Tag: immune boosting

Vitamin D and Its Effects on Coronavirus Severity

As COVID-19 rises around the nation, many continue to seek ways to build immunity. Can vitamin D help decrease severity of symptoms?

Vitamin D and Its Effects on Coronavirus Severity

As COVID-19 rises around the nation, many continue to seek ways to build immunity.  Can vitamin D help decrease severity of symptoms?

The virus known as COVID-19, or the coronavirus, has ripped through the world in just one year and many places are currently seeing the largest rates of infection since the beginning of the pandemic.  As doctors and researchers learn more about the disease and its effects, there are also many studies being conducted and under review regarding immunity boosting nutrients or vitamins.  Limited studies have been produced but some are linking benefits of vitamin D to coronavirus severity.  

Benefits of Vitamin D 

Vitamin D is an important nutrient the human body needs to function in a healthy way.  According to Medical News Today, “Vitamin D is essential for several reasons, including maintaining healthy bones and teeth. It may also protect against a range of diseases and conditions, such as type 1 diabetes. Despite its name, vitamin D is not a vitamin, but a prohormone, or precursor of a hormone. Vitamins are nutrients that the body cannot create, and so a person must consume them in the diet. However, the body can produce vitamin D”.  Vitamin D can also help boost immunity and help in fighting disease.  Vitamin D can be absorbed through the skin when a person gets adequate sunlight, approximately 10-15 minutes a day.  Many people, especially those in colder climates and long winters, are at risk for vitamin D deficiency as they do not get out in the sunlight enough in the cold months.  Likewise, those who work indoors or work night shifts are also at risk for having too little vitamin D in their body.  General recommendations for vitamin D dosage for children and adults is 600 IU, or 15 mcg.  Those who do not get enough or close to recommended doses are at a greater risk in general for infection or disease.  (retrieved from Medical News Today).  

Vitamin D and Coronavirus

Several studies have been conducted over the past year regarding the supplementation of vitamin D and it’s correlation to coronavirus severity.  According to Healthline, recent scientific research has concluded that vitamin D supplementation might protect against respiratory infections, especially in people who were already deficient in vitamin D to begin with.  Keeping sufficient vitamin D levels in the body has been shown to potentially help aid in preventing serious complications or fatalities.  Furthermore, Medical News reports that studies showed a reduction in effects of the cytokine storm, which is the escalated inflammatory response that occurs in some individuals with the coronavirus. “Additional data suggests that vitamin D may reduce some of the unfavorable downstream immunological responses to COVID-19 that are associated with severe manifestations through the disease. Some of these downstream pathways that vitamin D may be involved in include preventing the rise of interleukin 6 (IL-6) levels and delaying the interferon-gamma response”. (retrieved from Medical News).  The Mayo Clinic also reports similar findings, showing that of those who had serious complications, vitamin D showed to help.  In a small, randomized study of 50 participants given a high dose of a type of vitamin D (calcifediol), only one needed to be treated in the ICU.  They had 26 patients who were not given the vitamin D, and 13 of the 26 participants needed to be treated in the ICU (retrieved from The Mayo Clinic).

Conclusion

Although supplementation with vitamin D is not proven to either prevent or treat the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), there have been a number of positive findings that support vitamin D as a helpful immune boosting nutrient.  These findings are in line with what has been supportive evidence in favor of vitamin D and its immune support against other viruses and infections.  Most people can benefit from vitamin D supplementation and from eating immune boosting foods. To see our blog on best foods to boost immunity, click here.  The best ways to prevent contracting the novel coronavirus remain social distancing, avoiding indoor gatherings, wearing a mask when in public and washing hands regularly.  Eating a healthy diet and making sure that the body is getting the daily recommendations of nutrients can help boost immunity and keep the body strong no matter what type of illness or infection.  

Healthy Foods For A Strong Immune System this Winter

A strong immune system has many components, including a healthy daily diet. Here are some foods to try to help you stay healthy through the winter.

A strong immune system has many components, including a healthy daily diet.  Here are some everyday foods you can eat to help you stay healthy through the winter.

Healthy Foods to Keep your Immune System Strong this Winter

The body’s immune system is it’s first defense against illness.  When it comes to preventing colds, flus or even the coronavirus, keeping the body strong and healthy is of utmost importance.  You don’t need to reach for expensive vitamins and supplements to keep your body strong.  There are many healthy foods that you’ll find easy to incorporate into your daily diet and weight loss program.  

What makes an immune system strong?

Healthy Foods to Keep your Immune System Strong this Winter

When it comes to keeping your immune system strong and thriving, several components are important to keep in mind.  The immune system isn’t single faceted, but a complete system in the body that depends on a lot of factors to function well.  Some of the main ways you can help your immune system stay strong are:

  • Get enough sleep
  • Quit smoking cigarettes (or don’t start)
  • Exercise regularly
  • Try to minimize stress
  • Practice good hygiene-washing hands, etc.
  • Maintain a healthy weight
  • If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation
  • Eat a variety of natural, healthy foods-especially fruits and vegetables
  • Keep sugar intake low, avoid unnatural sources

Working on all of the above areas can help keep your immune system strong and ready to fight off any illness or infection, but when it comes to eating healthy some foods are definitely superior in their immune-boosting qualities.  Focus on foods that are high in antioxidants, vitamin C, vitamin D, and zinc.  The key is getting a good variety of these foods to keep each of these nutrients strong in your body.

Antioxidants

“Antioxidant” is a word used a lot in the health and fitness world.  But what does it really mean? Broken down,  according to veryhealthy.life, the anti means against and oxidant refers to something that will chemically combine with oxygen. This means that antioxidants prevent oxidation against free radicals.  When there are free radicals within the body they can cause a chain reaction that causes damage to the cells.  Antioxidants can help keep your cells strong against this free radical damage.  Some popular foods that are high in antioxidants are:

  • Raspberries, cherries, apricots, cranberries and watermelon
  • Broccoli, spinach, artichokes,
  • Rosemary, oregano, thyme
  • Kidney beans
  • Turmeric
  • Acai powder
  • Allspice, cinnamon, cocoa powder

By combining many of these fresh fruits, vegetables and spices together, there are many easy and creative ways to get more antioxidant rich foods into your diet.  

Vitamin C

Healthy Foods to Keep your Immune System Strong this Winter

Vitamin C might be the most common vitamin known to fight illness and aid in recovery well.  Because the body cannot produce or store vitamin c, it has to be sourced through the diet, and finding daily sources in a variety of foods can help ensure you are getting enough.    When you think of vitamin c you might immediately think of oranges or other citrus, but many other foods are high in vitamin c that may not have come to your mind. Here are some great healthy food options that give a boost of vitamin c:

  • Red pepper, green pepper, green chile pepper
  • Oranges, strawberries, papaya, guava
  • Broccoli, potato, brussels sprouts, cauliflower
  • Lemon, grapefruit, kiwifruit, mango

Vitamin D

Healthy Foods to Keep your Immune System Strong this Winter

Vitamin D has been known for many years to promote bone growth and absorb calcium.  Recent studies have also shown a link between vitamin D and other important body functions, including a healthy immune system response.  “Vitamin D deficiency has now been linked to breast cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, heart disease, depression, weight gain, and other maladies. These studies show that people with higher levels of vitamin D have a lower risk of disease” (webmd).  The body can produce vitamin D, but only after skin exposure to sunlight for an extended period of time.  Unfortunately, those who live in less sunny climates can be at a higher risk of vitamin D deficiency.  Even those who live in sunny areas may still have vitamin D deficiency if they spend a majority of their time indoors.  Recent studies have been conducted on the potential role vitamin D may have in the immune response to COVID-19.  Although more research needs to be done, studies show positive results that link vitamin D to the immune system strength needed to fight the coronavirus and other diseases.  If you are not able to get enough sunlight daily, these foods can help to supplement vitamin D in your body:

  • Salmon
  • Herring, sardines, cod liver oil
  • Egg yolks
  • Mushrooms
  • Fortified foods with vitamin D, such as cow’s milk, soy milk, orange juice, cereals and oatmeal.

Getting vitamin D from all natural sources such as the sun and natural healthy foods is always the best way to give the body what it needs on a daily basis.

Zinc

Zinc is an essential trace mineral that plays an important role in the body, including slowing the aging process and providing an antioxidant barrier against free radicals.  The body doesn’t need large amounts of this mineral for healthy function, so it is an easy nutrient to supplement with a healthy diet.  Keep in mind that animal foods are the best sources of zinc compared to plant foods, like vegetables, because zinc bioavailability (the fraction of zinc that’s retained and used by the body) is high in foods like animal meat and seafood (draxe.com).  That doesn’t mean animal foods are the only source, but combining animal and plant sources can help guarantee you’re getting all you need in your daily diet.  Some of the foods highest in zinc are:

  • Grass-fed beef, lamb, chicken
  • Pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, cashews
  • Chickpeas, lentils, almonds
  • Kefir, yogurt, ricotta cheese
  • Mushrooms, spinach, avocado

By working at maintaining a healthy immune system through the winter months, you can do your best to stay strong and able to fight any viruses that come your way.  Choosing a variety of foods from all of these categories will help you feel better, stay stronger and promote healthy weight loss as part of your overall diet plan.  Holistic health is not just about weight loss or physical appearance, but about the functions of the entire body.  By keeping all of your systems strong you can feel better from the inside out.