Swine Flu…What is the Deal and What to Do About it

1. The virus of today seems to be quite similar to the Spanish flu of 1918.
2. Like the virus of 1918, the current strain appears to use the host’s own immune system against itself which results in young people suffering a good number of the casualties.
3. The global connectivity of today could significantly increase the rate at which this virus could be transmitted to the population.
4. There is no natural immunity to this virus because the population has never been exposed to it.
5. There is currently no vaccine to protect us.

All this sounds disturbing and the 24/7 media coverage has sent many people into a state of anxiety over the possibility of mass infection. Although I believe that there is cause for concern, you will not yet see me breaking a sweat. We are taking the position of calm preparation for a possibility that may never materialize into a pandemic.

Aren’t people dying from the swine flu?

The deaths that have occurred to date are localized in Mexico and are likely attributed to the fact that many of the people came from very poor areas where nutritional deficiencies and poor hygiene contributed to a weak immune system and uncontrolled inflammation. It is also believed that people refused to get help due to fear around losing work should they take time to go to the doctor. What is the proof of this? Well, the proof is that there have been no reported deaths among Americans where hygiene and nutrition are better than areas of poverty in Mexico. The press calls the American version of the swine flu more “mild” but it is unlikely that the swine flu virus itself is any different than the virus that is infecting the people of Mexico. What makes it mild is the fact that the immune system of Americans is better able to handle this virus.

Why so calm?

1. Swine flu is not a pandemic right now. Despite 24-hour coverage, it is not a pandemic and may never become one.
2. The cases in the United States have been fairly mild with no American deaths being reported from swine flu infection. The press reported on the death of an 18 month old child, however, it has been noted that this appears to be a child who was shipped across the border for treatment, possibly due to an already dire health circumstance. Calling this an American death is nothing more than spinning a more severe situation in order to get people to watch more news and buy more newspapers. No Americans have died.
3. Worldwide awareness may help with the containment process. In 1918 news did not fly at the speed of light like it does today and containment was therefore ineffective.
4. We know more about the impact of hygiene on the spread of such infections.
5. If you are reading this article, then you will have many more tools to fight infection than the average person.

The government is making a big deal out of antiviral medications such as Tamiflu, releasing stockpiles and calling up the National Guard to defend the warehouses where the medications are stored. This pretty much concludes the paragraph on government readiness…in a nutshell, one class of medication that may help to shorten the duration of flu infection by one-half to one day if taken at the very first sign of infection. Not to mention, completely unproven against the swine flu. In our recent interview with vaccine expert, Dr. Tenpenny, she makes note that the anti-viral medications that have been stockpiled (at a cost of $2 billion) are nearing their expiration date and are unlikely to actually help due to widespread viral resistance to the medication. Keep in mind that these medications have caused reactions of delusion and even led to suicide in young people. They are not without possible side effects!

No wonder people are so anxious, there does not appear to be any great advances in viral treatment since the 1918 epidemic.

So, what would a “Holistic Readiness Package” look like?

First, let me say that the following recommendations are as unproven as the conventional approach to prevention and treatment. This represents an educated hypothesis and will be the program that I will follow myself and recommend to my family.

Let’s talk about immune system health. The press is making it sound as if a healthy immune system is a death sentence in the case of infection with swine flu. Let me put things a bit into perspective. The immune system was developed through millions of years of evolution to be able to handle infections just like the swine flu. Is it perfect? No, but I think it is as close to perfect as we could hope for at this stage in our evolution. What is happening in young people that is causing such a problem when infected is what is known as a “cytokine storm”. When the body is exposed to a virus, antibodies are produced in order to fight the infection. In certain susceptible people the antibody response overshoots its mark which causes a shock to the system that can cause organ failure and ultimately death. Is a healthy immune system the cause of such a reaction? Would it be better for these people if their immune systems were compromised? Well, we can’t say for sure but I can tell you that if I am rolling the dice I will take the odds in favor of a healthy immune system.  What I would like to avoid is a inflammatory reaction that is exaggerated! So how would we achieve that?

1. Omega-3 fatty acids. Your body produces compounds called prostaglandins which are responsible for managing inflammation. Some prostaglandins turn on the inflammatory switch while some turn the switch off. Omega-6 fats, which are abundant in our diet, turn the inflammatory switch on while omega-3 fats, which are extremely deficient, turn the switch off. If the body has plenty of inflammatory fats and few anti-inflammatory fats then it will be prone to an exaggerated response. You need to have these healthy fats on board BEFORE you are infected because they take some time to buildup and be incorporated in the cells. If you are just starting to supplement with fish oil, I would recommend dosing with 1 tablespoon (or 6 capsules) twice daily for the next two weeks followed by 1 tablespoon (6 capsules) daily.
2. Keep Zyflamend on hand. Zyflamend is an herbal anti-inflammatory product that helps to control the inflammatory response. This formula can be used continuously without side effect and can be used as a means of preventing or treating inflammation. The standard dose is 2 capsules twice daily and in severe situations we can dose 2 capsules three times daily.

Now to setting up our defenses against the virus; you may have heard us discuss a product called Immunity Take Care by New Chapter. This formula is a unique extract of Black Elderberry which works by a different mechanism than other herbal formulas such as Echinacea. A virus is an interesting looking biological machine with little legs that are used to attach to the cell. After the virus is attached to the cell, it then injects genetic material into the cell which is then used to take over the brain of the cell in order to turn it into a manufacturing plant for other viruses.  Elderberry contains unique compounds that appear coat the virus which prevents the legs from being able to grab hold of a cell. This potentially stops the virus from being able to commandeer the cell and thus stops the viral replication at the first step in its nasty cycle. This product is thus going to be one of the primary natural defenses against infection from these types of viruses. Take one tablet twice daily as a defense. If infection is suspected, increase the dose to 1-2 tablets three to four times daily.

Vitamin D is a crucial defense against infection by helping to shore up defenses. Although I can’t say if vitamin D plays an active role in defense against flu infection, it appears that deficiency of vitamin D can significantly increase the risk of many infections including influenza. The good news is we are entering into the sunny season, this should offer some protection to the population. We recommend that most people take at least 2,000 iu of vitamin D daily as a preventative. Some practitioners are recommending that at the first sign of swine flu infection that adults saturate the body with vitamin D at doses up to 50,000 iu for two to three days.

N-Acetyl-Cysteine – This nutrient helps to shore up the defenses in the respiratory tract by helping to enhance the mucous membranes that act as the first defense against infection. In one study on elderly subjects, daily administration of NAC significantly decreased the risk of standard influenza infection. Take 500 mg daily as a preventative.

In other articles I have spoken at length in favor of natural, whole-food vitamin C. Vitamin C is a nutrient that plays a very important role in allowing the immune system to react to viral and bacterial infections. By taking whole-food vitamin C, such as Pure Radiance C by Synergy Company, you can help to assure that the immune cells have sufficient vitamin C to mount an appropriate immune response. I recommend taking 2 capsules twice daily of Pure Radiance C for general health and prevention.

What about the vaccine?

In  three words, “Forget About It”. You can be sure that the drug companies are salivating over this one. They will come out with a vaccine and the government may even mandate vaccination. You must keep in mind that this vaccine will be COMPLETELY unproven and probably unsafe! Remember, in the 70’s they released a swine flu vaccine in preparation for a swine flu pandemic that never came. Many poor patients who took the unproven vaccine ended up with severe neurological side effects that left many people paralyzed.  This could happen again and if mass immunization does come to pass it is a certainty that some people will be very unlucky and end up suffering from this neurological side effect.

Summary & Conclusion:

The swine flu scare may turn out to be nothing but for now, calm preparation appears to be the appropriate course of action. It is up to you to be as healthy as possible in order to be able to withstand such an assault to the system. In the unlikely situation that a widespread pandemic does occur and the infection begins to show high mortality rates in the population, you will want to make use of all of the tools available, including some conventional medical care. For now, do what you can to keep the environment within your body unwelcoming to unwanted organisms by staying healthy and keeping your immune system well supported.  As for the vaccine, that is sure to be produced in response to this infection, think twice and then think a third time before you consider injecting such an unproven and potentially harmful substance into your body. We will continue to keep you abreast of new information as it comes to light!