Over the last several weeks, we have explored in detail how to boost your immune system and how to use natural anti-pathogens to directly destroy invading viruses, bacteria, yeast, and fungi, etc. These were detailed reports, each one running around 8,000 words and 50 citations. Taken together, at 16,000 words, that’s about one-quarter of a short novel. In today’s world of sound bites and instant gratification, that’s more than a lot of people want to read through. I know because we’ve heard from a number of people complaining about the length and saying, “Why can’t you just tell me what to do?”
Well, the answer is simple. In the same way that I don’t want you simply turning responsibility for your health over to a doctor, I don’t want you turning it over to me or anyone else either. The central premise of my book, Lessons from the Miracle Doctors, is: your health has been stolen from you; you need to take it back. And the only way you can do that is by being informed–to know the reasons why you should be doing something, not just doing it because someone tells you should. And that was the reason for the last two reports, to give you a complete understanding of how to build your immune system and how to use natural anti-pathogens so you can make intelligent decisions for yourself. Now that we’ve done that, I’ll give you the summarized sound bite version and tell you exactly what I do to manage my immune system, prevent infection, and quickly overcome any pathogens that take hold.
But before we look at my personal regimen, we need a quick update on Ebola.
Ebola Update
It’s been 11 months since the latest Ebola epidemic began in West Africa, and just over three months since the rest of the world began to pay attention. Back in August, I told you it was extremely unlikely that Ebola would have any notable impact outside of Africa. But voices of reason were pretty much overwhelmed by those catering to fear and hysteria. Well, now that we’ve had a few months to see how things have gone, where do we stand today? Which voices turned out to be more prescient?
Guess what! Despite the fear mongering and claims to the contrary, it turns out that Ebola does not spread easily. It does not spread through casual contact. It does not travel through the air or through sneezing and coughing. (The droplets the CDC talks about are large droplets–splashes or sprays, not sneeze droplets.1 “How Ebola is Spread.” CDC 1 Nov 2014. (Accessed 4 Nov 2014.) http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/pdf/infections-spread-by-air-or-droplets.pdf And Ebola also doesn’t easily spread through contaminated surfaces. The CDC wasn’t hiding the truth. And infected bioterrorists have not sneaked across the border, mixed among an invading horde of illegal immigrants, to spread Ebola to a helpless American public. (Yes, some so called experts actually said these things were going to happen.) How do we know these claims are nonsensical? Because we have seen what happens when people intermingle closely with others during the early stages of infection. They don’t transmit the virus to others. Thomas Eric Duncan, the Liberian national and first Ebola patient diagnosed in the United States, was mistakenly sent home with some antibiotics by the Dallas hospital that didn’t realize he was infected with Ebola despite sporting a fever of 103. In the two days he was home before returning to the hospital, he had casual contact with approximately 90 people and much closer contact with approximately 10 others, including his fiancée and her children with whom he was living. And eventually, including health care workers at the hospital and others, 157 people were identified as being on the at risk list. How many of them came down with Ebola?
None
- Zero
- Zippo
- Nil
- Zilch
- Nada
Then there was Craig Spencer, the doctor from New York City who had recently returned from treating Ebola patients in Guinea. He went bowling in Williamsburg, ordered some coffee at the Blue Bottle cafe located in the popular tourist destination High Line Park in Manhattan, spent 40 minutes chowing down at The Meatball Shop in Greenwich Village, and used Uber cars and the subway to get about, before diarrhea and a temperature of 103 landed him to the hospital with a diagnosis of Ebola. So, in the end, Craig Spencer had casual contact with scores of people, touched multiple public surfaces–including at several food establishments–and had even more sustained contact with his fiancée and two friends. Out of all these people, how many came down with Ebola? Again:
- None
- Zero
- Zippo
- Nil
- Zilch
- Nada
So, has the Danger Passed?
Given that the mainstream media has largely abandoned the story, moving on to elections and mothers throwing their children off bridges and with the doomsayers too largely moving on, having maxed out on the number of Ebola survival kits they were able to sell, you might think so. But in fact, the danger is probably greater now than when I told you there was little danger back in August. Huh?
Yes, precisely because these people cried “wolf” so loudly and so often and worked so many people into a frenzy to no result, people have lost interest. And yet, the epidemic continues in Africa, with every new victim a potential node for spreading the disease. The danger now is not that there will be a sudden influx of Ebola into first world countries. No, it’s that we lose interest in the epidemic in Africa and don’t commit enough resources to stopping the outbreak there. After all, it’s only Africa. This would be a monumentally, catastrophic mistake. Given enough time, the virus will mutate, and it will spread. If the world doesn’t act to contain the virus at its source as fast as possible, we are begging for disaster. Unfortunately, as with the boy who cried wolf too often, thanks to all of those who falsely cried “havoc” over the last three months, our new found apathy concerning Ebola might let loose a raging epidemic.
And I know they are not legally responsible, but if that were to happen, the fear mongers would not be prescient; they would, in fact, be the cause of the pandemic. They would be morally and ethically responsible. And it would be nice if, someday, their own followers called them to task for continually getting it wrong.
And Then There Are the Bureaucrats Placating the Fear Mongers.
The University of Georgia, pressured by panicked parents and the general public, cancelled the October 23rd guest lecture by an award-winning Liberian journalist over concerns of Ebola virus exposure, just days after Syracuse University similarly disinvited an esteemed photojournalist who had been working in Liberia. But this was hardly unique to America. A South Korean university rescinded an invitation for 3 Nigerians to attend a conference while several South Korean medical volunteers called off a visit to West Africa amid growing concerns about the spread of the deadly virus.
Then there are the government bureaucrats who think you can actually ban a virus from entering your country and seek to prevent anyone from entering their country or state who comes from a country suffering from an Ebola outbreak. But as has been shown before with avian flu and swine flu, it doesn’t work. But even worse, it encourages people to lie and not tell the truth as to where they’ve been. That’s a thousand times more dangerous than letting someone enter under controlled circumstances. If you know people have been exposed, you can take steps to monitor them until they prove to be Ebola negative. If you don’t know who these people are, however, that means an infected person can truly walk among you–even when they’re highly infectious–and you will have no idea until dozens of your citizens come down with the disease. This is key, so remember it well. Public actions that stigmatize, ban, or punish those who “might” have been exposed to Ebola don’t make you safer. Those actions merely encourage people to hide the truth from you and thus increase your risk a thousandfold. With this in mind, we can say thanks to the fearful idiots from:
- Belize and Cozumel who refused to let a Carnival Cruise ship land so that a passenger, who had merely been a lab tech at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital while Thomas Eric Duncan had been a patient there, could depart under controlled circumstances. The woman in question showed no signs of illness and, in fact, never came down with Ebola, and yet they refused to allow the ship to dock and allow this one passenger to be removed.
- Then there was Australia’s Minister of Immigration who announced a travel ban on all flights from Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. This, of course, merely encourages people to lie about where they’ve been and stop in an intervening country on their way to Australia so it no longer looks like they’re coming from West Africa. But Australia wasn’t done yet, even worse, Foreign minister Julie Bishop subsequently announced that Australia would not send health workers to help deal with West Africa’s Ebola outbreak because “there’s no way to get them home safely” if they catch the disease. Not only was her logic itself looney tunes, but as we have discussed, you cannot protect yourself by trying to lock out the disease. The only protection is to cut it off at the source–and stop the infection in West Africa. Remember, every person who contracts the disease in West Africa is a potential node of infection that can spread the disease outside of Africa to another country, then to another, and another–and ultimately to you.
The governors of New York, Illinois, Maine, and New Jersey issued quarantine directives for arriving air passengers who had contact with Ebola victims in West Africa. But as Sophie Delaunay, executive director of Doctors without Borders, pointed out, the directives had a “notable lack of clarity.” Most involved home quarantine for 21 days. However, Governor Christie in New Jersey decided that wasn’t good enough, and for blatantly political reasons thuggishly decided that these passengers needed to be quarantined immediately upon arrival at the airport in makeshift tents, with a box with a bag in it for a toilet. Keep in mind that even prisoners in solitary get actual toilets. This was a blatantly political decision and had no connection with public safety. Unfortunately, it worked “politically,” as, in one of the most disturbing facts of all, two-thirds of New Jersey voters approved of his actions.2 Bob Jordan. “Chris Christie right call with Ebola nurse: poll.” Asbury Park Press. 6 Nov 2014. (Accessed 8 Nov 2014.) http://www.app.com/story/news/local/new-jersey/2014/11/06/chris-chistie-poll-ebola/18563111/
- Why is it that I somehow believe that each and every one of those two thirds who voted in favor of quarantine would have voted differently if they or one of their loved ones was the person being confined in the tent? It’s always easier to take away someone else’s rights versus giving up your own. Just saying. And while we’re at it, let me ask another question. If these survey responders are so concerned about Ebola, which has not killed a single person infected in the United States, how do they feel about an automatic 21 day quarantine in a government tent for anyone who comes down with the flu in New Jersey–considering that the flu actually kills some 36,000 people every year in the US?3 Kristina Duda, “Flu Deaths Per Year.” about health. 27 Jun 2014. (Accessed 10 Oct 2014.) http://coldflu.about.com/od/flu/qt/fludeathsperyear.htm I’m guessing they wouldn’t vote for that either. The weird thing is: that actually makes sense in terms of public health.
Which brings up the question: is there any possible safety benefit to forcing health care workers returning from West Africa into quarantine–after all, Governor Christie said that he did it out of “an abundance of caution” for public safety? And the simple fact is that until someone demonstrates fairly advanced symptoms from an Ebola infection, there is no chance of incidental infection. There is not one example of incidental infection out of several hundred people (157 in Dallas alone, and even more with Dr. Spencer in NY)–not one. In fact, and to repeat, the only two cases of infection in the United States are two nurses who were not adequately protected and came in direct contact with infected vomit and diarrhea.
The judge who released the nurse held in the tent slammed the “misconceptions, misinformation, bad science, and bad information” given as reasons for her confinement. He ordered her release conditional on her continuing to self-monitor.
But that leads us to the even bigger question: now that we’ve seen there are no advantages to asymptomatic quarantine, are there any disadvantages to it–any hidden dangers?
You Can’t Quarantine Your Way Out of this Problem
And the answer is a resounding, yes! There are a number of fundamental problems with arbitrary quarantines. For example:
They don’t work. In fact, historically, they’ve been proven not to work. Yes, quarantines make sense and should indeed be mandatory for the limited numbers of people who are actually infected and displaying symptoms and are therefore known to be infectious. But once you try and extend the quarantine to the much larger numbers that you are merely “concerned” about, the quarantine invariably leaks. There are just too many people who fall into that category.
- They deplete your supply of health care workers. For example, if you had to place all the health care workers in a hospital in quarantine who had contact with an Ebola patient, who would be available to take care of a second patient if they had to be admitted to the same hospital? Remember, all the staff who took care of the first patient are now in quarantine.
- Just because the overreaction and fear mongering in the US turned out to be untrue and the public is losing interest and Ebola is now dropping off the front pages of the news, doesn’t mean the threat is gone. Just because we’ve decided to stop paying attention to it in the West, doesn’t mean the danger is gone. As long as the infection keeps raging in West Africa, it is continually producing new possible nodes of infection. The only way the danger passes for the world as a whole is when the epidemic ends in West Africa. And for that to happen, we need courageous health care workers willing to go to West Africa and help defeat the epidemic. If you make it harder for them to travel there and back (think Australia and demands from U.S. politicians for travel restrictions on health care workers to and from West Africa), then you are prolonging the danger and increasing your own risk. And even more importantly, if you arbitrarily start “punishing” these same workers who risk their lives to essentially protect you by making sure the infection doesn’t reach your community, then you risk dissuading them from volunteering in the first place. This exponentially increases the danger to you and yours.
- And finally, most important of all, if you are branding, quarantining, and effectively punishing asymptomatic people for merely having been to West Africa or been in contact with someone who had Ebola, human nature pretty much guarantees that people will start lying about where they’ve been and who they’ve talked to. Keep in mind, it’s not that hard to travel first to an intermediary country before flying to your ultimate destination. And the problem here is that once people start believing they have to hide from authorities, they are likely to keep hiding even as symptoms become more advanced. And once you have infected people vomiting and spreading diarrhea in public restrooms, you have a nightmare scenario. As CDC Director Thomas Frieden said when testifying before Congress, “Right now we know who’s coming in. If we try to eliminate travel, it’s possible that some come from…other places, [and] we won’t know where they’ve been.”4 Sophie Novack. “Why the CDC Doesn’t Want An Ebola Travel Ban.” NationalJournal. 16 Oct 2014. (8 Nov 2014.) http://www.nationaljournal.com/health-care/what-the-cdc-is-doing-differently-after-the-spread-of-ebola-in-dallas-20141016
In the end, the greatest threat from Ebola is people disobeying their national governments and acting out of fear rather than knowledge. We have seen what happens when people behave rationally and obey their public health authorities when it comes to Ebola. Ugandans have dealt with previous epidemics rationally, and the epidemics stopped almost before they started. Nigeria has now been declared Ebola free, and Mali seems balanced on a knife edge with new cases now appearing sporadically. That leaves Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia as the only countries still in full blown epidemic–although even in two of those countries the rate of infection now seems to be either stable or slowing. Only in Sierra Leone is it still rising.5 AP. “U.N. Ebola chief voices guarded optimism.” CBS News. 7 Nov 2014. (Accessed 8 Nov 2014.) http://www.cbsnews.com/news/un-david-nabarro-ebola-chief-outbreak-could-end-in-2015/ And what do all these three countries have in common that was not true in Uganda, Mali, and Nigeria? The people refused to listen to their central governments and the health care workers who arrived to help them. They thought they were being lied to and believed the fear mongers in their countries instead–some of whom drew their inspiration from the fear mongers generating sensationalistic stories here in the US. They broke out of hospitals, they continued to bury their dead in traditional ways that involve massive contact with infected bodily fluids, and they didn’t merely quarantine their health care workers–in some cases, they killed them.6 Jacque Wilson. “8 killed in Guinea town over Ebola fears.” CNN Health. 19 Sep 2014. (Accessed 8 Nov 2014.) http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/19/health/ebola-guinea-killing/
My concern today is that thanks to all the fear mongering the citizens of the United States have been behaving more like the people from Sierra Leone than Nigeria. Again, two thirds of the citizens in New Jersey agreed with Governor Christie’s decision to stick an asymptomatic, returning health care worker in a tent with a box toilet rather than simply monitoring her for symptoms. It’s a sad day when the citizens of Nigeria can claim to be more rational, science-based, and civilized than the citizens of the United States. A very sad day.
So, as I said previously about the fear mongers in the media, let me repeat it for the bureaucrats who seek to score political points by catering to that same fear. They may not be legally responsible, but if their actions should actually lead to the spread of Ebola outside of Africa, they would, in fact, be morally and ethically responsible.
Ebola Survivors –What They Have in Common and What it Tells Us
An analysis of the first Ebola patients in Sierra Leone has found significant differences in the amount of virus present in patients when they came in for treatment, a factor that affected whether or not they survived.7 Julie Steenhuysen. “Why do some survive Ebola? Sierra Leone study offers clues.” Reuters Oct 29, 2014. (Accessed 8 Nove 2014.) http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/29/us-health-ebola-outcomes-idUSKBN0II2DG20141029 For example, 33 percent of patients with less than 100,000 copies of the virus per milliliter of blood at diagnosis ultimately died, whereas the mortality rate in those who had more than 10 million copies per milliliter was 94 percent. Yes, genetics may give some people an advantage in resisting the virus,8 Catharine Paddock “Surviving or dying from Ebola may be partly down to genes.” MNT 31 Oct 2014. (Accessed 8 Nov 2014.) http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/284708.php but other data shows that simply having a strong enough immune system is the major factor. For example, 57 percent of people under age 21 who were treated for Ebola died from their infections, compared with 94 percent of those over the age of 45.
The bottom line is that what I suggested in the last issue of the newsletter appears to be true. In the astronomically unlikely event that you come down with Ebola, having a strong immune system and using natural anti-pathogens to keep the viral load down, thus giving your immune system time to kick in and do its job, is the way to go. And there may be a joker in the deck that changes the outlook dramatically. As I indicated in a previous newsletter, in addition to the 10,000 or so cases of symptomatic Ebola that have been documented, there may be many multiples of that number of asymptomatic cases–people who contracted the Ebola infection, but whose immune systems so effectively dealt with it that they never showed symptoms and were never contagious themselves.9 Catharine Paddock “How widespread is natural Ebola immunity?.” MNT 17 Oct 2014. (Accessed 8 Nov 2014.) http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/284037.php If so, they would provide a vast reservoir of undocumented people who are now naturally inoculated and thus protected from future infection. Depending on how high those numbers are, they could vastly change the projections as to how fast the current Ebola epidemic will continue to spread. And maybe even more important, if they could be reliably identified, they could be recruited to help with disease control, reducing risk of infection to those who are not immune. In effect, they would be the ideal health care workers, with no possibility of ever being infected themselves.
And now to the actual purpose of this newsletter–a look at my personal infection fighting regimen.
My Anti-pathogen Regimen
Let me make it perfectly clear that I didn’t create the Baseline of Health® program for marketing purposes. I designed the program for myself and Kristen. The first edition of Lessons from the Miracle Doctors was actually written by me, for myself, to clarify the program that I wanted to follow. Baseline Nutritionals® was established as a company well after the book was written as a way to produce the products I wanted to use for our personal regimen. I only created formulas where I couldn’t find what I was looking for already available in the market. If somebody else was already making something the way I wanted, I was happy to use what they had. This is the reason you will notice in the following program, that I make use of other companies’ products along with my own.
The Baseline of Health Program
As I have explained numerous times, I’m not a big believer in magic bullets and hunting down short term fixes. I believe that optimum health has to be based on optimizing every single system in your body. You’re only as strong as your weakest link; and that goes for your immune system as well. For example, you can take all the immune boosting supplements in the world, but your immune system is going to be compromised if your intestinal tract is plugged and if your intestinal bacteria are in a state of dysbiosis. In other words, I really do live and breathe the Baseline of Health program. I use all of my own formulas, and I detox regularly. For example, I have not missed a single liver cleanse, doing two a year, for the last 15 years. If you want an optimized immune system, that’s part of what you have to do. I also supplement with things like vitamin D and trace minerals and antioxidants, including organic selenium, as recommended in the Baseline of Health Program, for their immune system benefits.
That said, I realize that many readers are looking for a list of the immune specific things that I do to prevent and/or treat colds and flus, as well as other bacterial or viral illnesses that go above and beyond the basic Baseline of Health program. So:
Immune Boosting — to Prevent Illness
- Immunify®–a bottle a month, with one week off every month.
- High acemannan aloe. I use 1/2 tsp daily of MPS Gold 100.10 http://healthbreakthroughs.net/MPS-GOLD-100-is-a-replacement.php
- Colostrum standardized to 40% immunoglobulins (1,900 mg in the morning).
To defeat an illness
- Super ViraGon®. At the first sign of any illness coming on (slight body ache, scratchy throat, swollen lymph nodes, etc.). Even if it might just be fatigue or body ache as the result of exertion that day–if there’s any possibility at all that it might be the beginning of a cold or flu–I’ll down an entire bottle of Super ViraGon. I’ll mix half a bottle in a glass of diluted fruit juice (I find orange, tomato, or apricot work well) and drink it down. An hour or so later, I’ll do the other half bottle. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred, if I do that, I wake up the next morning feeling fine. No cold. No flu.
- If I’m too late and the cold or flu has passed the incubation phase, I’ll do the bottle a day of Super ViraGon for three days and then continue with 10 droppers, three times a day, until the illness is gone–and then three days more to make sure it doesn’t sneak in through the back door.
Olive leaf extract. I like Gaia Herb’s Olive Leaf capsules.11 http://www.gaiaherbs.com/products/detail/55/Olive-Leaf-
- I’ll take five capsules spread out through the day, each day until the illness is gone–and again, three days more.
- Oil of Oregano. I use Oreganol P73 capsules.12 http://oreganol.com/ I’ll take five capsules throughout the day along with the olive leaf extract.
- I also take AHCC,13 http://www.ahccresearch.com/how-ahcc-works.html a patented medicinal mushroom extract, to help speed up the response of my immune system. When sick I’ll use five 1,000 mg capsules a day. AHCC is sold under various brand names and much less expensively as generic AHCC.14 http://www.vitacost.com/vitacost-ahcc-with-vitamin-c-1-000-mg-per-serving-30-capsules-2/?ntt=844197015283
- For those into colloidal silver, I would recommend Silver Sol solution.15 http://www.silversolutionusa.com/silver-sol-8-ounce-10ppm/
When Traveling
I love Super ViraGon, but each glass bottle contains the equivalent of 30 cloves of garlic. If that leaks or breaks in your suitcase, the rest of your trip will be an unhappy one. Likewise, I don’t want to pack the glass bottled Immunify in my suitcase. So, I have a different routine when traveling.
- AHCC (1 capsule morning and evening)
- Olive leaf extract (1 capsule morning and evening)
- Oil of oregano (1 capsule morning and evening)
Dealing with Nasal Infection
To my normal cold and flu routine, I’ll add:
- Nasal irrigation using salt water in a neti pot, with an added dropper of Immunify. The anti-pathogenic action of Immunify, although definite, is nowhere near as strong as that found in Super ViraGon, but there’s no way I’m putting Super ViraGon up my nose. It would burn out my nasal passages. Using Silver Sol solution instead of Immunify is an option.
Dealing with Lung Congestion and/or Cough
To my normal cold and flu routine, I’ll add:
- A couple of sessions a day with a Mabis Mist Ultrasonic Nebulizer through the mask so I can inhale through both my nose and mouth. I use the model 40-070-000, which has been discontinued and replaced by the 40-370-000.16 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3N5Ibki4Ss#t=24 (If you hunt around, I’ve seen it for as low as $85 on the net.) The nice feature is that it incorporates a small medicine cup to which I can add two droppers of Immunify, which is then delivered in ultra-small particles, along with the mist, deep into the lungs. Silver Sol solution is another option for use in the medicine cup.
- I take four pHi-Zymes® (systemic proteolytic enzymes) every day normally, but will double the amount if I have any lung congestion. The pHi-Zymes help break up that congestion.
- I also use a natural herbal expectorant such as Naturade17 http://www.naturade.com/product/naturade-herbal-expectorant-expec-with-guafenesin-8-8-fl-oz/#sthash.m1SojACR.dpbs to help clear my bronchial passages
Sore throat
- I’ll make up my normal glass of a half bottle of Super ViraGon and diluted juice. But instead of drinking it down, I’ll sip it–making sure to let it continually bathe my throat.
Dealing with Intestinal Infection and Food Poisoning
- Super ViraGon to kill the bad guys
- Colon Regenerator™ in a glass of diluted juice to absorb the bad bacteria and escort them out of the body. (Note: do not take at the same time as the Super ViraGon. Take them at least half an hour apart.)
Dealing with Skin Infection
- Skin infections are a great place for Silver Sol gel, as argyria is a non-issue when colloidal silver is used topically.18 http://www.silversolutionusa.com/categories/ASAP-Silver-Gel/
- For poisonous insect bites and even some skin infections, I have used Colon Regenerator in a drawing poultice. It does the same thing topically that it does in your colon; it draws out toxins. To make a drawing poultice:
- Add water to some Colon Regenerator until it forms a damp paste–not runny, but spreadable.
- Apply a layer of gauze over the skin problem.
- Spread the Colon Regenerator paste over the site, on top of the gauze.
- Apply another two layers of gauze to hold the poultice in place. Tape the gauze and poultice to the skin around the affected area to hold it in place using medical bandage tape. Leave in place until the toxins are drawn out. Reapply in 24 hours if necessary.
Fine Tuning the Immune System
As part of the Baseline of Health program, I regularly take:
- Ever Young™, which contains L-carnosine.
- Triple Jointed™, which contains cetyl-myristoleate.`
- Men’s Formula™, which contains ginseng. (The Women’s Formula™ contains Eleuthero Root.)
- Immunify, which contains astragalus.
- 250 mg of 3% rhodiola extract daily.
Why? Well, along with all their other benefits, these are all immunomodulators that can “intelligently” regulate my immune system, boosting it up whenever it is challenged or weakened and calming it down whenever outside stimuli cause it to become overactive. In other words, they constantly fine tune my immune system.
Conclusion
There it is, as simple as I can make it: my program for preventing and fighting all kinds of infections. I realize it is more complicated than a sound bite; unfortunately, invading pathogens themselves are more complicated than a sound bite.
Note: when reading through all of these options and possibilities, you might think I’m sick a lot. Not true. Many of these protocols I have used maybe once in the last decade. Others I have never personally used but have called forth to help friends when they are sick. But some, like hitting the Super ViraGon hard if I feel the slightest bit off, I probably do a couple of times a year–and that’s probably one of the main reasons, along with following the Baseline of Health program, I rarely, if ever, have to use any of the other protocols.
References
↑1 | “How Ebola is Spread.” CDC 1 Nov 2014. (Accessed 4 Nov 2014.) http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/pdf/infections-spread-by-air-or-droplets.pdf |
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↑2 | Bob Jordan. “Chris Christie right call with Ebola nurse: poll.” Asbury Park Press. 6 Nov 2014. (Accessed 8 Nov 2014.) http://www.app.com/story/news/local/new-jersey/2014/11/06/chris-chistie-poll-ebola/18563111/ |
↑3 | Kristina Duda, “Flu Deaths Per Year.” about health. 27 Jun 2014. (Accessed 10 Oct 2014.) http://coldflu.about.com/od/flu/qt/fludeathsperyear.htm |
↑4 | Sophie Novack. “Why the CDC Doesn’t Want An Ebola Travel Ban.” NationalJournal. 16 Oct 2014. (8 Nov 2014.) http://www.nationaljournal.com/health-care/what-the-cdc-is-doing-differently-after-the-spread-of-ebola-in-dallas-20141016 |
↑5 | AP. “U.N. Ebola chief voices guarded optimism.” CBS News. 7 Nov 2014. (Accessed 8 Nov 2014.) http://www.cbsnews.com/news/un-david-nabarro-ebola-chief-outbreak-could-end-in-2015/ |
↑6 | Jacque Wilson. “8 killed in Guinea town over Ebola fears.” CNN Health. 19 Sep 2014. (Accessed 8 Nov 2014.) http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/19/health/ebola-guinea-killing/ |
↑7 | Julie Steenhuysen. “Why do some survive Ebola? Sierra Leone study offers clues.” Reuters Oct 29, 2014. (Accessed 8 Nove 2014.) http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/29/us-health-ebola-outcomes-idUSKBN0II2DG20141029 |
↑8 | Catharine Paddock “Surviving or dying from Ebola may be partly down to genes.” MNT 31 Oct 2014. (Accessed 8 Nov 2014.) http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/284708.php |
↑9 | Catharine Paddock “How widespread is natural Ebola immunity?.” MNT 17 Oct 2014. (Accessed 8 Nov 2014.) http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/284037.php |
↑10 | http://healthbreakthroughs.net/MPS-GOLD-100-is-a-replacement.php |
↑11 | http://www.gaiaherbs.com/products/detail/55/Olive-Leaf- |
↑12 | http://oreganol.com/ |
↑13 | http://www.ahccresearch.com/how-ahcc-works.html |
↑14 | http://www.vitacost.com/vitacost-ahcc-with-vitamin-c-1-000-mg-per-serving-30-capsules-2/?ntt=844197015283 |
↑15 | http://www.silversolutionusa.com/silver-sol-8-ounce-10ppm/ |
↑16 | http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3N5Ibki4Ss#t=24 |
↑17 | http://www.naturade.com/product/naturade-herbal-expectorant-expec-with-guafenesin-8-8-fl-oz/#sthash.m1SojACR.dpbs |
↑18 | http://www.silversolutionusa.com/categories/ASAP-Silver-Gel/ |
Jon,
Jon,
I am curious why you do not recommend a relatively high dose of Vitamin C along with the other items. Dr. David Brownstein mentioned that Ebola and advanced Scurvey have a LOT in common. I suspect that many of could use more Vitamin C anyway.
Hi Mary:
Hi Mary,
This was addressed and answered in Building Your Immune System. For convenience, Jon said: “Vitamin C is currently being pushed online as an Ebola solution. That may be a bit of a stretch. That vitamin C helps boost the immune system is pretty much a given. And it certainly has strong antiviral qualities in a test tube. But in real life, the results are more mixed. Forget Ebola or the flu, even when it comes to the common cold, results are mixed. As a 2013 Cochrane Report says, “Trials of high doses of vitamin C administered therapeutically, starting after the onset of symptoms, showed no consistent effect on the duration or severity of common cold symptoms. However, the story doesn’t end there. What most studies evaluate as “high doses” is not even close to what Linus Pauling recommended. For most studies, we’re talking about 1-3 grams a day. Pauling himself took 18 g a day. At these levels, ascorbate has been shown to have specific antiviral effects in which it inactivates the RNA or DNA of viruses50, 51, 52 or in the assembly of the virus53. But it should be noted that even in these studies, the beneficial effect of vitamin C was moderate—not cure-all.
The bottom line on vitamin C is that large doses are useful as an immune booster but are unlikely to prove to be a cure-all for Ebola.”
I do not appreciate the
I do not appreciate the condescending, all-seeing tone of this Ebola discussion Dr. Barron, and you leave no room for the sane, socially thoughtful people who disagree with your obvious cognitive bias again normal infectious disease procedures. I have to ask why you go out of your way to mimic our government propoganda line?
Ariel:
Ariel:
We would suggest that it is your comment that displays cognitive bias, not Jon’s newsletter. Anyone who has read Jon’s newsletters, knows that he has frequently called a number of governments (not just the US Government) as well as health agencies such as the CDC to task for bad policy and errors in judgment when he feels they are wrong. On the other hand, Jon has never had a problem acknowledging that they are correct when the facts on the ground warrant it. That’s what being cognitively unbiased is about. And in this case the facts on the ground warrant it. Not one single person in the developed world has yet been infected through casual contact. Not one. And as Jon details in the newsletter, there are hundreds of people who have been exposed to “potential” carriers through casual contact. That’s an undeniable fact. And again, not one of them has been infected. The position of the fear mongers that Ebola spreads through casual contact and through the air exists in contradiction to all existing data. To imply that Jon should disagree with the government simply because it’s the government and support the contrarian POV despite the fact that no facts support their position is, in fact, the ultimate expression of cognitive bias.
We feel that Jon’s newsletter is not in the slightest condescending; it merely calls fear mongering for what it is: irresponsible journalism.
Dear Jon and Kristen,,Thank
Dear Jon and Kristen,,Thank you so much for your continued interest in us all. My chum Kevin put me onto your supplements some many years ago now and whilst I used to buy direct I get my order with his from time to time.
I suffer from Silicosis (I used to undertake sandblasting in my formative years in Darwin) have had many complications and lots of medical proccedures along with a myriad of medications. Through your promises I have been able to eliminate many of those prescribed meds. I am now approaching 60 and although lung capacity 50% the decline has eased, since your intervention. I can say that you have both been the most valuable to my new regime over the past few years.
Always informative always RIGHT which is most important of all. I was instrumental in bring about the Australian Senate Inquiry in May 2006. You could enter Google ,,Richard White Silicosis and read what I /we undertook.
My Christine says you are both remarkable as you both look so young,,,all the very best. Richard White. Australia.
“It’s a sad day when the
“It’s a sad day when the citizens of Nigeria can claim to be more rational, science-based, and civilized than the citizens of the United States.”
Yeah right. All Africans are savages, and all USAns are geniuses… (sorry about my tone, I otherwise really appreciate your articles)
Oh no, we are so sorry to
Oh no, we are so sorry to hear that you are reading Jon’s statement the exact opposite of how it was intended. It wasn’t meant to denigrate Nigeria. Quite the opposite. Jon’s point is that the US bills itself as the greatest country in the world, with the best healthcare system in the world, the greatest universities, and the most Nobel prize winners, etc. in the world. So, yes, it is a sad day when we show ourselves to be so far behind when it comes to responsibly handling Ebola. In that sense, our press has acted closer to what has been seen in Liberia and Sierra Leone than the far more responsible lines taken in Nigeria and Uganda. For example: http://liberianobserver.com/security/ebola-aids-manufactured-western-pharmaceuticals-us-dod. Perhaps, what ties it all together is that Dr Cyril Broderick, who wrote this piece of fear mongering for publication in Liberia, was actually a professor at the University of Delaware in the past. Perhaps that’s where he learned his craft.
Even wilder, by the way, are the reports of Ebola zombies rising from the dead that also circulated through the Liberian press. To reiterate, what Jon means is that our press has acted just as irresponsible as the countries that have caused Ebola to spread due to fear mongering.
Happy/reassured to read your
Happy/reassured to read your answer. Simply, this sentence is really very clumsy, as it actually can be formulated so (just logic):
“On any normal day, the citizens of Nigeria are less rational, science-based, and civilized than the citizens of the United States.” I’m sure you don’t actually think that, but it may just be the way we, in our western world, are used to think about “thirld world” countries. Thank you anyway for all the excellent info we can find on your website.
Since cancer is thought by
Since cancer is thought by many to be a failure of the immune system, could your immunity protocol also be considered preventative for cancer?
My wife and I have escaped
My wife and I have escaped all and every cold or flu for many years now. We take our vitamin and mineral supplements and we also take 500 mg of “EpiCor” every morning and 1.5 g. of AHCC (from ImmPower) daily in in 3 divided doses. The only time I had to fight off something was 5 weeks ago when I had Chikungunya. I took 40 grams of liposomal (Lypo-spheric) vitamin C and the Chikungunya was totally gone within 10 hours! I did reverse my own heart disease (CAD) and my wife’s Lung Cancer. Wrote a book about that. “How To Get Yourself Infected By Chronic Good Health” by Carl J Hagelstam. Available on the Internet.
This might be great for you,
This might be great for you, but who can afford it? The cost is astronomical if you have several family members and aren’t getting it at cost.
You asked a great question,
You asked a great question, but unfortunately, you only asked it rhetorically as you provided your own answer, which probably is not as good as the question. So let’s address the question, “Who can afford it?”
The vast majority of what Jon suggests is situational; that is, you only use it when you have a particular problem. For example, when dealing with a nasal infection, Jon suggests using a neti pot with salt and adding a dropper of Immunify. Neti pots are available from Vitacost for less than $10 and last a lifetime. A year’s supply of salt if used as needed is about $2. And adding a dropper of Immunify as needed will run less than a $1 year. Hardly astronomical.
For lung congestion, he suggests a one time purchase of a nebulizer for $85. The water used in the nebulizer is free. And again, the added Immunify will cost about a $1 a year for most people.
For traveling he suggests AHCC, Olive leaf extract, and Oil of oregano. The cost for these products on Vitacost are respectively $50 for 60 capsules, $17 for 60 capsules, and $27 for 60 capsules for a total of $94. However, you only use two capsules a day of each when traveling, which means that $94 will cover 30 days of travel. For most people, then, that’s $94 spread out over two years, or $4 a month.
We could go on and cover some of the other situational examples such as using Colon Detoxifier for food poisoning or skin infection poultices, but we’re only talking about pennies a year here. So let’s cut to the chase and talk about basic maintenance.
As Jon says, everything starts with the Baseline of Health Program, but the core of the program is diet, water, exercise, mental health, and regular juice fasting (1 day a week, one 3-day fast a month, and two 5-day fasts a year. The cost for the core of the program, then, is essentially nothing—unless you’re currently living on corn chips, giant bottles of soda, and frozen burritos purchased at Costco. But then, although you may be saving on your food now by doing that, you will more than pay for it down the road with compromised health. The bottom line is that the more you follow the Baseline of Health guidelines, the less you need any supplements. That said, Jon also advocates 4 cleanses a year (two intestinal/heavy metal and two kidney/liver/gallbladder/blood). But again, the bulk of these cleanses involve juice fasting and special drinks made with olive oil and citrus juice. Total cost for the added herbal/nutraceutical components per detox is about $127 when taking advantage of the bulk rates. And only adults should do the detoxes. Hardly back breaking.
Now, the basic immunity maintenance program Jon uses consists of Immunify at $26 a month and Colostrum (from Vitacost) at $6 a month. The most expensive part of the program is the Aloe from Health Breakthroughs which costs (depending on how much you buy) anywhere from $65 to $95 a canister—but each canister lasts four months at ½ tsp a day. That puts your cost at $16-23 a month.
The total cost for everything Jon spoke about runs around $60 a month per person. I’m not sure that qualifies as “astronomical.” And it’s likely that most people could afford it for themselves and their loved ones if they wanted to. It’s a question of choice. How much is health worth to you. Just think how much a family of four spends going out to a movie and dinner once a month—let alone a theme park like Disneyland.
In summary: great question, just not sure you’re answer accurately represents the costs involved.
there is already a doctor in
there is already a doctor in our body and our doc heal us,thats immunity we should improve our immunity to face all problems .
You know, I have never in my
Jon,
You know, I have never in my life written to a blog in this way, as a Complainer. For one thing, I know nothing good will come of this. However I feel compelled to explain Communication 101 Principle #1: When someone in our sphere of communication reacts by saying “This article is flat-out condescending,” how is it ever our place to say “no it is not”?
My original comment was an entirely subjective response – I would in this case be the Expert and you would in fact be the Receiver of Information. The information is that his reader – and this part is a qualified editorial opinion – that many others reading this exchange, react to you as being highly biased, thought-controlling, pseudo-scientific, and arrogant, and while we are at it: socially prejudiced. Your reliance on snide remarks throughout, on button-pushing LABELS which marginalize people who differ, and on insisting that you and your opinions somehow carry more weight are symptoms displayed by People Who Must be Right. The fact that a staffer is writing this reply to me is telling, but also explains why your editorial person was hired in the first place. You can no longer see how you come across. Had I been met with an open and inviting response to my initial comment, I would take the time to explain directly to you Jon, how your “facts” are selective, misinterpretation of the facts are everywhere throughout your diatribe, and your repeated ignoring of non-mainstream media open-source reported facts are rampant throughout this so-called Factual Journalism which is in fact, an OPINION. Your article is full of derogatory labels, and demonizes the many people, including me, with even slightly different approaches to our right AND our moral burden to establish within our own sphere, our version of socially responsible self-protection. The fact that your editor’s reply essentially negates my assertive response to your article is therefore to be expected. Your assumption that it is acceptable to speak to people this way because it is your blog is also par for the course. When considering the fact that so many of us have so little support in figuring out our health care essentials outside of using the Internet for gathering Health Intelligence, this is in my view, an example of abuse of power in itself. Your system too handily squelches outlier readers..
Hi Ariel,
Hi Ariel, We would suggest that once again, you are guilty of the very cognitive bias you accuse us of. Consider. You state that it is okay for you to say “This article is flat-out condescending,” but it is inappropriate for us to say that “we feel it is not.” By the way, it’s very important to quote accurately. We did not say “it is not” as you stated, but rather that “we feel it is not.” These are very, very different statements. One is objective; the other subjective. Quoting accurately is part of “Communication 101.” Quoting inaccurately is highly indicative of cognitive bias. You also accuse Jon of citing facts selectively and call that OPINION, but you cite no facts, and suggest that makes your opinion more correct. Again, suggestive of cognitive bias. You accuse Jon’s article of being full of derogatory labels, but please note that Jon does not name anyone other than public officials. He just says that anyone who is fear mongering is making the situation worse. How is that derogatory—unless you’re defending fear mongering?
And you accuse our “system” of “too handily” squelching outlier readers. But in fact, we publish opposing points of view in our comments. We may disagree with them, but we publish them. I hope you’re not saying that we must agree with them too. Calling that “squelching” would again seem to be a perfect example of cognitive bias.
All of that said, at this point, I think we just need to end our discussion and, as the old saying goes, “agree to disagree.”
Why are you even reading Jon
Why are you even reading Jon’s stuff?
Instead of attacking the way something is presented have you ever tried ANY of Baseline formulas?
Jon has put together some very powerful formulas and provided enough information to make an informed decision.
We have used them for years with great success.
Dear Jon,
Dear Jon,
I’ve been an avid follower of your newsletter and health program for over a decade. Because of your program I no longer have debilitating allergies. And, I rarely if ever get a cold or flu. So, I’m a big believer in your program. I know it works from personal experience and have turned my family and friends on to it. I also appreciate your calm, reasoned, intelligent and rational approach to current events. I have no time for the hysteria and utter nonsense spouted from the media or some others in the health industry. It does surprise me when no one holds them accountable when they keep making pronouncements that are patently untrue. Your newsletter is a source of information I can count on. All I can say is thanks for all you do, and keep up the great work!
Thank you for your nice
Thank you for your nice comments Jason, we really appreciate it.
Jon et al,
Jon et al,
I haven’t had a cold or flu since 2006 (when I first read your book), but it’s nice to know what I should do if I fall off the immunity wagon 🙂 Thanks!
My friend has a baby and is worried about her first winter. Any suggestions? Aside from probiotics (B. Infantis is what she’s giving her now), what is helpful (if they are formula fed)? Colostrum? I know it’s tricky giving advice for babies (and pregnant women), so feel free to add a disclaimer to your response 🙂 Thanks again!
Hi Cynthia,
Hi Cynthia,
Jon has many articles on this topic so you may want to search our site. Here is one article to get you started.
I find it quite odd that you
I find it quite odd that you take over 10 different pills and supplements everyday. Why don’t you just eat the proper foods. I take a glass of orange juice, 5000 IU of vitamin D and a heaping fork full of homemade sauerkraut every morning along with fruits, vegetables, eggs, grains, green and black teas throughout the day. I also use coconut oil and cook with garlic a few time a month. You seems to have a supplement or formula for everything! I’ve worked in a hospital for over 30 years and I haven”t been sick the last 15 years, not even one day. So why pay hundreds of dollars on your formulas per month which you make sound like they are some sort of “magic bullet” when common sense and sensible eating does the exact same thing! I enjoy you articles and read them all the time and I certainly know that you convey truthful information. But I also believe that good immunity doesn’t need to come from a great many pills & supplements every day.
This article was written
This article was written purely because people continually asked what Jon takes personally. It wasn’t to sell you anything, and Jon avoided writing it for almost 40 years because he believes that each individual is indeed unique. In the end, though, it made sense to post the details of his personal program. We certainly congratulate you for not being sick one single day in the last 15 years. However, there are many reasons why someone might want to consider regular detoxing and the use of supplements. As studies have shown, in today’s world, it really doesn’t matter how purely you live your own life, you are being exposed to toxins. Here’s just one example: http://www.jonbarron.org/article/inescapable-toxins. And if a new virus or bacterial infection runs rampant through your community, one that your immune system has no memory of, you will be susceptible, no matter how clean your diet. If and when that happens, you might wish that you had certain supplements ready in your medicine cabinet.
That said, and considering how anti-supplement you are, curious as to why you feel the need to take a vitamin D supplement when just 10-15 minutes of sun exposure can produce up to 10,000 IU of vitamin D.
CAN SUPER VIRAGON HELP KEEP
CAN SUPER VIRAGON HELP KEEP THE BACTERIA
H PYLORE AND METHAN FROM RETURNING I HAVE BEEN ON XIFAXAN ANTIBOTIC AND AFTER ALL THAT I WAS TOLD IT CAN RETURN