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Asthedaysgetshorterand cooler, leaving us to spend more time indoors, people become more susceptible to catch- ing bacterial and vi- ral infections. In fact, cold and flu season lasts from about October un- til April. Since there is no cure for colds and flu, prevention is the best medicine for staying healthy during fall and winter months. Now is the time to boost your immune system and prevent the spread of illness. The immune system is the body's natural defense against for- eign invaders such as bacteria, toxins, viruses and other things that can make us sick. It is a com- plex and intricate system of cells and organs that works around the clock to keep us healthy. While there is no one way to guarantee a strong immune system, eating a variety of nutrient-dense foods is one key way to build up your body's natural defenses. Here are five particularly pow- erful foods to help benefit your im- mune system and stay strong this fall and winter: Nuts The vitamin E found in nuts like pistachios, almonds and wal- nuts is needed by the immune sys- tem to fight off invading bacte- ria, so nuts are great for helping to prevent colds. Try adding nuts to salads, homemade breads, oat- meal or simply enjoy a handful as a snack. The healthy fats in nuts help the body absorb vitamin E. Seafood We know that seafood is an im- portant source of protein and anti- inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids. It also provides selenium, which has been shown to improve im- mune function by increasing white blood cells. People with low sele- nium levels may be at increased risk of getting more severe flu symptoms. Try incorporating sea- food into your meals two to three times weekly by adding salmon to a salad, stocking the pantry with canned tuna and grilling shrimp while the weather stays warm. Yogurt Yogurt and other cultured milk products like kefir contain im- mune-boosting beneficial bacteria, known as probiotics, that help bal- ance out the intestinal flora. Be- cause the digestive tract is one of the first lines of defense of the im- mune system, probiotics can help keep you healthy. Be sure to look for products that contain live and active cultures. Cauliflower Research shows that cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower, broc- coli and Brussels sprouts have an impact on immune cells important for a healthy digestive tract. Their low calorie content (less than 30 calories per cup) make leafy vege- tables like cauliflower an excellent food to rely on for vitamin C, min- erals, antioxidants and fiber. Sur- prisingly, the best way to preserve cauliflower's nutrients when cook- ing is to microwave or lightly stir- fry it. Grapefruit Grapefruits get their pinkish- red color from bioflavonoids, im- mune-boosting phytonutrients. Plus, the vitamin C in grapefruit can help the body reduce the se- verity of cold symptoms. Half a grapefruit provides one fruit serving, which meets more than 75 percent of your daily needs for vitamin C. Choose pink and red colored grapefruits to reap the greatest nutritional ben- efit. While getting balanced nutri- tion is vital for a healthy immune system, there are other lifestyle factors to consider to fight cold and flu. Other strategies for pro- tecting your immune system in- clude positively managing stress and getting adequate sleep regu- larly. Don't forget that hand wash- ing is likely the No. 1 most impor- tant strategy for preventing the spread of germs. LeeAnnWeintraub,aregistered dietitian, can be reached at RD@ halfacup.com. NUTRITION SHRIMP CAULIFLOWER GRAPEFRUIT 5 foods to boost your immune system YOGURT PISTACHIOS LeeAnn Weintraub Columnist For decades, many doc- tors have told their pa- tients not to bother with vitamin and mineral sup- plements. The argu- ment is that such pills are a waste of money. The one exception is calcium. Women have been urged to swallow extra calcium to keep their bones strong. Ads on television and in magazines make it seem as if a calcium supplement is essential for a healthy skel- eton. The gist of the ads is that taking calcium pills along with vitamin D can prevent osteoporosis. If only that were true! Unfortunately, studies through the years have not demonstrated that peo- ple taking calcium supple- ments have substantially better bone mineral den- sity. Nor are they less likely to break a bone. Recent re- views of medical research demonstrate that such ex- pectations are unrealistic. One study was a meta- analysis of 59 randomized controlled trials, the best sort of research for deter- mining efficacy of a medi- cation or supplement (The BMJ, Sept. 29, 2015). The scientists found that the meager improvement in bone mineral density noted in people randomly as- signed to get additional cal- cium through pills or food did not last beyond the first year or two. Adding vita- min D to the supplement (to increase calcium ab- sorption) made no differ- ence. The researchers con- cluded that "for most indi- viduals concerned about their bone density, increas- ing calcium intake is un- likely to be beneficial." But what about frac- tures? That is what people actually care about, after all. The implied promise is that calcium supplemen- tation will build strong bones that don't break. Women who worry that they may end up hunched over like their grandmoth- ers are willing to swallow a couple of pills every day to avoid that. Another study in The BMJ (Sept. 29, 2015) re- veals that "Dietary calcium intake is not associated with risk of fracture, and there is no clinical trial ev- idence that increasing cal- cium intake from dietary sources prevents fractures. Evidence that calcium sup- plements prevent fractures is weak and inconsistent." The researchers go on to state quite clearly that: "Collectively, these results suggest that clinicians, advocacy organizations, and health policymakers should not recommend in- creasing calcium intake for fracture prevention, ei- ther with calcium supple- ments or through dietary sources." If calcium supplements were totally benign, it wouldn't matter if people swallowed a couple of un- necessary pills each day. But there is growing evi- dence that there are down- sides to extra calcium. One potential problem is an increased risk of kidney stones (New England Jour- nal of Medicine, Feb. 16, 2006). In addition to this ex- tremely painful complica- tion, calcium supplements have been linked to hos- pitalizations for abdomi- nal distress with constipa- tion, bloating or cramping (Journal of Bone Mineral Research, March 2012). The side effect that con- cerns us the most, how- ever, is that the chance of a heart attack is increased by 20 to 40 percent among people taking calcium pills (Journal of Internal Medi- cine, October 2015). With the weight of the evidence now against cal- cium supplementation for preventing osteoporosis, physicians may want to re- evaluate their approach. Patients taking calcium should discuss this ques- tion with their health- care providers rather than assume a recom- mendation made years ago is still valid. Joe Graedon is a pharmacologist. Teresa Graedon holds a doctorate in medical anthropology and is a nutrition expert. Email them via their website: www.peoplespharmacy. com. PEOPLE'S PHARMACY Calcium supplements have fallen surprisingly short Joe + Teresa Graedon By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar The Associated Press WASHINGTON The math is harsh: The federal penalty for having no health insur- ance is set to jump to $695, and the Obama adminis- tration is being urged to highlight that cold fact in its new pitch for health law sign-ups. That means the 2016 sign-up season starting Nov. 1 could see penalties become a bigger focus for millions of people who have remained eligible for cover- age, but uninsured. They're said to be squeezed for money, and skeptical about spending what they have on health insurance. Until now, health over- haul supporters have stressed the benefits: tax- payer subsidies that pay roughly 70 percent of the monthly premium, finan- cial protection against sud- den illness or an accident, and access to regular pre- ventive and follow-up med- ical care. But in 2016, the penalty for being uninsured will rise to the greater of ei- ther $695 or 2.5 percent of taxable income. That's for someone without coverage for a full 12 months. This year the comparable num- bers are $325 or 2 percent of income. Marketing usually in- volves stressing the posi- tive. Rising penalties meet no one's definition of good news. Still, that may create a new pitch: The math is pretty clear. A consumer would be able to get six months or more of coverage for $695, instead of owing that amount to the IRS as a tax penalty. (That example is based on subsi- dized customers now put- ting in an average of about $100 a month of their own money.) Backers of the law are urging the administration to drive the math lesson home. "Given that the penalty is larger, it does make sense to bring it up more fre- quently," said Ron Pollack, executive director of Fami- lies USA, a liberal advocacy group. "It's an increasing factor in people's decisions about whether or not to get enrolled." "More and more, people are mentioning the sticks as well as the carrots," said Katherine Hempstead, di- rector of health insurance coverage for the Robert Wood Johnson Founda- tion, a nonpartisan orga- nization that has helped facilitate the insurance expansion under Obama's law. Administration officials are looking for a balance. "We need to be make sure that we are very clear and explicit about that $695 penalty so people un- derstand the choice they are making," said spokes- woman Lori Lodes. 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Snoring not only interrupts your sleep cycle, it can also be a symptom of a condition called sleep apnea. Fortunately, there are cost-effective oral appliances for snoring and sleep apnea that dentists can prescribe to their patients. Traditional mandibular advancement appliances, such as Silent Night Slide-Link, TAP, EMA, help reduce or eliminate snoring by moving the lower jaw forward, opening the airway to allow air to flow more freely. CALL DR. RANDAL ELLOWAY IF YOU ARE SUFFERING FROM SNORING OR SLEEP APNEA. HE WILL BE GLAD TO DISCUSS YOUR SYMPTOMS. PROVIDE YOU WITH THE OPTIMUM APPLIANCE TO HELP YOU SLEEP PEACEFULLY AND WITH SECURITY. CALL (530) 527-6777 OFFICE HOURS MON-THURS 8-5 • FRI 8-12. 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HEALTH » redbluffdailynews.com Tuesday, October 20, 2015 MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS A4