Issue #80: Fight the Flu
Good morning. It's Wednesday, December 7th. "A day that will live in infamy" - 81 years ago, the Imperial Japanese Navy bombed Pearl Harbor. 2,403 service members were killed and a further 1,178 injured. Today is National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day - so think of, thank and support your veterans.
“The mind, in addition to medicine, has powers to turn the immune system around.”
From the Lab: Give Your Virus Fighters Some Support
Take Action: Black Cumin Seed?
Speed Read: A Better Cholesterol Marker
Wednesday Weights: Thrust, Jump & Curl
What We're Reading: Immune: A Journey Into the Mysterious System that Keeps You Alive
The estimated surface area of our lungs - that's a spacious 2-bedroom apartment. Exact measurements are difficult due to continuous inhalation and exhalation, but it's roughly 60x the surface of our skin and looks eerily similar to the Maine coastline. (NIH)
From the Lab
So what can we do to help our little fighters after we’ve been invaded?
Just to be clear - our only goal here is to share what we know helps, what might help (but shouldn’t hurt) and what isn’t a good idea. No agenda or BS - wherever science leads to the best way of helping us thrive.
First a note on prescriptions.
We’ve all probably taken antibiotics at some point in our lives. No one will argue that these drugs have dramatically reduced pain and suffering since the earliest days of penicillin.
In a nutshell, these drugs can target bacteria because they are different from our own cells. For example, some antibiotics prevent bacteria from making cell walls - so they can’t divide and grow. Because bacteria is so different from human cells (which have membranes - not walls by the way), they won’t adhere to and kill your own cells. But…
They aren’t that great at targeting specific bacteria. That’s why the overuse of antibiotics is known to crush our microbiome and the 40 trillion bacteria that support our gut.
Viruses, on the other hand, basically just take over our cells. This makes it really hard to create an antiviral drug that doesn’t also hurt us. These drugs are often a last resort - if the virus is winning against your immune system they can be a lifesaver, but if it’s just fighting through the flu, often better to just bear down and let your body win on its own.
What about the OTC stuff we can buy at CVS?
These medications are all designed to suppress the immune system’s response (e.g., fever, cough, runny nose), not actively fight the bacteria or virus. Some recent studies suggest it might prolong the fight (time we’re sick).
Look if you’re writhing in pain and a sweaty mess that can’t sleep - then we certainly aren't here to say pass on the Nyquil. But if you can reasonably swallow and sleep - these medicines may not be as good of friends you think they are.
Any alternatives actually work?
There are studies that suggest if you take zinc (see Product Recs from Issue #78) - immediately when you start feeling any symptoms, it can reduce the length of a cold.
Another herb is actually now being used in hospitals for COVID patients - Black Cumin Seed. Apparently the antiviral properties are real and the results are pretty astounding!
Lastly - get in heat. Remember when we said invaders hate when it gets too hot (It's like me running in Tampa in July)?
Well one of our frontline defenses we didn’t mention yesterday are interferons. These guys are basically like having millions of Paul Revere-like messengers shouting to your cells that trouble is here so stop creating proteins that viruses will gobble up to take over your body.
COVID specifically inhibits interferons (that bastard). But, the good news - getting into a steam or sauna of at least 102 degrees raises the number of interferons by 10x!
So go sweat!
Take Action
When the invader is already inside:
Thrive25 Partner Spotlight
We don't just get antibiotics from our own medicine - but from the food we eat too. That's why we've partnered with Seed Health.
Their DS-01™ Daily Synbiotic includes 24 scientifically validated probiotic strains with a patented, non-fermenting prebiotic.
Go to Seed Health and check out their DS-01™ for adults and PDS-08™ Pediatric Daily Synbiotic for kids ages 3-17. ALL Thrive25 readers get 20% off their first month of DS-01™ Daily Synbiotic. Just use code THR25 at checkout!
Speed Read
Health & Longevity in the News
Another Form of Gender Bias: ADHD is predominantly diagnosed in kids, especially boys - at one point in time the ratio was 25:1. Now, males (all ages) are roughly 3x more likely to be diagnosed than females. Why? Because the symptoms in males are more aligned to hyperactivity and impulsiveness, where females symptoms are more subtle. (Learn more)
ApoB as a Lead Cholesterol Marker?: Apolipoprotein B-100 (ApoB) is a protein that’s attached to disease-causing cholesterol particles in your bloodstream. Testing for this protein helps doctors quantify the number of potentially dangerous cholesterol-carrying particles in your body. This may be a more accurate measure of heart disease risk than LDL, HDL, etc. tests. But it’s still unfamiliar for many doctors. (Levels)
Morocco Stuns Spain: The Atlas Lions took the Gibraltar Derby 3-0 in penalties. With the game scoreless after 120 min, Bono (not that one) came up big - stopping all 3 penalties from La Furia Roja. It’s another disappointing loss for Spain in the World Cup. Since winning in 2010, the world #7 haven’t gotten past the Round of 16. On Saturday, Morocco takes on Portugal who benched Ronaldo (more on him next week) and still took down the Swiss 6-1. (Fox Sports)
Wednesday Weights
Got some different movements today - these are great because you get the double benefit of using your brain muscles when you workout those biceps. **Check out the video to really see what we're talking about.
Click HERE to view the workout on our YouTube channel.
Workout and video courtesy of Connor J. Obrochta. Check out all of Connor's workouts on Playbook!
What We’re Reading
I can't recommend this book enough! Philipp Dettmer makes the crazy complexity of the immune system actually make sense (and be entertaining) as you go through the amazing world of cellular warfare between our cells and invading bacteria & viruses. Despite traversing a history of cellular evolution over millions of years, you somehow can't put the book down and you've just read another 50 pages. If this week wasn't enough for you and you really want to know how your body works - then grab this book!
Thanks for joining us today!
Check out the latest workout videos on our YouTube channel
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Why Thrive25
We’re 40-something dads that felt our bodies and minds start to slow down and we’re not ready for that. We found too much information on every subject. So we started Thrive25 to transform what we’ve learned into something useful for the rest of us to spend just 3-5 min a day to optimize our health & longevity.
This newsletter is for you and we truly value your feedback. Never hesitate to reach out to us at team@thrive25.com.
To health!
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The information in this newsletter is for informational purposes only and may not be appropriate or applicable based on your individual circumstances. Thrive25 Labs LLC does not provide medical, professional, or licensed advice. Please connect with your healthcare professional for medical advice specific to your health needs.