The number of COVID-19 cases that have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) since January 21, 2020 has exceeded 10 million. Modernarecently announced success in its development of a COVID-19 vaccine, a spike in cases across the country. Reaching record numbers of reported cases, this second wave of COVID-19 is seemingly worse than the first. So how can we continue to protect ourselves?
While scientists continue to work toward effective treatments and to figure out why COVID-19 affects individuals so differently, what we know for sure is the added threat this virus can have on those with compromised immune systems. Scientists and public health officials still lack the understanding of the pathogenesis of COVID-19 and, subsequently, the inflammatory response to it. This further complicates the predictability of the response of an immune-compromised individual.
Until an effective vaccine against COVID-19 is available, we have to continue to do the hard, albeit tedious, work of keeping ourselves safe and healthy by wearing facial coverings, keeping our social distance, practicing good hand hygiene, and staying home when were sick, says Jaimie Meyer, MD, MS, aYale Medicineinfectious disease specialist.
It is now more important than ever for those at higher risk to protect their immune systems, and this starts with optimal gut health and protecting ones barriers. If theres a barrier breakdown, inflammation can compromise the immune system. A holistic approach to health may be your best defense. The following suggestions can help to do just that.
Isnt this the answer to everything?
It may be so, but especially for a healthy immune system. Approximately 70 percentof the immune system resides in the gut. Therefore, gut health affects immune health. A balanced diet consists of fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, healthy fats, seeds, legumes, and lean proteins while avoiding inflammatory foods like excess alcohol, sugar, refined carbohydrates, grains, dairy, CAFO red meat, and processed foods. With the holidays approaching it will be easy to overindulge, but remember this year its especially important to keep your body strong and healthy.
A toxic load or accumulation of toxins and chemicals that we ingest from a variety of sources, including the environment, the food we eat, the water wedrink, and the personal care and household products we use creates a serious imbalance. Then the barriers can become too weak for the load, and they start breaking down, allowing these toxins into our bloodstream and making the immune system vulnerable to disease and infection.
Eliminating intake or exposure to toxins seems the most obvious of actions. Substituting non-organic fruits, vegetables, meats and dairy for organic foods will eliminate toxins ingested through your GI tract. The use of organic and all-natural body-care products, cleaners, and insecticides will eliminate exposure to chemicals through the lungs and skin. Drinking filtered water and avoiding being outside on high-smog days are examples of how to navigate environmental factors.
There are five major organs the lungs, skin, liver, kidneys, and colon. These organs are responsible for filtering and clearing toxins out of our bodies. Optimizing the health of these organs will help them to filter out the toxins effectively. For example, when we breathe in oxygen, our lungs filter out carbon dioxide that we then exhale. The cilia on the lungs also help to catch and eliminate toxic particles that we may breathe in through mucus and then cough up or swallow and pass. For a smoker, the protective cilia on the lungs can be damaged, thus inhibiting the lungs from functioning as intended. The health and care of our organs are not only vital to ensure optimal function, but also to avoid toxic load.
Cyrex Laboratories, a leader in innovative testing designed to detect and monitor autoimmune reactivities and their possible triggers, offers The Array 5 Multiple Autoimmune Reactivity Screen. This test is designed to measure predictive autoantibodies, some of which can appear up to 10 years before clinical symptoms. It also assesses possible tissue damage to multiple organs of the body. The Array 2 is another test called the Intestinal Antigenic Permeability Screen which measures intestinal permeability of large molecules, which inflame the immune system. For anybody who suspects they may be genetically predisposed to or at risk of developing autoimmune diseases, this testing is highly recommended, especially with the added risk of contracting COVID-19.
As we have seen, novel viruses are scary and unpredictable. COVID-19 is not the first and it will likely not be the last. The best way you can shield yourself from the unknown is to start out strong with proactive healthcare. Thanks to advancements in medical testing, individuals now have the ability to pre-determine disease markers. This allows for the opportunity for health-risk management. Theres no time like the present to take control of your health.
Dr. Chad Larson, NMD, DC, CCN, CSCS, Advisor, and Consultant on Clinical Consulting Team for Cyrex Laboratories.
Dr. Larson holds a Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine degree from Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine. He also has a Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Southern California University of Health Sciences. Dr. Larson is also a Certified Clinical Nutritionist and a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. He particularly pursues advanced developments in the fields of endocrinology, orthopedics, sports medicine, and environmentally-induced chronic disease.
The rest is here:
Four Key Ways To Protect Your Barriers and Immune System During the Second Wave of COVID-19 - Longevity LIVE
- Eosinophil innate immune memory after bacterial skin infection promotes allergic lung inflammation - Science | AAAS - April 5th, 2025
- Researchers Discover mRNA Vaccines Leave Lasting Mark on the Immune System - SciTechDaily - April 5th, 2025
- Scientific Journeys: Uncovering how dioxins affect the immune system - National Institutes of Health (NIH) (.gov) - April 5th, 2025
- Oligodendroglial precursor cells modulate immune response and early demyelination in a murine model of multiple sclerosis - Science | AAAS - April 5th, 2025
- Measles can ravage the immune system and brain, causing long-term damage a virologist explains - The Conversation - April 5th, 2025
- Microscopic Instigators - The University of New Mexico - April 5th, 2025
- Changes in the immune index before and after surgery in urinary malignancy patients with AIDS - Nature - April 5th, 2025
- Non-immune targeting of CXCR3 compromises mitochondrial function and suppresses tumor growth in glioblastoma - Nature - April 5th, 2025
- 8 Supplements That Will Boost Your Immune System - Verywell Health - April 5th, 2025
- Improving immunotherapy for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma: learning from patients and preclinical models - Nature - April 5th, 2025
- Redefining the immune landscape of hepatitis A virus infection - Nature - April 5th, 2025
- What Happens to Your Immune Health When You Take Vitamin C and Zinc Together? - Verywell Health - April 5th, 2025
- Diet Has A Major Impact On The Immune System - WorldHealth.net - April 5th, 2025
- Top 7 ways to boost your immune system - The Indian Express - April 5th, 2025
- Kinetics of pIgR and IgM immune responses in snakehead ( Channa argus ) to inactivated Aeromonas hydrophila via immersion and intraperitoneal... - April 5th, 2025
- What Is Man Flu? - Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials - April 5th, 2025
- Dynamics of T cell subpopulations and plasma cytokines during the first year of antineoplastic therapy in patients with breast cancer: the BEGYN-1... - April 5th, 2025
- Publication in npj Vaccines Reports Cross-reactive and Long-Lasting Immune Responses for self-amplifying mRNA (samRNA) COVID-19 Vaccine Booster... - April 5th, 2025
- 9 Supplements, Tonics, and Oils to Boost Immune Health - W Magazine - April 5th, 2025
- Preoperative pan-immuno-inflammatory values and albumin-to-globulin ratio predict the prognosis of stage IIII colorectal cancer - Nature - April 5th, 2025
- Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (Lupus) - Who gets it? | NIAMS - February 7th, 2025
- Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (Lupus) Basics - National Institute of ... - February 7th, 2025
- Long COVID: women at greater risk compared to men could immune system differences be the cause? - The Conversation - February 7th, 2025
- What is Pemphigus? Symptoms & Causes | NIAMS - February 7th, 2025
- How the immune system influences pancreatic cancer: New interactions provide therapeutic insights - Medical Xpress - February 7th, 2025
- Mitochondrias Secret Power Unleashed in the Battle Against Inflammation - SciTechDaily - February 7th, 2025
- WNT11 Promotes immune evasion and resistance to Anti-PD-1 therapy in liver metastasis - Nature.com - February 7th, 2025
- The role of the behavioral immune system in the expression of short and long-term orientation in young Chilean men during the COVID-19 pandemic - BMC... - February 7th, 2025
- Harvard nutritionist eats these 5 foods to keep her 'immune system strong' and 'energy high' - CNBC - February 7th, 2025
- Micro Immune Response On-chip (MIRO) models the tumour-stroma interface for immunotherapy testing - Nature.com - February 7th, 2025
- Personalized Therapeutic Vaccine Steers the Immune System to Fight Kidney Cancer | Newswise - Newswise - February 7th, 2025
- Identification of m6A methyltransferase-related WTAP and ZC3H13 predicts immune infiltrates in glioblastoma - Nature.com - February 7th, 2025
- Serotonin attenuates tumor necrosis factor-induced intestinal inflammation by interacting with human mucosal tissue - Nature.com - February 7th, 2025
- Identification of the immune infiltration and biomarkers in ulcerative colitis based on liquidliquid phase separation-related genes - Nature.com - February 7th, 2025
- FLASH radiation reprograms lipid metabolism and macrophage immunity and sensitizes medulloblastoma to CAR-T cell therapy - Nature.com - February 7th, 2025
- Young Innovators: U of S researcher uses bat immune systems to find next generation therapies - Saskatoon Star-Phoenix - February 7th, 2025
- World Cancer Day 2025: Chronic stress, immune system, and cancer risk- How are these connected? - The Times of India - February 7th, 2025
- New research unlocks key to long-lasting immune response in cancer and chronic diseases - The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity - February 7th, 2025
- Microbial Dynamics and Immune Response to NTHi in COPD - Physician's Weekly - February 7th, 2025
- MHE Week in Review RFK Jr. Spotlight - Managed Healthcare Executive - February 7th, 2025
- Psoriasis Basics: Overview, Symptoms, and Causes - January 27th, 2025
- Vitiligo Symptoms, Treatment & Causes | NIAMS - January 27th, 2025
- The Surprising Connection Between Obesity, Parasites, and Your Immune System - SciTechDaily - January 27th, 2025
- Versatile 69p spice that boosts immune system can go in soups, smoothies and milk - Express - January 27th, 2025
- How the skins secret immune system could lead to needle-free vaccines - Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance - January 27th, 2025
- Fevers link with a key kind of immunity is surprisingly ancient - Science News Magazine - January 27th, 2025
- Immunology - The Scientist - January 27th, 2025
- Opinion: Immune System And Ageing Why We Get More Vulnerable As We Age - ABP Live - January 27th, 2025
- 'Forever chemicals' (PFAS) may weaken immune function in children, leading to more frequent infections - U.S. Right to Know - January 27th, 2025
- Cellular Signals That Wreak Havoc in Sepsis are Revealed - LabRoots - January 27th, 2025
- New Combination Immunotherapy Targets Melanoma and Breast Cancer with Promising Results - Inside Precision Medicine - January 27th, 2025
- New Research in The Journal of Poultry Science: Trained Immunity Offers Novel Poultry Disease Prevention Strategies - PR Newswire - January 27th, 2025
- Scientists uncover how cancer cells hijack T-cells, making it harder for the body to fight back - Medical Xpress - January 27th, 2025
- MiNK Therapeutics Targets Immune Reconstitution to Combat - GlobeNewswire - January 27th, 2025
- Mitochondria may be a promising therapeutic target for inflammatory diseases - Medical Xpress - January 27th, 2025
- Explainer: What is Guillain-Barr Syndrome and how it affects the immune system - Mathrubhumi English - January 27th, 2025
- Yes, Some Vaccines Contain Aluminum. Thats a Good Thing. - The New York Times - January 27th, 2025
- You Are What You Eat? MD Breaks Down The Science Of The Gut Microbiome - mindbodygreen - January 27th, 2025
- Potential gamechanger: Researchers discover basis for immunotherapy-induced myocarditis - Healio - January 27th, 2025
- Ozempic and Wegovy may boost health, from addiction to dementia - BBC.com - January 27th, 2025
- Neutrophil diversity and function in health and disease - Nature.com - December 6th, 2024
- Harnessing the Power of the Immune System for Breast Cancer Treatment - Breast Cancer Research Foundation - December 6th, 2024
- Study Examines Neoantigen Landscapes and Their Role in Immunotherapy Efficacy - Consult QD - December 6th, 2024
- The 5 Best Teas to Support Your Immune System This Cold & Flu Season - EatingWell - December 6th, 2024
- Engineered immune cells may be able to tame inflammation - Medical Xpress - December 6th, 2024
- Hybrid model of tumor growth, angiogenesis and immune response yields strategies to improve antiangiogenic therapy - Nature.com - December 6th, 2024
- Opioids interfere with cancer immunotherapy, but another type of drug could help - Medical Xpress - December 6th, 2024
- RANKL cytokine restores thymus cells in old mice, reducing tumor growth and improving T cell immune response - Fierce Biotech - December 6th, 2024
- Predictive role of neutrophil percentage-to-albumin ratio, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, and systemic immune-inflammation index for mortality in... - December 6th, 2024
- Immuno-Oncology Strategic Industry Research Report 2023-2024 & 2030: Approval of Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and Nivolumab (Opdivo), which Target... - December 6th, 2024
- Study cracks the cold case of immunotherapy resistance - News-Medical.Net - December 6th, 2024
- New immune therapy improves survival and reduces tumor burden in glioblastoma - News-Medical.Net - December 6th, 2024
- Identification of immune-related hub genes and potential molecular mechanisms involved in COVID-19 via integrated bioinformatics analysis - Nature.com - December 6th, 2024
- Immune Cell Breakthrough: Scientists Discover a Hidden Ally in the Fight Against Cancer - SciTechDaily - December 6th, 2024
- Rising temperatures impact the immune system of wild monkeys - Earth.com - December 6th, 2024
- Study declaring Alzheimer's to be a "brain disease" proven to be fabricated - Earth.com - December 6th, 2024
- Warming temperatures impact immune performance of wild monkeys, U-M study shows - University of Michigan News - December 6th, 2024
- New study explores heart risks of cancer immunotherapy - News-Medical.Net - December 6th, 2024
- 'Incredible' way to boost your immune system naturally and ward of colds and flu this winter - The Mirror - December 6th, 2024
- Tis the Season to Boost Your Immune System - Mix93.3 - December 6th, 2024