Integrative Health Experts Gives Tips on How to Keep Healthy This Spring
Nottingham, UK (PRWEB) March 24, 2009 — With spring’s arrival, we tend to think that cold & flu season disappears with the melting snow, but this is not true. A recent survey reveals that some Americans are more prone for illness with the change of seasons, particularly young adults. The survey, which was conducted by Harris Interactive for Sambucol black elderberry dietary supplements, revealed that almost one in four U.S. adults (22%) aged 18-34 say they get sick as soon as the season/weather changes. In contrast, only 4 % of those aged 55 or older found this to be true, and men are less likely than women to say this (9% vs. 15%, respectively). Those with child/children in household (16%) say they get sick as soon as the season/weather changes, vs. 11% of those with no children.
Additionally, experts say the flu season actually goes through May.
“It is important for us to keep our immune system strong year round,” advises Claire Wheeler, M.D. ,integrative physician and a former Associate Fellow in the Andrew Weil, M.D. training program for physicians at the University of Arizona. “Those in the 18-34 age group are often at risk for spreading themselves too thin and getting run down, leaving them more vulnerable to illness. We tend to think that spring means goodbye to flu season but you can still catch the flu well into the spring.”
Dr. Wheeler suggests taking several steps in keeping your immune system strong.
- Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water, juice and other fluids. Toxins build up and strain immunity when you don’t get enough water in your diet.
- Get plenty of rest. Make sure you get at least seven hours of sleep every night. Sleep deprivation is a powerful immune suppressant.
- Exercise frequently. Exercise is a powerful immune booster. A little is good; a lot (60 minutes a day, 5-6 days a week) is great.
- Supplement diet if necessary. Dr. Wheeler says that despite our best efforts at maintaining a balanced diet, it’s safe to assume that we all can use a little help with extra antioxidants, which are believed to be necessary for immune system support. She suggests taking Sambucol black elderberry supplement. “Black elderberry has twice the amount of antioxidants as blueberries and cranberries, and the black elderberry extract in Sambucol, specifically, has been clinically shown to help support immune system function,” she adds.
The Sambucol line of products, manufactured and sold by Healthcare Brands International, is available nationwide at major pharmacy chains (Rite Aid, Walgreens and CVS), vitamin retailers (including Vitamin Shoppe), health food stores, independent drug stores, and online at drugstore.com.
*Survey Methodology
Harris Interactive fielded the study on behalf of Sambucol black elderberry from October 8-10, 2008 via its QuickQuerySM online omnibus service, interviewing a nationwide sample of 2,212 U.S. adults aged 18 years and older. Data were weighted using propensity score weighting to be representative of the total U.S. adult population on the basis of region, age within gender, education, household income, race/ethnicity, and propensity to be online. No estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated; a full methodology is available.
Note to Media: For more information, to review results from the Sambucol Harris Interactive survey, or to set up an interview with Claire Wheeler, M.D., contact Rachahd Tosado at Robin Leedy & Associates, (914) 241-0086 ext. 15. Visit the Sambucol online newsroom at http://www.corporatenews.net/cgi-bin/pc200v3.php?pccl=24859 and www.blackelderberry.info for published clinical studies on Sambucol black elderberry.