Fructose – cancer growth, obesity, cardiovascular disease, fatty liver disease, and type II diabetes

Can sugar promote cancer growth, obesity, cardiovascular disease, fatty liver disease, and type II diabetes?

By Wendi Roscoe PhD

In short, the answer is yes, but it is a very specific sugar and the mechanism is dependent on how this sugar is metabolized by our cells.

The idea of sugar promoting cancer is not new.  It is also fairly common knowledge that eating a lot of sugar will cause people to gain weight.  Most doctors tell their patients that a good diet is essential to good health.  But we mostly take this for granted or don’t take it too seriously to heart.  The fact is that excessive sugar in your diet can lead to very serious health problems.  Many people will eat frozen dinners that have nice pictures of vegetables on the box and they think this is healthy food.  Many people also eat a lot of foods such as pancakes (from a box) or buy cookies, granola bars, even flavored rice in a bag and think they are eating very healthy.  The problem is that most of the time when you eat foods in a package that have a list of ingredients, then it is likely not healthy, despite the healthy-looking pictures.  Many processed or frozen foods have many chemicals and preservatives and sugars in them that will allow them to stay in a freezer for a long time and to keep their color, texture, and flavor. 

This article is just about the fructose that is added to many foods.  And I want to explain how this sugar (monosaccharide) is metabolized by our cells and how it affects our body physiology.

What are the different types of sugars?

Monosaccharides are simple sugars; the 3 main ones are glucose, fructose, and galactose.  They all have 6 carbon atoms, 12 hydrogens, and 6 oxygens (C₆H₁₂O₆) but they have a different chemical structure and the way our cell use these are different.  Our cells use glucose as a primary source of fuel for making energy (ATP….adenosine triphosphate). When we eat complex carbohydrates, such as potatoes, rice, bread or pasta, then we are eating starch.  Starch is a polysaccharide made up of only glucose molecules, and it is our cell’s primary source of energy production. When we digest these starches in our digestive system, only glucose is released into our bloodstream, and used either to make energy (ATP) or converted into glycogen (the animal form of stored energy) in our liver or muscle cells, and any extra is converted into triglycerides (fat) in our adipose tissue (the fat cells in our subcutaneous layer, which is under our skin).

If rice and potatoes are just made of sugar (glucose), why can’t we just eat chocolate bars and cake?

First, because when we digest starches, the glucose molecules are released slowly into our bloodstream because of the time it takes for our digestive enzymes to break them down into the individual glucose monosaccharides.  Second, chocolate and cake and cookies etc is made from table sugar (sucrose), which is a disaccharide, which is made of both glucose and fructose.  Sucrose is approximately 50% fructose and 50% glucose.  Other sugars have different amounts of fructose such as honey (50% fructose but in free form, not bound to the glucose as a disaccharide) or high fructose corn syrup (usually 55% fructose and 45% glucose).  Third, when we eat simple sugars they are absorbed much more quickly into the bloodstream from the digestive tract because they are already almost completely broken down.  This rapid absorption leads to a spike in the release of insulin from the pancreas.  I’ll talk about insulin more shortly.

What is different about fructose?

Fructose is the sweetest tasting sugar, which is why the inexpensive high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is found in so many processed foods.  It is also found in fruit but in much lower amounts.  For example, a can of tomatoes contains about 2 grams of fructose, whereas a large soft drink can have up to 60 grams.  Fructose is not metabolized in the same way as glucose.  Fructose is circulated from our digestive tract through the hepatic portal vein to the liver.  The hepatic portal vein is a vein that brings all digested nutrients from the digestive tract to the liver before it goes into the general circulation.  The liver then processes these nutrients, meaning that it “decides” what will go into the rest of the circulation and what will be converted into stored energy (glycogen or fat).  The liver also stores many vitamins and other nutrients that we eat so they can be released into the blood when needed. 

Glucose is the main source of ATP in all cells of the body and that is why we have to maintain a certain blood sugar level, which is regulated in part by insulin.  Insulin is released in varying amounts depending of what we eat.  Insulin is a hormone that signals the cells in our body to take up glucose from the bloodstream so it can be either used to make ATP.  If we have an excess of blood sugar then increased insulin will signal the liver and muscle cells to convert the excess into glycogen and fat.  Fructose does not stimulate insulin release nearly as much as glucose does.  Scientists initially thought this might be a better sugar for diabetics but recent research shows that fructose is in fact worse for diabetics. 

How does fructose relate to cancer growth, obesity, cardiovascular disease, fatty liver disease, and type II diabetes?

Fructose from the digestive system reaches the liver before any other cells in the body.  The liver converts about 50% of this into glucose or lactate and the rest is primarily converted into triglycerides (fat).  Fructose is not used directly by any cell in the body, it is almost 100% metabolized by the liver. 

When the liver has to convert excessive amounts of fructose to glucose or fat, it requires much more energy (ATP) than converting glucose to glycogen or fat.  This increased ATP use leads to the production of uric acid and depletes the liver of ATP that it may need for other functions.  Also, fructose will inhibit fat breakdown in the liver and only promotes fat production.  Over several years of excessive fructose intake, the liver will develop fatty deposits, also called fatty liver disease (Tappy and Le, 2010).  Furthermore, the fat produced by the liver from fructose will need to be transported through the bloodstream to adipose tissue to be stored. 

The liver produces low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) which are made of cholesterol and help transport the triglycerides through the bloodstream.  These are the molecules measured in a blood cholesterol test.  Excessive fructose intake increases blood cholesterol levels just as much as eating fat!  Therefore, fructose-induced LDL production is a major contributing factor to cardiovascular disease (Stanhope and Havel, 2010).  Needless to say, all of the triglycerides being stored in the adipose tissue contribute to increased weight gain.  It has also been shown that fructose conversion into lactate (which can leave the liver and circulate through the body and can be used by some cells to make ATP) will inhibit fat breakdown in fat cells.  This means that you will continue to store fat and it won’t be used for energy, even if you exercise.

When we measure our blood sugar levels we are measuring glucose levels because fructose is rarely found circulating in the bloodstream because it is almost completely processed by the liver into the molecules mentioned above.  Insulin release is highly regulated by blood glucose levels.  When we eat, our blood sugar level increases, we release insulin, our cells than take up nutrients and make ATP or store them, then our blood sugar level decreases, insulin secretion decreases until we eat again…this is a normal process that is vital to taking up and using the food we eat.  When we eat a high amount of fructose, about 50% of it is converted into glucose which is released into the blood stream, which will stimulate insulin release.  Normally when blood sugar levels are high, our liver would not continue to make more glucose, it would convert sugar into fat, but when we eat fructose, 50% is STILL converted into glucose and secreted into the bloodstream.  When this happens, insulin is of coursed released in response to the higher blood sugar.  This, over time, will lead to insulin resistance, and therefore, type II diabetes(Gerrits and Tsalikian, 1993).

Cancer cells grow more rapidly in an acidic environment.  This has been shown in lab experiments with cancer cells growing in vitro.  There are articles that say eating a more alkaline diet will decrease the likelihood of cancer growth.  I do not think that is the actual link.  I do think that a lower blood pH could increase the growth rate of existing cancer cells but eating alkaline foods will do no good because of the buffering system of the digestive system and the circulatory system.  When we eat foods they first enter the extremely acidic environment of the stomach, they then pass into the small intestine where a large amount of bicarbonate is released from the pancreas to increase the pH level so that intestinal enzymes can function properly.  I don’t think eating alkaline foods will have any impact on blood pH because of this process.  However, fructose inadvertently decreases the pH of the blood (more acidic) by increasing uric acid production in the liver.  So in my opinion, decreasing fructose in your diet will decrease cancer cell growth by decreasing uric acid production, which therefore maintains a more alkaline blood pH level.  It is also possible that blood buffering systems compensate for the increased uric acid (which will eventually be eliminated by the kidneys) and perhaps there is no link.  This is just speculation on my part, there are no publications which show this specifically, but I think it is a pretty fascinating relationship that should be mentioned.  It is also well known that cancer cells will use 10X more glucose than normal cells, so having high blood sugar for long periods of time will increase cancer growth simply because the cancer cells are getting what they need to grow (Yalcin et al., 2009).

Some interesting facts about fructose: 

When you eat a meal that is high in saturated fats (animal fats like meat and butter) you will absorb more fructose from that meal into the bloodstream.  Eating healthier unsaturated fats, such as olive oil, will not increase fructose absorption.

Fructose eaten by people that have high activity levels will be much less likely to have the long term effects compared to people that are sedentary. 

A high fructose diet can affect the normal bacteria that live in the digestive and can lead to digestive problems such as diarrhea or bloating.

Fructose in food doesn’t affect the feeling of fullness the same as glucose.  A hormone called ghelin is released when we eat, which makes us feel full; this hormone release can be suppressed by fructose and can contribute to over-eating.

Another hormone called leptin plays a role in breaking down fat to be used for ATP production.  High fructose intake will eventually inhibit this hormone and may also contribute to fatty liver disease.

We are genetically programmed to crave salt, fat, and sugar because these used to be so rare in the diet.  Now that they are constantly available, we consume much more than our ancestors ever could.  Particularly with the technology we now have to produce massive amounts of HFCS which are added to many processed foods.

A high fructose diet will increase the amount of fat that is stored around your organs, compared to normal fat distribution in the subcutaneous layer under the skin.  Excessive fats surrounding organs will increase blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.

Foods that contain high amounts of fructose:

Soft drinks

Gatorade

Table sugar

Baked sweets – cake, cookies, pie, donuts etc

Salad dressings

Sweet pickles

Ketchup

Dried fruits – dates and figs are high in fructose

Tomato paste

Honey

Pancake syrup

Jam

Cereals (most cereals are junk food)

Fast foods

Frozen dinners

Ice cream

Many snacks such as granola bars, “100 calorie bars”, energy bars

*Although fruit generally has a much lower amount of fructose and fruits are very healthy, some fruits have higher proportions of fructose than glucose – grapes, pears and apples tend to have more fructose than berries or citrus.

Now you may be wondering what on earth CAN you eat?  Humans are supposed to eat plants and animals.  Eat lots of different vegetables, fruit, beans, nuts, eggs, oatmeal, chicken, fish, rice, potatoes, etc.  If it has a long ingredients list, then you probably shouldn’t eat it.

 Reference List

Gerrits PM, Tsalikian E (1993) Diabetes and fructose metabolism. Am J Clin Nutr 58:796S-799S.

Stanhope KL, Havel PJ (2010) Fructose consumption: recent results and their potential implications. Ann N Y Acad Sci 1190:15-24.

Tappy L, Le KA (2010) Metabolic effects of fructose and the worldwide increase in obesity. Physiol Rev 90:23-46.

Yalcin A, Telang S, Clem B, Chesney J (2009) Regulation of glucose metabolism by 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatases in cancer. Exp Mol Pathol 86:174-179.

The Biology of Influenza and Vaccination

Oct. 29, 2009                      The Biology of Influenza and Vaccination

By Wendi Roscoe BScH, BEd, MSc, PhD

There is a lot of conflicting information circulating regarding the H1N1 pandemic and there is a lot of pressure to get vaccinated.  It is very important to have some biology knowledge in order to make an educated decision about whether or not you will decide to vaccinate yourself or your children. 

Yes, H1N1 is a different virus compared with the regular seasonal influenza virus.  Seasonal influenza viruses are type B viruses; they only infect humans and usually cause mild disease in young healthy people.  H1N1 is a type A virus, which can infect other animals, such as pigs and birds, as well as humans.  When viruses infect multiple species, they have a higher mutation rate and therefore, they are not as easily recognized by our immune memory cells (from previous exposure to similar viruses) and can cause a more severe infection.

How would you know if you had the flu?  The symptoms of influenza usually include fever, sore throat, muscle aches, headache, coughing, and fatigue, and sometimes vomiting.  There are also at least 100 different ‘common cold’ viruses that can cause similar symptoms, but generally, symptoms of the flu occur more suddenly, and are associated with a higher fever, chills, more fatigue and muscle aches compared to a common cold.  If you have these symptoms then you will need to stay home from work or school, drink a lot of fluids, take vitamins and Tylenol, and rest.  There is nothing a doctor can do for you unless you are experiencing difficulty breathing.  Your immune system will fight the infection as long as you are healthy.  If you have severe symptoms or underlying health conditions, then you may need to see your doctor.

How many people die from the flu?  Although people can die from H1N1 and from the yearly seasonal flu virus, most people have regular flu symptoms and recover within 5 – 7 days.  Seasonal influenza kills approximately 36,000 people per year in the US, and about 2500 in Canada, and those people are generally very young or elderly or have underlying health conditions [1].  If we look at overall death rates in the world from H1N1 compared to other causes of death, we will see that although H1N1 is a “pandemic” it is not causing enormous fatalities and should not be cause to panic.  Every year, approximately 50 million people die worldwide; approximately 30 million of those deaths are due to non-communicable diseases,   5 million people die from injury, and approximately 8 million people die from infectious diseases.  Worldwide, approximately 5800 people have died from H1N1 since the pandemic began in the spring of 2009, 80 of those in Canada, 31 in Ontario. 

The following highlights the proportion of some causes of death worldwide from January – October 2009. 

Cardiovascular disease	14750612
Cancer	6408451
Respiratory (non flu)	3264792
STDs and HIV	2734371
Digestion disease	1734600
Diarrheal diseases	1649779
Tuberculosis	1361755
Car accidents	1050358
Neuropsychiatric	979133
Malaria	804184
Suicide	770590
Diabetes	668077
Violence	492658
Falls	345539
Drownings	336400
Poisoning	308900
Fires	274950
Endocrine disease	213048
Meningitis	152580
War	151017
Hepatitis	138100
Malnutrition	42515
Encephalitis	12319
H1N1	5800

What is happening in our body when we have the flu?  Influenza is a virus made of the nucleic acid, RNA, and a protein capsule.  When influenza infects our cells, it changes its RNA into DNA, then replicates itself and makes many new virus particles.  Viruses cannot live for very long outside of an animal cell.  Influenza infects our respiratory tract cells in our nose, throat, and lungs, and it can sometimes infect cells in the digestive system.   Because influenza has to copy its RNA into DNA first, and then replicate new virus particles, it will not always make new viruses that are exactly the same.  These RNA mutations are what lead to changes in the proteins in the virus (proteins that help it to infect cells, replicate, etc).  This is also why every season there are different influenza viruses circulating in the population.  This is also why H1N1 is quite different from seasonal influenza because as it moves from animals to humans, these mutations are increased.

How does influenza infect our cells? Influenza viruses bind through Hemagglutinin, a protein on the virus capsule, which binds to receptors on our respiratory cells.  Our cells engulf the virus through phagocytosis, and then the virus can replicate itself, killing our cells in the process. Neuraminidase enzymes in the virus help the new virus particles to be released from our cells and then the replicated virus particles can spread and infect other cells.  H1N1 is named because of the sequences of the Hemagglutinin and Neuraminidase genes.

How does our immune system fight viral infections?  We have evolved from a long line of ancestors that survived many very severe infections, such as plague, smallpox, cholera, typhus, etc.  People, particularly children, could not have survived if their immune systems could not handle infections.  Because of this, we have very strong immune systems that are capable of fighting off many bacterial, parasitic, fungal, and viral infections.  Our immune cells are generally very good at keeping microorganisms under control.  I personally believe that a certain amount of infection is actually required for our immune systems to stay strong and healthy.  If we are not continually exposed to the microorganisms in our environment, eventually we would not be able to fight off simple infections (living in a ‘bubble’ makes us less healthy).  This is also evident when young children start daycare or school, or people change from working at home to working in an office.  The new exposure to microorganisms usually leads to an unhappy season of ‘catching’ everything that is going around, however, the following years; they are much less likely to have as many infections.  This is due to memory cells, which I will talk more about shortly.

When we are infected with a flu virus, then our immune cells will recognize the proteins on the surface of that virus as “foreign”.  The lymphocytes that reside in our lymphatic tissue are all different; each one can recognize one specific foreign protein, we make all of these lymphocytes during embryonic development and early childhood.  As virus proteins (carried by antigen-presenting cells) circulate through our lymphatic system, eventually a lymphocyte will recognize and bind to that protein….this is why it takes longer to recover from a new infection if there are no previous memory cells.  Once a lymphocyte (T cell) has recognized a protein, it will proliferate and make millions of other T cells that also recognize that specific protein, they circulate throughout the body and attack viruses and infected cell that match that protein. (This will happen many times for several viral proteins that are recognized by the immune cells).  We also have natural killer cells that kill virus-infected cells. 

What are memory cells?  Once the viral infection is under control (5 – 7 days, maybe longer depending on how new the virus is to your body and how healthy you are), the T cells will form memory cells….this process is crucial for preventing future infections from that exact same virus.  Memory cells are the very reason why we are not continually bombarded with infections.  Once we have made memory cells to a specific pathogen, then a second encounter with that pathogen will be promptly controlled because the memory cells can react very quickly, and you would likely not even realize that your immune system was fighting anything.  We get sick when we encounter new pathogens.  The symptoms of a cold or flu are primarily due to our immune system responding to the infection.

Because influenza viruses mutate, the proteins on the virus that are recognized by our immune cells are always slightly different every year, triggering a new primary immune response in our bodies.  But with seasonal influenza, there are always some similar proteins that our immune system will recognize, and some that it won’t.  The more similar the virus proteins are to the previous year, the less sick you will feel when infected again.  This is why people getting infected with H1N1 feel quite a bit worse than a normal seasonal flu, because it is a type A virus, the proteins that our immune system would recognize are much different than our immune cells have seen before.  However, the good news is that if you are infected with H1N1 and you recover (which most people do), then you will have long-lasting memory cells that will help you fight off any recurring or slightly mutated version in the future.  This is precisely why older people are not as affected by H1N1 compared to younger people.

Why is all of this information so important to understand when deciding whether or not to get vaccinated?  When people get a seasonal influenza vaccine, the immune system does not react to the vaccine in the same way that it does to an actual infection.  Vaccines are typically made from a killed virus along with other ingredients mentioned in more detail shortly.  Our immune system does not mount the same intensity of a response to killed virus particles, and therefore, only a short-term immune response occurs.  A killed-virus vaccine does not stimulate long-term memory cell production.  So how would that affect your ability to naturally fight the slightly altered viruses the following year?  You will not have memory cells to the previous antigens (proteins recognized by the immune cells) so new viruses will be less recognizable by your immune cells and you have more severe symptoms.

Vaccines.  Vaccines are generally made in 2 different ways, live-attenuated, or killed virus.  Live-attenuated viruses are grown in cells until a non-virulent form is produced but still stimulate the immune system to react, the idea is to have some common antigens so that memory cells will be produced and will recognize at least some of the antigens when exposed to the circulating virus.  Influenza vaccines made this way tend to cause influenza symptoms, long-term memory cells would be produced (good) but people often get sick, which defeats the purpose of being vaccinated.  The most common method used for influenza vaccines is to use killed viruses, that way they can’t infect our cells but the proteins would still be there for our immune cells to recognize, but no long-term memory cells are produced.  This is why the new vaccines are now containing adjuvant, which stimulates a much stronger immune response in order to induce long-term memory cells.

This year’s vaccine, information from the Center for Disease Control website:

 “The flu shot is an inactivated vaccine (containing killed virus) that is given with a needle, usually in the arm. The flu shot is approved for use in people older than 6 months, including healthy people and people with chronic medical conditions.”

“The nasal-spray flu vaccine is a vaccine made with live, weakened flu viruses that do not cause the flu (sometimes called LAIV for “live attenuated influenza vaccine” or FluMist®). LAIV (FluMist®) is approved for use in healthy* people 2-49 years of age who are not pregnant.”

Possible reactions to influenza vaccination (from CD website)

“The nasal spray (also called LAIV or FluMist®): The viruses in the nasal-spray vaccine are weakened and do not cause severe symptoms often associated with influenza illness. (In clinical studies, transmission of vaccine viruses to close contacts has occurred only rarely.)

In children, side effects from LAIV (FluMist®) can include: runny nose, wheezing, headache, vomiting, muscle aches, and fever.  In adults, side effects from LAIV (FluMist®) can include: runny nose, headache, sore throat, and cough.

The flu shot: The viruses in the flu shot are killed (inactivated), so you cannot get the flu from a flu shot. Some minor side effects that could occur include: Soreness, redness, or swelling where the shot was given, fever (low grade), aches.  If these problems occur, they begin soon after the shot and usually last 1 to 2 days. Almost all people who receive influenza vaccine have no serious problems from it. However, on rare occasions, flu vaccination can cause serious problems, such as severe allergic reactions.”

Note: You cannot sue for damages if you are one of the unlucky people that have a serious adverse reaction.

What is in the vaccine?  Because the killed viruses are usually ignored by our immune cells, other ingredients are added to help boost the immune response.

The following information is from the GlaxoSmithKline website (a Canadian company that makes influenza vaccines). 

Seasonal vaccine contains:

• killed influenza virus particles (usually trivalent, so 3 of the most prevalent viruses from the previous season)
• Aluminum salts – to increase immune cell activity
• Formaldehyde – to kill the virus
• Sodium deoxycholate – detergent used to emulsify the vaccine into tiny particles that will be taken up by immune cells
• Tween 20 – fat-type molecule also used to emulsify vaccine (also used to make ice-cream)
• 5μg Thimerosal USP (mercury) per 0.5mL dose – preservative

 H1N1 Vaccine contains:

• Arepanrix™ H1N1 (AS03-adjuvanted H1N1 pandemic influenza vaccine) is a two-component vaccine consisting of an H1N1 immunizing antigen (as a suspension), and an AS03 adjuvant (as an oil-in-water emulsion).
• The H1N1 antigen is prepared from virus grown in the allantoic cavity of embryonated hen’s eggs. The virus is inactivated with ultraviolet light treatment followed by formaldehyde treatment, purified by centrifugation and disrupted with sodium deoxycholate (detergent).
• The AS03 adjuvant system is a sterile, homogenized, emulsion composed of DL-α-tocopherol (vit E), squalene and polysorbate 80 (type of oil to make vaccine thicker) in a 3mL vial, and 5μg Thimerosal USP per 0.5mL dose (mercury, used as preservative)
• The adjuvant is required to induce a strong enough immune response to produce memory cells

What is Squalene?  Squalene is actually a naturally occurring fat-type hydrocarbon molecule that is produced normally in many cells, including human cells.  We make squalene is some cells as a precursor to cholesterol and steroid hormones.  However, when injected into humans, the immune system reacts to this substance (which is why it is used in the vaccine because it will induce a strong immune reaction).  Some research in this area has shown that oil-water suspensions, including squalene were associated with the ability to induce lupus autoantibodies in mice [3] and another study showed that endogenous squalene was linked to autoimmune arthritis in rats [4]. 

The World Health Organization and US Dept of Defense both published extensive reports that emphasize that squalene is a chemical naturally occurring in the human body, present even in oils of human fingerprints.  WHO also states that squalene has been present in over 22 million flu vaccines given to patients in Europe since 1997 and there have never been significant vaccine-related adverse events.

The US Dept of Defense concluded that there are still many doubts to whether or not squalene-containing vaccines are safe at all.  There are no long-term studies to determine this yet.

What are the possible serious adverse reactions?  Serious adverse reactions occurred in 1.6% of adults injected with a H5N1-adjuvant vaccine in a study in Germany (9873 people were assessed for 6 months).  It is interesting to note that the investigators stated that the reactions were not likely due to the vaccine. (GlaxoSmithKline website)

Possible reactions include:

Anaphylactic shock (1)

Bell’s Palsy (4)

Convulsions (1)

Immune-mediated diseases (11)

There are many other news articles and internet blogs and stories that discuss how so many people have suffered from Guillan Barre syndrome (GBS) and other paralytic reactions.  I have only stated in this article the research that is published in scientific arenas.   Even though a much higher number of people experienced GBS after the large-scale vaccination campaign in 1976, and post-vaccination encephalitis is discussed in microbiology textbooks, the current scientific database only states that it has never been proven that GSB is caused from vaccination.   Autism is another very highly controversial area that I am not addressing in this article.

Concluding thoughts (my personal opinion based several years of research in autoimmunity).   Yearly vaccinations could lead to more frequent serious reactions over time – especially in children that are already receiving so many childhood illness vaccinations and very young children are still developing their immune cell repertoire.  Continual exposure to vaccines may have a long-term cumulative effect that we are not aware of yet.  There are no long term studies yet that determine the safety or possible long-term ramifications of vaccination.

Three Cochrane reviews that compared all published scientific research involving vaccination of children, adults and the elderly stated that there are no fewer sick days or hospital visits, and the death rate from seasonal influenza has not decreased since widespread vaccinations have begun.  All reports concluded that more information is required to determine if vaccination is beneficial.  Yet, everywhere we hear that “vaccination is your best protection against the flu”.

I think it is normal and healthy for our immune cells to be exposed to mild infections, if we avoid infections our immune system is not as strong, then any exposure would be worse, unless we got vaccinated every year against more and more microorganisms; consider then the effects if a predicted influenza virus was inaccurate (seasonal vaccines are based on the previous year’s circulating viruses and some years the vaccine does not contain the correct antigens).

Antibiotics and hand sanitizers increase the rate of evolution of microorganisms, making them less effective when they are really needed.  Both of these also kill our very important normal bacteria that act as a significant part of our first line of defense against pathogenic organisms.  Use of hand sanitizers, outside of hospitals, will decrease infection in the short-term but will have a negative effect on the rate of mutations over time, causing us to be exposed to very different organisms faster than would naturally occur.

Vaccines without adjuvant do not induce the immune system to produce long-term memory cells and therefore, each year as viruses mutate, people will have decreased natural ability to fight infections over time.

Vaccines without adjuvant have been known to cause paralytic conditions and other serious adverse reactions, we do not know yet what vaccines with adjuvant will do.

Adjuvant is used in autoimmune research labs to induce paralysis and other autoimmune diseases such arthritis, MS, and lupus, it is now being used in vaccines to increase the immune response.  What will this do to our immune systems over time?  Consider the long-term possibilities when deciding to get vaccinated.

 

More information

1. http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/reprint/168/6/761-a
2.  GlaxoSmithKline website – vaccine ingredients http://www.gsk.ca/english/html/our-products/docs-pdf/Arepanrix_PIL_CAPA01v01.pdf

1. M. Satoh et.al.: Induction of lupus autoantibodies by adjuvants. J Autoimmun. 2003 Aug;21(1):1-9.
2. The Endogenous Adjuvant Squalene Can Induce a Chronic T-Cell-Mediated Arthritis in Rats – American Journal of Pathology
3. New horizons in adjuvants for vaccine development – Steven G. Reed1, Sylvie Bertholet, Rhea N. Coler and Martin Friede
4. Infectious Disease Research Institute – http://ajp.amjpathol.org/cgi/content/full/156/6/2057
5. WHO – http://www.who.int/vaccine_safety/topics/adjuvants/squalene/Jun_2006/en/index.html
6. http://www.cochrane.org/reviews/en/ab004879.html (vaccination in healthy children)
7. http://www.cochrane.org/reviews/en/ab004876.html (vaccination in the elderly)
8. http://www.cochrane.org/reviews/en/ab001269.html (vaccination in healthy adults)