Lower Your Stress: Reduce Your Risk of Colds and Flu

By James LaValle R.Ph, ND, CCN

As we enter the heart of cold and flu season, many of our patients want to know the best way to prevent coming down with these viruses. In my last article, I talked about whether flu shots really work. If you missed it, I said there is very little evidence that they do.

The best way to prevent flu or colds is to keep your overall health and immunity strong. That's why you'll see recommendations for making sure you dress warmly, get plenty of rest, and drink plenty of fluids. Good hand washing is another great preventive measure, but there is a ton of evidence that shows another sure-fire way to lower your chances of catching a nasty cold or debilitating flu -- and it's not one that you see discussed often.

Lower your stress.

Yes, it's that simple. Stress reduction can help keep you from catching nasty viruses. And hard science backs this claim up. Sheldon Cohen, Ph.D., is a leading expert on the stress-illness connection. Dr. Cohen recently told National Public Radio, "We know quite a bit about stress and infection. We've been doing research in that area for 25 years."¹

He has performed several studies of his own, and they all have come to the same conclusion -- the lower your levels of stress and the better your attitude, the more likely you are to fight off infection. In one study, he asked 400 healthy adults about how stressed out they were. He then exposed them to nose drops containing cold viruses. About 90% of the stressed subjects (versus 74% of those not under stress) caught a cold.²

In another study, he asked subjects about their tendency to experience positive emotions (happy, pleased, and relaxed) and negative emotions (anxious, hostile, and depressed.) After they were exposed to viruses, those who experienced more positive emotions had significantly fewer infections.³

There is a simple biological reason for all this. Stress raises blood levels of cortisol, which we know interferes with the immune system. High stress, therefore, makes it harder for your body to fight off infections naturally.

Therefore, one of the best ways to prevent colds and flu is to lower stress. Since we are approaching the holidays -- perhaps the most stressful time of year for many of us --now is an especially good time to practice stress-reducing activities. You can't make stress disappear, but you can help to control your response to stress with exercise, yoga, meditation, and other relaxation techniques.

Healthy habits such as a nutritious diet and limiting alcohol (because it is dehydrating) also keep you more resilient. But what our patients find most helpful is boosting their immune system with some dietary supplements that help to lower your body's response to stress and in turn rebalance your immune system so it can do its job -- hunt down and kill invading viruses.

When you add great immune system boosting nutrients to a healthy lifestyle, you have a powerful one, two punch against cold and flu viruses. Here are the products we use and recommend:

Rhodiola, Holy Basil, and Relora®. These herbs have proven immune-modulating effects. I recommend trying them each individually until you find the one that works best for you. Remember for herbs, it's best to get products that are standardized. This means they'll contain consistent amounts of the active ingredients.

For rhodiola, look for one that contains 5% rosavins and take at a dosage of 100 to 250 mg 3 times a day. Holy Basil, standardized to 1-2.5% ursolic acid can be taken at a dosage of 400 to 800 mg 1 to 2 times per day. Relora® can be taken at 250 mg 2 to 3 times per day. If the label states it contains "Relora," it's the patented standardized proprietary extract.

Moducare. This blend of plant sterols and sterolins, derived from a natural pine source, rebalances the changes that occur in the immune system due to stress. This is a great supplement to take to keep your immune system strong especially when you know you have high levels of stress. So it is for prevention only. They even have a chewable version for children. I give it to my son every day. Plant sterols and sterolins have the added bonus of being heart healthy. The recommended dosage for adults is 1 capsule 3 times a day, taken on an empty stomach.

Vitamin C and Zinc. These nutrients work much better when we are not fighting uphill against stress-induced immunity suppression. I suggest taking no more than 30 mg per day of zinc for prevention. However, if you catch a cold or flu you can go up 70 mg per day until the bug is gone.

Zinc lozenges get the zinc into your mucosal linings, and some studies indicate this is how it works best against colds. Many zinc lozenges have about 10 to 20 mg of zinc per lozenge, so you shouldn't go over 4 to 7 lozenges per day, depending on the amount of zinc. For vitamin C, in my opinion, it is more effective against colds if it also contains bioflavonoids. For prevention take 250 to 500 mg per day. If you have a cold, take 500 to 1000 mg per day.

Aged Garlic. Best known for its cholesterol-lowering effects, aged garlic also has proven antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal effects. It supports natural "killer" immune system cells that fight viruses and mutated cells.⁴ I prefer the Kyolic® brand for reliability. Follow the dosage on the label.

References

1. National Public Radio, broadcast Jan. 11, 2007.
2. Cohen S, et al. N Engl J Med. 1991;325:606-12.
3. Cohen S, et al. Psychosom Med. 2006:68:809-815.
4. Hassan ZM, et al. Int Immunopharmacol. 2003;3(10-11):1483-1489.

[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: The Best Diet for Preventing Colds By Laura LaValle, RD, LD

Oh no! That's the feeling of dread we all get when we first see those unmistakable signs of a cold -- runny nose, a scratchy sore throat and a horse cough. We all hope each year to be able to avoid catching colds. With more than 200 viruses that can cause the common cold, you want to think about preventative measures ahead of time and know the action steps to take at the first signs and symptoms of a cold.

Diet plays a critical role in both preventing colds and recovering from them. Eating lots of vegetables ensures you will be taking in plenty of immune supporting nutrients like beta carotene (which converts to vitamin A), vitamin C, and zinc, all of which influence the types and amounts of immune cells we have, as well as how active they are.^1-4

So load up on vegetables, especially vitamin C-packed choices like green and red peppers and tomatoes and beta carotene-rich choices like broccoli, spinach, and other greens. Foods rich in zinc include organic grass fed beef, nuts, seeds and beans.

When it comes to colds, it is just as important to know what you shouldn't be eating; sugar is the main culprit. High-sugar foods are unhealthy from a number of perspectives, but when you are fighting a cold, it's especially important to avoid them.

Studies of diabetics have shown that high blood sugar levels cause the white blood cells to slow down their activity.⁵ White blood cells are important blood-based fighters of bacteria and viruses. Eating a high sugar diet impairs their ability to destroy these invaders.

You always hear to drink plenty of fluids to prevent and treat colds, but you may not know why. Drinking plenty of fluids helps keep your mucous linings built up, so that when you breathe in or ingest bacteria and other germs, they land on well hydrated mucous membranes and can be carried out of the body.

Staying hydrated also keeps your lymph system flowing and removing toxins and debris from the immune cells out of the body. Hot liquids can be particularly beneficial if you already have a cold since they have a decongestant effect. So drink plenty of fluids, just not sweetened drinks.

And what about alcohol? Again, avoid the sweet mixed drinks due to the sugar, but as far as a general recommendation, it's hard to give one. Alcohol is dehydrating and it depletes several vitamins and minerals, which isn't good for immunity. However, a Carnegie Mellon study found that in almost 400 adults, resistance to colds increased with moderate alcohol consumption.⁶

In another study, red wine especially, was linked to as much as a 60% reduced risk of developing colds.⁷ Alcohol is a mixed bag when it comes to health issues, and I'll discuss them in a future article. So, if you do drink, keep it to a moderate level of intake, which is usually defined as 1-2 drinks per day for men and no more than one drink per day for women.

Eat, drink, and be merry but choose carefully for cold prevention!

References

1. http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamina.asp
2. Gershoff, S.N., Nutrition Reviews, vol. 51, No. 11, Nov. 1993:313-326.
3. Siegel, B.V., Morton, J.I., Int. J. Vit. Nutr. Res. 53 1983) 179-183.
4. http://ods.od.nih.gov/FactSheets/Zinc.asp
5. Critical Care Med. 2005 Jul; 33(7): 1624-33.
6. Cohen, S., et al. American Journal of Public Health, 1993, 83(9), 1277-1283.
7. American Journal of Epidemiology. 155(9):853-858, May 1, 2002.

[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: Quick and Tasty Turkey Burgers By Laura LaValle, RD, LD

Here's a great recipe for this busy time of year -- the holidays. This is one of my favorite go-to recipes when I need to make a quick dinner. It tastes great and when served with a vegetable side dish, provides a really quick but satisfying meal.

Serves: 4

Time to Table: 20 minutes

Healing Nutrient Spotlight
Excellent source of riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B-6, selenium
Good source of vitamin C, iron, pantothenic acid, zinc, copper

Ingredients*
2 tsp. olive or grapeseed oil
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup minced mushrooms
2 T. chopped parsley
1 to 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
Salt and Pepper, freshly ground to taste
1 pound ground turkey
4 medium green onions, chopped

*Select organic ingredients for optimum nutrition.

Preparation
Sauté onions in oil until lightly browned. Add mushrooms and cook until mushrooms release their liquid. Drain onion and mushroom mixture. Mix all ingredients together and shape into 5 patties. Cook in skillet on medium heat approximately 12 minutes. Mustard can be mixed in with the turkey before cooking or left out and put on the burger after cooking. The turkey burger can be eaten plain or with soy cheese as a cheeseburger. Serve on a bed of lettuce or open face on 100% rye bread with green onions and your favorite mayonnaise.

Nutrition
215 calories, 21 g protein, 6 g carbohydrates, 12 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 5 g monounsaturated fat, 3 g polyunsaturated fat, 90 mg cholesterol, 3 g sugar, 1 g fiber, 165 IU vitamin A, .11 mg thiamin, .37 mg riboflavin, 4.86 mg niacin,1.10 mg pantothenic acid, .47 mg vitamin B-6, 30 mcg folate, .39 mg vitamin B-12, 8 mg vitamin C, 13 IU vitamin D, .79 IU vitamin E, 40 mg calcium, .23 mg copper, 2.06 mg iron, 30 mg magnesium, .12 mg manganese, 445 mg potassium, 23 mg selenium, 250 mg sodium, 2.47 mg zinc

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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise’s Total Health Breakthroughs [Issue 12-02-08] which offers alternative solutions for mind, body and soul. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.totalhealthbreakthroughs.com/