I attended a virtual meeting of Functional Medicine and Integrative Practitioners last night and learned some excellent information from the hospital front lines as well as the scientific research on Covid-19 that I want to share with you, my readers, right away. I believe knowledge is power when it comes to Covid-19 and preventing and managing all illnesses for that matter. What I learned about managing early Covid symptoms using nutrition may help you!
Using Nutrition
It is possible to get all of these nutrients through foods, but in this specific situation my recommendation is supplementation also. The reason is that it is very hard to eat enough whole foods to get these therapeutic dosages. Also, please keep in mind one of the main tenets of Functional Medicine and Functional Nutrition – a well-functioning digestive system is needed to absorb and assimilate anything that we consume. It is not only what we eat and what supplements we consume that is important, but also what our bodies can do with what we take in that is equally important! Contact me if you want help determining where your digestion is weak and individualized nutrition and lifestyle guidance towards healing your digestion.
Zinc
The first major hitter I learned more about last night is ZINC. One side-effect of infection with Covid-19 is a loss of sense of smell and taste. It turns out, zinc deficiency is one factor that can lead to a loss of smell and taste. And, why this is so important right now is that zinc can work to inhibit virus replication. So, taking zinc as early as possible may keep viral symptoms as mild as possible. Supplementing with zinc is straightforward. The recommended therapeutic dosage for prevention of illness is zinc glycinate 20 mg, zinc sulfate 220mg. The recommended therapeutic dosage once Covid-19 symptoms start
- zinc glycinate 20mg 3 to 4 times per day for 5 days or
- zinc sulfate 220mg 3 to 4 times per day for 5 days.
- Individual factors could be present that make this recommendation not right for you, so please consult with your integrative doctor.
Quercetin
Also, I learned that QUERCETIN is a zinc ionophore (which basically means that it helps zinc do its work and magic). There are other zinc ionophores as well. The recommended quercetin dosage after Covid-19 symptoms start is 500mg two times per day. Again, this is educational information, and individual cases and situations may vary.
Melatonin
The third piece of valuable information I came away with last night is about MELATONIN. You may know that melatonin is a hormone that the pituitary gland secretes in the evening, after is becomes dark outside, to help your body get ready for a restful night’s sleep. Regarding Covid-19, I learned that melatonin also could assist with immune system regulation. Specifically, melatonin prevents ‘degranulation of the inflammasome’. Melatonin looks to be protective of the lungs. The therapeutic dosage of melatonin in relation to Covid-19 is 5mg per day for preventions and increase to four times per day if symptoms start. There could be cases where this is not appropriate for every individual.
Other supports
There are other vitamins which are important for immunity such as vitamins C, D3 and K2. There are also many Functional Nutrition and Lifestyle tools which support immunity.
This is what I plan to do for myself and my family early on if Covid-19 symptoms were to begin in hopes of keeping symptoms mild. My hope is that you find this information helpful and that you and your loved ones stay well.
Functional Nutrition and Lifestyle Support
Please keep in mind that I cannot give recommendations to individuals without doing a full Functional Nutrition and Lifestyle Clinical Intake to look at your whole health history and your entire case. After a Clinical Intake, then I can make individualized recommendations. Part of what I do is consult with your medical doctor with your permission when needed. I am available to do individual clinical intakes virtually. If you are interested in getting started or learning more about working with me, feel free to reach out to me at amy@soulpathwellness.com to set up an appointment or a complimentary Zoom consult.
Many clients and readers ask me where to buy quality supplements. So, I wrote a blog to guide my readers on how to pick high-quality supplements, and I hope you find it helpful.