NIH-funded Study: Infants Exposed to Dirt and Germs Have Lesser Risk of Asthma and Allergy

A recent study funded by National Institutes of Health in Maryland, USA, shows that infants who were exposed to household bacteria or allergens early in life (within the first year of birth) showed lesser risk of developing asthma and allergies later in life. 

I have already explained how this works in my previous post on The Rapidly Increasing Immune System Disorders and also in this post about How to Improve Your Immunity.

Asthma and allergies are both very common immune system disorders. They are becoming more and more prevalent at a rapid rate.

It is commonly thought that newborns need to be kept in 100% germ-free environments and anti-bacterial products are used extensively to maintain this. The recent results of the NIH study just show us how badly our war against bacteria is affecting our future generations. 

A reasonable level of sanitation is required to prevent the proliferation of bad bacteria; however, wiping out all bacteria from our surrounding environment will have negative consequences for our health and that of our future generations. Maintaining a bacterially sterile environment should remain in the domain of healthcare facilities like hospitals and the offices of medical providers, not in our homes where we eat and sleep and spend most of our time. While medical science still does not fully understand how immune system disorders are caused, we now know that some exposure to household germs is definitely good for our health.

An excerpt from the published study report:

A report on the study, published on June 6 in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, reveals that early exposure to bacteria and certain allergens may have a protective effect by shaping children’s immune responses — a finding that researchers say may help inform preventive strategies for allergies and wheezing, both precursors to asthma.

“What this tells us is that not only are many of our immune responses shaped in the first year of life, but also that certain bacteria and allergens play an important role in stimulating and training the immune system to behave a certain way.”

Asthma is one of the most common pediatric illnesses, affecting some 7 million children in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. By the time they turn 3, up to half of all children develop wheezing, which in many cases evolves into full-blown asthma.

You can read the full report on the Johns Hopkins website by clicking on this link.

How to Avoid Frequent Upper Respiratory Illnesses

Throughout this season, cold dry weather causes excessive dryness of the throat and nasal cavity, and the dry air from your heater saps the humidity within your home. While the popular belief is that lowered temperatures cause frequent upper respiratory illnesses like the common cold and flu, the lowered humidity plays a big part. 

The throat and nasal cavity are lined by mucus membrane, that releases mucous, which keeps them moist. The mucous also contains some antiseptic enzymes and antibodies which either kill micro-organisms upon contact or activate the immune system to act against them, respectively. 

Dry air causes the throat and nasal cavity to dry out, and most of us make matters worse by drinking less water, resulting in dehydration and therefore less production of mucus. All of these literally open the doors to viruses and micro-organisms into your body, and that is the foremost reason for the increase in upper respiratory illnesses in winter.

Keep yourself and your family healthy this season by following these rules:

1.  Stay hydrated by drinking enough water throughout the day. Remind yourself to take a sip here and there. 
2.  Maintain the level of humidity in your home at 25-40% by running a humidifier. 
3.  To keep your nasal cavity moist, use a saline nasal spray when you are outdoors. 
4.  Avoid turning the thermostat up in your home (you also save a lot of energy!). 
5.  We all know this rule, but it can never be repeated enough - always eat a healthy and wholesome diet, stay away from junk food, get enough exercise, and use homeopathy!

Stay warm, and stay healthy!

A Tip to Relieve Seasonal Allergies

If you or anyone you know suffers from allergies at this time of the year, here's a little tip!

Increase the intake of vitamin C in your diet, or if you are not already taking a vitamin C supplement, start taking one now! Vitamin C has anti-histamine properties, and will help to relieve the symptoms of seasonal allergies and hay fever. It is recommended that adults take at least 500-1000 mg vitamin C and up to 1500-2000 mg a day. You will start seeing the difference right away. Reduce the dosage after you experience relief from sneezing and itchy eyes and nose, you can increase it again if the severity of symptoms increases.

However, here's a word of warning for those who are prone to kidney stones. Vitamin C increases the tendency to form stones, so control the dosage depending on your health status.

Also do read my post on how homeopathy can help relieve hay fever and pollen allergies! What's even better is that homeopathy is safe for everyone!

Stay healthy!

 

You Can Change Your Genes!

DNA double helix

"It's in your genes." Everyone has heard this phrase before. Would you believe me if I told you that even though it's in your genes, you can change how your genes act? Although this concept is nothing new to mind-body medicine and holistic healing systems, it was not analyzed by evidence-based medicine until the turn of the century. When some scientific studies came to light around 2003-2004, they brought about a major transition in the scientific circles regarding genetics. The popular belief that you are born with a set of genes that is your karma is now being challenged by a new science called epigenetics. As promised in this post about the high incidence of immune system disorders, I'm here today with some basic facts about genetics, and lots more food for thought! Read on because this is important!

What is a gene? 

A gene is the basic physical and functional unit of heredity.¹  Genes are the set of instructions for the characteristics of an organism, which are passed on from parents to the child. 

Genes contain DNA which make up the code that contains these instructions.

If you need a detailed refresher in genetics, please see this link explaining the Basics of genetics.


What is heredity? 

To acquire a set of traits from your parents is known as heredity. 

Even though a child receives the same genetic material from paternal and maternal genes, only some traits of each parent are seen in the child; that is when we say that a child looks more like the father or the mother. When a child looks more like the mother, it is because her set of genes is expressed in the child's genetic code.


What is genetic expression?^2,3,4

Genes are like switches in our body. They can be turned on or off. Some genes always remain 'on', but some genes can be turned on or off. This alteration in gene activity is called gene expression.

For example, take the case of the genes that control hair color. As a man or woman ages, their hair will turn grey and then turn white. This happens because with aging, the gene for dark hair turns off and the gene for white hair is turned on. Further, premature greying of hair is also possible because of factors like stress. Now, how is that possible when all genes are coded to produce the trait of dark hair in young age? It is possible because of epigenetic changes. Normal changes of aging are also understood to be caused by epigenetics, which may explain why some people age faster than others.

 

Diagram 1 - Epigenetic mechanisms

What is epigenetics?^5,6,7

It is defined as the study of changes in gene expression that do not involve alteration of the genetic code but can be passed on to the successive generation(s) through heredity. If genes are switches, epigenetic causes are the tape over that switch that can keep them turned on or off. These epigenetic causes are environmental - diet, chemicals and toxins, nature - sun rays, exercise, stress, behavior, pollution - all of these are able to alter the way our genes act.

Diagram2 - Epigenetic causes of cancer

How can epigenetic changes affect our health during our lifetime?

We now know that environmental factors⁸ can change our genetic activity, but exactly how that happens is still not clear. Science has always believed that genes cannot be altered, but the study of epigenetic changes has brought about a completely different outlook to the Darwinian theory of evolution and natural selection. 

With the discovery of epigenetic changes, scientists are on the way to explaining how cancer^9,10 develops, the causes of developmental disorders^11,12,13 in children, Alzheimer's disease, autoimmune disorders like systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis, and also depression. If you think about the many diagnoses that are attributed to 'genetic' or 'unknown' causes today, you will be able to comprehend the importance of understanding epigenetics.


What can we do to prevent epigenetic changes?

Epigenetic changes can start at the developmental stages of a fetus, and accumulate throughout one's lifetime. This has been studied by examining the changes in monozygotic twins¹⁴, who are genetically identical. 

To prevent negative epigenetic changes, do what you have always been told to do for good health. Maintain a healthy lifestyle. Eat wholesome and nutritious food, drink chemical-free water, reduce your body's exposure to toxins in every way possible (think unnecessary medical drugs and treatments, GMOs), exercise, and stay stress free.

Can epigenetic changes be reversed?

Yes. Epigenetic changes are reversible because they do not alter the DNA.

How can we reverse epigenetic changes?¹⁵

There is a lot of research going on around this subject and we will know the definite answer to this question in the near future. However, since we know that environmental changes like stress, improper nutrition,  toxins and chemicals are all responsible for causing negative epigenetic effects on our cells at the level of the DNA, it is extremely important that we avoid these causes and practice a healthy lifestyle.

The most important lesson to learn from epigenetics is that our genes are not our destiny. Your genes can change during your lifetime, and you have the power to change them - both positively and negatively - as well as pass on these changes to your children¹⁶, so choose wisely!

I have attempted a very concise explanation of how an age-old thought is now being scientifically explained. For better understanding, please read all the information provided in the references and watch the short video (link in number 7).
 

References

1. What is a gene?

2. Gene Expression and Regulation - An explanation at Nature.com

3. The Mechanism of Gene Expression - The Human Genome by Wellcome Trust 

4. Environmental Influences on Gene Expression - Nature.com

5. Epigenetic - Definition at National Institutes of Health

6. What is the Epigenome? - The National Institutes of Health

7. A 13:25 minute PBS video on Epigenetics - Watch it!

8. Epigenetics and Environmental Diseases - An explanation of epigenetic mechanisms and environmental factors that cause epigenetic changes 

9. Epigenetics and Cancer - A study summarizing epigenetic mechanisms involved in the development of cancer, published in the Journal of Applied Physiology in 2010. The study concludes:

"The importance of epigenetics in cancer has been recognized and interest in the field has grown dramatically over the last few years...An understanding of the link between epigenetic deregulation and cancer will help in designing better treatment strategies. Additionally, the intrinsic reversibility of epigenetic alterations represents an exciting opportunity for the development of novel strategies for cancer prevention."

10. Epigenetic Factors in Understanding Cancer - National Cancer Institute

11. Modern Views on the Genetics of Autism - Johns Hopkins McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine  

"Genes, by themselves, probably don’t cause autism, Goldstein says, and wouldn’t make good targets for therapy. Most likely, it’s a combination of genetic variants—deletions, duplications and/or insertions—spread across the genome that makes an individual susceptible to some provocateur: an epigenetic, environmental or immunological factor that tips the balance and causes a disorder on the very wide spectrum defined as autism."

12. Autism Researchers Discover Epigenetic Changes - Autism Speaks

13. Autism Spectrum Disorders and Epigenetics - A study summarizing epigenetic modifications to genes possibly involved in the causation of ASD, published in 2010 in the Journal of American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. The study concludes: 

"Data reviewed in this article highlight a variety of situations in which epigenetic dysregulation is associated with the development of ASD, thereby supporting a role for epigenetics in the multifactorial etiologies of ASD."

14. The Epigenetic Profiles of Monozygotic (Identical) Twins - From Epigenome.eu, supporting the communication of high calibre science in the rapidly expanding field of epigenetics across Europe

15. Nutritional changes can reverse epigenetic effects - A study published in 2010 in an international review journal - Advances in Nutrition

16. Epigenetics now explains Attachment Parenting - The ground-breaking results of a study by Dr. Michael Meaney at McGill University, Montreal.

17. An excellent article explaining genotype, phenotype, mutations, and trans-generational epigenetic influences on inherited mutations:

Burga, A. and Lehner, B. (2012), Beyond genotype to phenotype: why the phenotype of an individual cannot always be predicted from their genome sequence and the environment that they experience. FEBS Journal, 279: 3765–3775. doi: 10.1111/j.1742-4658.2012.08810.x

News articles on epigenetics:


18. Epigenetics - An article on Nature.com

19. Epigenetics - 100 reasons to change the way we think about genetics - An article on Sciencedaily.com

20. DNA is not destiny - A Nov. 2006 article in Discover Magazine

21. Why your DNA is not your destiny - The Times article that introduced me to epigenetics

22. You can change your DNA - Institute of HeartMath




DNA double helix image by ghutchis/Flickr CC

Diagram1 By National Institutes of Health (http://commonfund.nih.gov/epigenomics/figure.aspx) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Diagram2 By Bernstein0275 (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0  (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0 )], via Wikimedia Commons

The Rise and Rise of Immune System Disorders

When popular Indian detergent brand Surf Excel launched a new ad campaign called 'Daag achche hain', meaning 'Stains are good' in Hindi, the whole country took notice of the new concept. Hindustan Unilever, manufacturer of Surf Excel, used children in their ad to portray the idea, because children bring home the most stains. The ad caught people's attention as it promoted a completely different concept about what is conventionally believed to be dirty - stains. 

The ad shows a boy and a girl walking on a muddy path. When the girl falls into a puddle, the boy jumps into the puddle himself, hits it, and demands that it apologize to his sister. As they walk away, the boy threatens the puddle to 'never do it again'. The puddle inadvertently helps to develop a stronger bond between the brother and sister.

                                

For the same reasons as everyone around me, I was struck by the novelty of the ad. Over the years, with experience, the concept used in this ad made better sense to me, though for completely different reasons. 

Imagine the little girl in the ad as yourself, the puddle is a minor illness like a cold, and the boy is your immune system. Whenever your body falls into any minor illness, your immune system acts immediately, attacking it with all its strength; and after achieving it's victory, the immune system forms antibodies that will threaten the same virus or bacteria if it tries its antics again. This effort results in a stronger bond between you and your immune system. Just as Surf Excel doesn't jump into the picture as soon as stains form on the children's clothes, you don't need to pop a conventional pharmaceutical as soon as you feel the sniffles coming on. Let your immune system do its part, especially in minor illnesses. 

Use home remedies or alternative therapies to ease any discomfort due to the illness, and get lots of rest! Under natural conditions, the immune system will triumph and the illness will pass without the need for assistance from drugs. When the immune system is made stronger this way, it will fight minor infections on its own and you don't even see any symptoms most of the time because your naturally-acquired immunity is quietly doing its job.

Imagine if the boy in the ad had not acted the way he did, but went and complained to his mother about how his sister managed to get so dirty. One small complaint could change the brother-sister friendship that is based on trust. As a result, the girl would find it very difficult to trust her brother again. 

In the same way, when you take medicines at the first instance of a minor illness, the immune system is not allowed to act; the drugs act on its behalf, sometimes even against it. The immunity is not strengthened. The end result is repeated infections, chronic illness, prescription drugs, antibiotics... and when one cycle is over, rinse and repeat over and over again until chronic illness strikes and conventional medicine has nothing substantial to offer. 

Here is a simplified outline of the sequence of events.

Minor infection --> pharmaceutical drugs --> depleted immune system --> re-infection --> antibiotics --> impaired immune system --> re-infection --> repeated antibiotics --> chronic illness --> more suppressive drugs like steroids --> immune suppression --> long term high risk illnesses allergies, asthma, high blood pressure, diabetes, thyroiditis --> autoimmune disorders - crohns disease, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis --> more prescription drugs --> ???

Now, the whole premise of this argument lies in the fact that the immune system is healthy to begin with. If it is already damaged, then there is a lot of work to be done to get it back to normal.

Image credit - Jaya Prime/ Flickr CC

How do we know that the immune system is healthy? Simply by letting it act. Let it be exposed to everyday germs and practice its skills; stimulate it. If you have a healthy immune system, you don't need to wipe every grocery store cart with antibacterial wipes or fumigate your home with antibacterial sprays.

The development of immunity begins even before conception, with the health of the parents-to-be. This is why health and nutritious diet during pregnancy are so significant for the health of our future generations. Take care of the new infant but don't become paranoid about germs, and follow this rule as the child grows.

The sole objective of this post is to analyze why immune system disorders are so common in today's children, is it genetic¹? 

Homeopaths do not regard the occurrence of colds 6 times a year to be normal, or even 1 ear infection, infant eczema, or using nebulizers or asthma inhalers. There are better ways to stay healthy than using pharmaceuticals and antibiotics for everything under the sun, you just need to seek out the other ways.

In the next post, I will discuss how you can keep your immune system healthy. 

1 - I've discussed more about genetics in this post.


 

Additional Reading

 

1. The Autoimmune Epidemic - It's a long article, but a must read!

2. PBS - A 3:56 minute video on the Hygiene Hypothesis. Watch it!
 
3. National Institutes of Health - The hygiene hypothesis for autoimmune and allergic diseases. "According to the ‘hygiene hypothesis’, the decreasing incidence of infections in western countries and more recently in developing countries is at the origin of the increasing incidence of both autoimmune and allergic diseases."

4.Web MD - What are immune system disorders?
 

 

Homeopathy for Seasonal Allergies

 As cooler winter days give way to warmer weather and spring blooms, it is a good time to step out of the house for long walks or even open doors and windows to let in fresh air. However, if you have spring allergies or hay fever or allergic rhinitis, this can be a very difficult time. 

Homeopathic remedies are very useful in treating seasonal allergies without causing drowsiness or creating drug-dependance, which are the major side-effects of using conventional medicines for this ailment.

The best way to deal with allergies is to consult a homeopathic practitioner for a customized remedy, which is called constitutional therapy in homeopathy. Constitutional therapy stimulates your immune system and reduces the incidence of allergies over the long term, allowing the body to heal itself so that you are finally rid of allergy symptoms. However, if your allergies have progressed to a severe state, and if you have been taking conventional drugs for a long time to control your symptoms, then it will take a while for your body to wean itself from the bad effects of conventional drugs and get used to homeopathic therapy. Positive results are certainly possible with homeopathic treatment, as long one is patient and continues the regimen as recommended. 


Common symptoms of hay fever

• Sneezing
• Itchy and watery eyes
• Clear watery nasal discharge
• Redness of face or rashes
• Mood changes, anger, and irritability
• Headache
• Nasal congestion and sinusitis
• Swelling of nasal turbinates causing nose block
• Disturbed sleep due to obstructed nostrils
• Snoring 

Apart from constitutional therapy for long-term healing, there are some remedies which can be used to relieve acute allergy symptoms.

Homeopathic remedies for hay fever

Allium cepa or Red onion

1. Allium cepa: A person needing this remedy will have watery eyes and clear nasal discharge that burns the upper lip. They are worse indoors in a warm room and feel better in open air.

2. Arsenicum album: This is useful for constant sneezing with burning nasal discharge. Feels thirsty frequently. Worse in open air and feels better indoors.

3. Euphrasia: Burning and constant watering of the eyes with profuse nasal discharge. Frontal headache. Worse in sunlight and outdoors, feels better indoors.

4. Nux vomica: Constant sneezing spells soon after waking up in the morning. Nose feels stuffed up, difficulty in breathing through the nose. Nasal obstruction prevents sleep at night. Itching in the throat with post-nasal drip. Irritability and anger. Associated with gastric complaints. Better from rest, warm drinks, and moist weather conditions.

5. Gelsimium: Sudden violent sneezing episodes, dull headache in the back of the head that is worse from sunlight. Soreness of the whole body, tired and fatigued.

6. Natrum mur: Heavy, thick nasal discharge that looks like egg white. Sneezing episodes with throbbing headache. Worse from sun and heat. 

7. Sabadilla: Useful for treating allergy symptoms in people who are very sensitive to smells and cold weather.

8. Histaminum: This is a specific remedy that is given in acute allergic conditions. It acts by reducing the levels of histamine in the body, thereby reducing the allergy symptoms.

There are many other remedies like Arum, Sanguinaria, Dulcamara, Aralea, Pulsatilla that are all useful in seasonal allergies. The correct remedy and dosage should be determined by a homeopath, to suit your symptoms.

Advantages of homeopathic remedies in seasonal allergies

1. They are gentle and do not cause drug dependance. 

Conventional allergy medications cause drug dependance which means that your body gets used to a particular dosage easily and you need to keep increasing the dosage in order to get relief. The more you increase the dosage, the more you become dependent on the drug, causing further side-effects.

2. Homeopathic remedies do not cause drowsiness so your daily activities are not affected. They are also safe to use in children for this reason.

Even the non-drowsy allergy medications can cause drowsiness in some people.

3. Homeopathic remedies are safe to use over a long period according to the recommendations of a homeopath.

Steroids are sometimes used in the conventional medical treatment of seasonal allergies. Though these are not supposed to be used for more than 3-5 days at a time, due to drug dependance, they are often used for longer periods, resulting in side effects like loss of smell and taste. Also, allergy medications containing decongestants cause hyperactivity in some children. Over the long term, this may be mistaken for ADD or ADHD.

4. Homeopathic remedies are safe to use for the whole family, including persons who have high blood pressure, in pregnant and nursing women, in infants and little children.

So now you have better options for troublesome seasonal allergies, you too can look forward to enjoying nature this spring season!


Please note: It is not my intention to debate the advantages of homeopathy over other systems of medicine through this post; however, it is absolutely imperative that anyone who uses any kind of drug should be aware of any and all possible side-effects, and especially so in the case of children who depend on adults to make informed decisions for their well-being.

Additional reading

 

Antihistamines, decongestants, and cold remedies - American Academy of ENT 

Decongestants: OTC relief

Common springtime illnesses - Dr. Sears