VITAMIN D AND RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS IN SENIORS

Researchers at the University of Colorado have shown that high doses of vitamin D can reduce the occurrence of life-threatening respiratory infections in nursing home and long-term care residents.

“After studying these patients for a year, we found a 40 percent reduction in acute respiratory illness among those who took higher doses of vitamin D,” the study’s lead author, Adit Ginde, professor of emergency medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, said. “Vitamin D can improve the immune system’s ability to fight infections because it bolsters the first line of defense of the immune system.”

Acute respiratory illness (ARI) is one of the most common causes of death for older residents of long-term care facilities, owing to the fact that their immune systems are often impaired. “This is a potentially life-saving discovery,” Ginde said. “There is very little in a doctor’s arsenal to battle ARI, especially since most are viral infections where antibiotics don’t work. But vitamin D seems able to potentially prevent these infections.”

https://lifesciencedaily.com/medical-research/19317-vitamin-d-may-reduce-respiratory-infections-university-colorado-study-shows/

SOIL-BASED ORGANISMS 

There is a particular variety of probiotics known as soil-based organisms (SBOs), which are beneficial bacteria that live in the soil. Up until the 19^th century, when processed foods became the dominate part of the diet for those in the West, humans consumed raw and fresh-picked fruits and vegetables, which naturally contained SBOs. Even I remember pulling carrots out of my mother’s garden, giving it a quick rinse and eating it as is.

These organisms have been shown to help the digestive system break down carbs, fats and proteins, enhancing the absorption and assimilation of nutrients. This process, along with the fact that SBOs aid in digesting waste, also works to prevent constipation. Chronic constipation, or even poor bowel function, over years leads to a build-up of layers of toxic waste that ultimately contributes to “leaky gut syndrome”, allowing undigested food particles and waste to enter into the bloodstream, which in turn leads to a host of ailments. (see blog: How Three Nutrients Can Heal Most Ailments).

SBOs help the soil by eliminating harmful organisms, and when they are consumed by humans they also reduce or prevent harmful bacteria from colonizing in the digestive system. Like other conventional probiotics, SBOs also compete with pathogenic micro-organisms, such as bad bacteria, fungi, parasites, and yeast, helping to keep them in check. 

SBOs have been shown to be particularly helpful in dealing with diseases of the immune system, and helping the body to cope with the toxic side effects of cancer medications and chemotherapy. SBOs are especially useful in dealing with immune malfunctions because they stimulate the body to product alpha-interferon, a main regulator of the immune system. Alpha-interferon is something the body can use to cope with ailments such as chronic fatigue syndrome, herpes, influenza, and hepatitis-B and C.

Conditions that can indicate a specific need for SBOs include: serious allergies, chronic fatigue, frequent diarrhea, intestinal gas, constipation problems, poor immune function, repeated bladder infections, chronic vaginal infections, candida yeast overgrowth, skin fungus, or halitosis.

There are only a few forms of SBOs that are available in supplement form and these are: Bacillus laterosporus; Bacillus Subtilis, Bacillus Coagulans (L. sporogenes), and Streptococcus Thermophilis. One of the few such products available for sale in Canada is B. Coagulans which is marketed by NutriStart as “Lactospore” (the name of this patented product is based on the other classification of this organism, L. Sporogenes).          http://www.probiotic.org/soil-probiotic.htm

Dr. Josh Axe (Naturopath, Chiropractor, and clinical nutritionist), an expert on probiotics, recommends bacillus coagulans as one of his preferred choices, on his website and in his book “Eat Dirt”.    https://draxe.com/probiotics-benefits-foods-supplements/

For more information about bacillus coagulans see the product page for Lactospore on our website. http://nutristart.com/lactospore-microflora/

Viewing

This short video is the story of how probiotics brought a man back to health after antibiotic use led to a serious life-threatening ailment.

“How my family Stopped a Chronic MRSA Infection When Conventional Medicine Failed.” 

Reading

In his book “Eat Dirt”, Dr. Josh Axe offers a guide for understanding, diagnosing, and treating one of the most discussed yet little-understood health conditions: leaky gut syndrome. He believes that up to 80% of the population may have some degree of leaky gut syndrome. Leaky gut syndrome is the root cause of many ailments, including: adrenal fatigue, allergies, arthritis, autoimmune diseases, chronic inflammation, diabetes, and hypothyroidism.

In his book, Dr. Axe explains that modern “improvements” to our food supply—including refrigeration, sanitation, and modified grains—have damaged our intestinal health. He points out that the same organisms in soil that allow plants and animals to flourish are the ones we need for gut health. Dr. Axe explains that it’s essential to get a little “dirty” in our daily lives in order to support our gut bacteria and prevent leaky gut syndrome. 

Dr. Axe offers simple ways to get these needed microbes, from incorporating local honey and bee pollen into your diet to forgoing hand sanitizers, and even ingesting a little probiotic-rich soil. He also identifies the five main “gut types” and offers customizable plans to dramatically improve gut health in just thirty days.

Eat Dirt: Why Leaky Gut May Be the Root Cause of Your Health Problems and 5 Surprising Steps to Cure It, by Dr. Josh Axe

https://www.amazon.com/Eat-Dirt-Health-Problems-Surprising/dp/0062433644/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1481320848&sr=1-1&keywords=eat+dirt+josh+axe