IMA Senior Fellow Dr. Ryan Cole joined The National News Desk to break down the reality behind “superbug” headlines and this season’s flu trends. He also shares practical, evidence-based steps to support immune resilience, including sleep, exercise, stress reduction, hydration, and vitamin D supplementation, plus guidance for higher-risk individuals navigating fear-driven messaging.
Have a look below for the full segment transcript. And if you are looking to boost your immunity this year, check out the following free resources from IMA:
Transcript
Jan Jeffcoat: A fierce flu season and a dangerous rise in so-called “superbug” infections making headlines as both spread across the country. So how real are these risks and how can you protect your health without falling for fear and hype? Joining us now to break it all down is Senior Fellow of Pathology at Independent Medical Alliance, Dr. Ryan Cole. Good morning to you Dr. Cole. Welcome to the National News Desk.
Dr. Ryan Cole: Good morning, Jan. Good to be with you.
Jan Jeffcoat: The media, as we know, is increasingly warning about these so-called superbugs and antibiotic-resistant infections. How real is this threat, and what do Americans need to know to really understand what’s happening here?
Dr. Ryan Cole: Well, I love that you bring up the fact: how real is it? If you look at the statistics, we’re in an average flu and cold season right now. So certainly there are risk populations that we see get sick every season, and we’re having that happen as usual. The hospitalizations aren’t up per se. We are seeing more flu than we are COVID or RSV. And RSV tends to hit the younger population—the babies and the pediatric population. But we’re not seeing a “bug” that has escaped everything that we can do in medicine.
Jan Jeffcoat: Yeah, a lot of folks really try to boost their immune system during this time. So from an integrative, evidence-based standpoint, what are the biggest mistakes you see, and what truly builds that lasting immune resilience?
Dr. Ryan Cole: Well, basic things. Moving the body, exercise, sleep, and keeping the stress levels low. And my favorite thing of all—I hyperbolically joke—there’s really no such thing as flu and cold season, but rather “low Vitamin D season.” And we’re in that time of year. Everybody’s Vitamin D is low unless you’re supplementing. And it’s very important for the immune system to function properly. It controls about 2,000 of our genes, directly or indirectly, and especially our immune system.
Jan Jeffcoat: We always hear about the importance of Vitamin D. When you talk about supplements, how much of it can you actually get from supplements versus the sun?
Dr. Ryan Cole: Well, this time of year we can’t get any from the sunshine due to the angle of the sun and the rays that produce Vitamin D through our skin. So supplementation—if you’re basically above Tennessee, anywhere north—you need to supplement. And most people, according to the American Endocrinology Association, can take about 4,000 international units daily without even ever getting tested. Some people take more. So it’s very safe to do, and the majority of Americans are low in it this time of year. And then once we hit the springtime, definitely get outside, and that’s your best way to get it and for it to last the longest and be most effective.
Jan Jeffcoat: You’ve treated COVID, you’ve treated Long COVID, I’ve read you’ve also treated vaccine-related injuries since 2020. So how do these conditions change a person’s risk for respiratory illnesses and also those secondary infections?
Dr. Ryan Cole: That’s a great question. We do see a lot more immune suppression within the population, especially in some of those patients with Long COVID or long vaccine injury. So I think those are the individuals that do need to be maybe a little more vigilant in terms of hand washing and exposure and whatnot. But doing the basic things—staying hydrated, the exercise, rest, Vitamin D—are things that can at least keep their immune system tuned enough to avoid getting sick this season.
Jan Jeffcoat: And with so much mixed messaging and these alarming headlines, what principles should really guide patients and physicians this season so that we have these decisions that are really rooted in clarity and not fear?
Dr. Ryan Cole: Yeah, I think taking charge of your own health. A lot of doctors have the “systems thought” and want you to get certain interventions that may or may not help. We know the flu shot this year is reasonably ineffective. And if one gets a shot this time of year, it would take three to four weeks before it would even be effective. And that’s why supplementing and doing the basics of health are going to keep you tuned better than trying to get a shot this late in the season that doesn’t really even cover the variants that are out there.
Jan Jeffcoat: All right, critical information to cut through all the noise. Dr. Ryan Cole, thank you for your time and sharing your expertise with us this morning.
Dr. Ryan Cole: Thank you, Jan.
