HEADACHES-

The TMJ Connection

HOW To Tell Which
Vitamins You Really Need

FISH In Your Diet
protects Your Health

Danger In Secondhand
smoke
0
START YOUR FALL
GARDEN NOW
LIFESPANS
By NICOLAS MARTIN
THE
I h
GJfll h tfllUlle A
ave u nc arac er- vs deal of research is being conducted into
st 11 so m be r medical uses for these chemical defenders,
I I Ca y e though their value as drugs is unknown at
h h I
present.
t OUg tS aS Write e Oneconvincingtheorysuggeststhatag-
h
h ing is the sum effect of the Iong-tenn break-
t IS mont . In ging downoftheimmunesystem. Whetherasa
cause or effect of aging, immunity certain-
gaz Ing OUt OVer the ly declines over the years. The ability to
produce new cells, which is essential for
San Francisco Bay immunity, declines _reducing
to others? I will leave you to imagine the the potency of attack against invaders.
0
n th i
5
b I i ssf u 11 y logical progression of questions. :nius . in old _age one is more susceptible to
AIDS has introduced many people to infectious disease, as well as cancer and
Sunny day I Can not
the immune system in much the same way heart disease
that war introduced Americans to Viet- The system also loses much of
escape the aware
- nam. It was there all along but we ordi- its selectivity wi_th age .. With cruelist irO!lY
narily Jived quite happily without know- the system begins to increase production
ness that Potent
.I ally ing it. When we did meet it wasn't on the of antibodies which. attack the body itself.
best of terms. Known as the autoimmune response, the
th t t d
Now there is no going back. The irn- body begins to reject its own parts as if
e grea es mo ern mune system is the first line of defense they were foreign, exactly as occurs with
h I h I
against illness. A primary reason we no individuals who have received organ trans-
ea t p ague IS longer are limited to a lifespan of 50 years plants. Autoimmunity plays a key role in
't d th and do not die largely from infectious dis- many diseases, including arthritis and
I ncreaSI ng I S ea ease is the strengthening of immunity diabetes.
11
through good nutrition and sanitation. It is clearly po ible to limit the immune
tO . For the first time in many decades, we decline which comes with age, and several
now find ourselves confronted with new influential scientists believe that this will
infections, such as AIDS and Toxic Shock lead to tremendous Increases In llfespan.
T
HIS COLUMN IS ABOUT the im-
mune system, and how it might be
possible to prevent aging and de-
generative disease by bolstering that sys-
tem. At the same time, it is impossible to
escape discussion of the warfare against
immunity waged by a virus thought to be
LAV or HTLV-lll, infamously known as
the AIDS virus.
AIDS eventually destroys the ability of
the body to fend off disease. Researchers
now believe that the incubation period for
this uniformly fatal disease may be up to
14 years, then the effects of AIDS appear
and death follows hastily. This city with a
total population of about 750,000 can ex-
pect to have 750 of its residents diagnosed
with AIDS in the next twelve months. Be-
fore you cancel your vacation by the Bay,
understand that the official number of
AIDS cases reported nationwide has pass-
ed 10,000. Almost half of that group has
already died. Up to 300 new AJDS cases
are reported in the U.S. every week.
Shockingly, close to 500,000 Americans
now carry immune antibodies which re-
flect exposure to AIDS, and the number is
quickly ascending. Is each of these per-
sons likely to develop a full-blown case of
AIDS? Can they communicate the disease
18 BESTWAYS August 1985
Syndrome, diseases which challenge the Normally, the thymus begins to shrink
immune defense. in size and function rather early in life.
Immunity, obtained by various means, This obviously limits the gland's ability to
is the complex method of protecting living produce the T-cells which are so essential.
cells against destruction by bacteria, By supplementing regularly with zinc, it is
viruses, parasites, and other pathogens. apparently possible to avoid at least part
Inherited immunity is possessed by most of this thymic decline. Furthermore, it
people long before birth. An alternative seems that zinc supplementation can ef-
method of obtaining immunity is through fectively bolster the thymus even when be-
contact with other people or, of less im- gun later in life. In one published study, a
portance, through drugs. group of healthy volunteers over age sev-
Most immunity is afforded by cells enty received zinc supplements (160 mg.
called lymphocytes which continuously daily for one month). As compared to the
search and destroy invading pathogens control groups which did not receive extra
and body cells which have Jost their orig- zinc, those who did showed increased lev-
inal value. T lymphocytes (T-cells), els of T-cells indicating better immune
produced primarily in the thymus gland, function. Zinc has also been shown to im-
actually feed on cells which have been iden- prove the ability of cells to fend off
tified as "foreign," including cancer cells, disease.
and viral and bacterial pathogens. B-cells, Unfortunately, zinc is commonly defi-
produced in bone marrow and in the cient in American diets, particularly
spleen, disarm microbes and viruses by among the elderly who need it most, so it
producing antibodies known as immuno- is an important first place to begin a life
globulins. extension program based on enhanced im-
lnterferons are another key element in munity. Several gerontologists have rec-
the immune system. They selectively pre- ommended daily zinc supplements of 25-50
vent the RNA of viruses from transmit- mg. Personally, I choose the higher poten-
ting information essential for their repro- cy since zinc has such critical value and
duction, without hindering the body's relatively low toxicity. It is not uncommon
for zinc tablets to cause a bit of stomach
upset so they are best taken shortly after a
meal.
Iron is another mineral which positively
affects the production of T-cells, perhaps
through its involvement with the enzyme
ribonucleotide reductase and several bac-
teria-killing enzymes. Candida and herpes
simplex infections are both more common
in individuals who are iron-deficient.
While there has lately been some anti-
iron propagandizing by one or two man-
ufacturers there is no demonstrated
hazard for most people in supplementing
moderate amounts of the mineral, on the
order of 15-25 mg. daily. I take my iron
''
As a powerfu I
antioxidant,
selenium protects
eel Is throughout the
body from damage
by free radicals.
''
as ferrous gluconate and after a meal. It
is especially important for a new mother
to have sufficient iron levels and to con-
sider breastfeeding since iron-related im-
munity is conferred through human
milk.
Vitamin A, and its precursor beta
carotene, have been shown to increase
immunity in animals. Improved anti-
body levels and cellular immunity have
been produced by supplementation with
these nutrients. Even the American
Cancer Society now recommends a diet
high in beta carotene-which is con-
verted in the body to Vitamin A-as a
cancer preventive due to its ability to
deactivate singlet oxygen, which can
severely damage cells. Individuals who
are deficient in preformed Vitamin A,
derived from animal sources, or beta
carotene from plants, heal less efficiently
and are more susceptible to infection.
Diabetics cannot convert carotene to
Vitamin A and are vety likely to be defi-
cient in the vitamin.
Preformed Vitamin A can be toxic and
should only be taken in small doses,
usually not exceeding 10,000 IU. Beta
carotene, though, has very low toxicity
and is converted to Vitamin A only as
needed. It also has functions which are
distinctly different than that associated
with its role as a provitamin. Thus, beta
carotene is almost alwav the supplement
of choice for seeking additional
Vitamin A protection (except for diabet-
ics), and my daily supplement contains
25 mg. of the ingredient in the dry form.
Selenium is yet another essential;
mineral which is associated with cancer
prevention and a strengthened immune
system. It activates production of co-
enzyme Q, which in turn stimulates the
immune system. In one study, mice treat-
ed with coenzyme Q showed significant
immune enhancement.
Researchers at Colorado State Univer-
sity have stimulated antibodies in mice
up to 30-fold by feeding them selenium.
Other studies have used selenium to im-
prove immunity in sheep, dogs, and
guinea pigs. The nutrient also enhances
the effects of certain vaccines, such as for
malaria.
Selenium deficiency causes a reduction
of lymphocytes and phagocytes, a type
of immune cell which consumes foreign
pathogens. As a powerful antioxidant,
seleni um protects cells throughout the
body from damage by free radicals. This
may bestow three related physiologic
benefits. First, it might diminish the con-
stant level of immune response necessary
to deal with free radical damage. Second,
it might reduce the autoimmune damage
associated with aging. Third, immune
cells can themselves be protected from
free radical damage.
At one time scientists thought that
selenium had no beneficial role in human
nutrition and was itself a potential car-
cinogen. Now it is very clear that selen-
ium has several important roles in the
body and is actually a powerful anti-
carcinogen and immunostimulant (stim-
ulates the immune system). Selenium
supplementation can be very useful and
safe when done wisely. Soil levels of the
mineral (and therefore food levels) vary
widely in the U.S., so it is a good idea to
investigate the soil content in your area.
Richard Passwater's book Selenium as
Food and Medicine supplies basic infor-
mation on geographical distribution of
the mineral and your public library
should be able to help you obtain further
details.
There is great controversy over which
form of selenium makes the superior
dietary supplement. I will enlarge on this
issue in the near future, but for now I will
reveal that my daily selenium dose is 150
micrograms (mcg.).
Of course, none of the above guaran-
tees that you personally will have in-
creased lifespan or totally avoid disease,
just as it can't be guaranteed that you will
not get lung cancer if you don't smoke.
However, there is ample evidence that
you can bend the odds greatly in your
favor with these simple measures.
Next time I will continue the discus-
sion of beneficial ingredients, focusing
on Vitamin C and arginine, and consider
some prudent measures for minimizing
insults to the immune system caused by
diet and lifestyle. D
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BESTWAYS August 1985 19