The winter and spring of 2020 has been a challenging cold and flu season for many people, and now we have a new threat: COVID-19 (AKA coronavirus). I frequently hear the media and others discussing medications and vaccines as the only answer to treatment and prevention. Of course, good hygiene is always mentioned as well. While these measures can play a role in prevention and treatment, there is so much more to this story. There are important lifestyle measures and supplements that have been proven through research to boost immunity, and support immune function. Keeping one’s immune system as competent as possible in the face of potential illness is truly the best prevention AND treatment when encountering a virus.
Below is a summary of the strategies I recommend for supporting the immune system. If you do nothing else, please take your vitamin D and ImmuCore, decrease your sugar, and get enough sleep!
Warmly,
Dr. Fenske
[hr]
Immune System Support
Keeping Your Immune System Healthy:
- Decrease sugar consumption – eating or drinking sugar reduces the capacity of the body’s white blood cells to fight infection by up to 40% for 5 hours after ingestion.
- Aim for 8 hours of sleep each night.
- Manage stress or reduce stress.
- Exercise regularly.
- Make produce the foundation of your diet.
- Stay hydrated.
- Take supplements recommended below.
- Wash hands frequently.
Boost Immunity with Nutritional Supplements:
Nutritional supplements for prevention September – April – adults:
- Vitamin D: 5000 IU daily with food (you may take more if the doctor tests you and it is appropriate)
- ImmuCore (vitamin C, zinc, selenium, oleanolic acid, mushroom extracts for immune support): 2 tablets with breakfast throughout the cold and flu season
- Ther Biotic Complete (probiotic): 1 daily with food
Nutritional supplements for prevention September – April – infants:
- Vitamin D/K Drops: 1000 IU every OTHER day with food
- TherBiotic Infant Probiotics: ¼ tsp daily with food
Nutritional supplements for prevention September – April – children (18 months-14 years):
- Vitamin D/K drops: 1000 IU per 25 lbs of body weight with food
- Ther Biotic Complete (probiotic): 1 daily with food
- Imu-Max: 1 tsp daily with breakfast
Nutritional supplements to use during acute illness – adults:
- ImmuCore : increase to 1, 4X/day with food for 5 days or until well
- Phytogen (herbal antimicrobial): 3 caps every 3 hours for 5 days or until well with or without food
- Argentyn 23 Silver Hydrosol: 1 tsp, hold under tongue for 30 seconds, swallow, 7 times/day with or without food (gargle if you have a sore throat)
- Vitamin D: increase to 30,000 IU/day with food for 5 days
Nutritional supplements to use during acute illness – children (18 months-14 years):
- Imu-Max: 1 tsp 4X daily for 4 days
- Argentyn 23 Silver Hydrosol: 1 tsp, hold under tongue for 30 seconds, swallow, 5 times/day with or without food (gargle if you have a sore throat)
- Vitamin D/K drops: increase to 5,000 IU per 25 lbs of body weight for 5 days
For the FLU, in addition to the above supplements:
- Oscillococcinum (homeopathic remedy) – available at most drug stores (follow instructions on the bottle, always have on hand as it works best in the BEGINNING stages of the flu)
If you must take antibiotics for an infection, it is very important that you also take probiotics to reduce adverse effects of the antibiotics. I recommend the following specialized probiotic:
- ABX: 2x/day apart from the antibiotic during the course of treatment and then reduce to 1 daily with or without food for 1 month following treatment.
NOTE: The above supplements are for general immune support. If you have specific concerns such as bronchitis, chronic cough, sinus infection, ear infection, sore throat, swollen glands, high fever, etc., please talk with Dr. Fenske.
[hr]
Guiding Principles
