What to Eat to Prevent the Flu
Are there foods and nutrients that can help bolster your defenses against the flu? Nutrition Diva sorts the facts from fiction—plus one criticial factor that’s often overlooked.
Monica Reinagel, MS, LD/N, CNS
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What to Eat to Prevent the Flu
This has been one of the worst flu seasons in a decade—and there are plenty of nasty coughs and colds going around as well. Is there anything you can do—nutrition wise—to bolster your defenses?
Does Red Wine Protect Against the Flu?
For example, you may have seen the story that went viral last week claiming that drinking wine can keep you from getting the flu. Alas, this was another example of headline writers run amok. In fact, after I posted their original headline (“Drinking wine will stop you from getting flu”) as a particularly egregious example, the UK’s Independent updated their headline to one that’s slightly less untrue. (“Drinking tea and wine could keep flu at bay”). But only slightly.
Guess what the study in question did not involve? Wine. That’s right. No wine was harmed (or even consumed) in the course of this particular study. No tea, either, for that matter. The researchers were testing the effects of resveratrol, a compound found in wine but also in tea, grape juice, and peanuts. The experiments were being done on mice. And the resveratrol did not keep the mice from getting the flu, because all of the unfortunate mice in this study already had the flu. But the resveratrol did seem to help the mice fight off the infection.
This is not the first study to suggest that resveratrol might be useful in fighting influenza and other viruses, by the way. There’s even research to suggest that moderate consumption of red wine could reduce the chances of catching the common cold.
See also: Is Drinking Alcohol Good For You?
But should you come down with the flu, drinking wine is not recommended. For one thing, you’d probably die of alcohol poisoning long before you got to the amount of resveratrol tested in these studies. Meanwhile, drinking alcoholic beverages will dehydrate you, which is going to make you feel worse, not better. If you want to increase your resveratrol, drink tea or grape juice or eat peanuts. It may not help, but it probably won’t hurt.
Can Vitamin D Protect Against the Flu?
Taking a vitamin D supplement could offer modest protection against the flu. Examining studies involving more than 10,000 people, researchers found that taking a vitamin D supplement reduced cold and flu infections by about ten percent. Among those who were low in vitamin D, however, taking a supplement reduced infection by a much more encouraging 50%.
Vitamin D is inexpensive, exceedingly safe, and has other benefits such as helping build strong bones. And low vitamin D levels are extremely common, especially during winter—otherwise known as flu season. Although it’s not a magic bullet, I’d say a vitamin D supplement is a no-brainer.
Can Probiotics Protect Against the Flu?
Probiotic foods and supplements might also offer a bit of extra protection. A review of about a dozen studies found that probiotic supplements could cut your risk of cold and flu almost in half and trim a few days off your recovery to boot. The caveat here is that the available studies aren’t of the best quality. Also, they weren’t all testing the same probiotic. There are thousands of strains of friendly bacteria out there, and they don’t all have the same benefits. Some might be better at protecting against infection than others.
This is why my strategy is to eat a variety of probiotic foods, including yogurt, kefir, miso, and fermented vegetables. The more different probiotic foods you consume, the wider the variety of microbes and the better your chances of getting the right ones. In fact, some studies suggest that the diversity of your gut population may be more important than which specific bug you have on board.
But once you’ve stocked the pond, you need to be sure to feed the fish (as it were). And that’s why it’s important to eat plenty of prebiotic foods as well. Those include legumes, nuts, whole grains, and other sources of fiber that provide sustenance for those friendly bacteria.
The Most Important Way to Protect Yourself
Whenever flu season comes around, I get lots of questions about which foods and nutrients will help build up our immune response. But I think we often focus too much on bolstering our immune system and not enough on reducing the number of bugs our immune systems will need to protect us from.
By far, the most effective strategy for reducing your risk of getting sick is to limit contact with sick people. This is easier said than done. Unfortunately, a lot of people continue to go to work and school, attend social events, concerts, and movies, and board planes, even when they aren’t feeling well. If you are getting sick, you can do your boss, clients, customers, students, teachers, friends, and neighbors a huge favor by staying out of public—especially during the first three or four days of your illness, when you are likely to be most contagious.
My strategy is to eat a variety of probiotic foods, including yogurt, kefir, miso, and fermented vegetables.
If someone in your household gets sick, there’s only so much you can do to keep your distance. But at least you have the advantage of knowing that they are sick. Try to avoid sharing cups, glasses, and even hand towels and dish towels. Keep a canister of disinfecting wipes on the counter in the kitchen and bathroom and wipe down surfaces regularly until everyone is feeling better.
How Employers Could Help Reduce Flu
Employers, teachers, and pastors could help reduce the rate of flu infection by actively encouraging people not to drag themselves to work, school, or church when they are sick. You are not a hero for showing up to the meeting and infecting everyone there. I also wish businesses with strict cancellation policies would consider a more lenient policy during active flu season, so that people aren’t showing up sick for their appointments in order to avoid forfeiting their fees. I realize that this clemency could be abused. But I think having employees and customers show up sick ultimately costs businesses way more than having a couple of healthy people calling in sick.
Unfortunately, not everyone sees it this way. And a good percentage of the people you will come into contact with this week are going to be sick. Flu and cold viruses travel through the air, so if you notice someone coughing or sneezing, try to keep your distance. If they are not polite (or aware) enough to cover their coughs and sneezes properly (that is, NOT with their hands), then try to cover your nose and mouth with a scarf or tissue.
Germs can also be transferred from contaminated surfaces to your nose, mouth, and eyes via your hands. Hand sanitizing gels are better than nothing but, believe it or not, careful hand-washing is the best way to decontaminate your hands—so take advantage of every opportunity. And take heart. The flu season usually begins to abate in early spring, which is just a few weeks away.
Image of woman with the flu © Shutterstock
About the Author
Monica Reinagel is a board-certified licensed nutritionist, author, and the creator of one of iTunes’ most highly ranked health and fitness podcasts. Her advice is regularly featured on the TODAY show, Dr. Oz, NPR, and in the nation’s leading newspapers, magazines, and websites. Do you have a nutrition question? Call the Nutrition Diva listener line at 443-961-6206. Your question could be featured on the show.