Influenza (fLU)

Recently influenza (flu) cases are on the rise, especially among high-risk groups.

Influenza is an acute respiratory disease caused by a virus and is usually transmitted through droplets.

Common symptoms include high fever, cough, muscle pain, fatigue, sore throat, and headache.

When battling influenza, the body requires increased amounts of vitamin C for several important reasons:

Enhanced Immune Function

Vitamin C plays a crucial role in supporting the immune system during viral infections like influenza:

✅ It stimulates the production and function of white blood cells, particularly neutrophils, lymphocytes, and phagocytes, which are essential for fighting off the influenza virus.

✅ Vitamin C helps immune cells migrate to infection sites, kill pathogens, and clear dead cells, all of which are vital processes in combating the flu.

Antiviral Properties

Vitamin C exhibits direct antiviral effects, particularly against influenza:

✅ It shows in vivo anti-viral immune responses at the early stages of infection, especially against influenza virus.

✅ Vitamin C supplementation has been found to increase the production of interferon (IFN)-α/β, which are important antiviral cytokines.

Additionally, Curcumin, the active compound in turmeric, has shown promising potential in combating influenza infections. 

It stimulates the production of interferon (IFN)-α/β, important antiviral cytokines, which helps boost immunity against viral infections.

References:

Chen, D. Y., Shien, J. H., Tiley, L., Chiou, S. S., Wang, S. Y., Chang, T. J., ... & Hsu, W. L. (2010). Curcumin inhibits influenza virus infection and haemagglutination activity. Food Chemistry, 119(4), 1346-1351.

Hemilä, H., & Chalker, E. (2013). Vitamin C for preventing and treating the common cold. Cochrane database of systematic reviews, (1).

Kim, Y., Kim, H., Bae, S., Choi, J., Lim, S. Y., Lee, N., ... & Lee, W. J. (2013). Vitamin C is an essential factor on the anti-viral immune responses through the production of interferon-α/β at the initial stage of influenza A virus (H3N2) infection. Immune network, 13(2), 70-74.