By Christine Cheng, R.Ph. and Fred Cheng, R.Ph.
With the temperatures being in the high 20°C’s lately, it may be difficult to start thinking about preventing upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs)! However, with school just a month away and the return of increased “germ sharing”, now is the time to plan your attack on the viruses that cause URTIs. The best offense is a good defense so let’s talk about how to keep immune system in top shape.
Eating a diet rich in many colourful fruits and vegetables is always important to make sure our bodies are getting the vitamins and minerals it needs to keep the basic processes going. Make sure you incorporate adequate amounts of lean protein to provide adequate building blocks for the immune system to use when it kicks into high gear (e.g., when it encounters a bacterium or virus).Stay well-hydrated (ideally with water and not highly sugary or caffeinated beverages). Rest well to allow your body a chance to heal.
Immune-boosting supplements that contain echinacea are popular and useful when you actually feel like you are starting to fight a URTI. However, keeping the immune system balanced and prepared to fight is more useful before it encounters anything. PREVENT with IMMUNIDIOL™ is a proprietary formulation containing metabolites of Panax ginseng and Astragalus membranacus that have been shown to modulate or balance the immune response. This supplement is meant to be taken on a daily basis leading up to and during the cold and flu season as well as during times of stress. Unlike echinacea, PREVENT can be taken by those with auto-immune diseases. Prelimary research suggests that PREVENT can even be taken by those on certain types of chemotherapy without diminishing the effect of the drugs.
Although we should feel like we are getting sick every so often to ensure that our immune systems are recognizing and mounting a defense against foreign agents in the body, but we should not have to “suffer” the symptoms of a full-blown URTI. Come talk to one our Integrative Pharmacists to discuss how you can prepare your body for the upcoming cold and flu season.
Christine and Fred Cheng are a passionate, charismatic sister-brother pharmacist team at their unique, family-operated Pharmasave stores in Cloverdale and Steveston, B.C. They specialize in natural remedies and compounding for both human and veterinarian use. Everything mentioned in their article is available InStore.
***All information posted and shared by Cloverdale Pharmasave is offered to provide information and choices regarding nutritional support for various health concerns, none of which is intended to be a treatment protocol for any disease state. The information does not replace seeking professional advice from your physician. Consult your health care practitioner before taking dietary supplements.
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