Attendees and speakers gather in front of Northport Village Hall during a flag raising ceremony Aug. 31. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
By Sabrina Artusa
To mark International Opioid Awareness Day, Northport-East Northport Drug and Alcohol Task Force held a conference on the day itself, Thursday, Aug. 31, recognizing and remembering those affected by the opioid epidemic.
Village of Northport Mayor Donna Koch, New York State Assemblyman Keith Brown (R-Northport), county Chief Assistant District Attorney Allen Bode, task force team members, law enforcement and community members were among those gathered in attendance.
Brown has been personally affected by the epidemic, losing a family member to a heroin overdose. “We need to do more,” the state assemblyman said. “We are not doing enough.”
New York bail law doesn’t require cash bail from those accused of most nonviolent felonies and misdemeanors, so those people can be released while they await trial. Bode indicated that changes to state law are necessary for adequate enforcement and prosecution.
“Before we can ask for bail, you would have to have enough fentanyl to kill 134,000 people,” he said. “We shouldn’t have to wait for someone to die before we can take them off the street,” adding, “That is unconscionable in the face of an epidemic.”
Beyond proposed policy changes, members of the task force suggested that prevention and education is the key to saving lives. Destigmatizing addiction and discussing resources helps create an “open conversation,” program coordinator Linda Oristano explained.
The task force wants to ensure that the dialogue surrounding addiction is reformed into one that is productive and that those struggling feel comfortable asking for help.
“It starts with fostering an environment where our youth can talk openly about their struggles without the fear of judgment,” Oristano said.
It is “not a moral failing but a complex health issue,” she added.
Scott Norcott has been a member of the task force for over a decade. He joined to “facilitate change in the culture with how they deal with things.” Another member, Dawn Enright, said she joined to ensure that “there is a place to go.”
“If kids have a peer that they can talk to, maybe they don’t go down the path of addiction,” Brown added.
The task force holds events targeting Northport’s youth, such as parenting workshops. However, the task force also consists of a separate, student-led faction called 1LIFE.
Senior Amaya Nieves is the co-president of 1LIFE. Before getting involved, she hadn’t heard of a support system in the community that “focused on tackling real-life issues.” But after being a part of the club for over a year, she said that 1LIFE inspired her to “pursue helping people and teaching people to help themselves.”
Nieves and Oristano raised a purple flag on the pole outside Northport Village Hall for the first time. Oristano said the flag reminds those struggling “that recovery is not just possible, but attainable.”
Koch honored the fire department and police department for the lifesaving work they have done on the front lines of this issue.
Suffolk County is currently distributing $20 million of opioid settlement money, and is actively accepting grant applications for projects aimed at prevention, education and recovery. [See story, “Suffolk County opens application portal for second round of opioid settlement,” Aug. 31, TBR News Media.]
“We must acknowledge that the battle against addiction is not one that should be waged in silence,” Oristano said. Resources for help can be found on the task force website: www.ndatf.org/for-community-2.
Town of Huntington officials held a press conference on Aug. 30.
Town Officials and Task Force Members announce purple flag initiative
Huntington Town Officials were joined by elected officials and members of the Town of Huntington Opioid & Addiction Task Force at a press conference on August 30 to announce the return of “Huntington Goes Purple,” an initiative designed to raise awareness of the drug addiction crisis on Long Island and across the United States.
Town of Huntington officials held a press conference on Aug. 30.
Approximately one million Americans have died of a drug- or alcohol-related overdose since 1999, with a 30% increase in overdose deaths from 2019 to 2020. Some of the most prominent barriers to recovery include social stigma toward addiction and a lack of access to treatment options.
As part of this initiative, the Town of Huntington will fly purple flags on the front lawn of Town Hall and on lamp posts along New York Avenue and Larkfield Road in observance of National Recovery Month, which was created in 1989 in order to destigmatize the disease of addiction, promote evidence-based treatment, and celebrate the tens of millions of Americans in recovery.
“Huntington Goes Purple” was started in 2021 by Huntington resident Sharon Richmond, a member of the Town of Huntington Opioid & Addiction Task Force who donated the first set of flags for the inaugural program. This year, the program has expanded to Larkfield Road in East Northport with the support of the Northport-East Northport Community Drug & Alcohol Task Force, on which Richmond serves as President.
“This initiative allows us to preserve the memories of those we lost to addiction and pay tribute to the amazing social workers, mental health care professionals, and nonprofit volunteers who work tirelessly to support individuals in recovery. “I am honored to help bring back ‘Huntington Goes Purple’ for its third year,” said Councilwoman Cergol. “But, it is now time for me to pass the torch to my colleague, Councilman Sal Ferro, who will be the new Town Board liaison to the Town of Huntington Opioid & Addiction Task Force.
Town Officials further announced a series of Recovery Month events to be held in the Town of Huntington, including:
Wellness Walk for Recovery at Heckscher Park on September 9
Interfaith Community Forum on September 20 at the at the Cinema Arts Centre in Huntington
Celebration of Hope and Recovery at Old First Presbyterian Church on September 28
Following the announcements, Dr. Jeffrey L. Reynolds and Mary Silberstein, Co-Chairs of the Opioid & Addiction Task Force, spoke on the importance of educating the public on both the dangers of drugs and alcohol and where to locate treatment for substance use disorder.
Sharon Richmond closed the press conference by urging New York to follow the lead of the State of Illinois and mandate prevention and support education for all school age children.
“Together we show support for those individuals and families affected by mental health and substance use disorder,” she said. “Together we send the message: you are not alone.”
Individuals seeking support for substance use disorder are urged to call one of the following hotlines:
SAMHSA: 1-800-662-4357 (or text your ZIP code to 435748)
Join Stony Brook University for a CancerWise Cafe at the Charles B. Wang Center, 100 Circle Road, Stony Brook on Saturday, Sept. 9 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Cancer Center experts will discuss the latest advances in screening, prevention, diagnosis, management, and treatment of several types of cancer, including breast, lung, blood, head and neck, gastrointestinal, gynecological and skin.
Attendees can also eat, learn and chat with Cancer Center healthcare staff, view educational displays and visit the community organization resource tables. Free lunch is included.
FREE parking is available in the Administration Parking lot, across from the Charles B. Wang Center.
Watch from Home!
This event will also be LIVESTREAMED.
You can click on this link on
Saturday, Sept. 9 at 9 am. stonybrook.edu/live
Register for the in-person event at stonybrook.info/cancertalk. Questions? Call 631-444-4263 or email [email protected]. If you need a disability-related accommodation, call (631) 444-4000.
Doctors warn against swimming in brackish water and advise wearing protective gear when handling raw shellfish, among other safety measures to guard against vibrio vulnificus. Photo from CDC
In mid-August, Suffolk County recorded its first death in seven years from vibrio vulnificus, often referred to as “flesh-eating bacteria.”
A man over the age of 55 who had underlying health conditions was admitted to a local hospital with a leg wound and chest pain in July. He died the following month due to a bacterial infection.
Dr. Susan Donelan, medical director of health care epidemiology at Stony Brook Medicine. Photo from Stony Brook Medicine/Jeanne Neville
“People that are at risk should be more aware” of an infection they can get from raw shellfish or brackish water, said Dr. Susan Donelan, medical director of health care epidemiology at Stony Brook Medicine. That includes people who have liver disease, poorly controlled diabetes, are considered immune suppressed because of a condition or are taking medication that can cause immune suppression.
At the same time, Connecticut reported that three people died from contracting the potentially deadly bacteria. Two of them died from wound infections, the third contracting the bacteria from handling raw oysters.
To be sure, most people are not vulnerable to contracting the disease or from its effects.
“The general public is not at an increased risk,” said Donelan. “In most cases, [infections] are mild or moderate.”
Those who might be vulnerable to vibrio can avoid it by not handling or eating raw or undercooked shellfish, staying away from shellfish juices, covering up wounds or not swimming in brackish waters.
People can shuck shellfish with gloves to minimize any injuries to their hands and can wash their hands before and after coming in contact with raw shellfish.
“Some people like putting raw oyster juice into different drinks,” Donelan said. “You want to avoid doing that.”
Area doctors and health officials urged people with wounds — which could include cuts, new body piercings or tattoos — to avoid swimming in brackish or salt water.
“The bacteria thrives in brackish water, where fresh water meets ocean water,” Dr. Gregson Pigott, Suffolk County health commissioner, said in an email. “It would be best to avoid those waters if you have an open wound or a chronic health condition.”
Donelan also suggested that people who go in the water with such wounds cover them up with a waterproof bandage.
Symptoms
People who contract vibrio typically develop a host of symptoms.
These can include “diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea and vomiting,” Pigott explained.
Dr. Gregson Pigott, commissioner of the Suffolk County Department of Health Services. File photo
Symptoms from consuming raw shellfish can start within 24 hours of a meal. A person exposedthrough their skin can develop a blistering skin or soft tissue infection.
Pigott urged residents to seek help for gastrointestinal symptoms or a worsening skin infection.
Those who are unable to drink enough fluids to counterbalance the losses through the gastrointestinal tract could become dehydrated, doctors warned.
Lightheadedness and hypotensive appearances can be a warning sign that residents should seek medical help.
Wounds may become red, hot and tender with streaky marks leading away from them. These are “all concerning things” that might signal an infection, Donelan said.
People generally know how quickly cuts heal. A cut that gets visibly worse quickly, which could include blistering of the skin with a bolus that looks like murky fluid or blood beneath it should be “very concerning signs,” Donelan added.
Knowing that the bacteria is present in Long Island Sound and being aware of it could help people prevent exposure or react early to an infection.
This summer, area hospitals have not reported an unusual number of infections, according to Donelan.
Doctors said the bacteria typically lives in waters between 50 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit, which means that the longer the waters remain warm amid a hot summer and warming climate, the more likely the bacteria will be prevalent in waters around the Island.
Illness and travel
At this time of year, residents return from their seasonal travels. They sometimes bring unwanted microorganisms such as viruses or bacteria with them.
Health care professionals urged residents to notify their doctors about their travels prior to getting sick, so doctors can get an idea of where and how they might have contracted an illness.
When people return from cruises, plane trips or other travel, they should “help the emergency departments become aware of where they’ve been,” Donelan said.
Andrew Young is in a similar place to the one he was in when he first met his wife Lynne over two decades ago: spending time on the water.
This time, however, instead of living aboard a 72-foot sailboat in San Diego, Young is shifting back and forth from his new home in Setauket to a motor boat, fully equipped to form a floating office, in the Setauket harbor.
Above, Andrew Young demonstrates where a cylindrical device for drug delivery could be implanted. Photo by Daniel Dunaief
In the time between his stints aboard ships, Young, who is a native of Taranaki, New Zealand, has conducted research on gut hormones, making the kinds of discoveries that helped lead to diabetes treatments and weight loss treatments such as Ozempic and Wegovy.
When the couple first started dating in 2001, Young was working at a company called Amylin, which was named after a hormone.
For years, no one knew exactly what the hormone did. Numerous scientists believed amylin worked in opposition to the pancreatic hormone insulin, which controls glucose levels in the blood and, when absent, leads to diabetes.
Young’s job was to solve the riddle of amylin. Coming from the beta cells of the pancreas, which are the same cells that produce insulin and that responded to the same stimuli, he suspected it was involved in metabolic control, but “we got it totally wrong for about four years,” he said.
Young helped discover that amylin and insulin weren’t working in opposition: they were functioning on opposite ends towards the same goal.
Insulin accelerates the exit of glucose from the blood, while amylin slowed the entry of glucose into the blood. Amylin works on gastric emptying and suppresses appetite. The “clever little beta cell was doing two jobs,” Young said.
Adding in the second hormone made it easier to control glucose in the blood, without big ups and downs in sugar levels.
Replacing amylin meant the body needed about 30 to 50 percent of the amount of insulin the body might otherwise need. People who take insulin alone to treat diabetes require more insulin than the body usually produces.
“It’s an orchestra of hormones that get the job done,” Young said.
That’s especially true for hormones produced in the digestive tract The discovery of the physiology of amylin made the scientific and pharmaceutical world aware of the importance of the gut in metabolic control. For most pharmaceutical companies, the lesson began with Glucagon-like peptide 1, or GLP-1, which has led to Wegovy and Ozempic.
Amylin and GLP-1 were both used for diabetes. Amylin analogs haven’t been approved for weight loss, but Young expects they will be. “The amylin story was kind of neat,” he said. “It focused our minds on the gut. GLP-1 was the next one of these gut hormones.”
A revelation on a poster
While pharmaceutical companies saw the potential benefit of stimulating GLP1, which triggered the release of insulin, they couldn’t create a drug that had an effect that lasted long enough to make a difference.
The body makes GLP1 at about the same rate as it breaks it down, which means controlling blood sugar and appetite by altering GLP-1 was difficult. “You could get a decent anti-diabetic effect if you infused it continuously,” Young explained, as the half life of endogenous GLP-1 is about five minutes.
Young attended a poster session at the American Diabetes Association’s annual meeting in San Francisco, California in 1996.
Looking at a poster from Dr. John Eng, who works at the Bronx Veterans Administration Medical Center, Young thought he saw a solution in the form of a hormone from the reptilian Gila monster.
Eng demonstrated that the hormone, which he called exendin-4 and which he studied with his own money, stayed in diabetic mice for 24 hours. Young thought this might lead to the development of a diabetes drug.
As he was reading the poster, Young realized he was standing next to someone who worked at competitor Eli Lilly.
“I thought he had figured it out as well” and that they were in a race to understand exendin-4, Young added.
Young arranged for the staff at Amylin to buy what they could of this compound and to make some of it in house as well. The company quickly performed numerous experiments in a short period of time, even before Eng arrived in San Diego.
Eng gave a seminar about what he knew about the molecule. Young then stood up and talked about what Amylin had since learned about it.
Eng was “dumbstruck, but he realized at that stage that we were the people he should partner with,” Young added.
The hormone amylin and exendin-4 had many of the same effects, including inhibiting gastric emptying. They did, however, have opposite effects on other actions. Exendin stimulated insulin secretion, while amylin inhibited it.
Better than an injection
Young has continued to work for six companies in scientific leadership roles. Amid the financial crisis of 2008, Young went to work in North Carolina for GlaxoSmithKline, which is now called GSK.
In 2015, Young co-founded Phoundry Pharmaceuticals with five other former GSK coworkers. Phoundry attracted the attention of Intarcia Therapeutics. Using an invention by Alza Corp and licensed to Intarcia, the company developed a thin, implantable cylindrical device that could push as much as 160 micro liters of drugs out over six months.
In looking for a treatment for its drug delivery system, Intarcia chose Phoundry.
“The limited volume of such a small implanted pump required very potent medicines,” Young said. “Phoundry’s competitive advantage was the knowledge of how to engineer in such potency.”
After the purchase of Phoundry in 2015, Young became Chief Scientific Officer at Intarcia. The FDA, however, rejected the use of exendin from Intarcia. Through an extended appeals process, the FDA is planning to allow one final discussion about the delivery of exendin through Intarcia’s device on September 21st.
The current version of the device lasts for at least three and six months in the body. The same device could be used to deliver other medicines. The pumps have been engineered with a failsafe system that disables its osmotic engine in the event of malfunction, so the drug is not released.
The device could deliver drugs for many chronic conditions, such as hypertension and osteoporosis and is intended for frequent administration of the same drug.
Not only a scientist
As for his work in the early stages of understanding hormones that have led to drugs that are now widely used to treat diabetes and obesity, Young is pleased with his contribution.
“Obesity is probably the most deadly disease on the planet, given its high and increasing prevalence and the cardiovascular risk factors that spring from it,” Young explained.
Novo Nortis recently announced that treating obesity alone, without any diabetes, reduces the risk of death.
Young himself is taking one of these drugs and has lost 36 pounds over six months.
Part of a process that has led to six approved products, he is working as a consultant for several companies, and believes he still has more to give. “I intend to keep doing it,” he said. “I’ve got at least one more” down the road.
Given the long drug development process, he hopes to help move one or more pieces ahead.
As for his oceanic surroundings, Young didn’t exactly sweep his future wife off her feet when they met. “He invited me on his boat for dinner,” Lynne recalls. “He was outside the marina and he had on this sweater that was dirty and oversized.”
Young suggested they have soup for dinner and proceeded to pull out a can of Campbell’s tomato soup.
She knew Young, however, was “probably the guy when I walked on the boat and he said, ‘Would you like a cup of tea?’” Other men had suggested an alcoholic drink.
Lynne, who is an attorney, also appreciated his collection of books.
The Youngs chose Setauket because they had cast a wide net, looking for a home on the water somewhere between the Canadian border and North Carolina.
“This was it,” said Lynne, who is thrilled with the extensive art community in the area.
Processed meats increase risks of cancers, stroke and diabetes.
METRO photo
By David Dunaief, M.D.
Dr. David Dunaief
Many of us are starting to plan for Labor Day weekend, whether this means preparing for cookouts or getting ready for the new school year. It’s a good time to provide some food for thought — pun intended.
The barbecues associated with this weekend usually include hot dogs, hamburgers, sausages, bacon, poultry and fish. Sounds mouthwatering, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, there are more and more studies that implicate processed meats as a potential cause of diseases, including several cancers, heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
Processed meats are those that have been cured, salted, fermented or smoked. A short list of processed meats includes hot dogs, ham, pepperoni, bacon, sausages and deli meats, among others. While these are barbecue and picnic favorites, more importantly, deli meats are often used as sandwich staples for adults’ and school children’s lunches. Turkey and roast beef were typically in my lunch box when I was growing up. The prevailing thought at the time was that deli meats that were made without nitrates, nitrites and preservatives were healthy. Unfortunately, more recent studies show otherwise.
Does processed meat increase stroke risk?
In a large, prospective cohort study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2011, results showed a 23 percent increased risk of stroke in men who consumed the most processed meats. Deli meats, including low-fat turkey, ham and bologna, considered healthy by some, were implicated. The 40,291 Swedish participants were followed for about ten years.
The increased risk could be attributed potentially to higher sodium content in processed meats. Another mechanism could be nitrates and nitrites. Interestingly, participants were mostly healthy, except for the processed meats. Thus, processed meats could interfere with the benefits of a heart-healthy diet, according to the authors.
How do processed meats affect cancer risk?
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine has been aggressive about communicating the connection between processed meats and cancer. They’ve run television ads, including ones encouraging us to “break up with bacon,” and a billboard portraying a cigarette pack with hot dogs, not cigarettes, sticking out the top. The message read, “Warning: Hot dogs can wreck your health.”
Let’s look at some of the studies that have prompted these warnings.
In the large prospective Multiethnic Cohort Study, there was a 68 percent increased risk of pancreatic cancer in participants who ate the highest amounts of processed meats compared to the lowest (1). Participants were followed for seven years. The authors believe that carcinogenic substances in meat preparation, not necessarily fat or saturated fat, were probably the reason for increased risk. Pancreatic cancer is deadly, since most patients don’t have symptoms; therefore, it’s not discovered until its very late stages. It has destroyed the lives of some extremely physically fit people, like Patrick Swayze who died at the age of 57.
Processed meats also increase the risk of colorectal cancer. In a meta-analysis, there was an increased risk of 14 percent per every 100 grams, or 3.5 ounces (approximately one serving) of processed meat per day (2). Two slices of deli meat are equal to one serving. A deli’s turkey sandwich includes about five servings of processed meat in one meal.
In the EPIC trial, a prospective study with more than 420,000 participants, processed meats increased the risk of colorectal cancer by 35 percent (3). The absolute risk of developing colorectal cancer was 71 percent over ten years for those who were age 50. Interestingly, fish actually decreased the risk by 31 percent, making fish a better choice for the barbeque.
Other cancers implicated in processed meats include lung, liver and esophageal cancers, with increased risks ranging from 20-60 percent according to the NIH AARP Diet and Health study (4). A separate analysis of the EPIC trial showed that there was a greater than two times increased risk of esophageal cancer with processed meats (5).
Is there an association between type 2 Diabetes and processed meats?
In one of the most prestigious and largest meta-analyses involving the Health Professionals’ Follow-up Study and the Nurses’ Health Study I and II, results demonstrated a 32 percent increased risk of type 2 diabetes in participants who had a one-serving increase of processed meat consumption per day.
This data was highly statistically significant and involved over four million years of cumulative follow-up. Interestingly, the authors estimate that replacing processed meat with one serving of nuts, low-fat dairy and whole grains would reduce risk substantially (6).
I believe warning labels should come with processed meats; however, this is unlikely to happen. Therefore, you need to be your own best advocate and read ingredients. It is not just processed meats on the barbecue this Labor Day weekend that are concerning, but the long-term effects of eating deli meats that are even more worrisome.
References:
(1) J Natl Cancer Inst 2005;97 (19): 1458-1465. (2) PLoS One. 2011;6 (6):e20456. (3) J Natl Cancer Inst. 2005 Jun 15;97 (12):906-16. (4) PLoS Med. 2007 Dec;4 (12):e325. (5) J Natl Cancer Inst. 2006 Mar 1;98 (5):345-54. (6) Am J Clinical Nutrition 2011;94 (4): 1088-1096.
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.
Studies have shown that having confidence in the kitchen leads to fewer fast food meals and more meals as a family to strengthen a healthy lifestyle. A study in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior also highlights that young adults with strong cooking skills are more inclined to eat healthy as an adult. This summer, kids are getting to experience food moving from farm-to-table and work on building healthy habits through unique cooking and nutrition classes at Stony Brook Medicine.
Stony Brook Medicine is committed to helping kids gain kitchen experience and learn healthier cooking habits at an early age. On August 15, fourteen kids between the ages of 7 through 10 established healthier cooking habits through learning healthy recipes. On day one of the Healthy Cooking and Baking Classes, kids made hummus and veggie wraps, tabbouleh and fruit smoothies. The 3-day series teaches kids how to prepare their own meals and pick produce from the 2,242-square-foot rooftop garden known as Stony Brook Heights Rooftop Farm. The hospital’s rooftop farm supplies approximately 1,500 pounds of produce per year for patient meal trays and local charities. The program is organized by the Department of Family, Population & Preventive Medicine’s Nutrition Division.
Kids also learned about how food and ingredients are grown; harvested and chose ingredients to prepare healthier food options; tried a variety of fruit and vegetables with the health benefits behind them; and learned proper use of kitchen equipment to prepare meals using ingredients they picked by hand. In addition, each gained a hands-on approach to sustainable methods in farming, such as composting, choosing local foods and water conservation.
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.
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.
Pictured from left, Audrey Goodfriend, Tamara Baker, and Phyllis Stark with blankets to be donated to hospitals. Photo courtesy of Fountaingate Gardens
Audrey Goodfriend and Phyllis Stark, avid crocheters and knitters who are members of the new 62+ Independent Living Community Fountaingate Gardens in Commack, were so pleased to learn of We Care Blankets, a charity that aligns with their talents and interests. Recently, they welcomed Tamara Baker, founder of the charity, to their community to donate more than a dozen blankets for children and young adults who are going through chemotherapy.
Blankets made by Fountaingate residents will be donated to hospitals. Photo courtesy of Fountaingate Gardens
According to Baker, she started We Care Blankets more than two decades ago because she saw how cold children in treatment could be while in the hospital. “We have a network of more than 25 hospitals, and we supply them with 15,000 blankets each year, keeping children warm and comforted while they battle cancer. I’m so thankful for volunteers like Phyllis and Audrey,” Baker said.
“I think this is an amazing cause for those who are going through such difficult and challenging times,” Stark said while packing the blankets for pick up. “It creates a positive impact not only on the recipients, but also on the broader community, inspiring others to get involved!”
Goodfriend, who crochets while attending the weekly Needler’s Group at Fountaingate Gardens as well as while watching her Mets play, said, “Combining passions and interest with a purposeful act is a win-win situation; we enjoy our leisure time, but also make a positive difference in the lives of others.”
Baker noted that a network of volunteers meets regularly to wrap the blankets she has gathered from her volunteers, usually wrapping between one and two thousand blankets for delivery to the many hospitals in the We Care Blankets network.
For information or to volunteer for We Care Blankets, contact 516-797-2250 or visit their website at www.wecareblankets.org/volunteer.
Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine is hosting Give Kids a Smile Day at its Dental Care Center, South Drive, Stony Brook on Thursday, Aug. 31 from 2 to 4 p.m. Children ages 1–17 will receive no-cost pediatric dental care services including dental screening, cleaning, fluoride treatment, and sealants (as needed) in support of their mission to ensure that all school-aged children have access to good oral health.
Each child will be provided with an oral health goody bag, string backpack, and a “Summary of Exam” form that will document the treatment rendered and recommendations for further treatment, if necessary. Appointment registration is required, and a parent or legal guardian must accompany the child on the day of the event.
According to the ADA, each year about 350,000 to 400,000 children are treated at more than 1,500 locations across the nation during Give Kids a Smile events. Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine has participated in the program since its inception in 2002.
To schedule an appointment, call 631-632-8889 between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
“Before we can ask for bail, you would have to have enough fentanyl to kill 134,000 people,” he said. “We shouldn’t have to wait for someone to die before we can take them off the street,” adding, “That is unconscionable in the face of an epidemic.”
Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine is hosting Give Kids a Smile Day at its Dental Care Center, South Drive, Stony Brook on Thursday, Aug. 31 from 2 to 4 p.m. Children ages 1–17 will receive no-cost pediatric dental care services including dental screening, cleaning, fluoride treatment, and sealants (as needed) in support of their mission to ensure that all school-aged children have access to good oral health.
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