Why Your Favorite Immune Boosters Might Be Worthless

Feeling under the weather? Most people have a few tricks up their sleeve to help fend off or treat the common cold, but did you know things like orange juice and store bought chicken soup may actually make matters worse? Never fear, Real Food is here!

Myth: Orange juice boosts the immune system

Orange juice, store bought and fresh squeezed, is loaded with sugar; and sugar feeds the germs that are making you sick. On top of that, the amount of vitamin C you are getting in store bought juice is simply not reliable and will vary based on what climate the oranges originated, how the juice was processed, and the materials used for packaging your OJ.

Instead of orange juice, boost your immunity daily with kombucha, a traditionally fermented beverage made from black tea and sugar magically transformed with the help of a SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) into a probiotic rich beverage teeming with bioavailable nutrients like vitamin C and B vitamins that your body needs to stay well. The probiotic elements of kombucha help to populate your digestive system with healthy bacteria, and a healthy gut is essential to a healthy immune system. Kombucha is super easy to make at home and can be found at many well-stocked health food stores in the refrigerator section.

Myth: Chicken soup is the cure for the common cold

Chicken soup is in fact a panacea for many things, but there’s one catch: You need to make the chicken soup from scratch to benefit from the healing properties of the broth and avoid the refined salt, preservatives, and chemicals of canned or cartoned soup. Luckily this is much easier than it may seem, and you can freeze large quantities of homemade chicken stock or soup for future use.

For a variation on mom’s chicken noodle, try starting your family’s day with a cup of miso soup to ward of winter illnesses. This healing drink, traditional to Asian cultures, delivers a medley of medicinal foods including bone broth, fermented miso, scallions, and ginger that ward off illness and protect the immune system. In its fermented form, the soy of miso is health-supporting, not a detriment, and consumed in the morning, a cup of miso broth can be a great substitute for the typical caffeinated coffee or tea.

Quick and Easy Miso Soup

• Boil 1 quart chicken stock or fish stock. (In a bind, you can just use filtered water (click here for a good filter)
• Toss in a small handful of dried wakame (high in minerals)
• Blend in 2-3 tablespoons unpasteurized miso to taste (used in Chinese medicine to support digestion and adrenal function)
• Top with finely chopped scallions (used to protect against catching a cold) or a grating of fresh ginger (to support digestive health).  Serves 4-6

Myth: The BRAT diet is the best way to recover from a tummy bug

You may have heard that when recovering from a stomach flu, diarrhea, or food poisoning, you should limit your diet to bananas, rice, applesauce and toast.  Truth is, the BRAT diet is a great way to fuel more tummy aches by feeding your body sugar and improperly prepared grains.  The best food for healing your tummy is homemade broth. The gelatin in the warm liquid heals and soothes the lining of the digestive tract, while the much needed minerals and hydration are delivered with ease.

Another great option for recovery from an upset tummy or other illness is congee. Eaten throughout China as a breakfast staple, congee is a thin porridge made from a small handful of rice or other grains cooked in 5-10 times the amount of water (I prefer chicken stock).  Cook in a covered pot for 4-6 hours on the lowest flame possible.  A slow cooker works great.  It is better to use more liquid than too little, and it is said that the longer congee cooks the more powerful it becomes.  Congee strengthens and harmonizes the digestion, and it helps the body to recover from weakness and illness.  For the very weak, offer just the liquid from the congee to start.  Add other ingredients for their therapeutic values and your taste preferences.

• Millet – (Instead of rice) Soothes indigestion, morning sickness, alkaline forming
• Carrot, fennel – digestive aid, reduces abdominal gas
• Chicken – For recovery from ‘wasting’ illnesses
• Ginger – ‘Warms’ digestion for diarrhea, poor appetite, nausea, vomiting.
• Leek – Chronic diarrhea
• Yogurt and Honey – Benefits heart and lungs

Myth: My multi-vitamin will protect me against disease

Probably not. It’s more likely that you pee out most of those expensive vitamins and minerals every day in the toilet. A better insurance plan against illness is eating nutrient-dense Real Foods every day. In addition, a daily supplementation of fermented cod liver oil and a high-quality probiotic (you can get them online) will give your immune system the nutrients and beneficial bacteria it needs. Read more about why fermented cod liver oil here. If you still find yourself feeling under the weather, here’s a game plan to execute at the earliest sign of a throat tickle or fuzzy head:

• Rest! – The #1 gift you can give your hard-working immune system is sleep, so don’t over-do it, especially when your feeling run down.
• Hydrate with kombucha, broth, and filtered water with a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of sea salt for added electrolytes and optimal absorption. Avoid juice (too much sugar) and caffeinated drinks that will cause dehydration.
• Vitamin C – If you’re already starting to feel sick, an extra shot of vitamin C can help halt your progression to illness. Continue drinking your kombucha, and adults can take up to 2-4 grams supplemental of vitamin C per day to fend off cold or flu. For a child, 500 – 1500 mg.
• Vitamin D is probably the single most effective supplement for cold and flu prevention. The best ways to get your D are soaking up sunshine on a regular basis and supplementing with fermented cod liver oil. If your levels are low, you may need to take an extra boost of D to curtail an oncoming illness. Take a mega high dose of vitamin D3 for no more than 3 days (you can read about it in this post)  – or just take extra fermented cod liver oil until your symptoms resolve.
• Herbs – Chinese herbs can fend off everything from a sore or itchy throat to a mounting cough. Yin Chiao San is a popular formula available at many health food stores for early sore throats. Gan mao ling can help with mixed patterns including more head cold symptoms.  Talk to your holistic practitioner and stock up your under-the-weather arsenal in advance.

This post was generously contributed to Nourished Kitchen by Emily of Holistic Kid. Emily is a licensed acupuncturist practicing in Los Angeles and her areas of expertise include traditional Chinese medicine, preconception and fertility coaching as well as extensive work in holistic pediatric care.  

Photo Credit.