“The aging of the U.S. population is one of the major public health challenges we face in the 21st century” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and The Merck Company Foundation, p. i, 2007). This challenge is reflected in the growth of our aging population and projections about how it will increase in the near future.

Since 1900, while the population in the United States tripled, the number of older adults (i.e., people 65 or older) has increased 11-fold from 3.1 million in 1900 to 35 million in 2000 (see Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and The Merck Company Foundation, 2004). The fast paced growth of the elderly population will continue as baby boomers (i.e., people born between 1946 and 1964) start to reach age 65 beginning next year. By the year 2030, when the total population of baby boomers will reach age 65, it is predicted there will be approximately 71 million American older adults. Stated another way, in 2030 one in five Americans will be age 65 or older.

The aging challenge facing the nation is reflected in another important way. Although they are living longer, people in the United States are not living necessarily in better health during the latter part of their lifespan. Since 1990, the statistics on healthy life expectancy (i.e., the number years living in a healthy state after age 65) has stayed at 12 years (Merck Institute of Aging & Health and The Gerontological Society of America, 2004). To make aging matters even more challenging, experts project that health care spending in the United States will increase by 25% because of the ever rapidly growing elderly population.

This July, 2010, issue of Healthful Hints is the first in a series on The Status of Aging and Health In America. The focus will be on the current revolution in longevity, life expectancy, healthy life expectancy, differences in life expectancy between women and men and reasons why people are living longer in America. 

The Longevity Revolution

The United States is currently experiencing an unprecedented longevity revolution. Americans are clearly living longer. One way to determine quantitatively whether people are living longer is to calculate population longevity using the measure of life expectancy. Life expectancy is the expected average number of years to be lived by a group of people born in a particular year (i.e., cohort), assuming the mortality trends for that group/cohort continue over the life span or for the remainder of the cohort’s life.

Life Expectancy in the United States

Remarkably, life expectancy has increased dramatically in the United States. People who were born in the year 1900 could expect on average to live only 47 years. Children born in 2005 can expect to live nearly 78 years (77.9) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2007). This is the good news.
The bad news is that compared to other countries the United States does not even rank in the top 25 countries with the longest life expectancy. According to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2010), the United States ranks 49th in life expectancy out of 224 countries. The CIA ranks Monaco number one in life expectancy at 89.78 years and Angola last with a life expectancy of 38.48 years.

It is important to remember that life expectancy is different from the concept of life span. Life span represents the upper limit of human life which could be reached by a person. The oldest authenticated female life span recorded to date was for J. Calment of France. She died at age 122 years and 164 days, while the oldest authenticated male life span recorded to date was for C. Mortensen (a Danish immigrant to the U.S.). He died at age 115 years, 252 days (see Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research 2010).

Healthy Life Expectancy

As it was pointed out above, although the statistic on life expectancy in the United States has steadily improved over the past hundred years, the statistic on healthy life expectancy (i.e., the number years living in a healthy state after age 65) seems to have stalled, remaining at 12 years since 1990 (Merck Institute of Aging & Health and The Gerontological Society of America, 2000). Thus, Americans are living longer but there is concern that they are not necessarily living longer in good health and quality of life.

Differences in Life Expectancy Between Men and Women

The most recent statistics related to the average life expectancy at birth show that for women it is 80.4 years and for men it is 75.2 years (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2007).  As they age, the gap in life expectancy for women and men decreases. For example, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2007), the difference in life expectancy between women and men is 2.9 years at age 65 (20.0 years and 17.1 years, respectively). At age 85 the gap between women and men narrows to just a little more than one year (7.2 years and 6.1 years, respectively). It is interesting to note that since 1979 the gap in average life expectancy at birth between women and men has decreased from 7.8 years to 5.2 years (see Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2007).

The CDC (2007) recognizes that average life expectancy at birth for women and men has improved over the last 100 years but suggests that there is considerable room for improvement compared to other countries in their following statistical analysis:   

Although life expectancy for both women and men has increased dramatically over the past century, the United States lags behind many other developed countries. For example, in 2002, Japan, Hong Kong, and Spain (ranked 1, 2, and 3) reported life expectancy at birth for women to be 85.2, 84.5, and 83.5 years, respectively, and for men to be 78.3, 78.6, and 75.8 years (ranked 2, 1, and 15), respectively. In 2002, for women the United States ranked 26th in life expectancy at birth and 18th in life expectancy at age 65 years; for men the United States ranked 26th in life expectancy at birth and 13th in life expectancy at age 65 years among 37 selected countries ranked in Health, United States, 2006 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2007, p. 3).

Reasons Why More People Are Living Longer

One would like to believe that the longevity revolution in the United States was due primarily to a majority of the population living an exemplary healthy lifestyle. However, the remarkable increase in average life expectancy at birth over the past 100 years or more was due to (1) an improvement in sanitation, (2) an increase in use of preventative health services, (3) public health efforts and (4) to some lesser extent healthier lifestyles for a small percentage of the population (see Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and The Merck Company Foundation, 2007; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and The Merck Company Foundation, 2004).

Conclusion

The portrait of aging in America is a paradoxical one. On the one hand, Americans are living longer than ever before in the history of our country, the proportion of people age 65 and older is increasing and average life expectancy at birth is at an all time high. On the other hand, all of these factors are contributing to an unprecedented increase in our aging/elderly population, for whom healthcare must be provided.

The fundamental challenge facing the country will center on how to provide that healthcare to ever growing elderly population, so as to keep them healthy longer, ensure quality of life and wellbeing and to care for them when they become ill with chronic diseases, all of which begs the question of how will the country pay for the projected commensurate rise in healthcare costs.

Furthermore, while more people are living longer, they are not necessarily living healthier lives, increasing the likelihood of a rise in chronic diseases and healthcare costs. In fact, living a healthier life style is on a decline in the United States, reflected in the reality that two-thirds of the population is overweight or obese and an alarming percentage of the people are living sedentary lives. This topic will be explored in the August issue of Healthful Hints.

In addition to providing and paying for healthcare for the increasing elderly population, while maintaining their quality of life as they move through the life span, there are various political, philosophical, ethical and societal issues which enter into the conversation on the status of aging and health in America. Some of the more important of these issues will be discussed in upcoming issues of Healthful Hints.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2007). Trends in health and aging: Trends in health status and health care use among older women (2007). Retrieved June 1, 2010, from http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/ahcd/agingtrends/07olderwomen.pdf

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and The Merck Company Foundation (2007). The state of aging and health in America 2007. Retrieved June 1, 2010, from http://www.cdc.gov/aging/pdf/saha_2007.pdf

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and The Merck Company Foundation (2004). The state of aging and health in America 2004. Retrieved June 1, 2010, from http://www.agingsociety.org/agingsociety/pdf/SAHA_2004.pdf

Central Intelligence Agency (2010). The world fact book: Country comparison – Life expectancy at birth. Retrieved June 1, 2010 from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2102rank.html

Merck Institute Of Aging & Health and The Gerontological Society (2004). The state of aging and health in America. Retrieved June 1, 2010, from http://www.agingsociety.org/agingsociety/pdf/state_of_aging_report.pdf

Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (2010).  Supercentenarians. Retrieved June 1, 2010 from http://www.supercentenarians.org/

The research is published in the April edition of the American Journal of Physiology — Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology.

“In the midst of America’s obesity epidemic, physicians frequently advise their patients to reduce the number of calories they are consuming on a daily basis. This research shows that simply dieting will not likely cause substantial weight loss. Instead, diet and exercise must be combined to achieve this goal,” explained Judy Cameron Ph.D., a senior scientist at OHSU’s Oregon National Primate Research Center, and a professor of behavioral neuroscience and obstetrics & gynecology in the OHSU School of Medicine, as well as a professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh.

To conduct the research, Cameron and OHSU post-doctoral fellow Elinor Sullivan, Ph.D., studied 18 female rhesus macaque monkeys at the Oregon National Primate Research Center. The monkeys were placed on a high-fat diet for several years. They were then returned to a lower-fat diet (standard monkey food) with a 30 percent reduction in calories. For a one-month period, the monkeys’ weight and activity levels were closely tracked. Activity was tracked through the use of an activity monitor worn on a collar.

“Surprisingly, there was no significant weight loss at the end of the month,” explained Sullivan. “However, there was a significant change in the activity levels for these monkeys. Naturally occurring levels of physical activity for the animals began to diminish soon after the reduced-calorie diet began. When caloric intake was further reduced in a second month, physical activity in the monkeys diminished even further.”

A comparison group of three monkeys was fed a normal monkey diet and was trained to exercise for one hour daily on a treadmill. This comparison group did lose weight.

“This study demonstrates that there is a natural body mechanism which conserves energy in response to a reduction in calories. Food is not always plentiful for humans and animals and the body seems to have developed a strategy for responding to these fluctuations,” added Cameron. “These findings will assist medical professionals in advising their patients. It may also impact the development of community interventions to battle the childhood obesity epidemic and lead to programs that emphasize both diet and exercise.”

The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

References

Oregon Health & Science University. “Diet Alone Will Not Likely Lead to Significant Weight Loss, Study Suggests.” ScienceDaily 14 April 2010. 21 June 2010 <http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2010/04/100413170710.htm>.

Introduction

The human body possesses a remarkable innate ability to respond, repair and rebalance itself when beset with an injury or disease. No pharmaceutical or nutraceutical, no treatment or therapy can heal the body or otherwise bring it back into a state of homeostasis. The best practices of any approach to health whether conventional or complementary-alternative can only serve to support the body in healing itself.

The ability of the body to heal itself is captured in the principle of the healing power of nature. This principle, along with other defining principles, is what makes the natural health (also referred to as natural medicine) paradigm unique in its theoretical foundations and effective in its practical applications.

The June, 2010, issue of Healthful Hints is the second installment on the nature of natural health. In Part II of the Nature of Natural Health the focus is on seven principles which are derived from discussions in the literature on specific whole medical systems such as naturopathic medicine, homeopathic medicine, traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurvedic medicine.

It is not being asserted that the seven principles represent a definitive list or that they are exclusive to a natural health approach to the extent that practitioners of conventional medicine would not consider them to be important.  Nor is it being assumed that all practitioners and laypeople who favor a natural approach to health would agree with my particular list and description of the principles presented.

Furthermore, the expression “natural health” (or “natural medicine”) is being use to mean an overarching paradigm which embraces complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) (see Garko, 2010). Therefore, “natural health” or “natural medicine” is being used so as to exclude conventional medicine and include CAM health care systems, practices and products not generally considered to be part of conventional medicine.

Finally, while they have specific application for healthcare professionals who practice natural health/medicine therapies, the principles have relevance for both healthcare practitioners and laypeople.  All of the principles are intended to provide guidance on how to think about and practice health from a natural health/medicine perspective.

Seven Guiding Principles

Healing Power of Nature (Vis Medicatrix Naturae)

The healing power of nature has two distinct meanings. First, nature heals. Second, the body heals itself. Those who embrace and practice a natural health approach believe nature heals and to violate the laws of nature can result in serious health consequences. They also believe the body possesses an inherent, ordered and intelligent capacity to create, sustain and heal itself if necessary, so long as it is provide the means by which to do so.

The metaphor of the “healer within” is often uses to talk about the ability of the body to heal itself. From a natural health perspective, “the healer within” is able to repair the damage done by disease or injury and restore the body to its natural, healthy condition. According to Lindlahr (1975), “the healer within” is a supreme intelligence and power, a Life Force derived from a Creative Intelligence,  working within and through every atom, molecule, cell, tissue and organ of the human body. All that the physician can do is to remove obstructions and to establish normal conditions within and around the patient, so that ‘the healer within’ can do his work to the best advantage” (p. 24).

Identify and Treat the Causes (Tolle Causam)

Rather than eliminating or suppressing symptoms, the natural health paradigm places great importance on identifying and removing the cause(s) of illness, which facilitates the body’s ability to heal itself.

First Do No Harm (Primum Non Nocere)

Natural health/medicine practitioners are taught to do no harm by advocating and using methods and medicinal substances minimizing the risk of harmful side effects, avoiding the deleterious suppression of symptoms and employing the least force necessary to diagnose and treat illness all of which acknowledges and respects the individual’s own unique healing process.

Doctor as Teacher (Docere)

Natural health/medicine practitioners seek to educate and encourage individuals to take personal responsibility for their health. They also respect and acknowledge the doctor-patient relationship and its inherent therapeutic value.

Treat the Whole Person

Natural health/medicine practitioners adopt a holistic perspective to health. They realize that physical, mental, emotional, genetic, environmental, social and spiritual factors bear upon the quality of a person’s health. They take into account all of the various factors when making decisions about what therapies to use and how to tailor the treatment to the individual.

Prevention

Rather than putting the emphasis on combating illness, the natural health model emphasizes the prevention of inferior health characterized by either ill-health or illness due to injury or disease. Practicing prevention means avoiding risk factors leading to injury or illness (e.g., smoking, obesity, lack of exercise, and radiation exposure, while practicing healthy lifestyle behaviors (e.g., regular exercise, stress management, sufficient sleep & rest, healthy nutrition, etc.).

The World Health Organization (2008) provides a cogent description of the difference between the preventative model of health and a contemporary or conventional approach to healthcare:

Most health care systems are based on responding to acute problems, urgent needs of patients, and pressing concerns. Testing, diagnosing, relieving symptoms, and expecting a cure are hallmarks of contemporary health care. While these functions are appropriate for acute and episodic health problems, a notable disparity occurs when applying this model of care to the prevention and management of chronic conditions. Preventive health care is inherently different from health care for acute problems, and in this regard, current health care systems worldwide fall remarkably short (World Health Organization, 2008, p. 1).
 
A prevention model of health promotes a proactive approach to health and wellness, an approach in which individuals are informed and empowered to take personal responsibility for their health. It encourages an assessment of lifestyle, nutritional and hereditary risk factors and promotes appropriate and effective interventions to prevent illness from injury or disease.

Wellness

Notwithstanding the seriousness of an illness, natural health practitioners believe the potential for wellness always exists. Wellness, a state of being, stems from the creation and maintenance of optimum health and balance. It is constituted of positive emotion, thought and action. Further, when people recognize and experience wellness, they will tend to heal more quickly than by the direct treatment of disease alone.

Conclusion

A natural health/medicine philosophy and approach to health is predicated upon important and meaningful principles which serve to guide the healthcare practitioners and laypeople in the prevention and treatment of disease and illness. The healing power of nature stands out as a principle which gives meaning and context to other the other principles presented. Without it, the theory and practice of natural health/medicine would be stripped of its philosophical foundation and essence. Embracing and supporting the healing power of nature is what distinguishes the natural health model from the conventional approach to health. In a real sense, it represents the soul of natural health/medicine.

Nevertheless, taken together the principles of natural health/medicine underscore the healing power of nature, focus on identifying and treating the cause(s) of illness and disease, support a holistic approach to health, caution against harming the patient, encourage patients to take personal responsibility for their health, emphasize the prevention of disease and promote the idea that wellness can being achieved no matter how seriously ill a person may be.

References

Garko, M. (2010). Naturopathy: Part II – Why Naturopathy Works. Healthful Hints. Retrieved May 25, 2010 from http://letstalknutrition.com.

Lindlahr, H. (1975). Philosophy of natural therapeutics: The classic nature cure guide to health and healing. London: Vermilion Press.

World Health Organization (2008). Integrating prevention into health care. Retrieved May, 25, 2010, from http://who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs172/en/print.html

LTN 5 Year Anniversary 2010Take an additional 10% Off our already discounted prices. Must bring coupon or enter the code 33SUMMER on VDCUSA.com to recive discount. One Coupon per customer. Not Valid with other discounts or offers. No rain checks. No cash value. VAlid 5/14/10 -5/16/10 midnight(est).

Help us celebrate 5 successful years on the radio by participating in the Health Success Contest 2010!  In 500 words or less, describe the ways in which you are trying to age successfully.

Be specific in your response using details and examples of things you do or protocols you practice on a regular basis to slow down the aging process and prevent disease. There is no right or wrong answer to the question just what you believe and practice to make the aging process a healthy instead of unhealthy experience.

One winner will be selected and awarded a $100 gift card from Vitamin Discount Center and the opprotunity to ‘co-host’ a show with Dr. Garko.  

Send your entry via email to Info@LetsTalkNutrition.com or mail it to P.O. Box 340425, Tampa, FL.  33694-0425.

Rules: Entries should be limited to 500 words or less.  Contest ends on Monday, May 31, 2010.  Please include contact information with your essay so we may contact you.  Please note that all information will remain private.  We do not share, rent or sell your information.   The winner will be contacted directly and announced on air. 

Michael Garko, Ph.D.
Host – Let’s Talk Nutrition

Introduction

In his journal on August 23rd in 1853, Henry David Thoreau writing about Nature’s Panacea commented: “Nature is doing her best each moment to make us well. She exists for no other end. Do not resist ” (See Shepard, 1961). For Thoreau, “nature” was but another name for health and that which was natural or otherwise provided by nature represented the best pathway to health for the environment within and outside of the individual. 

Perhaps the most remarkable ability of the human body is its innate and natured ability to heal itself, which evolved over millions of years. The ability of the body to heal itself implicates its inherent systems (e.g., immune system or channels of elimination such as the liver, lungs, lymphatic system, blood, colon, kidneys) to help bring about repair. It also involves an uncanny intelligence of sorts to know how to achieve the repair.

The innate ability of the body to heal itself is a fundamental principle which underpins the natural health philosophy and approach and its associated therapies. The May, 2010, issue of Healthful Hints focuses attention on the nature of natural health because the natural health paradigm provides a useful way for healthcare professionals and laypeople to help maintain health and wellness, while preventing illness and disease.
 

Definition of Natural Health

Natural health (sometimes referred to as natural medicine) is a philosophical and therapeutic paradigm of health based on and constituted of hundreds and even thousands of years of traditional use of various therapies across cultures designed to support and enhance the innate healing forces of the body endowed to it by nature and supported by science to either confirm or disconfirm the validity and reliability of natural health philosophies, principles, practices and products. 

Natural Medicine, Conventional Medicine, Complimentary- Alternative Medicine and Integrative Medicine

 It is important to understand the meaning and purpose of the natural health/medicine paradigm in relationship to conventional medicine and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) (2007), “CAM is a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not generally considered to be part of conventional medicine” (p. 1).

More specifically, complementary medicine is used in conjunction with conventional medicine (i.e., allopathic medicine) such as using acupuncture to help alleviate pain following surgery. Alternative medicine is used as a replacement for conventional medicine such as using naturopathic medicine or homeopathic medicine to help reclaim and maintain health instead of using pharmaceuticals. Integrative medicine is an approach which combines treatments from conventional medicine and CAM (see Institutes of Health, 2007).

In light of these definitions, natural health/medicine is an overarching paradigm which embraces CAM and integrative medicine. Therefore, the natural health model excludes conventional medicine and includes CAM health care systems, practices and products.

Natural Medicine Therapies

Given that natural health/medicine is an overarching paradigm which embraces CAM, it would include in its repertoire of therapies those derived from the CAM. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) organizes CAM into the following categories with examples of therapies representative of each classification:

Whole Medical Systems including homeopathic medicine,  naturopathic medicine, traditional Chinese medicine & Ayruveda

Mind-Body Medicine including a variety of techniques to enhance the mind’s ability to affect functions and symptoms of the body such as patient support groups, cognitive-behavioral therapy, meditation, prayer, mental healing and therapies using creative activities such as art, music or dance.

Biologically Based Practices including the use of substances found in nature such as herbs, foods and vitamins in the form of dietary supplements and herbal products.

Manipulative and Body-Based Practices including chiropractic, osteopathic and massage which involve manipulation or movement of different parts of the body.

Energy Medicine including biofield therapies such as qi gong, Reiki and Therapeutic touch designed to affect energy fields located in the body and bioelectromagnetic-based therapies including the unconventional use of electromagnetic fields such as pulsed fields, magnetic fields or alternating-current or direct-current fields (see Institutes of Health, 2007).

Science, Nature and Natural Health

Some might be inclined erroneously to be believe that since it is in contrast to conventional medicine, the natural health approach is divorced from and unsupported by science. Nothing could be further from the facts. Dr. Michael Murray made the following observation about the relationship among natural medicine, nature and science:

       “An evolution is occurring in health care as more natural medicines gain acceptance. Interestingly, this acceptance is largely a result of increased scientific investigation and the public’s awareness of this research. It appears that medical researchers now have in their possession the technology and understanding necessary to more fully appreciate the value of ‘natural’ therapies. In essence, many natural therapies are being improved or refined through scientific investigations. Science is paving the way for the medicine of the future – a medicine that recognizes the healing power of nature” (Murray, 1996, p.5).

Thus, the natural medicine paradigm is one in which science, nature and a natural approach are integrated in an effort to prevent and treat illnesses, while promoting health and wellness. Murray (2010) addressed the myth of natural medicines being nonscientific:

“One of the great myths about natural medicines is that they are not scientific. The fact of the matter is that for most common illnesses there is tremendous support in the medical literature for a more natural approach” (Murray, 2010, p. 1).

Conclusion

The natural health/medicine paradigm represents an approach to health and wellness which celebrates and capitalizes upon the ability of the body to heal itself. Contemporary practitioners and proponents of natural medicine believe that the innate healing properties, forces and energies of the body find their genesis in nature. Further, those who are less parochial and ideological about natural medicine, recognize the importance of science to test and validate the philosophy, principles, practices and products constituting the natural health paradigm. Consequently, science, nature and natural health are not viewed as incompatible with one another but integrated so as to prevent and treat illness, while promoting health and wellness.

Therapeutically speaking, the natural health paradigm draws upon CAM therapies derived from whole medical systems, mind-body medicine, biologically based practices, manipulative and body-based practices and energy medicine. Thus, it provides health consumers with an array of therapies to help create, sustain and reclaim a person’s health and wellbeing.

References

Murray, M.T. (1996). Encyclopedia of nutritional supplements. The essential guide for improving your health naturally. New York: Random House.

Murray, M.T. (2010). About Dr. Murray. Retrieved on April 22, 2010 from http://www.doctormurray.com/

National Institutes of Health (2007). CAM basics: What is CAM? Retrieved April 22, 2010 from http://nccam.nih.gov/health/whatiscam/D347.pdf

Shepard, O. (Ed.) (1961). The heart of Thoreau’s journals. New York: Dover Publications, Inc.

Updated and revised May 30, 2010

To Talk About Allergies

Michael Garko, Ph.D.

Host – Let’s Talk Nutrition

Allergies are the sixth leading cause of chronic disease affecting annually more than 50 million Americans and costing the healthcare system more than eighteen billion dollars (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, 2000).

When it comes to allergies, there is considerable terminological confusion about allergies among the general public, researchers, healthcare professionals and even people suffering from allergies. Although it may seem a bit elementary, an important first step in having an accurate and complete understanding of what allergies are and how they work is to know the meaning of a few basic terms related to allergies.

The November, 2007, issue of Healthful Hints devotes attention to defining a few important terms used frequently and sometimes inconsistently in the literature to describe and explain allergies and the allergic process.

This current issue continues the discussion on allergies from Allergies – Part I: An Introduction. It is recommended readers review Part I for some basic information on allergies with a specific focus on exposure to and common sources of substances (i.e., allergens) triggering an allergic response.

Terminology

Allergen

Allergens are substances (e.g., pollen, mold spores, animal danders, dust, foods, insect venoms & drugs) typically harmless to most people but capable of producing an adverse immune response in others. The term “allergen” is used variously in the literature to refer to the source of an allergy-producing substance such as biological sources (e.g., pets, insects, dust mites, plants and bacteria) and chemical sources (e.g., gases or particles released from building materials, fabrics, glues, paints, solvents, dyes, perfumes, etc.). “Allergen” is also used to mean the allergy-producing substance itself (e.g., dust mite & cockroach feces, pollens, molds, fungi & animal danders) and proteins that constitute the allergy-producing substance and trigger an immune response (e.g., see American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, 2000; Wisconsin Department of Health & Family Services, 2007).

Allergy

According to the AAAI, an allergy is “an acquired potential to develop immunologically mediated adverse reactions to normally innocuous substances upon re-exposure to the sensitizing allergen (including IgE antibody responses to allergens), causing the release of inflammatory mediators (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, 2000, p. 91).

Allergic Diseases

Epidemiologically speaking, according to the AAAI (2000), allergic diseases are clinical manifestations of adverse immune responses caused by and following repeated contact with what is usually considered to be harmless substances such as pollens, molds, fungi, animal dander, house dust mite feces, cockroach feces, foods, insect venoms, latex, plants, cosmetics and drugs. There two general categories of allergic diseases. First, there are those allergic diseases which are termed atopic diathesis and include the specific diseases of allergic rhinitis, asthma and atopic dermatitis. Second, there are those allergic diseases which are considered to have an allergic component and include rhinitis, conjunctivitis, asthma, dermatitis, urticaria (hives) and anaphylaxis (see American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, 2000).

Atopy

The concept of atopy implicates heredity and its role in developing allergies. The AAAI defines atopy as “the genetic tendency to develop the ‘classical’ allergic diseases, namely, allergic rhinitis, asthma, and atopic dermatitis” (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, 2000, p. 92). The AAAI (2000) goes on to say that “atopy is typically associated with a genetically determined capacity to mount IgE responses to common allergens, especially inhaled allergens and food allergens” (p. 92). The AAAI (2000) is careful to point out that the terms “allergy” and “atopy” are not synonyms. While atopy is used to mean that a person possess the potential to develop allergies due to an inherited hyperresponsiveness to allergens triggering asthma, allergic rhinitis (i.e., hay fever) and atopic dermatitis, an allergy signifies a person’s hypersensitivity to sensitizing allergens responsible for the release of inflammatory mediators.

Conclusion

The goal of the November issue of Healthful Hints was to provide readers with some clarity on terms used frequently in the scholarly and popular literature to describe and explain allergies. Knowing the meaning of the terms used to talk about allergies is a prerequisite to understanding how allergies work and how to prevent, treat and manage them. 

Providing a clear understanding of the terms “allergen,” “allergy,” “allergic diseases” and “atopy” will hopefully contribute to a clear discussion and understanding of allergies in the Healthful Hints series on this important topic. Upcoming issues will explore exactly how allergies work, types of allergies (e.g., airborne & food allergies), along with the prevention, treatment and management of allergies.

References

American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (2000). The allergy report. Volume 1 Overview of allergic diseases: Diagnosis, management, and barriers to care. Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services (n.d.) Indoor allergens. Retrieved October 2, 2007, from http://dhfs.wisconsin.gov/eh/Air/fs/Allergens.htm

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Click to Connect to Information and Updates on the Novel H1N1 Influenza-A Virus.

Introduction
Cold and flu season is underway. Are you prepared or are you a sitting target waiting to be infected by either a cold or flu virus?  In the United States, flu season typically begins around October and lasts until about March, while cold season begins a little earlier during late August, early September and lasts until March or April.

Definition of Cold & Flu
Cold and flu/Influenza are contagious respiratory illnesses caused by viruses infecting the sinuses, throat or lungs. 

Statistics on Seasonal Cold & Flu

Influenza
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that millions of Americans, on average 5% – 20% come down with the flu each year. More than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu complications. Approximately 36,000 people die annually from flu (see CDC, 2006).

Common Cold
In terms of colds, the CDC estimates that people in the United States suffer one billion colds annually. The CDC also reports that 22 million school days are lost annually in the United States due to the common cold. Children average 6-10 colds a year, while adults average 2-4 colds annually. Children tend to catch a lot of colds because of their close contact with one another in daycare centers and schools. Women, especially those 20-30 years of age, also tend to catch more colds than men, most likely because of their closer contact with children (CDC, 2007a).

Causes of Cold & Flu 

Viruses
There are more than 200 different viruses causing the common cold and its symptoms. Flu and its symptoms are caused by influenza viruses of which there are three types, Type A, B or C.

Other Factors

Allergic diseases affecting the respiratory tract (i.e., nose or throat) and chronic stress can also increase the likelihood of becoming infected with cold and flu viruses. Some believe that enlarged tonsils or adenoids, exposure to cold weather or getting chilled or overheated increase the chances of getting a cold or flu. However, according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) there is no evidence to support these beliefs (see NIAID, 2007).  

Transmission of Cold & Flu
Cold and flu viruses can be spread from person-to-person when an infected person coughs or sneezes transmitting the virus into the air in the form of an infectious aerosol or large droplets loaded with germs, which then enter the body through the nose or mouth.

However, direct contact with infectious secretions through touching contaminated environmental surfaces such as telephones, door knobs, hand rails, table tops and clothing (i.e., fomites – inanimate objects or substances capable of transmitting infectious microbes from one person to another) and then putting your hands to your nose or mouth will transmit a cold or flu virus. The risk of getting a cold or flu increases when people find themselves in highly populated areas, such as in crowded living conditions and schools. 

Differences Between the Common Cold & Flu
Since the common cold and flu are respiratory illnesses caused by viruses, they share a number of symptoms. Thus, it is sometimes difficult for people to determine whether they have a cold or flu.

Health Consequences & Complications
Typically, the flu is worse in its health impact on people than the common cold. It is worse in terms of the severity of symptoms and how it makes people feel. It is also worse in terms of its potential complications.

Generally speaking, the symptoms of the common cold are milder. Also, people with a cold are less likely to experience serious health consequences such dying, being hospitalized or suffering from dehydration, bacterial pneumonia, ear and sinus infections and a worsening of chronic medical conditions, such as congestive heart failure, asthma, or diabetes (see CDC, 2007c).  

Flu Symptoms
It is not uncommn for the flu “knocks people off their feet.”  The most common flu symptoms include the following:

• Fever (usually high) & chills
• Headache
• Fatigue/tiredness (often extreme) 
• Coughing (dry cough)
• Sore throat
• Nasal congestion (i.e., runny or stuffy nose)
• Muscle aches & pains (frequently intense)
• Stomach symptoms (e.g., nausea, vomiting & diarrhea) can occur but tend to affect children more than adults (see CDC, 2007)

Cold Symptoms

While it may not be as severe as the flu, the common cold can create a lot of discomfort for people and be quite distracting. Symptoms of the common cold usually begin 2 to 3 days after infection and often include:

• Sore or scratchy throat
• Runny nose
• Congestion
• Sneezing
• Cough

• Headache  
• Muscle aches & fatigue (not usually as intense as when inflected by the flu & more characteristic of influenza)
• Loss of apetite

Best Defense Against Cold & Flu

There is no cure for the common cold or flu. Therefore, the best defense against contracting the common cold or flu is to practice prevention. A key way to prevent colds and flu is to keep the immune system in tip top, battle-ready condition. The immune system is the sentinel of the body. It protects the body against viral invasions so long as things are done to keep it vital, vigilant and virulent against cold and flu viruses, which are virulent themselves.

One of the primary strategies to create an effective immune system defense against cold and flu viruses is to avoid committing on a regular basis what I refer to as The Seven Deadly Health and Nutritional Sins. Collectively they reflect a poor diet and unhealthy lifestyle habits.

Eating a diet primarily constituted of (1) stripped-down, refined, high-glycemic carbohydrates in the form of processed white sugar, white flour & white rice, (2) saturated & trans fats, (3) sodium in excess, (4) stimulants (tobacco & coffee) and suppressants (alcohol) (5) surplus calories and leading a lifestyle characterized by frequent episodes of (6) stress & sleep deprivation, along with a (7) sedentary existence undermine the health and nutritional status of a person and promote inflammation and free-radicals, all of which compromise the immune system, thereby, increasing the likelihood that the sentinel of the body will be unable to combat either a cold or flu virus.

In contrast, eating a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fiber, nuts, seeds and legumes, along with adequate rest and regular exercise go a long way in keeping the immune system healthy. Although it focuses on cardiovascular health, it is recommended the reader visit www.letstalknutrition.com and read my December, 2006 issue of Healthful Hints to learn more about diet and lifestyle recommendations which will promote a healthy immune system.

It is recommended further that the reader refer to Phyllis A. Balch’s book, Prescription for Nutritional Healing, and read the sections on the common cold and influenza. She provides a host of dietary and nutritional supplement recommendations in conjunction with lifestyle recommendations to help prevent and treat colds and flu. Yet another recommendation if for the reader to examine Lorna Vanderhaeghe’s book, Healthy Immunity, to learn about the immune system, how it works and ways to keep it functioning at an optimal level, especially during cold and flu season. Finally, readers can view my segment on cold and flu featured on CBS’s Studio 10 by visiting www.letstalknutrition.com and clicking on the Studio 10 link.

Conclusion

The statistics on the prevalence of the common cold and flu indicate that millions of American will succumb to the viruses responsible for these two health issues. Yet, by keeping their immune system battle-ready, people can do much to combat the cold and flu season and reduce their chances of getting sick and suffering with the symptoms associated with the common cold and flu.

References

Balch, P.A. (2006). Prescription for nutritional healing (4^th edition). New York: Avery.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (n.d.) Key facts about seasonal influenza (flu). Retrieved September 20, 2007a, from http://www.cdc.gov/flu/keyfacts.htm

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (n.d.) Influenza: The disease. Retrieved September 20, 2007b from http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease.htm

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (n.d.). Questions and answers: Cold versus flu. Retrieved September 20, 2007c, from http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/coldflu.htm

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2006). Questions and answers: Seasonal influenza disease. Retrieved September 20, 2007 from http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/disease.htm

Garko, Michael (2006, December). Cardiovascular health – Part VIII: Diet and nutrition as part of a personal prevention program to combat coronary heart disease. Healthful Hints. www.letstalknutrition.com.

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (n.d.). Common cold. Retrieved September 20, 2007 from http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/healthscience/healthtopics/colds/cause.htm

Vanderhaeghe, L. R. (2002). Healthy immunity. New York: Kensington Publishing Corp.