So, the COVID-19 coronavirus is most likely going to be in your community in the next few weeks if it isn’t already and I am repeatedly being asked by patients what they can do to protect their families besides stocking up on toilet paper.
The biggest thing that we can do for our families and ourselves is boost innate immunity against viruses; do things to help prime our immune system so it is ready to shut the virus down. There is no need to panic- for most people it will be a mild illness and so the very same measures that we take against a flu can help with respect to immune building for the coronavirus. I have to start by saying make sure you are doing the basics- good nutrition (largely plant based whole foods diet), good sleep (try to get 7-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep a night), decrease stress (meditate, laugh, be social), exercise, and wash hands regularly. All of these things seem so basic, but really do affect the health of our immune system.
Now that that is out of the way- what else can you do naturally? This is kind of an easy one for me because I have used it for so long with my own family, friends and patients and I know that it works. There are a few ingredients that have many good studies and medical literature supporting the fact that they can measurably increase our immune system efficacy against viruses. It specifically works by increasing the potency of our Natural Killer Cells, which besides having an awesome name, are one of our biggest defenses against viruses. Although I make an antiviral cocktail from different supplements that I keep in my fridge when my family is sick; the one ingredient that always goes in is the Immunoberry liquid by Designs For Health. It is a one stop shop of the studied powerhouse antiviral ingredients; Elderberry, Astralagus, Cherry Bark, Maitake and Shitake mushrooms, and Beta Glucans.
My kids even ask for “the mushroom stuff” when they are starting to feel under the weather or are sick. I believe everyone should keep a bottle of this in their fridge. You should check with your physician, however this supplement is generally very safe for children as well as adults and very easy to take -about one ml (one dropper full) every day when you are sick or getting sick to boost your natural immunity. Although, you could use it every day – I don’t recommend that because if you are otherwise healthy you don’t need an immunity boost every day. The taste is “earthy” and for those who don’t like eating dirt it can easily be masked in another liquid. (Read: you can get your kids to take it).
You can find it in our shop for much cheaper than you will find anywhere else. One bottle lasts my family of six 4 months. Any supplement in our shop is quality checked and you can be certain that you are getting what you paid for. We really want our patients to afford and use the supplements that matter so we tried to pass on as big of a discount as we can to you. Please forward this along to anyone else who you think might benefit from this information. I will include the studies below if anyone wants to do some light reading.
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Beta-glucan recognition by the innate immune system.
Goodridge HS, Wolf AJ, Underhill DM.
Immunol Rev. 2009 Jul;230(1):38-50. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-065X.2009.00793.x. Review.
Antimicrobial properties of shiitake mushrooms (Lentinula edodes).
Rao JR, Smyth TJ, Millar BC, Moore JE.
Int J Antimicrob Agents. 2009 Jun;33(6):591-2. doi: 10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2008.10.018. Epub 2008 Dec 31. No abstract available. Erratum in: Int J Antimicrob Agents. 2009 Jun;33(6):597. Smyth, T J [added].
Tsoni SV, Brown GD.
Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2008 Nov;1143:45-60. doi: 10.1196/annals.1443.019. Review.
Medicinal importance of fungal beta-(1–>3), (1–>6)-glucans.
Chen J, Seviour R.
Mycol Res. 2007 Jun;111(Pt 6):635-52. Epub 2007 Mar 7. Review.
Roxas M, Jurenka J.
Altern Med Rev. 2007 Mar;12(1):25-48. Review.
Harokopakis E, Albzreh MH, Haase EM, Scannapieco FA, Hajishengallis G.
J Periodontol. 2006 Feb;77(2):271-9.
Immunomodulatory and antimicrobial effects of some traditional chinese medicinal herbs: a review.
Tan BK, Vanitha J.
Curr Med Chem. 2004 Jun;11(11):1423-30. Review.
Fungal beta-glucans and mammalian immunity.
Brown GD, Gordon S.
Immunity. 2003 Sep;19(3):311-5. Review.
Kodama N, Komuta K, Sakai N, Nanba H.
Biol Pharm Bull. 2002 Dec;25(12):1647-50.
Anti-angiogenic property of edible berries.
Roy S, Khanna S, Alessio HM, Vider J, Bagchi D, Bagchi M, Sen CK.
Free Radic Res. 2002 Sep;36(9):1023-31.
[Studies on pharmacological junctions of hairy root of Astragalus membranaceus].
Jin R, Zhang X, Chen C, Sun Z, Shen Y, Liu D, Hu Z.
Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. 1999 Oct;24(10):619-21, 639. Chinese.
Kodama N, Yamada M, Nanba H.
Jpn J Pharmacol. 2001 Dec;87(4):327-32.
Rehman J, Dillow JM, Carter SM, Chou J, Le B, Maisel AS.
Immunol Lett. 1999 Jun 1;68(2-3):391-5.
Anthocyanins are detected in human plasma after oral administration of an elderberry extract.
Cao G, Prior RL.
Clin Chem. 1999 Apr;45(4):574-6. No abstract available.
Interaction of vitamin C and flavonoids in elderberry (Sambucus nigra L.) during juice processing.
Kaack K, Austed T.
Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 1998;52(3):187-98.
Liu M, Li J, Kong F, Lin J, Gao Y.
Immunopharmacology. 1998 Nov;40(3):187-98.
Chinese herbs: a clinical review of Astragalus, Ligusticum, and Schizandrae.
Sinclair S.
Altern Med Rev. 1998 Oct;3(5):338-44. Review.
The function of human NK cells is enhanced by beta-glucan, a ligand of CR3 (CD11b/CD18).
Di Renzo L, Yefenof E, Klein E.
Eur J Immunol. 1991 Jul;21(7):1755-8.
