Shorts

briefed by Jule Klotter

Acetaminophen Role in Autism?

Autism incidence among US children began accelerating in 1980, a fact that has spurred various hypotheses. Most of today’s autistic children develop normally until about 18 months of age, at which time they inexplicably regress. Since these children are not born autistic, researchers began looking at environmental factors as possible causes. Bernard Rimland suspected that widespread use of the MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccine, which occurred in 1978, might be the cause. Childhood vaccines were already on his radar screen because of years of parental reports about children regressing after vaccination with the diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus vaccine. Vaccines, however, were not the only change that occurred around 1980. Parents began giving acetaminophen (aka Tylenol or paracetamol) to their children instead of aspirin after the US Public Health Service and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) warned, in 1980, that aspirin was linked to Reyes syndrome, a potentially fatal disease in young children. In an article for Alternative Medicine Review, Peter Good discusses current evidence that suggests that acetaminophen used to treat pain and fever in children may be a cause of autism.

Stephen Schultz and colleagues conducted an online survey of parents with autistic children and parents of children without autism (Autism. 2008;12:293–307). They found a significant correlation between negative reactions to the MMR vaccine and increased incidence of autism. The survey also revealed a correlation between acetaminophen use and autism. “Compared to controls, children, ages 1-5 years with autism, were eight times more likely to have gotten sick after the MMR vaccine and were six times more likely to have taken acetaminophen,” writes Good. Children whose parents gave them acetaminophen for vaccine reactions were more likely to be autistic than children who received ibuprofen.

Schultz found another correlation between acetaminophen use and autism when he compared national acetaminophen sales and autism rates in California. Autism incidence rose in California children born after 1980 as national sales of children’s aspirin declined and sales of children’s acetaminophen products increased. Acetaminophen sales plummeted in fall 1982 and again in 1987 because of widely publicized, random fatalities caused by Tylenol capsules that had been adulterated with cyanide. Interestingly, autism diagnoses in Californian children declined in 1984 and 1987, paralleling the decline in acetaminophen use the year before.

Whether or not acetaminophen causes autism, this drug should not be used by children with autism – perhaps, not by children at all. Acetaminophen use can damage the liver and impair its ability to detoxify harmful compounds. While not all children with autism have been exposed to acetaminophen, nearly all do have liver detoxification impairment. Children with autism are less able to detoxify phenols and amines (including acetaminophen) via sulfation in the liver than normal children. In absence of sulfation, acetaminophen oxidizes into a toxic metabolite. The liver then relies on its supply of glutathione to detoxify the metabolite so that it can be excreted. Acetaminophen use can deplete sulfate, glutathione, and metallothionein, compounds needed to break down phenolic amines (e.g., dopamine and serotonin) and salicylates for excretion. Many foods that contain these compounds, as well as aspirin (a salicylate), are known to trigger autistic episodes.

Proof that acetaminophen use contributes to autism may be a long time coming. The first step may be to encourage parents to use ibuprofen (which can cause stomach problems), less acetaminophen or, better yet, homeopathy when their children have a fever or pain. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been aware of acetaminophen’s negative effect on the liver since 1977. An FDA public advisory committee meeting, which convened on June 29–30, 2009, is examining the possibility of restricting the drug’s use.

Food and Drug Administration. Acetaminophen information [Web document]. www.fda.gov/drugs/drugsafety/informationbydrugclass/ucm165107.htm. Accessed August 2, 2010.

Good P. Did acetaminophen provoke the autism epidemic? Alt Med Rev. 2009;14(4): 364–372. Available at: www.thorne.com/altmedrev/.fulltext/14/4/364.pdf. Accessed August 2, 2010.

Chemical Poisoning in the Gulf

Oil spill clean-up workers and area residents are experiencing sore throats, headaches, dizziness, rashes and blisters, and breathing difficulties due to the dispersant Corexit that the Coast Guard has been spraying on BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil spill, says marine toxicologist and community activist Riki Ott. Dispersants, which contain detergent-like surfactants, break oil down into small droplets. The dispersant adds to the toxic soup created by the oil itself. Oil releases volatile hydrocarbons, such as benzene, which are known carcinogens. Clean-up crews and workers on boats in the area most likely have the most exposure to the chemicals.

A CDC fact sheet on Corexit says that the dispersant can cause respiratory irritation, eye irritation, and defatting and drying of the skin with prolonged exposure. In addition, Corexit can be absorbed through the skin and cause digestive problems, according to the manufacturer’s safety data. The CDC also says: “Repeated or excessive exposure to 2-butoxyethanol [the active ingredient] may cause central nervous system depression, nausea, vomiting, anesthetic or narcotic effects, injury to red blood cells, kidney or liver, and a metallic taste.” Because bodies differ, exposures that cause a reaction in some people may have little or no effect on others. Since scientists have no way to predict who is vulnerable, doctors in the area need to be aware that patient symptoms may be the result of chemical poisoning, not some new mysterious flu. In general, children and pregnant women living along the coast are more vulnerable than other inhabitants.

Government agencies and mainstream media have downplayed possible health risks due to the oil spill and dispersant spray. In reality, researchers and health officials do not have enough data to predict the long-term health effects. At the request of the US Department of Health and Human Services, researchers and health officials gathered in New Orleans, Louisiana, on June 22–23, 2010, with the hope that local agencies and communities could be encouraged to avoid mistakes that have occurred in previous spills. A primary error has been the lack of health data collection. Only seven studies on short- and long-term health effects caused by 38 major oil spills exist. “‘We didn’t do the long-term longitudinal follow up [after the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill] that now we all wish we had data on,’ says Donald Williamson, state health officer for Alabama. ‘How do I tell my coastal communities it’s going to be OK?’” With the Deepwater Horizon spill, researchers are asking that samples of cord blood, breast milk, blood, and saliva be collected from people living in the area. Health officials in the Gulf states (Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, and Texas) also are monitoring for a rise in symptoms, such as respiratory illness, that may be linked to exposure. “’There are a lot of unknowns,’ [Jimmy Guidry, a Louisiana state health officer, told journalist Amanda Mascarelli]. ‘This is more than a spill. This is ongoing leakage of a chemical, and adding chemicals to stop the chemicals. We’re feeling like we’re in a research lab.’”

Spanish genetic toxicologist Blanca Laffon and colleagues are conducting the only long-term study of genotoxic damage and endocrine alterations due to a major oil spill. They gathered blood samples from volunteers who cleaned oil-covered birds for five days after a November 2002 supertanker spill and from workers who spent a much longer time cleaning oil from coastal land. The researchers found a correlation between exposure time and DNA damage; the more days exposed to the oil, the more damage a person had. Signs of DNA damage ultimately resolved in volunteers with five-day exposure. However, those who spent months cleaning up oil still had chromosome damage at a five-year follow-up. Laffon and colleagues are in the process of yet another follow-up study.

Ott recommends that people experiencing symptoms that may be caused by these chemicals consult with specialists at The Environmental Health Center in Dallas, Texas. A fact sheet for medical professionals, written by Michael R. Harbut, MD, at Wayne State University, is available at www.sciencecorps.org/crudeoilhazards.htm.

Aguilar R. Experts: health hazards in gulf warrant evacuations [Web article]. Truthout.org. July 22, 2010. www.truth-out.org/toxic-dispersants-causing-widespread-illness61604. Accessed July 22, 2010.

Aquilera F, Méndez J, Pásaro E, Laffon B. Review on the effects of exposure to spilled oils on human health [abstract]. J Appl Toxicol. May 2010;30(4):291–301. Available at: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20499335. Accessed August 3, 2010.

Centers for Disease Control. Potential health threats from COREXIT® 9500 and 9527 exposure [Web document]. www.cdc.gov/nceh/oil_spill/dispersants_hcp_info.htm. Accessed July 20, 2010.

Mascarelli A. Oil-spill health risks under scrutiny [Web article]. BioEd Online. June 24, 2010. www.BioEdOnline.org/news/news.cfm?art=6479. Accessed July 20, 2010.

Nash M. Scientists’ dispersant concerns remain [Web article]. CNN.com. July 26, 2010. www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/07/28/scientists.dispersant.concerns/index.html. Accessed July 28, 2010.

Pérez-Cadahía B, Laffon B, Valdiglesias V, Pásaro E, Méndez J. Cytogenetic effects induced by Prestige oil on human populations: the role of polymorphisms in genes involved in metabolism and DNA repair [abstract]. Mutat Res. May 31, 2008;653(1–2):117–123. Available at: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18495522. Accessed August 3, 2010.

Royal Lee

and

Protomorphogen

Royal Lee, DDS (1885–1967), founder of Standard Process Inc. nutritional supplements, believed that cellular health determines overall health and longevity. He developed Protomorphogen Brand Extracts (PMGs) specifically to address cellular health. PMGs are derived from “cell determinants” of specific organs and glands. These determinants, also called protomorphogens, appear to regulate cellular growth and repair.

The purpose of Standard Process PMGs differs from nutritional supplements. Instead of compensating for vitamin or mineral deficiencies, PMGs are intended to provide a “thermostable mineral skeleton” that acts as a template for the construction of chromosomes. “The PMGs formulated by Dr. Lee were not intended to provide nutrients to the body, but rather they were to provide the genetic blueprints to facilitate in reprogramming the particular cell type to produce normal health cells,” writes Dr. Sharon Rabb. The PMG extract for a specific organ can ers from m healthy cell division,” as long as whole food nutrients essential for that organ’s health are also present. PMGs are cell determinants, not glandulars. “Using animal organs to facilitate healing of the same organ is not the same concept [as] the PMG theory. PMG is the nuclear material that provides the blueprint,” writes Rabb. G extract for a specific organ can ers from m healthy cell division,” as long as whole food nutrients

Because of his life-long passion for biochemistry and nutrition, Lee collected writings by Francis Pottenger, Antoine Béchamp, and others who studied nutrition and the body’s terrain. He also documented his own research. Unfortunately, Lee incurred the enmity of the FDA, food manufacturers, and conventional medicine with his outspoken criticism of the food-refining practices that removed vital nutrients. He stated repeatedly that processed food “fortified” with isolated, synthetic vitamins does not have the same benefits as the whole food. Ultimately, Lee lost his prolonged court battle with the FDA. He was ordered to refrain from publicly speaking or writing about health, medicine, and nutrition. In an astounding act of censorship, his research records and many of his vitamin company’s publications were ordered destroyed. Many of his published works were saved from oblivion and are available from the International Foundation for Nutrition and Health (www.ifnh.org).

Farr G. What are protomorphogens? [Web article]. www.becomehealthynow.com/ebookprint.php. Accessed July 20, 2010.

International Foundation for Nutrition and Health. The history of the Lee Foundation for Nutritional Research [Web document]. www.ifnh.org/lee_foundation_for_nutritional_research. Accessed July 21, 2010.

Morris DL. Royal Lee, DDS: father of natural vitamins [Web article]. www.westonaprice.org/nutrition-greats/601-royal-lee.html. Accessed July 21, 2010.

Rabb S. Protomorphogens .ithe blueprints to health [Web article]. www.drsharonrabb.com/articles/protomorphogens.html. Accessed July 21, 2010.

Standard Process Inc. Protomorphogen brand extract [information sheet].

Sleep, Children, and School

Sleep has a major effect on children’s behavior and their ability to learn, according to a collection of recent studies. Insufficient sleep seems to produce more hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention in children, according to a 2009 Finnish study led by Dr. Juulia Paavonen. Children age 7 to 8 years who average 7.7 hours or less of sleep had more behavior problems than those who slept more. Paavonen says that intervention studies are needed to confirm causality. While the link between insufficient sleep and poor behavior is no surprise to most parents, sleep’s effect on learning is less recognized. Preschool children need at least 11 hours of sleep each night, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. While many young children do not attain that much sleep, those who do perform better on most developmental measures. They also exhibit better language and listening skills and early math and literacy abilities, according to a 2010 study conducted by Erika Gaylor, PhD and colleagues at SRI International (Menlo Park, California). One way to ensure that children get enough sleep is to maintain a consistent bedtime routine that readies them to fall asleep before 9 p.m. After 9 p.m., children tend to take longer to fall asleep and get less sleep time.

Another cause of insufficient sleep that interferes with learning is pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Children with OSA tend to have short periods during which the upper airway narrows while sleeping. These disruptions in breathing pull children from sleep, as much as 30 times per hour. The condition often stems from enlarged adenoids or tonsils as well as muscle weakness, obesity, and head and facial abnormalities. Common symptoms of pediatric OSA include snoring, mouth breathing, restless sleep, bed-wetting, feeling tired upon awakening, mood swings, inattentiveness, and hyperactivity. In addition to these behavioral signs, children with OSA learn tasks more slowly and “[retain] less information the following morning” than children without OSA, according to research at the University of Chicago Medical Center. With treatment that lets the child enjoy uninterrupted sleep, school grades and behavior improve.

Sleep may also be a factor in attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Canadian researchers compared the sleep patterns of 15 children diagnosed with ADHD and 23 healthy controls, ages 7 to 11. Only one-third of the ADHD children had ever been on medication. All children were medication- and caffeine-free at least seven days before assessment. Using polysomnography, the researchers found the ADHD children had an average sleep time that was 33 minutes less than that of the controls (8 hours 19 minutes vs. 8 hours 52 minutes). In addition, the ADHD children had an average of 16 minutes less REM sleep than the controls. Polysomnography did not find evidence that links sleep apnea and ADHD. (The researchers say that nasal cannulas would detect obstructive hypopneas more accurately.) Lead author Reut Gruber, PhD, does not believe that sleep deprivation causes ADHD. He thinks that children with ADHD may have an underlying sleep problem that can make their symptoms worse. As this research article states: “Restriction or extension of only 1 hour of sleep in normal school-age children for as little as 3 nights in a row could significantly impact performance on neurobehavioral measures.”

Sleep appears to facilitate learning in adults as well as children. College students who took a 90-minute nap during a recent University of California-Berkeley sleep study did better on learning exercises and improved their learning capacity. Sleep researchers say that the hippocampus is the initial storage site for fact-based memories. During sleep, the hippocampus downloads these memories to the brain’s prefrontal cortex, making room for new material. In a 2010 UC-Berkeley study, Matthew Walker, PhD, and colleagues found evidence that the hippocampus downloads material during stage 2 non-rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. At least half of our sleep time is spent in stage 2 non-REM, which lies between deep sleep (non-REM) and the REM dream state. So, taking a nap while reading a textbook may be just what the hippocampus ordered!

Anwar Y. A midday nap markedly boosts the brain’s learning capacity [Web article]. EurekAlert. www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-02/uoc–amn021110.php. Accessed July 24, 2010.

Gruber R, Xi T, Frenette S, Robert M, Vannasinh P, Carrier J. Sleep disturbances in prepubertal children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a home polysomnography study. SLEEP. 2009;32(3):343–350. Available at: www.journalsleep.org/ViewAbstract.aspx?pid=27407.

Mayo Clinic. Pediatric sleep apnea [Web article]. www.mayoclinic.org/pediatric-sleep-apnea. Accessed August 3, 2010.

McCann K. Regular bedtimes linked to better language, reading and math skills in preschool children [Web article]. EurekAlert. www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-06/aaos-rbl052410.php. Accessed July 24, 2010.

Mitchum B. Better sleep, better learning? [blog entry]. Science Life. http://sciencelife.uchospitals.edu/2010/02/15/better-sleep-better-learning. Accessed July 24, 2010.

Paavonen EJ, Räikkönen K, Lahti J, Komsi N, Heinonen K, et al. Short sleep duration and behavioral symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in healthy 7-to 8-year-old children. Pediatrics. May 2009;123(5):e857-64. Available at: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19403479. Accessed August 4, 2010.

Tuberculosis

An estimated one-third of Earth3479. Accessed August 4 Accesh the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which usually remains dormant and noninfectious. Weakened immune functionnonccessedue to indoor air pollution from solid fuel use and smoking, overcrowded living conditions (e.g., prisons, urban slums), and poor nutrition—allows the bacterium to cause active tuberculosis (TB) in about 5% to 10% of those infected. Although it rarely makes headlines, tuberculosis kills more people than any other contagious disease—an estimated 2 to 3 million per year. The bacterium usually affects the lungs, but it may also involve the liver, spleen, bone marrow, lymph nodes, and central nervous system. Symptoms of pulmonary TB include fatigue, loss of appetite, weight loss, fever, night sweats, coughing up blood from the lungs, and painful breathing. TB is very difficult to treat.

Conventional medical treatment for tuberculosis, called Directly Observed Therapy, involves a six- to nine-month treatment with multiple antibiotics to hit the slow-growing bacteria during various stages of its life cycle. Some of the drugs can have very unpleasant side effects (e.g., vomiting and hallucinations), so patients want to stop taking the drugs as soon as overt signs of tuberculosis wane. Ending treatment too early and treatment interruptions give this organism an opportunity to develop antibiotic-resistance. The Russian Federation, for example, has a high rate of multi-drug-resistant (MDR) TB, partly because the country has had insufficient supplies at times to give patients a full course of antibiotic treatment. People with MDR tuberculosis who do not (or cannot) follow treatment protocol may develop “extensively drug-resistant (XDR) TB—that resists practically every known drug at doctors’ disposal.” (Schmidt) The only way to ensure that patients comply with long-term treatment is to use a system whereby a medical person or responsible friend or neighbor actually watches the patient take antibiotics as scheduled: Directly Observed Therapy. Even the best of medical care is not enough to decrease the TB death rate. Prevention by reducing smoking, malnutrition, crowded living conditions, the use of indoor cooking fires, and other underlying causes is the real solution, says the World Health Organization.

Adjunctive treatments suggested by psychic healer Edgar Cayce (1877–1945) can complement conventional care. His main recommendation for people with pulmonary TB (including his wife) was the inhalation of 100 proof apple brandy fumes from a 1- or 2-gallon charred oak keg. eThe activity on this is not only for the destruction of live tubercle tissue, but it acts as an antiseptic for all irritated areas,”he activity In addition to this inhalation therapy, Cayce recommended a diet consisting mostly of fruits and vegetables to improve assimilation and elimination. Fried foods and refined carbohydrates should be avoided. Cayce was also a proponent of osteopathic or chiropractic treatment.

Cayce Health Database. Overview of pulmonary tuberculosis [Web article]. www.edgarcayce.org/are/holistic_health/data/prtb3a.html. Accessed July 16, 2010.

Goozner M. Return of a killer: tuberculosis in Russia [online transcription]. ScientificAmerican.com. August 27, 2008. www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=01E663D3-0599-D2AC-E97E77DACE28849E. Accessed July 16, 2010.

Karp RA. Charred oak keg. Edgar Cayce Encyclopedia of Healing. New York: Warner Books; 1986:472.

Schmidt CW. Linking TB and the environment: an overlooked mitigation strategy. Environ Health Perspect. November 2008;116(11):A479–A485. Available at: http://ehp03.niehs.nih.gov/article/info:doi/10.1289/ehp.116-a478. Accessed July 15, 2010.

Do Flu Vaccines Leave Infants Vulnerable?

In the Lancet article “Yearly influenza vaccinations: a double-edged sword?,” Dutch virologists Rogier Bodewes, Joost H. C. M. Kreijtz, and Guus F. Rimmelzwaan suggest that yearly influenza vaccination with inactivated vaccines may leave infants vulnerable to pandemic strains of flu. Unlike infection with seasonal flu, inactivated vaccines do not stimulate cross-protective immune responses against unrelated subtypes of influenza A virus strains (heterosubtypic immunity). While heterosubtypic immunity does not keep people from getting sick, it can restrain virus replication, resulting in less severe illness and fewer deaths, according to their research. If a flu strain unexpectedly turns pandemic, children who have already survived a bout of flu will have a more savvy immune response than children who have been vaccinated with viral strains unrelated to the pandemic threat.

The virologists used mice to test their hypothesis about heterosubtypic immunity. One group of mice received a vaccine to protect them against seasonal influenza A/Hong Kong/2/68 (H3N2). A second group was infected with the same flu strain. A third group acted as a control, having no exposure to the virus (fully naïve). The virologists then exposed all three groups to a lethal dose of influenza virus A/Indonesia/5/05 (H5N1). The vaccinated mice “developed severe disease and died,” similar to the naïve control mice. The H3N2-infected mice “became less ill and did not die.” Unlike the vaccinated mice, the nonvaccinated mice who had been infected with the H3N2 virus responded to the H5N1 virus with “induction of CD8-T-cell responses that were cross reactive and the formation of inducible bronchus associated lymphoid tissue.” H5N1 virus replication in the lungs of nonvaccinated, infected mice, unlike those in the other two groups, was restrained.

Because of this research, the Dutch virologists suggest that “…effective vaccination of children against seasonal influenza A viruses might prevent the induction of heterosubtypic immunity otherwise induced after productive, in most cases, self-limiting infection of the upper respiratory tract.” Without heterosubtypic immunity, children under age 5 may be more vulnerable to pandemic flu strains, they say. The virologists call for further research to determine if heterosubtypic immunity truly does protect children.

The article is not an argument against flu vaccination for young children. Rather, the authors suggest using vaccines that induce cross-reactive immune response. Both live-attenuated vaccines and new viral-vector vaccines induce cross-reactive cell-mediated responses. The authors do not say how cell-mediated responses caused by these vaccines compare with the body’s normal response to infection.

Bodewes R, Kreijtz JHCM, Rimmelzwaan GF. Yearly influenza vaccinations: a double-edged sword? Lancet Infect Dis. December 2009:9:784–787. Available at: www.download.thelancet.com/flatcontentassets/H1N1-flu/vaccination/vaccination-78.pdf. Accessed July 20, 2010.

Vitamin D and Flu

A 2010 blinded prospective cohort study found evidence that serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels of 38 ng/ml or higher reduced the incidence and severity of acute viral respiratory illnesses, including flu, during the fall and winter of 2009–2010. This level is over twice the 15 ng/mL (37.5 nmol/L) level recommended by the US National Institutes of Health as being “generally considered adequate for bone and overall health in healthy individuals.” Vitamin D is known to increase production of antimicrobial peptides by macrophages and endothelial cells. It may also have other effects on immune function including the modulation of cytokine production and inflammation suppression. Historically, cod liver oil (a good food source of vitamin D) has been used to ward off colds and flu and to treat tuberculosis.

This 2010 study, conducted by James R. Sabetta and colleagues, involved 198 healthy adults living or working near Greenwich, Connecticut. Each of the participants donated 7.5 cc of blood monthly for 4 to 5 months beginning in September 2009, without being told what was being studied. The researchers recorded the skin pigmentation, age, sex, height, weight, and occupation of each participant. In addition, monthly reports kept track of each participant’s use of medications, herbals, supplements, vitamins, and flu vaccine. Researchers asked participants to report any sign of respiratory infection immediately. After being evaluated (and, if necessary, treated) by one of two board-certified infectious disease investigators, these participants kept a symptoms diary during their illness. The research team looked at incidence of respiratory illness, the duration of each symptom, the total illness duration, and prescribed antimicrobials.

Participants with 25-hydroxyvitamin D blood concentrations of 38 ng/ml or more had about one-half the risk of respiratory infection, compared with those who had lower D levels, and -hymarked reduction in the percentages of days ill.” Less than 19% of the participants had serum D levels of 38 ng/ml or more throughout the study period. Interestingly, of the 30 people who took 1000 IU or more of vitamin D each, only a third had serum concentrations of 38 ng/mL or more. Light skin pigmentation, lean body mass, and/or taking vitamin D supplements correlated to higher serum D levels. Most participants had light skin (152 out of 195 who completed the study), a study limitation. Vitamin D was the only variable that made a difference in illness susceptibility: “There were no differences due to ingestion of herbals, supplements, or vitamins other than D, or, due to receipt of seasonal influenza vaccine or 2009 H1N1 vaccine before the observation periods.” (Before observation, 137 of 198 received the seasonal flu vaccine, and 85 had the H1N1 vaccine.) This study adds to the clinical evidence of vitamin D more throughout the nefit. The researchers call for intervention studies that look at cost-benefits of vitamin D supplementation for different populations living at different latitudes.

“his study adds to the clinical evidence of vitamin D more throughout the nefit. The researchers call for intervention studies that look at cost-benefits of vitamin D supplementation for different populations living at different latitudes.ntation, l in an office all day may need supplements.’” Exposing the skin directly to sunlight is the best source of vitamin D for most people. The US Office of Dietary Supplements recommends 5 to 30 minutes of exposure between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. twice a week. Smog, shade, clouds, and darker skin (high skin melanin content) reduce exposure to the UV light that converts to D3. In addition, geographic latitudes above 42 º do not receive enough sunlight during late fall and winter to generate enough vitamin D. Even in the sunniest places, increased use of sunscreen as well as lifestyle changes that emphasize indoor activities have led to less sun exposure and lower vitamin D levels in recent years.

Few foods contain vitamin D. Fish (particularly salmon) and fish liver oil are the best food sources. Beef liver, egg yolks, and cheese also have small amounts. As a result, D-fortified processed foods have appeared on the market in the US. Many of these processed foods—such as breakfast foods, margarine, and milk—contain sugar, poor quality fats, or have negative effects (i.e., lactose intolerance). A good-quality vitamin D3 supplement may be a more healthful alternative. Vitamin D is one of the fat-soluble vitamins that can build up to toxic levels in the body. Consistent serum levels of more than 200 ng/mL or 500 nmol/L may lead to hypercalcemia and hyperphosphatemia, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements.

Hendrick B. Vitamin D may cut risk of flu [Web article]. MedicineNet.com. June 16, 2010. www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=117281. Accessed July 20, 2010.

Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary supplement fact sheet: vitamin D [Web document]. www.ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind.asp. Accessed July 20, 2010.

Sabetta JR, DePetrillo P, Cipriani RJ, Smardin J, et al. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and the incidence of acute viral respiratory tract infections in healthy adults. PLos ONE. June 2010;5(6). Available at: www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0011088. Accessed July 20, 2010.

Whooping Cough

California has declared a whooping cough epidemic after confirming 910 cases and the deaths of five infants, according to a June 23, 2010, New York Times article. Whooping cough, caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis, is characterized by persistent gagging coughing fits and, sometimes, a “whooping” sound as the person tries to inhale. B. pertussis secretes toxins that paralyze the lungs’ cilia (hairlike structures that remove secretions and particles from the lungs). The resulting buildup of mucus in the lungs is particularly dangerous for young children.

Despite widespread childhood vaccination, whooping cough epidemics occur every three to five years, according to the CDC. During the 2005 epidemic, the US had 25,000 reported cases. Normally, the CDC gets reports of 5000 to 7000 cases of whooping cough in a year. The actual number is probably much greater. Many medical practitioners do not realize that the pertussis vaccine provides only 5 to 10 years of protection. Unless practitioners are aware that pertussis infections are fairly common, they tend to diagnose older children and adults with persistent coughs as having allergies, bronchitis, or an unidentified respiratory infection without testing for whooping cough. If appropriate antibiotics are taken within the first 7 to 10 days of illness (before spasmodic coughing starts), recovery time may shorten. Taken later in the illness, antibiotics help prevent secondary infections (e.g., pneumonia, bronchitis) and help keep the infection from spreading to others. The coughing can go on for weeks, even with antibiotics.

Homeopathic remedies can shorten illness time and resolve symptoms. Common remedies for whooping cough include Anacardium, Antimonium tartaricum, Coccus cacti, Cuprum metallicum, Drosera rotundifolia, and Ipecac, according to Amy E. Lockwood, MS, CHom. The remedy that best matches the symptoms is the remedy most likely to provide benefit. Pertussis in homeopathic dilution (nosode) has also been used as a preventive. Nosodes can only be obtained from homeopathic practitioners. Instead of using a nosode, Dr. Jeffrey Starre recommends taking Drosera rotundifolia 30c, once daily for two weeks to prevent whooping cough. This same remedy, taken three or four times a day, can stop the disease’s progression if taken in the early catarrhal stage before violent coughing begins, according to Starre.

Lockwood AE. Whooping it up. Homeopathy Today. March/April 2005:18–21.

McKinley J. Whooping cough kills 5 in California; state declares an epidemic. New York Times. June 23, 2010. Available at: www.nytimes.com. Accessed July 15, 2010.

National Vaccine Information Center. Pertussis (whooping cough) & pertussis vaccine [Web document]. Available at www.nvic.org. Accessed July 17, 2010.