Staying Ahead of Cold and Flu Season

It’s that time of the year again: cold and flu season. Easily one of the more unpleasant experiences to have during the fall, getting sick is surprisingly common and it simply doesn’t need to be. There are plenty of things we can do to prevent coming down with the cold or flu this year.

Washing your hands often and avoiding touching your face, nose, eyes or mouth can help prevent the spread of germs. Even sanitizing doorknobs, handles, keyboards, remotes, keys, and other items you frequently touch can help to keep the cold and flu contained…but what happens when those pathogens are introduced into the body?

Even if you’re prepared for flu season this year, others may not be quite as thoughtful when it comes to flu prevention. The average sneeze travels at approximately 100 miles per hour and carries over 100,000 germs a sneeze. With autumn on its way, now is the time to prime your immune system:

Vitamin A stimulates the production and activity of white blood cells and the endothelial cells that line the body’s interior surfaces which offer primary protection from illness and infection. In its pure form, Vitamin A can be toxic, but stored as Beta Carotene, the body will only convert and use what it needs. The remaining Beta Carotene works as an antioxidant in the body fighting free radicals. Vitamin A must be replaced daily, so make sure this is a part of your everyday regimen.

Vitamin C is well-known for its immunity benefits. Taking Vitamin C regularly can boost immunity, and people who take extra doses of Vitamin C report recovering from colds and the flu much faster than others. Even levels of 200 mg/day increase levels of immunoglobulin, which are proteins that act as disease-fighting antibodies. Vitamin C is often stored as Ascorbic Acid, which also increases the absorption of other vitamins you may be taking.

Vitamin D is best known as a precursor to calcium absorption and bone health, but the Harvard School of Public Health states that vitamin D also obstructs some of the damaging inflammatory response of some white blood cells. This can make a world of difference for those suffering swollen lymph nodes or raw, scratchy throats this cold and flu season. 

Not only can Vitamin E can also help support your body’s healing abilities, but it can also increase immunity response to pathogens. Studies by the Nutritional Immunology Laboratory preformed two separate studies around vitamin E supplementation. His first study found elderly patients who took vitamin E regularly were less likely to come down with colds or upper respiratory infections. The study was repeated again with young men as test subjects who also showed increased immune response.

Selenium is a trace mineral which is reduced into selenoproteins by the body. In this form, it can not only  supports cellular immune response and cell membrane health, but it can also aid the body facilitate antioxidant enzymes. This means selenium can play a substantial role in helping the body fight off pathogens and free radicals.

Regular amounts of zinc can help ensure your T-cells and other immune cells are able to function properly and defend the body. Zinc deficiency or zinc overdose can inhibit your immune response. Meeting your Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) can help you avoid developing a deficiency of the trace element, zinc. 

All of these can be taken simply by using this here

by Explore Supplements

Multivitamins may cut lung cancer risk in smokers

Multivitamins may cut lung cancer risk in smokers

Multivitamins may cut lung cancer risk in smokers
By Stephen Daniells, 13-Jan-2010
Related topics: Research, Antioxidants, carotenoids, Phytochemicals, plant extracts, Vitamins & premixes, Cancer risk reduction

Multivitamins, folate, and green leafy vegetables may reduce the risk of developing lung cancer in current and former smokers, says a new study from the US.

Higher intakes of certain micronutrients may reduce a process called methylation which affects gene signaling. Many genes involved in critical cell functions, including cell division, are methylated in lung tumours, showing the potential of the micronutrients to reduce the risk of lung cancer, according to findings published online ahead of print in Cancer Research.

The role of micronutrients in smokers is controversial with some studies; most notably the Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention (ATBC) Trial, reporting that beta-carotene supplements may increase the risk of lung cancer.

The new study, supported by the US National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, showed that reduced gene methylation with the intake of multivitamin supplements that are rich in phytochemicals, such as vitamin C, carotenoids, lutein, folic acid, and vitamins A and K. Such micronutrients are also present green leafy vegetables.

“This is the first cohort-based study to identify dietary factors associated with reduced promoter methylation in cells exfoliated from the airway epithelium of smokers,” wrote the researchers, led by Steven Belinsky, PhD, from the Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute in Albuquerque.

“Novel interventions to prevent lung cancer should be developed based on the ability of diet and dietary supplements to affect reprogramming of the epigenome,” they added.

‘Impressive’ study

Commenting independently on the study, a spokesperson for ingredient supplier DSM told NutraIngredients that the study illustrates how complex micronutrient research is.

“It impressively shows, for example, that supplements containing beta-carotene, conceivably increasing the risk of lung cancer in heavy smokers when taken in extremely high doses over years, have the potential to reduce cancer risk even in smokers,” said the spokesperson.

“Additionally, the study is further evidence that nature-identical, synthetic micronutrients in multivitamins can be effective in disease risk reduction as micronutrients from vegetables and fruits.”



Study details

Just over 1,100 current and former smokers participating in the Lovelace Smokers Cohort submitted sputum samples and completed questionnaires regarding their dietary intake. The sputum samples were used to examine the degree of methylation of eight genes commonly silenced in lung cancer and associated with risk for this disease.

People who ate at least 12 servings of green leafy vegetables per month had a 17 per cent lower risk of methylation, while a daily folate intake of at least 750 micrograms was associated with a 16 per cent lower risk.

Current multivitamin users had a 43 per cent lower risk of gene methylation, added the researchers, although there was no association between the duration of use and methylation..

More research needed

Sudhir Srivastava, PhD, chief of the Biomarkers Research Group at the NCI called for additional research to independently validate the study’s observations, and also to help resolve contradictions between varying studies.

“This particular study used a well-planned design and can serve as a basis for future identification of the mechanistic targets of these dietary factors,” said Srivastava, who was not involved in the study.

“Such studies are important steps for the future success of chemopreventive strategies.”

Source: Cancer Research
Published online ahead of print, doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-09-3410
“Multi-Vitamins, Folate, and Green Vegetables Protect Against Gene Promoter Methylation in the Aerodigestive Tract of Smokers”
Authors: C.A. Stidley, M.A. Picchi, S. Leng, R. Willink, R. Crowell, F.G. Flores, H. Kang, T. Byers, F.D. Gilliland, S.A. Belinsky

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