Immune System COVID-19 | Coronavirus

Our previous guest feature with Dr. Grieper and Melinda Grieper (click here to read it )gave us a solid understanding of the current pandemic and what's happening on the frontlines of it all. We now turn to Doctor of Pharmacy, Dr. Elvira Wright from Wright Aesthetics, to shed light on immunity and practical ways for us to keep our immunity strong during this time.

We hope you enjoy the additional pearls of wisdom Dr. Wright shares along the way, like this for example: "men getting less than 5 hours of sleep (even for 1 night) can lead to drop in amount of testosterone!"

Before Covid-19, there was Sars, and Mers and H1N1. To many people, it appears these are all from the same family and the best way to combat them is to have a strong immune system. What’s your take on this, and is a strong immune system the answer to most health crisis?

Human coronaviruses were discovered in the late 1960’s. They probably existed before, but we just did not have enough advanced labs to test for it.

We live in a “soup” of microbes, parasites, bacteria, viruses and fungi every day. Our immune system is perfectly equipped to fight all of these invaders and protect us. Unfortunately, our lifestyle choices constantly challenge it to the point that it cannot protect us anymore and we get sick.

What would be the best way to, on a daily basis, boost one’s immune system?

We have to remember that 80% of our immune system comes from the gut. Poor digestion is a huge contributor to low immunity. Anti-inflammatory food rich macro and micronutrient is the easiest way to build immune response.

Eat from the “rainbow” – all colors of vegetables, fruits, and berries since every color represents different phytonutrient content and vitamins. Try to eat organic (at least buy organic what is on “dirty dozen” list). Avoid processed foods and corn syrup (hiding as fructose or glucose – main reason of fatty liver disease).

Since the virus affects lungs, we have to prevent this potentially deadly element getting there. To do this, sip warm or room temperature clean water every 15-20 min to push the mucus from the throat and nasal area (where the virus can sit for up to 4 days) down to the stomach area where digestive juices and enzymes inactivate the virus and flush out.

How important is sleep in building a strong immune system, and what’s the recommended amount of sleep?

Daily sleep is essential to live a long and healthy life, although the amount of hours may differ from person to person (6-9 hours on average). Studies show that on average, men getting less than 5 hours of sleep (even for one night) can lead to drop in amount of testosterone!

Women usually need more hours than men to feel recharged and ready to meet the daily challenges. Most importantly is that growth hormones, stem cell production, DNA repair and restoration, detox and healing happen during time between 10pm until 4 am due to Circadian Cycle every cell lives by.

We all should utilize this time to our advantage!

Other than the daily dietary complements or choices, what other processes exist out there to build, and maintain, a strong immune system?

Exercise produces Glutathione – a master Antioxidant in the body. Antioxidants help to reduce oxidative stress which is one of the reasons we're aging and our immune systems are getting weaker.

Foods that boost glutathione production are asparagus, peppers, avocados, squash, spinach, melon, cruciferous vegetables: broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts etc.

Vitamin D is crucial not only for bones, but for immune systems as well. Even in Florida we see a lot of people with Vitamin D deficiencies. A couple of hours in the sun early in the morning or late in the evening or a daily supplement of D3 form taken with meals will help to build immunity.

We are also constantly under stress - practice stress relief techniques, from breathing exercises to Epsom Salt baths before bedtime.

Should one catch covid-19, would a strong immune system lessen the symptoms and length of time required to recover? Or would it just prevent the most fatal symptoms from developing?

Great question! How do immune systems work? We have 2 systems: innate immunity that is present in each child at the time of birth - non-specific response to the infection and acquired immunity-specific – it's the one we obtain during vaccination, for example, or when the body encounters a new invader and builds an antibody to fight infection.

Since humanity has never been exposed to this modified virus, we do not have acquired immunity and no vaccine yet. We can only rely on our innate immune system to meet the virus, recognize it and kill it. Therefore, it is imperative to have a strong immunity. It will prevent us from a fatal outcome if we get sick, it will reduce symptoms and shorten the time needed to get back on our feet!

Do you have a favorite easy recipe you’d like to share? Something easy to make at home with easy to find ingredients, and that could, within weeks, make a huge difference fighting against covid-19, or the simple flu?

Choose Prevention to Avoid the Cure