Last year we had a record number of people getting their flu shot – it’s probably one of the few good things to happen as a direct effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year is more important than ever to get one. People, in general, are more receptive to the flu vaccine and understand the benefit of getting vaccinated. Together with social distancing and personal hygiene, it’s made a tremendous difference in controlling and keeping the flu season in check. I would say, last year was the best year I’ve seen in my career where I only came across a handful of cold and flu cases.

Within the next few weeks, many more of you will be getting vaccinated and the vaccination programme is open to everyone under 65 years of age at the beginning of May. This week I thought I would cover what you need to know before you get your flu shot. Hence, I have compiled a list of questions that might be on your mind already and I’ll answer them so that you’ll have a better understanding of what you have signed up for.

What is in the flu shot?

The 2021 flu vaccine you’ll be receiving contains the following four influenza strains, the first two are new to the 2021 vaccine:

• A/Victoria/2570/2019 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus
• A/Hong Kong/2671/2019 (H3N2)-like virus
• B/Washington/02/2019-like virus
• B/Phuket/3073/2013-like virus

How does the flu vaccine work?

The flu vaccine works by introducing your body to parts of different inactive flu viruses. The aim of this is to awaken your immune system to figure out a way to destroy these foreign virus fragments that shouldn’t be in your body. Along the process, your immune system will produce antibodies for it to learn and remember how to destroy the virus if it crosses your path in the future.

Can the flu shot give you the flu?

The answer is no! It is just a myth. The flu vaccine does not contain the actual live strains of the virus but rather the deactivated form of the virus. Meaning that it cannot give you the flu. However, you can experience flu-like symptoms similar to the flu but in a milder intensity – which isn’t entirely a bad thing because it just tells you that your immune system is functioning well.

What can I expect after the flu shot?

Although most people will not experience any side effects from a flu shot. It is not uncommon to feel a little run down after receiving a flu vaccine. Most people may feel pain, swelling, or redness around the injection site. It usually settles within a few days. You could alleviate the pain by placing a cold, wet cloth or an ice pack where the injection was given. Leave it on for a short time. However, do not rub the injection site.
It is also quite common to feel slightly feverish, have headaches or some muscle aches for the first couple of days after receiving the flu vaccine. Make sure you dress lightly, keep the room cool and drink plenty of fluids. Tell your doctor if the fever persists.

Can I still get sick after getting the flu shot?

Yes, it is possible to still get the flu even if you have been vaccinated. This is because:

1. Your immunity might take some time to return to full capacity after the vaccine. This is because it usually takes 2 weeks for your body to develop the necessary antibodies to protect against the influenza virus.
2. You may be exposed to a flu virus shortly before and after getting vaccinated.
3. You may be exposed to a flu virus that is circulating but is not included in the flu vaccine.

Why is a flu shot needed every year?

Yearly flu vaccination I required for two reasons:

1. Protection from the previous vaccination lessens over time – as our antibody levels may decline over time.
2. The circulating strain of flu viruses may vary each year due to the changing virus pattern.

When will the flu, season begin and when will it peak?

Flu season in New Zealand typically occurs between April and October and peaks between July and August.

If you are indecisive about getting a flu shot, please do not hesitate to contact me or my team. I strongly suggest that my patients get vaccinated because it is our best protection against the flu. Also, who wouldn’t want to do their part to stop the spread of influenza around our community right?
You can get vaccinated at your GP practice or you could also get vaccinated at a pharmacy with an accredited pharmacist vaccinator just like myself. Please contact your GP or your local pharmacist if you are planning to get vaccinated.

To getting your flu shot and doing your part to keep the cold and flu season in check,

The post What you need to know before you get your flu vaccine appeared first on Eastmed Pharmacy.

1)            Vitamin D – vitamin D has been a hot topic of interest for the past few years in terms of its use in preventing respiratory illness. The reason why we need adequate vitamin D besides bone strength is that it can stimulate the production of antimicrobial proteins that can kill viruses and bacteria. If you have less vitamin D in your body, you are more susceptible to infection as a result.
At the moment, there is no conclusive evidence to suggest a recommended dose of vitamin D for improving our immunity. However, it is recommended that you get some sun exposure daily, especially when during the winter months. If sun exposure is not possible, choosing foods that contain vitamin D is crucial. Fatty fish (salmon), eggs, liver, and milk products all contain a small amount of vitamin D. According to WHO, the daily intake of vitamin D should be 600IU for adults. Hence, any supplements containing 600IU is considered sufficient.

2)            Vitamin C – vitamin C is involved in many parts of the immune system. It helps encourage the production of white blood cells known as lymphocytes and phagocytes, which help protect the body against infections. It also helps these white blood cells function more effectively while protecting them from damage by free radicals.

According to WHO, the recommended daily amount for vitamin C is 65mg to 90mg a day, and the upper limit is 2000mg a day. I generally wouldn’t recommend more than 1000mg per day. For maintenance during the winter months, 250mg to 500mg should be more than enough, while 1000mg should be reserved for only when you have a cold or trying to get over a cold.

3)            Zinc – Some of you may have read an online theory that zinc lozenges can “block” coronavirus from spreading in the respiratory system. However, according to some experts, zinc may boost your immune system, but it won’t prevent you from getting the coronavirus. So, if you are thinking of stocking up on zinc tablets – think again. However, it can still give your immunity a boost and potentially shorten the duration of a cold for you.

Ever since we became aware of the coronavirus, we have been told by experts to use alcohol-based hand sanitisers (preferably greater than 60% alcohol concentration). However, please do not get confused with drinking alcohol! Using alcohol-based hand sanitiser and drinking alcohol is an entirely different thing! Heavy drinking not only doesn’t help with killing the coronavirus, but it can also deplete our white blood cells, sequentially suppressing our ability to fight off infections. The bottom line is that the coronavirus outbreak is not an excuse for boozing – end of the story. Hahaha

To you and your family’s health!

Chris
Pharmacist

The post Are You Prepared For The Fight This Flu Season? appeared first on Eastmed Pharmacy.

My reply is always the same: the first thing you could be doing to give your immune system a boost is to get a flu vaccine done as soon as it is available. We need to teach our immune system to build weapons to deal with a virus that our body has never seen before. And also teach our immune cells to know what to do when we see the virus again in future.

Let’s put this into the context of COVID-19. So, what happens when you become infected with COVID-19? Firstly, the virus is going to start reproducing inside your body and our immune cells will jump into action to start building specialised troops and intelligence to fight off the virus. There is usually a lag time in this exercise but essentially our immune system will produce a whole bunch of troops (macrophages) and weapons (antibodies). It’s usually around this time when we will be feeling the symptoms of the infection (e.g. sore throat, headache, fever etc.). You’re probably thinking that your body isn’t responding, but what’s really happening is the opposite – our body is actually working to fight off the virus! If we ever get exposed to COVID-19 in the future, our immune system has so many antibodies and memory cells, they are just going to kill the virus before we even realise it. Although, one-way COVID-19 could get around this is by mutating into a slightly different form so that our immune system does not have the right antibodies and white blood cells to fight it.

Now some of you may ask me if COVID-19 is not in the flu vaccine this year, then is there a need to get a flu jab? My answer is simple – of course, you need to. Even though a flu vaccine will not protect you from COVID-19, it can protect you from all other common strains of influenzas that are equally capable of infecting you.  If you had a flu vaccine and still develop symptoms similar to the symptoms of COVID-19, then your doctor will be able to swiftly assist you in getting the necessary care that you need.

The second thing you could do to help with your immunity is by reducing unnecessary stress. Everyone has stress and its part of life. We are living in an era of stress. We have been worrying about the coronavirus for months and now we have to worry about the lockdown at home, grocery shopping, even the stock market! A little bit of stress now and then can act as a motivator to help us rise to the occasion. It also can stimulate our body to produce a short burst of a hormone called cortisol to boost our immunity. However, a consistently high level of stress can take a toll on our immune system. Having too much cortisol can reduce our body’s lymphocytes level and hence our ability to fight off infection. So, the bottom line is to stop stressing! Your immune system does a better job when you’re not stressed. (This is obviously easier said than done but check out my last email for useful tips for coping during this uncertain time).

Thirdly, exercising regularly whenever you can is a gold standard to become immunologically fit. This is because when you exercise, your circulation increases and your white blood cells can provide you with more cycles of surveillance throughout your body and hence increasing the chance of picking up and destroying any sinister viruses or bacteria that could potentially harmful to your body. The ministry of health recommends everyone to be as active as possible with at least 5 hours of moderate or 2.5 hours of vigorous exercise spread throughout the week. My advice for the elderly is to get as much exercise as your body allows because quite frankly anything is better than nothing. I generally advise people to start low and go slow because if you suddenly going for a half-hour run which you are not used to, you could be spiking your stress hormone and compromising your immunity.

Fourthly, getting well-rested sleep is very important to fight off infection. Studies have shown that people who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to contract a cold when they are being exposed to one. Lack of sleep also suppresses your recovery time. This is because when you’re sleeping, your body produces proteins called cytokines which are important when you have an infection to fight off. It’s recommended that most adults require 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night, teenagers need 9 to 10 hours and children need 10 hours or more.

Last but not least, eating a balanced diet is very important. In particularly consuming more fibrous foods such as vegetables and fruits can improve the level of good bacteria in your gut and sequentially giving our immunity a necessary improvement.  They also contain vitamins A and C, which play a crucial role in immunity.

I hope you are all doing well in your bubbles!

Chris
Pharmacist

The post How to build your immune system weapons WITHOUT supplements appeared first on Eastmed Pharmacy.

As we are slowly entering into Autumn, the chance of getting a cold increase dramatically. On top of normal influenza that we need to deal with, we also need to be wary about and braced for the impact of what the new kid on the block (COVID-19) could potentially be capable of doing to our health and our community. I’m not sure about you, but I have never felt a more of an urge than before to look after my immunity and be healthy.

Before we attempt to take care of our immune system, we must first understand how it works and the type of ammunition we have under our sleeves (or I should say skin!).

I like to use the analogy of a country to describe the three levels of immune defence. The border of this country is surrounded by a tall wall offering protection from outside invaders. There is also police and soldiers patrolling to respond right away if anybody were to ever get close to the wall or breach the wall, they could arrest them or shoot them if they pose a threat. But when you are protecting a country, it is probably more important to have intelligence or spies to spook out any suspicious activities or person of interest or recognise invaders when they come. The same applies to our immune system. Our border wall is going to be our skin. Whenever you come in contact with a virus or bacteria that your body has never met before, the first line of the barrier is our skin. Our skin is made up of many cells providing a physical barrier to viruses and bacteria. The pH of our skin is also very low which makes it quite difficult for bacteria to live there. On top of our skin, we have many bacteria (called normal flora) that are designed to prevent other bacteria to gain entry. We also have different chemicals on the surface of our skin that can disrupt certain viruses and bacteria. One of these chemicals we are talking about is the mucus or snot we produce. Taking the coronavirus for an example, it mainly targets the lung. Hence, the preferred route of entry is either through your nose, mouth, or eyes. Those entrances are the place where we produce lots of mucus to wade off any unwelcome guests. A good example that everyone can relate to is when we are walking along the waterfront during a windy day. Big wind can blow a grain of sand or dust into our eyes. Most of the time, you’ll notice that our eyes became very watery and, in most cases, our eyes will turn red and a thin layer of mucus will be formed on our cornea. This is our first line of defence doing its job to try to wash out whatever particle is in our eyes.

Occasionally when our first line of defence gets breached, the virus will then go head to head with our white blood cells. The first response when we have a breach is inflammation. So basically we have chemicals that are released to tag the areas that our white blood cells need to respond to. A typical example is a sore throat when we contract flu or cold. One of the first white blood cells that’ll be at the scene is the macrophage (also known as the killer cell). The macrophage is responsible for locating the virus cells and eating them. However, the problem with macrophage is that it is not very good at recognising viruses or bacteria and hence they often report to the cleaver ones called the lymphocytes. Lymphocytes are like spies or our intelligence and can recognise if the virus is a frequent visitor and if so, could eliminate it without you even knowing.

Whenever you have a virus whether is a typical influenza A virus or COVID-19. After penetrating your first and second line of the protective immune response, the virus is essentially going to gain entry inside your cells. It’s going to use the resources available in your healthy cell to make copies of itself. And more copies of itself. And eventually, it’s going to destroy the cell and spread off to infect other healthy cells. In other words, what’s happening when you get a cold is that your cells become a virus making machine. In a way, we are in tremendous debt to our immune system because if it weren’t for them, we would literally be destroyed by all the viruses and bacteria that are around us. As our immune system is crucial to our well-being, we must do whatever it takes to look after it and be nice to it.

On my next email, I will attempt to decipher what are the things we could be doing right now in the midst of COVID-19 to improve our immunity and giving us the best chance of survival in the uncertain time ahead of us.

To your health,

Chris

Pharmacist

The post Our immune system fortress appeared first on Eastmed Pharmacy.

One of my regular customers was not so lucky this time around. She emailed me last week after reading my last email about measles. She was hit by the virus last week despite having had her flu vaccine back in May.

She mentioned that the headache was so severe that it felt like migraine, and none of the medications she tried provided her with any relief.

Most of us have experienced a time with a headache during the flu – so intense that you wonder whether it could be a migraine!

How can we tell whether it’s a sinus headache or a migraine?

I find it’s a common misunderstanding – people think they have a sinus headache when they’ve got a stuffy, runny nose, and with a sore forehead and cheeks. However, this could be further from the truth. In fact, a study found that 95% of people who thought they had a sinus headache actually had a migraine episode.

A true sinus headache is usually a result of a viral or bacterial infection in your sinuses. Both sinus headache and migraine can cause a runny and stuffy nose, watery eyes and pressure in your forehead and cheeks.

One of the ways you can distinguish the type of headache you are suffering from is from your snot. Yes, your snot tells a lot about you. Sinus headache usually will produce yellow pus, but mucus from a migraine is often transparent in colour.

Also, migraine tends to have the following additional symptoms: • Nausea • Sensitivity to light • Throbbing headache • Headache worsened by activity

Some of you might ask me – okay Chris, my head hurts…. Is it necessary to find out what type of headache I have? A simple answer to this is yes, of course, because the treatment for both types can be very different.

Let’s take my patient’s scenario as an example; she had the flu with a major headache that was not responding to a range of pain relief medicines. She said she felt nauseous and had vomited as well. Based on the description, the flu could have triggered a migraine with sinus symptoms and migraine treatments would have provided greater pain relief than simple pain relief.

For sinus headache, the aim is to drain the fluid accumulated from the sinuses to relieve the pressure and pain. You can do this by taking a decongestant, antihistamine or antibiotics or a combination of all.

The bottom line is that the flu can trigger both sinus headache and migraine depending on the type of symptoms. It’s important to go beyond the typical sinus symptoms and look for other cues to suggest which one you have.

If any of you feel that your sinus headaches could be migraine, it is important to talk to your doctor and get a proper diagnosis so that the right treatment can be prescribed.

As always, do not hesitate to talk to me or one of our pharmacists if you have any questions about migraine and sinus headaches.

To you and your family’s health,

Chris

Pharmacist

The post Viral Pain or Migraine?? appeared first on Eastmed Pharmacy.

One of the questions I always ask parents is: when your child has a cold and you bring them to the doctor, do you automatically expect a prescription for antibiotics?

From the number of parents, I’ve asked in the past, many of them do. And they’re surprised or maybe even frustrated if they leave the surgery empty-handed. I mean, after all, who doesn’t want their little one to get well as quickly as possible? But from a pharmacist’s perspective, I think your doctor could be doing you and your child a favour by not giving them a prescription.

Symptoms from a common cold such as sore ears and throat, blocked nose and cough are usually caused by viral infections and antibiotic treatment is not considered appropriate. In some cases, there may be bacterial infection present but the majority of infections will resolve naturally.

However, there will always be people who do need antibiotics. For instance, people with increased risk of developing complications such as young infants, frail elderly people and those who have long term conditions such as diabetes, heart, lung or liver disease.

I believe that the most important treatment for winter illnesses is effective communication. Everyone should leave the consultation (either with a doctor or a pharmacist) understanding what illness they are likely to have, how long their symptoms should last, what they should do to manage their symptoms and when to seek a further assessment.

When the first antibiotic was developed in the 1940s, it was a miracle. Humans could finally gain some grounds in curing some illnesses that were once considered deadly. However, what we didn’t realise at the time was that we started a tough and never-ending battle against the ever-changing smart bacteria.

Now, before we can answer the question of whether antibiotics do more harm than good if you don’t have an infection, it is important for you to understand how antibiotics work. There are 2 major types of germs that can make people sick: bacteria and viruses.

Bacteria – are living organisms found everywhere. Although most bacteria are harmful and can cause illnesses, some are beneficial. For example, lactobacillus lives in the intestine and helps digest food.

On the other hand, viruses cannot exist on their own, they must invade other living cells (our body) to grow and cause harm. Antibiotics simply do not work against viruses.

Taking antibiotics for common colds or the flu not only won’t work, but It can potentially cause more harm than good. The following are the reasons why antibiotics should not be used when don’t have an infection:

1) Excessive use of antibiotics inappropriately can cause bacteria to mutate so antibiotics no longer can work against them (antibiotic resistance). This means that bacteria that were once highly responsive to antibiotics have become resistant.

2) Antibiotics are not smart enough to know what is good or bad bacteria. Hence, it can wipe out the good bacteria that help keep the body healthy.

3) Antibiotics can disrupt the good bacteria level in your gut and can cause diarrhoea

4) Good bacteria can produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), which, in turn, promote the development and maintenance of white blood cells. When good bacteria are destroyed, the production of SCFAs is depleted and can compromise the ability of white blood cells from fighting off fungal infections such as thrush.

However, if you or your child have an infection and your doctor prescribed you with a course of antibiotics, it is crucial to take the full amount prescribed and talk to one of our pharmacists to make sure the dose is correct. It is important to understand that antibiotics take time to work, so don’t expect your child to feel better after the first dose. It may take 1 to 2 days to feel better.

One piece of advice I always give to parents is to remember to give your child a course of probiotics with the antibiotic course. This will prevent your child’s good bacteria in their gut from dropping to a critical level. And what’s important is to carry on the probiotic course for at least 2 to 3 weeks after finishing the antibiotics to re-populate the gut with good bacteria.

Once again, if you have any questions about antibiotics, please do not hesitate to contact me personally or one of our team.

To you and your family’s health,

Chris

Pharmacist

The post Can antibiotics do more harm than good if you don’t have an infection?? appeared first on Eastmed Pharmacy.

A regular patient came into the pharmacy this morning to get his prescription filled. I greeted him in the shop as he approached slowly to the counter and handed over a prescription for a course of antibiotics and prednisone (steroid). I immediately knew that his asthma must be worsening due to a chest infection. He then asked me…

“Why do I always get an asthma attack every time I have a cold??”

“This is the second time this year!”

I replied saying… “Well, if you have asthma, even a mild cold can lead to wheezing, triggering an asthma attack. Together with low immunity, your cold may even progress to a bacterial chest infection which I suspect you have?”

He replied…” That’s what the doctor was saying”

He then curiously asked…” So how come people like me with asthma are more prone to getting chest infections?”

I said…” Even though people with asthma are no more likely to get the flu than anyone else, the complications are much greater. Its because influenza causes inflammation in your airways, that not only triggers the symptoms of asthma but also make them worse.”

He replied in a depressing tone…” That means I’m doomed…”

I interrupted him…” Well, I wouldn’t go that far. The main thing people with asthma need to do is to focus on finding out what the triggers are for their asthma and try to avoid them. “

“In your case, one of the crucial things you could do to help prevent colds or flu is to get the flu shot. Did you get one this year?”

He replied in a sense of disbelief…” Umm…no I didn’t. Do they work?”

I replied saying…” Each year, the flu vaccine aims to prevent the four strains of influenza predicted to predominate that year. Now, even though some years the prediction might miss the target, they still give us a certain degree of protection. Hence, I would strongly suggest you consider it.”

“Beyond vaccination, practice good hygiene by washing your hands regularly and keep your hands from your face, nose & mouth because they are entry points for bacteria.”

Besides avoiding the asthma triggers such as pollen, dust mites, common cold, cold air & certain food, patients in the past have asked me about taking vitamins or supplements to help improve their asthma control.

Well, whether a specific vitamin supplementation will improve asthma outcomes is a much more complicated topic. However, some research suggests theories such as:

1) Asthma has increased, primarily in Western countries

2) A dietary difference exists between Western countries and countries that have low rates of asthma

My concern with those studies is that even though a population with a high incidence of asthma is noted to have some vitamin deficiencies, that doesn’t mean supplementation will improve asthma. However, what it could be suggesting is that the deficiency of vitamins is more of a marker of a less healthy diet or lifestyle in general.

Nonetheless, there is some theoretical evidence suggesting vitamin D, C & E may impact the levels of certain immune cells and produce an anti-inflammatory response in the lungs which could help improve asthma condition. However, the evidence is not conclusive enough to suggest a definitive benefit of supplementation in asthma patients.

The following are the six things I recommend if you have uncontrolled asthma:

1) Ask your GP to establish an asthma action plan – a detailed plan on how to take medications and to manage an asthma attack.

2) Ask your pharmacist to explain what each asthma medication if for and the most appropriate way to take them

3) Get the flu vaccine and oral bacteria vaccine (Bucaline) – to prevent a cold/flu from triggering asthma flare-ups

4) Identify and avoid asthma triggers

5) Monitor your breathing – to learn to recognise warning signs of an impending attack (e.g. cough, shortness of breath, or wheezing

6) Take your preventer regularly to keep your asthma under control

If you have any questions about asthma, please feel free to contact one of our team or me.

To you and your family’s health

Chris

Pharmacist

The post Why do I get an asthma attack every time I have a cold or flu?? appeared first on Eastmed Pharmacy.

I have to be honest with you, writing a weekly email – even though it may not sound like a lot of work – does take time… well at least for me because I’m not a fast or a clever writer to start with! However, I persist because I consider you all like my inner circle of friends. It‘s my vision to share my knowledge and to inspire you to take action and start living a healthy life you deserve.

Anyway, back to my regular customer – I saw her from across the dispensary standing in front of the supplement section. She was holding her phone close to her face with one finger flicking the screen up and down. I was curious about what she was doing, so I came out of the dispensary and asked if I could be of any help. She then asked me… “Your last email mentioned how vitamin C could help prevent catching a cold during the winter, but you did not mention which one to get.”

I had to interrupt her… “Wait a minute…I don’t think I ever mentioned that vitamin C could prevent us from catching a cold”

She looked at me in a sense of disbelief

I said “Look, there are no supplements or vitamins that can prevent a cold. The flu vaccine could increase your chance of not getting influenza, but they too do not provide 100% protection. However, what vitamin C could do is boost our immunity and reduce the severity and duration of cold or flu if we were unfortunate enough to catch it.”

She then moved on asking, “Oh…I see…So how does vitamin C boost our immunity and ward off colds?”

I replied saying, “That is a very good question. Vitamin C is involved in many parts of the immune system. “

“Firstly, it helps encourage the production of white blood cells known as lymphocytes and phagocytes, which help protect the body against infections.

“Secondly, it helps these white blood cells function more effectively while protecting them from damage by free radicals.”

‘Lastly, it is an essential part of the skin’s defence system, it’s transported to the skin where it can act as an antioxidant and help strengthen the skin barrier.”

“When you have a cold and are not feeling well, the concentration of vitamin C in your immune cells quickly drops. Hence, increasing the intake of vitamin C during a cold could very well improve the function of immune cells and speed up the recovery process.”

She then asked me, “I noticed there are quite a few different brands here. So, which one shall I go for?”

I replied, “Rather than picking a particular brand of vitamin C, I think a better way to pick the right vitamin C is by looking at the formulation, dosage, other minerals incorporated and also consider what you’re trying to achieve.”

“If you intend to boost your immunity during the winter months. Any vitamin C supplements with a dose of between 250mg to 1000mg should do the trick.”

“However, if you are using it to get over a cold, I would tend to go for vitamin C (1000mg) supplement that also contains zinc for a short period. Zinc is an immune-support nutrient that could also give a boost to your immunity.”

The topic of vitamin C, reminds me of a common question I get from customers: how much vitamin C should I consume?

Before we answer the question, it is important to know how our body reacts to vitamin C.

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin. In contrast to fat-soluble vitamins, vitamin C does not get produced or stored in our body. Any excess amounts of it will be excreted in urine within a few hours after you consume it. Hence, it is quite difficult to consume too much.

According to WHO, the recommended daily amount for vitamin C is 65mg to 90mg a day, and the upper limit is 2000mg a day. I generally wouldn’t recommend more than 1000mg per day. For maintenance during the winter months, 250mg to 500mg should be more than enough while 1000mg should be reserved for only when you have a cold or trying to get over a cold.

In terms of the formulation, there are the traditional chewable tablets and dispersable powder form. However, in recent years, there is a new member of the vitamin C family – the liposomal vitamin C formulation. Liposomal vitamin C is unique because it uses liposome technology to protect vitamin C from being destroyed in the digestive system during digestion. As a result, the absorption of vitamin C dramatically increased meaning that more is being absorbed by our body. There are currently two marketed liposomal vitamin C products in the New Zealand market (Lipo-spheric & Lipo-Sachets Vitamin C). Both products contain 1000mg of Vitamin C.

I’ve tried it myself; it has a distinctive taste to it compared to the traditional orange flavour vitamin C products. And it may not be a liking for some people. If the absorption is true, then the liposomal formulation will provide a slight advantage over the traditional chewable or powder formulations. I think that all the formulations will provide similar results if not the same. Hence, it ultimately comes down to what you want out of it.

If you have any questions about vitamin C please feel free to contact me or one of our team.

To your health,

Chris

Pharmacist

The post My privilege to have you in my inner circle appeared first on Eastmed Pharmacy.

Chris (on the phone): You don’t sound good mate. Are you feeling alright?
Dom: I think I’m coming down with something. My throat feels scratchy, and a bit sore and my nose is a little bit drippy.
Chris: Are you taking anything for it?
Dom: Nah, I think I’ll be fine aye. Will try to have an early night tonight and sleep it off.
Chris: I think you should give Viralex a try. It is an olive leaf extract. It worked well for me last time when I had a cold aye. It pretty much stopped all my symptoms after using it for two days.
Dom: Nah, I don’t like to take anything. I’m pretty fit, and I think my body can fight it off aye.
Chris: Well, at least take some vitamin C…
Dom (interrupting): I’ll be fine mate!
Chris: Okay…

2 Days later

Dom (on the phone): Maybe I should give Viralex a try aye…
Chris: How are you feeling?
Dom: Not well, I think I’ve got a cold.
Chris: I’ll get some for you then. Also, make sure you drink plenty of water and take some Vitamin C!
Dom: Whatever you say, man…

Yes, that was the dialogue I had with my friend last week. If he were to listen to my advice, he would have recovered from his cold a lot faster rather than it dragging on for the whole week.

We all know that the immune system is one of the most important of the body systems. It’s our defender against foreign invaders such as viruses and bacteria, however, we don’t usually give our immune system enough attention until when we begin to feel run down or can’t shake a cold.

Feeling exhausted and tired, delayed and slow wound healing, and repeated infections are some of the signs that your body’s immune system is not functioning properly.

After working as a pharmacist for more than ten years, I understand the importance of herbal and nutrient supplements in helping to speed up the recovery process and improve our resistance to infections.

Here are some of the most important supplements that I have discovered over the years that could help us through the winter.

Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a classic remedy that has a great immune boosting property. It can be taken as an ongoing basis (as our body is not capable of storing it) to build up our immunity and ward off colds. Numerous studies have suggested that it can help reduce the severity and duration of colds.

Vitamin D
Also known as the sunshine vitamin. Vitamin D can enhance the immune response to bacterial and viruses. Being vitamin D deficient has been linked to recurrent infections.

Zinc
Zinc is an immune-support nutrient that is required for the production of white blood cells – which are the body’s troops responsible for fighting off infections.

Echinacea
Is a herbal supplement that has antimicrobial and antiviral activity. Traditionally, it has been used to support the immune system and provide relief of upper respiratory tract symptoms, sore throat and fevers.

Olive Leaf
Olive leaf also has antimicrobial activity and has traditionally been used to relieve respiratory symptoms such as cough and sore throat.

Andrographis
This herbal supplement can stimulate immunity and has also been found to relieve common cold symptoms such as sore throat, cough, and fever.

Here are a few tips you could do to promote a healthy immune system:
• Eat a balanced diet high in fruits, vegetables and whole grains (low in saturated fat)
• Exercise regularly
• Regular sun exposure (for vitamin D)
• Drink alcohol in moderation
• Get adequate sleep
• Avoid or reduce stress.

Speak to me or one of our team for more information about supplements that can boost your immunity.

To you and your family’s health

Chris
Pharmacist

The post [True Story] If he LISTENED to my advice, he would have recovered faster!! appeared first on Eastmed Pharmacy.

Did you see the recent TVNZ Sunday episode regarding a Researcher in Australia exploring the benefits of probiotics in relation to peanut allergy?

The aim of the probiotic and peanut immunotherapy treatment is to try to combat the rising number of allergy cases, and improve the quality of life of sufferers. The results are promising so far and I really hope that the researchers will eventually be able to use the knowledge gained from the trial to find a cure for people with a peanut allergy.

Speaking of probiotics, there is growing evidence highlighting the benefit of probiotics to prevent loose bowel problems associated with the use of antibiotics. Probiotics can give our immunity a boost and inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria in our gut.

It has been clinically proven that a course of antibiotics can have a detrimental effect on the number of good bacteria present in your gut. One of the fastest ways to restore the level of good bacteria in your gut is by taking oral probiotics.

I often come across customers taking multiple courses of antibiotics and worry about the state of their immunity! What’s more concerning is that majority of them are not aware that there something they could do to restore the level of good bacteria in their gut, giving their immunity a significant boost.

I’m a strong advocate of the benefits of probiotic use.

As winter is right at our doorstep, my usual combo that I suggest to my customers to help prevent them from winter illnesses is to:
1. Get the flu vaccine (helps prevent contracting or spreading the flu)
2. Have a course of a bacterial vaccine (e.g. Buccalin) (helps prevent the progression of a cold or flu into a secondary bacterial infection such as chest infection)
3. Take probiotics at least 2 to 3 weeks before winter approaches and continue every day during the winter if possible to boost immunity
4. Increase your natural vitamin C intake (through fruits) and sunlight (vitamin D) whenever possible
5. Eat a balanced diet – every meal should have a balanced amount of carbohydrates, protein and fibre. Try not to overindulge. The key is moderation!
6. Regular exercise.

If you do all of the above, I can guarantee you that your immune system will be much better equipped for what lies ahead in the winter – victories belong to those who are well prepared!

Stay on the lookout of my next email (check your spam/junk folders too!)

Best,
Chris
Pharmacist

The post 6 HACKS TO STAY HEALTHY in the WINTER! appeared first on Eastmed Pharmacy.