Have you ever known anyone who HAS NOT had a single dot of indent or scarring at the site of an injection/immunization (your arm)? Can you imagine the same thing – swelling – in your brain? Think that’s NOT possible? Think again!
“Mercury (thimerasol) is highly toxic in even very small doses. And vaccines have mercury and aluminium amongst other risky food additives.”
If you ever find yourself forced to take a vaccine injection (if the health authorities force mandatory vaccinations at gunpoint, for example), you can help protect yourself NOW!! Don’t wait till the day of the vaccination itself! I strongly feel we need to take responsibility for our personal health now more than ever. Starting now, we all should be paying extra attention to our immune system!
Forced A Vaccination You Don’t Want or Need? Here’s Your Plan for Protective Shield Against Forced Vaccinations, especially against the H1N1 (Swine Flu) and future Vaccinations! First, make sure you go over Steps 1 to 5 here. Then read below!
Many Herbs, Fruits and Vegetables not only cure infections but are also capable of preventing the ailments they treat – so load up on some of these (best to do this a few weeks to a few months before the day of your H1N1 Flu Vaccination; Inflammationis a critical part of the body’s immune response – but when it goes awry – it can lead to serious physical and mental problems. Many natural foods mentioned in this list are “anti-inflammatory”.):
1. Superfoods such as micro-algae: although chlorella has a great affinity for mercury and other heavy metals but it will also extract mercury from the water it is grown in. Organic spirulina is a better choice and is rich in gamma carotene (the body automatically converts gamma carotene to natural vitamin A).
2. Seaweeds, aloe vera (leaves). Seaweeds have #a. Sodium Alginate (a probiotic that kills at least 9 harmful strains of gut bacteria), #b. beta-glucan also found in seaweeds (otherwise found in whole grains, and in lesser amounts in edible mushrooms like the ^Shiitake mushrooms that has an anti-cancer compound “lentinan”), and #c. iodine (natural prescription antibiotic). Fresh seaweeds are more nutritious than dried ones – if you can get them. Aloe vera helps protect your digestive tract while supporting protein digestion and assimilation.
3. Red Reishi Mushrooms - the Reishi is known to Chinese as “Ling Zi” and is anti-cancer. (Reference: Plantcures.com )
4. Maitake Mushrooms are good for both cancer and diabetic sufferers
5. Probiotics and digestive enzymes. Live active culture in the food, creates nutrients that are of extraordinary value in promoting health. Many fermented foods and products have live active culture. In fact eat anything with probiotics – yoghurt (you can useKefir to make your own home-made yoghurt), sauerkraut (German pickled vegetables fermented in vinegar and fruit juice), fermented gherkins. The Malay’s (Asia) fermentedachar (pickled sliced carrots, cucumber and pineapples), and the Korean Kimchi (spicy stuff!) are equally healthy for the digestive system – helps to clean the intestine walls of plaque. Bacteriocins in probiotics kill or narrow the negative effects of prescription drugs found in prescription antibiotics and vaccines. More information on what and whys of probiotics here. ( You may wish to check out fellowblogger AlexmZolt’s Nuriche site or take his poll: Where do you get your nutrition? )
6. Glutathione found in Whey Protein – defends your cells against intra- and extra-cellular oxidative stress ie. kills free radicals that are attacking cells. Whey Protein (the liquid leftover after cheese is made) is also a good probiotic and encourages the human body to make its own natural glutathione. Whey protein has long been the favorite among athletes and bodybuilders; it is very inexpensive, and a couple small scoops can pack of 30 to 40 grams of protein. Whey protein also helps in weight loss: fat is reduced and lean muscle mass is increased.
7. Raw vegetables juices (for diabetics, please seek advise from a nutritionist, not a dietician who may recommend you fad diets or pills): add mangosteen juice orblueberry juice that are rich in anti-oxidants for example; add lemon or orange juice,or any Vitamin C-rich fruit juice; diabetics need to take whole fruits and avoid freshly-pressed fruits juice but 100%-vegetable juice is alright for everyone. Blueberries have been clinically proven to be more powerful than statin drugs in lowering LDL cholesterol (great for the heart).
8. Germanium supplements are good for adding oxygen into the body. The logic is that the more oxygen your body has, the lesser chances for impurities and toxins surviving inside your body. Oxygen will “burn” or “singe” the outer protein envelope of a flu virus (or any kind of virus), preventing it from attaching itself to a human cell, preventing it from multiplying and spreading. With the help of oxygen, your body will break down the damaged virus and use its amino acids, ect, for use in the body. The USA’s FDA outlawed these but you can get germanium naturally from tomato juices, garlic, beans, onions, ginsing, shitake mushrooms, comfrey and barley. (Cobalt, another supplement, is also used for the same purpose of maximising oxygen intake through body cells.)
9. Tumeric (looks like yellow or orange ginger) has a flavanoid known as “curcumin” and fights Cystic Fibrosis (tumeric is to be used under the gudiance of a naturpathic physician). You need VERY little of this tumeric; if you are already taking some tumeric supplements, you do not need to add your grounded tumeric powder into vege/fruits juice. Ginger is an alternative if you can’t find tumeric or tumeric supplements. Dr. Mercola highly recommends organic tumeric powder :: Why organic
10. Seeds of Grapefruits (or use whole Grapefruit) – anti-cancer, anti-leukemia, I usually add 1/8 of a grapefruit into my daily vegetable juice – with its skin unpeeled. Anything more may be too bitter. The whole grapefruit can be used.
11. Olive Leaves (or pure olive oil although this can come in powdered form or as a tincture).
12. Oregano Oil (aka Oil of Oregano) is one of nature’s natural antibiotic and is high in an antioxidant known as “rosmarinic acid”. ”Oregano has 42 times more antioxidant activity than apples, 30 times more than potatoes, 12 times more than oranges and 4 times more than blueberries.. For example, one tablespoon of fresh oregano contains the same antioxidant activity as one medium-sized apple.” – Dr. Mercola Difference between natural antibiotic to prescription antibiotic
13. Raw Apple Cider Vinegar – “raw” as in not cooked. Not many people can stomach undiluted apple cider vinegar. I usually cheat by holding my breathe while I down a tablespoon of this potent anti-detox stuff. Apple Cider vinegar is also known to clean the sticky plaque from the walls of your intestines so you absorb nutrients better without killing any benefician germs in your digestive system/guts.
14. Take sulfur-rich foods like ^Raw Garlics (botanical name is Allium Sativum; “raw” as in uncooked). The active “allicin” in garlic kills pathogenic bacteria, the Helicobacter pylori and rotavirus infections (which is responsible for many cases of diarrhea); garlic also lowers risk of heart diseases, is a natural probiotic and is also anti-cancer. Spinach,Kale and Garlic boost the immune system and treat cough, whooping cough, bronchitis, asthma, fever, facial paralysis, flatulence, colic pain, constipation, atonic dyspepsia, worm infestations, duodenal ulcers, tuberculosis, eye diseases, cardiopathy, fatigue, leucoderma, leprosy, hysteria, piles, sciatica, otalgia, lumbago, swellings, splenopathy, hepatopathy, and dental caries! Alternative: odourless garlic capsules although not all of them are of good quality; consult a holistic or natoropathic doctor for advise.
15. onions Raw Onions are also sulfur-rich and anti-cancer, especially for the colon (intestines); you can eat sliced onions with satay for example.
16. Reservatrol (from Natural Unpeeled Red Grapes or Red Wine) has proathocyanidins (anti-cancer) or you can find the capsuled form in good health shops. Also a natural blood sugar regulator, reservatrol is great for those who are thinking of reversing their Type 2 diabetes.
17. Green Tea is also rich in cancer-fighting anti-oxidants and catechins such as EGCG; as evidenced in the China Study by Professor T. Collins Campbell and his research team.
18. Milk Thistle is ideal for supporting the liver from any onslaught of toxins and pathogens.
19. Anise Seeds may be the reason why India is one of the last countries to see deaths from H1N1/Swine flu. Their natural foods (spices) are rich in untainted un-modified anise seeds, shallots, garlic, onions, etc.
Different Types of Anise Seeds:
1. Anise in its original “star” pods (recommended).
2. Anise without its pods look like small oval and flat grains (recommended).
3. And ground Anise powder looks a little like curry powder. 4 oz of this costs US$2.75.
4. Anise Seed Essential Oil – add to lukewarm water for soaking and bath, this makes a natural anti-cold therapy (recommended)
5. Anise Seeds by Wholesale prices (recommended)Here’s a recipe Biscuits with Anise Seeds (although I highly recommend you do NOT microwave the anise seeds). I cannotrecommend Anise extract or Anise powder at this time because before one can do so, one needs to look at EVERY ingredient that has gone into the manufacture, and its storing and preparation processes. For example, it is very easy to add ground ginger powder to ground Anise powder, and IF ginger is not safe, the while food/Anise powder is questionable. Poor storage of food products can also diminish nutritional value of foods and herbs. If at all possible, try to get WHOLE (unground) and organically-grown foods. (Organic foods should be drug-free, hormones-free, aspartame-free, pesticide-free, mercury-free, yeast-free, toxic-free, etc. )
20. Cilantro prevents your body from absorbing thimerasol (mercury). If you want to keep something in your fridge to be drank or added to your soup everyday, organic cilantro is what you want. Get a ton of organic cilantro, chop it up, add pure water, simmer until you have a thick stew of it. You want the water to be a VERY dark green color. As you want organic nutrients, do not keep for more than a week in the fridge.
21. Roots of Yellow Dock removes harmful aluminium found in vaccines. You simply grind the roots and add to your favourite vegetable or fruit juice. One of the most affordable vege you can ever find for detoxification.
22. Gingko Biloba promotes mental alertness but if your gingko biloba supplement contains ginseng, don’t take it (bad reactions with vaccinations). Avoid any supplement product with ginseng as it may contain neurotoxin 4-O-methylpyridoxine.
23. Ban Zhi Lian (Chinese Barbed Skullcap aka Skullcap) help to moderate seizures in epilepsy and vaccine-related seizures. Not meant to be taken in large doses (please consult your nutritionist!)
24. Huang Qin (Chinese herb) causes apoptosis for leukemia cells. Anti-cancer (you don’t want cancer to weaken you for vaccines).
25. Black Cohosh (Cimicifugae racemosae rhizome) is also anti-cancer.
26. Bicarbonate Soda although found in baking powder, consumption of baking powder with MSG (monosodium-glutmate) is not recommended. You need very little of this in your one serving of water/vege juice everyday.
27. Red Clover (Trifolium pratense ) Used in alternative medicine for menopause, osteoporosis, cough and eczema. Ref: http://www.baldwins.co.uk/Supplements-And-Homeopathy/Viridian/Viridian-Red-Clover-400mg-30-Vegetarian-Capsules/14197/610
28. Chinese Astragalus Root: aka Huang Chi has been used for over 2,000 years to strengthen body’s immunity system.
29. Bugleweed supports the thyroid, heart and lung functions. Also used to treat upset stomach, gout, hemorrhoid bleeding and pain in breasts (for those breastfeeding). Also known by these names: Lycopus virginicus, Lycopus americanus, Lycopus europaenus, Archangle, Ashangee, American Bugleweed, Carpenter’s Herb, Common Bufle, Egyptian’s Herb, Farasyon Maiy, Green Wolf’s Foot, Gypsy-Weed, Gypsy-Wort, Menta de Lobo, Middle Comfrey, Paul’s Betony, Sicklewort, Su Ferasyunu, Water Bugle, and Water Horehound
30. Lobelia Inflata (aka Indian Tobacco): this plant originates from North America, the Lobelia has a long history of use as an herbal remedy for respiratory conditions such as pneumonia, asthma, bronchitis and cough. First used for those who could not stand the smell of tobacco! Also known by other names: Cardinal flower, Red lobelia, Scarlet lobelia, Puke weed
31. Barestem Desert-Parsley (Lomatium dissectum) was used for treatment of tuberculosis.
32. Spearmint (or spearmint tea) can reduce flatulence and burping, reduce heartburn and nausea, intestinal distress. The tea (non-caffeine) also appears to block the action of androgen in the body, which can make it a natural treatment for hirsutism (excessive hair) in women and hair loss in men.
33. Marshmallow root is used for many years to relieve dry cough and sore throats (natural cough expectorant), as well as to treat chapped skin, minor wounds. Has been used in connection with heartburn, diarrhea, Cron’s disease, asthma, indigestion, pap smears, cystitis and hiatus hernia and peptic ulcer. Mildly stimulates the immune system.. Externally used as a stretchmark gel, and can be poulticed on bruises, sprains, burns, muscle aches, bee stings, boils, eczema and psoriasis. Not found in the USA, its peeled root is considered of higher quality than root with the outer bark.
34. Chanca Piedra (aka yerba de San Pablo; botanical name: phyllanthus niruri) is a herbal plant that can be used in whole to protect liver and support liver, reduce spasms, aid digestion, reduce blood sugar, expel kidney stones and worms, prevent cell mutations (anti-cancer) and even to treat malaria. However, those with diabetic and heart problems should not take this without first consulting their doctors, as Chanca Piedra has geraniin, which interacts with prescription drugs for diabetics and heart patients.
35. Natural Fibre: Reduce corn flakes (they’re nothing flattened genetically-modified corn with only carbohydrates and sugar anyway), and instead go for wholemeal (ground from whole grains), oatbran and psyllium breakfast treats. Psyllium (or Organic Psyllium Husk Powder) helps to cleanse your colon of the bad germs without killing the good germs.
36. Green peas are rich in vitamin C, vitamin K and beta-carotenes (aka carotenes or carotenoids – converts to natural non-toxic safe Vitamin A in your body). Carotenes is a natural remedy for depression (mental health is important for physical health), helps slows progression of cataracts, prevents macular degeneration, high blood pressure, arthritis, helps asthma, bone development, reproductive health, and is anti-cancer, etc. Carotenes are also found indark green vege, orange-yellow vegetables (carrots, broccoli, romaine lettuce, apricots, and green peppers). Commercially available carotene are made from palm oil or fungi and so, pales in comparison to natural carotene-rich foods. Peas are preferred over beans partially because they have lesser calcium (refer to box below about calcium). Vitamin K, a stronger antioxidant than vitamin E or coenzyme Q10, prevents oxidative cell damage, promotes strong bones and heart, and are found in foods like brussels sprouts, green beans, asparagus, Swiss chard, broccoli, and mustard greens. Vitamin K works outside the liver (gives liver a break!) to regulate calcium, and gives proteins “claws” so proteins can “hold on” to calcium. (Vitamin K2 should not be taken by those who are taking blood-thinning medicines.)
37. Foods rich in Alpha-Linolenic Acid (ALA) are good for the heart. The best source of ALA is flaxseeds. Other sources: walnuts
38. Parsley and Basil Leaves have an obscure bioflavonoid called called “apigenin” thathelps to keep capillaries strong and cells strong. Basil leaves have ursolic acid (anti-cancer) too. Celery and green pepper are high in another flavonoid known as “luteolin” (luteolin disrupts inflammatory responses in your brain and has proved to be very good for preventing deterioration in Alzheimer’s and Multiple Sclerosis). Anti-inflammatory, food containing apigenin and luteolin are very potent in inhibiting/preventing autoimmune diseases. Dr. Russel Blaylock recommends at least a daily intake of 8 ounces of juiced parsley and celery to drank immediately after juicing.
39. Gamma-E, found ONLY IN Natural Whole Foods like nuts, whole grains, and wheat germ, helps reduce several of the inflammatory cytokines (”toxic storm” within the body). The other kind in your vitamin E capsules, aka alpha-tocopherol , is different because alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E) may promote oxidation (free radicals), specifically in smokers who also eat a lot of foods with omega-6 cooking oils.
40. Rosemary contains Rosmarinic acid and makes strong anti-inflammatary agent (reduces swells, etc).
41. Borage (starflower) has GLA that inhibits the action of the cancer gene Her-2/neu (present in 30% of breast cancer). Primrose Oil (normally taken by women) also hasGamma-linolenic acid (GLA) that is is anti-cancer. Primrose oil and Borage regulate the metabolic rate of various tissues, division and growth of cells, secretions (including digestive juices and hormones), controls fertility processes, and supports your body’s immune system; also fight inflammation, arthritic pain and eczema. GLA is the perfect replacement for Omega-6 oils (you don’t need a lot of Omega-6 oils commonly found in cooking oil.)
42. Wild Alaskan Red Salmon is a natural source of Omega-3 oils and is least likely to be contaminated with industrial mercury waste (other than Krill Oil which is also rich in GLA).
43. Bromelain (an enzyme) found abundant in ^pineapples, blocks a defective protein found in all cancerous cells. (Ref: Queensland Institute of Medical Research)
44. The EGCG found in green tea and black tea, reduced the levels of reactive carbonyls commonly found in diabetics; also helps in treating /preventing Alzheimer’s disease, and possibly autoimmune diseases such as Sjogren’s Syndrome (also known as one of the Invisible Diseases). A component called Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), found in^Green Tea, can block the ability of the AIDS virus to hijack and destroy the immune system, protects the heart, blood vessels and prevents atherosclerosis and cancer. Polysaccharides in ^Black Tea helps to retard absorption of glucose, and is a natural scavenger of free radicals (which are involved in the onset of Cancer and Rheumatoid Arthritis). These teas neutralize some of the toxins formed by high-fructose corn syrup(vaccines have high fructose corn syrup!) Ref: Sciencedaily and Institute of Food Technologists
1. Burdock Root, Synephrine (immature orange peel), Capsicum, Horehound herb, Althea root and Yerba Santa herb: magnesium, potassium, silicon, zinc, vitamins A and C, and thiamine. Dang Gui root, Epimedium leaf, Eucommia bark, Ganoderma plant. Lycium fruit, Rehmannia root, Achyranthes root, Atractylodes rhizome, Citrus peel, Hoelen plant, Ligustrum, Zeolites, H1X1 mushroom, sasa bamboo leaf, Ophiopogon root, Peony root, Polygala root, Schizandra, Licorice root, Rhodiola Rosea, Eleutherococcus Senticosus, Ashwaganda, Gynostemma Pentaphyllum and schizandra, Dandelion Whole Plant (Taraxacum officinale)
Purslane Tops (Portulaca oleracea)
Indigo Leaves and Root (Indigofera tinctoria)
Thlaspi Whole Plant (Thlaspi arvense)
Bupleurum Root (Chinese Bupleurum)
Typhonium Rhizome (Typhonium flagelliforme)
Scute Root (Scutellaria baicalensis)
Cinnamon Twig (Cinnamomum cassia)
46. Vitamin & Mineral Supplements (see next part of this blog entry - coming soon so check back in a couple of days!!)
Anti-cancer. The main role of antioxidants (eg. flavoniods, isoflavones, bioflavonoids) is to prevent cell damage (or mutation) via free radicals. Free radicals cannot be avoided, they are found in almost everything, in our bodies and in air. Free radicals (a class of molecules/compounds) exist and act like microbes that react quickly to dead or decomposing material. Free radicals are generated by a variety of sources including pesticides, smoking and exhaust fumes – the very things that causes cancer so antioxidants are synonymous with anti-cancer and good health.
by Kelly at MyQute.com
I am not a doctor so PLEASE consult a Traditional Chinese Herbalist or a Naturopathic Nutritionist before buying anything from your health shop. Why you need to consult an expert? Over-load of antioxidants could also lead to heart failure!
Showing posts with label h1N1. Show all posts
Showing posts with label h1N1. Show all posts
Thursday, December 03, 2009
What To Do If You Contract Influenza
What To Do If You Contract Influenza Including H1N1 (Swine) Flu or the Common Cold
By William Faloon
With daily news reports warning of a swine flu pandemic, members have besieged our health advisors with questions about what they should do to protect themselves against the H1N1 (swine flu) virus.
The good news is that Life Extension® members obtain a considerable amount of immune support via the supplements they already use, especially those taking high-dose vitamin D.
An important question, however, is what one should do if they develop symptoms of a viral infection? As the days grow colder, the risks of contracting common flu and cold viruses increase. Each year, flu virus infections kill around 36,000 Americans and cause miseries for millions.1 An outbreak of the swine flu virus is expected this winter.
While certain supplements (and drugs) purport to shorten the duration of a viral infection, most of them fail to provide significant relief. Over the past 28 years, Life Extension® personnel have experimented with various nutrients, hormones, and drugs in order to minimize the impact of the common cold and typical flu viruses.
In this article, I will reveal what has worked for me personally to ward off common cold/flu viruses and what has been validated in the scientific literature to be effective.
I will also elaborate on some aggressive prescription drug strategies to consider in the event that you contract a severe form of swine flu or other type of influenza.
Don’t Wait for Full-Blown Illness to Manifest
People often wait until they are very sick before seeking influenza treatment. This delay can preclude rapid eradication of the infectious agent. In some cases, treatment delay can be lethal.
I have found enormous personal benefit by taking aggressive actions upon the onset of the very first cold-flu symptom. I respond to a mild symptom the way some people do after they have suffered days of agonizing flu virus miseries. My strategy is to not let the virus gain a foothold in my cells. Up until now, my approach has apparently succeeded inasmuch as I have not suffered more than a day of significant cold-flu illness since January 1983.
Don’t Wait for Full-Blown Illness to Manifest
I am going to reveal my personal program in the following paragraphs, but the key point I want to emphasize is to immediately address the very first symptom of a cold-flu viral infection like it is the most lethal agent you have ever encountered. I analogize this approach to dropping a nuclear bomb when conventional weapons might be adequate. While some people wait until full-blown viral symptoms manifest, I don’t have a choice. Life Extension® is a 24-hour/day operation with no room for down time. I don’t have the luxury of calling in sick just because a virus has invaded my body.
If you were to contract swine flu (H1N1) or other influenza types, it is especially critical that you immediately initiate the antiviral drug therapies I will discuss later in this letter. Antiviral drugs can be effective, but only when they are initiated within 24-48 hours of the manifestation of symptoms.
Unleashing the Nuclear Bomb
I typically work an intense schedule with frequent exposure to sick people, yet I have gone 27 years without suffering a serious cold-flu viral infection.
While it would be convenient to credit the supplements I take every day, the fact is that I follow an aggressive protocol as soon as I feel that a viral infection may be taking hold. Scientific studies substantiate the individual components of what I do, but there have been no clinical trials to support the use of this entire protocol. I’ll discuss some of the research that supports my rationale later, but here are the drugs, nutrients, and hormones I take as soon as the first symptom of common cold or flu manifests:
1. Cimetidine in the dose of 800 mg (and higher) each day. This drug is sold over-the-counter in pharmacies to combat heartburn, but its beneficial side effect is to boost immune function by reducing T-suppressor cells, thereby keeping the immune system in a hyperactive state.2 While sold over-the-counter, it would still be wise to read the package insert in case this drug is contraindicated for you. For most people, cimetidine provides a powerful immune system stimulation that is particularly effective against certain viruses.
2. High-Allicin garlic in the dose of 9,000 mg once or twice a day. This potent form of garlic will cause painful stomach-esophageal burning if you don’t eat food right afterward. The intake of 9,000 mg of this kind of garlic will cause you to reek of a strong sulfur odor, but saturating the body with this pungent garlic is the objective. Garlic has shown direct virus-killing effects in a number of published studies.3,4
3. DHEA in the dose of 200-400 mg early in the day. This is much higher than normal,5 but DHEA has shown some unique benefits in boosting one’s ability to mount a stronger immune response and also protecting against dangerous inflammatory cytokine responses that sometimes occur in response to viral infections.
4. Lactoferrin in the dose of 1,200 mg a day. This natural constituent of mothers’ milk boosts natural killer cell activity and can kill certain viruses.6
5. Zinc lozenges in the dose of two 24 mg lozenges every two waking hours. Please be aware that this is a very high dose of zinc and is considered toxic if taken over the long term.7,8 You should only do this for a few days. Zinc has shown a direct effect of inhibiting the ability of cold viruses to latch onto your cells.6
6. Melatonin at bedtime in the high dose of 10-50 mg (ordinarily, melatonin is taken at levels of just 1–3 mg per evening). Melatonin induces a powerful immune response and this high dose can facilitate the deep sleep one often needs to fend off an infection. This dose of melatonin will make you extremely tired, so please only take this before bedtime and do not operate any machinery or vehicles after ingestion.9
7. Aged garlic extract in the dose of 3,600 mg a day. There are unique immune-boosting compounds in aged garlic that work differently than those found in high-allicin garlic.10
It is important to note that I take the above doses in addition to the supplements I use every day. My personal program closely resembles the Top Ten most important nutrients, hormones and drugs Life Extension® recommends to its members plus 5,000 IU of vitamin D3 each day.11 (Refer to www.lef.org/vitamins-supplements/Top10 for the current Top Ten list.)
Garlic’s Unsung Benefits
With all the high-tech advances occurring in medicine, garlic would appear to be a relic of the past. Yet the scientific literature documents that garlic has powerful effects against certain viruses.
Garlic’s Unsung Benefits
For instance, a study tested one capsule daily of an allicin-containing garlic supplement from November thru February on a group of 146 volunteers.12 Half the group received the garlic while the unfortunate other half got a placebo. The garlic group suffered 63% fewer common cold infections compared to the placebo group. Even more significant, those in the garlic group who did catch a cold suffered symptoms for an average of only 1.52 days compared to 5.01 days for the placebo group. This placebo-controlled study corroborates the benefits I have personally derived by taking much higher doses of high-allicin garlic as soon as cold symptoms are present.
The conclusion of the doctors who conducted this garlic study was, “An allicin-containing supplement can prevent attack by the common cold virus.” Considering the number of people afflicted with a common cold each year, you would think this would have been the lead news story of the day. Instead, this study remains buried in a scientific journal, while the medical establishment still states “there is no cure for the common cold.”
Ribavirin is a prescription drug that has potent antiviral effects.13-26 Yet a Chinese study showed that at least in the test tube, garlic is more effective than ribavirin in inhibiting viruses that attack the intestinal track.27 Life Extension® has recommended ribavirin to treat various viral infections since year 1983, but in this particular study, garlic was shown to be superior.
A number of published studies indicate that both high-allicin garlic and aged garlic support healthy immune function while exerting antiviral effects.28-34 Low-cost garlic may be nature’s most powerful weapon against certain viruses.
Cimetidine’s Life-Saving Side Effect
A little-known side effect of the heartburn drug cimetidine is that it inhibits the production of T-suppressor cells.2 In doing so, it boosts immune function by preventing the immune system from turning itself down.
What You Need to Know: How to Combat H1N1 Swine Flu
* During the winter months, the risk of contracting a cold or flu increases.
* With the threat of a swine flu pandemic, people are more concerned than ever about how to protect themselves and their families.
* Many nutrients and drugs can help prevent viral infections and hasten their resolution when they do occur.
* Nutraceuticals that may protect against flu include vitamin D, garlic (both aged and non-aged forms), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), lactoferrin, zinc lozenges, and melatonin.
* Pharmaceuticals that can help combat flu include cimetidine, Tamiflu®, Relenza®, ribavirin, and amantadine.
* Individuals who suspect they may have the flu should take action as soon as possible to fight the viral infection. Antiviral medications are typically only effective if initiated within the first 24-48 hours of the onset of symptoms.
Cimetidine has shown other immune-modulating effects such as increasing natural killer cell activity and boosting levels of natural immune stimulants interleukin-2 and gamma interferon.35-38 Human studies demonstrate cimetidine’s efficacy against herpes and viral warts.35,39-42
Since cimetidine is safe for most people,43 taking 800-1,000 mg at night (or 200 mg three times a day and then 400 mg at night) seems like an effective way to temporarily turn up the immune system. Cimetidine in 200 mg tablets can be purchased over the counter at pharmacies. The directions in the over-the-counter package insert say that up to 800 mg a day is safe, but some published studies where cimetidine is administered as an antiviral agent have used up to 1000 mg a day.44
Mother’s Milk
It is well known that infants obtain protection against certain infections from components contained in mother’s milk. One such component is lactoferrin, which has well-documented immune-potentiating effects.45-47
Lactoferrin may stimulate macrophages, which in turn may help to induce cell-mediated immunity.48 Although many of the studies are on animals, lactoferrin is naturally present in many mucous membrane secretions in the human, suggesting an innate human antimicrobial function.6,49
A study showed that lactoferrin inhibits viral infection by interfering with the ability of certain viruses to bind to cell receptor sites.46
Immune-Boosting Hormones
Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its metabolites have demonstrated powerful immune-enhancing and antiviral effects.50-54 The administration of 50 mg a day of DHEA to elderly men resulted in the following immune enhancements compared to placebo:55
* Increase of 35% in the number of monocyte immune cells
* Increase of 29% in the number of B immune cells
* Increase of 62% in B-cell activity
* Increase of 40% in T-cell activity
* Increase of 50% in interleukin-2
* Increase of 22% to 37% in natural killer cell number
* Increase of 45% in natural killer cell activity.
One reason that influenza can be so lethal to aging people is that their immune systems are weakened. A deficiency in DHEA appears to be partially responsible for the age-related decline in immune function.56 One study showed that a metabolite of DHEA augmented activation of T-helper cells and protected mice from a lethal influenza virus infection.54
Melatonin has broad spectrum immune-enhancing effects and has been specifically shown to decrease viral load and prevent death in mice infected with certain viruses. The conclusion of one melatonin study was:
“The immunomodulatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective effects of melatonin suggest that this indole must be considered as an additional therapeutic alternative to fight viral diseases.”57
Another study examined the immune function benefits of melatonin and found that melatonin activated interleukin-2 and gamma interferon, the body’s natural hormone-like agents that facilitate T-helper cell production.58
Taking high-dose DHEA in the morning (200-400 mg) and high-dose melatonin (10-50 mg) before bedtime would appear to be logical approaches to follow when battling a viral infection.
Preventing Cold Viruses From Lodging in Your Body
A number of published studies show that if zinc lozenges are taken within 24 hours of the onset of common cold symptoms, the severity and duration of cold miseries are significantly diminished.59-62
Rhinoviruses are the medical term to define viruses that typically cause the common cold. Rhinoviruses attach to cell receptor sites in sinus and throat tissues, become lodged in nose-throat cells, and then replicate out of control.63 By binding to the same cell receptor sites as do cold viruses, zinc inhibits the ability of rhinoviruses to take hold in the body.
A meta-analysis of all the published literature on zinc lozenges was conducted in 2004 and the conclusion of the report was:
Dealing With Lethal Influenza Infections
“Clinical trial data support the value of zinc in reducing the duration and severity of symptoms of the common cold when administered within 24 hours of the onset of common cold symptoms. Additional clinical and laboratory evaluations are warranted to further define the role of ionic zinc for the prevention and treatment of the common cold and to elucidate the biochemical mechanisms through which zinc exerts its symptom-relieving effects.”59
The key here is to suck on two 24-mg zinc lozenges at the very first symptom of a cold and continue doing this every two waking hours. Once rhinoviruses bind to their receptor sites in the nasal tissues and begin replicating, zinc lozenges lose their efficacy. Considering how inexpensive zinc lozenges are, it makes sense to keep them in the medicine cabinet so that they are immediately available if cold symptoms manifest.
One caveat to remember is that chronic use of zinc in doses over 300 mg a day may suppress immune function.64 If one were to suck on two zinc lozenges every two hours over the course of a day, the amount of total zinc intake can easily exceed 300 mg/day. This does not appear to be a problem in the short term, but if you start taking zinc lozenges and your cold miseries do not subside, you would be better off ceasing it after a few days. Remember that less than 100 mg a day of zinc can improve immune function, whereas long-term use above 300 mg a day concerns some doctors.
Dealing With Lethal Influenza Infections
Be it the swine flu or a typical influenza virus, one should not take any flu virus infection lightly.
Way back in 2003, Life Extension® advised its members to take the prescription antiviral drug Tamiflu® if flu symptoms developed. A complete description of Tamiflu® can be found in the Influenza chapter of the Disease Prevention and Treatment (Life Extension Media, 2003) book or it can be accessed online at www.lef.org/flu.
Tamiflu® may be especially effective when initiated within 24-48 hours of contracting influenza or swine flu virus. Government health agencies stocked up on Tamiflu® a few years ago and rationed it when the avian flu raised concern. There is no longer a shortage and it should be available in most pharmacies as long as you have a prescription. Another antiviral drug called Relenza® may also be considered if you contract severe flu symptoms.
Ribavirin is a broad-spectrum antiviral drug. Life Extension® discovered its unique benefits in 1983 by giving it to cats that contracted feline leukemia, a viral disease. Ribavirin proved highly effective in curing feline leukemia in our limited use of it, yet no studies have been published to validate our serendipitous finding. Since 1983, Life Extension® scientists have personally taken ribavirin when flu symptoms occur, and it has proven highly effective on an anecdotal basis.
Tamiflu® is safer than ribavirin, and ribavirin should only be considered in cases of severe viral infection that do not respond to conventional therapies.
The Life Extension Foundation® waged a multi-decade war against the FDA to get ribavirin approved in the United States. The FDA finally capitulated and approved ribavirin as an adjuvant treatment for hepatitis C.
A concern with using ribavirin is that it has been shown to cause anemia in some people.65 This always puzzled us at Life Extension®, since we were not hearing of our members encountering an anemia problem in response to ribavirin. A recent study may have solved the mystery as to why our members did not suffer ribavirin-induced anemia. It turns out that ribavirin induces anemia at least partially by causing excess free radical damage to red blood cells.66 Since Life Extension® members typically take loads of antioxidants, they were unwittingly protecting themselves against ribavirin/free radical-induced anemia.
Whether ribavirin has efficacy against swine flu is unknown at this time, though ribavirin’s mechanism of action against common influenza viruses indicates it might produce additive benefits to either Tamiflu® or Relenza®. If you are severely stricken with influenza that is not responsive to any other treatment, ask your doctor to consider prescribing 400 mg of ribavirin to be taken three times a day until viral symptoms subside.
Vitamin D Boosts Immune Function and Suppresses Inflammation
Flu viruses (including swine flu) can induce a massive inflammatory response that can kill the victim in rare cases. In many cases, it is not the virus that kills, but the body’s hyper-reaction to the virus—in the form of uncontrolled over-production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Vitamin D downregulates the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha.67
By downregulating excess pro-inflammatory cytokine production, vitamin D could save the lives of those stricken with acute flu viruses. Some other cytokine-suppressing agents include fish oil,68-85 green tea,85-91 borage oil,92-94 curcumin,95-107 and flavonoids.108-117
Severe swine flu infection sometimes causes dangerous Staphylococcus bacterial infections to occur in the lungs.118 In addition to the proper antibiotics, vitamin D may also help combat concomitant staph infections. Here’s how:
Antimicrobial peptides are components of the immune system that protect against bacterial, fungal, and viral infections. Secreted by immune cells throughout the body, antimicrobial peptides damage the outer lipid membrane of infectious agents (including influenza viruses), rendering them vulnerable to eradication.
Vitamin D upregulates the expression of these antimicrobial peptides in immune cells,119 providing a definitive biological mechanism to explain why vitamin D confers such dramatic protection against common winter illnesses. Those who contract concomitant bacterial infections with swine flu should also be prescribed antibiotic drugs.
Symptoms of Swine Flu
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), symptoms of swine flu infections, like seasonal flu infections, can include:120
* fever, which is usually high, but unlike seasonal flu, is sometimes absent
* cough
* runny nose or stuffy nose
* sore throat
* body aches
* headache
* chills
* fatigue or tiredness, which can be extreme
* diarrhea and vomiting, but more commonly seen than with seasonal flu
For most people, swine flu symptoms will abate within a few days and not cause a serious problem. A tiny minority of victims, however, develop life-threatening pulmonary infections that require ICU hospital care. (Pregnant women are at increased risk of complications from flu; pregnant women with suspected or confirmed H1N1 influenza infection warrant close observation, according to the World Health Organization.)
Here are the warning signs that should signal to anyone with swine flu to seek medical care urgently.120
In children:
* Fast breathing or trouble breathing
* Bluish skin color
* Not drinking enough fluids
* Not waking up or not interacting
* Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
* Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
* Fever with a rash
In adults:
* Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
* Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
* Sudden dizziness
* Confusion
* Severe or persistent vomiting
Source: http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2010/jan2010_What-To-Do-If-You-Contract-Influenza_01.htm
By William Faloon
With daily news reports warning of a swine flu pandemic, members have besieged our health advisors with questions about what they should do to protect themselves against the H1N1 (swine flu) virus.
The good news is that Life Extension® members obtain a considerable amount of immune support via the supplements they already use, especially those taking high-dose vitamin D.
An important question, however, is what one should do if they develop symptoms of a viral infection? As the days grow colder, the risks of contracting common flu and cold viruses increase. Each year, flu virus infections kill around 36,000 Americans and cause miseries for millions.1 An outbreak of the swine flu virus is expected this winter.
While certain supplements (and drugs) purport to shorten the duration of a viral infection, most of them fail to provide significant relief. Over the past 28 years, Life Extension® personnel have experimented with various nutrients, hormones, and drugs in order to minimize the impact of the common cold and typical flu viruses.
In this article, I will reveal what has worked for me personally to ward off common cold/flu viruses and what has been validated in the scientific literature to be effective.
I will also elaborate on some aggressive prescription drug strategies to consider in the event that you contract a severe form of swine flu or other type of influenza.
Don’t Wait for Full-Blown Illness to Manifest
People often wait until they are very sick before seeking influenza treatment. This delay can preclude rapid eradication of the infectious agent. In some cases, treatment delay can be lethal.
I have found enormous personal benefit by taking aggressive actions upon the onset of the very first cold-flu symptom. I respond to a mild symptom the way some people do after they have suffered days of agonizing flu virus miseries. My strategy is to not let the virus gain a foothold in my cells. Up until now, my approach has apparently succeeded inasmuch as I have not suffered more than a day of significant cold-flu illness since January 1983.
Don’t Wait for Full-Blown Illness to Manifest
I am going to reveal my personal program in the following paragraphs, but the key point I want to emphasize is to immediately address the very first symptom of a cold-flu viral infection like it is the most lethal agent you have ever encountered. I analogize this approach to dropping a nuclear bomb when conventional weapons might be adequate. While some people wait until full-blown viral symptoms manifest, I don’t have a choice. Life Extension® is a 24-hour/day operation with no room for down time. I don’t have the luxury of calling in sick just because a virus has invaded my body.
If you were to contract swine flu (H1N1) or other influenza types, it is especially critical that you immediately initiate the antiviral drug therapies I will discuss later in this letter. Antiviral drugs can be effective, but only when they are initiated within 24-48 hours of the manifestation of symptoms.
Unleashing the Nuclear Bomb
I typically work an intense schedule with frequent exposure to sick people, yet I have gone 27 years without suffering a serious cold-flu viral infection.
While it would be convenient to credit the supplements I take every day, the fact is that I follow an aggressive protocol as soon as I feel that a viral infection may be taking hold. Scientific studies substantiate the individual components of what I do, but there have been no clinical trials to support the use of this entire protocol. I’ll discuss some of the research that supports my rationale later, but here are the drugs, nutrients, and hormones I take as soon as the first symptom of common cold or flu manifests:
1. Cimetidine in the dose of 800 mg (and higher) each day. This drug is sold over-the-counter in pharmacies to combat heartburn, but its beneficial side effect is to boost immune function by reducing T-suppressor cells, thereby keeping the immune system in a hyperactive state.2 While sold over-the-counter, it would still be wise to read the package insert in case this drug is contraindicated for you. For most people, cimetidine provides a powerful immune system stimulation that is particularly effective against certain viruses.
2. High-Allicin garlic in the dose of 9,000 mg once or twice a day. This potent form of garlic will cause painful stomach-esophageal burning if you don’t eat food right afterward. The intake of 9,000 mg of this kind of garlic will cause you to reek of a strong sulfur odor, but saturating the body with this pungent garlic is the objective. Garlic has shown direct virus-killing effects in a number of published studies.3,4
3. DHEA in the dose of 200-400 mg early in the day. This is much higher than normal,5 but DHEA has shown some unique benefits in boosting one’s ability to mount a stronger immune response and also protecting against dangerous inflammatory cytokine responses that sometimes occur in response to viral infections.
4. Lactoferrin in the dose of 1,200 mg a day. This natural constituent of mothers’ milk boosts natural killer cell activity and can kill certain viruses.6
5. Zinc lozenges in the dose of two 24 mg lozenges every two waking hours. Please be aware that this is a very high dose of zinc and is considered toxic if taken over the long term.7,8 You should only do this for a few days. Zinc has shown a direct effect of inhibiting the ability of cold viruses to latch onto your cells.6
6. Melatonin at bedtime in the high dose of 10-50 mg (ordinarily, melatonin is taken at levels of just 1–3 mg per evening). Melatonin induces a powerful immune response and this high dose can facilitate the deep sleep one often needs to fend off an infection. This dose of melatonin will make you extremely tired, so please only take this before bedtime and do not operate any machinery or vehicles after ingestion.9
7. Aged garlic extract in the dose of 3,600 mg a day. There are unique immune-boosting compounds in aged garlic that work differently than those found in high-allicin garlic.10
It is important to note that I take the above doses in addition to the supplements I use every day. My personal program closely resembles the Top Ten most important nutrients, hormones and drugs Life Extension® recommends to its members plus 5,000 IU of vitamin D3 each day.11 (Refer to www.lef.org/vitamins-supplements/Top10 for the current Top Ten list.)
Garlic’s Unsung Benefits
With all the high-tech advances occurring in medicine, garlic would appear to be a relic of the past. Yet the scientific literature documents that garlic has powerful effects against certain viruses.
Garlic’s Unsung Benefits
For instance, a study tested one capsule daily of an allicin-containing garlic supplement from November thru February on a group of 146 volunteers.12 Half the group received the garlic while the unfortunate other half got a placebo. The garlic group suffered 63% fewer common cold infections compared to the placebo group. Even more significant, those in the garlic group who did catch a cold suffered symptoms for an average of only 1.52 days compared to 5.01 days for the placebo group. This placebo-controlled study corroborates the benefits I have personally derived by taking much higher doses of high-allicin garlic as soon as cold symptoms are present.
The conclusion of the doctors who conducted this garlic study was, “An allicin-containing supplement can prevent attack by the common cold virus.” Considering the number of people afflicted with a common cold each year, you would think this would have been the lead news story of the day. Instead, this study remains buried in a scientific journal, while the medical establishment still states “there is no cure for the common cold.”
Ribavirin is a prescription drug that has potent antiviral effects.13-26 Yet a Chinese study showed that at least in the test tube, garlic is more effective than ribavirin in inhibiting viruses that attack the intestinal track.27 Life Extension® has recommended ribavirin to treat various viral infections since year 1983, but in this particular study, garlic was shown to be superior.
A number of published studies indicate that both high-allicin garlic and aged garlic support healthy immune function while exerting antiviral effects.28-34 Low-cost garlic may be nature’s most powerful weapon against certain viruses.
Cimetidine’s Life-Saving Side Effect
A little-known side effect of the heartburn drug cimetidine is that it inhibits the production of T-suppressor cells.2 In doing so, it boosts immune function by preventing the immune system from turning itself down.
What You Need to Know: How to Combat H1N1 Swine Flu
* During the winter months, the risk of contracting a cold or flu increases.
* With the threat of a swine flu pandemic, people are more concerned than ever about how to protect themselves and their families.
* Many nutrients and drugs can help prevent viral infections and hasten their resolution when they do occur.
* Nutraceuticals that may protect against flu include vitamin D, garlic (both aged and non-aged forms), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), lactoferrin, zinc lozenges, and melatonin.
* Pharmaceuticals that can help combat flu include cimetidine, Tamiflu®, Relenza®, ribavirin, and amantadine.
* Individuals who suspect they may have the flu should take action as soon as possible to fight the viral infection. Antiviral medications are typically only effective if initiated within the first 24-48 hours of the onset of symptoms.
Cimetidine has shown other immune-modulating effects such as increasing natural killer cell activity and boosting levels of natural immune stimulants interleukin-2 and gamma interferon.35-38 Human studies demonstrate cimetidine’s efficacy against herpes and viral warts.35,39-42
Since cimetidine is safe for most people,43 taking 800-1,000 mg at night (or 200 mg three times a day and then 400 mg at night) seems like an effective way to temporarily turn up the immune system. Cimetidine in 200 mg tablets can be purchased over the counter at pharmacies. The directions in the over-the-counter package insert say that up to 800 mg a day is safe, but some published studies where cimetidine is administered as an antiviral agent have used up to 1000 mg a day.44
Mother’s Milk
It is well known that infants obtain protection against certain infections from components contained in mother’s milk. One such component is lactoferrin, which has well-documented immune-potentiating effects.45-47
Lactoferrin may stimulate macrophages, which in turn may help to induce cell-mediated immunity.48 Although many of the studies are on animals, lactoferrin is naturally present in many mucous membrane secretions in the human, suggesting an innate human antimicrobial function.6,49
A study showed that lactoferrin inhibits viral infection by interfering with the ability of certain viruses to bind to cell receptor sites.46
Immune-Boosting Hormones
Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its metabolites have demonstrated powerful immune-enhancing and antiviral effects.50-54 The administration of 50 mg a day of DHEA to elderly men resulted in the following immune enhancements compared to placebo:55
* Increase of 35% in the number of monocyte immune cells
* Increase of 29% in the number of B immune cells
* Increase of 62% in B-cell activity
* Increase of 40% in T-cell activity
* Increase of 50% in interleukin-2
* Increase of 22% to 37% in natural killer cell number
* Increase of 45% in natural killer cell activity.
One reason that influenza can be so lethal to aging people is that their immune systems are weakened. A deficiency in DHEA appears to be partially responsible for the age-related decline in immune function.56 One study showed that a metabolite of DHEA augmented activation of T-helper cells and protected mice from a lethal influenza virus infection.54
Melatonin has broad spectrum immune-enhancing effects and has been specifically shown to decrease viral load and prevent death in mice infected with certain viruses. The conclusion of one melatonin study was:
“The immunomodulatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective effects of melatonin suggest that this indole must be considered as an additional therapeutic alternative to fight viral diseases.”57
Another study examined the immune function benefits of melatonin and found that melatonin activated interleukin-2 and gamma interferon, the body’s natural hormone-like agents that facilitate T-helper cell production.58
Taking high-dose DHEA in the morning (200-400 mg) and high-dose melatonin (10-50 mg) before bedtime would appear to be logical approaches to follow when battling a viral infection.
Preventing Cold Viruses From Lodging in Your Body
A number of published studies show that if zinc lozenges are taken within 24 hours of the onset of common cold symptoms, the severity and duration of cold miseries are significantly diminished.59-62
Rhinoviruses are the medical term to define viruses that typically cause the common cold. Rhinoviruses attach to cell receptor sites in sinus and throat tissues, become lodged in nose-throat cells, and then replicate out of control.63 By binding to the same cell receptor sites as do cold viruses, zinc inhibits the ability of rhinoviruses to take hold in the body.
A meta-analysis of all the published literature on zinc lozenges was conducted in 2004 and the conclusion of the report was:
Dealing With Lethal Influenza Infections
“Clinical trial data support the value of zinc in reducing the duration and severity of symptoms of the common cold when administered within 24 hours of the onset of common cold symptoms. Additional clinical and laboratory evaluations are warranted to further define the role of ionic zinc for the prevention and treatment of the common cold and to elucidate the biochemical mechanisms through which zinc exerts its symptom-relieving effects.”59
The key here is to suck on two 24-mg zinc lozenges at the very first symptom of a cold and continue doing this every two waking hours. Once rhinoviruses bind to their receptor sites in the nasal tissues and begin replicating, zinc lozenges lose their efficacy. Considering how inexpensive zinc lozenges are, it makes sense to keep them in the medicine cabinet so that they are immediately available if cold symptoms manifest.
One caveat to remember is that chronic use of zinc in doses over 300 mg a day may suppress immune function.64 If one were to suck on two zinc lozenges every two hours over the course of a day, the amount of total zinc intake can easily exceed 300 mg/day. This does not appear to be a problem in the short term, but if you start taking zinc lozenges and your cold miseries do not subside, you would be better off ceasing it after a few days. Remember that less than 100 mg a day of zinc can improve immune function, whereas long-term use above 300 mg a day concerns some doctors.
Dealing With Lethal Influenza Infections
Be it the swine flu or a typical influenza virus, one should not take any flu virus infection lightly.
Way back in 2003, Life Extension® advised its members to take the prescription antiviral drug Tamiflu® if flu symptoms developed. A complete description of Tamiflu® can be found in the Influenza chapter of the Disease Prevention and Treatment (Life Extension Media, 2003) book or it can be accessed online at www.lef.org/flu.
Tamiflu® may be especially effective when initiated within 24-48 hours of contracting influenza or swine flu virus. Government health agencies stocked up on Tamiflu® a few years ago and rationed it when the avian flu raised concern. There is no longer a shortage and it should be available in most pharmacies as long as you have a prescription. Another antiviral drug called Relenza® may also be considered if you contract severe flu symptoms.
Ribavirin is a broad-spectrum antiviral drug. Life Extension® discovered its unique benefits in 1983 by giving it to cats that contracted feline leukemia, a viral disease. Ribavirin proved highly effective in curing feline leukemia in our limited use of it, yet no studies have been published to validate our serendipitous finding. Since 1983, Life Extension® scientists have personally taken ribavirin when flu symptoms occur, and it has proven highly effective on an anecdotal basis.
Tamiflu® is safer than ribavirin, and ribavirin should only be considered in cases of severe viral infection that do not respond to conventional therapies.
The Life Extension Foundation® waged a multi-decade war against the FDA to get ribavirin approved in the United States. The FDA finally capitulated and approved ribavirin as an adjuvant treatment for hepatitis C.
A concern with using ribavirin is that it has been shown to cause anemia in some people.65 This always puzzled us at Life Extension®, since we were not hearing of our members encountering an anemia problem in response to ribavirin. A recent study may have solved the mystery as to why our members did not suffer ribavirin-induced anemia. It turns out that ribavirin induces anemia at least partially by causing excess free radical damage to red blood cells.66 Since Life Extension® members typically take loads of antioxidants, they were unwittingly protecting themselves against ribavirin/free radical-induced anemia.
Whether ribavirin has efficacy against swine flu is unknown at this time, though ribavirin’s mechanism of action against common influenza viruses indicates it might produce additive benefits to either Tamiflu® or Relenza®. If you are severely stricken with influenza that is not responsive to any other treatment, ask your doctor to consider prescribing 400 mg of ribavirin to be taken three times a day until viral symptoms subside.
Vitamin D Boosts Immune Function and Suppresses Inflammation
Flu viruses (including swine flu) can induce a massive inflammatory response that can kill the victim in rare cases. In many cases, it is not the virus that kills, but the body’s hyper-reaction to the virus—in the form of uncontrolled over-production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Vitamin D downregulates the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha.67
By downregulating excess pro-inflammatory cytokine production, vitamin D could save the lives of those stricken with acute flu viruses. Some other cytokine-suppressing agents include fish oil,68-85 green tea,85-91 borage oil,92-94 curcumin,95-107 and flavonoids.108-117
Severe swine flu infection sometimes causes dangerous Staphylococcus bacterial infections to occur in the lungs.118 In addition to the proper antibiotics, vitamin D may also help combat concomitant staph infections. Here’s how:
Antimicrobial peptides are components of the immune system that protect against bacterial, fungal, and viral infections. Secreted by immune cells throughout the body, antimicrobial peptides damage the outer lipid membrane of infectious agents (including influenza viruses), rendering them vulnerable to eradication.
Vitamin D upregulates the expression of these antimicrobial peptides in immune cells,119 providing a definitive biological mechanism to explain why vitamin D confers such dramatic protection against common winter illnesses. Those who contract concomitant bacterial infections with swine flu should also be prescribed antibiotic drugs.
Symptoms of Swine Flu
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), symptoms of swine flu infections, like seasonal flu infections, can include:120
* fever, which is usually high, but unlike seasonal flu, is sometimes absent
* cough
* runny nose or stuffy nose
* sore throat
* body aches
* headache
* chills
* fatigue or tiredness, which can be extreme
* diarrhea and vomiting, but more commonly seen than with seasonal flu
For most people, swine flu symptoms will abate within a few days and not cause a serious problem. A tiny minority of victims, however, develop life-threatening pulmonary infections that require ICU hospital care. (Pregnant women are at increased risk of complications from flu; pregnant women with suspected or confirmed H1N1 influenza infection warrant close observation, according to the World Health Organization.)
Here are the warning signs that should signal to anyone with swine flu to seek medical care urgently.120
In children:
* Fast breathing or trouble breathing
* Bluish skin color
* Not drinking enough fluids
* Not waking up or not interacting
* Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
* Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
* Fever with a rash
In adults:
* Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
* Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
* Sudden dizziness
* Confusion
* Severe or persistent vomiting
Source: http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2010/jan2010_What-To-Do-If-You-Contract-Influenza_01.htm
Monday, November 30, 2009
Immune System Boosting in Response to Threat of H1N1 Pandemic
In the context of influenza, mainstream medicine thinks of immunity and immune boosting in terms of vaccines. This translates into artificial active manipulation of the adaptive immune system. Traditionally the new flu vaccine offered each year is composed of strains determine by a consensus reached months before the season starts and to some is akin to using a crystal ball to forecast the future. H1N1 is different in that a vaccine can be made from the currently active strain although time is short, and the vaccine will receive only limited testing over a very short period. Given the circumstances, it is quite impossible to test for adverse effects that might occur months after inoculation. The recommendation that all pregnant women be vaccinated is a pure act of faith based on earlier experience that there will be no adverse effects on either the mother, the fetus, or the child, either in the near or long term. Some expectant mothers may find this worrisome. Also, flu vaccines drawn from multi-injection bottles generally contain the famous mercury preservative. H1N1 vaccines is also said to contain a chemical or chemicals that augment the effectiveness but these have not been used before and thus not extensively tested.
The approach which impacts the adaptive immune system is of course practical but ignores the innate immune system which may well be more important if the N1H1 virus mutates or if other vaccines do not contain the appropriate strains for the coming flu season. For those who do not believe in vaccines for one reason or another, the innate immune system becomes paramount to their defence against this and other flu viruses. Mainstream medicine tends to ignore protocols that boost the innate immune system because they involve mostly non-prescription substances obtained at the health food store and because the research available does not meet their standards. The latter factor is not surprising. Using the profits of the drug companies as a standard, there is no significant money to be made and thus no money for trials that would satisfy those who insist that every intervention be backed by large randomized clinical trials that follow after phase I and II trials. This philosophy ignores the fact that a significant fraction of the modern medicine is not evidence based, a situation which one or two major peer reviewed journals have recently had the courage to document. And it obviously is ignored in the case of seasonal vaccines.
The innate immune system comprises the mechanisms and cells that defend an organism from infection by other organisms by recognizing and responding to pathogens in a generic manner, recruiting immune cells to the sites of infection, activating processes that identify invaders, and promote the clearance of dead cells or antibody complexes. Involved is the identification and removal of foreign substances present in organs, tissues, the blood and lymph by specialized white blood cells. Thus the healthy immune system distinguishes between self and non-self. Recommendations commonly encountered suggest the immune function may be protected and enhanced by supplementation.1-3 Included are the following which are readily available in most health food stores:
Selenium, 200 micrograms/day (maximum)
Zinc, 30 mg/day (maximum)
Probiotic sources guaranteed to contain significant levels of beneficial bacteria (billions of cells) such as some yogurts, e.g. Activa®
Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) 1-2 g/day
Garlic extract, 1 g/day
Grape seed extract 100-200 mg/day
Green tea extract, 325 mg of EGCG/day
N-acetyl cysteine, 600-1000 mg/day
Alpha Lipoic acid, 200-500 mg/day
Active Hexose Correlated Compound (AHCC) such as ImmPower®, 1-2 g/day
Vitamin D3, 4000-5000 IU/day
Beta 1,3/1,6 glucan, 750 mg twice daily. The preparation derived from baker's yeast cell walls appears popular, e.g. Immutol®
Black elderberry extract, dose as suggested by supplier.
Vitamin A, 5000 IU/day maximum
Vitamin C, 200-500 mg 3 times a day
Vitamin E (natural source), 400 IU/day
Vitamin B6, 50-100 mg/day
The reader is cautioned that the scientific evidence of immune function enhancement associated with the above supplements is limited, mostly dependent on rodent studies which may or may not be applicable to humans, and in some cases (e.g. AHCC) the evidence mostly involves individuals with cancer or other disorders and when normal healthy individuals are studied, only some immune functions are enhanced. The strongest evidence appears to exist for vitamin D. But the silence regarding vitamin D remains deafening. On the current vitamin D Council website there are two anecdotal emails from physicians regarding the apparent remarkable power of vitamin D to prevent flu. On the home page, click on the link "vitamin D and the H1N1 swine flu."
To read the entire article:
http://www.hans.org/90-immune-system-boosting-in-response-to-threat-of-h1n1-pandemic-
The approach which impacts the adaptive immune system is of course practical but ignores the innate immune system which may well be more important if the N1H1 virus mutates or if other vaccines do not contain the appropriate strains for the coming flu season. For those who do not believe in vaccines for one reason or another, the innate immune system becomes paramount to their defence against this and other flu viruses. Mainstream medicine tends to ignore protocols that boost the innate immune system because they involve mostly non-prescription substances obtained at the health food store and because the research available does not meet their standards. The latter factor is not surprising. Using the profits of the drug companies as a standard, there is no significant money to be made and thus no money for trials that would satisfy those who insist that every intervention be backed by large randomized clinical trials that follow after phase I and II trials. This philosophy ignores the fact that a significant fraction of the modern medicine is not evidence based, a situation which one or two major peer reviewed journals have recently had the courage to document. And it obviously is ignored in the case of seasonal vaccines.
The innate immune system comprises the mechanisms and cells that defend an organism from infection by other organisms by recognizing and responding to pathogens in a generic manner, recruiting immune cells to the sites of infection, activating processes that identify invaders, and promote the clearance of dead cells or antibody complexes. Involved is the identification and removal of foreign substances present in organs, tissues, the blood and lymph by specialized white blood cells. Thus the healthy immune system distinguishes between self and non-self. Recommendations commonly encountered suggest the immune function may be protected and enhanced by supplementation.1-3 Included are the following which are readily available in most health food stores:
Selenium, 200 micrograms/day (maximum)
Zinc, 30 mg/day (maximum)
Probiotic sources guaranteed to contain significant levels of beneficial bacteria (billions of cells) such as some yogurts, e.g. Activa®
Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) 1-2 g/day
Garlic extract, 1 g/day
Grape seed extract 100-200 mg/day
Green tea extract, 325 mg of EGCG/day
N-acetyl cysteine, 600-1000 mg/day
Alpha Lipoic acid, 200-500 mg/day
Active Hexose Correlated Compound (AHCC) such as ImmPower®, 1-2 g/day
Vitamin D3, 4000-5000 IU/day
Beta 1,3/1,6 glucan, 750 mg twice daily. The preparation derived from baker's yeast cell walls appears popular, e.g. Immutol®
Black elderberry extract, dose as suggested by supplier.
Vitamin A, 5000 IU/day maximum
Vitamin C, 200-500 mg 3 times a day
Vitamin E (natural source), 400 IU/day
Vitamin B6, 50-100 mg/day
The reader is cautioned that the scientific evidence of immune function enhancement associated with the above supplements is limited, mostly dependent on rodent studies which may or may not be applicable to humans, and in some cases (e.g. AHCC) the evidence mostly involves individuals with cancer or other disorders and when normal healthy individuals are studied, only some immune functions are enhanced. The strongest evidence appears to exist for vitamin D. But the silence regarding vitamin D remains deafening. On the current vitamin D Council website there are two anecdotal emails from physicians regarding the apparent remarkable power of vitamin D to prevent flu. On the home page, click on the link "vitamin D and the H1N1 swine flu."
To read the entire article:
http://www.hans.org/90-immune-system-boosting-in-response-to-threat-of-h1n1-pandemic-
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