Each year, just before "flu season," I hear public-health speakers warn of a coming flu pandemic. Some ominously caution that this is inevitable. When I hear these officials’ warnings, I maintain reasonable doubt. I especially do so if the warning comes from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This division’s disastrous mishandling of the so-called "AIDS epidemic" and other infectious diseases—or presumed infectious diseases—compels me personally to distrust anything any of its officials say about public health.

To some readers, my judgment of that agency may seem jaundiced. (One can come to understand my criticisms of the NIH by reading pages 85-88 of my book The Metabolic Treatment of Fibromyalgia.[7]) As in the past, my criticisms of agencies such as the NIH will prompt a few readers to send me emails of reprimand telling me I’m a lone nutcase. That allegation is refuted, however, by criticisms like mine expressed at the websites of many credible organizations, such as the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (www.aapsonline.org/press/nrvacres.htm). I’m definitely not alone in my "nutcase" criticisms of certain divisions of the NIH, of the CDC, and many official public-health spokespersons.

Public health officials’ warnings of pandemics too often smack of marketing ploys by drug companies that stand to profit from fear-mongering by the officials. These spokespersons usually give only two pieces of advice: First, wash your hands after shaking someone else’s; second, get immunized with some injectable product marketed by a drug company.

One would think that these public-health officials are oblivious to something they should know: scientific studies show that we have many ways to strengthen our immune defenses that are safe, effective, and eliminate the need to get immunized. But whether they know it or not, the fact is that we can boost our immunity to infections and even cancers without ever taking the shots these officials tout. Below, I describe a scientifically-affirmed method that provides especially powerful protection.

(If you want to understand the human immune system, I recommend the chapter on immunity in my book The Metabolic Treatment of Fibromyalgia.[7] In this large chapter, I describe the immune system, and I explain, by citing studies, how hypothyroidism and thyroid hormone resistance can impair our immune defenses.)

Tea, T-Lymphocytes, and Interferon. We can protect ourselves—and powerfully so!—from the flu and many other infectious diseases by a simple, convenient, and inexpensive method; that is, by consuming liquids and foods that contain the amino acid “L-theanine.”

Affirming Studies. Researchers recently tested black tea. The tea was plain-old Lipton tea. They found that in people who drank the tea in the study, both gamma-delta T-lymphocytes and gamma-interferon markedly increased. When the people drank 600 ml of tea (about 20 ounces or 2½ cups) for a week, their interferon levels increased 2-to-4-fold.^[1]

Other researchers report that an array of foods and liquids in addition to tea also contain the antigen precursor L-theanine. These foods and liquids include mushrooms, apples, and red and white wines.^[2][3[4] Tea contains more L-theanine than these other foods do. Despite this, the smaller amounts of L-theanine in other foods may also help protect us from cancers and infections.

The researchers who tested black tea wrote that coffee, which they also tested,  did not increase T-lymphocytes.^[1] The reason is that coffee doesn’t contain the amino acid L-theanine. In contrast, L-theanine makes up 50% of the dry weight of black and green tea leaves. (Herbal teas don't have this high concentration of the amino acid).^[1] I believe it is extremely important, however, to know that coffee provides other strong health benefits.

If You Can’t Drink Tea. Some people, of course, can’t drink tea. The caffeine bothers some, although they can drink decaffeinated tea. Others, like my wife, Tammy, get headaches when they drink tea. To get the immune benefits of L-theanine and the ethylamine her body converts it to, she takes capsules that contain 200 mg of L-theanine twice each day. Most health food stores and many pharmacies sell the capsules.

Conclusion. We can avail ourselves of precursors of protective antigens simply by incorporating into our lifestyle the foods and liquids that contain them. I believe this natural medicine approach is far more effective than the injections public health officials prompt us to get. A side effect we risk from the immunizations is contamination with substances such as mercury that can severely harm us—a sort of collateral damage to humans that the public health officials don’t seem to mind. Another side effect is the very flu the officials claim the injections will protect us from. By comparison, the natural approach does no   harm while protecting us from infections and some cancers as well.

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