Category Archives: Immune products

Curcumin Plus, Immune Glucans, Immune health, Immune products, NADH

Better Diet, Exercise and Supplements: How To Boost Your Immunity

Given it’s our last line of defence, you’d think we’d do more to ensure it works as it should and keep us healthy. It’s the thing that, once we’ve picked up a cold, a bug or any other infectious micro-organism that. via our mouths or noses, gets into our digestive or respiratory systems, ensures we can still function and recover.

Yes, we’re talking the immune system – one of the most crucial of all the human body’s systems. And yet, all too often we take it for granted and don’t help our body make sure it can operate as well as possible. So how can you look after your immune system better? How can you boost your immunity?

A complicated collection of interconnected cells, tissues and organs, the immune system is what protects these different bits and pieces of the body from harmful pathogens. And it does so by finding and isolating these pathogens as soon as it possibly can, then transporting them to the spleen, where they’re filtered from the blood – along with damaged white/ red blood cells – and removed as waste from the body.

In actual fact, though, the immune system’s more complex than that – in that it’s also formed of two halves. The first is the innate immune system; it’s this that helps you heal on the outside by fighting infections that could otherwise turn cuts and bruises into wounds. The second is the adaptive immune system, which cleverly adapts your immunity so you become immune to individual viruses and don’t get ill from them again should you catch them more than once.

Immunity disorders

Unfortunately, however, some people are born with immune system disorders, while others – whom may have originally boasted perfectly healthy immune systems – can develop such disorders due to the likes of diseases, allergies and bad nutrition. As such then, the following are common immunity disorders:

  • Autoimmunity – this occurs when the immune system attacks healthy tissue it should actually be protecting; there are in excess of 80 recognised autoimmune diseases1, including type-1 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis
  • Immunodeficiencies – when your immunity’s weakened, it could be because of a drop in white blood cell levels (the soldiers of the immune system) which, in turn, be caused by poor diet, too little exercise2 or exposure to cigarette smoke, pesticides, toxic metals and other pollutants3
  • A hypersensitive or over-reactive immune system – with this condition, when the immune system detects a harmless allergen, it will create an unnecessary response that may well damage tissue and organs and even lead to disease.

How to boost your immunity

Constantly having to fight a plethora of dangerous organisms present in the air, water and food, the immune system then more than welcomes help to boost its effectiveness. Here are four ways you can do just that:

  • Improve your diet – avoid processed foods with their flavourings, sugars and toxins; instead opt for antioxidant-rich organic fruits and vegetables full of vitamins like avocado, blueberries, broccoli, eggplant, kale, lemons, pomegranate and spinach
  • Get consistent exercise – doing so boosts your oxygen intake and lung capacity, drives along your metabolism and helps ensure strong circulation
  • Manage stress levels – stress aggravates the immune system and escalates inflammation, so try to let go of problems when you can, get outdoors, talk to a caring listener or why not try meditation?
  • Focus on nutrition – in addition to adopting and maintaining a better, healthier diet, you might look to consuming herbs and tonics to supplement your nutritional intake (not least as you get older); for instance, make sure you’re getting enough Echinacea4 and oregano oil5.

Immunity supplements

Additionally, you might look to supplement your diet with, yes, supplements especially proven to boost immunity. By all means take a look at the ‘Immunity Health’ section of our website for the wide selection of nutrient-packed supplements available through us at The Finchley Clinic, which include the following three highly recommended examples:

liposomal-curcumin

Curcumin (Liposomal liquid) – one of a new class of bio-available supplements, this turmeric-derived chemical supports immunity and prostate health, reduces inflammation and soothes the gut lining.

NADH

NADH – also known as Coenzyme 1, this very versatile and important antioxidant-packed nutrient’s ideal not just for improving immune health, but also heart health, adrenal support and anti-ageing.

ImunoGlukan-90-capsules

Immune Glucans – supports healthy immunity and it’s especially suitable during periods of illness, over-work and antibiotic treatment, as well as for those sensitive to allergens.

References:

1. ‘Autoimmune Diseases’. MedinePlus. Aug 2014.

2. Winans B., Humble M. C. and Lawrence B. P. ‘Environmental toxicants and the developing immune system: a missing link in the global battle against infectious disease?’ Reproductive toxicology (Elmsford, NY). 2011. 31 (3): 327-336.

3. ‘Aging changes in immunity’. MedlinePlus. Oct 2014.

4. Bany J., Siwicki A. K., Zdanowska D., Sokolnicka I., Skopińska-Rózewska E. and Kowalczyk M. ‘Echinacea purpurea stimulates cellular immunity and anti-bacterial defence independently of the strain of mice’. Pol J Vet Sci. 2003. 6 (3 Suppl): 3-5.

5. ‘Oregano Oil May Protect Against Drug-Resistant Bacteria, Georgetown Researcher Finds’. Georgetown University Medical Center. Oct 2001.

Detoxification, Immune health, Immune products, Kidney Health, Saponin supplements, Vitamins & Minerals

Don’t Get In A Lather – Turn To Super Saponins

We are – all of us, surely – aware of the wonderful benefit of soap. It plays a pivotal role in keeping our bodies clean. But few of us are aware that some of the chief ingredients in soap are of huge benefit to our bodies when consumed – namely, helping maintain our cholesterol levels, aiding immunity and supporting the gastrointestinal system1.

These ingredients are the plant-based chemicals known as saponins. As they generate a lather when put together with water2, saponins have proved crucial in ensuring saponaria (or soapwort) – one of the many flora they occur in – has been used as a traditional soap for many centuries2. Specifically, when mixed with water, saponins – thanks to their very individual chemical structure – create a foam as well as fatty oils, in the manner of a detergent.

Health benefits

Indeed, it’s this foam-inducing, very individual chemical structure that enables saponins to provide a number of significant health benefits:

  • Cholesterol – when its levels aren’t too high, cholesterol actually plays an important role in ensuring digestion takes place because, in the digestive tract, it’s responsible for fat-soluble molecules mixing together or, in other words, it binds with bile acids, causing the latter’s excretion from the body so they’re not absorbed back into the bloodstream; research conducted on rats suggests a specific type of high cholesterol-packed saponin extract may work to decrease ‘bad’ (LDL) cholesterol levels, but not beneficial ‘good’ (HDL) cholesterol levels3
  • Immunity – in order to fight off the harmful effects of parasites, plants readily call on their saponins and humans can do so too; a study suggests they can be effective at combating candida4, while a specific type of saponin is a good antimicrobial for the mouth5
  • Kidneys – research evidence points to saponins sourced from Terminalia arjuna (an arjun tree) providing therapeutic effects for urinary stone issues6, thus aiding good kidney health
  • Liver – it’s believed by experts that saponins also support Kupffer cells in the liver, thus helping to encourage successful detoxification
  • Blood sugar and bone density – animal studies indicate saponins aid balanced blood sugar levels and contribute to normal bone density7, 8
  • Depression – a number of preclinical reports suggest that saponins may positively contribute to treating depression9.

Saponin sources

Although saponins seem to be rarely talked about, they can be derived from more than a hundred different plants and foods, for instance:

  • Foods – beans, chickpeas, peanuts, quinoa, soy and tomatoes, among many others
  • Herbs – bupleurum root, collinsonia, ginseng, jiaogulan, osha and Tribulus terrestris.

Saponins (extracted from quillaja and yucca) are even used in fizzy drinks like root beer to ensure they have a foamy head.

Supplements

In addition to the above food and drink-based sources, you might consider any of the following saponin supplements – all available from The Finchley Clinic. Not only do they contain the chemicals, they’re also packed full of many more essential nutrients:

cumanda

Cumanda (1 floz/ 30 ml) – typically used for candida management and microbial defence, cumanda bark may support the immune system; contains anthocyanins, cyanogenic glucosides, heterosides, saponins and tannins.

suma-120-vegicaps

Suma (Brazilian Ginseng) (120 and 60 vegicaps) – features 19 amino acids, cobalt, germanium (an antioxidant), iron, magnesium, saponins, silica, zinc and the Vitamins A, B-1, B-2, E and K.

yerba-mate-90-vegicaps

Yerba Mate (90 vegicaps, 100g powder and 40 and 90 teabags) – derived from the yerba mate tree in South America, this product contains magnesium, Vitamin C, B-complex vitamins, 15 amino acids, antioxidants (polyphenols), plant sterols and saponins.

 

References

  1. Shi J., Arunasalam K., Yeung D., Kakuda Y., Mittal G. and Jiang Y. ‘Saponins from edible legumes: chemistry, processing, and health benefits’. J Med Food. 2004 Spring; 7(1): 67-78.
  2. Cornell University. Department of Animal Science – Plants Poisonous to Livestock.Updated 09/10/2015 14:58:48.
  3. Malinow M. R., McLaughlin P., Papworth L., Stafford C., Kohler G. O., Livingston A. L. and Cheeke P. R. ‘Effect of alfalfa saponins on intestinal cholesterol absorption in rats’. Am J Clin Nutr. 1977 Dec; 30(12): 2061-7.
  4. Coleman J. J., Okoli I., Tegos G. P., Holson E. B., Wagner F. F., Hamblin M. R. and Mylonakis E. ‘Characterization of Plant-Derived Saponin Natural Products against Candida albicans’. ACS Chem. Biol., 2010, 5 (3), pp 321–332. doi: 10.1021/cb900243b.
  5. Jyothi K. S. M. and Seshagiri M. ‘In-Vitro Activity of Saponins of Bauhinia Purpurea, Madhuca Longifolia, Celastrus Paniculatus and Semecarpus Anacardium on Selected Oral Pathogens’. J Dent (Tehran). 2012 Autumn; 9(4): 216–223.
  6. Chaudhary A., Singla S. K. and Tandon C. ‘In vitro Evaluation of Terminalia arjuna on Calcium Phosphate and Calcium Oxalate Crystallization’. Indian J Pharm Sci. 2010 May-Jun; 72(3): 340–345.
  7. Ojewole J. A. and Adewole S. O. ‘Hypoglycaemic effect of mollic acid glucoside, a 1alpha-hydroxycycloartenoid saponin extractive from Combretum molle R. Br. ex G. Don (Combretaceae) leaf, in rodents’. J Nat Med. 2009 Apr; 63(2): 117-23. doi: 10.1007/s11418-008-0298-0. Epub 2008 Dec 3.
  8. Abbas G., Rauf K. and Mahmood W. ‘Saponins: the phytochemical with an emerging potential for curing clinical depression’. Nat Prod Res. 2015; 29(4): 302-7. doi: 10.1080/14786419.2014.942661. Epub 2014 Jul 30.
  9. Meliani N., El Amine Dib M., Allali H. and Tabti B. ‘Hypoglycaemic effect of Berberis vulgaris L. in normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats’. Asian Pac J Trop Biomed. 2011 Dec; 1(6): 468–471.
Aerobic O7, Antioxidant Supreme, Curcumin Plus, Immune health, Immune products, Tapioca Vitamin C, Vitamin D3

Helping to fight the good fight: how to boost your immune system

As the year gathers speed and summer drifts into autumn, people’s thoughts turn to the weather changing and temperatures dropping. Which means they start to adjust their wardrobe and – in some cases – lifestyle accordingly. They start to think about being more vigilant about protecting themselves from the potential infections and ill health that lower temperatures can bring. In short, they start to think in terms of trying to boost their immune system. But why should they? Why is the immune system so important? What does it do for us? And what can we do to keep it operating as effectively as possible?

Put simply, the immune system is the part of the body that protects us from certain harmful organisms and toxins (some of which can be absorbed into the body when we catch infections in the forms of colds, flu and the like), which stop our body from functioning properly and so, yes, make us feel ill. The system itself is made up of a combination of cells, tissues and organs that, working together as an efficient network, prevent unwelcome pathogens from doing their dirty work in our bodies. In practice, the system’s actually made up of two parts – the innate immune system (protects against infections and aids the healing of cuts and bruises) and the adaptive immune system (protects against viruses, of which there are millions generated each year, thus this part of the system is distinguished by its ability to adapt to fight them).

Even more specifically, the nuts and bolts of both these halves of the immune system are white blood cells (or leukocytes). Once they’ve formed, these cells travel through the blood stream and enter the lymphatic system (something of a sub-section of the wider immune system) where they stimulate its organs, including the tonsils and thymus, to produce antibodies that find bacteria and other harmful organisms’ antigens, adhere to them and destroy them.

Disorders

Unfortunately, for some people the efficacy of their immune system isn’t what it should be. This could be down to many different factors, but one thing’s for sure; a weak immune system can be really bad news as you age. Lack of exercise, bad diet and the changes aging brings to the body can all contribute1. The three major types of immunity disorder are:

  • Autoimmunity – these conditions (of which 80 are known to exist, including type 1 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis2) see the immune system attack healthy tissue it’s supposed to be protecting
  • Immunodeficiencies – these disorders may not ensure enough white blood cells are produced; they can be caused by overexposure to the likes of tobacco smoke, certain toxic metals and pesticides3
  • Hypersensitive/ over-reactive immune system – this one involves immune cells targeting and attacking harmless allergens, potentially damaging tissue and organs and increasing the chance of the body suffering from serious diseases.

Support

So to prevent such disorders, what can we do to support our bodies’ immune systems? Well, here are four headline behaviours everyone should make a priority:

  • Develop a healthy diet – processed foods and those containing refined sugars and flavourings, as well as soda, are out; vitamin- and antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables, such as broccoli, blueberries, kale, spinach, lemons, avocado, oregano oil4 and garlic5, are in (especially if organic)
  • Exercise – helping to increase your oxygen intake and thus lung capacity, exercise is terrific at getting your metabolism going and promoting a healthy heart and efficient circulation; note: consistent exercise is key
  • Destress – becoming stressed increases inflammation and so will aggravate your immunity; trying to destress and finding ways to properly relax then are important (talking through problems isn’t a bad idea, nor is meditation)
  • Plant extracts – the nutrients and vitamins packed full in many easily available plant extracts are terrific for boosting your immunity; you might try echinacea (a favourite in traditional medicines for centuries and effective at fighting off colds and flu4), ginseng (especially good at tackling stress) and aloe vera (rich in antioxidants and the immunity-aiding compounds acemannan and aloctin A3, 6).

Supplements

Of course, another fantastic and easy way to consume enormously beneficial vitamins and nutrients is through supplements. The following – all of which are great immune system supplements – are available through The Finchley Clinic and, naturally, we highly recommend every one of them:

Tapioca Vitamin C (1,000mg; 90 capsules) – as this supplement’s sourced from tapioca (cassava root), it’s almost unheard of to cause allergic reactions and contains 99.9% vitamin C in the form of ascorbic acid, renowned as an excellent anti-viral antioxidant, immune booster and major facilitator to anti-aging and building collagen

Tapioca-Vitamin-C

 

Vitamin D3 (5,000iu; 90 tablets) – chewable and with a natural apricot flavour, this supplement provides great support for both the immune and skeletal systems; it’s also kosher

Curcumin Plus (90 capsules) – a powerful antioxidant that aids good immune response, not least as it contains both ginger and sage extracts (specifically gingerols and ursolic acid, respectively)

Aerobic-07

Aerobic O7 (70ml) – a stabilised liquid oxygen product that’s excellent at prompting the creation of new white blood cells, which (as made clear above) play a crucial role in the efficacy of the immune system

Antioxidant Supreme (90 capsules) – a great all-rounder but especially for fighting free radicals, thus it can importantly contribute to boosting the immune system.

 

References:

  1. MedlinePlus. ‘Aging changes in immunity’. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/004008.htm
  1. MedinePlus. ‘Autoimmune diseases’. https://medlineplus.gov/autoimmunediseases.html
  1. Winans B., Humble M. C. and Lawrence B. P. ‘Environmental toxicants and the developing immune system: a missing link in the global battle against infectious disease?’. Reproductive toxicology (Elmsford, NY). 2011; 31(3): 327-336. doi:10.1016/j.reprotox.2010.09.004.
  1. Georgetown University Medical Center. ‘Oregano Oil May Protect Against Drug-Resistant Bacteria, Georgetown Researcher Find’. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/10/011011065609.htm
  1. Lissiman E., Bhasale A. L. and Cohen M. ‘Garlic for the common cold’. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD006206.pub4.
  1. Bany J., Siwicki A. K., Zdanowska D., Sokolnicka I., Skopińska-Rózewska E. and Kowalczyk M. ‘Echinacea purpurea stimulates cellular immunity and anti-bacterial defence independently of the strain of mice’. Pol J Vet Sci. 2003; 6(3 Suppl): 3-5.