Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
As the seasons change, so do the nutrients your body needs more of to work to its best ability. Be sure you are equipt with the nutrients you need to keep your body working optimally, especially with Nucleotides.
Winter can be harsh on your body and overall health. The cold, harsh weather can make your skin dull, your hair brittle, and can lead to sniffles and colds. Other than bundling up, it’s important to take some preventative measures to maintain optimal health. Winter …
Written by Nicole Crane BS, NTP
After water, green tea (along with its white and black variants) from the Camellia sinesis shrub, is the most consumed beverage in the world. There may be no beverage more salubrious. The tea plant is rich in valuable antioxidants known as polyphenols. The polyphenols in green tea are called catechins, of which EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) is the most active and well known. Other beneficial compounds like the relaxation amino acid L-theanine and the energizing, mind sharpening alkaloids theobromine and theophylline may also be present. Green tea has numerous health benefits, from quelling the fires of inflammation to protecting healthy heart and brain function, from supporting immunity to improving metabolism while impacting blood sugar balance. This time of year, green tea piques the interest of anyone looking to keep the flu at bay, and the evidence is impressive.
Nobody wants their winter holiday season to be plagued with a cold or the flu. When you need a simple and effective immune boost, look towards green tea. This mighty leaf strengthens and supports the immune system in several significant ways. It has long been recognized as having powerful antiviral properties. Tea actually alters the structure of the virus itself, which suppresses the ability of the virus to cause an infection. EGCG has the ability to attach to the cell membrane of the flu virus. EGCG binds to a glycoprotein on the flu virus called hemagglutinin, which blocks the ability of the virus to infect other cells.i This makes green tea a potent weapon against contracting the flu, and can aid in a quick recovery as well. Recent research shows that it can also inhibit the neuraminidase enzyme, slowing the spread from cell to cell of many viruses. Another component, L-theanine, has been shown to increase immune responses. L-Theanine activates and aids in the production of a type of white blood cell called gamma-delta-T lymphocyte ii , a quick acting immune cell that launches a mighty attack on invading pathogens like the flu virusiii . L-Theanine also helps to make interferon-gammaiv , an important cytokine (signaling protein of the immune system) that has powerful antimicrobial propertiesv . These immune cells are an essential part of the body’s defenses against viruses and other invaders. By directly stimulating the action of the immune system and inactivating viruses, green tea offers unrivaled protection against illness.
The research on green tea and flu prevention and recuperation is exciting and notable. One study examined 197 healthcare workers over a period of 5 months during the winter. One group of 98 participants received green tea capsules containing 378 mg of catechins (supplying 270 mg of EGCG) plus 210 mg of L-Theanine. The control group with 99 participants received a placebo. The study participants were asked to report on the occurrence of flu like symptoms including fever plus at least one other symptom such as cough, sore throat, headache or body ache. In the green tea group, far fewer got truly sick compared to placebovi . It showed that green tea offers more than 3-fold protection against contracting an illness, especially when exposure is significant.
Gargling with this powerful leaf also seems to offer significant protection. A study of elderly residents in a nursing home had subjects gargle with or without green tea catechins (60% EGCG) three times a day for three months. All participants had received a flu shot, but in the catechin group, only one participant out of 76 contracted the flu, while 5 subjects out of 48 in the control group got the flu.vii This means high catechin green tea improves the level of protection after immunization against the flu.
Green tea offers a plethora of benefits to the body and there are so many convenient ways to take it. Whether you choose to drink green tea (make sure it is organic!) or a liquid extract or in capsule form, it can go a long way to keep you healthy and well. Let green tea be your ally and avoid the flu this winter and for all winters to come.
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Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash As the weather starts to get colder and the days start to feel shorter, cold and flu season slowly begins to creep up on us. Here are some tips and information by Jerry Hickey, R. Ph. How is the …
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that it’s definitely time to get your flu shot! We are just about in the full swing of flu season and taking precautions to …
With so many people coming down with the flu this time of year, we’re all trying everything we can to fight off the nasty virus. Of course, getting the flu shot is highly recommended, especially for the elderly, pregnant women, and anyone with compromised immune systems. However, certain foods can also help decrease your risk of coming down with the virus. Here are some major immune boosting foods to help you get through this time of year.
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are a great fall food, and they’re packed with Vitamin A, which helps fight off free radicals that can wreak havoc on your immune system.
Yogurt
Yogurt is full of healthy, natural probiotics, which help maintain the balance of healthy bacteria in your gastrointestinal system and work to keep your immune system healthy and strong.
Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin seeds contain a healthy serving of zinc, which strengthens your white blood cells and helps combat illness.
Tuna
Tuna fish is a great source of selenium, which helps protect cells from free-radical damage and boosts your natural immunity.
Green Tea
A hot cup of green tea can help soothe cold and flu symptoms when they’re already there, and green tea in any form has great antioxidant benefits that can help fight off illness.
Source: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2014/09/29/6-foods-that-help-fight-flu/
We are moving into the cold and flu season and the CDC is urging many of us to get this season’s flu vaccine. The reason for this is a higher mortality rate connected to cold weather and the flu. Yet most individuals do not realize that pneumonia is the big killer and that many deaths related to the flu actually occur because of a concomitant or secondary pneumonia infection.
Unfortunately in many recent seasons the best guess by experts has not always targeted the strains of influenza reaching our shores and spreading infection and although immunized, infection can still occur. The great news is that there is strong preventative action you can take to protect yourself from lung infection aka pneumonia – the real killer.
The pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccination (PPV) stimulates resistance to 23 out of 80 pneumococcal bacteria; the vast majority of pneumonia infections are caused by the 23 serotypes contained in the vaccine. The vaccine is injected into the body to stimulate the normal immune system to produce antibodies that are directed against pneumococcal bacteria. All adults over the age of 65 are candidates for the injection and it is usually given around September but it is not too late. Usually one dose of PPV is all that is needed. Yet in some circumstances a second shot is recommended for those over 65 who had their first dose when they were under 65, if five or more years have passed since the first dose. For more information on PPV contact the CDC at 1-800-CDC-INFO or 1-800-232-4636.