Supporting the body through covid-19 at home

Gosh, I don’t need to explain how we got here, the 2+ year pandemic has affected everyone globally in one way or another. However, cases in Australia have dramatically jumped over the summer & every second person I know either has or has had the virus. Let’s talk about how to support your body if you’ve contacted the virus.

Covid-19 manifests as a heightened immune response and promotes the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, commonly known as a “cytokine-storm”. Inflammatory cytokines are associated with disease progression and dangerous complications. Therefore, recovering from covid-19 is best supported by modulating the immune system and reducing inflammation.

This information is provided for the majority of people who are able to recover from the viral infection at home.

Diet & Lifestyle

• 2x litres of filtered water daily

• Rest (louder for the Aries at the back)

• Nourishing meals ~ chicken soup, smoothies, roast vegetables, some good quality protein. Some people may experience poor appetite but it’s important to eat!

• Sunshine & fresh air ~ where possible

• Oral hygiene ~ mouth washes/gargles can address the virus at the route of transmission

• Harry Potter marathon ~ if nothing else will prevent you from working

• Infrared sauna & salt therapy ~ once you’re out of isolation of course, here’s my favourite place for that

Supplementation

N-acetylcysteine (NAC)

For the covid-19 virus to replicate, the pathway “nuclear factor kappa B” (NF-KB) requires support within host cells. In human coronaviruses, suppression of the NF-KB pathway significantly reduces replication rate. NAC has demonstrated to inhibit NF-KB by replenishing reduced glutathione which suppresses NF-KB, resulting in the reduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines and the modulation of the immune system by reducing reactive oxygen species (ROS).

ROS are produced as part of a normal immune response upon infection. The trouble is, they can be converted to more damaging oxygen species known to cause tissue damage to the lungs. ROS activates the NF-KB pathway and enhances inflammation. 

NAC has the potential to inhibit covid-19 because of its ability to negatively regulate NF-KB (suppressing viral replication), it is a powerful scavenger of oxygen species (anti-oxidant) and could effectively prevent a cytokine storm (inflammation).

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin produced via dermal synthesis when rays from the sun strike the skin. It can also be obtained via foods and supplementation, no matter the source it requires modification to become biologically active. Once active, vitamin D has many roles throughout the body and for the purpose of this blog the focus will be on its immune regulating activity.

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with a number of autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes and inflammatory bowel disease.

Vitamin D status is sometimes identified as an independent risk factor when considering the mortality of the general population.

Vitamin D modulates the innate and the adaptive immune system and has direct antiviral effects primarily against enveloped viruses and coronavirus is an enveloped virus. Vitamin D down regulates the immune response by inhibiting the production of type 1 inflammatory cytokines and in contrast up regulates type 2 anti-inflammatory cytokines. This process is mediated by blocking NF-KB activation as mentioned earlier.

The expression of genes related to antioxidation (notably, glutathione reductase) is enhanced by vitamin D, hence the recommendation of NAC paired with Vitamin D.

Zinc

Zinc is essential component of the immune system with an important role in the maintenance, development and activation of cells during innate and adaptive immune responses.

T cells are immune cells that directly attack cells infected with a virus. Zinc reduces the cytokine-storm by modulating the activity and development of T cells, on the contrary a deficiency in zinc has shown reduced T cell function.

Clinical studies have shown that zinc supplementation can reduce by up to 54% the severity and duration of various cold symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, muscle pain and congestion, which may also occur with covid-19.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a micronutrient with antioxidant properties crucial for the proper functioning of the innate and adaptive immune system. Vitamin C is required for the development and function of immune cells, stimulating the differentiation and proliferation from precursors to mature T cells.

The antioxidant properties of vitamin C contribute to protecting immune cells from the oxidative stress that occurs during a normal immune response and reduces metabolic waste that occurs resulting in a more efficient resolution of inflammation.

Quercetin

A flavonoid found most rich in onions, red grapes, citrus fruits and dark berries. Flavonoids are water soluble plant pigments responsible for the antioxidant capacity of fruits and vegetables. Quercetin produces anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, cardioprotective, neuroprotective and immune regulating effects.

Studies show that flavonoids such as quercetin have high binding powers to covid-19 targets and express anti-viral properties through the inhibition of covid-19 proteases. Early use of the flavonoid quercetin has shown to increase the clearance of the virus, reduce symptom occurrence and improve disease biomarkers.

Quercetin and vitamin C exert synergistic antiviral actions and immunomodulatory properties due to vitamin C being able to recycle quercetin, increasing its efficacy.

Souring supplementation

I recommend practitioner-only products to ensure you’re receiving the most bioavailable forms of the above and working with a practitioner to ensure the correct dosage for your unique circumstances. Over-the-counter products often do not have a reliable amount of the required constituents, may be in forms that are difficult for the body to absorb and can contain undesirable binders.

If you are seeking support while experiencing covid-19, please reach out.

My experience with covid-19

Noticeable symptoms lasted a full week followed by days of continued generalised fatigue.

Days 1 – 2: fatigue, mild fever with sweats & chills, sore to the touch muscle aches (to the point where my clothes were painful to wear). I didn’t think much of it as I was due for my period & the symptoms were similar.

Days 3 – 4: the above continued with added sore throat that gradually worsened & appetite slowly reduced.

Days 5 -6: sore throat progressed & it felt like I was swallowing something sharp, extreme fatigue, poor concentration, my period was 5 days delayed, the fever & muscle aches were replaced by intense headaches.

Days 6 – 8: sore throat slowly disappeared & I had the most overwhelming sense of fatigue & relentless headaches, like I hadn’t slept all night & I’d been on the screens too long x10. No appetite, no taste, period finally arrived. Began Harry Potter marathon.

Days 9 – 10: slowly regaining my energy, however still unable to focus on much for longer than 30 – 40 minutes. Draining to walk to & from my mailbox. Headaches have thankfully ceased.

Day 11: enough energy & focus to write this blog yet still not 100%. Completed Harry Potter marathon, hence back to the website.

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