A-Z disease prevention Articles

Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in North America. While there are conventional treatments for this health concern, heart supporting supplements can help prevent heart disease by keeping your heart healthy. 

What is Heart Disease?

Arteriosclerosis and atherosclerosis occur when deposits build up on the inside of the arteries. This leads to a decrease in the flexibility and elasticity of the walls. Deposits can be made of calcium (arteriosclerosis) or fatty substances like cholesterol (atherosclerosis).

Pieces of these deposits cause problems in several ways. They narrow the paths that blood takes around your heart and surrounding vessels, causing the body to exert more effort to maintain circulation and adequate blood flow to tissues. This common and dangerous condition is called high blood pressure. If pieces break off, they will disrupt blood flow, potentially leading to clots or lodge into smaller blood vessels, blocking them entirely and causing a heart attack or stroke. Clots are also culprits of heart attacks and strokes.

How To Prevent Heart Disease: Conventional Treatments, Diet & Supplements

Lifestyle Factors

The most important factor in keeping your vascular system healthy is a healthy lifestyle. It plays a bigger role in heart health than family history, which is encouraging. Reduce heart disease risk through a proper diet, fighting obesity, quitting smoking and incorporating exercise into your life.

Conventional Treatments

Conventional treatment of high cholesterol with lipid-lowering drugs makes only small improvements to your chance of developing heart disease. Plus, these drugs have many side effects. The most troublesome is the increased risk of depression and suicide amongst medicated individuals.

The drugs also deplete vital nutrients for heart health, such as coenzyme Q10. Aspirin or other blood-thinning medication may also be prescribed to decrease the risk of developing blood clots.

Stomach ulcers and abnormal bleeding are side effects of some of these medications. These medications can interact with many natural products. Consult a health professional before starting any new therapy.

Diet & Supplements To Prevent Heart Disease

Dietary changes for heart health include maintaining adequate fibre intake and lowering the fat and cholesterol content of your foods. Drink lots of clear fluids and eat raw fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

Include green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, vegetable protein like soybeans and unrefined oils like olive, flax, and sunflower in your daily diet. Foods to avoid are any junk foods, fried foods, processed foods, fast foods, white flour products, white sugar products, red meat, egg yolks, ice cream, salt, coffee, colas and other caffeine sources. Eliminate alcohol, tobacco and highly spiced foods.

Use diet, exercise, and supplements to maintain a healthy weight. Stress reduction techniques such as deep breathing, yoga or biofeedback will help to maintain a healthy stress level.

What Is The Immune System's Role?

The immune system is the police force of the body. It is a complex system of cells that defends the body from invading organisms, regulates inflammation and controls abnormal cell growth. Many organs are involved in the immune response, including the bone marrow, lymphatic system, thymus, liver and spleen. Bone marrow produces red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.

The spleen is a location where immune cells can monitor the blood for foreign matter. It also speeds up red blood cell production and activates blood clotting. The liver can increase body temperature and induce sweating to help fight off infections. The thymus produces B cells, which make antibodies, and T cells, which are part of the immune response.

The immune system is capable of fighting off intruders and remembering them so that they are killed off quickly if they invade again. The immune system must be able to differentiate self from non-self in order to know what to attack. If it does not recognize the body’s own tissue, then autoimmune diseases occur.

• The immune system can be compromised by:
• physical or emotional stress
• poor dietary habits
• exposure to chemicals and medications
• lack of sleep
• deficiency in friendly bacteria
• lack of physical activity

Stress & The Immune System

Physical and emotional stress has been shown in studies to depress the amount of circulating immune cells. Examples of possible stressors are excessive exercise, surgery, a long illness, and loss of a job or the death of a loved one. The sympathetic nervous system is activated by stress and causes increased heart rate and blood pressure, and a heightening of the body’s senses. It decreases the functioning of systems that are not essential for fighting or fleeing a situation. This includes immunity. Stress also causes increased inflammation and a buildup of damaging agents called free radicals. These substances can interfere with normal immune functioning.

Diet & Immune Health

Poor dietary habits inhibit the immune system by creating deficiencies in protein, vitamins and minerals. A healthy diet, with sufficient protein intake, supports the immune system because the immune cells are made of protein and are in a constant state of renewal. The immune cells use a variety of vitamins and minerals to carry out their jobs. The most important nutrients are vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, zinc and essential fatty acids. For example, vitamin C strengthens white blood cells and prevents the multiplication of bacteria and viruses. Deficiency of any one of these nutrients impairs the immune response.

Dietary sugar, especially white sugar, has been directly linked to depression of the immune system immediately after its consumption. One study showed that eating three and a half oz. of simple sugar reduced the ability of white blood cells to destroy bacteria. Sugar also provides fuel for invading organisms, like bacteria and fungi, thus strengthening their attack.

Sleep is an essential component of our body’s repair mechanisms. During sleep, the body is in an anabolic, or building, state. Insomnia prevents the renewal of immune cells. Over time, this leads to a decrease in immune functioning. Lack of sleep also stresses the body and usually occurs with an increase in sympathetic nervous system function. The immune system is depressed by the mechanism described in the previous paragraphs.

How Medications Effect The Immune System

Many medications, especially cortisone and antibiotics, affect the immune system, especially when taken for long periods of time. Cortisone suppresses the bone marrow, and antibiotics kill beneficial bacteria. Toxic substances, including excessive alcohol and heavy metals, depress the function of the immune system or cause immune cells to prematurely die.

Probiotics Role In Immune Health

Some of the most important players in the immune system are not part of our own body. Friendly bacteria, often called probiotics, line the digestive tract, sinuses and other mucosal surfaces. On all of the surfaces, they prevent infection with other microbes.

In the digestive tract, they also break down food particles and manufacture vitamins. Friendly bacteria are in a constant state of renewal. Frequent infections can be due to an imbalance of friendly bacteria. It is easy to upset this balance by improper diet or taking medications like antibiotics.

Conditions That Commonly Affect The Immune System

Lack of Exercise

Lack of physical activity weakens the immune response by hampering the ability of immune cells to get to where they are needed.

The Lymphatic System

The lymphatic channels act as highways for immune cells, but they contain no musculature of their own. They depend on the activity of surrounding muscles to push the lymph fluid around the body.

Mutated Cells

Mutated Cells are the result of abnormal cell growth and replication. In a healthy system, these abnormal cells are destroyed by the immune system. Tumours form when the abnormal cells multiply, unchecked by the immune system, into a mass of tissue. If the cells do not pose a threat to health, they are called benign or non-cancerous. Malignant tumours pose a threat to the body. They can damage surrounding tissues, move to other areas of the body and will grow back if removed.

Colds and Flu

Colds and flus are a part of everyday life. They are usually caused by viruses, although if left untreated, bacteria can move in and cause infection as well. Lingering or recurrent infection is a signal of an immune system that is overwhelmed.

Environmental Allergies

Environmental allergies can be any substance, but the most common ones are dust, pollen, animal hair, animal dander, insect bites, grasses, moulds and fungus, cleaning products and metal in costume jewellery. The immune system incorrectly views allergens as a threat to the body. When the allergen contacts a mucous membrane, inflammation occurs due to the release of chemicals such as histamine. Some researchers postulate that this condition may be due to the build-up of environmental toxins. These toxins cause an additional strain on the body’s immune system. The hyperactive system then responds inappropriately to stimuli that are normally found in the environment.

Food Allergies

Food allergies involve antibody responses to food. Allergens can be any food substance, but the most common ones are dairy products, peanuts, eggs, wheat, corn, soy, the nightshade family, food additives and preservatives and medications like penicillin and aspirin. Some researchers postulate that the early introduction of foods to infants causes food allergies. Other reasons for food allergies are the build-up of environmental toxins and heredity.

Autoimmunity

Autoimmunity is when our natural immunity turns against us and attacks our healthy body cells. Some common autoimmune conditions are: Celiac disease, lupus, psoriasis, Addison’s Disease, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and inflammatory bowel disease.

Tips For Optimizing Your Immune System

• Consuming a nutrient-rich diet
• Reducing physical and emotional stress
• Getting adequate exercise, rest and relaxation
• Limiting your exposure to environmental toxins & medications
• Supplementing your diet with nutrients that support the immune system

Choose lean meats, fermented dairy products and legumes to fill your daily protein requirements. Supplement with protein powder or an amino acid complex if you cannot consume enough protein. Eat fermented products to increase the amount of friendly bacteria in your system. A diet high in raw fruits and vegetables provides a good source of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants for the immune system. Onions and garlic are good sources of substances that make up anti-inflammatory compounds and help to kill microbes. Flaxseed and fish oils contain essential fatty acids that are anti-inflammatory. Avoid excess animal products, dairy products, processed foods, white flour and sugar products, all of which decrease the immune system.

Stress puts a burden on the immune system and taxes the body’s resources. Use whatever stress-busting methods work for you to decrease your stress level. Avoid excessive exercise and hectic daily routines. Do regular physical activity that you enjoy and that is appropriate for your age and fitness level. Go to bed at the same time each night, before midnight is preferable, and sleep for about 8 hours. Incorporate time into your day for relaxing practices like hobbies, reading or meditating.

If you suspect that your immune system is adversely affected by toxin build-up, undergo regular organ detoxification to cleanse your system. Include lymphatic cleansing in the protocol to decongest the immune cells’ transportation network.

Dealing with persistent fatigue, discomfort, and fluctuating symptoms can make it difficult to feel your best day-to-day. Supporting the body through a combination of medical care, nutrition, and lifestyle strategies is often key to maintaining balance and resilience. As awareness continues to grow, many people are exploring Lyme disease supporting supplements to help boost immune function, reduce inflammation, and promote overall well-being.

In this article, we'll explore natural approaches to help you support your body and improve your quality of life. 

What is Lyme Disease?

There are 3 stages of Lyme disease. After the initial (tick) bite, it first affects the skin, causing a 'bulls-eye' rash, although even this is only noticeable or reported by 30-40% of adult patients (and only about 10% of children patients).

The rash generally fades, and a latent period may follow, during which there are no symptoms. From there, more serious symptoms may not be noticed for weeks, months, or even years later. These symptoms include flu-like symptoms, sleeping difficulties, muscle pain and weakness, headache, back pain, facial paralysis, lymph node enlargement, irregular heartbeat, seizures, nerve damage, blurry vision, memory loss, dementia and joint pain. 

A hallmark of Lyme disease is extreme fatigue unrelieved by rest. Often, there is an ebb and flow: exacerbation followed by remission, then exacerbation. This, plus the very general and diffuse symptom picture, can make diagnosis very difficult.

People often call Lyme disease the "great imitator" because it resembles many other conditions. Doctors may misdiagnose it as chronic fatigue syndrome, hypothyroidism, arthritis, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis (MS), or ALS. Researchers still debate some aspects of lyme disease and its treatment.

Experts now recognize lyme disease as a complex illness. Delayed treatment increases the risk of additional infections and complications. Early treatment improves outcomes and may simplify recovery.

How Does It Spread?

Ticks primarily spread lyme disease through the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. Ticks acquire the bacteria from mice and deer. They can transmit the infection through bites. Researchers continue to investigare transmission through other insects and certain human exposures.

The fact that there are multiple vectors means that Lyme disease is also much less rare a disease than was once thought. Because it is also so often misdiagnosed, there is a good chance that it is severely under-reported, explaining why the number of confirmed cases over the past 30 years is still relatively low.

Testing For Lyme Disease

Most standard testing for Lyme disease can be unreliable. Early treatment with antibiotics is the best way to avoid future complications. Ticks are tiny and often go unnoticed. Many people never develop the classic bullseye rash. Some rashes appear in hidden areas. People may not recognize infection until chronic symptoms develop.

Lyme Disease Supplements & Support Options

In terms of treatment, there are a number of natural remedies and supplements that can help alleviate symptoms and fight off initial infection, before systemic symptoms occur.

As far as diet goes, try to keep it as clean as possible – avoid alcohol and all refined sugars, as the bacteria associated with Lyme disease feed off of these. Increase your intake of alkaline-forming foods in case of low pH. Some examples include most (leafy) green vegetables, melon, sweet potato, almonds, ginger, pumpkin seeds, and parsley. Fish oil or borage oil, high in Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, respectively, can act as excellent anti-inflammatories to minimize pain and systemic side effects. 

Antibiotics may not be avoidable in terms of treatment, so those individuals need to supplement with a high-quality probiotic to reestablish and balance healthy gut bacteria. 

Maitake, Reishi and Cordyceps can do wonders for general immune support and improve stamina, fatigue, and energy. Many practitioners recommend astragalus and ginseng for immune support. Chronic stress can weaken immune function and impar recovery. Be sure to make stress reduction a priority in your day-to-day life.

Pneumonia is an inflammation of the small lung sacs where air exchange occurs. It can be the result of an infection such as a bacteria, virus or fungus. It can also happen due to the inhalation of toxins or aspiration – when something other than air enters the lungs - of other fluids like stomach juices. Let's explore symptoms of pneumonia and ways to support it if you do become ill with it. 

Understanding Pneumonia

Not everyone who is exposed to pneumonia-producing microbes gets pneumonia. It is far more common in those with other respiratory conditions, the elderly, infants, heavy smokers and immuno-compromised or immobile individuals.

Symptoms of Pneumonia

Pneumonias can develop slowly, without many symptoms, or quickly, with intense symptoms. Classic pneumonia signs are painful, dry cough, fatigue and high fever. Breathing becomes laboured due to the pain. As the pneumonia progresses, the cough loosens, and rust-coloured mucus is expectorated.

Pneumonia Support Options

Conventional Treatments

Conventional treatment of infectious pneumonia uses antibiotics, antiviral or antifungal medications. They do not address the root cause of the problem, which is usually weakened immunity or an underlying medical condition. Repeated use of antibiotics for upper respiratory infections can lead to the evolution of antibiotic-resistant bacteria that can cause pneumonia. Make sure to replace the helpful bacteria in your system with a probiotic supplement after antibiotic therapy.

Natural Support

Nutritional support for pneumonia focuses on immune function and lung health.

Vitamin C provides a strong foundation for immune support. Combine it with echinacea and zinc for added immune benefits. Colostrum and astragalus support prevention and recovery during infection. Oregano oil and goldenseal help the body fight lung infections.

Supporting lung health may reduce damage and scarring. NAC (N-acetylcysteine) helps break down thick mucus. It makes mucus easier to expel from the lungs. NAC also helps reduce lung inflammation and irritation.

Licorice may also reduce mucus and inflammation. Avoid licorice if you hace high blood pressure.

Coenzyme Q10 supports oxygen transport and cellular energy production. It may also support immune function and reduce inflammatory damage.

Moderate exercise and deep breathing support lung function. However, prioritize rest during active pneumonia. Return to normal activities only after full recovery.

Keep indoor air moist whenever possible. Spend time outdoors in fresh air when appropriate. Steam inhalations with thyme and eucalyptus may help relax airways. These herbs also provide antimicrobial properties.

Hydrotherapy may support immune function. Alternate one minute of hot water with one minute of cold water. Repeat several times and always finish with cold water.

After recovery, blow up a balloon several times daily. This exercise may help restore lung strength.

Dietary Approaches for Pneumonia

• Increase fluid intake to help thin mucus secretions.
• Detoxify periodically to reduce the body's toxic burden.
• Eat plenty of raw fruits and vegetables like onions and garlic for their antimicrobial compounds.
• Include flaxseed or fish oil for anti-inflammatory fatty acids.
• Limit animal products that contain inflammatory precursors.
• Avoid dairy products that may increase mucus production.
• Avoid processed foods, white flour, and refined sugar.