Stop Colds and Flu with This “Baker’s Secret”
Let’s face it… when it comes to cold and flu season, there’s no such thing as “doing everything right.”
You wash your hands. Stay away from sick folks. Maybe even load up on vitamin C.
But one day, it just hits you like a freight train…
The sniffling… the congestion… the sore, scratchy throat… and the hacking cough that won’t quit.
The truth is, your immune system weakens with age—and that can make seniors sitting ducks for infections this time of year.
But what if you could jumpstart your immune system and slash your chances of getting sick this cold and flu season?
It’s possible, thanks to an underground remedy that comes from the strangest of places…
Bakeries.
Scientists have discovered a powerful compound called yeast beta glucan, extracted from the cell walls of baker’s yeast.
Yep, the same baker’s yeast used for thousands of years to make bread (and even beer).
And research has shown that yeast beta glucan can train your immune system to recognize and attack pathogens more efficiently.
European researchers tested this in 162 healthy adults over a full 16-week cold season. Half received 900 mg of yeast beta glucan daily. Half got placebo.
The yeast beta glucan group experienced 25% fewer symptomatic common cold infections than placebo.
Not 25% shorter colds or 25% milder symptoms—25% fewer infections, period.
A follow-up study in 100 older adults aged 50-70 found similar trends. Those taking 250 mg of yeast beta glucan daily for 90 days were 39% less likely to develop respiratory tract infections.
So how exactly does yeast beta glucan help keep you safe? By activating the first line of defense most cold remedies ignore—your innate immune system.
When you catch a cold, it’s because your natural killer cells and macrophages—the immune cells that patrol for invaders—didn’t recognize or respond to the virus fast enough.
Beta glucans work like a training program for these cells. They bind to specific receptors on macrophages and neutrophils, essentially putting them on high alert. Not hyperactive—just primed and ready.
When a virus enters your respiratory tract, these activated immune cells respond faster and more aggressively.
They release cytokines that recruit more immune cells. They engulf and destroy infected cells before the virus can replicate widely enough to cause symptoms.
It’s the difference between a security team that waits for the alarm to sound versus one that’s already patrolling the perimeter.
The medical establishment has largely ignored this research. Walk into any pharmacy during cold season, and you’ll find shelves stocked with symptom relievers—decongestants, cough suppressants, pain relievers that make you feel better while you’re sick.
But nothing that stops you from getting sick in the first place.
But you don’t have to wait for the system to catch up.
Yeast beta glucan supplements are widely available, typically standardized to beta-1,3/1,6-glucan content. Look for products listing at least 70-85% beta glucan purity.
Wellmune is a branded form backed by clinical research.
The primary study used 900 mg daily, though the older adults studied showed benefits with just 250 mg. Supplement daily during cold season.
Because maybe the question isn’t “How do I treat this cold?” but “How do I stop getting sick in the first place?”
The answer’s been sitting in baker’s yeast all along.
To staying ahead of the next cold,
Rachel Mace
Managing Editorial Director, e-Alert
with contributions from the research team
Sources:
- Auinger A, Riede L, Bothe G, Busch R, Gruenwald J. Yeast (1,3)-(1,6)-beta-glucan helps to maintain the body’s defence against pathogens: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, multicentric study in healthy subjects. European Journal of Nutrition. 2013;52(8):1913-1918. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23340963/
- Fuller R, Moore MV, Lewith G, et al. Yeast-derived β-1,3/1,6 glucan, upper respiratory tract infection and innate immunity in older adults. Nutrition. 2017;39-40:30-35. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28606567/
