V1, I4

"I am the Allower of my own Wellbeing"

A monthly newsletter written by Sherry Dell, PhD, CN

Volume 1, Issue 4
October, 2007

Beware the Halloween Candy

And the Thanksgiving pies. And the Christmas cookies and fudge and peanut brittle. Have you ever noticed how the fall cold and flu season arrives at the same time as Halloween? Ever wonder why?

Sugar suppresses the immune system. It does this primarily by acidifying the pH of the body. The acidification of body pH has a far reaching effect on many immunological functions (1). One way sugar suppresses immune function is by increasing the secretion of insulin. Insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas in order to reduce the level of sugar circulating in the blood stream. Too much sugar in the blood stream is very harmful, so this is a good thing. Once in a while. When insulin is secreted all day long, every day, it is not a good thing. Such is the case when we have pancakes and syrup for breakfast, a mid morning snack of brownie and latte, a lunch of white bread sandwich followed by cookies, a mid afternoon snack of soda pop and a dinner of pasta followed by dessert and caramel corn while watching television before bed. High insulin levels in the blood stream suppress human growth hormone levels produced by the pituitary gland. (High insulin levels have many, many negative consequences beyond this one, but we'll save that discussion for another day). Growth hormone is a primary regulator of immune function.

Sugar has also been shown to slow phagocytosis significantly. (2, 3, 4) Phagocytosis is the process wherein a white blood cell surrounds an invading bacteria or other pathogen to destroy it. These studies have shown a dose of sugar to slow immune function up to 75% for up to 5 hours.

High sucrose and fructose (two specific forms of sugar) consumption in the diet has been associated with increased risk to breast cancer (5), which is, of course, another kind of immune deficiency disease.

A weakened immune system exposes us to all manner of illness. From colds and flus and all kinds of bacterial and viral infections to auto-immune dysfunction and cancer. The upshot: keep your immune system strong. Here is a list of the best immune strengthening foods:

	Vitamin C: guava, papaya, acerola cherries, red/green peppers, rose hips, broccoli, tomatoes, asparagus, strawberries, kiwi, cantaloupe, grapefruit, orange
	Vitamin E: all nuts, seeds, grains have vitamin E in their oils; safflower oil, wheat germ oil, spinach, asparagus, kale, cucumber, celery
	Garlic: fresh is best in fresh juice, for example, but cooked, roasted, pill form; all forms are good
	Carotenoids: carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, apricots, papaya, cantaloupe
	Bioflavonoids (Vitamin P): lemon, grapefruit, orange, lime, rose hips, apricot, cherries, grapes, black currants, plums, blackberries, papaya, green pepper, broccoli, tomatoes, buckwheat.
	Selenium: brewer's yeast, wheat germ, fish, brazil nuts, brown rice, onions, broccoli, tomatoes, swiss chard
	Zinc: oysters, beef, lamb, pork, herring, egg yolks, whole wheat/rye/oats, pecans, brazil nuts, pumpkin seeds, ginger root, mustard
	Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids: flax seed, flax oil, salmon, tuna, mackerel, cod, fish oil

In supplement form, a strong antioxidant formula should contain most of these nutrients (though Omega 3 essential fatty acid supplements should be in a separate pill). Antioxidant formulas that I might recommend for my clients (depending on their unique biochemical needs) include Pure Encapsulations brand Antioxidant Formula, Douglas Labs brand Basic Anti-Oxidant, Integrative Therapeutics brand Clinical Nutrients Antioxidant, or a multi vitamin/mineral supplement such as Metagenics brand Wellness Essentials or Deisgns for Health Brand Twice Daily Essential Packets, which include essential fats and other nutrients in individual packets.

Now back to the Halloween candy. I would be remiss if I didn't at least try to give you some ideas for non-immune-system-depleting treats for all the little goblins in your world. Sadly, just this morning I heard a newscaster recommend parents throw away any home made items their children received while trick or treating. Nonetheless, for your own children and the children of friends and family, home made treats are always the healthiest and tastiest.

Consider these kinds of simple, healthier treats:

	Juice boxes
	Individual sized fruit cups
	Cheese and cracker packages
	Snack size zip lock bags of mixed nuts, seeds, dried fruit
	Snack size boxes of raisins or other dried fruits
	Fresh fruit pieces wrapped in colored saran wrap or colored foil

Lastly, here are two recipes for healthier sweets; healthier because they have less sugar and or better quality sweeteners or in the case of the brownies, they also have a good source of protein.

Popcorn Balls

Ingredients:

1/2 cup honey

1/8 cup raw sugar

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

5 cups hot-air popped popcorn

Butter for handling

Directions:

Place air-popped popcorn in a large bowl and set aside.

In a 2-quart saucepan, combine honey, sugar, cinnamon and 1 tablespoon butter. Simmer until well melted and mixed.

Pour honey mixture over popcorn and stir to coat with a wooden spoon then set aside to cool.

After thoroughly washing your hands first, butter your hands then shape popcorn into balls. You may want to wrap in colored saran wrap and or tie with colored ribbon or bows.

Honey Walnut Brownies

Ingredients:

8 ounces soft MoriNu tofu

1 cup honey

1/2 cup safflower oil

1 tablespoon vanilla (or almond extract)

2/3 cup unsweetened chocolate powder (or carob powder)

3/4 cup water

1 3/4 cup whole grain flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

Blend first 6 ingredients until creamy

In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda and baking powder. Add wet ingredients and mix well. Fold in walnuts.

Oil and flour 9 inch square baking pan. Spread batter evenly. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool well and cut into brownies.

(1) Lardner A. The effects of extracellular pH on immune function. Journal of Leukcyte Biology. 2001;69:522-530.
(2) Sanchez A, Reeser JL, Lau HS, et al. Role of sugars in human neutrophilic phagocytosis. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1973;26:1180–4.
(3) Ringsdorf WM, Cheraskin E, Ramsay RR. Sucrose, neutrophilic phagocytosis and resistance to disease. Dent Survey 1976;52(12):46.
(4) Nutter RL, Gridley DS, Kettering JD, et al. Modification of a transplantable colon tumor and immune responses in mice fed different sources of protein, fat and carbohydrate. Cancer Letters 1983;18(1):49–62.
(5) Romieu I, Lazcano-Ponce L, Sanchez-Zamorano, LM, Willet W, Hernandez-Avila M. Carbohydrates and the risk of breast cancer among Mexican women. Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention, 2004;13, 1283-1289.