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What to do to boost immune system?

4K views 37 replies 22 participants last post by  Rikki Jean 
#1 ·
With all the scare over the swine flu, I've been wondering what are the best things to do to boost our immune system. We eat well, etc., but I'm wondering are there herbal supplements or other vitamins we should consider? Thanks!!!
 
#2 ·
I'd start with Vitamin D - many (most?) people in North America have low levels.
 
#3 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by Karenwith4 View Post
I'd start with Vitamin D - many (most?) people in North America have low levels.
ITA

Also removing things from your diet that lower your immune system (like sugar and in many people gluten). The more nutrient dense you can make your diet, the better.
 
#5 ·
I'm going to put in a plug for probiotic foods. Kimchee is easy to make and really yummy, and is especially useful for the dairy-free among us.

Discussion on how to make fermented veggies (kimchee, sauerkraut, pickles, and other more exotic stuff):
http://mothering.com/discussions/sho...ight=fermented

And I'll second getting rid of food allergens, for us it's gluten and dairy, which are saddeningly problematic for so many people. Low-level allergens (mostly not IgE, the kind most allergists test for) put systemic stress on the body and make us more vulnerable to all sorts of things that our bodies would otherwise be able to fight off easily.

In terms of nutrients, one not mentioned already is zinc. A supplement is reasonable, I think, it's not a no-brainer to get enough from diet.
 
#7 ·
Quote:
http://mothering.com/discussions/sho...d.php?t=406983

This thread is a sticky buried in the Vaccination archives. It discusses, in lengthy detail (but it's worth it, really) immune function and nutrition. Even if you just get through a few pages at a time, it's worth it.
Thanks for the link TanyLopez! That is a good read.
Another important thing for good immune system functioning is a healthy liver.
The liver is our primary detoxifying organ and must be functioning optimally for proper immunity.

Milk Thistle, Dandelion Root, and Olive Leaf are good for the liver.

As mentioned already, good basic nutrition is key. Here's some info on specific nutrients that are important for good immunity:

Vitamin A Vital to the body's defense system - known as the infection-fighting vitamin.

Vitamin C Probably the most important vitamin to the immune system. It has a direct effect on bacteria and viruses and is needed for forming adrenal hormones and lymphocytes.

Vitamin E Works synergystically with vitamins A & C as well the mineral selenium as a scavenger of toxic free-radicals.

Zinc Promotes healing of wounds and boosts immune response.

Quote:
We eat well, etc., but I'm wondering are there herbal supplements or other vitamins we should consider?
I give my dc Kidde Boost - it has been a god-send for us.

ASTRAGALUS - A powerful antioxidant which protects the liver from toxins,boosts the immune system and generates anticancer cells in the body.

ECHINACEA - Enhances lymphatic function and boosts immune system.

GINKGO BILOBA - A powerful antioxidant which increases circulation to brain cells.

GOLDENSEAL - An antibacterial which strengthens the immune system and cleanses the blood. (Don't take internally for more than a week at a time or if pregnant.)

ST. JOHN'S WORT- A blood purifier useful in cases of Epstein - Barr virus and HIV.

OLIVE LEAF - Effective against numerous viruses, bacteria and fungi. It has been used in the treatment of people with viral illnesses such as Epstein-Barr disease, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Herpes and AIDS.

SPIRULINA - Aids in protecting the immune system and cleansing toxins from the body. Though technically a nutrient, not an herb, spirulina is a naturally digestible food that helps protect the immune system and aids in mineral absorption. It helps balance blood sugar levels and supplies nutrients that help the body cleanse and heal.

OREGANO OIL - Works as an antibiotic, meaning it doesn't just protect against viruses but also against bacteria.

fp
 
#10 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by Aquafina View Post
I am not so sure you want to really boost your immune system if this flu is anything like the 1918 one..Please read up on cytokine storms spelling might be off
I was wondering why healthy individuals were getting sick.

from wiki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cytokine_storm

Quote:
Role in pandemic deaths

It is believed that cytokine storms were responsible for many of the deaths during the 1918 influenza pandemic, which killed a disproportionate number of young adults.[1] In this case, a healthy immune system may have been a liability rather than an asset. Preliminary research results from Hong Kong also indicated this as the probable reason for many deaths during the SARS epidemic in 2003.[citation needed] Human deaths from the bird flu H5N1 usually involve cytokine storms as well.[citation needed] Recent reports of high mortality among healthy young adults in the 2009 swine flu outbreak point to cytokine storms as being responsible for these deaths.[4]
 
#13 ·
This page was about the avian flu but I think stuff still applies. Also, it talks about the cytokine storms and what to avoid to help prevent that. Kimchi is on the list of things to avoid, as is echinacea and spirulina.

A lot of good info here though:

http://www.bird-flu-influenza.com/re...antivirals.htm

~Tracy
 
#16 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by FrannieP View Post
So is chocolate!!!
:
Now I know it's a conspiracy!
I always knew chocolate would be the death of me!



So I was wondering, since I don't know a lot about the details of how the immune system works, are people with allergies (immune system already overreacting) more likely to overreact with cytokines specifically? Presuming this is even relevant to our current flu illness, which I think we're possibly weeks from knowing.
 
#17 ·
interesting link.

the one thing I would like to say is that raw dairy from pasture-raised cows does not create mucous (although it may when consumed in large amounts like I'm going to do in May on my exclusive raw milk diet). And it is great for your immune system. I drink about 1 gallon of raw milk a week and I never have mucous, I didn't even get a cold this winter (and that's with Hashimoto's thryoiditis and a cold, cold Chicago winter). I usually get at least 3 colds a year (until I started drinking raw milk)

love the garlic idea though.....just one more reason to eat guacamole....
 
#19 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by p1gg1e View Post
Sweet! thanks for the links and how to avoid the storms!

Anyone know if colloidal silver should be used in this instance?
I am by no means an expert, but I take it whenever I'm getting sick, regardless of what kind of sick...I'm interested in hearing what others have to say about it.
 
#20 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by Rikki Jean View Post
I am by no means an expert, but I take it whenever I'm getting sick, regardless of what kind of sick...I'm interested in hearing what others have to say about it.
Me too! It kicks the flu right out the door here! Love it!

I'm thinking its safe since it doesn't alter the immune system and bonds to the virus?
 
#21 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by p1gg1e View Post
Me too! It kicks the flu right out the door here! Love it!

I'm thinking its safe since it doesn't alter the immune system and bonds to the virus?
I've always been wary of it because I'm not really sure how it's excreted. I mean--I don't want a lot of excess silver hanging around in my body. Anybody know?
 
#22 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by TanyaLopez View Post
I've always been wary of it because I'm not really sure how it's excreted. I mean--I don't want a lot of excess silver hanging around in my body. Anybody know?
I know that there can be serious issues with taking it long term (if you've ever seen the purple guy that the news loooooooves to talk about, he's taken it every day for years). However, it's my understanding that it's okay to take it for short amounts of time. When we use it in our house, we take it at the first sign of illness, and we continue to take it until it's gone. We're not taking it every day as an immune booster.


ETA: Sorry, I should have clarified in my original answer that I personally would use it if and when we happened to contract the swine flu in our home. I would not use it as a preventative measure.
 
#23 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by Karenwith4 View Post
I'd start with Vitamin D - many (most?) people in North America have low levels.
Yes.

Vitamin D in a New Light by Donald W. ****** Jr MD

Quote:
New research suggests that influenza is also a disease triggered by vitamin D deficiency. Influenza virus exists in the population year-round, but influenza epidemics are seasonal and occur only in the winter (in northern latitudes), when vitamin D blood levels are at their nadir. Vitamin D-expressed genes instruct macrophages, the front-line defenders in the innate immune system, to make antimicrobial peptides, which are like antibiotics (Science 2006;311:1770-1773). These peptides attack and destroy influenza virus particles, and in human carriers keep it at bay. (Neutrophils and natural killer cells in the innate immune system and epithelial cells lining the respiratory tract also synthesize these virucidal peptides.) Other vitamin D-expressed genes rein in macrophages fighting an infection to keep them from overreacting and releasing too many inflammatory agents (cytokines) that can damage infected tissue. In the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, which killed 50 million people, of which 500,000 were Americans, young healthy adults (as happened to my 22-year-old grandmother) would wake up in the morning feeling well, start drowning in their own inflammation as the day wore on, and be dead by midnight. Autopsies showed complete destruction of the epithelial cells lining the respiratory tract due, as researchers now know, to a macrophage-induced overly severe inflammatory reaction to the virus. These flu victims were attacked and killed by their own immune system, something researchers have found vitamin D can prevent (Epidemiol Infect 2006;134:1129-1140).
 
#25 ·
Does anyone have a good resource on finding out safe dosages of vitamins D and C while nursing? I'd like to add those supplements, just want to make sure I don't get too much because of my nursling. I've been avoiding green tea as well because I remember reading something about it not being good in large quantities for babies/young kids (and that could be totally wrong, I don'g remember where I read that!) Anyone know about green tea and nursing? I'd like to do garlic as well. I've been wanting to get us on some supplements after we passed a nasty cold around all winter long.
 
#26 ·
If this flu is causing healthy immune systems to over produce and cause inflammation then the key is to take garlic for the antiviral properties and Turmeric for anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant. It inhibits white blood cells" response to inflammatory triggers. Decreases release of inflammatory chemicals.
 
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