The Immune System and Nutrition

A bad diet or a diet depleted in nutrition can weaken a person's body and immune system, can make them more vulnerable to stress, and can lead to disease like Cancer.

Genetically Modified Food

Nutrition has been removed from food through genetic modification.

Broccoli and garlic, foods that help detoxify the body, have been genetically modified and now have several times less nutrition then the original or non-genetically modified versions.


Food and the Immune System

You can boost your Glutathione levels with exercise, supplements, and food.
•Sulfur rich vegetables such as garlic and onions can help boost your glutathione levels. Other vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, and watercress are also said to be rich in sulfur but genetically modified versions like broccoli that now have a lower nutritional value may not be as sulfur rich as they once were.
•Bioactive whey protein and amino acids that contains cysteine, glycine, and glutamine are the simple building blocks of glutathione.
•A vitamin B complex (Methylation nutrients: folate, vitamin B6 and B12) is probably the most important supplement in keeping the body producing Glutathione.


Cooking and Carcinogens

Over cooking or burning food can reduce its nutritional value and create carcinogens ex: BBQ.

Microwave ovens can warp the molecular struture of food and create carcinogens.
Microwaving food in plastic containers can release toxins such dioxins that are carcinogenic into the food.


Dioxins and Furans from Health Canada (more info)

Dioxins and furans are common names for toxic chemicals that are found in very small amounts in the environment, including air, water and soil. As a result of their presence in the environment, they are also present in some foods.

Exposure to dioxins and furans has been associated with a wide range of adverse health effects in laboratory animals and humans. The type and occurrence of these effects typically depend on the level and duration of exposure.

The biggest source of dioxins and furans in Canada is the large-scale burning of municipal and medical waste. Other major sources include:

•the production of iron and steel
•backyard burning of household waste, especially plastics
•fuel burning, including diesel fuel and fuel for agricultural purposes and home heating
•wood burning, especially if the wood has been chemically treated
•electrical power generation
•tobacco smoke

These substances work their way up the food chain by moving into and remaining stored in body fat. Because of this, people actually take more dioxins and furans into their bodies through food than through air, water or soil. Ninety per cent of people's overall exposure to dioxins is estimated to be from the diet. Meat, milk products and fish have higher levels of dioxins and furans than fruit, vegetables and grains.

The Health Effects of Dioxins and Furans

The studies show that dioxins and furans have the potential to produce a range of effects on animals and humans. Health effects associated with human exposure to dioxins include:

•skin disorders, such as chloracne
•liver problems
•impairment of the immune system, the endocrine system and reproductive functions
•effects on the developing nervous system and other developmental events
•certain types of cancers

Note that firefighters who inhale smoke from burning chemicals and plastics can increase their intake of toxins such as dioxins and furans.
see Cancer page


Farmed or wild fish: Which is healthier?

CNN Health
"CNNHealth's nutrition expert, Dr. Melina Jampolis, urged the reader to "limit farmed salmon consumption to once a week at most if you are unable to find fresh, wild salmon."
- But studies have found that some species of fish are contaminated with methylmercury, dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)."

""It may not hurt my health, and it may not hurt your health, but on a population level, you can see some issues," Love said.
- Some farmed fish may also receive antibiotics that, if spread in the human population in large quantities, could lead to antibiotic resistance, meaning bacteria would no longer respond to these drugs, he said."

CNN Health
""Nearly all salmon Americans eat are farm-raised grown in dense-packed pens near ocean shores, fed fish meal that can be polluted with toxic PCB chemicals, awash in excrement flushed out to sea and infused with antibiotics"
- A 2003 report by the EWG showed that farmed salmon in the U.S. has the highest levels of PCBs, toxic man-made chemicals, so Canadian salmon may be slightly better
- Eating farmed salmon occasionally is not a great health concern, but risks can add up if you eat salmon often." - Jane Houlihan, senior vice president for research of the Environmental Working Group


Stress, Heart, and Brain connection

CNN Health
Is there a link between obesity and Alzheimer's?
- "First, most things that are bad for your heart are often bad for your brain as well. That’s one way to think about it. You see, it's all about blood flow. So what impedes or affects blood flow to the heart is generally going to cause the same in the brain. Elevated blood pressure, high triglycerides, and high cholesterol all affect blood flow and all increase your chances of developing Alzheimer's disease later in life." - Paging Dr. Gupta

CNN Health
How heart-healthy is olive oil?
- "Olive oil is also a rich source of potent antioxidants called polyphenols, which may help slow the progression of atherosclerosis (narrowing of the arteries because of cholesterol and inflammatory cell accumulation) by decreasing the susceptibility of bad cholesterol to oxidative damage and stress." - Dr. Melina Jampolis


Supplements and Cancer

Please note that information regarding supplements can change and you should consult a natural medicine professional for more information.