Cold and flu “season” is nearly upon us! Dr. Stan and I are often asked what can be done to prevent them. First and foremost, it is vitally important to make sure you get your spine checked and adjusted. There is a link between your nervous system and immune system. Chiropractic adjustments can help the nervous system to communicate better with the immune system, and therefore, the immune system can function more efficiently and effectively.
Secondly, it is important to make sure your digestive system is healthy. It is estimated that 70% of the immune system functions through the digestive system. If we don’t have the proper “good” bacteria in the gut, it isn’t healthy and the immune system will suffer (and ultimately we most likely will then, too). Antibiotics can destroy much of the good bacteria. This allows non-desirable bacteria, and other things like yeast, to grow and take over the gut. This is a very unhealthy situation. Therefore, we would recommend that you take a Probiotic. Probiotics are the good bacteria that we are supposed to have in our intestinal tract. Additionally, it is a good idea to take a Prebiotic. Prebiotics are the food that the good bacteria need to multiply and grow strong so that they can “choke out” the bad bacteria.
Taking Vitamin D3 can also help the immune system. In fact, Vitamin D is an important vitamin for the immune system to function well. We make Vitamin D via sun exposure. If you have spent a winter or two in the West Michigan area, you may have noticed that we don’t have many sunny days in the fall and winter. We often go to work in the dark and then return home in the dark as well. Consequently, we don’t get much exposure to the sun from October through March. So, consider taking Vitamin D3 starting now through early spring. The common recommendation is 5000 IU’s a day.
There are other supplements to consider as well and we can discuss those with you at any of your appointments. I always have some Andrographis (herb) and some homeopathic remedies on hand to take at the first sign of any illness…they work great too. Following the recommendations above are a good start however, and they should help your immune system to be revved up and ready to go for the upcoming cold and flu “season”.
Dr Paul Aalderink
