Boost Your Immunity with Functional Medicine

By now we have all heard the public health pleas to stay home and wash our hands to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 and help “flatten the curve.” This public health prescription is vitally important to keeping our communities safe and our healthcare system stable.

While social distancing is extremely important, many of us want to take additional steps to support our immunity and resilience against this extremely contagious virus. It is estimated that 80% of people will have mild disease, but it is still important to optimize our health for illness prevention and recovery.

Step 1: Eliminate unnecessary inflammation.

Inflammation is the term doctors give to the immune response our body generates when it is addressing an insult. This insult can take many forms including a virus, bacteria, elevated blood sugar or even toxic food. Inflammation is not just a vague concept but can be measured through blood tests looking at various chemicals and immune cells. Even low levels can be associated with chronic medical conditions like diabetes, heart disease, autoimmune conditions and even depression. In the cases of severe COVID-19 viral illness, the virus seems to be capable of producing an excessive immune reaction in the host that can cause extensive tissue damage. This is sometimes termed a “Cytokine storm.”

While there are no specific studies on COVID-19 prevention, a plausible way to optimize our immunity is to eliminate as much underlying inflammation as possible. Start with these foundational measures:

Get your diet on point. You have heard this before, but at no other time has it felt so critical to be well nourished. This means eating a nutrient dense diet that provides us the minerals, antioxidants, adequate protein and healthy fats that make the immune system function well (translation: LOTS of veggies). This also means eliminating the foods that trigger inflammation like fried foods, sugar, highly processed junk food, excess alcohol and sweetened beverages. For many people, gluten and dairy are problematic and trigger inflammation. This is a great time to complete the Whole30 that has been on your to-do list.
Get adequate sleep. Since we are working from home it is very tempting to ignore our regular bedtime routine to watch the news or binge Netflix until the wee hours of the night. Sleep is intimately tied to our immune health. Without sufficient sleep, our body makes fewer cytokines, a type of protein that targets infection and inflammation. Getting adequate sleep reduces our risk of infection and can improve our outcomes if we do get sick. Conversely, sleep deprivation weakness our body’s defense system and makes us more vulnerable to illness. Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep each night.
Stay moving. The gyms may be closed, but there are ample opportunities to keep moving. Get outside for a walk, try simple homemade weights in your basement or check out the numerous classes available online. There is great data suggesting that exercise can help the immune system find and deal with pathogens. In the long term, regular exercise slows down changes that happen to the immune system with ageing, therefore reducing the risk of infections. High intensity interval training has particularly great data but any form of movement is better than being sedentary. Aim for 150 minutes of purposeful movement per week. Check out some of these free online resources.
Manage your stress. Life for all of us has been upheavaled in the past month. It is normal to feel stress and anxiety with change. How we respond can help influence our immune health. Cortisol, one of the hormones associated with stress, can suppress our immune response. This is why you may become sick after periods of stress in your past. Acknowledging our fear and frustrations is important, but embracing stress management activities like meditation, journaling, exercise, prayer and yoga can help moderate our body’s cortisol response. If these strategies are not enough, I encourage you to find a professional counselor to help you address your emotions.

Step 2: Supplement wisely.

Supplements are just that… supplements. They support an otherwise healthy lifestyle. In this age of uncertainty many of us are tempted to look in the medicine cabinet for options that will boost our immunity. Unfortunately, there are no specific studies available to know how to prevent COVID-19 with supplements or drugs. It is important to stay sensible and not go overboard when considering supplements. Below is a list of supplements that may be foundational for health and immunity.

Please note. This list is not meant to be a prescription. Before starting any supplement talk to Relish Health or your health care provider about which supplements are right for you.

Where to start:

Multivitamin/Mineral - About 75% of the US population (ages ≥1 year) do not consume the recommended intake of fruit, and more than 80% do not consume the recommended intake of vegetables. Unfortunately, micronutrient insufficiencies are common in the US. A high-quality multivitamin may help minimize the risk of low vitamin and mineral levels.
Vitamin D - Most cells of the immune system have vitamin D receptors which help regulate the immune response. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with increased susceptibility to infection, and 41% of adults in the U.S. are clinically deficient in Vitamin D while an even greater number have insufficient levels. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin. Most adults can safely supplement with 1000-2000 IU daily without monitoring vitamin levels with a blood test. Higher doses may be appropriate if indicated by blood tests.
Zinc - 30 mg once or twice daily - Zinc has been extensively studied as a treatment for the common cold and other similar respiratory viruses. There is no specific data about zinc use with COVID-19, however zinc has been demonstrated to decrease the replication of other viruses.

Consider adding 1 or more if appropriate:

Glutathione (GSH) or N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) - Glutathione is a potent antioxidant. It can be taken directly as a supplement. NAC helps support our body’s ability to make this antioxidant thereby indirectly increasing GSH. GSH effects the behavior of many cells of the immune system by enhancing their function. GSH may confer protection against microbial, viral and parasitic infections.

Vitamin C - Vitamin C contributes to immune defense by supporting various immune cell functions. Vitamin C deficiency results in impaired immunity and higher susceptibility to infections. According to some studies, supplementation with vitamin C appears to be able to both prevent and treat respiratory and systemic infections.
Probiotic foods or supplements - A large percentage of the body’s immune system is located in our gastrointestinal tract. The billions of microbes collectively living in the gut are called the microbiome. The bacteria in our gut influence our immune system. We can foster a healthy microbiome by eating a fiber rich diet and fermented foods like sauerkraut or kimchee.
Antiviral herbs - Herbs have long been recognized for their medicinal properties. Herbs have a long history of use and are well-studied in traditional Chinese medicine. There are promising results from herbs including Echinacea, Goldenseal, Astragalus, Andrographis, Quercetin, and Reishi. *Please talk to your doctor to identify which herbs may be best for you.
Adaptogens - Also from traditional Chinese medicine, adaptogens are herbs that aid our bodies in reacting to or recovering from both short and long-term physical or mental stress. Some also boost immunity and overall well-being.

Most of these supplements can be found at health food stores; or check out Dr. Leazenby’s curated list of supplements at Fullscripts for examples of high-quality, vetted products. Discuss all supplements with your medical provider before starting.

Schedule a visit with Relish Health

FULLSCRIPTS PHARMACY