CLOSE

Yearly Archives: 2023

by -
0 523
John Turner, center with participants from a previous Nighthawk Watch. Photo by Thomas Drysdale

On Aug. 27 at 5:30 p.m., the Four Harbors Audubon Society will begin its seventh “Common Nighthawk Watch” on the Stone Bridge located along the southern boundary of Frank Melville Memorial Park in Setauket. The watch will run through to Oct. 6. 

The Common Nighthawk, a bird quite adept in flight, passes through Long Island on its southbound migration in the autumn after leaving their breeding grounds across northern North America and heading to the Amazon region and beyond in South America. The nighthawks passing over the Watch are very likely birds that nested in eastern Canada and New England. 

The Audubon chapter began the Watch in 2017 in response to concerns about declining nighthawk numbers. Based on the last published NYS Breeding Bird Atlas, this species has experienced a 71% reduction in the number of birds that possibly or probably bred or were confirmed as breeders in New York State  from 1985 to 2005.  While continental figures paint a slightly better picture, the trend in nighthawk numbers is still a downward one. 

Common Nighthawk. Photo by Dennis Whittam 2021

“Anyone who witnesses the daily evening migration of Common Nighthawks at the Stone Bridge is hooked; the spectacle is no less than addicting. Yet the bigger picture is disheartening, as we know nighthawks are in steep decline, and the numbers we see are but a small percentage of their historic population levels,” notes Patrice Domeischel, a chapter board member and a co-founder of the Watch. “Hopefully in time our data collection will prove useful in determining ways to preserve this species.” 

Why so many nighthawks appear over the Stone Bridge is not fully clear but two aspects appear to contribute: the geographic position of Setauket along Long Island’s north shore is ideal for intercepting southbound nighthawks as they reach Long Island after crossing the Sound and the presence of the pond that regularly produces an insect hatch that provides a cafeteria for the birds. 

“Common Nighthawks are related to whip-poor-wills” said John Turner, Conservation co-chair of the chapter and a chapter board member, “but are distinctive with their bright white wing bars that flash as they dip and turn in pursuit of the aerial insects that form their diet.” 

The reduction in the abundance of aerial insects due to spraying and habitat loss appears to be the main driver of reduced nighthawk numbers. “These birds serve as bellwethers for the quality of the environment and their decline should be a concern to us all,” Turner added.     

The totals for the number of common nighthawks counted as they zip, bob, and weave erratically overhead for the past six years is as follows: 2,046 nighthawks in 2017, 2,018 nighthawks in 2018, 2,757 nighthawks in 2019, 2,245 nighthawks in 2020, 1,819 nighthawks in 2021, and 1,625 nighthawks in 2022. The single best day observers have had was on Sept. 8, 2017 when 573 nighthawks passed overhead. Last year the best day was the first— Aug. 27 — when 243 birds moved through. 

Many other bird species are observed at the Watch including Bald Eagles and Ospreys, Double-crested Cormorants, Barn and Tree Swallows and Chimney Swifts, several duck species including the beautiful Wood Duck, Belted Kingfisher, wading birds such as Great Egrets, and many species of songbirds. Toward dusk, several species of bats often emerge to feed over the pond and if any planets are visible in the sky a birding scope is set up to look at them (the ring of Saturn can be seen with a high powered bird scope).     

For more information, visit www.4has.org.

by -
0 1089
Xolo Maridueña in a scene from 'Blue Beetle.' Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/DC Comics

Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel

For every superhero blockbuster, an equal number are box office disasters. For each Avengers: Endgame or Iron Man 3, there is Shazam! Fury of the Gods and The Flash. Many superheroes have risen and fallen, only to rise again in a parade of reboots and colored tights.

The Blue Beetle first appeared in Fox Comics’ Mystery Men Comics #1 (1939). The titular hero, Dan Garet, took Vitamin 2X, which gave him “super-energy.” When Fox went out of business, Charlton Comics bought the character, reprinting some of the stories before launching its version in 1955. In 1964, Charlton re-envisioned the character: Dan Garrett acquired an extra “r” and “t” along with a new origin story centered around a mystical power-giving Egyptian scarab. In 1966, inventor Ted Kord became a gadget-centric Blue Beetle following Garrett’s death. Next, the character’s mythology was reinvented with both Blue Beetles—Garrett and Kord—in Americomics (published by AC Comics). 

Xolo Maridueña in a scene from ‘Blue Beetle.’ Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/DC Comics

DC Comics bought Charlton’s superhero collection in 1983, changing Ted Kord to a billionaire industrialist. This Ted Kord appeared in various titles, including Justice League, Justice League America, and Birds of Prey, the identity continuing through 2005. DC presented a new Blue Beetle in 2006: teenager Jaime Reyes, whose powers came from the scarab, a piece of alien technology. While the initial series was cancelled due to poor sales, a revival came in 2011, disconnecting Reyes from previous Beetles. In 2016 Garrett and Kord were restored as previous Blue Beetles. Jamie Reyes was the focus of a limited series, Blue Beetle: Graduation Day, offered from 2022 to 2023. 

Enter DC studio’s Blue Beetle. After a prologue establishing Kord Industries locating the scarab in a frozen tundra, the action quickly shifts to bright-eyed pre-law college graduate Jamie Reyes returning home to the fictional Texan town of Palmera City. As he rides down the airport escalator, he adjusts his mortarboard. Turning to the gentleman beside him, he asks, “How do I look?” The man dryly responds, “Like you’re six figures in debt.” The smart quip establishes the tone and world that Jamie faces. 

Jamie is greeted by his family—mother, father, grandmother, sister, and eccentric uncle. During a celebratory meal, Jamie learns that his auto mechanic father lost his job due to a heart attack. They are now in danger of losing the family home, three months in arrears. His sister, Milagro, gets them a job working in the mansion of Kord Industries CEO Victoria Kord (whom Milagro describes with begrudging respect as “Cruella Kardashian”). They lose their positions when Jamie steps into a fight between Victoria and her niece, Jenny. In gratitude, Jenny offers Jamie employment and tells him to come to Kord Tower. 

The next day, Jenny discovers that Victoria uses the scarab for her OMAC (One Man Army Corps) project. Jenny steals the scarab in a fast-food hamburger container, but the laboratory director discovers its theft, and the building is put on lockdown. In danger of being caught, Jenny passes the box to Jamie, who takes it home, warning him not to open it or touch its contents.

Upon returning, the family pressures him to see what is in the box. In full view of his family, Jamie touches the scarab, which attaches itself to him. He is immediately surrounded by an exoskeleton/armored suit, complete with a guidance voice and myriad abilities, including flight and a host of defensive and offensive capacities. (Jenny later tells Jamie that the scarab is an ancient sentient weapon that has chosen him as host.) 

The plot is traditional: a struggle between the emerging hero and the dastardly villain. Jamie learns to harness the powers as Victoria sets out to reclaim the scarab. Victoria is a classic nemesis cut in the Bond villain mode. Susan Sarandon chews the scenery, practically singing the watchcry, “Sacrifices must be made for the greater good.” Her main conflict is with her brother’s daughter, Jenny (Bruna Marquezine), an underdeveloped and bland character. Victoria has a traditional henchman, Ignacio Carapax (Raoul Max Trujillo, expressive with only a few lines), with an important backstory. 

A scene from ‘Blue Beetle.’ Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/DC Comics

There are references to Jenny’s father, Ted Kord, as well as Ted’s professor, archaeologist Dan Garrett, bringing the Blue Beetle’s entire history into superficial play. The effects are pure videogame, with an excessive amount of blue electricity. The action often resembles Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots. 

On the surface, little new or exciting is on offer. However, director Ángel Manuel Soto and writer Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer manage one important coup: the extraordinary bond of the Reyes family. 

Unlike many genre movies, Blue Beetle uses family not as a vehicle but as the core force. If the theme of familial bond is heavy-handed, the first-rate cast engages us on a genuinely human level. Xolo Maridueña shines as Jamie, easily holding center for the film’s stretched two hours. Damián Alcázar makes the father, Alberto, wise and touching, a patriarch of great understated strength. He is matched beautifully by Elpidia Carrillo as Rocio, Jamie’s mother. Adriana Barraza, as Nana, the matriarch, avoids cliché and has a fun eleventh-hour reveal. Belissa Escobedo brings humor and caring to Milagro, Jamie’s sister. George Lopez takes Uncle Rudy to the limit and beyond, both hilarious and touching. Each stands out individually, but as a whole, they are an exceptional unit. 

While there have been Latino superheroes, Blue Beetle puts representation at its center. An important moment comes late in the film involving the laboratory director (played with conflicted integrity by Harvey Guillén). The exchange leads to a bold choice, highlighting racial issues that weave through the film. 

In the end, Blue Beetle is uneven and occasionally uninspired, but a superior cast and a celebration of family let the film soar. Rated PG-13, Blue Beetle is now playing in local theaters. 

by -
0 616

The Village of Port Jefferson Board of Trustees held its biweekly business meeting on Monday, Aug. 21, accompanied by a public hearing to consider adding north- and south-facing stop signs on the west and east sides of Scraggy Hill Road.

Public hearing

Situated at Scraggy Hill Road is the Edna Louise Spear Elementary School. Speed tables currently help to slow traffic around the school.

Village attorney David Moran explained the purpose behind the public hearing, stating that adding or removing all village stop signs requires an amendment to the village code, “and in order to add a stop sign to the village, you have to go through this process.”

During the public hearing, Ray DiBiase, the village’s Planning Board chair and a nationally certified traffic operations engineer, noted the issue of people driving around the speed tables on the roadway. “My first inclination would be to extend those speed tables,” he suggested.

Several neighbors turned out Monday night, shedding light on the situation. Stella Cohen reported that village stop signs are routinely disregarded and that the issue could only be resolved with adequate traffic enforcement.

“I have no objection to this motion whatsoever, but it’s paying lip service to a problem you’re not going to fix with a stop sign,” Cohen said. “I would respectfully ask the board, in addition to considering this motion, to also [consider] a motion on a future date for speed cameras.”

Ernie Geiger, another resident, summarized the “nightmare” situation around the elementary school. He advised the board to hire a traffic specialist. 

“I think that what you’re looking at now is the tip of the iceberg, and I really don’t think that stop signs are going to do any good at this point,” he told the board. “I think somebody should look at it, look at the signage that’s there and make an intelligent decision instead of just throwing up two stop signs.”

Ryan Walker, a trustee of the Port Jefferson School District Board of Education who said he was speaking as a resident, advised the board that additional signage could complicate “traffic patterns that are already a mess.” 

Instead, he proposed coordinating with the Suffolk County Police Department for more traffic enforcement along the roadway.

Following the public comments, the board did not hold a vote on the proposed code amendment to add the stop signs.

Members of the Village of Port Jefferson Board of Trustees deliberate during a business meeting Monday, Aug. 21. From left, Deputy Mayor Rebecca Kassay and Mayor Lauren Sheprow with trustees Drew Biondo, Bob Juliano and Stan Loucks. Photo by Raymond Janis

Audit report

Christopher Reino, a partner at the Port Jefferson Station-based Cullen & Danowski — the firm that conducts the village’s annual independent audit — delivered a presentation on the report from the 2022 fiscal year.

Mayor Lauren Sheprow said the audit report was presented to the treasurer’s office on Jan. 4, 2023, noting, “That report was addressed to the Board of Trustees.” 

“Upon canvassing,” the mayor said she had discovered that “the current board members who were board members on Jan. 4, 2023, had not seen that report.”

Moran remarked upon “another flaw in the process,” indicating that when a village uses an outside audit firm and files with the village clerk, “there needs to be a public notice that that report is available at Village Hall for anyone to come and review it,” adding, “As far as I know, that hasn’t happened either.”

During his presentation, Reino reported that the village’s fiscal health has “been looking positive.”

“The fund balance has been growing,” he said. “You actually have a balanced budget now — in the past, you were using some of your existing fund balance to fund the budget, but right now, you’re pretty much at a break even.”

Revenues, he added, are aligned with expenditures, suggesting that the village currently has “a realistic budget.” The “only concern I had,” Reino said, was the lack of “a complete inventory,” which could assist the village in conducting insurance appraisals.

East Beach bluff 

Conversations continued over the two-phased bluff stabilization project at East Beach. 

For the proposed upland wall to fortify the restaurant/catering facility of the Port Jefferson Country Club, Sheprow reported that the village government is still “waiting on a response from [the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Administration] to see if that [$3.75 million] grant is coming through.” [See story, “Schumer secures funds for upper wall at PJCC…” Jan. 11, TBR News Media website.]

The current engineering plans include the addition of steel beams, according to Sheprow, who estimated that they could cost the village approximately $18,000 per beam.

The board approved an add-on resolution approving services from Huntington Station-based engineering firm GEI Consultants for up to $9,200, which Sheprow contended could help the village save hundreds of thousands of dollars on the upper wall project.

“What GEI is being asked to do is take a look at that project description to see if the removal of all those beams would work,” the mayor said. “The supposition is that that would still work and perhaps even make it more stable.”

She added that the modification in engineering plans could save the village roughly $300,000 on the upper wall project, “spending a few thousand to save a few hundred thousand.”

To watch the entire meeting, including trustee reports, please see the video above.

by -
0 588
Pixabay photo

By Lisa Scott

Election Day 2023 is Tuesday, November 7 — In about 10 weeks. You won’t see the president, senators, congress, or governor on your ballot so you may decide to “skip this one.” And we’re already surrounded by incessant media reports anticipating the 2024 presidential election. 

However, ignoring the candidates and issues in 2023 local elections would be a big mistake. These elections matter — they affect your daily lives. And learning about local candidates is much harder than in federal races. We’ve all stood in a voting booth with no idea whom to choose for some local races (and may have even left some parts of the ballot blank).

The Harvard Political Review reports that a Johns Hopkins University study in 2018 demonstrated that many Americans lack civic knowledge as it pertains to jurisdictional issues;  about 25% of study participants did not know whether federal or state governments were in charge of law enforcement and about 30% delete not knowing which government creates and enforces zoning laws.

Local elections have real consequences. There is no level of government that is more directly responsible for serving your community than your local elected officials. Whether it is the guarantee of having healthy drinking water or the benefits of maintained streets, infrastructure is a concern that should remain on the forefront of voters’ minds as they consider the candidates of a local election.

In Suffolk County this year, you’ll be able to vote for a new County Executive (CE); there are term limits for CE as well as all 18 Suffolk County Legislature members (who are also on your ballot in 2023). Many of Suffolk’s 10 Towns have Supervisor races, and also Town Board/Council seats and other local offices and some judges. 

Debates and interviews in the next 10 weeks should bring out important issues and allow voters to hear  candidates’ positions. One example of a critical issue is water quality, which has significantly deteriorated in recent years. 

According to Dr. Christopher J. Gobler of Stony Brook University, “Presently, more than 360,000 homes are discharging wastewater into our aquifer, and this practice has exacted a serious toll on our waters. For example, the level of nitrate in our aquifer has steadily risen to 3.8 milligrams per liter, a concentration that has been shown to be epidemiologically associated with a greater risk of gastrointestinal cancers and birth defects.”

“This level of nitrate is also 100 times greater than the amount in surface waters, and more than two decades of research has demonstrated that the discharge of this pollution has had cascading negative effects — stimulating the occurrence of harmful algae blooms that have destroyed our most prized shellfisheries, shading out seagrasses that are critical habitats for fish, and promoting fish kills.”

Our NYS Legislature (not up for election in 2023) had passed a bill as part of the state budget that would empower the voters of Suffolk County to decide whether an increase of 1/8 cent in the county sales tax should be dedicated to protecting water resources by installing sewers and clean water septic systems, while attracting and matching state and federal infrastructure funding — via a referendum on the November 2023 ballot. 

However the county legislation (IR1573) needed to place this referendum on the ballot was not moved forward on a timely basis by a majority of the Suffolk County Legislature before the required deadline for referendums and thus the future of the matching state and federal funds in unclear. The proposed Suffolk County Water Quality Restoration Act, if the proposition had been allowed to appear on the 2023 ballot, would have provided a dedicated and recurring countywide funding source to transform this plan into action. In a democracy, Suffolk voters would have been able to exercise their voice and approve or defeat this plan directly. 

So vote in our 2023 elections — by absentee ballot, early voting from Oct. 28 to Nov. 5, or on Election Day, Nov. 7. To register, check your registration, apply for an absentee ballot, find your polling place, and learn your district numbers visit https://www.elections.ny.gov/. To find out what’s on your ballot, visit Vote411.org 4 weeks before Election Day. 

Lisa Scott is president of the League of Women Voters of Suffolk County a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government and influences public policy through education and advocacy. For more information, visit https//my.lwv.org/new-york/suffolk-county. 

by -
0 618
Do you recognize this man? Photo from SCPD
Photo from SCPD

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Sixth Precinct Crime Section officers are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate the man who allegedly stole merchandise from a South Setauket store.

A man allegedly stole approximately $470 worth of merchandise from Target, located at 265 Pond Path, on August 21 at approximately 9 p.m. The suspect exited through a rear fire exit and fled in a blue SUV. 

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information about these incidents can contact Suffolk County Crime Stoppers to submit an anonymous tip by calling 1-800-220-TIPS, utilizing a mobile app which can be downloaded through the App Store or Google Play by searching P3 Tips, or online at www.P3Tips.com. All calls, text messages and emails will be kept confidential.

by -
0 475
Photo by Gretchen Oldrin-Mones

MASTER OF DISGUISE

While removing a downed tree on the Port Jefferson Station Greenway Trail during a Friends of the Greenway cleanup on Aug. 19, Gretchen Oldrin-Mones of Stony Brook spotted this praying mantis and snapped a photo with her iPhone. She writes, “It was almost invisible on a small brown branch, but as it moved to a green leaf it stopped and posed for this ‘portrait.’

Send your Photo of the Week to [email protected]

 

by -
0 774
File photo

Suffolk County Police arrested a woman on Aug. 23 for Leandra’s Law for allegedly driving while intoxicated in Shirley with four children who were ages 13 to less than one year old in the vehicle.

Martha Acostamaldonado was driving a 2013 Honda Pilot on William Floyd Parkway, when she was pulled over for a traffic violation near Roeneck Court, at 8:36 p.m. Following a sobriety test, The Safe-T Team determined that the driver was allegedly intoxicated and arrested her. Acostamaldonado, 36, of Center Moriches, was charged with Driving While Intoxicated, Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated with a Child Passenger 15 Years Old or Younger (Leandra’s Law), and four counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child.

The children were released to the custody of a family member and the vehicle was impounded.

by -
0 730
St. John's Hellenic Dancers perform for guests at last year's Port Jefferson Greek Festival. Photo courtesy of John Damaskos

By Heidi Sutton

Traditional Greek food, music and dancing will take center stage as the Greek Orthodox Church of the Assumption in Port Jefferson hosts its 62nd annual Greek Festival on church grounds tonight, Thursday, Aug. 24 from 5 to 10 p.m.,  Friday, Aug. 25 from 5 to 11 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 26 from noon to 11 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 27 from noon to 10 p.m. 

A celebration of Greek culture, the four-day event will feature a variety of vendors, fireworks, church tours, live Greek music and dancing, games of chance and carnival rides by Newton Shows. Pay-one-price bracelets for the rides may be purchased in advance at www.newtonshows.com.

Authentic mouth-watering foods such as gyros, tyropita (cheese pie), moussaka, souvlaki, and spanakopita (spinach pie) will be served up, along with sweet desserts such as galaktoboureko, koulourakia, baklava and loukoumades, a fried dough pastry favorite.

One of the main attractions at the festival is the over-the-top sweepstakes that the church holds every year. This year 200 prizes will be awarded from cars — a 2023 Mercedes Benz CLA 250 C4 is first prize — to an Apple Watch, 10″ Samsung Tablet, Smart TV, Ring Security Camera, a fire pit, Nintendo Switch, Robot Roomba, espresso machine, Michael Kors handbag, Coach handbag, cash prizes and more. Tickets for the sweepstakes are $100 each and are limited to 4,499 tickets. The drawing will be held on Aug. 27 at 8 p.m.

The event is also an opportunity to see traditional Greek dance performances by the St. John’s Hellenic Dancers who will take to the dance floor on Saturday at 7 p.m. Fireworks will be held on Friday and Saturday nights at 9:15 p.m., weather permitting. 

Free shuttle buses will pick up attendees from Ward Melville High School, 380 Old Town Road, East Setauket to transport them to festival on Friday, Saturday and Sunday only. Parking is also available at BASF Corporation across the street from the church at 361 Sheep Pasture Road and at Head Start at 400 Sheep Pasture Road. Handicapped parking is available at the church. Admission to the festival is $2 per person; children under 12 can attend for free.

The Greek Orthodox Church of the Assumption is located at 430 Sheep Pasture Road in Port Jefferson. For more information, call the church office at 631-473-0894 or visit www.portjeffgreekfest.com.

by -
0 517
Photo from MetroCreative
Fiber plays an important role in immune system function

By David Dunaief, M.D.

Dr. David Dunaief

Autoimmune disease is an umbrella term that covers more than 80 different diseases (1). Among them are type 1 diabetes, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, and inflammatory bowel disease. The common thread for all of them is that the body’s immune system is attacking organs, tissues and cells and causing chronic inflammation.

Unfortunately, autoimmune diseases tend to cluster (2). Once you have one, you are at high risk for acquiring others.

Typical medical protocols

Immunosuppressives are the “go-to” treatment for autoimmune issues. In RA, for example, a typical drug regimen includes TNF (tumor necrosis factor) alpha inhibitors, like Remicade (infliximab), and methotrexate. These therapies reduce underlying inflammation by suppressing the immune system and interfering with inflammatory factors. Disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), a class that also includes Plaquenil (hydroxychloroquine), may slow or stop the progression of joint destruction and increase physical functioning.

There are several concerning factors with these treatments.

First, the side-effect profiles are substantial. They include risks for cancers, opportunistic infections and even death (3). Opportunistic infections include diseases like tuberculosis and invasive fungal infections.

It is no surprise that suppressing the immune system would increase the likelihood of infections. Nor is it surprising that cancer rates would increase, since the immune system helps fend off malignancies. One study showed that after 10 years of therapy, the risk of cancer increased by approximately fourfold with the use of immunosuppressives (4).

Second, these drugs were tested and approved using short-term clinical trials; however, many patients are prescribed these therapies for 20 or more years.

So, what other methods are available to treat autoimmune diseases? 

Medical nutrition therapy

Medical nutrition therapy using bioactive compounds and supplementation are being studied. Medical nutrition therapy may have immunomodulatory (immune system regulation) effects on inflammatory factors and on gene expression.

Raising the level of beta-cryptoxanthin, a carotenoid bioactive food component, by a modest amount has a substantial impact in preventing RA. Several studies have also tested dietary interventions in RA treatment (5). Included were fasting followed by a vegetarian diet; a vegan diet; and a Mediterranean diet, among others. All mentioned here showed decreases in inflammatory markers, including c-reactive protein (CRP), and improvements in joint pain and other quality of life concerns.

What are the effects of fish oil?

Fish oil helps your immune system by reducing inflammation and improving your blood chemistry, affecting as many as 1,040 genes (6). In a randomized clinical study, 1.8 grams of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) plus docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation had anti-inflammatory effects, suppressing cell signals and transcription factors (proteins involved with gene expression) that are pro-inflammatory.

In RA patients, fish oil helps suppress cartilage degradative enzymes, while also having an anti-inflammatory effect (7). A typical recommendation is to consume about 2 grams of EPA plus DHA to help regulate the immune system. Don’t take these high doses of fish oil without consulting your doctor, since fish oil can have blood-thinning effects.

Can probiotics help?

Approximately 70 percent of your immune system lives in your gut. Probiotics, by populating the gut with live beneficial microorganisms, have immune-modulating effects that decrease inflammation and thus are appropriate for autoimmune diseases. Lactobacillus salvirus and Bifidobacterium longum infantis are two strains that were shown to have positive effects (8, 9).

In a study with Crohn’s disease patients, L. casei and L. bulgaricus reduced the inflammatory factor TNF-alpha (10). To provide balance, I recommend probiotics with Lactobacillus to my patients, especially with autoimmune diseases that affect the intestines, like Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis.

Does fiber intake affect autoimmune disorders?

Fiber has been shown to modulate inflammation by reducing biomarkers, such as CRP. In two separate clinical trials, fiber either reduced or prevented high CRP in patients. In one randomized clinical trial, 30 grams, or about one ounce, of fiber daily from either dietary sources or supplements reduced CRP significantly compared to placebo (11).

In the second trial, which was observational, participants who consumed the highest amount of dietary fiber (greater than 19.5 grams) had reductions in a vast number of inflammatory factors, including CRP, interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and TNF-alpha (12).

Can diet substitute for medication?

Immune system regulation is complex and involves over 1,000 genes, as well as many biomarkers. Bioactive compounds found in high-nutrient foods and supplements can have a profound impact on your immune system’s regulation and may help reset the immune system. Even in severe cases, bioactive compounds in foods may work in tandem with medications to treat autoimmune diseases more effectively and help reduce dosing of some immunosuppressives, minimizing potential side-effects.

This is not hypothetical. I have seen these effects in my practice, where patients have been able to reduce — or even eliminate —immunosuppressives by altering their diets.

References:

(1) niaid.nih.gov. (2) J Autoimmun. 2007;29(1):1. (3) epocrates.com. (4) J Rheumatol 1999;26(8):1705-1714. (5) Front Nutr. 2017; 4: 52. (6) Am J Clin Nutr. 2009 Aug;90(2):415-424. (7) Drugs. 2003;63(9):845-853. (8) Gut. 2003 Jul;52(7):975-980. (9) Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek 1999 Jul-Nov;76(1-4):279-292. (10) Gut. 2002;51(5):659. (11) Arch Intern Med. 2007;167(5):502-506. (12) Nutr Metab (Lond). 2010 May 13;7:42.

Dr. David Dunaief is a speaker, author and local lifestyle medicine physician focusing on the integration of medicine, nutrition, fitness and stress management. For further information, visit www.medicalcompassmd.com or consult your personal physician.

by -
0 842
File photo

Update on Aug. 24: Mason Hammil, 5, who was found unresponsive in a pool in East Moriches on August 23, was pronounced dead at Stony Brook University Hospital today.

Below is the original press release:

Suffolk County Police Seventh Squad detectives are investigating an incident in which a child was
found unresponsive in a pool by his mother at a residence on Woodcrest Drive in East Moriches on Aug. 23.

Wendy Hammil, 44, found her son Mason Hammil, 5, in the pool unresponsive at their residence on Woodcrest Drive at approximately 4:35 p.m. CPR was performed on Mason Hammil until first responders arrived, before they took over. Mason Hammil was transported to Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead, before being transported to Stony Brook University Hospital in critical condition.

Prev1...120121122...334Next Page 121 of 334
TBR News Media is your local news and entertainment website.
We provide you with the latest breaking news and information for your community.
Contact us: [email protected]

Most Viewed

©