Researcher Tom Jefferson, M.D., of the Cochrane Vaccines Field centered in Rome, Italy, has published a review of available research studies in the vaunted British Medical Journal, and the results of that study strongly suggest that (in Dr. Jefferson’s words) “we’ve got an exaggerated expectation of what vaccines can actually do.” In his analysis of studies of the effectiveness of flu vaccines, he found that:
• Flu vaccines are only mildly effective in the elderly; their immune response to the vaccine tends to be much weaker than that of younger, healthier people.
• There is no good science whatsoever upon which to base prescribing this vaccine to children under the age of 2—who are already being jabbed with more than 10 different vaccines, often starting with the first shots at birth or within weeks of birth. Many experts believe this practice plays an important role in the dramatic increase in allergic (including asthma) and autism-related disorders in our children, and in their overall lack of resistance against infectious diseases against which we do not vaccinate.
• Flu vaccination has little to no effect on hospital stays, time off from work, or death from or complications from the flu.
Other points worth considering:
• High numbers often quoted regarding flu mortality—usually in the neighborhood of 36,000 deaths per year—are likely overinflated. Unless a nasal swab is performed on a person with respiratory symptoms, there’s no way to be certain whether the illness is actually the flu. Any illness that resembles the flu is often reported to be influenza, and the number of cases is probably inflated—and this also leads to exaggerated expectations of what the flu vaccine is capable of preventing.
• Some research finds little to no difference in risk of developing flu between vaccinated and unvaccinated people. Those who say the vaccine is “effective” are usually referring to the effect of the vaccine on immune parameters, measurable in the blood after the shot is given. If those immune parameters are boosted following the shot, the consensus is that it’s effective—but this does not mean it always prevents the illness or even that it prevents the illness more often than a placebo.
Dr. Jefferson rightly points out that “there’s a huge gap between policy and evidence” when it comes to the widespread use of the flu vaccine. The risks of getting the shot are quite small—but they are not without side effects. Studies have shown that as many as 1 in 10 people who get a flu shot experience flu symptoms within a week.
One supplement that has been found to help older people marshal a better immune response to flu shots is the steroid hormone DHEA. In studies of elderly mice and elderly humans, small doses of this hormone significantly improved immune response to the flu vaccine. We don’t recommend using DHEA if you are under 40 years old, though.
If you feel it’s important to follow your physician’s orders and get a flu shot, by all means do it, but please don’t fool yourself into thinking that this shot is highly protective and that you don’t need to take care of yourself to prevent the flu.
Natural Alternatives for Colds and Allergies
Prevention is by far the easiest way to deal with colds, flus, and allergies. How well your immune system is working has a lot more to do with whether you get the flu than whether you’re exposed to it or have had a flu shot. In other words, it’s about you, not about the germ! The Six Core Principles for Optimal Health provide the groundwork for prevention. In the rest of this chapter, we’ll cover other steps you can take.
Controlling Allergies
To control allergies, take the necessary steps to allergy-proof your home, car, and workplace; to consciously manage the stress in your life; and to get plenty of rest, good nourishment, and exercise.
You can find out what you’re allergic to by noticing when you sneeze and wheeze. Is it when you dust or clean out your closets? Is your asthma at its worst when you wake up in the morning with your face buried in your pillow? When you hug your beloved cat, dog, or rabbit, are you rewarded with several sneezes in succession or tightening in your bronchial tubes? Does the heavily perfumed woman in the elevator make your nose run and your eyes itch? Does mowing the lawn give you itchy eyes and a rash? If so, you are probably one of the scores of people who react to dust mites, pollens, pet danders, molds, synthetic perfumes, and other airborne allergens.
If you fall into this category, environmental controls are the first step you need to take to control allergy symptoms. If you’re allergic to dust, try to keep closets, carpets, shelves, and drapes as dust-free as possible, and wear a dust mask while you do housework. Buy dust-mite-proof covers for pillows and mattresses, and wash bedding in hot water once a week.
If you’re allergic to your pets but can’t bring yourself to give them away, keep them well groomed and don’t let them sleep on your furniture or in your bedroom.
If you’re allergic to pollens, learn what times of day pollen counts are high in your area and try to stay indoors during those times.
Be Aware of Fakegrances
Fake fragrances, or fakegrances as we call them, are almost totally unregulated in the United States and are made primarily from a toxic brew of chemicals. The justification for this is that the toxins are present in very small amounts, but fakegrances are everywhere these days, from laundry soaps, fabric softeners, and dry cleaning to garbage bags, cleaning products, and perfumes. Some experts believe that fakegrances may be one of the leading causes of asthma and allergies, especially among children.
If you have asthma or allergies, one of your first steps should be to eliminate all sources of fakegrances from your home, car, and office. Throw away the so-called air fresheners and scented candles, stop using perfume unless it’s made from essential oils, and buy “fragrance free” laundry detergents and fabric softeners.
If you find yourself sniffling and sneezing when you’re driving, try to determine whether you are reacting to exhaust from other cars or something inside your own car. Many plastic fabrics give off fumes that can be allergenic. If you find you’re allergic to car exhaust, set up your life so that you avoid exposure to it as much as possible. Running or bicycling for exercise along streets with heavy traffic, inhaling toxins with every breath, is just asking for trouble. If you live in the city, go to a gym to work out.
Of course, do your best to avoid being anywhere near cigarette smoke—especially if you have asthma. Secondhand smoke is a nose, throat, and lung irritant and carcinogen even if you’re not allergic to it.
Check Your Ventilation System
Most of us who live in hot and humid summertime climates wouldn’t think of going without air-conditioning. Not only can it bring relief from stifling heat and humidity, it can filter out the summer pollens that give 1 in 13 Americans hay fever. But if you’re suffering from lung- and sinus-related illnesses in spite of being snug in your air-conditioned house or office, be sure your cooling system is putting out clean air. Studies have shown that cooling systems can make bronchial and sinus problems such as asthma, bronchitis, allergies, and summer colds either better or worse, depending on whether the air is clean.
Here is a very sophisticated way for you to check your air-conditioning filter—pull it out and look at it. If it looks dirty, wash it, vacuum it, or replace it, depending on the type.
If you have a forced-air cooling and ventilation system, pay attention to whether the ducts are clean, where the outside air source is, whether the air is recycled, and where the intake duct is. Be sure your air sources are clean. Be aware that an expensive professional duct cleaning won’t do you any good if the whole house isn’t cleaned immediately afterward. A duct cleaning stirs up dust and mold, spreading it through the house. If you don’t clean your house at the same time, it will just end up back in the ducts.
Natural Allergy Remedies
Treating allergies with antihistamines is a temporary stopgap measure that doesn’t address the underlying problem. These drugs shouldn’t be used for more than a few weeks at a time. If you’ve tried everything and y
our allergy symptoms are still affecting the quality of your life, look into desensitization (allergy shots). Minuscule amounts of allergens are injected in gradually increasing amounts so that your body can learn not to respond with an allergic reaction. Treatment can be expensive and take up to three years, and it doesn’t work for everyone. Carry allergy-fighting supplements with you so that as soon as you feel an allergic reaction coming on, you can nip it in the bud.
Some cases of hay fever or allergic sinusitis can be greatly improved when food allergens are identified and eliminated. Decreasing the total allergic load the body has to cope with can help you become less sensitive to allergens in general. Refer to the section “Beat IBS and Treat Food Allergies Naturally” in Chapter 11 to find out how to identify foods that might be causing problems for you.
Elimination of white flour, refined sugar, and any foods containing chemicals (additives, preservatives, and dyes) is another simple but helpful step you can take before deciding you need drugs to get through hay fever season. Tartrazine, or yellow dye no. 5, is well-known to provoke allergic responses, and for some people, just cutting out the processed foods that contain yellow dye is enough to control their allergy problems. Tartrazine is contained in some 60 percent of commercial medications as well as the majority of processed foods. See the section “Asthma Medications: Is the Cure Worse than the Disease?” and the sidebar “Are You Sensitive to Tartrazine?” for more details on tartrazine.
Next time you feel sinus congestion coming on—whether from allergy, cold, or flu—you might want to try humming your favorite tune instead of turning to decongestants, nasal steroids, or antibiotics. In a study recently published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, a group of Swedish scientists discovered that the simple act of humming can help keep sinuses clear. In 10 men ages 34 to 38, researchers measured the speed of air exchange between nose and sinus cavities before and during a bout of humming, and found that air exchange increased. So did, in those areas, the production of the natural anti-inflammatory nitric oxide—fifteenfold!
Quercetin
Quercetin is arguably the most powerful and effective natural remedy for allergies. In most people it effectively dries out the mucus membranes and helps quiet the inflammation that can irritate nasal passages. Quercetin is a powerful antioxidant flavonoid (found naturally in red wine, onions, apples, black tea, buckwheat, citrus, and eucalyptus) that inhibits the release of histamine from mast cells. It has potent anti-inflammatory and cancer-inhibiting activities as well. The typical dose is 500 mg, but if it dries you out too much, reduce the dose.
Other important bioflavonoids include those found in grapeseed extract (proanthocyanidins) and green tea.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a well-known natural remedy for allergies. This essential vitamin, which most Americans aren’t getting in optimal amounts, directly lowers histamine levels in the body, supports the adrenal glands that produce allergy-fighting hormones, and supports the immune system in many ways. The Six Core Principles for Optimal Health recommend 2,000 mg of vitamin C for everyone as part of a daily regimen. During allergy season, you can take an additional 1,000 mg to 2,000 mg throughout the day. If your symptoms continue or worsen, increase the dosage to 1,000 mg every two or three hours. If you get diarrhea, back off on the dose until it stops. Your tolerance for vitamin C can increase dramatically when you have allergies, a cold, or a flu. Some people can’t tolerate vitamin C except in food. If this applies to you, try some of the other remedies we recommend.
Defensive Herbs
We have many herbs at our disposal that effectively strengthen and support the immune system without encouraging it to overreact. You can try a regimen of two weeks of the herb echinacea or astragalus. For some people, stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) works wonders to alleviate allergy symptoms. Follow directions on the container.
Some people are allergic to echinacea and other herbs. If taking an herb makes your symptoms worse, stop taking it!
The Chinese, who have had thousands of years of practice, have created some effective natural allergy remedies that have few to no side effects. Be sure to use a reputable brand. You’ll find recommendations in the Resources and Recommended Reading section at the back of this book.
Culinary herbs like ginger and turmeric have long been used in Asian and Middle Eastern traditional medicine as natural remedies for asthma and allergy. Research from this millennium suggests a few reasons for the effectiveness of these herbs at reducing allergy and asthma symptoms. One explanation is that ginger and turmeric—along with cumin, anise, fennel, rosemary, garlic, and pomegranate—reduce the activation of an inflammatory pathway linked to allergy and asthma. Even if adding these herbs to your meals doesn’t improve symptoms, it will make them taste great!
Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5))
Pantothenic acid can be helpful in treating allergies, especially when they are aggravated by fatigue, exhaustion, or stress. Try taking 250 mg to 1 gram (1,000 mg) twice daily.
Omega-3 Fats: EPA from Fish
The omega-3 fats found in fish can be useful for treating inflammatory conditions such as allergies, asthma, and eczema. For this purpose, a specific kind of omega-3 fat called eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) appears to work best. Although a different kind of omega-3 fat, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), is found in flax oil, we don’t recommend this type of omega-3 for people with conditions related to inflammation. Flax oil is highly unstable, which means that it becomes rancid easily, and ALA has to be converted to EPA to do this job. This conversion doesn’t always happen efficiently. EPA is only found in appreciable quantities in fish oils and certain types of algae. Refer to Chapter 9 for detailed information on how to choose an omega-3 supplement.
Other fatty acids that can help with asthma and allergy, including the omega-6 fat alpha-linolenic acid, are naturally found in fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains (such as oats), seeds, and fish, so be sure to eat plenty of these foods in addition to supplementing with EPA.
A diet rich in seafood and antioxidant-rich vegetables, fruits, and nuts—the Mediterranean diet—has been found to protect against childhood allergy and asthma. A study published in the journal Thorax surveyed 690 children aged 7 to 18, all of whom lived in rural Crete, a part of Greece. Those children who adhered at least moderately to the traditional Mediterranean diet had significantly less risk of asthma and allergy. More oranges, grapes, apples, and nuts in the children’s diets appeared to confer more protection.
Bee Remedies
Bee pollen may give some people relief, but try just a little bit first, in case you are one of the few who are allergic to it. If you can buy fresh local honey at a farmer’s market or health food store, you can try that instead. The local pollens in the honey can help desensitize your hay fever reactions.
Alternative Approaches to Treating Asthma
It’s long been suspected that antioxidant supplementation could help asthmatics control their symptoms. The inflammation that springs up in the airways of asthma sufferers causes the formation of free radicals, and those free radicals in turn increase the process of inflammation. It makes sense that supplying extra antioxidants would help stop this vicious cycle from getting out of hand.
A small study published in the journal Respiratory Medicine demonstrates promise for vitamin C as a natural asthma remedy. Eight subjects with exercise-induced asthma (EIA) were given either 1,500 mg of vitamin C per day or a placebo for two weeks; then after a one-week period of no supplements for either group, the groups got the opposite treatment. Exercise tests showed that the vitamin C significantly reduced symptoms of EIA.
In a study published in 2001 in the journal Archives of Environmental Health, researchers recruited five male and 12 female asthmatics between the ages of 18 and 39. One group was given 400 IU of vitamin E and 500 mg of vitamin C before a moderately intense exercise session with exposure to ozone, a substance known to cause asthma attacks; another got a placebo. Thos
e who took the antioxidants had a less severe episode of wheezing and chest tightness than those who didn’t. If you’re asthmatic, try taking your daily dose of 200 to 400 IU of vitamin E and 500 to 1,000 mg vitamin C an hour or so before your workout.
For their study published in 2004, researcher Rachel M. Rubin and coworkers at Ithaca University’s Division of Nutritional Science evaluated blood nutrient levels in just over 7,500 children of ages 4 to 16. They found that higher blood levels of vitamin C and beta-carotene offered significant protection against asthma. Higher beta-carotene and vitamin C levels were associated with a roughly 10 percent reduction in asthma prevalence in children who were not exposed to cigarette smoke, and with a 40 percent reduction in kids who were exposed to smoke. Higher selenium levels had a more pronounced effect: higher levels lent 10 to 20 percent reduction in asthma prevalence in kids not exposed to smoke, and 50 percent reduction in those who were subjected to secondary smoke. It makes good sense to supplement children’s diets with a high-quality multivitamin—especially if they have asthma.
Caffeine is a natural asthma remedy as well. We don’t recommend that you drink more than two 8-ounce cups of coffee per day, but if you don’t drink coffee normally, a cup can be used as medicine to open airways when necessary.
Asthmatic Moms Can Reduce Children’s Risk with the Right Foods
Asthmatic women of childbearing age, take note: eating fish may protect your children against developing this condition. Frank Gilliland, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues from UCLA gathered a large group of school-aged children from 12 school districts in southern California. They split them into two groups: one consisting of children who had been diagnosed with asthma by age 5, and the other of children who had never been diagnosed with asthma. Each child’s mother filled out a detailed questionnaire about what foods she ate during her pregnancy. Mothers who had asthma and ate plenty of oily fish (including salmon, mackerel, trout, sardines, and cod) during pregnancy had 71 percent reduced risk of their children developing asthma compared to those asthmatic moms who did not eat much oily fish during pregnancy. No effect was seen in nonasthmatic mothers.
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