With the loosening of the mask mandates and the weather becoming a reason, not a hindrance, to go out, I thought it would be a good idea to talk about supplements that have been shown to help your body fight off not only COVID-19, but most other infections. Vitamin C Everyone should have heard by now that Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is very beneficial in boosting a person’s immune response. The main benefit is that it increases the rate at which the body destroys and absorbs the invading virus/bacteria/fungus. The consensus seems to be 500 mg of Vitamin C three times daily with food (to decrease the side effect of heartburn and to improve absorption). Something to remember, if you are using the chewable tablets, please rinse your mouth as the remaining ascorbic acid on your teeth may lead to cavities. Vitamin D3 Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) not only helps with the absorption of Calcium to help strengthen bones, it also helps strengthen the “glue” that holds the cells of the lungs together. This will help stop foreign entities from entering your body. There are some studies that show people who are deficient in Vitamin D have increased risk of catching COVID. There is not a fixed amount to take daily in regard to maximizing the affect for COVID blocking but the daily recommended amount for people under 50 years of age is 400 to 800 IU per day and 800 to 1200 IU per day for people over 50. Something to know is this is one of the four vitamins we can overdose on (Vitamins D, A, K, E). So, if you decide to take more than the recommended daily dose of Vitamin D, please have your care provider measure the Vitamin D level in your blood and help you choose the correct dosing. Zinc Zinc plays a vital role in helping the immune system stay at optimal capacity, plays a strong part in the respiratory tract’s ability to clear mucus, and strengthens the same glue between the lung cells as Vitamin D does. The dosing of Zinc above 50 mg a day is not recommended as prolonged high dosage can lead to copper depletion. Something to know, starting Zinc can lead to loose stools and stomach discomfort if taken on an empty stomach. This will last for a bit while your body adjusts to this new regimen. N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) NAC improves the movement of the mucus out of the body by making it more slippery and works in the creation of Glutathione, a powerful antioxidant. The dosing for this is 2400 mg at first then 1200 mg twice a day for 14 days. Something to consider, this supplement is used to treat people who overdose on Acetaminophen so taking those two together will cancel them out. NAC also interacts with nitrate medications for heart conditions so consult your care provider if you are thinking of starting with NAC. Additive effects Vitamin C, D, and Zinc taken together have been shown to boost the individual beneficial effects of each as well as some of the side effects (gastrointestinal issues are the main side effects – nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea). So, hydration becomes even more important as your body is not only potentially fight off an infection, but is also handling the increase in the demand for water from the GI tract if you experience side effects. Please feel free to reach out to us at [email protected], or your care provider, with any questions about this article or if you would like me to write about a topic of your interest.  Comments are closed.
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