Getting colds more often While on Keto

#41

Thank you for asking and while I have lived in a few places in my life, I have lived in the same house as I do now for over two decades. Our walls are plaster so mold while not impossible is less likely

We do have a dog that has lived with us off an on for a few years but these are definite colds not allergies. They come on with a classic sore throat, turn into congestion, runny nose and then slowly dissipate over 10 days or so plus my husband or some other family member usually has one around the same time. It was a good idea and I definitely have some minor allergies but these are colds. So far the Vitamin C packets seem to be working but I do not want to jinx anything

(Kelly Enny) #42

Had to stop because Iā€™ve been six since Nov.7th myself with an on and off virus. Need help too.

#43

OP saphire - I have always gotten sick very often, even as a child. I had a friend recommend gargling with Oregano and lemons. I used a diluted EO version. This almost always clears up any sign of illness immediately. I have also had to do it a few times to help. I would be very careful if you try it, I am just sharing what I have done. I am currently coming down with something fierce, so a hot shower and some gargling will be my remedy.

#44

Thank you for the responses.

@Riv

Interstingly although I got sick constantly last year, to date I have not had a cold since July 2018. It amazes me. All my kids and my H have had at least one cold since then but not me. I am not sure what changed. One thing is I barely do any fasts and I do wonder if that is the difference, also someone recommended this Vitamin C gel that I take whenever I feel something coming on, maybe every 2 weeks or so. I have had the same box since last June made by Lypo-Spheric

#45

In reading your post, one other thing that changed is my standard poodle died in June. She was 4 and I had no problems until the last year of her life or so when I started keto. I did have a cold in July almost a month after she died while on vacation so I doubt it is connected. However, I had cats for 18 years until 2008 and after the last one died, about a month later I noticed the annual spring cough I had since 2005 went away a month early and never came back. I am definitely mildly allergic to cats as I have discovered since then. We still have a small terrier who does not seem to bother me but poodles have hair and some people may react more to that although not usually what happens. I am considering getting another poodle so I hope that is not the reason

#46

Wow this is good info to me! I, too, get colds more often. I had severe mono as a child and have thought about getting my spleen checked to see if it could be the underlying cause of my frequent colds (as well as the Epstein-Barr virus).
I did begin collagen daily but had never heard I needed another supplement to absorb it better. I will look into that as well as a good absorption way to get some vitamins in. I have also been suspicious that my vit D is too low. I try to get in the sun at specific times so as to create D naturally but we have had a terrible rainy and cloudy winter/spring. Even trying epsom salt baths but those are a hassle sometimes.
Do you have links to further info for all that you mentioned or maybe a certain brand site for me to visit?

(Isa) #47

I know this is an old post, but there is one piece of information on here that makes me cringe as an herbalist.

Please donā€™t use goldenseal. It is an endangered plant and is supremely overharvested.

#48

For collagen peptides, I just buy whatever is the cheapest non-GMO and grassfed kind on Amazon (you have to select search for prices low to high), and all organic liposomal C is pretty pricey. Another option is to put 4-5 goji berries (wolfberries) or some frozen pomegranate kernels in your mug of collagen broth for a highly absorbable C boost - or add some frozen berries to your smoothies that have added collagen. For D, hmm, I buy D3 from a brand called Country Naturals in a glass jar.

Hope that helps!

#49

Iodine is supposed to be secreted by the mucus membranes. It helps act as an antiseptic. Iodine deficiency is another one of those common deficiencies of civilization. We had it on lock down by iodizing salt and using iodine based dough conditioners in our bread. Now days most people avoid salt, and those that donā€™t are using fancy uniodized salts. Modern dough conditioners are bromine based, and bromine is not only not iodine, but it displaces iodine in the body.

I used to regularly get terrible sinus infections that would often go down into my chest. More than once it has turned into full blown bronchitis. These sinus infections were usually preceded by a day or two of sinus pain. I would use a neti pot to try and nip it in the bud, but it didnā€™t always work. I added tea tree oil to my neti pot, and that helped, buy still didnā€™t always work. Then I started adding xylitol to my neti pot. It breaks up biofilms kind of like soap, but unlike soap, there is no risk of permanently losing your sense of smell. Then I finally added some povidone to this concoction. This helped quite a bit, but still not 100%.

After having done keto for awhile I got a wicked sinus infection. It was very painful, and had taken hold particularly strong in the back of my sinuses above my soft palate, making swallowing very painful. My neti concoction was doing diddly. I ended up going to the Dr. and getting antibiotics for it. It was strep. Instead of strep throat, I had strep nose.

Anyway, to make a long story even longer, after that I looked into iodine supplementation yo see if it would help me lose weight faster, what with thyroid hormone containing iodine and all. Thatā€™s when I learned about how our mucus membranes secrete small amounts of iodine as an antiseptic. Iā€™ve been taking 12.5mg a day ever since, and knock on wood, I have not had even a twinge of sinus pain since then. 12.5mg is what the average Japanese person gets with their high sea food diet. If I eat a significant amount of t of seafood, Iā€™ll skip that dayā€™s dose. Taking too much iodine can cause itā€™s own problems, so Iā€™m playing it safe. Some people take up to 50mg a day! Thatā€™s asking for thyroiditis if you donā€™t have a special need for large amounts of iodine. Women can probably get away with somewhat larger doses, as breast tissue needs plenty of iodine, but 12.5mg seems to be plenty for the ladies in Japan.

#50

Thought I would provide an update. It has been over 10 months since my last cold or other infection of any kind that I am aware of. I take no supplements regularly

#51

Another update. I have not had a cold, fever or any other upper respiratory infection since July 2018

(John) #52

I have not noticed any change, more or fewer, since starting a ketogenic way of eating about a year ago.

(Bunny) #53

Two things that I know of are lots of Arginine in the diet (will promote rapid weight loss but weakens the immune system a little and makes you more susceptible to getting sick) and not enough Vitamin C in the diet from natural sources (like peppers; have more vitamin C than fruit without the carbs/sugar)!

#55

I eat tons of peppers and tomatoes. I buy the packs of mini peppers.

What has arginine

(Susan) #56

I am a stay at home mom; but in our household, in the past month, everyone has got really sick with colds (my one daughter is on her second round of antibiotics). I have only had a slight cold, which might only actually be my alergies, not even a cold. I am also the only one that always get a yearly flu shot, but I am also the only totally Keto person in the household.

Is Nutritional Ketosis helpful if you have a cold or seasonal hayfever allergies?
#57

Interesting. I had that about 7 years ago. Kid brought home this horrible fever with cough. Over the next 6 weeks everyone got it. H had to get a chest xray. Babysitter got it too. I did not. At the time, pre keto I was having a smoothy with beets and pomerganite and mango every day. I was convinved it was that, no idea if it really was. Did not get sick for 2 years. I have never had a flu shot. I had the flu once in January 2000 (it was memorable).

The one thing that is different was in my first year on keto I fasted a lot, 3-5 days at least 2 or 3Xs per month. Since then I will occassionally but usually not for more than a day or two. I do wonder if it is correlated to fasting in some way.I no longer fast much and no longer get colds. I have gotten two weird things recently and both happened in the middle or shortly after a fast., one is a UTI (sorry TMI) about a month ago, which is not something I am overly prone to, tried a bunch of remedies and nothing helped, took keflex and it was gone in 2 days. The other is a week ago I woke up with a stiff knee on one side which radiates to my calf and up to my back. No idea what it is or even what caused it but it started on Day 3 of a fast. I still have it and it is annoying. I did switch my desk chair recently and have been doing some cleaning but not overly vigorous or anything. I have not been exercising or doing anything else. It is bothering me so if anyone knows what is is please feel free to comment. At first it felt like I had too much fluid in my knee. It feels like the problem is the area right above the knee. I can bend it but it is slow and does not bend as much as the other one. I have no history of knee problems. The hip on that side is stiff too but it usually is, does not bother me

(Libby) #58

Not if you put elderberries in a liter bottle of vodka. Then they become much less expensive (20 bucks for the vodka and 6 bucks for the elderberries. Voila! Elderberry tincture! Enough to last you for a decade and give some away, too!)

(Allie) #59

Iā€™ve now had this damn cold for about two months, but turns out itā€™s an allergy to the mealworm I was breeding for my hens so as of yesterday, no more mealiesā€¦

(Susan) #60

Oh wow; that is good you at least figured it out, Allie. I hope that you will be on the mend and feeling better in no time now =).

#61

So you never had a cold . . . I was going to suggest it was simply a sinus infection . . . I have not had a serious cold since starting keto 10 months ago. I had a mild short lived one that was the shortest Ive ever had that I can remember. It was almost as if I didnā€™t have it. Previously I almost always got bronchitis after catching a cold.