COVID-19 put these supplements in the spotlight, and now we can’t imagine a world without them.
If we learned anything from the world-wide outbreak of COVID-19, it was that there are a handful of supplements (more like supplessentials) that you need to have on hand—at all times.
What are they, you ask?
Read on to find out…
The Top Supplements to Stock Up On to Keep Your Immune System Strong
Whether you have COVID or not, it’s important to give your infection-fighting immune system some TLC. Consider it your beloved bodyguard when it comes to fighting infectious diseases like the Coronavirus, flu, and pneumonia (1).
And if you’re thinking “But I’m invincible to COVID-19. Supplements are the last thing I need…” remember that roughly 40% of contagious people don’t experience symptoms (i.e. they’re asymptomatic), so it’s important for everyone to do their part in order to overcome this global pandemic (2).
There are six essential supplements you need to keep you and your loved ones safe.
Note: Due to lack of research, the supplements below are not a cure for the Coronavirus. In addition to that, the recommended supplements may react differently with certain over-the-counter medications. Be sure to talk to a healthcare professional before starting any supplements.
1. Silver
Colloidal silver—a silver suspended in liquid—plays a crucial role in reducing bacteria associated with COVID-19.
However, there are some differing viewpoints…
Televangelist Jim Bakker brought a natural health expert onto his show—Sherrill Sellmann—who proclaimed that silver can eliminate the coronavirus in just 12 hours. While the National Institutes of Health states that “Colloidal silver can be dangerous to your health” and the FDA makes its message clear that anyone who labels silver as a “disease preventative” or “the cure” is misbranding their product (3) (4).
But…maybe you don’t need to consume it orally to tout its so-called benefits. Nanosilver masks are on the rise, and for good reason. Because silver has antimicrobial properties, it keeps the growth of microorganisms at bay (5).
2. Vitamin C
Chinese doctors saw the positive correlation between high doses of Vitamin C and the treatment of mild to severe cases of Coronavirus (6).
Chief of the emergency medicine department at Ruijing Hospital in Shanghai—Dr. Enqiang Mao—experimented (successfully, we might add) with 10,000 mg – 20,000 mg of Vitamin C for 7-10 days.
How’d he know to try Vitamin C with a completely unknown virus?
Well, he’d been treating patients who had acute pancreatitis, sepsis, surgical wound healing, and other medical conditions with large doses of Vitamin C for over ten years. So, why not give Vitamin C a shot in treating the Coronavirus?
Lucky for him (and us), it worked.
3. Vitamin D
With observational data showing that low vitamin D levels result in acute respiratory tract infections, this vitamin just had to be included on our essential supplement list (7).
If you’re one of the 41.6% of Americans deficient in vitamin D, you may want to consider adding vitamin D to your daily ritual. According to the Institue of Medicine, doses up to 4,000 IU per day is the safest route to go (8) (9).
4. Zinc
Zinc lozenges have been shown to reduce the duration and severity of cold symptoms through their antiviral properties. So, when a New York physician did a randomized clinical trial among 18 high-risk COVID-19 patients with a treatment consisting of hydroxychloroquine, zinc, azithromycin, and doxycycline, the results were promising (10) (11).
5. Elderberry
Elderberry is a fruit that boasts immune stimulation through antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties (12) (13).
In a study conducted with 180 participants, supplementation with elderberry was found to substantially reduce upper respiratory symptoms (14).
And with the increased immune activation that the Coronavirus brings, this may be a viable alternative to antibiotic misuse for upper respiratory symptoms due to viral infections.
The Bottom Line
When we live in a world where people are more deficient in vitamins and minerals than they are sufficient, it’s vital to know which supplements your body needs.
Take note of these five immune-boosting supplements and talk to your doctor to see which ones may be right for you.
References
- The Role of the Immune System Beyond the Fight Against Infection
- https://hartfordhealthcare.org/about-us/news-press/news-detail?articleId=29806&publicid=743#:~:text=The%20South%20Korean%20estimate%20of,%2D19%20are%20asymptomatic.
- Televangelist Jim Bakker Sued Over Fake Coronavirus Treatment
- Federal Register/Vol. 64, No. 158/Tuesday, August 17, 1999/Rules and Regulations
- The Release of Nanosilver from Consumer Products Used in the Home
- Hospital treatment of serious and critical COVID-19 infection with high-dose Vitamin C
- Vitamin D in the prevention of acute respiratory infection: Systematic review of clinical studies
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0271531710002599?via%3Dihub
- The 2011 Report on Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium and Vitamin D from the Institute of Medicine: What Clinicians Need to Know
- https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1345/aph.17128
- https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04370782?cond=COVID-19&intr=%22Zinc%22&draw=2&rank=2
- Elderberry
- Antiviral activity of Sambucus FormosanaNakai ethanol extract and related phenolic acid constituents against human coronavirus NL63
- Black elderberry (Sambucus nigra) supplementation effectively treats upper respiratory symptoms: A meta-analysis of randomized, controlled clinical trials
