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If you are sick and would like to schedule an appointment for acupuncture or a homeopathic consultation, contact Dr. Hanson at drjaredhanson@gmail.com or call 917-267-WELL.

October 2009 Newsletter From Dr. Jared Hanson ND, LAc

Swine Flu Update

The last newsletter focused on what you can do if and when you get the swine flu or the flu in general. This time I wanted to add a couple of important preventive measures, as well as how to protect yourself from the negative effects of medication if you do have to take them.

It is interesting to note that the supplements that offer us the strongest protection are some of the most basic and least obscure nutrients available.

Vitamin D

Have you ever wondered why there is a flu “season”? Flu viruses are among us year round, getting passed from person to person all the time, but actual cases of the flu increase ten times as the weather gets colder. Why is that?

Part of this increase can be accounted for by the drop in sun exposure people experience as they dress more heavily and spend more time indoors. Sun exposure is a vital step in the body’s production of vitamin D. While perhaps better known for its role in bone health, vitamin D is just as vital a component of your immune system. Low levels of vitamin D put you at risk not only for osteoporosis, but infectious diseases – like the flu – and cancer.

Who needs vitamin D? Pretty much everyone, and that means you. Vitamin D deficiency has reached epidemic levels in the U.S. Our population is aging and getting more overweight both factors that decrease vitamin D status. In addition, concerns over skin cancer mean that when people are out in the sun, they often lather on sunscreen, which blocks vitamin D production. It’s ironic that vitamin D is one of our most powerful agents to prevent cancer.

Boost your immune system by taking vitamin D3. I generally recommend 2000 IUs per day. Vitamin D is fat soluble, so when taking a supplement take it with the fattiest meal of the day to improve absorption.

Probiotics

Probiotics are friendly bacteria that live in our digestive tract. They perform important roles in digestion, immunity and detoxification. These bacteria occur naturally in our guts but low levels can occur in response to certain medications, poor diet and stress.

A recent study in the journal Pediatrics found that supplementing twice a day with probiotics led to a dramatic decrease in cold and flu symptoms, including fever, coughing and runny nose, as well as in number of sick days. A similar study was published in the journal Vaccine in 2006 showing similar effects in adults. Combination formulas, in which more than one species of probiotic are included were more effective than single strains.

Probiotics are important to take every day, with food. And because they are living organisms, it’s important that they be alive when you take them. Unfortunately, depending on the quality of the probiotics you buy and how they are stored, many available products are dead and therefore useless. Test your probiotics to guarantee they are alive. Boil some milk, let it cool and add a serving of your probiotics and let it sit overnight, covered. In the morning, living microorganisms should have fermented the milk, leaving you yogurt. If not the probiotics in your product were dead.

What if I take medicine?

Even the most readily available medications can carry substantial risks. Fortunately, you can protect yourself from these effects by combining the medications with specific supplements.

Tylenol

Tylenol or acetaminophen is a standard over-the-counter medication used to reduce fevers, inflammation and pain. Tylenol also happens to be very toxic and kills people regularly. Tylenol damages the liver. Because it is the liver’s job to process Tylenol out of the body, the drug concentrates there and it is people with liver problems, most notably alcoholics, who are most likely to die from acetaminophen toxicity.

When you take Tylenol, you are damaging your liver. However, if you need to reduce fever or pain, there are ways to protect yourself from the damage Tylenol does. N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC, for short) is a natural antioxidant that also happens to be the treatment of choice for Tylenol toxicity. If you have to take Tylenol, take NAC at the same time and your liver will thank you. Serendipitously, NAC also happens to be a great supplement to take for respiratory infections like bronchitis or for coughs. It loosens mucus and speeds up healing.

Aspirin & Ibuprofen

The other common fever reducers, aspirin and ibuprofen, are also toxic, but in a different way. These medications wear away at the lining of your digestive tract, too much can cause ulcers, gastritis and even bleeding in the digestive tract. Chronic use of these medications can even contribute to autoimmune conditions: a worn away digestive tract or “leaky gut” exposes your immune system to a number of unfamiliar materials and can incite your body to attack itself.

If you are going to take aspirin or ibuprofen, take the supplements l-glutamine and N-acetyl-glucosamine (NAG) with them. These supplements repair the gut wall and will ease any irritation caused by the drugs.

Vaccination

Many people report symptoms following vaccinations. These can vary from soreness at the injection site, to actually manifesting the disease the vaccine was meant to prevent, to even more serious side effects.

If you do get the flu shot and develop symptoms afterwards, the homeopathic remedy Thuja has been historically used to treat these symptoms. Take Thuja 30C, available at any health food store, for three days following vaccination.

Also, it’s important to note that, while most other vaccines no longer contain mercury, flu vaccines still contain thimerosal, the mercury-containing preservative. Some experts link this compound to increases in autism rates. If you are concerned about mercury exposure, cilantro and chlorella are two botanical medicines known to pull mercury out of the body.