Increase your first line of defense against microbes

Secretory IgA (sIgA) is a mucosal Immunoglobulin and our first line of defense against invading microbes. It is found in mucus and secretions both from the intestine and lining of the lungs.

It is interesting that recent research has shown that support of the friendly bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract, results in better immunity towards the common cold.

In a comparative study of the Bifidobacterium, Escherichia coli, Lactobacillus and the Saccharomyces boulardii mainly the Saccharomyces boulardii induced higher levels of sIgA (Martini FS, et al. 2009). The researchers concluded that the Saccharomyces boulardii presented better characteristics in terms of immunomodulation.

Saccharomyces boulardii is a so called probiotic yeast with a lot of research behind it. It is an excellent supplement to bring with you when you are traveling, since it has shown to significantly reduce the incidence of diarrhea (Kollaritsch H., et al. 1993, McFarland LV, 2007). This research was a placebo-controlled, double blind study were Saccharomyces boulardii were administered prophylactically to 3000 Austrian travelers and a significantly reduction of diarrhea was observed.

Research has also documented the benefits of Saccharomyces in preventing diarrhea after the use of antibiotics.

This probiotic supplement also has another benefit. It does not have to be refrigerated like other probiotic formulas, which makes it a lot easier to use.

For adults, 500 mg twice daily seems to be the most effective dosage. To read more about the Saccharomyces boulardii, click here. That will take you to our Gastrointestinal Support Formula.

To read the original research abstract click on the references below.





References:


[Prevention of traveler’s diarrhea with Saccharomyces boulardii. Results of a placebo controlled double-blind study] Kollaritsch H, Holst H, Grobara P, Wiedermann G. Fortschr Med. 1993 Mar 30;111(9):152-6.

Meta-analysis of probiotics for the prevention of traveler’s diarrhea. McFarland, LV. Travel Med Infect Dis. 2007 Mar;5(2):97-105. Epub 2005 Dec 5.

A simple thing you can do to help improve blood sugar, cholesterol, and gastrointestinal function.

Flax seeds, which are tiny small brown seeds, can be health promoting in several ways.

Flax is a source of omega 3 fatty acids which we all need. Fish oil is however a more efficient source of omega 3 since fish oil comes in the form of EPA, DHA the active ingredients of omega 3 fat. Flax oil has to be metabolized into EPA, DHA.

However, flax seeds have a lot of other benefits. The study reviewed here investigated the effect of flax on fasting blood sugar and total cholesterol in diabetic patients (Thakur, G., et al. 2009). The participants added 5 grams of flaxseed gum to their diet and were followed for 3 months.

The results for the treatment group showed that fasting blood glucose decreased from 154 +1-8 mg/dl to 136 +1-7 mg/dl. The total cholesterol decreased from 182 +1-11 mg/dl to 163 +1-9 mg/dl. The low-density lipoprotein LDL, the so called bad cholesterol, decreased from 110 +1-8 mg/dl to 92 +1-9 mg/dl.

The fiber in the flax seeds is the ingredient responsible for the results. They slow down the absorption of the glucose from other foods.

The flax seeds will also be beneficial for your gastrointestinal tract. It will help constipation, but it will not give you diarrhea.

I suggest you take 2 table spoons of flax seeds daily and grind them up for some few seconds in a coffee grinder. You need to grind them up to break the shells to get the benefits. They can be sprinkled on food or you can mix them in a glass of water and drink it down.

I do not recommend buying a big bag of already ground up seeds, since flax seeds oxidize very quickly when the shell has been broken.

Flax seeds may also help to regulate hormones in a beneficial way. I wrote about the benefits of flax seeds for the prevention of prostate cancer a while back. The research related to that can be accessed at www.tissuerecovery.com by clicking on Articles and Abstracts.

To read the original research abstract click on the reference below.




Reference:

Thakur, G., et al. Effect of flaxseed gum on reduction of blood glucose and cholesterol in type 2 diabetic patients. Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2009 June 22:1-11. [Epub ahead of print]

Eating a certain way can prevent depression.

Studies have shown that the Mediterranean Diet can help protect against cardiovascular disease.

The study reviewed here assessed the association between the Mediterranean dietary pattern and the risk of depression (Sanchez-Villegas A., et al. 2009). A total of 10,094 participants who were healthy at the beginning of the study were followed from 1999 and is still followed.

After a median follow-up of 4.4 years the results showed inverse dose-response relationships for fruits, nuts, the monounsaturated fat (olive oil) to saturated fat (animal fat) ratio and legumes.

The researchers concluded that the result suggested a protective role of the Mediterranean dietary pattern regarding the prevention of depressive disorders.

This is one more reason to eat a low glycemic index diet similar to the Mediterranean pattern.

If you are interested in easy to make recipes and more information on how to reduce the risk for chronic disease the book, "The Food Connection" describes the reasoning and research for a very healthy way of eating, click here.




Reference:

Association of the Mediterranean dietary pattern with the incidence of depression: the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra/University of Navarra follow-up (SUN) cohort. Sánchez-Villegas A, Delgado-Rodríguez M, Alonso A, Schlatter J, Lahortiga F, Majem LS, Martínez-González MA. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2009 Oct;66(10):1090-8.