Whether it’s the bird flu, swine flu, or just run-of-the-mill seasonal flu, the fact remains that the best flu prevention is to eat a healthy diet, avoid stress, sleep, exercise moderately, and take a few immune boosting supplements.
Here’s a protocol of immune supplements for both adults and kids:
- Vitamin D is essential to maintain immune function. 5,000 IU for adults, 2000-2500IU for children, and 1000IU for infants. Fermented Cod liver oil is an excellent source of bioavailable vitamin D. Therapeutic dosages of Vitamin D can also be used to treat the flu.
- Omega-3′s (best from high quality fish oil or cod liver oil) establish healthy cell membranes that prevent inflammation and resist toxins and attack by pathogens.
- Vitamin C reduces inflammation and fights and prevents infection – 500mg for infants 1000mg/day for children, 2-4 g for adults.
- Chinese herbs- Have your acupuncturist provide you with one or two herbal formulas to have on hand to boost your family’s immune systems and fight off early signs of infection.
If your child is getting sick frequently or is around sick kids often, consider adding:
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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, 10mg for 2 years and under, and 20 mg for 3-13 year olds.
If your child is not consuming a varied and nutrient-rich diet also consider supplementing with:
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Vitamin A Is 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).
- 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. 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 preventative supplements. Just think twice before hiding in the bomb shelter or loading up on flu vaccines.
