Total Health Breakthroughs: Free Natural Health Newsletter and Alternative Health Articles

As we enter the heart of cold and flu season, many of our patients want to know the best way to prevent coming down with these viruses. In my last article, I talked about whether flu shots really work. If you missed it, I said there is very little evidence that they do.

The best way to prevent flu or colds is to keep your overall health and immunity strong.  That’s why you’ll see recommendations for making sure you dress warmly, get plenty of rest, and drink plenty of fluids.  Good hand washing is another great preventive measure, but there is a ton of evidence that shows another sure-fire way to lower your chances of catching a nasty cold or debilitating flu — and it’s not one that you see discussed often.

Lower your stress.

Yes, it’s that simple. Stress reduction can help keep you from catching nasty viruses. And hard science backs this claim up.   Sheldon Cohen, Ph.D., is a leading expert on the stress-illness connection.  Dr. Cohen recently told National Public Radio, “We know quite a bit about stress and infection. We’ve been doing research in that area for 25 years.”¹

He has performed several studies of his own, and they all have come to the same conclusion — the lower your levels of stress and the better your attitude, the more likely you are to fight off infection. In one study, he asked 400 healthy adults about how stressed out they were. He then exposed them to nose drops containing cold viruses. About 90% of the stressed subjects (versus 74% of those not under stress) caught a cold.²

In another study, he asked subjects about their tendency to experience positive emotions (happy, pleased, and relaxed) and negative emotions (anxious, hostile, and depressed.) After they were exposed to viruses, those who experienced more positive emotions had significantly fewer infections.³

There is a simple biological reason for all this. Stress raises blood levels of cortisol, which we know interferes with the immune system. High stress, therefore, makes it harder for your body to fight off infections naturally.

Therefore, one of the best ways to prevent colds and flu is to lower stress. Since we are approaching the holidays — perhaps the most stressful time of year for many of us –now is an especially good time to practice stress-reducing activities. You can’t make stress disappear, but you can help to control your response to stress with exercise, yoga, meditation, and other relaxation techniques.

Healthy habits such as a nutritious diet and limiting alcohol (because it is dehydrating) also keep you more resilient. But what our patients find most helpful is boosting their immune system with some dietary supplements that help to lower your body’s response to stress and in turn rebalance your immune system so it can do its job — hunt down and kill invading viruses.

When you add great immune system boosting nutrients to a healthy lifestyle, you have a powerful one, two punch against cold and flu viruses.  Here are the products we use and recommend:

Rhodiola, Holy Basil, and Relora. These herbs have proven immune-modulating effects.  I recommend trying them each individually until you find the one that works best for you.  Remember for herbs, it’s best to get products that are standardized.  This means they’ll contain consistent amounts of the active ingredients.

For rhodiola, look for one that contains 5% rosavins and take at a dosage of 100 to 250 mg 3 times a day. Holy Basil, standardized to 1-2.5% ursolic acid can be taken at a dosage of 400 to 800 mg 1 to 2 times per day.  Relora can be taken at 250 mg 2 to 3 times per day.  If the label states it contains “Relora,” it’s the patented standardized proprietary extract.

Moducare. This blend of plant sterols and sterolins derived from a natural pine source rebalances the changes that occur in the immune system due to stress.  This is a great supplement to take to keep your immune system strong especially when you know you have high levels of stress.  So it is for prevention only.  They even have a chewable version for children.  I give it to my son every day.  Plant sterols and sterolins have the added bonus of being heart healthy.  The recommended dosage for adults is 1 capsule 3 times a day, taken on an empty stomach.

Vitamin C and Zinc. These nutrients work much better when we are not fighting uphill against stress-induced immunity suppression. I suggest taking no more than 30 mg per day of zinc for prevention.  However, if you catch a cold or flu you can go up 70 mg per day until the bug is gone.

Zinc lozenges get the zinc into your mucosal linings, and some studies indicate this is how it works best against colds.  Many zinc lozenges have about 10 to 20 mg of zinc per lozenge, so you shouldn’t go over 4 to 7 lozenges per day, depending on the amount of zinc.  For vitamin C, in my opinion, it is more effective against colds if it also contains bioflavonoids.  For prevention take 250 to 500 mg per day.  If you have a cold, take 500 to 1000 mg per day.

Aged Garlic. Best known for its cholesterol-lowering effects, aged garlic also has proven antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal effects. It supports natural “killer” immune system cells that fight viruses and mutated cells.⁴ I prefer the Kyolic brand for reliability.  Follow the dosage on the label.

References

1. National Public Radio, broadcast Jan. 11, 2007.
2. Cohen S, et al. N Engl J Med. 1991;325:606-12.
3. Cohen S, et al. Psychosom Med. 2006:68:809-815.
4. Hassan ZM, et al. Int Immunopharmacol. 2003;3(10-11):1483-1489.

[Ed. Note: James LaValle is the founding Director of the LaValle Metabolic Institute, one of the largest integrative medicine practices in the country.  Dr. LaValle is the author of the bestselling book Cracking the Metabolic Code: 9 Keys to Optimal Health and is the Executive Editor of THB's The Healing Prescription.  To learn more, click here.]