Some Good Info For You.

Hello everyone and thanks for stopping by. We all know what’s going on out there so I don’t want to beat the drum. However, I learned something new yesterday and I think it’s important to share it with you. For a long time I have been an advocate of taking Elderberry syrup during cold and flu season and especially if I caught a cold or the flu. I got an email from Dr, Andrew Weil , who teaches integrative medicine at the University of Arizona (my Alma Mater) He states that taking Elderberry if you have the virus might not be a good idea because it can cause more inflammation in the lungs due to the way it works.I’m going to place the email here so you can read it because it does have some practical things you can do other than the guidelines we’ve been given. I’m not a doctor or health care professional of any kind but he is so please give it a read and feel free to share it with friends and family. (Please note I removed 3 pages of footnotes in the interest of time, If you are a foot note kind of person drop me a message and I’ll send you the whole PDF)

“The Center Is Here to Help You During the Coronavirus Pandemic
During this time of great societal stress, we are here to contribute our knowledge and experience to your
health and wellbeing. There is a high level of interest in evidence-based integrative strategies to augment
public health measures to prevent COVID-19 virus infection and associated pneumonia. Unfortunately,
integrative measures have not been validated in human trials of COVID-19. Notwithstanding, this is an
opportune time to be proactive. Using available evidence, we offer the following strategies for you to
consider to enhance your immune system to reduce the severity or the duration of a viral infection.
Again, we stress that these are supplemental considerations to the current recommendations that
emphasize regular hand washing, physical distancing, stopping non-essential travel, and getting tested if
you develop symptoms.
RISK REDUCTION:
• Adequate sleep: Shorter sleep duration increases the risk of infectious illness. Adequate sleep
also ensures the secretion of melatonin, a molecule which may play a role in reducing coronavirus
virulence (see Melatonin below).
• Stress management: Psychological stress disrupts immune regulation. Various mindfulness
techniques such as meditation, breathing exercises, and guided imagery reduce stress.
• Zinc: Coronaviruses appear to be susceptible to the viral inhibitory actions of zinc. Zinc may
prevent coronavirus entry into cells and appears to reduce coronavirus virulence. Typical daily
dosing of zinc is 15mg – 30mg daily with lozenges potentially providing direct protective effects
in the upper respiratory tract.
• Vegetables and Fruits: Vegetables and fruits provide a repository of flavonoids that are
considered a cornerstone of an anti-inflammatory diet. At least 5–7 servings of vegetables and 2–
3 servings of fruits are recommended daily. Some of these foods and/or dietary supplements
include: tomatoes, apples, onions, oranges, nuts, parsley, celery, berries, licorice and Chinese
skullcap.
• Vitamin C: Clinical trials have found that vitamin C shortens the frequency, duration and
severity of the common cold and the incidence of pneumonia. Typical daily dosing of vitamin C
ranges from 500mg to 3000mg daily with even higher doses utilized during times of acute
infection.
• Melatonin: Melatonin has been shown to be anti-inflammatory. It also reduces oxidative lung
injury and inflammatory cell recruitment during viral infections.
• Curcumin: Curcumin, a key component of turmeric, has anti-inflammatory actions and antiviral
effects against a variety of similar viruses.
DURING SYMPTOMS OF INFECTION OR POSITIVE TEST FOR THE COVID-19 VIRUS:
To Avoid:
In the absence of human clinical data, caution is warranted with the following immune activating
agents due to their possible stimulation of an inflammatory response:
• Sambucus nigra (Elderberry)
• Polysaccharide extracts from medicinal mushrooms
• Echinacea angustifolia and E. purpurea
• Larch arabinogalactan
• Vitamin D
Likely Safe:
There are other commonly used natural immune stimulating and antiviral agents, several of which may
work to restore immune balance [homeostasis]. These are, therefore, likely safe to use both prior to, and
during COVID-19 virus infection. Whether these agents mitigate the symptoms or severity of COVID-19
is unknown and, therefore, the benefit of these agents during COVID-19 infection is unknown.
Recommendations include:
• Allium sativum (garlic)

• Quercetin
• Astragalus membranaceus
• Full mycelium mushroom extracts
• Mentha piperita (peppermint)
• Andrographis paniculata
• Zinc
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
The information and understanding of the COVID-19 virus infection and disease continues to change
rapidly. We encourage you to make integrative recommendations carefully. It is also important to
reiterate that there are no clinically evidence-based integrative prevention or treatment strategies
for Covid-19 virus infection.”

Thanks for stopping by, I’ll be posting something food related soon so keep your eyes open! Until next time keep washing those hands.