FluMist not effective?

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

If you’ve read this column for any length of time, you know a frequent topic is vaccinations of any kind, but especially the treatment for influenza, aka the flu.

Unfortunately, many people actually believe recommendations from our governments Center for Disease Control (CDC).  They supposedly help people make important health decisions. For many years they have advocated that virtually every man, women and child be vaccinated yearly for the flu.

As recently as last year the CDC recommended that “either vaccine is appropriate (the shot or the nasal spray) for people age 2 through 49.” But, in a complete reversal of itself from last year, the CDC advisory committee now says that the nasal spray vaccine, known as FluMist, NOT be used. How can it be that one year it works and the next year doesn’t?

Omega 3's part 2 of 2

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

In the last article we introduced the fact that there is a difference in the origin of omega-3 fats, being either plant derived or animal derived. The animal derived omega-3 fats also have differences in their origin, either being fish based or krill based.

Here, we will further explain the differences, starting with animal versus plant derived omega-3 fats.

Marine animal based fats are sourced from fatty fish such as salmon, anchovies, sardines, herring, fish and krill. DHA is primarily a long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) with 22 carbons, and EPA is a PUFA of 20 carbons. Since they are long chain fatty acids, they are more readily available to your body.

The biological effects of EPA/DHA are mostly anti-inflammatory and for communication within cells and between cells. The last article listed many more effects. As much as 30% of the fatty mass of the prefrontal cortex of the brain is DHA and 90% of the omega-3 fat found in the brain is DHA. The development of the fetal brain is entirely dependent on the availability of DHA. Pre-pregnancy should include super doses of EPA/DHA for proper brain development.

Omega 3's part 1 of 2

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

I’ve written several times over the years on the benefits of Omega-3 fats, EPA and DHA. They are essential to your overall health and to your heart health particularly.

There are many studies confirming that regular consumption of fish and other omega-3 rich foods may lower your risk of a heart attack by about ten percent. One Italian study showed a 50% reduction in sudden cardiac death.

Omega-3 fats benefit your cardiovascular health in multiple ways. They lower blood pressure and triglyceride concentrations. They improve your ability to grow new blood vessels, which helps in areas that may be damaged.

Vitamin D part 2 of 2

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

Last week, we talked about vitamin D and its effects on your health.  This week we will explore the effects vitamin D has on cancer and other illnesses.

We know from scientific research that UVB from the sun is not constant wherever you are located.  It is influenced negatively by your latitude, the further north above 30° you are, the less there is available.  The time of year is a huge factor.  In the continental US there is virtually none available from the sun between September and April.  Clouds, pollution and altitude all decrease UVB availability.

Dr. John Cannell, founder of the Vitamin D Council, hypothesizes that influenza (flu) is merely a symptom of D deficiency.  A study of 19,000 Americans, by Dr. Adit Ginde, finds that “our study supports an important role for vitamin D in the prevention of common respiratory infections such as colds and flu.  Individuals with common lung diseases, such as emphysema or asthma, may be particularly susceptible to respiratory infections from vitamin D deficiency.”

Vitamin D part 1 of 2

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

One of the subjects I try to engage most patients in is that of nutrition and nutritional supplementation.  Coming into the winter months, a few words about vitamin D3 seem appropriate.

Did you know vitamin D is not really a vitamin at all?  It is a steroidal hormone precursor necessary to every cell in the body, yet not found in the natural food supply; except in eggs, liver and fatty fish.  Essentially, it affects your entire health condition.  Heart heath, skin health, the aging process, athletic performance, vascular system, immune system, bone health, carbohydrate and fat metabolism, and pregnant women all need optimal vitamin D levels.  If you are eating a low fat to no fat diet, you need even more vitamin D.  Dark skinned people need more than normal due to melatonin blocking UVB rays entering the skin.  Vitamin D regulates over 2000 genes in the body!

Cell Phone Radiation?

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

Cell phones have become almost as necessary as water for some people. It seems most people use one every day. I’m sure you have heard some information connecting cell phone use to cancerous tumors. The cancer research arm of the World Health Organization (WHO) declared cell phones a class 2B “possible carcinogen” or cancer causing agent in 2011. Now, many things the WHO puts out are not to be relied upon, this may be no different. I can’t opine definitively one way or the other on this topic, but will simply present some food for thought; although it does appear that electromagnetic fields (EMF) and radio frequencies (RF) can damage cells.

There are many studies on the subject of RF-EMF exposure and the biological effects thereof. Cell phones emit this type of radiation. It is a non-ionizing radiation, meaning it does not break chemicals bonds, unlike x-rays which are ionizing radiation with known biological hazards that all would acknowledge. Some studies show no effect, but most of them were sponsored by the cell phone industry. Many other independent studies show all sorts of health problems form headaches to brain tumors, with young children being the most at risk.

In fact, 72% of industry funded studies showed no discernable effects on health, while 67% of independent studies did find biological effects. That’s how the pharmaceutical industry works, too.

Sell By and Use By Dates Explained

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

How many times have the ‘use by’ or ‘sell by’ date on a packaged food caused you to rethink eating or purchasing a product? Does either of those dates say anything about whether the product is safe to eat? Are these dates regulated by the government or backed by any research showing good reason for them?

The average family in America wastes over $1500 worth of food each year. Moldy bread and spoiled produce should be discarded for obvious reasons. Yet many perfectly fine foods are tossed based on the ‘use by/best by’ and ‘sell by’ dates. A recent report from Harvard found that 90% of Americans throw out food prematurely based on a misunderstanding of what these dates really mean.

There is only one processed food in the U.S. that has mandated dating by the federal government, and that is baby formula. These ‘use by’ dates are actually based on scientific evidence. Baby formula must contain the full nutrition listed on the product label. The use by date is the date determined to be the latest date full nutrition is available, before it starts to breakdown or separate. These dates should be followed.