Boosting the Immune System Local Experts Provide Insight
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uring this time, many people are looking for ways to boost the immune system in order to prevent illness or infection. Natural Awakenings spoke with a variety of local professionals to get advice on how this can be accomplished and came away with great tips and positive news. A complication of COVID-19 is that the immune system hyper-responds to the illness by “releasing a bunch of proinflammatory cytokines, that begin to damage the epithelial lining of the lungs and preventing exchange of oxygen.” Dr. Angela King, AP, DOM at Indian River Acupuncture & Functional Medicine, explains that it makes sense to nurture the body into an anti-inflammatory state of health. Nutritional substances that are antiinflammatory agents include Vitamin
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High-quality CBD oil and maintaining good gut health are other things that can help prevent inflammation. C, Vitamin D, turmeric or curcumin, resveratrol and quercetin. “We cannot say that any of these interventions can prevent COVID, but we can look at evidence-based research on substances that have shown to downregulate inflammatory cytokines,” says King. High-quality CBD oil and maintaining good gut health are other things that can help prevent inflammation. Overgrowth of yeast, harmful bacteria or parasites can take over your
good flora in the gut causing damage. “Because the gut is 70% of the immune system, it’s important that the lining of the intestinal tract be healed,” says Dr. Steve Alukonis, Chiropractor and Functional Medicine practitioner at Space Coast Advanced health. The cells in the gut are supposed to be tightly adhered with tight junctions to keep the gut non-permeable so what you eat stays in the bowel for elimination. But if there is a breach then you have a permeable gut. “Eating inflammatory foods (gluten, sugar, dairy) is going to increase leaky gut which will drop your immune system like a tank,” says Dr. Deborah DeMarta, MD, at The Institute of Health and Wellness. She recommends a good broad-spectrum, high count CFU (colony forming units), refrigerated probiotic to build up the reserve of beneficial bacteria which is important to immune health. To support our cells from a dietary standpoint DeMarta, recommends clean organic sources of good fats such as MCT oil, coconut oil, olive oil and essential fatty acids high in Omega 3 such as cold-water fish like salmon and good quality fish oil. In addition, consume fat soluble vitamins such as vitamin A which occurs in food that is orange including sweet potatoes, carrots and pumpkin. Vitamin C, Zinc and Selenium are also important for the immune system as are immune enhancing supplements that contain medicinal mushrooms including reishi and shitake. “Quality matters when you are taking your supplements. For therapeutic efficacy you have to take it at the dose, just like medicine, to be effective or you’re just throwing your money away,” says King. DeMarta explains that silver, one of the first antibiotics, is used surgically and for wound healing dressings and has antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal properties. Because the COVID-19 virus needs to attach to a mucous membrane in the nose or throat, she recommends silver spray for the throat as well as intranasal silver (such as a hydrosol silver) before leaving the house and upon returning. She also recommends a silver gel or lotion for the hands. MyNaturalAwakenings.com
