While these times are quite unsettling, there are many natural things we can do from home to protect ourselves from getting Coronavirus (COVID-19). These choices include supplementation, supporting healthy digestion, balancing hormones, lifestyle practices, food choices, and more. This is also an excellent time to use functional medicine to treat and improve your underlining health conditions that could be causing a decreased immune response. Most functional tests are easily accessible from the comfort of your home and provide astonishing information about what is happening inside of your body.

SUPPLEMENTS FOR PREVENTION

Since the publication of my last blog on How to Build Your Immunity and Avoid Coronavirus, there were several requests to simply list my top choices of supplements that boost immunity. I've done this below as well as include five additional supplements with the data that has recently emerged showing them very helpful for preventing the harmful symptoms of COVID-19. 

Click to the right to order these (or any other) supplements from my online pharmacy at 10% off MSRP.

Click here for an in-depth discussion on the first six supplements listed below.

• Vitamin C. Dose: up to 1000mg 3x per day. Dose to bowel tolerance. 

• Vitamin D. Dose: 2000-6000 IU a day.

• Monolaurin. Dose: Slowly work up to 3000mg per day.

• Probiotics. Dose: 1-2x per day.  

• NAC (or Glutathione). Dose for NAC: 900mg 3x per day.

• Zinc Lozenges. Dose: 1x per day.

These five additional supplements are discussed in detail below:

• Melatonin. Dose: 0.5mg-3mg before bed.  

• Magnesium. Dose 300-600mg per day.

• SPMs. For dosing, follow directions on the bottle.

• Resveratrol. Dose: 150-500mg per day or instead consider some red wine ☺

• Quercetin. For dosing, follow directions on the bottle.

Click here for more information about Vitamin C and COVID-19.

Melatonin

The theory about using Melatonin delves into a compelling hypothesis as to why many younger children are not showing any symptoms of the COVID-19. Children under nine years make higher amounts of melatonin than adults, and it’s a strong possibility that melatonin protects us from the progression of the virus into our lungs. The science is complicated, but basically, Melatonin inhibits the activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes, which causes a massive inflammation reaction in the lungs. With adequate melatonin, it’s possible that most people can decrease the lung symptoms of COVID-19. The suggested dose for the prevention of the virus is 0.5-3mg (which is a small dose). At the very least, Melatonin help us all get better sleep during this troubling time. It’s also very inexpensive and easy to find. If you have a history of SIBO/SIFO or Candida, consider taking the lowest dose of 0.5mg before bed. I’ve encouraged all my patients over 18 to take a low dose of melatonin as prevention. Melatonin is not recommended for children. Click here for an in-depth discussion of Melatonin and COVID-19.

Magnesium

The goal of helping people with COVID-19 is to stop ARDS (Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome). What is happens with ARDS is that the immune system attacks the pathogen too fiercely and then damages our own cells in the process. The coronavirus uses proteins of the host cell membrane and “pours” calcium into the host cell, causing oxidative stress and trigging subsequent acute inflammations (Inflammasome NJRP3). Stopping the calcium means stopping the ARDS. And what better way to do that than using a calcium antagonist such as Magnesium? Magnesium has the potential to stop the NLRP3 activation, preventing ARDS from happening. Magnesium citrate is the most accessible form to absorb, but if you tend towards loose stools, try magnesium glycinate. The suggested dose is 300-600mg per day. If you have trouble sleeping, consider taking the full dose before bed.

SPMs

SPM stand for “Specialized Pro-Resolving Mediators” which is used as an anti-inflammatory and is a metabolite of omega-3 fatty acids. It is designed to help support the body’s capacity to respond to pathogens and resolve the immune response. As discussed briefly before, the COVID-19 virus itself isn’t too damaging, but it’s the cytokine storm that is sparks in the lungs that creates such an issue. SPMs can help tame the cytokine storm. The two brands I recommend are Metagenics “SPMs active” or Designs for Health “SPM Supreme.” Both are available in my online pharmacy.

Resveratrol

Everyone likes resveratrol because it’s postulated to help extend your life expectancy, and is found in red wine, tea, and chocolate. Resveratrol is a broad antioxidant and engages in cell-signaling activities. Studies are also showing that it potentially has antiviral properties. So why not clean out your cells and protect yourself from viruses at the same time? The suggested dose is 150mg-500mg per day. If a glass of red wine sounds better, you only need half a glass to get what you need. Doctor’s orders ☺ 

Quercetin

Quercetin is an antiviral because it blocks the surface proteins involved in viral replication. It is also anti-inflammatory and can act directly on the cytokine storm to decrease lung symptoms of the virus. Quercetin also feeds the beneficial microbes in the gut, where the majority of your immune system is located. The dosing of Quercetin ranges drastically based on which company you purchase from and what you are using it for, so its best to follow the directions on the bottle.  

SUPPORTING HEALTHY DIGESTION

It is no surprise that there is emerging research showing that gut health is possibly related to the symptom severity of COVID-19. Our microbiome is at the root of our immune response and our immune health. We absorb all of our nutrients as we digest our food through our gut lining. When issues are present in the digestive tract, there is a much greater chance of inflammation in other areas of the body. Since the cytokine storms created by COVID-19 is mostly inflammation in the lungs, it is imperative to make sure your gut health isn’t prone to inflammation. There is also some evidence that an overgrowth of an opportunistic bacteria in our guts called “Prevotella Corpi” may be responsible for harsher symptoms of COVID-19. Click here to read more.

The beauty of functional medicine is that we can run a simple ‘GI maps’ test by Diagnostic Solutions in the comfort of your own home and find out precisely what is going on in your microbiome. From there, we can use the results of the test to significantly improve gut health. This test can determine if you need digestive enzymes, specific probiotics, leaky gut support, as well as discovering if you have any infections or parasites and so much more. This test can even tell you if you have Prevotella Corpi in your microbiome, which we can quickly get rid of if you do. At Beyond the Mountain Wellness, I run all functional tests for cost, and this one is under $350. It’s a wealth of information at your fingertips in just under two weeks. And in the last few days, Diagnostic Solutions just released a test that can determine from your stool if you have been infected by Covid-19 in the last 5 weeks. This new test for Covid-19 costs under $150.

If you prefer to improve your gut health without doing any functional testing, a good strategy is to use probiotics. If you don’t have SIBO or SIFO, using a probiotic with Lactobacillus Plantarum is a good bet to build up your immune system to fight off symptoms of the Coronavirus. Click here for a study that discusses this particular probiotic. 

BALANCING HORMONES

As of now, more men are dying from Coronavirus than women. There is no clear evidence as to why this is happening, but it seems women and children have more ACE2 receptor sites, which is associated with less risk of contracting this virus. There is a theory that estrogen can help protect women from Coronavirus. Click here for an article that briefly discusses the potential of estrogen in regards to COVID -19.

The research is not concrete, but now is a great time to make sure your hormones are all in balance. A functional medicine test called the DUTCH test by Precision Analytical is an at-home urine test designed to measure your hormone levels as well as your adrenal functions. It also looks at organic acids to see how your neurotransmitters are firing, how you are absorbing your B vitamins, and how you are detoxing. This test is incredibly informative, and it’s only $250. I never prescribe estrogen supplements until I see the results from functional tests, so this is a great time to test your hormones and protect yourself from the Coronavirus at the same time.

LIFESTYLE PREVENTION

Going to bed at a reasonable hour and trying to get good quality sleep is probably the best medicine there is. Since there aren’t too many parties to miss right now, this is the best time to practice good sleep hygiene to help your body rejuvenate and catch up on all the sleep your body needs. If you use screens in the evening, you can protect your sleep, melatonin, and dopamine with a simple purchase of blue-blocker protection glasses.

Traditional Chinese Medicine believes that most pathogens enter the body when it is exposed to too much cold. It is essential to stay warm, dressed appropriately for the temperature, keeping your neck and lower back covered and avoiding all drafts. Consider sleeping with the windows closed, and if you leave them open, make sure it is far away from your neck. Eating warm foods and drinking warm drinks are also very supportive of a healthy immune system. It is also essential to move your Qi (energy/lifeforce). If going for a walk in your neighborhood is an option for you, try to take one every day. Breaking a sweat isn’t as important as trying to take deep breaths and moving your limbs. Stagnation is a breeding ground for getting sick, so moving your Qi is a very effective way to avoid illness.

DIET

Most of us are cooking more than we ever have in our lives, so why not heal yourself with whole foods? There is no question that food is medicine, and the more colorful your meals are, the more vitamins and nutrients you are getting. Consider joining a local organic CSA and try cooking new vegetables. Don’t forget that cilantro cleans your liver and parsley cleans your blood. Try making sauerkraut or kimchee to add fermented foods to your diet, which are natural probiotics. You can make large pots of soup and eat off it the entire week. Try to make congee as a way to support your digestive system. The goal is to make sure you are eating warm, cooked foods that are easy to digest.  

It’s also crucial to drink fluids throughout the day. Try to avoid ice water and increase herbal teas. My favorite thing to make is homemade chai without the black tea. Boil fresh ginger, cinnamon sticks, and cardamom pods in a pot of water for a half-hour. Strain it and add any nut milk. You can add more water and re-boil several times before the flavor runs out, and your house will smell delicious. If you are feeling under the weather at all, consider sipping on broth every two hours to increase your electrolytes.  

SUMMARY

Staying healthy to avoid the Coronavirus isn’t too complicated. Eat colorful foods. Drink warm beverages. Sleep long and deeply. Focus on supporting healthy digestion and consider working with me to optimize your gut function. Consider a daily supplement regime with the suggested list above. If you prefer to run a functional test to find out exactly which supplements your body needs, consider making an appointment to discuss the options further. If you would like to run a GI maps test, a DUTCH test, a COVID19 stool test, or any other functional tests, please make an appointment or schedule a complimentary 15-minute phone consult here.

I look forward to working with you.