“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Benjamin Franklin
How many times have we used this in our lifetime? Plenty. With the advent of the Corona Virus this is especially true.
We are constantly being asked in our office “Dr. Dan is there anything we can do to help ourselves from this virus?”
The simple answer is yes.
What can you do?
- Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or into your sleeve, not your hands.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
- Wash hands often for at least 20 seconds, especially after coughing or sneezing. Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
- Stay home from work or school.
- Avoid people who are sick.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces and objects.
- Social distancing.
What else can you do?
Proper nutrition plays a vital role in immunity. According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition “Nutrition is a critical determinant of immune responses.”
Vitamin and Minerals – Can They Help?
Let’s take a look at some vitamins and minerals that can help strengthen the immune system:
Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that plays a role in immune health. Vitamin C is naturally found in fruits and vegetables, like oranges, broccoli, and tomatoes.
Vitamin D is essential for general health. 42 percent of Americans are deficient in Vitamin D. Deficiency in vitamin D is associated with increased autoimmunity as well as an increased susceptibility to infection. Vitamin D helps regulate the immune system.
Zinc has been studied for many years for its beneficial effects on the immune system and praised for its antioxidant properties.
Vitamin B-6 helps the body make new red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout the body. It also helps keep the immune system strong.
Probiotics can help to boost the immune system and ward off inflammatory responses in the gut. Probiotics also keep the gut healthy, to ensure the immune system functions well.
Turmeric is a natural way to help bolster the immune system by increasing the immunomodulating capacity of the body.
Fenugreek seeds enhance the immune and hematologic response. The highly significant increase in growth rates was accompanying with increase in fenugreek dose. Fenugreek provoked significant up-regulation in most of immune-related and antioxidant enzyme genes.
Boswellia (in high doses) can boost the immune system.
Ginger is a strong antioxidant that has been shown to naturally boost the immune system. It contains tons of vitamins, some of which are magnesium, iron, zinc, and calcium. Ginger helps kill cold viruses and has been said to combat chills and fever.
Omega 3 fatty acids have been shown to increase the function of immune B cells. The B-cell, also called B-lymphocyte, is a type of white blood cell that plays a significant role in protecting your body from infection. Without B-cells, your body would not be as effective at fighting off a number of common bacteria and viruses; and you would lack the long-lasting “memory antibody” function that is typical after recovering from an infection or after being immunized against a specific infectious invader.
Also, Food such as citrus fruits, red bell peppers, broccoli, garlic, ginger, spinach, almonds, green tea, papaya, kiwi, poultry, sunflower seeds, and shellfish can strengthen your immune system.
As we can see good nutrition helps strengthen your immune response and part of that is taking key nutrients.
Dr. Dan recommends the following from Metagenics:
Ultra Potent C 1000 – Ultra Potent-C 1000 helps support healthy immune function and is a good source of antioxidants from vitamin C.
Zinc A.G. – Zinc is especially important for immune and tissue health.
PhytoMulti – proprietary blend of 13 concentrated extracts and phytonutrients with scientifically tested biological activity to support cellular health and overall wellness.
UltraFlora Immune Booster – provides a blend of highly viable, pure strains of “friendly” bacteria, which supports healthy nasal, sinus, and respiratory function.
Inflavonoid Intensive Care- features highly bioavailable CurQfen® (curcumin and fenugreek) and XNT ProMatrix® (xanthohumol), which helps support the body’s response to oxidative stress and other stressors. It also offers boswellia and ginger extracts, which helps support the body’s immune response.
D3 5000 with K – Vitamin D helps modulate the immune response.
We are offering a 15% discount on all the above key nutrients through April 30, 2020
Give us a call and you can speak with Dr. Dan to find out which products are best for you.
Sokratis Dragonas, DC, CCSP
Dan Cardellichio, DC, MS
134 South Euclid Avenue
Westfield, NJ
908-233-4200