My patients are more frequently coming in with a prescription in hand for vitamin D or more correctly, vitamin D3.  Vitamin D deficiency is being recognized by doctors as a contributing factor in many illness from autism to cancer.  According to a recent study in the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics,70 percent of U.S. kids have low vitamin D levels.  Of those, 9 percent were actually deficient., having less than half of what their body needs. The problem is kids nowadays spend more time indoors than they should.  Adults, too, for that matter.  To remedy the problem, I recommend 5,000 I.U. of vitamin D3  daily for everyone except children for whom I recommend 2,000 graduating up to 5,000 as they grow to adult size.

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There are two types of food allergy or sensitivity; “immediate” and “delayed”. Not to be confused with food “intolerance” such as lactose intolerance (milk sugar), these allergies are true immune responses with potentially far-reaching adverse effects in the body. The immediate reactions (IgE mediated) are those which people usually are aware that they have. We have all seen this type of reaction in a child getting up from the table showing an entirely different personality from when he sat down.  Such allergy symptoms occur within an hour or two after eating the food. It is easy to make a correlation with how one feels an hour or two after eating an offending food.

On the other hand, the delayed allergy reactions (IgG mediated) may not occur for from a few hours to even a day or two after eating the food. For example, it is not uncommon for a person having an asthma attack today as a reaction to the food he ate yesterday, never dreaming of a connection between the two. It is these delayed allergies that go overlooked in medical offices everywhere. They wreck havoc in people's health and lives for years, sometimes a lifetime, without being identified. When identified and properly treated, food allergies and sensitivities can become a fading memory in a child's life giving an outcome of freedom from symptoms that may have plagued him/her for years.

The most accurate diagnostic test for food allergies is what is referred to as an “elimination diet”. The problem is that the eliminatin diet is very difficult to accomplish.  Fortunately, there is now available a simple blood test which will screen for dozens of food allergies on one blood sample. This is the IgG test mentioned above. There are a few labs that have perfected the test to within acceptable tolerances of accuracy and the results they are providing us are truly fantastic. Blood tests are available for both IgG and IgE mediated allergy thus eliminating the need for the skin scratch testing.  Visit our Food Allergy pages for all the details.

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There are two types of food allergies, immediate and delayed.  The delayed reaction type of food allergy or sensitivitiy which I will discuss in detail in an upcoming blog post, is commonly overlooked in medical evaluation because the testing has until recently  had small margin of error.  In recent years that has changed, but the information is yet to reach the average doctor, especially regarding the association with autism. Common allergy symptoms frequently associated with food sensitivity, many of which are also included in the autism symptom picture include:
 
• Acne
• ADD, ADHD
• Adult ADD
• Adult ADHD
• Autism
• Arthritis
• Asthma
• Bed-wetting
• Chronic fatigue
• Chronic sinus problems

• Craving of sugar or sweets
• Craving of most any food
• Depression or anxiety
• Fibromyalgia
• Headache
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Intestinal yeast infections
• Skin rashes
• Yeast infection symptoms 
 

Sadly, these are the some of the most frustrating conditions to both physician and patient, yet, the food connection is usually overlooked!
There are eight foods that account for 90% of the allergic reactions and food intolerance responses: cow's milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts (walnuts, almonds, cashews, pistachios, pecans, etc.), wheat, soy, fish and shellfish.

In my next post I will discuss delayed reaction food allergies and their hidden impact upon your health.

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Understanding the causes of allergy is helpful as we seek relief from allergy symptoms.  The problem is somewhat inherited.  If parents have allergies, the probability of a child having an allergy or two is increased.  Another cause is exposure to unsuspected allergens in infancy. For example, dust mites which reside in carpets and furniture can cause allergies.  It is important for infants to be on a blanket as much as possible when on the floor.  Other environmental allergens such as cigarette smoke obviously should be avoided. 

As children grow and are able to play outside it is good to let them do so.  The bacteria and other substances in plain old soil are good for building of a child’s immune system.  Do NOT let your child play in the yard if it has been sprayed for insecticides or herbicides.  Such chemicals are suspected to play a role in development of childhood disorders such as autism.  It is much better to leave the yard all natural, have a few weeds and let the kids play in it.  Household chemicals used inside the house are also a threat to a child’s health so keep that in mind too. 

If you have allergies, take the online Comprehensive Health Assessment.  It is a simple and inexpensive way to evaluate your health from an alternative medicine viewpoint.  It often gives people insights into allergies which they did not suspect, especially food allergies which I will discuss in my next blog post.

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If you are certain your allergy symptoms are from environmental allergy such as tree  pollen, there are certain non-prescription remedies  you can do for relief.  As I mentioned in a previous post, allergies can be from food sensitivities as well as environmental and I will discuss food allergy at length later.

The first thing to do for environmental allergies is to escape them when possible.  This time of year that means staying inside as much as possible.   When you cannot stay inside, be sure your indoor air is filtered.  Even though it may be great to sleep with the windows open at night, that is an opportunity to give yourself  a few hours freedom from the pollen. Keep the windows closed.  I would suggest you get a good air filter for the bedroom and use it during allergy season.  Better yet, get a  filter for the entire house. 

Nutrients known to be beneficial for allergies include vitamin C, bioflavonoids, vitamin E, vitamin B12, vitamin B6, quercetin, pantethenic acid, and Omega 6 fatty acids. Herbal remedies include echinacea, Siberian ginseng and garlic. 

The Metagenics company sells an excellent product, UltraCare for Kids which is GFCF, formulated for allergic kids and has an accompanying parents’ guide including diet.  I really like the product and recommend it all the time.  Metagenics only sells through health care professionals so if you would like to get some UltraCare for Kids contact me and I will forward the instructions to get it through our clinic web site. 

Meanwhile, as I said last week, get your whole family on vitamin D for maximum boost to your immune system.

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Allergy season is upon us.  We’re talking about allergy symptoms on a seasonal basis here.  As a side note, if you experience allergies such as chronic nasal drainage, I would propose that your problem is a food allergy.  If your allergies are environmental, not food related, yet persist year around, you will want to consider such things as household chemicals and related products.  More about that on another post.

How you react to allergenic substances depends upon the strength of your immune system.  Visualize your immune system on one end of a teeter totter and allergenic substances piling up on the other end.  Components of the pile of substances could be tree pollen, dust mites, certain foods or any of a multitude of other things, any one of which could create allergies for you.  As they pile up, eventually they will outweigh the immune system and tip the teeter totter to their side.  That’s when your allergy symptoms begin.

I will explain more about the subject in upcoming blog posts.  Meanwhile, the best immune support product for you to take is Vitamin D.  I recommend 4000 to 5000 IU per day for adults and 1000 to 3000 IU per day for children depending upon the weight of the child.

The Autism Reserch Institute has funded a study investigating the potential connection between vitamin D deficiency and autism.  The investigators need participants for the study.  To participate is very simple. There is no expense and no risk whatsoever.  The purpose is to see if vitamin D can prevent autism development in a newborn child who has an older sibling with autism.  There is significant scientific data which suggests that this theory may be plausible.

Approximtely 7% of families with an autistic child have a second autistic child.  Therefore, to qualify for the study, participating families must have an autistic child currently and are either pregnant or planning a pregnancy.  The vitamin D will be given to the mother during pregnancy and to the newborn for the first 3 years of life. 

The investigators are urgently seeking people to participate in this study.  Again, there is no risk and no expense to participants.  If you would like more information, please get in touch with me at the Contact Us link on this web page.

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How do I know if my child with autism has a vitamin D deficiency?  It is really very simple.  The Vitamin D Council offers a test kit whereby you can use a drop of blood from a home test kit to get an accurate vitamin D reading.  If you have the wherewithal to prick your child’s finger or your own finger, you can do this test without a trip to the doctor.

Based upon current research, the normal acceptable blood level is now considered to be above 50 ng/ml in both children and adults.  The cool thing about doing the test at home is you can take your vitamin D for a month or so and then retest without repeated visits to the doctor.  If you prefer to go to the doctor for the test, be sure he orders the test called 25(OH) vitamin D.  The doctor’s lab “normal” range will be significantly below the optimal 50 ng/ml so you will want to remember that when you begin your vitamin D supplementation.

Vitamin D is inexpensive and is available on line.  In my practice for people who have vitamin D deficiency, I recommend 5000 IU per day for adults, 1000 IU per day for children under age 2 and from 2000 up to 5000 for older children with dosage graduated based upon body weight.  Remember to retest during summer months. If you and/or your child are  out in the sun a lot the total dose may not be necessary.

You can get your home vitamin D test kits through the Vitamin D Council.

In a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition last week, it was again documented that vitamin D is preventative against the flu.  During the swine flu fabricated epidemic which didn’t materialize, I, along with many other alternative medicine advocates maintained that (a) the swine flu shot was infinitely hyped  to the benefit of the companies selling the vaccine, and (b) though not a hoax, the swine flu was no more serious than a typical case of seasonal flu.  Some of the 60 million or so of us who obligingly rolled up our sleeves for the swine flu vaccine were rewarded with side effects such as paralyzing neurological disorders.  Those of us who did not roll up our sleeves but rather resorted to vitamin D and other natural remedies are doing just fine.  Meanwhile, we apparently have an oversupply of swine flu vaccine.  A large billboard on the main street in my town advertises that there is H1N1 flu vaccine available and urges everyone to get the shot.  I submit that the public has seen through the scare perpetrated by a the CDC and a cooperating media feeding frenzy and no one wants a dangerous flu shot that wasn’t needed in the first place.

In the recent study I mentioned above, 167 children were given vitamin D and 167 were given a placebo.  10.8% of the vitamin D group contracted influenza A compared to 18.6% of the placebo group.  An interesting secondary outcome was noted with children with asthma.  Of the asthmatic children on the vitamin D only two had asthma attacks while 12 of the children on placebo had attacks.

During course of the swine flu frenzy vendors and well known alternative medicine physicians who advocated vitamin D and other alternative products for boosting the immune system were attacked by the FDA with threats of federal prosecution if they did not cease their activities.  This is what makes absolutely no sense.  On the one hand, inexpensive, harmless alternative remedies which are effective to prevent the flu  are squelched by the FDA.  On the other hand we have a wildly marketed vaccine, virtually untested for long term side effects, which didn’t work, wasn’t needed, cost the taxpayers billions of dollars and caused permanent long term disability on a few people.  God help us. Take your vitamin D, 5000 IU per day for adults, 1000 to 3000 for children according to the child’s weight.

Want more information on the Flu Vaccine and Swine Flu Immunization read these articles:
Sambucus Black Elderberry Herbal Supplement
The Sordid History of the Swine Flu Vaccine
Swine Flu Vaccine Side Effects – What They Won’t Tell You!
Vitamin D and Flu
Avoiding Flu - How to Avoid the Flu
Flu Vaccine Supply – Is it Needed?
 

The prevalence of autism is now one child in every one hundred ten.  What is interesting is that the researchers are touching upon environmental causes of autism and other childhood diseases.  Of course, vaccines are considered part of the environmental milieu.  They just seem to never hit the issue head on and ask if we are making our children sick.  Meanwhile, it is incumbent upon us all to do what we can to prevent autism and other illnesses in our children.  I am a strong advocate of vitamin D, as are many physicians and researchers.

From a study released online Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Assn., ahead of print publication Wednesday we learn the following:

Researchers analyzed the prevalence of illnesses by surveying the mothers of approximately 5,000 children. Data from three time periods were analyzed: 1988 to 1994, 1994 to 2000, and 2000 to 2006. In each time frame, the children, ages 2 through 8 at the start of each period, were followed for six years.

The rate of chronic conditions increased from 12.8% in 1994 to 26.6% in 2006. Latino and black youths and males were more likely to have health problems.

"We have a whole different set of conditions we're looking at today and a broader set of definitions for illnesses," said Halfon, who wrote an editorial accompanying the study. "We're seeing bigger increases in obesity, attention deficit disorder and other mental and behavioral conditions. Part of that has to do with the kinds of environments in which children are growing up."

Again, I say, take your vitamin D, give it to your kids.  There is more information on other blog posts listed below.

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