Boosting Immunity

Salmon, broccoli and mash for dinner. Eat healthy, live healthy, breathe healthy. Gonna run 5 miles on the treadmill, 10 min miles, some uphill. Then, do full body workout. By the time I am done nothing I sweat out is living anymore.
 
Hug your pet. It boosts your immune function.
 
One thing I learned recently was the tremendous difference of antioxidant levels between foods. Antioxidants may help to boost the immune system. Interestingly, traditional and herbal medicines in general have very high antioxidant levels, which may explain some of their effectiveness. I started adding more foods like berries and fresh herbs to our meals after seeing the antioxidant table in this paper:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2841576/

The complete table of 3100 foods may be found here:
https://retinafoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Antioxidants-in-Foods.pdf
 
tmm99 said:
I have no idea about Tamiflu, but Sambucol elderberry syrup has shown efficacy, although, as I said, it could aggravate coronavirus symptoms, so I stopped taking it.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11399518
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I read the article and noticed it says:

We conclude from this study that, in addition to its antiviral properties, Sambucol Elderberry Extract and its formulations activate the healthy immune system by increasing inflammatory cytokine production. Sambucol might therefore be beneficial to the immune system activation and in the inflammatory process in healthy individuals or in patients with various diseases
Click to expand...

It sounds like a positive thing in general but I'm guessing you're basing your decision to not take Elderberry extract anymore on the finding that Ibuprofen (anti-inflammatory) aggravates the COVID19 virus?
 
dvalley said:
I read the article and noticed it says:



It sounds like a positive thing in general but I'm guessing you're basing your decision to not take Elderberry extract anymore on the finding that Ibuprofen (anti-inflammatory) aggravates the COVID19 virus?
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I did read somewhere that ibuprofen could aggravate the coronavirus symptoms, but I don't know the reasoning behind it. As for the elderberry extract, read my #20 post of this thread. Basically, I read that the elderberry extract
could increase the risk of a thing called the "cytokine storm".
 
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LOL! said:
I'm laughing because the Tamiflu package insert shows it has almost no efficacy towards flu. Have you ever read it? It seems like the joke is on patients and doctors in this case. So by extrapolation Elderberry Syrup does nothing as well.
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Yeah, I recall that Tamiflu looked promising when it was released, but as more data became available, it was pretty close to "ineffective" against the flu.

ER Eddie said:
Hug your pet. It boosts your immune function.
Click to expand...
Probably as good as most things proposed here. And lower chance of a side-effect.
 
The WSJ has a good article on boosting immunity: "Stick to a healthful, balanced diet filled with lots of colorful fruits and vegetables to ensure you’re getting enough zinc and vitamin D and other important vitamins and minerals. Most experts say you should be able to get enough of these vitamins and minerals through your diet, and extra supplementation isn’t necessary. But because vitamin D deficiency is relatively common, experts do recommend supplementation if levels are low."
https://www.wsj.com/articles/facts-and-myths-about-boosting-your-immune-system-11584050588
 
razztazz said:
Back in 1979 or 1980 I was living somewhere where there was a hepatitis "A" outbreak. They rounded everybody up and gave us all a shot of gammaglobulin. They told us it wasn't a cure but in case we had already contracted the disease the shot would bolster our immune system to help fight it.

Is this not relevant here? Simply boosting one's immune system should have some positive effect I would think. PS I am not a doctor, chemist, or even a hypochondriac
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Passive immunization. This works in general. Before antibiotics became widely available, treatment with 'convalescent serum' was a treatment that worked for some infections. Infusing antibodies (gammaglobulin, IgG, immunoglobulin G) is still used to block some infections e.g. Hepatitis B in newborns and Chicken pox/Herpes Zoster (VZV). This has already been proposed for COVID-19 and of course will be something the ultra rich and powerful are already lining up.

There is really no way, short of a vaccine, to 'boost' one's immune system. At least not anyway that has been scientifically proven AFAIK. Vitamins are pretty much useless if you eat a decent diet and most studies show either no benefit or harm.
 
6miths said:
Passive immunization. This works in general. Before antibiotics became widely available, treatment with 'convalescent serum' was a treatment that worked for some infections. Infusing antibodies (gammaglobulin, IgG, immunoglobulin G) is still used to block some infections e.g. Hepatitis B in newborns and Chicken pox/Herpes Zoster (VZV). This has already been proposed for COVID-19 and of course will be something the ultra rich and powerful are already lining up.

There is really no way, short of a vaccine, to 'boost' one's immune system. At least not anyway that has been scientifically proven AFAIK. Vitamins are pretty much useless if you eat a decent diet and most studies show either no benefit or harm.
Click to expand...

I'm curious if you have read any of the information on sites like nutritionfacts.org and if so, what you think of it? The doctor who is behind the site seems to follow evidence based medicine to support his points. For example this article talks about immunity markers being higher in various studies comparing higher produce consumers vs. control subjects -

What to Eat to Boost Immunity
https://nutritionfacts.org/2018/08/21/what-to-eat-to-boost-immunity/
 
daylatedollarshort said:
The WSJ has a good article on boosting immunity: "Stick to a healthful, balanced diet filled with lots of colorful fruits and vegetables to ensure you’re getting enough zinc and vitamin D and other important vitamins and minerals. Most experts say you should be able to get enough of these vitamins and minerals through your diet, and extra supplementation isn’t necessary.
Click to expand...

Huh, whodah thunk? You mean I can possibly get adequate nutrition from food? :rolleyes:
 
jimbee said:
Huh, whodah thunk? You mean I can possibly get adequate nutrition from food? :rolleyes:
Click to expand...


I'm not sure what your point is? There is a lot more to the article. I just copied one paragraph to not have a naked link.
 
6miths said:
Passive immunization. This works in general. Before antibiotics became widely available, treatment with 'convalescent serum' was a treatment that worked for some infections. Infusing antibodies (gammaglobulin, IgG, immunoglobulin G) is still used to block some infections e.g. Hepatitis B in newborns and Chicken pox/Herpes Zoster (VZV). This has already been proposed for COVID-19 and of course will be something the ultra rich and powerful are already lining up.

There is really no way, short of a vaccine, to 'boost' one's immune system. At least not anyway that has been scientifically proven AFAIK. Vitamins are pretty much useless if you eat a decent diet and most studies show either no benefit or harm.
Click to expand...

daylatedollarshort said:
I'm curious if you have read any of the information on sites like nutritionfacts.org and if so, what you think of it? The doctor who is behind the site seems to follow evidence based medicine to support his points. For example this article talks about immunity markers being higher in various studies comparing higher produce consumers vs. control subjects -

What to Eat to Boost Immunity
https://nutritionfacts.org/2018/08/21/what-to-eat-to-boost-immunity/
Click to expand...
Thank you for posting. No I had not seen this individual's website. I went through a couple of the articles and one each of the podcasts and webinars. I can't really comment too much without looking at it in great detail. Much of what is being said is reasonable and accurate as far as I know and there is no obvious pushing of products (although the site does have a clear pitch for sponsorship donations). He comes across with a very evangelical/salesmanship tone which always puts me off and he starts the webinar I watched with a huge anecdote. He also promotes an entirely plant based diet which I have a hard time with as I am a believer in a JERF and 'if you are what you eat, then you should eat what you are' approach. It is very doubtful that humans were meant to be vegans and the diet can be harmful and expensive in some cases. For many reasons, there just isn't a ton of good evidence in the nutrition realm and to suggest that there is is disingenuous in my mind. What is clear is that if one eats a decent diet then there is no benefit to taking supplements and in several instances, harm has been demonstrated. As well, there is a harm in cost. The irony of course is that people are willing to believe that their diet is so shi#y that they need to take supplements. While there may be segments of the population that have diets bad enough to warrant supplementation, it is very unlikely that people on this forum have such a diet. Also many of those people eating the bad diet are already taking supplements built into the crappy processed foods.

That all said, his 'Daily Dozen' is bang on. Throw in some eggs, meat and dairy if you want and avoid simple sugars and you are golden in my mind. And if you didn't want to throw those things in and you could actually adhere to a well balanced plant based diet then you would be very well off too but would probably need a couple of supplements. Thanks again.
 
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6miths said:
He also promotes an entirely plant based diet which I have a hard time with as I am a believer in a JERF and 'if you are what you eat, then you should eat what you are' approach. It is very doubtful that humans were meant to be vegans and the diet can be harmful and expensive in some cases. For many reasons, there just isn't a ton of good evidence in the nutrition realm and to suggest that there is is disingenuous in my mind. ....That all said, his 'Daily Dozen' is bang on. Throw in some eggs, meat and dairy if you want and avoid simple sugars and you are golden in my mind. And if you didn't want to throw those things in and you could actually adhere to a well balanced plant based diet then you would be very well off too but would probably need a couple of supplements. Thanks again.
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I agree with what you on the animal protein. We've tried different diets and just don't do as well without some animal protein, which seems to make it easier to absorb minerals like iron and zinc. The diet that I have felt the best on, lost weight on and have not gotten any cold or flu on so far is from William Li, author of Eat to Beat Disease. His diet advice has a lot of overlap with the nutritionfacts site, but is more Blue Zones, and includes seafood, cheese and dark meat chicken or turkey (for vitamin K2). We do try to follow the daily dozen foods as well.

Dr. Li has a popular Tedtalk on evidence based foods to eat to starve cancer.
 
I would not poo poo vitamin and mineral supplements and suggest that food sources alone will provide what you need. Some people have deficiencies despite eating a healthy diet. I have also heard that some of our food sources today are replete on some minerals that can be important to one's health.
 
I have also heard that some of our food sources today are replete on some minerals that can be important to one's health.
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replete - Abundantly supplied

Is this what you meant?
 
Spending as much time outside as possible. Long walks. Taking my vitamins, eating bananas, and drinking a lot of fluids - water and gatorade.
 
DFW_M5 said:
I would not poo poo vitamin and mineral supplements and suggest that food sources alone will provide what you need. Some people have deficiencies despite eating a healthy diet. I have also heard that some of our food sources today are replete on some minerals that can be important to one's health.
Click to expand...


If the average person has any significant deficiencies then it is because they are not eating a 'good' diet and one doesn't have to work too hard to eat a diet with appropriate amounts of minerals and vitamins. It gets boring restating what many very good studies have said and that is that supplementation is not beneficial and in some cases harmful. Some of the studies were stopped early for ethical reasons due to harm in the supplement arms. Infection is an absolute contraindication to giving some supplements because infecting organisms benefit from the administration of supplements and at all times the body is trying to tightly control available nutrients in the bloodstream and body. Some cancers also thrive because they have managed to overcome the body's checks on controlling their nutrient uptake due to mutations.

As a wise old friend is fond of saying, 'Do what you want, you'll do it anyway.' Follow the money.
 
This is from the nutritonfacts site on boosting immunity: "Researchers have also looked at more serious respiratory infections like influenza. Studying the relationship between various risk factors and influenza-related hospitalizations in the United States, they found that a 5 percent increase in the prevalence of obesity was associated with a 6 percent increase in hospitalization rate. Physical inactivity had worse outcomes, resulting in a 7 percent increase in hospitalizations. Low fruit and vegetable consumption, however, had the most impact, increasing flu-related hospitalization rates by 8 percent."

Other studies seem to indicate five servings of fruits and veggies are better than none and 9+ servings are even better than five.

TLDR: Exercise, optimal BMI and lots of fruits and veggies to reduce influenza related hospitalizations. (General advice, not COVID-19 specifically, but should help, can't hurt in any case.)
 
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