Building and Protecting your immune system

Topic of the Week:

Building and Protecting your immune system
Please see updated post 1/2020

This is the season to focus on boosting your immune system. I have had multiple requests to address this topic in a post.

One of the blessings of working at Noe Valley pediatrics is that although we are a western medicine, science based practice, the advice nurse team is allowed to stray off the rigid telephone triage guidelines that most advice nurses must adhere to. My patients over the years have been on the receiving end of advice from me that includes some more natural or holistic suggestions.

This post in particular strays way off the basic western medicine path and includes a combination of conventional wisdom, with some anecdotal remedies shared with me by healers from a variety of modalities. Some of the things that I suggest can be found as my husband laughingly describes it, down the “placebo aisle” of the local drugstore, but as we are in the full throes of a variety of illnesses, many of my patients are ready to try anything.

My kids grew up with my husband's grandma’s recipe fondly referred to as Muggala Guggala, (see below for recipe*) I imagine many families have their own health rituals. As long as you are not ignoring a condition that warrants medication such as asthma inhalers or antibiotics, there is little harm in exploring some natural options. Who knows, you might find something that helps.

Good Hand Washing is the cornerstone to staying well.

If you were out and about in a crowd of sniffling,coughing people make sure you scrub up and change your clothes as soon as you get home.

Getting enough sleep is essential. If kids seem tired, you might need to start the bedtime routine a bit earlier. If you are interested in really finding out more about the actual quality of your child’s sleep, Knit Health is an interesting, reasonable option.

For older kids and adults make sure you limit the screen time for at least an hour before going to bed. Most experts suggest longer than that, but I accept that it often isn’t that realistic. (For the record, binge watching Game of Thrones right before bed is NOT a good idea.)

Nutrition

Make sure you and your kids are getting enough Vitamin D. Many folks have vitamin D levels that are significantly below where they should be and would benefit from a daily supplement .

Make sure you are getting enough Iron. Magnesium, iron and vitamin D are all connected to sleep as well as to a healthy immune system. (Magnesium also helps with pooping.)

I don’t love to binge on most vitamins, but a multi that has A and C is especially important during the cold and cough season. Check out Ester C. This is an exclusive form of vitamin C that is designed to give round the clock immune support. Sandra Roddy Adams, my chiropractor, gives this a big thumbs up.

Zinc is an important cold fighter and some studies show that it can decrease the duration of a cold by 50%.

Zicam lozenges are what I like. I actually think that the generic orange flavor tastes the best. These work better if you catch it early! With any zinc product it might be best to take with something in your stomach to avoid nausea. Kids need to be old enough to safely take a lozenge or chews

I asked my cousin Sam, who is a retired family practice physician if he had any favorite supplements. Echinacea,

ginger,garlic,myrhh, cayenne, vitamin C, vitamin B6 and bioflavanoids all made his list. For the grown ups out there, he recommended a Source Naturals Wellness Formula that has a lot of the good stuff in one capsule.

More and more studies are finding that having a healthy gut is essential to the immune system. My friend Sari is a craniosacral therapist in Arizona. When I reached out to pick her brain about this post she concurred with me that more and more studies are finding that having a healthy gut is essential to the immune system.

Probiotics are good for any age

Oil of oregano is thought to be a great immune booster. I would recommend this for grown ups or kids over 6 who are very cooperative, It has a very strong taste and causes some oregano burps but can work pretty well

Omega 3 are mostly found from eating fish, but most people probably don’t get as much as they should. This supplement makes it to most of the lists as a worthy supplement.

Local honey has antioxidants and is thought to be helpful for the immune system. Dr. Anne was the one who added this to the list. She actually adds honey to her coffee! I tried it and it isn’t bad. Hey, working in this office gives us a lot of exposure to everything that is going around. We will try anything!

Remember that infants under one year should NOT eat honey

Chinese Medicine - Dr Schwanke started using Chinese herbs in our office many years ago, but only carry a limited line that we use for ear infections and congestion. We are fortunate to have the creator of those formulas right in the neighborhood at the Chinese Medicine Works. It is important that any Chinese medicine comes from a reputable source. I like the gentle warriors brand because it is made locally

It might be worth exploring some herbs if you or your kids keep getting sick.

My amazing friend Anita is an acupuncturist in Colorado.

She encourages warming foods for her patients. These keep the internal temperature up. Viruses prefer the cold environment. She suggests that drinks be room temperature or warm/hot. Don’t add ice to drinks. Use warming spices and herbs such as garlic, cinnamon and cloves.

Soup is always good! Here is a bonus Acupressure point good for boosting the immune system: acupressure point stomach 36

Herbs and Homeopathy

Sambuccol is at the top of my list when it comes to my personal self care. This is an elderberry base, fairly widely available that has some scientific studies backing up it’s immune boosting properties. (Even Sandy doesn’t scoff at this one.) I start taking these the moment that I feel the scratchy throat feeling that makes me worried that I am starting to come down with something.The earlier you start this, the better it works. The bottle says for children over 2. The UK version gives the dosage for over 1.

Oscilloccoccinum

These are homeopathic sprinkles that I refer to as fairy dust.

I don’t understand homeopathy, but many folks swear by these. I take a tube every time I fly. Sandy tried to figure out what’s in them and the only ingredient he recognized was duck liver.

Echinacea

This herb is on many folks list of remedies. The studies have been mixed as to whether or not it works. Make sure you are a label reader when getting this supplement

Reflexology

My friend Oran is a wonderful healer who lives in Israel. Both of my daughters had moments during their travels there when they showed up on her doorstep with various illnesses and she nursed them right back to health. She has the ‘No White’ rule when people are sick. No white sugar, No White Flour and No Dairy. All of those can contribute to inflammation.

She also shared something that I confess I had never heard of. She suggests cutting an onion in half and leaving it on a plate right near the head of the bed.

Environment

It is very important to avoid secondhand smoke. If you are someplace where the air is dry, or in SF you have turned the heat on, consider using a humidifier at night. Make sure you keep it clean and turn it off during the day. Running it 24/7 can create a mold situation.

It is fairly common for parents to call us, incredibly frustrated when their kids seem be sick all the time. It makes sense when you think about it. If they are depleted from illness number one, when illness number two comes around they are more vulnerable. Everyone is being exposed to so much this season. I have patients who actually have more than one illness at a time. RSV and Flu together seems to be a popular combination at the moment. Unfortunately most viral syndromes simply take time. Antibiotics are NOT useful for a virus.

If you are stuck in a cycle of catching one thing after another and the above suggestions haven’t helped, explore your options and see if you can keep your child out of daycare for a week or so. Sometimes that break makes a big difference.

Don’t forget to swap out the toothbrush or put it in the dishwasher.

* Muggala Guggala - 1 cup milk, 1 Tbsp of butter, 2 Tbsp honey - heated in a saucepan.

PS Mama Jaime chimed in to share that she has found that Thrive Market is a good place to get many of these supplements at a good price.