Integrative Health Blog

Mark McClure DDS

Have you ever wondered what will determine whether you remain healthy or get sick with cancer, heart disease, dementia, neuro-degenerative disease, chronic fatigue, the flu, a cold or Ebola?

It’s the immune system, stupid!

While I don’t usually use the word “stupid” - in this case it helps to illustrate the obvious fact of what really keeps us healthy, what prevents us from getting sick, what helps us recover quickly when we do get sick…is our amazing immune system!

In other words, it’s your immune system that keeps you healthy, strong and aging gracefully. Likewise, it is your grandchild’s immune system that will determine whether they will develop autism, ADHD, allergies, asthma, mental health issue,  diabetes, breast cancer (see Dr. Fuller's article Can Half of Breast Cancers Be Prevented?) or any other of the modern "epidemic" childhood diseases that are ravishing our youth’s health.

Of course genes play a role, but for purposes of this article I want to talk about the role of the immune system and how your dentist can support a healthier system. Dental treatment should be safe and effective and impact the rest of the body as little as possible.

A Healthy Mouth Affects Your Overall Health

Do you find yourself getting sick when the weather changes?

We can't wait for spring and warmer weather, can we?  But as it warms up, then the allergies start and the stuffy nose, itchy eyes, and sinus headaches begin. At this time of year the tree pollen, grasses and weeds are out in full force. Does your child get one ear infection or one stuffy nose after another?  You need a good defense strategy. 

Here are 4 tips to build up your immunity for allergy season:

1. Defend your nose.  Your nose is where most upper respiratory illnesses start.  From your nose, viruses and bacteria travel to the sinuses, ears, throat or lungs.  The best defense I've found is Xylitol nasal spray used daily which protect the nose against all the bugs trying to gain access.

2.  Avoid sugar.  Sugar suppresses the immune system, leaving you more vulnerable to the myriad of illnesses you're exposed to.  Instead of sodas and doughnuts, drink plenty of water, and snack on fruits and vegetables.

Autumn Frandsen ND

Vitamin D, Essential to the Immune System

Although many people are aware that vitamin D is important, they may not know HOW important and why. The term “vitamin” is actually a misnomer as Vitamin D is really a non-essential prohormone. It is non-essential because it can be synthesized in the body from sunlight and a prohormone because it is converted to the hormone calcitriol in the kidneys. A vitamin is usually used to help potentiate a reaction in the body while a hormone actually sends a message to increase or decrease levels of certain substances in the body. In the case of vitamin D and calcitriol, adequate levels of calcium and phosphorus are maintained through Parathyroid hormone signaling for an increase in the active form of Vitamin D, calcitriol, to be made. Calcitriol then stimulates calbindin to increase calcium absorption in the intestines. There is even more complexity where that came from. There are vitamin D receptors in the intestines, bone, kidney, brain, heart, skin, gonads, prostate, and breasts. It’s no wonder that vitamin D is therapeutic in so many conditions and is so vital to maintaining health. It is considered the prohormone of the immune system.

How Much Vitamin D Do I Need?

Mark McClure DDS

Digestive health is one of the most critical pieces to obtaining and maintaining good overall health. The health of any person is directly related to the health of the bowel, as about 70% of our immunity resides in the “gut”.  Therefore, it is important to eat foods that promote a "healthy gut" and supplement with concentrated foods and sometimes herbs that clean and maintain the digestive tract and bowel.

Probiotics, Bugs with Benefits 

Probiotics are products containing living beneficial bacteria, i.e. "good bugs", which ‘colonize’ the entire lining of our intestine. The potential benefits that the bacteria living in our intestine have on our well being are only just beginning to be understood by scientists and includes the following:

• They enable the entire digestion and absorption functions of the intestine to operate efficiently
• They protect us from challenge and infections by potential pathogens
• They continuously prime and condition our immune system to function properly, from the day we are born throughout our entire life.
• They can help protect us from allergy and intolerance and can reduce the symptoms in existing sufferers.

Probiotics are found in yogurt, kefirs, fermented foods and in supplements.  Probiotics can be added to your diet and most people will benefit from probiotic supplements.

Why do we need antioxidants?

One of the 4 pillars of nutritional supplementation, antioxidants prevent our bodies from “burning up” (anti- against, oxidation – burning); oxidation from free radicals also causes aging, loss of cellular energy and function, premature cell death, degeneration, cancer, and more. Consider these biological truths about anti-oxidants:

• Antioxidants come from our food (and supplements) but more importantly our body’s antioxidant enzyme systems (all requiring nutritional building blocks).
• Cellular systems of detox and antioxidants always work together, are under genetic control and are inhibited whenever chronic inflammation is dominant. So if you have a chronic inflammatory health condition you also have an oxidation and toxic problem! Note that all chronic health conditions involve chronic inflammation.
• Our toxic world has greatly increased our need for all types of antioxidants to heal or remain healthy.

Antioxidants are key to:

• Anti-aging
• Overcoming illnesses
• Regaining health from any chronic or acute health issue
• Restoring health of the neuro-immune system compromised through heavy metal and chemical toxicity, overgrowth of bowel toxins and chronic infections
• All detoxification strategies should include anti-oxidants

How antioxidants are best delivered to the body: