In the News

The flu season begins today

          Today marks the official start of the influenza season and this post is a reminder that it should be a top priority for everyone, especially those of us who are old enough to be on Medicare.

From a prior post: The influenza vaccines that have been developed over the last half-century are far from perfect, but to quote an old saw: “The perfect is the enemy of the good.” Some vaccines have low efficiency, perhaps about 25 percent, but some are much better and it will take a few months before we know how effective the latest version is. As I have noted numerous times over the past several decades, the flu vaccine might not keep you from getting that disease but the evidence has been consistent that it will keep you out of the hospital, and from dying. Remember that influenza weakens the immune system, which is why nearly all influenza-related deaths are not due to the virus itself but to secondary bacterial invaders, many of which are now resistant to almost all antibiotics. The problem of antibiotic-resistant bacteria continues to worsen and many of these are circulating in hospitals.

           Another benefit: a nine-year study involving more than four million adults showed that the influenza vaccine reduced the incidence of all forms of stroke by about 25 percent. Previous research indicated that there is a similar reduction in heart attacks in vaccinees. Conversely, there is a significantly greater risk of heart attack and stroke following natural influenza virus infection.

            As of this week there is almost no influenza activity in the U.S., but you should plan on getting the vaccine no later than the end of October. It remains effective for about six months, which will take you through the end of the flu season in the Spring.

Lifestyle

Vitamin C deficiency versus inadequacy

            If your car runs out of gas (deficiency) it stops. If you fill the tank with poor quality gas it will sputter and barely make it up a steep grade (inadequacy). A publication in the journal Nutrients revealed that the same concept applies to vitamin C.

            Scurvy is a debilitating and often fatal disease caused by an absolute deficiency of vitamin C and was the scourge of seafarers until a British naval physician convinced the admiralty to provision its ships with fruit, especially citrus (hence “limeys”, a term describing British sailors). The Nutrients article notes that persons with inadequate levels of vitamin C are 2.3 times more likely to suffer from coronary artery disease than those with normal levels.

            During the recent pandemic it was noted that severe, sometimes fatal infections were associated with “vitamin C deficiency”. (Note: even researchers misuse the term “deficiency” when they really mean “inadequacy”, as embarrassingly noted in the article.)

            Vitamin C is a critical nutrient that helps to control inflammation, which is a driver not only of heart disease, but also of cancer, stroke and osteoporosis, among other maladies. Further, it is necessary for the proper maintenance of connective tissue, the element that literally holds our cells and tissues together. When it fails the result is bleeding in the gums and other tissues, tooth loss, neurologic disorders, weakness and death – the hallmarks of scurvy.

            It’s well-known that organized medicine, with a few exceptions, claims that vitamin supplementation is foolish. Yet a report from the University of Colorado points to the occurrence of frank scurvy among children, most of whom have poor eating habits. Those researchers also observe that the nutrient value of today’s mega-farmed plant foods is considerably lower in vitamins, minerals and protein than those grown 75 years ago.

The lesson: vitamin deficiencies are not common but vitamin inadequacies are. Even the American Medical Association, in a pair of landmark publications in 2002, (Journal of the American Medical Association June 19, 2002, Vol. 287, No. 23, P. 3127) urged that everyone should take a multivitamin/multimineral every day, a position completely opposite that of earlier recommendations and sadly still espoused by some physicians today.