Preventing and Fighting the Flu: Here’s How Obesity Dampens Our Chances
As this year’s flu season continues to ramp up, many people find themselves taking precautions. For instance, washing hands, avoiding large crowds, cleaning and disinfecting surfaces, and getting your flu shot are all great ways to help prevent the flu. While all of these seem pretty obvious, there might be one thing that could help that you might find surprising. Did you know that losing weight could actually help prevent and fight the flu?
The American Society of Microbiology’s open-access journal mBio recently released a study showing that obesity, in fact, increased the severity of the flu in test subjects.
This is a major finding. Current statistics show that approximately 50% of the global population is classified as either overweight or obese. Being overweight or obese has already been connected with a number of potential health problems. People who are obese are more likely to experience heart disease, certain types of cancers, diabetes, and a long list of other health-related conditions. Now, it seems that obesity could also make it harder for the body to fight off the influenza virus.
Earlier research supports the findings presented by mBio’s study. Obese people are found to have higher influenza viral loads in their exhaled breath, and the flu has been shown to linger longer in people who are obese. Animal studies have also shown support for this. In animal studies, obese rats experienced deeper lung infections with the flu than lean subjects, and they also had the flu for longer. In addition, obese mice showed a reduced immune response to the flu virus, showing that they weren’t able to fight the flu-like a healthy subject.
All of this evidence points to one thing: losing weight offers a number of benefits, but it can even help prevent and fight off the flu. So, where are the best places to start when trying to lose weight?
First, check with your doctor before you begin a new physical exercise regimen. Exercise, even something as simple as walking for 30 minutes per day, can be effective for helping you lose weight. Dietary changes, including healthier eating, are effective ways to lose weight. Another great way to stay healthy as you shed weight is to try CLE Mineral Drops, which strengthen the body at a cellular level.
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