesses not at all related to oral health, including heart disease.

Now researchers have found that when it comes to COPD, P. gingivalis can travel to the lungs where it activates lung immune cells, which drive lung inflammation.

Because COPD already causes lung inflammation, gum disease is like fuel on a fire and can exacerbate progression of the disease.

Gum disease and whole-body health

Beyond damaging your lungs and making COPD worse, the bacteria can also:

• Travel to your brain where it could increase your chances of Alzheimer’s
• Lead to hypertension
• Double your risk of heart failure
• Put you on the fast track to cancer

Clearly, what happens in your mouth isn’t like Vegas — it doesn’t stay in your mouth.

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Keeping gum disease at bay

Of course, the first step to battle back bad oral bacteria that can aggravate your COPD and damage your health in so many ways is to brush and floss and see your dentist at least once a year.

But there are also other things you can add in to boost your oral health dramatically…

That can include taking these four supplements that have been shown to fight gum disease and help you keep a healthy mouth.

And to take it to the next level, try drinking or even just swishing out your mouth with matcha tea once or twice a day.

This green tea on steroids has been shown to have the power to kill all bad oral bacteria in just four hours flat.

Finally, if you enjoy a glass of red wine, it’s good to know that it has been shown to have three compounds that promote a healthy mouth.

COPD is a condition that requires the care of a physician, but research has shown some supplements can help:

Omega-3s: Like those found in fatty fish, fish oil or krill oil, have been associated with lung health.

Vitamin D: According to the American Thoracic Society, a vitamin D deficiency causes deficits in lung function and structure.

Both vitamin D and omega-3s also have anti-inflammatory properties. Spices like turmeric, ginger and black seed oil are also powerful anti-inflammatories.

Just check with our doctor to be sure nothing interferes with your medication.

Sources:
Periodontitis aggravates COPD through the activation of γδ T cell and M2 macrophage — American Society for Microbiology

The post What happens in your mouth could damage your lungs appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

What if I told you that an inexpensive over-the-counter remedy that’s probably sitting in your medicine cabinet right now could drastically reduce your chances of coming down with one?

You might be skeptical, to say the least.

But this kind of thing happens all the time. Through persistence and careful research, science finds cures that have been right under our noses all along…

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Neosporin stimulates immune system response

Currently, most therapies used to fight respiratory viral infections are delivered intravenously or orally. Their purpose is to keep existing infections from spreading and worsening.

However, a new study by Yale University researchers suggests that a therapy delivered through the nose would have a much better chance of stopping infections before they can spread to the lower respiratory tract and cause severe disease.

The study found that mice treated intra-nasally with the common antibiotic neomycin showed a strong interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) defense against both the SARS-CoV-2 and the influenza A virus.

And in healthy humans, nasal application of the over-the-counter ointment Neosporin — a triple-antibiotic ointment containing neomycin — also triggered a swift immune response by ISGs.

Interferon (IFN) is a natural substance produced by white blood cells. It helps the body’s immune system fight infection by signaling the expression of ISGs so they can keep viruses from replicating within the body.

“This is an exciting finding, that a cheap over-the-counter antibiotic ointment can stimulate the human body to activate an antiviral response,” says Dr. Akiko Iwasaki, the Sterling Professor of Immunobiology and professor of dermatology at Yale School of Medicine and co-senior author of the new study.

“Our findings suggest that we might be able to optimize this cheap and generic antibiotic to prevent viral diseases and their spread in human populations, especially in global communities with limited resources.”

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Other ways to rouse your immune system

If the idea of applying an ointment usually reserved for cuts and burns to your nose doesn’t delight you, there’s something else you can do to simulate interferon signaling to kick ISGs and your immune response into gear…

According to Professor Colin Smith, lead author of research published in 2022 in Frontiers of Immunology, “We have shown that vitamin D3 appears to stimulate the type I interferon signaling system in the body — a key part of the immune system that provides a first line of defense against bacteria and viruses. Thus, a healthy vitamin D3 status may help prevent viruses and bacteria from gaining a foothold in the body.”

That same research differentiated vitamin D3 from the more common form, D2. According to Professor Susan Lanham-New, co-author of the study, “While we found that vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 do not have the same effect on gene activity within humans, the lack of impact we found when looking at vitamin D2 means that a larger study is urgently required to clarify the differences in the effects. However, these results show that vitamin D3 should be the favored form for fortified foods and supplements.”

If you’re prone to respiratory infections, your lungs could probably use a little extra protection. Omega-3s can help there…

Researchers who analyzed genetic data from a large European study of over 500,000 patients drawn from the UK Biobank found that higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the blood correlated with better lung function and a reduced rate of decline in lung function.

Sources:

Common antibiotic may be helpful in fighting respiratory viral infections — Yale News

Intranasal neomycin evokes broad-spectrum antiviral immunity in the upper respiratory tract — PNAS

Protective Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation on COVID-19-Related Intensive Care Hospitalization and Mortality: Definitive Evidence from Meta-Analysis and Trial Sequential Analysis — Pharmaceuticals

The post The medicine cabinet ointment that fights respiratory viruses appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But what may not be as well-known is the immune system’s role in our psychological health. The immune system produces neurotransmitters like serotonin that affect your mood and is in turn influenced by the neurotransmitters released by the nervous system.

Unfortunately, stress can throw a wrench into the immune system’s complex and delicate workings…

Previous research shows stress can compromise the immune system’s ability to defend against disease — or even cause it to go haywire and cause rampant, damaging inflammation in the body.

One international team of researchers became interested in exploring the complicated connection between stress, the immune system and the brain. And what they discovered could have far-reaching implications for the treatment of depression…

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The effect of MMP-8 on behavior

In a study, the researchers uncovered a novel mechanism known as matrix metalloproteinaise-8 (MMP-8), an enzyme released from polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) that plays an important part in mediating inflammation.

Neutrophils, in general, are the body’s first responders to acute (sudden) inflammation. In chronic inflammation, their role is less understood, but they are associated with inflammatory diseases.

“We were able to show that stress increases the amount of [MMP-8], an enzyme in the blood of mice,” says first author Flurin Cathomas. “The same changes were found in patients with depression.”

When MMP-8 travels from the blood to the brain, it alters the functioning of certain neurons. The study found that this leads to behavioral changes in the affected mice; they withdraw and avoid social contact — which mimics behavior seen in humans with depression.

To prove that MMP-8 was responsible for the behavioral changes, the team removed the MMP-8 gene from some of the mice in the study. Compared to the control group, these mice did not display negative behavioral changes related to stress.

“Blood analyses of patients with depression indicate that the findings from the mouse models are also relevant for humans: both the monocytes and MMP-8 were increased in the blood of people with depression in comparison to healthy participants,” Cathomas says.

The findings are novel in two respects, according to Cathomas. “Firstly, they indicate a new ‘body-mind mechanism’, which might be relevant not only for stress-related mental illness, but also for other diseases that affect both the immune and nervous systems,” he says. And secondly, he adds, identifying the specific MMP-8 protein could be a potential starting point to develop new treatments for depression.

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Keep stress from hacking your immune system

More studies are required before these results translate to changes in clinical practice. But Cathomas notes this study “once again demonstrates the importance of the interaction between the immune system and the brain in the development of psychiatric disorders.

“These insights are already being incorporated into psychiatric treatment today,” he adds.

For now, there are many steps you can take on your own to help reduce stress that both support the health of your immune system and help fight depression. Here are a few to start with:

• Do yoga. If you want to bust stress, get a mood boost from endorphins and strengthen your immune system, yoga is the way to go. Attend a nearby class or check out some videos online to get started.
• Get some vitamin D. This “sunshine vitamin” not only helps support the immune system, but it also helps protect against stress and depressive symptoms. The easiest way to get vitamin D is through exposure to sunlight. But if you aren’t getting enough sun exposure, consider supplementing.
• Boost your omega–3s. Omega-3 fatty acids are powerful anti-inflammatory agents, and that may play some role in their ability to relieve depression on par with Prozac.
• Support your thyroid and adrenal glands. When your adrenals are constantly stressed, this sets off an autoimmune inflammatory response in your entire body which results in a constant assault of cortisol, the stress hormone. The adrenal-hypothalamus-pituitary feedback loop regulates the secretion of the stress hormone cortisol.
• Try frankincense essential oil. While there are separate essential oils that help with anxiety, depression and immune system support, frankincense may get to the root. Some research has shown that the Boswellic acid from frankincense stops inflammatory enzymes from working. Adding the essential oil to a diffuser can be very relaxing. Supplements are also available as Boswellia extract.

If feeling depressed, don’t hesitate to reach out to a healthcare professional.

Sources:

Stress influences brain and psyche via immune system — EurekAlert!

Circulating myeloid-derived MMP8 in stress susceptibility and depression — Nature

How does the immune system work? — InformedHealth.org

The Role of MMP8 in Cancer: A Systematic Review — International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Nature’s Medicine: Essential Oils for Depression, Anxiety and Immune Health — Cannizzaro Integrative Pediatric Center

The post Depressed? Your immune system may have been hacked appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

In the U.S., they have been on the rise since 2016. In March of 2023, we reported on a surge reaching half the states in the U.S.

Most recently, new reports published in the American Journal of Infection Control found that reported clinical cases had risen from 5 in 2019 to 115 in 2023 – a considerable jump of 2,200 percent in four years.

So, what do you need to know about C. auris?

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What is C. auris?

C. auris is actually a yeast that belongs to a group of organisms known as fungi.

It may even sound familiar to you because the Candida species are the most common cause of fungal infection. Most of them, like C. albicans, produce mild infections in people. These can include issues like:

• Vaginal yeast infections
• Athlete’s foot
• Nail fungus
• Thrush infections of the mouth

These types of Candida infections are mostly treatable but can become chronic. That’s why Candida is sometimes referred to as a silent epidemic. Some forms of the Candida species have even been linked to brain changes akin to Alzheimer’s.

But C. auris is especially dangerous, and here’s why…

Why is C. auris so dangerous?

Doctors across the country, as well as the CDC, are on the lookout for C. auris infections because the fungus is multi-drug resistant.

This means that if you are infected, it can be difficult, if not impossible, to find a drug that will work against it. In fact, there are only three effective antifungal drugs available.

The fungus can also spread rapidly, survive even highly stringent infection control measures, live in fabrics like sheets and clothes and last on hard surfaces for at least 28 days.

That makes it very easy to be exposed, especially for people in a healthcare setting.

It can slip into your bloodstream through a simple cut or scrape, an IV, a catheter or other tubes that enter the body. C. auris can even colonize your skin, living in folds and creases, turning you into a carrier who can spread the fungus to your loved ones or surfaces in other settings.

“It will reach into every corner of the country for sure,” Dr. Peter Pappas, a professor of medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, predicted during the surge in 2023. “The question is going to be how well can we control it?”

“By the time it shows up in a hospital, you know it’s been in the community for quite some time,” he said. “It’s just unclear how long that would be.”

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Who’s at risk from C. auris?

New research suggests that fungal infections now account for around six percent of all global deaths, so it’s vital to know your risks regarding C. auris.

The good news is that while anyone can be exposed to the fungus, most of us are able to fight it off.

However, some people are more susceptible than others. Those at the highest risk from the fungus are people who:

• Have been hospitalized for a long time
• Are in a nursing home
• Have a history of treatment with antifungal medications or antibiotics
• Have a compromised immune system due to issues like cancer or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

If you visit someone in a hospital or healthcare facility, the best recommendation to prevent C. auris infection is to regularly wash your hands with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Sources:

Changing Trends in the Sources and Volumes of Clinical Cultures with Candida auris at a Large Health System, 2019-2023 — American Journal of Infection Control

Worldwide fungal deaths twice as high as previously thought, research shows — The Telegraph

Increase in C. auris infection spurs new CDC measures — UCLA Health

Washington state faces first outbreak of a deadly fungal infection that’s on the rise in the US — NBCnews.com

The post Potentially deadly fungus on the rise: What you need to know appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

With a growing number of germs becoming harder to treat with antibiotics, like those that cause drug-resistant pneumococcal pneumonia, Staphylococcus aureus (or “staph”) or even Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), it can be hard to know how to protect yourself.

But now, scientists say they may have an answer to reduce antibiotic resistance.

Here’s why they say that the next time your doctor prescribes antibiotics, you should also take one other pill — fish oil!

Stopping the resistance of ‘superbugs’

Australian scientists found a chink in the armor of so-called ‘superbugs.’

Led by Flinders University, the researchers discovered that omega-3 fatty acids, like those found in fish oil, can break down the ability of superbugs to become resistant to antibiotics.

In fact, they say that adding fish oil to your antibiotic regimen could be the secret to taking your fight against these microbes to the next level.

Amazingly enough, the team was researching the antibiotic resistance of one of the toughest superbugs of all — Acinetobacter baumannii. It’s one of the leading hospital-acquired germs and one of the most resistant to multiple drugs.

This fact makes it incredibly dangerous since doctors don’t have many effective antibiotic choices left to fight it.

Yet, the researchers found that the fatty acids in fish oil make the germ’s membrane more permeable to antibiotics. This means a broader choice of medicines may now be able to get through its defenses

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“In the experiments, and complementary supercomputer modeling, we found that these fatty acids in fish oil render the bacteria more susceptible to various common antibiotics,” said microbiologist Dr. Bart Eijkelkamp, who leads the Bacterial Host Adaptation Research Lab at Flinders University.

The researchers said that the greedy superbugs just can’t distinguish between ‘good and bad’ host fatty acids. So they gobble them all up. And in the process, they leave themselves open and susceptible to antibiotic treatment.

Many benefits to supplementing omega-3s

“These studies provide new insights into the potential benefits of omega-3 supplements for bacterial infection, in particular during antibiotic treatment,” says Professor Anton Peleg, director of the Department of Infectious Diseases at The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne.

Of course, there are already so many benefits to supplementing omega-3s that this news is just icing on the cake — even if we can’t consider omega-3s a full-blown cure for antibiotic resistance.

Both EPA and DHA, the two types of fatty acids most abundant in fish and shellfish (like krill oil from tiny shrimp-like shellfish), have numerous studies supporting benefits for brain and heart health, may help regulate cholesterol, ease joint pain and even shrink fat.

Though this study was performed using fish oil, it has been reported that the omega-3 fatty acids from krill are more bioavailable — meaning they are more easily absorbed into the body. Krill is also considered a “cleaner” source of omega-3s, especially when it comes to mercury contaminants.

Sources:

Antibiotic / Antimicrobial Resistance (AR / AMR) — CDC

Antibiotic resistance — WHO

New defense against superbugs: Taking fish oil may reduce antibiotic resistance — PHYS.ORG

The post Why you should take fish oil with your antibiotic appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But then you worry — if I’m not getting good nutrition, will I get weaker and sabotage the healing process?

When I was a kid, the solution was chicken soup… but sometimes you can’t even keep THAT down.

What if your immune system actually works more efficiently when you don’t eat — or when you eat in a way that your body is offered up an alternative fuel source?

New research shows it may just give you the immune system boost you need…

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What are ketone bodies?

At the center of the “fasting is better” hypothesis are ketone bodies — metabolic by-products the liver produces from stored fat that become more numerous when glucose, the body’s main source of energy, is in short supply.

The liver steps up to increase the production of ketones to feed our energy-hungry brain and other organs.

It can happen during exercise when your cells are burning through fuel rapidly.

It can also happen during fasting when there is little food available to be broken down into glucose.

It’s also what happens on the Keto diet, which aims to force the body into using ketones for fuel instead of relying on sugar.

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How ketones impact immune health

A few years ago, scientists at Yale found that mice who ate a keto diet were able to fend off the flu virus better than mice who ate a diet higher in carbs.

And not long after that, research found a restrictive diet helped mice recover from a bacterial infection. Those scientists felt cutting off the glucose supply was beneficial and that ketones helped counter the oxidative stress caused by bacteria.

Now, scientists at The Van Andel Institute, a biomedical research center, have made another connection between the immune system and the ketone bodies that occur when we restrict our food intake.

Dr. Russell Jones and his team of researchers were surprised to find that, besides providing energy to the body when needed, ketone bodies also power immune cells.

In fact, they demonstrated that T-cells (immune cells) prefer ketone bodies over glucose as a fuel source.

They also found that ketone bodies improve T-cell function by “re-programming” them to better neutralize threats to the body.

And it seems that T-cells don’t fight infection as well when the production of ketone bodies is reduced — for example, when you eat a lot of carbohydrates.

And about eating or not when you get sick? The researchers hypothesize that ketone bodies may be an evolutionary failsafe that boosts the immune system when nutrient resources are limited, such as when one’s appetite is suppressed during illness.

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Fueling your immune system with ketones

Going forward, Dr. Jones and his team will explore how fasting and ketone body supplementation can impact immune function. These findings may also pave the way for future personalized dietary recommendations to augment treatments for infection, cancer and other diseases.

But how can you put this revelation to work now?

Well, there are two ways, and some people even combine them…

The Keto diet and intermittent fasting actually have a lot in common. Keto works in many of the same ways that intermittent fasting works.

Some experts even advise that starting the Keto diet, which will have you giving up the carbs and sugars, may make it easier to then try intermittent fasting.

If you’re considering going keto and you’d like a more in-depth guide to the benefits and rules, check out The keto diet in a nutshell.

Intermittent fasting may be easier, in that there are many ways to do it…

• Alternate day fasting, which involves eating anything you want one day and nothing at all the next.
• You could also try a modified alternate-day fast schedule if cutting out all food for a day sounds too extreme. That involves eating 500 calories on fast days.
• There’s also a more moderate form of intermittent fasting where you limit your daily eating window to eight hours and fast for 16 hours, although this type of fast is less likely to produce ketones.

The keto diet and alternate-day fasting are safe for most people but check with your doctor before you start either, just to be cautious.

Sources:

Alternative cellular ‘fuels’ boost immunity — Science Daily

Ketolysis drives CD8+ T cell effector function through effects on histone acetylation —Immunity

Van Andel Institute

The post The alternative fuel source that powers up your immune system appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

However, making certain dietary changes may bring a measure of relief and offer protection against this widespread health issue.

Dr. Mark Hyman is the founder and director of The UltraWellness Center, the Head of Strategy and Innovation at the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine, an eleven-time New York Times best-selling author, and Board President for Clinical Affairs for the Institute for Functional Medicine

A few years ago he authored The Blood Sugar Solution 10-Day Detox Diet, a book explaining that autoimmune diseases, which include celiac disease, multiple sclerosis, thyroid disease, psoriasis, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, can be maddeningly hard to deal with. For me, it’s sort of a bible…

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Misbehavior leads to inflammation

Hyman notes that when your immune system misbehaves, even if the immune alteration doesn’t result in full-blown disease, it can still lead to “weird, hard-to-classify syndromes like inflammation, pain, swelling, and general misery.”

He promotes 10 tips for dealing with autoimmune issues that fit into a paleo way of living, which is of personal interest to me since I attribute the diet to helping me overcome many health issues.

He says these tips grew out of his philosophy of following functional medicine: “An approach (that) is a fundamentally different way of solving medical problems, one that allows us to decipher the origins of illness and identify the disturbances in biology that lead to symptoms.”

Lifestyle strategies to blast inflammation

The strategies Hyman advocates include to:

1. Eat real foods, not packaged, processed, nutrient-deprived products. Hyman recommends wild-caught fish, plenty of berries, leafy vegetables, nuts and sweet potatoes. He further recommends consuming herbs that fight inflammation like rosemary, ginger and turmeric. Avoid refined, processed cooking oils like soy, corn, cottonseed and safflower oil. Those oils lead to extra inflammation in the body.
2. Have your body examined, preferably by a functional medicine practitioner, for infection. Have tests for Lyme disease, viral disease, bacterial infections and yeast.
3. Be checked for food allergies. Hyman recommends having what’s called IgG food testing. Blood tests can detect your IgG antibody response to various foods.
4. Get tested for celiac disease, the autoimmune reaction to the gluten contained in wheat, barley and rye.
5. Get tested for heavy metals in your body. These metals, which include mercury, can lead to autoimmune difficulties.
6. Make sure your digestive tract is functioning properly. Hyman explains: “About 60 percent of your immune system lies right under the single-cell-layer lining of your gut. If this surface breaks down, your immune system will get activated and start reacting to foods, toxins, and bugs in your gut.” Keeping your gut healthy should include eating fermented foods rich in friendly, beneficial probiotic bacteria – items like yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi and pickles. You should also eat real, whole foods and avoid processed foods. The dietary fiber in fruits and vegetables helps feed the good bacteria in your intestines.
7. Take supplements that fight inflammation. Hyman recommends vitamins C and D, fish oil and probiotics. He also says you should consider nutrients like grape seed extract, rutin (a plant pigment) and quercetin (also a plant pigment).
8. Get frequent exercise. He explains that exercise reduces inflammation. You don’t have to go to a gym or use exercise equipment to stay in shape. Just make sure you don’t sit too long every day, go for plenty of walks and just generally stay active. Gardening is good exercise, as is general yard work. Find yourself a physical activity you enjoy — whatever it is — and keep doing it day after day.
9. Keep yourself relaxed by controlling stress. Hyman says that stress plays havoc with the immune system and can lead to uncontrolled inflammation. He advocates doing yoga, deep breathing exercises, massage and/or biofeedback.
10. Get eight hours of sleep every night. Missing out on sleep distorts your metabolism, throwing off your appetite and making you more prone to binge eating. When you overeat sugary processed foods (that also often contain damaged fats) your risk of immune problems escalates.

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Big health changes

My health took a dramatic turn for the better when I went on the Paleo diet and ate foods similar to the ones Hyman recommends. The condition of my skin, which tended to frequently develop strange rashes, improved immensely. Even my tendency to suffer dramatic inflammation in reaction to insect bites calmed down significantly.

I believe the brunt of my problem was gluten intolerance. It’s important to note, that while Dr. Hyman suggests testing for celiac disease, a very serious condition, it’s widely accepted that you can have a negative reaction to gluten, even if you don’t have celiac disease. The Paleo diet is essentially a gluten-free diet, eschewing grains.

Eating the Paleo diet or, perhaps, the Pegan diet, which combines principles of the paleo and vegan diets, and following recommendations like Hyman’s 10 anti-inflammation tips can be very helpful for keeping your immune system on track. And that’s vital for staying healthy: A poorly functioning immune system not only makes you more vulnerable to infection, the system itself can become a problem when it begins to grow too prone to inflammation.

The post 10 best ways to blast inflammation from your body appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

You’ve probably heard of T-cells, those powerful disease-fighters we all need.

But have you ever wondered why they’re called “T” cells and not “B” or “F” cells?

The “T” stands for thymus, a small gland located in the chest, between the lungs and behind the breastbone.

Your thymus is the organ that produces those powerful T cells and “trains” them to recognize invaders, like bacteria or viruses, and not to attack your body — which otherwise could lead to autoimmune disease.

But for a long time, the thymus has not been considered important in adult life…

Convention has held that it begins to shrink into adulthood and by the time you’re 65, it’s pretty much “done for” — the result of an aging immune system.

But when researchers looked at the gland in older Swedes, they found it may be possible to head off this degeneration — giving us an opportunity to revive the little gland that’s key to a lifetime of good health…

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Fatty thymus reflects aging of the immune system

The SCAPIS study (Swedish cardiopulmonary bioimage study) examined CT scans of the thymus gland in 1,000 Swedish individuals aged 50 to 64.

At the same time, they analyzed cells in their blood and saw that individuals with fatty degeneration of the thymus showed lower T-cell regeneration.

Dr. Mårten Sandstedt of the Department of Medicine and Health Sciences at Linköping University described certain conditions that made fatty degeneration of the thymus more likely to occur — and they’re the same factors that lead to fat in other areas of the body…

“We saw a huge variation in thymus appearance,” he says. “Six out of ten participants had complete fatty degeneration of thymus, which was much more common in men than in women, and in people with abdominal obesity.

“Lifestyle also mattered. Low intake of fibers in particular was associated with fatty degeneration of thymus.”

Professor Lena Jonasson of the Department of Medicine and Health Sciences at Linköping University, says that this finding presents an opportunity to support our thymus before it’s too late.

“This association with T-cell regeneration is interesting. It indicates that what we see in CT scans is not only an image, it actually also reflects the functionality of the thymus.

“You can’t do anything about your age and your sex, but lifestyle-related factors can be influenced. It might be possible to influence immune system aging,” she says.

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Slim down your thymus

Clearly, adding some fiber to your diet can only help your immune system. It can also support your health in a multitude of other ways — but most importantly it can help you avoid the abdominal fat associated with a fatty thymus.

One study showed that for every 10 additional grams of fiber people eat, their visceral fat (the type that collects deep within the belly) shrinks. 

There are a few other things you can do to support an aging thymus so hopefully, it can keep supporting your immune system…

• Get more antioxidants. One study found that antioxidants — including vitamin C — can protect the thymus from free radical damage and some of that age-related thymus shrinkage.
• Reduce wheat in your diet. Research has shown that a chemical in wheat called wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) contributes to thymus shrinkage.
• Supplement zinc. It’s the most important mineral your thymus needs. Correcting a zinc deficiency may prompt the thymus to grow and start generating T cells again.
• Avoid artificial sweeteners. Studies have found artificial sweeteners like sucralose shrink the thymus gland in rats.
• Try tapping. Tapping your chest over your thymus gland may stimulate a sluggish immune system. Try tapping the center of your chest, below your collarbone, for 15 to 20 seconds a few times a day. Hum as you do for even better results.

Sources:

Immune system aging can be revealed by CT scan — Science Daily

Complete fatty degeneration of thymus associates with male sex, obesity and loss of circulating naïve CD8+ T cells in a Swedish middle-aged population — Immunity & Ageing

How the immune system’s key organ regenerates itself — Medical Express

The post Scans revealed how to slow immune system aging appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Regular exercise is preventive medicine. It can lessen your risks of ending up with heart disease, diabetes, even cancer.

Not getting even a modest amount of exercise, like walking, is why “couch potatoes” do not fare well when it comes to living a long, healthy life.

But did you ever wonder exactly what it is about exercise that helps prevent disease? I mean, what’s happening in your body when you exercise, and how does it keep you healthy?

Researchers at Harvard Medical School have been giving it a lot of thought as well. And they’ve found that it’s more than getting your heart pumping that keeps illness away…

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Exercise triggers T-cells that control inflammation

Back in April of 2006, Harvard Health Letter published a paper titled “Inflammation: a unifying theory of disease? Research is showing that chronic inflammation may be the common factor in many diseases.”

Jump to 2023 and Harvard researchers may have the answer to beating it — one that explains the long list of health benefits attributed to exercise…

In a new study, Harvard researchers analyzed what happens in cells taken from the hind-leg muscles of mice that ran on a treadmill regularly. They compared this with muscle cells of mice that ran only once, as well as with mice that were sedentary.

The muscle cells of the mice that ran on treadmills, whether regularly or only once, showed classic signs of inflammation — higher levels of chemicals that promote inflammation.

But both groups also had elevated levels of T-cells in their muscles. And further analyses showed that in both groups, those T-cells lowered exercise-induced inflammation.

Elevated T-cell levels were not seen in the muscle cells of sedentary mice, however. And in the absence of T-cells, their muscle exhibited unrestrained inflammation, marked by the rapid accumulation of inflammation-promoting cells.

“The villain here is interferon”

These muscle cells in the mice that didn’t get exercise also had excessive amounts of interferon, a chemical known to drive inflammation. Further analyses revealed that interferon acts directly on muscle fibers to alter mitochondrial function and limit energy production. 

“The villain here is interferon,” says Kent Langston, first author of the study. “In the absence of guardian Tregs [T-cells] to counter it, interferon went on to cause uncontrolled damage.”

“Our research suggests that with exercise, we have a natural way to boost the body’s immune responses to reduce inflammation,” says Diane Mathis, the study’s senior investigator. “We’ve only looked in the muscle, but it’s possible that exercise is boosting Treg activity elsewhere in the body as well.”

That could certainly explain the mountains of research confirming the positive effects of exercise where inflammation was a common denominator — from slowing brain aging to lowering liver stenosis.

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Exercise is the superhero

Interferon is known to promote chronic inflammation, a process that underlies many chronic diseases and age-related conditions. That’s why researchers see it as a tantalizing target for therapies aimed at reducing inflammation.

At the same time, T-cells have garnered great interest as potential treatments for a range of immunologic conditions marked by abnormal inflammation.

But if we manage to get our muscles moving on a daily basis, there’s no need to rely on the next wonder drug to beat back inflammation.

If high-intensity or even moderate-intensity workouts are difficult for you, start walking to live longer.

And there are a few nutritious ways to lower inflammation as well…

The polyphenols in your morning cup of coffee are twice as effective at controlling inflammation when you add some milk.

Other plant foods rich in polyphenols also combat inflammation, including onions, green tea, and red grapes.

Turmeric, ginger and black cumin seed oil are particularly good at controlling inflammation. They are immune system modulators, meaning they help keep inflammation in check so it doesn’t run free and wild to cause harm, but let it do its thing when it’s necessary to heal injuries.

And for those times when you indulge in junk food (we all do, right?), a blend of any of these 13 common spices will serve to get the resulting inflammation under control.

Sources:

Some benefits of exercise stem from the immune system — Eureka Alert

Regulatory T cells shield muscle mitochondria from interferon-γ–mediated damage to promote the beneficial effects of exercise — Science Immunology

Leucocytosis after violent exercise — The Journal of Medical Research

Exercising muscle combats chronic inflammation on its own — Science Daily

The post Exercise’s immune response trigger reveals how it fights disease appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

My husband is a good example. While I seem to catch every bug that’s going around, he shrugs them off almost every time.

The key likely lies in the immune system. This complex network of cells and organs protects the body from infection by recognizing and destroying “intruders” like the bacteria, viruses and fungi that cause disease. The immune system is also a central player in fighting off cancer.

We know the immune system can malfunction in some people and become weak and underactive. Researchers have been exploring this phenomenon to get to the root cause, and in the process they’ve discovered something interesting at the molecular level….

How T cells get exhausted

One issue with an insufficient immune system is that the T cells gradually lose their ability to fight off invaders — a condition known as T cell exhaustion. A team of researchers in Germany has clarified the molecular mechanisms controlling this.

The exhaustion process can be traced to the mitochondria. These “powerhouses” are responsible for converting fuel into energy for all the cells in your body in a process called respiration. When mitochondrial respiration fails, it triggers a cascade of reactions that ends in the reprogramming of T cells and their eventual burnout.

To demonstrate that mitochondrial dysfunction is the actual cause of T cell exhaustion, the researchers developed a new genetic model that paralyzes mitochondrial respiration in T cells by switching off the mitochondrial phosphate transporter (SLC25A3).

Turning off SLC25A3 forces the T cells to switch to alternative metabolic pathways to meet their energy demands. This metabolic adaptation increases production of reactive oxygen species in the T cells. These elevated levels of oxygen radicals prevent the degradation of a particular protein (HIF-1-alpha) that, when it accumulates in the T cells, causes them to be reprogrammed and speeds up their exhaustion.

“This HIF-1-alpha-dependent control of T-cell exhaustion was previously unknown,” says Dr. Martin Vaeth at the Institute for Systems Immunology at Julius-Maximilians-Universität (JMU) Würzburg. “It represents a critical regulatory circuit between mitochondrial respiration and T cell function, serving as a ‘metabolic checkpoint’ in the process of T-cell exhaustion.”

What this means is this process may be counteracted through pharmaceutical or genetic enhancement of cellular metabolism, increasing the T cells’ longevity and functionality.

Improved immunotherapies

Vaeth says the researchers are optimistic that their findings will contribute to improved cancer immunotherapy. For example, CAR-T cell therapy has shown great effectiveness in treating leukemia and lymphoma. CAR-T cells are lymphocytes engineered in the lab to fight the respective form of cancer.

However, when it comes to solid tumors, CAR-T cells tend to get exhausted, limiting their success in fighting these forms of cancer.

“Our experiments demonstrate that augmented mitochondrial metabolism also increases the longevity and functionality of virus-specific T cells in chronic infections,” Vaeth says. Therefore, it’s plausible this strategy could be harnessed to enhance T cell-based immunotherapies for cancer.

The next step for the researchers is to explore how mitochondrial respiration influences the epigenetic programming of T cells as well as the way T cell metabolism interacts with the local tissue microenvironment. The latter is particularly important because the nutrient supply and oxygen tension in tumors differ considerably from healthy tissue. T cells must be able to actively respond to this challenging environment when fighting cancer.

The care and feeding of your mitochondria

As interesting as these results are, it will be years before they result in any therapeutics. Until then, there may be a couple of ways to help your own T cells avoid burnout by energizing your mitochondria…

One way is exercise. How does exercise help? It clears out the defective mitochondria through a process called mitophagy. And it gives your other mitochondria the kickstart they need to be more effective.

Consider this 3-minute HIIT workout. This high-intensity workout will not only juice up your mitochondria, it will also help improve your insulin mechanism and stave off insulin resistance.

Another way is to supplement pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ), a powerful antioxidant that is believed to not only improve the function of mitochondria but may help replenish them.

Sources:

1. Immunology: disfunction of mitochondria drives the exhaustion of T cells — EurekAlert!

2. Mitochondrial dysfunction promotes the transition of precursor to terminally exhausted T cells through HIF-1α-mediated glycolytic reprogramming — Nature Communications

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