Sugar, Stress and the Immune System

It's almost holiday season and we are once again subjected to the typical holiday stressors. Did you ever notice that you are more likely to come down with something around the holiday season? This is not atypical since there are two major factors that will suppress the immune system: stress and an increased sugar consumption. We all get caught in the trap of being extra busy, extra travel, staff/holiday parties, increased intake of sweets, increased intake of alcohol and racing around at the last minute trying to find the perfect gift (I know that's not everyone, but I know I'm not alone!!). While it may be impossible to avoid all of these seasonal stressors on the immune system, let's look at the mechanisms of how this works and see what we can do to boost our immune system.

You've probably heard that sugar suppresses the immune system, but have you ever wondered how? Our bodies have different mechanisms to protect us from foreign invaders. One of these mechanisms is the action of the phagocytic cells. These cells will search and destroy foreign invaders and protect our bodies from things like viruses and bacteria. Vitamin C is required by these cells to function properly. It just so happens that glucose and vitamin C are almost identical and they will compete with each other to enter the cell. When there is an increased concentration of blood glucose this will decrease the amount of vitamin C entering phagocytic cells and will decrease their effectiveness. This is why high doses of vitamin C taken throughout the day can improve immune function (because it's water soluble your body can only absorb so much at one time and is therefore recommended to take every 3-4 hours). Some people estimate your vitamin C tolerance to at least double when your immune system is suppressed (bowel tolerance is the key to gauging your intake).

Eating or drinking 100 grams (8 tbsp.) of sugar, the equivalent of one 12-ounce can of soda, can reduce the ability of these phagocytic cells to kill germs by 40%. The immune-suppressing effect of sugar starts less than thirty minutes after ingestion and may last for up to five hours. Well, what if you don't drink soda? (I hope this is the case!!). Other things high on the glycemic index (enter white flour, alcohol, etc.) will also elevate the blood glucose levels quickly and cause insulin levels to rise quickly (insulin is also a major immune suppressor as it has an effect on other hormones in the body). It is also important to try to avoid all of the derivatives like corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, dextrose and maltodextrin. Just because sugar isn't on the label does not mean that there isn't some other form lurking behind a different name. Consumption of these things was practically zero forty years ago and now these products are part of the culprit of the obesity epidemic. Read your food labels carefully!

There are many possible stressors around the holiday season. Maybe it's hosting a big party or your in-laws, getting year-end stuff completed at work, or organizing the family vacation, whatever your case may be there is typically something "extra" going on during this time. Our bodies were blessed to have a fight or flight response to help us survive in the hunter-gatherer days. What was once a survival mechanism has become a staple and an everyday occurrence in the Western culture. This mechanism has a powerful effect on other systems in the body. One of the major influences the fight or flight mechanism has is on the hormone cortisol. Cortisol will have the opposite effect of insulin. It's job is to stimulate the liver to breakdown its glycogen stores into glucose in order to provide energy for the fight or flight. Cortisol is also a strong suppressor of cellular immunity and can have a major impact on the body's ability to defend itself.

So what can we do to strengthen our body's natural protective system? Do the things that you already know. Make time to exercise as this produces a physical release of stress and can help boost immune function. Maintaining exercise routines around the holidays can in addition to releasing stress in the body also prevent the typical weight gain that occurs around this time. Get outside when you can and get some fresh air. Eat as healthy as possible to balance out the "extra" and atypical things that you may be consuming. Be aware of sugar and alcohol intake and the effect it has on your body. Make sure you are consuming enough vitamin C by diet and/or supplementation. Get plenty of rest. Be aware of the extra stressors that may be occurring and take some steps to minimize their effect on your body.

It is important to remember that the immune system is controlled by the nervous system, and that the function and alignment of your spine has a profound effect on the function of the nervous system. Many people have reported increased vitality and resistance to colds and flus while under chiropractic care. So make sure you visit your chiropractor during the holiday season to help your body be the best it can be!

Dr. Jason Plotsky

How Toxic Are Your Skin Care Products?

The following link will take you to an article about a report put on by the Breast Cancer Fund about cosmetics and some of their harmful ingredients.

Taking Stock of Toxic Beauty Products


Here are a few products to consider switching to:

- Burt's Bees (available at Superstore and Shoppers Drug Mart)

- Jane Iredale: www.janeiredale.com (available at Cascades Day Spa - 1405 Bedford Highway)

- Healthy Selection (1129 Bedford Highway - carries some skin care products)

- Halifax Naturopathic Health Centre (6243 Almon Street - carries some skin care products)

Investigate Before You Vaccinate

The following information has been taken from pamphlets from The Australian Vaccination Network, and provides great things to consider around the topic of vaccination.

If you are considering vaccination, please be sure to take the following precautions:

1. Is my child perfectly healthy? If not, consider delaying vaccines.
2. Has my child had a course of antibiotics in the past 30 days? If so, consider delaying vaccines.
3. Do I or anyone else in my family have a history of seizure disorders, severe food or environmental allergies or other autoimmune issues? If so, please discuss this with your practitioner before vaccinating.
4. Has my child had a serious reaction to a previous dose of any vaccine? If so, please discuss this with your practitioner before continuing to vaccinate.
5. Have I seen the manufacturer's information on the vaccines I'm considering? Have I looked at the list of ingredients, side effects and contraindications before making my decision?
6. Do I know the symptoms of a vaccine reaction? Do I know how to report a reaction should it occur? (1800 007 468 in Australia only or www.avn.org.au - Reaction report)
7. Has my doctor or clinic assistant noted the vaccine lot and batch number in my child's record?
8. Do I know my rights? Am I aware that vaccination is not compulsory in Australia and that I can send my child to school, preschool, childcare or playgroup whether they are fully or partially vaccinated or completely unvaccinated.
9. Do I know that I will not lose any government entitlements should I choose not to vaccinate? I will still get childcare benefits and the maternity immunisation allowance once I've registered as a conscientious objector.
10. Do I know the actual risks of the diseases I am vaccinating against? What are the chances that my child will get these illnesses despite vaccination or, in the case of live-virus vaccines - because of vaccination?


A few facts on Childhood Influenza...

In general, children and infants who contract Influenza-Like-Illness, which is caused by hundreds of viruses and bacteria, generally find the illness to be mild and self-limiting with a risk of death considered to be less than 1 in a million.

The manufacturer's information states, "Neither Influenza A(H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine nor AFLURIA has been evaluated in children. Safety and effectiveness in the pediatric population have not been established."

In 2008, the Western Australian Government allowed the manufacturers of two of the brands of seasonal flu vaccine, CSL Pty Ldt and Sanofi-Pasteur, to fund a study of the effectiveness of flu vaccines in children as young as 6 months of age. The trial has been cut short due to a high incidence of seizure activity and other serious adverse events following administration of this vaccine which now includes the "swine H1N1 2009' virus.

A survey of paediatricians in the US showed 43% of doctors actively opposed the universal vaccination of children and 27% were unsure. 50% of doctors were concerned about the safety of the inactivated vaccine.

Today's children receive up to 12 vaccines before 12 months of age.

There are cumulative, synergistic and latent effects from the chemicals in vaccines. These chemicals include mercury and aluminium adjuvants (neurotoxins), antibiotics and preservatives - known to cause allergies and anaphylaxis.

Chronic illness in children has increased as the number of vaccines used in children has increased.

Efficacy in Children:

In a recent master study* that analyzed all relevant influenza vaccine studies during the past 40 years, researchers found that in healthy children older than 2 years of age, the live flu vaccine was just 33% effective; the inactivated vaccine was just 36% effective. (* Source: The Cochrane Collaboration, 2006)

In a recent master study** researchers found NO evidence that influenza vaccines prevent flu in children younger than 2 years old. (** The Lancet, February 2005)

A Fact Sheet on the Risk of Cervical Cancer and Use of Gardasil Vaccine...

Gardasil contains only 2 HPV strains - 16/18, of the 20 strains that have been associated with cervical cancer carcinomas

HPV 16/18 are stated to be associated with 70% of cervical cancer which means women are still vulnerable to the infection by other HPV strains associated with cancer (30%)

Trials of this drug did not observe that it would prevent any cervical cancer

Merck claimed this to be (100%) effective against preventing cervical cancer even though they were only comparing pre-cancerous lesions in an age group that rarely gets cervical cancer and where one-third of pre-cancerous lesions do not lead to cervical cancer

Commonwealth Serum Laboratories (pharmaceutical company) funded this research at the Cancer and Immunology Research Centre at the University of Queensland

Trials of the vaccine were funded by Merck (pharmaceutical company that manufactures the vaccine)

10 of the authors of the trials were employed by Merck and the company has financial arrangements with several of the other authors

The duration of protection from this vaccine is unknown as it has only been tested in adults for 3-4 years

It contains 225 micrograms of aluminium adjuvant. Many times more than most vaccines and known to cause allergies/anaphylaxis and autoimmune reactions in humans

In safety trials it was found that there was 3 times the number of serious medical problems in the vaccine group than the placebo group. Including juvenile arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and arthritis. These are autoimmune diseases all of which have significantly increased in the population since vaccination use increased.

Women vaccinated 30 days before becoming pregnant had more congenital birth defects than the placebo group.

An Analysis of Whooping Cough Incidence

It is interesting that the Health Department is claiming that whooping cough is now a problem in the 10-14 year age group. Prior to vaccination, whooping cough was mainly a problem for 0-2 year olds and most serious in infants under 6 months of age. It was not considered a serious disease in adolescents and adults because natural infection gives long-term immunity which reduces the severity of the disease if it re-occurs later in life.

The Australian College of Paediatrics states that the efficacy of the vaccine declines after 2-3 years and this is why regular booster shots are required throughout childhood and adolescence. Infants begin a schedule of 3 doses of whooping cough vaccine from 2 months of age. However, an infant is not protected from the disease until they have received all 3 doses of the vaccine at 6 months of age or later. 90% of mortality from whooping cough occurs in children less than 6 months of age yet they cannot be protected by the vaccine at this age because it requires 3 doses to be effective.

It is also known that many fully-vaccinated children are still getting whooping cough. In addition, there are three species of bacteria that cause whooping cough disease and the vaccine only protects against one species.

In Australia, the percentage of children fully vaccinated against pertussis rose from 71% in 1991 to over 95% in 2009.

Vitamin Deficiency - A Form of Chemical Stress

In our clinic we like to classify the three major categories of stress on the body as physical, chemical and mental/emotional. The body has shown that it will react similarly to different types of stresses and go through predictable hormonal and physical changes. There are often many reasons why a particular symptom occurs in the body and it has always been a priority of mine to figure out what the actual cause of the problem is. For example, something like a headache may be due to misalignment in the upper neck, tight muscles and trigger points in the neck, dehydration, exposure to a toxin or an overwhelming day at work. Due to the complexity of the body, it's often a case of the more you know the more you don't know. However, we have had a lot of success in our clinic looking for the reason of the symptom and finding the most appropriate way to deal with it.

In dealing with chemical stress we usually lump these into two categories: toxicity and deficiency. Simply put, you can put stress on the body by being deficient in something (like a vitamin or mineral) or by being exposed to some type of toxin (i.e. environmental).

One common deficiency that has received a fair amount of press recently is vitamin D. As Canadians, I believe it is very important that we pay attention to this as vitamin D is needed for proper bone health, protects us from diabetes, improves the function of the immune system, is anti-carcinogenic, can improve mood and well-being and can also offer protection from cardiovascular disease. According to the Canadian Vitamin D Society, vitamin D deficiency drains the Canadian Health Care System of 9 billion dollars per year.

The body has the ability to make vitamin D through exposure to the sun and UVB rays but this can become a challenge with our Canadian winters. In one study 41% of healthy subjects were found to be vitamin D deficient throughout the year. This also becomes more of an issue for people with darker skin as they will absorb less UVB rays through the skin. The minimum RDA for adults for vitamin D is 400 IU's that will help prevent things like rickets but it is not likely enough for the average Canadian to prevent the above mentioned diseases.

I have 3 different clinical interests in the application of vitamin D. The first of my interests is around the winter time when more and more people have lowered resistance to viruses like the cold and flu. Vitamin D has recently been shown to help the immune system defend against colds and flus and I think it is a cheap and easy way to help protect you through the winter. Another one of my interests is that I tend to see a fair amount of middle aged women in the clinic that are beginning to have some bone density issues and vitamin D has proven to help maintain bone density and prevent osteoporosis. Another interesting correlation for me is the effect of vitamin D on inflammation in the body which has an effect on some autoimmune and cardiovascular diseases.

Most experts are recommending at least 1000 IU's for adults with a healthy upper limit of 2000 IU's per day. It is safe to say that most Canadians are not getting adequate amounts of sunlight especially in the winter and therefore most are experiencing a deficiency of this essential vitamin. You can get vitamin D through foods like oily fish, cod liver oil, egg yolks and fortified foods like dairy products. There are two forms of vitamin D:D12 (ergocalciferol) from plant sources and D3 (cholecalciferol) from animal sources. Most of the research indicates that D3 is the superior form and in some cases D2 can interfere with the normal production of D3.

Ensuring you have adequate vitamin D intake is an "easy" step toward improving your health. Chemical stressors in the form of toxicity and deficiency are eating away BILLIONS of our health care dollars each year. We only get one shot to take good care of our bodies so let's start right now to take small steps towards better health. Good luck on your journey towards optimum health!!

Dr. Jason Plotsky

Moving Beyond Wheat For a Gluten-Free Life

You have probably noticed the increasing prevalence of gluten-free and wheat-free foods in recent years. With a vast variety of grains and grain products to choose from, it's an unnecessary shame that gluten-related health issues are on the rise.

What is Gluten?

Gluten is part of the tough, elastic protein found in wheat, rye, barley, oats, and many other grains. It binds the dough in baking and prevents crumbling. Gluten is formed when the proteins glutenin and gliadin, present in flour, combine with water. In baking, the gluten in dough is stretched by the carbon dioxide produced by the action of yeast or baking powder, giving the dough a spongy and elastic texture.

Gluten can be found in breads, cakes, pastries, cookies, biscuits, crackers, battered foods, cereals, snack foods, pastas and pizza.

Because gluten is also used as a thickener and filler, it is found in soups, gravies, sauces, processed meats, pickles, sweets, instant pudding and even in chocolate!

Repeated exposure to gluten can damage the villi (the absorptive surface) of the small intestine resulting in poor nutrient absorption. It is estimated that 12% of the population is affected by gluten sensitivity. Unfortunately, for many of us gluten sensitivity is asymptomatic, or manifests in such a way that makes tracing symptoms back to gluten difficult. Gluten sensitivity is characterized by antigliadin antibodies. These antibodies indicate that the intestinal wall has been damaged and is permitting leakage of undigested food proteins into the bloodstream. The immune system produces antibodies to attack these foreign proteins as if they were invading microbes. This is called leaky guy syndrome - a major factor in the underlying cause of most autoimmune diseases including lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and asthma. Sadly, gluten sensitivity and leaky but syndrome remain poorly recognized; in fact, many physicians and health practitioners often suggest that patients ignore symptoms altogether.

The hallmark symptom of gluten intolerance is bloating after eating a starch or grain. For many of us, starch is a regular part of the day, beginning with toast or cereal for breakfast. Should you notice that your belly is flat upon awakening but becomes bloated immediately after eating a starchy food suspect gluten. An indicator of more advanced gluten intolerance is a developing sensitivity to everyday chemicals such as perfumes and paint fumes.

Gluten intolerance may lead to a chronic inflammatory condition called Celiac Disease (or celiac sprue). In Celiac Disease, nutrients pass through the damaged small intestine, unabsorbed, often creating a host of sometimes devastating health and digestive problems. Untreated, Celiac Disease carries an added risk for a wide variety of additional autoimmune diseases.

Article from the Healthy Shopper team at Naturally Savvy (www.naturallysavvy.com)

Why we substitute...

You will notice in most of our recipes (www.novaspinalcarerecipes.blogspot.com) the substitution of certain ingredients and lack of things like wheat, dairy and sugar (also artificial sweeteners). The reason for this started with a naturopathic consultation my wife had 3 years ago in Toronto at the Eat Right For Your Blood Type clinic. She was advised to avoid wheat and dairy and substitute dairy with things like almond or rice milk and to replace wheat products with rice, spelt, buckwheat or almond products. Since I do most of the cooking we had to keep reading about how to replace certain things and do some experiments. Most of the time it is extremely simple to take out regular flour and add spelt flour or to take out milk and add almond milk (our favorite). So when I make pancakes I can look at a recipe and simply substitute the flour and milk out. If you see a recipe with almond flour it is simply blanched almonds that are ground up in a food processor or grinder. We still use eggs in our family as we are not aware of an egg sensitivity with anyone at this point. We do use butter as this is usually tolerated OK but in the case of an extreme dairy sensitivity you would likely want to avoid it. Avoid margarine as this is artificial and can be difficult for the body to process. We also use coconut oil to cook and bake with but you may need to experiment with the ratios as some of our cookies have turned out more like very flat pancakes. We will often use AGAVE NECTAR for sweetness as it has more fructose and less sucrose and is therefore much lower on the glycemic index. It is more expensive but can be found in the health food section of Superstore or in health food stores. Stevia is safe to use as it is just from a plant and is much sweeter than sugar. Just watch what else has been added to it as they often use corn byproducts which some people are sensitive to (ie corn maltodextrose). You will also find the different types of flours and dairy substitutes in the organic section of most large grocery stores.

This has been a continual journey for us and some of the things we recommended a few years ago we may not recommend anymore due to further knowledge and understanding. We are continually on the lookout for new information and will use this blog to pass along whatever we find out. Enjoy!

The Role of Omega 3

There has been a lot of "buzz" lately around the importance of omega-3 fatty acids in the treatment and prevention of many diseases. They have been shown to protect the heart from cardiovascular disease, to protecting against Alzheimer's and reducing inflammation in the body. But what are they and where do we get them?

The significance behind the Omega-3 fatty acids is that they are essential to our body. This means not only are they necessary, but our bodies cannot make them and they need to come from the diet. Well what happens when we don't get enough of these essential fatty acids in the diet? That's why there are 2000 peer-reviewed studies on omega-3's and their role in health. Without boring you with the biochemistry we need to make a few distinctions with regards to Omega-3's. While there are a few good sources of omega-3's (ie flax seeds/oil) a lot of the research is done studying the long chain omega-3's EPA and DHA. While your body can convert a % or the omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid into EPA and DHA with various enzymes, we can consume EPA and DHA directly in cold water fatty fish such as salmon, herring, mackerel, sardines and anchovies. Part of the reason we need DHA in our bodies is because it composes part of the brain. At birth your brain is composed of 60% fat and a total of 11% of the brain's mass comes from DHA. So what happens when the mom does not get enough EPA/DHA in the diet? We know from research that DHA continues to accumulate in the brain and neural tissues until the age of two. This is part of the reason it is important for the mom to breast feed. Not only does the baby get the perfect nutritional composition and immune support, but they also get the necessary omega-3's for proper brain development. This also poses an interesting question about post-partum depression. They have studied the correlation between countries with low fish consumption and the incidence of post-partum depression and noted that it is significantly higher than those countries that have a higher consumption of fish.

There are now over 2000 peer-reviewed studies documenting the various benefits of omega-3 oils in the diet. A lot of this information comes from studying groups of people, monitoring their fish intake and noticing trends with conditions like cardiovascular disease. As an example, the average North American consumes approximately 0.1-0.2 g/day EPA/DHA. Compare this to an Inuit person who consumes approximately 2.1 g of EPA/DHA and has a significantly lower risk of heart disease. Omega-3's have shown to reduce levels of triglycerides in teh blood and raise the HDL ("good" cholesterol) which has had a significant impact on the prevention and treatment of at risk individuals. It has also been shown to reduce atherosclerosis (plaque formation), heart arrythmia's and inflammatory markers.

Well what about the risk of contamination from the heavy metals and other environmental pollutants? The reputable companies will put their oil through a few processes to ensure the oil is free from contaminants. Ask your local health food store who the good companies are. This may be one case where it is better to take a supplement than eat the actual food. Most fish oils don't taste anything like fish. In fact they usually taste like lemon or orange. I usually recommend people take the oil as it is more cost effective, but there are capsules if you need them. Most of the studies done with regards to EPA/DHA would require us to take 1-2 teaspoons of fish oil/day. This would provide approximately 1.6-3.2 grams of the brain protecting, heart protecting, good stuff per day. This would take a lot of capsules so read your labels. It has been shown that most humans will convert between 5-15% of alpha-linolenic acid (found in flax oil) to EPA/DHA. This would require a lot of flax oil so this is why I recommend the fish oil. SOme people ask about the "blended" oils of omega-3,6,9 and these are great, but most people are so deficient in EPA/DHA that it won't provide enough. Besides, if you consume olive oil, nuts and seeds in your diet you will get enough of the other oils.

I knew this was an important topic when the first two seminars I attended this year revolved around the topic of omega-3 fatty acids and their role in health. It was also interesting that both seminars were focused on the consumption of EPA/DHA and this made it clear to me why everybody needs to look at their current intake and supplement as necessary.

Dr. Jason Plotsky

Eye on Pesticides

It is apparent that buying or growing as much organic food as possible is not only best for your health, but for the health of the entire planet. However, certain fruits and vegetables are subjected to far heavier pesticide use than others. With food prices rising, many are looking for ways to buy the healthiest foods possible at the lowest cost.

One such way would be to focus on purchasing certain organic items, while settling for others that are conventionally grown. The Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit organization that advocates for policies that protect global and individual health, produces the Shoppers' Guide to Pesticides in Produce. It is based on the results of nearly 43,000 pesticide tests.

Of the 43 different fruit and vegetable categories in the EWG's Guide to Pesticides, the following 12 foods had the lowest pesticide load when conventionally grown: asparagus, avocados, bananas, broccoli, cabbage, eggplant, kiwis, mangos, onions, pineapples, sweet corn and sweet peas. Consequently, they are the safest conventionally grown crops to consume.

Meanwhile, these 12 fruits and vegetables had the highest pesticide load, making them the most important to buy or grow organic: apples, celery, cherries, imported grapes, lettuce, nectarines, peaches, pears, potatoes, spinach, strawberries and sweet bell peppers. Conventionally grown strawberries, in particular, were found by a 007 European Union study to be highly toxic due to a poisonous blend of pesticides. But be aware that these lists cover fruits and vegetables only. Non-organic meats actually have far higher concentrations of pesticides than all of the fruits and vegetables. And the highest concentration of pesticides is actually in non-organic butter.

So, if you can only buy one organic food item, it should be butter. Your next priority should be meats, and once those are addressed, focus on the fruits and vegetables listed above.

Bear in mind, also, that locally grown organics are your absolute best bet. Oftentimes, buying locally grown food is your best choice even if it's grown conventionally, as the environmental impact of shipping organic produce across the globe can cancel out many of its benefits. Organic farming standards are also questionable in many parts of the world.

Article excerpt by Dr. Mercola, published in Pathways to Family Wellness, summer 2010

Foods and the Inflammatory Response

As with any health strategy, that which we put into our body will affect its ability to heal and repair. A diet consisting of foods that reduce inflammation should include essential fatty acids from fish and nuts, the spice turmeric, and antioxidants from vegetables and fruits: all may assist in keeping inflammation low. Without inflammation damaged tissue would not heal and further destruction would result.

Foods that may trigger inflammation should be reduced or eliminated from the diet. These may include those foods containing the alkaloid solanine found in the nightshade family (peppers, tomatoes, potato, and eggplant) and those high in arachidonic acid (meat, eggs). Eliminating refined sugars, white flours, processed foods including those with nitrates - as they may perpetuate a rise in inflammatory mediators - is also highly recommended. Another consideration is removing gluten, which can contribute significantly to inflammation, from the diet. Gluten sensitivity is now being recognized as far more prevalent than previously thought and testing is available to identify those who are sensitive.

Although systemic enzyme support may consist of the same proteolytic enzymes as enzymes that are used to support digestion, their intent is to reach the systemic circulation. It is imperative, then, that they are used on an empty stomach (45 minutes prior to eating or several hours after food) in order to achieve this desired effect.

It is apparent that a healthy immune response to injury/trauma involves an inflammatory response. When this response is balanced and appropriate, the body will heal and move to a state of recovery quickly and without complication. When this process is out of balance, pain, reduced healing, and chronic inflammatory conditions may result. Systemic enzyme support assists the body in reaching balance more readily with minimal to no side-effects, unlike some traditional pharmaceutical treatments.

Article excerpt by Dr. Victoria Coleman, published in Canadian Chiropractor, June 2010

Two Types of Chemical Stress

Vitamin D Deficiency: A Form of Chemical Stress

In our clinic we like to classify the three major categories of stress on the body as physical, chemical and mental/emotional. The body has shown that it will react similarly to different types of stresses and go through predictable hormonal and physical changes. There are often many reasons why a particular symptom occurs in the body and it has always been a priority of mine to figure out what the actual cause of the problem is. For example, something like a headache may be due to misalignment in the upper neck, tight muscles and trigger points in the neck, dehydration, exposure to a toxin or an overwhelming day at work. Due to the complexity of the body, it's often a case of the more you know the more you don't know. However, we have had a lot of success in our clinic looking for the reason of the symptom and finding the most appropriate way to deal with it.

In dealing with chemical stress we usually lump these into two categories: toxicity and deficiency. Simply put, you can put stress on the body by being deficient in something (like a vitamin or mineral) or by being exposed to some type of toxin (i.e. environmental).

One common deficiency that has received a fair amount of press recently is vitamin D. As Canadians, I believe it is very important that we pay attention to this as vitamin D is needed for proper bone health, protects us from diabetes, improves the function of the immune system, is anti-carcinogenic, can improve mood and well-being and can also offer protection from cardiovascular disease. According to the Canadian Vitamin D Society, vitamin D deficiency drains the Canadian Health Care system of 9 billion dollars per year.

The body has the ability to make vitamin D through exposure to the sun and UVB rays but this can become a challenge with our Canadian winters. In one study 41% of healthy subjects were found to be vitamin D deficient throughout the year. This also becomes more of an issue for people with darker skin as they will absorb less UVB rays through their skin. The minimum RDA for adults for vitamin D is 400 IU's that will prevent things like rickets but it is not likely enough for the average Canadian to prevent the above mentioned diseases.

I have 3 different clinical interests in the application of vitamin D. The first of my interests is around the winter time when more and more people have lowered resistance to viruses like the cold and flu. Vitamin D has recently been shown to help the immune system defend against colds and flus and I think it is a cheap and easy way to help protect you through the winter. Another one of my interests is that I tend to see a fair amount of middle aged women in the clinic that are beginning to have some bone density issues and vitamin D has proven to help maintain bone density and prevent osteoporosis. Another interesting correlation for me is the effect of vitamin D on inflammation in the body which has an effect on some autoimmune and cardiovascular diseases.

Most experts are recommending at least 1000 IU's for adults with a healthy upper limit of 2000 IU's per day. It is safe to say that most Canadians are not getting adequate amounts of sunlight especially in the winter and therefore most are experiencing a deficiency of this essential vitamin. You can get vitamin D through foods like oily fish, cod liver oil, egg yolks and fortified foods like dairy products. There are two forms of vitamin D: D2 (ergocalciferol) from plant sources and D3 (cholecalciferol) from animal sources. Most of the research indicates that D3 is the superior from and in some cases D2 can interfere with the normal production of D3.

Ensuring you have adequate vitamin D intake is an "easy" step toward improving your health. Chemical stressors in the form of toxicity and deficiency are eating away BILLIONS of our health care dollars each year. We only get one shot to take good care of our bodies so let's start right now to take small steps toward better health. Good luck on your journey towards optimum health!!

Dr. Jason Plotsky