The human body doesn't have to be starving to suffer from malnutrition. Studies show that obesity, in addition to its other health risks, may also make people more susceptible to infections like the flu. A diet heavy on processed and fast foods may be low in the vitamins and minerals important for health. And diets that are high in saturated fat appear to actually depress the body's immune response, increasing the risk of infections. Dr. Beck says studies of mice show that only 4% of lean animals infected with the flu virus die. That compares with a death rate of between 40% and 60% in obese mice infected with the virus. And after a small study showed that obese people vaccinated for the flu didn't mount a strong immune response, the University of North Carolina is expanding its trials to compare vaccination response rates in lean and obese people.
"For holiday treats, you can't go wrong with pumpkins," says Dina Aronson, MS, RD, a nutrition consultant and author based in New Jersey. "Pumpkin is very high in antioxidants, potassium, and vitamin A, and quite low in sugar--only about 2 grams in a whole cup--and naturally low in sodium." "In particular, it contains the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, important for eye health."
# Vitamin D3: Adequate vitamin D status is critical for optimal immune function and this cannot be achieved without supplementation during the winter months. It is best to get your levels of 25 OH vitamin D checked for accurate dosing. The ideal blood level is 50-75 ng/dl. Many need 5,000 IU or more of vitamin D3 a day in the winter. Start with 2,000 IU for adults, 1,000 IU for children. # Buffered Vitamin C: The role of vitamin C in supporting the immune system has long been known. Take 500-1,000mg through out the day with meals and snacks. # Zinc citrate: You can take an additional supplement or consume more foods high in this powerful immune supporting nutrient. Oysters and pumpkin seeds are the best food sources. # Probiotics: A healthy gut flora supports a healthy gut, a major barrier against pathogens and integral to the immune system. Look for brands that offer several species of good bacteria and contain at least 5-10 billion organisms per capsule.
You know, I love seeing articles like this, and at the same time, I hate them. They take the most basic things we should be doing, wrap them in technical terms and voodoo, and hope people find it more palettable.
Originally posted by Seiko
reply to post by ChemBreather
I think it might be a language problem chembreather but you're misunderstanding the tolls sugar takes on your immune system. High intakes of sugar can lower the response of white blood cells. This includes foods that metabolize into sugars.
Unless you're talking about being already infected and trying to stop a cytokine storm. Id that is the case I'd say using sugar would be the wrong path because it would increase the metabolism. A sugar rush would be the wrong way to go about it imho.
I mentioned in another thread, and I guess I should repeat it here since you've brought it up (I think).
turmeric root fluwiki
Perhaps this is what you're looking for.
The research is the first to look in detail at how probiotics change the biochemistry of bugs known as gut microbes, which live in the gut and which play an important part in a person's metabolic makeup. Different people have different types of gut microbes inside them and abnormalities in some types have recently been linked to diseases such as diabetes and obesity.
An even more promising link between probiotics and improved immune response was published in early 2009 in Postgraduate Medicine. This study found that GanedenBC30, a trademarked name for the patented Bacillus coagulans strain, increased immune response after exposure to both adenovirus and influenza A. Swine flu is a variant of influenza A. Some popular brands that have this strain are Sustenex, Digestive Advantage, and Twin Labs Super Probiotic. Obviously, probiotics cannot treat or cure influenza, including swine flu. However, certain strains have been shown to help fight off certain viruses, including influenza A. The evidence is very compelling that probiotics improve the immune system, and can only help in the struggle to avoid illness or diminish its duration.
The Einstein scientists reviewed the medical literature and found seven, high-quality studies in which probiotics were administered to people. The researchers concluded that the studies support the use of probiotics for avoiding diarrhea resulting from antibiotic use or from gastrointestinal viral or bacterial infections. In addition, the probiotics used in these studies were found to rarely cause adverse effects, even in children. "With the level of evidence that probiotics work and the large safety margins for them, we see no good reason not to prescribe probiotics when prescribing antibiotics," says Dr. Benjamin Kligler, a co-author of the study and associate professor of clinical family and social medicine at Einstein.
The patients were split at random into two groups. One was given a commercially available probiotic yoghurt drink while the other received a longlife, sterile milkshake. Neither group knew which drink they received. Drinks were given twice a day, within 48 hours of the people starting antibiotic therapy and continued for one week after the antibiotics were stopped. The people were also contacted for follow up four weeks later. Nursing staff monitored bowel movements and when there was evidence of diarrhea, samples were taken for analysis. Of the 113 patients who were able to be contacted for follow-up, results showed the group taking probiotic drinks fared much better. Only 12% of those people developed antibiotic-associated diarrhea, compared to 34% of the other group. Of the probiotic group of patients, none developed C. difficile associated diarrhea, compared to 17% of people in the other group
Concomitant therapy of L. acidophilus with amoxicillin/clavulanate was associated with a significant decrease in patient complaints of gastrointestinal side effects and yeast superinfection. Almost all patients (89%) reported resolution of infection during the course of therapy. We believe that use of L. acidophilus is warranted in patients on broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy with gastrointestinal complaints.
