How To Boost Your Immune System During The Corona Virus (COVID-19) Outbreak
Are you harnessing your immune system during the pandemic?
With the advent of the coronavirus, the most questions I get as a doctor and wellness consultant are how to boost one's immunity - in other words, how to bulletproof yourself against this infection.
Before we get into this, it is important to first understand what viruses are.
Viruses are tiny microscopic infectious agents. They are about 100 times smaller than bacteria on average.
They contain a protein coat called a capsid, encircling their genetic material, made up of either deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) or ribonucleic acid (RNA)
Based on genetic material, there are thus to types: DNA viruses and RNA viruses.
Viruses can only replicate once inside an organism they infect, called a host.Once in the host, they multiply causing the cell to die.
Some viruses called retroviruses inject their genetic material into the host’s cells and instruct it to make more copies of itself!
Viruses have many ways of evading the host’s immune system.
Examples include producing proteins that disable the host’s immune system, competing with host receptors, or changing proteins structures on its surface.
In this way, viruses can stay dormant undisturbed for years.
Common examples of viruses include influenza (flu) virus, chickenpox virus (varicella), measles, mumps, rubella, polio, hepatitis A, B, C, HIV and of course the coronavirus.
The coronavirus is an RNA virus that can infect mammals and birds.
It is not new as such and is one of many viruses that usually cause the common cold in humans.
The new strain of the coronavirus, COVID-19, we now see is obviously not the same as the strain that causes the common cold.
It is thought to have started in an animal market in Wuhan, in the Hubei province in China.
The hypothesis is that the virus has somehow jumped from bats to the pangolin and then humans, due to the stacking of various animal species together.
The main symptoms of the COVID-19 include cough, fever, and breathlessness.
However, other symptoms also include a sore throat, nasal congestion, headaches, general aches, and even diarrhoea.
Advanced cases end up with pneumonia or acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)
The latter cases need careful monitoring and support, usually in an intensive care unit.
While antibiotics are prescribed for bacterial infections, antivirals are prescribed for viral infections.
This is why antibiotics do not work for the common cold or influenza.
So, before we start looking at the various things you can do to boost your immune system, please let me mention two things.
For general advice and prevention of the coronavirus, please follow the NHS guidelines or call 111 for advice.
The advice below is in line with the more on the complementary approach to health.
Please note this is not a cure for the coronavirus, nor is it a guarantee you will be immune from it. These are general measures that have been shown to improve one’s immunity from various kinds of infections, and not unique to COVID-19 per se.
With that out of the way, let's delve into the various methods.
Find out how to boost your immune system
Book a gut health consultation with Dr. Leke, one of the UK’s leading gut health experts. Or if you have questions before booking, you can schedule a free 30-minute call first.
Optimize Your Digestive System
The first and most important thing you can do is optimize your digestive system.
You might be surprised to know that about 80% of your immune system resides in the gut.
Start by eating whole foods and cutting out processed foods.
This is an important point, as many households are stocking up on processed foods that ironically weaken their immune systems. (Sugar impedes proper functioning of the white blood cells)
I suggest a predominantly whole food plant-based diet with good quality meats and fish.
Green leafy vegetables are a powerhouse of nutrients and also provide the necessary fibre or prebiotics for your gut bacteria or microbiome.
Eat a rainbow of vegetables, which contain beneficial plant chemicals called phytonutrients.
These phytonutrients are broken down by the gut bacteria into smaller beneficial compounds used by the body.
A subclass of these phytonutrients called polyphenols also acts as antioxidants.
A good functioning digestive system usually has optimal stomach acid production.
Stomach acid is necessary for the digestion of protein and absorption of vitamin B12.
A good stomach environment kills off pathogens by destroying (denaturing) the proteins in their structure.
Also, consider a category of vegetables belonging to the cruciferous family.
Cruciferous vegetables are a varied group of vegetables that include cabbages, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, kale and more.They are packed with phytonutrients called glucosinolates, that breakdown to form products that increase the activity of liver detoxification enzymes.
Liver detoxification is extremely important, and more so when attacked by pathogens.
Probiotics
Probiotics are beneficial organisms, usually bacteria, that are ingested for their health-benefiting properties. The non-pathogenic strain of yeast Saccharomyces Boulardi is also a probiotic.
There are probably thousands of probiotics on the market, but choosing a high-quality one makes all the difference.
While the number of billions of bacteria is important, a good-quality probiotic should contain a diversity of bacterial strains, be stable at room temperature, and be resistant to stomach acid and bile.
I recommend Dr. Ohhira's, Probiotics 12 Plus Original Formula.
Vitamin C
Many vitamins can help boost the immune system.
A good starting point is Vitamin C.
I recommend 1000mg at least twice a day of a good quality Vitamin C, and ideally with added bioflavonoids.
Vitamin D +K2
Vitamin D is also extremely important, so spending some time outside is a simple and effective way.
However, to get your levels up significantly, you will need a Vitamin D supplement.
If you already know your vitamin D level is within the accepted range, you only need about 1000-2000IU of Vitamin D/day.
However, if your levels are low, you will need a loading dose of 20,000IU twice a week for 7 weeks before starting the maintenance dose of 1000-2000IU/day.
I recommend Vitamin D3 + K2 by Seeking Health.
Alternatively, Life Extension, Vitamin D3 and Vitamin K2 by Life Extension, taken together.
Vitamin B Complex
B vitamins have varied benefits in the body. One is that they help dampen the stress response by working on the adrenal pathway.
This is important these days due to the constant bombardment of information about this virus.
I recommend Vitamin B Complex Liquid Drops by Metabolics.
Minerals
Zinc and selenium help boost the various types of white blood cells, part of the immune system.
For zinc, I recommend Pure Encapsulations - Zinc (Citrate) 30mg or Thorne Zinc Picolinate 15mg.
For selenium, I recommend Pure Encapsulations - Selenium 200ug.
Medicinal Mushrooms
And no, not magic mushrooms :-)
Although not known by many, medicinal mushrooms have been used by various healing systems for thousands of years.
There are many types of medicinal mushrooms, all of which, although having different properties and indications, are great immune boosters.
Medicinal mushrooms generally function in two ways.
They contain compounds in their cell wall made of complex sugars called beta-glucans.
These beta-glucans serve as food for your gut bacteria (prebiotics), thus improving the quality of the microbiome.
The second way medicinal mushrooms work is through the anti-microbial compounds they produce.
Commonly known medicinal mushrooms include reishi, shiitake, cordyceps, lion’s mane, chaga, turkey tail and more.
It is worth noting that the mushroom supplement world is a booming business, and sadly, many products on the market are simply unfit for purpose.
It is worth pointing out a few factors to get the best mushroom product out there.
I recommend medicinal mushroom extracts, and not just powdered mushroom ground up.
Also, look for brands that have undergone extraction with hot water. This is the traditional method.
Always research the company you buy from extensively before spending your hard-earned cash!
I recommend Real Mushrooms as a company that makes high-quality mushroom supplements.
Their line includes Real Mushrooms Reishi Capsules and Real Mushrooms Cordyceps Capsules among others.
Adaptogenic Herbs
Adaptogenic herbs are herbs that are thought to help the body fight the effects of various types of stress.
These herbs have been used for thousands of years, mainly in Ayurvedic (Indian) and traditional chines medicine (TCM) healing systems.
They are thought to work on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, and sympathetic nervous system-In other words, the body's stress-coping apparatus.
There are many herbs that belong to this class and include Asian Ginseng, American ginseng, Siberian ginseng, ashwagandha, rhodiola and more.
There is no doubt in my mind adaptogenic herbs work, but you might need to try a few to find the right one for you.
In addition, many of the above herbs do have contraindications and side effects.
It is thus better to consult with someone knowledgeable in them.
Just as a quick example, Asian ginseng can potentially cause high blood pressure, so best avoided in hypertensives.
Meditation
Broadly speaking, meditation is a technique used to focus the mind on something be it a physical object or goal through thought.
It could be something as simple as taking a few minutes out of the busy day in a quiet room or listening to one’s favourite song for a few minutes with headphones while blocking all other noise out.
Meditation has been shown to calm the mind and body, get the body into parasympathetic dominance, and improve immune function.
Sleep
With regard to sleep, both the quantity and quality of sleep are important.
Lack of sleep alters gut microbiota, leading to systemic inflammation and insulin resistance.
The overall effect is inflammation, thus setting off a cascade of imbalance in the body.
I hope this is helpful, but if you have any further questions, please get in touch.
In the meantime, please follow the official NHS or Government advice and stay safe.
Stay healthy always!
Disclaimer:
This information is for educational purposes and does not replace health advice from your own doctor.
Dr. Leke Asong MRCGP
Gut Health Medic
About the Author
Dr. Leke is an NHS GP and Functional Medicine Doctor with deep expertise in gut health. His approach emphasises the relationship between the gut and overall wellness.
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