Flu Prevention Supplements

Whether it's the bird flu, swine flu, or just a run-of-the-mill seasonal flu – the best flu prevention is simple. Eat a healthy diet, avoid stress, sleep, exercise moderately, and take a few immune boosting supplements.

While this may be something you do anyways, specifics help. So let's dive deeper into my tips for flu prevention.

A protocol for flu prevention in adults and kids:

Vitamin D – Essential to maintain immune function. 5,000 IU for adults, 2000-2500 IU for children, and 1000 IU for infants. While cod liver oil is a good source of vitamin, it only contains a fraction of what you need. Supplement with vitamin D3 drops, like these.
Omega 3's – Omega 3s help to establish healthy cell membranes that prevent inflammation and resist toxins and attack by pathogens. Cod liver oil is a good source of omega 3s. So is the oil from sardines and anchovies, and this one is lemon flavored.
Vitamin C – Reduces inflammation and fights and prevents infection – 500 mg for infants 1000mg/day for children, 2-4 g for adults. Use a whole food sourced vitamin C, like this.
Chinese herbs – Have your acupuncturist provide you with one or two herbal formulas to support your family's immune systems, fight off early signs of infection, and help with flu recovery.

If your kid is getting sick frequently or is around sick kids often, consider:

Colostrum – Helps the body to resist infection. ½ – 1 teaspoon daily.
Zinc – Stimulates immune function, prevents infections, and acts as a cofactor in many enzyme reactions, including the creation of antioxidants. Prolonged use can cause a copper deficiency, so use a supplement that combines both in a ratio of 10 zinc:1 copper. 25 mg zinc for adults, 10 mg for 2 years and under, and 20 mg for 3 – 13 year olds. Get zinc here.

If your kid is not consuming a varied and nutrient-rich diet, consider:

Vitamin A – Essential for growth and repair of tissue, strong bones and teeth, good eyesight, and a thriving immune system (1,000 and 2,000 IU for kids over 9). Cod liver oil (and all liver, for that matter) is an excellent source of vitamin A. Get cod liver oil here.
Vitamin E – Reduces inflammation throughout the body and strengthens the immune system. Vitamin E with mixed tocopherols is best for kids. 100 IU for 1-2 year olds, and 200 IU for kids 3 – 13.

A word about flu “pandemics”

Swine flu. It sounds awful. A nasty bug that comes from pigs? Eeew. A pandemic? Should we be scared? Here's some quotes from two really informative articles about this recent scare:

“Let's put this all in perspective. Between 5% and 20% of the U.S. population gets a typical flu virus each year and it is reported that 36,000 people die each year from typical flu. Compare this with the numbers of this current scare. There is nothing to worry about!” HealthyChild.com

“…A pandemic does not necessarily mean what you think it does, it is NOT black-plague carts being hauled through the streets piled high with dead bodies. Nor does it mean flesh eating zombies wandering the streets feeding on the living. All a pandemic means is that a new infectious disease is spreading throughout the world.” Mercola.com

Keep in mind that in times of an “outbreak” like this, there are many groups of people who can benefit. You can be sure there's a huge pharmaceutical company waiting on the edge of their seats to serve you a vaccine for this and any other disease they can create a cocktail for. And the media eats up any opportunity to broadcast a life threatening disaster.

It's not to say that you shouldn't protect yourself and your family.

Get lots of rest, eat right, and take your supplements for flu prevention. Just think twice before hiding in the bomb shelter or loading up on flu vaccines.