Chiropractic
COLD & FLU
Flu season is upon us!!!
“My family does this, my mom does that”… we have all heard everyone’s “guaranteed” remedy to help us during this cold season, so I figured that I might toss my hat in the ring and share my go-to supplements that have a little bit of research and evidence behind why they help!
Vitamin D – 400IU-5000IU
First of all, many people, roughly 40% of the population, are deficient in Vitamin D. Vitamin D does a variety of things for our body, and one important job that it does is keeping our immune system strong. If you do not spend time in the sun, eat dairy, or are dark skinned, you are most likely deficient in Vitamin D. Taking Vitamin D and having the adequate amounts decrease the chance of getting the flu or respiratory infections. If you are deficient, taking Vitamin D with a fat, increase the absorption by 50%. Those that are not deficient, you will not see a change in flu or cold symptoms.
Zinc (100mg)
Our immune system needs zinc and many of the elderly population are deficient in this mineral. When Zinc is taken orally, it works on the throat on the way to the stomach. It decreases the length the flu or cold will last, while also decreasing the symptoms to make it more tolerable. However, more is not always better. Taking too much can decrease your immunity. I recommend taking a higher dosage for a week and then stopping (or taking much less).
Echinacea 900mg a day
This supplement is often used for respiratory infections. Researchers are unsure on how it works, but some studies show that is can cut the decrease the length of colds while also decreasing the severity of symptoms. Start Echinacea when you first getting signs or symptoms of a cold.
Vitamin C
When we are sick we always hear: “take Vitamin, eat your oranges, drink your juice!” All that advice does have some research backing what all of our parents and teachers tell us what to do! A recommend level is 2000mg of Vitamin C, when you hit your personal threshold, diarrhea is the outcome!
Probiotic
It all starts from within, so getting your gut healthy will help make the body healthy. The probiotics that we carry at Henry Chiropractic Center are Dr. Axes SBO Probiotic and ChiroNutraceutical Complete Probiotic, which are capsule form.
It is ideal to get nutrients from food, but when you need higher doses, supplements are a great source that should be taken advantage of. Also, spend the extra dollar to get a quality product and is not full of fillers. Before taking any supplement at high dosage, be sure to consult your doctor before, especially if you are on other medication or are pregnant. I hope this was helpful, if you have any questions or concerns please don’t hesitate to call.
If you thought this was informative, or would like me to chat about anything else, then please like our Facebook page at Henry Chiropractic Center and Instagram at @HenryChriopracticCenter and send us a message!
Dr. Malachi Henry
