Infection Protection

February 4, 2002
Klatz, founder of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, and Goldman, its chairman, who previously co-wrote Stopping the Clock: Why Many of Us Will Live Past 100—and Enjoy Every Minute
here turn their attention to the hazards of infection. According to the authors, more than 75% of the U.S. population is infected with parasites, bacteria, fungi or viruses. They name ulcers, gastric problems, yeast infections, sexually transmitted diseases and even heart disease and cancer as some of the bodily conditions that result from infection. Much of their rather dense text is devoted to accessible but overly long medical explanations of how infection enters the body through such avenues as the endocrine system, the respiratory system or the digestive system. The authors contend that traditional medicine ignores the danger and extent of these agents of infection, which they say are rampant in hospitals, the workplace, at home and wherever one travels. Rather than relying heavily on antibiotics, people should try to optimize their immune system to neutralize infections, Klatz and Goldman say. Strategies for doing just that are provided, including a healthy diet, exercise, frequent hand washing, stress reduction techniques and herbal remedies. Although there is plenty of useful information, the authors present the everyday world as so fraught with the possibility of infection that it may frighten some readers and create hypochondriacs out of others. Klatz and Goldman also promote products that are available through an "anti-aging superstore" Web site.