It seems that every time I turn on the TV or go online I cannot get away from hearing another report about H1N1 or the swine flu virus. And if we want to avoid it we are told that we MUST get vaccinated for it. I don’t know about you but I have never been a fan of vaccines. I haven’t had a flu shot for the past 24 years and– knock on wood–I have never gotten the flu.
Is it because I am just lucky? Maybe, but I believe it has to do more with the actions I take to strengthen my immune system which stacks the odds in my favor so as not get sick with the flu. I firmly believe that maintaining a strong immune system will always beat out a flu shot.
Many years ago I came across a report and study about Beta Glucan which claimed it is nature’s strongest immunity enhancer. The report went on to say that beta glucan is the most powerful immune stimulant known and is a very powerful ally in lowering cholesterol and triglycerides, normalizing blood sugar levels, rejuvenating your skin and can enhance the effectiveness of other vitamins and mineral supplements.
The more research I did about Beta Glucan, the more convinced I became that I needed to incorporate this powerful and natural ingredient into my health regimen.
Recently I was referred to a new product, Immune RX which helps strengthen the immune system. Knowing already about the wonders of Beta Glucan, I was pleasantly surprise to discover that two of the product’s key ingredients is a potent source of beta glucan – maitake mushrooms and baker’s yeast. This shows me that the manufacturer understands that if you’re going to create an effective immune enhancer supplement that it must include beta glucan. Throw in other immune enhancer ingredients like vitamins C & E, astragalus, zinc and a few others and you would have one very powerful immune supplement ever created.
I cannot say enough about this wondrous substance. I have had the chance to look at many reports regarding studies and trials about beta glucan and they all reach the same conclusion, it is by far the best natural substance you can take without the fear of side effects to help you if you suffer from many ailments and diseases and for a healthy person, helps you become even stronger and feel better.
If you’re like me who looks to minimize or avoid putting synthetic cures into your body and prefer taking a common sense and natural approach to health care, then you need to seriously take a look at this product.
Jonathan is passionate about healthy living on a common sense approach. Wealth, fame and power would be meaningless without health. To learn more about a common sense approach to healthy living visit
Health officials said the bacteria is being transmitted to humans through pigs. The increased use of antibiotics in agriculture may be behind the spread of the resistant strain.
What are ESBLs?
Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamases (ESBLs) are actually enzymes produced by certain types of bacteria, which renders the bacteria resistant to the antibiotics commonly used to treat them.
ESBLs were first discovered in the mid-1980s. At the time they were mostly found in the Klebsiella species of bacteria, in hospital intensive care units. Until recently, few people were affected by these mutated bacteria and it didn’t appear to be a major growing concern.
That has changed, however. According to the British Health Protection Agency (HPA), a new class of ESBL (called CTX-M enzymes) has emerged, which are now being widely detected among E.Coli bacteria. These ESBL-producing E. Coli are resistant to penicillins and cephalosporins, and are becoming more frequent in urinary tract infections.
Other species of bacteria that can now produce ESBLs include:
K. pneumoniae K. oxytoca Salmonella Proteus mirabilis Pseudomonas aeruginosa The Problem is Worse Than You Think!
According to a study published October 2007 in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), there were close to 100,000 cases of invasive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections in the United States in 2005, which lead to more than 18,600 deaths.
To put that number into perspective, HIV/AIDS killed 17,000 people that year.
Antibiotic-resistant disease IS a major man-made problem.
This was the study that propelled MRSA into the news last year, combined with a number of school outbreaks that took place around the same time. Discussions focused largely on reducing medical over-use of antibiotics, and proper hygiene such as washing your hands with soap and water to reduce the spread of infectious disease.
But little has been said about the rampant over-use of antibiotics in agriculture, which is a MAJOR source of human antibiotic consumption, and hence increased antibiotic resistance.
Agriculture as a Source of Antibiotic Resistance
Both MRSA and ESBL are being traced back to animals raised for food production, especially pigs.
These animals are often fed antibiotics at low doses for disease prevention and growth promotion. Animals receiving antibiotics in their feed gain 4 to 5 percent more body weight than animals that do not receive antibiotics, but the price is high for you, the end consumer, because this practice also creates the perfect conditions for antibiotic resistance to flourish.
Denmark’s health officials claim they’re unsure of how farmers and veterinarians, who have not consumed infected meat, are becoming infected. However, according to research cited on Johns Hopkins website, the main reservoir of these organisms is in the lower digestive tract, and they can persist within the gastrointestinal tract for months. So perhaps the answer doesn’t have to be all that complicated.
So, the meat industry practice of using antibiotics is indeed a driving force behind the development of antibiotic resistance in a now wide variety of bacteria that cause human disease.
The long stalemate on this issue constitutes a struggle between strong science and bad politics. The FDA finally banned the use of fluoroquinolones – a widely used class of antimicrobials — from agricultural use August 1997, but not without the Bayer Corporation kicking and screaming in vehement opposition. After all, antibiotics for livestock use is big business. It constitutes about 70 percent of ALL antibiotic use! They couldn’t replace that market with human consumers even if they tried.
Other Agricultural Sources of Antibiotics
Another heavily tainted meat product you should stay away from is conventionally raised chicken. A 2006 study published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases found that bacteria from conventional chicken and from people who ate the chicken became resistant to Synercid, a strong antibiotic used to treat antibiotic-resistant bacteria. In essence, it can cause resistance to the last lines of defense currently available in the modern medicine cabinet.
It also found that it was rare to find resistant bacteria among antibiotic-free chicken, while the majority of bacterial isolates from conventional poultry were resistant.
But, the ramifications of using antibiotics in agriculture don’t end there. Antibiotics filter down through the food chain in sometimes non-suspecting ways.
Antibiotics are also being transferred, via manure, into your food supply.
A 2007 study in the Journal of Environmental Quality looked at whether food crops will accumulate antibiotics from soil covered with antibiotic-containing manure.
In a greenhouse setting, corn, lettuce and potatoes were grown on soil that contained hog manure with a commonly used veterinary antibiotic added.
The antibiotics were absorbed by all three crops, into both their leaves and tissue. Meanwhile, the antibiotics also transferred to the potato tubers, suggesting that root crops like carrots, radishes and potatoes may be particularly at risk of antibiotic accumulation.
These findings unfortunately also have implications for organic farmers, who often use manure as their main source of fertilizer. And, as it stands, manure that contains antibiotics is still allowed under the organic label.
How to Avoid Excessive Antibiotic Exposure
So how can you ensure that the food you feed to yourself and your family is pure and healthy?
Apart from growing it yourself, your best option is to get to know a local farmer near you — one who uses non-toxic farming methods. If you live in an urban area, there are increasing numbers of community-supported agriculture programs available that give you access to healthy, locally grown foods even if you live in the heart of the city.
If you are looking for a safer alternative to commercially raised beef please be sure to check out grass-fed beef. Grass-fed cattle are not routinely fed antibiotics. They may occasionally receive them for an infection, but that would be the rare exception, and even then they are only used for a few days. http://scrnch.me/82ya4 ===== “Natural” is best, organic superior, and to learn how to undo the negative effects already suffered you, visit http://scrnch.me/82ya4
Written By Dr. With 32 Years Experience..Whether It’s The Swine Flu Or Seasonal Flu, Colds Or Cough- Treat With Natural, Homeopathic And Herbal Remedies. Non-toxic, Safe And Effective For All, Even Children And In Pregnancy. Hot Seller! Homeopathic/Herbal Cold, Cough, Flu…Contagious Infections Cures.
The correct term for Vitamin D is: Vitamin D3 cholecalciferol.Technically it’s not a vitamin as Vitamin D is in a class of its own. Its metabolic product, calcitriol, is actually a secosteroid hormone that targets over 2000 genes in the human body. Current research has shown Vitamin D to be extremely helpful with the prevention of 17 kinds of cancers as well as preventing heart disease,stroke,autoimmune disease, depression,diabetes,chronic pain,osteoarthritis,osteoporosis.muscle weakness,gum disease,muscle wasting,and more.
Its apparant through all the research thats been completed on this subject that the healthcare industry and individuals interested in having over-all good health and maintaining a sense of well-being, can no longerignore the great importance Vitamin D has in our lives.
The one main piece of information I continued to come across for one of the reasons most Americans are lacking in Vitamin D is the fact of more of us spending quite a bit of time indoors than we once used to. If you’ll recall we were hit with tons of information and messages for a number of years informing us of how bad it was to spend time outdoors and paricularly out in the sunlight due to the fear of getting skin cancers. It often seems as if its a darned if you do, darned if you don’t situation with may of these things. All the more reason each of us weighs the information and to determine what is best for them personaly. My thinking in my own life is many things are ok for us if all done in moderation, otherwise we may as well curl up under a rock or have that glass house built quickly.
Another culprite to the Vitamin D deficiency hasto do with all the chemicals and additives being in the many foods we consume today since these preservatives hinder and prevent our bodies from utilizing any Vitamin D which may be in the food, if any at all.
Vitamin D plays a role in building strong bones and also helps,much like calcium does with preventing bone loss as we age. The average American consumes about 600 mg. of Vitamin D per day. Currently the governments recommened amount of Vitamin D is a shocking 200 I.U. per day! The research indicates each individual needs at least 5,000 I.U. on a daily basis. In for one to acheive this they would need to drink about 50 glasses of milk per day and take a total of 10 tablets of a multi-vitamin each day.
An interesting fact about the suns role and Vitamin D production is 20-30 minutes of sun exposure during the summer months gives us about 10,000 I.U. of Vit D.
Some have suggested there are a few diferent ways one can obtain their daily dose of Vitamin D with one method being midday sun exposure in the spring,summer and early fall for 20-30 minutes and of course, avoiding sunburn. Another suggestion is to obtain this through the use of a tanning bed during the colder months, and again being sure you don’t burn.
There is a blood test that your doctor can do in the office called the 25-hydroxyvitamin D test. If you are concerned and would rather receive the results from the test prior to starting to take a Vitamin D-3 supplement, contact your doctors office to inquire about this test. Unlike many other vitamins, Vitamin D can be toxic if you take too much, therefore do not exceed 5,000 I.U. per day. For those who have the test done, its suggested to have a re-take after 2-3 months of taking the Vitamin D supplement to check where your current level is.
Recently there has been information about Vitamin D being very beneficial against the H1N1 Virus. I have included a link to information the Vitamin D Council published about this interesting theory. It appears there is enough valid information to prove this to be accurate information. This is definately worth taking the time to look into since it would be viable to beleive Vitamin D could have an incrediable impact on the spread of not only H1N1 but other viruses as well.
The swine flu virus is a certain strain of the influenza family of viruses that originated from pigs. Symptoms can include the following
*Runny nose
*High temperature and or fever
*Headaches
*Chills
*Fatigue
* Diarrhea and vomiting
*Aches and pains
Why is Vitamin D better and safer at treating him Swine Flu than a vaccine?
Vitamin D is a natural substance that belongs in everyone’s body.
Vitamin D is actually an amazing antimicrobial agent that produces over 200 antimicrobial peptides in the human body which kill viruses bacteria and fungi. Most people are under the impression that colds and flu’s caused by bacteria. They are actually caused by viruses which is why taking antibiotics is not effective at all as a treatment.
Vitamin D deficiencies have been linked to increased chances of getting cancer. A study in the international Journal of Cancer showed that vitamin D can protect cells from oxidative stress.
A study in Finland has shown that people with the lowest levels of vitamin D in the body had a 25% increased risk of dying of heart disease or stroke.
Where can you get vitamin D from? The best source of vitamin D is from the sun. This is why vitamin D is commonly referred to as the sunshine vitamin. For your body to produce vitamin D your skin needs to be exposed to sunlight. 40% or more for approximately 15 to 20 minutes per day is what is recommended to produce adequate vitamin D levels.
During the winter months when sunlight is at a minimum and people spend the least amount of time outdoors vitamin D levels are at their lowest. This is why you always see a dramatic increase of colds and flu’s during the winter months.
It is very important during winter if you are not getting your daily dose of sunshine to supplement with vitamin D to prevent a deficiency.