Tag Archive for: immune system

Cancer: Do Your Best

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We’ve spent this week looking at whether many forms of cancer are just due to bad luck or whether other factors come into play. Based on the statistics derived from comparing the lifetime rate of getting a specific cancer and the cell division rate of the tissues, about two-thirds of cancer cases are due to chance. That leaves genetics and lifestyle choices to make up the rest—and remember, breast and prostate cancers were not included in the analysis.

Some cancers, lung cancer for example, are influenced by habits such as smoking. Colon cancer is influenced by genetics . . .

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The Big Chill: Immune-Boosting Supplements

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Getting ready for cold and flu season, let’s turn to dietary supplements that may help keep your immune system strong. Dozens of supplements are promoted to strengthen the immune system, but let’s stick to what I know works based on the research and my experience: echinacea, garlic, and vitamin C.

Make sure you read this first before you go to the amounts of each supplement to take below because in this case, close enough is. Don’t obsess about the difference between 200 mg or 250 mg, and if I say 300 mg three times a day, don . . .

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Get Ready for the Big Chill

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If you live almost anywhere in the continental U.S. and Canada, you’re in for some chilly weather for the next 10 days at least, so it’s time to boost your immune system for the cold and flu season. Let’s start where your immune system starts and that’s your gut. You guessed it—we’re talking about the microbiome, the 100 trillion or so microbial organisms that live in and on our bodies and contribute to our health.

There are three ways to give your microbiome a boost:

  • Eat more raw vegetables and fruits . . .

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Feeding Kids to Support Their Immune System

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You can probably guess what kids should eat every day to keep their immune systems healthy: foods high in antioxidants, and that’s mainly fruits and vegetables. The research on the benefits to children’s immune system is beyond contestation (one of my favorite words).

Apples, oranges, strawberries, blueberries, and on and on and on. How you present them is up to you. I would avoid fruits juices even if you juice foods at home; you want every vitamin, mineral, and phytonutrient antioxidant you can give them, and the fiber helps feed the good bacteria that are important to the . . .

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Boost Your Kid’s Immune System

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Kids have been back in school over a week now and exposed to a whole host of viruses and bacteria they didn’t see this summer; I hope yours haven’t been sick already. It’s time to talk about how to keep kids healthy this school year.

The first thing on my list is probiotics, the good bacteria. Many studies have looked at probiotics as a treatment for allergies, dermatitis, and digestive issues in infants and children. That’s the way the healthcare research is done: you’re broken, how can we fix you? Our goal is different—we . . .

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Sleep Restores a Kid’s Immune System

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Continuing with the theme of keeping kids healthy, the second thing to do is to make sure children get plenty of sleep. Based on information from the Centers for Disease Control, getting enough sleep is directly related to how well their immune system functions; sleep deprivation lowers immune function.

Getting enough sleep can be a challenge. Kids involved with sports sometimes have to be at school at 6 a.m. for pre-school practice. They have homework that can take a few hours to complete. When you add in after school activities that range from music lessons to martial arts . . .

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