Just Ask Terry

Terry is happy to provide his opinion on diet and nutrition, supplements and lifestyle choices. This information is for educational purposes only. It is not meant to replace the advice of your physician and is not to be considered medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Should you have any concerns please contact your physician directly.

Q. Dear Terry, “I have a very weak immune system. I catch everything that goes around. Is there something you can recommend to strengthen my immune system? And what can I take when I do get a bad cold to keep it from lingering on for weeks?” —Sharon A, Sioux Falls, SD A. Dear Sharon, First, if you are catching an abnormal amount of colds, flu, etc. you may need to check in with your healthcare professional to determine if there is an underlying cause for your poor immune system function. For example, anemia and type 2 diabetes are sometimes diagnosed from an initial complaint of weak immune system, so first determine if there is an underlying illness. Once you have determined that there isn’t an underlying problem, you can concentrate on nutritionally rebuilding your immune system, and I can recommend several natural products to assist you in this endeavor. You may have to experiment a bit to find exactly the right combination for you, but here are some suggestions to get you started. For daily use, I like a combination of black currant and elderberry, plus zinc, selenium, lactobacillus sporogenes and lactoferrin. All of these ingredients have anti-viral, antibacterial, or immune supportive properties. If you feel the symptoms of a cold or flu coming on, try a combination of two herbs – pelargonium and andrographis. Each of them has been shown in clinical trials to reduce the severity and length of colds and the flu. I also highly recommend chemotyped plant oils. Oil of oregano is an amazing antibacterial oil that can both help protect you against upper respiratory infections and aid in recovering more quickly if you do find yourself getting ill. If you suffer from sinus infections or sinusitis, you may want to try oils from eucalyptus and myrtle. These plant oils help unclog sinuses and help you breath more easily. Make sure you only buy chemotyped plant oils (look for this phrase on the label) as these are the only oils that are tested and safe for internal use. There are many more options for natural immune support out there. Give a few of these suggestions a try and I think you will be amazed at the results.