Ben Franklin once said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

That is especially true when it comes to protecting yourself against infections.

The first step is to keep your immune system in good health by following a few simple steps:

Get adequate sleep. Sleep deprivation impairs immunity and plays a role in higher rates of meningitis among college students. For older people, taking melatonin 30 minutes before bedtime not only helps you sleep, but is a very powerful antioxidant that improves immune protection.

Eat a healthy diet. Most importantly, avoid a high intake of omega-6 oils and omega-3 oils high in EPA, both of which have been shown to impair immunity against bacteria and viruses. In addition, omega-6 oils worsen the “cytokine storm” and powerfully suppress immunity.

Avoid fluoride and toxic metals such as aluminum, mercury, cadmium, and lead — as all impair immunity.

Avoid smoking and nicotine patches, as nicotine is a very powerful immune suppressant.

Avoid statin drugs and steroids, even topically applied steroids.

Take beta-1,3/1,6-glucan, 250 mg, once a week. It must be taken between meals and without any food. This boosts cellular immunity, which is your most important protection against cancer, viruses, bacteria, and fungi. During peak flu season you can take it twice a week.

Take a multivitamin/mineral supplement along with sustained release magnesium, 1,000 mg of buffered vitamin C twice a day between meals, 400 IU of mixed tocopherols and 100 mg of mixed tocotrienols daily.