General Wellness

SUPPLEMENTS AND CORONAVIRUS

Good Monday morning.

By many accounts, it’s going to be the worst week we have seen  thus far so PLEASE stay home and be safe.

I wanted to clarify a few things about supplements. 

First of all, the best supplements are fresh, whole, fruits and vegetables. Period.

Consume as many as you can. Fresh, frozen, dried, canned… They are all good.

Greens,

Berries

Cruciferous vegetables,

Beans

Citrus fruits

Nuts and seeds

Make sure to include the skins (just wash them well). There is more nutrition on the skin of a carrot than in the flesh. In addition to a myriad of vitamins and minerals, in proportions and forms which nature intended for us to consume, they provide fiber, which is crucial for proper gut health and 70% of our immune system is in the gut.

That having been said, there are a few supplements which are standouts in general and some which have been touted as beneficial for Covid-19.

Vitamin C. Some studies have shown benefit in treating sick people but in high doses, only administered IV. that having been said, vitamin C is a very important supplement for infections. The best source is still citrus fruits but as a supplement, you can take as much as 2000 mg a day without the GI side effects seen in high doses.

Vitamin D. Again, super important in general for immune function but specifically with covid, there is some information indicating that it interferes with the ability of the virus to bind to receptors on our cells, allowing the immune system more time to identify it and kill it. Although the best source is still the sun since we make it by converting cholesterol into vitamin D and then absorbing it, you need at least 20 minutes out in the sun with a significant amount of your skin exposed, and then not wash for at least 12 hours, as you’ll just wash away whatever you produced. I’ve read that it can take as much as 48 hours to absorb all the vitamin D you make in one sun exposure session. There is unfortunately no good food source so supplementation is the best way to go. You want Vitamin D3 (not D2) and around 2000-3000 units a day.

Beyond those 2 specific ones, not much is out there for corona specific supplements. There is NO role for taking antibiotics like Zithromax or antimalarials like Hydroxychloroquin, as a prevention. These are only to treat more advanced cases and remember that most people will not even become that ill. In addition by taking or hoarding these drugs, you make less available for those who really need it. In addition, these drugs have side effects like heart and joint problems. Leave the doctoring to the doctors!

Other general well know immune-boosting foods include:

• Garlic. Garlic has powerful anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties. It has been shown to enhance immune health by stimulating protective white blood cells like NK cells and macrophages. Make sure to let it rest for 10 minutes after peeling and crushing or chopping before cooking. The active enzyme allinin takes about 10 minutes to become active.
• Curcumin. Curcumin is the main active compound in turmeric. It is a powerful anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting function. Raw is the best (it tastes almost like a carrot) but powdered or as a supplement is OK. It’s absorption is dramatically increased if consumed with a pinch of pepper (piperine) so if you take it as a supplement, make sure it has pepper in it.
• Mushrooms. These are the best for the immune system. Medicinal mushrooms are all the rage but the best ones are… your simple white buttons! Just cook them since they do contain toxins. Small amounts are harmless but it builds up. The toxin is destroyed with even minimal cooking.
• Zinc. Available in some nuts, the amounts are small so unless you eat a lot of fruits and veggies, you’ll need to supplement.
• Selenium. Selenium is a mineral that’s essential for immune health and is found in brazil nuts, beans, greens and mushrooms. 
• B complex vitamins. B vitamins, including B12 and B6, are important for healthy immune response. Yet, many adults are deficient in them, especially B12. which may negatively affect immune health
• Echinacea. Echinacea is a genus of plants in the daisy family. Certain species have been shown to improve immune health and may have antiviral effects.
• Astragalus is an herb commonly used in Traditional Chinese Medicine. 
• Elderberry. This French plant is used to make the liquor St. Germaine. It’s awesome with vodka, cucumber and mint or basil! However, that cocktail won’t give you much elderberry. It is sold as a concentrated syrup. I have no experience with it but I drink a lot of St. Germaine (just kidding).
• Propolis. Propolis is a resin-like material produced by honeybees for use as a sealant in hives. Though it has impressive immune-enhancing effects and may have antiviral properties as well. 

Stay well.

It’s going to be a rough week.

AC 😎✌️🌱❤🐖🏃🏻🧘🏻‍♂️🌎

COVID CLARIFICATIONS

Hello everyone,

I hope you are having as glorious a Sunday as we are having here in Downingtown, PA. I spent the morning weeding and getting our garden ready for planting.

There is a lot of mis-information floating around out there and a video on facebook which, although for the most part is correct, is not totally accurate. So I went through the video and would like to clarify some things, as well as I know them, as of this morning! Keep in mind, as a “novel” virus, there is a lot about it and its behavior that is still not clear. We are learning as we go.

Remember that the coronavirus is in many ways just like the many other viruses which cause the common cold. It’s just much more infection and for much longer. It also can overwhelm people’s immune system quickly. The basics still hold true.

The most common symptoms are:
1) Dry cough
2) Fever.
3) Shortness of breath.

There are some other, less common ones however like:

• Sore throat
• Nasal congestion.
• Stomach upset and diarrhea.
• Sneezing.
• Aches and pains.

Here are some of the things from the circulating video and my commentary.

“If you have a runny nose and sputum, you have a common cold”. Probably but not necessarily. As far as sputum and other secretions are concerned, an interesting factoid is that in a normal healthy person, your lungs generate upwards of 1/4 of a gallon of mucus and the nose generates up to ½ a gallon! You also make 1/4 of a gallon of saliva. Also, mucus from your nose does not drain into the lungs. If that’s happening, you’re in dire straits (ie comatose or pretty out of it). That is what coughing and clearing your throat does. Clears it away so you swallow it.

“Corona virus pneumonia is a dry cough with no runny nose”. Again, not necessarily true but who is to say you can’t have the infection as well as allergies simultaneously?

“The virus is not heat-resistant”. Appears to be the case. Certainly washing and drying clothes at normal temperatures kills it and leaving things out in the sun (I would leave for 3 days) will also kill a lot of viruses. This is how you can preserve masks. Just leave them in paper bags since plastic will trap moisture.

“If someone sneezes, it takes about 10 feet before it drops to the ground and is no longer airborne”. Partly true.
When you sneeze or cough, you “spray” out the most number of virus particles but they are also imbeded in droplets of mucus. Those heavier particles do drop pretty fast but they also drop onto any surface. However, viral particles are airborne just from speaking and even breathing. Admittedly, far fewer particles but they can also remain airborne for at least a few minutes. It’s not clear for how long though.

“It will live for 12 hours on metal surfaces”. It will, but a lot longer than 12 hours. In fact, the outer limit has been documented as 9 days! Metal, like door handles and railings, are the worst. Don;t touch, but if you do, wash your hands and/or use sanitizer.

“It will live on clothing fabric for 12 hours and normal detergent will kill it”. Longer for the survivability, at least 24 hours and yes to the killing with detergent. I basically come home from work, strip down in the garage and those clothes go straight into a bag for cleaning. Now, I am in the line of fire but I would recommend changing clothes, and even showering if you have had to go out.

“Drinking warm water is effective for all viruses. Try not to drink water with ice”. I’m not sure with this one and put it on par with the Eastern European practice of putting infants on the deck, in the snow, because it’s “good for their lungs”!. Any water is better than no water. Just drink lots.

“Wash your hands frequently because the virus can only live on the skin for 5-10 minutes” Washour hands, YES. 5-10 minutes is an underestimation. I think it is on the order of hours. All these timeframes give people a false sense of security. Assume it lives forever and just wash your freaking hands!

“Gargle as a prevention”. There is some literature supporting gargling with salt water helping reduce the severity of regular upper respiratory infections. This only works however with hypertonic (salty) solutions. DO NOT USE ALCOHOL BASED MOUTHWASHES. Now, or ever! They kill beneficial oral bacteria.

“Holding your breath for 10 seconds is a good screen for lung function”. Or, you’re just out of shape, which most people are! This is another test which creates a false sense of security. Trouble breathing is trouble breathing. If you really can’t breathe and are not having a panic attack, go to the ER. They can check out, check your oxygen levels, maybe get a chest xray and make a determination as to how sick you are. But DO NOT go, unless you have the triad. Cough, Fever and shortness of breath. Otherwise, you are probably negative vor covid but are going into an environment where you are for sure exposed to many people who are more likely to be sick.

“Drinking water every 15 minutes helps to wash away the virus so it does not go into your lungs”. Yes, drinking water frequently is a good idea because
it keeps you hydrated and each time you swallow, oral and nasal secretions are washed into your stomach where acid destroys the virus. ALSO, Don’t take antacids! If your acids are neutralized, they won’t kill the virus. In addition chronic acid reducing medications impact on nutrient absorption. If you have reflux, the #1 thing you can do is not to allow ANYTHING to pass your lips within 2-3 hours of bedtime, not even water. It’s basic physics. If your stomach is empty, there won;t be anything toere to reflux up.

I will be postiong something about “supplements” soon.

In the meantime, stay well. Get outdoors but social distance.

AC 😎✌️🌱❤🐖🏃🏻🧘🏻‍♂️🌎