Disease Proof : Disease Proof : Health & Nutrition News & Commentary : Dr. Joel Fuhrman

Appearing in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, scientists believe a positive association exists between obesity and allergies. Research involving 4,000 children, ages 2 to 19, revealed antibodies for specific allergens, such as indoor, outdoor and food allergens, were higher in overweight or obese children. Data revealed obese kids were 26% more likely to have some kind of allergy and the rate for food allergies was 59% higher among obese children; Reuters investigates.

The CDC now claims 3 million kids have food allergies. According to Dr. Fuhrman breastfeeding is major-preventer of allergies. Antibodies derived from mother’s milk help maximize immune system function. Now, allergies are bad enough, but overweight kids, even as young as 3 years old, can start showing signs of heart disease, for real!

In related news, a study of 3,000 children found kids spending two or more hours watching television per day, were twice as likely to develop asthma as kids watching less.

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Some mushrooms will kill you! But others will make you big and strong. A new study in the journal BMC Immunology reveals eating mushrooms bolstered the immune system of mice. To investigate, experts fed mice white button, crimini, maitake, oyster and shiitake mushrooms. Libratory mice eating a diet consisting of 2% white buttons mushrooms were more protected against colon inflammation and related symptoms, such as weight-loss and colon injury, known risk factors for the development of colon tumors. Researchers expect similar beneficial effects in humans; Reuters reports.

Dr. Fuhrman considers mushrooms an excellent substitute for meat and some scientists believe mushrooms’ low energy content, i.e. low calories, can combat obesity, satisfying people but not overstuffing them with extra calories. Mushrooms fight prostate cancer too.

But many people dislike mushrooms. In the United Kingdom, mushrooms are one the healthy foods Britons force themselves to choke down and the United States hates mushrooms.

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Vitamin D supplements may reduce the risk of multiple sclerosis. Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune condition causing the immune system to attack the central nervous system. Disease onset occurs in young adults and affects 350,000 people in the United States, but new findings in the journal PLoS Genetics reveal giving infants vitamin D may “switch on” certain genes and lower overall risk of multiple sclerosis; NutraIngredients reports.

Our bodies convert ultraviolet rays from the sun into vitamin D and vitamin D increases the absorption of calcium, leading to stronger bones and less risk of osteoporosis. And getting sufficient vitamin D has been linked to lower risk of prostate cancer and hypertension.

Actually in 2006, Harvard researchers also determined higher levels of vitamin D may protect against multiple sclerosis.

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Breastfeeding is strong medicine! Breast milk provides babies with necessary antibodies that help ward off allergies and boost immune systems and Dr. Fuhrman blames the decrease in breastfeeding for the rise in allergies among young children.

And now, a new study in the British Medical Journal claims the fear of nut allergies is becoming overblown. Researchers suggest the food industry’s restrictions and warnings about nuts, however well intentioned, are fueling the hysteria.

Especially since a previous study in Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology shows despite 69% of Israeli children eating nuts and only 10% of British children consuming nuts, kids in the U.K. were 10 times more likely to have peanut allergies; FoodNavigator reports.

Clearly, there is another factor at play here and not just nuts themselves.
 

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