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Vaccine Choices Abound This Year...

This season, your choice of flu vaccine is more diverse than ever. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved several new flu vaccines, including trivalent (three strain) and quadrivalent (four strain) vaccines. As reported in Time Magazine¹ last month, available choices this year will include:

Standard three-strain flu vaccine. This year’s version includes influenza strains H1N1 and H3N2, and an influenza B virus	Egg-free vaccine (FluBlok), in which the influenza virus’ were grown in caterpillar cells instead of chicken eggs
Quadrivalent, or four-strain vaccine, which includes two A class of viruses and two from the B class, which tends to cause illness primarily in young children	High-dose vaccines, promoted for seniors aged 65 and over
Nasal spray, called FluMist. This year it will contain four strains opposed to three, matching the quadrivalent injection	Intradermal vaccine, promoted for those afraid of needles. The vaccine is delivered through a panel of micro-needles rather than a single needle

Universal ‘Flu Vaccine’ May Already Exist—In the Form of Vitamin D

Scientists are also inching ever closer to the creation of a “universal” flu vaccine— one that would protect against all forms of influenza. One hypothetical universal vaccine type targets so-called “stalk antibodies.” However, recent research in pigs has raised a huge red flag, calling into question the validity of this hypothesis, as it appears such a vaccine might actually magnify the impact of some strains of the virus and cause more severe disease.

Another universal vaccine being developed by the pharmaceutical company Sanofi is based on the finding² that people who have more virus-killing immune cells, known as CD8 T cells, either don’t get sick or experience only mild flu symptoms. The idea behind this vaccine is that by stimulating your body to produce more CD8 T cells, it may protect you from getting the flu, or at least from having severe symptoms.

However, while the drug company researchers brag that they know how to use a vaccine to stimulate the immune system to produce more CD8 T cells, they fail to mention that vitamin D is also known to have a direct immune-modulating effect on CD8 T cells. This was revealed in a study³ published three years ago. Other research has proposed that deprivation of sunlight and vitamin D at higher latitudes worsens CD8 T-cell deficiency.⁴ So, it may be, then, that a ‘universal flu vaccine’ doesn’t need to be created at all because it essentially already exists in the form of vitamin D!

Research Proves Vitamin D Is a Potent Weapon Against Influenza

Robert Edgar Hope-Simpson was one of the first to discover the link between a deficiency in solar radiation and seasonal influenza. Then, in 2006, the journalEpidemiology and Infection⁵ published Dr. John Cannell’s paper "Epidemic Influenza and Vitamin D,"⁶ which presents the hypothesis that influenza is little more than a symptom of vitamin D deficiency.

Clearly, just because you’re exposed to a virus does not automatically mean that you will get sick. On the contrary, studies⁷have shown that even in people without any antibodies against a particular virus, the majority do not develop any symptoms at all when directly exposed in experiments.

The fact of the matter is that if your immune system is operating optimally, your chances of contracting a cold or flu-like illness or influenza are very slim. Vitamin D is an important player in overall healthy immune function, but it’s also an effective antimicrobial agent in its own right, producing 200 to 300 different antimicrobial peptides in your body that kill bacteria, viruses and fungi. So optimizing your vitamin D levels will help combat viruses in more ways than one.

Dr. Cannell followed up on his hypothesis with another study published in the Virology Journal⁸ in 2008, and his findings were again confirmed in 2009—this time by the largest and most nationally representative study of its kind to date, involving about 19,000 Americans. That same year (2009), it was discovered that almost two-thirds of the children who died from H1N1 swine flu complications had underlying health problems such as  epilepsy, cerebral palsy, or other neurodevelopmental disorders. Neurological and immune disorders have been associated with childhood vitamin D deficiency, which could also have made the children  more susceptible to swine flu complications.

A 2010 study⁹ that didn't get any widespread attention also demonstrated the effectiveness of vitamin D as a preventive strategy against influenza. In fact, children taking just 1,200 IUs of vitamin D3 per day, which is considered a low dose, were shown to be 42 percent less likely to come down with the flu. I firmly believe that optimizing your vitamin D levels is the single most important and least expensive action you can take to help strengthen immune function and protect against getting sick during the flu season, and would STRONGLY urge you to have your vitamin D level monitored to confirm your levels are therapeutic at 50-70 ng/ml year-round.

The Best Way to Optimize Your Vitamin D Levels

Research on vitamin D is moving forward swiftly, so you’d be well advised to stay on top of the latest developments as recommendations are refined and updated. I will cover the latest developments here, so you may want to share this article with your peers.

Sun exposure is by far the best way to optimize your vitamin D levels as your body has built-in “fail-safe” mechanisms that help prevent detrimental side effects from occurring. Vitamin D from sunlight acts as a pro-hormone, rapidly converting in your skin into 25-hydroxyvitamin D, or vitamin D3. A viable alternative is to use a safe tanning bed, i.e. one that has an electronic ballast, opposed to a magnetic one.

Sun exposure may also be more beneficial due to the fact that when your skin is exposed to sunlight, it produces cholesterol sulfate, which is important for optimal brain and heart function. Cholesterol sulfate also appears to play an important role in reducing LDL cholesterol, which is associated with cardiovascular disease. So there’s more to gain by getting sun exposure than “just” protecting yourself against influenza and flu-like illness.

The problem, of course, is that it can be difficult to get enough sun exposure, especially during winter months when you need it the most. Last year, I created a video to help you determine if you can get enough vitamin D from sun exposure in your area at different times of the year.

If you decide to take supplements to boost your vitamin D levels, based on the latest investigations by Carole Baggerly, director of GrassrootsHealth, the average adult dose required to reach healthy vitamin D levels is around 8,000 IUs of vitamin D per day. For children, many experts agree they need about 35 IUs of vitamin D per pound of body weight. Here, it’s important to remember that if you’re taking high-dose vitamin D supplements, you ALSO need to take vitamin K2, and monitor your levels via blood testing to ensure that they’re within the optimal range.

Diet and Sleep Are Also Important Factors

Besides vitamin D, addressing your diet and sleep pattern can go a long way toward warding off the flu. When it comes to diet, perhaps the most important factor is to avoid processed foods and sugar (especially fructose), as sugar decreases the function of your immune system almost immediately. Be aware that sugar (typically in the form of high fructose corn syrup) is present in foods you may not suspect, like ketchup and fruit juice. A high-sugar diet will also decimate your beneficial bacteria and feed the pathogenic yeast and viruses. Clearly, if you are sick, or specifically want to reduce your chances of getting sick, then sugar is the last thing you should be eating.

It’s important to remember that the bacteria in your gut have enormous control of your immune response. In addition to avoiding processed food and sugar, you’d be wise to add in fermented foods on a regular basis, which will help reseed your gut with a wide array of beneficial bacteria.

Sleep is another important factor. Just like it becomes harder for you to get your daily tasks done if you're tired, if your body is overly fatigued it will be harder for it to fight the flu. Be sure to check out my article "Guide to a Good Night's Sleep" for some great tips to help you get quality rest.

Other Strategies to Protect Yourself Against the Flu Without Vaccination

If you want to avoid a serious case of influenza, you need to focus on maintaining a robust and well-functioning immune system. As mentioned, I believe optimizing your vitamin D levels is one of the most potent preventive strategies available, followed by diet and sleep. There are other factors that can come into play too, of course. The following guidelines will also act in concert to support your immune system:

• Have Effective Tools to Address Stress. We all face some stress every day, but if stress becomes overwhelming then your body will be less able to fight off the flu and other illness. If you feel that stress is taking a toll on your health, consider using an energy psychology tool such as the Emotional Freedom Technique, which is remarkably effective in relieving stress associated with all kinds of events, from work to family to trauma.
• Get Regular Exercise. When you exercise, you increase your circulation and your blood flow throughout your body. The components of your immune system are also better circulated, which means your immune system has a better chance of finding an illness before it spreads. Be sure to stay hydrated – drink plenty of fluids, especially water. However, it would be wise to radically reduce the intensity of your workouts while you are sick. No Peak Fitnessexercises until you are better.
• Take a High-Quality Source of Animal-Based Omega-3 Fats. Increase your intake of healthy and essential fats like the omega-3 found in krill oil, which is crucial for maintaining health. It is also vitally important to avoid damaged omega-6 oils that are trans fats and in processed foods as it will seriously damage your immune response.
• Wash Your Hands. Washing your hands will decrease your likelihood of spreading a virus to your nose, mouth or other people. Be sure you don't use antibacterial soap for this – antibacterial soaps are completely unnecessary, and they cause far more harm than good. Instead, identify a simple chemical-free soap that you can switch your family to.
• Tried and True Hygiene Measures. In addition to washing your hands regularly, cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze. If possible, avoid close contact with those who are sick and, if you are sick, avoid close contact with those who are well.
• Use Natural Immune-Boosters. Examples include oil of oregano and garlic, both of which offer effective protection against bacteria, viruses, and protozoa in your body. And unlike pharmaceutical antibiotics, they do not appear to lead to resistance.
• Avoid Hospitals. I'd recommend you stay away from hospitals unless you're having an emergency and need expert medical care, as hospitals are prime breeding grounds for infections of all kinds. The best place to get plenty of rest and recover from illness that is not life-threatening is usually in the comfort of your own hom

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