03/18/2020
Currently, there is no vaccination against Covid-19 and we are encouraged to self-quarantine and socially distance ourselves as a way to flatten the curve. However, that doesn't have to be the end of the story. We can take some active measures to further help ourselves and augment our innate immune system. So, what is the innate immune system? Let's see if we can remember what we learned in human biology.
Our immune system is divided into two parts, innate and adaptive. To put it simply, the innate immune system is a non-specific defense mechanism that responds immediately or within hours of an antigen's presence in the body. The chemical properties of the antigen activate multiple actions in the body to fight off the non-self pathogen, such as physical barriers of the skin and other epithelial surfaces, like the lining our respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts, chemicals in the blood, and immune cells that attack foreign invader cells in the body. This first line defense is evolutionarily ancient, thus can be also be found in vertebrates (that's us), invertebrates(animals without backbones), plants, fungi, and primitive multicellular organisms alike.
On the other hand, the adaptive immune system is only found in vertebrates, so is evolutionarily young (less than 500 million years), but is more complex. Its immune response is antigen-specific, which means the antigen must first be processed and recognized. Once an antigen has been recognized, the adaptive immune system creates an army of immune cells specifically designed to attack that antigen only. Therefore, this process is slow to develop when encountering a new pathogen and can take a week or longer to effectively deploy. However, adaptive immunity remembers previous encounters with that specific pathogen and efficiently destroys it upon recognition when it attacks again. Vaccinations target this type of immune response by introducing a foreign entity into the body so it can defend itself from future infections.
Until vaccines are effectively developed to combat our current pandemic, there are some things that you can do to stay well and support your innate immune system.
1. Stay hydrated. Water makes up about 60% of our body weight and is essential to our survival and immune system. Many of us don't drink enough water. The rule of thumb is 1/2 your body weight in ounces (i.e. 150 lbs. = 75 oz.).
2. Eat a diverse and nutrient-rich diet. Eat a plentiful variety of organic vegetables, fruits, herbs, and spices. This will give you the necessary nutrients to support your bodily functions as well as the diversity of your microbiome. Minimize or eliminate processed foods and sugar. I know this completely goes against the current promotion of frozen, canned, and non-perishable food items.
3. Get plenty of sleep. The recommended 8 hours of sleep aids the body, especially the brain, in its detoxification processes. Sleep deprivation has been scientifically shown to reduce immune cell response and impair immune functions.
4. Remain calm and reduce stress. Chronic stress negatively affects the immune system, as well as many other metabolic functions of the body. Practice mindfulness and meditation. Don't allow your monkey-mind to lead you down the rabbit-hole of fear and irrationality. Observe your thoughts and emotions and allow them to be. This will all pass as it is intended to.
5. Exercise and remain active. Just because the various forms of fitness centers have closed down doesn't mean you have to. The virus is not airborne so you are not only safe, but encouraged, to go outside and move your body. It is imperative for a strong lymphatic and immune system.
6. Eliminate toxic habits, such as smoking and excessive alcohol consumption. Ci******es, once lit, creates many chemicals that are toxic to the smoker as well as the bystander. This is a very bad idea, especially for the respiratory system, which is a specific target of the novel coronavirus. If you are a drinker, limit your consumption to one serving per day. Excess amounts burden the liver's detoxification processes, thus burdens the immune system.
Please be kind to yourself and others, and be well. If you need additional health support or advice, you know where to find me.
Medicinal mushrooms for the win!
