Though mortality rates will take time to understand, COVID-19 appears to an especially infectious virus. As such, the immune system needs all the support it can get during this crisis.
In this uncertain time, strategies to shore up biological weaknesses are incredibly valuable for our immunity to function optimally.
Everything mentioned in this article has been shown to be effective for boosting immunity against viruses and even past coronaviruses in published studies.
Multivitamin
A great multivitamin has whole-food based, high-quality ingredients at biologically-appropriate, balanced doses — not megadoses, which are problematic.
Naturelo’s formulation is well-balanced, absorbable, w/adequate zinc content — it’s a true rarity among multivitamins.
Naturelo MEN’S MULTIVITAMIN
(Amazon)
NATURELO WOMEN’S MULTIVITAMIN
(Amazon)
Women’s includes iron.
Women’s (50+) is iron-free.
How To Use Multivitamins
Take a quality multivitamin daily, with or without meals, before 2 pm.
Various micronutrients are essential for immunocompetence, particularly vitamins A, C, D, E, B2, B6, and B12, folic acid, iron, selenium, and zinc.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30336639
Poor nutritional status predisposes to certain infections. Immune function may be improved by restoring deficient micronutrients to recommended levels, thereby increasing resistance to infection and supporting faster recovery when infected.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30336639
OPTION: Take Extra Zinc
Supplement additional zinc — for the duration of an illness — or to help ward off infection.
Pure Encapsulations Zinc
(Amazon)
A similar, excellent zinc product by Thorne Research on iHerb.
Certain minerals — such as zinc — have powerful antimicrobial properties. Pathogens cannot survive being in contact with these minerals.
How Zinc Works
Zinc oxide nanoparticles are toxic to many fungi, viruses, and bacteria.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5940970/
All immune cells are directly affected by zinc signals.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5666901/
How To Use Zinc
When sick, take daily — with or without a meal — then stop to prevent zinc overload. Any time of day is okay.
Balance Zinc (With Copper)
For best results, balance the zinc with this excellent copper product: Chlorofresh (sodium copper chlorophyllin).
Chlorophyll is the best source of bioavailable copper. View on Amazon.
How To Use Copper
Most people can take one chlorophyll per day indefinitely without risk of creating imbalances. Take anytime.
Vitamin D
A hormone produced when the body receives UVB light, Vitamin D is perhaps the most important immune nutrient.
This is a moderate-to-high dose of Vitamin D3 (the biologically-active form) with a small amount of cofactor Vitamin K2, needed to allow Vitamin D work in the body.
It’s an excellent idea to take absorbable magnesium to support Vitamin D. Magnesium is not readily found in modern food, so it’s a good idea to supplement it daily, anyway.
How To Use Vitamin D
LOADING PHASE — Take Vitamin D daily for one week, then settle into maintenance dose of 1-2x/week. Take anytime of day, with a meal.
**Sunlight is a superior form of Vitamin D, but is only available around midday in summer climates. If you’ve supplemented extra Vitamin D in the past 12 months, be careful when supplementing more.
Vitamin A
The sister hormone to Vitamin D, Vitamin A must be balanced in the body by, roughly, a 1:1 ratio with D.
This is the premier form of Vitamin A (preformed, fat-soluble). Does not require the liver to convert from carotenes.
How To Use Vitamin A
LOADING PHASE — Take Vitamin A every 2nd day while sick, then settle into maintenance dose of 1-2x/week. Take with a meal, before 2pm.
**If you’ve supplemented extra Vitamin A in the past 12 months, be careful when supplementing more.
Both D & A are profoundly antimicrobial.
Vitamin C
Along with Vitamin D, Vitamin C is a most critical immune nutrient, because it supports the system’s energy as a whole.
Vitamin C is currently being used in New York on COVID-19 patients.
How To Use Vitamin C
Take Vitamin C daily, at any time, with or without a meal. Higher doses should be used with caution, up to 1000-2000mg/day.
Echinacea
Several past studies have suggested that echinacea is effective at reducing the viability of coronaviruses.
How To Use Echinacea
Take echinacea anytime, as directed. If extremely ill, discontinue.
Heat
Heat is incredibly therapeutic for nearly every health condition — especially the immune system.
Why? Because pathogens are severely weakened in high heat. Look no further than what your own body does when sick: It raises the temperature in your tissues, a fever.
Venture Soft Far Infrared Heating Pad
UTK Ultra-Soft Far Infrared Heating Pad
Exposure to warmth is critical when fighting off illness and preventing it. The heat will also help you feel better in the process.
How To Use Heat
Apply heating pad for 20 minutes on chest, then 20 minutes on the back. Optional: Sit on pad for several hours.
Did you know? Heat is infrared light.
Sunlight
If you’re sick, get outside.
UV light is naturally germicidal — especially against viruses. UV frequencies can penetrate into the skin, and can even inactivate viruses that have worked their way into skin tissues.
Blue light, as well, is “highly antimicrobial.”
Sunlight is over 50% infrared, which is immune-boosting and germicidal to pathogens.
Additionally, sunlight is a premier tool to sync the circadian rhythm and ensure excellent sleep, night after night — as well as boost digestion and metabolism.
UV radiation kills viruses by chemically modifying their genetic material, DNA and RNA.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17880524
In fact, sunlight is so incredibly healthy, why wait until you’re sick to go outside?
How To Use Sunlight
Be outdoors every day to boost immunity naturally — by raising Vitamin D levels, receiving healthy infrared, blue, and UV light, improving digestion, calming the nervous system, and syncing the circadian rhythm.
The immune system activates at night — and it functions best if we are sleeping deeply.
What the research is finding is that when you sleep is more important than how many hours you sleep. This reflects the essentiality of the circadian rhythm rather than the quantity of hours in bed.
How To Restore Sleep
Fix the circadian rhythm to fix sleep — and directly improve digestion, mental acuity, performance and immunity — by following the steps laid out in the Sleep section of this site.
Achieve incredible sleep, here:
Multivitamin
Kids need low doses of high-quality nutrients, too.
Not all children’s multivitamins meet the standards of quality and balanced dosages.
(Alive! brand might taste a little better)
Vitamin D
Give this to children for one week to build immunity — or during illness — then reduce dosage to 2-3x/week.
Echinacea
Give to children for one week to build immunity or fight off infection. Then take one week off before starting again.
This immune-boosting regimen is built on:
- A quality multivitamin
- Vitamins D & A supplements
- Vitamin C
Optional components are: zinc and copper.
Echinacea is a proven immune-booster, effective against coronaviruses in years past.
Heat is a well-studied component of health, longevity, and immunity.
Last, use full-spectrum sunlight and a deeply entrained circadian rhythm to help optimize your immune health.
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