Flu season is right around the corner, and health officials are already ringing the alarm. It’s not that the flu is expected to be particularly dangerous this year; instead, there’s another severe virus circulating.
It’s called COVID-19. You might have heard of it.
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The worry comes from the fact that symptoms can be confusing, and it has the potential to overburden the healthcare system.
The flu might be common, but it’s dangerous. In fact, many people overlook just how deadly it can be. American deaths are generally in the tens of thousands each year. Not like how COVID-19 has ravaged the country, yet nothing to scoff at either.
This powerful antioxidant is necessary for energy production in cells, yet it requires a host of other vitamins to function effectively. Deficiency in one of them may impair CoQ10 function.
CoQ10 levels naturally decline with age. Flu risk and severity can increase with age. Finding ways to keep CoQ10 levels high may help improve and support your immune health.
A small 2018 study found that people with acute influenza had lower levels of CoQ10 than healthy controls. There also seemed to be a correlation between symptom severity and CoQ10 status in patients suffering from a flu.
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So, how can you boost CoQ10 and support your immune system?
- Eat pork, chicken, and beef.
- Have at least two servings of fatty fish per week. Options include trout, herring, and sardines.
- Eat plenty of vegetables like spinach, cauliflower, and broccoli.
- Snack on oranges, strawberries, and peanuts.
- Include legumes like lentils and beans into your weekly diet.
- Supplement with ubiquinol.
- Make sure you’re hitting daily targets for vitamins B6, C, B2, B3, B5, B12, and folic acid. All of these nutrients are required for CoQ10 to work properly.
A well-balanced healthful diet can help you acquire all these nutrients, plus others that can boost immune health to reduce the severity of a flu virus.
Nutrition, of course, is not a replacement for the flu shot. If you’re over 60, getting the shot is highly recommended.
Mohan Garikiparithi got his degree in medicine from Osmania University (University of Health Sciences). He practiced clinical medicine for over a decade before he shifted his focus to the field of health communications. During his active practice he served as the head of the Dept. of Microbiology in a diagnostic centre in India. On a three-year communications program in Germany, Mohan developed a keen interest in German Medicine (Homoeopathy), and other alternative systems of medicine. He now advocates treating different medical conditions without the use of traditional drugs. An ardent squash player, Mohan believes in the importance of fitness and wellness.
