If we listen to the media, it may seem at times that the message is quite confusing, from the alarmist “anyone of any age can get Covid, at any time” to the “well, I’m not in an at-risk group, so precautions don’t apply to me.”
But actually as often happens the truth is somewhere in between, and as natural health practitioners who like to look at the evidence, the actual science is revealing.
Covid-19 is an “opportunistic infection”, meaning that it takes advantage of people whose immune systems are not functioning optimally. Often this is taken as a characteristic of people who are said to have co-morbidities.
What it means is that these people have underlying conditions which impair their immune function and make them more vulnerable to opportunistic infections – such as Covid-19. Sometimes these conditions are known and obvious, such as a diagnosed cancer, but sometimes they are hidden and the person is unaware of them, such as early onset heart disease, which can be developing even in a young person without any symptoms and without their knowledge.
Basically a co-morbidity encompasses inflammation in any of its manifestations in the body. We can all think of a few, and there may be others that don’t immediately come to mind. If we can think of inflammation as a small fire, and then along comes an inflammatory infection (such as Covid), then the inflammatory infection stokes that fire, like it puts petrol on it, and the person quickly contracts the disease and the fire is hard to put out. However, if the person does not have a co-morbidity, the flame of Covid is much easier for the healthy immune system to put out.
And it is worth mentioning that a 20 year old with obesity and an unhealthy lifestyle may be more likely to get Covid than a healthy weight 70 year old who eats a diet low in inflammatory food, so this is a lesson for the young not to be complacent nor for our senior citizens to all be concerned.
As mentioned before, being obese is a risk factor as obesity is an inflammatory condition – it is associated with a 46% higher risk of being Covid-19 positive. Cancer or anyone having chemotherapy or radiation treatment. Heart disease; diabetes, arthritis. Increasing age is inflammatory to varying degrees as degeneration does provoke an inflammation response as it breaks down tissue.
But it’s important to recognise that we are not powerless when it comes to both our infection risk and outcomes. Our lifestyle choices in areas like diet, sleep, exercise, and dealing with stress all factor into our immune competence and may well deny this coronavirus the notion of opportunism.
At Holden Health we like to explore causative factors implicated in ill-health, so we do take an active interest in working with co-morbidities and can help draw up a health plan for you to reduce your own risks.
If you are interested to see how we can help you, please call 09 282 3588 for an appointment.
Well here we are again in lock down level 3 in Auckland.
These unexpected announcements; that within a few hours we will be in lock down, affects our psyche in negative ways. Worry and anxiety about our businesses, jobs and the future.
The resulting stress triggers the body’s alarm system and fires the fight/flight response filling us with adrenaline and cortisol the stress hormone. The fight/flight response is an automatic physiological reaction to an event that is perceived as stressful or frightening. We get heart palpitations, panic, headaches, gut problems and insomnia.
The three stages of fight/flight are alarm, resistance and exhaustion. Often if the stress is ongoing we go fight/flight/freeze. In freeze we become cold, numb, can’t feel the body, feel out of it, dissociated, stuck and can’t think clearly and the body tires. When this happens the immune system plummets.
This phenomenon happens to us all too some degree, even if we think we are handling it well. The thing that most concerns me at the moment is that our children are being badly affected by this also. Being isolated from their friends and home schooled is very difficult for them.
Going in and out of lock down is programming children with a memory of stress in the body that triggers the fight/flight response. It can begin to transmit false alarms – we are not in a life or death situation. Annoying yes, uncomfortable yes but not life or death. However, this autonomic response acts as if it is life or death.
It is important for all of us adults and children to learn how to de-escalate our stress levels, keep our immune system high and keep our minds clear to make good decisions.
I offer sessions to teach you how to learn to do this: de-escalate stress, breathe properly, make good decisions, keep your immune system high and take control back.
We are still working during lock down – either on line via zoom or face to face adhering to required safety procedures. Book an appointment with me to learn to how master yourself and your children for everyone’s well-being.
Vivienne Berry
While New Zealanders have not suffered the same degree of impact of the Covid-19 disease itself that other nations have, it is worth acknowledging that just under 2000 New Zealanders have had Covid-19 and some of that number may be living with post-Covid unwellness. This unwellness needs to be recognised and the patients supported.
In the esteemed medical journal The Lancet, a recent study has found that 6 months after leaving hospital:
These long-term issues may involve the lungs, the cardiovascular system, the brain and other parts of the nervous system, and even may have psychological consequences, any of which may prove to be debilitating.
While this study only looked at people who were hospitalised with it & whose average age was 57, previous research showed that the likelihood of developing Long Covid was more common in the young than the old, and the most common prolonged symptoms being a cough (or breathlessness) and especially fatigue (or decreased exercise tolerance), even among those who had been very fit prior to illness. While men seem to be at increased risk of severe infection, women and those with a higher BMI seem to be more affected by Long Covid. Studies seem to think that altered hormonal status is one of the predictors for it.
Research suggests around one in five people who test positive for Covid-19 have symptoms for five weeks or longer. For around one in ten people, they last 12 weeks or longer.
Symptom management tips from the UK include:
Flexibility exercises (like stretches, yoga and tai chi) and strength exercises (like climbing stairs, lifting weights and working with resistance bands) can be useful. (https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/news/coronavirus-and-your-health/long-covid)
Results from data analysis by a team from the Cleveland Clinic (PLoS Biol. 2020 Nov 6;18) showed that patients who used melatonin as a supplement had, on average, a 28% lower risk of testing positive for SARS-CoV-2.
This is interesting, but not very helpful for us in New Zealand where melatonin is available on prescription only. The usual reason a GP will prescribe melatonin here is for the treatment of insomnia.
Other recommended pro-active habits such as discussed earlier and across the media still apply, such as using PPE appropriately and maintaining a good diet, exercise and sleep and not putting oneself at risk. The best advice is to try to avoid contracting Covid-19 in the first place!
For those wanting to prevent or reduce the effects of Covid-19, Marion Stobie offers tailored health programmes specifically for your genetic predispositions, health history, and current circumstances. Contact us to book a Fitgenes DNA test and naturopathic consultation.
Photo by Evgeni Tcherkasski on Unsplash
It is one thing to contract Covid-19 and treat it, and our emotional reaction to Covid-19 in March 2020 in NZ may be different from our reaction in August 2020 (so, it’s 5 months already and Covid is still amongst us? Really?). The whole issue is clearly not in the same category as a passing ‘flu. But it is quite another thing to view it as a long-haul issue with no definite end-point and (seemingly) indiscriminate incidence.
However, I contest that view, as evidence shows that it is mainly people with impaired immunity or chronic inflammatory conditions who are most at risk, and these people happen, for the most part (but not solely), to be the older part of our population. But don’t believe that it only hits old people. Half of people hospitalized in France are less than 60 years old, and we’re talking 20+ days of hospitalization with severe pneumonia and lung damage. However, data is not available that tells us what the pre-existing health conditions were, for instance, obesity.
Here is a reminder of who are deemed the people most at risk (HealthMeans):
My previous stance on “focus on building immunity, not on killing the virus” still holds, and as we in New Zealand appear to have contained the virus for now, it is easy to drop our vigilance. However, now is the time to continue and consolidate those healthy habits, or to adopt them if they are not already in place.
Here are a few recommendations to reduce risk and promote immunity:
Gargle and drink green tea. Consuming green tea, in particular gargling it, has been shown to reduce the risk of contracting influenza and the common cold. The tannins in green tea have been shown to have broad antiviral effects topically. Gargling helps coat the mucous membranes in the mouth & throat, which together with the nasal passages are the main points of entry for viruses. If these surfaces are coated with an antiviral substance, there is less likelihood of the virus taking hold. Also, it is known that the coronavirus likes dry surfaces, so keeping our mucous membranes well-hydrated offers some protection.
Stay well-hydrated. One of the questions I always ask my clients is “How much water, or non-caffeinated, non-alcoholic, non-sugary drinks do you have daily?”. About 85% of responses is a wry grin accompanying the answer “Not enough!” We know we should drink somewhere between 6 – 10 glasses per day, depending on our age and circumstance, but we do get caught up in the busy-ness of our days and it is easy to forget. Setting a timer on our phones (or alarm clocks) is one way to prompt us to get up and get a drink.
Taking vitamin D, particularly for people who are vitamin D deficient, reduces the chances of developing acute respiratory infections including influenza. Most studies reviewed used adult doses ranging from 2000IU to 4000IU a day, which is known to be safe to take long term even in the absence of deficiency. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=30675873.
We know that humans can convert sunlight on our skin into vitamin D, and there are two factors currently which directly affect that. The first is that it is winter, and although it is a fairly mild one so far, we are less likely to be baring our arms and legs when outside. The second is that to some extent some people are hesitant to leave their homes and go for walks outside because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
It is an interesting fact that mushrooms also convert sunlight into vitamin D, which is another good reason to factor mushrooms into the diet (or take medicinal mushrooms as a supplement).
Keep your home above 16°C. Having a cold home reduces respiratory resilience and increases susceptibility to and mortality from respiratory tract infections. This is especially important for people who are elderly, asthmatic or have other chronic/recurrent respiratory conditions.
This is especially true for us in New Zealand, where some of our older homes are inadequately insulated and heated, and perhaps where the people living there do not notice the temperature dropping. It is much harder to heat up a cold house than to maintain the heat.
Get enough sleep (insufficient sleep or waking up frequently through the night can directly affect the immune system).
Maintain a healthy exercise regime to boost endorphins, maintain a healthy weight and pump the lymphatic system to get rid of waste metabolites.
Try to keep stress levels in check.
Socialise as much as you are able, whether it is in person or by phone or Zoom or messaging – it has been shown that social interaction is critical for healthy immune function, whereas isolation and loneliness detract from our immunity. It is physical distance that we need, not emotional.
All of these are integral to your immune system working well.
In these challenging times during Covid-19 and the coming post Covid-19 era, now more than ever we need to pay attention to our immune system. Medical authorities aren’t telling you what to do other than social distancing, washing your hands and (or not) wearing a face mask.
The reality is there is so much you can do to be proactive to strengthen common immune weaknesses in winter, ideally before the really cold weather hits. In an article of this size I can only cover the basics, we do way more in consults both online and face to face when lockdown level 2 is activated. I won’t go into the politics of Covid-19 here; that’s for a face to face discussion!
It takes at least 2-6 weeks to fully elevate immune responses depending on your age, state of health and risk factors. All the research I’ve done shows there are specific nutrients and herbs that can help with immune activation and optimisation. Let’s cover the basics here and if you want something more specific to you please contact us to be tested to find out what your missing, so we can get specific in your particular case.
In a nutshell the key areas to look at are:
All the medical advice above, is obvious, especially hand washing as is well publicised. Face masks especially if you have an infection, mainly to protect others.
Look at your diet, cutting out sugar and refined carbs as much as possible as they weaken the immune system and play havoc with your blood sugar levels adding to immune weakness.
Making sure you are sleeping well is crucial for active immunity aiming for 7-8 hours for adults more for teens and pre teens. If you’re not sleeping well contact us as we have options for you!
Increase your levels of vitamin C, D3, Zinc and vitamin A, especially so you can help prevent colds and flus before they circulate at school and in the workplace. Yes, your kids should be on these too!
These are the most potent and indispensable of all the supplements out there to help prevent as much as possible all viral infections; there are many others but it all depends on your budget and your ability to enhance immunity.
The testing we do in the clinic assesses if you have xenobiotic toxins, synthetic chemicals like sprays, insecticide, pesticides, solvents, heavy metals and parasites, not just viruses, bacteria, fungi or worms. These all help suppress immunity and with Phenolic Homeopathy, herbal medicines and specific supplements we can significantly reduce their impact helping your immunity recover.
Nearly every patient we test has significant xenobiotic loading that is not looked at by conventional medicine at all. This is what we do and is a rapid way to restore immunity back to health and vitality. These toxins add to co-morbidities and this is what makes the difference between surviving or not, with serious infections.
Most all the fatalities reported in the media with Covid-19 are with people who have other serious illnesses or who are aged and invariably on a plethora of pharmaceuticals that have their own side (main) effects.
We all know the benefits of vitamin C in helping shorten the length or duration of a colds and flus, and there is good evidence that Zinc & vitamin C combined will help prevent colds and flus and certainly shorten their length if taken regularly during the cooler winter months. I can recommend the better-absorbed products that will work more cost-effectively than many products available over the counter, usually at cheaper cost and easier to dose up to effective levels. The key is absorption, especially as we age.
With many formulas available you just don’t get the best absorption especially if you are already immune compromised or over 40. This is why Lypospheric C is best as it is very well absorbed and stays in the blood stream for longer, giving you better protection, but some brands taste disgusting and aren’t easy to use. I use several liquid forms as they taste much better are cheaper than sachet brands and stay active in the blood stream longer than straight vitamin C powders or tabs.
What isn’t being broadcast in the media is that IVC (Intra Venous Vitamin C) will actually eliminate most viruses on contact, as will ozone, but both are expensive to use and ideally should be given in a clinical setting. Many Integrated Doctors are now doing IVC but not Ozone – both are frowned upon by orthodoxy; I won’t go into the politics here but there is little money to be made by drug companies with either!
But what about vitamin D3? (Not D2 which has minimal immune benefit). This is a fat-soluble vitamin and takes weeks to get up to adequate levels in your system even with high dose supplements. As sunlight is reduced this time of year sunbathing for many in NZ isn’t an option as it gets too grey and cloudy in the winter months.
Vitamin D3 is just as important for immunity as vitamin C, some research shows it is even more important. We use either a liquid form or a spray form that is better absorbed faster. This needs to be a part of your armoury with viruses and bacterial infections of all types, not just Covid-19. Contact me if you want access to the better brands cheaper.
Vitamins C and D combined are brilliant at giving your system that kick it needs to help ward off immune infections of all types including Covid-19, but if you actually get Covid-19 then you do need to seek professional advice as several immune boosters can be detrimental if you get deep lung infections that can cause the “cytokine storm” where the immune system over reacts to the virus and can attack the lungs and all mucous membranes requiring expert medical help and often hospitalisation.
Do not keep taking immune stimulators if you get a bad chest infection without professional advice please! Vitamin C is the only exception to this.
What most people don’t know is vitamin D3 is a potent fat-soluble immune stimulator. You can only get small amounts from foods, larger doses from sunshine which is now becoming harder to get, and from supplements.
If you get sunlight safely over your body it takes at least 4-5 hours before the vitamin D produced in reaction to the sun in the dermal layers of the skin to fully absorb. If you shower within that 4-5 hours with body soap you wash all of the vitamin D produced on the skin down the plug hole! So best to wash with warm water only no soap that day of sun exposure, then wash with soap the next morning to allow the vitamin D produced in response to the sun to be properly absorbed.
Over-the-counter vitamin D3 is often poorly absorbed in tablet form and can be a waste of money. We use a new practitioner-only liquid form or a sublingual spray, which is easy for kids and the elderly to take, and has the best possible absorbency. It is best taken with meals that contain fat in it, like fish or nuts and seeds or flax, chia, or olive oil. I recommend at least 1,000iu daily for kids below age 10 and 2,000iu daily for those below age 14 or under 40kg. In adults up to 5,000iu daily in winter or more if over 90kg or you have immune compromise like a history of colds and flus in winter, or a diagnosed disease like diabetes, arthritis or cancer.
I can get a blood test done for you to find out your exact levels via Lab Test for under $50, the beginning of winter is the best time to get this done. If you want the best vitamin D3 for you contact me via text.
Vitamins C and Zinc are also potent immune builders and require only hours for vitamin C and a couple of weeks for Zinc to build up in your blood stream. This is more important for those with poor diets like teens and small kids as well as fussy eaters and anyone who has elevated work or home life stress levels.
I recommend the Metagenics Meta Zinc & Vitamin C powder which is easy to get into kids and can be added to water or smoothies or any liquid of your choice to boost the levels quickly and easily. If you don’t have a Metagenics account call me and I can set one up for you, it’s easy. Dose is children 4 to 8 years ¼ metric tsp 1 x daily in liquid or sprinkled on food of choice; Children 9 to 13 years ¼ metric tsp TWICE daily as above; Adults & kids over 14 ½ tsp 2 x daily as above, if you have an actual cold or flu or immune health issue you can safely double this dose.
Deficiencies of vitamin C & Zinc combined can increase susceptibility to colds and flus and impact the production of T & B lymphocyte production, and reduce the activity of the Thymus gland producing Thymosin that helps fight all infections in the body. So the importance of these nutrients can’t be over stated when it comes to immune health at this time of the year. Start dosing now and give yourself a head start!
Lastly Vitamin A is specific to protecting all mucous membranes, especially those in the chest, lungs and sinuses. To help prevent chest infections avoid heavy dairy products in your diet like cheeses and ice creams as they stimulate mucous production. Getting enough vitamin A from carrots and carrot juice as well as supplements is really helpful to combat this, best done professionally as you can overdose on preformed vitamin A, but not easily on beta carotene from carrots.
If you want more info or to place an order contact us now on 09 282 3588 or email david@hhc.nz subject line “help my immune system”. Texting me is always the fastest way to get me.
If you haven’t had a Winter Wellness Check up please book one in and I will assess you for your immune nutrients and give you a plan with foods and drinks that will help boost you up over the cooler winter months.
David is doing a Covid-19 special for $95 you will need to fill in a form and book this time, it only takes 45mins and can be done remotely.
Book Now or text to 0274 837 188 / or leave a message on 09 282 3588
David is doing a Covid-19 Consultation special for only $95. It only takes 45mins and can be done remotely.
To book now, text to 0274 837 188 or leave a message on 09 282 3588.
Senior Naturopath & Nutritional Biochemist
David has over 30 years of experience in Natural Medicine and Natural Therapies to help YOU! He trained in 3 countries spanning 12 years after training as a Scientist/Technician in Microbiology & BioChemistry with the National Health Institute in Wellington in the 1980’s.