Supplementing Your Immune System

In facing the COVID threat, we are all well acquainted with the personal practices of mask wearing, social distancing and thorough hand washing.  And there is more you should do to reduce your risk of illness, such as regular, healthy eating, exercise and stress management.  But new therapeutic options are urgently needed, especially ones that are inexpensive, globally available and free of serious side effects.  The following common supplements may fit the bill.

1. Zinc. An article appearing this year in Frontiers in Immunology examined the potential impact of this trace element on COVID-19.  While a considerable amount of data exists concerning zinc anti-viral activity in respiratory tract infections, little information is available concerning COVID-19.  Zinc is essential in preserving natural tissue barriers in the respiratory epithelium that keep out viral pathogens as well as promoting a healthy immune system.  Zinc deficiency leads to dysfunction in all types of immune cells and is responsible for 16% of all deep respiratory infections worldwide.  Since the focal point in COVID-19 infections is the respiratory tract, evidence supports the likelihood that zinc deficiency can be added to factors predisposing individuals to infection and progression of COVID-19.

2. Vitamin C.  Several controlled studies showed that vitamin C can reduce the severity of pneumonia infections and bring about a reduction in the longevity of cold symptoms, but a truly preventative action has not been established.  A healthy immune system is critical to fight COVID-19, and vitamin C helps in two important ways.  First, it helps bolster immune function by stimulating the development of white blood cells, and second, it is a potent antioxidant, providing important defense against oxidative damage resulting from immune cell action on coronavirus.  Promising clinical trials report relief of COVID-19 symptoms with high dose intravenous administration of vitamin D.

3. Vitamin D3.  Vitamin D is essential for calcium absorption (think strong bones), cell growth and immune function.  It is effective in fighting viral infections.  Your body produces it in response to sunlight, plus it is available in different foods.  Vitamin D deficiency is common in the United States, especially among Hispanics and African Americans, and these are the individuals most at risk for COVID-19.  Several recent studies have shown that people with low levels of D3 are more likely to test positive for COVID-19 than those with normal levels.  Other studies showed that hospitalized patients with an often-fatal COVID-19 complication (acute respiratory failure) had exceptionally low levels of Vitamin D.

On Dec 21, 2020, an open letter was sent to world governments by a group of 120 scientific and medical experts from the UK, US and Europe providing clear scientific evidence that vitamin D reduces COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths.  (Check it out in this article).

With the constant threat of COVID-19, doesn’t it make sense to strengthen our immune system and provide the best opportunity to battle serious infection?  You can be proactive in this regard.