Free shipping on all orders over $125*
Synbiotic Blend of 10 Beneficial Strains, Developed by Board-Certified Gastroenterologist

flu

8 steps to protect yourself from the flu

8 Easy Steps to Protect Yourself From The Flu

8 Easy Steps to Protect Yourself From The Flu

 

Are you far from ready for the 2023-24 flu season? These easy-to-follow steps can go a long, long way to protect you.

 

With the extreme heat of the summer finally fading away and the kids getting back to school, the CDC has already begun its annual campaign of dos and don’ts for the 2023-24 flu season.

 

That’s no surprise, considering last year’s unique “tripledemic” problems with the flu, RSV and the recent strains of COVID-19. What’s more, we may experience an earlier-than-usual flu season that may peak sooner just like last year, according to experts at Johns Hopkins.

 

The good news: Many of you are more prepared than usual, and have already scheduled appointments to get vaccinated for the flu, COVID-19 and RSV.

 

But keeping current on vaccines alone won’t protect you and your family entirely from the flu or any other respiratory virus. Fortunately, there’s a lot more you can do to protect your health from the flu. Here are 8 steps that can help you do just that!

 

Follow these 8 steps to protect your family from the flu

 

  1. Avoid close contact with people who are sick. (Do your part to protect your loved ones if you’re sick by keeping your distance too.)
  2. Wash your hands often with plain soap and water thoroughly for at least 20 seconds. (When you can’t access soap and water, use a hand sanitizer formulated with at least 70 percent isopropyl alcohol.)
  3. Do your best to keep surfaces at work and home as clean as you can. (The flu virus can live on hard surfaces for a long while, according to the Mayo Clinic.)
  4. Get the right amount of sleep you need every night. (Sleep is one of the easiest and best things you can do to stay healthy!)
  5. Don’t even think about asking your family doctor for an antibiotic to treat a case of the flu. (It’s completely unnecessary if you follow these steps.)
  6. Drink plenty of water. (Don’t overdo it with caffeine-heavy drinks like coffee, carbonated beverages and energy drinks.)
  7. Keep moving by incorporating some form of exercise in your daily routine. (Even walking makes a difference!)
  8. Pay close attention to your emotions and stress levels, and give yourself the gift of free time every day. (Stepping away from the world for just 30 minutes of peace and quiet helps.)

 

All of these simple steps also serve one very important purpose: Protecting the health of your gut, the center of your immune system. We also know that life can get in the way of the best-laid plans, especially during the busy fall and winter months when the flu and other bugs are swimming around us.

That’s why we remind you to take a probiotic, ideally containing multiple strains of proven, beneficial bacteria along with a prebiotic that feeds the good bacteria in your gut like EndoMune Advanced Probiotic.

 

 

 

Resources

AARP

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

CDC

Cleveland Clinic

 

 

 

8 Easy Steps to Protect Yourself From The Flu Read More »

Healthy Gut Protocol Instructions

Your Gut Healthy Protocol During the Coronavirus Holiday Season

It’s THAT time of year when our thoughts turn to the holidays and celebrating the end of the old year and the start of a brand new one.

But this holiday season is unlike any other in recent memory, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic.

During the Thanksgiving break, the CDC asked Americans to stay put and not travel. So far, there are no indications that future advisories from federal health officials will change very much at least in the short term.

With families staying at home as much as possible and limiting their contact to very small groups of people — appropriately distanced, of course — the last thing you should be worried about is your gut health, right?

Wrong. Here are 3 reasons why you should be:

How are you sleeping?

The health of your gut (and your body) is affected by shifts in your body’s circadian eat-sleep-wake cycles.

Disturbing that schedule — anything from long work hours to getting to know your new PS5 — messes up those natural processes the gut performs on its own while you’re sleeping.

Getting the sleep you need and sticking with a schedule matters, along with eating enough prebiotics, a natural part of whole foods ranging from onions to almonds and jicama.

How are your emotions?

Because many of you are staying home and glued to your work desk (or that shiny new PS5 next to your TV), your emotions may be up, down or all around depending on your mood and the time of day.

It’s certainly understandable, given that we live for our human connections to the outside world.

Maintaining the vital connection that links your brain, intestines, and emotions — your gut-brain axis — helps you regulate those stressors naturally and effectively.

How’s your diet?

If you’re staying home a lot more, your once healthy and balanced diet may have fallen by the wayside, in favor of more highly processed foods full of sugar — real or artificial — and chemicals that disrupt the critical balance of good bacteria in your gut.

5 ways to protect your immune system

This trio of variables all leads up to one very serious problem: A disrupted immune system that can leave you very vulnerable to an array of health problems.

What’s more, a growing number of experts all over the world are coming around to the belief that gut health is the key, not only to stay healthy in the good times, but to reduce your risk of respiratory infections too.

With all of this in mind, here’s your updated gut-health protocol to help you and your family stay safe during this coronavirus holiday season:

  1. Keep the surfaces in your bathrooms and kitchens as clean as possible.
  2. Get on a sleep schedule and stick to it. (Put the PS5 in the closet when you’re not using it.)
  3. About schedules: Take breaks for healthy, balanced meals away from the TV or computer screens and get a little exercise. Even a short walk with your dog helps!
  4. Keep those hands clean with plain soap and water. No antibacterial soap necessary!
  5. Give your gut health a much-needed boost by taking a probiotic, ideally containing multiple strains of beneficial bacteria.

Although your gut is a diverse environment that requires an array of species to do countless things behind the scenes, lots of probiotics still rely on one strain of beneficial bacteria to do the heavy lifting. Simply, these single-strain probiotics just aren’t up to the job.

Our multi-strain probiotic, like EndoMune Advanced Probiotic, is fortified with 10 strains of beneficial bacteria from the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium families, plus a prebiotic (FOS) that feed the good bacteria in your gut.

Protecting your gut by following our updated protocol will help you stay healthy through the holidays and to a better 2021.

References

Microorganisms

Frontiers in Psychiatry

PNAS

Gut Microbiota For Health

UNC Health/WRAL.com

Current Pharmaceutical Design

 

 

Your Gut Healthy Protocol During the Coronavirus Holiday Season Read More »

Graphic with healthy habits for flu season: 1. wash your hands often 2. Cover nose and mouth 3. Pay attention to overall health 4. Get your flu shot 5. Take a probiotic

Take a Probiotic During This Dangerous Cold/Flu Season!

Are you REALLY prepared for the cold and flu season?

Depending on where you live in the United States, the flu season has already arrived much earlier than expected, and with a vengeance — spreading even more quickly in the Southern states.

Experts believe the flu season may peak much earlier than usual. As of now, more than 1.7 million cases have been diagnosed so far, according to the CDC — because one of the viruses now in circulation (a B/Victoria strain) usually doesn’t spread until Spring.

The signs point to many Americans being sick with the flu at the same time, leading some experts to suggest preparing for the worst.

We’re already in the “season” when we spend more time inside than outside. And, our respiratory systems are dealing with changes in humidity, thus creating opportunities for sore throats, and runny noses.

Fortunately, there are a lot of simple things you can do to protect and fortify your health during the cold and flu season.

Follow these healthy habits!

  1. Wash your hands often, especially during the cold and flu season. Avoid using soaps, toothpastes or shampoos containing antimicrobial chemicals like triclosan.
  2. When you’re sneezing or coughing, cover your nose and mouth.
  3. Pay attention to your overall health. Get the right amount of rest, keep stress at a minimum, stay active and eat nutritious foods.
  4. Be sure to get the flu shot, even now!

But, are you taking a probiotic too?

Improve your immune system!

There are good reasons for taking a probiotic, especially if you’re older. However, one of the most important reasons for taking a probiotic right now is boosting your immunity to the flu.

Based on a systematic review of studies, researchers concluded taking a probiotic or a prebiotic anywhere from 2-28 weeks, boosted the overall effect of receiving a flu shot — especially when taken for longer periods of time and by healthy older folks, too.

Take fewer antibiotics!

Patients and health professionals rely way too much on antibiotics. People fall back on antibiotics for many health problems, and doctors are all too happy to write prescriptions for them.

Yet, the CDC estimates about 47 million prescriptions written every year for antibiotics are completely unnecessary, raising the risks that when you really need them, they will not work as they’re intended.

However, a recent economic modeling study found taking probiotics may be the better (and safer) option to fight flu-like infections.

A daily probiotic could save the American economy (and your pocketbook directly) as much as $1.4 BILLION, not to mention decreasing the need for antibiotic prescriptions by at least 1.39 million.

Protect your kids!

When it comes to the immune health of your kids during the cold and flu season, don’t forget to protect your little ones with probiotics too.

A team of Swedish researchers recently found giving young children a daily dose of probiotics (containing strains of Lactobacillus) in a day care setting was very beneficial in treating common cold infections, according to t a study appearing in the European Journal of Nutrition.

Not only did their severity of symptoms fall sharply, so did the use of medications, absences from day care and even fewer instances of fussiness and crying.

Maintain your good health by taking a probiotic!

I cannot stress enough that a healthy immune system is the foundation that will help to protect you when everyone else around you is fighting colds and the flu.

Following the steps I outlined above plus taking a daily probiotic containing multiple strains of beneficial bacteria can go a long way toward keeping you and your family healthy.

EndoMune Advanced Probiotic and EndoMune Jr. Advanced Probiotic feature strains of beneficial bacteria from the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium families plus a prebiotic (FOS) that feeds the good bugs in your gut.

References

NBC News

Nutrients

WebMD

CDC

Frontiers in Pharmacology

European Journal of Nutrition

McMaster University

Fast Company

Associated Press

Take a Probiotic During This Dangerous Cold/Flu Season! Read More »

Flu Season Ahead Sign

Are You Ready For The Flu Season? Take Your Probiotics!

Are you REALLY ready for the upcoming flu season?

Medical experts agree you can never be too careful — or too early — when it comes to being prepared for the flu season.

Preliminary numbers from the CDC estimate up to 43 million Americans were affected by the flu during the 2018-19 season and as many as 61,000 died from the flu.

If those early estimates of deaths attributed to the flu shock you, it’s an improvement on the 2017-18 season when some 79,000 Americans died.

The first takeaway for this article I cannot stress enough is to get your entire family vaccinated for the flu NOW. Please don’t put a flu shot off until it gets colder or even as late as Thanksgiving.

This advisory is especially true for seniors whose immune systems aren’t as robust as those of younger adults, according to the experts.

Plus, if you’re dealing with any of the risk factors associated with heart disease, protecting your body from the flu becomes far more important.

You may be six times more likely to experience a heart attack after being diagnosed with the flu, according to a 2018 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Help your gut and the flu shot do their work

The health of your gut plays a critical role in how well the flu shot does its work too.

Your gut can be an important anchor to a stronger, healthier immune system, until a very familiar culprit — broad-spectrum antibiotics — enters the picture, according to a very recent study appearing in the journal Cell.

Researchers from Stanford University and Emory University examined the effect broad-spectrum antibiotics plays in reducing the effect of the flu vaccine by testing 33 human subjects (ages 18-45) over two consecutive flu seasons.

In the first group of test subjects conducted over the 2014-15 flu season, exposure to antibiotics did the expected damage, reducing bacteria in the guts of patients by 10,000 fold. Also, the loss of bacterial diversity in the gut lasted for up to a year.

However, patients still had enough of the antibodies from the flu shot to protect them, suggesting exposure to current or previous vaccines may have been helpful.

So, researchers tried a different approach for a second group of 2015-16 subjects who hadn’t been vaccinated for the prior three years before the study, and the results were very different.

Like before, these newer patients lost huge amounts of their gut bacteria after receiving antibiotics, but this exposure also lowered levels of an antibody that reduced the immune response of one of the three virus strains contained in the vaccine, making patients more vulnerable to the flu.

But that’s not all…

Those who received antibiotics along with a flu shot showed signs of systemic inflammation only seen by researchers in seniors age 65 and older in a previous study. This inflammation mirrored a depletion of metabolites in the blood requiring help from the human gut to replenish.

These key metabolites (secondary bile acids) are responsible for easing inflammation process in the body’s immune system.

Probiotics to the rescue

As we know, probiotics are a great natural tool that may help in protecting your body from the flu. Did you know taking probiotics may mean taking fewer antibiotics and missing less work too?

Those are the key findings in a systematic review of studies conducted by the Cochrane Collective and York Health Economics Consortium, featured in Frontiers in Pharmacology.

Scientists were tasked with assessing how much the use of probiotics in the management of acute respiratory tract infections — from mild colds to the flu — would save Americans, and it’s a lot.

Based on increased productivity (using fewer sick days), taking fewer drugs and overall medical bills, Americans could save as much as $1.4 billion on their total health costs.

The only catch: Those savings apply if everyone takes probiotics regularly. No one enjoys having the flu, or taking an antibiotic that may do as much harm to your body as good.

Taking a probiotic, formulated with 10 strains of beneficial bacteria and a prebiotic that feeds the bugs in your gut, like EndoMune Advanced Probiotic may be a great way to avoid the doctor’s office during this flu season, but only after getting your annual flu shot!

Don’t forget to increase your child’s chances of avoiding the flu too with a daily dose of EndoMune Junior Advanced Chewable Probiotic, fortified with four essential strains of beneficial bacteria along with a prebiotic.

Are You Ready For The Flu Season? Take Your Probiotics! Read More »

Beat The Flu With Probiotics

If you and your family have stayed healthy throughout this latest flu season — one that many experts say may be one of the worst ever — consider yourselves lucky.

The huge majority of this year’s flu cases in America originates from the H3N2 strain, one that hit Australia hard last year, sending countless patients to hospitals and killing four times more people than the most recent five-year average for a flu season.

Also, treating the flu is very expensive for all of us, accounting for more than $27 billion annually in direct medical expenses and lost wages.

A very timely study appearing in Scientific Reports demonstrates how a single strain of beneficial bacteria may protect you from some of the worst symptoms of the influenza A virus and its many variations.

Scientists at Georgia State University treated mice with a proprietary strain of Lactobacillus casei (one of the 10 strains of beneficial bacteria used in EndoMune Advanced Probiotic) before infecting them with a lethal dose of the influenza A virus.

Surviving the flu

All of the mice that were treated with Lactobacillus casei survived their run-ins with influenza A, according to Dr. Sang-Moo Kang, lead study author and a professor at Georgia State’s Institute for Biomedical Sciences.

Among the survivors, their immune systems were strong enough to resist deadly primary and secondary strains of the flu and protect them from losing weight.

By comparison, the control mice that weren’t treated with Lactobacillus casei experienced severe weight loss within nine days after being infected with the flu, had 18 times more influenza virus in their tiny lungs and eventually died.

These results aren’t surprising, considering the findings of an older study that found treating patients with another proprietary strain of Lactobacillus after giving them a flu shot held onto a protective amount of the vaccine for at least four weeks.

Even if you hate getting a flu shot in the first place, there’s many simple steps you can take to boost your immune system, from washing your hands early and often with plain soap and water (no antibacterial soaps) to getting the right amount of sleep and staying hydrated.

Taking a multi-species probiotic with important strains of beneficial bacteria, like EndoMune Advanced Probiotic and EndoMune Junior Probiotic (for kids), can also be a safe and effective non-drug way to protect your family’s health from the flu too.

Beat The Flu With Probiotics Read More »

Research promising for probiotics in boosting immunity to hay fever

Taking a probiotic is one of the best and healthiest ways to strengthen your immune system naturally and safely, especially during the cold winter months when the flu virus spreads.

Boosting your immune system via probiotics may soon be a new method for treating common hay fever, according to a new study published by PLOS ONE.

A common condition that looks and feels like a cold, hay fever shares many of the symptoms – runny nose, itchy eyes, congestion, sneezing and sinus pressure – but isn’t triggered by a virus.

Previous research by the UK-based Institute of Food Research discovered a drink containing the probiotic strain of the Lactobacillus casei bacterium – one of the 10 beneficial bacteria contained in EndoMune – altered how test subjects reacted to exposure to grass pollen, as measured by microscopic changes in their collective immune systems.

Is Your Nose Itchy?

For this latest study, 60 participants were given daily drinks for 16 weeks during a season when hay fever wouldn’t affect their health or test results. One group consumed a drink with no probiotic bacterium, while the other was given the drink containing a proprietary strain of Lactobacillus casei. Blood and allergy tests were conducted before and after the 16-week period to measure reactions to pollen.

The study found that people who drank probiotics showed immunity changes in their blood and nasal cavities. Despite these changes, researchers were unable to find measurable effects on the symptoms of hay fever.

Researchers are considering another study conducted during the prime “allergy” season to measure reactions to more realistic exposures to pollen.

Can Probiotics Defeat Hay Fever?

Your body is under constant attack from all sorts of external stimuli, from superbugs to pollen swimming in the air, all of it revving up and depleting your immune system.

Taking a probiotic like EndoMune, with its multiple strains of beneficial bacteria, is the easiest and safest way to maintain a healthy balance of bacteria for good gut health.

Research promising for probiotics in boosting immunity to hay fever Read More »

Can Probiotics Help Protect Against the Flu?

What a wonderful time of the year! October is just the beginning of the cooler weather and the varied, inspiring fall colors. Beyond the changes in nature, it’s the time when we all begin to feel the spirit of the joyful holiday season, and gather closer with family and friends.

There is one drawback: fall also ushers in the flu season. In the next several weeks, the flu season will start. According to the latest CDC report, two states (Hawaii and Texas) already report a slight increase in flu cases.

Before we begin to unpack those seasonal decorations, we should all start taking precautions to avoid the flu – especially getting the flu vaccine. If you are prone to making excuses against the vaccine, here are some flu facts to keep in mind concerning the US population:

  • 5% to 20% of the population gets the flu
  • More than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu complications
  • About 23,500 people die from flu; 80% of such deaths occur in persons aged 65 years and older.

At this point you may be wondering why we are discussing the flu in monthly probiotic newsletter. Great question!

Probiotics are Effective Blockade

Recently, there have been some very interesting medical studies reviewing the benefits of probiotics with regard to the flu. More specifically, how a probiotic might lessen the risk of contracting the flu and/or decrease flu symptoms.

In one such experiment, orally administered lactobacilli bacteria successfully assisted the immune cells to produce antibodies within the bronchial airway(1). Another investigation found that giving probiotics two weeks before the flu vaccine injection increased the immune system’s antibody response, as compared to the placebo control group(2).

Two recent studies were conducted to specifically evaluate the benefits of taking probiotics during the flu season.

The first investigation was completed with 356 children ages 3-5 years old attending daycare(4). The children who took a probiotic twice a day (the other group took a placebo) experienced the following benefits:

  • More than two-thirds less fevers (72%)
  • 62% less coughs, and 59% less runny noses
  • Duration of illness was nearly HALF of that in the placebo group (48%)
  • Missed 38% less school days, and used 84% less antibiotics

The other study(5) was conducted on 250 healthy adults. Two different probiotic preparations were used, and there was also a control group who received a placebo. As compared to the control group, the two groups who consumed probiotics for 90 days during the cold and flu season experienced these astounding benefits:

  • 41% less number of infections
  • 25% less severity of infections
  • 25% decrease in the length of infections
  • 27% reduced days out from work.

What Can You Do to Avoid Getting the Flu This Season?

The single, most important step is to get the flu vaccine. A vaccine is your insurance against the flu – it may not stop contraction of the flu, but it will greatly decrease your symptoms, helping you to get healthy much more quickly.

Additionally, here are 5 healthy habits to avoid the flu:

  • Get at least 7 hours of sleep
  • Eat healthy, fruits and vegetables which help to support the immune system
  • Exercise and regular workouts enhance the immune system
  • Avoid crowds and people who are coughing and sneezing
  • Wash your hands or use sanitizers after touching public objects

And based on the findings from the studies discussed above, it is extremely worthwhile to add a good probiotic like EndoMune to your daily regimen.

Eat healthy, exercise and live well!
Dr. Hoberman

References:

(1) Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol. 1999 May-Aug;12(2):97-102.Influence of the  oral administration of lactic acid bacteria on iga producing cells associated to bronchus.Perdigon GAlvarez SMedina MVintiñi ERoux E

(2) Nutrition. 2007 Mar;23(3):254-60.Oral intake of Lactobacillus fermentum CECT5716 enhances the effects of influenza vaccination.Olivares MDíaz-Ropero MPSierra SLara-Villoslada FFonollá JNavas MRodríguez JMXaus J

(3) Effect of long term consumption of probiotic milk on infections in children attending day care centres: double blind, randomised trial.Hatakka K, Savilahti E, Pönkä A, Meurman JH, Poussa T, Näse L, Saxelin M, Korpela R.BMJ. 2001 Jun 2;322(7298):1327

(4) Pediatrics. 2009 Aug;124(2):e172-9. Epub 2009 Jul 27.Probiotic effects on cold and influenza-like symptom incidence and duration in children.Leyer GJLi SMubasher MEReifer COuwehand AC

(5) J Clin Gastroenterol. 2008 Sep;42 Suppl 3 Pt 2:S224-33.A new chance of preventing winter diseases by the administration of synbiotic formulations.Pregliasco FAnselmi GFonte LGiussani FSchieppati SSoletti L.

Can Probiotics Help Protect Against the Flu? Read More »

Scroll to Top