Oh, those bloomin’ Florida oak trees . . .easy to love, but so tough to live with

Oh, those bloomin’ Florida oak trees . . .easy to love, but so tough to live with

 If you live in Florida you might develop paranoia about oak trees and allergy. Our prodigious oak tree population accounts for the most severe form or our pollen seasons – spring tree season. They also provide a home for a special type of fire ant that can drop down on people to sting them. Finally, they can also be a source of Pyemotes herfsi, the oak leaf itch mite. This mite belongs to the biological class Arachnida (which includes all…

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Phytochemicals a turn-on for gut-protective tissue growth

Phytochemicals a turn-on for gut-protective tissue growth

 A recent article in the journal Science discussed research on immunity based on gut function. The researchers focused on a gut protein receptor called AhR (aryl hydrocarbon receptor), which when activated, leads to the healthy development of lymphoid tissue in the GI tract. This receptor is turned on my phytochemicals found primarily in fruits and vegetables. The vegetables richest in these phytochemicals are cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and brussels sprouts. On the other hand, processed foods and foods…

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Dear Doc: Please review ‘computer rash’

Dear Doc: Please review ‘computer rash’

Dear Dr. K: In one of your old newsletters you wrote about a computer rash. I think I have developed it but I can’t remember the details. The condition is called Erythema Ab Igne. The rash is a lacy reticular redness that has a mild itch or burning sensation. It can also be mildly tender to the touch. It is caused by chronic exposure to an external heat source. In the article you mentioned I discussed how chronic laptop computer,…

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Cow milk allergy research: Mixed results, but vaccine testing provides some hope

Cow milk allergy research: Mixed results, but vaccine testing provides some hope

 Cow milk allergy is one of the most common food allergies and can lead to a variety of clinical symptoms affecting the respiratory, GI, GU, and dermatologic systems. It can even occur in infants who are exclusively nursed if their mothers are ingesting cow milk. Because of the frequency and potential severity of the allergy there has been great effort to find a vaccine for cow milk allergy. Recently, researches at Johns Hopkins University publicized the results of their work…

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Dear Doc: One-time flu shot in the pipeline?

Dear Doc: One-time flu shot in the pipeline?

Dear Dr. K: I heard there is work being done on a one-time flu shot. Is this true? Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus and with any luck, there may also be a one-time flu vaccine. Before I discuss this new research let me review the current vaccine. Traditional influenza vaccines target the globular outer region of the viral hemaggluttinin protein. This part of the protein is constantly changing and accounts for the new strains of flu seen each…

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Indoor plants: Put ‘em to work

Indoor plants: Put ‘em to work

Household HVAC (heating and air conditioning) systems use filters that are good for removing particles such as dust, mold and pollen, but have no benefit for removing volatile pollutants. There are chemical filters that are produced, but they are extremely expensive and beyond the budget of most private households. Such filters typically are used for special clean-room research or in NASA’s space vehicles. Indoor plants offer a viable alternative to man-made filters. The most common indoor pollutants that can cause…

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Even in food families: we get along with some relatives better than others

Even in food families: we get along with some relatives better than others

Food families have similar proteins and this can lead to cross-reactive allergy. That having been said, not all families have the same degree of cross-reactivity. Peanut allergy is often severe but, luckily, has one of the lowest levels of cross-reactivity with other legumes. There is only a 5 percent risk of cross-reactivity for peanut with beans, peas and soybeans. Cow-milk allergy is the highest (at 90 percent), with other mammals and milks from sheep and goat. Yet, people with cow-milk…

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Add one to the OK list for coffee and tea drinkers

Add one to the OK list for coffee and tea drinkers

 Coffee and tea have long been known to have antimicrobial benefit. Because of this knowledge, researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina decided to study whether drinking these beverages impacted the carrier rate of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, the multi-drug-resistant staph infection known as MRSA. An estimated 3-million Americans are carriers of MRSA. This represents almost two percent of the population. By monitoring nasal swab cultures, the university scientists were able to demonstrate a 50 percent reduction in carrier state…

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For millions of asthmatics, hopeful gene therapy studies

For millions of asthmatics, hopeful gene therapy studies

The lead article in The New England Journal of Medicine in September discussed novel research on genetic variation in asthma. More than 300-million people worldwide have asthma, and up to 20 percent of these show poor or no response to corticosteroid medication, which is usually their main controller medicine. Researchers at Harvard speculated this lack of response to corticosteroid medicines might be genetically linked and they sought to find the gene. By screening 530,000 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs – pronounced snips)…

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