As winter approaches, you’ll want to make sure you have enough of these 3 vital nutrients to help prevent the common cold & flu.
The saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” has a lot of truth to it!
Let’s dive in
THREAD
The saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” has a lot of truth to it!
Let’s dive in
THREAD
We’ve all probably had the common cold & flu at some point in our lives
When you have either, you feel miserable!
You also miss out on activities you’d rather be enjoying and not waste sick or vacation days at work.
When you have either, you feel miserable!
You also miss out on activities you’d rather be enjoying and not waste sick or vacation days at work.
There are steps you can take to reduce the risk of you getting the cold & flu.
And if you do get either, these nutrients & strategies will reduce the severity & duration of symptoms
There is not a single magic bullet that will prevent you from avoiding them
And if you do get either, these nutrients & strategies will reduce the severity & duration of symptoms
There is not a single magic bullet that will prevent you from avoiding them
However, I have found a combination approach has provided me and my patients with a much better defense during the “cold and flu season”.
I will cover will cover the 3 nutrients that are vital for your health & immunity
I will cover will cover the 3 nutrients that are vital for your health & immunity
The first nutrient you want to make sure you have sufficient amounts of is Vitamin D3.
I’ve written before about Vitamin D3.
What most don’t know is Vitamin D3 is actually a steroid hormone.
I’ve written before about Vitamin D3.
What most don’t know is Vitamin D3 is actually a steroid hormone.
As you may know, steroids (like corticosteroids) lower inflammation.
Vitamin D is very anti-inflammatory in nature.
Vitamin D is very anti-inflammatory in nature.
This is why around the globe, in multiple research papers, those who had sufficient levels of Vitamin D in their blood had a MUCH lower risk of having severe COVID-19 symptoms that required hospitalizations.
Those who did have severe symptoms, had a very strong correlation with low Vitamin D3 levels.
Why is this?
When someone gets COVID, there is a cytokine storm that occurs in the body.
Think of this as an “inflammatory bomb” in the body.
This “inflammatory bomb” is why there is such a wide variety of symptoms with COVID.
When someone gets COVID, there is a cytokine storm that occurs in the body.
Think of this as an “inflammatory bomb” in the body.
This “inflammatory bomb” is why there is such a wide variety of symptoms with COVID.
If your body can better regulate & deal with this inflammation, the less severe the symptoms.
As mentioned, Vitamin D is a large regulator of inflammation in the body
As mentioned, Vitamin D is a large regulator of inflammation in the body
This is why there is a direct correlation of Vitamin D levels, and severity of symptoms for not only COVID, but common colds and the flu.
Additionally, Vitamin D3 is anti-viral and anti-bacterial
For conditions like the flu, which is viral, Vitamin D can help your immune system ward off and address the virus before it can infect your body and become symptomatic.
For conditions like the flu, which is viral, Vitamin D can help your immune system ward off and address the virus before it can infect your body and become symptomatic.
The common cold is bacterial. Again, sufficient Vitamin D can help your immune system fight it off if you are exposed and hopefully prevent your ever getting it.
Zinc is the second nutrient you want to make sure you have sufficient amounts of.
Zinc is a mineral that is anti-viral and also helps regulate inflammation in the body.
Zinc is a mineral that is anti-viral and also helps regulate inflammation in the body.
Zinc deficiency affects cells involved in both innate and adaptive immunity.
These cells include:
•Monocytes
•Polymorphonuclear Leukocytes
•Natural killer cells
•T-cells
•B-cells
These cells include:
•Monocytes
•Polymorphonuclear Leukocytes
•Natural killer cells
•T-cells
•B-cells
Chronic deficiency of Zinc increases inflammation.
With chronic deficiency, the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines increases.
Remember the “cytokine storm” mentioned earlier with COVID?
Having sufficient Zinc is vital for your immune system to function optimally.
With chronic deficiency, the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines increases.
Remember the “cytokine storm” mentioned earlier with COVID?
Having sufficient Zinc is vital for your immune system to function optimally.
The third nutrient to improve your immunity is Vitamin C.
Vitamin C is made naturally in almost all living animals except humans, primates, and guinea pigs.
Humans must consume Vitamin C from food sources, or they risk severe health problems.
Vitamin C is made naturally in almost all living animals except humans, primates, and guinea pigs.
Humans must consume Vitamin C from food sources, or they risk severe health problems.
There is a direct relationship between glucose and Vitamin C that has a dramatic impact on immunity and overall cellular health.
Glucose and Vitamin C have a very similar chemical makeup.
Glucose and Vitamin C have a very similar chemical makeup.
Both glucose and Vitamin C depend upon the hormone insulin and its signaling effects in order to get into cells.
There is an important protein transporter called the GLUT-1 that turns on in response to insulin interacting with the insulin receptor.
There is an important protein transporter called the GLUT-1 that turns on in response to insulin interacting with the insulin receptor.
This allows both glucose and Vitamin C to enter the cell.
However, glucose has a greater affinity for the insulin receptor. Meaning the more circulating blood sugar the less Vitamin C will enter the cell. Even immune cells like white blood cells.
However, glucose has a greater affinity for the insulin receptor. Meaning the more circulating blood sugar the less Vitamin C will enter the cell. Even immune cells like white blood cells.
White blood cells (WBC’s) fight pathogens. They need Vitamin C to work.
In fact, WBC’s need 50 times more vitamin C inside the cell than in the blood plasma in order to properly handle a pathogenic substance like a bacteria or virus.
In fact, WBC’s need 50 times more vitamin C inside the cell than in the blood plasma in order to properly handle a pathogenic substance like a bacteria or virus.
If there is too much blood sugar, the Vitamin C will not be able to get into the WBC. This means the WBC’s won’t work as optimally to fight off infections.
Vitamin C also activates what’s called the HMP shunt, while glucose inhibits it.
Vitamin C also activates what’s called the HMP shunt, while glucose inhibits it.
When the immune system is under attack it needs to quickly produce new immune cells.
If blood sugar is high enough to turn off the HMP shunt it will reduce the amount of new immune cells formed.
If blood sugar is high enough to turn off the HMP shunt it will reduce the amount of new immune cells formed.
Obviously, this will not help your body fight off the pathogen or prevent you from getting a cold or the flu.
This is why you want to have a diet that is not only low-glycemic (keeps blood sugars low), but also sufficient in Vitamin C.
This is why you want to have a diet that is not only low-glycemic (keeps blood sugars low), but also sufficient in Vitamin C.
Tomorrow in my free newsletter, I will cover the foods that contain the most of these 3 nutrients.
I will also cover 4 additional strategies that have helped me & my patients keep free of colds & the flu.
You can join us here, for free:
drbphealth.com
I will also cover 4 additional strategies that have helped me & my patients keep free of colds & the flu.
You can join us here, for free:
drbphealth.com
Loading suggestions...