Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
It’s never too early to start making sure your immune system is working to its best ability. Learn about the nutrients you need to help defend your body this winter in Part 2 of this podcast from Jerry Hickey, Ph.
As the weather begins to get colder, there are factors that change that can impact our body’s ability to protect itself. It’s important to be aware of these changes and how they impact the way viruses spread during the fall and winter, as well as how this affects our overall immune health.
COVID-19
InViteⓇ Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Jerry Hickey, Ph.
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COVID-19 has introduced a lot of new terms to our vocabulary. For instance, we now discuss things like variants, such as the delta variant that has been going around. We also have PPE, which stands for personal protective equipment like those N-95 protective face masks that you see doctors and nurses wearing.†
HOW TO MANAGE THE NEW COVID-19 MUTATIONS – INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 266. Listen Now>>
Unfortunately, what’s becoming more well-known is something called ground glass opacities.This is a type of lung damage that shows up on CT scans in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia.†
A lady recently came to visit me in one of our stores. Several months beforehand, she had been hiking in the Himalayan mountains. A month after her climbing, she was back in New York and she contracted COVID-19. She had a pretty bad infection for six weeks. It wound up damaging her lungs. Because it was harder for her to breathe, it put a lot of pressure on her heart, leading to damage in her heart. It also led to severe GERD.†
People with COVID-19 may also develop fluid in the lining of the lung tissue. Some people also develop thickening in the tissue of the lung when they develop viral pneumonia. However, not all patients do.†
When this mountain climber came to speak with me, I didn’t tell her I could correct her lung damage, but I do believe there are nutrients that can help support the overall health of the lungs.†
Studies do show that certain nutrients can help lower your risk of developing COVID-19. This includes Vitamin D, fish oils, multivitamins, probiotics and zinc. These nutrients can help give you some degree of protection.†
IMMUNE BENEFITS OF VITAMIN C, ZINC & VITAMIN D – INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 118. Listen Now>>
There also seems to be some nutrients that can help support people who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. Research is limited, but they seem to be getting good results.†
The first one is glutathione. This is a master antioxidant that helps protect your eyes, brain, lungs, heart and liver. It’s also involved with detoxifying chemicals. Glutathione is naturally found in the body, but the amount can vary dramatically from person to person. Glutathione levels drop dramatically when you get a viral infection, so supplementing with this nutrient can be extremely supportive for someone battling COVID-19.†
Then there’s black cumin seed, also known as black seed. In Pakistan, COVID-19 was destroying people. A research fellow from Harvard Medical School went over there and gave 313 patients either a combination of black cumin seed and honey or a probiotic every day for a limited amount of time. 210 of these patients were categorized as having moderate cases of COVID-19. They had a cough, fever, sore throat, nasal congestion and shortness of breath. 103 patients had severe cases of the virus and were showing symptoms such as fever, cough, pneumonia and respiratory distress. They found that the patients on the black cumin seed and honey improved much faster than the other group.†
A third nutrient is a type of curcumin complex that is mixed with a black pepper fruit extract. This makes it really well absorbed. A study in the journal Frontiers in Pharmacology used this very well-absorbed curcumin in 140 patients with mild, moderate or severe cases of COVID-19. It was a 14-week trial. One group received the curcumin while another received probiotics as a placebo. The curcumin helped support oxygen saturation in the blood and helped promote recovery from symptoms.†
In this episode, Jerry Hickey, Ph. shares the story of a COVID-19 patient who went from being an active mountain climber to experiencing lung damage due to the virus. He also discusses nutrients that can help protect the body from this virus.†
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Thank you for tuning in to the InViteⓇ Health Podcast. You can find all of our episodes for free wherever you listen to podcasts or by visiting www.invitehealth.com/podcast. Make sure you subscribe and leave us a review! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at InViteⓇ Health today. We’ll see you next time on another episode of the InViteⓇ Health Podcast.
Biotin is well-known for its ability to support healthy hair and skin, but did you know it is also needed for energy production?
Green juice isn’t for everyone, but the good news is that there’s another way you can drink these important nutrients. Our Organic Greens Plus Hx is packed with powerful fruit and vegetable extracts but tastes like vanilla, making it a perfect option for picky people.
immune system
Invite Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Jerry Hickey, Ph.
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Our immune system has many jobs. Right at the peak of all of those jobs is protecting you from the outside world. The immune system is designed so it can find and kill foreign invaders like bacteria and viruses. When it’s working well, your immune system is strong enough to prevent you from getting sick when you’re exposed to germs. But there are many factors that impact your body’s immunity.†
About 70% of your immune cells come in contact with your digestive tract, so the shape of your microbiome can impact the way your body defends itself. The microbiome refers to all of the organisms that live with us and use us as their home. Most of this is bacteria, but there is also yeast and viruses. These visitors outnumber us manyfold.†
The organisms in our microbiome certainly impact our health. For instance, when there’s an imbalance in bacteria on the scalp, you experience dandruff. You have to take care of the multitude of organisms that live in your intestines because they are the easiest to shape. This, in turn, will impact the bacteria on your skin, in your lungs, in your bloodstream and elsewhere.†
There are good strains of bacteria as well as bad strains. When there is an excess of bad strains, this can cause inflammation or infections. On the other hand, studies have found that good strains of probiotic bacteria can help promote good immune system function to help fight off viruses and colds, even in very elderly people. These good bacteria help contain the bad ones and calm the immune system, helping to fend off allergies, bacteria, viruses and other harmful cells. You can promote the health of your microbiome by following a good, nutrient-rich diet like the Mediterranean diet, eating some fermented foods and taking a probiotic supplement.†
THE BENEFITS OF PROBIOTICS FOR ALLERGIES – INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 124. Listen Now>>
Your sleep cycle is very important. You have an internal clock called the circadian rhythm. It is controlled by the hypothalamus, which is found in the back of the brain. Your sleep cycle can be thrown off if you go to bed at all different times, drinking alcohol and exercising too late at night.†
Sleep is important because it gives your immune system a chance to recharge. Then, in the morning, when you’re waking up, your immune system needs to be more active because you are often in public and around more people and possible contaminants. When your sleep cycle is inappropriate, the immune system gets muddled and it may become active at the wrong time, making it easier to catch bacteria or viruses.†
SLEEP IS SLEEP, RIGHT? WRONG! – INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 342. Listen Now>>
There are nutrients found in food that can help promote our body’s ability to defend itself. Curry, for instance, has turmeric, which is rich in alkylamines. Alkylamines look like the outside of the virus, so this helps to wake up and activate the immune system. Green tea is also beneficial because it contains polyphenols called catechins. These catechins are also alkylamines. Green tea can also help to weaken viruses and mobilize certain immune cells. Mushrooms are also beneficial as they contain ergothioneine, which is arguably the most powerful natural antioxidant known to science. They also have Vitamin D and beta 1,3 glucan that help adjust the immune system.†
In this episode, Jerry Hickey, Ph. explains multiple factors that impact the body’s ability to defend itself from invading bacteria, viruses and more. He details the importance of taking care of your digestive tract, getting good quality sleep and eating the right foods. Tune in tomorrow for part 2 of this podcast!†
Key Topics:
Thank you for tuning in to the Invite Health Podcast. You can find all of our episodes for free wherever you listen to podcasts or by visiting www.invitehealth.com/podcast. Make sure you subscribe and leave us a review! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at Invite Health today. We’ll see you next time on another episode of the Invite Health Podcast.
