Top 5 Ways to Fight Off Colds & Flu
It’s that time of year again. It seems like half of us are coughing and sneezing and you’re often either one of them or convinced you’re about to become one of the afflicted!
So, what can you do to prevent or fight it off?
The best thing to do is be aware of how you can maintain and strengthen the immune system. The immune system is vital in both helping maintain good health and also preventing colds, coughs and flu etc from taking hold.
1. Vitamin D
Known as the sunshine vitamin, Vitamin D is effective at killing off undesirable bacteria and viruses. Its major source is direct sunlight. Due to there being less daylight hours in winter along as well as other health and mobility issues for some limiting the time they can spend outdoors, not everyone is able to absorb enough from the sun.
Quantities available from the diet are quite low in the grand scheme of things but can be found in foods such as the skin of oily fish like salmon, tuna, and mackerel along with smaller amounts from beef, liver, cheese and egg yolks. You might also notice that the vitamin is added to some foods such as breakfast cereals.
It’s worth looking at supplementation to boost you levels of Vitamin D (especially If you are not getting much sunlight during the day). Apart from the regular Vitamin D supplements, cod liver oil is a very good source. Look to take in a minimum of 400IU. Around 1,000 to 2,000IU is usually considered a good maintenance dose for most adults who are struggling to attain much from food and sunlight. Depending on your specific health needs, around 4,000IU may be considered for some needing a higher intake.
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2. Vitamin C
Probably the one you were expecting, right? For good reason, Vitamin C has gained a reputation as an antioxidant and immune system booster. A cold virus needs to get into the body’s cells and alter their structure to take a hold and spread the virus to other cells. If the tissues (collections of cells) are already high in Vitamin C it makes it much harder for a virus to either take hold or survive.
Intake can only be obtained from the diet or supplements, and is needed throughout the day, as the the vitamin is secreted in urine 2-3 hours after consumption. For general immune system maintenance you may well need around 200mg per day (well above the typical RDA). Look to include plenty from the diet ideally. Some of the best foods are fruits such as papaya, oranges, grapefruit, pineapple, lemons, limes, strawberries, raspberries, kiwi and melon. Green vegetables are often a useful source of vitamin C and these include greens (all varieties) broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and kale. Other good sources are bell peppers, tomatoes, spinach, thyme, parsley and fennel.
As a therapeutic dose, around 1,000mg per day is optimal – preferably in a slow release supplement formula. The upper limit for adults is generally thought to be around 2000mg per day.
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Sugar literally feeds the types of bacteria and yeasts that can damage your body, leaving your immune system wide open for viruses to attack or intensify. Highly processed foods such as ready meals, sweets, cakes, cans of pop, biscuits and alcohol are among the main culprits.
4. Omega-3
Omega-3 increases the activity of phagocytes in cells to help fight bacteria. They are also known to increase effectiveness of the lungs, protecting them from colds and respiratory infections.
Our most recommended sources from the diet are oily fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel, herring, etc), seeds (especially flaxseed, hemp seed, pumpkin seeds), walnuts and eggs. It’s generally recommended to eat a portion of oily fish 2-3 times per week.
Supplements are popular and are very much worth considering if you struggle to eat enough of the foods above. Look for a supplement that contains noticeably more omega-3 than omega-6 and lists both EPA and DHA in the ingredients. As a daily maintenance dosage for those in good health and obtaining a decent amount of Omega-3 from the diet, look for 250-500mg of EPA and DHA combined. For those with greater needs (especially for increased support for the heart and blood pressure) look for a combined 2,000-3,000mg. Vegan supplements are widely available.
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5. Address any lifestyle issues
Many illnesses (even mild) can be major contributors of a weakened immune system. If you have any combination of being regularly stressed, depressed, anxious, having poor quality sleep, not getting enough exercise and not taking enough time out to do things you enjoy, etc then you should make it a priority to address them wherever possible. If these issues are left to continue unaddressed, your body will face an uphill battle to fight off viruses, regardless of the quality of food or supplements you are taking.