Gary Gruber

How Nasal Irrigation Can Help Relieve Colds, Allergies, And Sinus Congestion

Anyone looking for an all-natural, holistic way to help relieve the symptoms of painful allergies, troublesome colds, and regular sinus congestion, should be interested in nasal irrigation. Nasal irrigation has been growing in popularity, and the basic principle behind it is simple.

Using a simple device such as the popular Neti Pot, or another specialized device such as a squeezable bottle, a warm, slightly saline solution of water is poured into the nose and through the sinus cavity.

This solution can help cleanse the cilia of the nose of thick mucus, remove crusting caused by dry air or colds, and clear the nasal passages of debris and pollen which can irritate the nose and cause allergic symptoms.

Is Nasal Irrigation Effective?

Though nasal irrigation has been growing in popularity, there are some naysayers who claim that it is ineffective. However, this is not true – nasal irrigation has been proven by multiple studies to be a safe and effective way of fighting issues like colds, allergies, and chronic sinus congestion.

A systematic review of available scientific studies showed that routine nasal irrigation was especially effective at:

• fighting allergic rhinitis,
• improving symptoms,
• reducing the need for medication, and
• improving quality of life.

Another randomized, controlled trial performed on adults with chronic sinus/nasal symptoms showed similar results, with patients reporting symptom improvements of up to 60% after eight weeks when using a low-saline solution and an appropriate low-pressure device.

The science is clear – nasal irrigation, whether through a low-pressure device such as a squeezable bottle or a Neti Pot, is an effective way to combat allergies, sinusitis, and much more.

Tips for Successful Nasal Irrigation

Looking to try nasal irrigation? Follow these tips to successfully use nasal irrigation techniques, and relieve painful symptoms of allergies, sinusitis, colds, and more!

• Choose the right product – For those who are seeking a traditional method of nasal irrigation, a Neti Pot is a great choice. These pots have been traditionally used by yogis in India for millennia.For others who seek a more modern form of nasal irrigation, squeeze bottles are a good choice – these specialized products apply gentle pressure through a tube, and are often a better option for those with severe allergies and sinusitis.
• Don’t use tap water – Nasal irrigation with tap water can be dangerous – leading to potentially deadly viral infections from meningitis and Naegleria fowleri amoebas.Distilled water is a better choice for nasal irrigation, though tap water can be used if it’s boiled and treated with specialized, non-iodized salt.
• Use specialized nasal irrigation salts – Salts that have been specially designed for nasal irrigation are required for optimal performance. Substances like iodine can lead to allergic reactions, decreasing the efficacy of the nasal irrigation regimen. For this reason, salts that are free of iodine and other contaminants are preferred when using nasal irrigation devices.

These simple tips will be helpful to anyone who is looking to take advantage of the health benefits of nasal irrigation.

Try Nasal Irrigation Today – Enjoy Holistic, Natural Relief!

Anyone suffering from allergies, sinusitis, or a cold should try nasal irrigation immediately. It’s safe, effective, and proven to be helpful – making it a fantastic choice for anyone who needs relief, but is wary of pharmaceutical products or over-the-counter medications.

Once you try nasal irrigation you may decide to make it part of your regular daily hygiene.  It’s just as effective today as it was when it was first practiced by Hindu yogis in India thousands of years ago – and is proven to be helpful in relieving many painful or annoying nasal symptoms.

by Gary Gruber

The Intestinal Barrier: Gateway to a Healthy Immune System

Bacteria, viruses, fungi, man-made toxins, and natural toxins are everywhere.

They are in food, air, and water. Bacteria and viruses can be transferred by specific vectors like ticks and mosquitos. There is no place to escape. Nevertheless, the human body is equipped to handle these ubiquitous influences because of the barriers to entry into the body.

The most obvious barrier is the skin. Seven layers of epithelial cells are stacked and closely knit together by proteins called keratins. The lining of the intestinal tract has a barrier. The lungs have a barrier. And just in case something gets through these three gateways, there is a blood-brain barrier.

The gut barrier is one of the three functions of digestion. As an analogy, if you thrust your fist into a balloon, the outside skin becomes the inside skin. In between the inside skin and the outside skin is air. The air represents your body. Accordingly, when you ingest something it is technically not in your body until it crosses the barrier.

The gut barrier is composed of a thin lining of mucous over a single layer of epithelial cells, the same cells that comprise the skin. Between each cell is a zipper-like protein that is called the tight junction. When the tight junction is broken, the gut barrier is compromised. This condition is referred to as intestinal permeability or sometimes “leaky gut”.

It is estimated that seventy percent of the immune system is located in the gut.

There is a constant, enormity of activity from destroying and eliminating bacteria, fungus, and viruses. Undigested proteins from foods are recognized as viral proteins and treated as such by the gut immune system. The gut environment is a fine balance of inflammation and repair. Sometimes the influences overwhelm the immune defenses or the immune system overreacts, creating a chronic inflammatory environment. The overburdened immune system cannot prevent damage to the intestinal lining, an important barrier to the body and vital organs. Once past the gut barrier, the body or somatic immune system reacts vigilantly to the same bacteria, viruses, fungi, man-made and natural toxins. Bear in mind that the immune system is finite so without the gut barrier the somatic immune system can be easily overwhelmed. When the immune system cannot keep up with the chronic invasion, symptoms begin to develop. A compromised gut barrier is the very beginning of many symptoms, syndromes, and diseases.

Intestinal permeability is correlated with autoimmune diseases, headaches, insomnia, lyme disease, and psychological conditions including anxiety, depression, neurosis, and schizophrenia.

In its 2005 Report on Progress in Autoimmune Diseases Research the research committee stated “while many diseases (autoimmune) are rare, collectively they affect 14.0 to 23.5 million people in this country.” To put this into context, cancer affects about 12 million people and heart disease affects approximately 18 million people. Yet autoimmune diseases are more prevalent than cardiovascular diseases and cancer combined. In a 2011 study, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences estimates that “more than 32 million people in the United States have autoantibodies”. The 2005 report goes on to say “More than 80 human diseases are due at least in part to an inappropriate immune system response that results in damage to an individual’s organs, tissues, or cells. Autoimmune diseases can affect any part of the body, and have myriad clinical manifestations that can be difficult to diagnose. At the same time, autoimmune diseases share many features related to their onset and progression. In addition, overlapping genetic traits enhance susceptibility to many of the diseases, so that a patient may suffer from more than one autoimmune disorder, or multiple autoimmune diseases may occur in the same family.”

Some of the more commonly named autoimmune diseases are Psoriasis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, Hepatitis, Sjogren’s Syndrome, Lupus, and Multiple Sclerosis. At the core of these diseases is a hypervigilant immune system that attacks its own tissue because the tissue resembles a virus or other protein with which the immune system had an experience. This is called molecular mimicry and is an important understanding of the cause of autoimmune diseases. It is the undigested proteins, viruses, bacteria, fungus, and other environmental influences that pass through the compromised gut barrier and are attacked by the somatic immune system. The somatic immune system is on guard against any cell that even looks like the trespasser, including one’s own tissue and cells.

In a condition of intestinal permeability, the somatic immune system is overwhelmed and can barely keep up with the onslaught of influences, especially when it is confronted with the stealth bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria implicated with Lyme disease. Lyme disease is the symptom picture associated with an overwhelmed immune system combined with an unidentified autoimmune disease. Many of the psychological conditions, as well as insomnia, are part of chronic Lyme disease. Despite a multitude of physical and psychological symptoms, Lyme disease is the manifestation of leaky gut.

Once it is recognized, intestinal permeability can be repaired. First, remove the source of chronic inflammation. Then nourish the epithelial cells so they may replicate and develop new tight junctions.

We are proud to offer our own digestion solution products! You can view them here or by going to the FAM Dispensary.  We offer the following product to help with intestinal permeability.Once the gut barrier is restored, the somatic immune system will rebalance itself and hyperactivity will subside.

Probiotics:

There are over 400 species and thousands of strains of bacteria that are supposed to inhabit the lower intestines and colon.

These 400+ species are collectively called probiotics, which means “for life”, and were initially discovered in the early 1900’s. These bacteria have many roles in good health such as making short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), polyamines, vitamins, antioxidants, and amino acids. Another function, especially in the case of Lactobacillus species, is to prevent food from decay, preserve antioxidants and vitamins, remove toxins and keep pathogenic organisms at bay. A third and major role of probiotics is to maintain proper immune function. Among the various effects on the immune system, a specific action is to stimulate the action of white blood cells like the macrophages, natural killer cells, monocytes, and neutrophils.

When buying a probiotic, you want a multi-strain product called “broad spectrum”. It should have at least 8 different types of probiotic bacteria. Avoid supplements with fillers or preservatives. The probiotic formula should be designed to by-pass the stomach and deliver essential bacteria to the lower intestines. Extended periods of elevated temperatures will diminish the viability of the organisms. Therefore, probiotics should be kept refrigerated and used immediately.

References

http://www.agingsociety.org/agingsociety/pdf/heart.pdf

http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/CancerBasics/cancer-prevalence

Progress in Autoimmune Disease Research, National Institutes of Health The Autoimmune Diseases Coordinating Committee, Report to Congress, March 2005.

Turner J. Intestinal mucosal barrier function in health and disease. Nature Reviews/Immunology 9: 799-809, 2009.

Fasano, A. Zonulin and Its Regulation of Intestinal Barrier Function: The Biological Door to Inflammation, Autoimmunity, and Cancer. Physiol Rev 91:151-175, 2011.

Fasano, A. Mechanisms of Disease: the role of intestinal barrier function in the pathogenesis of gastrointestinal autoimmune diseases. Gastroenterology & Hepatology 2; 416-422, 2005.

Oldstone, M. Molecular mimicry and immune-mediated disease. FASEB J. 12, 1255-1265. 1998.

Satoh M et al. Prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of antinuclear antibodies in the United States. Arthritis and Rheumatism. doi:10.1002/art.3438

by Gary Gruber