Category: Inflammation

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Could your health problems be a non-alcoholic Fatty Liver?

Liver as the problem Not all fatty livers are caused by alcohol.  There are so many other reasons that you might have a fatty liver.  Toxins of all kinds create a problem.

The liver is the major organ for detoxification. It detoxifies, by metabolizing and/or secreting the toxins out of the body.  A damaged fatty liver does not work to do its job.

Think of all the problems that can be created when your body can’t metabolize food, supplements, etc.  nor able to detoxify viruses, fungus or bacteria.

Learn about a Fatty Liver and decide what to do next.

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Elderberry Benefits for Your Health

health benefits of elderberryI heard a commerical for a drug that was designed to stop a virus from replicating.   Really, I thought, why not just use elderberry.   I knew that was what elderberry did.

Next time I went to the Market at the Oyler’s Organic Farms, I remembered that they had elderberry syrup for sale.  I bought some.   Then some how after taking it I realized my tree pollen allergy got so much better that I hardly remembered I had that allergy.  Hmm.

So I did some checking on all the things that elderberry has in it vitamin wise and all the benefits it has for your health.

Read:  Elderberry (yes, I even included the trials on how elderberry stops any virus from replicating)

 

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Strengthen your Immune System for a Better Immune Response Beta Glucans

You might have an overactive immune system resulting in allergies, arthritis, gut problems etc et.

Or you might have heath conditions that might weaken your immune system.

What can help to strengthen your immune system response.

You can read about Immunity and Your Immune System and get educated about Immunity.

BUT especially read about Beta Glucans.  (Including links to the scientific studies about Beta Glucan

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Is Chronic Inflammation Making You Hot and Bothered?

If you’ve ever stubbed your toe or suffered a minor paper cut, then you’re familiar with the effects of inflammation. The heat, redness, and swelling you experienced following that minor injury was the result of acute inflammation, which is part of your immune system’s natural response to trauma.

But there’s another kind of inflammation with which you may not be aware. Unlike acute inflammation, which usually involves pain and is short lived, chronic inflammation can be a “silent fire” and last for weeks or even years.

In fact, most people don’t even realize they’re “on fire” until they’re diagnosed with a serious disease. This may be why chronic inflammation has been identified as a factor in such diverse disorders as autoimmune diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease and rheumatoid arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, type II Diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

So, what is chronic inflammation? And more importantly, what can you do if you are suffering from it?

The Connection Between Inflammation and Your Immune System

Inflammation is an integral part of your body’s natural defenses. When threatened by harmful substances, such as a bacteria or viruses, your immune system sends wave after wave of white blood cells and chemicals to seek and destroy the offending organisms. This “inflammatory cascade” produces the heat, redness, and swelling which characterize acute inflammation. Once the offenders are destroyed the inflammatory cascade stops and healing begins.

During chronic inflammation, however, the inflammatory response is continual. Any number of factors can cause chronic inflammation.

Hereditary and environmental factors. Both may have a causal effect on autoimmune disease, such as inflammatory bowel disease or rheumatoid arthritis. In an autoimmune disease, your immune system mistakes its own tissues as “foreign,” unleashing the inflammatory response.

Typical Western lifestyle. Diets rich in sugars, fats, and food additives, as well as a sedentary lifestyle, may promote the production of inflammatory chemicals.

The “Fire” in Your Belly

Most people aren’t aware of the major role our gastrointestinal (GI) tract plays in our immune health. Besides digestion, our GI tract is home to nearly seventy percent of our immune system. It is a major source of lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell that plays a large role in defending the body against disease, and mast cells, which release histamines and other chemicals as part of an allergic response.

Calming the Flames—A Natural Approach

As home base for the majority of your immune system, your GI tract plays a vital role in your inflammatory response. By paying attention to your gut, you can minimize the effects of inflammation naturally. The following natural approaches can help:

Omega Essential Fatty Acids such as EPA and DHA may help decrease your risk of cardiovascular disease and support a healthy immune response. Although the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids are oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, and sardines, non-fish food options include flaxseed, flaxseed oil, and walnuts.
Ginger and rosemary have been shown to support the healthy metabolism of inflammatory chemicals.

Turmeric extract inhibits the activities of a wide range of enzymes implicated in pain and inflammation.

Rice protein has been shown to have a lower allergy potential than other protein sources, making it a safer alternative.
You can also minimize chronic inflammation by eating a healthier diet (including more vegetables and nutrient-dense superfoods) and getting regular, moderate exercise. Both will reduce the amount of fat in your body, which research suggests may incite the inflammatory response.

By Cindy Clayton-Sudalnik, D.C.

The Most Powerful Natural Antioxidant You May Never Have Heard Of

Antioxidants can play an important role in reducing inflammation in the body. Antioxidants help to counteract oxidative stress. They neutralize excess free radicals to protect cells, prevent illness, and reduce inflammation.

The most powerful natural antioxidant discovered to date is Hydroxytyrosol.

Hydroxytyrosol has an ORAC value (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity – its ability to absorb cell damaging free radicals) of 68,576 – which is considered to be 15 times higher than green tea and 3 times greater than CoQ10. It is recognized by scientists, because of numerous, well documented studies, for its powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effectiveness.

Hydroxytyrosol has the highest level of free radical absorption ever reported for a natural antioxidant. It has some very special characteristics that contribute to its effectiveness. It is:

* Rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream and tissues where it can perform its free radical scavenging duties

* The only phenol (organic compound) that is able to cross the blood-brain barrier, which allows it to absorb free radicals throughout the central nervous system

* Both fat and water soluble, giving it the highest bioavailability of any antioxidant.

The Science Behind Hydroxytyrosol

In numerous human, animal and in vitro (test tube) studies, Hydroxytyrosol has been shown to:

* Reduce markers/indicators of inflammation

* Support healthy mitochondrial function and significantly increase ATP (a molecule that carries energy within cells) energy production

* Promote significant and rapid reduction of LDL (bad cholesterol)

* Boost eye health and reduce risk of macular degeneration

* Have a therapeutic effect on the heart and cardiovascular system.

What is Inflammation? 

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Natural Help to Survive Seasonal Allergies

Allergies are versatile. They can show up just about anywhere in your body and create an incredible variety of symptoms. They can affect your nose, eyes, throat, lungs, stomach, skin and nervous system. They can give you a stomachache, a rash and even bring on fatigue and headache.

Allergy symptoms occur when your body’s immune system overreacts to a substance in your environment. But it is not the substance that causes the allergic reactions; it is the body’s reaction to that substance that prompts the reactions. The immune system overreacts and releases a chemical that the body uses to fight microbial invaders. But in allergies, the invaders are not viruses or bacteria. They are harmless substances: pollens, dust, mold spores and other substances including food.

When the immune system uses its weapons to fight off infection, the results are usually good. But if the immune system gets confused and mistakes pollen for bacteria, it can unleash those same weapons unnecessarily, wreaking havoc in the body.

People with allergies have immune systems that can react to just about anything that comes along. A tiny particle of the right substance puts your panicky immune system on the defensive. Your body strikes back by releasing a rush of a chemical that causes the familiar swelling and running in your nose, eyes and sinuses.

These overly sensitive immune cells (called mast cells) release a substance called histamine. Histamine causes small blood vessels to widen allowing fluid to pass from the bloodstream into the surrounding tissues, causing nasal conditions, runny eyes and nose and sometimes hives.

Histamine can make the smooth muscles in the walls of the lungs, blood vessels, stomach, intestines and bladder contract. This contraction can bring on a wide range of symptoms. Histamine in the lungs causes wheezing. Histamine also indirectly stimulates the production of thick, sticky mucus.

Hay fever is triggered by pollens. There are allergies to cat hairs, bee stings or certain foods or drugs.

They are all the result of the same thing; the immune system overreacts to the substance in your environment

What to do for allergies

In spring nearly 8% of Americans experience seasonal allergies.

Most conventional treatments are aimed at cooling off this inflammation. Standard treatment for allergies involves taking certain medications. While these drugs can be effective, they all have side effects, such as drowsiness, raised blood pressure, interference with sleep, and some may even suppress your immune system predisposing you to infections.

Natural help for allergies

Fortunately, there is natural help for allergies including eating certain foods, vitamins, herbs and immune-balancing foods. You can also reduce the number of allergens in your environment.

Reduce the allergen triggers in your environment
The Mayo Clinic offers the following suggestions for reducing exposure to allergy triggers:

a. Stay indoors on dry, windy days. The best time to go outside is after a good rain, which helps clear pollen from the air.

b. Delegate lawn mowing, weed pulling and other gardening chores that stir up allergens.

c. Remove clothes you’ve worn outside, and shower to rinse pollen from your skin and hair.

d. Don’t hang laundry outside — pollen can stick to sheets and towels.

e. Wear a pollen mask if you do outside chores, or work outside.

f. Check your local TV or radio station, your local newspaper, or the Internet for pollen forecasts and current pollen levels.

g. Close doors and windows at night or any other time when pollen counts are high.

h. Avoid outdoor activity in the early morning when pollen counts are highest.

i. Keep indoor air clean using a portable high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter in your bedroom.

j. Clean floors often with a vacuum cleaner that has a HEPA filter.

k. Keep indoor air dry with a dehumidifier.

l. Use the air conditioning in your house and car.

2) Eat more colorful fruits and vegetables

Keep your immune system healthy by eating lots of colorful fruits and vegetables. Blueberries, strawberries, tomatoes, sweet potatoes and bell peppers are good choices. These foods are rich in flavonoids, which act like antihistamines. They also contain carotenes, which have anti-inflammatory activity. Eating garlic and onions can help retard the inflammatory reactions of allergies.

3) Take a supplement to support your immune system

Thankfully, there is much scientific evidence which points to beta-glucan providing natural relief for allergy symptoms.

Beta-glucan is a form of soluble fiber derived from the cell walls of baker’s yeast that can support and modulate the immune system.

Studies published on PubMed.gov have shown that beta-glucan supplementation for 4 weeks significantly improved allergy symptoms.

Beta-glucan may reduce runny nose, sneezing, congestion and itchy, watery eyes caused by pollen allergies. It also offered improved overall physical health and emotional wellbeing as compared to a placebo.

The health benefits of beta-glucans are well documented and show they support the immune system, the body’s first line of defense against illness, disease and allergies.

Immune Defense by Qgenics provides 1,953 mg of natural beta-glucan per serving. That’s up to 2 times more beta-glucan than most other brands giving better results and better value for your money.

Some people with autoimmune are very wary about “immune boosting supplements”. However…

Immune Defense could be called an immune system modulator. Immune Defense is made up of 70% pure 1,3 &1,6 beta-glucans derived from the cell wall of baker’s yeast. 70% purity is the maximum that can be reasonably used to avoid over stimulating the immune system, which results in health problems.

Click here for Immune Defense