Defend Against Viral Invaders With Supplements That Boost Immunity

By Author: Richard Williams
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Whether or not the 2009-10 influenza season ends up making public health history, the daily warnings surrounding the H1N1 virus are potent reminders that we could all benefit from a little extra immune system support about the time influenza roars into town.

Fortunately, recent and credible research suggests that we can bolster our natural immunity to cold and flu viruses with some safe and effective supplements.

Probably the most talked-about immune research of 2009 shed new light on the role of Vitamin D, previously thought to be essential primarily for a healthy skeleton. Recent studies, funded in part by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), revealed that Vitamin D plays a much broader role in good health, including a role in the prevention of influenza and other upper respiratory viruses. That's big news because, according to the Mayo Clinic, as many as half of all adult Americans may have a Vitamin D deficiency.
Inadequate exposure to sunlight, extensive use of sun screens, avoidance of fortified milk products, and poor absorption can all contribute to low levels of Vitamin D, according ...
... to NIH. Virologists have even theorized that one of the reasons viruses are rampant during the winter is that most of us spend less time in the sun, resulting in less Vitamin D production.
Equally encouraging, especially for parents whose children are plagued by colds each winter, is the news from the journal Pediatrics (August, 2009), that children ages 3 to 5 who took probiotics twice daily for six months were significantly less likely to have fevers, coughs, and runny noses compared with a control group. The children also took fewer antibiotics and stayed home fewer days. The probiotics used were lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidobacterium animalis, two of the common healthy bacteria often found in cultured dairy products as well as in some supplements.

Herbal supplements for prevention and treatment of viruses continue to be studied and debated within the scientific community, although millions of consumers don't require any more convincing. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, (NCCAM is part of NIH), continues to support research on echinacea even though two of its own studies showed no benefit in treating or preventing colds. The Center acknowledges on its website that other studies have found a benefit from echinacea, one of the most commonly used natural products for colds and flu.

In fact, two meta-analyses - which statistically combine the results of many studies - reported in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal and in the journal Clinical Therapeutics, found evidence that standardized extracts of echinacea did help prevent symptoms of colds when compared with placebos. A standardized extract is one that contains a known and labeled amount of a certain compound - the compound thought to contain the active ingredient - in each recommended dose.

In addition, NCCAM continues to fund studies of astragalus, an ancient Chinese herbal medicine, which appears to act as an immune system stimulant. Although NCCAM's jury is still out on the effectiveness of astragalus, other researchers have weighed in with positive results. The University of Maryland Medical Center, for example, reports studies have shown that astragalus "has antiviral properties and stimulates the immune system, suggesting that it is indeed effective at preventing colds." In one U.S. study, the herb proved to be a benefit to patients receiving chemotherapy who had compromised immune systems.

Mainstream medicine still has not reached a consensus on two standby supplements popular during the cold season: Vitamin C and zinc. Although mega-doses of Vitamin C (2,000 mg a day) can cause diarrhea and nausea, the Mayo Clinic says that moderate doses (200 mg) do show a benefit for people who exercise vigorously or are exposed to extremely cold temperatures. After 20 years of research, zinc supplements remain controversial (although one study shows 13 percent of health care professionals take zinc for colds), due to conflicting study results and reports of anosomia (loss of smell) after using zinc nasal gels. Zinc gluconate lozenges have been shown to shorten the duration of colds for some people.

Medical practitioners from all disciplines and traditions caution that any supplement can interfere with other medicines and should not be mixed without consulting a healthcare professional (Astragalus, for example, should not be taken with corticosteroids). Consumers also should refrain from giving supplements to children without careful research, since side effects for them may be more severe.

With no cure on the horizon for colds or influenza, it makes sense to improve our diet, exercise, and hand-washing habits - and stock up on supplements that may offer an additional advantage in the annual virus wars.
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