Blessed, Beneficial Bacteria

This time of year, I get a lot of questions about preventing colds, flu, and respiratory infections. I want to say this upfront: I am not a fan of flu vaccines. Vaccines are a valid concept scientifically. Expose your immune system to an attenuated version of a bacteria or virus. Your immune system develops antibodies (like chemical "most wanted" photos). Then the next time it sees that particular invader, it strikes with a powerful vengeance and keeps you from getting sick. The problem is that it's almost statistically impossible that the version of the flu you get vaccinated for is the one that will become virulent 6-9 months after the vaccine was manufactured. Even worse, today's commercial vaccines come loaded with all sorts of heavy metal preservatives like aluminum and mercury and chemical additives which are extremely toxic. Yes, we are getting shot up with chemicals like that in the name of "preventive healthcare".

So what DOES work for preventing colds and flu? Make your immune system stronger naturally! Wash your hands regularly with soap and water (lathering for a full 45 seconds - that's the Happy Birthday song sung twice, by the way). Get a full night of sleep every night. Make sure your vitamin D levels are at least 50 ng/mL. Rinse your nasal passages regularly (a Neti pot is handy). Suck on some zinc lozenges if you start to feel the least bit under the weather. These may all sound incredibly simple. However, they have all been proven (in hallowed, peer-reviewed medical journals no less) to reduce the incidence of infectious illness. But here's the crown jewel: in my opinion, the best thing you can do right now to avoid winter pests is to start taking a daily probiotic supplement.

A probiotic is a simple capsule of dormant, beneficial bacteria. Yes, bacteria. Microscopic bugs. Despite our obsession with anti-bacterial cleaners, our bodies are teeming with them. The average adult body houses hundreds of trillions of bacteria. This alive and thriving culture plays hundreds of critical roles in keeping us healthy. As long as the amount of beneficial bacteria is kept high in the body, then populations of harmful bacteria are typically kept under control. However, the typical American modern diet and lifestyle kills off beneficial bacteria to the point that harmful bacteria flourish. Then they wreak all sorts of havoc on the body: from constipation to behavior problems to compromised immune systems to cancer. One of beneficial bacteria's most crucial functions? Soothing and supporting our immune systems.

Many medical studies have proven this point. In particular, one 2009 study in the journal Pediatrics found that kids given a probiotic twice daily for six months had a 73% lower incidence of fevers, a 62% lower incidence of coughing, and 54% lower incidence of runny nose (over kids who took a placebo). Those are impressive results! Probiotics enhance what is called cell-mediated immunity. This is the part of the immune system where white blood cells attack and kill viruses and where giant macrophages eat up disease-causing microbes, quite literally like a Pac-Man. Unfortunately many drug store probiotic supplements are ineffective, so don't waste your money. If you need a recommendation, feel free to drop me an email.

Another note that might interest you: I am also not a fan of hand sanitizers like Purell™. Unfortunately these antibacterial cleaners are full of triclosan, an artificial chemical that is a dangerous endocrine disrupter in the body. Triclosan has been shown to lower your production of thyroid hormone creating hypothyroid symptoms. It also reduces testosterone (in animal studies, it did so by as much as one-third!). When it was tested on pregnant animals, triclosan stopped the mothers' estrogen from reaching their unborn babies.

 
Even with all my high-tech background, I recognize when "better living through chemistry" is more a flashy, profit-driven, marketing slogan than the truth. In this case, I recommend sticking with simple soap and water for keeping germs at bay and taking probiotics for nurturing a strong immune system. Old-fashioned. Cheap. Effective.