With flu season upon us, there is lots of scare talk out there right now about the dangers of swine flu. It is true that the center for disease control is monitoring the spread of this new strain of flu called H1N1 and there have been some serious cases reported. So the question becomes: What can I do? The basics are simple: Avoid people who are infected. Wash your hand frequently and often. Stay out of crowded places. If you cannot avoid crowded places, a face mask can also help protect against swine flu.

Is there a Swine Flu Vitamin?

When it comes to fighting disease everyone is always looking for a magic bullet. There is no one particular vitamin that will ward off this or any other strain of flu. However, there are a number of nutrients that can help to boost your immune system. A healthy immune system will fight off infection, and make you a much more unlikely candidate to contract this or any other infectious disease.

The 4 Key Nutrients To Boost Your Immune System

Vitamin A. Vitamin a is extremely effective in fighting infections. Although Vitamin A has received much negative press recently it is an invaluable vitamin for a strong immune system. The only danger of vitamin A toxicity is in extremely large doses taken over an extended period of time. The amounts found in our multiple formulations are very safe and very critical to building a healthy immune system.

Vitamin C. The most popular vitamin vitamin C is also necessary in building a strong immune system. Also, the important vitamin C cofactor Bioflavonoids. Bioflavonoids fill up cell receptor sites so H1N1 flu germs can’t get into your cells and cause infection.

Vitamin E. Supports blood flow and transportation of oxygen to every cell. Vitamin E in the therapeutic doses necessary to be effective (400 IU) must be found in supplements. This is an expensive nutrient so read the label! Many companies will put only 30 IU’s in their products. Not enough to do the trick.

Along with these key vitamins the mineral Zinc is also critical to maintaining a strong and efficient immune system to protect against swine flu.

These are but a few of the nutrients required by the body for a healthy robust immune system.

Strong Immune System = No Swine Flu

It has been verified though numerous studies over the years that good eating habits along with supplementation can go a long way to strengthening the body’s immune system. Even the “father of the germ theory” Louis Pasteur stated that the most virulent, germs can not spread to a human being if that person had a strong immune system.

To protect against Swine flu you need more than these 4 vitamins and one mineral.

There are two (2) very important things we have learned in the many decades our family has been in the supplement business.

One (1): If you are deficient in one nutrient chances are very good you are deficient in many. That is why we focused only on high potency complex multiple formulations.

Two (2): Nutrients work together in concert. Studies repeatedly indicate that when nutrients are combined with other nutrients and food cofactors the effectiveness and assimilation of that nutrient is increased. Vitamin C works better in the presence of citrus bioflavonoids, Calcium when combined with vitamin D and magnesium. B6 effectiveness is markedly increased when found in combination with a balanced array of the other B complex vitamins. The absorption of all minerals is maximized when combined with naturally occurring amino acids which are found in protein.

ALL ONE powdered multiples are the most efficient, easy to take, cost effective mode of administration for supplying your body with the important nutrients it needs to have a robust healthy functioning immune system and a healthy immune system is the best insurance to help protect against infections and viruses like the swine flu.

See also:

How to Build Natural Immunity against the Swine Flu

CoQ10 is a powerful antioxidant that protects the body from free radicals and helps preserve vitamin E, the major antioxidant of cell membranes and blood cholesterol.

Virtually every cell of the human body contains CoQ10. It is concentrated in the mitochondria, the area of cells where energy is produced. It plays an integral role in supplying energy to chemical reactions in the body. The heart and liver contain the greatest amount of CoQ10.

CoQ10 is found primarily in fish and meat, but the amounts in food are far less than what can be obtained from antioxidant supplements. There is reliable and relatively consistent scientific data showing substantial health benefits when CoQ10 has been used in connection with angina, heart attack and high blood pressure. CoQ10′s ability as an antioxidant scavenger may account for the cardiovascular benefits. Coenzyme Q10 prevents free radical oxidation of low density lipoprotein (LDL). It has also been suggested that CoQ10 can offer protection from the side effects associated with taking blood pressure medications.

Selenium fed to cells increases their levels of antioxidant enzymes and prevents damage caused by radiation and chemical carcinogens. Deficiency in humans correlates with higher rates of colon, breast, ovary, prostate, lung, bladder and skin cancer. Studies show it can prevent cancer in both animals and humans.

Also known as tochopherol, this fat soluble antioxidant works its magic in the lipid parts of the body, such as cell membranes and body fat stores. The main function of vitamin E is to maintain membranes integrity in the body cells. It acts as a powerful antioxidant by preventing the oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids in the cellular membranes.

Vitamin E effectiveness is magnified when taken with other antioxidants, especially vitamin C, selenium and beta carotene. Studies have demonstrated that vitamin E intake is associated with decreased incidence of heart disease in both men and women.

Vitamin E helps eliminate exercise cramps and soreness and nighttime leg cramps. Applied topically it boosts the healing of burns, canker sores, diaper rash and prevents scarring. Research has shown that vitamin E is one of the most powerful nutrients against atherosclerosis, the underlying cause of heart disease. It also protects the body against the normal age-related decline of the immune system.

Free radicals are believed to play a role in more than sixty different health conditions, including the aging process, cancer and atherosclerosis. Reducing exposure to free radicals and increasing intake of antioxidant nutrients has the potential to reduce the risk of free radical-related health problems.

Many vitamins and minerals act as antioxidants in their own right, such as vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin A, zinc, selenium and coenzyme Q10. There are also powerful plant antioxidants including the carotenoids and the bioflavanoids. All which provide powerful antioxidant protection for the body and may be beneficial when taken as a supplement.

The body relies on food to replenish the antioxidant pool of the body. Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, lutein is found in green leafy vegetables and we all know vitamin C is in oranges. Unfortunately, in today’s busy and polluted world staying ahead of the free radicals is more likely to depend on much more then what our diets can supply us. If we are not eating a fresh, whole food, organic diet then it is quite possible that the same food we are supposed to be getting our antioxidants from is causing oxidative stress of its own, it is almost impossible to depend on food alone. The good news is that many of these potent antioxidants are now available as nutritional supplements. The key to supplementing your antioxidants is to make sure they are part of a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement as they have been found to work synergistically.
As a result of current research we are also lucky enough to have access to concentrated amounts of plant antioxidants. ALL ONE’s Fruit Antioxidant Formula offers 2 full grams of fruit antioxidants from the fabulous, yet seasonal blueberries, cranberries and tart cherries, that are proving to be up to 10-times the potency of the traditional antioxidants A, C and E. As well as having the ability to “re-charge” these nutrients once exposed to free radicals. ALL ONE combines these with their high potency multi-vitamin and mineral base for a highly effective free radical fighter. In the ALL ONE formula for Active Seniors Nutritech has also combined the key antioxidants lutein and coenzyme Q10.

As the research continues to roll in it is clear that antioxidants are a natural and effective way to combat degeneration and disease caused by the stresses of today. So, know your antioxidants and be sure they are included as part of your daily multivitamin and mineral supplement.

November 10 , 2004

Despite the literally thousands of studies on vitamin E, many confirming it’s positive effects on cardiovascular health and other conditions, an article published today in the Annals of Internal Medicine that studied just a handful, suggests that “high-dose” vitamin E (400 international units <IU> or more) is associated with a greater risk of dying.

Although the researchers themselves acknowledged the limitations of their study when applied to most healthy people, they have nevertheless called for a reduction in U.S. dietary guidelines for vitamin E, which currently recommends and upper limit of 1,500 IU.

The research, which analyzed clinical trial data from 19 studies, focused on nine that involved dosages of vitamin E over 400 IU. Most of the patients in the studies were over 60-years of age and had chronic health conditions, such as heart disease and Alzheimer’s. The reported increased risk of deaths associated with higher doses of vitamin E was only slightly higher than the risk of those not taking the supplement. The studies reviewed, some of which were more than 10 years old, were of varying quality and contained a wide range of dosages.

“This is armchair science at its worst”, said David Seckman, NNFA’s executive director and CEO. “Reasearchers are well aware that casting doubt on any product that has had overwhelmingly positive finidings is a formula for getting noticed. Unfortunately, many in the press are all too willing to lend credence to research that is not conclusive”

Here are some key points regarding the vitamin E study:

??? The authors themselves admit that the research reviewed, which was conducted with older subjects who had chronic illnesses, might not apply to younger, healthy people.

??? This type of review, called a meta-analysis, was a review of other studies, some of which were more than 10 years old and of varying quality. This type of science is only as good as the research on which it is based, which leaves this case questionable.

??? Information was pooled together to barely achieve statistical significance.

??? U.S. dietary guidelines, which tend to be conservative and reflect the totality of scientific evidence on a nutrient, recommend an upper limite of 1,500 IU

???There are various types and compounds of vitamin E, including synthetic and natural forms, which research shows to have varying effects. However, the differences in the effects of varying types of vitamin E were not addressed in this study

??? This study needs to be placed in context. Vitamin E has been studied for many many years and there are literally thousands of citations in the scientific literature. There is solid evidence showing the benefits of vitamin E, including double-blind clinical trials, that report 400 to 800 IU of natural vitamin E can reduce heart attacks

Nutritech’s Position on this study is one of interest only. It is like many studies that really do not take into consideration the years of research that has yielded positive results on vitamin E. Currently we do not feel there is enough evidence to make any changes to the ALL ONE formula in regards to vitamin E.