ABSTRACT:

Buried in the controversy over whether to get the H1N1 vaccination (or even where to find one), is that one of the best ways to ward off any flu is to build up your overall immunity. Dave Grotto, author of “101 Foods That Could Save Your Life,” reveals 10 foods that provide top doses of the vitamins and nutrients you need to protect and defend against illness.

MUSHROOMS

Mushrooms used to get overlooked as a health food, but they possess two big weapons you need this flu season: selenium, which helps white blood cells produce cytokines that clear sickness, and beta glucan, an antimicrobial type of fiber, which helps activate “superhero” cells that find and destroy infections.

FRESH GARLIC

Strong smelling foods like garlic can stink out sickness thanks to the phytochemical allicin, an antimicrobial compound. A British study found that people taking allicin supplements suffered 46 percent fewer colds and recovered faster from the ones they did get. So start cooking with it daily — experts recommend two fresh cloves a day.

WILD-CAUGHT SALMON

In a recent study, participants with the lowest levels of vitamin D were about 40 percent more likely to report a recent respiratory infection than those with higher levels of vitamin D. Increase your intake with salmon, a 3.5-ounce serving provides 360 IU some experts recommend as much as 800 to 1000 IU each day.

TEA

Researchers at Harvard University found that drinking five cups of black tea a day quadrupled the body’s immune defense system after two weeks, probably because of theanine. Tea also contains catechins, including ECGC, which act like a cleanup crew against free radicals. Grotto suggests drinking one to three cups of black, green or white tea every day.

YOGURT

The digestive tract is one of your biggest immune organs, so keep disease-causing germs out with probiotics and prebiotics, found in naturally fermented foods like yogurt. One serving a day labeled with “live and active cultures” will enhance immune function according to a study from the University of Vienna in Austria.

DARK CHOCOLATE

Nutrition experts agree that dark chocolate deserves a place in healthy diets, and a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition says it can boost your immunity, too. High doses of cocoa support T-helper cells, which increase the immune system’s ability to defend against infection. Sweet!

OYSTERS

Zinc is critical for the immune system — it rallies the troupes, or white blood cells, to attack bacteria and viruses like a flu or cold. One medium oyster provides nearly all of the zinc you need for a day, while a portion of six gives you more than five times the recommended amount.

ALMONDS

Heart-healthy almonds boast immune-boosting antioxidant vitamin E, which can reduce your chance of catching colds and developing respiratory infections according to researchers at Tufts University. You’ll need more than a serving of almonds for your daily dose though, so try fortified cereals, sunflower seeds, turnip greens and wheat germ, too.

STRAWBERRIES

Even though vitamin C-rich foods (hello oranges!) are probably the first thing you think of when you feel a cold coming, Grotto says the illness-preventing power of the antioxidant is debatable. That said, some studies show it can reduce the intensity and duration of cold and flu, so it’s worth a try. One cup of strawberries provides 160 percent of your daily needs.

SWEET POTATO

Beta-carotene improves your body’s defenses. It’s instrumental in the growth and development of immune system cells and helps neutralize harmful toxins. Sweet potatoes and other orange foods like carrots, squash, pumpkin, egg yolks and cantaloupe are top sources.

Jeffrey Shamanaa and Melvin Kohnb
College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331;
bPublic Health Division, Oregon Department of Health Services, 800 NE Oregon, Suite 772, Portland, OR 97232

Edited by Burton H. Singer, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, and approved January 7, 2009 (received for review July 16, 2008)

ABSTRACT:

Influenza A incidence peaks during winter in temperate regions. The basis for this pronounced seasonality is not understood, nor is it well documented how influenza A transmission principally occurs. Previous studies indicate that relative humidity (RH) affects both influenza virus transmission (IVT) and influenza virus survival (IVS). Here, we reanalyze these data to explore the effects of absolute humidity on IVT and IVS. We find that absolute humidity (AH) constrains both transmission efficiency and IVS much more significantly than RH. In the studies presented, 50% of IVT variability and 90% of IVS variability are explained by AH, whereas, respectively, only 12% and 36% are explained by RH. In temperate regions, both outdoor and indoor AH possess a strong seasonal cycle that minimizes in winter. This seasonal cycle is consistent with a wintertime increase in IVS and IVT and may explain the seasonality of influenza. Thus, differences in AH provide a single, coherent, more physically sound explanation for the observed variability of IVS, IVT and influenza seasonality in temperate regions. This hypothesis can be further tested through future, additional laboratory, epidemiological and modeling studies.

PDF: Absolute humidity modulates influenza survival, transmission, and seasonality

Sebastian U. Schnitzler & Paul Schnitzler

Received: 16 August 2009 / Accepted: 21 September 2009 / Published online: 7 October 2009
© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2009
ABSTRACT:

Influenza viruses cause annual epidemics and occasional pandemics that have claimed the lives of millions. The emergence of new strains will continue to pose challenges to public health and the scientific communities. The recent flu pandemic caused by a swine-origin influenza virus A/H1N1 (S-OIV) presents an opportunity to examine virulence factors, the spread of the infection and to prepare for major influenza outbreaks in the future. The virus contains a novel constellation of gene segments, the nearest known precursors being viruses found in swine and it probably arose through reassortment of two viruses of swine origin. Specific markers for virulence can be evaluated in the viral genome, PB1-F2 is a molecular marker of pathogenicity but is not present in the new S-OIV. While attention was focused on a threat of an avian influenza H5N1 pandemic emerging from Asia, a novel influenza virus of swine origin emerged in North America, and is now spreading worldwide. However, S-OIV demonstrates that even serotypes already encountered in past human pandemics may constitute new pandemic threats. There are concerns that this virus may mutate or reassort with existing influenza viruses giving rise to more transmissible or more pathogenic viruses. The 1918 Spanish flu pandemic virus was relatively mild in its first wave and acquired more virulence when it returned in the winter. Thus preparedness on a global scale against a potential more virulent strain is highly recommended. Most isolates of the new S-OIVs are susceptible to neuraminidase inhibitors, and currently a vaccine against the pandemic strain is being manufactured and will be available this fall. This review summarizes the current information on the new pandemic swine-origin influenza virus A/H1N1.

PDF: An update on swine-origin influenza virus A/H1N1: a review

Dominic A. Fitzgerald
The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Department of Respiratory Medicine, Locked Bag 4001, Westmead, Sydney, NSW 2145, Australia
SUMMARY:

The influenza pandemic the world was waiting for may have arrived, but the early indications are that the first wave of human swine influenza A [H1N1], also referred to as H1N1 Mexico 09 or “swine flu”, is highly transmissible but of no greater virulence than seasonal influenza to date. The new swine flu H1N1 virus is a mixture of avian, porcine and human influenza RNA. With twenty thousand confirmed cases worldwide and 117 deaths within 7 weeks of the first acknowledgement of a possible pandemic by Mexican and WHO experts, the mortality rate is less than 0.1% and the majority of deaths centred upon the origin of the epidemic in Mexico [83%]. Swine flu is thus far a relatively mild illness seen predominantly in those who are healthy and under 25 years of age, perhaps reflecting protection from previous human influenza exposure in older people. As the virus spreads internationally, border protection issues have surfaced and public health initiatives are being progressively rolled out to minimise the transmission. Vaccines are being developed which will be trialled in the coming months with a likely availability by August 2009, in time for the northern hemisphere autumn and winter. Vigilance without alarm appears to be the recommendation so far.

PDF: Human swine influenza A [H1N1]: Practical advice for clinicians early in the pandemic

Lee HY, Topham DJ, Park SY, Hollenbaugh J, Treanor J, Mosmann TR, Jin X, Ward BM, Miao H, Holden-Wiltse J, Perelson AS, Zand M, Wu H.

Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14642, USA.
ABSTRACT:

The cellular immune response to primary influenza virus infection is complex, involving multiple cell types and anatomical compartments, and is difficult to measure directly. Here we develop a two-compartment model that quantifies the interplay between viral replication and adaptive immunity. The fidelity of the model is demonstrated by accurately confirming the role of CD4 help for antibody persistence and the consequences of immune depletion experiments. The model predicts that drugs to limit viral infection and/or production must be administered within 2 days of infection, with a benefit of combination therapy when administered early, and cytotoxic CD8 T cells in the lung are as effective for viral clearance as neutralizing antibodies when present at the time of challenge. The model can be used to investigate explicit biological scenarios and generate experimentally testable hypotheses. For example, when the adaptive response depends on cellular immune cell priming, regulation of antigen presentation has greater influence on the kinetics of viral clearance than the efficiency of virus neutralization or cellular cytotoxicity. These findings suggest that the modulation of antigen presentation or the number of lung resident cytotoxic cells and the combination drug intervention are strategies to combat highly virulent influenza viruses. We further compared alternative model structures, for example, B-cell activation directly by the virus versus that through professional antigen-presenting cells or dendritic cell licensing of CD8 T cells

“Allivictus helps not only in my sport endeavour but is of an everyday help to most of the Clean Sport clients.”

“It´s cleansing effect is unique and I recommend the Allivictus-shield against parasites, viruses and bacteria to every sportsman as a prevention as well as to people with health problems.”

Born: 12.8.1981 in Tábor
Marital Status: Married, wife Jana, children Elena and Linda

Founder of the Clean Sport Project:

Project that motivates people from all social and age levels in a clean path through sport and life. The joy of personal and performance growth and a good health are the main work attributes of people from Clean Sport implementation team. Clean, energetically balanced diet, purely natural dietary supplements and joy of movement and victory while maintaining the full health are the main pillars of the project that aims to penetrate into most sport disciplines. After first year of work in cycling the Clean Sport family expands to embrace cross-country skiing and triathlon.

Coach and diet and healthy lifestyle advisor professional cyclist

Discipline:

• Mountain Biking – mountain bike marathon

Achievements:

• Winner of the world´s hardest mountain bike stage race Crocodile trophy
• Czech Champion
• Academic Champion of Czech Republic
• Double winner of Czech Cup
• ranked 6^th in World Cup overall ranking
• Multiple representative of Czech republic

„Allivictus brings back the power I need during my performance and sustains my strong immunity that is essential to me.“

born 1986, Liptál u Vsetína

Jan made is first experience with TIMBERSPORTS as a seventeen year-old as a parent approved exception in 2004. He used this head start immediately the following year to earn his first title “The best Lumberjack of Czech Republic” that he earned already six times so far and is therefore historically the most successful from the domestic scene. During the Czech Championship 2011 he was the best in five out of six disciplines and belongs with no doubt to the national representation for World Championship 2011. From European competitions it is the Europe Team Champion title from 2008 in St. Johann, Austria or the silver medal on Open Championship in Austria in 2009 that he values the most.

„Thanks to Allivictus I don´t have to worry about getting cold during chilly mornings in the ocean. Moreover it helps me cope with frequent transfers between tropic and cold climates.“

Datum narození: 1. dubna 1980
Místo narození: Velehrad
Výška: 174 cm
Bydlište: přes zimu Praha, přes léto Francie a Španělsko
Vzdělání: FF UK a Universita Gregoriana Řím

Dosažené úspěchy: Mistryně ČR a SR v surfingu 2008, 2009, 2010, majitelka české a slovenské surfové kanceláře SURFTRIP (www-surf-trip.cz)

Oblíbené surfařské spoty: Lanzarote, španělská Kantábrie, Seignosse ve Francii

Proč jezdím na surfu: Surfování je jeden z nejkrásnějších sportů, které znám. Nejde zde o dosahování výsledků, ale o pocit sounáležitosti s přírodou ve chvíli, kdy jste ve vodě už jen Vy a čekáte na poslední vlnu, co Vás zaveze k pláži, nad kterou právě zapadá slunce. U oceánu jsem se nenarodila, a ani tam dlouhodobě nežiji, takže své dovednosti nemohu srovnávat s nikým, kdo surfuje tak často, jak já plavu v bazénu (každý den). I tak jsem šťastná za to,co umím, a každá vlna (pokud z ní nespadnu) je pro mne ta nejlepší.

„Thanks to Allivictus I am able to do extreme performance because it keeps my concentration on required level.“

Born: 23. 2. 1972 in Mělník

Total hours flown: 500, 300 of that acrobatics (May 2011 status)

My  motto: Whatever I do I do at full blast. I either get up or not.

Akcrobatic achievements:

• 3. Czech Championship – unlimited
• 3. Matko Cup Hungary – unlimited
• 2. Matko Cup Freestyle
• 3. Eyrope Championship Qualification – advanced
• 1. place WC 2010 – advanced, free secret performance
• 5. place WC 2010 of 83 pilots in total
• 2. place Czech Championship 2010 – unlimited
• 2. place FLYMASTER 2010 (air show, where the spectator is given chance to influence the results with his vote)
• 2. place  EC 2009 – qualification, advanced
• 3. place ME 2009 – teams, advanced
• 4. place Czech Championship 2008, advanced
• 3. place Czech Championship 2006, intermediate
• 3. place Czech Championship 2005, intermediate

Hana Kynychová was born in Kroměříž.
She studied pedagogy and worked as a childminder in The House of Youth in Kroměříž. Later on she studied the school of aerobics in Prague.  Then she moved to Prague and started do aerobics professionally. In years 1995 and 1996 ranked third on Czech Championship in aerobics.

She became popular thanks to exercise in broadcast Snídaně s Novou of TV Nova.

Currently she runs Hanka Kynychová´s fitness club in Prague 4, she owns Hejbejse edition that releases exercise DVDs, she also appears on the radio giving advice on a healthy lifestyle and prepares for an exercise comeback to the TV screens. She is an author of internet TV www.hejbejse.tv, offering a free exercise for active public.

She is the author of charity project “Hejbejte se a zpívejte s Hankou a Novou” This project dominates in projects for children of children´s homes since five years. This year, approx. 450 children from children´s houses from all around country took part.