Study links obesity to the common cold

I came across an interesting headline the other day. It said, “Is obesity caused by a virus?” My first thought was, “Now, that’s stretching it a bit.” But hey, you never know until you look into it. So I did.

Now, I don’t want you to sit back and think that you shouldn’t be trying to lose weight because a virus might be to blame and you can’t do anything about it. No, I simply want to make sure I’m always giving you the latest news. And I found this fascinating. Let me tell you why…

A few decades ago, the experts didn’t think infection was associated with cancer. But now the roles of human papilloma-virus, hepatitis viruses, and Helicobacter pylori infections in various cancers are under investigation.

So, again, you just never know.

And emerging evidence indicates that certain infections may, in fact, play a role in obesity.

Over the last 30 years, nearly a dozen infectious substances, called adipogenic microbes, have been linked in some way with animal or human obesity. These microbes include viruses, bacteria, parasites, and gut microflora.

But the only microbes linked to obesity in both animals AND humans belong to a class called adenoviruses. Their primary claim to fame is the common cold. But human adenoviruses have over 50 subtypes, and have been linked to upper respiratory tract infections, conjunctivitis, and GI tract symptoms. So, these viruses are a very big part of our lives.

And researchers found that when they exposed human stem cells to a specific strain of adenovirus, they turned into fat cells.

They believe this discovery might help them develop a vaccine that could help prevent obesity. And perhaps someday they will. But it’s not likely to happen anytime soon. (And if the annual flu vaccines are any indication, chances are it won’t be all that effective anyway.)

But that doesn’t mean you don’t have any resources available. In fact, there are dozens of effective, natural ways to boost your immune system and avoid infections (and possibly an increased risk of obesity). Too many to do justice here, but I’ll cover this topic in more detail in an upcoming issue of my Logical Health Alternatives newsletter.

In the meantime, keep fighting the good fight against obesity with the tools I’ve provided you in my New Hamptons Health Miracle. They’re more effective than any vaccine could ever be.