A Common Sense Approach to Respiratory Viruses — Part 2

A practical, two-part guide on viruses and immunity—including how to support your own viral defenses.

Christof Plothe, D.O.

Part 2: Health-promoting suggestions for the common cold, influenza, RSV, coronaviruses, and more.

For part 1 of A Common Sense Approach to Respiratory Viruses, click here.

When should we start supporting our viral defenses?

Ideally, your lifestyle should be an immune-supportive one as a prophylaxis. This should include your diet, sleep, exercise, and your mental, emotional and spiritual state, as well as a reduction of EMF exposure.

When you feel the first signs of infection, you should immediately shift your diet (see below) and start with Vitamin D, NAC, Zinc, Quercetin, and Vitamin C.

The foundation of good immunity: our diet

A balanced diet supplies you with all nutrients your organism needs and nourishes your gut microbiome, which is responsible for up to 80% of our immune response. People with a balanced diet and an average daily consumption of >500 g of vegetables and fruit and >10 g of nuts had an 86% lower risk of Covid-19 compared with those whose diet was not balanced and who consumed lower amounts of these products (Jagielski, 2022). It is advisable to include the most essential categories daily.

These are: 

• Fermented legumes

• Root vegetables

• Vegetables

• Greens

• Nuts, seeds, flaxseeds

• Fruits

• Berries

• Cruciferous vegetables

• Sulfides (onions, garlic, leeks, etc.)

• Herbs and spices

• Fermented grains (sourdough, etc.) in times of prophylaxis. During an infection, you should refrain from grains. 

Please note that especially during a viral infection, it is paramount to use wholefood plant-based nutrition (Alam, 2019; Ferreira, 2020; Janda, 2020; Zuo, 2021) as animal proteins increase inflammatory responses and can negatively influence your immune response (Butler, 2020; Connaughton, 2016; Greger, 2012; Zabetakis, 2020). Please also refrain from sugar and grains as they have been demonstrated to assist viral entry into the body. 240,000 studies have been evaluated for Covid-19 progression for severity and death, and sugar has been placed as the main factor responsible for it (Logette, 2021). Consumption of sugar causes chronic inflammation, harms the interferon secretion in epithelial cells, and impedes the antiviral function of natural immune cells, T cells, and B cells. Sugar also damages phagocytic cells (which swallow germs) and gut microbes. 

Ways to boost the microbiome

The easiest way to boost our bacteria in the gut is to give them good food (prebiotic foods). These are fiber-rich foods (fermented wholegrains, vegetables like broccoli, brussels sprouts, root vegetables, legumes) and foods like garlic, onions, artichokes, bananas, and chicory. As our bacteria feed on different phytochemicals, you should also make your daily foods as colorful as possible, as this will increase the number of different varieties.

One easy way to support the microbiome is to eat fresh and live fermented foods like Sauerkraut or Kimchi, or learn to ferment your own at home.

Vitamin D

Please check your Vitamin D levels regardless of the season and supplementation. The ideal value should be between 50 and 80 ng/ml. Make sure you are in this range, which is significantly higher than most labs use as their reference levels, by repeating the measurement after three weeks if not achieved in the first analysis. Vitamin D has proven to be a key modulator in all three respiratory viral infections (Vaghari-Tabari, 2021). There is a well-established inverse relationship between the risk of respiratory viral pathogens, including influenza, Covid-19, and 25(OH)D levels (Gunville, 2013; Ingham, 2014; Sabetta, 2015). 

Zinc and an ionophore (Quercetin) and Vitamin C

As we previously learned, an allopathic doctor is mostly helpless against a viral challenge. Since Covid times, this has changed. According to peer-reviewed studies, zinc (Sadeghsoltani, 2021) and zinc combined with an ionophore like Quercetin, inhibit the influenza virus and Covid-19. An ionophore is a molecule that can act as a facilitator and enhance zinc entry into the cell. Zinc is a decidedly anti-viral mineral. High intracellular concentrations inhibit the replication of RNA-type viruses, such as SARS-CoV-2. Quercetin is a phytochemical and, in itself, has demonstrated solid antiviral capacity (Wu 2015). Combined with Vitamin C, it develops further synergistic action (Biancatelli, 2020). Please use this combination for any viral infection as soon as possible. Vitamin C itself can help with the differentiation and proliferation of T and B cells. A lack of vitamin C will lead to impaired immunity and higher infection susceptibility.

N-acetylcysteine (NAC)

Based on a broad range of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms, the oral administration of NAC is likely to attenuate the risk of developing Covid-19, as it was previously demonstrated for influenza and influenza-like illnesses. Administration of NAC during the winter significantly attenuated influenza and influenza-like episodes, especially in elderly high-risk individuals. NAC did not prevent A/H1N1 virus influenza infection but significantly reduced the incidence of clinically apparent disease. (De Flora, 1997). Only 25% of virus-infected subjects under NAC treatment developed a symptomatic form versus 79% in the placebo group. It also can reduce the replication of influenza viruses and reduces inflammation (Geiler, 2010).

In the event of symptoms, include the following as support: 

Minimum supplementation should include:

ADULTS

• Vitamin D, 10 000 IU a day

• NAC, 3 x 600 mg

• Quercetin, 2 x 500 mg a day, together with

• Zinc, 2 x 30 mg a day

CHILDREN AND TEENAGERS, AGES 12-17

• Vitamin D, 3000-5000 IU per day

• Quercetin 2 x 250 mg a day, together with

• Zinc, 20 mg per day, together with

• Vitamin C, 1000 IU per day

• NAC, 500 mg day

CHILDREN AGES 4-11 (children under 4 are in danger of choking on chewable supplements)

• Vitamin D 2000-3000 IU per day 

• Quercetin, 250 mg a day, together with

• Zinc, 20 mg per day, together with

• Vitamin C 1000 IU per day 

• NAC, 500 mg per day

What we should know about sleep and viral infections

Sleep and circadian rhythm disruption can actually predispose you to a viral infection like Covid-19 and causes the suppression of both innate and adaptive immune systems; it should thus not be underestimated (Taylor, 2023). During sleep, the body releases essential hormones (growth hormone and melatonin), and melatonin enhances both innate and cellular immunity (Srinivasan, 2005).

So don´t watch your favorite movies late at night when infected, and better think about good sleep.

Nature and viral infections

Spending time in nature can help relieve stress and anxiety, improve your mood, and boost happiness and well-being (Bratman, 2015; Capaldi, 2014; Mayer, 2009). Nowadays, called forest bathing, ecotherapy, mindfulness in nature, green time, or the wilderness cure, humans evolved in the great outdoors, and our brains benefit from a journey back to nature. A walk in the woods also strongly activates Natural Killer (NK) cells, improving our immunity (Morimoto, 2007; Li, 2010).

So make sure to spend time outdoors, especially in nature, like in the woods or near water, if you can.

How exercise can help our immune system

Researchers who studied the preventative aspect of exercise in viral infections like Covid-19 recommend efforts to promote physical activity be prioritized by public health agencies and incorporated into routine medical care (Després, 2021).

You should not engage in vigorous exercise during and in the days after a viral infection.

How can our mental and emotional state influence our viral responses?

Stressful conditions decrease the Natural Killer cell capacity, and psychological stress thus impairs the immune system's ability to produce antibodies, thereby making the organism more vulnerable to infections (Dragos, 2010). Anything to decrease stress and mental overload will help our immune system. Make sure you are surrounded by positive mental and emotional inputs during an infection; turn off your radio, TV, Internet, and social media and enjoy nature's sounds, silence, or listen to your favorite music or an uplifting or funny audiobook.

Meditation techniques like mindfulness have been shown to affect specific markers of inflammation and cell-mediated immunity (Black, 2016). Research shows us that laughter boosts our immune system's ability to fight infection. The associated dopamine production promotes the action of Natural Killer cells. Positive thoughts also release neuropeptides that can improve overall immunity. In the last years, the effect of our emotional well-being on our defense system has been well observed. More and more scientists mention including psychology as an integral part of infection treatment strategy (Wang, 2021).

Drink enough to assist your immune system

Drink enough water to balance your fluid loss. Hydration is a crucial element in maintaining a healthy immune system. Most of us are out of our everyday routines during this Covid-19 pandemic, so it is important to remember to hydrate properly. A large part of the cells in our body are made up of water. So water plays a very important role in the functioning of every system, including the immune system. Water helps your body eliminate particular wastes that can otherwise stress our immune system. Adequate hydration means your immune system is more robust for other challenges.

It's essential to drink at least 8-10 glasses of water a day to keep your hydration levels up.

Avoid EMF exposure during infection

An ever-increasing number of studies have clearly shown various biological and medical effects at the cellular level due to electromagnetic fields. EMF radiation is classified as an immunosuppressant, which means it makes your immune system unable to respond—sometimes at all—to a pathogen like a virus. It has been demonstrated that high-frequency EMFs reduce cytotoxic activity in the peripheral blood. Many immune cell concentrations, like NK cells, were significantly altered (Boscol, 2001; Dmoch, 1998). Another level of harmful modulation of the immune system is the increase in an inflammation-promoting factor (cytokine) named IL 6 (Aghajari, 2021; Megha, 2015). EMF has been shown to elevate this while it increases inflammation.

Unfortunately, IL 6 is one of the primary progression markers of Covid-19 (Herold, 2020). So turn off your wireless devices during infection and stick to cable bound communication instead.

Author perspective

While the efficiency of all measures (Diet, supplements, etc.) has been demonstrated in numerous peer-reviewed studies, our health ministries and regulatory bodies are not telling us about it. Indeed, in countries such as New Zealand and the USA, there are moves to restrict the availability of nutraceuticals such as herbs and supplements. For example, NAC has been a widely-used dietary supplement for six decades, yet the FDA suddenly decided to crack down on it in late July 2020 — right after discovering how useful it was for preventing and treating Covid-19. As it was too effective, the new regulations declared it a drug. New proposed legislation by the FDA, if passed, will technically ban most supplements, as few supplement makers have the financial resources required to meet drug approval requirements. In Europe, the regulatory bodies have just passed similar legislation for Artemisia and Curcumin.

The main official argument for this is safety. But nutritional supplements are 62,000 times safer than pharmaceutical drugs. Yet nobody seems to be interested in banning them. Meanwhile, in the real world, not a single death has ever been reported as a direct result of taking a supplement. Make up your own mind.

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Disclaimer: The views expressed in this submission are Christof’s own and do not necessarily represent the World Council for Health.

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