Don't Get Sick This Flu Season - Do This Instead

Dr. Stengler: In this video, learn about the most effective natural solutions for flu prevention and treatment, including the proven Norwegian berry treatment your doctor never told you about.

Hey everybody, the flu season is upon us, and the best defense, in my opinion, is a good offense — preventing the flu. It's that time of year when the seasonal flu, known as influenza, affects people across the United States and globally. This highly contagious respiratory illness is caused by three main viral types: influenza A, B, and C. The infection affects the nose, causing a runny nose; the throat, leading to a sore throat; and the lungs, resulting in coughing. Although the flu can begin with symptoms similar to a cold, it typically progresses more quickly and is more severe. Other common flu symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aching, fatigue, sweating, and chills.

Influenza A is typically more severe and is the one currently circulating. A recent article in the Journal of the American Medical Association reviewed the current state of the circulating influenza strain, known as influenza A H3N2, also termed subclade K virus. Since December 11th, influenza activity has been accelerating in the United States, especially among children and young adults. As expected, the primary recommendation for protection against seasonal influenza is vaccination.

I'm going to get into natural ways to prevent and treat the flu, but of course, in the commercial mass media, they really focus on the flu vaccine. According to United Kingdom hospital and emergency admission data, the vaccines were 72% to 75% effective in children, most of whom received the live attenuated intranasal vaccine, whereas the injected vaccine for adults was about 30% to 39% effective. It's too soon to know how effective the flu vaccine will be this year for the US population. The current vaccine is trivalent, meaning it protects against two influenza A subtypes and one influenza B strain. But again, we don't know how effective it's going to be — in some years the effectiveness is very poor. So we want to focus on natural ways to optimize your immune system, things which have studies for flu protection. Flu vaccines and antiviral medications are options to discuss with your healthcare provider. Whether or not you choose to use these approaches, the protocols I'm going to review can be used either way.

Let's talk about immune system optimization specific to the flu. For long-term immune enhancement, I like to use herbal extracts, especially turkey tail, maitake, and astragalus. These extracts have been used for a long time and have good human data showing they enhance the immune system. I use formulas with these extracts, and typically I'll recommend patients take three to four capsules daily.

Another supplement to be aware of, readily available, is N-acetylcysteine, known as NAC — an antioxidant that also supports immune function. One study found that only 25% of older adults who were injected with the influenza virus experienced influenza symptoms after taking NAC for six months, compared with 79% who received placebo. A preventive dose is 600 milligrams twice daily on an empty stomach. A recent paper published in the journal Antioxidants states that NAC can help alleviate the symptoms of influenza primarily by addressing different mechanisms associated with the infection.

You've also heard about vitamin D. Research indicates that vitamin D supplementation reduces the risk of acute respiratory tract infections, including influenza and the common cold. This hormone-like nutrient acts like a hormone in the body by increasing antiviral white blood cells, controlling inflammation, and elevating levels of two antimicrobial compounds, cathelicidins and defensins. For most of my adult patients, I have them take 5,000 units of vitamin D daily with a meal. But at the onset of a flu, if you haven't been supplementing vitamin D, sometimes I have patients take 20,000 to 50,000 units as a loading dose.

If you have the flu, you should know about the Norwegian berry extract known as elderberry. It's one of the few natural therapies studied in individuals with influenza. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 60 Norwegian men and women found that 15 milliliters of standardized elderberry syrup taken four times daily for five days — when started within 48 hours of influenza symptoms — relieved symptoms an average of four days earlier than placebo. None of the participants had adverse events during the study. Elderberry also helps relieve the coughing associated with the flu. This product is available online or in health food stores under the Sambucol brand, with which I have no association, and the directions for use are provided.

For a lot of patients, we'll also use intravenous therapy. Intravenous vitamin C has antiviral effects, and we use IV ozone, which is effective. But for many patients, a lot of their symptoms come from dehydration from the fever that's been going on for several days, which causes much of the fatigue, aching, and headaches. If you can get even basic nutrient IV therapy, you'll feel so much better, much more quickly.

I hope you enjoyed the video. Click the like button if you liked it, and look for other videos on how to optimize your immune system during the cold and flu season.

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