What causes the flu?

For most people, the answer is simple and straight forward - what causes the flu is the flu virus. Swine flu is caused by the swine flu virus, bird flu is caused by the bird flu virus, Spanish flu is caused by the Spanish flu virus... and so on.

Different types of flu viruses cause different types of flu. This is what most doctors say. This is what most doctors believe.

It is what's called the germ theory of disease which says that various illnesses, including the flu, are caused by germs, viruses and other microorganisms outisde the body. When we come into contact with these microorganisms, we fall ill.

It makes some sense. But at best, this germ theory of disease is only half the explanation.

• Firstly, it does not explain why not everybody who comes into contact with the virus will fall ill. Consider this very common situation... someone at the office has the flu. He sneezes. When this happens, the people around him will almost certainly catch the virus. But, not everyone will "catch" the flu.
  
  
• Secondly, it does not explain why people can avoid the flu without taking special measures to avoid the virus. I grew up weak and sickly and, at one point, I was catching the flu - or at least developing flu symptoms - every few weeks. In 1985, I discovered natural health and changed my diet. Since then, I "catch" the flu only on rare occasions, maybe once a year or less frequently. Is it because I have found ways to avoid the flu virus? Not that I know of. Rather, my personal observation is that when I do get the flu, it is usually because I had been tired - and not because I had been near someone who had the flu. Many people who adopt healthier lifestyles find that they "catch the flu" a lot less frequently.
  
  
• Thirdly, certain forms of flu treatment that are effective even though they do not directly address the virus.

In Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), herbs are prescribed to balance yin and yang, reduce "heatiness", dispel "wind" and so on... not to destroy the bacteria or virus. The herbs are meant to treat the person's condition, not the disease. Yet Chinese herbal medicine works. There may not be statistics to prove this but Traditional Chinese medicine certainly would not have its followers if it does not cure them of common ailments like the flu.

Statistics do exist, however, for another two forms of flu treatment that are totally surprising - osteopathy and chiropractic. These are forms of manipulation therapy, usually sought for the treatment of body aches and pain. Yet during the Spanish flu epidemic of 1918, both osteopathy and chiropractic had very high success rates with flu treatment. Homeopathic medicine, too, proved highly effective during the period.

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What causes the flu - alternative explanations

The germ theory of disease is therefore far from adequate in explaining what causes the flu.

The bacteria are nothing. The soil is everything. - Louis Pasteur The above quote is claimed to have been said by Louis Pasteur on his deathbed, acknowledging that it is not bacteria that cause disease, but the body environment that allows bacteria to thrive. There is no proof that Pasteur actually said this, but this quote is often used by those who argue that bacteria and viruses are not the true cause of disease. Rather, they are the result of a dieseased condition. If I could live my life over again, I would devote it to proving that germs seek their natural habitat, diseased tissue - rather than being the cause of the diseased tissue. – Rudolph Virchow The specific disease doctrine is the grand refuge of weak, uncultured, unstable minds, such as now rule in the medical profession. There are no specific diseases; there are specific disease conditions. – Florence Nightingale

There is an alternative explantion about what causes the flu and other diseases and about the role that bacteria and viruses play. This alternative theory puts it the other way around - that bacteria and viruses are not the cause of disease, but the result of disease.

In other words, you fall ill first - due to some other reason such as diet, lifestyle, stress or other factors. And once you have fallen ill, your body condition allows bacteria and viruses to thrive.

This alternative theory about what causes the flu and other diseases was championed by Antione Béchamp, a contemporary of Louis Pasteur, who developed the germ theory of disease. They were scientists over a hundred years ago, in the 19th century.

This alternative theory is called the pleomorphic theory, or sometimes the cellular disease theory. The word pleomorphic means that bacteria and viruses are not fixed or constant, but they change in form. Today, we know that bacteria and viruses do mutate and take on new forms. They do change - even though they may not change in the way that exactly fits the technical definition of "pleomorphic".

Modern science abandoned the pleomorphic theory and embraced the germ theory of disease. But it does not mean that modern science is right. In fact, there are many cases where modern science made serious mistakes and took a very long time to realise these mistakes.

For example, scientists clung on for more than 200 years to the idea that fibre is useless and not essential for health. Even as recently as the mid-1980s, some scientists were still arguing that the health benefits of fibre were "not proven". It is only now that we know fibre plays an important role in health.

Another example concerns margarine, which scientists have been promoting as "healthy" for over 60 years. Today, we know that margarine contains deadly trans fats, which cause heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity and other problems. I can cite more examples, but that would be deviating from our present discussion, which is about what causes the flu.

The point is this - we should not blindly accept what scientists tell us. Instead, we should look around us and examine real life evidence. And real life experiences tell us that bacteria and viruses, on their own, are not what causes the flu.

Other factors are equally, if not more important. These factors include a suitable environment for bacteria and viruses to thrive.

For us as lay people, there is no need to delve too deeply in the debate about what causes the flu and other diseases. All we need to know is that the germ theory of disease is not the only explanation - definitely not the full explanation. And that taking antibiotics and anti-viral drugs is not necessary the best solution. There are other better ways of flu prevention and treatment.

Click here for a fuller discussion on whether the germ theory of disease is what causes the flu.