Astaxanthin is an antioxidant in the carotenoid family, which puts it in the company of vitamin A, beta caroteine, lutein, and zeaxanthin. It is thought to be a much stronger antioxidant than the other members of the carotenoid family. Astraxanthin is the antioxidant that gives healthy salmon their bright red color and is most likely the component of krill oil that gives krill oil added benefits over fish oil. Commercial extracts of astaxanthin come from the Hawaiian microalgae, Haematococcus pluvialis. 

Research on astaxanthin is still preliminary, but has shown great potential in inflammatory conditions, like rheumatoid arthritis, carpal tunnel, and elevated C-reactive protein. There has also been research on astaxanthin's ability to reduce and reverse the effects of the sun's damaging effects on the skin. This may prove to lower the incidence of skin cancers in people who regularly take astaxanthin. Other research has focused on astaxanthin's benefits for the eyes, including the retina and potential for the reduction of age related macular degeneration. And lastly, there has also been research on it's benefits for the immune system and lowering cholesterol.

The recommended dosage for astaxanthin is 8-10mg per day. Since this antioxidant is found in salmon, you could get it from eating salmon, but you would need to eat wild Alaskin sockeye salmon to get full benefits. Sockeye has approximately 9mg astaxanthin per 8 oz serving, compared with Atlantic salmon containing only 1.2mg astaxanthin per 8 oz serving. You can purchase astaxanthin in a supplement form, usually 4mg capsules. 

To date, I haven't used astaxanthin in my practice, so I haven't been able to establish it's benefits in my patients. However, because this antioxidant does have so much potential, I would like to offer you the opportunity to try an astaxanthin supplement for yourself at a 20% discount. The retail price for a 60 capsule bottle of Pure Encapsulations' Astraxanthin is $30.30, but you can purchase it, through my online store only, for $24.24, a $6.06 savings. To take advantage of this discount, follow this link: Astraxanthin 60 cap by Pure Encapsulations.

Dioxins are a group of petroleum-derived chemicals used industrially (in the production of pesticides, herbicides, and in chlorine bleaching of wood pulp for paper) and when plastics are burned. These chemicals are unfortunately ubiquitous in our environment and their half-life in the human body is estimated at 7 to 11 years. This means that when you ingest dioxins, it takes your body at least 50 years to eliminate these toxic chemicals. Dioxins are known to cause birth defects, miscarriages, and a skin disease called chloracne. Lesser evidence points to thyroid dysfunction, diabetes, and cancer.

Most of the documented effects of dioxins have only been seen in high dosage exposure, especially from agent orange exposure from the Vietnam War. I recommend that you read this Sunday's Cleveland Plain Dealer to learn about the impact of agent orange exposure to US troops and their offspring (like my good friend and neighbor, Heather Bowser) and the continued poisoning of the Vietnamese in certain "hot spot" areas of Vietnam.  Click here to view article

90% of dioxin exposure in humans is through foods, especially meats, dairy, fish, and shellfish. This means that the best way for you to reduce your dioxin exposure is to eat organic meats, dairy, avoid farm-raised fish, and drink purified water. It is also helpful to reduce your exposure to dioxins by refraining from using herbicides and pesticides on your lawn and in your garden.

I've been getting a lot of questions about childhood vaccinations lately, so I decided to talk a little about my stance on vaccinations. I have always stated to my patients that it is their decision to weigh the risks of vaccination vs not vaccinating. Both decisions have risks. When we talk about the risks of vaccination, the water gets a little muddy. There is circumstantial evidence that vaccinations may trigger autism, but to date there have been no good studies to prove so. To look at good hard evidence on the risks of vaccinations, we must look to the the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), which was put in place in 1990 to track adverse reactions to vaccinations. Since VAERS was put in place, there have been 2828 deaths attributed to children under the age of 5, which equates to about 141 deaths per year or around 1 death for every 100,000 children. This is a very small number statistically, but it is something to be aware of when choosing to vaccinate your child.

On the other hand, there are risks to not vaccinating your child also. For instance, we saw a high rate of pertussis (whooping cough) in the U.S. in 2010, which accounted for 26 deaths or 1 death for every 1,000 people who contracted pertussis. This is still a very small number, but when weighing the pros and cons of vaccinations, we need to understand the risks.

Here are statistics on some of the childhood diseases that vaccinations are given for:

• Measles: in 2008 there were 131 cases documented, no deaths, and 15 hospitalizations

• Mumps: in 2006 there were 6404 cases documented and 15 deaths

• Rubella (German Measles): cases are rarely seen, however there was an outbreak in NE Ohio a couple years ago. In children, the disease is a mild, self-limiting rash. The problem comes if pregnant mothers contract the virus, which can be dangerous to the fetus.

• Diphtheria: extremely rare in the U.S., but the death rate for children contracting this bacterial infection, there is a 5% to 10% death rate.

• Tetanus: there are approximately 50 to 100 cases seen in the U.S. Per year. Without vaccination, there is a 20% death rate, however vaccination can be administered after a puncture wound has occurred to protect the person.

• Polio; extremely rare in the U.S. and 90% of those infected show no symptoms and about 1% have serious neurological problems after infection.