How Supermodel Gisele Bundchen "Infuriated Cancer Experts"...

Article By- Dr Mercola:

Researchers at the Environmental Working Group, a Washington-based nonprofit, released their annual report claiming nearly half of the 500 most popular sunscreen products may actually increase the speed at which malignant cells develop and spread skin cancer because they contain vitamin A and its derivatives, retinol and retinyl palmitate.

Furthermore, the FDA has known about the dangers of vitamin A in sunscreens since ordering a study 10 years ago, but has done nothing to alert the public of the dangers.

"Retinyl palmitate was selected by (FDA's) Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition for photo-toxicity and photocarcinogenicity testing based on the increasingly widespread use of this compound in cosmetic retail products for use on sun-exposed skin," said an October 2000 report by the National Toxicology Program.

According to AOL news, other problems with sunscreens include:

• The use of the hormone-disrupting chemical oxybenzone, which penetrates the skin and enters the bloodstream.
• Overstated claims about performance.
• The lack of needed regulations and oversight by the Food and Drug Administration.

Also, be careful where you discuss the danger involved with sunscreens.  Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen has reportedly "infuriated cancer experts" by describing sunscreen as "poison".

Bundchen refuses to use it on herself or her family because of the chemicals they contain. According to the Daily Mail:

"[Bundchen] made the comments at the launch of her own organic skin care range, which presumably doesn't include sun care lotions."

Bundchen, incidentally, is currently the highest paid supermodel in the world. She also has said that it should be against the law for healthy mothers to give their baby infant formula full of sugar, and often soy.

Sources:

  Daily Mail February 4, 2011 

  AOL News May 24, 2010 

  Environmental Working Group’s 2010 Sunscreen Guide 

 

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

The FDA is once again on the wrong side of consumer safety, just as they have been time and time again when they allow dangerous drugs onto the market that end up killing people and are later recalled.

Failing to alert consumers of the dangers of vitamin A and its derivatives in sunscreens falls in line with the FDA's seemingly endless ability to protect their big business "clients" at the expense of public safety. In this case the manufacturers of sunscreens are the beneficiaries of the FDA's inability or unwillingness to publish their own vitamin A safety research that they conducted over 10 years ago in 2000.

For a long list of other FDA debacles through the years, just put "FDA" into my search box at the very top of this, or any page at mercola.com.

Is Sunscreen Really a Necessity?

Let's consider a question that naturally arises out of this latest failure by the FDA – do you even need to use sunscreen in the first place?

The answer is "maybe", and only when you can't control how much sun you are exposed to. For instance, if you work outdoors all day as part of your job, or if you need to protect sensitive areas of your face, like around your eyes, that are particularly susceptible to photoaging and not that large a surface area to impact vitamin D levels if blocked with sunscreen.

But you certainly don't want to use most of the commercially available sunscreens under any condition as they not only block your body's ability to produce vitamin D, they're also loaded with toxic chemicals. More about that in a minute.

However, sunscreens available in most health food stores, and the one we sell on our site, are safe to use when the need arises.

The fact is, getting safe sun exposure every day is actually one of the best things you can do for your health. Sun exposure allows your body to naturally produce your own supply of vitamin D, and experts agree that this is the best form of vitamin D available.

The point to remember is that once your skin turns the lightest shade of pink (if you're Caucasian), it's time to get out of the sun. Past this point of exposure your body will not produce any more vitamin D and you'll begin to have sun damage. And sunburn anywhere on your body is never good for your health.

The Benefits of Vitamin D

First of all, vitamin D plays a crucial role in your overall health and well-being. If you've spent any time on my site at all, you know that I'm a firm advocate for optimizing your vitamin D levels.

For example, this superb nutrient is known to:

Support your cardiovascular health	Support healthy kidney function
Enhance your muscle strength	Promote healthy teeth
Help produce optimal blood pressure levels	Help keep your bones strong and healthy
Help maintain a healthy immune system

Please understand -- this list of important benefits represents a fraction of the many ways vitamin D helps optimize your health. And, although you can obtain vitamin D from natural food sources, experts agree on one thing:

Sunlight is by far the best way to get your vitamin D. The so-called experts who advise you to avoid all sunlight and religiously apply sunscreen are actually encouraging you to increase your risk of cancer, not lower it…

The key is to find a healthy balance between getting enough natural sunlight to maximize your vitamin D production and maintain your optimal health, while at the same time protecting yourself from damage that occurs from overexposure to the sun.

Sun Exposure Can Protect You Against Cancer

Over the years, several studies have already confirmed that appropriate sun exposure actually helps prevent skin cancer. In fact, melanoma occurrence has been found to decrease with greater sun exposure, and can be increased by sunscreens.

One such study revealed that melanoma patients who had higher levels of sun exposure were less likely to die than other melanoma patients, and patients who already had melanoma and got a lot of sun exposure were prone to a less aggressive tumor type.

Another Italian study, published in the European Journal of Cancer in June 2008, also confirms and supports earlier studies showing improved survival rates in melanoma patients who were exposed to sunlight more frequently in the time before their melanoma was diagnosed.

Also, Melanoma is actually more common in indoor workers than in outdoor workers, and is more common on regions of your body that are not exposed to the sun at all. Additionally, UVB radiation has been found to delay the appearance of melanoma if you are genetically predisposed or prone to skin cancer.

To Prevent Skin Damage You Have to Protect Against the Most Damaging Rays

Ultraviolet light from the sun comes in two main wavelengths – UVA and UVB. It's important for you to understand the difference between them, and your risk factors from each.

Consider UVB the 'good form' that helps your skin produce vitamin D.

UVA is considered the 'bad form' because it penetrates your skin more deeply and causes more free radical damage. Not only that, but UVA rays are quite constant during ALL hours of daylight, throughout the entire year -- unlike UVB, which are low in morning and evening, and high at midday.

If you've ever gotten a scorching sunburn on a cloudy day, you now understand why; it's from the deeply penetrating UVA!

Since UVA's are inherently more damaging AND persistently high during all daylight hours, wearing a sunscreen that doesn't protect you from UVA is going to give you virtually no benefit, and be detrimental to your overall health. So the first thing to understand about using sunscreen, when applicable, is to make certain you are actually getting UVA protection.

A Better Alternative to Sunscreen

One of the best strategies to protect yourself from the sun is actually not a sunscreen at all, it's wearing clothing or getting into the shade.

Why?

Because most sunscreens are loaded with toxic chemicals that can actually accelerate skin cancer, or get into your bloodstream where they can disrupt your hormones. Also, the protection sunscreen manufacturers claim is often misleading due to improper application.

So you don't always need to apply sunscreen, and you definitely do want to get some safe sunlight exposure every day, which has also been shown to help protect against as many as 16 different types of cancer, including; breast, colon, endometrial, esophageal, ovarian, bladder, gallbladder, gastric, pancreatic, prostate, rectal, and renal cancers, as well as non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Cotton clothing provides about SPF 15, in other words, you will get about 15-times your skin's normal protection from the sun wherever you cover your body with clothing. Just remember that even with protective clothing on your body, it's still important to monitor your skin for the telltale signs of burning.

Remember, sunburn provides no benefit, and is never good for your skin.

So is Gisele Bundchen Right?

Until very recently all sunscreens did NOT filter out the UVA radiation. They filtered out UVB, ensuring that your body could not make any vitamin D, while letting the UVA through. So there was a strong recommendation from the medical community to use sunscreen, but this advice was actually increasing your risk of cancer while eliminating your body's ability to manufacture vitamin D!

The other issue is what type of chemicals does the sunscreen use to create the barrier against the UVA waves?

The synthetic chemicals often used in sunscreen preparations can get into your bloodstream and can cause all sorts of unwanted toxic side effects, including hormone disruption.

Some of these chemicals include:

OMC (Octyl methoxycinnamate)	Octocrylene
Avobenzone	Oxybenzone
Homosalate	Octinoxatre
Octisalate

So if Gisele was referring to sunscreens containing these hormone-disrupting synthetic chemicals that do not even protect against UVA rays, then she was absolutely right!

Safer Sunscreen Alternatives

However, options do exist to provide safe protection from the sun during times when you may not be able to control the amount of sun exposure you are likely to receive. For instance, if you take your kids to an amusement park or the beach, you might just be in direct sunlight all day.

To get natural sun protection from both UVA and UVB rays, you will want to use a sunscreen product that contains the active ingredients of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. My research team has put together what we think is superior sun protection and you can find more about it here.

You want to be cautious not to include any vitamin A in your sunscreen, or its derivatives retinol and retinyl palmitate.

Other safe ingredients that will nourish your skin include:

Coconut oil	Jojoba oil
Sunflower oil	Shea butter
Vitamins D and E	Eucalyptus oil

Vitamin A—A Dangerous Sunscreen Additive

The sunscreen industry uses vitamin A in its formulations because it is an anti-oxidant that is thought to slow skin aging. But according to the AOL story cited above, the FDA's study of vitamin A's photocarcinogenic properties revealed that:

"tumors and lesions developed up to 21 percent faster in lab animals coated in a vitamin A-laced cream than animals treated with a vitamin-free cream."

This conclusion came from Environmental Working Group's analysis of the findings released the FDA and the National Toxicology Program.

Why hasn't the FDA released these findings and alerted the public to the possible dangers of using a sunscreen that includes vitamin A or its derivatives?

No one is really certain why the FDA again refuses to listen to its scientists and doctors. But this type of behavior has become standard operating procedure for the FDA, an agency that routinely protects the business interests of corporations instead of following their stated mandate to protect the public health.

Our sunscreen used to have vitamin A in it until I discovered its potential health problems. We immediately removed it, however many other brands still include it in their formulas, so beware, and always check the labels when shopping for sunscreen.

How to Research Your Sunscreen

Thanks to the Environmental Working Group, you are now able to see exactly how your sunscreen rates for safe ingredients and efficacy. Check out EWG's Sunscreen Guide here.

Their website also lists the titanium and zinc containing sunscreens receiving the highest ratings, as well as provides you with some non-mineral options that rank lowest on the toxicity scale.

The site is also a great reference for surprising facts about sunscreen, and also contains a sunscreen hall of shame, showing the absolute worst offenders on the toxicity scale. And lastly, according to their website, 1 in 8 sunscreens sold on the market today stilloffer no protection against UVA rays!

Astaxanthin as the Hottest New Internal Sunscreen

Yes, a specific nutrient has been identified as being profoundly useful in protecting against sun damage!

Astaxanthin has recently jumped to the front of the line in terms of its status as a "supernutrient," becoming the focus of a large and growing number of peer-reviewed scientific studies. It's produced from marine algae in response to exposure to UV light. This is the way the algae protects itself, so it makes perfect sense that this deeply pigmented substance would have the capacity to "shield" you when it is taken in large enough quantities for a long enough time to saturate your body's tissues. Typically this is several weeks.

One of the benefits of astaxanthin that has piqued the interest of researchers is its ability to reduce signs of aging, by helping protect your skin from sun damage.

Cyanotech Corporation funded a study through an independent consumer research laboratory to measure the skin's resistance to both UVA and UVB light, before and after astaxanthin supplementation. After taking 4mg per day for two weeks, subjects showed a significant increase in the amount of time necessary for UV radiation to redden their skin.

Animal studies lend further evidence to astaxanthin's effects as an internal sunscreen. Consider the following:

• In 1995, hairless mice were fed various combinations of astaxanthin, beta-carotene and retinol for four months. After irradiation, astaxanthin alone or in combination with retinol was substantially effective in preventing photoaging of the skin (as measured by markers for skin damage).
• In a 1998 study with rats, astaxanthin was found to be 100 times stronger than beta-carotene and 1000 times stronger than lutein in preventing UVA light-induced oxidative stress.
• The Journal of Dermatological Science published a study in 2002 finding astaxanthin is able to protect against alterations in human DNA induced by UVA light exposure.

Some Other Tips to Decrease Your Risk of a Burn

Controlling your exposure to the sun is not always possible, and sometimes even the most vigilant of us forget to bring along the proper natural sunscreen when we face overexposure.

So what's the best way to ensure your body is primed to have the best defense against overexposure to the sun's harmful UVA rays?

Consuming a healthy diet full of natural antioxidants has always been a useful strategy in not only staying healthy but also providing your body with the resources to counter damage from exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Fresh, raw, unprocessed foods deliver the nutrients that your body needs to maintain a healthy balance of omega 6 and omega 3 oils in your skin, which is your first line of defense against sunburn.

If you are regularly consuming processed foods and your cells are loaded up mostly with damaged, oxidized fats, you simply aren't giving your skin the proper fat protection it needs at a cellular level.

Fresh, raw vegetables also provide your body with an abundance of powerful anti-oxidants that will help you fight the free radicals caused by sun damage that can lead to burns and cancer.

You can also make sure to wear a cap with a visor to protect your face and eyes from direct sunlight, along with enough clothing to protect your skin from direct sun contact. Most cotton clothing will provide you with about 15 SPF.

Also, I avoid using sunglasses, because I believe your eyes need to receive the full spectrum of light to function optimally, and sunglasses block out some essential waves of the light spectrum. So as you're getting your healthy and necessary daily exposure to direct sunlight to optimize your vitamin D levels, you want to be sure to leave the sunglasses behind.

Related Links:

  Four Out of Five Sunscreens May Be Hazardous to Your Health 

  The Sunscreen Myth: How Sunscreen Products Actually Promote Cancer 

  What's the Most Dangerous Part of Sun Exposure? 

Holistic Approaches to Asthma Treatment BY - Lawrence B. Palevsky, MD, FAAP, DABHM

Holistic Approaches to Asthma Treatment
Lawrence B. Palevsky, MD, FAAP, DABHM
Asthma is a common word in many households. A growing number of children live on
beta-2 agonists, steroids and anti-leukotriene medications that treat the acute and chronic
symptoms of asthma. These medications have helped save many lives. However, these
medicines, unfortunately, do not cure the asthmatic condition. They merely serve to quiet
the visible expression of symptoms.
Medicines do not influence the factors that generate the imbalances in the body causing the
onset of wheezing. The imbalances that trigger the symptoms of asthma persist despite the
use of medication and the relief of symptoms. These imbalances arise mostly from
problems within the child’s immune system. The key to treatment lies in the evaluation of
the underlying factors that contribute to the development and expression of asthma
symptoms. The goal is to assess the imbalances and address their causes.
Asthma is defined as a reversible, chronic, obstructive, airway disease. On clinical exam, a
child with asthma is found to be wheezing and coughing. Often there is difficulty
breathing, labored breathing, poor air movement, shortness of breath and irritability.
Occasionally, a child may be pale or have blue lips. In the worst case scenario there is
somnolence or coma. However, the lungs are rarely involved. Rather, the smooth muscles
of the affected airways are in spasm and there is swelling and inflammation of the lining of
the airways.
An important segment of our immune system is found in the lining of the airways. And
significant portions of the immune system are found in the linings of the digestive tract, the
skin and the nervous system, including the brain. The body obtains its major protection
against the outside world from the proper functioning of these four areas of the immune
system. All parts of the immune system are in constant communication with each other.
An acute asthma episode is triggered by a challenge to the immune system at one, several or
all four of these areas of the body.
In a healthy child, when the immune system is stressed, chemicals are released that produce
inflammation. These chemicals are made by immune cells that migrate to the site(s) where
the body is challenged. Redness, heat or fever, swelling, tenderness and loss of function
are the five signs and symptoms of inflammation that are clinically present, either singularly
or in combination. By the end of the inflammatory process another group of immune cells
begins to produce chemicals that have anti-inflammatory properties. These antiinflammatory
chemicals aid in quieting the area of inflammation. As a result, the symptoms
of inflammation begin to resolve. The body, in the ideal situation, is genetically
programmed to heal itself.
The resolution of symptoms during an inflammatory response is dependent on the delicate
balance between the production and activation of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory
immune chemicals. An acute episode of asthma occurs when this delicate balance is tested.
Thus, asthma is a condition of acute and chronic inflammation. The goal of treatment is to
evaluate any one of a number of contributing factors in a child’s environment that can
produce a state of inflammation. Perfumes, smoke, pollen, volatile chemicals, exhaust
fumes, pollution, animal dander, metals, dust and mold are some of the inhalants that can
adversely affect the immune response in the linings of the airways and trigger an episode of
wheezing. Dairy, soy, nuts, sugars, dehydration, processed flours and grains, processed
fats, fried oils, nutritional deficiencies, food dyes, chemicals, preservatives and additives,
metals, soda, junk food, fast foods and certain prescription drugs and over the counter
medicines can instigate an inflammatory response in many parts of the body especially in
the airways of children who are prone to wheezing.
Emotional stressors such as fear, anger, anxiety, worry and grief can both acutely or
chronically stimulate an inflammatory response in the nervous system leading to an immune
response in the airways of children with asthma. Even extreme emotional outbursts,
positive or negative, along with exercise, can bring about a state of inflammation. Birth and
head trauma along with other traumas to a child’s body can cause an impairment of blood
flow, lymph flow and nerve supply to and from the muscles of the chest wall and the
smooth muscles of the lining of the airways. This dynamic can compromise a child’s
ability to breathe efficiently and maximize air exchange in as many airways as possible.
The parasympathetic and sympathetic branches of the autonomic nervous system regulate
the state of contraction and relaxation of the smooth muscles of the lining of the airways,
respectively. When both branches of the autonomic nervous system are in balance, the
smooth muscles are not in spasm. Some children with asthma can develop bronchospasm
when there is over stimulation of the parasympathetic branch and/or a weakness in the
sympathetic stimulation of these airway smooth muscles. Any one of the above
contributing environmental factors—respiratory irritants, ingested materials, physical and
emotional nervous system traumas and stressors—can influence the over or under
stimulation of the parasympathetic and sympathetic branches of the autonomic nervous
system, respectively, leading to the onset of bronchospasm in children with asthma.
Prostaglandins, leukotrienes and cytokines are the major immune chemicals that function in
the body to produce pro and anti-inflammatory responses. The ingredients that make up the
building blocks for these chemicals come directly from the diet. Most of these chemicals
are made up of proteins (cytokines), polyunsaturated fats in the omega-6 and omega-3 fatty
acid family (prostaglandins, leukotrienes and thromboxanes) and from complex sugars
(oligosaccharides) that are fundamental to the proper function of every one of our cells,
especially the immune cells. Many of these fats, sugars and proteins are essential in our
diet and cannot be manufactured in the body. Many vitamins and minerals are needed to
help stabilize the structure of fats, sugars and proteins in cell membranes and aid in their
production, release and function.
When a child with asthma consumes an overabundance of omega-6 fatty acids and simple
sugars, which favor the production of pro-inflammatory immune chemicals, and/or
consumes an insufficient amount of omega-3 fatty acids and complex sugars, which favor
the production of anti-inflammatory immune chemicals, the stage is set for the development
of wheezing with swelling and inflammation of the airways. The trigger(s) that cause the
body’s immune cells to release these pro-inflammatory chemicals during an acute asthmatic
episode may come from any one of the contributing factors mentioned above—respiratory
irritants, ingested materials and physical or emotional traumas and stresses to the nervous
system.
There was great enthusiasm when the anti-leukotriene medications (e.g., Singulair) came
out on the market. It was seen as a major breakthrough for children with chronic
inflammatory conditions like asthma and inflammatory bowel disease since we knew that
these children had high circulating levels of pro-inflammatory leukotrienes. Leukotrienes
are some of the most potent inflammatory agents in the body. Prescribers of these
medications hoped for a reduction in the symptoms of inflammation in these children. In
reality, the medicine does nothing to stop the body from producing the leukotrienes. So
what happens to these pro-inflammatory leukotrienes? They continue to circulate in the
body. The inflammatory response persists in spite of an alleviation of symptoms. Many
children with asthma do not need these medicines to block the action of the proinflammatory
leukotrienes. A simple change in their diet will reduce leukotriene production
altogether.
A diet of mostly nutrient empty processed foods with a deficiency of important vitamins
and minerals, an abundance of simple sugars and an excess of unhealthy fats favors the
production and release of pro-inflammatory chemicals and weakens the anti-inflammatory
response. A diet high in simple sugars causes insulin levels to remain high or fluctuate in
very high and low ranges. These types of insulin responses stimulate the release of proinflammatory
prostaglandins, leukotrienes and cytokines which weakens the production of
their anti-inflammatory counterparts as well.
The goal of treatment is to introduce the idea to the family that the child’s illness, in this
case asthma, is presenting them with an opportunity to make changes in their lifestyle.
They do not need to follow along the path of medication and frequent medical visits.
Wheezing, coughing and swelling and inflammation of the airways are signs and symptoms
that tell the family there is dis-ease in the environment. The child is calling out that
something is out of balance in his/her life. The family can educate themselves about how
some or all of the contributing factors mentioned above are creating the dis-ease for the
child. In reality, the child’s asthma, seen as an illness, serves as the cure for the true disease
in his/her life—the underlying stressors. Ultimately, the child with asthma can provide
the family with the opportunity and incentive to live a healthier life.
For some children with asthma, improving the air quality alone can reduce further wheezing
episodes. For others, addressing and lightening the physical and emotional stressors can
help the child breathe easier. For the most part, changing the diet of a child with asthma has
the greatest impact on improving his/her health. If a child with asthma ingests and
incorporates into the cells of the body a balance of the essential dietary ingredients that
make up the building blocks of the pro- and anti-inflammatory chemicals, an exposure to an
occasional trigger may have no untoward effect on the immune system. In other words,
children with asthma need to eat properly for their bodies to function the way it is intended.
Some children continue to have asthma despite removal of the confounding triggers. These
children require more intensive therapy that may respond to evaluation and treatment of
metal toxicity, liver and intestinal detoxification, vitamin and mineral supplementation,
herbal treatment, treatment of severe food allergies,
homeopathy, Chinese or Ayurvedic medical treatment and/or continuation of conventional
medicines. It is possible for a child with asthma to live symptom and medication free for
the rest of his/her life.
Treatment Approaches
Recognize, understand, reduce and eliminate contributing factors:
Clean up the environment reducing exposure to known respiratory irritants. Continue to
look for other possible airborne irritants that are not very obvious.
Teach older children to take full, proper breaths. Have them sit or stand in an upright
position in a calm environment. Ask them to inhale through the nose and feel their
diaphragm pushing down towards their feet while the abdomen relaxes, pushes out from
their bodies and fills like a balloon. Make sure the shoulders and chest wall are still and not
part of the respiratory effort. Ask them to feel their chest wall filling with air after their
abdomen expands. On the exhale, have them reverse the process letting the air exit through
the mouth, allowing the abdomen to return to its normal position bringing the belly button
back towards the spine. Encourage them to practice this type of breathing at all times,
especially during more stressful encounters, until it becomes second nature. Yoga,
hypnosis and meditation are several tools to help children with asthma improve their
breathing.
Clean up the diet by removing unhealthy fats. These include partially hydrogenated oils,
margarine, vegetable shortening, cooking oils such as corn, vegetable, safflower and
sunflower oils and fried foods and oils. These oils are found in supermarket and bakery
packaged foods and used in restaurants for cooking and frying. Read labels. Use olive oil,
organic butter, ghee, grape seed oil, coconut oil and cold pressed oils for cooking and
flavoring. I do not recommend flax seed oil for children as a source of omega-3 fatty acids.
There is scientific evidence that the oil is not processed in the body to help promote antiinflammatory
responses due to weak enzyme systems in children. If children are unwilling
to eat fish and sea vegetables for their omega-3 intake, there are good tasting cod liver oil
preparations made by Carlson Labs and Nordic Naturals. (3,5,8)
Clean up the diet by removing simple sugars and regulate insulin levels. These sugars
include glucose, sucrose, fructose and lactose and processed white flours. These sugars are
ubiquitous in cereals, juices, cookies, cake, candy, pastries, soda, soft drinks, shakes, snack
bars, milk, cheese, ice cream, bread, pasta, crackers and, junk, snack and fast foods. (5, 7,8,
9)
Sugar, like salt, is dehydrating to the body. Dehydration increases histamine levels.
Histamine is another pro-inflammatory chemical that can worsen asthma. Water is an antihistamine
and helps reduce histamine levels. Sixty-seven to seventy percent of a child’s
body is made up of water. Give children with asthma water as their main beverage and
keep them well-hydrated. I have personally watched several wheezing children clinically
improve using hydration as a main part of their treatment. (1, 2)
Clean up the dyes, preservatives, food colorings, artificial sweeteners and additives found
in most foods listed in numbers 3 & 4 above and in many prescription drugs, antibiotics
and over the counter medicines. Several of these chemicals are known to interfere with
important enzymes needed for production of pro- and anti-inflammatory immune chemicals.
Encourage a diet of whole, fresh, simple foods including vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds,
meat, chicken, fish, eggs, whole grains, sprouted breads and some fruit. Flavor foods with
fresh culinary herbs and spices. Depending on factors specific to the individual child, some
children with asthma will improve on a diet of non-starchy vegetables, meat, chicken, fish
and eggs, nuts and seeds and fats with small amounts of grains, legumes, starchy
vegetables, sugars and fruit. Others will improve on starchy vegetables, legumes, whole
grains and fruit with small amounts of non-starchy vegetables, animal proteins and fatty
foods. (6, 8) Processed foods and beverages taste good yet they have little to no nutritional
value. As a mainstay in the diet, they can be harmful to a child’s health, especially for a
child with a chronic inflammatory condition like asthma.
Relieve tension on the autonomic nervous system. The best way to do this is through
evaluation and adjustment by a chiropractor, or cranial work by an osteopath or cranial
sacral therapist. Some children, whose asthma is more related to an imbalance in their
autonomic nervous system rather than a problem with their diets, will respond better to
these types of care. The diet changes will still be of benefit nonetheless.
Avoid Motrin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications. In a subset of
children with asthma, these medications will increase the production of pro-inflammatory
leukotrienes.
Address stressors that may affect the emotional state of the child. Increased peer pressure,
academic pressure, over stimulation, over scheduling, problems in the home, inability to
express emotions such as fear, anger, anxiety, worry and grief with build up of these
emotions, exposure to violence, anger or fighting, and feelings of smothering and
suffocation are some of the concomitant stressors that serve as triggers for children with
asthma.
References:
Batmanghelidj, MD, F., ABC of Asthma, Allergies and Lupus
Batmanghelidj, MD, F., Water: For Health, For Healing, For Life: You’re Not Sick,
You’re Thirsty
Enig, Ph.D., Mary, Know Your Fats
Ivker, DO, Robert, Nelson, ND, Todd, Asthma Survival: The Holistic Medical Treatment
Program for Asthma
Weil, MD, Andrew, Spontaneous Healing
Wolcott, William and Fahey, Trish, The Metabolic Typing Diet
HYPERLINK "http://www.glycoscience.com" www.glycoscience.com
HYPERLINK "http://www.mercola.com" www.mercola.com
HYPERLINK "http://www.nancyappleton.com" www.nancyappleton.com
Copyright © 2003 Lawrence B. Palevsky, MD
All Rights Reserved PAGE 3

Asthmatic children with low blood vitamin D levels may have a greater risk of suffering severe asthma attacks

Asthmatic children with low blood vitamin D levels may have a greater risk of suffering severe asthma attacks.

A study followed more than 1,000 children with asthma for four years, and found those with vitamin-D insufficiency at the outset were more likely to have an asthma attack that required a trip to the hospital.

Reuters reports:

“When the researchers considered other factors -- including the severity of the children's asthma at the study's start, their weight and their family income -- vitamin D insufficiency itself was linked to a 50 percent increase in the risk of severe asthma attacks.”
Vitamin D never ceases to amaze, and research into its impact on non-bone related diseases continues to yield positive results.

Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to a variety of health conditions, from depression to autoimmune disorders, to colds and flu, to cancer, and now asthma, and even cognitive function.

This is good news.

Asthma has increased by more than 300 percent over the last two decades, now affecting some 20 million Americans, and if vitamin D is even partially responsible for this meteoric rise in prevalence, then the answer is literally right outside your door.

Millions of people are needlessly exposing themselves to the dangers inherent with the standard drug treatments for asthma. Advair, for example, contains the long-acting beta-agonist (LABA) salmeterol, which can actually increase the severity of an asthma attack.

Researchers estimate that salmeterol may contribute to as many as 5,000 asthma-related deaths in the United States each year. Conventional asthma treatments can also increase your risk of heart disease and osteoporosis, just to name a few.

This is why it’s so important to start focusing our attention on simple, effective, and infinitely safer methods, such as increasing vitamin D levels, to combat the underlying cause of this growing health problem.

Vitamin D Deficiency and Asthma at All Time Highs

Right now, only 5 to 37 percent of American infants meet the standard for vitamin D set by the American Academy of Pediatrics, which will make them prime candidates for a slew of future health problems related to vitamin D deficiency – one of them being asthma.

At the end of 2008, the American Academy of Pediatrics doubled its recommended dose of vitamin D for infants, children and adolescents, raising it from 200 to 400 units per day. But research published earlier that same year revealed children may need ten times that amount in order to receive the health benefits that optimal vitamin D levels have to offer.

Many mothers also are vitamin D-deficient, which is another contributor to asthma. A 2007 study showed that poor diet and lack of vitamin D during pregnancy were the determining factors in whether their children suffered from asthma by the age of five.

In addition, this latest study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology confirms previous findings, showing that asthmatic children with low blood vitamin D levels also have an increased risk of suffering severe asthma attacks.

According to this study, vitamin D insufficiency itself was linked to a 50 percent increase in the risk of severe asthma attacks.

This makes sense, as a number of other studies have confirmed that there’s an inverse association between respiratory infections and vitamin D levels in children. This is likely because vitamin D upregulates a specific gene that produces over 200 anti-microbial peptides, some of which work like a broad-spectrum antibiotic.

In addition, optimizing your overall immune function is an essential part of treating asthma, and vitamin D is proven to be an incredibly powerful immune modulator, which is why optimizing your vitamin D levels is so essential.

Beware: Conventional Vitamin D Recommendations are Still Too Low

Based on the latest research, many experts now agree you need about 35 IU’s of vitamin D per pound of body weight. This recommendation also includes children, the elderly and pregnant women.

This is a far cry from the 200-600 IU’s currently recommended by our health agencies.

Remember, however, that vitamin D requirements are highly individual.

Your vitamin D status is dependent on several factors, such as the color of your skin, your location, and how much sunshine you’re exposed to on a regular basis. So, although these recommendations may put you closer to the level of what most people likely need, it is virtually impossible to make a blanket recommendation that will cover everyone.

The only accurate way to determine your optimal dose is to get your blood tested. Ideally, you’ll want to maintain a vitamin D level of at least 50ng/ml and perhaps as high as 80-90 ng/ml year-round.

For in-depth information about safe sun exposure, dosing and other recommendations to safely and effectively optimize your vitamin D levels, please review this previous article.

Additional Safe and Effective Strategies to Treat Asthma

Although asthma is a serious disease, safely treating your asthma is not complicated.

Optimizing your vitamin D levels is the first step, but there are other simple strategies that can help treat the root of the problem as well.

In my experience, the following strategies are highly effective when treating asthma:

Increase your intake of animal-based omega 3 fats and reduce your intake of processed omega 6 fats
Consider the hygiene hypothesis – There’s a tendency in our modern culture to be obsessive about cleanliness, but this may not be as healthy as initially thought. It appears that being exposed to common bacterial and viral infections as a child can be instrumental in providing the stimulus to your immune system to prevent asthma naturally.
Get regular exercise – Exercise (especially out in fresh air if you’re an asthmatic) is actually crucial, as it helps to moderate insulin levels. It increases your insulin receptor sensitivity, and as a result your body produces less insulin, which tends to optimize it.
Purify your indoor air
Avoid all commercial milk products. They are notorious for making asthma worse. If you consume milk at all, use only raw milk products from grass-fed cows, but even then be careful and take note of whether or not the raw milk is making your asthma better or worse.
Eat foods rich in vitamin E. Much like vitamin D, higher vitamin E intake has also been associated with lower serum IgE concentrations and a lower frequency of allergen sensitization.
Hydrate well.  You will want to make sure you drink enough clean pure water to turn your urine a light color of yellow, as dehydration will clearly worsen asthma.
Try some Butterbur (Petasites hybridus). This perennial shrub has been used since ancient times to treat a variety of conditions. As far back as the 17th century, butterbur was used to treat coughs, asthma, and skin wounds. Researchers have since identified the compounds in butterbur that help reduce symptoms in asthma by inhibiting leukotrienes and histamines, which are responsible for symptom aggravation in asthma.  In one study, 40 percent of patients taking a butterbur root extract were able to reduce their intake of traditional asthma medications.
Build your immune system with allergy testing.  In my experience, conventional testing does not work very effectively and there is a fair amount of risk. A far better intradermal skin test is the provocation neutralization testing.  The American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) has a list of physicians who are trained in this highly effective technique.
The Link Between Asthma and Allergies

In addition to the 20 million Americans suffering from asthma, another 60 million are affected by allergic rhinitis, or ‘hay fever.’

The hidden link between asthma and allergies?

Again, vitamin D deficiency!

So whether you’re an asthmatic or suffer from allergies, optimizing your vitamin D levels should be at the top of your list.

For natural allergy relief, another recent study found that Pycnogenol®, an antioxidant plant extract derived from the bark of the French maritime pine tree can offer significant relief.

Although it won’t treat the root cause of the problem, it may be worth a try to get relief from the symptoms, which can be quite debilitating for some, such as itchy rashes, swelling, hives, and excessive mucous.

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Vitamin D is Important for Thinking Clearly Too

As I mentioned at the beginning, scientists have also found more evidence linking vitamin D and cognitive function, by studying seniors receiving home care. Cognitive function is the level at which your brain is able to manage and use available information for daily activities.

As I’ve mentioned in previous articles, vitamin D receptors have been identified throughout the human body, and scientists have shown that vitamin D influences at least 3,000 different genes. So it is no surprise that metabolic pathways for vitamin D also exist in your brain. In this case, researchers located pathways in the hippocampus and cerebellum of the brain.

These are the areas of your brain that are involved in planning, processing of information, and the formation of new memories.

Of the 1,000 participants, only 35 percent had sufficient vitamin D levels.

Keep in mind that “sufficient levels” in this case are based on the conventional recommendation, which states that 15 ng/ml is sufficient for bone- and overall health.

We now know this is woefully inadequate for most.

Experts now believe the optimal level for general health lies between 50-70 ng/ml.

Still, participants with higher vitamin D levels performed better on cognitive tests than those who were deficient.

Other studies have also provided evidence that vitamin D is involved in brain function by promoting detoxification of damaging heavy metals. One such study showed that vitamin D helps remove mercury by radically increasing intracellular glutathione.

As you can see, there’s plenty of reasons to check your vitamin D levels, if you haven’t done so already, to make sure you’re within the optimal range.

For more information about the numerous health benefits of vitamin D, please review the related articles listed below.



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Discover the amazing power of maqui berry, the antioxidant superfruit