Keeping your immune system healthy
Dr. Kevin Sherin is a family practitioner practicing in Orlando, FL. Dr. Sherin specializes in comprehensive health care for people of all ages. In addition to diagnosing and treating illnesses, family practitioners also put focus on preventative care with routine checkups, tests and personalized coaching on how to maintain... more
Patients often ask why they get frequent respiratory infections, colds or recurrent COVID. Part of the secret is keeping our immune systems healthy. No less than Nobel prize winner Linus Pauling told the world about the benefits of vitamin C. Good nutrition and a balanced diet, sunshine, exercise and adequate sleep are keys for a healthy immune system.
Since the early 1970’s, a paper in the prestigious journal Nature, told the world about the benefits of zinc in helping to shorten the course of upper respiratory infections. These are known to be caused by both Rhinoviruses and Coronaviruses. A good food source of zinc is found in pumpkin seeds! Another secret here us that the zinc has to get inside the cell’s nucleus to help to block viral replication. Zinc ionospheres can help this process. These can be found in EGCG, in green tea and in Quercetin, red grapes.
Patients with higher COVID death rates were noted to often have had low Vitamin D and zinc levels VS those who did better. For older adults I recommend 5,000 IUs of Vitamin D and 50 mg of Zinc daily.
Allergies can be a factor in frequent hay fever sinusitis and respiratory problems. Antihistamines such as certrizine and frequent rinses of the nasal cavities with nasal saline can both be helpful.
The CDC recommends annual flu and COVID boosters. But there is no substitute for keeping your immune system healthy. Do your best to keep a heathy immune system. Don’t wait until you are ill to take zinc and vitamin D. Vitamin D is a definite key, especially as we get older.
