Staying Healthy in the New Year: Nutrition Strategies for Immune Health and Surviving COVID-19

The first wave of vaccines has arrived –  the end of the tunnel is in sight! Yet we’re expecting another pandemic wave after New Year’s and we’re still being asked to socially distance and wear masks. Like many, I’ve experienced significant anxiety, especially after recently being exposed to a COVID-positive employee while working at a hospital. It was time to ask: “Am I doing everything I can to keep my immune system in tip-top shape?” In sharing these tips, I hope to reduce your anxiety while giving your immune system the edge it needs right now.

I’ve discussed the importance of a balanced diet in past articles, my favorite being the plant-based Mediterranean diet for overall gut health, weight loss and a happy mood. A plant-based diet also boosts your immune system, in which the microbiome plays a huge role. Eating half our lunch and dinner as non-starchy vegetables, minimizing processed foods, and trying to keep our sugar intake to 6-9 teaspoons per day (24-36 grams) goes a long way to assist immunity. We all have heard that obesity increases the chance of COVID complications through a series of hormonal reactions, but now is not the time to go on a crash diet.

Sometimes we need extra help from supplements to keep our immune system supercharged, with the caveat that these don’t replace a healthy diet. Let’s look at some key supplements for enhanced COVID Immunity, the efficacy of which is supported by current or recent clinical trials:

Vitamin D: Those with low serum levels of Vitamin D (less than 30 mg/dl) have an increased risk of contracting the novel coronavirus and, if they do, of hospitalization. Low serum Vitamin D is an epidemic in itself. Optimal levels in the blood are 50-70 mg/dl. To achieve this, I recommend 4,000-5,000 IU each day (100-125 mcg). Vitamin D is inexpensive, and the gel caps are tiny and easy to swallow.

Quercitin: With indications that it may keep the COVID virus from replicating, this little-known but powerful supplement is being increasingly recommended by doctors for patients who test positive for COVID. It’s also a smart preventative. Quercetin is a safe and natural anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory that is found in foods such as onions, red grapes, honey and citrus fruits. I suggest 500 mg daily; if you eat an especially healthy diet, 250 mg a day may be adequate.* 

Zinc: Research is showing the link between zinc deficiency and COVID, including its severity in positive diagnoses. There is also research to see if zinc can more quickly restore taste and smell in the wake of a COVID infection. Zinc has been shown to inhibit the RNA‐dependent RNA polymerase activity of SARS virus under in vitro conditions in a dose‐dependent manner.

Excellent dietary zinc powerhouses are oysters, crab, lobster, poultry, nuts and seeds, especially pumpkin seeds. Vegetarians tend to be more deficient, as well as older people and those with alcohol dependency, digestive disorders and sickle cell disease. While most clinical trials are using 50 mg zinc per day, most dietitians caution against taking more than 40 mg of zinc per day. I don’t recommend taking this amount of zinc long-term – most multivitamins contain 5-10 mg. Choose a zinc supplement that also includes copper, and take zinc at least two hours away from any prescription drugs to prevent any interaction.

Vitamin C: Vitamin C is known as an essential anti-oxidant and immunity booster. Start with Vitamin C-rich food sources: oranges, kiwis, bell peppers and guavas to name a few. Clinical trials use doses as high as 5,000 grams to help hospitalized COVID patients recover. For now, I suggest 500-1,000 mg of Vitamin C a day.

As mentioned, the supplements listed here are being researched in clinical trials, and much of the research is quite promising. By eating a healthy diet, taking our supplements, wearing a  mask and social distancing, we’re being proactive in our effort to ride this COVID wave intact. Boosting our immune systems and reducing our anxiety levels go hand in hand, so be sure to take comfort in taking care of yourself.

*Quercetin seems to impede the entry of SARS virus by targeting angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) expression (ACE2 gene expression is required for SARS‐CoV‐2 entry into human cells. The significance of quercetin in COVID‐19 is amply evident by the fact that currently (as of August 20, 2020), two open label interventional clinical trial (NCT04377789 and NCT04468139; source: https://clinicaltrials.gov/; Table ​Table1)1). In these current trials, they are studying a dose of 500 mg per day of Quercitin for Covid prevention and 1,000 mg per day in active Covid patients.