SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2015
7 A
J OEL F UHRMAN , MD
Healthy eating can help protect you from the flu
Cold and flu are a larger bur-
den than we may think.
Between treatments, illness-
compromised productivity, and
lost workdays, it is estimated
that the common cold alone
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costs the U.S. $40 billion each
year.
We all know the basics for
reducing exposure — wash
your hands, avoid touching
your face, and avoid being
exposed to people who are
already ill. Some people may
choose the influenza vaccine,
however it is important to know
that it is not very effective.
An independent analysis of
flu vaccine studies by the
Cochrane Collaboration found
that even under ideal conditions
(vaccine completely matching
circulating flu virus), 4 percent
of unvaccinated people and 1
percent of vaccinated people
became infected — only a
minor benefit.
The authors estimated that
under typical conditions, 100
people need to be vaccinated to
avoid one set of influenza
symptoms or you would have
to be vaccinated every year for
100 years, to save yourself one
flu episode.
Interestingly, the study
showed that flu vaccine did
not significantly affect the
number of people hospitalized
or working days lost, and did
not prevent flu-associated
complications or those rare
flu-associated deaths.
Those of us who eat health-
fully need not worry about the
dangers of the flu. Excellent
nutrition can reduce our vul-
nerability to infection and
reduce the length and severity
of illness if we do become
infected.
Many micronutrients are
required to support proper
function of the immune sys-
tem, and phytochemicals from
colorful produce have addi-
tional anti-microbial and
immune-boosting effects:
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Mushrooms
Mushrooms have a unique
ability to activate the body’s
natural immune defenses. More
exotic varieties like reishi and
shiitake mushrooms have bene-
ficial effects on immune cells,
and even the common white
buttom
mushrooms
may
enhance immune defenses in
the mouth and respiratory tract
Remember that mushrooms
should only be eaten cooked:
several raw culinary mush-
rooms contain a potentially
harmful compound called agar-
itine, and cooking mushrooms
significantly reduces the agari-
tine content.
Cruciferous vegetables
The cruciferous family of
vegetables includes kale, col-
lards, mustard greens, arugula,
watercress, broccoli, broccoli
rabe, cabbage, cauliflower,
kohlrabi and more.
In addition to their anti-can-
cer effects, cruciferous veg-
etable phytochemicals also
support the immune system and
have antimicrobial properties.
To maximize the benefits
from cruciferous vegetables,
chop them finely, eat them raw
and chew them well; the
enzyme that produces the
active compounds (called
ITCs) is activated by disrupting
the plant cells and deactivated
by heat.
However, you can still get
ITCs from your cooked crucif-
erous vegetables: chop them
finely before you begin to cook
and add some raw cruciferous
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to the meal. For instance, if you
are eating cooked broccoli, add
some shredded cabbage to your
salad to produce some extra
ITCs.
Berries
Berries are powerful anti-
cancer foods that also offer pro-
tection
against
viruses.
Antioxidants called flavonoids,
which are abundant in berries,
have antiviral activity.
In fact, if you do get the flu,
taking anthocyanin-rich elder-
berry juice may even shorten
the duration of your symptoms.
Berries and grapes are also rich
in resveratrol, another antioxi-
dant phytochemical with strong
antiviral effects.
Plus, strawberries are high in
vitamin C, which protects
immune cells from oxidative
damage. The benefits of berries
go far beyond cold and flu pro-
tection. Flavonoids activate the
body’s natural detoxification
enzymes, block the growth of
cancer cells, decrease inflam-
mation, and support proper
blood pressure regulation.
Onions and garlic
There is no convincing evi-
dence for using garlic supple-
ments for symptoms of the
common cold. However, eating
garlic and onions daily has
clear benefits when it comes to
cancer prevention, and may
also help to build immune
defenses and fight off respira-
tory viruses.
Like cruciferous vegetables,
the active compounds in
onions and garlic are produced
when the plant cells are dis-
rupted, so they are best eaten
raw, chopped finely and
chewed well.
Appropriate supplements
Vitamin D and zinc are
important players in immune
function, so maintaining ade-
quate stores of these micronu-
trients will also help to protect
against cold and flu.
Children given vitamin D
supplements throughout the
winter reduced the occurrence
of flu compared to a placebo
group, and taking supplemental
zinc regularly was found to
slightly reduce the number of
colds caught by children.
Since vitamin D is not read-
ily available in the food supply,
and zinc is not highly absorbed
from plant foods, well-
designed supplements are a
good choice.
If you do get a cold, treat it
wisely. Many cold remedies
are ineffective, and some may
even prolong the illness.
For example, megadoses of
vitamin C do not prevent colds
or reduce symptoms, and
fever-reducing medications
actually hinder the body’s
attack on the infection.
In my book Super Immunity,
I evaluate a number of com-
mon cold and flu remedies.
Don’t be alarmed if your
cold symptoms last longer than
you expect. On average,
patients report that their com-
mon cold symptoms last one
and a half to two weeks. In
children, earaches tend to last
anywhere from less than one
day to nine days; sore throat
two to seven days; cough up to
25 days; and the common cold
seven to 15 days.
In time, the body will clear
the virus on its own.
Remember, over-the-counter
medications merely mask
symptoms, and may even
impair healing.
However, if you experience
a sudden worsening of symp-
toms, especially including
labored breathing, or a fever
above 103 degrees for three
days, then it is time to call the
doctor.
Dr. Fuhrman is a New York
Times best-selling author and
board certified family physician
specializing in lifestyle and nutri-
tional medicine.