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Natural alternatives to the flu vaccine

9:31 PM, Jan 10, 2013   |    comments
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GRAND RAPIDS (WZZM)- There are some people opposed to getting the flu vaccination and they're choosing a different approach.

"It's been over 25 years since I had the flu or cold. You don't have to catch these things," says Dr. Adrian Den Boer.

He credits his good health to Naturopathy. It's the only kind of medicine he knew growing up in the Netherlands.

"It's considered mainstream medicine. Most families use them as primary care doctors. Medical doctors are mainly used for emergency medicine."

Dr. Den Boer studied here in the United States and eventually opened up a clinic in Grand Rapids.

The Wierengas are just one of many families to embrace the natural lifestyle.

"I firmly believe that whatever happens, we can combat it with a healthy lifestyle."

The Wierenga's have five children, all under the age of eight. None of them have had the flu.

"No, we don't do vaccines. Dr. Den Boer says we're fine without them, so we trust him. So far, everybody's been really healthy."

Dr. Den Boer tells his patients to live a healthy lifestyle. That means, proper diet, plenty of sleep, limit your sugar intake and exercise outside if you can. "The benefits of boosting the immune system through natural light. That light has immune stimulating affects."

Dr. DenBoer says naturopathy is evidence based. He says he was telling people to supplement their diet with vitamin D, 20 years ago.

"We were scorned for that. Since then, evidence has piled up and it's now mainstream medicine."

Dr. Den Boer says he is not opposed to all vaccines. But, he does think they should be used sparingly. He tells his patients to educate themselves before getting one.

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