By Stefan Ianev
Right now around the globe, there are a lot of people stressing out about the coronavirus without realising this may be more harmful to them than the actual virus itself.
Corona is an opportunistic pathogen which means it is more likely to attack a host with a weakened immune system.There is an overwhelming amount of evidence linking stress with weakened immunity.
On the other hand meditation has been shown to have a very robust effect on the immune system perhaps more so than any other intervention. Exercise has also been shown to increase immunity even from a single bout.
So if you have been panicking about the coronavirus right now might be a good time to start meditating and keep on exercising!
Additionally as COVID-19 is RNA-Dependent there has been research circulating that increasing intracellular zinc levels have been shown to inhibit the virus by stopping it from replicating in the cells by inhibiting RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP, RDR) or RNA replicase, an enzyme that catalyzes the replication of RNA.
So adding 25-30mg of zinc chelate to your supplement regimen may also be a good preventative and/or recovery measure. Taking Zinc chelate unsupported has a typically poor absorption rate into the cellular membrane as it is a positively charged ion; coupling this with a ionophore may increase the zinc absorption rate.
Surprisingly a readily available item that can help is tonic water which contains quinine (an ionophore) which has been shown to increase zinc uptake into cells.
Alternatively if you can not supplement with Zinc or would rather get your Zinc directly from your diet, here are 10 foods that prove to be a great source of Zinc!
Remember, Zinc is a mineral that’s essential for good health.
It’s required for the functions of over 300 enzymes and involved in many important processes in your body. It metabolizes nutrients, maintains your immune system and grows and repairs body tissues.
Next time you food prep, make sure you include some of the following zinc-rich foods.
Links/Citations to Studies:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4182877/
- Desforges, Marc & Le Coupanec, Alain & Dubeau, Philippe & Bourgouin, Andréanne & Lajoie, Louise & Dubé, Mathieu & Talbot, Pierre. (2019). Human Coronaviruses and Other Respiratory Viruses: Underestimated Opportunistic Pathogens of the Central Nervous System?. Viruses. 12. 14. 10.3390/v12010014.
- Thibodeaux, Nicole & Rossano, Matt. (2018). Meditation and Immune Function: The Impact of Stress Management on the Immune System. OBM Integrative and Complementary Medicine. 3. 1-1. 10.21926/obm.icm.1804032.
- Nieman, D.C., & Wentz, L.M. The Compelling Link Between Physical Activity and the Body’s Defense System. Journal of Sport and Health Science 8(3), 201-217. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jshs.2018.09.009
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21079686
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