You’ve no doubt heard of the Coronavirus, or COVID-19, the virus that has been declared a global pandemic.
I thought it’d be worth talking about because of all the frightening news we’re bombarded with. It’s important to remember that the news always love to hype things up and feeds on panic and fear. Please try not to get caught up in this.
Instead, I thought it would be helpful to talk about all of the things you can do for your and your family’s immune system.
Amidst the stockpiling of personal toilet paper supplies, I think many people are forgetting that one of your best defences is your own immune system! A strong immune system isn’t the luck of the dice; it’s dependent on a lot of factors that you can control. Isn’t that empowering?
From a Health Practitioner’s perspective, supporting your immune system should be your number one focus. This information is really valid for any virus, and as we in the Southern Hemisphere enter flu season, you can apply this to support you through the winter months.
Below are some things you can do to support and boost your immune system to ensure you’re in the best possible position to deal with any virus.
The Building Blocks
Your immune system is made of up many different types of cells, each with specific roles. Immune cell production requires the following:
- Adequate protein
- Iron
- Zinc
- Vitamin B12
- Vitamin A
- Selenium
- Vitamin C
80% of your immune system lies along your digestive tract. It is supported and influenced by your gut microbiome- the organisms that live in your digestive tract (you may know these as ‘probiotics’). Healthy, robust immune function is dependent upon a diverse and varied microbiome. Gut bacterial diversity refers to the amount of different strains of bacteria. This can be greatly diminished by anti-biotics, frequent medication use (like NSAIDs and the pill) and by a diet lacking in fibre.
Top Tips for Boosting your Immune System:
Eat well
Eat plenty of protein, vitamin C rich foods like fresh veggies and fruit and avoid sugar and alcohol. Both sugar and alcohol suppress your immune system.
Take Vitamin C
Good old vitamin C- it’s really amazing support for your immune system, and you can take it every day! It’s completely safe, even for pregnant and breastfeeding women. If you’re feeling run down you can up your dose, but spread it out over the day (the body can only absorb a small amount of vitamin C at a time, so don’t super dose all at once). You can actually take a very high daily dose of vitamin C, especially in times of illness when the body has a greater demand for it (i.e. 3-5grams, spread into 1000mg doses). The only side effect is that you may get the runs if you take too much! If this happens, take a dose less the next day and see how you go until you’ve worked out what your body requires.
Up your Zinc
Zinc is so important for immune function. Try and get zinc through your food first of all; from quality animal protein, nuts and seeds and green leafy veggies. During times of illness a supplement is great to give your body the levels it need. When you’re ill your demand for zinc increases greatly. Speak to your health practitioner about the recommended dose, but in general, adults can take between 30-60mg per day.
Make sure your vitamin D levels are adequate
Vitamin D is absolutely vital for immune function and many of us have sub-optimal levels. Supporting vitamin D levels has been shown to be protective against Influenza and viral respiratory tract infections, particularly in children (1).
What is an ideal range? Although the lab reference range will report vitamin D levels lower than 50 as deficient, for optimal levels you want your vitamin D sitting at around 100. Supplementing vitamin D through the winter months and increasing it during times of illness can support your immune system.
Take Vitamin A
Vitamin A has a powerful effect on the immune system, and is particularly important for illness affecting mucous membranes. This includes the respiratory and digestive tracts. Vitamin A enhances immune function and signalling. Speak to your practitioner about dosage recommendations, as this will vary from person to person.
Take probiotics
As was mentioned earlier, the bacteria in your gut help to regulate and support your immune system. Certain strains of probiotics are particularly beneficial for boosting the immune system during times of illness, or as a preventative. These include Lactobacillus plantarum HEAL 9 and Lactobacillus paracasei 8700:2.
Medicinal Mushrooms
These include Reishi, Shiitake, Coriolus, Cordyceps, Turkey Tail and Lion’s Mane. Used for centuries in traditional Chinese Medicine, recent research has demonstrated potent immune enhancing effects. Reishi in particular is beneficial for respiratory viral infections.
Herbal Medicine
Always speak to a Naturopath or Herbalist before taking herbal medicine, as herbs are medicines, and may interact with other medications or may not be suitable if you have certain health conditions.
Some of my favourite anti-viral herbs are:
- Andrographis: A potently bitter herb that has strong anti-viral properties. Best taken in tablet form.
- Elderberry fruit: A fantastic anti-viral that is great for kids as it tastes amazing! You can take it in the form of a herbal tincture or make some elderberry syrup at home with fresh/dried elderberries (you can often find dried elderberries for tea in health food stores).
Please Note: While I haven't focused on it here, remember hand washing is also super important for preventing infection! Do this first and foremost.
This is by no means an exhaustive list, but these are my main go-to’s for supporting the immune system and treating viral infections. As always, everyone will have different health requirements, so if you’re unsure, see your health practitioner.
I offer 20 minute Free Wellness Assessments at my clinic for people wanting to see how Naturopathy can help them. Find out more here.
I hope this helps to empower you and reduce some of the concern xx