Boosting Immunity

[frugal-one]

I had already been taking AdrenalC which is vitamin C with some minerals including zinc, as well selenium and vitamin D due to autoimmune thyroid issues. Also B12. And taking turmeric as an anti-inflammatory.

So I’m hoping my regime helps me out.

Would appreciate a link to this product (adrenalC). Also, have the same condition.

 

[EastWest Gal]

That article starts out with my main question, and I'm sure the main question in many minds:
Part of answer might include "are we all fighting the same thing", as there are many version of the virus, but the other side of the question surrounds the difference in the infected person's cellular machinery. So I wonder if they'll figure out if certain human leukocyte antigen (HLA) / major histocompatibility complex (MHC) will be correlated with diease severity [HLA-A, HLA-B, HLA-C, HLA-DP, HLA-DQ, HLA-DR]. "Susceptibility to various infectious diseases such as ... influenza is associated with specific HLA haplotypes."

They mention Vitamin B3 (niacin and nicotimamide) for early phase immune response and something called "Hymecromone" for when it's established in the lungs. Neither of these has been mentioned by my go-to guy (Peter Attia MD).

Thanks. I've not had a lot of luck with melatonin, but I got some time-release stuff I tried just once or twice about 2 months ago. I'm going to give it another chance, based on the possible payoff.

Peter Attia is one of my sources as well. I don’t think there is a magic pill. But keeping BP 20 pts lower by staying low carb, avoiding alcohol, reasonably exercising (not too much, not too little, and going to bed earlier is what I can do.

I need to pull out my melatonin. I wake up at 3AM. That worked in the past.

Fresh air, a stoic attitude, and looking for humor, joy, and gratitude.

We also are social distancing in the home. Sanitizing like crazy. Hugs and kisses are verbal and at a distance. After discussion, I am sleeping in the guest bedroom for a couple of months. (I like the view but the bed and lack of company is not up to par.) And there’s lots about that which feels wrong. Weird after almost 36 years, but might be lifesaving. It’s worth it.

It is not wrong to think we are fighting similar, but not exactly the same virus.

Another thought: one of the main reasons this COVID-19 topic is dominating is not because media wants to sell their product, but because this experience is one thing we ALL share.

There is comfort in that.

 

[Winemaker]

Isn't bat soup great for boosting immunity?

 

[Nemo2]

Isn't bat soup great for boosting immunity?

Baseball, Softball, or Cricket?

 

[BigNick]

"Boosting your immune system" is one of those sciencey-sounding phrases made up be supplement sellers. It has no medical meaning whatsoever.

Yes, you can have a compromised immune system, just as you can have have a car with a leaky head gasket. You cannot have a "boosted" immune system, any more than you can have a negatively-leaky head gasket.

COVID-19 is a public health emergency and the last thing we need is people imagining that their cocktail of syrups and vitamins makes them less likely to catch it than anyone else. Unless you are already sick or have auto-immune issues, save your money for wine and toilet paper.

 

[frugal-one]

"Boosting your immune system" is one of those sciencey-sounding phrases made up be supplement sellers. It has no medical meaning whatsoever.

Yes, you can have a compromised immune system, just as you can have have a car with a leaky head gasket. You cannot have a "boosted" immune system, any more than you can have a negatively-leaky head gasket.

COVID-19 is a public health emergency and the last thing we need is people imagining that their cocktail of syrups and vitamins makes them less likely to catch it than anyone else. Unless you are already sick or have auto-immune issues, save your money for wine and toilet paper.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/how-to-boost-your-immune-system

There are many ways to strengthen the immune system....

 

[ERD50]

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/how-to-boost-your-immune-system

There are many ways to strengthen the immune system....

From the article:

Many products on store shelves claim to boost or support immunity. But the concept of boosting immunity actually makes little sense scientifically

Semantics maybe, but they list some normal, everyday good things to do to "strengthen" your immune system.

Don't smoke.

Eat a diet high in fruits and vegetables.

Exercise regularly.

Maintain a healthy weight.

If you drink alcohol, drink only in moderation.

Get adequate sleep.

Take steps to avoid infection, such as washing your hands frequently and cooking meats thoroughly.

Try to minimize stress.

I didn't see supplements or vitamins on that list.

Not sure of the difference between "boost" and "strengthen", but I think they may have better said "doing these things will help keep your immune system from becoming compromised".

-ERD50

 

[Jerry1]

About 6 years ago, I was a wreck. Anxiety attacks, autoimmune issues and many symptoms that doctors could not explain. I'm sure stress played a roll in all this too. After many interactions with traditional medicine, I came to my last straw and gave a holistic doctor, recommended by a friend, a chance.

I think his advice was very sound. Basically, get your body in as good of shape as possible through eating right and taking supplements. As an example: One of my issues is neuropathy. Nerve drs could not identify any problem. Holistic dr said - If you have a neurological problem this (his program) is not going to cure you, but it will give your body the best chance of repairing itself. That perspective meant a lot to me.

So, after significant bloodwork, a significant amount of supplements were "prescribed". I see him every six months and he makes sure my numbers are all where they need to be. If I was getting those vitamins and minerals from my diet, they were not taking hold. Now they are. Point being is that while some people may eat well enough and their body may absorb well enough, not all are/do. Mine certainly weren't. Now, I do take a significant amount of supplements. About $3 to $4 per day. But, I've never felt better and I'm off all medications. Okay, maybe I felt better when I was 20 or 30, but I feel much better than I ever imagined I would.

Things that I'm a believer in are higher doses of vitamin C, D and B12. I also think many people are iodine deficient. I certainly believe that what I'm doing affects my immune system. I used to have a twice a year "cold" that always went to my chest and required an antibiotic. Since being on this program I have not taken an antibiotic except for a salivary gland infection that I got due to a blockage. So, what I mostly believe in, is a medically supervised supplement program. If you get what you need from the sun and your food, then minimal to no supplements would be needed. I apparently need supplements and I have medical records/history to substantiate that belief.

In this environment, I'm not doing anything different, but I do have extra of certain vitamins on hand in case I get sick. Holistic dr has a protocol to take when feeling sick. I trust they will at least minimize this virus if I get it.

I would get more specific, but I also hold a firm belief that you should have a relationship with a doctor and not take advice over the internet from someone who is not a doctor and couldn't possibly appreciate your entire health status. All I can say is that I feel this has worked for me as just shy of a miracle. Certainly it has worked much better for me than typical medical practices of today.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

About 6 years ago, I was a wreck. Anxiety attacks, autoimmune issues and many symptoms that doctors could not explain. I'm sure stress played a roll in all this too. After many interactions with traditional medicine, I came to my last straw and gave a holistic doctor, recommended by a friend, a chance.

Similar experience here. Years ago holistic medicine and diet changes literally gave me my life back when countless traditional doctors has no answers for my conditions. That has been the case for many other problems my family has had over the years. And many of those diet changes and nutrition recommendations actually are evidence based and validated by studies on Pubmed.

 

[audreyh1]

Would appreciate a link to this product (adrenalC). Also, have the same condition.

Dr. Wilson AdrenalC formula - my doc has me taking 1/4 pill 4 times a day as otherwise most of the vitamin C will pass right through you.

Search on adrenal c formula dr wilson

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

Dr. Wilson AdrenalC formula - my doc has me taking 1/4 pill 4 times a day as otherwise most of the vitamin C will pass right through you.

Search on adrenal c formula dr wilson

That's why I only take timed release vitamin C, and when I want to double up, I take a second pill 12 hours after the first. Every time I've shopped around for it, I'm surprised by how most of the C out there is NOT timed release. I suppose we know that most people like to pi$$ their money away, but I never thought it was so literal!

 

[Jerry1]

That's why I only take timed release vitamin C, and when I want to double up, I take a second pill 12 hours after the first. Every time I've shopped around for it, I'm surprised by how most of the C out there is NOT timed release. I suppose we know that most people like to pi$$ their money away, but I never thought it was so literal!

I take chewable tabs that are lower dose but take them throughout the day.

 

[Nemo2]

I take chewable tabs that are lower dose but take them throughout the day.

Nous aussi.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

Interesting article abstract here explaining how nutrition helps the immune system:

"Adequate intakes of vitamins and trace elements are required for the immune system to function efficiently. Micronutrient deficiency suppresses immune functions by affecting the innate T-cell-mediated immune response and adaptive antibody response, and leads to dysregulation of the balanced host response. This increases the susceptibility to infections, with increased morbidity and mortality. In turn, infections aggravate micronutrient deficiencies by reducing nutrient intake, increasing losses, and interfering with utilization by altering metabolic pathways....

Insufficient intake of micronutrients occurs in people with eating disorders, in smokers (both active and passive), in individuals with chronic alcohol abuse, in patients with certain diseases, during pregnancy and lactation, and in the elderly. With aging a variety of changes are observed in the immune system, which translate into less effective innate and adaptive immune responses and increased susceptibility to infections." (Italics added)

Contribution of Selected Vitamins and Trace Elements to Immune Function
Source: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Contribution-of-Selected-Vitamins-and-Trace-to-Wintergerst-Maggini/265e085795aaf20437920957237c45df1632282a

COVID-19 has many links to nutrient deficiencies, especially some pretty specific conditions linked to zinc, like loss of taste and smell and hypogonadism. The link above also has tables that show how the different nutrients support the immune system. If the infection is increasing losses in nutrients as this paper suggests is possible, especially zinc, then that would provide a possible explanation for these symptoms appearing once the infection takes hold. Either that or all these overlaps are just wild, unrelated coincidences. Either way, there doesn't seem to be any downside to having optimal nutrition intake through a healthy diet, exercise and good sleep habits, COVID-19 or not.

 

[RAE]

A person's immune response is probably what's making the difference between some people recovering quickly and others succumbing to the disease. It could include non-immune related genetics, probably includes environmental (smoking and ACE2 receptor density), but immune response is probably (do I want to say "the" big factor?)

Your body goes through a set of operations on a molecular level, identifying bad guys and setting up ways to tag them, then deconstruct them. If you're quick at it, you start deconstructing them before they overwhelm the system.

So anything that can make your immune response to this virus faster will probably help. The problem is that we really don't know how far some of these things will "move the needle" on immune responsiveness.

Certainly if one's body is clinically deficient in something, addressing that deficiency is probably warranted, which is probably why supplementing with vitamin D has proven to be effective; many Americans just don't have "high enough" circulating vitamin D concentrations.

+1, well stated. Keeping your immune system strong and maintaining good overall health will always help when you have to defend against a virus or any disease. It's true that none of us have any natural immunity against a new virus like COVID-19, but those whose immune systems and general health are strongest will be best able to survive if we do become infected.

Eating a healthy diet and getting daily exercise are important, of course, but I also take a few supplements during the winter months that have shown some effectiveness against viral attacks. Many of those have already been mentioned - Vitamin C, Vitamin D, zinc, elderberry extract, magnesium, quercitin. I also try to eat foods that contain an abundance of these vitamins and minerals. Although some apparently healthy younger people have died as a result of COVID-19, the vast majority of deaths are more elderly people who have one or more chronic health conditions. Of course, if you maintain good health and a relatively strong immune system as you age, you can increase your chances of surviving something like COVID-19 if you do become infected, despite your age.

 

[aiken]

"Boosting your immune system" is one of those sciencey-sounding phrases made up be supplement sellers. It has no medical meaning whatsoever.

Yes, you can have a compromised immune system, just as you can have have a car with a leaky head gasket. You cannot have a "boosted" immune system, any more than you can have a negatively-leaky head gasket.

COVID-19 is a public health emergency and the last thing we need is people imagining that their cocktail of syrups and vitamins makes them less likely to catch it than anyone else. Unless you are already sick or have auto-immune issues, save your money for wine and toilet paper.

You couldn't be more wrong. There are numerous studies that show that immune system function is boosted by...1) Ensuring your body is getting the right nutrients, like Vitamin A, C, E, and particularly D which isn't really a vitamin but actually a hormone. People with low Vitamin D levels are more at risk for respiratory illnesses. Zinc and Selenium are also proven enhancers of cellular function. 2) Getting plenty of sleep...3) Avoiding chronic stress...4) Drinking alcohol only in very moderate quantities as it leeches key nutrients from your body.

 

[papaof2]

At least anecdotally, elderberry syrup has been a remedy/preventative for seasonal flu for many years. Not aware of any scientific studies on it, but it's unlikely to do harm and might help. L-Theanine is an anti-anxiety herbal which does work and might be needed by many at this point :-(

Meanwhile, we mostly stay inside, get masked and gloved if going out to a public area and are eating at home 99% of the time - we got take out twice in the past month. I baked brownies last week and bread two days ago so we do have comfort food ;-)

 

[daylatedollarshort]

Another interesting fact about Covid-19 and zinc -chloroquinine acts as a zinc ionophore, which allows extra cellular zinc to enter cells and inhibit viral RNA replication.

Source: https://actascientific.com/ASPE/pdf/ASPE-03-0238.pdf

I'm not in any way recommending any drug without a doctor's prescription, but again floating the idea that being sure to get enough zinc in one's diet right now is a good idea, pandemic or not. Many of the attributes of zinc deficiency and Covid-19, including loss of taste and smell, diarrhea and being more common in the elderly, especially those over 75, overlap.

 

[Old Microbiologist]

From my own experience eat healthy, exercise, get lots of sun and/or Vitamin D, eat probiotics, and maintain a positive mental outlook. For the latter I do yoga 1 hour a day with meditation naked out in the sun. I also do 3 consecutive 15 minute sauna sessions (with 30 minute cool down) every other day at 70 degrees C which I know from my own professional research on heat shock proteins and wound infection that stimulates the innate immune system through heat shock proteins 70 and 90 which are induced if the core body temperature exceeds 39 degrees. Also, there is a big effort in Europe to start re-immunizing everyone with the BCG vaccine which is known to stimulate the immune system a lot. This is done in Germany and so far they have the lowest death rate for the mount of infections so it seems to be working. Maybe this can become something in the US but historically the US has downplayed the use of the BCG vaccine.

 

[martyp]

MedCram is a great YouTube channel for information about the Coronavirus. There are over 40 short videos. The most recent ones focus on ways to boost your immune system.

 

[Amethyst]

Basically, if you are a mess, un-mess yourself.

If you're already as good as you can get, you aren't going to turn into Superman/Superwoman by taking vitamins and supplements. If it were possible, people would be doing it already, and nobody would get sick. I know of an extremely fit man who nearly died when the virus attacked his heart (yes, heart). He was in the ICU on life support, and barely made it out alive (but he lived, perhaps because he had been fit?)

 

[Nemo2]

(but he lived, perhaps because he had been fit?)

Having been there, not with Covid, but rather Sepsis, I can attest to how frighteningly quickly something can change, (for the worse), and DW & I both attribute fitness to survival in my case.

 

[copyright1997reloaded]

1 hour a day with meditation naked out in the sun

Me to my neighbors:

ETA: However, it is 36 degree (F) here at the moment. They might be doing this: and this:

 

[SpinDoctorTX]

We're eating pretty normally, however we are super-food and macro-nutrient eaters all of the time. I am avoiding using our pantry items where possible since I think produce & meat/chicken/fish choices might become even spottier. But who knows.

I do miss going to the local farmers market, however, as the grocery store pick up orders tend to be hit or miss with of substitutions and omissions on lots of things.

 

[BigNick]

You couldn't be more wrong. There are numerous studies that show that immune system function is boosted by...1) Ensuring your body is getting the right nutrients, like Vitamin A, C, E, and particularly D which isn't really a vitamin but actually a hormone. People with low Vitamin D levels are more at risk for respiratory illnesses. Zinc and Selenium are also proven enhancers of cellular function. 2) Getting plenty of sleep...3) Avoiding chronic stress...4) Drinking alcohol only in very moderate quantities as it leeches key nutrients from your body.

I look forward to you providing a reference to any one of those studies. I would very much like to see a peer-reviewed scientific article that contains the words "immune system" and "boosted" in the same sentence.

You can't "boost" your immune system with diet or sleep any more than you can "boost" your car's performance by changing the oil or aligning the wheels. Those operations are necessary to maintain maximum possible performance, but you can't go above 100%. Very few people in western countries are deficient in any of the nutrients that you mentioned, and if you consume more of them you will either just pee them out, or poison yourself (e.g., with high doses of vitamin A).

Also, your statement that "[vitamin] D ... isn't really a vitamin but actually a hormone" invites the reply, "So what is the definition of a vitamin as opposed to a hormone"? The word "vitamin" is just a shorthand for "some specific molecule that your body needs". Vitamin D is a more complex molecule than Vitamin C, but that's about it. The whole concept of "vitamins" is an arbitrary construct anyway --- the idea became popular in the first quarter of the 20th century as certain aspects of nutrition science advanced and it just stuck for some reason, probably in part due to the efforts of the people who design breakfast cereal boxes.