Article by Dr. David Wells - Great advice for Covid - 19
Covid 19 - Nutrition and Lifestyle Advice
First of all, follow the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and the Safer at Home guidelines issued by the State off California and the City of Los Angeles. Practice social distancing, thorough hand washing, avoiding touching your face, etc. Everyone knows the drill by now. Nothing I say below in any way is a substitute for these procedures. I just want to add a little additional advice from a natural health perspective.
First of all, try to stay focused, productive, calm and yes – happy. Your immune system works best when you are relaxed and happy. Doing something kind for a neighbor, reaching out by phone to friends, working in your garden, getting out your yoga mat or taking an online Tai Chi class – whatever makes you relaxed and happy – do it. You may feel that you can’t take the time for yourself in these uncertain economic times, but do it anyway.
Get eight hours of sleep per night. If you can’t sleep, try taking some magnesium before bed. We can provide magnesium and dosing information. Call us. Your immune system works best when you are well rested.
Limit consumption of sweets. Sugar is a favorite food of bacteria and yeasts. You don’t want to waste the resources of your immune system fighting bacteria when you need to save your strength for a possible encounter with a virus. We always see a flood of patients with a “cold” or “flu” right after Halloween and each of the subsequent holidays. Coincidence? We don’t think so.
Make sure you have enough of the following nutrients: Vitamin D3, Vitamin C and Zinc. If you need help getting a good source of these nutrients and advice on dosing, give us a call. Here is why they are important.
Vitamin D
The “Sunshine Vitamin” has been proven to reduce risk of illness from a variety of lipid coat (enveloped) viruses, including; Herpes Zoster, Epstein Barr, Ebola, Cytomegalovirus, HIV, Dengue Fever, Yellow Fever, Measles, Mumps, Smallpox, Influenza and the common cold.i Coronavirus is a lipid coat virus. The research isn’t in yet on the effect of Vitamin D on Covid 19 but having a normal level of Vitamin D seems prudent to me.
While it is possible to overdose on Vitamin D (The only case I have seen in the literature was a man who ate an entire polar bear liver), the RDA of 600 units is probably not sufficient. If you were naked in the tropics, your body would produce about 35,000 units per day. Low Vitamin D is associated with a wide range of illness, including osteoporosis and increased rates of breast and colon cancer.ii Having enough is vital. There is no benefit to having too much, but the death rate from influenza is doubled for those who are severely deficient.iii
By the way, I’m not trying to create a run on the Vitamin D market similar to what we have seen with toilet paper. The good news is that we make Vitamin D in our skin when exposed to sunlight. One study showed that vacationers in Hawaii made on average 10,000 units per day in their skin. We live in Southern California. Get outside and exercise! I always wear a hat because my face gets plenty of sunlight, but I wear shorts and a tank top unless it is during the hours from 10:00 AM to 3:30 PM. The lower angle sunlight has a lower potential to create sunburn or skin cancer. Start with 15 minutes a day and work up to more time. The tan you develop protects this skin from burning.
Vitamin C
The most severely ill Covid 19 patients die of what’s called a “cytokine storm.” This is an overactivity of the immune system that produces inflammation and tissue destruction. High doses of Vitamin C help to regulate the immune system, reducing the synthesis of pro-inflammatory cytokines.iv Furthermore, Vitamin C is a free-radical scavenger that reduces damage from inflammation, particularly damage to the immune system itself. v
Vitamin C is found in fruits and vegetables. In food form, Vitamin C comes with a wide variety of supportive phytonutrients.
Zinc.
A classic symptom of Zinc deficiency is lack of the sense of smell and taste. As many as half of patients who have a mild or asymptomatic case of confirmed Covid 19 infection report loss of sense of smell.vi Coincidence? Not likely. Zinc is an important part of the innate immune system and is commonly deficient in the elderly, increasing risk of infection and mortality from infection.vii Zinc helps the immune system fight many kinds of bacteria and viruses and has been proven to reduce the incidence and duration of colds.viii
We recommend Zinc Gluconate or Zinc Piccolinate in doses ranging from 15 to 45 mg per day depending on age, size and symptoms. Too much Zinc can be harmful. Food sources include meats and whole grains. Vegetarians are frequently deficient. Zinc can also be taken as a lozenge or nasal spray.
What’s the takaway from all of this? Relax, exercise, get eight hours sleep and eat the way you always knew you should. If you have pain or injuries that are keepng your from exercising and feeling your best, make an appointment at Wells Chiropractic. 818-788-4220
References:
ihttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3308600/
iihttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1470481/
iiihttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4463890/
ivhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3480897/
vhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3783921/
vihttps://www.news-medical.net/news/20200323/COVID19-patients-describe-a-loss-of-smell-and-taste.aspx