On TRAC with DrMark

Pomegranate’s prostate protection potential grows

By Stephen Daniells

 

The anti-prostate cancer effects of pomegranate and its extracts may be related to stopping an enzyme in the liver which processes environmental carcinogens, says a new study.

Pomegranate, a rich source of antioxidants, has been linked to improved heart health, but a growing body of science indicates the fruit protect against prostate cancer. Studies have also reported a role in joint health by slowing cartilage loss in arthritis.

It is these antioxidants, and particularly ellagitannin compounds like punicalagins and punicalins, which accounts for about half of the fruit's antioxidant ability, that are reportedly behind the proposed health benefits.

The new study, led by Daneel Ferreira from the University of Mississippi, deepens our understanding of how the constituents of the fruit may boost prostate health.

This article may be found at:

http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Publications/Food-Beverage-Nutrition/NutraIngredients.com/Research/Pomegranate-s-prostate-protection-potential-grows/?c=hpORIm6dEDsBLY4zruPzXA%3D%3D&utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter%2BDaily

Tax $ at work!

Federal Government Stimulus Money Funding New Herbal Research. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 has allocated $5 billion for scientific research, which includes funding for several studies on herbal indications such as turmeric for post-menopausal osteoporosis, pomegranate for osteoarthritis, and ginger for colorectal cancer.

New research: resveratrol improves diabetes by affecting the brain

(NaturalNews) Think of a treatment for diabetes, and you probably think of a drug or natural therapy that targets the pancreas to help normalize blood sugar levels. Resveratrol, a phytochemical found in red grapes, has been shown to have a host of health benefits -- including improving diabetes in animal studies. But, it turns out, that's not necessarily because it benefits the pancreas. Instead, scientists have made an unexpected discovery: resveratrol's anti-diabetic properties appear to be mediated through the brain.

That's the conclusion of a new study conducted by scientists at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, that was just published in Endocrinology, a journal of The Endocrine Society. The researchers focused on sirtuins, a class of proteins activated by resveratrol that are thought to underlie many of the potential beneficial effects of calorie restriction, including promoting longevity and slowing down the aging process.

The entire article may be found at:

http://www.naturalnews.com/027420_resveratrol_diabetes.html

Good Housekeeping: Immune System Boost

 

If every winter finds you sniffling, sneezing and coughing, the Good Housekeeping Research Institute says a little laughter may be helpful to staying healthy.

"Women who got to watch a funny video, as opposed to a boring one on tourism, showed greater response in their immune system, which could mean they'd be less likely to be sick," said Toni Hope, of the Good Housekeeping Research Institute.

Music also seems to raise levels of immunoglobulin A, the immune system's first line of defense against germs. "People who sing in a choir or, in one study, who got to listen to soothing music, showed a surge in these levels," said Hope.

And having two glasses of wine a day cuts the risk of coming down with a bug by nearly half. Perhaps because red wine contains Resveratrol, an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory that also helps prolong your life. But stop at 2 glasses. More than that raises the risk for infections.

And finally, get a little culture….from yogurt. In a University of California study, subjects who ate a cup of yogurt with live or active cultures every day for four months, increased the immune substances that help white blood cells fight disease.

Physicians and Nurses Use and Recommend Dietary Supplements

Dickinson A, Boyon N, Shao A. Physicians and nurses use and recommend dietary supplements: report of a survey. Nutr J. 2009; 8:29. doi:10.1186/1475-2891-8-29.

According to national surveys, dietary supplements are used by a majority of American adults. Some medical and nutrition experts recommend that adults take a daily multivitamin and additional amounts of specific nutrients to ensure adequate intakes and help protect against certain chronic diseases.

 

The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) contracted with Ipsos Public Affairs in 2007 to conduct the "Life…supplemented" Healthcare Professionals Impact Study (HCP Impact Study), the first of a series of surveys of health professionals regarding their dietary supplement use and whether they recommend dietary supplements to patients. Dickinson is a consultant to and former president of CRN; Shao is a CRN vice president; and Boyon is senior vice president of Ipsos.

 

A total of 8768 physicians and 3028 nurses who are members of the All Global online panel created for market research were invited to take part in the survey. To qualify for the HCP Impact Study, participants had to be physicians practicing any medical specialty except pediatrics, or registered nurses or nurse practitioners; work primarily in an outpatient practice, and see more than 50 patients in their office each week. Of those who accessed the survey, 900 physicians and 277 nurses met all qualifying requirements and fully completed the survey, which was administered October 2-11, 2007. Participants were offered a small honorarium ($25 to $50).

 

Dietary supplements were defined as vitamins, minerals, herbals, botanicals, or sport nutrition or specialty supplements. Respondents who said they used dietary supplements were asked if their use was regular, occasional, or seasonal.

 

Survey results revealed that 72% of physicians and 89% of nurses used dietary supplements (regularly, occasionally, and seasonally). Regular use was reported by 51% of physicians and 59% of nurses; occasional use by 19% and 27%, respectively, and seasonal use by 2% and 3%, respectively. Only 14% of physicians and 3% of nurses reported that they had never taken dietary supplements. The prevalence of regular dietary supplement use by these physicians and nurses is similar to the prevalence of use reported in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2000, where 52% of adults surveyed said they had taken supplements in the last month.¹ In a 2007 consumer survey by CRN, 68% of adults identified themselves as dietary supplement users (regular, occasional, or seasonal).²

 

The product most commonly used by the HCP Impact Study survey respondents was a multivitamin, with or without minerals; 87% of physicians and 86% of nurses who used dietary supplements (regularly, occasionally, or seasonally) said they used a multivitamin; many also used other products.

 

Other commonly used vitamins and minerals included vitamin C, B complex, vitamin D, vitamin E, and calcium. The non-vitamin/mineral products most often used by physicians were green tea, fish oil, glucosamine sulfate (alone or in combination with chondroitin sulfate), soy, and flax seed. Most often used by nurses were green tea, fish oil, echinacea, glucosamine, and flax seed.

 

Overall health and wellness was the most common reason why physicians (40%) and nurses (48%) said they took supplements; however, more than two-thirds reported more than one reason.

 

Of the respondents, 79% of physicians and 82% of nurses said they recommend supplements to their patients. The most common reason for recommending supplement use to their patients was for overall health and wellness. Other reasons related to bone health, joint health, flu or colds, heart health, and immune health, among others.

 

Given the negative views sometimes expressed editorially in medical journals, it may be surprising that physicians and nurses are as likely as the general population to be using dietary supplements.³ The authors point out that much of the criticism of supplements stems from a concern over fringe products and exaggerated claims and isn't necessarily aimed toward the core products commonly used both by consumers and by health care professionals.

 

The authors conclude that physicians and nurses are as likely as other adults to use dietary supplements and that most of them recommend dietary supplements to their patients. The fact that most of the physicians and nurses said they had not received any formal education or training on dietary supplements suggests a need for medical education to expand to include not only the general topic of nutrition but also the specific topic of dietary supplements.

 

―Shari Henson

 

References

¹Radimer K, Bindewald B, Hughes J, Ervin B, Swanson C, Picciano MF. Dietary supplement use by US adults: data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999-2000.  Am J Epidemiol. 2004;160:339-349.

²Council for Responsible Nutrition, 2007. More consumers consider themselves "regular" supplement users, annual survey results show. http://www.crnusa.org/CRN_PR_100407_ConsumerConfidence.html.

³DeAngelis CD, Fontanarosa PB. Drugs alias dietary supplements. JAMA. 2003;290:1519-1520.

The Hottest Vitamin Under the Sun

Vitamin D may just be considered the “it” vitamin of 2009. This year, it seemed stories on the sunshine vitamin were published daily. Studies on its role in bone health, heart health, immune health, weight management, cancer prevention and other health conditions poured from scientific journals. With the outbreak of H1N1 influenza, the Public Health Agency of Canada plans to test vitamin D levels of people who contract the virus in order to find new ways to fight it; and the U.S. Institutes of Medicine (IOM) announced it will review the recommended daily values of vitamin D intake. Yes, vitamin D was hot this year, and not just because it comes to us from sun exposure. With all the news reports and studies, it’s no wonder awareness of vitamin D is up among consumers. The International Food Information Council’s (IFIC) Functional Foods/Foods for Health consumer survey, released in August 2009, found 90 percent of Americans recognized vitamin D offers bone-health benefits compared to 81 percent in 2007. For responders who had children, 19 percent said they look for their children’s foods and beverages to be fortified with vitamin D. Michael McBurney, Ph.D., FACN, head of scientific affairs, DSM Nutritional Products Inc. added, “Fifty-six percent of those surveyed were already choosing foods with vitamin D to promote bone health, and another 38 percent were very or somewhat likely to do so.” Vitamin D comes in two biologically inactive precursors. D3, also known as cholecalciferol, is produced by the skin when it’s exposed to ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation; D2, also known as ergocalciferol, comes from plants exposed to UV light. The liver and kidneys synthesize both forms of vitamin D into 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D), to make it active in the body. However, David Garner, partner, Marco Hi-Tech JV LLC, argued the body prefers consumption of D3, adding, “D3 is said to be the best form of vitamin D (cholecalciferol) as it is the natural type that also is created whenever skin is exposed to sunlight.” Humans may not be able to get all of their vitamin D from the sun due to amount of skin that is exposed, the length of exposure, UV wavelength, latitude, season, skin melanin content and age. Therefore, people are more interested in increasing their vitamin D by consuming the nutrient, but most unfortified foods do not provide adequate amounts. The few foods that do contain a significant amount of vitamin D—butter, cream, egg yolks and fatty fish, such as herring, catfish and salmon—are not, and in some cases shouldn’t be, prevalent in today’s diets. “The reality is that the average U.S. diet does not provide the required amount of vitamin D,” said Dinesh Venkateswaran, technical marketing manager, DSM Nutritional Products Inc. “Therefore, dietary supplements may be useful sources for these nutrients that otherwise might be consumed in less than recommended amounts.” U.S. dietary reference intake (DRI) guidelines established in 1997 by IOM recommend 200 IU/d of vitamin D through age 50, 400 IU/d for people ages 51 to 70 and 600 IU/d for those 71 and older. But many experts now say everyone likely needs more. For instance, in 2008, The American Academy of Pediatrics the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommended breastfed infants receive supplements of 400 IU/d of vitamin D until they are weaned and consume more than 1,000 mL/d of vitamin D-fortified formula or whole milk.1 All non-breastfed infants ingesting less than 1,000 mL/d of vitamin D-fortified formula or milk should receive a vitamin D supplement of 400 IU/d, they said. AAP also recommends older children and adolescents should take a 400 IU vitamin D supplement daily. In response, a new IOM panel is reviewing the recommendations on vitamin D and calcium and a report is expected in spring 2010. Huang believes FDA will follow suit. “In 2010, we believe FDA will probably increase dramatically the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for vitamin D,” he said. “This will push further growth of vitamin D sales in functional foods and nutritional products.” New products fortified with vitamin D may help the many who are deficient. Recent studies have shown pregnant women who lived at a latitude of 54 to 55 degrees north (about as north as Central Canada) had insufficient levels, even among those who use supplements.2 Mothers-to-be who have lower levels of vitamin D are more likely to give birth via cesarean section.3 And Turkish researchers encouraged pregnant women to supplement their diets with vitamin D in order to reduce the risk of their children contracting acute lower respiratory infections.4 Once the children are out of the womb, they may still not be getting all of their vitamin D needs. In the United States, 61 percent of children aged 1 to 21 years who completed the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001-2004 had insufficient levels of vitamin D.5 Only 4 percent had taken a 400 IU/d supplement of vitamin D for the past 30 days. That same study found deficiency was associated with elevated parathyroid hormone levels, higher systolic blood pressure, lower serum calcium and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels. The heart-health benefits of vitamin D don’t stop with the youth. A University of Colorado study found an inverse relationship between vitamin D levels and cardiovascular disease (CVD), as well as all-cause mortality.6 A review in The American Journal of the Medical Sciences states cross-sectional studies found vitamin D deficiency was associated with increased risk of CVD, including hypertension, heart failure and ischemic heart disease.7 And Reuters reported at a September 2009 meeting of the American Heart Association in Chicago, researchers presented study that found younger white women with vitamin D deficiencies are about three times more likely to have high blood pressure in middle age than those with normal vitamin levels. Because vitamin D is necessary for calcium absorption into the body, vitamin D is closely associated with bone health. In fact, one Swiss study found among men and women, vitamin D status seems to be the dominant predictor of bone mineral density (BMD) relative to calcium intake.8 In the study, only women with vitamin D concentrations less than 50 nm seem to benefit from a higher calcium intake alone. In a later review of eight randomized controlled trials, those same researchers found supplemental vitamin D in a dose of 700 to 1,000 IU/d reduced the risk of falling among older adults by 19 percent.9 However, doses of supplemental vitamin D of less than 700 IU or serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations of less than 60 nmol/l did not reduce the risk of falling. McBurney added supplementing with vitamin D is good for bone health throughout life. “Bones are remodeled every day, all our life,” he said. “So it is important to build bones when one is young, and to maintain adequate vitamin D status to maintain strong bones for life.” The benefits of vitamin D go well beyond the heart and bones. Keeping vitamin D levels high may also protect against colon cancer,10 cold and flu,11 Alzheimer’s disease,12 multiple sclerosis,13 ovarian cancer14 and weight gain.15 With all the new studies finding vitamin D’s health benefits (every study referenced in this article is from 2009), the sunshine vitamin’s future is, well, sunny. “Scientists are discovering new insights into the role of vitamin D,” McBurney said. “With the unraveling of the human genome, we are living in a period of discovery unprecedented in history. The future is very exciting.” References 1.     Wagner CL, et al. “Prevention of rickets and vitamin D deficiency in infants, children, and adolescents.” Pediatrics. 2008 Nov;122(5):1142-52. 2.     Holmes VA, et al. “Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency in pregnant women: a longitudinal study.” Br J Nutr. 2009 Sep;102(6):876-81. 3.     Merewood A, et al. “Association between vitamin D deficiency and primary cesarean section.” J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2009 Mar;94(3):940-5. 4.     Karatekin G, et al. “Association of subclinical vitamin D deficiency in newborns with acute lower respiratory infection and their mothers.” Eur J Clin Nutr. 2009 Apr;63(4):473-7. 5.     Kumar J, et al. “Prevalence and Associations of 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Deficiency in US Children: NHANES 2001-2004.” Pediatrics. 2009 Aug 3. 6.     Ginde AA, “Prospective Study of Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Level, Cardiovascular Disease Mortality, and All-Cause Mortality in Older U.S. Adults.” J Am Geriatr Soc. 2009 Jun 22. 7.     Judd SE, Tangpricha V. “Vitamin D deficiency and risk for cardiovascular disease.” Am J Med Sci. 2009 Jul;338(1):40-4. 8.     Bischoff-Ferrari HA , et al. “Dietary calcium and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D status in relation to BMD among U.S. adults.” J Bone Miner Res. 2009 May;24(5):935-42. 9.     H A Bischoff-Ferrari, et al. “Fall prevention with supplemental and active forms of vitamin D: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.” J Bone Miner Res. 2009 Oct 1; 339:b3692 10.   Freedman DM, et al. “Sunlight, hormone replacement status and colorectal cancer risk in post-menopausal women.” Int J Cancer. 2009 Sep 30. 11.   Ginde AA, Mansbach JM, Camargo CA Jr. “Association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level and upper respiratory tract infection in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.” Arch Intern Med. 2009 Feb 23;169(4):384-90. 12.   Masoumi, A, et al. “1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 Interacts with Curcuminoids to Stimulate Amyloid-β Clearance by Macrophages of Alzheimer’s Disease Patients.” J Alzheimers Dis. 2009 July; 17(3): 703-717 13.   D.Sioka C, et al.  “Multiple sclerosis, osteoporosis, and vitamin D.” J Neurol Sci. 2009 Sep 30. 14.   Toriola AT, et al. “Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and the risk of ovarian cancer.” Eur J Cancer. 2009 Aug 25. 15.   The Endocrine Society (2009, June 12). Successful Weight Loss With Dieting Is Linked To Vitamin D Levels. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 6, 2009, from From: http://www.naturalproductsinsider.com/

10 Anti-Inflammatory Supplements That Work

Inflammation — pain, swelling, redness and heat — is a double-edged sword. This immunity-mediated process is crucial when you have an injury. It helps your body fight infection and clear away damaged tissue. But inflammation can become a chronic condition if your body fails to shut off this reaction, or activates it when there is no apparent trigger.


Inflammation can last for years. It can target a particular area — like your skin, sinuses, prostate, bladder or gums. (Any diagnosis that ends with “-itis” is an inflammatory condition.) Inflammation can become a body-wide condition, and has be identified as the underlying cause of many diseases, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and neurological degeneration, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Inflammation is a big threat. That’s why it’s so important to get it under control.

A diet focused on vegetables, fruits, fish, olive oil, nuts and whole grains can reduce inflammation. Nutritional supplements also help, and unlike drugs, they work without causing stomach ulcers. There are plenty of natural inflammation-fighters. Here are our top choices:   

1. Fish Oil

Fish oil is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which decrease the body’s production of a long list of pro-inflammatory biochemicals, including the same ones targeted by most NSAIDs — cyclooxygenase (COX 1 and 2). It also helps to reduce levels of inflammatory interleukins, specifically interleukin-1, a marker of chronic inflammation. In studies, people with rheumatoid arthritis who took fish oil were able to reduce their dosage of anti-inflammatory drugs. They also reported less pain and stiffness. Fish oil has a synergistic effect with aspirin on inhibiting synthesis of thromboxane A2 and the highly inflammatory leukotriene B4. It’s reported to help asthma, cystitis, hepatitis, pancreatitis, prostatitis and dermatitis.

2. Antioxidants

Immune cells cause oxidative damage as they fight infection, and ongoing oxidative damage drives chronic inflammation. Reducing oxidative damage can help control inflammation. Antioxidants like vitamin C, vitamin E and selenium all help to control oxidative damage by neutralizing “free radicals,” the molecular renegades that cause oxidative damage and can start a chain reaction that keeps it going.

3. Quercetin

The anti-inflammatory effects of quercetin seem to come from its ability to dampen the production and activity of pro-inflammatory biochemicals such as leukotrienes and prostaglandins, and to block the release of histamine, the biochemical that causes allergic symptoms like runny nose and itchy eyes. Quercetin also seems to help symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and chronic, nonbacterial prostatitis.

4. Bromelain

This protein-dissolving enzyme is obtained from the stem and fruit of the pineapple. Bromelain seems to exert its anti-inflammatory effect by altering leukocyte migration and activation. Leukocytes are white blood cells that help fight infection but can also perpetuate inflammation. Bromelain is good for an acute injury or inflammation caused by ongoing injury, such as osteoarthritis, with its ongoing injury to joint cartilage. 

5. Resveratrol

Some evidence suggests that resveratrol is a more potent anti-inflammatory agent than NSAIDs such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or indomethacin. Injections of  resveratrol into the joints of animals decreases inflammation and reduces cartilage destruction. Like ginger and fish oil, resveratrol inhibits a number of inflammation-producing biochemicals, including COX-1 and COX-2. It also seems to have a regulating effect on certain immune cells. It may reduce T cell proliferation. T cells are involved in some autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis. It also affects cells called granulocytes, which are associated with the inflammation produced in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, so it may be helpful in reducing the lung damage associated with this smoking-related ailment.

6. Flax Seed Oil

For some reason, flax seed seems to especially target the skin. In zoos, it’s given to hippos, elephants and rhinos to help keep their massive hides healthy. Some of the fat in flax seed oil converts to EPA and DHA, the same active components in fish oil. Flax seed oil can be a good addition to fish oil, especially if you are on a low-fat diet or have dermatitis — dry, scaly, itchy skin.

7. Curcumin

Curcumin, a component of the yellow spice turmeric, found in curry, may have special anti-inflammatory properties in the eyes, where a layer of yellow pigment helps to protect the retina — and especially, the macula — from the harmful effects of sunlight. The pigment actually acts as a filter, blocking harmful blue UV light from striking the retina. Curcumin has been proven helpful for chronic anterior uveitis (an inflammation of the front part of the eye) and for macular degeneration. 

8. Ginger

Certain constituents of ginger, called gingerols, have a strong anti-inflammatory effect. They inhibit a number of  biochemicals that promote inflammation, including COX and lipoxygenase pathways. Ginger has been shown to reduce pain from both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. However, you will need to be patient. It can take up to three months of treatment to get relief.

9. Alpha Lipoic Acid

Alpha lipoic acid is a coenzyme that has lots of talents, including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory protection. It is both fat and water soluble, and can regenerate other important antioxidants like vitamins E, C and glutathione. It provides anti-inflammatory protection in blood vessels and in the fatty tissues of the brain and nerves. It’s a must for anyone with diabetes, neuritis or neuropathy, since it also improves glucose metabolism and blood flow in nerves.

10. Zinc

Many people take zinc to boost their immunity, but recent research shows that zinc may also be a natural inflammation fighter. Popping zinc regularly can help reduce inflammation and has also been shown to offer immune support. Researchers at Wayne State University in Detroit, tested whether zinc supplementation decreases oxidative stress. They found that consuming 25 mg three times a day for three months decreased TNF-alpha, a cytokine that amplifies inflammation.

The Anti-Aging Bottom Line: Chronic, uncontrolled inflammation has been linked to a wide range of health problems which can dramatically affect your quality of your life as you age. But research has shown that anti-inflammatory supplements can provide effective relief with virtually no side effects. Before you start taking a NSAID or other potentially dangerous drug to deal with inflammation, why not consider some safe natural alternatives?

 

By Gale Maleskey, MS, RD

This article may be found at:

http://www.stopagingnow.com/news/news_flashes/6618/10-Anti-Inflammatory-Supplements-That-Work

What's Behind the False Flag Flu Emergency?

 

by Bill Sardi

On Friday I stood before an audience in Phoenix, Arizona and attempted to shock them with something similar to a repeat of Orson Welles' War Of The Worlds radio broadcast, a 1938 Halloween night radio announcement that said, in a series of news bulletins, Martians had landed on the earth. The public cowered in fear then, even when Welles announced it was just a radio drama, not reality.

The contrived crisis I created was the President of the United States had just announced a national emergency because of a massive number of deaths attributed to a fast-spreading strain of flu virus that had combined with a mortal form of flu virus. My hand was shaking as I read the announcement. People in the audience thought it was real. The audience began to squirm and wonder, before I finished my melodrama, just how they were going to return home without having to undergo forced vaccination at the airport.

They were relieved when I told them this crisis was purely fictional. I added the announcement for just such a contrived crisis was probably already programmed into the President's teleprompter. Little did I know how true these words were to become.

To my surprise, on the afternoon of the following day (Saturday), the President of the United States had indeed declared a national emergency due to 1000 reported flu deaths, 100 of them among children. These deaths had occurred over the past eight months.

But 1000 accumulated deaths would be far fewer than the mortality figures the Centers for Disease Control distributes – estimated at 36,000 annual flu deaths. Federal health authorities lump pneumonia deaths among the elderly with flu-related deaths to falsely inflate flu mortality figures. My own guesstimate is that only about 6000 flu-related deaths actually occur each year, but even using this figure for comparison, this year's flu outbreak appears weak. An estimated 20,000 hospitalizations have been reported since this pandemic flu strain began in March of 2009, which amounts to only about 625 hospitalizations per week spread among more than 5 thousand hospitals.

Earlier in the week CBS News reported that, five months after this unique strain of the flu had begun to spread in Mexico in March of 2009, the H1N1 pandemic flu strain only comprised 1–2% of the flu viruses in circulation by July. Yet there were massive preparations being made for a major flu pandemic without sufficient justification. Today the Centers for Disease Control says the H1N1 pandemic flu strain represents 99% of the flu cases that are typed laboratory confirmed. Just exactly which numbers are correct, if any, now come into question.

According to CBS News, only 11 million doses of flu have been administered, with millions more to arrive late, sometime in mid-November. Time Magazine reports about 30 million available doses, so that could mean up to two-thirds of the currently available vaccine is going unused.

A reimbursement crisis, not a health crisis

A follow-up report, published in the Sunday edition of the San Francisco Chronicle, says the emergency declaration issued by The White House has more to do with Medicare and Medicaid regulations dealing with hospitals. With the national emergency declared, hospitals have more flexibility to set up separate or even outdoor treatment areas.

The emergency appears to deal more with hospitals and their ability to get paid by federal health authorities. An article in the New York Times confirms that federal rules do not allow hospitals to establish treatment areas more than 250 yards from emergency rooms. "Tents are 300 yards or more away, typically federal dollars won't go to pay for treatment."

So the emergency appears to be financial – making sure hospitals meet federal requirements so they can get paid by Medicaid or Medicare, rather than any true health crisis.

The San Francisco Chronicle article said "White House officials were quick to note that the emergency declaration does not signify an increase in severity of the national H1N1 outbreak." But the article kept referring to all the deaths, when there appear to be fewer mortal cases of the flu in the past 8 months than prior flu seasons.

Journalists and health officials sound more duplicitous as they attempt to explain the need for the emergency declaration. Here is how the San Francisco Chronicle described it:

"Art Reingold, head of epidemiology at UC Berkeley, said the declaration doesn't mean that the national outbreak is 'any worse than it was yesterday or last week'."

"It's difficult to get the right message across to people," Reingold said. "There's this balance between the flu is important and people should be vaccinated, but you don't want an overreaction."

But once again, according to federal officials, there is little or no vaccine available.

Civil liberties threatened?

An article in the Christian Science Monitor (ASM) was more concerned that such a contrived emergency could be a veiled way to overrun civil liberties. The ASM article quoted Harold Relyea, a specialist in national government with the Congressional Research Service, who said:

"When the President formally declares a national emergency, he may seize property, organize and control the means of production, seize commodities, assign military forces abroad, institute martial law, seize and control all transportation and communication, regulate the operation of private enterprise, restrict travel and, in a variety of ways, control the lives of United States citizens."

Few news sources were critical of the declared emergency, but expect more reporters to express skepticism over its need and to question its intent.

An article in the New Hampshire Union Leader said: "But the way the U.S. government has been handling the new flu strain, technically named H1N1, has been less than reassuring."

What to do now?

Misdirection, overreaction and lack of preparedness by public health officials is a clear indication to the public that they cannot totally rely upon potentially problematic vaccines or anti-viral drugs to defend themselves against the flu.

An ignored approach to controlling infectious disease is to address the immune status of the population. The public should utilize bona fide immune boosters such as vitamin D and vitamin C, and take nutrients that are documented to reduce the duration and severity of the disease which include vitamin E, the trace mineral selenium, the sulfur compound NAC, and elderberry.

In 2005 researchers in Rome, Italy wondered what backup treatment could be used in the event vaccines were unavailable or were ineffective against a fast mutating flu virus that had developed resistance to vaccines or anti-viral drugs like Tamiflu or Relenza.

Flu viruses require a host cell to replicate. The Italian researchers report that resveratrol, known as a red wine molecule, completely blocks entry of flu viruses into the cell nucleus in animals at a human equivalent dose of ~70 milligrams. [Journal Infectious Disease 2005 May 15; 191(10):1719–29] So the virus would enter the lungs, antibodies would still be generated to produce long-term immunity, but the virus could not duplicate into millions of daughter virions as it normally does. Resveratrol works on closing the cellular doorway rather than destroying the virus itself. Therefore it is a totally non-toxic approach to control of influenza viruses. Furthermore, resveratrol does not provoke viral resistance.

In contrast, anti-viral drugs like oseltamivir (Tamiflu) allow viruses to enter cellular machinery to produce copies of the flu virus and then inhibits their exit from the cell via inhibition of the enzyme neuraminidase. So host cells are flooded with copies of the virus. This approach is not ideal as it can lead to drug-induced side effects which have been widely reported.

 This article may be found at:

http://www.lewrockwell.com/sardi/sardi129.html

Resveratrol Shows Anti-Viral Abilities

Italian study finds that the red-wine compound prevents viruses from replicating inside cells

Jacob Gaffney

Resveratrol, the polyphenolic compound found in red wine and the prominent focus of medical researchers, may be able to fight off viruses, according to a new Italian study. While the chemical has shown hints of anti-viral properties in previous studies, the new work shows that it appears to prevent virus replication at the cellular level. More research is needed to see how widespread the effect is.

Viruses, from the common cold to polio and the H1N1 "swine flu," are infectious agents that can only reproduce inside the cells of a host, inserting their genetic material into the cells. The new study, published in the July issue of the Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research, finds that the polyomavirus is unable to hijack a cell for this purpose if resveratrol is around.

"The continuous presence of resveratrol in the culture medium is necessary to exert its antiviral action," said Gianfranco Risuleo, a genetic and molecular biologist at Sapienza University in Rome and a co-author of the study. "[The chemical] shows effects on the synthesis of viral DNA; the action is not at cell entry level but rather at the nuclear level."

Polyomavirus, a family of viruses that can trigger tumor growth, is often chosen for research because its reproduction is totally dependent on the metabolism of the infected cell and therefore can be measured during several stages of its proliferation.

For the current study, the researchers exposed two different lines of mouse tissue, one with tumors and one without, to polyomavirus and then to either 20 or 40 micromoles of resveratrol. (The average glass of red wine has 10 times less resveratrol.) Control groups were not given any resveratrol.

The researchers found that in the tissue without tumors, after 24 hours, 20 micromoles of resveratrol reduced the number of viable infected cells to 80 percent. By 48 hours, that number dipped to 60 percent. With 40 micromoles, only 60 percent of the infected cells were viable after 24 hours, with only 42 percent still healthy after 48 hours.

While the exact process requires further study, the research indicates that resveratrol somehow blocks the ability of a virus to use the nucleus of a cell to replicate its own DNA. In cases where resveratrol was removed from the experiment after only four hours, the virus was soon reproducing freely.

Risuleo added that the results show a definite clinical, if curious, potential for the red-wine compound. "Resveratrol shows a paradoxical effect on cultured cells: i.e. it is likely innocuous at low concentrations while it becomes significantly toxic at higher concentrations, in the range of 40 to 50 micromoles." Risuleo said similar results can be expected in similar viral lines, such as chicken pox (Varicella zoster), herpes simplex and even influenza A.

The resveratrol also prevented viral reproduction in tumor cells. "Interestingly, tumor cells seem slightly more sensitive to the drug," Risuleo said. Recent studies suggest some viruses may play a role in triggering some types of cancer. For example, according to a new study published online on Sept. 23 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, polyomavirus is now believed to be associated with a rare skin cancer, known as Merkel cell carcinoma.

This article may be found at: http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/40827

Resveratrol in Food Technology magazine

In new study, a researcher has reviewed the health benefits linked with light to moderate consumption of wine.

Author Clare M. Hasler, from the University of California-Davis, provides a historical perspective of the health benefits of alcohol consumption.

She revealed that the first noticeable bump in red wine sales came as a result of the French paradox in the early 1990s.


She says that wine has the potential to protect against cardiovascular disease, and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.

It can also improvement of cognitive function, and has also been linked with increased bone mineral density.

Although there is no consensus on whether red wine is more beneficial, it is my opinion that the high concentration of antioxidant polyphenolics in red and the potential anti-inflammatory properties of resveratrol support the choice of red wine as the alcoholic beverage of choice in moderation, said Hasler.

The study has been published in Food Technology magazine