Swine Flu, it's in all of the headlines and maybe already in a neighborhood near you.  What can you do to insure that it passes you by, short of stock piling Tamiflu?  Our systems are assaulted on a daily basis with various viruses, bacterias and fungi.  The stronger the immune system, the less chance of infection and sickness.  There are several things currently in the marketplace that helps boost your immune system that doesn't require a doctors prescription. 

Vitamin D deficiency has been gaining awareness in medical circles for a few years.  We make Vitamin D by taking in sunlight.  As the incidences of skin cancer has risen and we've shied away from the sun or slathered on sunscreen, we've been reducing our vitamin D.  Vitamin D is essential in bone, cardiovascular, cognitive, nervous system and most importantly immune health.  Studies indicate that populations with limited sunlight exposure or vitamin D deficiency have been found to have weakened immune systems compared to populations with greater exposure to direct sunlight.  Today, scientists worldwide have described an urgent need to raise the daily recommendation to as much as 1,000-2,000 i.u. per day, without additional testing.  Vitamin D levels should be tested.  If vitamin D levels are too high it could cause hypercalcemia. 

Vitamin C is another great vitamin that can help boost the immune system.  In general taking about 1,000mg of vitamin C is a baseline to consume.  Too much Vitamin C at once or a more non-absorbable form can cause some gastric upset.  The buffered Vitamin C is in ascorbate form.  Ascorbic Acid is the from of Vitamin C that tends to cause gastric upset.  However, by slowly increasing the amount of Vitamin C you take, it can lessen the GI upset. 

A final recommendation to help boost the immune system is mushrooms.  Not the white button mushrooms you cook with and not those funny psychedelic ones from the 60's.  A favorite combination contains Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum), Shiitake (Lentinus edodes), Fu-Ling (Poria cocos), Turkey Tail Mushroom (Coriolus versicolor), Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus), Cordyceps (Paecilomyces hepiali), Maitake (Grifola frondosa).  These mushrooms can help at a cellular level and promote a healthy immune response. 

If you have any of the symptoms reported on television that include high fever, body aches, headaches, coughing, sore throat, diarrhea, vomiting, fatigue and chills, please seek medical attention.  All these immune boosting things are good, but it doesn't take the place of seeking medical attention when you are truly sick.