Can you Kick the Common Cold?

By Dr. Jon Thomas, DC, PSc.D, Board Certified Chiropractic Physician.

“The United States experiences epidemics of seasonal flu each year. This time of year is called flu season. In the United States, flu viruses are most common during the fall and winter months. Influenza activity often begins to increase in October and November. Most of the time flu activity peaks between December and March and can last as late as May.” 

Centers for Disease Control 

Public Domain Pictures

Flu season is officially underway and the cold season never actually stops. When it comes to the common cold and/or the flu, prevention is far better than trying to fight back after symptoms have set in and your immune system has been weakened. Once you get symptoms, the sooner you take steps to fight back, the faster you will begin to get better. Allowing symptoms to progress for a few days only gives whatever is on the attack more of an opportunity to grow and get stronger.

It’s a bit like scurvy, a disease which is caused by vitamin C deficiency. The symptoms of scurvy include weakness, fatigue, along with sore arms and legs. It can also produce bleeding of the gums and skin. In severe cases, wounds are slow to heal. A person with scurvy can even die from bleeding and infection. Scurvy is rare these days. It is associated with malnutrition and occurs most frequently in developing countries.

Up to the 18^th century, scurvy was a serious problem for sailors who spent long periods of time at sea. According to Wikipedia, James Lind, a surgeon in the Royal Navy, documented proof in 1753 that scurvy could be effectively treated with citrus fruit. Decades later, the British Navy began routinely distributing lemon and lime juice to sailors. (Hence the term Limeys.)

Vitamins C and D for Preventing Colds and the Flu

Vitamin D boosts the immune system and helps to prevent colds and flu. Sunlight on the skin produces vitamin D. When you spend a lot of time in the sun, you should, of course, be careful not to get sunburned. Another way to get vitamin D is by eating eggs, meat, and oily fish like salmon, mackerel and sardines. Dairy products also contain vitamin D.

Wikimedia Commons

Vitamin C, which is also known as ascorbic acid, is another key nutrient which has many important functions in the human body. It’s one of the key ingredients for repairing tissues throughout the body. It helps the body make collagen, a protein used to make skin, heal wounds, and maintain bones and teeth.

Most people now know how important Vitamin C is for the immune system. They also know that it’s in lots of foods, including citrus fruit. If you ask people how much vitamin C they should be consuming, many would simply say, “Plenty.” Something many people don’t realize is that it is possible to overdo it with mega-doses of vitamin C, and that can lead to gastrointestinal problems.

Many people take supplements that contain vitamins C and D and other vitamins and minerals. However, one size doesn’t necessarily fit all. It’s important to find out your levels of Vitamin C and other nutrients. If you don’t know your levels, you really don’t know how much to take.

That’s where micronutrient and macronutrient testing can be very beneficial. Testing can show a person exactly what levels of nutrients are present in the body. From there, it’s not hard to figure out ways to adjust the diet to get to the correct level for certain nutrients or to add a supplement in an appropriate dosage.

It's a very good idea to maintain the proper vitamin and mineral levels throughout the year. That will help your immune system function the way it should. Boosting your vitamin C level after symptoms of cold or flu have presented themselves is not nearly as effective as maintaining the proper level of vitamin C all the time.

Supplements

Not all supplements are created equally. There’s a great deal of variation in terms of quality. Also, even with supplements that have very similar components, the delivery system can differ making one much more effective than another.

When choosing supplements, be sure to get high quality supplements from reputable manufacturers. Keep in mind that every company that makes supplements has wonderful things to say about their own products. When you can find supplements that third parties have nice things to say about, it makes sense to get those.

At Vibrant Life Health Center, we offer only the highest quality supplements on the market. I and other members of my family use the same products Vibrant Life offers to patients. Here’s a summary of what we use on the Cold and Flu and have available for you!

Courtesy of Premier Labs

Nucleo-Immune Dietary Supplement: Nucleotides are tiny building blocks of RNA and DNA. Nucleotides can help the body to rapidly overcome colds or flu, heal wounds, improve circulation, strengthen the immune system, promote new cell growth, neutralize toxins (especially in the intestines), and enhance the body’s ability to fight infection and disease.

Nucleo-Immune is a dietary supplement which promotes rapid cellular rejuvenation and healing of wounds. It increases vitality and strength. It’s convenient because it contains several items that people buy separately. Nucleo-Immune supports the thymus, the intestinal and immune systems, and is especially effective as a preventative booster during the cold and winter season.

Colostrum: Colostrum is a special immune-active fluid secreted by a female cow for about three days after giving birth. Our colostrum is made by Premier Labs and it is obtained from a very select group of dairy farmers dedicated to producing high quality colostrum. During the summer, spring and fall, their cows are grass-fed (a superior nutrition source for cattle). During the winter, they are fed hay.

Zinc, an Essential Mineral: Zinc plays an important role in immunity. Research shows that adequate zinc consumption not only prevents the onset of colds and flu, but also decreases their duration. Zinc is regarded by many as the most effective remedy against the common cold. Adding the following foods to your daily intake will increase your zinc levels: oysters, crab, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pine nuts, cashews, black beans, and shiitake mushrooms.

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Elderberry Extract: Black elderberry juice inhibits the growth of influenza viruses and shortens the duration of symptoms. It also increases antibody levels against the virus. In addition, it helps reduce swelling in the sinuses and congestion. Elderberry is commonly available as a lozenge and in capsules. It’s also available as a liquid syrup in the UMCKA Cold Products line made by Nature’s Way.

Mucilage of Oats: For anyone who has caught a bug that’s going around and who has a lingering cough or sore throat, here’s an easy-to-make beverage that can help. Take 1 tbsp. oats and add it to 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, and then let it steep for five minutes. Strain out the oats and drink. This process takes the mucilage off of the oats, and it’s very soothing for the throat. If you’d like to sweeten it up a bit, you can add a little honey.

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Echinacea: Echinacea is a flowering plant that grows in the U.S. and Canada. Echinacea strengthens the immune system and it also reduces many of the symptoms of colds and flu. It’s a very popular ingredient in supplements to boost the immune system. Echinacea is available over the counter at pharmacies, health shops and supermarkets as teas, liquid extracts, a dried herb, and as capsules or tablets.

I also wrote about our supplements in two blog posts last year.

Flu and Cold Season is here.

Flu and Cold Season, Part 2.

Be prepared this year.

One of the keys to keeping your immune system in good working order is to take good care of yourself. Getting enough rest is one of the keys to that. Another key to having a healthy immune system is musculoskeletal health. Many people think of Chiropractic primarily as a way to deal with acute injuries. The fact is that proper alignment of the spine is also very beneficial to the immune system. Getting an adjustment while you’re feeling fine is a great idea and one more way to stay prepared for attacks on the immune system.

Some people catch cold or get the flu more or less continually. Some people stay sick so consistently that they reach a point where it seems normal to them. If you’ve had that experience, there may be a systemic problem which is causing your immune system not to function properly.

A nutrient deficiency could certainly be the cause of a problem like that. I urge anyone who gets cold and or/flu time after time to get micronutrient and macronutrient testing. In many cases this type of testing will help a practitioner to get to the root of the problem and to develop a treatment plan for correcting it.

Call to schedule a Free Tytron Scan at Vibrant Life Health Center.

Courtesy of Titronics

Vibrant Life Health Center is currently offering free Tytron scans through the end of November. See for yourself how this amazing device works and how it can help you to get your body into balance. If you have acute or chronic pain and you’d like to find out how Chiropractic can help, set up an appointment with Dr. Thomas at the Vibrant Life Health Center.

If you’ve been trying to lose weight for a long time and just can’t seem to do it, let Dr. Thomas explains the NutriMost program which helps people lose twenty to forty pounds or more in just forty days. And if you’d like to check out the Life In Balance plan which can address every area of a patient’s health, call Vibrant Life to set up an appointment.

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In this article, I have discussed some of the things people can do to reduce their chances of getting the flu or catching a cold. I’ve also made several suggestions on what to do after you have symptoms. Zinc, elderberry extract, and mucilage of oats can all be very helpful. Nucleo-Immune, a dietary supplement which helps in the production of nucleotides, can also be very helpful. 

If you have a comment about this article, please leave it in the comments section below. If you know of someone who might benefit from the information in this blog, please share it with your friends and colleagues, and also on social media.

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At Vibrant Life, we address all of the key elements to add vibrance and vitality to your life. This includes nutrition, Chiropractic care, and fitness. If you need to consult with a chiropractor about your neck, back, or any other health concern, please contact our office to set up an appointment.

Courtesy of Vibrant Life

Dr. Jon Thomas is a Board Certified Chiropractic Physician. His practice, The Vibrant Life Health Center, is located in the Mandarin section of Jacksonville. His interest in health and fitness started early, and his athletic pursuits have included BMX racing, Professional Snow Skiing, Water Skiing, Baseball, Weightlifting, and Martial Arts. After studying and learning from some of the top health experts throughout the world, Dr. Thomas dedicated his life to helping people of all ages to transform their lives. The objective for each patient is to initiate the body’s healing and to work progressively toward a body that functions optimally. Dr. Thomas is seen regularly on TV on First Coast Living, where he discusses the transformations of his patients. He also speaks at events throughout the community and writes informative articles to improve the health of residents throughout Northeast Florida.

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