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Dear Craig, 

I hereby requesting your vote to win 'People's Health Blogger Award'. Please see all my posts related to cancer in my blog. Thank you in advance for your help.

Best Regards,

Nagaraj

Hi friend!

I know the contest is pretty funny, but I would love to win Wellsphere's Health Blogger Award
I would appreciate it if you could cast a vote for me and I guarentee you that you will like my blog 100%

Flu shots have been in our community several times in very limited quantities, but the lines go for blocks and blocks, so I always go back to my home office and work. Every time I call my doc, or the drug store down the street, they don't have any. I am beginning to wonder what the heck is going on, but maybe I will just skip it anyway.

Is anyone taking flu shots this year? Still waiting for the flu shot supply to arrive in my city (Des Moines area).

Here is a list of studies about immune balance and why it is important for many health parameters beyond cold and flu. Happy reading!

1. EpiCor human trial summary
   PDF of interesting findings from several immune response studies.
2. Signals from nervous system influence immune system, study shows
   …the researchers showed that the strength of the VIP signal received by the T cells regulates the balance between two types of immune T cells, Th1 and Th2. Th1 is normally involved with protection from bacterial invasion and other defenses, but Th1 in excess can lead to autoimmune disorders.
3. Immune Responses in Healthy and Allergic Individuals Are Characterized by a Fine Balance between Allergen-specific T Regulatory 1 and T Helper 2 Cells
   This details findings on immune balance regarding allergy sufferers.
4. Nutrients keep immune system in balance
   A USDA summary on immune balance through a balanced diet.  Don’t go overboard on zinc, it says. Plus much more.

5. Molecule Strikes Balance in Immune System and May Be Key to Autoimmune Attack in MS
   This is leading edge stuff observed in animal studies. Intriguing.

6. Proteins Play Against Each Other, Bringing Balance to Immune System, National Jewish Researchers Find
   A research team at National Jewish Medical and Research Center led by Philippa Marrack, PhD, and John Kappler, PhD, report in the April 28, 2000 issue of Science that they have discovered how certain proteins work together in the immune system to control the T cells that attack viruses such as chicken pox, measles and other diseases.

7. Delicate Protein Balance Behind Immune System Response Uncovered
   “”The deeper we delve into the role of cytokines in the immune system response, the more we realize that they are part of an elaborately balanced system …” — Dr. Chrisopher Hunter, Univ. of Pennsylvania, chair, Dept. of Pathobiology

8. Humor and Laughter May Influence Health IV. Humor and Immune Function
   Western Kentucky University, School of Nursing and University of South Florida. “This final article reviews the evidence for the effect of sense of humor, exposure to a humor stimulus and laughter on various immune system components, with a focus on the effects of laughter on natural killer cell cytotoxicity.^“

9. Stress-Induced Neurogenic Inflammation in Murine Skin Skews Dendritic Cells Towards Maturation and Migration
   Stress may trigger over-reaction of immune cells in skin, leading to irritation and itching.