A seasonal vaccine is distributed routinely every year. 

• While there are many different flu viruses, the flu vaccine protects against the three viruses that research suggests will be most common.
• The 2010-2011 flu vaccine will protect against an influenza A H3N2 virus, an influenza B virus and the 2009 H1N1 virus that caused so much illness last season.
• Everyone 6 months of age and older should get vaccinated against the flu as soon as the 2010-2011 season vaccine is available.
• People at high risk of serious flu complications include young children, pregnant women, people with chronic health conditions like asthma, diabetes or heart and lung disease and people 65 years and older.
• Vaccination of high risk persons is especially important to decrease their risk of severe flu illness.
• Vaccination also is important for health care workers, and other people who live with or care for high risk people to keep from spreading flu to high risk people.
• Children younger than 6 months are at high risk of serious flu illness, but are too young to be vaccinated. People who care for them should be vaccinated instead.

Key Facts about Seasonal Flu Vaccine (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

• For decades, vaccines have been produced in chicken eggs. This process is time-consuming and for some flu seasons has resulted in flu vaccine shortages early in the flu season.  Cell-based vaccine production takes less time, and has the added benefit of allowing persons who are allergic to eggs to receive the vaccine.  Cell-based vaccine is not expected to become available until 2011.  More information about cell-based vaccine productions.

• When a critical portion of a community is immunized against a contagious disease, most members of the community are protected against that disease because there is little opportunity for an outbreak. Even those who are not eligible for certain vaccines get some protection because the spread of contagious disease is contained. This is known as “community immunity.”

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Fluzone High-Dose Vaccine

Fluzone High-Dose vaccine is aflu shot, made up of the 3 flu strains most likely to cause illness for a particular flu season. Fluzone High-Dose vaccines contain 4 times the amount of antigen (the part of the vaccine that prompts the body to make antibody) contained in regular flu shots. The additional antigen is intended to create a stronger immune response (more antibody) in the person getting the vaccine.

Human immune defenses become weaker with age, which places older people at greater risk of severe illness from influenza. Also, ageing decreases the body’s ability to have a good immune response after getting influenza vaccine. A higher dose of antigen in the vaccine is supposed to give older people a better immune response and therefore better protection against flu.

Fluzone High-Dose is approved for use in people 65 years of age and older. As with all flu vaccines, Fluzone High-Dose is not recommended for people with a severe allergy to chicken eggs, or people who have had a severe reaction to a flu vaccine in the past.

Questions & Answers: Fluzone High–Dose Seasonal Influenza Vaccine
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Light to moderate consumption of red wine may lead to improved sexual function in women, according to a study in the October issue of the Journal of Sexual Medicine. Women who drank one or two glasses of red wine a day scored higher on a questionnaire concerning sexual health and enjoyment, according to the study’s authors, members of the departments of Urology and Public Health at the University of Florence.

The team wanted to see if red wine consumption, as described by the Mediterranean diet, has an impact on women’s sexual function.  Past studies have found that adherence to the diet improves cardiovascular health, possibly due to a glass or two of red wine per day.  Cardiovascular health has long been linked to sexual health. 

The scientists selected nearly 800 women for the study, ages 18 to 50, who visited the Santa Maria Annunziata Hospital, part of the University of Florence.  Women who drank more than two glasses per day, smokers, and those with sexual disorders were excluded.  

The women completed a questionnaire, the Female Sexual Function Index, which is used by doctors to assess women and sexual health.  It includes 19 questions and has a total score range between 2 and 36, with higher scores indicating better sexual health.  

Overall, women who drank two glasses a day scored an average of 27.3 points, compared with 25.9 for those who drank one glass and 24.4 for nondrinkers.  Even more surprising was the fact that the two-glass-a-day drinkers were, on average, older than the other two groups, age tends to be associated with a declining sex drive.

Heavy alcohol consumption is a cancer risk but wine may help deter the cancer.  A recent study by researchers in Montreal has discovered a strong link between heavy alcohol consumption and six types of cancer in men.  But the researchers also found that moderate wine consumption lowered the risk of several other types of cancers.

The research was conducted by Andrea Benedetti of McGill University in Montreal, Marie-Elise Parent of the University of Quebec, and Jack Siemiatycki of the Universite de Montreal.  They gathered and analyzed data from a large study done in Montreal in the early 1980s.  There were 3,571 participants in that study, men aged 35 to 70, who provided detailed information on their alcohol consumption as well as information on their smoking habits, diet and socioeconomic status.  About 14 percent of the men were nondrinkers, about half drank weekly, and 36 percent consumed alcohol daily.

The researchers classified the men in the study by how many drinks they consumed daily multiplied by how many years they drank.  A man who drank four drinks a day for 25 years, for example, accumulated 100 “drink-years.”  They found that regular heavy consumption of alcohol (classified as 180 drink-years or more) increased the risk of esophageal and liver cancer by more than sevenfold.  The risk of colon, stomach and prostate cancer was about 80 percent higher among heavy drinkers, while lung cancer risk rose by almost 60 percent, compared with non-drinkers.  Heavy drinking posed no apparent excess risk for pancreatic cancer, rectal cancer, kidney cancer, bladder cancer, melanoma, Hodgkin’s lymphoma and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

“For the most part we showed that light drinkers were less affected or not affected at all,” said Benedetti.  “It is people who drink every day or multiple times a day who are at risk.”

In a secondary analysis that separated alcohol beverages by type, the results were less alarming for moderate wine drinkers.  Those who drank between one and six glasses of wine per week showed an increased risk of rectal cancer and melanoma (7 percent and 9 percent, respectively), but for most of the other cancers, moderate wine drinkers showed a lower risk of the diseases, averaging 10 percent to 20 percent less, compared with nondrinkers.  The moderate wine drinkers enjoyed a 41 percent lower risk of pancreatic cancers and a 35 percent lower risk for both forms of lymphoma.

“When we looked at alcohol-specific estimates, increased risks seemed to be driven by beer and/or spirits consumption,” said Benedetti.

Cashew nuts, a richly sweet product of the cashew tree are popular not only due to their succulent flavor but for thier health benefits. No matter how they are prepared; roasted, salted, sugared or covered in chocolate, the cashew nut is often used as a flavorful complement to appetizers, main dishes and deserts.

The Cashew  packs a mix of nutrients and minerals not found in many common foods.

Cashew nuts, native to equatorial South America, are actually seeds, found growing on the end of the cashew apple, an edible and nutrient rich South American treat that is too fragile to export to North America or Europe ..

Also known by the botanical name Anacardium occidentale, the cashew is a close relative of mangos, pistachios, poison ivy and poison oak. It was first introduced on a worldwide scale by Portuguese explorers in South America in the 16 th century, but international trade didn’t take off until the 1920s.

Sometimes they are called “nature’s vitamin pill,” cashew nuts, which now high among nut crops in the world and have been used to promote wellness for centuries.

Medical Benefits

The cashew tree’s leaves and bark as well as the popular cashew apple possess herbal health benefits that include killing bacteria and germs, stopping diarrhea, drying secretions, increasing the libido, and reducing fever, blood sugar, blood pressure and body temperature, but unfortunately the byproducts of these parts of the cashew tree are not available in North America and Europe, mainly due to their highly perishable qualities.

The cashew nut, a popular treat found on grocery and health food store shelves across the world, is jam-packed with nutritional content. It packs 5 grams of protein per ounce and high levels of the essential minerals iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, copper and manganese, which are utilized in holistic health solutions and healthy diets.

Diet and Weight Management

Cashew nuts do have a relatively high fat content (12 grams per ounce, 2 grams saturated fat), but it is considered “good fat.” This is due to the agreeable fat ratio in the nut, 1:2:1 for saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated, respectively, which scientists say is the ideal ratio for optimal health.

Cashew nuts also have a fatty acid profile that contributes to good health through phytosterols, tocopherols, and sqaulene, all of which lower the risk of heart disease, combined with the nut’s zero percent cholesterol content.

Even with the relatively high fat content, cashew nuts are considered to be a “low-fat” nut. In fact, cashew nuts contain less fat per serving than many other popular nuts commonly found in grocery stores and health food stores, including almonds, walnuts, peanuts and pecans.

Recommendations vary for cashew nut consumption in diet and weight loss. Cashew nuts have a high energy density and high amount of dietary fiber, both which have been attributed to a beneficial effect on weight management, but only when eaten in moderation

Cardiovascular and Circulatory Health

With no cholesterol, a rarity for such a tasty and pleasing treat, cashew nuts are a healthy fat food for heart patients. And because of their high levels of monounsaturated fatty acids, they also help support healthy levels of low good (HDL) cholesterol.

Magnesium

The cashew nut’s high magnesium content also takes the credit for its healthy heart qualities. In their raw form, cashews contain 82.5 milligrams of magnesium per ounce, or 21 percent of the daily recommended value of the heart healthy mineral, which also protects against high blood pressure, muscle spasms, migraine headaches, tension, soreness and fatigue.

Magnesium also works with calcium to support healthy muscles and bones in the human body.

Antioxidants

And with a high copper content, too, cashew nut consumption helps the body utilize iron, eliminate free radicals, develop bone and connective tissue, and produce the skin and hair pigment melanin.

Copper, which is an essential component of the enzyme superoxide dismutase , is vital in energy production and antioxidant defense, producing greater flexibility in blood vessels, bones and joints.

Diabetes

Recent clinical trials have shows that cashews and other nuts work with a person’s lipid profile to have a beneficial effect on those with diabetes or at risk for diabetes.

And with 37.7 percent of the daily recommended value of monounsaturated fats, cashews can reduce triglyceride levels in diabetics, protecting them from further complications.

Integrating frequent nut consumption into your diet, especially raw cashews, may lower the risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes, the most commonly diagnosed form of diabetes in America today.

Gallstones

All nuts, including the cashew nut, have been associated with a reduced risk of gallstone disease.

According to the Nurses’ Health Study, looking at the dietary data of 80,718 women, integrating at least one ounce of nuts a week, such as cashews, gives women a 25 percent lower risk of developing gallstones.

Dental Health

Research has also shown that chemicals in cashew nuts kill gram positive bacteria, a pervasive mouth affliction that causes tooth decay, acne, tuberculosis and leprosy.

Eating cashew nuts at moderate levels, some say, can eliminate abscessed teeth, though this has not been proven yet by proper clinical trials.

Topical Uses

While the cashew nut is most enjoyed when eaten, it also possesses astringent qualities that are now used in topical creams and gels.

A Philippine scientist who has made a career out of studying the health benefits of cashew nut extract markets the extract in a cream for warts, moles and other skin growths.

The Philippine-produced cream is also reportedly effective on basal cell carcinoma, the most common type of skin cancer, though this too is not yet available in the U.S.

Ensure Freshness

Always check your cashews for freshness before you dig in. While cashews have a high amount of the stabilizing oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid, they should always be stored in a tightly sealed container in a cool, dry place.

And don’t eat too many at once. Because of their high fat content, over consumption of cashew nuts can cause unwanted weight gain in individuals. The oxalates in cashews cal also become concentrated in body fluids, crystallizing and causing health problems in people with preexisting kidney or gallbladder problems.

With cashew nuts, moderation is key in reaping the health and flavor benefits of nature’s treat.

A quarter-cup of cashew nuts supplies:

• 37.4% of the daily recommended value of monounsaturated fat
• 38.0% of the daily recommended value for copper
• 22.3% of the daily recommended value for magnesium

Cashew Nuts Contain Heart-Protective Monounsaturated Fats

• Cashews have a lower fat content than most other nuts
• Cashews contain primarily unsaturated fatty acids, 75% of which is oleic acid, the same heart-healthy monounsaturated fat found in olive oil
• Oleic acid found in Cashews promotes good cardiovascular health
• Monounsaturated fats reduce high triglyceride levels which are associated with increased risk for heart disease

Eating cashews provides the body with a good source of Copper

Copper plays a role in a wide range of physiological processes including :

• Iron utilization
• Elimination of free radicals
• Development of bone and connective tissue
• Production of the skin and hair pigment called melanin
• Energy production
• Antioxidant defenses

Inadequate intake of copper can lead to health problems such as:

• Iron deficiency anemia
• Ruptured blood vessels
• Osteoporosis
• Joint problems such as rheumatoid arthritis
• Brain disturbances
• Elevated LDL (bad) cholesterol and reduced HDL (good) cholesterol levels
• Irregular heartbeat
• Increased susceptibility to infections

Cashews are a great source of Magnesium

Adequate levels of Magnesium in the body:

• Ensures healthy bones
• Helps lowers blood pressure
• Prevents heart attacks
• Promotes normal sleep patterns menopausal women
• Reduces the severity of asthma

Insufficient magnesium can contribute to:

• High blood pressure
• Muscle spasms Migraine headaches
• Muscle cramps
• Tension
• Soreness
• Fatigue

Dress to be seen

Fall is a good time for safety awareness, in and around the neighborhoods, especially during Halloween.  Keep in mind:

• when selecting a costume to not impede your child’s vision and not impact their balance and coordination
• utilize clothing with reflective features like sneakers,, wristbands or jackets
• make sure batteries in the flash lights are new and your child is aware of traffic dangers.  Glow sticks are a good temporary or supplemental source of illumination

Fall Attire

Night time activities increase as the hours of daylight decrease.  Keeping safe this season helps by dressing appropriately.  Wear bright, light, reflective clothing.  If jogging or walking on roads, always face traffic and do not wear headphones.  Watch for evasive actions from oncoming vehicles as drivers may be distracted.

Home Tips

At the beginning of the fall season, ensure that you have a proper inspection and cleaning performed on your central heating unit and fireplace.  Inspections can unveil potential issues such as blocked pipes or carbon monoxide poisoning and reduce the risk of having a chimney fire.  Also, be sure to inspect your chimney regularly for cracks and any ]blockages that could pose a fire safety tip.  If you use space heaters, ensure they are UL Listed, in good condition and a safe distance away from drapery, furniture or other combustibles.  Always ensure that they are turned off before bedtime or leaving the home.