Remember the last time you had the flu? It started with a few innocent sniffles, a runny nose, and maybe a little congestion. Perhaps you had a bit of a cough too. A few hours later, while dabbing at your nose with a tissue, you began to feel a little fever come on. And then, oh boy, a few more hours and the real symptoms hit, you felt achy all over and really weak. A short while after that, all you wanted to do was go home and sleep, and maybe drink some hot liquid, if you had the energy. When the weakness lifted, you were still coughing and your throat was sore, your respiratory passages were irritated, and you were suffering from painful sinus congestion. Your irritated respiratory tract continued creating more mucous, which meant more coughing and more achy sinus congestion. If you were counting the days, then you noticed that no matter what you did the last of the symptoms hung around for an interminable 10 days.
Wouldn’t it be nice if you could reduce the symptoms of the flu to a day or two? Of course there’s the flu shot, but what if the annual vaccine fails to immunize against the new strain? Or what if, as sometimes happens, you get the flu anyway? The good news is you can take steps to reduce the symptoms of the flu and other viral respiratory illnesses. Just listen to this story of a health supplement user who recently came down with a viral illness.
“Last week I felt the first symptoms of the flu. It started with a runny nose and a whole body achy feeling. When I’ve had symptoms like these in the past, they usually presaged the start of a protracted illness, but this time I began taking two natural health supplements and the symptoms lifted within 2 days! As soon as I felt the flu coming on, I started an all natural body detox formula twice a day, and backed it up with an antioxidant formula three times a day. Within a day and 1/2 of starting the supplements, my symptoms were gone. No bodily weakness, no systemic aches and pains, and no extended respiratory tract mucous, pain and coughing. Instead of 10 days of misery, I had 1 1/2 days of minor symptoms, and I didn’t even miss a single day of work!” (T.)
OK, so what’s the scoop? What do body-detox formulas and antioxidants have to do with beating the flu? Good question, which deserves an answer. Our body is constantly assaulted with toxins in the environment. Whether we like it or not, the very air we breathe is filled with chemicals from cigarette smoke, factory emissions, car emissions, etc. The foods we eat contain additives, and we are bombarded day in and day out with exposure to microbes and viruses. The organs of our body are naturally gifted with the ability to excrete these intruders, but doing that requires an expenditure of energy. Modern man is especially challenged by toxins because there are so many more today than when man first walked the planet. The constant drain of energy from fighting the noxious intruders leaves the body weakened, and when a new infection comes along, we are unable to mount the best defense, which results in a protracted and severe illness.
When a health enthusiast gets infected, however, he knows to grab for a natural detox formula. The formula activates the GI tract to rid the body of toxins, and stimulates the circulation to carry toxins from the liver and other organs of the body to the kidneys, where they are naturally eliminated. As the toxins exit the body, the user is able to mobilize more energy to fight the current infection, hence the shorter duration.
But why take antioxidants? The reason is that the flu virus damages cells of the respiratory tract by initiating self destructive inflammatory reactions. The virus destroys cells simply by stimulating the body to produce oxidants, chemicals which are used to fight the virus, but which also damage the lining of the respiratory tract. The body also produces neutralizing antioxidants; however, during an infection, the production of oxidants overwhelms the ability of the body to neutralize the damaging chemicals being produced, and and this can cause severe damage to our mucous membranes. This destruction leads to mucous formation, cough, sinus congestion, and the possibility of a microbial supra-infection, which can enter through the weakened respiratory tract.
When a natural health savvy person gets infected, on the other hand, he knows to grab for a natural antioxidant supplement. Scientific studies have provided strong evidence that ingesting antioxidants can lessen flu symptoms and shorten the course of the infection. So this winter, make sure to have a body detox formula and supply of natural antioxidants handy, and ward off the flu right from the start.
Resources:
http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/ health/Antioxidants_offered_ as_flu_fighter_20091103
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029125538.htm