How Frequent flyers can protect themselves against

Make money from your photos, videos and blogs. Get Started Now!

Posted in: no category in kk2kk's Blog

How Frequent flyers can protect themselves against UV radiation How Frequent flyers can protect themselves against UV radiation by Paul Clayton

If you are a frequent air traveller, your immune system is at increased risk due to UV radiation. An air traveller is exposed to higher levels of cosmic radiation than at sea level, because much of the latter radiation is absorbed by the atmosphere before it reaches the ground. UV radiation reduces white blood cell count and leaves the patient vulnerable to infection.

A strong immune system not only helps to fight against radiation hazards, but also maximise your chances of remaining free of bacterial and viral infection.

A comprehensive micro-nutritional support programme is a good starting point because it contains the micronutrients that play an essential role in immune function ? including vitamin D and the trace element selenium.

Vitamin D ? activating natural killer cells

Depletion of Vitamin D in the body is identified as a key contributory factor to the common problems of osteoporosis and osteopenia (loss of bone density). More recently, D depletion has been shown to reduce the effectiveness of the innate immune system.

A gene named Vitamin D3-Upregulated Protein 1 (VDUP1) plays a vital part in giving directions to stem cells to expand into natural killer cells, one of the key elements in the innate immune system. One of their functions is to get rid of virus-infected cells.

If you are low in vitamin D, fewer numbers of natural killer cells are formed. Thus, your innate immune defences against viruses will have become impaired. Since the other function of natural killer cells is to kill tumour cells, D-depletion also increases our risk of cancer.

Selenium deficiency in the body ? ideal for invading viruses

Selenium deficiency allows invading viruses to mutate and remain for a longer period in the host. This fact has been demonstrated by researchers at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. They compared mice that received a selenium-deficient diet with non-deficient animals, all of which were exposed to the human influenza virus. The deficient mice had more severe cases of the flu that lasted for a longer period of time than the non-deficient mice.

Selenium deficiency has become a prominent dietary factor contributing to an increased risk of infection, and in the worst cases, death. It is prevalent in large parts of the world, including the UK.

Beta-sitosterol ? an immuno-modulator

The nutritional plant extract beta sitosterol is one example of a group of molecules called sterols. They are regarded as the plant kingdom?s equivalent of cholesterol. Beta sitosterol is present in a number of plant foods and especially seeds and nuts. It is an immuno-modulator as it up-regulates certain aspects of immune function while down-regulating others.

Due to reduced dietary intake of sterols, our bodies have become more prone to allergy and auto-immune disorders. Since beta sitosterol increases natural killer cell activity, their depletion leaves the cells under-active, thus contributing to an overall degradation of the innate immune system.

Beta glucans ? the most effective immune support

Of all the natural compounds known to stimulate the innate immune system, the best documented and most effective are the 1-3, 1-6 beta glucans, generally derived from brewer?s yeast and now available as a supplement.

1-3, 1-6 beta glucan provides protection against diseases by enhancing four key immune responses.

First, it primes the main elements of the immune system ? the macrophages, neutrophils and natural killer (NK) cells - to defend the body against a broad range of foreign challenges (called pathogens). These cells are chiefly responsible for destroying pathogens and tumour cells.

Second, it enhances the ability of these cells to move from peripheral circulation of the body to the specific site of the attempted ?invasion? by a pathogen. The 1-3, 1-6 beta glucans do this by binding or ?locking onto? the surface of neutrophils and ?priming? them ? in the way that a weapon may be primed. The neutrophil is then able to seek out and destroy any pathogen ? be it a virus (flu) or bacteria or even a cancer cell.

Third, beta glucan enhances the ability of these innate immune cells to phagocytize, or ?engulf and eat? pathogens.

Finally, beta glucan enhances the ability of natural killer cells to release their chemicals that kill pathogens.

The end result of this four fold action is a significant enhancement of the body?s ability to fight against pathogenic challenges ? whether microbial, fungal, viral or cancer-related.

Not all beta glucan supplements are created equal

Biothera is a biotech company which is a world leader in research on beta glucans, and is the manufacturer of a patented source of 1-3, 1-6 beta glucans, WGP. It is their beta glucans that is being tested by the US Government as a protective measure against nuclear radiation.

Biothera?s research shows that beta glucan needs to be highly purified in order to be effective. Essentially, the outer layers of the yeast cell need to be removed to expose the beta glucan, so that it can bind to the receptor sites of the innate immune cells.

The purification process should also remove proteins and yeast residues. These can cause adverse effects in many people, and also reduce the overall effectiveness of the beta glucans. This purification process is costly; however, so unfortunately, some brands of beta glucan take some short cuts in this area, and are minimally purified, at best.

Who should take beta glucan?

It?s not only frequent flyers who should consider a well-formulated immune enhancer - the US Government is now testing Biothera?s beta glucans with a view to stockpiling it as a protective measure against the possibility of nuclear radiation.

In fact anyone who experiences daily stress (which lowers the immune response), people who are susceptible to infectious diseases, and slow and incomplete healing should all benefit from a supplement containing 1-3, 1-6 beta glucans.

Beta glucan can be taken as a daily supplement, because the immune system?s viability fluctuates from day to day, due to direct and indirect environmental conditions. When the immune system is suppressed, weakened, or under stress, we will be more prone to illness.

Also, the billions of innate immune cells which protect us have a life-span of only a day or two, so a daily intake of beta glucan will help to support the immune system on a constant basis. After all, the challenges to the immune system are constant, so we need to provide consistent support. .

A reliable source of beta glucans ? ImmunoShield

The role of 1-3, 1-6 beta glucans in strengthening the immune system ? together with another natural nutritional immune modulator called beta sitosterol - is explained in detail by the international health expert Dr Paul Clayton in his book Health Defence, and at www.drpaulclayton.com.

Dr Paul Clayton, who is a fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine and a former advisor to the UK Committee on the Safety of Medicines, advised on the formulation of Uni-Vite ImmunoShield, a natural nutritional immune system booster. It contains the unique combination of beta glucans supplied by Biothera and beta sitosterols, along with other essential nutrients.

Visit www.immunoshield.com to learn more about the effective use of ImmunoShield in activating immunity. ImmunoShield also works synergistically with Uni-Vite?s NutriShield ? a very comprehensive daily nutritional supplement for boosting your Innate Immune System.

Dr Paul Clayton is a fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine and a former advisor to the UK Committee on the Safety of Medicines. His best selling book Health Defence, now in its 2nd edition, draws lessons from the world's healthiest diets to define the ideal protective diet and supplement.

Article Directory: Article Dashboard