Coronavirus: How To Protect Your Lungs – Invite Health Podcast, Episode 52
Invite Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Jerry Hickey. Ph
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Well, I guess it is pretty certain that many of us will be infected with the Coronavirus, officially titled COVID-19. But we really don’t know to what extent it is more dangerous. A very important question during this pandemic is, “Can I protect my lungs?” This is where the Coronavirus picks up its tempo and can be really damaging.
Why You Need To Be Aware of the Coronavirus
To fight an infection, your immune system must handle two issues very carefully – the forceful response and a targeted response. If your immune system is not directed appropriately, bad things happen. When fighting an infection, your immune system response must not be too weak or if will become dangerous. If a response is too strong, you body can suffer will collateral damage. This can trigger inflammation, due to too many incorrect signals. The different parts of your immune system are always communicating with one another using chemical messengers that are called cytokines. Some cytokines increase inflammation, while other decrease it. If too many of the cytokines that trigger inflammation (pro-Inflammatory cytokines) are released – especially one called IL-6 – you could develop what is called a cytokine storm.
What you need to know about staying healthy during the Coronavirus Pandemic. Click here >>
A cytokine storm is a massive attack by the strongest component of our immune system at one time. This has been shown in patients with heart failure and in sepsis. This storm has also happened with the epidemic before COVID-19 – SARS – in 2002 and 2003. But a cytokine storm is currently happening with COVID-19 in your lungs. COVID-19 attacks the lungs, and the immune system reacts strongly, worsening the damage. This appears to be when the virus is at its highest level of danger – when it begins to attack the lungs and the heart.
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Healthcare professionals Using Vitamin C on Patients
As reported in the New York Post, Dr. Andrew G. Weber, a pulmonologist and critical care specialist affiliated with two Northwell Health facilities on Long Island, said his intensive-care patients with coronavirus immediately receive 1,500 milligrams of intravenous Vitamin C. According to Weber, “The patients who received Vitamin C did significantly better than those who did not get Vitamin C.” This is because Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant. When you are dealing with a cytokine storm, your Vitamin C levels drop dramatically. When your immune system is trying to kill or contain a virus, it releases a massive amount of free radicals. Normally, Vitamin C would be present in the body to fight this off but since many patients with the Coronavirus have low levels, their bodies cannot fight the virus effectively and the free radicals are killing and destroying lung cells. The Vitamin C is working to help restore the cells in the lungs.
How the Coronavirus is Impacting Your Immunity. Click here to listen now >>
Dietary Modifications and Supplementation
So does this mean you should take antioxidants orally? My suggestion is that it cannot hurt. If you have enough of a pool of available antioxidants, you’ll be in better shape if you get attacked by the virus than if you lack them.
While you are staying put or trying to limit social exposure as much as possible, be sure you are following a healthy diet. This includes:
- Fresh vegetables like Spinach, broccoli, red beet root, tomato sauce
- Green tea and white tea and cocoa
- Herbs and spices like turmeric, cloves, and cinnamon
- Fresh fruits like blackberries and blueberries, apples and oranges
There are certain supplements you can take in order to boost your immunity and keep your body healthy.
- Zinc and Vitamin C have the ability to protect your immune cells and help reduce cellular inflammation.†
- Natural Vitamin E, especially the family called Tocotrienols, are very effective antioxidants for the heart, the lungs and the brain.†
- NAC is a fabulous antioxidant that has been shown to be great for lung health. There are a number of studies that show if you take NAC as a supplement (600mg, 3 times a day with food) it helps keep people with pulmonary issues out of the emergency room, like bronchitis.†
- Resveratrol is a natural inhibitor of IL-6, and has been studied extensively for its benefit in your lungs.†
- Curcumin is another inhibitor of IL-6, also called Bio-Curcumin and Boswellia serrata†
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Thank you for a very informative podcast. My Dad has COPD, emphysema and lung cancer. I am going to purchase NAC and resveratrol for him to try. Hopefully it will help with the inflammation in his lungs.