The Flu Shot is a DUD! Here’s What To Do
By
Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Posted January 4, 2018
The flu is coming this year, and it looks bad.
We know this because the flu season in Australia (whose flu season occurs before ours) has been the worst in recent years.
A new study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that the flu vaccine is only 10 percent effective this year.
Last year the flu shot was only 30 percent effective (but that was a banner year). The year before it was about 12 percent effective.
As you can see, counting on the flu shot to keep you from getting the flu is a dangerous gamble.
Let me show you how to avoid the flu if you can (and fight it if you can’t).
Sit in any airport and watch how many people pass through the terminal in a day and you get an appreciation of how quickly an infectious disease can travel around the world.
Your airport may be busy, but there are thousands of airports just like it all over the world. Never has there been such a chance of an infection spreading so rapidly to every reach of the world.
The flu is nothing to sneeze at. It is a very serious disease.
The 1918 flu infected an estimated 500 million people worldwide and killed about 10 percent of the people who got it (that’s 50 million people!).
As with almost any illness, prevention is your best strategy. The number one prevention tool for the flu is within your reach.
Despite all the high-tech wizardry we have, the best protection is still the simplest: wash your hands.
The problem isn’t with what you get on your hands; the problem is when you move your hands to your face. Estimates are that most people touch their face somewhere between 5 and 20 times every hour.
That means whatever is on that doorknob, sink, desk (or the person’s hand you just shook) will make it to your nose, mouth, or eye.
Once there, it is a short trip and you have the flu.
And, yes, when you cough and sneeze, make sure you cover your nose and mouth and throw away tissues after you use them.
That’s prevention, lets talk treatment.
Dr. Scott’s Anti-Flu Program:
- Eat Well: I like to include lots of garlic and onions in my food during flu season. Onions and garlic have long been used for their healing properties and they are a tasty addition to any meal (especially soups). There are many herbs and vitamins that can help your immune system; make sure you get enough of them.
- Vitamin D: Take 3,000-5,000 IUs of vitamin D every day.
- Berberine, Turmeric, and Olive Leaf: These herbs help to give your immune system the boost it needs to help kick the flu out the door.
- Probiotic/Polyphenols: There is a ton of research on probiotics and immunity. I take my probiotic in a super-food blend so I get both gut health and the added antioxidant power of plant foods.
Most people get 2-3 colds or flus a year. I find that when I take care of myself, I may have a day or two of symptoms, but rarely get a full-blown sickness – this is a sign of a strong immune system.
You too can have a strong immune system by following the above advice.
Health and Happiness,
Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Written By Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Nearly 25 years ago, failed mainstream medical treatments left Dr. Olson in constant pain – and his health in ruins. And that’s when he did something REVOLUTIONARY. He began his career in medicine – and dedicated his life to uncovering the true, underlying causes of disease.
Through his innovative medical practices in Tennessee and Colorado, Dr. Olson has helped cure countless seniors from across America of arthritis… heart disease… diabetes… and even cancer. All without risky prescription drugs or painful surgeries.
View More Free Articles
This Sleep Mistake Is Doubling Your Disease Risk
Think your inconsistent bedtime is just a harmless habit? Think again. New research reveals that going to bed at different times each night isn’t just making you tired—it could be dramatically increasing your risk of serious diseases. But the key to making sure poor sleep doesn’t derail your health goals likely isn’t what you think…....
Stop Obsessing Over Diet Trends
Can we stop with the endless diet debates already? Every other week there’s a new headline shouting about which diet is best for weight loss, heart health, or diabetes. Paleo, keto, low-carb, high-protein… it’s exhausting. And now, a new meta-analysis is out comparing the Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet, and something called AHEI (that’s “Alternative...
A New Reason to Ditch Processed Junk
If you’ve ever walked the inside aisles of your local grocery store and thought, “This is all just junk,” your instincts were spot on. A new study published in the journal Thorax just added another red flag to the list of dangers linked to ultra-processed food—a 41 percent higher risk of lung cancer. That’s right....
When Being Winded on Stairs Is Serious (And When It Isn’t)
I had an athlete visit me recently because he experienced shortness of breath while climbing stairs. He is in great shape, so he was worried about what it might mean. “Doc,” he said, “I run five miles three times a week. Why am I huffing and puffing after two flights of stairs?” His concern is...
Study EXPOSES Hidden Danger Lurking in Your Car
We think of our homes and cars as safe havens. But according to a startling new study, they may be flooding your lungs with microscopic plastic particles—every single day. Researchers in France recently found that adults inhale an average of 68,000 microplastic particles daily from indoor air alone. To put that in perspective, that’s about...
Mailbag: Is Modern Food Making You Snore?
“What can cause snoring, and is there a way to correct this issue?” —Seeking Silence Hi Seeking, Snoring happens when the soft tissues in your throat relax and vibrate as air passes through during sleep. While several factors can cause snoring—from sleep position to nasal congestion—I want to share one trigger that might surprise you....
Simple Food Swap SLASHES Dementia Risk 28%
Let’s be honest… who would jump at the chance to cut their dementia risk by 28 percent. And no, you don’t need to run marathons, survive on broccoli, or learn to play the zither (whatever that is) to make it happen. All it takes is one easy swap—something that’s probably already in your refrigerator. Researchers...
This SMART Floss Exposes Hidden Health Danger
Scientists have created dental floss that doesn’t just clean between your teeth—it also tracks your stress while you’re flossing. Now, I know what you’re thinking… “Great—now even flossing is going to stress me out by telling me how stressed I am.” But this fascinating new tool from Tufts University could be a game-changer for understanding...
Is This "Safe" Sweetener Damaging Your Brain?
The headlines are alarming… “Popular Sugar Substitute Linked to Brain Cell Damage” and “Erythritol Could Damage Critical Brain Barrier” are just two of the dozens I’ve spotted recently. But before you toss every sugar-free product in your pantry, let’s take a closer look at what this study actually shows—and what it doesn’t. The latest research...
This Summer Threat Could SPIKE Your Blood Sugar
Picture this… It’s another scorching hot summer day. You crank up the air conditioning while watching the weather forecast, which predicts yet another “record-breaking” heat wave. It’s starting to feel like just another miserably uncomfortable summer. But what you might not realize is that—if you have diabetes—those rising temps could do far more damage to...