photo credit: photographerpandora

 

People who follow a diet rich in the mineral Selenium, which is found naturally in Brazil nuts, cereals, meat and fish, could be less likely than others to experience severe influenze H1N1 (Swine Flu) symptoms. Studies suggest that viruses become more virulent in those who are selenium-deficient, causing more severe, longer-lasting symptoms (1).

 

Unfortunately, the UK’s Selenium intake has fallen well below the Government’s reference level of 75mcg/day for men and 60mcg/day for women. Average UK intakes are in the region of 34mcg/day (2). This raises fears that Britons are at increased risk of experiencing more severe influenza H1N1 (Swine Flu).

 

Medical nutritionist and independent advisor to Healthspan, Dr Sarah Brewer suggests that people can potentially reduce the severity of viral infections by increasing their intake of Selenium-rich foods or by taking a *Selenium supplement. If choosing a Selenium supplement Dr Sarah recommends finding a selenium yeast supplement which is widely regarded as the international gold standard quality due to its high bioavailability.

 

Dr Sarah Brewer comments: “I believe that the reason why the severity of Swine Flu infections in the US is reduced could be attributed to the fact that, as a nation, their Selenium intake levels are adequate. Lack of Selenium is now recognised as a ‘driving force’ for influenza virus mutations (3), which may explain why so many new, pathogenic influenza viruses emerge from Asia, where Selenium intakes are among the lowest in the world.”

 

Henrietta Norton, Healthspan’s senior nutritionist, said: “Selenium is often referred to as the ‘miracle mineral’ and although it’s only required in very small amounts, it’s vital to our health being essential for the body’s antioxidant enzyme defences. Of course, nothing will truly guarantee protection against a severe infection such as Swine Flu, however supplementing the diet with Selenium could enhance the body’s immune system, helping fight against infection as well as potentially reducing the severity of an infection.”

 

* Healthspan’s Selenium Yeast Tablets 200mcg with Vitamins A, C & E, offers a powerful antioxidant combination that can help the body combat the cell damaging effects of free radicals attributed to an influenza/flu infection.  These are available on www.healthspan.co.uk or by calling freephone 0800 73 123 77. They cost £5.45 for 180 tablets and £9.95 for 360.

 

References

(1) M.A. Beck et al. 2001. Selenium deficiency increases the pathology of an influenza virus infection, FASEB J. 15:1481–1483.; H.K. Nelson et al. 2001. Host nutritional selenium status as a driving force for influenza virus mutations, FASEB J. 15:1846–1848.

(2) Rayman MP 1997. Dietary selenium: time to act. BMJ 314:387-388

(3) Beck MA et al. 2004. Host nutritional status: the neglected virulence factor. Trends in Microbiology 12; 9:417-423

 

About Healthspan:

 

Healthspan was established in 1996 and is the UK’s leading home shopping supplier of vitamins, minerals and health supplements. Based in Guernsey, Healthspan offer pure, pharmaceutical grade vitamins and supplements, at permanently low, tax-free prices, direct to your door at no extra charge.

Every Healthspan product is formulated to the highest pharmaceutical standards and produced using only the purest (pharmacist approved) ingredients, in independently inspected and approved premises. For further information please visit www.healthspan.co.uk or freephone their customer service number on 0800 73 123 77.

 

Technorati Tags: Conditions and Diseases, Health, Immune system, Infectious disease, Influenza, Influenza A virus subtype H1N1, Swine influenza, Virus

27 million of us will be taking to the roads this Christmas but the traffic jams on the way could be the least of our concerns.

The 19^th December is predicted to be the busiest day of the year on the roads with most travellers doing an average of 121 miles and several hours. But with 1 in 10 of us already suffering from a cold or flu, it might not just be the traffic that’s congested this Christmas.

New research from Kleenex Anti-Viral shows that 99% of us are unaware that the car is a cold and flu germ breeding ground, despite all the signs of a high risk environment: limited air circulation, closer confinement and questionable, flu-spreading habits.

For example, over half of us admit to leaving our used tissues in the car for longer than a day and only 30% clean them out once a month, leading to a build up of used tissues in car doors and footwells. Furthermore, with 55% of our kids using their sleeve or hand to wipe their noses, after a long car journey we could all find ourselves sneezing into our Christmas puddings.

Famous family GP and mother of three Dr. Dawn Harper, says: “When you’re heading to your relatives’ for your Christmas turkey it’s easy to forget what you might be passing on – or even catching – germs along the way. We all forget to take preventative measures when ferrying the family around in the car but it takes just one sneeze in a car environment to release millions of airborne germs”.

Dr. Harper continues: “Germs can remain virulent for up to 24 hours, even in a used tissue, but it is not always easy or practical to throw away a tissue immediately when you are driving. An easy way to protect your kids against cold and flu germs in the car is therefore to use an anti-viral tissue that kills 99.9 per cent of major cold and flu viruses in a tissue.

Here are her tips for protecting families against seasonal sniffles:

• Practice coughing etiquette – use a disposable tissue (preferably an anti-viral one) and remember to dispose of it as soon as you can.
• Open windows to increase ventilation and reduce humidity (this will reduce the risk of airborne viruses(
• If you have a virus, avoid travelling.
• Wash your hands when you get out of the car, and don’t touch your mouth before doing so.
• Get plenty of sleep and exercise, drink lots of water, and eat a nutritious diet.

Technorati Tags: Christmas, Dawn Harper, Family, Health, Infectious disease, Influenza, Kleenex, The Doors, Virus