Treating a Pandemic within a Pandemic
If you read my Email/Blog posts you know I have been talking a lot about Resilience and Immunity and how they are linked to what has been going on in our world.
I read an article yesterday from Dr. Jeff Bland (The Father of Functional Medicine) titled, “COVID-19: A Pandemic Within a Pandemic.” His words resonated with me, especially this quote so I felt I should share: Feel free to read the whole article to understand the science behind the quote if you like just click the link above.
“Why diet? Vegetables and fruits contain a class of nutrients called phytochemicals that play important dietary roles in reducing the comorbidities associated with metabolic syndrome. Certain phytochemicals, such as the flavonoids quercetin and luteolin, have been found to bind to the ACE2 receptor on COVID-19, which can potentially help to protect against infection. A recent study evaluated how quercetin and vitamin D may contribute to the mitigation of COVID-19 through their impact on immune system function and the reduction of chronic inflammation.
It is clear that improvement in the lifestyle, environmental, and dietary factors associated with the comorbidities that are linked to both metabolic syndrome and COVID-19 can have a positive impact on enhancing immunity. Studies have shown that improved physical fitness, reduction in obesity, and increased quality of sleep can all positively influence immunity and reduce the severity of viral infections like COVID-19.”
Diet and lifestyle (and in turn, function of the immune system) may be the answer to why some people fare so poorly with COVID-19 and others have only mild symptoms. As Dr. Bland writes in his essay, metabolic syndrome, which is characterized by altered immune function, overlaps with comorbidities that contribute to the severity of COVID-19 and has been on the rise for decades. COVID-19 has thrown us into a new reality: a pandemic within a pandemic of metabolic syndrome.
If we want our global population to be resistant to the COVID-19 pandemic and future outbreaks, we must first address the challenges that make us susceptible. We have to support our health and immunity and become more resilient.
Have a healthy week… Here to help you connect the dots and get you on the path to better health.
Dr Pia
