Do Flu Shots Really Work?

By James LaValle, R. Ph, ND, CCN

Every fall, hundreds of patients ask us if they should get vaccinated with a flu shot. As with any medical treatment, the risks and benefits always need to be fully considered. Every year I scour the literature for any reports of harm from flu vaccines and also to look at whether the data show that they were effective in preventing the flu.

Let's start with the risks. The manufacturers of flu vaccines combine three strains of inactivated (dead) flu viruses, along with preservatives. Most of the controversy surrounding vaccines has to do with whether the preservatives are safe. In some cases, they clearly are not. Mercury as part of the preservative thimerosol has received the most attention since it is a known neurotoxin, and it is still in some vaccines.¹ At the very least, I recommend requesting thimerosol-free vaccines.

Some of the risks from vaccines however, may be due to the immune activation itself, or the long-term effects of live viruses that are sometimes used. For instance, Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) is a neurological condition that can develop after having a bacterial or viral infection. It occurs when something goes wrong in the immune system and your protective nerve coatings known as myelin get attacked. There is a very low risk (something like one in a million) of getting GBS after receiving a flu vaccine.²

Some experts suspect that we will eventually find that vaccines greatly increase one's risks of neurological problems, but currently the risks are not known. Finally, there is a risk of serious allergic reactions; with flu vaccines, the rates of severe immediate reactions have been very rare.

As to the benefits, we have to first ask: Is the treatment effective? The answer is, not very. The three flu strains that go into the vaccine are chosen almost a year before flu season hits. Because the viruses mutate rapidly, the strains in the vaccines often don't match the actual viruses that come to your town each season.

For instance, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention admitted that last year's flu shot was a good match for only about 40% of that year's flu viruses.³ That's why last year's flu outbreak was one of the worst in a long time -- despite the widespread use of flu vaccines.

In 2006, the esteemed British Medical Journal looked at all the research behind flu shots and came up with some interesting conclusions:⁴

• The evidence shows that flu vaccines have little or no effect.
• There is little comparative evidence that the vaccines are safe.
• The authors noted a "gap" between guidelines that call for mass vaccination and the evidence to support those guidelines.

Those considered to be at highest risk from flu are the elderly and young children. In those over age 70, flu vaccines did not reduce the number of deaths, but it is thought that it did reduce hospitalizations. A 2008 study of children aged 6 months to 5 years old found that the flu vaccine was not effective in any kids, regardless of age, where they live, or when they got vaccinated -- and the most likely reason was because the vaccines didn't match the strains that actually hit.⁵

While everyone has to make their own decision, I can tell you that personally I do not take flu vaccines because I have serious reservations about the long-term neurological effects. Medical literature states that just because you get a flu vaccine doesn't mean you won't get the flu.

So regardless of whether you decide to vaccinate or not, it's a good idea to know other ways to protect yourself. First, make sure that you are taking measures to build a strong immune system. Vitamin C, vitamin A, and zinc all play important roles in the immune system. Zinc for instance causes your T killer cells to come to full maturity. So make sure you are taking in adequate amounts of these nutrients, via good food sources and a multivitamin.

If you do come down with the flu, here are the top flu remedies we use at Lavalle Metabolic Institute:

• Oscillococcinum. This homeopathic preparation is one of the world's most popular for flu, particularly in France, where it has been in production for over 65 years. Though the key to this remedy is having it handy at the earliest signs of getting the flu, our patients report high effectiveness. One published study showed it prevented the onset of flu in 19.2% of users and improved symptoms in 43.7%.⁶

• Black Elderberry Extract. We carry an elderberry syrup for cold and flu called Sambucol. Elderberries are rich in immune supporting anthocyanins, and in two studies, the Sambucol product showed much more rapid recovery from the flu compared to a placebo.^7-8

So good luck, and next time I will be talking about the best ways to protect yourself from colds this winter.

References

1. "Influenza Virus Vaccine Fluzone 2005-2006 Formula," package insert, Aventis Pasteur. (Company name has since changed to Sanofi Pasteur MSD.) Update Feb. 14 2006
2. Haber P, et al. JAMA 2004;292:2478-2481.
3. Associated Press, Feb. 15, 2008.
4. Brit Med J, Oct. 28, 2006;333:912-915.
5. Szilagyi PG, et al. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2008;162(10):943-51.
6. Br J Homeopathy 1998.
7. Zakay-Rones Z, et al. J Alt Comp Med 1995;1(4): 361-369.
8. Zakay-Rones Z, et al. J Internat Med Res 2004;32:132-140.

[Ed. Note: James LaValle is the founding Director of the LaValle Metabolic Institute, one of the largest integrative medicine practices in the country. Dr. LaValle is the author of the bestselling book Cracking the Metabolic Code: 9 Keys to Optimal Health and is the Executive Editor of THB's The Healing Prescription. To learn more, click here.]

Healthy Nutrition: Purple Tomatoes -- Fooling Mother Nature? By Laura B. LaValle, RD, LD

Bio-engineers have created a purple tomato that has the food community buzzing. By inserting genes from a purple snapdragon flower into the tomatoes, they grow with a deep purple hue. The purple pigment is rich in powerful anti-inflammatory antioxidants known as anthocyanins. Anthocyanins from other foods that contain them naturally have been shown to slow the growth of colon cancer cells, protect against cardiovascular disease, boost eyesight, and stave off obesity and diabetes.

The development of the new tomato was announced in the October 2008 issue of Nature Biotechnology Journal, along with a pilot study in which the genetically modified purple tomatoes were fed as a powder in the diets of tumor-growing mice. Their lifespan was lengthened compared to other mice feeding on a standard diet or a diet supplemented with red tomato powder -- so it seems purple tomatoes enhanced the ability of the mice to fight the disease.

Purple tomatoes seeds are not yet approved to be sold, planted, or harvested, but their anti-inflammatory disease-fighting benefits can be found right now at your neighborhood grocery store or farmers market in another fruit -- berries! In fact, the shiny new purple tomatoes were developed to have anthocyanin levels comparable to blackberries and blueberries.¹

It seems unusual that companies would invest their time and the roughly ten to twenty million dollars that it takes to produce a genetically modified crop for a tomato with very similar health benefits to foods that already exist.

Besides blackberries and blueberries, high anthocyanin concentrations are found in elderberries, cranberries, chokeberries, grapes, and blue corn. The team of genetic scientists who created the tomatoes stated they were investigating ways to raise levels of anthocyanins in more commonly eaten fruits and vegetables.¹ Granted, not many people are regularly consuming chokeberries, but blackberries, blueberries and grapes aren't exactly exotic foods.

My first thought was that it might be nice to get the anthocyanins in a lower carb form. Tomatoes are much lower in carbohydrates than berries, and anyone with insulin resistance issues must moderate their intake according to their individual tolerance levels. Instead of a diet full of higher sugar, higher carb foods such as berries, people could eat more purple tomatoes and better control their insulin resistance with the same health benefits. But as tempting a thought as that is, we have to remember that there is a natural balance and synergy that occurs in nature. Whenever an organism is genetically modified, it alters this harmony.

Some experts recommend using extreme caution before plunging into genetically modifying foods. They cite reasons such as the inability to prevent cross-pollination of genetically modified foods with genetically pure foods and the inability to foresee all the changes a modified food may cause in nature.² These experts also warn that we don't know how inserting the genes of different plants or substances into a natural food will affect the food's allergenicity.³

We can all enjoy the benefits of health-promoting plant compounds by eating lots of brightly colored organic fruits and vegetables. If you are eager to try a purple tomato, go to a specialty foods store or farm and ask to see their heirloom tomatoes. Mother Nature has already made a purple one.

References

1. news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health.
2. actionbioscience.org/biotech/sakko.
3. Taylor SL. Env Toxic and Pharm. 4(1-2); Nov 1997: 121-126.

[Ed. Note: Laura B. LaValle, RD, LD is presently the director of dietetics nutrition at LaValle Metabolic Institute (formerly part of Living Longer Institute). She offers personal nutritional counseling at LMI for clients who need help with their diet in relation to illness or disease. Laura also provides educational services in the areas of health promotion, wellness, and disease prevention. To learn more click here.]

Healthy Recipes: Festive Fall Salad By Laura LaValle, RD, LD

This vibrant fall salad features vegetables that reach their peak of flavor in cool fall weather. While your guests savor the rich medley of Mediterranean-inspired flavors and textures, they'll also get a healthy dose of immune-boosting, cold-fighting vitamin C.

Time to table: 30 minutes
Serves: 8
Healing Nutrient Spotlight:
Excellent source of vitamin A and vitamin C
Good source of vitamin B-12 and manganese

Ingredients*

Dressing:
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. cracked black pepper
1/4 tsp. ground fennel seed (optional)

Salad:
3 beets, steamed or roasted
1 T. red wine vinegar
1 fennel bulb, chopped
2 medium oranges
6 cups mixed field greens and/or watercress, coarsely chopped
1 small head radicchio, thinly sliced
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
16 halved and pitted kalamata olives
1/4 cup pine nuts

*Choose organic ingredients for optimal nutrition.

Preparation

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together salad dressing ingredients and set aside.
Steam or roast beets for 30 minutes or until fork-tender. Cool, peel off skin, and cut into cubes. Toss with vinegar in small bowl and set aside. Cut fennel lengthwise and then each half into thin slices. Cut peel from oranges over bowl containing fennel, allowing extra juice to drip into bowl. Separate orange sections from pith and cut into small pieces. Add oranges to fennel and chill. Combine greens and onion on a large platter. Top with fennel and oranges, beets, olives, and pine nuts. Drizzle salad dressing over each portion. Serve extra dressing on the side.

Nutrition

140 calories, 11 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 6 g monounsaturated fat, 2 g polyunsaturated fat, 10 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 5 g sugar, 3 g protein, 1435 IU vitamin A, .08 mg thiamin, .05 mg riboflavin, .52 mg niacin, .07 mg vitamin B-6, .68 mg vitamin B-12, 40 mcg folate, 30 mg vitamin C, 55 mg calcium, 25 mg magnesium, 315 mg potassium, 235 mg sodium, .93 mg iron, .12 mg copper, .38 mg zinc, .35 mg manganese, 1.21 mcg selenium

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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise’s Total Health Breakthroughs [Issue 11-18-08] which offers alternative solutions for mind, body and soul. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.totalhealthbreakthroughs.com/