What’s the fuss? Apparently there’s all kinds of information coming to light about the true and profound effects about the lack of it. And just how pervasive this lack is.

Vitamin D is unique, you see.

Vitamin D is both a vitamin (vital amine) and a hormone. It acts as a vitamin when it binds with calcium for proper absorption. Humans cannot digest calcium without adequate amounts of Vitamin D.

Vitamin D is a hormone (a messenger inside your body) because it directs cells, organs, muscle and bone in daily activity. It is a hormone because your body creates it in response to sunlight on your skin. It participates in weight loss, the function of your immune system, blood sugar regulation and basic human metabolism.

Humans also utilize essential fatty acids- such as Omega-3- with Vitamin D. In order to properly use calcium and Omega-3 you simply must have enough Vitamin D, and yet many of us don’t…

How to tell?

With your thumb, press on your sternum (breastbone). Is it tender or painful? Now, press on the tibia (shin bone) of both your legs. Is it sore or tender? If the answer is “yes” to both of these tests then you have a 90+% chance of being Vitamin D deficient…

You see, calcium and other minerals are delivered to an area in your bones that is like a gelatin matrix. This gelatin matrix hardens into sturdy bone. Calcium can only arrive in this matrix if it is escorted by Vitamin D. If you are deficient in Vitamin D, this matrix will revert back to gelatin near the surface of the bone. Tenderness and bone pain will result.

This kind of bone pain can be seen in cases of osteomalacia (softening of the bones), as well as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and even the pain associated with chronic depression.

Further, Vitamin D deficiency can result in:

• Obesity
• Type 2 diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
• Psoriasis

Eventually, Vitamin D deficiency may lead to cancer (especially breast cancer, prostate cancer and colon cancer), osteoporosis and Alzheimer’s disease.
So why all this deficiency when it seems so readily available?

The primary reasons people become deficient in Vitamin D are cultural. For instance, women that wear veils in certain cultures are almost universally deficient in Vitamin D, as are submariners who spend extended time submerged. Neither group spends much time with their skin exposed to direct sunlight. The most common reasons for Vitamin D deficiency in North America also relate to lack of exposure to sunlight and infrequent consumption of cold-water fish. Cold-water fish such as wild salmon, mackerel and sardines are good food sources of Vitamin D – as well as good sources of calcium and Omega-3 fatty acids.

What does that mean for us?

Well…it means that our overuse of antibiotics as a prophylactic treatment for possible bacterial infection is actually NOT helping, but wreaking havoc with our overall health and well-being. And further, it means that when we go about living our lives trying to nourish ourselves on our Standard American Diet (any wonder that they call it S.A.D.?) it’s bad business for our insides.

And that’s making us sick. In a whole bunch of ways…

• Allergies
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Sjogren’s Syndrome (chronic autoimmune condition involving arthritis combined with dry mucous membrances)
• Urinary Tract Infections

Not to mention that low-level, chronic ‘I just don’t feel so good…’ kind of stuff.

One of the best ways to deal with this?

Get yourself on a steady diet of probiotics and enzymes.

These 2 supplements work overtime to balance out the function of this ‘second brain’ in our digestive tracts, and not only support the digestive tract but to also support your immunity in all manner of ways.

Why do they work?

To keep it simple: probiotics are the healthy bacteria that reside inside. The opposite of ‘anti’-biotics, which kill all kinds of bacteria. Even the good kind. And that leads to all kinds of problems. Digestive issues, yeast infections, herpes outbreaks. Thus, the need for probiotics. You’ve certainly heard about the live cultures in yogurt? There are other forms of these substances as well, and the complete spectrum is what you want. We’re dealing with 2 different kinds of enzymes: digestive and metabolic. The digestive obviously help with the food; the metabolic help with the inflammatory response that’s occurring throughout the system- whether it’s from incomplete digestion, or from injury…

So then, in order to actually break down and absorb the probiotics, it’s very important that you take Digestive Enzymes. As we age, our digestive ability tends to weaken, and we don’t necessarily get the most out of what we’re taking in. Additionally, when we’re not breaking our nutrients down, they tend to hang out in our systems, and well- rot. Yeah I know. Sorry, but it’s true. These enzymes act like little pac men, running around gobbling up the flotsam and jetsam leftover from our incomplete digestion.

Here’s the one that I personally use: Digestive Enzymes with Probiotics by Nutrametrix

This formula contains a mix of both digestive and proteolytic (metabolic) enzymes, as well as an array of probiotics. And I love the deliverability and absorption advantages due to the fact that they’re isotonic. Check out the link, and you can get much more info about them!

There’s SO much valuable research coming out about the benefits of vitamin D…and yes, most especially its role in cancer prevention. Good news, indeed.

This topic is so important, and most especially for those of us who live in northern climates, and lose our daily dose of natural Vitamin D from sunshine. I think you’ll understand why after checking out this Very Important Video! (And since many don’t have an hour to spare this time of year, I’ve pulled out the hot points for your convenience. But try to watch Dr. Holick- it’s worth it!! Great info, and entertaining to boot.)

Also, in case you’re looking for a brand of vitamin D that’s optimal and easily absorbable, here’s the one I use: Nutrametrix Vitamin D.

Many thanks to the University of California Television network for making Dr. Holick’s one-hour lecture on vitamin D available here:

Summary of Key Points from Dr. Holick’s Lecture on Vitamin D

• Vitamin D is essential to building and maintaining healthy bones, teeth, and muscles.
• There is a strong association between vitamin D deficiency and increased risk of requiring a C-section.
• In addition to taking a multivitamin (typically containing 400 IU of vitamin D) and getting some vitamin D from meals, pregnant women should be taking a minimum of 1000 IU of vitamin D per day.
• If you give lactating women between 4000 and 6000 IUs of vitamin D per day, through breastfeeding alone, their babies can get all of the vitamin D that they need.
• Infants need vitamin D at birth.
• There aren’t too many foods that are naturally rich in vitamin D. Oily fish like wild salmon contain about 500 to 1000 IUs per serving (3.5 ounces), so you would have to eat salmon almost every day to barely get enough vitamin D to meet all of your needs.
• Wild salmon get their vitamin D from the food chain, where it’s abundant. Food pellets that are fed to farmed salmon don’t contain vitamin D, so farmed salmon typically provide 100 to 250 IU of vitamin D per serving, which is only 10 to 25% of the vitamin D found in wild salmon.
• In the summer, UV-B rays from the sun can create all of the vitamin D that we need if we get some exposure on our skin.
• In the winter, the further away we get from the equator, the less chance we have of being exposed to UV-B rays to make vitamin D in our skin. For example, in Boston, you can make all the vitamin D that you need in the spring, summer, and fall months, but from about November to February, you can’t make any at all from sunlight exposure.
• Above 35 degrees north latitude and below 35 degrees south, you can’t make any vitamin D from sunlight exposure from November to February.
• Excessive exposure to sunlight increases risk of non-melanoma skin cancer, which is relatively easy to detect and treat if detected early enough.
• Using a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 will decrease your ability to make vitamin D via sunlight exposure by 99%.
• The key to responsible use of sunlight to ensure optimal vitamin D status is to make sure that you don’t get sunburned.
• Getting enough sunlight (1 MED) to create a light pinkness in skin tone creates around 20,000 IU of vitamin D in your system.
• Aging decreases our ability to produce vitamin D via sunlight. A 70-year old has a 70% reduced ability to produce vitamin D via sunlight compared to a 20-year old. So the older we get, the more likely it is that we will need to get some of our vitamin D from supplementation.
• Obesity increases the need for vitamin D intake and/or creation via sunlight because storage of vitamin D in fat cells reduces the amount of vitamin D that’s available to the rest of the body.
• For most people and locations, during the summer, a good amount of sunlight exposure is 5 to 15 minutes on the arms and legs, two to three times a week. After this amount of time, sunscreen can be used to help prevent premature aging and increased risk of non-melanoma skin cancer.
• People with darker skin tone need significantly more sunlight than Caucasians to produce optimal vitamin D levels.
• The best blood test to assess vitamin D status is 25 hydroxy D.
• Dr. Holick believes that most people (adults and kids) should be supplementing with a minimum of 1000 IU of vitamin D per day in addition to the vitamin D found in a multivitamin and a couple servings of foods that contain vitamin D.
• Vitamin D deficiency is extremely common among all races, even in the summer.
• Many people that exhibit symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia may actually have osteomalacia, which is caused by vitamin D deficiency.
• Higher levels of vitamin D (within the normal range) are associated with optimal lower extremity function (healthy bones and muscles in your legs).
• Optimal vitamin D status reduces risk of fracture as you age.
• You want your 25 hydroxy D level to be above 30 ng/ml. The optimal range is likely between 50 and 60 ng/ml.
• For every 100 IU of vitamin D that you ingest, you raise your blood level by 1 ng/ml.
• Optimal vitamin D status is associated with a decreased risk of breast, colon and prostate cancers.

One of my great loves is the educational process and for those who are interested, I love engaging in what is compelling conversation for me.

So, I think it only appropriate that we begin this blog by addressing what we’re all probably getting a little tired of hearing about in the news- the pressing current topic: The Flu

Many of my clients are concerned, and are asking me what they can do to prevent the flu or minimize its impact this year. And since it’s been seared into our consciousness this year with all of the media hype over H1N1 (and yes, much of it’s hype, or at least incomplete reporting…check out this clarifying, and frankly startling, report by award-winning CBS reporter Sharyl Attkisson…) it has never seemed more relevant than today; so, I’m addressing this from both an acupuncture perspective, along with the best science we have available today. I say “best science” because the truth is, we really don’t know everything we need to know about preventing and treating the flu from a western medical standpoint; traditional Chinese medicine has roughly 5000 years of accumulated wisdom and gentle- yet remarkably effective- healing and immune supportive modalities and may indeed be more comprehensive for more effective prevention and treatment of an acute viral illness like colds and the flu.

For the record- I’m NOT ‘anti-western-medicine’. If you have an acute bacterial or fungal infection; broken bones, torn ligaments, a cardiovascular event…well then, western medicine may be your best bet. They can diagnose and treat your disease in record time. But their training is disease-oriented.

If you have an acute viral illness, or a chronic degenerative disease- or if you simply want to stay healthy and prevent disease before it occurs, Chinese medicine is a better fit.

But what about the flu? Don’t we run to the doctor for anbiotics when that happens?

Well, ummmmmm…NO!

Antibiotics are absolutely ineffective for the flu, since it’s viral. And they can wreak havoc with other systems in your body, such as your digestive system, which is a very important component of your immunity.

The truth is that many people never get the flu – no matter which strain we are talking about. And, in my opinion, vaccines are at best a poor- even dangerous- approach to addressing anything as chaotic as a flu. But it’s the most available bottom line solution that’s being offered, so of course many of us take part. But the impulse to PREVENT is a good one…so let’s focus our attentions there.

But first…a little acupuncture perspective.

Chinese Medicine and the Flu:

Eastern medicine is first and foremost about balance. The balance of yin and yang. The interplay of these two forces. So any discussion of illness begins with the idea of where that balance may be challenged. Most often we’re encouraged to look at where we’ve overrun our own energies…spent more than we had in the bank, so to speak. Don’t you hate those overdraft charges? But alas, they will need to be paid…

Here are some thoughts on how to begin to reconcile the accounts. 

Wei Qi. Pronounced ‘way chee’. That’s where it all begins where the your immunity is concerned according to Chinese medicine, and any discussion of disease prevention has to begin here.

Wei Qi. It’s your ‘protective field’. Your ‘energy shield’. All of the components that come together to protect you from any invasion.

This invisible field is always on guard, always operating at capacity. The question is: just how high is that? There are a number of elements that determine just how efficient and effective your personal security system is:

• Genetics. Your inherited immunity, passed from the mother (and father) to the child in utero. It’s called ‘jing qi’.
• The quality of your food and drink. ‘Gu qi’.
• The quality of our relationships with humans and other beings…’shen qi’.
• The quality- and perhaps quantity- of air we breathe, and how it’s circulated through the body-  ‘da qi’.

These 4 components converge in the lungs, and are synthesized into what we call ‘Wei Qi’, or ‘Defensive Qi’. Add these to the fundamental health and function of your internal organs, and well…you’ve got a picture of the capacity of your Wei Qi. Yes, it’s complicated, both in Western and Eastern medicine!

There are so many variables, and why it’s such an important topic of conversation. The trick here is that there are no guarantees. We as a culture tend to want ANSWERS and BOTTOM LINES.

If only…!

But as long as you support the production of these 4 components of your wei qi-  eat properly, breathe deeply of fresh, clean air; avoid excessive physical and emotional stress, and live as harmoniously as possible with the world around you, you’re hedging your bet, and you will most likely remain perfectly healthy. However, in the event that you feel something coming on, the best idea is to respond quickly and decisively. Or even better, before it hits!

“To fight a disease after it has occured is like trying to dig a well when one is thirsty or forging a weapon once a war has begun.”

~ The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine

So…all of this in English?

There are three pathways you need to focus on with flu protection – any variety:

1. Transmission
2. Infection
3. Inflammation

We will begin with the end…

Inflammation

Inflammation from the immune system is what incapacitates – even kills – people when they have the flu. The flu kills people not by transmission or by infection, but by an inflammatory immune system response called the “cytokine storm”.

Our immune system is designed to neutralize and excrete any ‘non-self’ protein it finds. That includes the influenza virus. The size of the immune response needs to be equivalent to the strength of the invader.

As one of my mentors, Dr. Braz Minshew puts it: “Think of this as a building on fire: small fires are extinguished by local firemen. Some fires are so big that firemen from other departments have to be called in to help: “one-alarm,” “two-alarm,” “three-alarm,”. At a certain point, our immune system pulls all of the alarms and immune system fractions from all over our body rush to put out the fire, so to speak. However, this is a case of fighting fire with fire. Cytokines are inflammatory. They kill viruses and bacteria by creating inflammation.

The cytokine storm is responsible for all of the symptoms we feel: fever, body aches, nausea, diarrhea, etc. It is also responsible for filling the lungs with mucous (pneumonia/pneumonitis) which is often the fatal trigger in influenza, SARS, Hanta Virus, Bubonic Plague…

To survive we must modulate the immune system to deal with this storm so that it does its job but doesn’t overwork and kill us. We want it to work smarter, not harder. So we don’t use higher doses of Vitamin C or Echinacea or anything that “boosts” the immune system” as a means of prevention. Treatment, yes. Prevention, no.

HUH? We don’t BOOST THE IMMUNE SYSTEM??

Follow along…

In Chinese medicine, there’s the philosophy that there are two variables that come into play when dealing with an invading pathogen (called external pernicious influence). 1) the strength of the pathogen, and 2) and where we differ from western medical diagnostics- the strength of the response of the patient’s immune system.

Strong, immediate response to the pathogen is actually a sign of a strong immune system according to TCM. But we don’t need to put the system into overdrive. To merely BOOST the immune system means that you’re PUMPING UP THE VOLUME in terms of your body’s response. That may be overkill. Rather, the better idea is to use immune system modulators so we get exactly the right response. Think of this process as ‘tweaking’ an already-good system. We don’t need a fire truck with a 100 foot ladder to put out a stovetop fire. Appropriate response comes not from a ‘muscle-bound’ immune system, but from a BALANCED immune system which can assess and decrease this storm of inflammation.

So, again- focused on prevention…balancing our bodies resources, and supplementing with components that offer support to our stressed out systems.

Here are some of the products that you might want to consider for immune system support- it’s never a good idea to wait until you’re sick to get your hands on them, right? Right. The links will take you to the specific brand of each of  products that I personally use, and find to be the best of their category.

Quercetin (also, the Betalains in Nopalea are quercetin bioflavonoids), green tea polyphenols (found in a terrific product called ‘Energy Now!’) and ginseng (Panax and Eleutherococcus) all balance the immune system and decrease the cytokine storm that may be provoked. Additionally, there’s compelling evidence that Vitamin D downregulates the expression of these pro-inflammatory cytokines, and upregulates the expression of anti-microbial peptides, which are key in breaking down invasions of bacterial, fungal or viral infections. It’s a key ingredient- especially in the less sunny months- of an effectively balanced immune system. (Just make sure that you take it with vitamin K included, like the one I’m suggesting…it’s important!)

Infection

Prior to the cytokine storm is the infection stage of influenza. The virus infects the cell by matching a cell receptor called Hemagglutinin. Hemagglutinin (the “H” in H1N1, H5N1, etc.) allows the virus to gain entry to the cell and mutate the cell DNA so it can breed an infection. It also allows the newly mutated DNA to be incorporated into surrounding cells and through cell lines. Hemagglutinin describes “infection” with the flu. Two powerful natural inhibitors of Hemagglutinin are green tea polyphenols and ginseng (PanaxEleutherococcus).

Transmission

Neuraminidase describes “transmission” of the flu where the virus disarms the immune system with an enzyme. This is the “N” in H1N1, H5N1, etc. Neuraminidase inhibitors like Tamiflu and Relenza limit the ability of the virus to transmit its DNA strands. Two strong natural Neuraminidase inhibitors are green tea polyphenols and quercetin. It is likely that green tea polyphenols and quercetin will help your body do what it does best: resist infection. Think of them as the first line of defense to arm your immune system and prevent the flu virus from disarming it.

But if you feel like you’re getting the flu? A topic for later discussion in later entry- but here’s an interesting piece of current research, no extra charge…; ) 

You’ve heard of ‘Tagamet’? The generic name is ’cimetidine’, and it’s commonly used for the treatment of heartburn and duodenal ulcers. You can purchase it over the counter. But it’s been found to have a beneficial ‘side effect’; to aide immune system function by reducing T-suppressor cells. Bill Faloon, of the Life Extension Foundation (www.lef.org) says that as soon as he suspects he’s getting sick, he immediately begins taking 800 mg/day. NOTE: This IS an immune BOOST, and will increase your body’s response to the infection- so don’t take this step for prevention…only if you feel the flu coming on.

Oh, and by the way- the most common route of infection is touching your eyes with contaminated hands! Wash your hands frequently and dry your hands thoroughly to discourage infection. Also, the most common reason why people experience the runaway inflammation of a cytokine storm is poor sleep. Sleeping peacefully now becomes a matter of life and death!

Melatonin, along with chamomile and passion flower, as well as a good dose of magnesium can help you get the restful, and uninterrupted, sleep you need for your well being. The last thing you need when you’re sick is sleep deprivation…

We don’t know all there is to know about flu prevention and treatment. There are endless avenues and processes we simply have not explored. Imagine what we knew about viruses 50 years ago: Do you think we will know more in the next 50 years? Absolutely! Accepting that as truth we know one thing for sure: some people never get the flu.

How can we be one of them? There are no guarantees, but a good way to begin is through vigorous application of these 10 points of Lifestyle Management:

• Practice deep breathing to reduce your body’s acidity and to reduce the impact of stress on your immune system. Many illness causing agents thrive in an acidic environment.
• Drink plenty of pure water.
• Wash and thoroughly dry your hands often.
• Get plenty of early-morning sunshine when possible. If you can’t, make sure to supplement with Vitamin D.
• Sleep peacefully every night.
• Eat nutritiously and take the nutrients you need as a solid foundation for health.
• Play daily (enjoy activity) and surround yourself with healthy people you love.

These are the things that keep healthy people healthy and they can help you, too!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As a Grand Finale- for the science nerds among us, like me, who love EVIDENCE- here’s some research information drawn upon for this article:

1. Antiviral effect of catechins in green tea on influenza virus.

Song JM, Lee KH, Seong BL. Antiviral Res. 2005 Nov;68(2):66-74

1. Immunomodulatory activity of shikimic acid and quercitin in comparison with oseltamivir (Tamiflu) in an in vitro model.

Bertelli AA, Mannari C, Santi S, Filippi C, Migliori M, Giovannini L. J Med Virol. 2008 Apr;80(4):741-5.

1. Immunopharmacology of Chinese medicine 1, ginseng induced immunosuppression in virus-infected mice. Yeung HW, Cheung K, Leung KN.  Am J Chin Med. 1982;10(1-4):44-54Antiviral Res. 2005 Nov;68(2):66-74. Epub 2005 Aug 9.

Antiviral effect of catechins in green tea on influenza virus.

Song JM, Lee KH, Seong BL.

Department of Biotechnology, College of Engineering, Yonsei University, 134, Shinchon-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 120-749, South Korea.

Polyphenolic compound catechins ((-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), (-)-epicatechin gallate (ECG) and (-)-epigallocatechin (EGC)) from green tea were evaluated for their ability to inhibit influenza virus replication in cell culture and for potentially direct virucidal effect. Among the test compounds, the EGCG and ECG were found to be potent inhibitors of influenza virus replication in MDCK cell culture and this effect was observed in all influenza virus subtypes tested, including A/H1N1, A/H3N2 and B virus. The 50% effective inhibition concentration (EC50) of EGCG, ECG, and EGC for influenza A virus were 22-28, 22-40 and 309-318 microM, respectively. EGCG and ECG exhibited hemagglutination inhibition activity, EGCG being more effective. However, the sensitivity in hemagglutination inhibition was widely different among three different subtypes of influenza viruses tested. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis revealed that, at high concentration, EGCG and ECG also suppressed viral RNA synthesis in MDCK cells whereas EGC failed to show similar effect. Similarly, EGCG and ECG inhibited the neuraminidase activity more effectively than the EGC. The results show that the 3-galloyl group of catechin skeleton plays an important role on the observed antiviral activity, whereas the 5′-OH at the trihydroxy benzyl moiety at 2-position plays a minor role. The results, along with the HA type-specific effect, suggest that the antiviral effect of catechins on influenza virus is mediated not only by specific interaction with HA, but altering the physical properties of viral membrane.

Antiviral Res. 2007 Nov;76(2):178-85. Epub 2007 Aug 1.

Biological evaluation of anti-influenza viral activity of semi-synthetic catechin derivatives.

Song JM, Park KD, Lee KH, Byun YH, Park JH, Kim SH, Kim JH, Seong BL.

Department of Biotechnology, College of Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea.

Catechin derivatives with different alkyl chain length and aromatic ring substitutions at the 3-hydroxyl group were synthesized from epigallocatechin (EGC) and (+)-catechin (C) and their anti-influenza viral activity were evaluated in vitro and in ovo. Pronounced antiviral activity was observed for derivatives carrying moderate chain length (7-9 carbons) as compared to those with aromatic rings, whereas the 5′-hydroxyl group of the trihydroxy benzyl moiety did not significantly contribute to antiviral activity. The derivatives exerted inhibitory effects for all six influenza subtypes tested including three major types of currently circulating human influenza viruses (A/H1N1, A/H3N2 and B type), H2N2 and H9N2 avian influenza virus. The compounds strongly inhibited adsorption of the viruses on red blood cell (RBC). They also restricted the growth of avian influenza virus in ovo with minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) of 5-10 microM far exceeding the neuraminidase (NA) inhibitor oseltamivir or M2 proton channel inhibitor amantadine. The antiviral activity appears to be mediated by interaction with hemagglutinin (HA)/viral membrane rendering HA less fusogenic at the initial stage of infection. The broad spectrum activity against various subtypes of influenza viruses may complement the limitations of current antivirals and contribute for managing potentially emerging influenza pandemic. The structure-activity data of catechin derivatives may usefully guideline future research endeavors for applying green tea catechins as alternative anti-viral agents.

Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2008 Aug;295(2):R505-9. Epub 2008 Jun 25.

Quercetin reduces susceptibility to influenza infection following stressful exercise.

Davis JM, Murphy EA, McClellan JL, Carmichael MD, Gangemi JD.

University of South Carolina, Department of Exercise Science, PHRC #301, 921 Assembly St., Columbia, SC 29208, USA. markd@gwm.sc.edu

Exercise stress is associated with increased risk for upper respiratory tract infection. We have shown that exercise stress can increase susceptibility to infection. Quercetin, a flavonoid present in a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, has been reported to inhibit infectivity and replication of a broad spectrum of viruses and may offset the increase in susceptibility to infection associated with stressful exercise. This study examined the effects of quercetin feedings on susceptibility to the influenza virus A/Puerto Rico/8/34 (H1N1) following stressful exercise. Mice were randomly assigned to one of four treatment groups: exercise-placebo, exercise-quercetin, control-placebo, or control-quercetin. Exercise consisted of a run to fatigue (approximately 140 min) on a treadmill for 3 consecutive days. Quercetin (12.5 mg/kg) was administered via gavage for 7 days before viral challenge. At 30 min after the last bout of exercise or rest, mice (n=23-30) were intranasally inoculated with a standardized dose of influenza virus (0.04 hemagglutinating units). Mice were monitored daily for morbidity (time to sickness), symptom severity, and mortality (time to death) for 21 days. Exercise stress was associated with an increased susceptibility to infection [morbidity, mortality, and symptom severity on days 5-7 (P<0.05)]; quercetin offset the increase in susceptibility to infection [morbidity, mortality, and symptom severity on days 5-7 (P<0.05)] that was associated with stressful exercise. These data suggest that short-term quercetin feedings may prove to be an effective strategy to lessen the impact of stressful exercise on susceptibility to respiratory infection.

Food Chem Toxicol. 2009 Jan 17. [Epub ahead of print]

Inhibitory activity of quercetin and its metabolite on lipopolysaccharide-induced activation of macrophage U937 cells.

Okoko T, Oruambo IF.

Biochemistry Division, Department of Chemical Sciences, Niger Delta University, PMB 71, Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa State, Nigeria.

The potential of quercetin and its metabolite 3-O-methyl quercetin in inhibiting lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-mediated activation of macrophage U937 cells was investigated. Cells were per-incubated for different periods with 100 ng/mL phorbol myristate acetate (PMA, and later with LPS and quercetin or 3-Omethyl quercetin (30 muM). Later, the supernatant of each cell culture was assessed for catalase activity, nitric oxide, and the production of tumour necrosis factor- (TNF-a), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and interleukin 1 (IL-1). The results showed that when the cells were incubated with LPS, there were elevations in the levels of all the markers over the cells not incubated with LPS (P < 0.05). For the cells that were incubated with LPS, there were significant differences between the various cells when they were pre-incubated with PMA for various periods (P < 0.05). However, greatest production of the markers was attained when the cells were pre-treated with PMA for 48hrs. Both quercetin and 3-O-methyl quercetin (at 30 mM) reduced the levels of all the markers with 3-O-methyl quercetin possessing more inhibitory potential (P < 0.05). This suggests that the flavonoids possessed significant immunomodulatory activities which depend on methylation especially at position 3.

J Ethnopharmacol. 2006 May 24;105(3):321-5. Epub 2006 Jan 4.

Effect of Panax ginseng extract (G115) on angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity and nitric oxide (NO) production.

Persson IA, Dong L, Persson K.

Department of Medicine and Care, Division of Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden. ingpe@imv.liu.se

This study investigates the effects of the Panax ginseng (Araliaceae) extract G115 on angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity and nitric oxide (NO) in cultured human endothelial cells from umbilical veins (HUVEC) and bovine mesenteric arteries (BMA). In HUVEC, ACE activity was significantly reduced after 10 min incubation with aqueous extract of ginseng 5.0 and 10 mg/ml. This effect was additative with the inhibition of the traditional ACE inhibitor enalaprilat. No effect was seen on NO production from the cells. Angiotensin I-induced contraction of BMA was significantly attenuated by 0.1 and 0.5 mg/ml ginseng, while no endothelium-dependent or -independent relaxation was seen. In conclusion, extract of Panax ginseng (G115) inhibits ACE activity, but does not affect NO production in HUVEC and BMA.

Int J Mol Sci. 2008 Aug;9(8):1379-92. Epub 2008 Aug 7.

Enhanced Inhibitory Effect of Ultra-Fine Granules of Red Ginseng on LPS-induced Cytokine Expression in the Monocyte-Derived Macrophage THP-1 Cells.

Lee HC, Vinodhkumar R, Yoon JW, Park SK, Lee CW, Kim HY.

Red ginseng is one of the most popular traditional medicines in Korea because its soluble hot-water extract is known to be very effective on enhancing immunity as well as inhibiting inflammation. Recently, we developed a new technique, called the HAC-gearshift system, which can pulverize red ginseng into the ultra-fine granules ranging from 0.2 to 7.0 mum in size. In this study, the soluble hot-water extract of those ultra-fine granules of red ginseng (URG) was investigated and compared to that of the normal-sized granules of red ginseng (RG). The high pressure liquid chromatographic analyses of the soluble hot-water extracts of both URG and RG revealed that URG had about 2-fold higher amounts of the ginsenosides, the biologically active components in red ginseng, than RG did. Using quantitative RT-PCR, cytokine profiling against the Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the monocyte-derived macrophage THP-1 cells demonstrated that the URG-treated cells showed a significant reduction in cytokine expression than the RG-treated ones. Transcription expression of the LPS-induced cytokines such as TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and TGF-beta was significantly inhibited by URG compared to RG. These results suggest that some biologically active and soluble components in red ginseng can be more effectively extracted from URG than RG by standard hot-water extraction.

1: Immunopharmacol Immunotoxicol. 2001 Feb;23(1):107-17.

Inhibitory effects of mast cell-mediated allergic reactions by cell cultured Siberian Ginseng.

Jeong HJ, Koo HN, Myung NI, Shin MK, Kim JW, Kim DK, Kim KS, Kim HM, Lee YM.

Department of Oriental Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, and Center of Oriental Medicinal Science, Wonkwang University, Iksan, Chonbuk, Republic of Korea.

The crude drug “Siberian Ginseng (SG)” has long been used in empirical Oriental medicine for the nonspecific enhancement of resistance in humans and animals. In this study, we investigated the effect of cell cultured SG by oral administration in mast cell-mediated allergic reactions. SG dose-dependently inhibited compound 48/80-induced systemic allergy with doses of 10(-2) to 1 g/kg 1 h before oral administration. Of special note, SG inhibited systemic allergy with the dose of 1 g/kg by 25%. SG (1 g/kg) also inhibited passive cutaneous allergic reaction by 51%. SG dose-dependently inhibited histamine release from rat peritoneal mast cells. When SG (0.01 mg/ml) was added, the secretion of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-6 in antidinitrophenyl (DNP) IgE antibody-stimulated mast cells was inhibited 39.5% and 23.3%, respectively. In addition, SG inhibited anti-DNP IgE antibody-stimulated TNF-alpha protein expression in mast cells. Our studies provide evidence that SG may be beneficial in the treatment of various types of allergic diseases.

Quercetin Neuraminidase:

Suppression of tumor growth and invasion in 9,10 dimethyl benz(a) anthracene induced mammary carcinoma by the plant bioflavonoid quercetin.

Devipriya S, Ganapathy V, Shyamaladevi CS.

Chem Biol Interact. 2006 Aug 25;162(2):106-13. Epub 2006 Jul 17.

Intracellular signals in IgG-mediated anaphylactic contraction of single smooth muscle cells.

Nemoto K, Okamura T.

Arerugi. 1992 Feb;41(2 Pt 1):125-34.

Quercetin Cytokine Influenza

Immunomodulatory activity of shikimic acid and quercitin in comparison with oseltamivir (Tamiflu) in an in vitro model.

Bertelli AA, Mannari C, Santi S, Filippi C, Migliori M, Giovannini L.

J Med Virol. 2008 Apr;80(4):741-5.

A nutritional supplement formula for influenza A (H5N1) infection in humans.

Friel H, Lederman H.

Med Hypotheses. 2006;67(3):578-87. Epub 2006 Apr 18.

PMID: 16624496 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Neuraminidase Green Tea:  

Suppression of influenza A virus nuclear antigen production and neuraminidase activity by a nutrient mixture containing ascorbic acid, green tea extract and amino acids.

Jariwalla RJ, Roomi MW, Gangapurkar B, Kalinovsky T, Niedzwiecki A, Rath M.

Biofactors. 2007;31(1):1-15.

Inhibition of cellular invasive parameters in influenza A virus-infected MDCK and Vero cells by a nutrient mixture.

Roomi MW, Jariwalla RJ, Kalinovsky T, Roomi N, Niedzwiecki A, Rath M.

Biofactors. 2008;33(1):61-75.

Biological evaluation of anti-influenza viral activity of semi-synthetic catechin derivatives.

Song JM, Park KD, Lee KH, Byun YH, Park JH, Kim SH, Kim JH, Seong BL.

Antiviral Res. 2007 Nov;76(2):178-85. Epub 2007 Aug 1.

Antiviral effect of catechins in green tea on influenza virus.

Song JM, Lee KH, Seong BL.

Antiviral Res. 2005 Nov;68(2):66-74. Epub 2005 Aug 9.

PMID: 16137775 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Hemagglutinin Green Tea:

Antiviral Res. 2007 Nov;76(2):178-85. Epub 2007 Aug 1.

Biological evaluation of anti-influenza viral activity of semi-synthetic catechin derivatives.

Song JM, Park KD, Lee KH, Byun YH, Park JH, Kim SH, Kim JH, Seong BL.

Department of Biotechnology, College of Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea.

Catechin derivatives with different alkyl chain length and aromatic ring substitutions at the 3-hydroxyl group were synthesized from epigallocatechin (EGC) and (+)-catechin (C) and their anti-influenza viral activity were evaluated in vitro and in ovo. Pronounced antiviral activity was observed for derivatives carrying moderate chain length (7-9 carbons) as compared to those with aromatic rings, whereas the 5′-hydroxyl group of the trihydroxy benzyl moiety did not significantly contribute to antiviral activity. The derivatives exerted inhibitory effects for all six influenza subtypes tested including three major types of currently circulating human influenza viruses (A/H1N1, A/H3N2 and B type), H2N2 and H9N2 avian influenza virus. The compounds strongly inhibited adsorption of the viruses on red blood cell (RBC). They also restricted the growth of avian influenza virus in ovo with minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) of 5-10 microM far exceeding the neuraminidase (NA) inhibitor oseltamivir or M2 proton channel inhibitor amantadine. The antiviral activity appears to be mediated by interaction with hemagglutinin (HA)/viral membrane rendering HA less fusogenic at the initial stage of infection. The broad spectrum activity against various subtypes of influenza viruses may complement the limitations of current antivirals and contribute for managing potentially emerging influenza pandemic. The structure-activity data of catechin derivatives may usefully guideline future research endeavors for applying green tea catechins as alternative anti-viral agents.

Cytokine Influenza Green tea:

J Am Coll Nutr. 2007 Oct;26(5):445-52.

Specific formulation of Camellia sinensis prevents cold and flu symptoms and enhances gamma,delta T cell function: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

Rowe CA, Nantz MP, Bukowski JF, Percival SS.

Food Science and Human Nutrition Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA.

OBJECTIVE: Determine if a specific formulation of Camellia sinensis (CSF) can prevent illness and symptoms due to cold and flu, and enhance gammadelta T cell function METHODS: Design: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Subjects: Healthy adults 18-70 years old. Intervention: Proprietary formulation of Camellia sinensis (green tea) capsules, or a placebo, twice a day, for 3 months. Measures of Outcome: As assessed by daily symptom logs, percentage of subjects experiencing cold and flu symptoms, number of days subjects experienced symptoms, and percentage of subjects seeking medical treatment. Mean in vivo and ex vivo proliferative and interferon gamma responses of subjects’ peripheral blood mononuclear cells to gammadelta T cell antigen stimulation. RESULTS: Among subjects taking CSF there were 32.1% fewer subjects with symptoms (P = 0.035), 22.9% fewer overall illnesses of at least 2 days duration (P = 0.092), and 35.6% fewer symptom days (P < 0.002), compared to subjects taking placebo. gammadelta T cells from subjects taking CSF proliferated 28% more (P = 0.017) and secreted 26% more IFN-gamma (P = 0.046) in response to gammadelta T cell antigens, as compared to gammadelta T cells from subjects taking placebo. CSF was well-tolerated. CONCLUSIONS: This proprietary formulation of CSF is a safe and effective dietary supplement for preventing cold and flu symptoms, and for enhancing gammadelta T cell function.

Ginseng Hemagglutinin:

Am J Chin Med. 1982;10(1-4):44-54

Immunopharmacology of Chinese medicine 1, ginseng induced immunosuppression in virus-infected mice.

Yeung HW, Cheung K, Leung KN.

Total saponins extracted from Panax ginseng, when injected into mice at a dose of approximately 10 mg/kg body weight, have no significant effect on the generation of cytotoxic T cell activity, induction of natural killer cell activity and humoral antibody production in mice infected subsequently with A/WSN influenza virus. The saponins, however, selectively suppressed the delayed-type hypersensitivity responses to the virus when administered to the animals before but not after virus sensitization. Thus, ginseng pretreatment can induce immunological unresponsiveness in one arm of the immune system. Such selective immunosuppression effect of the total saponins of ginseng may be related to their steroid-like structure.

Ginseng Cytokine Influenza:

Effect of CVT-E002 (COLD-fX) versus a ginsenoside extract on systemic and gut-associated immune function.

Biondo PD, Goruk S, Ruth MR, O’Connell E, Field CJ.

Int Immunopharmacol. 2008 Aug;8(8):1134-42. Epub 2008 May 7.

Ginseng and Salviae herbs play a role as immune activators and modulate immune responses during influenza virus infection.

Quan FS, Compans RW, Cho YK, Kang SM.

Vaccine. 2007 Jan 4;25(2):272-82. Epub 2006 Aug 10.