Swine and Bird Flu Defense
There are hundreds of possible viruses that can cause colds and flu. In most cases of the common varieties, I’d always say that your best defense is a healthy immune system. Fortunately, there are several ways nutrients can help our bodies and our immune systems build up to defend themselves against disease and infections. These can be put into two classifications of nutrients that can help us:
1. Nutrients that stimulate your immune system to attack virus and bacterium.
2. Nutrients that directly attack virus and bacterium
For the common varieties of colds and flu, both of the above methods are good.
Swine flu is a little different.
At this point, I don’t think it is as dangerous as the press is making it out to be. In Mexico, though, sketchy information indicates the main cause of death may be related, directly or indirectly, to respiratory infection. This is usually caused by a reaction of our immune system. With an infection, the immune system actually causes inflammation for a reason. Inflammation increases the blood supply in the immediate area of the infection, which brings more white blood cells and antibodies to the area. This is the redness you might see around a cut.
Unfortunately, in the lungs, too much inflammation restricts the amount of air (oxygen) that can be absorbed. If it gets serious enough, it can be deadly. So, with a flu virus that causes a lot of respiratory infection, too much inflammation can happen. In these rare cases, nutrients that boost the immune system can defeat their purpose. Swine flu affects the respiratory system so immune system boosters should be used with moderation. A little might be ok, a lot might not be.
Bird flu is really different. Fortunately we are not dealing with bird flu (yet). Most deaths from bird flu are caused, or related to, extreme respiratory failure from inflammation! This means that immune system boosters, like Echinacea, would actually work very much against your lungs. Nutrients that directly attack would be much more valuable!
Here are several nutrients you should have in your cold-flu defense kit. Most of them, except for Echinacea, are direct attack nutrients with minimal stimulation of the immune system. You'll also notice that several of them have what seems to be high dosage. Sometimes short bursts of high dosage of vitamins can have a dramatic effect against a serious invader like flu. I may put together a formula in the future, to go with out other products, but just advice for now.
1. General prevention: (Things to help prevent a flu or cold in the first place during a flu season or epidemic.)
A GOOD multivitamin, mineral
This helps give your body and immune system what it needs to be at optimum health. Of course, we recommend the Ultimate Foundation.
Vitamin D-3
2,000 IU for general maintenance when not getting sun (winter, no exposure, etc. - add what your multivitamin doesn’t have.) This may be the single biggest reason some people catch more colds and keep them longer than others. Exciting new research has come from noticing that the amount of colds and flu people get is directly related to the amount of sunlight they receive. Sunlight can cause your body to produce as much as 20,000 IU of D-3 in just 20 minutes. Therefore, little sun, covered skin or dark skin = little vitamin D-3 production. Contrary to older thinking, sun exposure – without burning – turns out to be very healthy! Sun tan places with high UVB, low UVA (such as Sperti lamps) are a possible winter choice. (The low sun angle in the winter do not have D-3 producing rays). The alternative is adding vitamin D-3, cholecalciferol (not D-2 – ergocalciferol) during this time.
2. If being exposed, but no symptoms yet:
Xylitol Nasal Wash
Xlear brand is the best, but any good xyitol nasal spray is good to have on hand. The nose is the #1 way of viruses and bacteria to enter the body. Simply spraying the nostrils twice, 3 times a day, is the first line of defense to prevent anything from getting started.
Zinc throat lozenges
This is a good, inexpensive way to protect the #2 germ access, “hands to the mouth”. Only use zinc lozenges 1-2 times a day. (Zinc can be over done – I prefer lower amount lozenges, 10-15 mg, so I can take them 2x a day). If you take them more than 2 weeks, you may want to add 2 mg daily of copper because zinc decreases the body’s copper stores.
Vitamin C
Add 1,000 mg daily in addition to your multivitamin C. Use time-release to spread the absorption rate, usage and to ease stomach acidity. Make sure they have bioflavonoids in them
Selenium
200 mg daily - add whatever your multivitamin doesn’t provide. Deficiencies of selenium are common, but this is needed only if your multivitamin gives you less than 200 mg. Selenium boosts the production of glutathione peroxidase that stops flu viruses from making you sick. Places that are deficient in selenium (such as China) stop outbreaks of viral diseases simply by giving selenium to the population.
Masks
3. At the first sign of symptoms (Time for the direct attack. I highly recommend the first two products. They are direct attack nutrients for all viral situations.)
Sambucol
I have mentioned Sambucol many times before. It is my #1 virus buster! Israeli researcher, Dr. Mumcuogly, developed it. Multiple double blind University tests in Israel and England (and other countries) have shown sambucol to kill every virus known - including the most dangerous bird flu virus! More importantly, It directly attacks flu virus before it enters the wall of a normal cell. If I even wonder if I am getting the flu, I take a 4 oz bottle, sipped a few times in the morning. If I still have symptoms in the afternoon, I'll take another 4 oz bottle. (If I was wrong, this is Cheap insurance at about $7/ bottle to prevent a week of sickness). Only once have I had to take any the second day (because I waited too long to start the first day). Nature’s Way brand is the best.
The Children's is simply 1/2 the adult dose at the adult price. The adult is tasty, so you can give them 1/2 the adult amount and save $$$.
Resveratrol
100+ mg a day if exposed, 200-300 mg if you have symptoms. (Extracts are usually standardized to 50% resveratrol, so make sure you are getting the full amount of resveratrol). A study in 2005 showed that resveratrol inhibited the influenza-A virus from replicating by commandeering the cellular machinery it requires for replication. The current swine H1N1 strain is influenza A virus! So resveratrol would be very effective at fighting it. Get a resveratrol product that has grape skins and extracts included with it.
If you are ambitious, you can add:
Vitamin A - (retinal palminate, not beta carotene) – up to 25,000 units for up to 7 days while having any symptoms.
Vitamin C - take up to 2-4 grams a day (if loose stools occur, reduce dose).
Vitamin D3 – up to 20,000 IU for 3 days at onset of symptoms.
Zinc throat lozenges – 3 a day for 1 week.
Updated at 6/6/2009 5:12:42 PM