Flu Shot Realities

Nutrition and Seasonal Flu

Antibiotics fight bacteria but won’t help against viral infections, and there are limited medical options. Flu drugs must be taken within 48 hours of the first symptoms of influenza and only claim to reduce symptoms by about 1.5 days. [1], [2]

Flu shots are only effective against 1-3 strains of influenza; depending on how lucky the researchers’ guess was several months earlier. But exposure to one or more flu strains, such as by getting a flu shot, actually make us more susceptible to infection from other virus strains by reducing our immune response.  Researchers know that, theoretically, when people are exposed to bacteria or a virus, it can stimulate the immune system to create antibodies that facilitate the entry of another strain of the virus or disease. For example, Canadian researchers in four separate studies found that people who had received the seasonal flu vaccine in the past were more likely to get sick with the H1N1 virus. [3]

There is evidence that the nutrient status of the host even affects the genetic expression of viruses. An unsuitable environment like a well-nourished body inhibits the ability of a virus to freely replicate and thrive. This not only makes viruses more virulent, but also more prone to mutate inside us to become more immune- and drug-resistant strains if we are nutrient deficient! ^{[4], [5], [6], [7]}

Research going back over a century has proven that nutrient deficiencies, for example of vitamins A or D, can lead to increased susceptibility to infectious diseases. A well-known and decades-old example is the strong association of vitamin A deficiency with the development of more severe measles infections, leading to a much higher rate of mortality. ⁵

Although the immune response has been demonstrated to be impaired in nutritionally deficient hosts, the actions and vigor of the virus itself may also be affected by the nutritional deficiency. Viruses have been shown to develop increased virulence due to changes in their genomes when replicating in a nutritionally deficient host. The exact mechanism for viral genetic changes is not well documented but seems related to increased oxidative stress in the host. For example, selenium-deficient mice were more susceptible to viral infections, and developed severe forms of illnesses even when infected with mild viral strains. Both the immune system and the viral systems were affected by the nutrient deficiency in ways that strengthened the virus and weakened the host. ⁵

Volunteers inoculated with live attenuated influenza virus are more likely to develop fever and evidence of an immune response in the winter when vitamin D levels are naturally low.  And an interventional study showed that vitamin D reduced the incidence of respiratory infections in children. [8]

Compelling epidemiological evidence indicates that vitamin D deficiency is a stimulus causing seasonal flu rates to be much higher in the winter months than the summer months. Evidence now confirms that lower respiratory tract infections are more frequent, sometimes dramatically so, in those with low serum vitamin D levels. In an intervention study, 800 IU of vitamin D daily reduced seasonal flu levels in winter months to the low levels commonly reported in summer months...virtually eliminating seasonal flu in that population. [9]

We can see that vaccines and flu drugs convey only limited protection and treatment against viral infections, and that the wisest course is to fortify our immunity with adequate nutrient intake.

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[1] http://www.tamiflu.com/treat.aspx 

[2] http://www.relenza.com/

[3] CBC News 9/23/09; Dr. Michael Gardam, director of infectious diseases prevention and control at the Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion

[4] Cunningham-Rundles S, McNeeley DF, Moon A.  Mechanisms of nutrient modulation of the immune response.  J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2005 Jun;115(6):1119-28; quiz 1129. Review.

[5] Zaslaver M, Offer S, Kerem Z, Stark AH, Weller JI, Eliraz A, Madar Z. Natural compounds derived from foods modulate nitric oxide production and oxidative status in epithelial lung cells.  J Agric Food Chem. 2005 Dec 28;53(26):9934-9.

[6] Calder PC, Kew S.  The immune system: a target for functional foods? Br J Nutr. 2002 Nov;88 Suppl 2:S165-77.

Janeway, Charles A.; Travers, Paul; Walport, Mark; Shlomchik, Mark (2001) Immunobiology, 5th Ed., Garland Publishing, New York and London.

[7] Beck MA, Handy J, Levander OA. Host nutritional status: the neglected virulence factor. Trends Microbiol. 2004 Sep;12(9):417-23. Review. PMID: 15337163

[8] Cannell JJ, Vieth R, Umhau JC, Holick MF, Grant WB, Madronich S, Garland CF, Giovannucci E. Epidemic influenza and vitamin D. Epidemiol Infect. 2006 Dec;134(6):1129-40. Epub 2006 Sep 7. Review. PMID: 16959053

[9] Cannell JJ, Zasloff M, Garland CF, Scragg R, Giovannucci E. On the epidemiology of influenza. Virol J. 2008 Feb 25;5:29. Review. PMID: 18298852

Myths about stearate "risks"

There are some common myths about stearates. Please allow me to describe the stearates that are utilized in making nutritional supplements, and how they are used, and other pertinent information on their safety and use in dietary supplements and foods.

Stearic acid is converted into oleic acid in vivo, so becomes a similar fat as is found in olive oil. In fact, one jumbo olive is estimated to contain 13 milligrams (.013 g) of stearic acid (C 18:0), many times more than is used in any pills or capsules. http://www.oliveoilsource.com/olivechemistry.htm

“Stearic acid is well absorbed by the gut and is transported in chylomicrons and remnant particles before being picked up by the liver. Once there, an interesting paradox occurs in that excess stearic acid is simply converted to the 18-carbon monounsaturated oleic acid via a desaturase enzyme in the liver (3) and then recirculates in lipoprotein complexes as oleic acid, which is not hypercholesterolemic. Thus, conversion to oleic acid may explain why stearic acid does not elevate plasma cholesterol concentrations.”

Supplement manufacturers rarely use more than 2% and usually far less or none at all, even though common foods contain much more (beef fat is 19% stearates; cocoa butter is 30%) and stearates are Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS). It is unusual that they would use more than1-2% in a product, and when they do use them it is typically used in microgram amounts to help process only sticky or non-flowing materials.

The hydrogenation process is not used for the stearic acid in the magnesium stearate. It is possible to convert oleic acid to stearic acid by hydrogenation, but that is not necessary (or desirable) with sources that are already high in stearic acid and low in oleic acid. Lipase-catalyzed interesterification is a viable alternative to hydrogenation these days, for example, if one were to want to convert oleic acid to stearic acid.

No consumer should be inhaling stearates, so the issue of being hazardous is also a bogus one that should be relegated to producers and manufacturers. You can actually say far worse about the hazards of inhaled enzymes, for example. Most supplement materials have MSDS handling sheets that mention the dangers of inhalation. There are no known significant dangers from normal oral consumption or skin contact.

The reason dietary stearic acid is considered benign is based on its failure to elevate plasma cholesterol concentrations (1, 2). Foods naturally rich in stearic acid and other saturated fats include: Red meat (beef, pork, or lamb) High-fat dairy products (whole milk, cheese, butter, and ice cream) Chocolate, Lard, Coconut oil.

For more on stearates, please see: http://www.nowfoods.com/index.php?action=itemdetail&item_id=93528.

Also, the accompanying chart has the percentages of stearic acid in common foods (4). As you can see, stearic acid is far more abundant in olive oil, butter and lard than in dietary supplements as a percentage, with grams in foods and micrograms (possible low milligram levels) in only certain dietary supplements:

A common reference is to a 1990 study in the journal Immunology, but the reference is hardly satisfactory as a demonstration of the alleged harm of stearic acid. This was a test tube study that has not been replicated in living beings, with an artificial situation providing high concentrations of stearic acid exposed to isolated immune cells for hours at a time. It was actually done as a way to investigate whether prolonged high dose stearic acid administration could possibly be used to suppress the immune system for an autoimmune disease treatment. (5) It was definitely NOT a demonstration that this would work the same way with dietary supplements or with foods containing stearic acid. The effect was dose- and time- dependent; with a sustained, prolonged exposure over an 8-hour period that is impossible to replicate in the living human body. For a test tube study, it would first have to be shown that the mechanism was valid in vivo before it could be considered reasonable to extrapolate it to actual living organsms. This study did not do that; nor has any other, to date.

In conclusion, since this mechanism has not been proven in humans or had additional verifying studies, since humans have much more complex metabolic activities, since stearic acid is easily absorbed from the gut and then readily converted to oleic acid in the liver (in vivo), since manufacturers use far less than this study gave and with only a brief exposure, and since people get stearic acid in many common oil-containing foods in far greater amounts than are used in dietary supplements, I conclude that the fears about the use of stearates in dietary supplements are unproven and speculative at best, slanderous and unscientific at worst.

For a second opinion, please see the website of Ray Sahelian, M.D. at http://www.raysahelian.com/magnesiumstearate.html

REFERENCES
1. Yu S, Derr J, Etherton TD, Kris-Etherton PM. Plasma cholesterolpredictive equations demonstrate that stearic acid is neutral and monounsaturated fatty acids are hypocholesterolemic. Am J Clin Nutr 1995;61:1129–39.
2. Aro A, Jauhiainen M, Partanen R, Salminen I, Mutanen M. Stearic acid, trans fatty acids, and dairy fat: effects on serum and lipoprotein lipids, apolipoproteins, lipoprotein(a), and lipid transfer proteins in healthy subjects. Am J Clin Nutr 1997;65:1419–26.
3. Lin DS, Connor WE, Spenler CW. Are dietary saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids deposited to the same extent in adipose tissue of rabbits? Am J Clin Nutr 1993;58:174–9.
4. http://www.nebeef.org/post/lfu/Stearic_Acid.pdf
5. Tebby PW, Buttke TM. Molecular Basis for the Immunosuppresive Action of stearic acid on T Cells. Immunology. 1990;70:379-384.

Response to NPR report on supplements and colds

Stress, Nutrition and Colds By Neil E. Levin, CCN, DANLA, January 11, 2007 The NPR Morning Edition story airing today called “Low-Stress Life May Be Best Way to Prevent Colds” has some contradictions and inaccuracies. While I can’t defend the “Airborne” formula, which has non-standardized herbs and non-natural ingredients and was developed by a teacher rather than a nutritionist, some of the statements about dietary supplements made in the report are simply inaccurate. One is the purported lack of connection between boosting the immune system and preventing or treating the common cold or flu, reporting the views of one skeptical medical researcher. In fact, there are many hundreds of published clinical studies showing specific mechanisms by which various dietary supplements can improve immune cell function. A review of the published science on zinc in the Journal of Environmental Pathology and Toxicology stated that “[zinc] fulfills an immune function.” The Journal of Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology published a review reporting that, “Garlic has a wide spectrum of actions; not only is it antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and antiprotozoal, but it also has beneficial effects on the cardiovascular and immune systems.” Alternative Medicine Review recently published a review of the literature on the effects of herbs on the immune system, reporting, “The in vitro and in vivo research demonstrates that the reviewed botanical medicines modulate the secretion of multiple cytokines.” [immune cells] And the journal Autoimmunity bluntly reported on Echinacea’s positive effect on Natural Killer immune cells, indicating that Echinacea may even provide a new treatment for Type 1 Diabetes: “the fact that the herb, Echinacea, is a well demonstrated immunostimulant of NK cells in normal mice/humans,” and concluding that “The results revealed that, in NOD mice, dietary Echinacea…actually stimulated NK cell production in their bone marrow birth site.” Another mistaken claim is that “most people get plenty of that [Vitamin C] in their diet. Yet according to dietary data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, “We conclude that despite NHANES III data indicating a small increase in the median dietary vitamin C ingestion in the USA, a substantial fraction of the population still ingests vitamin C at or below the Recommended Dietary Allowance.” The RDA is only 60 mg a day. This links to another part of the report that links stress to a two-fold increase in colds. Vitamin C aids adrenal function, with that gland being the most prominent player in stress response. Vitamin C levels in the adrenal gland are reported to be as great as 150 times the general levels in the bloodstream. Of course, if people don’t get enough in the diet and are under stress, that easily explains the vitamin C connection. The report also stated that some formulas contain, “herbs such as Echinacea, which, although very popular, has been shown by the best scientific studies not to work.” Yet recent negative reports have been challenged by the non-profit American Botanical Council (ABC) as not using commercially available preparations and using lower doses less frequently than commonly and previously used in positive studies. Another criticism is that some studies used college students that typically have better immune system functioning than elderly people. ABC Executive Director Mark Blumenthal said in response to one recent study that, “This is not a definitive trial on the efficacy of echinacea, nor should the results be generalized to echinacea preparations widely available. Unfortunately, the conclusion that may be drawn by some media who report this study may state that ‘echinacea is ineffective,’ but this would be an incorrect conclusion based on the design of this study and the evidence in the existing literature.” A meta-analysis of previously published studies on echinacea was published in the journal Clinical Therapeutics, with the conclusion, “Based on the analysis, the likelihood of experiencing a clinical cold was 55% higher with placebo than with Echinacea.” Another published review says that, “Numerous clinical trials have been carried out on echinacea preparations: it appears that the extracts shorten the duration and severity of colds and other upper respiratory infections (URIs) when given as soon as symptoms become evident.” The NPR report also questions the ability of the mineral zinc to reduce colds. Yet a report by the physician-reviewed health education group A.D.A.M. (http://www.adam.com/) states, “Several important studies have revealed that zinc lozenges may reduce the intensity of the symptoms associated with a cold, particularly cough, and the length of time that a cold lingers.” Such misleading statements in a health report may lead people to think that there are no dietary supplements that can correct deficiencies and imbalances which, combined with stress, may lead to impaired immune function. But science shows that the opposite may be true: dietary supplements have a solid role in immunity and health. Neil Levin is a board certified clinical nutritionist who is a product formulator and the nutrition educator for NOW Foods, a manufacturer of dietary supplements. His nutrition blog is available at http://www.honestnutrition.com/ REFERENCES: Link to original NPR report: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6797207 Frassinetti S, Bronzetti G, Caltavuturo L, Cini M, Croce CD. The role of zinc in life: a review. J Environ Pathol Toxicol Oncol. 2006;25(3):597-610. Review. PMID: 17073562 Harris JC, Cottrell SL, Plummer S, Lloyd D. Antimicrobial properties of Allium sativum (garlic). Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2001 Oct;57(3):282-6. Review. PMID: 11759674 Spelman K, Burns J, Nichols D, Winters N, Ottersberg S, Tenborg M. Modulation of cytokine expression by traditional medicines: a review of herbal immunomodulators. Altern Med Rev. 2006 Jun;11(2):128-50. Review. PMID: 16813462 Schoop R, Klein P, Suter A, Johnston SL. Echinacea in the prevention of induced rhinovirus colds: a meta-analysis. Clin Ther. 2006 Feb;28(2):174-83. Review. PMID: 16678640 Block KI, Mead MN. Immune system effects of echinacea, ginseng, and astragalus: a review. Integr Cancer Ther. 2003 Sep;2(3):247-67. Review. PMID: 15035888 Delorme D, Miller SC. Dietary consumption of Echinacea by mice afflicted with autoimmune (type I) diabetes: effect of consuming the herb on hemopoietic and immune cell dynamics. Autoimmunity. 2005 Sep;38(6):453-61. PMID: 16278152 Herbal Science Group Says Dosage Too Low in New Echinacea Trial http://www.herbalgram.org/default.asp?c=echinacea072605 Patak P, Willenberg HS, Bornstein SR. Vitamin C is an important cofactor for both adrenal cortex and adrenal medulla. Endocr Res. 2004 Nov;30(4):871-5. Review. PMID: 15666839 Kurugol Z, Akilli M, Bayram N, Koturoglu G. The prophylactic and therapeutic effectiveness of zinc sulphate on common cold in children. Acta Paediatr. 2006 Oct;95(10):1175-81. PMID: 16982486 Hulisz D. Efficacy of zinc against common cold viruses: an overview. J Am Pharm Assoc (Wash DC). 2004 Sep-Oct;44(5):594-603. Review. PMID: 15496046

ODE TO THE INTESTINE

ODE TO THE INTESTINE © 2006 by Neil Levin

The bowel ain’t a sunny place
A dirty, dark, disgusting space

It’s full of microbes, bad and good
And yucky, decomposing food

It has a brain, just like your head
To guide digestion of our bread

It separates “us” from “not us”
And is home to acidophilus

It harbors other creatures, too
And immune cells to protect you

If you develop leaky gut
Food particles will be in a rut

“Chew your liquids, drink your food”
Means masticate it really good

Reduce stress to aid digestion
And increase GI immune cell function

Avoiding allergens is best
And helps you to absorb the rest

A body system we should invest in
Hence this ‘Ode To The Intestine’