Colds and Flu: What Can Nutrition Do?
The following article does not replace medical advice. I always recommend that people see their physician and get an accurate diagnosis and any urgent medical care needed. This article is geared toward adults, not children. Always seek the advice of your pediatrician, a pediatric nutritionist or pediatric naturopath when you looking for natural remedies for children.
Colds and Flu: What Can Nutrition Do?
Cold and flu season is right around the corner and you may be wondering what nutrition and homeopathy can do to support your body’s ability to fight these illnesses. If you are a person who dreads cold and flu season because you have a tendency to get sick for weeks and weeks, you may want to consider giving your immune system a little extra love NOW. This way, when you do get sick, you will have the ability to fight off illnesses much faster, and hopefully have a much milder version of the illness.
Some viruses can get very serious, very fast, especially if you have a rundown immune system.
The sooner you can start boosting your body’s ability to fight infection, the better. If you can help your body recover faster, you may have a much better chance of preventing secondary infections that can develop after colds or flu such as sinus infections, bronchitis, and pneumonia. If you are proactive, you may lessen the chance that you have to turn to rescue medications such as steroids, inhalers and antibiotics.
Nutrition IS Prevention
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” said the great Benjamin Franklin. My 30 years of clinical experience has shown me that nutrition is irreplaceable in terms of preventing infection from taking hold in your system, and homeopathy is irreplaceable in terms of helping your body recover faster from viral and bacterial infections. Read on to find out what you can be doing NOW to stay healthy.
Supplements
1. MULTIVITAMIN/MINERAL. Consider taking a good quality multivitamin, as there are basic nutrients in multivitamin/mineral blends such as vitamin A, vitamin E, zinc, vitamin C, that can help your body fight infection. Vitamin A and zinc keep your mucous membranes healthy and resistant to infection. Vitamin A, zinc and vitamin C aid your immune system in fighting infection. Zinc deficiency is a risk factor for bacterial diarrhea and pneumonia (5). Vitamin C helps with the production of white blood cells and antibodies to help fight infection. In animal and human studies, Vitamin E helps to protect against infection, including pneumonia, and may have a role in lowering the incidence of colds and flu in the elderly (5). If you are unsure if your vitamin is of good quality, you can schedule a supplement review appointment with me.
2. VITAMIN D. Talk to your doctor or nutritionist about taking an appropriate amount of vitamin D. Vitamin D helps to keep your immune system strong and may be especially important in people with asthma during cold and flu season (5). Vitamin D is dosed individually based on your serum levels. Vitamin D supplementation in kids with asthma was associated with a 74% reduction of the risk of exacerbation of asthma (4). You can get too much Vitamin D, so get professional health advice on how much vitamin D you should be taking.
3. ELDERBERRY. Consider taking a daily maintenance dose of elderberry through the winter. Typically, on the label, the product will list a maintenance dose to prevent illness, as well as an intensive dose to use when you are actually sick. Elderberry has antiviral and antimicrobial properties, and in addition to protection from colds and flu, it can even help keep the herpes virus at bay (2). Elderberry prevents the adhesion of viruses to cell receptors (1). It also stimulates the immune system and works as a mucolytic agent (dissolves thick mucus) and expectorant (thins out the phlegm in your lungs so you can cough it up), thus helping you blow and cough the mucus out easier (1).
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study on elderberry for Influenza A and B, showed influenza symptoms were relieved 4 days faster on elderberry compared to placebo, and the need for rescue medication was significantly less (1). If you have an autoimmune disease, talk to your provider about using elderberry or other herbs that increase immune function.
4. ADRENAL SUPPORT. Try to keep stress manageable and get plenty of sleep to keep your immune system functioning properly. If you find that your stress level and sleep quality are unmanageable, there are wonderful adrenal adaptogen herbs that help control your physiological response to stress, and also help you to get deep sleep.
Foods
1. Consume foods that are high in vitamin A (beta carotene) such as sweet potato, pumpkin, carrot, cantaloupe, mango, spinach, broccoli, kale & butternut squash. Milk, butter and eggs contain vitamin A.
2. Eat foods high in zinc such as poultry, meat and organ meat, seeds and nuts, oysters, seafood and fish.
3. Eat food sources of vitamin E including oils (olive, sunflower oil, etc), eggs, avocado, nuts and seeds, dark leafy greens and wheat germ.
4. Include adequate protein in your diet as protein is required for the immune system to function properly.
5. Make sure you are getting plenty of foods high in vitamin C. These include: Citrus fruits, kiwi, pineapple, cherries and berries, red bell peppers, tomatoes, leafy greens, sweet potatoes and potatoes.
6. Mushrooms can help to boost immune function so include them in your vegetable dishes and soups. Use a variety of mushrooms as they all have slightly different immune enhancing properties. Mushrooms contain a polysaccharide called beta-glucans which is responsible for many of the immune modulatory properties of mushroom. Many studies show that mushrooms positively support the immune system and a healthy inflammatory response.
7. Consume probiotic foods such as kefir, yogurt, sauerkraut, and kimchee to help fight infection. Probiotics prevent viruses and bacteria from adhering to the mucosal lining in your mouth, throat, gut, urinary tract, nose, sinuses, ears, and lungs. The “friendly” bacteria and viruses help to crowd out the “unfriendly” bacteria and viruses. Probiotics help your body fight off infection faster and prevent the infection from literally “sticking” around and “setting up a family” in your upper and lower respiratory tract. Eating a diet high in plant foods such as fruit, vegetables, nuts, and beans is one of the best ways to increase the friendly bacteria in your body.
8. Drink plenty of fluids including homemade broth (with lots of garlic if you can tolerate it), teas, and filtered water with lemon. Green tea and raw unfiltered honey both have immune-boosting properties, so sipping a few cups of green tea with honey every day will not only comfort you but will also help you stay healthy (children under 1 should not consume honey).
9. Consider running a humidifier at night in the bedroom to prevent your sinuses from drying out and becoming susceptible to infection.
How I Can Help if You Do Get Sick:
If you do get sick, homeopathy, nutrition supplements, and herbs can boost your body’s ability to fight infection. If you want to minimize your downtime with colds and flu feel free to set up an appointment for a consult regarding homeopathic remedies, herbs, and nutritional supplements to support your immune system.
I recommend reaching out early in the illness. If you let things go for too long, you may end up having to take a whole slew of rescue medications such as antibiotics, steroids, breathing treatments, AND homeopathy and herbs on top of it. Because I am not a physician, I do not diagnose illness or treat illness, so you need to see your doctor for an accurate diagnosis and any required medical treatment before we meet.
I hope this article helps you stay healthy this winter!!
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*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The products or dietary suggestions mentioned in this article are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The information in this article is not intended to replace any recommendations or relationship with your physician. Please review references sited at end of article for scientific support of any claims made.
References
1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15080016
2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28198157
3 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22456024
4 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26310436
5 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6340979/