The root cause of your pneumonia risk revealed

(NaturalHealth365) Pneumonia is one of the worst killers for older Americans ranking as the sixth leading cause of death in people 65 and older.  With numbers staggering up to one million hospitalizations from this illness each year, you’re lucky to make it through a winter season without catching this, if your health is sub-par.

In many cases, being over the age of 65 increases the likelihood that nutrients will not be absorbed efficiently.  In fact, even with a healthy diet (at any age), malnutrition can still be an issue – making it difficult for some to even maintain a healthy body weight – especially if the body is saturated with toxins like, mercury or aluminum.

Simply put, a poor nutritional status will greatly increase the risk of pneumonia, especially as we age.

Pneumonia risk: Why a lack of fat-soluble vitamins should not be ignored

If you find yourself in this category of potential malnutrition, your fat-soluble vitamin levels may be too low. Check with an integrative physician to see if your current levels in a blood test reveal a problem.

For example, studies have found that those with low levels of vitamin D were 2.6 times more likely to experience pneumonia compared to adults with normal levels. This is especially true for CAP (Community-acquired pneumonia) cases.

Vitamin E is also found to have advantageous effects on CAP with 63% lower odds of re-hospitalization after having CAP pneumonia.

The oral hygiene link that too few talk about

Those who still find themselves catching pneumonia with adequate vitamin levels may have their teeth and gums to blame. Surprisingly to many people, bacteria from the mouth can be a root cause of infections in the lungs.

Those who visit their biological dentist – on a regular basis – are much less likely to have pneumonia than those who do not, even among the aging population.  Some tips include: brushing properly (2 times per day), using a hydrofloss – to maintain healthy gums and essential oils like, clove, peppermint and neem.

A 2005 study has a simple solution. If you cannot make it to the dentist, a daily habit of gargling with sea salt water may be just as beneficial for reducing infections in the upper respiratory tract. This type of infection commonly precedes a case of pneumonia.

And, of course, don’t forget the value of oil pulling.

Solutions for a low functioning immune system

Pneumonia preys on a low immune system. Vitamin C, a water-soluble vitamin often taken to stave off the common cold, is typically very low in pneumonia patients.

In truth, there are many diseases that can be resolved by maintaining adequate levels of vitamin C.  Just take a closer look at the amazing work of Fredrick R. Klenner, MD – who has proven this with over 30 diseases, back in the 1940s.

Vitamin C can produce similar effects as antibiotics, but does not imbalance your intestinal flora the way antibiotics do.

For prevention, you can take a small dosage over time until you reach your threshold level (noted by bowel intolerance and loose stool).  Another highly-effective way to get enough vitamin C into the body is with the use of liposomal technology.

And, for advanced cases of illness, you may want to locate a clinic that offers IV vitamin C therapy – which is administered at much higher amounts, as required by individual needs.

If you already have pneumonia and are looking to heal quickly, Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) may provide needed relief.  In studies of hospitalized pneumonia patients, those who took CoQ10 in addition to normal antibiotics had shorter hospital stays, fevers that resolved faster, higher recovery rates, and fewer treatment failures than the control group.

Recent research has found that CoQ10 lowers the risk of both inflammation and malnutrition.

Sources for this article include:

Lef.org
NIH.gov
NaturalHealth365
NaturalHealth365