(Updated 9/10/20)
Nutrients support a healthy immune system but bear in mind that the benefits of these are had from dribbling them into your body day-after-day, year-after-year. Your daily needs are continuous and lifelong, although some health experts who should know better do not seem to think this applies to sick people or the elderly! Shame on them!
Correction of some ignorance about what a healthy immune system means
I have heard some talk lately that an excessively strong immune system is what is killing people with COVID, producing an inflammatory cytokine storm, so we shouldn't take vitamins. I've heard similar stories about why people are developing chronic autoimmune diseases such as ME following COVID, requiring, among other medications, ones that suppress the immune system. This is a terrible misunderstanding of how our immune system works and the role of nutritional support for health.
A weak, dysfunctional and confused immune system that is the product of chronic stress, malnutrition and the side-effects of many medications is at the heart of these concerns. I mentioned medications. Some of the most common that are implicated are sinus decongestants, asthma medications and cardiovascular meds.
Our health officials' increasingly paranoid preoccupation with hygiene threatens to weaken our immune systems as might some of the chemicals used in the cleaners and disinfectants. We need constant exposure to bugs to train our immune systems.
A healthy immune system responds quickly, appropriately and with precision to any threat.
Our mineral-depleted diets are letting us down
Tissue zinc, for example, is universally depleted nowadays since it is no longer in abundance in our food and it is slow to be uptaken by the cells where it is most needed. This is where drugs like hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) come in if someone has a potentially life-threatening infection such as COVID19. As the video above demonstrates, HCQ expedites the uptake of minerals like zinc as is illustrated in the video above. Zinc prevents viral replication.
Mineral nutrients that are required for a healthy immune system
Zinc
Selenium
Magnesium
Calcium
Sodium
Potassium
Iron
Manganese
Chromium
Boron
Cobalt
Sulphur
Vitamins that are required for a healthy immune system
The fat-soluble group (A, D, E & K)
Vitamin C
The B group
What to eat to support your immune health
Generally, choose food that is nutrient-dense. This means giving preference to food that has the least refining and the least of empty calories, the worst of which are sugary drinks, white bread and noodles - you get the idea! Choose organic, free-range foods but bear in mind that this does not necessarily mean it has more nutrients. It comes down to the mineral quality of the soil at the beginning point of how that food was produced.
Brightly coloured and dark-skinned fruit, vegetables, spices and berries
Free-range eggs.
Red meat - the redder the better and free-range, of course!
Dairy, free-range, preferably A-2 protein, not homogenised, full-cream silver top (yellowish cream = fat-soluble vitamins), yoghurt, cheese and yellow butter.
Nut and seed mix, soaked overnight in salted water (pink salt), dried then gently roasted. This releases the nutrients.
What supplements to take
Keep it simple and affordable.
I've put together a selection of six high-quality multivitamins for children, women and men.
If a person is following a vegetarian diet then, rather than take a multivitamin plus a high-quality protein shake in addition to nutrient-dense whole foods.
If you follow these general guidelines with regards to the food you eat and what you serve your family, a good-quality multi will cover most bases for you. If you or any of your family have ongoing health issues then it is best that you contact me directly for advice and guidance with regards to diet.