StemCell Therapy

As the daughter of an air force officer and a nurse, I am fascinated by defence systems. There is none more impressive than the human immune system, equipped as it is with a rich arsenal to defend against different types of pathogen. Viruses have evolved to trick, bypass and evade these defences. Our immune systems have, in turn, learned to recognise and deter these virus stealth tactics. In Covid-19, the enemy is a tiny piece of genetic material wearing a lipid coat and a protein crown.

So how is our immune system able to defend against viral infections, and how does this apply to Covid-19? The virus that causes Covid-19 is called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (Sars-Cov-2), and was first detected in humans around five months ago. It is a coronavirus. Corona, in Latin, means crown. The virus is adorned with an outer layer of protein covered in spikes, like a crown. These spikes help the virus attach itself to target cells. The research community is fast learning about immunity to Covid-19, and we are also applying our knowledge of similar respiratory viruses to predict what to expect in this infection.

Importantly, Covid-19 cannot gain entry to our homes or bodies by itself we have to let it in

Think of a virus as a robot; it cannot reproduce so it needs a factory of materials proteins, lipids and nucleotides to build copies of itself. The coat allows the virus to attach itself to the target cells membrane. The virus then fuses with the cell and releases a shopping list of instructions on how to build and assemble new viruses. This shopping list, the virus genome, is written in nucleotides (RNA). The first job of a virus that enters our bodies is to invade target cells so that it can comfortably remove its coat and deploy its RNA.

Once inside, the virus commandeers the cell and borrows cellular machinery to build more viruses before immune cells detect the intruders and raise the alarm. Antibody proteins that are able to stick to the virus-spike proteins, and prevent attachment to the target cells, are called neutralising antibodies: generating them is often the goal of protective vaccination.

Our infected cells make the ultimate sacrifice and invite their own destruction by displaying distress signals for T-cells, which swiftly detect and kill them. T-cells are cytotoxic powerful serial killers that can recognise peptide fragments of virus displayed on the infected cell surface. When they do, they release a payload of toxic enzymes that kill the infected cell in a kiss of death. This strategic martyrdom is organised by the immune system to deprive the virus of its replication factories and can lead to the reduction of viral load in the patient. It takes several days for antiviral T-cells to expand and antibodies to be generated. Heres the silver lining: memory cells ensure that if we encounter the same virus again, we can react immediately with pre-existing defences. Sars-Cov-2 is new to humanity so we have no protective immunological memory. Vaccines prepared using harmless parts of the virus can help us build protective memory.

The viruss enemy superpower is spreading. The virus achieves this through shedding from infected patients. Sars-Cov-2 is expert at hopping from person to person, and in some people, it achieves a stealthy existence with mild or no symptoms. Once many copies of the virus are made, it needs to jump to another host. It hitches a ride on droplets that can be coughed or sneezed to a distance of up to two metres. Droplets can survive on surfaces for several hours enabling pick-up by a new host, or they can be directly inhaled if another person is in close proximity. Studies are emerging into animal hosts so far the virus has been detected in a few ferrets, cats, tigers and dogs. No animal deaths have yet been reported, and we dont know if animals can transmit back to humans.

The age differential in fatalities for Covid-19 suggests, with some exceptions, that a healthy immune system is usually able to control infection. Meanwhile, an ageing or weakened immune system may struggle to deploy a protective arsenal. Importantly, Sars-Cov-2 cannot gain entry to our homes or bodies by itself we have to let it in. This is why official advice has centred around cleaning our hands and avoiding touching our faces.

We know that a healthy immune system is usually able to eliminate infection in a couple of weeks. However, we have no understanding of the components of our immune arsenal that contribute to this feat: some vaccines work by creating potent neutralising antibodies; other vaccines generate powerful memory T-cells. Antiviral antibodies emerge as early as three to four days after virus detection, but are they protective against future reinfection? We believe that antibodies to other coronaviruses (Sars, Mers) last from one to three years. Because this is a new virus, we dont yet know the answer to this question. Public Health England is recruiting 16,000 to 20,000 volunteers to monitor antibodies once a month for six to 12 months to confirm whether we can generate long-lasting antibody responses to Sars-Cov-2. Determining the quality of these antibodies will be important to understanding long-term protection.

What is our most potent immune weapon against Covid-19? Cytotoxic T-cells may play an important role. Immunologists and virologists are working together to discover the correlates of protection, to design vaccines that offer long-term defences against Covid-19. Years of investment in research means that we can use existing approaches to respond to this new threat, and early mobilisation of research funders, philanthropists and academics are diverting resources to bolster these efforts on an unprecedented scale. Experience has taught us that vaccines are able to eradicate infections from this planet (for instance, smallpox), and medicines against viruses that dont embed their genetic material to our own (for example, hepatitis C) can also achieve this.

Our secret weapon is research. Scientists are working hard on understanding Covid-19, and collaboration is key to this effort. But until a vaccine or treatment is available, we ought to work hard to protect ourselves and our families: isolate and prevent transmission by using physical distancing, face masks and sensible hygiene. If we all do our part, this little virus holding the world to ransom wont stand a chance.

Zania Stamataki is a senior lecturer and researcher in viral immunology at the University of Birmingham

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Here's how your body gains immunity to coronavirus - The Guardian

As the Covid-19 death toll rises, scientists are racing to understand the human body's response to the disease.

While some coronavirus antibody tests have been approved for use in the U.S., several key questions remain: What happens to the immune system after a person recovers from the virus? Could they be reinfected, and are they still a risk to others?

The Trump administration and some European countries have proposed allowing nonessential employees to return to work if they can prove they're no longer capable of spreading the virus.

This would be done by testing for coronavirus antibodies, the proteins created by the immune system in response to the presence of a virus. U.S. officials said last week that coronavirus antibody tests would soon hit the national market.

As of April 15, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized three coronavirus antibody tests. But some scientists argue that not enough is presently known about how novel coronavirus antibodies work, in order to correctly determine whether someone is immune.

"It's very likely that there are a large number of people out there that have been infected have been asymptomatic and did not know they were infected," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases during an April 10 appearance on CNN's New Day. Fauci is also a member of the federal coronavirus task force.

"If their antibody test is positive, one can formulate kind of strategies about whether or not they would be at risk or vulnerable to getting reinfected, this will be important for healthcare workers for first line fighters those kinds of people," he said. But those tests need to be validated, he added.

Fauci also stated that the prospect of people receiving immunity permits "is something that's being discussed" and that such a policy "might actually have some merit under certain circumstances."

But before the feasibility of such a policy can be weighed, the research must first catch up, said Dr. Helen Chu with the University of Washington's epidemiology department.

"We do think that having immunity to the virus may be protective," Chu told KUOW's The Record. "We don't know what an antibody test, at this point, means though. People who are currently infected and then recover from the virus we don't actually know what the immune signature of recovery is."

Chu said it's not clear which particular antibodies could protect a person against Covid-19.

Researchers also have yet to discover how high those antibody levels would need to be to provide immunity, or how long they would last, she said. Moreover, having antibodies for the novel coronavirus wouldn't necessarily mean a person isn't still infectious to others.

"The idea of being able to have a test to say that you're protected and you can go back and work we're not quite there yet," she said.

While there's still a great deal of uncertainty surrounding the immune system's response to Covid-19, Chu said seasonal flu epidemics could offer a window of insight.

"Once you get infected [with influenza] and you develop a protective response, that doesn't last for very long," she said. "And by the next year, you're going to be reinfected again or you're going to get another vaccine and that'll protect you for a certain amount of time but then you become susceptible again. And we don't know how coronavirus behaves."

The University of Washington's Clinical Immunology Laboratory has set out to help answer some of the looming questions about coronavirus antibodies.

"Basically, we're looking for antibodies that bind to the coronavirus proteins," said Dr. Susan Fink, assistant director of the University of Washington's Clinical Immunology Laboratory.

Thus far, the tests conducted by Fink's team have yielded varying outcomes.

"We've looked at a number of different assays, basically to look for performance characteristics are they sensitive, are they specific? And one of the things that we found is that [with] the different sort of ways that you can measure antibodies, we get very different results," she said.

Samples collected prior to the pandemic have provided some insight, albeit inconclusive, Fink said. Her team is still trying to figure out the best method for measuring coronavirus antibodies.

"We see reactivity and the way we're interpreting that is we think that those are probably false positives," Fink said, adding that her team attributes this to the presence of antibodies for other coronavirus strains not the one at the center of our current pandemic.

The Clinical Immunology Laboratory is also probing the potential for herd immunity against Covid-19: The concept of vaccinating a high percentage of people in a community to prevent them from contracting or transmitting an infectious disease, thus suppressing it.

"If we can develop an assay that we know is pretty specific for the novel coronavirus, as opposed to other coronaviruses that people have been infected with, then we can start to ask the questions about, 'Well how many people have actually developed these antibodies?'"

However, Fink said a lot more research is needed before drawing any conclusions about who might be immune to the virus.

Bill Radke contributed to this report.

Read more:
Coronavirus immunity permits for Washingtonians? 'We're not quite there yet' - KUOW News and Information

As living with the coronavirus becomes the new normal for communities all over the world, artists like Yayoi Kusama and Mo Willems have stepped forward to offer ways to self-soothe or stay entertained while practicing social distancing. Now, David Hockney, one of the most famous and successful living painters in the world, has added his voice to the conversation via a letter he sent to the Daily Mail. Controversially, Hockney is of the opinion that smoking cigarettes could provide people with a defense against the coronavirus, a stance that he backs up by citing data from the outbreak in China that points to fewer smokers being admitted to the hospitalfor COVID-19 treatment.

Smokers have developed an immune system to this virus, Hockney wrote. With all these figures coming out, its beginning to look like that to me. Im serious. Additionally, the artist weighed in on his own mortality. Ive smoked for more than 60 years, but I think Im quite healthy, Hockney added. How much longer do I have? Im going to die of either a smoking-related illness or a non-smoking-related illness, Hockney wrote. While this particular flavor of contemplative nihilism is certainly entertaining coming from one of the most celebrated artists in the world, Hockneys theory that smokers are less likely to get the coronavirus is problematic at best and dangerous at worst.

SEE ALSO: Marina Abramovis Dangerous Work Has Given Her an Interesting Perspective on Coronavirus

The World Health Organization writes that smokers are in fact more likely to be vulnerable to COVID-19, due to the fact that potentially contaminated fingers and cigarettes are coming into frequent contact with a persons open mouth when they smoke. Smokers may also already have lung disease or reduced lung capacity, which would greatly increase risk of serious illness, WHO continues. Additionally, although its clear that more research is warranted, recent studies are beginning to trickle out which indicate that smoking is likely associated with the negative progression and adverse outcomes of COVID-19.

Its possible Hockney swiped his theory from rumors that nicotine has the ability to downregulate the enzyme that binds COVID-19 to humans, which has been getting a decent amount of circulation on Twitter. Its a theory that has little to no scientific basis, particularly in the face of the mounting evidence that smoking increases the risk of COVID-19 symptoms growing more severe. Right now, its important to practice common sense and remember that cigarettes have been proven to be really, really bad for you. Until the world knows enough about coronavirus in order to develop a vaccine, its probably best to assume that smoking wont save you.

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David Hockney Says Smokers Have Developed an Immune System Against Coronavirus - Observer

Boosting immunity is a hot topic in the fall as cold and flu season approaches; however, this is a conversation we should have all year long. It is especially popular in light of the recent COVID-19 pandemic.

What does boosting immunity mean? Our bodies have a sophisticated immune system guarding us against disease. Our lifestyle choices impact our ability to strengthen or weaken our immune systems. Behaviors such as tobacco and excessive alcohol use weaken our defense system while consuming a healthy diet and getting our bodies moving works to strengthen it.

While boosting our bodys immune response is not a guarantee against infection, it is one more tool in our toolbox to decrease risk. Therefore, there are many lifestyle choices we can make to help boost immunity:

1. Manage stress: There are a variety of ways to do this, and each person manages their stress differently. Many of us turn to food to help manage stress. Instead, you could consider journaling, meditation, deep breathing exercises, yoga, tai chi, qi gong or making a gratitude list. Other ideas include calling a friend, trying something new, being outside in nature, doing something you enjoy, or expressing yourself creatively with music or art.

2. Avoid tobacco and alcohol: Tobacco and alcohol contribute to chronic inflammation and the increase of toxins in your body. These toxins decrease your bodys ability to make white blood cells and fight off other invaders, like viruses and bacteria. If you need more support to quit, UW Health is here to help: Smoking 1-800-784-8669; AODA (608) 282-8270

3. Stay hydrated: Drinking water helps your body naturally eliminate toxins and keeps the system flowing smoothly. The goal of drinking at least 64 ounces or eight cups of water each day may sound daunting, but there are many options to help you reach this, like flavored water, fruit infused water, sparkling water, unsweetened tea, or herbal tea. Whatever you choose, make it calorie-free and sugar-free.

4. Get sleep: When it comes to sleep quality is more important than quantity (ideally 7-9 hours each night),. To improve your quality of sleep, consider: avoiding technology or screens at least 90 minutes before going to bed; consider reading, journaling, or listening to soft music before bed. Make sure your bedroom is cool, dark, and quiet, and avoiding turning on the TV while lying in bed.

5. Move your body: Regular exercise helps to fight inflammation and strengthen your immune system. Find ways to incorporate physical activity into your day, such as taking extra steps while doing household chores. As little as 20 minutes of movement can be effective, with a goal of moving your body each and every day. If youre active at least 150 minutes per week, youre doing great keep up the good work!

6. Choose anti-inflammatory foods: Many are stocking up on canned or boxed foods, but theyre missing a key opportunity to strengthen their immune system with nutrient-dense, antioxidant rich foods. Instead, continue purchasing whole foods, such as a colorful rainbow of fruits and veggies (frozen and canned count), whole grains, nuts, beans and lentils, and shelf-stable lean proteins like frozen or canned chicken and fish.

7. Stay connected: Its in our human nature to connect and interact with others, which makes social-distancing challenging, frustrating, and at times depressing. Even a brief, virtual connection with others can boost our positive emotions, which have been shown to improve our immunity. During this time, stay in touch with friends and family, even if it has to be through FaceTime, Skype, Zoom, texting, or the age-old phone call.

For more resources:

http://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public

http://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/prevention.html

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Lifestyle tips to boost immunity - Daily Union

Those quarantine snacks sure look like tempting. But try to eat them in moderation, says Dr. Hans-Rudolf Berthoud, who studies neurobiology and nutrition at Pennington Biomedical Research Center.

Pandemic or not, Berthoud reminds us: The nutritional value of natural foods is so much better than the nutritional value of snack foods. The more processed the food is, the less nutritionally rich.

There isnt one single answer for why we want to constantly snack, according to Berthoud. But for some, he says, the urge to snack could be tied to genetic obesity.

Berthoud does think the stay-at-home order has a silver lining: Families can now cook together more often.

When cooking, youll want to incorporate carbohydrates and proteins into your diet. But you dont need to eat meat every day, Berthoud says. Eating a portion of meat two to three times per week is enough. Instead try to opt for protein from beans, vegetables or fish, which is filled with unsaturated fats that can improve heart health and your overall immune system.

He also says some of that family time should include healthy activities pre-dinner, such as going for walks for an hour or two per day to achieve at least 10,000 steps per day. And when you leave the house for essential services, take the stairs and park farther away from store entrances.

Exercise also means you dont have to spend as much time constantly watching your caloriesjust dont take it too far.

When doing exercise, you can eat a little more [afterward], but for some people this is not productive because theyll just pig out and eat a lota whole lot, Berthoud says.

Drink lots of water (and skip the sugary sodas!), and get at least eight hours of sleep per night to boost your immune system.

These, he says, are small behavioral steps to change your habits for the better. Those habits might also help the quarantine snacks last a little longer, too.

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How to stay healthy and boost your immune system during the pandemic, according to a Pennington researcher - 225 Baton Rouge

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Editorial: The economy needs an immune system - TribLIVE

COVID-19 does not impact us all the same. In fact, a growing body of evidence finds that the virus seems to hit men harder than women.

Early in the epidemic, researchers' best guess was that the difference could be chalked up to higher rates of smoking among men, which may have made them more vulnerable to this respiratory illness.

But now, as new data reveals dramatically stark sex disparities, researchers have proposed new theories tied to biological differences and cultural norms that could help explain why men appear to be more vulnerable to this disease.

Researchers first learned of sex differences early on in the COVID-19 epidemic when data out of Wuhan, China, found that men accounted for the majority of cases and up to 75% of deaths.

Next was Italy, the nation with the highest total deaths in the world, where the man-to-woman ratio for death is 80% to 20%.

Here in the United States, an analysis of 1.5 million tests found that men were more likely to be COVID-19 positive when they were tested, according to coronavirus response coordinator Dr. Deborah L. Birx. Women have actually been tested more often than men.

And according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study covering 14 states and nearly 10% of the U.S. population, more than half of COVID-19-associated hospitalizations happened in men. In New York state, the epicenter in the U.S. with the highest number of cases and deaths, men make up nearly 60% of the deaths. None of the aforementioned studies, however, drilled down into COVID-19 rates for gender minorities, including people who identify as transgender or do not identify as either gender.

Looking back to viral epidemics of the past, these differences are not unique to the virus that causes COVID-19.

COVID-19 appears to follow the trend of previous infections with SARS and MERS [in that] men are affected more often than women," said Veena Taneja, an associate professor of immunology at The Mayo Clinic.

As researchers try to understand why men are more affected than women, smoking initially seemed like the obvious culprit. With more than 1.1 billion smokers in the world, far more men smoke than women. Often portrayed as habits that evoke wealth, power and sexual success, smoking is instead linked to lung disease, heart disease, cancer and death.

China is the largest producer and consumer of tobacco in the world, and more than half of adult men there are current smokers. Men are more likely to be cigarette smokers in the majority of countries including China, the U.S., Italy and others.

But as data accumulated, experts realized that smoking couldn't stand alone as the reason. For example, in countries like Spain, the rate of smoking among men and women is approximately the same, yet men still represent the majority of cases and deaths.

Now, researchers are looking beyond smoking to other lifestyle factors, such as diet and alcohol consumption. And they're exploring other possible causes -- from the cellular level to social and cultural norms -- to help understand why men are falling victim to this disease.

Men are consistently more likely to drink and almost twice as likely to binge drink as women. Alcohol has a longstanding association with adverse immune-related health factors like susceptibility to pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), slower recovery from infection and much more.

A study from China looking at 21 different hospitals found that almost half of the patients who died of COVID-19-related pneumonia had high blood pressure and nearly 30% had diabetes.

Prior research has shown a powerful interaction between high blood pressure and the immune system, indicating that people with high blood pressure may be less well equipped to fight off infections.The same is true of uncontrolled diabetes, which can cause the immune system to fail in its ability to control infections, making people more susceptible.

Taneja of the Mayo Clinic has studied differences in the immune systems of men and women and found significant differences in other diseases. She said the differences can be due to a number of factors.

Occupational hazards that affect the immune system and lungs are more common in men, and then there are sex hormones which affect the immune system differently, she said.

Studies suggest that there are many differences between men and women in immune response due to sex hormones (androgen and estrogen), sex chromosomes (XX, XY), regulatory genes (genes that tell the body what decisions to make) and the ability to produce antibodies (proteins that tell the body about the virus).

Taneja explained that male hormones are known to suppress immune response.

However, due to estrogen, females generate higher immune response and make antibodies which can clear the infection. She said estrogen is also known to change the bacterial composition in our guts. Bacteria help us fight infections.

Sex chromosomes may also help with the immune response in women.

Women have XX chromosomes and men carry XY" [and] each X chromosome helps with the immune response by providing women [a] double dose," Taneja said.

Jay Bhatt, a practicing internist and chief clinical officer at Surgisphere, agrees, noting that having two copies of the X chromosome may be helping bolster the immune response to coronavirus."

Severity of COVID-19 is not the only factor impacted. Women may also have a higher chance of being immune down the road. A comparison of 331 patients in Wuhan showed that after recovering from more severe cases of COVID-19, women had higher levels of antibodies. This is important because research suggests higher antibody levels may be related to immunity.

Some researchers have proposed that these differences in the immune system were forged over thousands of years of evolutionary history.

During evolution, nature, to preserve mankind, and for progeny, has selected women to be stronger during childbearing age. Women are less susceptible to get infections and can fight them by generating a robust response, said Taneja.

Other researchers have suggested that society and culture may play a role, with gendered cultural norms guiding certain behaviors. In China, Hong Kong, Italy, South Korea, and many other countries, experts found that women may have been protected, in part, because they were more likely to stay home when schools closed.

Another cultural norm may be that men are expected to "tough it out" and wait to seek treatment and testing. White House coronavirus response coordinator Birx explored this theory in a briefing last week, referring to the fact that men are less often tested but more likely to test positive.

It gives you an idea about how men often dont present in the healthcare delivery system until they have greater symptomatology, Birx said. This is to all of our men out there, no matter what age group: If you have symptoms, you should be tested and make sure that you are tested.

Scientists, doctors and policy makers agree that we need a better understanding of the potential gender differences to effectively fight COVID-19, prevent further spread and to identify safe treatments and vaccines.

Delaram J. Taghipour, MD, MPH, MBA is a preventive medicine resident at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and is a contributor to ABC News.

ABC News Dr. Jay Bhatt contributed to this work.

Continued here:
Why coronavirus can make some severely ill and others hardly at all - ABC News

Although there is no cure or specific treatment for COVID-19, there are some things you can do to strengthen your immune system against the coronavirus.

Here are scientifically supported ways to help fight off illness.

The amount of sleep youre getting each night can make a big difference in your bodys ability to fight infection, health experts say.

One 2015 study found that people who sleep less than six hours each night were more likely to catch a cold than those who slept seven or more.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that adults sleep at least seven hours each night. Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day, sleeping in rooms without electronics or screens, and avoiding large meals, caffeine and alcohol before bed are ways to improve your sleep.

Research shows that regular, moderate exercise can reduce inflammation and support your immune systems cells.

Health experts recommend moderate exercise at least 150 minutes each week, or about 20 minutes a day. You can also do 75 minutes of more intense exercise a week, or do a combination of both.

Moderate exercise includes brisk walking, biking, swimming or jogging, while more intense exercise includes running or other cardio.

Staying hydrated isnt directly connected to preventing disease, but it can help with your overall health.

Healthline says you should drink enough water each day to make your urine a pale yellow, while other health experts recommend drinking eight glasses of water a day, or about half a gallon.

In this age of uncertainty, lowering your stress level is easier said than done. But health experts say high stress levels have negative impacts on your bodys ability to fight off illness.

A series of studies in the 1990s led by Sheldon Cohen, a professor of psychology at Carnegie Mellon University, found that people who reported higher levels of stress were more susceptible to the common cold.

Cohen led another study published in 2012 that found psychological stress can cause the body to lose its ability to regulate its inflammatory response, which may promote the onset and progression of some diseases.

Health experts recommend stress management techniques such as avoiding social media, meditating, practicing controlled breathing, doing yoga, or other activities that help you feel relaxed.

No one food will prevent infection, but following basic dietary guidelines, like eating plenty of fruit, vegetables and protein is a good start.

There are several specific items you can add to your diet to strengthen your immune system and overall health.

Health experts recommend eating certain foods that are high in vitamin C, like red bell peppers, broccoli, strawberries, spinach and citrus fruits like oranges, lemons and grapefruit. Sunflower seeds and almonds are recommended because they are high in vitamin E, while other foods, like yogurt, garlic, poultry and chickpeas, have other health benefits.

Ginger, turmeric, green tea, papayas, kiwis, shellfish and mushrooms are also good items to add to your diet, health experts say.

Texans may be eager to take advantage of alcohol delivery and to-go cocktails since Gov. Greg Abbott waived regulations restricting restaurants from providing such services. But health experts say you should be careful about how much you drink if you want to put your body in a good position to fight off disease.

Research shows excess alcohol consumption can make your body more susceptible to respiratory illness, including pneumonia and other lung diseases. It can also decrease your body tissues ability to heal wounds. Health experts say this is true for chronic and binge drinkers.

While health experts say the occasional glass of wine at dinner wont hurt you, you should avoid overdoing it.

Health experts have differing opinions on the use of vitamins and other supplements. They can be pricey and they dont prevent anyone from catching a disease, no matter how much you take.

Health experts say other disease prevention methods, like frequent hand-washing, will help you more than any supplement will.

However, there is some evidence that regularly taking certain supplements can reduce the duration of certain illnesses.

One 2013 study found that regularly taking vitamin C reduced the duration of colds in adults by 8% and in children by 14%. A similar 2017 study found that the duration of colds among people taking more than 75 mg of zinc per day was 33% shorter than those who didnt take zinc.

An exception to the supplement rule that most health experts agree on is vitamin D, which helps your body fight off infection. You can get vitamin D naturally through certain foods, like salmon, or through exposing your body to sunlight. Some health experts recommend taking a vitamin D supplement during winter months, when sunlight is harder to come by.

If youre going to take supplements, its important not to take too many. Some health and wellness influencers and YouTubers have recommended taking extremely high doses of supplements in recent weeks in response to COVID-19. But health experts warn that can be dangerous. Taking high doses can cause dizziness, nausea and headaches and damage your organs in more serious cases.

Healthline recommends taking supplements that have been tested by a third party, such as United States Pharmacopeia, NSF International and ConsumerLab, because supplements arent regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Practicing habits to strengthen your health does not mean you should stop following other public health guidelines. You should still practice social distancing, avoid nonessential errands, wash your hands often, wear a face mask in public and follow stay-at-home orders, health experts say.

Read more:
Here are the best ways to strengthen your immune system during the coronavirus pandemic - The Dallas Morning News

How does our immune system react to the coronavirus?

The coronavirus is like any other virus not much more than a shell around genetic material and a few proteins. To replicate, it needs a host in the form of a living cell. Once infected, this cell does what the virus commands it to do: copy information, assemble it, release it.

But this does not go unnoticed. Within a few minutes, the body's immune defense system intervenes with its innate response: Granulocytes, scavenger cells and killer cells from the blood and lymphatic system stream in to fight the virus. They are supported by numerous plasma proteins that either act as messengers or help to destroy the virus.

For many viruses and bacteria, this initial activity of the immune system is already sufficient to fight an intruder. It often happens very quickly and efficiently. We often notice only small signs that the system is working: We have a cold, a fever.

Read more:Sepsis a common cause of death from coronavirus

Fever and feeling weak: This is how our immune system makes itself felt.

Interferons are a subgroup of signaling proteins that are normally secreted by infected cells. SARS-CoV-1, which was responsible for the SARS epidemic in 2003, appears to have suppressed the production of one of these interferons and thus at least delayed the attraction of immune cells. To what extent this is also the case with SARS-CoV-2, the name given to the coronavirus behind the current pandemic, is still unclear. However, interferons support the body's own virus defense and are now being tested as a therapy in clinical trials.

At a certain point, however, the host response is so strong that its effect can be counterproductive. For example, numerous immune cells can enter our lungs and cause the membrane through which oxygen normally passes from the air into the blood to thicken. The exchange of gases is restricted, and in the worst case, ventilation may be necessary.

Sometimes the reaction can overshoot and be directed against healthy cells as well. This could also be the case with the novel coronavirus. So drugs are also being tested that suppress an excessive immune reaction and that are already known from the treatment of autoimmune diseases. The balance between protective and overly aggressive immune processes in dealing with the coronavirus is currently a big mystery. This must now be investigated, says Achim Hrauf, Director of the Institute of Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology at the University of Bonn.

Read more:World Health Day: What does the WHO do?

After a time delay, the acquired immune system finally sets itself in motion. It is different for every person and depends on what we have experienced and with which pathogens we have come into contact. While T cells help destroy infected cells, B cells form antibodies that can keep the virus in check. In the case of the coronavirus, these are neutralizing antibodies that bind to the spike protein of the virus. This is the site of attack of the virus, with which it enters the host, i.e. our human cell. Neutralizing antibodies specifically incapacitate the spike protein. Our immune system remembers the antibodies it has produced and is thus prepared for a new infection with the same intruder.

Is there an immunity? How long does it last?

The good news is that it is very likely there is an immunity. This is suggested by the proximity to other viruses, epidemiological data and animal experiments. Researchers infected four rhesus monkeys, a species close to humans, with SARS-CoV-2. The monkeys showed symptoms of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, developed neutralizing antibodies and recovered after a few days. When the recovered animals were reinfected with the virus, they no longer developed any symptoms: They were immune.

Read more:What you need to know about the coronavirus

Rhesus monkey and humans share about 90% of their DNA

The bad news: It is not (yet) known how long the immunity will last. It depends on whether a patient has successfully developed neutralizing antibodies. Achim Hrauf estimates that the immunity should last at least one year. Within this year, every new contact with the virus acts as a kind of booster vaccination, which in turn might prolong the immunity.

"The virus is so new that nobody has a reasonable immune response," says the immunologist. He believes that lifelong immunity is unlikely. This "privilege" is reserved for viruses that remain in the body for a long time and give our immune system a virtually permanent opportunity to get to know it. Since the coronavirus is an RNA (and not a DNA) virus, it cannot permanently settle in the body, says Hrauf.

The Heidelberg immunologist Stefan Meuer predicts that the novel coronavirus will also mutate like all viruses. He assumes that this could be the case in 10 to 15 years: "At some point, the acquired immunity will no longer be of any use to us because then another coronavirus will return, against which the protection that has now been formed will not help us because the virus has changed in such a way that the antibodies are no longer responsible. And then no vaccination will help either."

How can we take advantage of the antibody response of the immune system?

Researchers are already collecting plasma from people who have successfully survived an infection with SARS-CoV-2 and are using it to treat a limited number of patients suffering from COVID-19. The underlying principle: passive immunization. The studies carried out to date have shown positive results, but they have usually been carried out on only a few people.

Read more:Coronavirus: How do ventilators work?

Research on antibodies is in high gear

At best, passive immunization is used only when the patient's own immune system has already started to work against the virus, says Achim Hrauf: "The longer you can leave the patients alone with the infection before you protect them with passive immunization, the better." Only through active immunization can one be protected in the long term. At the same time, it is difficult to recognize the right point in time.

PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests are currently used to find out whether a person is infected with the coronavirus. With the help of PCR, it is not possible to tell whether or not there is reproducible viral RNA; it is just a proof of whether the virus is still present, dead or alive. A PCR test cannot tell us whether our immune system has already intervened, i.e. whether we have had contact with the virus in the past, have formed antibodies and are now protected. Researchers are therefore working on tests that check our blood for the presence of antibodies. They are already in use in Singapore, for example, and are nearing completion in the USA. With the help of these tests, it would finally be possible to gain an overview of the unclear case numbers. In addition, people who have developed antibodies against the virus could be used at the forefront of health care, for example. An "immunity passport" is even under discussion.

A PCR (polymerase chain reaction) laboratory

Is it possible to become infected and/or ill several times with the coronavirus?

"According to all we know, it is not possible with the same pathogen," says Achim Hrauf. It is possible to become infected with other coronaviruses or viruses from the SARS or MERS group if their spike proteins look different. "As far as the current epidemic is concerned, it can be assumed that people who have been through COVID-19 will not become ill from it for the time being and will not transmit the virus any further," he says.

How long before you're no longer contagious?

A study carried out on the first coronavirus patients in Germany showed that no viruses that are capable of replication can be found from day eight after the onset of symptoms, even though PCR can still detect up to 100,000 gene copies per sample. This could change the current quarantine recommendations in the future.

Medical assistants need protection when testing suspected coronavirus patients

According to the Robert Koch Institute, patients can currently be discharged from hospital if they show two negative PCR samples from the throat within 24 hours. If they have had a severe case of the disease, they should remain in domestic isolation for another two weeks. For each discharge, whether from hospital or home isolation, they should have been symptom-free for at least 48 hours.

Why do people react differently to the virus?

While some people get off with a mild cold, others are put on ventilators or even die of SARS-Cov-2. Especially people with pre-existing conditions and older people seem to be worst-affected by the virus. Why? This is the hottest question at the moment.

It will still take a very, very long time to understand the mechanistic, biological basis for why some people are so much more severely affected than others, virologist Angela Rasmussen told The Scientist. "The virus is important, but the host response is at least as important, if not more important," her colleague Stanley Perlman told the magazine.

Stefan Meuer sees a fundamental survival principle of nature in the different equipment and activity of our immune systems: "If we were all the same, one and the same virus could wipe out the entire human species at once. Due to the genetic range, it is quite normal that some people die from a viral disease while others do not even notice it. "

Achim Hrauf also suspects immunological variants that could be genetically determined. Since interstitial pneumonia is observed with the coronavirus, the focus is probably on an overreaction of the immune system. However, it is also possible that each person affected may have been loaded with a different dose of the virus, which in turn leads to different outcomes. And finally, it makes a difference how robust the body and lungs are: Competitive athletes simply have more lung volume than long-time smokers.

The immune system needs many different types of fuel. Fruit and vegetables provide them. Your diet should be healthy and colorful: Oranges, red peppers, green leafy vegetables and red cabbage provide a potpourri of vitamins, and are especially rich in natural vitamin C.

In order to ensure your immune system is top-top, make sure you have all the necessary immunizations. Adults often forget to refresh vaccinations they had when they were young. Check if you need booster shots for tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough, polio, hepatitis, pneumococcus, meningitis, measles, mumps, rubella, the flu and others. Be sure to talk to your doctor!

Scientific studies suggest that regular muscle training (jogging, nordic or pole walking, taking a stroll), three times a week for 20 minutes can boost your defenses. But be careful: overdoing it can also drain your immune system.

Sufficient sleep doesn't just allow your body to recuperate. During the slow-wave sleep phase, neurotransmitters are released and the immune system springs into action.

Studies show that good spirits and a zest for life promote a strong immune system. Laughing and playing don't just provide for a better quality of life, they also boost the body's defenses.

Negative stress activates the release of adrenalin and cortisol. These hormones can paralyze the immune system. Sensible stress and time management allows the body to rest and replenish new energy. Selective relaxation exercises like meditation, autogenic training and yoga can significantly boost the immune system.

Taking walks in the fresh air gives you a change of temperature and exercise - both stimulate the body's defense systems. Mucous membranes also benefit from improved circulation and the increased humidity makes it easier to fight off attacks.

Studies have shown that burning up short chain sugars like fructose and glucose uses up many vitamins that are no longer available to the body.

Alternating hot and cold showers help regulate body heat and improve blood flow. An invigorating massage with a massage sponge or brush stimulates the immune system even more.

View original post here:
The immune system's fight against the coronavirus - DW (English)

Its become an all-too-common variety of news story: Dead whales whose digestive systems are clogged with plastic. Increasing numbers of seabirds eating plastic, often with dire consequences. Ditto with turtles and fish.

Plastic ingestion by aquatic life is well documented. Less well known is the damage plastic does to the immune systems of fish.

There's very little research done on that, Patty Zwollo said. A lot of studies have focused on the larger pieces of plastics. I think the field is still trying to figure out where the microplastics are in different animals, including fish.

Zwollo is an immunologist, a professor in William & Marys Department of Biology. Immunologists study the bodys mechanism that provides resistance to disease. Her lab has discovered that just as whales swallow plastic thinking its food, some cellular components of the immune system in fish swallow bits of microplastic that they mistake for invading pathogens.

Zwollo compares the immune system to an army: Its a complex organization that has evolved to protect the body from invaders.

First, an army needs to be trained to recognize the enemy, she explained. And then when it's trained to do that, it has all kinds of different ways of fighting the enemy.

Her research focuses on the immune systems in salmon and trout and she further specializes in a specific category of soldier in the immune system army. Its known as the B cell, a specialized white blood cell commando.

When B cells recognize a pathogen or a toxin or whatever, they will bind to the invader, Zwollo said. Theyll start to make antibodies and then remove the pathogen from your body.

Once bits of plastic get small enough the size of a bacterium they can be mistaken for bacteria or viruses and ingested by certain cells in the immune system army. An immune cells act of ingesting a foreign body is known as phagocytosis. Those cells are called phagocytes.

And once the plastic gets inside of the cell, they cant be digested because theyre not organic. Theyre plastic, so the plastic stays inside the cell, Zwollo explained.

She says that lab studies have shown that if an immune cell absorbs a great deal of microplastic, the cell will die pretty quickly. But thats probably not biologically relevant, she added, explaining that in the natural environment, the levels of microplastic are almost certainly much lower than what the cells were getting in the lab.

So now that my students are feeding cells very small amounts of those microplastics, really low levels, she said. And then we see that they do survive longer, but they still die. So probably that is more realistic in comparison with what happens in the oceans.

When it comes to B cells, things get a little more complicated. B cells in mammals differ in a number of ways from B cells in fish, Zwollo explained. Its one of the many complexities in the study of the immune system. For one thing, mammals produce B cells in their bone marrow.

Fish dont have bone marrow, she said. So all their immune cells are made in this weird organ, the anterior kidney. The kidney of fish is very different from our kidney.

More to the point, mammalian B cells are not phagocytic they do their antibody work without engulfing the invading pathogen (or errant microsliver of plastic). Our B cells bind to the invader, then start producing antibodies.

But in fish, B cells can also be phagocytic, she said. So that, to me, is the most interesting thing about it. It doesnt seem to just affect phagocytes.

Zwollo stressed that her labs results are preliminary. She recently received funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to continue her studies on the effect microplastics are having on the immune systems of trout and salmon, commercially important fish.

After Zwollos lab completes its work, the second aspect will be conducted at William & Marys Virginia Institute of Marine Science, where researchers will expose whole fish to microplastics.

Ill be involved in that part too, she said. But most of my contribution will be in the first aspect.

She said she expects her investigations to take another year. Much of the work in the Zwollo lab is done by students. She has a graduate student, Fatima Quddos, working on the project. She also has an undergraduate, Lauren Abderhalden 22 involved.

Lauren is culturing cells, Zwollo said. Ive given her a lot of freedom, so she can learn the effect of little tiny plastic beads versus beads that are a little larger. What is the effect of concentration? And time, she is looking at how long you have to leave those cells with the microplastics.

Zwollo is teaching two sections of Immunology Laboratory this semester with eight students in each section. Shes launched her lab students loose on a journey of discovery.

I basically told them, all right, you get to decide what sizes of beads you want to work with, she said.

The lab students set their own course, deciding on all the conditions for their own experiments. Then, of course, they will analyze the data.

The students are really engaged, Zwollo said. Im interested in anything that comes out, pretty much. Because we really dont know much about this situation.

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Immune-system cells of fish are ingesting plasticand then dying - William & Mary News

Fresh fruit and vegetables juices are a great way to boost your immunity(Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Fresh juices are a great way to boost your immunesystem.

According to Scott Tashie, owner of City Silo Table + Pantry and I Love Juice Bars in Memphis, the best juices to build immunity are orange, carrot and apple.

The antioxidants in apples help to protect your cells from the free radicals floating around, while carrots provide beta-carotene, another great antioxidant. Oranges are an excellent source of Vitamin C, something very vital when fighting off an illness.

During times like this, Tashie focuses on keeping his Vitamin C in check as well as getting the appropriate greens into his diet. Add in some pineapple with kale, spinach, parsley, celery, mint, lemon and ginger and you are good to go, he said.

Tashie offered these tips for juicing at home:

Dont be afraid to experiment.Sometimes the best juices happen when you arent trying at all, and they come out fantastic.

Not all fruits will juice the same flavors every time. Be prepared to tweak your recipe from time to time.

Juice more than one juice at a time. That way you can have enough for the whole day and maybe the following day. Be careful to store properly because it is not pasteurized.

Dont get discourage by the cleanup. Its part of it.

Jennifer Chandler is theFood & Dining reporter at The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached atjennifer.chandler@commercialappeal.com, and you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @cookwjennifer.

For the next few weeks, The Commercial Appeal Food & Dining reporter Jennifer Chandler will post shopping and recipe tips to help you put a delicious and healthy meal on the table. Chandler is the author of four cookbooks, including "The Southern Pantry Cookbook."

Read or Share this story: https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/entertainment/dining/2020/04/07/coronavirus-cooking-fresh-juices-city-silo-i-love-juice-bar/5114858002/

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Cooking in the age of coronavirus: Boost your immune system with fresh juices - Commercial Appeal

ASHEBORO During the current COVID-19 pandemic, health authorities have stressed that one group of people most vulnerable are those with compromised immune systems. With that in mind, are there ways we can boost our immunity to disease?

We asked Jeannie Leonard, Family and Consumer Science agent at Randolph County Cooperative Extenstion, and Jodi Meier, a registered dietitian and nutritionist in Randolph County Public Healths WIC office, for lists of foods that boost the immune system. They responded with a wealth of information.

Leonard provided a list of foods and details showing how they work. She even added three healthy recipes, all of which sound tasty.

IMMUNE-BOOSTING FOODS

Citrus Fruits Most people turn to vitamin C after theyve caught a cold. Thats because it helps build up your immune system. Vitamin C is thought to increase the production of white blood cells.

Red Bell Peppers Ounce for ounce, red bell peppers contain twice as much vitamin C as citrus fruits.

Ginger Ginger may help decrease inflammation, which will aid in reducing a sore throat and other inflammatory diseases.

Garlic Garlic may help lower blood sugar and slow down the hardening of your arteries. It was used as a home remedy for fighting infections in early civilizations.

Broccoli Broccoli is supercharged with vitamins and minerals, packed with vitamins A, C and E, and loads of antioxidants. Broccoli has the most effect when it is less cooked.

Spinach Like many of the other superfoods, spinach is packed with vitamin C, but also with numerous antioxidants and beta-carotene, which may increase the infection-fighting ability of our immune systems. Like broccoli, spinach has the most effect when it is less cooked.

Turmeric Turmeric is best known for use in curries, but has been used for years as an anti-inflammatory for treating arthritis.

Almonds Loaded with vitamin E, nuts such as almonds are packed also with healthy fats. A half-cup serving of almonds provides almost 100 percent of the recommended daily amount of vitamin E.

Yogurt Look for yogurts that have "live and active cultures" printed on the label, like Greek yogurt. These cultures may stimulate your immune system to help fight diseases.

Green Tea Both green tea and black tea are packed with flavonoids, a type of antioxidant.

Poultry Poultry, such as chicken and turkey, is high in vitamin B-6. About 3 ounces of light turkey or chicken meat contains 40-50 percent of your daily-recommended amount of B-6.

Sunflower Seeds Sunflower seeds are full of nutrients, including phosphorous, magnesium and vitamin B-6, and super filled with vitamin E.

Papaya Papaya is another fruit loaded with vitamin C. You can find 224 percent of the daily-recommended amount of vitamin C in a single papaya. Papayas also have a digestive enzyme called papain that has anti-inflammatory effects.

Kiwi Like papayas, kiwis are naturally full of a ton of essential nutrients, including folate, potassium, vitamin K, and vitamin C. Vitamin C boosts white blood cells to fight infection, while kiwis other nutrients keep the rest of your body functioning properly.

Shellfish Shellfish such as clams, crab, lobster and mussels are loaded with zinc, which our bodies need, so that our immune cells can function as intended.

TRY THESE RECIPES

Leonard, known for her cooking at Cooperative Extension, added a bonus with these three recipes:

SUPER IMMUNE-BOOSTING SOUP

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

6 garlic cloves, minced

2 celery stalks, sliced

1 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon turmeric

12 cups water

4 heads baby bok choy, bottoms chopped off

1/2 head kale, chopped

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions and saut for 5 minutes or until translucent. Add in garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add in celery and mushrooms and saut for about 10 minutes or until mushrooms have wilted. Add in spices (including ginger, if using) and water and bring to a boil. Then let simmer, covered for 1 hour or in a crock-pot for 3-4 hours on low. Add bok choy and kale in the last 10 minutes of cooking to wilt. Serve warm or store for up to 1 week in the refrigerator. Yields 6-8 bowls.

GREEN COLD FIGHTING SMOOTHIE

Ingredients

2 ripe bananas

1 ripe apple, chopped

2 cups kale leaves, stems removed

1/2 cup orange juice, cold or frozen, no sugar added

1/2 cup cold water

12 ice cubes

1 tablespoon ground flaxseed or flax meal

1/2 tablespoon ground turmeric

Directions

Place bananas, apple, kale, orange juice, water, ice cubes, flaxseed and turmeric in a blender.

Pulse a few times, then puree until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary.

THYME ROASTED ALMONDS

Ingredients

1 pound roasted, salted almonds

2 teaspoons good olive oil

2 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon sea salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350F. Place the almonds, olive oil, thyme, and kosher salt on a sheet pan and toss together. Roast the almonds for 10-15 minutes, turning them every 5 minutes with a metal spatula, until they are lightly browned. Watch them carefully, they burn very easily.

Sprinkle with sea salt, toss and set aside to cool, serve at room temperature.

KEEP YOUR SYSTEM HEALTHY

Meier referred to an article from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Eat Right, titled How to Keep Your Immune System Healthy.

The following nutrients play a role in the immune system and can be found in a variety of foods:

Beta Carotene is found in plant foods such as sweet potatoes, spinach, carrots, mango, broccoli and tomatoes.

Vitamin C-rich foods include citrus fruits, berries, melons, tomatoes, bell peppers and broccoli.

Vitamin D is found in fatty fish and eggs. Milk and 100 percent juices that are fortified with vitamin D also are sources of this important nutrient.

Zinc tends to be better absorbed from animal sources such as beef and seafood, but also is in vegetarian sources such as wheat germ, beans, nuts and tofu.

Probiotics are "good" bacteria that promote health. They can be found in cultured dairy products such as yogurt and in fermented foods such as kimchi.

Protein comes from both animal and plant-based sources, such as milk, yogurt, eggs, beef, chicken, seafood, nuts, seeds, beans and lentils.

FOCUS ON BALANCE

To help keep your immune system healthy all year long, focus on a balanced eating plan, adequate sleep and stress management.

Eat well Aim for five to seven servings of vegetables and fruits daily to get vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that may support immune health.

Defeat germs Good hygiene and hand-washing help prevent the spread of germs. Remember to wash produce before eating or using in recipes. Clean glasses, forks, spoons and other utensils to reduce the spread and growth of bacteria.

Relieve stress Find healthy and appropriate ways to cope with stress, such as meditation, listening to music or writing. Physical activity also is a great way to help manage stress and may help reduce the risk of some chronic diseases that could weaken your immune system further.

Get some sleep Lack of sleep contributes to a variety of health concerns, such as a weakened immune system. Seven to nine hours is recommended each day for adults, and children need eight to 14 hours, depending on their age.

WHAT ABOUT HERBALS?

Many herbal remedies are marketed to help fight colds or shorten their duration, but check with your health care provider before taking any supplements or medications. No one food or supplement can prevent illness.

OTHER ADVICE

Meier also provided an article by Food & Nutritions Lori Zanini titled 6 Ways to (Naturally) Boost Your Immune System in which she suggests these strategies:

Get friendly with garlic When I saw a study that showed when healthy people took a garlic supplement for three months in cold and flu season, their immune cells became more active than those who took a placebo, I was in! Reap the benefits by taking a high-quality garlic supplement or, if you dont mind the garlic breath, use raw, crushed garlic in everything from salad dressings to homemade hummus which showed similar results to garlic pills in another study.

Go with your gut More and more studies are exploring the link between our immune system and our gut. The bacteria, or microbiota, that live and thrive in our gut play a major role in the strength of our immune system. To keep the healthy flora in tip-top shape, get probiotics from fermented foods such as kimchi, miso, yogurt and kombucha. Research indicates that probiotics improve the immune response and increase production of immune cells.

Focus on fiber Prebiotic fiber is the specific type of food that keeps the gut bacteria happy and healthy. When bacteria ferment this fiber in our gut, short chain fatty acids are released. Studies show that these short chain fatty acids play a role as immuno-modulators and increase the production of T-regulatory cells, which help to regulate other immune cells and the immune response. Translation? Eating plenty of prebiotic fiber from artichokes, onion, garlic, asparagus, bananas and jicama helps give your immune system that extra boost it needs during the cold and flu season.

Ditch the spoonful of sugar Evidence suggests that simple sugars in foods such as cookies, sweetened beverages and many highly processed foods can negatively impact white blood cells defense mechanisms to guard the body from foreign invaders. Yet another reason to reduce sugar intake and opt for whole fruit to satisfy your sweet tooth most of the time.

Get some sun Or vitamin D, that is. Studies show that vitamin D is a major immune system regulator that plays a role in the expression and activation of several types of immune cells, meaning those with low vitamin D levels are more likely to get sick. Be sure to get at least 15 minutes of daily SPF-free sun exposure and consume vitamin D-rich food sources such as cod liver oil and oily fish like salmon and herring. Or consider taking a vitamin D supplement.

Spice it up Spices and roots such as turmeric, clove, coriander and ginger have been shown to act as anti-inflammatory agents, improve immune system response, increase antibodies and act as antibacterial agents in the body. Spices couldnt be easier to incorporate into your diet use them whenever you are cooking to add a boost of flavor. You even can make your own immune-boosting spice mix so you always have it on hand.

Chances are not all these foods will trip your fancy, but most people will find something appetizing. Practicing these nutritional tips may not keep you from getting sick but, chances are, youll be better able to shake off illness. Plus, youll be healthier overall.

Originally posted here:
Foods that boost the immune system - Asheboro Courier Tribune

As cases of coronavirus continue to rise, taking daily precautions such as washing your hands, social distancing, exercising and getting enough sleep is key to lowering risk of infection.

But maintaining a healthy diet to help boost your immune system may also give you an edge. It's important to note that no research has been done on foods that help fight against COVID-19 specifically.

However, previous studies have found that eating certain foods can improve your health and strengthen your body's ability to fight other invasive viruses.

Here are nine expert-approved foods to stock up on during your next grocery store trip, along with creative ideas on how to add them to your diet:

Broccoli is also rich in vitamin C. Just half a cup contains 43% of your daily value of vitamin C, according to the NIH.

"Broccoli is packed with phytochemicals and antioxidants that support our immune system," says Sarin. It also contains vitamin E, an antioxidant that can help fight off bacteria and viruses.

According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, vitamin C is one nutrient Americans aren't getting enough of in their diet, so finding simple ways to add it in is crucial.

"To get the most out of this powerhouse vegetable, eat it raw or just slightly cooked," says Sarin. "I love sauteing broccoli with garlic and Parmesan, or stir-frying with bell peppers, ginger, garlic and mushrooms."

Chickpeas contain a lot of protein, an essential nutrient made of amino acids that help grow and repair the body's tissues. It's also involved in synthesizing and maintaining enzymes to keep our systems functioning properly,according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

"Chickpeas are also packed with zinc, which helps the immune system control and regulate immune responses,"Emily Wunder, a dietitian and founder of the nutritious recipes siteHealthier Taste, tells CNBC Make It.

Roasted chickpeas are great as a quick great snack or salad topper. Make sure they're completely dry before roasting. Then add a few tablespoons of oil (vegetable, canola or grapeseed oil all work well) and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, stirring halfway through until they're crispy.

For a nice kick, Wunder suggests adding some salt and paprika.If you're using canned chickpeas, she says you'll want to rinse them thoroughly to cut down on sodium content.

Wunder enjoys half a cup of strawberries to get 50% of her vitamin C needs for the day.

"Vitamin C is great for strengthening your immune system," she says, because it can help protect cells from damage caused by free radicals that we're often exposed to in the environment.

Wunder recommends adding chopped strawberries to yogurt, oatmeal or on top of whole wheat toast with peanut butter. "Of course, they go well with smoothies, too," she says.

"Not only is garlic full of flavor, but it's packed with health benefits such as lowering blood pressure and reducing risk of heart disease," according to Sarin. "Garlic's immunity-boosting abilities come from its heavy concentration of sulfur-containing compounds, which can help fight off some infections."

Garlic has been shown in the past to help ward off the common cold. In a 2001 study published in Advances in Therapy, participants who took garlic supplements were less likely to catch a cold. And those who did get infected recovered faster than participants in the placebo group.

It's an easy vegetable to work into your diet, says Sarin. You can add to it anything from pasta sauce and salad dressings to soups and stir-fry dishes. She suggests aiming to consume two to three cloves per day.

"While sun exposure is the best source of vitamin D, it can also be provided by some foods, including mushrooms," says Wunder.

A 2018 review of mushrooms as a vitamin D source found that the "sunshine vitamin" can help enhance the absorption of calcium, which is good for bone health, and may also protect against some cancers and respiratory diseases.

Mushrooms are great as a side dish or appetizer. Wunder recommends roasting them at about 350 degrees Fahrenheit, using one to two tablespoons of oil, minced garlic and a dash of salt and pepper. For something more flavorful, bake button mushrooms stuffed with cheese, onion andartichokehearts.

"Spinach is rich in vitamin C and full of antioxidants that help shield our immune cells from environmental damage," says Sarin. "Plus, it has beta carotene, which is the main dietary source of vitamin A an essential component of proper immune function."

Like broccoli, it's best to consume spinach raw or slightly cooked. To incorporate more spinach into your diet, Sarin suggests blending it in a smoothie, cooking it with your morning eggs or, as an easy side dish, lightly sauteing with garlic.

"Yogurt is a great source of probiotics, which are good bacteria that can help promote a healthy gut and immune system," says Sarin.Recent studies have also found probiotics to be effective for fighting the common cold and influenza-like respiratory infections.

Sarin recommends choosing plain yogurt rather than anything too flavored or sweetened and topping it with fruit and honey. "Or, you can add it to your favorite post-workout smoothie," she says.

Those on a dairy-free diet can still benefit from almond-milk and coconut-milk yogurt options.

"Sunflower seeds are high in vitamin E, which works as an antioxidant and helps boosts the immune system," says Wunder.

Small but mighty, just one ounce of dry-roasted sunflower seeds can give you 49% of your daily value of vitamin E, according to the NIH.

Line a baking pan with parchment paper and roast unshelled sunflower seeds at 300 degrees Fahrenheit until they're lightly browned. Then add the seeds to your salad or toss them with roasted vegetables. You can also use raw seeds in place of pine nuts for some homemade pesto.

Brittany Anas is a health and nutrition reporter. She has written forHealthDay, Women's Health and The Denver Post. Follow her on Twitter @BrittanyAnas.

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Originally posted here:
Stock up on these 9 healthy foods to boost your immune system during coronavirus, says doctor and dietitian - CNBC

This is not a news report. It is my opinion column, on the Opinion page of your community newspaper. Nevertheless, I dont write about things I havent researched.

Apply whatever value to that you wish.

Can we please tone down the hysteria and put this in perspective? Lets examine what COVID-19 is not.

COVID-19 is not a reason to buy outrageous amounts of toilet paper.

COVID-19 is not the 1918 H1N1 (Spanish) flu pandemic, before flu vaccine development. Estimates are 500 million were infected and about 50 million died as the disease raced around the world at the speed of trains and steamboats. In the U.S., 675,000 people died.

COVID-19 is not the 2009 version of the H1N1 (swine) flu pandemic, which infected nearly 61 million Americans, and killed 12,469.

COVID-19 is not the 1921 diphtheria epidemic, with 206,000 cases and 15,520 deaths across all age groups of the 106 million people then living in the U.S. That was a nearly 8 percent death rate of those infected.

COVID-19 is not even remotely like those three events, with only about a 1.4 percent death rate nationally.

Today, diseases (and information) travel by jet and internet. The world knew instantly that Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson, on location in Australia, tested positive for COVID-19. They recovered without hospitalization.

COVID-19 is not this years influenza. Americans are apparently not afraid of the flu any more because about 43 percent of them fear the shot and dont get vaccinated. Nor do they rush out annually to stockpile toilet paper and hand sanitizer.

Perspective: Imagine that when the flu season happens each year, news media would breathlessly report (with bold capital headlines) every new case, every day. The news would seem truly catastrophic, reflecting the 38 million U.S influenza cases this season, with 400,000 hospitalized. The flu has killed 24,000 Americans. A half-million may die worldwide in a typical season.

Perspective: Suggested Lewiston Tribune poll question If you are one of those who avoid the flu vaccine, will you get the COVID-19 vaccine when one is developed?

COVID-19 is not a reason for the news media to flash the number of coronavirus cases and deaths on TV in real time, goosing your panic every four seconds to believe were literally going up in smoke.

The Lewiston-Clarkston Valley is not New York City. And no matter how badly Washington Gov. Jay Inslee wants to be the center of attention, one nursing home in Kirkland does not represent Washington. If not for that one facility, Washington statistics would not stand out.

As this is written, New York City, with about 2.5 percent of the nations population, has about 42 percent of the national coronavirus associated deaths. New York City has about 27,000 people per square mile. Imagine Lewiston with 522,912 people. Thats New York City. If one person sneezes, 13 people reach for a hanky.

New York City is a laboratory for COVID-19. It wont be surprising if most in that teeming ball of earthworms get the disease as if I needed any more reasons to not visit.

COVID-19 does not kill directly. Death comes from respiratory complications, i.e., pneumonia. This mutated cousin of the common cold virus wasnt around when immune systems were young and vital, and immune systems weaken with age. This may be why most young folks are not showing symptoms. Most of them could suffer a slight cough and wont notice a mild fever. Their most serious problem will be a restricted social life.

This is all logical and provable by cases to date. Nationally, nearly 99 percent with COVID-19 symptoms recover without hospitalization. Most deaths were older and/or already at risk, with compromised respiratory or immune systems.

Perspective about statistics: In any reasonable statistical analysis, New York City, despite the national news exposure its getting, would be thrown out of the national calculation as what is known as an outlier. The same is true of the Kirkland nursing home for Washingtons statistics. The presumption that every major city (or the nation) will follow New York Citys (or Italys) pattern in a few weeks is just hysterical statistical nonsense.

Perspective: Comparing American statistics to China, Italy or Iran is likewise wrong. With among the worlds highest populations of at-risk seniors and relatively high numbers of smokers, those countries are naturally more susceptible. In addition, thousands of Wuhan Chinese workers traveled to Italy and Iran for a massive infrastructure construction program. New York Citys first case reportedly came from an Iranian immigrant.

Perspective: Normally, of Chinas 1.4 billion people, about 28,000 people die every day. The Chinese coronavirus death toll is about three hours of an average Thursday. The Chinese deserve credit for even noticing this outbreak with only a few thousand extra deaths, mostly health-compromised elderly.

COVID-19 is not the 2003 SARS epidemic (another Chinese coronavirus), which infected 8,098 people worldwide and killed 774, nearly 10 percent of patients, compared, again, to COVID-19s roughly 1.4 percent.

Perspective: In America normally, between 3,000 and 7,000 people die every day from something. About 700 of those are Californians. Yet Californias COVID-19 death rate is about one person for every 250,000 citizens.

Gov. Inslee adds to the panic by reacting as if every positive COVID-19 tests results in intensive-care hospitalization. That is not what is happening. What is happening is that increased testing results in more positives, not a more serious disease. Over-reacting stupidly does not solve a problem.

America was poorly prepared for a truly lethal pandemic. Our outsize reaction may be good practice for if and when a truly lethal disease erupts, but the real danger now is the increased hysteria destroying the economy.

Im 72, a child of the Greatest Generation and a former soldier myself. Id rather catch this damned disease and trust my immune system to beat it than watch the media and political idiots distort events, trying to damage this president.

Whether you like the man or not, the president is demonstrating uncommon and laudable leadership; America is fortunate to have him.

Rogers of Clarkston is a retired manager at CCI-Speer (now Vista Outdoor). His email address is rrogerr76@gmail.com.

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Commentary: I'll trust my immune system over the media - Lewiston Morning Tribune

AUSTIN (KXAN) An Austin doctor said the toll of stress can have a significant impact on the immune system, which could be especially heightened during the COVID-19 pandemic.

KXAN spoke with one doctor who gave her insight on how people can manage that stress with her own approach.

The toll of the stress is tremendous and actually again affects our immune systems ability to fight off infections in general, said Dr. Ann Shippy, an Austin-based chemical engineer turned doctor. One of the things we can all be doing is managing our mindset that we do the things like exercise, meditate, get good sleep and focus on the things we can control.

Dr. Shippy describes her strategy to treatment as functional medicine, using science, testing and genetic information to try and treat the root cause of symptoms, instead of just managing them.

Dr. Shippy said another way to manage stress is to offer a helping hand to the community.

That could include making masks, amid the personal protective equipment shortage for healthcare workers, or providing food for those in need.

KXAN Simple Health is launching an initiative which focuses on maintaining mental wellness during the COVID-19 pandemic. Well highlight topics including parenting, finances and jobs, grief and anxiety, senior health and balancing isolation and socializing from a distance.

Look for our special coverage starting Sunday, April 5.

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Doctor weighs in on toll of stress on immune systems during COVID-19 pandemic - KXAN.com

Rejuvenate Helps Prevent Muscle Loss

Rejuvenate is an affordable nutritional supplement and the first of its kind to generate positive muscle response without exercise. However, when used with exercise, Rejuvenate doubles its ability to rebuild and repair muscle.

Rejuvenate Supports Optimal Immune System Function

Rejuvenate consists of the essential amino acids that are critical to immune function including leucine, valine and isoleucine and comes in individual powder pouches and can be easily mixed with water.

BURLINGTON, Ontario, April 07, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- While people are stockpiling common immune-strengthening supplements like vitamins C, D and zinc, one group of overlooked nutrients that are critical during a prolonged period of inactivity is essential amino acids that play a major role in protein synthesis and the formation of white blood cell and antibodies. With limited exercise options during lockdowns, quarantines and social distancing, muscle loss can play a bigger role than most realize it can increase your susceptibility to sickness. A proprietary muscle health and repair supplement called Rejuvenate, by Element Nutrition, has 25 clinical peer reviewed published studies to demonstrate its efficacy including increasing the bodys ability to rebuild and repair muscle by 57% with noticeable muscle mass improvement within just 30 days. In one study published by The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, patients on bed rest gained muscle mass with Rejuvenate compared to those who experienced muscle loss who were not taking the supplement.

Amino acids are not simply building blocks of protein, they are important building blocks of antibodies, which are produced by the bodys immune system to help fight off foreign invaders, like bacteria and viruses. If your body lacks adequate essential amino acids, it can lead to a compromised immune system. According to The Journal of Nutrition, the immune system has a high dependence upon protein synthesis, since mounting an immune response requires generation of new cells and synthesis of antigen-presenting machinery (immunoglobulins, cytokines, cytokine receptors, acute phase proteins). Without these essential amino acids, as found in Rejuvenate, synthesis of these proteins do not occur optimally and therefore can result in a compromised immune system.

Protein provides energy for the body. It is a macronutrient and if you dont have enough protein or become deficient in essential amino acids you can start to experience weakness and fatigue, even lack of focus and brain fog and sometimes depression, said Dr. Christine Horner, a leading authority on integrative and preventative health who has consulted with hundreds of patients facing life-threatening cancerdiagnoses on how to strengthen the immune system when the body is under constant attack. Protein is also a component of hemoglobin, which is present in red blood cells and responsible for transporting oxygen throughout the body. When oxygen levels drop it can cause weakness or even shortness of breath.

According to the British Journal of Nutrition, a deficiency of dietary protein or amino acids impairs immune function and increases the risk of infectious disease. Protein malnutrition reduces concentrations of most amino acids in plasma. Findings from recent studies indicate an important role for amino acids in immune responses by regulating the activation of T lymphocytes, B lymphocytes, natural killer cells and macrophages; cellular redox state, gene expression and lymphocyte proliferation; and the production of antibodies, cytokines and other cytotoxic substances. Increasing evidence shows that dietary supplementation of specific amino acids in animals and humans with malnutrition and infectious disease enhances the immune status, thereby reducing morbidity and mortality.These are the same amino acids found in Rejuvenate.

If you become protein deficient for too long, the body will borrow protein from other areas including the storage in our skeletal muscle tissue in order to transfer it to more essential organs and the brain. Once this happens your bones will become more at risk to injuries like fractures and breaks, said Horner, who notes that in one clinical study published by the Journal of Aging Research & Clinical Practice, Rejuvenate increased the strength of knee and hip replacement patients, post-surgery, by 800%. Our bodies are not designed to store protein for long-term, future use so we need to consume enough protein every day to ensure the body gets what it needs to work efficiently. Plus, when it comes to protein and your immune system, it turns out that even marginally low protein intake may impair its function.

Rejuvenate is an affordable nutritional supplement developed by one of the worlds leading researchers in protein and amino acid nutrition. Its the first supplement of its kind to generate positive muscle response without exercise. However, when used with exercise, Rejuvenate doubles its ability to rebuild and repair muscle. Age-related muscle loss may begin as early as age 40. After age of 60, muscle mass declines at an annual rate of 1.5-3% per year and 50% of adults age 80 and above have sarcopenia, a distinct medical condition recognized by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Rejuvenate consists of the essential amino acids that are critical to immune function including leucine, valine and isoleucine, and comes in individual powder pouches and can be easily mixed with water. Horner says daily intake of Rejuvenate can help prevent muscle loss and support optimal immune system function. Rejuvenate is available at major retailers, Amazon and http://www.rejuvenatemuscle.com.

Photosaccompanying this announcement are available athttps://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d99b44ef-9815-4dc2-8ab4-3d19199a45bf

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/17156ff8-22d4-4855-9ab6-29906b5848b8

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Support Immune Function and Muscle Health With Rejuvenate During Prolonged Inactivity - GlobeNewswire

Lemon juice, mosquito bites and blood donations? There are plenty of coronavirus health myths circulating online, which ConfectioneryNews doesnt wish to perpetuate in any shape or form, but there is case for cocoa right now to help boost the human bodys immune system.

Lets be clear: cocoa is not a cure for coronavirus, The Covid-19 outbreak is a new illness and scientists are still assessing how it spreads from person to person, but similar viruses tend to spread via cough and sneeze droplets. Only a vaccine can prevent people from getting sick and the World Health Organization says approximately 35 companies and academic institutions are racing to create such a vaccine.

However, in a 2015 medical study*, it was revealed that cocoa contains biologically active ingredients that have broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, which includes an inhibitory effect on influenza virus infection.

The reports conclusion: Drinking cocoa activates natural immunity and enhances vaccination-induced immune response, providing stronger protection against influenza virus infection and disease onset.

Dr Edward Ampofo of Ghanas Cocoa Clinic has also claimed that cocoa does not only help to boost the immune system but equally helps to protect the human body against infection.

In a video posted on ghanaweb.com, he explained that the immune functions of cocoa are mainly related to what he called its polyphenol content and methylxanthine-theobromine.

The immune system protects the body against germs and foreign materials," he explained, saying it is made up of two components - innate and adaptive. The innate immune response is inborn or natural.

He told ghanaweb.com oxidative stress has been identified as a major factor in inhibiting the immune system from performing its normal functions.

Oxidative stress is essentially an imbalance between the production of free radicals and the ability of the body to counteract or detoxify their harmful effects through neutralization by antioxidants.

There is oxidative stress in infections and the body usually mobilizes, for example white blood cells in such situations. Polyphenol-rich cocoa is a strong antioxidant and therefore able to mop up these free radicals produced via oxidative stress and in turn normalizes the functions of the immune system.

He said cocoa is recognized as the highest source of polyphenols of all foods on weight basis and polyphenol-rich cocoa, apart from its antioxidant properties is able to independently act on the immune system to perform its functions to the desired level.

* Study:Anti-influenza virus effects of cocoa.Kamei M1, Nishimura H2, Takahashi T1, Takahashi N1, Inokuchi K3, Mato T3, Takahashi K2.

News source: Consume more cocoa to fight coronavirus Ghanaians told

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Cocoa and the coronavirus: can it boost the immune system? - ConfectioneryNews.com

WHILE the world is on hold as Covid-19 accelerates its global rampage, an exit strategy seems many months away. Herd immunity is a distant prospect, as are vaccines or drug treatments. However, there is a measure with the potential to help in this crisis at the cost of about 1p/day per capita, that would promote our defences, vitamin D3. This steroid hormone promotes the innate immune system, our first line of defence against microbes, including coronaviruses, but the UK population is commonly D3-deficient, often severely, as is also common globally. We suggest, therefore, based on the accompanying scientific and medical evidence, that efforts be made to improve vitamin D repletion to help reduce both morbidity and mortality from, and perhaps also susceptibility to, Covid-19.

Vitamin D (D3) is the sunshine vitamin. Our skin makes it under summer sun but most British people dont make enough because we live and work indoors, live at high latitude and eat little wild oily fish (the only good food source of this vitamin), while deficiency is also a global problem.

Scientific evidence from peer-reviewed publications shows that vitamin D is needed both for healthy bones and for a healthy immune system which can defend us against most bacteria and viruses at adequate blood levels of the vitamin D metabolite 25(OH)D by gene modulation, and that also reduces inappropriate inflammation.

What is an adequate blood level of 25(OH)D?

25 nmol/l was thought enough until 20 years ago, now we know it should be more than 50 nmol/l, a target used throughout the NHS. Higher levels are advised by many experts at 100 150 nmol/l, for optimal health (1), as are achieved by natives of the tropics.

We have a high degree of deficiency, worst in Scotland

One third to a half of all people are deficient across the UK, with severe deficiency increasingly common in the north.

Benefits of supplementation In addition to the prevention of rickets and osteomalacia, and reduction of the risks of increasing numbers of chronic disorders, both survival with cancer and the risk of getting certain cancers are reduced by better vitamin D status (2-6).

Respiratory infection rate reduction

Evidence from animal, cell and molecular research shows that lack of vitamin D increases the risks of many chronic diseases; supplementation of deficient people can reduce many such risks, including upper respiratory tract infections as shown in a summary of 25 studies where deficient subjects amongst 11,000 participants supplemented with vitamin D showed over 70% reduction in infection rates with certain common viruses. (7).

A recent review concludes: To reduce risk of infection, it is recommended that people at risk of influenza and/or Covid-19 consider taking 10,000 IU/d of vitamin D3 for a few weeks to rapidly raise 25(OH)D concentrations, followed by 5000 IU/d. The goal should be to raise 25(OH)D concentrations above 4060 ng/ml (100150 nmol/l). (8) Those authors called for randomised trials of vitamin D in Covid-19 patients.

Meanwhile, the evidence justifies ensuring that Covid-19 patients are not deficient, measuring serum 25(OH)D where possible, but more importantly, ensuring adequate supplemental intakes for all such patients. (9).

Barbara Boucher, honorary professor, LondonPeter Cobbold, emeritus professor, cell biology, LiverpoolDavid Grimes, retired consultant physician, ManchesterHelga Rhein, retired general practitioner, Edinburgh

References:

(1) https://www.grassrootshealth.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/scientists_call-to-daction_121817.pdf

(2) https://www.bmj.com/content/356/bmj.i6583

(3) https://www.bmj.com/content/356/bmj.i6583

(4) https://www.bmj.com/content/356/bmj.i6583

(5) https://www.bmj.com/content/356/bmj.i6583

(6) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30654108

(7) https://www.bmj.com/content/356/bmj.i6583

(8) https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202003.0235/v2

(9) https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jffdZOSuIA64L_Eur8qyCQ12T7NXrHSKPxtMe134C0Y/edit

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Vitamin D3 boosts the immune system, our first line of defence - The National

When a virus invades a body, the development of the disease is often determined by how the immune system reacts to the infection.

Most of the time, the immune system mounts a protective response. But sometimes, that response can be harmful too, experts say.

If the immune system kicks into overdrive, for instance, it could stimulate the overproduction of proteins called cytokines, which can cause inflammation.

Cytokines are molecular messengers of the immune system. For Covid-19 patients, this cytokine storm can lead to symptoms such as breathlessness or respiratory distress.

Now, a team of Singapore scientists have found that patients with Covid-19 could have a dynamic and fluctuating immune response to the virus, particularly in the early stages of the disease.

For instance, when the immune system responds in a way that causes the body to produce more cytokines, it correlates with the period when the patients become more sick and experience respiratory distress.

The study was published on March 28 in scientific journal Cell Host & Microbe.

The finding is important as it could pave the way for research into existing or new drugs that could help prevent harmful immune reactions that may worsen the disease, said Dr Eugenia Ong, a member of the team. She is senior research fellow at the Viral Research and Experimental Medicine Centre, a unit of the SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre, and at the Duke-NUS' Emerging Infectious Diseases programme.

In studying three Covid-19 patients in Singapore, the scientists found that the patients' immune systems showed marked changes in the way they dealt with the invading pathogen.

As molecular messengers, cytokines help to flag the presence of a foreign pathogen in the body, so other elements of the immune system can kick in to get rid of the virus.

But when the body produces too much of it, this can result in inflammation. This production of cytokines is regulated by genes, explained one of the study's lead authors, Associate Professor Jenny Low, a senior consultant at the Department of Infectious Diseases at Singapore General Hospital and co-director of the Viral Research and Experimental Medicine Centre.

The study noted that the processes that stimulate the production of cytokines in a patient differed from day to day.

The scientists found that one particular cytokine called Interleukin-1 was produced even before the patient showed clinical deterioration.

"In this study, we found that the early immune response following the start of symptoms is highly dynamic, which means that research needs to take into account the day-to-day fluctuations in activation or deactivation of immune genes that collectively shape disease severity in Covid-19 patients," said Prof Low, who is also an associate professor at the Emerging Infectious Diseases programme at Duke-NUS.

As the sensing of the foreign pathogen triggers a cascade of molecular events, characterising the immune response in the early phase of illness is thus important to understand how the final immune reaction is derived, said Prof Low.

Professor Lisa Ng, who was not involved in the research project, said the study of early stages of infection is interesting, as it may lead to opportunities for early interventions.

"Potentially, some clinically approved drugs could be used to target certain inflammatory pathways to control virus-induced inflammation," said Prof Ng, a senior principal investigator at the Agency for Science, Technology and Research's Singapore Immunology Network. However, she said it would be important to see if larger cohort groups from various countries will show similar patterns.

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Early immune response in patients could be causing respiratory distress: Study - The Straits Times

Why would vitamin D lower risk for respiratory illness? Our bodies need adequate vitamin D to produce the antimicrobial proteins that kill viruses and bacteria. If you dont have adequate vitamin D circulating, you are less effective at producing these proteins and more susceptible to infection, says Dr. Adit Ginde, professor of emergency medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and the studys lead author. These proteins are particularly active in the respiratory tract.

Its important to note that there are no clinical recommendations to take vitamin D for immune health, although the standard recommendation for bone health is for 600 to 800 international units per day. (That is the level found in most multivitamins.) In the study of respiratory illness and vitamin D, the dose was equivalent to about 3,330 international units daily.

Vitamin D can be found in fatty fish, such as salmon, and in milk or foods fortified with vitamin D. In general, our vitamin D levels tend to be influenced by sun exposure, skin tone and latitude people in northern areas who get less sun exposure in the winter typically have lower vitamin D. A blood test is required to check vitamin D levels. Less than 20 nanograms per milliliter is considered deficient. Above 30 is optimal.

The bottom line: If you are concerned about immune health, you may consider having your vitamin D level checked and talking to your doctor about whether to take a supplement.

Avoid excessive alcohol consumption. Numerous studies have found a link between excessive alcohol consumption and immune function. Research shows people who drink in excess are more susceptible to respiratory illness and pneumonia and recover from infection and wounds more slowly. Alcohol alters the number of microbes in the gut microbiome, a community of microorganisms that affect the immune system. Excessive alcohol can damage the lungs, and impair the mucosal immune system, which is essential in helping the body recognize pathogens and fight infection. And its not just chronic drinking that does damage. Binge drinking can also impair the immune system.

The bottom line: A cocktail or glass of wine while you are sheltering in place during coronavirus is fine. But avoid drinking to excess. The current U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that alcohol should be consumed only in moderation up to one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men.

Eat a balanced diet and skip unproven supplements. A healthful diet and exercise are important to maintaining a strong immune system. However, no single food or natural remedy has been proven to bolster a persons immune system or ward off disease. But that hasnt stopped people from making specious claims. A recipe circulating on social media claims boiled garlic water helps. Other common foods touted for their immune-boosting properties are ginger, citrus fruits, turmeric, oregano oil and bone broth. There are small studies that suggest a benefit to some of these foods, but strong evidence is lacking. For instance, the bone broth claim has been fueled by a study published in 2000 that showed eating chicken soup seemed to reduce symptoms of an upper respiratory tract infection. A number of small studies have suggested garlic may enhance immune system function. Claims that elderberry products can prevent viral illness also are making the rounds on social media, but evidence is lacking.

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Can I Boost My Immune System? - The New York Times