Zika! It’s all over the news and it seems like a new story about it comes out everyday. We hear it is linked to birth defects, and just recently memory loss in adults. What is up with this newest health concern? Can you get it here in the US? Is there anything you can do to guard yourself? Today we will examine the facts and balance it with some common sense, so you can make an informed choice on how to act.
What is Zika?
Zika is a virus that is commonly passed by a mosquito which was first identified in Africa in 1947. The CDC reports symptoms of Zika are very mild and may include, fever, rash, joint pain, muscle pain, and headache. Symptoms last several days to a week and usually no hospital visit is needed. Death from Zika is very rare. Most people that get the Zika virus, about 80%, don’t show symptoms and never know they were infected with Zika. Once you have been infected with Zika you are protected from future infections.
What About Pregnancy & Zika?
There have been some reports of pregnant women that were infected with Zika giving birth to children with birth defects, specifically microcephaly (the child is born with an usually small head). Word of caution here! The doctors researching Zika have stated that there is a casual link between Zika and microcephaly. A casual link in a medical study means that no direct tie was shown in the study, but it was present.
From the doctors at Red Universitaria de Ambiente y Salud (the Red University of Environment and Health)
A dramatic increase of congenital malformations, especially microcephaly in newborns, was detected and quickly linked to the Zika virus by the Brazilian Ministry of Health. However, they fail to recognise that in the area where most sick persons live, a chemical larvicide producing malformations in mosquitoes has been applied for 18 months, and that this poison (pyroproxyfen) is applied by the State on drinking water used by the affected population.
In a recent report by the Physicians in the Crop-Sprayed Towns (PCST), the group revealed that the area in which most of the afflicted persons live had been sprayed with a larvicide known to cause birth defects.
These statements by the research doctors in Brazil is backed up by observation of the Zika virus in other countires around Brazil where births from mothers infected with Zika have had about no reported cases of microcephaly. In Colombia, a study of 12,000 pregnant, Zika-infected women reported in the New England Journal of Medicine had not shown any cases of microcephaly. What is important to see here is that Colombia has stated they did not use the chemical pyriproxyfen in drinking water like some areas of Brazil did.
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Zika Concern?
How much of a concern is zika? Any virus is a concern as none of us want to be fighting the uncomfortable symptoms and I think you will agree it is better to be safe than sorry. All evidence thus far that zika causes microcephaly is entirely circumstantial, as even Director-General Maraget Chan of the World Health Organization has gone on the record to state. In fact, decades of scientific literature show zika is largely benign.
It might be a good defense to address zika like the flu. Put up your defenses so you stand strong against what is out there. As usual people that have a weaker immune system should take more action to help rebuild. This would be of attention to people with adrenal issues and autoimmune problems.
Guard Against Zika
Keep in mind Zika is a virus, so you can work against it in ways very similar to fighting the flu. Prevention is the best defense. Building your immune system today helps you defend against viruses and many diseases. But you have to start acting today. There are some simple actions that can be taken right away:
- Drink more water today. If you are well hydrated your immune system is more responsive. Most people don’t drink enough water daily. Try about half your body weight in ounces of water spread out across the day.
- Get enough sleep. When rested you can fight stress better and keep your body stronger.
- Vitamin C has been shown to help boost the immune system.
- Zinc is another helper to the immune system.
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Building Your Immune System Against Zika
Putting the basics in place to help build the immune system are just the beginning. If you want to build and strengthen your immune system you might want to look at being more proactive than just taking a supplement. Getting a good DAILY source of probiotic rich foods is key to building digestive tract health. Over 80% of the immune system is housed in the digestive tract so it makes sense that a strong digestive tract leads to a strong immune system.
While taking probiotics is a good start, remember this is not the ideal manner to deliver this payload. In the past probiotics were only found in foods, specifically fermented foods. These are foods you are familiar with such as, homemade yogurt, homemade sauerkraut, homemade fermented carrots, and homemade fermented pickles. These are just a few of the great foods you can eat daily. Try to eat one of these foods daily to start with.
If you notice I suggested homemade. Why? Everything you make at home is better. Just ask Grandma she will agree. When you make these foods at home you will use better ingredients, leave out the excess sugar and non-needed chemicals often found in commercial products.
Making yogurt, sauerkraut, fermented carrots and fermented pickles is very easy to do. I would suggest taking a look at the Ultimate Fermenting Package as it give you the video classes, cookbook, and special hardware needed to help you turn these foods into probiotic storehouses. Just one serving of homemade sauerkraut often contains the amount of probiotics in an entire jar of probiotic pills. Let me tell you it is much more pleasant eating for than pills and cheaper. Or look at our other fermenting products.
So Where Does This Leave Us
It currently appears that Zika is not everything the media is building it out to be, but this does not give us the excuse to just bury our heads in the sand and ignore it. Building your immune system up would be the prudent action to take to give you a stronger defense against Zika and other viruses that we may encounter.
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