Experts say there's plenty of ways we can help our immune systems fight COVID-19. Photo / 123rf
Experts say there's plenty of ways we can help our immune systems fight COVID-19. Photo / 123rf
"This is a serious infection and no amount of lifestyle intervention will make you invincible," says Dr Jenna Macciochi, an immunologist at the University of Sussex, whose timely new book Immunity: The Science of Staying Well is out on April 16.
"But there are plenty of small things you can do that may strengthen your immune system."
This is not the time to ignore public health messages, says Dr Ross Walton, a viral immunologist currently developing vaccines for flu. While the elderly are indeed more at risk, your immune system actually started to decline years ago.
"Your thymus gland is where the body's T cells [white blood cells that fight infection] are produced, and this starts to atrophy in your 20s," says Dr Walton. "But that's only one reason everyone should be taking these measures, the other is that healthy, relatively young people have a responsibility to stay well so they can avoid spreading an infection that could kill someone more vulnerable."
2. Wash your hands with plenty of water
There's handwashing and there's handwashing during a global pandemic. When you wash your hands, it's more about the water than the soap. "Warm water is better, but getting a lot of water over your hands whilst you're rubbing them together is much more important than the amount of soap used."
Indeed, unless it's anti antivirucidal, an antibacterial soap won't kill the virus, anyway. As for gels, look for 60 per cent alcohol, as this will have antibacterial and antivirucidal activity (but they won't work at all if your hands are heavily soiled or greasy).
3. Eat a colourful Mediterranean diet
Eating a low-carbohydrate Mediterranean diet rich in different coloured fruits and vegetables will give you the best chance of getting the wide variety of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory phytonutrients your body needs to fight infection, says Dr Claire Bailey, a GP with a special interest in immunity and author of Clever Gut and Blood Sugar Diet.
The more colours you include, the more nutrients you get. "Have the fruits and vegetables whole and ideally with the skin on as this contains essential fibre that feeds the healthy bugs in your digestive tract, crucial to fighting infection."
4. If you get symptoms, dose up on vitamin C
China might be running out of oranges but there's little evidence showing vitamin C prevents infection. "What the evidence does show is that once a cold has hit, vitamin C can shorten the duration of symptoms," says Dr Macciochi. "Our immune cells have a high need for vitamin C when they are working hard to fight infection, so if you find yourself with symptoms, this is the time to start dosing up on vitamin C." Oranges aren't the only source mind, it's also kiwi fruits, red peppers, spinach, grapefruit, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts as well as organ meats.
5. Don't lose sleep over it
"Adequate sleep is the bedrock of your whole immune system," says Dr Macchiochi. "If you're not sleeping, no other lifestyle measure will make such difference because while we sleep the hormone melatonin stimulates new immune cells."
There's several natural ways to strengthen the immune system. Photo / 123rf
6. Move around throughout your day – and build some muscle
Yet another reason to take that lunchtime walk. "Regular and often is the key for exercise and immunity," says Dr Macchioci. "Movement throughout the day is essential for your lymphatic system, which relies on movement and muscle for stimulation. It's essential to helping your immune cells perform their surveillance function of moving around the body fighting germs that might be trying to get inside your tissues."
And while it's not exactly quick, strength training is essential to immunity as you age. "Muscle produces chemicals that work on our thymus gland [where immune cells are made - see above] and can help its functioning as we get older."
7. That "two litres of water" rule – heed it
"Hydration is critically important but vastly overlooked," says Dr Walton. "So many metabolic functions rely on it." Indeed, if you get dehydrated, it can change the mucus layer in your respiratory tract and your digestive tract that has antibodies that trap germs and stop them getting into your cells, Dr Macchiochi points out. Oh, and tea and coffee are diuretics, so they don't count.
8. Echinacea might help
Dr Walton's team conducted studies on echinacea that found a reduced incidence of the common cold in children who took it as well as a decrease in the number of secondary respiratory infections kids got after getting a cold. That suggests the herb could work as both a preventative measure and something to take when you get symptoms.
Indeed, there is a body of scientific evidence showing echinacea's effectiveness including a recent one published in Viral Research, albeit only done in vitro" (i.e., in test tubes) that showed it could work as a barrier against cold and flu symptoms. Some 25 pieces of published scientific research - including Dr Walton's - were done using a particular form, A. Vogel Echinaforce drops. "There are many different active ingredients in echinacea," says Dr Macchiochi. "And many studies isolate certain ones, so you need to know the one you're buying is the one that was used in the studies."
9. As might a throat spray
Some throat sprays could also help shorten the duration of your symptoms. Some mouth sprays are designed to be used at the first sign of a sore throat to help prevent a full-blown cold from developing. They work by forming a protective barrier over the throat, making it more difficult for the cold virus to cause illness. According to one double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study on a throat spray called ColdZyme published in November 2017, using ColdZyme could reduce the number of days patients showed symptoms by half, from six and a half to just three.
Covid
10. Get enough vitamin D
Pooled data from 16 clinical trials involving 7,400 people show that taking vitamin D supplements reduces the risk of experiencing at least one respiratory infection including influenza and pneumonia by a third with positive benefits seen within 3 weeks. In those with low vitamin D status, the protection was even greater, reducing the risk of respiratory infection by almost a half compared with placebo.
Another analysis published in 2017 in the British Medical Journal looked at 25 studies and involved around 11,000 people from 14 countries. It found that vitamin D supplements reduced the risk of acute respiratory infections by 11 per cent compared with placebo. A cheek spray is great for fast absorption of vitamin D into your bloodstream.
11. And zinc
"We can't make zinc in our bodies, we have to get it from our diets," says Dr Macciochi. "Yet it plays a role in hundreds of reactions in our bodies and is extremely important to fighting infection. There's some evidence that taking extra zinc in the winter months is helpful at preventing infection but zinc is not something to take all the time as it can cause toxicity." Food sources include red meat, shellfish, legumes, seeds and dark chocolate.
12. Eat sourdough bread – and other gut-friendly fibre
"Your gut bacteria – or microbiome – is crucial to immunity," says Dr Macchiochi. "This breaks down your food in the digestive tract and produces metabolites known as 'post-biotics' that are helpful for our immune systems." But keeping your gut happy doesn't only involve eating fashionable fermented foods such as kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha and kefir. "These are important as they are the sources of healthy bugs," says Dr Bailey.
"However, what is even more important is getting the fibre foods that feed those healthy bugs and encourage them to grow." Sourdough is one of the healthiest things you can eat for your microbiome and a great source of fermented fibre which as the best of both worlds, she explains. "Look for the slow-fermented variety from artisan bakers ideally made with a more ancient grain such as spelt, or einkorn." Other gut-friendly fibres include fruit and vegetables, whole grains and legumes.
13. Add crushed garlic to your food
Those delicious bulbs of heaven contain a compound called allicin that has been well studied for its antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects, explains Dr Macchiochi. "But this is only released when the garlic has been crushed and left to sit for a while, before use in cooking." Meanwhile, some studies have tried to take this active ingredient out of garlic and make it into a supplement, but they haven't been shown to be effective.
