This awful thing just doesn’t seem to be going away even though we have been very fortunate for the most part in this country, it continues to affect our lives daily.
We see masks everywhere, sanitizer, and various things we can and can’t do.
It’s not normal. It’s s a nasty thing to get even though everyone I know who has had it has fully recovered. While we need to be vigilant and careful, it is also important to be aware of a few powerful nutrients you can take that might make all the difference should you contract it.
Severe Covid-19 is associated with excessive activation of the innate immune system, leading to uncontrolled inflammation and the resulting cytokine (inflammatory) storm. Certain nutrients, such as Zinc and Vitamin D3, are known to play a very prominent role in reducing inflammation and regulating the immune response.
Deficiencies in these nutrients impair immune function as well as contribute to certain age-related diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and coronary heart disease. All of which are risk factors for severe Covid-19. So taking them daily as “insurance” doesn’t hurt.
The safest thing I can recommend is to build your defences now. This will ensure you won’t fall prey to severe symptoms should you become exposed and ultimately contract Covid-19. This has been demonstrated by multiple studies where vitamin D3 supplementation and/or status is evaluated along with disease progression.
Your immune status could make the difference between a mild case and a severe one. A review by Alexander et al titled Early Nutritional Interventions with Zinc, Selenium and Vitamin D for Raising Anti-Viral Resistance Against Progressive Covid-19 here looked at current research and clinical data on the roles of zinc, selenium, and vitamin D3 within the immune system in response to viral infections of the lungs, and their potential impact on susceptibility to Covid-19.
I’ve briefly summarised the roles of each of these nutrients with regard to our immune response, and how deficiency may hinder the effectiveness of that response. Zinc greatly benefits the immune system, while a deficiency impairs the capacity of many different immune cells to carry out their functions.
Studies have shown that zinc may reduce risk and duration of infections such as pneumonia, the common cold and ‘flu viruses, particularly in children and older people.
Zinc is vital for:
- The development and maintenance of immune cells
- Especially necessary for T-cell function
- Preventing deficiency which results in dysfunctional immunity and has been associated with increased levels of inflammation. The ability to inhibit viral replication and reduce duration of illness due to viral infections. Selenium is involved in T-cell proliferation and antibody production. It influences the production of special chemical messengers which regulate inflammation and immune cell function.
- Deficiency may increase the severity of certain viruses during infection. While sufficient levels of selenium have a protective role within the respiratory system in particular. Vitamin D3 is needed for the production of antibacterial proteins (cathelicidin and defensins). It has many effects on adaptive immunity including shifts in T-cell populations and the inflammatory response. Many studies showing promises are taking place right now regarding Covid-19.
My Recommendations
- Eat a whole food diet, devoid of processed food, consisting of pasture-fed meat, organic vegetables, healthy fats and clean water
- Avoid all soft drinks, but hydrate with water (can have tea and coffee)
- Avoid grains, seed oils, soya, fructose (normal fruit is fine, not the white powder)
Take the following supplements:
1 x Vitamin D3 Premium daily
1 x Selenium daily
1 x Zinc Picolinate daily
2-5g Vitamin C as Ester C, Super-Cee or Scorbi-Cee daily minimum
You can find these supplements here: https://sallyanncreed.co.za/shop/
You can simply click on the name of each product mentioned above (in bold) and a hyperlink will take you directly to the product for an easy purchase.
Originally published on https://www.facebook.com/SallyAnnCreedSA/ in 2020.
