Every year, scientists choose which flu strains to target with vaccines months before flu season. Last year, they chose wrong. The strain they selected mutated after the vaccine was developed, rendering it only 23 percent effective and making 2015 a historically miserable flu year.
This year should be better.
But in the event that the flu shot is useless, or you don't get one, or you just want to be extra protected, there's an alternative: Eat fruits and vegetables. Your immune system is the best defense against the flu, and it is powered by nutrients like vitamins C, E, and D.
Registered dietitian nutritionist and clinical associate professor Joan Salge Blake told NPR that the best way to get these nutrients isn't with juices, which cut out beneficial fiber and are high in calories. Nor is it supplements—a recent study said supplements gave users "little, if any" benefit, despite the average $100 every single American spends on them per year. Plus, taking a bunch of supplements now won't make up for lost time.
According to NPR, the best way to get these nutrients is to eat a healthy, balanced diet that includes whole fruits and vegetables. Easy enough, in theory. In practice, less so. But the flu shot might need its own supplement. Also, wash your damn hands.
