Leafy Greens Alter Gene Expression to Boost Native Immune Response to Fight Disease

Our native immune system is truly amazing in its complexity and ability to continually adapt to an ever changing environment of potential pathogens that could easily colonize and highjack our health if not detected and eradicated quickly. Many people, especially as they age, have a compromised immune response due to negative lifestyle factors including smoking, exposure to environmental and household toxins, stress and especially diet. Up to eighty percent of our initial immune response takes place in our digestive system, and the body uses cues from what we eat to activate essential actions to potential invaders.

Leafy Greens and Crucifers Help Express Digestive Genes that Boost our Innate Immune Response

Consuming a largely processed food diet that is void of nutrients and flavonoids dulls our immune system and dramatically increases the risk of infection, inflammation and chronic disease. A research team from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute's Molecular Immunology Division in Australia have published the result of their work in the journal Nature Immunology that demonstrates how eating your greens may be even more important than previously thought, with the discovery that an immune cell population essential for intestinal health could be controlled by leafy greens in your diet.

A special type of immune cell known as an innate lymphoid cell (ILC) is found throughout the digestive tract and can help protect the body from invading pathogens and also provides a balance between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ bacteria in the intestine. Additionally ILC’s play an important role in controlling food allergies, inflammatory diseases and obesity, and may even prevent the development of bowel cancers. The team discovered that a gene (T-bet) is responsible for producing these critical immune cells and is expressed by signals fed from the foods we eat.

Eat Five to Nine Daily Servings of Leafy Green Vegetables to Fight Chronic Illness

Lead study author, Dr. Gabrielle Belz noted “In this study, we discovered that T-bet is the key gene that instructs precursor cells to develop into ILCs, which it does in response to signals in the food we eat and to bacteria in the gut.” The researchers found that proteins in leafy green cruciferous vegetables interact with surface cell receptors that switch on T-bet to initiate the innate immune response in the digestive tract. Further, the team determined that ILC’s produce a hormone (interleukin-22) that protects the body from invading bacteria and help maintain a healthy environment in the intestine by balancing bacteria levels, and may also help to resolve cancerous digestive lesions.

Dr. Belz concluded “Our research shows that, without the gene T-bet, the body is more susceptible to bacterial infections that enter through the digestive system. This suggests that boosting ILCs in the gut may aid in the treatment of these bacterial infections.” This research helps to explain why a natural food diet consisting of at least five to nine daily servings of vegetables and fruits is essential to promote optimal health and keep our vital immune systems running at peak efficiency to protect our well-being and longevity.

Omega-3 Supplements Help Shield Against Skin Cancer

Omega-3 fatty acids from fish, walnuts, seeds and supplements have been shown to effectively protect against many forms of cancer, cardiovascular disease and dementia, as the long-chain fats are preferentially channeled to form cell wall membranes that fight systemic inflammation and boost the body’s immune response. The typical diet is dangerously deficient in omega-3 fats, as they become rapidly degraded through food processing and are grossly imbalanced with omega-6 fats to create a metabolic environment that has been shown to promote disease.

Omega-3 Fat Supplementation Improves Innate Immune Response to Help Prevent Skin Cancer

New evidence has recently been published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition by a research team from The University of Manchester in the UK that demonstrates how taking omega-3 fish oils could help to protect against skin cancer. A study team has just carried out the first clinical trial to examine the impact of the fish oils on the skin immunity of human volunteers.

By analyzing the effect of omega-3 fats on 79 healthy participants, researchers found that taking a regular dose of fish oils boosted skin immunity to the sun by lowering sunlight-induced suppression of the immune system, known as immunosuppression, affecting the body's ability to fight skin cancer and infection. Lead study author, Dr. Lesley Rhodes noted “This study adds to the evidence that omega-3 is a potential nutrient to protect against skin cancer… they suggest that a continuous low level of chemoprevention from taking omega-3 could reduce the risk of skin cancer over an individual's lifetime.”

Supplement daily with a High Quality Fish Oil Product to Lower Skin Cancer Risk

Volunteers for the trial took a daily four gram dose of omega-3, equivalent to about one and a half portions of oily fish, and were then exposed to the either 8, 15 or 30 minutes of summer midday sun using a special light machine. The supplemented group was then compared to a second group taking a placebo. Researchers found that immunosuppression was fifty percent lower in people who took the supplement and were exposed to 8 and 15 minutes of sun compared with people who did not take the supplement.

The team concluded “Skin cancer has been one of the fastest growing types of cancer, and numbers will likely continue to increase. It is always exciting to see research that generates such promising results, and we look forward to seeing future developments in this area.” In light of the multiple functions and diverse type of disease processes that are prevented by omega-3 fat supplementation, nutrition experts recommend daily intake of 1,200 to 2,400 mg (combined DHA and EPA omega-3 fats) to promote optimal health and longevity.

Reduced Magnesium Levels Predict Heart Disease Risk and Increase Mortality by Fifty Percent

Magnesium is a ubiquitous mineral that has been found in abundance in the human diet for countless generations. Over the past half century, this essential nutrient has been systematically weaned from the vast majority of leafy greens and vegetables due to poor soil conditions and the rapid rise in consumption of processed foods where any required nutrients have been removed in favor of added sugars, fats, artificial flavors and coloring.

Magnesium is required for proper electrical signaling within the heart muscle and helps stabilize a normal rhythm. Deficiency of the mineral has also been shown to increase arterial stiffness, increasing blood pressure and work load of the muscle, directly impacting cardiovascular health and mortality. Researchers from Japan, publishing the result of a study in the journal, Atherosclerosis have found that increased intakes of magnesium in the diet may reduce the risk of cardiovascular mortality by fifty percent.

Low Magnesium Intake Creates an Imbalance with Calcium Leading to Arterial Stiffness

Prior research works have determined that low magnesium levels are the best predictor of heart disease, contrary to the traditional belief that cholesterol or saturated fats play the biggest role. In a cohort of studies spanning the past forty years, scientists have found that low magnesium levels are linked with all known cardiovascular risk factors including high blood pressure, arterial plaque build-up, calcification of soft tissues, excess cholesterol levels and hardening of the arteries.

Researchers determined that decades of elevated calcium intake have not been balanced with increasing magnesium intake and consequently in the US, dietary calcium-to-magnesium ratios are increasing. Many people have been led to believe that they need to take copious amounts of supplemental calcium to maintain bone health, when in reality they are developing a homeostatic imbalance of the two minerals and dramatically increasing their risk of arterial stiffness, early cardiovascular disease and death.

Monitor Daily Magnesium Consumption and Supplement as Necessary to Improve Cardiovascular Health

Dr. Carloyn Dean, Medical Advisor of the Nutritional Magnesium Association concluded “…heart disease is still the number one killer in America in spite of over two decades of statin use. The fact that low levels of magnesium are associated with all the risk factors and symptoms of heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, heart arrhythmia, angina and heart attack can no longer be ignored; the evidence is much too compelling.” The authors note that nuts and legumes are an excellent natural source of magnesium, yet many people avoid them due to the misconception that they are unhealthy due to the high fat content.

Daily requirements for magnesium are 320 mg for women and 420 mg for men, yet many people take in less than half of these minimum amounts leading to a significant deficiency over time. Health-conscious individuals will optimize their diet, or supplement with a blended magnesium formulation to assure a daily intake of 400 to 500 mg. Additionally, it may be necessary to limit or eliminate calcium supplementation to maintain proper calcium to magnesium balance and dramatically lower the risk of heart disease and early death.

Excess Calcium Doubles the Risk of Cardiovascular Death in Women

Cardiovascular disease continues to rank as the leading cause of death among men and women in western cultures. Many lifestyle factors, including processed food diet, lack of physical activity and daily stress contribute to this largely preventable disease and cause of early death. While there are many natural compounds and nutrients that help to help lower the risk of developing heart disease, taking supplemental calcium to prevent bone loss and osteoarthritis is now shown to be a significant factor that promotes the development of cardiovascular disease and advancing mortality, especially in women.

Excess Calcium Intake Disrupts Homeostatic Balance to Double Heart Disease Risk in Women

A research team from Uppsala University in Sweden has published the results of a study in the British Medical Journal that explains how high intakes of calcium (corresponding to diet and supplements) in women are associated with a higher risk of death from all causes, but cardiovascular disease in particular, compared with women with lower calcium intake. For decades, women have been advised to supplement with a daily course of calcium ranging from 1,000 to 1,500 mg to prevent bone loss. This study demonstrates how that advice may be a leading cause for the development of heart disease and early death.

Researchers studied 61,443 Swedish women over an average period of 19 years to test the association between heart disease risk and calcium intake. Data was gathered on total calcium received from both dietary and supplemental sources. The team grouped the women from the lowest mean calcium intake of 572 mg/day to the highest (2,137 mg/day). The scientist factored in lifestyle data including menopausal status, postmenopausal estrogen therapy, weight and height, smoking habits, leisure-time physical activity and educational level to help parse the results.

Women Need to Closely Monitor Calcium Intake from Food and Supplements to Lower Heart Disease Risk

Over the course of the study, 11,944 women, or 17 percent died. The team determined that 3,862 died from cardiovascular disease, 1,932 from heart disease and 1,100 from stroke. The study did not further differentiate specific diagnoses between cardiovascular disease and heart disease. The highest rates of death from all heart disease related causes were associated with a daily calcium intake higher than 1,400 mg/day or lower than 600 mg/day. Women in the top quartile that took a daily calcium supplement were found to be twice as likely to die when compared to those in the ideal range of 600 to 999 mg/day.

The researchers concluded that either high or low calcium intake can override normal homeostatic control causing changes in blood levels of calcium. Although not mentioned in this study, past work has also found that vitamin K is necessary to move excess calcium from the blood into the bones and teeth. Without this critical nutrient, calcium remains in circulation where it is easily bound with oxidized LDL cholesterol to form deadly arterial plaque. Individuals consuming a healthy diet rich in vegetables, nuts seeds and fruits should receive sufficient calcium from diet and naturally benefit from a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, without the need for supplementation.

Zinc Fights Infection and Inflammation by Boosting the Body’s Immune Response

Infection from bacterial and viral agents can pose a significant threat to human health, as it fuels the flames of systemic inflammation known to contribute to cancer, heart disease, dementia, diabetes and stroke. Many lifestyle factors, including diet, stress and exposure to environmental and household toxins contribute to elevated levels of inflammation throughout the body that never subside, creating a cellular environment that is favorable to disease propagation. Fortunately there are a number of natural compounds and nutrients that help combat inflammation and lower risk of infection and chronic disease.

Zinc Activates the Innate Immune Response to Help Fight Viral and Bacterial Pathogens

A research team from Ohio State University has released the result of a study revealing how zinc helps control infections by gently tapping the brakes on the immune response in a way that prevents out of control inflammation that can be damaging and even deadly. Working with human cell cultures, the scientists have demonstrated how a specific protein ushers zinc into key cells that stimulate a critical immune response to fight against infection. The mineral interacts with a cellular process that neutralizes infection and helps balance the normal immune response.

Scientists present groundbreaking work that demonstrates for the first time how zinc disables an important pathway to effectively ensure that the immune response does not spiral out of control in response to an infection, and similarly to perpetually elevated levels of inflammation referred to as systemic. Senior study author, Dr. Daren Knoell commented “Without zinc on board to begin with, it could increase vulnerability to infection… our work is focused on what happens once you get an infection… if you are deficient in zinc you are at a disadvantage because your defense system is amplified, and inappropriately so.”

Include Dietary Sources of Zinc and Supplement as Necessary to Improve Immune Defenses

Monocytes, which are white blood cells that provide the first line of defense against an invading pathogen, were extracted from human blood samples to determine what happens when the immune response is launched. Researchers found that when a pathogen is detected, a series of complex responses occur to wake the innate immune response utilizing the nuclear-factor kappa beta pathway (NF-kB). The team showed that once NF-kB is activated, a gene is expressed that allows zinc to be ushered from the bloodstream into the cell where it can bind with proteins that block the activity of the pathogen and halt excess inflammation.

Dr. Knoell concluded “We believe that our findings help to narrow an important gap that has existed in our understanding of how this relatively simple metal helps us defend ourselves from infection.” Zinc deficiency affects two billion people around the world, representing an estimated forty percent of the elderly in the US, and helps to explain why our aging population is unable to fight the most common infections. Dietary sources of zinc include beans, nuts, some shellfish, whole grains, fortified cereals and dairy products. Health-minded individuals may want to avoid meat, dairy and grain sources and supplement with 15 to 25 mg per day to fight infection and systemic inflammation.