Improving Immune Systems and Managing Anxiety In the Era of CoronaVirus and Covid-19
We live in turbulent times, that’s for sure. The spread of information and ease of transcontinental travel allow the spread of good and bad actors worldwide in a matter of days where historically centuries were required. The Covid19 pandemic is upon us and illustrates how the spread of both information and infectious disease can cause great harm and also great good.
The Novel SARS-2 Corona Virus has now established a strong foothold in the U.S.A. and the government has battened down the hatches. Citizens are being told they cannot go out and earn a livelihood (there is good reason for this) and we are told it may be many weeks before we are given back our liberty and are allowed to resume our “pursuit of happiness.” Unfortunately many Americans are living paycheck to paycheck and have very little reserve to weather this type of disruption to our economy. The uncertainty is terrifying to many. The shutdown is ominous.
People are so afraid they feel the need to hoard toilet paper, hand sanitizer and food. Fear is intensified by constant images of health care workers in hazmat suits testing people in makeshift emergency testing centers. Our subconscious minds are undoubtedly tapping into memories of the recent Ebola outbreaks and fear becomes irrational. We hear of thousands dying in foreign countries and we wonder if we are risking our life to go to the grocery store. We never worried about Influenza, although it kills 10s of thousands of Americans annually. We certainly don’t worry about atherosclerosis, yet this preventable disease kills 1 American every 37 seconds. Fear is often irrational, so while we need to exercise caution with this deadly virus it is important to keep perspective in this uncharted territory.
This is an unprecedented time. We have more knowledge and more technology available than during the Influenza Pandemic of 1918, or “The Spanish Flu”. We can follow disease spread with testing, we have ICUs and Mechanical Ventilators to support the critically ill, however we have no cure for this virus, this invisible enemy as the President calls it.
Without cure of a deadly invisible enemy and with loss of livelihood many are experiencing severe anxiety. Unfortunately chronic anxiety is harmful to our immune systems and leaves us more vulnerable to infection. Thus, fear is to be resisted, to be controlled. As Viktor Frankl, Holocaust survivor, said “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” In our fast-paced digital society that small space has become smaller. We are in an ever greater need of the ability to slow things down and choose our response rather than simply react out of our primal instincts, instincts which often betray us.
There are many ways to expand that small space and have more control over our minds. We know that hobbies, art, meditation and exercise are very beneficial to our mind. Time in nature helps, as do spiritual practices. “Take every thought captive” is a Biblical verse full of wisdom. It is saying don’t let your mind run away on you. We need to be ever vigilant of fear, which is given to us for survival, but can easily be counterproductive. Mark Twain said “I’ve known a great many troubles in life, most never happened”. We are better served preparing for the worst, but hoping for the best.
So for preparation in this current pandemic start with the basics. Hand washing, social distancing, not touching your face and keeping surfaces clean are all important in avoiding inoculation with infections.
The following will make your body more resistant to disease.
Manage your stress (as above) which impairs immune function
Get adequate sleep - important for your bodies repair processes and immune function
Get daily exercise which boosts immune function. (If you’re sick and short of breath, don’t exercise until you know you don’t have Covid19 as you don’t want to “overtax your lungs”)
Eat a lot of brightly colored fruits and vegetables: Aim for 10 servings daily
Eat probiotic foods like cultured vegetables (Flavored saurkraut, Kimchi, etc)
Hydrate well, water helps flush waste from your body and is necessary for optimal immune function
Green, Black and Herbal teas can provide immune boosting nutrients
Although there are no significant data from clinical trials available to help us choose treatment for Covid-19, supportive care in a hospital setting is life-saving. Remember, although the hospitalization rate is quite high, the death rate of Covid19 is still only about 2%. Modern ICU care will save uncountable lives.
Nevertheless, it is better not to end up in the ICU. Preventative and early treatment of minor symptoms at home may be greatly helped by non-toxic plants which have evidence of benefit in helping our bodies combat viruses. The following is an incomplete list of foods and herbs which can be used in an attempt to boost immune function and impair the virus. Again, we don’t have strong evidence that these substances will be effective, however toxicity is low and there is a long history of safe use. In the event of respiratory distress the best place to be is in a hospital.
Zinc has been identified to have specific anti-corona properties. It shouldn’t be taken long term as it can cause toxicity. Lozenges are readily available.
Coconut oil has Monalauric Acid which is metabolized into Monolaurin which has significant anti-viral and anti-Coronal properties. Derivatives of coconut oil are used in disinfectants. 45 ml daily is the recommended dose for clinical trials, however use caution for long term use as this will raise the bad LDL cholesterol and may increase risk of atherosclerosis over the long run.
Ginger and garlic can be eaten or ingested in many ways and have a great deal of historical and basic science evidence for anti-viral effects.
Eucalyptus and Tea Tree Oil (Melaleuca) have been shown to impair virus and improve immune function. These can be aerosolized with diffusers and used with steam treatments.
Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to be anti-inflammatory immune modifiers and may be helpful in preventing our immune system from going into overdrive if infection occurs
Probiotics are health promoting bacteria that modulate our immune system from the gastrointestinal tract. 70% of our immune system resides in the gut. Cultured vegetables like saurkraut and kimchi are the best way to obtain lasting immune boosting effects
Vitamin D is an important immune modulator that enhances innate immune function. It can be obtained from sunlight on the skin. We need large areas of skin exposed to mid-day sun for 15 - 45 minutes depending on skin color. Darker skin requires more time in the sun. Get enough sun to get a little color but don’t burn.
My goal is to provide you with some practical proactive steps you can take to improve or maintain a healthy immune system. By employing these simple and safe modalities my hope is that you will experience a reduction in anxiety because by taking proactive action, you will regain a sense of control over your outcomes. Psychologists refer to this as an INTERNAL locus of control and it is very important to a sense of well-being. People with an EXTERNAL locus of control are more likely to experience anxiety since they believe that they are not in control of their lives. If we have an EXTERNAL locus of control we feel that our external circumstances will dictate our outcomes. This is harmful to our psyche because we have little to no control over the external environment, especially in times like the CoronaVirus pandemic of 2019-2020. Fortunately, as Viktor Frankl points out, we do have control over our internal environment, the space between our ears.
If all else fails, keep things in perspective. Remember that although this virus can cause severe illness, the vast majority of those infected will survive, maybe 98%. While this is a terrible virus, Ebola it is not, despite the images of people in hazmat suits, government mandated isolation and empty shelves at the grocery store. So do what you can, take proper precautions, and maintain a positive attitude. For those of the Christian faith, Philippians 4:6-10 sums it up well.
REFERENCES:
Zinc
Zn2+ inhibits coronavirus and arterivirus RNA polymerase activity in vitro and zinc ionophores block the replication of these viruses in cell culture AJW Te Velthuis, SHE van den Worm, AC Sims… - PLoS …, 2010 - ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Recent developments in anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus chemotherapy DL Barnard, Y Kumaki - Future virology, 2011 - Future Medicine
The role of zinc in antiviral immunity SA Read, S Obeid, C Ahlenstiel… - Advances in …, 2019 - academic.oup.com
Coconut Oil
The Potential of Coconut Oil as an Effective and Safe Antiviral Agent Against the Novel Coronavirus (nCoV-2019) FM Dayrit, MT Newport - 2020 - hancolegroup.com
Garlic
J Natl Med Assoc. 1988 Apr; 80(4): 439–445.Garlic Revisited: Therapeutic for the Major Diseases of Our Times? Tariq H. Abdullah, O. Kandil, A. Elkadi, and J. Carter
Antimicrobial properties of Allium sativum (garlic) JC Harris, SL Cottrell, S Plummer, D Lloyd - Applied microbiology and …, 2001 - Springer
Ginger
Zingiberis rhizoma: a comprehensive review on the ginger effect and efficacy profiles S Chrubasik, MH Pittler, BD Roufogalis - Phytomedicine, 2005 - Elsevier
Eucalyptus
Immune-modifying and antimicrobial effects of Eucalyptus oil and simple inhalation devices AE Sadlon, DW Lamson - Alternative medicine review, 2010 - go.gale.com
Melaleuca/Tea Tree Oil
Antiviral activity of phytochemicals: a comprehensive review
R Naithani, LC Huma, LE Holland… - Mini reviews in …, 2008 - ingentaconnect.com
Specific plant terpenoids and lignoids possess potent antiviral activities against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus
CC Wen, YH Kuo, JT Jan, PH Liang… - Journal of medicinal …, 2007 - ACS Publications
Omega 3 fatty acids
Nutritional modulation of immune function: analysis of evidence, mechanisms, and clinical relevance D Wu, ED Lewis, M Pae, SN Meydani - Frontiers in immunology, 2019 - frontiersin.org
Probiotics
Nutritional modulation of immune function: analysis of evidence, mechanisms, and clinical relevance D Wu, ED Lewis, M Pae, SN Meydani - Frontiers in immunology, 2019 - frontiersin.org
Vitamin D