Dr. Robert Webster, bird flu discoverer, on ABC News: Bird Flu Reality Check

The FLU: Herbs, Minerals, and Other Home Remedies May Prevent an Illness

There are effective alternatives to the flu vaccination. Many people refuse the vaccination and are perfectly safe by taking natural immune system boosters and natural supplements that combat and relieve symptoms of the flu. In the 2004-2005 these remedies take on an additonal importance as nearly 50 million Americans will not be able to obtian a flu vaccination, including many people who are in the highest risk categories. We urge you to forward this article to all persons you know who have an interest in avoiding the flu.

More and more Americans are turning away from the medicine counter and to alternative and self-care prevention and treatment options for illnesses. Alternative therapies for colds and the flu are now very popular. With a prevention strategy that combines diet, supplements and lifestyle management, you may make it through the winter with nary a crumpled tissue. And if you're unlucky enough to get sick despite your hard work, we've rounded up some natural therapies to see you through. Read about these options, scientific evidence and how you can prevent or treat your next bug.

Beta Glucan Vitamin C Zinc Echinacea Garlic NAC or N Acetyl Cysteine Diet Chicken Soup Steam Nasal Irrigation Oscillococcinum Extract Of Duck Liver & Heart Sambucol Eldeberry Extract Fish Oil Capsules Probiotics (Microorganisms: Bacteria And Yeast) Mushrooms

BETA GLUCAN

Beta Glucan is a powerful immune stimulator, activating the macrophage in the immune system. Studies have found this product not only has a positive action on the macrophage, but on B lymphocytes, natural killer cells and suppressor T cells. In addition to these important functions, Beta Glucan is an effective antioxidant and free radical scavenger. Beta Glucan is a safe, non-toxic, and orally effective supplement for those who wish to enhance their immune system and lower cholesterol levels. The use of beta glucan will build an immune system capable of killing the flu virus and/or shortening the duration of any flu symptoms. Betqa Glucan can come in a yeast or mushroom base. To learn more go the BETA GLUCAN or click on the links below.

VITAMIN C

By far the most popular cold and flu preventive is the ubiquitous vitamin C. The untiring efforts of the late Linus Pauling, Ph.D., the two-time Nobel laureate whose persistent promotion of the benefits of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) supplements led to what is now a voluminous research literature. Pauling demonstrated vitamin C's wide range of useful effects: as a potent antioxidant protecting against free radical damage; in reducing wrinkling and sagging of skin and in decreasing chances of getting cataracts as we age; by boosting interferon (a natural antiviral substance) and antibody levels in the body and maintaining a strong immune system.

There is tremendous disagreement in the scientific community, however, about how much vitamin C one needs. While Pauling recommended a whopping 2,300 to 10,000 mgs. daily, a National Institutes of Health study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (April 16, 1996) suggests that 200 mg. daily is more appropriate. Vegetarians easily meet this recommendation by eating at least five generous servings of fresh fruits and vegetables each day, including rich C sources such as citrus fruits, bananas, berries, greens, peppers, tomatoes and potatoes.

But many preventive medicine specialists say 200 mg. is way too low to maintain a strong immune system. "For some people, 500 mg. is plenty, but others may need as much as 5,000 mg. a day," says Alan Gaby, M.D., a Seattle-based, medical nutritionist who is a member of the board of the American Holistic Medical Association and a frequent contributor to alternative medicine research journals. "You have to evaluate each patient's need on a case per case basis."

Emanuel Cheraskin, M.D., D.D.S., a physician, dentist and author of the popular classic, The Vitamin C Connection (Harper & Row, 1983), recommends 1,000 mg. to as much as 3,000 mg. per day. "Needs vary," says Cheraskin, but everyone's need for vitamin C goes up dramatically when a cold or the flu is imminent. Like Pauling, Cheraskin recommends taking 1,000 mg. per hour, at the first hint of a sneeze or scratchy throat. Any delay diminishes the likelihood of success. No matter whose advice you take, be sure the pills you're using are fresh and potent, not leftovers from last year's supply. Vitamin C is easily oxidized when exposed to light, heat or air. Most natural health practitioners recommend using a buffered form of vitamin C to prevent acid burn in the stomach and suggest a product complete with bioflavonoids, which are also powerful antioxidants.

If you want to try vitamin C yourself, you need to realize that no one has set dosage guidelines. A study of 622 people, published in the April 5, 1975 issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal, found that those who took 1,500 mg on the first day of a cold and 1,000 mg on each of the following four days spent 25 percent fewer days indoors because of their cold than those who were given a placebo.

SupplementSpot has several vitamin C formulations which can be found on our product index. The moat effective of which is the Ester-C formulation which is buffered and highly bioavailable, that is, you absorb more and need less. To learn more go to ESTER-C Buffered and Bioavailable or click on the links below.

ZINC

Six double blind studies have shown that zinc is effective in relieving symptoms of the flu and colds. The best known of these studies is the one conducted by the Cleveland Clinic and published in the July 15, 1996 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine. Within 24 hours of coming down with cold symptoms, 50 people began dissolving Cold-Eeze zinc lozenges in their mouths every two hours while they were awake. Those taking the zinc lozenges recovered in an average of 4.4 days, compared with 7.6 days for those who had been given placebos.

Nearly every American's diet is low in this trace element, according to the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, which reported in 1995 that zinc intake has declined among American adults resulting in widespread immune problems. Zinc levels of vegetarians tend to be somewhat lower than those of meat eaters because animal products, meat in particular, provide about 70 percent of the zinc in American diets and because the absorption of zinc from plants is lower than that from animal products. The richest nonmeat sources of zinc include whole grains, beans, nuts and nut butters and pumpkin and sunflower seeds.

But be careful, not all mass-marketed zinc lozenges are created equal. Gaby advises you avoid products with fillers and sweeteners included to enhance palatability. "Zinc gluconate or citrate is what you want, not zinc picolinate," says Gaby. "Make sure there's no sugar or tartrate fillers because the zinc binds to these fillers and becomes less available."

SupplementSpot has several carefully formulated zinc supplements. Our zinc supplements are just what the dotor suggested plus potassium, slippery elm, and sweetened with honey. To learn more go to Zinc Lozenges from SupplementSpot

ECHINACEA

The herb echinacea (Echinacea: E. purpurea, E. pallida, and E. augustifolio) is a folk remedy for cold symptoms that has recently gained popularity. In a recent study, people who took extracts of either E. purpurea or E. augustifolio experienced no protection against colds. A few other studies have found benefits with various echinacea forms, but at this time no one is certain of which part of the plant should be used, and there are no standards or quality controls for echinacea or any other herbal remedy.

People with autoimmune diseases or who are allergic to plants in the daisy family should never take it.

SupplementSpot's Echinacea is combined with Goldenseal to provide maximum relief from symptoms of the Flu and Colds. This is a supplement best recommended for those who have already experienced symptoms and need to shorten the recovery period . To learn more go to Echinacea and Goldenseal

GARLIC

In the controversial arena of cold and flu prevention, one food's value is not in dispute -- garlic. Garlic has been shown to kill several types of bacteria and viruses. It also boosts immunity. Indeed, garlic possesses such potent antimicrobial properties that John Long, Ph.D., professor of microbiology at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah concludes if you eat enough soon enough you might not get the cold or flu you feel coming on.

If you've maxed out on garlic pasta and broccoli with garlic sauce, Michael Janson, M.D., president of the American Preventive Medical Association in Great Falls, Va. and author of the book, The Vitamin Revolution in Health Care (Arcadia Press, 1996) says the most potent garlic preparations on the market are the "deodorized forms" (not "odorless"), which contain the equivalent of many cloves of garlic in each pill. Deodorized garlic powder doesn't leave you with telltale "garlic breath" but contains the active allelic sulfide compounds. It is available in 350 to 500 milligram (mg.) capsules that Janson recommends twice per day.

SupplementSpot has the odorless and concentrated garlic supplements you need. Click on the following links to learn more.

NAC or N Acetyl Cysteine

N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine, known as "NAC" provides powerful immune support and also packs a powerful anti-toxin potential. Its ability to neutralize cell and DNA damaging free radicals can help slow down what many scientists point to as a key factor in the aging process.

N-ACETYL L-CYSTEINE (NAC) or NAC is a more stable form of L-Cysteine because it has an acetyl group (CH3CO) attached. NAC has all the properties of L-Cysteine but is more water soluble and said to be more bioavailable than L-Cysteine. NAC may be the most cost effective way to boost Glutathione levels in the body. Glutathione is a very valuable peptide, but very expensive when bought as a supplement. It is best to use NAC to boost your glutathione levels.

NAC has been shown to play a protective role against a variety of toxic hazards such as cigarette smoke, auto exhaust, certain herbicides, and overdoses of acetaminophen. It can also play a beneficial role in prostate and respiratory conditions. For example, NAC has well established antimucolytic (anti-mucous) properties and has been shown to increase mucocilary transport in smokers.

A recent clin ical study has shown that NAC prevents the flu in up to 50% of those who regularlay use it. Could supplements boost immunity and thereby reduce the number of influenza cases or minimize their severity? As shown in a recent study, N-acetylcysteine (NAC), which is inexpensive and available without prescription, may hold such potential.1 NAC, a reduced glutathione precursor, has been used clinically since the 1960s as a mucus thinner and also therapeutically for preventing respiratory disease. This new study was designed to evaluate long-term treatment of influenza and influenzalike episodes with NAC.

Researchers at the Universities of Genoa and Padua in Italy recruited 262 men and women from 20 medical centers. About three-quarters were aged 65 or older. Although many had chronic illnesses, people with chronic respiratory disease were excluded.

The six-month study began in late 1991. Each subject received either a placebo or 600 mg NAC twice daily. Researchers closely monitored the subjects and measured influenza antibodies throughout the flu season. Flu was diagnosed if a subject developed two or more of the following symptoms: fever, malaise, lack of appetite, headache, muscle/joint aches, runny nose, sore throat, thick mucus or cough.

The results were promising: only 29 percent of those taking NAC developed a flulike clinical syndrome, compared with 51 percent of placebo-treated subjects, a reduction of 51%. To read the full article go to NAC Prevents the Flu in 50% of cases or click onthe link below.

DIET

A speedy recovery may depend not only on what you're eating but on how much. Remember the old saying, "feed a cold and starve a fever," attributed to the father of Western medicine, Hippocrates? Well, it turns out what he really advised was: "If you feed a cold, you will have to starve a fever," which implies that eating regular fare will not help that cold or flu and may even make matters worse. Hippocrates reasoning: A body busy with digestion might have less energy for fighting off germs. Many alternative physicians subscribe to this reasoning and recommend at the first sign of a cold or flu, you go on a modified fast, limiting the diet to diluted fruit or vegetable juices, potassium broths, garlic or miso soup plus lots of herb tea and water.

Conventional doctors and the editors of the Tufts University Diet and Nutrition Letter disagree with practitioners of alternative medicine on this matter. They say, whether you have a cold or flu, and particularly when you have a fever, starving an illness is a bad idea because the body needs adequate calories to fight back against the proliferating invader germs. Martin Milner, N.D., a naturopath on the faculty of the National College of Naturopathic Medicine faculty in Portland, Ore., replies to this theory: "I've watched it both ways, and I would definitely recommend eating lightly. At the very minimum, stay away from protein and fat-rich entrees, sweets and dairy products," which Milner believes add to a cold's congestion.

Visit SupplementSpot's Low Fat Recipes to obtain more than 500 healthy, immune sysptem boosting, low-fat and light recipes that will help you this flu season.

CHICKEN SOUP

It's more than an old wives' tale. A 1978 study published in the journal Chest found that drinking hot chicken soup increased the nasal mucous velocity in 15 healthy subjects from an average of 6.9 to 9.2 millimeters per minute. And speeding up the flow of mucus, researchers theorized, could move more viruses out of nasal passageways.

Drinking hot water alone increased velocity from 6.2 to 8.4 millimeters per minute, while cold water slowed the velocity from 7.3 to 4.5. Although researchers didn't know why chicken soup was better than plain hot water, they believe both worked at least in part because of the inhalation of water vapor.

Go to SupplementSpot's special website Low Fat Recipes where we have several low-fat chicken soup recipes perfect for the flu and cold patient + 500 more great recipes as well.

STEAM

There's no definitive answer as to whether steam can wilt the cold virus. A 1989 British Medical Journal study had 87 people with colds breathe room air for 20 minutes. Those who breathed air that had been humidified and heated to 109.4 degrees had only half as many cold symptoms in the following days as those who breathed air heated to 86 degrees.

But a 1994 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found, among 68 volunteers with colds, no differences in symptoms between those who received a 60-minute treatment of steam heated to 109.4 degrees and those who inhaled steam at 68 degrees.

If you want to treat your cold with steam, you can boil water, place your head over the pot, and drape a towel over your head, creating a tent that traps the steam and brings it to your face and nasal passages. You can also use a facial steamer for these purposes. Steam yourself for about 15 minutes at a time up to once an hour, recommends Patrick Barron, an Orlando naturopath.

NASAL IRRIGATION

The thought of pouring salt water down your nostrils may not be appealing, but a Pennsylvania State University study presented at the 1998 American Academy of Family Physicians Annual Scientific Assembly in San Francisco reported that it could help keep you cold-free.

Researchers divided 294 college students into three groups who either took an inactive pill, gargled with salt water, or irrigated their nasal canals with salt water every day. Students who used the daily saline rinse (one cup of water for every teaspoon of salt) had significantly fewer colds in the 10-week period than those in the other groups.

SupplementSpot's Xylitol, saline and grapefruit extract Nasal Wash is the most effective product on the market for clearing nasal passages. Learn more at X-Clear Nasal Irrigation System

OSCILLOCOCCINUM EXTRACT OF DUCK LIVER & HEART

Oscillococcinum is the number one over-the-counter flu medication in France, where it has been used for over 60 years. The medication, a dilute extract of duck liver and heart, comes in granule form. It's believed to indirectly stimulate the body's immune system and other defenses, according to pharmacist Christophe Merville, west coast branch manager of Boiron, a French manufacturer of homeopathic remedies.

A study in the April 1998 issue of the British Homeopathic Journal reported that 17.4 percent of those taking oscillococcinum were symptom-free the day after treatment began, compared to 6.6 percent of those taking placebos. In a similar study published in the March 1989 issue of the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 24.6 percent of those with mild to moderate symptoms had recovered by the second day, compared to 11.9 percent of those taking placebos. No significant side effects were found in either study.

Homeopathic remedies work quickly, and you should see an improvement in your symptoms within 48 hours. If not, you're taking the wrong extract for your condition. You can also take oscillococcinum with over-the-counter preparations, prescription medications, or other natural remedies without worrying about drug interactions.

SAMBUCOL ELDEBERRY EXTRACT

Elderberry extract contains a high percentage of three flavonoids -- naturally occurring plant substances -- that have been shown to possess antiviral properties. A study published in the winter 1995 issue of the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine examined the flu-fighting abilities of Sambucol, a commercial elderberry extract preparation.

In the study, scientists found that Sambucol interfered with the growth of multiple strains of both influenza A and B viruses in cell cultures. In human tests, 35 healthy subjects were given four tablespoons of Sambucol daily for three days, and researchers recorded no side effects. Twenty-seven subjects were then given either Sambucol or a placebo for three days during a flu outbreak at an Israeli kibbutz. Children took two tablespoons daily and adults took four. None of the study participants had received a flu shot.

Fully 90% of those taking Sambucol were completely cured within three days, while most of those who took the placebo needed six days to recover.

FISH OIL CAPSULES

If you don't eat fish regularly, taking fish oil capsules in the winter may help protect you against a cold, says Ray Sahelian, M.D., the author of The Common Cold Cure. Both laboratory and clinical studies have suggested that fish oil capsules boost the immune system. In a 1995 Patras University study published in Cancer Detection and Prevention, cancer patients who took 18 grams of fish oil daily for 40 days had a significant drop in a type of cell that works to suppress the immune system.

SupplementSpot's potent. bioavailable fish oil in soft gels is available at FISH OIL SOFT GELS

PROBIOTICS (Microorganisms: bacteria and yeast)