Hyvin
A Natural Health and Wellness Blog

Ever wonder what the cartoon version of a viral attack on our bodies would look like? Can’t you just picture those “bad guy” virus cells, the “good guy” destroyers, the messengers, the explosions! Oh, my boys would love this. Here’s a great explanation of what really goes on, courtesy of Dr. Bruce B. Miller, DDS, CNS.

What happens (the mechanism) on a cellular level when a virus invades your body

The immune system’s actions are obviously much more complicated than my explanation. This is the “made simple outline version” — just hitting the main points.

A virus (any virus) cannot duplicate outside of a cell. When a cell is invaded, the virus takes over its duplication machinery and begins to replicate itself. Thus when a virus invades the body it heads for a cell.

When a virus enters a cell the cell releases a chemical messenger called interferon.

Interferon does two things:

1. It tells other cells how to defend against this virus.
2. It stimulates cells called macrophages to multiply and get active.

Meanwhile the virus is multiplying in the invaded cell. When the cell gets loaded with new viral particles, it explodes, releasing more particles into the body to invade other cells.

The newly released viral particles are in for a two surprises.

1. The exploding infected cell is surrounded by macrophages which “eat” up viral particles.
2. Other cells in the area are more resistant to viral invasion.

Most of the time a viral infection can be stopped at this stage.

What if a cell is low in interferon when the invasion occurs?

• The interferon output is low, weak and there is a time lag.
  1. There is a delay and a weak signal telling the other cells how to defend against the virus.
  2. The macrophages receive a late and feeble signal.
• During the time lag the virus is replicating rapidly in the infected cell.
  1. The infected cell bursts releasing millions of new viral particles.
  2. Macrophages are few and weak and many particles escape.
  3. The other cells fall to invasion because they do not know how to defend against this virus.
  4. This is a chain reaction.
  5. You become ill.

If a cell has a “full tank” of interferon, it is better able to battle a viral invasion.

And guess what things negatively affect the immune response? (including the production of interferon): stress, not getting enough sleep, not enough exercise, and not getting the right balance of immune supporting nutrients. Any of those sound familiar?

For more information about what interferon is and how it works, check out www.immunityfacts.com. You can even see the above description in video format.

To naturally boost our bodys’ interferon production, my family is using the only herbal supplement that can do this.

The role of each individual nutrient at work in our bodies never ceases to amaze me.

Frank M. Painter, D.C., provided this job description of the mineral magnesium, noting that eight out of ten Americans get less than the recommended levels of magnesium in their diets:

It may be a humble element, but it’s a lot more than just a flash in the pan!

Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body. It is involved in more than 300 biochemical processes, including maintaining normal muscle and nerve function, supporting the immune system, regulating blood sugar levels, promoting normal blood pressure, and managing energy metabolism and
protein and nucleic acid synthesis.¹ Isn’t that a mouthful!

Treatment with diuretics (water pills), some antibiotics, and some medicine used to treat cancer, such as Cisplatin, can increase the loss of magnesium in urine. Other causes of magnesium loss and deficiency include poorly controlled diabetes and alcohol use. Signs of magnesium deficiency include confusion, disorientation, loss of appetite, depression, muscle contractions and cramps, tingling, numbness, abnormal heart rhythms, coronary spasm, and seizures.

Let’s look at the spectrum of illnesses associated with magnesium deficiencies:

Pregnancy-related Illnesses:

Some pregnant women experience either gestational diabetes (glucose intolerance of pregnancy) or pre-eclampsia/eclampsia (pregnancy-induced hypertension and toxemia). Both are very dangerous to the mother and are also associated with spontaneous abortions. Early studies of women experiencing toxemia in pregnancy at the Tuskegee Institute correlated lower intake of vitamins and minerals with the severity of their illness.² A 1992 clinical trial with pregnant women with family histories of hypertension found that magnesium supplementation dramatically reduced the incidence of pre-eclampsia in the supplementation group.³

A 1987 double-blind, placebo-controlled study of women experiencing premenstrual syndrome (PMS) revealed laboratory evidence of significant deficiencies in vitamin B6 and magnesium. Using a multivitamin/multimineral supplement corrected some of these deficiencies and, at the appropriate dosage, improved the symptoms of premenstrual tension.⁴

Heart Disease:

Sudden death associated with ischaemic heart disease occurs more frequently in areas in which soil and drinking water lack magnesium. It is also associated with heart arrhythmias, and the use of magnesium for treating one or the other arrhythmia has been recommended.⁵

Diabetes:

A retrospective study of 85,060 women and 42,872 men found an inverse association between magnesium intake and diabetes risk, and recommended increased
consumption of magnesium for prevention.⁶

Asthma:

Magnesium is extremely effective in the relaxation of bronchial smooth muscle tissue, resulting in a reduction of bronchospasm and increased airways diameter. Magnesium has also been demonstrated to reduce the histamine response. Patients who suffer from allergy related asthma often show excessive eosinophilic and basophilic histamine release which ultimately results in bronchoconstriction.

Ironically, studies have shown asthma medications such as theophylline and the beta agonists (such as albuterol and metaproterenol) can cause magnesium wasting. This may result in exacerbation of the overall condition.⁷ Magnesium supplementation is an effective conservative approach to the management of the bronchospasm component of asthma.

Osteoporosis:

Magnesium regulates active calcium transport in the blood. As a result, there has been a growing interest in the role of magnesium (Mg) in bone metabolism. A group of menopausal women were given magnesium hydroxide to assess the effects of magnesium on bone density. At the end of the 2-year study, magnesium therapy appears to have prevented fractures and resulted in a significant increase in bone density.⁸

References:

¹ NIH’s Magnesium page at

http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/magnesium.asp

² Intakes of Vitamins and Minerals by Pregnant Women with Selected Clinical Symptoms
J Am Diet Assoc 1981 (may); 78 (5): 477-482
Go to webpage

³ Effects of a Combination of Evening Primrose Oil (Gamma linolenic acid) and Fish Oil (Eicosapentaenoic + Docahexaenoic acid) versus Magnesium, and versus Placebo in Preventing Pre-eclampsia
Women Health 1992; 19 (2-3): 117-131
Go to webpage

⁴ Clinical and Biochemical Effects of Nutritional Supplementation on the Premenstrual Syndrome
J Reprod Med1987 (Jun); 32 (6): 435-441
Go to webpage

⁵ Magnesium in Supraventricular and Ventricular Arrhythmias
Zeitschrift fur Kardiologie 1996; 85 Suppl 6: 135-145
Go to webpage

⁶ Magnesium Intake and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in Men and Women Diabetes Care 2004 (Jan); 27 (1): 134-140
Go to webpage

⁷ Research Perspectives in Asthma: A Rationale for the Therapeutic Application of Magnesium, Pyridoxine, Coleus forskholii and Ginkgo biloba in the Treatment of Adult and Pediatric Asthma
The Internist 1998 (Sept); 5 (3): 14″16
Go to webpage

⁸ Magnesium Supplementation and Osteoporosis
Nutrition Reviews 1995; 53 (3): 71-74
Go to webpage

Yes, I’m grateful for health and wellness, but I’m talking here about how gratitude contributes to health and wellness. It makes intuitive sense, doesn’t it? Having a positive outlook (including gratitude) just makes us feel better — happier, lighter, smiley-er…you know what I mean. I just love it when we can “prove” what we know in our hearts to be true. According to results published in the March 2003 issue of Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, study participants who counted blessings (whether they were healthy or ill) reported feeling more energetic and having more of a heightened sense of mental well-being than the participants (all healthy) who kept track of hassles.

If you’re not in the habit of counting blessings, it might be a good idea to write them down… list five every day. Or sometimes when I have “drive time,” I mentally list things I’m thankful until I’m all out of ideas. I try to see how many miles I can cover with thankfulness. (“Drive time” is when I’m on the road by myself or with one of the older kids who is engrossed in a good book — not when I have all four boys. ) I always do feel better — physically, mentally and spiritually — when I make an effort to cultivate gratitude.

Let’s be hyvin with gratitude!

Perhaps you’ve been exposed to some of the discussion about the propriety of soy for women at risk for breast cancer. There are so many benefits to high-quality soy protein. This recent research provides assurance that consuming soy protein is the right thing.

Soy May Help Prevent Breast Cancer in Older Women
January 16, 2006
The New York Times News Service

A diet rich in soy, with its natural plant estrogens or isoflavones, may help protect postmenopausal women with relatively high levels of estrogen from getting breast cancer, preliminary research suggests.

Women past menopause who have low estrogen levels probably won’t derive the same risk reduction, but they can probably be assured the soy isn’t harmful in terms of breast cancer risk, said Charles E. Wood, an instructor of pathology at Wake Forest University.

“If you have high estrogen, the isoflavones could block the adverse effects of your body’s own estrogen (on the breast tissue),” said Wood, who based his views on his team’s study involving postmenopausal monkeys, published in the Jan. 15 issue of Cancer Research.

Wood’s study adds new fuel to the ongoing debate surrounding soy’s effect on cancer risk. “There’s been a good deal of confusing information, particularly with soy’s effect on (breast) cancer risk,” said Wood.

“Most population-based studies have found that women who consume lots of soy are less likely to develop breast cancer,” he said. “A number of studies have been done, and they generally show a positive effect or no effect.”

But in lab studies, Wood said, isoflavones from soy — which have a structure similar to estrogen — have been found to stimulate breast cancer cells grown in a petri dish and induced estrogen-like effects.

“Our hypothesis was that the amount of estrogen in the body may help determine whether soy was having good or bad effects,” he said. “If you have very low estrogen, high doses of soy could have adverse estrogen-like effects on your reproductive tissue. If you had high estrogen, the isoflavones could block the adverse effects of your body’s own estrogen. That was our working hypothesis.”

Wood and his team used a postmenopausal monkey model. They first selected out a high-estrogen group of monkeys and a low-estrogen group. Next, they fed each group four different diets for 16 weeks each, along with a high or a low dose of estrogen. The diets included either no isoflavones; 60 milligrams of isoflavones (similar to the typical Asian diet); 120 milligrams (highest amount that can be obtained via diet alone); or 240 milligrams (levels that must be obtained via supplements).

Next, Wood’s team measured how the diets affected so-called “markers” for breast cancer risk, such as breast cell proliferation. “No effect of the isoflavones was seen in the low-estrogen animals,” he said.

In contrast, among the high-estrogen groups the researchers observed more breast cell proliferation when isoflavones were NOT added to the diet, and when they were added in smaller doses. High levels of the isoflavones tended to block the effect of estrogen on breast tissue in the high-estrogen animals. The strongest effects were seen at 240 milligrams daily, Wood said.

“In the postmenopausal period, women with high natural estrogen levels have higher breast cancer risk,” he said. So the isoflavones may help reduce risk in those who need it most. These women with high estrogen levels may get the most benefit from isoflavones in soy in terms of cancer risk reduction, Wood said.

“Isoflavones may connect with cell receptors normally reserved for estrogen,” he speculated, thus reducing the breast’s exposure to estrogen, thereby decreasing cancer risk.

Wood stopped short of giving dietary advice, only noting that the topic warrants further study in humans.

Another expert praised the study and said it gives women reassurance. “This study is basically coming down on the side of, ‘Do not worry about the effect of estrogen on the breasts of postmenopausal women,”‘ said Mindy Kurzer, a professor of nutrition at the University of Minnesota, who has published on the topic of soy intake. “I think it’s an excellent study.”

The study does have its limitations, she said — most notably the fact that it was conducted in animals, not humans. However, “the monkey is the absolutely best animal model for this kind of study,” Kurzer said, because its physiology is so close to that of humans.

The finding that there was virtually no effect of soy in the low-estrogen group is also good news when it comes to breast cancer risk, she added. “The concern was that the phytoestrogens (isoflavones) might mimic estrogen when estrogen is not around.”

Soy is considered good for building bones and good for heart health, Kurzer said, as well as for relieving hot flashes during menopause.

Copyright 2006 The New York Times News Service. All rights reserved.

What do you think of my alternating header photos at the top of the Hyvin pages? My two older sons took all these photos (digitally) at a nearby state park. With a natural health and wellness approach, we are making efforts to live more in harmony with nature; seems appropriate to be enjoying nature while we’re at it.