The weather is becoming colder now, and with colder weather comes the flu season. Many people opt for the flu shot to try and prevent the flu. However, vaccines are controversial and a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that vaccine effectiveness went down last season.
Boosting the immune system through the diet is another option for fighting the flu, as your body will be more equipped to fight the virus. Let’s take a look at 5 ways to fight the flu.
1. Drink elderberry tea:
Elderberry has been used medicinally for hundreds of years. Elderberry extract is a botanical that helps tremendously with cold and flu symptoms. It has been found to shorten the duration of symptoms by as much as 4 days. The studies done on elderberry extract found it effective in fighting up to 10 strains of flu virus. Try our elderberry cold and flu buster tea recipe.
2. Drink more green tea:
Green tea is rich in antioxidants, which are believed to enhance the function of immune system cells. It also helps the immune system stop the replication of the flu virus. A 2011 Japanese study showed that those who consumed green tea every day had a lower risk of flu.
3. Eat more probiotics:
Some good sources of dietary probiotics are green peas, dark chocolate, kefir, kombucha, and sauerkraut. Probiotics are microogranisms, often called ‘good bacteria.’ They are found in various fresh and fermented foods. Probiotics are believed to be essential to digestive and gut health because they maintain and balance essential bacteria in the digestive tract. Since a large portion of the immune system is in the gut, probiotics are essential to immune health.
4. Get some sun rays safely:
Vitamin D3 is known for its ability to produce antiviral peptides, which help kill flu-causing organisms and germs. It can also help prevent inflammation. We receive our vitamin D through sunlight, so it is important to get sunlight exposure throughout the day (make sure to wear sunscreen). A study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that vitamin D supplementation in children helped reduce incidences of the flu.
5. Try Echinacea:
Echinacea is a genus, or group of herbaceous flowering plants in the daisy family. A 2007 study by the University of Connecticut combined findings from 14 previously reported trials examining Echinacea and concluded that Echinacea can cut the chances of catching a cold by more than half, and shorten the duration of a cold by an average of 1.4 days. It makes a great cold and flu busting tea.
Note: None of the information in our website is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any illness or disease. The content on our website is for educational purposes only.
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For an orange and lime flu shot juice.
For a cold and flu buster elderberry tea.
Flu vaccine effectiveness reduced this season.
REFERENCES:
1. “5 Sure-Fire Ways to Beat the Flu.” GreenMedInfo.com. GreenMedInfo.com, n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2015.
2. “Randomized Trial of Vitamin D Supplementation to Prevent Seasonal Influenza A in Schoolchildren.” National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2015.
3. “Green Tea Consumption Is Inversely Associated with the Incidence of Influenza Infection among Schoolchildren in a Tea Plantation Area of Japan.” National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2015.
4. “New Research On Black Elderberries Shows Activity Against Flu Viruses And Respiratory Tract Bacteria.” Medical News Today. MediLexicon International, n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2015.
