The most important factor is to breast feed your children if you can. Our immune systems are developed from a very young age and the foundation that is laid then is crucial for the child's immune function throughout life. By breast feeding, you're enhancing your child's TH1 cells which deals with fighting off invasions from bacteria and viruses. If you are unable to breast feed, you should seek a formula that contains colostrum as it can provide the same benefits. When we don't breast feed or provide colostrum, then our TH2 cells become dominant. TH2 cells increase one's risk for allergies and asthma, if your child has allergies from a very young age, it is quite possible that it is due to this. Also, mom's who are breast feeding should not be overly concerned with getting a flu shot for their child (if they are breast feeding). If the mom feels it necessary to further protect the child, you can get the flu shot yourself as the antibodies will pass to the child via breast milk. This is also true of eating a balanced diet, those nutrients get channeled to the infant via the same mechanism.
If you have young children who are no longer breast feeding, again flu shots are not necessary. It is healthy for a child to get exposed to germs as it will boost their immunity. We can compare this to fruits and vegetables; the more natural hardship a fruit/vegetable faces, the more anti-oxidants it contains. When it is exposed to a variety of weather patterns cold, rainy, sunny, dry etc its anti-oxidant content increases in an effort to protect itself from the damage of the weather patterns. Whereas, fruits and vegetables that have been sprayed with pesticides and herbicides have extremely low anti-oxidant levels as well as the addition of toxic sprays because they don't have to fight back to save their lives. The same holds true in us, especially children and adolescents, when we expose ourselves to germs we boost our natural defenses. When we incessantly kill them with anti-bacterial soap or excessive hand washing, we increase our natural defenses. It should be noted that overuse of anti-bacterial soap kills not only the germs but our protective immune cells on the skin as well further decreasing our immune systems.
The best thing to do for a child is to decrease sugar intake (sugar directly decreases the absorption of vitamin C in the body), increase vegetable intake, forget the orange juice as a source of vitamin C, unless it is fresh squeezed with no additional ingredients. Orange juice is high in sugar and the vitamin C content is much less than a serving of fresh vegetables and fresh fruits. Also, be sure that your child goes to bed early, bathe them once per day and watch for warning signs of the flu so you can provide the appropriate care before the virus progresses.
Adults can prevent the cold/flu by getting appropriate rest, waking and rising at regular hours (rise between 5-7am and get to sleep between 9-10pm). Also, stress directly effects our immune systems; by managing stress we boost our immune systems; a balanced, healthy diet is crucial as well as decreased caffeine, alcohol and sugar intake. If you feel yourself coming down with a cold/flu, chop up a clove of raw garlic and add it to some warm water with 1/2 tsp raw honey and drink. This can be done up to 3 times per day. Also, there are some excellent herbs that help build the immune system such as elderberry, rose hips, echinacea, thyme and the herb licorice (not the candy!). You can combine these to make a tea and drink throughout the day.
Important Flu Facts:
Each year in the U.S., anywhere from 5-20% of the population gets the flu. The flu season lasts for about six weeks, usually sometime in late fall or early winter, taking three weeks to reach its peak, and then three weeks to subside. There are 200,000 flu-related hospitalizations per year and 36,000 deaths, with more than 60% (of hospitalizations) and 90% (of deaths) being in those over age 65. While most people recover on their own in 1-2 weeks, high risk groups include those with chronic health conditions, the elderly, and very young children. In addition, despite the hype of our last flu season, more than 99% of people infected with swine flu have recovered without needing medical treatment, and 70% of those hospitalized for it were those with underlying medical conditions.
Deciding on Vaccination:
Each year, the World Health Organization puts together a vaccine by determining the three most likely strains of flu to circulate in a given season (which must be decided at least six months in advance to produce enough vaccine in time), which are then incorporated into “the flu shot”, also known as the trivalent influenza vaccine (TIV). Additionally, there is the Live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV), which is administered as a nasal spray and contains the live virus (as opposed to the TIV, in which the virus is not alive). Though both can result in mild side effects, the main concern when considering these vaccines is the additives in the TIV. Perhaps most concerning is the addition of Thimerosal, a preservative often used in this vaccine which contains mercury. Few studies have examined the risks involved with exposure to this additive, though it is known that it is very toxic when inhaled, ingested or contacted via the skin. Thimerosal also crosses the blood-brain and placental barriers, and appears to accumulate in the kidneys and the central nervous system. The LAIV does not contain thimerosal, and so may be a safer choice, in particular for children. Some studies have also shown that the LAIV may be more effective in children than the TIV, though it is not safe for use in children under the age of two, or those over age 50. Both vaccines, however, work under the assumption that the World Health Organization was able to guess the correct strains of flu and include them in the vaccine. Otherwise, they will not be helpful for the current year’s flu season.
Taking all these facts into consideration, it is still a difficult decision whether or not vaccination is the right choice. If you are considering getting the TIV, it would at least be worth inquiring whether or not it contains thimerosal or other mercury preservatives before making a final decision. If you are additionally making a decision for your child, take into consideration their general level of exposure, their overall health, and in particular, consider using the LAIV if they are over two years. Also, keep in mind that a mother’s antibodies will protect a child who is breast-feeding regularly, which may help alleviate some of the concern for the very young. For any vaccine, but particularly with the LAIV, try not to get it when you are already sick. This could place an undue burden on your immune system and lead to more serious side-effects, especially in children
Recommendations for Cold/Flu Prevention:
- A recent study has shown that Vitamin D can be helpful in preventing the flu. Research suggests that adults can take up to 5,000-10,000 IU per day, and children can take up to 2000 IU per day (I recommend Biotics Research Corporation‘s Bio D Mulsion Forte, which can be purchased online).
- Some herbs you can look for in pill, syrup, or tincture form that specifically help with prevention and treatment of the flu include elderberry, andrographis paniculata, and Rhodiola rosea (There is a great elderberry syrup called Honey Gardens Apitherapy Honey Elderberry Syrup, which is suitable for children and adults
- Herb Pharm makes outstanding herbal tinctures. Excellent choices are Echinacea and Goldenseal extract and Immune Defense Tonic.
- Astragalus, Echinacea, and maitake and reishi mushroom all have great immune boosting function. (echinacea's healing powers are most prominent when taken just before a cold or at the very beginning of a cold, if you take it in the middle of a cold it won't be as potent but should help decrease the length of a cold).
- There are many pre-formulated tinctures which you can find at most any health food store that will contain some combination of the above mentioned herbs in one convenient mixture (Herb Pharm‘s Immune Defense Tonic or Children‘s Winter Health Compound being good examples).
- Decrease sugar intake (raw honey is not considered a sugar)
- Skip the chicken noodle soup and go for the vegetable soup (in Chinese medicine, chicken should be avoided during sickness as it will exacerbate symptoms). There's also a greater abundance in anti-oxidants, vitamins and phyto-chemicals in vegetable soup
- Decrease or omit for the time being caffiene, alcohol, and other stimulants
- Add a splash of brown rice vinegar to vegetables as it increases the absorption of vitamins and minerals that each vegetable has to offer
- Garlic, onions, leeks and pungent foods to expel the pathogen. However, avoid overly spicy.
- Avoid greasy, fatty and fried foods
- Protein builds our immune system. Obtain healthy sources of protein from legumes, fresh pacific fish and occasional grass fed anti-biotic free bison or beef, organic free-range eggs are a great choice as well
- Decrease intake of dairy. Dairy foods produce phlegm and should be avoided when sick
- Immune Boosting Tea: 2 parts elderberry, 2 parts echinacea, 1 part licorice, 1 part thyme, 2 parts peppermint
The above information is not to suggest that the flu is not a serious illness, however. Emergency warning signs of the flu include: difficulty breathing, pain or pressure in the abdomen or chest, confusion/delirium or sudden dizziness, or severe and persistent vomiting. In children, look out for fast or difficult breathing, a bluish color to the skin, difficulty waking up or interacting, dehydration, extreme irritability and not wanting to be held, fever accompanied by a rash, or symptoms that get better and then return with a fever and a cough.
*I am required to tell you not to take supplements or vitamins without first consulting a licensed health care professional. If you have questions, please ask. Also, the decision to vaccinate is solely up to you and your family.
Article by Heathar Shepard and Ashely Brown
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