Posts Tagged ‘Influenza A virus subtype H1N1’
Seniors Need Immune Defense Against the Return of the H1N1 Virus
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Last winter we were fortunate that the H1N1 virus did not claim as many lives as it might have claimed had it blossomed into a pandemic such as the 1918-19 flu virus. Back in 1918-19 the H1N1 flu virus killed at least 50 million worldwide. What needs to be noted is the sequence of the assaults on the human population in those two flu seasons. During the first year not many people died of the virus, but the next year it returned with a vengeance and killed most of the folks included in the 50 million deaths due to the flu. The second round was deadlier, because it had mutated. Similarly last year saw fewer deaths due to the H1N1 flu virus than had been expected, so this winter if the H1N1 flu virus returns it may mutate and result in the large number of deaths that occur when a flu pandemic strikes. Fortunately there is good news for seniors who want to take preemptive aging steps to protect their senior health against winter flu viruses such as the H1N1 virus by building up their immune system. Numerous studies have shown that a deficiency of vitamin D is linked to influenza infections. The Harvard Medical School, that normally recommends getting vitamins through food, makes an exception for supplementing with vitamin D. The good news is that the vitamin D supplements that duplicate the form D3 made by our bodies in sunlight are very inexpensive. The D3 form that is more readily absorbed by our bodies is preferred over the less potent form D2. Together with eating a healthy diet and getting enough sleep, supplementing with vitamin D3 will support a layered defense against infection by the H1N1 flu.
The Top Foods To Boost Immune System
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With the imminent arrival of winter, folks have major health concerns about contracting colds and the flu, especially the H1N1 flu. Instead of waiting until a cold or the flu has already arrived and is causing illness, why not take preemptive measures before any respiratory infection occurs. It turns out that a number of common foods can provide an immune system boost. More than a dozen are included among the top immune system booster foods. For breakfast orange juice and oatmeal are first class contributors to a healthy immune system. The oats are a source of beta glucans an immunity system booster and orange juice supplies more than the daily requirement for vitamin C. Pouring milk fortified with vitamin D over the oatmeal will provided additional strength to the immune system to prevent upper respiratory infections. To provide further protection drink a cup of black tea and continue through the day, because black tea builds up your immune system’s T cells into super T cells that end up successfully fighting flu and cold infections.
Later in the day you can snack on yogurt that has been fortified with Lactobacillus acidophilus as well as Bifidus and L. rhamnosus, because they appear to stimulate the white-blood cells that fight infection. For lunch make sure that you include chicken soup several times a week, because it thins mucus and relieves the symptoms of a stuffy nose. By adding garlic and onions you can increase the immune boosting strength of the soup. The allicin in garlic is a strong bacteria fighter. For dinner a soup of clam chowder or oyster stew will provide selenium that helps the white blood cells fight viruses. For the main course make certain to include some fish like salmon, mackerel or herring in order to get the benefits of the omega-3 fatty acids that boost the activity of the cells that eat up the bacteria. For dessert a slice of pumpkin pie with black tea can round out the day. The pumpkin contains abundant vitamin A that will combine with zinc from the shellfish like oysters to fight infection.
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Better Than a Face Mask Flu Protection!
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A few years ago a physician on the West Coast made an unexpected discovery. All the patients that he was treating in a closed environment escaped contracting the flu during the 2005 flu season. The rest of the patients in the other open wards suffered such a high rate of infection by the flu that they had to be quarantined. He treated his patients with high doses of vitamin D, because he knew that they would not be exposed to the amount of sunlight required for their bodies to synthesize vitamin D on their own. He was aware that vitamin D plays a critical role in helping the optimal functioning of the multiple systems in our bodies. The immune system is one of those systems; it is the one that prevents our bodies from becoming infected with the flu.
More recently in the Midwest, similar results were observed during H1N1 flu outbreak in June of 2009 when most of the folks who had adequate levels of vitamin D avoided the flu. This successful result was repeated in September 2009 during a widespread H1N1 outbreak in the Southeastern US. It is very likely that these folks were protected from infection by the H1N1 flu, because vitamin D supports that part of the innate immune system that is active in the tissues that line our air passages. This is good news for seniors, because they can avoid contracting the H1N1 flu, provided they get an immune system boost by increasing their intake of vitamin D.
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Can Vitamin D Bind the H1N1 Flu?
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By all indications the H1N1 Flu is already beginning to pay a return visit to the Northern Hemisphere. In the USA the Government is promising that a vaccine will be ready in time to head off the H1N1 and protect us from the consequences of this disease this fall of 2009. Due to the short time required to prepare the new, H1N1 vaccine we do not know how well it will work in the general public. The second issue that has been raised concerns the availability of and accessibility to the vaccine by the general public. Putting all our hope on this new, H1N1 vaccine to provide protection from the H1N1 flu is like putting all our health protection in one basket. Common sense says that we should have a layered defense in place that will preempt the H1N1 flu. The key to such a layered defense will be to take steps that will strengthen a weakened immune system.
Taking the path to boost immune system has strong support from diverse groups that are concerned about preventing the spread of the H1N1 flu. An agency of the Canadian Government is studying the role of vitamin D in preventing the onset or mitigating the severity of the flu infection. Numerous studies have shown that a deficiency of vitamin D is linked to influenza infections. The Harvard Medical School, that normally recommends getting vitamins through food, makes an exception for supplementing with vitamin D. The good news is that the vitamin D supplements that duplicate the form D3 made by our bodies in sunlight are very inexpensive. The D3 form that is more readily absorbed by our bodies is preferred over the less potent form D2. Together with eating a healthy diet and getting enough sleep, supplementing with vitamin D3 will support a layered defense against infection by the H1N1 flu.
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Build Immunity Against Flu Viruses.
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The H1N1 flu virus did not infect many people on its first visit this year, but it may cause many more infections this autumn if it returns. This was exactly the pattern that played out during the Influenza Pandemic in 1918. The current H1N1 virus is a member of the same flu family as the 1918 flu. In the Southern Hemisphere where people are experiencing their winter weather the H1N1 is currently causing havoc. We have time to make the necessary preparations that will build up our immunity before the onset of our flu season beginning in autumn.
In addition to some well known natural substances that have been proven to boost immunity, such as the vitamins C and D, a number of new arrivals have entered the immunity field. When coupled with the old standbys vitamin C and D, these new arrivals can form a strong, synergistic immunity team to fight the H1N1 flu virus and any other virus. Several new arrivals on our immunity team are resveratrol and Green Tea extract. Substances in the Green Tea extract act in a way similar to the substance in the flu drugs Relenza and Tamiflu that fight the flu. Complementing the Green Tea extract, resveratrol interfers with the path the flu infection follows in the cells of our body. Using all the members of the immunity team will provide an immune system boost.
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